Gallimaufry

 Sue Recommends
    When I was sixty-two and eligible for Social Security, I signed up.  Yes, I took a reduction in the amount I received, but it's okay.  With that extra money, I promised myself two things, a monthly pedicure and some one to clean my house.  That is when Sue came into my life.  She had been in our lives previously.  I knew her from Church and she attended school with some of our children.  She started cleaning houses because she could choose her own hours which gave her time to do things for and with her boys and she was able to be there for others when she needed to be.  Over the years she has become a dearer friend and at times - for both of us - a seventh daughter.  When my house was broken into this Spring and I was in Idaho, it was Sue I called to come and check on things.
      Recently, a piece on the vacuum cleaner broke, and I asked her if we needed to buy a new one and she said no but she took the piece to Don's Sweeper Repair on War Memorial, and had it fixed.  When we bought a new sweeper several years ago, she suggested a Sears canister style and it has been great.  A couple other things Sue recommends are:  Barkeepers Friend for a scrubber, and recently she introduced me to Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - those are amazing.  I have introduced her to Mrs. Meyer products.  From time to time, I will update you on other things Sue Recommends.  I recommend that everyone have a Sue in their life.

This week's funeral
      I know people think its a joke when I say that going to funerals is my social life, but it's true.  At the funeral on Saturday, I saw Bonnie Hietter, Bill and Mary Sloman and Beth and Denny Doolan, all people I admire and just don't see very often.  That is one of the bonuses of those sad events.
      My Grandma Scovil loved going to visitations and now I realize that it gave her a chance to visit with those folks she only saw on such an occasion.  At Roger Billings funeral, a couple of months ago, I  visited with Ron Eckstein and his wife, Ethel.  Ron and I had lived next door to each other when we lived on Howett St. I hadn't seen Ron and Babe in years.
     Cliff Bohlman was buried on  Saturday.  He was a wonderful person.  Cliff a few years ago had  developed Alzheimer's Disease but it was a fast growing cancer that caused his death.  Often when I attended  6:30 Sunday morning Mass, Cliff, his dear wife, Carole and I would go to Gebbys Diner for breakfast afterwards.  He was a retired pharmacist and she is a Physical Therapist.  Carole Bohlman is an amazing woman, one of the most caring, giving, spirit fulled women I know.  It is awesome to be in her presence.
     After the Memorial Mass - Cliff had been cremated -  Father Taylor asked us to please sit for the Military Service.   Two young soldiers dressed in Dress Uniform, walked up the outside aisles.  They picked up the folded American Flag that had been next to Cliff's urn,  and in that slow, deliberate style unfurled the flag, slowly moving away from each other as it came undone.  Once it was opened, they did this amazing flip of the Flag, lowered it to the urn and brought it back up and began to refold it.  When it was folded, and all the while, the organist softly played taps, one soldier did that slow ceremonial salute to the Flag and sharply turned and walked away, while the other slowly walked to Carole and knelt down and handed her the
Flag and spoke to her.  Then he stood, saluted her and the Flag and walked back down the aisle.  So moving, so imposing.
    Two of Cliff and Carole's sons are in the military at present, stationed at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning.  They were there to pay respects to their dad, of course, in their uniforms.  What was another moving moment for me was as they walked back down the aisle, both of them were carrying their children.  A reminder that these warriors are dads and sons.