It's been a normal,  run-of-the-mill Saturday,  you know the routine,  where ya sweep, mop, wash dishes, take out the trash...ya,  cept in the back of my mind is how seriously bad some people have it. 

The bus driver that comes here twice a week just spent her vacation down south with her sister and family.  Her sister is dying of cancer and the family was called to be at her side.  The bus driver is hanging in there,  yet is on edge,  short-tempered with other drivers on the road ) not normal for her) and so sad that it tears at one's heart to see her.

Yesterday I gave her a couple of hugs and promised I"d keep her sister in my prayers,   and apologized for not being able to do more,  and for not being able to say anything else.  She thanked me and let me know how much that meant to her. 

Living in a smaller community puts one in closer contact with more people and their lives can't help but touch one.  I had forgotten about that while living in North Branch,  which is considerably larger.  People I've met here in this apt. building have passed away,  and I had about 1-5 months of getting to know these people and now they've passed away.  It feels like they've been just snatched away from here,  and it's bothering me.  Perhaps it's because of so many changes and losses in just the past 5 months...

With my increased income I thought I"d be happier,  cause I've been able to help my son more,  get some nice things for the apt. and can look forward to having a car again.  WRONG.  I'd give it all back if it could bring back the ones that passed away.  I"m NOT happier cause of the money,  it was their company,  their hellos,  their smiles,  and the easy conversations we had.

I thought I knew this lesson,  thought I"d learned many times,  however I must have been putting up walls for a while there..must have forgotten how it feels.....

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I"ve got a cousin in WI.  she emailed me a few months back and sent a picture of her and her husband.  She's got MS,  and isn't letting it push her around, she's a fighter ( like most of my dad's family) and is doing really well.  I'm amazed at the fact that there's been MS,  Lou Gerigh's disease and bone cancer in our family, along with all the usual heart,  high blood pressure,  and other common diseases.  One uncle had Malaria from being in the Korean War,  one uncle and also his daughter died of lung cancer,  and 3 from colon cancer. 

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Why do people who market products put their wares into such hard to open plastic???  I have the dangest time trying to open CD's,  DVD's,  and the other day a new toothbrush almost didn't get out of the pkg. because of the hard plastic encasing it!   Gosh that irritates me.  People in marketing need to realize that the majority of the population is made up of us babybooomers,  people with arthritis!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got my electric bill the other day and it was $29.00 for what I actually used and $14.00 for "basic service"!  What's up with that?  I've been told it's because the light company isn't a big company like NSP,  which is now called something else...different name same game...and the small company needs a way to pay for repairs,  ect.   To me it smells more like rotten fish.

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Anyway,  the human spirit is awesome.