Thought it would be a good idea to trace my daily existence at this advanced age , while I can do so.
Let me begin at 7 AM which without fail is the time when I leave my cozy bed to open the door and
to pick up the daily newspaper on my porch.
Now arrives the time to prepare what for me is the best meal of the day,called Breakfast. This ritual
begins with the taking of my two daily pills: 81 mg of aspirin and one sugarfree childrens' chewable
vitamin.,both approved by my so nice primary doctor. Aren't I blessed not to need any other kind
of medicine !
Then comes the breakfast which rarely varies. First, a big bowl of "honeybunches of oats",then one
huge soy pill (too big to swallow)mashed up in a gadget I have had for years. 2/3 of a banana sliced
(the other third is for lunch), a spoonful of blueberries and a large strawberry cut up and added to the
mix.All this is followed by a good dose of a vitamin D, with milk-and,voila, there is the first half of my
early meal ! it is regularly followed by a toasted,small breakfast roll,laced with cream cheese and
orange or strawberry marmalade.The highpoint of this so delicious feast is a big cup of my beloved
Ovaltine,made in Switzerland and offered to me as a child in Germany. Am I not blessed to start
the day this way !.
While partaking of this so great meal the brain is also pleasantly engaged,. Only the headlines are
read in the news section,the rest is left for lunch.However, the breakfast would not be complete
without my solving the daily picture puzzle which I usually can solve-practice makes perfect !
Then the daily crossword puzzle accompanies me back to my so cozy bed. before this,however
at 8 AM sharp I phone my so helpful next door neighbor to establish that we are both still among
the living.Until Thursday I am usually able to solve the puzzle but then there are too many names
involved of people I never heard of.
Most of the mornings I do not have any appointments,except every other Saturday to work at 9:30
at the Friends of the Library-which I love to do.Thus, this free time is filled with thinking up poetry
or stories which will take up the time until my daily half hour morning walk,either inside or out.
This precedes my lunch at usually 1:30 PM. Mostly I open a can of the many foods thus available-
of which I like noodle soup the best, followed by Jello and cookies. No fuss, no muss,no big
clean-up.
Now I must mention the school which I brought to LW and there are 8 weeks of,once a week,classes
of 1 1/2 hour each,one at 10 AM and one at 2:30PM.I just love to attend and to meet nice people.
Usually my afternoons are spent at the wonderful computer-typing up whatever I thought up in the
morning. Again one half hour is spent walking and another half hour visiting my neighbor.Luckily
the neighbor lady next to her now is my purchasing agent for food since I stopped driving and it
works well.
By then 5 PM arrives with the mail and the crossword puzzle book is at hand for an hour of brain
teasing until 6PM dinner time.There is little variety at this repast but I like it that way : a toasted
turkey sandwich,coleslaw and pudding present another satisfactory meal without great effort.
Since I do not hear too well there is no TV during the day at all,but at 7PM my two favorites are
on : Jepardy and the wheel. 2 1/2 times a week I am out pokering and I love that, win or lose.
Usually I am in bed by 9PM.I do not like to go out at night,except for cards. After reading a few
pages of a good book,it is lights out about 9:30 and a nightly wake-up about four times for
performing into a bottle at bed.
Now,let it be stated that I do not feel lonesome and times passes well, may it continue thus !

Otto Ros
November 2011