A Funny Sort of Time of Year

Dawn's comment made me think. I developed gluten intolerance in 2014. On the same day in December 2013, father was taken in for a cancer scare and uncle had a leg amputated. The months following were tough. There were serious illnesses, deaths, disasters and complications. They even lost my mother's grave. I'm not so upset about that, though. My mother would have thought it was a splendid story and thoroughly enjoyed it, and it's a great example of a truly awful time.  

A lot of it happened in July. Both father and uncle died in the third week of July. A few years ago I had a heart scare - third week of July. It goes back even further. It was the third week in July that father had his first, major stroke where it was touch and go and I thought I would have to cancel my wedding. Even further back, in 1987, it was the third week in July that my grandmother died very unexpectedly.

I have a relative with their birthday in July. They don't usually bother with it, for very understandable reasons. I think that we will all relax a little once this month is over. I usually send sweeties in to the church around this time. The tradition in our family was always to buy the flowers for the church around anniversaries and birthdays. However father, being father, had his own little ways. He used to take in pockets full of sweeties to church and hand them out indiscriminately. All the kids had them (father was an incredible soft touch) and all the ladies got them (it's a dreadful thing to say of a parent, but father was a shocking flirt sometimes). The poor churchwardens used to try and persuade him to give the sweeties after church so that they didn't end up with wrappers all over the church floor, but it made no impression on him. He just smiled, nodded and carried on.

He was the same at the Jazz Club where he went every Tuesday. He often won the raffle, and he usually passed it on to one of the ladies. He was out for all he could give. 

Writing stuff - Just to mix things up, I got published today!!!!! I'm writing the sequel, and you will probably hear all about that as I go on, but there should be a little less noise now. I'm still floating, though. I'm published.

Hugs and good health to all.

Available at Amazon, excellent online booksellers, and the Three Furies Press