Monday, September 26, 2005
MAY TO JUNE 30TH....1997
May went by with a trip to Shawnee over Mother’s Day weekend and celebrating my birthday towards the end of the month. Becky and I bought a lot of flowers to plant and we extended my flower garden quite a bit. B.J. and his wife, Becky, came with his tiller and made short work of our new expansion. I fixed a couple of pizzas and we ate out on the deck. The fresh spring air was pleasant and we enjoyed the visit.
We were still planting and improvising in June. My time with the Patrol was getting short and I found myself planning ahead to my retirement date. However, one little occasion came up that I wasn’t planning on at all. Becky is very deceiving and had some big yarn that we were to go to B.J. and Becky’s for a cook out. I didn’t really want to go as I had been working all day and was tired but she insisted so I made the effort to get ready. It was a Friday evening and I actually began looking forward to it. Then she called and said…… “Well, we don’t have enough chairs because their married kids came in for the weekend so we are to stop by Pete’s to pick up a few chairs.” This sounded goofy to me and I was feeling like we would be imposing on their family. I put up a few arguments which got shot down so I finally agreed to go.
When we arrived at Pete’s house, there were several cars parked in a group near the house and I said, “Oh, I don’t want to ask for chairs……..they have company.” Becky wasn’t hearing it. She said, “Oh, Sharon is having a Library Meeting at her house…..Pete told me he would have the chairs set out for us.” I told her to go get them and I’d stay in the car………..she disappeared in the house and Pete came out to the car…..he said, “Come on it, there’s something I want to show you. I got some new Fenton pieces”………again, I tried to beg off. I was dressed casually and was afraid Pete would drag me in the middle of Sharon’s meeting and introduce me or something.
He opened the car door and took my arm……. “Come on, Esther, I want to show you my Fenton…….it will only take a minute.” He practically dragged me from the car. Once inside he took me to the kitchen area where a door led to a patio. I could hear voices and said, “I don’t want to go out where Sharon is having her meeting,” but he took my hand and led me towards the door… “there‘s someone I want you to meet out here“……..there sat the Driver Examiner’s and our Sergeant and his wife, all around the edges of the patio. They all hollered, “Surprise”!!! and I cast an evil eye at Becky who was laughing at the way she fooled me. I felt like a total idiot for a few minutes but then I joined in and had a good time along with everyone else.
Pete and Sharon had gone to a lot of trouble. Pete had hot dogs and hamburgers on the grille and they had a large decorated cake made that was a work of art. Any other food item needed to go with the above was on the table. I was the center of attention by all of my co-workers for a whole evening and it was truly a nice occasion. I told them if I’d known they were that happy to see me retire and be rid of me I would have retired a long time ago. We shared a lot of Esther stories and I gave them quite a few over the years. Obviously it was pretty easy to fool me.
At the end of the evening they presented me with a nice rocking chair for my deck and gave me the cake and bouquet to bring home. It is among my favorite memories of working with all of those fine folks. The next Tuesday was my last day to work at Mountain View and again I was surprised by the lady who ran the License Office. I came in from a road test and she had a beautiful cake, plates, napkins and flowers….all matched. The people came in from the License Bureau and City Hall which were in the same building we worked out of. They all wished a happy retirement for me.
I was not prepared for the well wishes from people I had worked with over the years. On my last full working day the ladies at the Eminence Court House surprised me with a lasagna dinner, lovely card and large ornamental basket for my flower garden. I was overwhelmed at their thoughtfulness and tears at my leaving. I came to their office one day a week to give driving tests and never imagined how deep their friendship was. It was my honor to be their guest for over 17 years.
Everything was in place for my retirement the following Monday morning….June 30th. Friends and family were coming for the occasion and I was preparing for my last big day with the Patrol. As I’ve said before, it was great and it wasn’t so great. I would miss everyone….but it was time to move on……..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
We were still planting and improvising in June. My time with the Patrol was getting short and I found myself planning ahead to my retirement date. However, one little occasion came up that I wasn’t planning on at all. Becky is very deceiving and had some big yarn that we were to go to B.J. and Becky’s for a cook out. I didn’t really want to go as I had been working all day and was tired but she insisted so I made the effort to get ready. It was a Friday evening and I actually began looking forward to it. Then she called and said…… “Well, we don’t have enough chairs because their married kids came in for the weekend so we are to stop by Pete’s to pick up a few chairs.” This sounded goofy to me and I was feeling like we would be imposing on their family. I put up a few arguments which got shot down so I finally agreed to go.
When we arrived at Pete’s house, there were several cars parked in a group near the house and I said, “Oh, I don’t want to ask for chairs……..they have company.” Becky wasn’t hearing it. She said, “Oh, Sharon is having a Library Meeting at her house…..Pete told me he would have the chairs set out for us.” I told her to go get them and I’d stay in the car………..she disappeared in the house and Pete came out to the car…..he said, “Come on it, there’s something I want to show you. I got some new Fenton pieces”………again, I tried to beg off. I was dressed casually and was afraid Pete would drag me in the middle of Sharon’s meeting and introduce me or something.
He opened the car door and took my arm……. “Come on, Esther, I want to show you my Fenton…….it will only take a minute.” He practically dragged me from the car. Once inside he took me to the kitchen area where a door led to a patio. I could hear voices and said, “I don’t want to go out where Sharon is having her meeting,” but he took my hand and led me towards the door… “there‘s someone I want you to meet out here“……..there sat the Driver Examiner’s and our Sergeant and his wife, all around the edges of the patio. They all hollered, “Surprise”!!! and I cast an evil eye at Becky who was laughing at the way she fooled me. I felt like a total idiot for a few minutes but then I joined in and had a good time along with everyone else.
Pete and Sharon had gone to a lot of trouble. Pete had hot dogs and hamburgers on the grille and they had a large decorated cake made that was a work of art. Any other food item needed to go with the above was on the table. I was the center of attention by all of my co-workers for a whole evening and it was truly a nice occasion. I told them if I’d known they were that happy to see me retire and be rid of me I would have retired a long time ago. We shared a lot of Esther stories and I gave them quite a few over the years. Obviously it was pretty easy to fool me.
At the end of the evening they presented me with a nice rocking chair for my deck and gave me the cake and bouquet to bring home. It is among my favorite memories of working with all of those fine folks. The next Tuesday was my last day to work at Mountain View and again I was surprised by the lady who ran the License Office. I came in from a road test and she had a beautiful cake, plates, napkins and flowers….all matched. The people came in from the License Bureau and City Hall which were in the same building we worked out of. They all wished a happy retirement for me.
I was not prepared for the well wishes from people I had worked with over the years. On my last full working day the ladies at the Eminence Court House surprised me with a lasagna dinner, lovely card and large ornamental basket for my flower garden. I was overwhelmed at their thoughtfulness and tears at my leaving. I came to their office one day a week to give driving tests and never imagined how deep their friendship was. It was my honor to be their guest for over 17 years.
Everything was in place for my retirement the following Monday morning….June 30th. Friends and family were coming for the occasion and I was preparing for my last big day with the Patrol. As I’ve said before, it was great and it wasn’t so great. I would miss everyone….but it was time to move on……..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
