46 Tomorrow

This will be the first birthday without our mother. We find ourselves recalling the first birthday we really remember, our 6th in 1979; she did a lot of prep work. It was lots of fun we remember that. We cried when all us kids were made to stop playing Star Wars. We remember playing outside that evening with our new construction toys.

There's something sad about all that time passing with the decades of memories remaining so strong. Other people forget everything. Why can't we?

We found a card out folks gave us in 2017, the giftcard still inside.

We're worried about how our father feels about our birthday. After all the death the last few years our father is the last close family member. Though there are other branches, this Stroock branch dies with us as happened to our great-great grandfather, Jacob Loeb, eighty-one years ago.

Last checkup the triglycerides were back up. You can take all the pills you want but there's no fighting genetics. 

Turning 45 was the first birthday we thought, Ohhhhh.

But it was a good year. The Euro-trip was a smashing success and in a few weeks we leave for ten days in Ireland. Next year we hope to do two weeks on the Continent.

We joined a gym and have lost a stone or so.We really enjoy it, actually.

The French has come along a little bid.

We put in some good guitar work.

Mrs. Stroock was totally stressed out at work.

Our oldest is a teenager this year.

The writing continues apace. We've gotten a few fresh opportunities.

Why so morose?