Remember What?

They say the memory is the second thing to go - to disappear - on you and I forget what the first thing is.

Yep, that's me. That's my dilemma. As in another old line -"I walked out to the kitchen but when I got there, I forgot what I went there for."

Anyone else have major memory lapses like that? Come on, 'fess up. I'm betting you've got more folks in the same boat that you could shake a stick at.

As a general rule, my long-term memory is pretty good. My extended family marvels at how I can remember minute details about this or that relative. I can even remember information about various family members long before my time, things my Grandfather told me about people in his life. But, ask me about something that happened recently and I am totally dead in the water. Can't remember diddly squat.

Which brings me to my post tonight. I sat down, trying to remember what, if anything, had happened today that was post-worthy and be darned if I could remember what on earth I had done today!

Well, my neighbor and good friend, Kate (also classmate and our class president who also is in charge of this year's 45th class reunion) stopped by - brought some senior photos of some of our classmates who have indicated they will be attending our big event with her. She also brought some really, really old photos too - much older than she and I are - to see if I had a clue as to who any of the people are in these pictures.

Some of these old photos she had they had found in the attic of the house when they bought it back in 1968. It had been the family home of the Louis Johnson family here in this little village. The only members of the family I ever knew to live in the house were a brother and sister - Axel and Freda Johnson. When we were kids, their great-nephew, who lived in the Philadelphia area someplace used to come up with his grandparents to visit and most every summer, he would stay on for his "vacation" with his great-aunt and great-uncle. I don't remember now if his surname was Johnson or something else - just remember his name was Ricky, he was a couple of years younger than Kate and I and I really used to look forward to his visits here.

I plan to scan these old photos, even though I have no clue as to who the people on them are, except for one, taken of a WWI soldier in his uniform, holding a gun, which Kate and I both can make out it was Axel Johnson, the brother who lived in this house. All the rest are totally unknown to us. One photo, taken in front of the house adjacent to Kate's place is of two young men and we think they may be two brothers of the Werner family who lived next door to the Johnsons. I'll have to remember to show that one to a cousin of my Mom's who might be better able to figure out if it is indeed, two of the Werner brothers or not.

And after that I cooked supper, took a little cat nap - which I will probably regret because it will most likely be just enough to keep me from falling asleep tonight now too!

I did get an e-mail from a very good friend of mine in the Cleveland area tonight though with some not very good news in it. A former neighbor of mine died today. He was only two years older than me and had been battling major problems from a malignant brain tumor for probably at least the past two years. He was a very bright man - also an excellent musician, very talented. He, along with a younger friend in Michigan and I shared a love of the local history as well as family tree research. And I was very saddened to learn of his passing, needless to say. So, if anyone reading this knew Ray Lyncha, son of Joe and Anna Kendrick Lyncha, say a prayer for him and for his family for the loss they are now dealing with.

In anticipation that tomorrow I might forgot to make a posting as I have to keep my mind focused on last minute details I have to put together for our walk on Saturday for the Cure Autism Now 3K Walk in State College, I'm going to post the Bushism for Friday along with the one that covers Saturday and Sunday combined. Maybe I need to get a great big old calendar, with huge blocks for every day and hang it on the wall by my computer and then, write in there what I have to do and allot a time to begin this or that task, etc., to get me organized so I remember what I need to do and maybe it might help me to remember what I actually managed then to get accomplished each day. Yeah - a great big blank piece of paper is probably what it would stay as too cause I'd probably forget to write in my directives for the day anyway!

Friday, April 13, 2007 - hey this one's special cause it's my grandson's first birthday now today! Yay, Yay, I remembered something!
"After all, Europe is America's closest ally." - Mainz, Germany, February 23, 2005

and - for April 14 and 15, 2006 (Saturday and Sunday)
"We have practically banished religious values and religous institutions from the public square and constructed a 'discomfort zone' for even discussing our faith in public settings." - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - September 9, 2000