Folks, today as I write this, those of us that live here in my building are feeling fair to middlin! And our only claim to fame is we have lived a surprisingly number of decades.

Now, I have already told you what good neighbors I have. I just wish you could meet these quiet, gentle and helpful souls.

Ok, I have admitted that August is my least favorite month of the year. Now I am telling you October is running close behind.

So, today do we run the a/c or the heat? What? Need, both! Dare I raise a window? I’ll just have to shut it around noon and turn on the a/c.

What is a body to do?? October had us jumping through hoops!

Let me tell a word about a puzzle working. Many find it is a pleasure to meet and greet each other in the common area. We sit around those puzzle tables and chat away.

It’s a place to catch upon the latest happenings in each other’s lives. Besides, I am told solving puzzles helps reinforce existing connections between our brain cells. And it improves mental speed and thought process, along with improving short-term memory. So there you have it!

Sadly, here at the retirement village you hear that four-letter word used a lot.

I’ve noticed it’s mostly those of us who have hearing aids, just not in our ears. Even those who wear theirs, use the word on occasion.

Remember you heard it here and the word is WHAT? Sometimes you hear HUH? Or WHO or WHERE? However, mostly WHAT.

I use to carry my hearing aids in my purse, but at some point they ended up in the dresser drawer.

When they were yet in my purse, I was talking with my daughter and her friend. I ask the friend to “talk to her purse, as that’s where she keeps her hearing aids!”

Some folks think some of us have “turned funny.” Like one dear old soul said, “Oh, Hello. I haven’t seen you for a long time! No I’ve been out of it. I had that bad ‘bug’ that’s been going around.”

“Oh my, you had trouble with a ‘bed’ bug?” There is this refined gentleman that lives in a retirement place, but not ours. (I have informers in other places.)

He was hard-of-hearing and the fire alarm sounded loud and clear; yet he did not come out of his apartment. So after several minutes passed, a caring lady ran down the hall and banged on this very proper gentleman’s door.

She yelled, “Come out! It’s a fire drill.” “I know,” came the dignified voice. He opened his door a crack. “I’ll will be there shortly, but I will burn to a crisp before I come out without my trousers on.”

“Right! Yes sir. Right,” the lady said as she went slinking away.

WHOOEE!