title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Sunday, June 29, 2014

60th Wedding Anniversary Party

Queen Anne's Lace/Wild Carrot and roses in a green Ball jar.
Would be beautiful for a country style wedding
=========================================================

I was in my nightgown until noon!  Then, I took a shower and put it back on, while I dried.  Got dressed, filled up the bird feeders, ran a Prilosec up to Pearl who had bad heart burn and sat down to watch the baseball game.

I got so sleepy and closed my eyes at 3:00 and woke with a start at 4:25, BECAUSE I HAD TO BE AT MERLE AND PEARL'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY!!!!! YIKES!!

Made it!

Her youngest daughter, Margie, had reserved one entire side of the local Bob Evans restaurant--40 people came.  Pearl wanted me to sit right next to her.

Kind of an odd different family.  No one had a camera and no one wanted to have pictures taken, so I got bossy just so I could get one of them  and one of them and their kids.


Their eldest is Vic (given the name of Victor so he would be victorious)--he looks just like Merle, but he doesn't talk--or smile!  I greeted him when he arrived and when I left and he only mumbled something I could not make out.

Their eldest daughter, Cathy, (named for Catherine the Great) is a very religious woman.  Two weeks ago, she got mad at her husband and cut off most of her waist-length hair.  She thought it would make him stop drinking.  Ah-hh--NO.

Their youngest daughter (between them) Margie, (named for Princess Margaret) is the one I adore!  She reminds me so much of my Pammie.  Happy and smiling all the time and very, very fun.

I did manage to get Pearl to let me take a picture of the roses that Merle gave her.  Well, actually, Margie got a card and the roses, took her Dad out to the car, gave them to him and he brought them back in for Pearl.  She wasn't fooled for a minute and turned to me and said, "He didn't get me these, Margie did.  He has never bought me a flower in our lives!"  Which, when I remember how many flowers Fred brought home to me, made me sort of sad.




  
Considering that no one wanted pictures, but I knew that later Pearl would say, "I wish we had pictures of our party,"  I just kept clicking away, without my flash and no one had a clue.  HAH!  Then I put some together and printed them out and will take them all up to her tomorrow.


I accidentally hit my water glass with my knife and someone thought I was "clinking for a kiss" and they all started clinking and we did get a tiny little peck kiss out of them.  I didn't get a picture of that, but.....

They were sharing a milk shake and I did get a couple of photos of that--Pearl put whipped cream on Merle's nose. LOL

I wonder how anyone can live with the same person for 60 years and not get so tired of them and their ways--you know exactly how they are going to react to everything.  No surprises--maybe that's a good thing?  I could barely live with MYSELF for that long without getting bored.  

I guess you just start out, go through all the fights and problems and then, finally settle down and you get to be like brother and sister, or something--friends?  I don't really know what makes a long term marriage.  Is it just habit?  Neither one wants to rock the boat so...you just settle?  Better to be together, even though you can hardly stand each other, than to be all alone?

Merle and Pearl barely say a word to each other.  Most of the time, when they are together, they ignore each other.  He snaps at her on occasion...she gets so mad at him.  I guess that's what these long anniversaries are all about.  A celebration for putting up with each other for life?  

Oh well, I will never know and honestly...that's quite all right with me.  I'd rather be alone than have some MAN tell me what to do, how to do it, when to do it and get mad if I don't do it his way.
====================

Whenever we go to Bob Evan's to eat, Merle and I order a side of biscuits.  Pearl and Margie tease  him on how he eats a biscuit.  He first, cuts them in half, then slathers one half with butter.  Then he puts the tiniest bit of honey on the edge and only bites that part.  (He doesn't put honey on the whole half.)  He then puts on a tiny bit more of honey and eats only that part--on and on until the biscuit is gone.  

He stated in his dry way, "Keeps the honey from making a sticky mess."  So, tonight, I surreptitiously got a pix of him eating his biscuit.  I can't wait until they all see this photo!




I am a bit worried about Merle.  He has had terrible back pain for the last 6 months.  Has gone to the Chiropractor and the doctor.  Now, they finally want to run tests--CAT scan--MRI.  The family and Pearl aren't worried because they have no clue that it is anything but arthritis.  Knowing (way too much) about medical things, I can worry about Pancreatic/Lung/Kidney/Liver cancer.  Only I can worry--I am not saying a word about my worries to anyone else!

