______________________________________________________________________________________________

PROGRAMMING NOTE from the Author and Archivist


So obviously I just stopped blogging on this platform. I'll get back to it eventually. Or not. I'm taking a break from all social media. It seemed necessary for my mental health.

The last few years have been busy and … challenging:

- 2015 Happened.
- 2016 Let's call it The Lost Year. (Obviously words failed me.)
- 2017 about broke me. Literally. Mentally.
- 2018 was ridiculous, proving 2017 was just a warm up. (Good thing I was already broken so it couldn't hurt as much.#2018TrashCanFire I thought things were going okay, but maybe not?)

- 2019 was such a blur. I know there were highlights, but then stuff happened and carried into the next year...

- And then in March#2020 really took a turn. Who can even categorize 2020? Do we dare?


I kinda want a do-over of some of the last few years. But life doesn’t work that way.


So for now, I'm hunkering down. Regrouping. Trying to stay safe and sort some stuff out.


Stay safe everyone. Stay well.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, February 11, 2011

Letters from Ollie J - Feb. 11, 1986

In 1986 I was saving up to go on an Easter Break trip to the U.S.S.R.. I didn't go on many trips, but when opportunities like this one came up my parents worked with me to make sure I could go. I had multiple jobs. Birthday checks went into the trip fund. We all sacrificed.

The timing was good. In a few years, the Iron Curtain would come down and the U.S.S.R. would once again be Russia. I still have lots of Soviet era rubles, some pictures of Red Square, and have had a passport since my mid-teens. Grandma may not have traveled abroad but she made sure that her grandchildren had the chance to explore. The three of us have had some international adventures: Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, the U.S.S.R., Sweden, Denmark, Mexico, Honduras .. and bucket lists that are a mile long. (And J, before you chime in, I'm counting time spent in international airports even if we didn't leave the terminals!)

11 Feb. 1986

Temple Mission
Kensington, MD

Dear Granddaughter:

Hope you have a very lovely Birthday. Be nice to be with you. Guess that won’t be at least this time.

Every thing is white here. Snowed yesterday a while. Last night while I slept it snowed and was snowing when I got up and up to 11 AM. So it's pretty. The soft pretty kind. Haven’t been out but will go later and sweep it of[sic] the Car. Some one said we are supose[sic] to have more snow tonight. We’ll see.

Had the icey kind last week and cold weather the locks on the Car froze. Was some warmer when I had to go in to work. I did get door to Car open and No more problem.

I am fealing[sic] much better these days. A Cold sure can make on feal[sic] awful.

Well need to go home in early March to get N.C. Inspection sticker on Car.

Hope all are well and doing fine.

Be Happy and kind to your Brothers and Parents.

Love you lots,

Grandma

PS. Have a very nice trip and then write and tell me about it sometime
.

No comments: