Monday, January 9, 2017

Writing

Monday, January 9, 2017
All through my years of schooling - kindergarten up - my worst subject was English.  I hated reading and seemed incapable of writing of any worth.  In fact, I'd look for ways to get around it as much as possible.  Then while I was in high school, I had to take a semester of typing and that was the epitome of awful!!!!!!  We used manual typewriters and I made so many mistakes in my typing I would get minus scores.  I'll never forget the teacher pulling me aside and asking what my plans were - did I plan on taking any more typing or using it for a job.  When I told her no, she promised she'd pass me with a D rather than fail me.  Thank goodness or I'd have had to do it over again.

Today I now find myself doing huge quantities of typing but on a computer where I can fix it as I go and fix I do ALOT!!!!!  But it is so wonderful to be able to do it as my handwriting is terrible and I really want to be able to record things I've done and communicate easily with people I know.  Word processing, typing on a computer has truly saved me from myself.  I can do it, fix it and keep right on going and not worry.  I LOVE COMPUTERS for just that reason.

All those growing up years I'd hear my mother expressing her greatest wish of having her work in print.  She LOVED writing and did it whenever possible.  She was a wonderful secretary all her life so earned her living writing but her dream of beig in print didn't happen till she started a little newspaper she distributed on our street when we lived in Pleasant Ridge and the street had its own little club -Amherst Club.  Then when she retired she wrote articles for the newspaper put out by the Florida Residents at the park where she lived - Hawthorne.  Many times she would send in articles to magazines but never to my knowledge was one accepted.

Now I find myself writing newsletters for organizations we belong to, taking minutes because of the role of secretary I've been given many times, and now our park manager has asked me to write articles for the local Senior News that comes out twice a month here in Zephyrhills.  Last week I saw my name in print on an article I'd submitted and couldn't help think of mother and how I was fulfilling her wish even though I've been dragged kicking and screaming into it all and certainly without the skills she had.

I think about it today because I spent the first part of the day revising a 5 page Welcome newsletter for our RV Park that is distributed to all who stay here.  The manager had me add a page with all the information she wanted to include.  So from a couple of scribbled notes I filled a page - she liked it and now it is revised and in print.

Then she asked me to write another article for the Senior News so the second part of the day I worked on that gathering pictures and information but trying to keep it short.  I've just now sent it off to the newspaper so we'll see if it is included in the next edition.

One never knows what will happen over the years but I really think it is funny that the subject I hated the most is the one I'm most involved in now as a retiree.  Crazy!  Oh and I have discovered a genre I love to read and now have literally worn out my Kindle cover using it daily and pouring through all kinds of books.  Because of lack of space for "real" books, that has become my favorite way to read though I still love those same kind of books when I can borrow them from our lending library or friends.

Meanwhile our second oldest daughter, Susan, is celebrating her big 5 0 today.  And she lucked out because there was such a bad winter storm in Charlotte, North Carolina that schooled was cancelled today.  That meant she could stay home and really have a day of celebration doing what she wanted to do.  Love this picture of her taken by her husband
What a fun celebration for her!  Over the weekend the whole family went to West Virginia to the Winterplace where they spent hours snowtubing - her choice of a birthday celebration.  Here they are
Personally I love the warmth!!!!  But Happy Birthday to you Sue!

And here is the article I wrote and sent in:
Hillcrest Celebrates New Year with a Bang!
New Year’s Eve at Hillcrest RV Resort had a very special twist.  Residents Roland Bondy and Eileen Herridge chose the site of the New Year’s Eve dance in the large clubhouse as the place for their wedding.  It was held less than an hour before the dance was to start so that residents could arrive a bit early in their elegant wear and add that to their evening of celebration.  Eileen arrived in the back of the Smith’s convertible. The hall was already decorated very festively and they added a beautiful “garden” arch decorated in netting and beautiful flowers as a spot to stand for the ceremony. It was then moved to a corner of the hall so it could be available for attendees of the dance to pose in for a special picture for themselves as a keepsake from this memorable night. 

The entire evening was truly a Hillcrest affair, as resident Emma Jean Cook performed the ceremony and resident Cyril Penton was the chief photographer.  Resident bagpiper Bruce Martin, provided the processional bagpipe music as Eileen came in on the arms of friends and residents Leo and Margaret Smith who gave her away. 

All additional music was provided by resident Travis Golden who then stayed on to provide the music and entertainment during the dance.  Many chose to come in very dressy outfits adding a real special feel to the whole evening.

What a beautiful night and way to say goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017 and best wishes to the Bondy’s!

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