I've had a nice full weekend.  Filled with people that I enjoy and love and who love me...and none of them are related to me.  Just like at Drew's grad party yesterday--he was so glad I was there.

They don't HAVE to be nice to me.  That's kind of nice!  

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Heirlooms-Harangues-Hoorahs

Today's high temperature was: 87
Today's humidity was: 61%
Hard rain from 3:30 to 5:00
===============================

Who said heirlooms were only "things" passed down through generations?

I have heirloom flower plants!



The parent plant of this Peony, was planted on The Farm by my Great Grand Mother-Sophia- in 1910.
My sister still has the original, my daughter Pam has one and I have one.

My Mother got a clump of these from her Mother, in 1950.  Lemon Lily--because of the color and they smell like Lemons.  My Mother brought over a small clump of these, in 1959, and planted them at my new home.  I now have them in my garden here, my sister has them in hers.  One summer day in 1976, a lady, driving by, stopped at my house (when I lived on the farm) and asked if she could have a piece.  I dug up a nice clump for her.  I have no idea who she was or where these lilies are now growing.

I call this plant my Mama Iris.  My Mother ordered the peach colored hybrid corm from Breck's and planted it in the fall of 1968.  Two years later, the fall after she died, I dug a corm from this plant and put it in my garden down at the farm where I lived.  The children from this plant now are growing in my garden, Karen's garden, Jen's garden, Pam's garden and my sisters.

Whenever I moved, I needed to take a part of something from my "home" and plant it.  I also have 3 rocks from The Farm, the farm where I was born and the farm where Pammie now lives.  I need something from my "roots" to anchor me to my new home.

The children from these flowers were planted and still live (I think), in Clio (1988), Mt. Morris (1989), Otisville (1990), Lennon (1991), Saginaw (1992-2003), and here.  They also have been planted by my girls and sister in: Binghamton, New York (Susan), Whitmore Lake (Karen), Hartland (Jen) and Pam's farm and my son Mark, still has the original Iris, as he lives on the farm where my Mother planted it.  He loves that he still has something from his Grandma.

I have also given pieces of them to others and have no idea where they are.

I look at these and think, "We are born, live and die, but these plants, if cared for, just keep on forever!"
=========================

This morning, I walked up to Pearl's.  We were standing outside looking at her garden--she threw me a hint that we didn't have it all weeded.  I reached over, in back, to pull up a wild carrot weed.

"Oh!  Don't pull that out!  That's Queen Anne's Lace."

"It's Wild Carrot.  It's a weed and will spread like crazy."

"It is NOT a weed!  It's called Queen Anne's Lace."

"One in the same.  Wild carrot...Queen Anne's Lace.  Same plant."

She turned to look at me, put her hands on her hips.  "Is this going to be our plant argument for THIS summer?"

I put my finger up and said, "Nope.  Don't argue with me on this one...I know this for sure."

"I took a class from a Master Gardener and I ought to know what I'm talking about!"

"Yeah."

"What do you mean.. yeah?"

"No argument!  I will go home and Google it and bring you back the results."

"I don't care what the Internet says. This is Queen Anne's Lace."

"I never said it wasn't.  It is also Wild Carrot--they are both the same.  Dig it up and you will find a carrot underground.  I had to dig these dang things out of the fence rows for my Dad.  I hate them!"

"We used to put them in little jars of colored water and the blossom would take on that color."

"Yes--we did too.  Wild carrot."

She took a swing at my arm and almost fell over.  I steadied her and said, "Hold on Honey Bunny...just calm down."

We both had a good laugh.  She said, "Well, you go look on your Internet, but...I'll bet you a dollar, I'm right."

"Get your money ready," I said as I strolled on home


Queen Anne's Lace



Wild Carrot
.

Queen Anne’s lace earned its common name from a legend that tells of Queen Anne of England (1665-1714) pricking her finger and a drop of blood landed on white lace she was sewing. Belonging to the carrot family, Queen Anne’s lace is a biennial that is also known as wild carrot.

So--I printed this out, walked it back up to her house, handed it to her to read and held out my hand (waiting for my dollar).  She read it and handed it to Merle to read.  He looked at the pictures and said, "Oh, Wild Carrot."

"Pearl is a townie--she calls it Queen Anne's Lace.  I am a farm kid.  I call it Wild Carrot."

"I don't care," she said.  "I like it and I am going to let it grow!"

"Fine.  Cut it and put it in your bouquets.  It is a pretty WEED!"

