Now at 9:30 pm. it is 74 degrees and 15 minutes ago I could still read a newspaper outside on the patio. If only every day were like this one, sunny, low humidity, warm enough to be comfortable in a T-shirt but still not sweat. As I drank the last of Paul's Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey left over from the Indy 500 Race Weekend, I wondered how many more of these beautiful evenings will God give me?
Two weeks ago tonight we had our usual group of friends here for the Indy 500 festivities, and we had just finished Dean's wonderful Ossobuco dinner and were enjoying his strawberry tart dessert. A week ago we were at the Breakers in Palm Beach enjoying the "get acquainted" cocktail and hors d'oeuvres event, with a view of the Atlantic from our table, before Susan and Scott's wedding the next evening. It has been an exciting and enjoyable two weeks with a lot going on, but I must confess I also enjoy the quiet time, just before sunset, sitting on my patio. Sounds seem sort of muffled then, only a few birds are still chirping and even they disappear into a nearby tree and settle in for the night. On our street some neighbors are still out walking their dogs or small children, and down the street, one by one, porch lights come on as the patches of sunlight fade high up on the sides of houses.
Sixty five years ago today I had completed the third grade, we were living on the Hick's Place, and it was D'day. I could not have imagined, as few others could have, all of the events and advancements in technology that would effect our lives between then and now. We can't look forward very far, our time here is minuscule in the grand scheme of things. I think that may have something to do with our increased interest in genealogy as we grow older. Looking back we can somehow extend our life experiences by finding out about the lives of those from whom we descended. I am able to trace back my relatives for 5 generations on both my father's and mother's side; my great, great, great, grandfather's both came to Indiana about 1820 and were born in the 18th century. They are buried within 50 miles of each other in west-central Indiana, as are most of their descendants. But they were born, one in Delaware and the other in Virginia. If only I could hear them tell of the experiences of their youth and the hardships they overcame in traveling from their places of birth to establish new homes here on what was then the western frontier.
So, I can look back and envision the last 200 years during which my relatives lived. I have experienced over 70 years of that time myself. But I cannot imagine, my mind cannot possibly comprehend what the next 70 years will bring, let alone the next two centuries. One of these days I will come to the end of the road, in fact of course I turned onto that street marked "no through street" the day I was born. So I marvel at the places I've been privileged to visit here on our small planet in this infinite universe, the beauty of the sights, sounds, and people all around me. It could have ended long ago. It did for many not much older than me 65 years ago.
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