Christmas Chimes by Erma Bombeck

                                 

                                                                         

                                                             

Everything is in readiness.

The tree is trimmed.  The cards taped to the door frame.  The boxes stacked in glittering disarray under the tree.

Why don’t I hear chimes?

Remember the small boy who made the chimes ring in a fictional story years ago?  As the legend went, the chimes would not ring unless a gift of love was placed on the altar.  Kings and men of great wealth placed untold jewels there, but year after year the church remained silent.

Then one Christmas Eve, a small child in a tattered coat made his way down the aisle, and without anyone noticing he took off his coat and placed it on the altar.  The chimes rang out joyously throughout the land to mark the unselfish giving of a small boy.

I used to hear chimes.

I heard them the year one of my sons gave me a tattered piece of construction paper on which he had crayoned two hands folded in prayer and a moving message, OH COME HOLY SPIT!

I heard them the year I got a shoe box that contained two baseball cards and the gum was still with them.

I heard them the Christmas they all got together and cleaned the garage.

They’re gone, aren’t they?  The years of the lace doilies fashioned into snowflakes … the hands traced in plaster of paris … the Christmas trees of pipe cleaners … the thread spools that held small candles.  They’re gone.

The chubby hands that clumsily used up $2 worth of paper to wrap a cork coaster are sophisticated enough to take a number and have the gift wrapped professionally.

The childish decision of when to break the ceramic piggy bank with a hammer to spring the 59 cents is now resolved by a credit card.

The muted thump of pajama-covered feet padding down the stairs to tuck her homemade crumb scrapers beneath the tree has given way to pantyhose and fashion boots to the knee.

It’ll be a good Christmas.  We’ll eat too much.  Make a mess in the living room.  Throw the warranties into the fire by mistake.  Drive the dog crazy taping bows to his tail.  Return cookies to the plate with a bite out of them.  Listen to Christmas music.

But Lord … what I would give to bend low and receive a gift of toothpicks and library paste and hear the chimes just one more time!

Face Book Messenger, "The Next Best Thing to Being There"

                         That's me in the blue, my youngest daughter & my youngest grandchildren

We took a trip to see our youngest daughter, in Florida. I miss her and her family so much, the time together was precious.

My daughter and I call each other on Face Book messenger and we also do video calls. It really helps to be able to see her and then to see the children. At their age, they grow up so fast.

If you have a Face Book account and want to be able to keep in touch with people far away, this is a great way to do it! If you use a cellphone, you don't have to worry about your minutes because you're online. It's very easy to use. It's a great way to send photos back and forth, too.

Remember the old phone commercial, "Long distance is the next best thing to being there." Well, now, for me, it's through Face Book messenger!

Ways women over 50 can achieve financial fitness before retirement Part 1

                                                                                   

Today's post will be the beginning of a few blooms. My thoughts are going into overtime!

Let's look at older women in the U.S. and money.

Income & Employment

The following is from Nation Counseling on Aging

The average older adult receiving Supplemental Security Income gets just $433 each month. (Social Security Administration)

Older women typically receive about $4,000 less annually in Social Security than older men due to lower lifetime earnings, time taken off for caregiving, occupational segregation into lower wage work, and other issues. Older women of color fare even worse.

Over 25 million Americans aged 60+ are economically insecure—living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($29,425 per year for a single person). These older adults struggle with rising housing and health care bills, inadequate nutrition, lack of access to transportation, diminished savings, and job loss. For older adults who are above the poverty level, one major adverse life event can change today’s realities into tomorrow’s troubles.

Poverty Measures

22% of married Social Security recipients and 47% of single recipients aged 65+ depend on Social Security for 90% or more of their income. (Social Security Administration)

More accurate measures of economic well-being—including Wider Opportunities for Women’s Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index and the Institute on Assets and Social Policy’s Senior Financial Stability Index—show millions of older adults struggling to meet their monthly expenses, even though they’re not considered “poor” because they live above the FPL, which is $11,770 for a single elder.

In my next post, we'll look at "6 ways women over 50 can achieve financial fitness before retirement" information from pbs.org