Writing Colonel Sanders a Check

My granddaughter can be a
little obstinate! She was about
two in this photo.

In the summer I spend a great deal of my time with grandchildren. In the winter I spend a great deal of time with my husband and friends. They are very different worlds and they both make me happy.

This summer has been a whirlwind of grandchildren from morning until night. July is always the busiest but this year I began tutoring a grandson two days a week so there will not be a change until fall. I like the routine and have fallen into it easily.

I like returning to a small part of my work life before retirement. When I was in the classroom, I could keep as a dozen all in the air. Multi-tasking was not a problem in that place. Every child in that classroom knew that if they asked me for something, even though they may have to wait, I would remember them and give them the help they needed. My grandson is learning that he can trust me. It is good.

HOWEVER, when I was a young mother I did not work because it would have been either-or! I only worked part of time as a substitute teacher. If it had been full time, one job would have gone undone and I am thinking it would have been the mothering job that was left to do itself. My husband worked 24/7 so he was not up for doing 1/2 of that job.

I remember one especially challenging week when it seemed as though the walls would cave in on us. Teens here and there, school function for my husband, I was substitute teaching for the school district. Then there was food. Who was going to cook? I was at the end of my rope.

Someone mentioned Kentucky Fried Chicken. I could not make it to the car fast enough and we all piled in and set out to get an order of extra crispy. Mashed potatoes and coleslaw were ordered as sides and I took out my checkbook to pay. That was when I wrote the check out to Colonel Sanders.

See, multi-tasking can be a challenge for me. And believe it or not, the cashier took my check. It is probably hanging in someone's office right now because I won the award for the doofiest woman ever to cross their threshold. Sigh!

The day in the life of a retiree can be fun. Let's hope that I can keep all the balls in the air for about 6 more weeks. I am betting on me but who knows.

How's your summer going?

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