<stubborn Swede and stubborn German>
=========================

This afternoon, I traveled around the lake to a Grad Party for another of Maddie's friends--another French Horn player.



Maddie and Drew last Halloween


 This is Drew when he was little.
Adorable?

 This is Drew's home
7,500+ square feet

 

 This is Drew now.  It had started to rain really hard
and we were a bit damp.


The pool outside the bottom level.

Beyond the pool is a lower lawn level with the party tent and beyond that is a sweeping lawn down to the lake.


I love this spouting turtle.
I wish I could have taken more photos of this magnificent place!  It poured for almost two hours.  Although the food was simple; Taco salad, and other Mexican foods, there was also a huge watermelon boat with fresh fruit, a double tiered cake and a Sundae Bar--it was all catered.  

The house is enormous--but, as I have noticed with a lot of the McMansions, there are a lot of rooms, but they are all smallish.  The dining room also contained a Steinway Grand Piano.  The lower level, where we all stayed, protected from the rain, had a TV on the end wall.  That dang thing was as long as the wall was wide and 8 feet in height.  


I guess you would call it a Home Theatre?
I sat and got acquainted with Drew's Mom's side of the family--the DeOrio's.  They are Italian and they are loud and brash and I had a blast chatting with them for a couple of hours.

On of the tables in this room was a lamp made from an old reel type movie projector.  I asked Drew about it and he said his Dad had made it and he had thought he and his Dad could make my French Horn into a lamp for me. 

Just then, Matt walked in (you remember, Matt took Maddie to Prom)




and came to hug me and he and Drew and I talked about the French Horn lamp I want.  A few weeks ago, Matt had offered to make it for me and Drew was going to help me.  I told them I had found an artist that works with metal sculpturing and that he was going to do it for me.  I really wanted to let these kids off the hook.  They have a busy summer and are planning for college in a few months.   

For a while, when I first got there, I just sat and looked around at this house and the others in the neighborhood.  These families of Maddie's friends are very wealthy.  These kids haven't a clue how fortunate they are to live in this kind of environment.  They take it all as quite normal--as they've lived like this all their lives.  

They are privileged and yet, they are all so very nice, polite, compassionate, intelligent, talented and very down to earth.   When I got ready to leave, it was still raining a bit and Drew helped me up the stairs to the main floor, got an umbrella out of the entryway closet and walked me to my car.  

I have never been in so many mansions in my life, as this last month, going to Grad parties.  My ancestor's were millionaires, but we never had houses like these people live in.  Our wealth was in the many acres of land my family owned.  I'm glad I got to rub elbows with these people, but...just think......

that TV they own, or that Steinway Grand--just think how long that young mother, I met at the food bank, could live on what just one of those items cost. 

Friday, June 27, 2014

Friday That Felt Like Wednesday

Today's high temperature was:  82 degrees
Low  humidity
Sunny and nice
===============================
All day, it has felt like Wednesday.

We are having the most delightful weather, compared to a lot of the US--no floods, no drought, no earthquakes, no fires.  I keep telling people, "Our state is formed in the image of God's right hand--you should expect it to be a lovely place to live."

JEAN--the label "Christian" on the dating sites doesn't mean they are regular church goers.  It simply means they aren't Jewish, Muslims, Agnostic or Atheists.
===============================
So--this morning at 9:00 I trotted up to Pearl's to take a look at her "demon" lap top, as she calls it.  By noon, I had to agree with her.  In the first place, it is an older LapTop (2000), and Windows 8 is installed on it.  Windows 8 works well with touch screen devices--she does not have a touch screen.  I have been told by many an expert NOT to load Windows 8 on my PC or I will have tons of problems.  It certainly is not very user friendly, in my opinion.  

In order to even launch the computer, I had to enter her e-mail and password--which remembered from last time and it was the correct one.  There were no icons on the desktop.  I tried for over 45 minutes to get into Google.  Then I kept getting error messages that data bases were missing.  That there was no virus protection.  I entered a bunch of required information and as I was about to hit the enter button, the screen flashed and the information was gone.

Finally at noon, I closed the cover and said, "You tell your kids to come get this damn thing and get you a regular PC computer."

She has a monitor, keyboard, printer, scanner, speakers--all she needs is the box with the hard drive and mother board.  She only used her computer to install and play her few games, read her e-mail and Face Book and check on her bank balance.  She doesn't need Office or anything else on the dang thing.

