THIS 'N THAT

Funny how some things rattle around in my mind until I finally unload them onto this blog. Today is one of those times for little introspective tidbits.

--- THE INAUGURATION IS COMING

Jerry turned CNN on early this morning and although I was trying to read the newspaper, I couldn't help but keep sneaking peeks at the bundled, shivvering, steam-blowing group of people talking about upcoming events. Of course Wolf was there, along with Anderson Cooper, Soledad O'Brien, Jon King and Roland Martin, the latter a talk-show host who is often seen on CNN. Jerry and I watch a lot of CNN and these people are like friends to us because they are so often in our house. Today what struck me is the excitement in their voices as they were talking about the days ahead. It was such a relief to hear happiness being reflected; for so long they have not had a whole lot of upbeat things to say. Finally I just had to put the newspaper down and allow myself to vicariously sit with them - yes, in that bitter cold - and agree that exciting times are ahead.

And that makes me think of my daughter-in-law Nancy, who has been such a fan of Obama. Her enthusiasm has no limits, and she offered a touching grace at Thanksgiving that celebrated Obama's entry into our country's reasons to be thankful. We again can look for vision, for wisdom, for direction, for goals, and for his leadership to take all of us through these troubled times. Later I admitted to her that I was a bit jaded, that I had seen so much hope at other times just disappear into the deep vat of "politics as usual." But I have to tell you that this morning, I caught a little of Nancy's exuberance as I heard Obama talk to those who were seeing him off on the train to Washington DC, where he will take the oath of office on Tuesday, and as I heard my friends, the talking heads, allowing themselves some leeway to let their excitement show.

----THE BOOKMARKS

The "Borrowers" have returned a few of the bookmarks that so mysteriously disappeared from my keeping. This last week I opened a box that I had stashed behind me on my bookshelves, a box where I keep odds and ends for the little grandkids to play with when the come visiting. Not only did I find a handful of my laminated paper bookmarks from various libraries but I also found a missing box of personal notecards that has managed to avoid detection for the last three years. (That shows you how long it has been since I put kiddie-things in the box.) And then yesterday afternoon I managed to knock off my desk a plastic cup in which I kept my pens and pencils. Pens went flying everywhere and I thought I got them all up, but last night when Jerry was on the computer he glanced down and found on the floor one of the metal bookmarks that apparently had hidden in among the pens. Now there are only two or three bookmarks that remain missing.

---THE CUP WITH PENS

When Jerry and I first went to Wichita back in 1985 on one of my earliest genealogy fact-finding missions, we made our first stop at Maple Grove Cemetery, where lots of my Stevens family relatives were buried. There was a very nice caretaker on duty that day and he personally took us out to the Stevens' plots. After we finished our photo-taking we stopped back into his office to thank him for his kindness. Sitting on his desk was a yellow plastic cup and printed on it was "Have a Cup on Us. MAPLE GROVE CEMETERY, 1000 N. Hillside, Wichita, KS." At that time I had a cup collection and seeing this cemetery cup made me want it really bad, as I certainly did not own a cemetery cup! Since it appeared to be an advertising gimmick, I asked the caretaker if he had one of the cups that I could purchase. "No," he replied, "We are out. But I'll sure give you mine." Before I could refuse, he ran into his little kitchen, washed and dried it and handed it to me. This cup never made it onto the shelf in my office that held my collection. Since that time it has always sat on my desk, used as my penholder. As we've moved and downsized over the years, I've had to pare down the cups I've kept. But I needn't tell you that this will be the last cup to go! It's my most favorite of all of them.

---DOKEY

I had a "best friend" all through school and the friendship lasted a lifetime. Dokey was special, as all her friends can attest. She was shy and unassuming but full of fun and laughter. As we grew into adulthood our lives took off in different directions, but our common bond of being together in a Girl Scout Troop for more than 10 years and then having reunions off and on over the years, kept us minimally in touch. Today is the second anniversary of her death, and I can't help but reflect on what good fun we had in knowing each other. So here's Dokey. Rest in Peace, my friend.

DELORIS "DOKEY" ANN MATTOX

October 14, 1935 - January 17, 2007