How about you? Enjoyable, stayed up too late, over-imbibed, just another night and day? Back in the old days, at the stroke of midnight, I stood at the top of our backporch stairs, and fired shots from a .30-06 rifle into the ground. How the neighbors tolerated this, I never knew. Much shooting was audible in the distance, so my madness was apparently accepted, though in reserve, I was sure. It was the NEW YEAR! Who could fret over a bit of noise? (Ever hear a .30-06 round?) The new year, then, frightened me, as Viet Nam was raging, I loved my job, but knew the DRAFT lurked waiting to draw me into that skirmish. My Folks had moved to Michigan, we owned the old house I had known from birth, and remodeled extensively, building a white brick fireplace in the dining room of the old brick Bungalow in the late months of 1965. The parents had always dreamed of a small farm in retirement, my Dad predicting having a cow, chickens, etc. Was not to be, as he became afflicted with a disease still not surely determined. My new wife's brother, Rick, 8 years younger than I and sharp as a whip, was ever ready to pitch in to help. We stole, .....yes, we stole it, large white limestone rock ballast from the trackbed of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway out west on Cermak Road, by night, loading it in the trunk of my car. We hardly made a dent in the ballast along the tracks. This was used as aggregate in the concrete foundation of the fireplace. That was1965-66. Rick died from complications of ulcerative colitis in 1975, Nov. 28, his 25th birthday. A formerly strapping, healthy, young man of imposing stature few would have accosted. Poor Rick. How I miss him still. The OP? Friends spending winter here from IN, Gary & Vonda, came to our place today to celebrate the successful living passage of yet another year. My wife cooked up something new, from the low-carb site, a cabbage soup loaded with ground meat (turkey, she used), cabbage, (duh?), onion, know I not what else, but tasted very good. Interesting background these folks have, but to avoid unimportance to strangers, save to say, Gary drove big truck for Kroger Grocery. Second marriage for Vonda, first for him, they had one child, Jarrod, who now also drives big semis. We had a good afternoon with them. Historically, my wife, Deb, and Vonda had been operators on the big molding machine I had built in their home town of Churubusco, IN. I'm rambling, I see. Point is, that the past influences our future more than we realize. After an absence of 7 years, I walked up to the machine Bruce & I had spent 3 years building, saw several really nice looking ladies working it, and wound up marrying one of them! A few friends from the past, still care enough. We are appreciative. We wish everyone a good outlook on 2017! Frank There's the past. Here's the future: ??? Unknown. Wish I knew if that early love of my life is still alive, and her younger sister, Diane, as well; Diane and Rick we adopted in 1967. Everyone's "gone to the moon".......
Had a tipple or two Frank ? Our past makes us what we are ? Yes, if we learn from the past Certainly influenced my thinking. They say we are influenced by our parents, to an extent I agree In my case I only took on board the positives from my parents In my Mothers case, work ethic - she was a good worker and I wanted to be that too From my Dad, I took his love of music and his humour I have no idea if I'm on track with this thread or I'm just rambling
We have been raised by other people's children, and then we turn around and raise other peoples parents!
Went to bed around 10:45PM, but woke up an hour later due to fireworks and gunfire. Apparently a lot of guns were purchased in our area during 2016 folks were shooting them. Have never, and will never, shoot off any gun on New Year's Eve/Day. Just too dangerous! Anyway, woke my wife and we watch the New Year come in, along with more firework explosions and gunfire. Watch some NFL football on New Year's Day, but that was about it. Did have a nice dinner at home that night.