Her daughter got her a Smart Phone last year--I think I told you many tales about that.  Pearl could not figure it out and the day a "voice" came out of that device, she put it down and wouldn't use it.  They took it back and got her a flip phone and she is very happy.

Her daughter got her the Lap Top for Christmas.  Merle and Pearl have it bundled in with their phone and TV.  She has been paying for High Speed Internet and WiFi since Christmas and can't use it.

Remember---THIS IS PEARL!!!

Not only is it Pearl--it is Dar across the street from Pearl who doesn't know how to open her CD player (didn't know what that was) to put in a software disc.


Old people need SIMPLE.  K.I.S.S.= keep it simple, stupid.

I would be the exact same way if I hadn't had training in computer's when I worked and also knew two computer geeks who taught me so much about how they work.  Both Pearl and Dar are afraid they are going to "break" the thing and on more than one occasion, Pearl has told me that "the computer sees me when I sit down and it tries to do everything it can to stop working for me."  I think she really believes that--like the NSA of  the computer world is watching and likes to drive her crazy.

She was so frustrated this morning that she had tears in her eyes.  "I want it out of my house!  I had a dream to get a new computer--I had almost all of the money saved and they....well they took away that dream when they brought me that evil thing!"

I wish I had the money.  I would put her in my car and drive her over to my computer service store and get her a new computer.  They have just what she needs for $300.00.
=======================
I watched my Soap and then went for a bike ride--adding a bit longer ride--not much, only about another 50 feet, but..............

Pammie called and we had a good talk about Welfare--I did not realize that even though it is a Federal Program, each state has different qualifications AND each county in the State has different qualifications.  The county just north of me and east of Pammie has a really good assistance program.  When a friend of Pam's needed surgery, he could not get any kind of help in his county.  He had a friend who lived in the county east of him, so...he used the friends address and went to the biggest hospital in that county--had the much needed surgery and it was entirely paid for.

Now--that is fraud--what is a person supposed to do?  The young woman I met yesterday used to live in that county--that's where she had her cancer surgery.  Now, she lives in our county and can't get any help for her chemo treatments.  I wish I had known yesterday--I would have asked if she had any relatives where she used to live and told her to use their address and travel the 12 miles up the expressway and get her chemotherapy.

I also found out why our food assistance was cut.  In our State, food assistance and health assistance is included in our Farm Bill.  Who knows why.  Our State recently cut back on the Farm Bill--so the assistance was also cut.  Our State has an $85M flush fund--they are using it to repair our roads--which also are badly needed, but....................
==================
This eye opening condition has me wondering.  I would not know any of this if I lived the life I used too.  We complain about our taxes going for "lazy people on welfare"--I used to say the same.  If you are comfortable or even living from pay check to pay check and making it, you wouldn't give any of this a second thought--because you would never have to seek out assistance and then see how the programs work--or don't work.  
I am beginning to sound like a Liberal.  Tax the rich and help the poor and elder.
===========================
So, today I got one Flirt from this guy--he is way too scary for me:

 He is 6'0" tall and 71 years old
He's not interested in marriage, but wants a "live in sweetheart"  Here are more photos on his profile.
 His home and his dog Buddy.
He proudly claims he has 14 acres of land out in the country.


I have no idea what he's going for here
He lives in Kentucky and I am glad.  No fear of running into him!

Here is another winner who wants to communicate:

He's only 60, so he's still arrogant

I had to copy and past his profile here.  Thought you'd get a kick out of it.

ithinkiluvu

Guys like me are hard to find

Age 60 From Garrett, Indiana - - Online Now 
Man Seeking A Woman (107 Miles Away)

 

Basic Information

I Can Speak

English
I Would Describe Myself As

Hi,,,I am fully functional,,, all my parts work,,,I have all my teeth,,,,I brush regularly, and use deoderant,,,and wear clean clothes,,,,I am very polite,,,right now ,my car is fixed!!,,,,I like to sing and drink beer,,,,,,I go to the movies or I rent them,,,,I eat out ,,,also you can see me on POF site at ---skill46738
Sign

