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JUNE 2007
Well despite the best laid plans, the adventure has been put on
hold, due to bureaucratic shenanigans. It seems I don’t get the 17k
survivor check, UNTIL my final pension is determined and that may take as
long as 120 days. So much for summer in Missouri, but a good friend has
given me a small loan to tide me over and to allow me to go home to see
Mom. Levi and I took the train home to Connecticut in mid-June to visit
Mom and Aunt Estelle and Nicky, who had come from Hawaii. Mom is loving
her new home at Christopher Heights, but her health isn’t what it should
be. She has her good and bad days, but the CHF is taking its toll and I’m
afraid we will lose her soon. She’s signed a DNR and admits she is ready
to go join Dad, when the time comes. I can’t imagine life without her
influence and presence, but I hate to see her suffer and weaken as well. It’s been a joyful visit, full of laughter and stories from Mom and Aunt
Estelle, who frankly hasn’t changed a bit, though it’s been 30 years since
I last saw her.
SUMMER '07
Retirement took some getting used to. It was weird the first few
weeks, NOT having somewhere to go each day. But I got used to it, mostly
because I got involved in a number of local projects while waiting for the
Severance Check.
Firstly, at Mom’s encouragement, I started writing again. I pulled out the
manuscript of The Girl Who Danced With A Ghost, a children’s story I wrote 20
years ago, and polished it up a bit. My old colleague, Bob Cagle read and
edited it for me and is giving me some ideas as to a possible publisher.
I
also wrote another much longer piece about a young boy and his mom and
little brother. Faced with eviction, the boy buys a derelict farmstead at
a tax auction and fixes the place up with the help of assorted friends.
It’s a sort of Young Homesteader/Flip This House story. With luck, someone
may like the idea and pick it up.
I’ve also been writing articles for Neil Shelton’s e-zine, mostly about
the design and construction of small houses and various aspects of
homesteading. The articles have been well received and have even generated
a bit of business from folks who want a building plan, or more custom designs. Neither gig will make me rich, but it all comes in handy.
I also took on a project for the Preservation and Conservation Association
(PACA) our local architectural salvage group that involves creating an
interactive map of downtown Champaign. We are going to take the Sanborn
Map for 1914, Champaign’s golden age as it were, and make the map hot.
You
will be able to click on a building or block of buildings on the map, and
an historic photograph will pop up. By living in the Urbana Public Library
archives, I’ve been able to dig up the most amazing pictures and managed
to fill in all the holes in the urban landscape caused by fire, urban
renewal and the march of time. Some of the lost buildings were absolutely
incredible and I now know more about Downtown than most people want to
hear.
The City got wind of my project and at PACA’s urging, the Mayor made
me a Commissioner on the City of Champaign Historic Preservation Board. We
get to put our oar in any time someone wants to mess with an historic
structure. Strictly an Honorarium, but the title opens doors to the most
fascinating people and I’ve discovered all sorts of tidbits of local
history. So all and all, I’ve been keeping busy waiting on my severance
pay and hanging out at the café’s with Tito, Millie and the usual
suspects.
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