Day One-hundred-and-eighty-five: First full day, 2009

Unlike the two previous mornings, this day started with breakfast, not walking. To make up for that, we did two walks. The first was up to my grandmother's rapidly detereorating no heat, no water, no lived in house. There are some things in it, but most of the good mementos are gone. I did grab a die, a wooden checkerboard piece, and a copper ring. What I would have really liked to have had is the Chinese Checkerboard, if it hasn't already rotted away. I certainly didn't see it in the short time I was there.

The second walk was almost the reverse of yesterday's walk. The changes were minor. A different walker or two and my choosing a road less traveled by going down a steep hill rather than walk back to the logging road so I could walk down the same logging road we had just walked up the day before.

The 1500 piece jigsaw puzzle I brought in Monday was finished today and put back in the box before I even had a chance to see it fully assembled. The puzzle solvers had already started on another puzzle.

The big event of the day was the Family Initiation of three new members by marriage and two close potentials. While the initiation consisted of several events involving dexterity, coordination, balance, trust, and good humor, one feat of skill was postponed, my father's favorite: threading a needle with one eye. What the initiatees did was so exciting to them that four out of the five ended up with wet pants. (Of course that may have been the direct result of using a funnel in their waistband to catch a quarter from their forehead among people who have handy glasses of water.)

I may reflect more on this initiation in future blogs as there were some differences from the one that Marilyn undertook 30 years ago. (Now I can publish most of an entry I've had written for some time in my Memories of Marilyn blog.)

While I ate breakfast and lunch, I didn't eat a real dinner. I did have the traditional family foods that are supposed to bring wealth or luck throughout 2009: sauerkraut, black-eyed peas, and pork. (I had the barest sliver of ham for the pork.) I did this to continue enjoying my Life after Layoff. Wealth is a significant key to being able to do so. Besides, I've been walking and can afford to go off my diet every once in a while.