Gemini

Appearance & Situation

My Body Type Is

Average
My Height Is

5' 7 (1.7 m)
My Eyes Are

Brown
My Ethnicity Is

Caucasian
My Marital Situation Is

Widowed
I Have Kids

Yes - At Home
I Want Kids

Not Sure
My Best Feature Is

Legs
Body Art

Wouldn't Even Think About It
My Hair Is

Brown
I Have One Or More Of These

Dog
Willing To Relocate

Yes

Status

My Education Level Is

High School Diploma
My Current Employment Status Is

Retired
My Speciality Is

Retired
I Make This Much In A Year

$15,000USD To $29,999USD
I Live

With Kid(s)
At Home

All Is Calm
I'm A Smoker

No
I Drink

Yes - Socially

Taste

On Tv, I Always Watch

News, Movies, Reality Shows
My Top 3 Tv Shows Are

n/a
When I Go To The Movies, I Always Go To See A

Action, Science Fiction, Comedy, Drama, Family, Animation, Horror, Thriller, Adult
When Listening To Music, I Always Listen To

Blues, Classical, Country, Dance, Electronic, Folk, Gospel, Industrial, Jazz, Latin, Metal, New age, Pop, Punk, Reggae, Rap, Rock, Soul, Vacuum Cleaner Noises, I'm A Recording Artist
When I Read, I Always Read

I Don't Like Reading
My Idea Of Fun Is

I like to sing and drink beer or whiskey,,,,, rummage sales,, gun shows ,,shopping ,,,,hanging out wit my son

Personality

Back In High School, I Was A

Cool Dude
My Social Behavior Is

Friendly, Party Starter
My Interest And Hobbies Are

Cars, Clubbing / Bar Hopping, Computers, Gambling, Gardening, Movies, Music, Theater, Tv
My Idea Of A Great Time Is

Clubbing / Bars, Drinking, Going Shopping, Going To A Casino, Partying, Relaxing, Sleeping, Staying At Home, The Movies, Trying New Things, Tv
An Ideal First Date Would Be

Coffee date or lunch
I've Always Wanted To Try

I think I've done everything
My Friends Describe Me As Being

Friendly

Views

My Religion Is

Christian
I Attend Services

Never
My Political Views Are

Middle Of The Road
My Goal In Life Is

Day by day
My Kind Of Humor Is

Clever

Looking for


What Do You Find Attractive?

Intelligence
What Do You Look For?

Black hair
What Kind Of Relationship Are You Seeking?

Intimate



He lives in Indiana, Marla.  LOL

Frightening what's out there, isn't it.


Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Thrill Is Gone


Today's high temperature was: 77 degrees
The humidity was: 42%
Sunny and very pleasant
============================
Awake again at 7:30--I have no clue why I am suddenly waking up early.  I had a lot of pain in the base of my head and my neck--maybe that's what woke me up?  Tonight, I will try a different pillow.  I have three new ones that I am trying to find some sort of comfort with.  None of them are comfortable!

My appointment at the Food Bank was at noon.  I got there, got my cart and began my gleaning.  I could not remember how many cans of what I was allowed and then realized, I hadn't checked-in.  So I did that and got my check list.  2 frozen meats, 2 bread products, as many canned goods as I wanted--all of it, just so I didn't go over my 40# limit.  Last month, I think I told you I only came up with 12# and they were trying to load me up with stuff I never would eat.  Today, I got 24#, so I did better, so as to not upset them, and I managed to get a pound of ground beef and a package of Chuck Steak Beef Bundles, whatever they are.  I will put them in the crock-pot and cook them for hours or days and add some potatoes, carrots, onions and pretend it is a pot roast.

What really touched me today, a young woman with 3 small children, was in front of me in the line that winds back and forth through the aisles up to the check-out.  You could tell the kids clothes were frayed, but they were all very clean, with hair combed and well behaved.  As we strolled along, I found out she had a melanoma tumor removed at the U of M hospital.  She now needs chemotherapy and can't get it.

"Have you checked into getting the Obama health insurance?"

"Yes.  We tried right away, but, we don't qualify for any breaks in the price and we can't afford the six hundred a month premium."

"Are you on Medicaid?"

"Yes, but right now, we can only get treatment in an ER and they don't do chemo in an ER."

"Something isn't right here," I said.  "You are involved in the WIC programs and with DHS, right?"

"Yes both.  They just cut my food stamps down one hundred-fifty dollars this month."

"Yeah--I know.  They cut mine too."

"If it wasn't for the kids and my husband, I'd just kill myself.  I might die anyway, without the chemo."

"Now--you gotta keep going.  There are 3 other food banks in the county...run by the churches.  Do you know about them."

"Yes.  I'm enrolled at each one."

I'm racking my brain and telling her about the Michigan Health Care programs and telling her she HAS to call DHS and just keep bugging them until they help her.

