Grey, gloomy day here again today. This is not good because it enforces my dreary mood. When we lived in Newcastle CA where the valley fog makes life dreary in the winter, we could drive just to Auburn and see the sunshine or at least up slightly above Auburn and get the rays. That always elevated my mood. I must have a dose of what is known as SAD, seasonal affected disorder, or something like that. Here there is no escape when it is overcast, we’d have to drive to south of Kansas perhaps to find the sun. I just need to see the sun after a day of it hiding. I find the older I get the worse the glooms can be.
I have any number of entertaining projects facing me, but the grey blahs take over. Reminds me of that line from Little Orphan Annie, “…and the goblins will get ya’ if ya’ don’t watch out..” Yesterday afternoon I almost finished the update on my Uncle John Irwin’s family scrapbook. One more page to lay out then I can disassemble and reassemble the book and place it where it rightfully belongs in the living room by the red dragon chair. My Uncle John Irwin’s family is the source of most all of our magnificent antiques and I have assembled quite the story about his grandfather, John R Irwin, millionaire, host and contemporary of President Wm. McKinley. I am grateful that Aunt Jinx got to see the book before she died; she got a big kick out of it. We’d laugh about the contrast between the wealthy Irwin’s and our poor family of coal miners. She thought it comical that I researched and assembled all the information about the Irwins in one place. She had several old 1940’s newspaper clippings to share with me too that started my interest in the mansion and the lifestyle of the rich and famous back in the 1800’s when $1 million was worth something! No one wrote about the Ostroski’s or the Kochanowski’s. After she died though, I found more photos of Uncle John’s family and some of his Army history that I wanted to include in his red book. There is no one left to pass this along to unless John’s niece, Margaret, (in Ohio) who is older than me thinks her son would like it. Uncle John had a son from his first marriage but had no contact with him. I recall that my mother said, his son did come to Uncle John’s funeral. Maybe someday in PA I can track him down; Lord knows where I’d start. Margaret does not know either. It’s difficult to acknowledge a rich legacy with wonderful stories will end due to lack of interest. Perhaps the Freeport PA historical society would appreciate the collection of information. They were helpful to me in tracing the Irwins.
But now there I have rambled off in another direction. This meandering aligns with the grey blahs, so I indulge myself. This morning early the roads were slick with the thin coating of ice left over from last nights' almost drizzle. So Jerry cautioned me to wait a while until I leave for Curves because it is slick out and he sees the sand truck headed down the road at the end of our street. Sometimes I think he thinks I am an idiot. Of course I know it's slick but if I am to live in this wintry arctic like land, I need to keep up my confidence in driving.
This morning before leaving I had to make up the sleigh bed in the patriotic room where granddaughter slept when she was here.This bed is likewise a priceless antique from the Irwin's. I’d washed sheets but left it disassembled and the unkempt sight was getting on my nerves. Besides the patriot bears were upset at being displaced off their seating arrangement for so long. They usually assemble at the head and oversee the room. I tried again to use the bed sheet garters that my Aunt Jinx used to keep sheets from sliding and gave up! I thought these a neat idea but how those sheets get attached is too sore an adventure for my fingers. I think of Aunt Jinx who would shake her head and say, “Patty, here do it like this.” That done did not shake the blahs so it was off to Curves where I found Teresa in the same funk. This does not help; the grey blahs are taking over all of us.
Back home the mail brought lots of tax related information for my aunt’s estate and for Uncle Carl; this all required gathering so I can send it all off to the accountants once everything is received. But one bright envelope was from the Lower Burrell PA People’s Library thanking me for donating Jinx’s 1940 Ken Hi Year book to them. I’d sent it months ago and thought no more about it, but today came a personal note of gratitude from the librarian with apologies for not acknowledging it sooner. They had none from 1940 so this helps their collection that can be useful to anyone researching that time. I so appreciated that and felt a slice of sunshine that I’d done something good! Today “thank you’s” seem to be archaic. A couple years ago on this blog I wrote about our grandson’s inability to thank us for his gifts; this blog post annoyed my daughter in law so I removed it, although I wonder why I wimped out. It merely stated the facts and recalled my own grandmother. But Angel was offended for her 20 year old son who knows better, so in the interest of some family accord I removed it. After that Brian sent a nice card; I’m sure his mother went out and bought it for him to send. But forward to 2009-10, Brian has not learned because we heard nothing for his Christmas cash gift, sent to his parent’s home where we know it arrived, so he is about to enter the life of receiving a card only. And here this week I have received two hand written thank you letters.. first from a local candidate for a campaign contribution and now the librarian. Sunshine slivers.
Just as I emerged from the shower and was about to dry my hair, my friend Bonnie called. We yakked on the phone over an hour catching up and wracking our heads about where we might go to have some coffee someday soon to just sit and visit. Shoots, we will likely just come here and drink wine or something more soothing. I am always surprised by how long some of my phone calls last. I mean it’s different when Sandy (in CA) and I gab for a long time; we don’t see each other. Our cell phones are our lifelines. But here with Bonnie who lives right in town or with Michele, the long phone conversations make less sense. Still it helps me pass the time and feel connected and it’s a good way to chase the grey blahs. Phone calls with friends give slices of sunshine.
It is going on 5:00PM so no sun can be expected today. I will be content with the slivers of sun I’ve gotten today. It’s time for a good glass of chardonnay to toast that we can seek sunshine from elsewhere than the sky; it’s the attitude.
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