DISCOMBOBULATED

A friend called and asked, "Are you O.K.? You haven't written anything NEW for Christmas!" A number of people have noticed that my BLOG since December 10, has consisted of RECYCLES from last year.

I am known to have the best memory and to be the most organized person in the universe, but this past month I have been discombobulated. Frankly, I was so concerned I actually asked my doctor to be tested for Alzheimer's! I know that OLD people do not adjust well to change, but, after all, "I am understated, yet a woman of the 21st century." (to quote my friend Margie) and should be able to adapt!

It all started because of my cell phone problems! I had accepted an "upgrade" to a SMART PHONE. After a few days, I was very unhappy with the phone, and within the 14-day limit I returned it, wanting my flip-phone back. I had to pay a "re-stocking fee" and when I had my old flip phone activated, I had lost all my numbers in memory! That was disappointing and I set about resetting those numbers. I was receiving calls but I did not realize it, until my brother called me on my home phone and asked why I wasn't returning his calls. I said that I hadn't received any messages. I returned to my phone representative. I had two weeks of messages built up; how the calls went to message and how I could not retrieve them remains a mystery. Several calls were concerning orders which I could have filled; a couple were from friends I'd disappointed by not following up on plans. I'm changing my phone company in February when my contract expires.

And then, I learned that my Christmas card list was misplaced. That didn't seem to be a be a big deal to anyone whom I told but it was extraordinarily troubling to me. I have always kept the list ("the SACRED list", according to Les!), with left-over cards in the chest on the right side of the couch in the library. It was my usual practice to get out the list the day after Thanksgiving, go to the post office, purchase my stamps, and begin addressing my cards. After all, when one is known to be the FIRST to send out cards, one must not disappoint!

My niece Tracey has been creating my Christmas cards for several years and although the pictures for this year's card were taken LAST year, I just wasn't "up" to making a final selection. Prior to Tracey's creating my cards, I used to send "special" cards: brother, sister, niece, nephew, friends, etc. One of Gerald's nieces told me that one of her cousins asked her, "Does Aunt Sue send you a SPECIAL niece card or am I the only special one?" After Tracey began making our cards, I send only those cards. Simplify!

I know that I should have computerized the Christmas card list, printed labels, and done everything that a 21st century person should do, but then, what about my tradition: red ink in my Waterford ink well, green ink in my other ink well, using my Mont Blanc fountain pen for the red ink, my antique Waterman pen for the green ink, Christmas stamps, address labels? YES, it was a BIG deal.

Les said, "No wonder you're CRAZY!"