Soon we were done and walked outside to our cars.  Each applicant gets one jug of laundry detergent and one pack of bathroom tissue each month--it doesn't count toward your total.  The toilet paper is like the kind in the public restrooms and I only use the laundry detergent on my blue jeans because it doesn't seem to clean anything else.  I handed the young Mom, my toilet paper and detergent.  

"I know you have a lot of clothes to wash and one pack of toilet paper isn't going to last you a week.  Please take mine--I have some at home to use."

Tears came to her eyes--  

"Thank you soooo much.  It was so nice to talk to you," she said.  "You take care of yourself and have a nice weekend."

"You too.  Hang in there!  Keep going forward...take care of your beautiful family.  It will get better."

As if I believed any of that!!!  This makes me so sad--sad and angry!!  She's not the only one of course--there was two other young Moms with children in the small food bank today and 3 other older women like me.  There was one bag of limp cut up salad fixings in the cooler--the lady behind me and I both reached for it at the same time.  I let her take it.  The supply of anything "fresh" was very limited today.  I call it fresh--everything is past the "sell by date".  I did manage to find a package of croissants--I use them for my lunchtime sandwich.  

I wish I had a million dollars--half a million.  I know, I can't save everyone, but I could have at least handed this young Mom a hundred dollars today.    Of course, if I had that kind of money, I wouldn't be in the areas where the poor are compelled to go.  Frustrating!!
================================
I went over to Dar's when I got home.  She doesn't understand her computer very well.  She has a camera and had pictures on it that she wanted to get off there and on to her computer.  I downloaded the camera software and showed her how to hook up her camera and copy her photos to her computer and delete off her camera.  She brought out her beautiful Caftan and I got to try it on again.


===================
Tomorrow morning I am going up to Pearl's and try and get her new laptop figured out.  Her daughter got it for her for Christmas and Pearl hasn't been able to get on it since.  She has tried many times and now has at least 4 different usernames and passwords and can't remember any of them.  It may be a hopeless case, but I promised I would give it a go.
==========================
I am getting a bit weary of my dating site research--the thrill is gone.  Here are my matches for today:

Okay--this guy reminds me of someone who would be in a little,
run-down shack, posing as a church and yelling
REPENT, as he passed the rattlesnakes around.


Yesterday, I got one with the Cowboy hat and today--
Ta Dah--I get one with a motorcycle.
So many old guys with motorcycles.
Probably the only pleasurable feeling
they get between their legs anymore. 


I'm sure he is very nice, but, once again,
the stupid emblem on the hat!
Besides, he's short



Well now--lookie here--
I don't much like the 'stache, 
his nose is a bit weird,  but...

A really nice profile.  He's 6'4"  Doesn't list his income level--which is good.  I like what I am reading below:
He lives 15 miles away.  I just might message him.

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:
I'm an easy going, jeans and tennis shoes kinda guy. But, I can dress for whatever the occasion calls for. I enjoy life and love having fun. I try to hold myself to high standards. I accept people for whom they are. I don't try to change them. I’m honest and treat people with dignity, courtesy, and respect. I believe romance and affection are an important part of a healthy relationship. I like pleasing others and I am a firm believer that, “it really is more blessed to give than to receive.” I am a Christian, and although, not a writer by profession, I enjoy writing spiritual books, booklets, and articles, which I email anonymously, at no cost, to people all over the world. Born in Dearborn Mich., served in the Navy and, after attending the Univ. of Detroit, I moved to South. Calif. I spent my career working in Aero Space Financial Executive Management and retired in 2002. I have 4 children and 10 grandchildren, all but one living in Calif. Two of my grandsons are professional baseball pitchers. I moved back to Novi, Mich.4 years ago. I am both very emotional, and financially secure. I feel, and people say, I look much younger than I am. But, you need to decide for yourself; either by my “recent photos” or by meeting.

Men seem to regularly make the statement: "People say, I look much younger than I am."  They are so insecure, aren't they?  I have always been a tad afraid of men, but now, as they age, I see how really needy they are and it takes away their dominant power--or what I have always felt was their domination.  Or perhaps, I have just become so much for independent and don't worry about trying to impress them anymore, that I am more relaxed about men?  

"You don't scare me, you weird gender!  Instead of always being the people pleaser, so you would like me, I don't care now.  I can live quite a good life without you.  Be good to me or you're gone!"  HAH