Don’t Be Wasteful !!!

Most of us have heard those words all our lives.  Of course each of us has our own idea on the meaning of ‘wasteful’ . What many think of as ‘wasteful’ – others think of as ‘necessity’ As individuals, we determine our needs versus our wants……and those vary with each person.

For instance, that expensive bottle of perfume would be considered by many as a ‘want’. For me, however, it is a necessity!!  Two of my weaknesses are books and perfume. I know many who would not give a flip for either of these. By the same token, I might totally ignore what others see as necessities.; that’s the way we are and that is okay.

I realize that I am different in many ways. At this stage of my life, I would rather go to a ‘used bookstore’ than in a dress shop. I love books!!! I have clothes I’ve never worn. There is no place to go and, more important, no one to go with me.

I was to get married in June to a classmate of seventy-five years ago. In preparing to come to Alabama for our wedding, he suffered a fall where he lived in Kansas, and, sadly, passed away on May 29. We knew we might not have a long time together but we were eager for whatever time we had. He was a nice young boy and grew into a wonderful man.  He had visited me and we were on the phone daily.  So — life goes on for me.

In trying to ‘fill my days’, I read several hours each day. If I’m not reading, I am writing.  I’m working on two new books, numbers eight and nine. I am also mentally planning an article on the advantage  of ‘two at the same time’.

I’ve already lived the soap operas so I’m not going back there. I LOVE where I live so that is good. I miss having someone to share an interesting conversation.  I enjoy baking – and cooking – but a cake would last too long, just for me.

I have four of my five kids, with twelve grandchildren and number thirteen great-grandchild due in January. They live 500 miles from me so I don’t see them often; usually once a year. Some I’ve never seen.

That is what I DON’T like about life  today. When I was growing up, family members lived just down the road or a few miles away. Now they live in other states. Also, many of them aren’t concerned about seeing ‘family’. Maybe they aren’t mature enough to appreciate that family tie. I call them but they don’t call me. I doubt if any grandchild knows  my birthday, my address or even my phone number.  It is as if I have them but I don’t have them.  Each has a fantastic mind, all were good students; I am proud of them.

I don’t mean to whine but, as the youngest of eight, all my grandparents were gone when I was born. I missed having a ‘grandma’;  I knew they would have loved me special. I always WANTED  grandma but, like other things we want in life, I was too late to enjoy having one.

This morning I baked a fudge cake.  A wonderful memory is when my Mama baked, she let me ‘lick the pan’. Of course, we didn’t actually lick the pan; we got every smidgen of cake dough with a spoon. So that is what I had to do earlier with my fudge cake. You don’t think I was going to ‘waste’ those few spoons of cake dough, did you ?? SO, I ate the dough with a spoon and now, hours later, I am getting ready to put the fudge frosting on. Want to join me? I might even make some coffee to go with the cake.

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 83-year-old  Lura Zerick is the mother of 5 adults, grandmother of 12 and great-grandmother of 7. She was born and raised in the Florida Panhandle. After living in Miami, Atlanta, Tampa and other cities, she now lives on six acres of woods in S.E. Alabama, near Geneva.