124 days!

124 days til Christmas! A little over four months! So the year is almost 2/3 over! I'm starting to think about what to get everyone for Christmas gifts. Ben and Manda found some things they want in a Nebraska Red catalog while they were up. In another month I'll ask the rest of the kids and kids-in-law to start thinking about what they want.

Another important number is four. That's how many years I have to work in order to retire with a decent pension and social security. A friend and I are saying "Four more and out the door." In reality, I'll reassess at that time and decide if I want to work longer. To get full social security, I'd have to work 7 more years, or not start collecting immediately. Decisions that I don't have to make at the present time.

And then there's the number 185, which is the number of days the staff works in a school year. We go back on Sept 1, then have a four day Labor Day weekend, then staff works the 6th, and kids come in on Sept 7. It's ridiculous- staff could work Sept 1 and 2, and the kids come in on the 6th. These calenders are not set for the benefit of the ten month staff or for the kids.

Another important number is 8, which is how old Eddie will be next month! He's going into grade 3, and is absolutely adorable, a handsome young man. That number is also the number of years that I've been quilting, since I started while Heather and Ed were expecting Eddie.

Totally unrelated, tonight my brother Mike and I went to a viewing for one of mom's neighbors. Tony lived across the street from my parents since I was in about first grade. He was always a good neighbor, and since my dad died, Tony watched out for Mom, and took her trash cans in every week. He was a semi retired mechanic and auto repair shop owner. Last week he went to work, did a brake job, and came home and basically dropped dead of a massive heart attack. How funny that he and dad both died so suddenly.

I just made a list of the things I have to do before returning to work next week. Tomorrow my car goes to the auto repair shop here in town to have the oil changed and a checkup. That's number one on my priority list.

Manda and Ben are back in Houston, and we're getting back into our routine here. Next week Steph and Dan start back to college classes. Heather and Ed are settling into their jobs. Eddie goes to grade 3, and Julianna starts morning preschool. Every day she asks Heather if it's September yet.

Next week is settlement on Florence's townhouse, so that will be one less thing Ralph is dealing with.

And the beat goes on!
Holly