A Different Life II

[Lily&Me]

My son in law was discharged to home yesterday....three days in the hospital is a pretty good stay these days.

He has to stay off work all week, and can't drive until his blood sugar is stable.

Yikes. Life changed in an instant.

Mitsubishi Motors here officially closed yesterday, moving out of the country after 30 years, and that is going to have an impact on our community....which has been fairly well insulated from recessions. Lots of people with very well paying jobs are now out of work.

Packed up and ready to leave early tomorrow morning....got my city clothes, good shoes and earrings ready to go.....always kind of fun to dress a bit these days, something Doug and I liked to do on our at least annual train trips to Chicago, our 20th anniversary trip to Paris.... One spends a lot of time in casual clothing in retirement, and that is okay, but fun to pull out the nicer things once in awhile.

My flight out of Bloomington is very early, but that is not a problem, because I will be awake, anyway. .....I will find coffee and something for breakfast at OHare, and then have time to people watch a bit before my connecting flight.

Always fun in an international airport....who are you, and where are you headed to...

I can now say that I head south "next month", and am starting to look at routes from here to Charleston, campgrounds that are open, etc. So much will be dictated by weather, but I will likely take more major highways and interstates all the way....trying to find some new roads, just because, but getting there without incident will be the important thing.

Alumalina is filling with friends I can't wait to see, and a few folks I have followed for years here but have yet to meet. It will be a great time.

It has rained the past few days, and tomorrow morning they are calling for snow flurries....but today it is in the 40's and the sun is shining.

Wood still begs to be hauled, so haul while the sun shines I must.


Maggie

[ColoradoLady]

Maggie,
I am glad your SIL is better. Must have been frightening for him and family. Necessary changes in so much are now in store for him. I wish them the best.

Sad to hear of the closing of auto maker and tragic loss of so many jobs. If only those in power in Washington were to make decisions to benefit the citizenry, as easily as they do for their own benefit...perhaps the corporations would be more likely to keep jobs in USA. Maybe next year. One can only hope.

I see what you mean...re: retirement in casual clothes. I own a lovely set of Tahitian pearls....necklace, ring, and earrings....a gift from Joe. (He enjoyed buying extravagant gifts for me). I think I may have worn them once or twice, then have had no occasion to wear them since. I jokingly tell me daughter, Deb, "They will look so nice with my favorite sweat suit." One day, they will be hers, of course.

I hope you have a wonderful trip....in your city clothes. You're so cute! I enjoy your day to day posts! God bless. Evelyn.

[xrvr]

Can't find any info on Mitsubishi. Hope it's not a nationwide thing. Any more info? Please have a great holiday, don't overdo it!

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by ColoradoLady

Maggie,
I am glad your SIL is better. Must have been frightening for him and family. Necessary changes in so much are now in store for him. I wish them the best.

Sad to hear of the closing of auto maker and tragic loss of so many jobs. If only those in power in Washington were to make decisions to benefit the citizenry, as easily as they do for their own benefit...perhaps the corporations would be more likely to keep jobs in USA. Maybe next year. One can only hope.

I see what you mean...re: retirement in casual clothes. I own a lovely set of Tahitian pearls....necklace, ring, and earrings....a gift from Joe. (He enjoyed buying extravagant gifts for me). I think I may have worn them once or twice, then have had no occasion to wear them since. I jokingly tell me daughter, Deb, "They will look so nice with my favorite sweat suit." One day, they will be hers, of course.

I hope you have a wonderful trip....in your city clothes. You're so cute! I enjoy your day to day posts! God bless. Evelyn.

You're sweet....thank you.

You know, other countries give incentives for big corporations to headquarter or relocate there, and apparently it is cheaper/more beneficial to be elsewhere. My neighbor retired from Mitsubishi last summer, after 25 years, I believe, and right before the upcoming closure was announced.

We have a lot in this community, but the loss of Mitsubishi is going to be felt.

Note to self....always check every pocket, nook and cranny of a wallet before you dispose of it.

I almost threw one out that has a torn lining...something told me to make a last look in the pockets....there was a small wad of cash, folded up, in a little pocket that I had completely forgotten was there. Our emergency stash, carried around since we retired...just in case. I haven't had my hands on it since I moved it to this wallet a couple of years ago, and just forgot about it.

