AdrianEagle

Well I never played with my son very much when he was young. Last year he got an S2000. Three weeks ago I got one also! So now we CAN play together, at least as long as I am able!

ralper

My mother and father are going to celebrate their 61st wedding anniversary on Monday. That is really something to thankful for.

I worked with my father for a number of years. He taught me most everything that I know thats worth knowing. We are still very close. They winter in Florida as the NJ weather is to difficult for them, but we speak to each other everyother day. Usually the call is just a , "Hello, I just wanted to see how you are, goodbye." But thats enough.

MsPerky

Thought I would resurrect this old thread. I'm sure lots has happened to those who posted originally. I've been worrying a bit lately about my parents staying in their house, but my mom is adamant about not going to assisted living. She wants her space and I don't blame her. She (about to turn 88) is still getting around pretty well. But...the stairs are a worry. They have a split-level, so three flights of stairs. My dad (about to turn 94) is the real problem now. He's gotten much more frail and I'm waiting for a fall. He is moving very slowly and shuffling his feet. He works on his computer in the basement, comes up to the rec room to socialize, then up to the kitchen/living room area, then up to the bedroom/sitting room. I've decided to just let things ride - if he wants to try to keep moving, I'm not going to stop him.

MsPerky

The guy (early 50s) I referred to in my post from 2004 who had pancreatic cancer died not long after. He worked almost until the day he died and was so frail and sick. One day he was walking in the hallway and his shoe was untied. He was too weak to tie it, so I tied it for him. It broke my heart. I think he was working right to the end so his family would have more money. Or maybe he just didn't want to give up.

paS2K

Strange to read these tales from +5 years ago.

Kathy's mom (in this ^^ post) lived to 92-1/2 and continued to be healthy until the last two months of her life. She was found to have lymphatic cancer and chose to not go thru chemo etc. She got her wish to stay in her very own small apt in a cozy and small Presbyterian Retirement facility...surrounded by her own pictures & furniture. Kathy, her sister and a couple caregivers provided 24/7 help, and a great hospice org came into play for the last month or so....with morphine and the entire palliative care regimen.

Anne DeWalt passed on Good Friday in 2006, and we miss her Here's her pic on her last Christmas time in 2005 (with grandson Greg)

tof

Wow...set the wayback machine for 1970, Sherman!

I read it with a sense of facination. Every once in a while when some new social or technological phenomenon sweeps the nation I think back on that book. One thing I think Toffler failed to anticipate is the adaptation to the accelerated rate of change that most of us have managed to develop. Look at how many vintage folks have embraced social networking in one form or another, from facebook to sites like this one.

I know I have had no trouble adopting my 19" lcd monitor and broadband network access to that thing called the World Wide Web.

And most of us have learned to simply ignore change we don't appreciate or understand. For example take rap (please).

Zippy

Interesting thread, wow since then we have lost my father-in-law and recently my mother-in-law and I will be joined in retirement by most lovely wife within the next year.
I do still miss not getting to know either of my parents as an adult, but that can't be changed.

Spokes Man

Several of the posts in this thread also brought tears to my eyes. Parkinson's Disease took my dad too, Val...in a cruel, agonizing struggle. He had always been a very skilled, dignified man, and that disease diminished him to a mere shell of what he had been. We were a close family, and I always admired my dad and the work that he did (he built custom homes, then furniture in his later years). He was very artistic, and had beautiful handwriting/printing. Parkinson's took that from him early on, and he had a rubber stamp made with his signature so he could "sign" legal documents toward the end. He's been gone for 14 years, but I still sense his presence at times.

I cherish the time I spent with, and the memories I have of my parents. Now I understand some of the struggles they had in life, and during their final years together. As a kid and young adult with my own family, I was oblivious to most of their problems, but now I understand a little more. They gave me a good life, and a strong foundation. They weren't rich or highly educated, but they were hard working, caring, and dependable people. They were always there for me, no matter what.

Now, after raising my own family I often have dreams of my sons as little boys; although they're grown men now. They were only children once, but that really stuck in my heart. I still see the "little boy" in each of them today, especially mirrored in their own children...my precious grandkids. I'm enjoying this reflective stage of life...looking back with the experiences of a lifetime, and being able to better discern the truly impressionable times in our family history. There were some deep heartaches, and some times of great joy.

Now that my parents are gone, I have been moved closer to the "edge" of life as we know it here on this earth. I'm sure my sons and their families are oblivious to my thoughts on this, but the reality of it lingers on my mind. I've already had a couple brushes with death, and know each day is a blessing. Just this week, we've been reminded of how fragile life is with the loss of our Vintage friend, John (RC-Ryder). So we continue on, and try to build good memories that will live on in the hearts and minds of our children, loved ones, and friends before it's our turn. I guess that's the cycle of life, and I'm blessed to still be living it.

paS2K

Thanks for sharing your ^^ very special thoughts, Jerry-CA

Parkinsons is a dreadful disease. An elderly (former Insur Co exec) is now in a Nsg Home in the terminal stages; a female friend our age has stemed the advance with expensive Rx....but it will still catch up eventually.

Chazmo

Wow, 7 years since I was in this thread. My my... time flies, huh?

Wish I had pearls of wisdom to throw out here, but I have nothing of the sort. Every day is a struggle. Very little in life is easy. And high expectations are dashed on a daily basis.

Then again, a bright, sunny day or a good moment with the family are always cherished.

Go figure.

Best wishes, folks!