My Kirkus Review Ad one more time
It is a beautiful Ad, that I am very proud of. It is still being advertised in black and white in Kirkus Review Magazines until June 4.
The next promotion: my autobiography about the camps, will be published in the Moesson International on August 15, the day the Japanese surrendered and the War was over. And that will, for me, mean the start of my retirement. Really. I am planning to still write my weekly Blog Posts, but I will end all the promotion for my books, my mother’s story. I am really looking forward to spending more time with Mike and Lani, our kids and two remaining grandkids here (one is graduating and will be leaving in the Fall for college) and to read more; because that has fallen by the wayside lately, the reading that is.
Months ago, my friend Harvey Stanbrough, a very successful fiction writer, sent me the first book of his 8 part story The Ark. I made time for it and could not wait until I could read the second book. But those few hours of reading I had carved out for myself disappeared as soon as I had read the last chapter, because Life demanded attention. I am not complaining, I am just planning to retire.
Associate of the Month
Every month, each Resident here gets a sheet of paper on which they can select one Associate who has given outstanding service for that month or longer. On it we write the Associate’s special merit, sign it and turn it in to the front desk, from where it goes to Management. Last month, one Resident approached Ann and me with a stack of papers she was handing out left and right, saying, “Here, sign this and turn it in. We are choosing Sylvia this month.” Ann and I looked at her and said, “What? We both had Mary in mind to get the honor this time.”
“Well, we can select Mary next month. This month it has to be Sylvia, and she needs all our votes. Go, sign it and turn it in.” I saw a page full of hastily scrawled words. like Sylvia is very good; she works hard and more. It was dishonest and disgusting, and I did not want to sign it, but she was pushing Ann and me towards the front desk. So I signed Mike’s name and decided I would talk to Management later on.
Can you imagine my surprise and joy to read that the Associate of the Month was not Sylvia, but someone from Associated Living! Can you imagine that something like this happens in a facility like this? Manipulation of people, most of whom are too docile to refuse, me included! Once, but never again.
The new Executive Director
spoke forcefully at our first after-Covid Residents Meeting. He has great plans, and although he started out saying that Waltonwood has nothing to fix (like the other retirement homes he has worked at), he now said that he would fix everything, replace old and broken things, and more such statements. We applauded the message that he had heard that the remodeling, which was stopped before it could start in March 2020, would now start at the end of August. They will remodel the public areas, in a different color scheme, from the fourth floor down. It is going to be beautiful. This facility is twelve years old! Apartments and cottages will follow hopefully, but much later.
Cutting Costs
Gas prices suddenly went through the ceiling, and gas is even hard to get. But being taken to doctors appointments with the bus (on certain days of the week) had just been reinstated. Last Friday, walking with Lani, I asked a friend who was sitting at the front entrance if she was going out. “Well,” she said, “my husband and I had to see the doctor, but they said to take us with the bus is too expensive, so Danny is using the Cadillac. But he could not transport the two of us plus two walkers, so my husband went first, and when he comes back, Danny will take me.” Now I am asking you, what is less expensive: two rides in the bus, back and forth, with two people and walkers or four rides in the Cadillac, back and forth twice?
I was just in time last week to fill up my car, and that will last me three months or so, given the short distances I drive. It is great to be independent and be lucky!
It’s a wonderful Life!
Until next time,
Ronny