End of year message from Lori and Jeff
(written by Jeff, so don’t blame Lori, aka Lady Sweetness)
I have strong feelings about everything. Yes, that includes tofu, email, and having my 1-ply toilet paper roll over, not under. For the record, 52% of Americans now use some form of Wet Ones. Much as I have great affection and even LOVE for some of those folks reading this, the truth is I hate getting these Novellas at year end telling me what went on during the year… when the people sending them have stayed out of touch for a year. It’s akin to watching Episode 43 of Game of Thrones with no insight into what came before it. Anaxamander just turned three and is wearing clothes for a boy age 5. Great. Who the hell is Anaxamander? We didn’t know you had another child, especially one named after a Greek tile pattern. And the dog, named Ficus got so excited seeing the new pony we got for Bridget (who is THAT?) peed on the pony and now they are enemies. Okay, that makes me sad, but I will get over it. Fletch got a promotion and is now the Head of Lettuce at our local market. He is happy but resents the Head of Cabbage who makes 33 cents an hour more. Speak up Fletch! Then we read that a couple having a new child battled for months over the new name and the child is now 2 years old and called Baby Flossensteiner. I like it. Moving on and I’m sure you can’t wait, these tales from out of nowhere appear in our mailbox without stopping. My response upon opening them and seeing the length and depth of info communicated is to feel my AFIB racing and the need to reach for another Xanax and search for a bookmark. Hemingway wrote shorter books than this. I wish I were kidding but my sense of humor has vanished over night along with my false teeth. Okay—chord change. Most importantly, Lori was diagnosed with melanoma, had surgery in June and Thank God (I do pray nightly) is now free of Cancer. Frequent check-ups needed for a year plus ongoing observation at home. She still works at Primo and loves it and loves them—her other family. Our 42 year old daughter Zoe gave birth to a boy, Sydney, who is as beautiful as his mom. His dad, Rupert, looks like young Omar Sharif so this is one good looking kid. It seems he has my big eyes and full bottom lip, but I plan to ask for them back. Igby our dog who is 13 or 14 just marches on despite being deaf, almost blind and has no sense of smell, but still signals to me when I need a shower. My Uber Dark Depression is now 41 years old—nuff said. Lori has great affection for everyone receiving this and a Big Love for so many of you. I like a handful of you and Love 5 or 6 of you but sincerely pray for All of you every night. Focus on your health and try to tap into your spiritual side (I had to rent one). My Biggest Gripe from a list of 94 is that we communicate with one another as if it were the 12th century. Texting and email is one step removed from writing a message on a piece of paper, putting it in the talon of a bird and sending it on its way. The human voice is a unique instrument. Not hearing a person’s voice or looking them in the eye is bad for the brain and the soul. More than my opinion, it’s neurologic fact. You don’t have to talk to Me, but give it a try with those you care about. Make the most of every day and accept that Life is a continuous series of gains and losses. When it comes to Loss, what I say to Lori is this:
IF IT ISN’T ALIVE, IT DOESN’T MATTER.
(IT DOESN'T)