I have been using a new one for several weeks, hadn't decided whether to give the old one to Goodwill or to throw it out. Good thing. Would I have been upset at some point when I figured out what I had done.

Walk Lily, take her to my sons til Monday night.....and, I'm ready.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by avionstream

Can't find any info on Mitsubishi. Hope it's not a nationwide thing. Any more info? Please have a great holiday, don't overdo it!

Thank you.

I'm surprised you can't find anything on Mitsubishi. This is from the Chicago Tribune.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...724-story.html

[Jim Flower]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Wood still begs to be hauled, so haul while the sun shines I must.





Maggie

I love that line Maggie. Pretty much sums it all up. Jim


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[Lily&Me]

If I don't do it, it ain't gonna get done.


Maggie

[ColoradoLady]

Maggie,
Re: "found money"...I hope it is a nice amount! Wow! That could have been tough..., but, of course, you may never have known what you lost. Glad you found it. "Good fortune comes to good people!"

I like hearing of your gradual and consistent transition. As ladies, we too often, don't realize what we are capable of....till necessity teaches us....I CAN DO IT!
YOU GO GIRL!
Evelyn.

[Lily&Me]

It was enough that I would have been very upset to have found it gone.

A transition is what this is....I seldom do anything that doesn't make me think of Doug.

He is still everywhere I look and in most things I touch, and that is okay. I loved him, he loved me, and we had a good life together. Everyone doesn't get that, and I cherish it and the memories.

Pulling out Christmas decorations, there are only a couple of things that pre-date 1986. I have given most of the childhood things to my kids. A few tears.

Looking for a suction holder for my stained glass window wreath, still in a top drawer of the buffet are dozens of little, hand drawn squares of paper with hearts on them....with our initials in them, an arrow, and cut from the paper tablecloths at places where we had dinner.

He had drawn these on every paper table cloth, for years, then cut them out with the scissors on the tiny Swiss Army knife (that I kept) and handed them to me with a smile and an air kiss. One of these, in a little frame on the frig, says "Paris 2012".

What can you do...one either sinks into depression and sadness, or tries to swim. I choose swim, and know that's what he would want for me.

The two lives co-exist, hand in hand.

He's still here...just not physically.


Maggie

[mimiandrews]

Maggie, I need to thank you for sharing all your thoughts and feelings since Doug's passing. It has been good preparation for me as my John's health declined and it became obvious that his end was coming, as it recently did. My own entry into that different life came two weeks ago, and it's just me and a black lab at home now. I'll spend the winter cleaning up and organizing things, and then an old blue truck and the Airstream will take the two of us exploring. Hope we meet you and Lily on the road somewhere, someday.

[Lily&Me]

I am so sorry to hear that, mimiandrews.

Let's make a point of trying to meet up next year.

Take care of yourself, and may many happy memories comfort you during this difficult time.


Maggie

[mimiandrews]

Happy memories, good kids and grandkids, and good friends are helping me through. One day at a time.

[Lily&Me]

That's the way to do it.

Hugs to you.


Maggie

[Paddledipper]

I sure wish you would find your way down to Canopener in January!

[Lily&Me]

You're sweet, pd.

Several people have mentioned Canopener, and that it is s great rally. I always think of it as being over the New Years holiday, but I see it is not actually until January 8th. I'll ponder that. .

I will have grands after Christmas until the 31st, so couldn't even think about leaving til a couple of days after that...then, there's the weather.

It might already be full, too.


Lily is deposited, laundry is in...


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Topsail is full.

Maybe next year.


Maggie

[Paddledipper]

People are cancelling everyday. Keep looking :-)

[Lily&Me]

I just might.

I think I could make January 8th, weather permitting, and I would love to meet you.


Maggie

[paiceman]

Too bad about losing Mitsubishi. I was on a committee while working that made the decision to move our 79,0000 employee company overseas. Fortunately we did not close any plants in the US, but did move corporate headquarters from US - with 36% tax rate to Ireland with 13% tax rate. In corporate world the owners come first - stockholders.

Have a wonderful trip to the area my wife and I grew up in NYC.

Bud

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Thank you.

I'm surprised you can't find anything on Mitsubishi. This is from the Chicago Tribune.

Mitsubishi closing Normal plant in Illinois, ending U.S. production - Chicago Tribune

Thanks for the link. Local media here only covers climate change, environmental issues and Obama.