Graniteguy, this is for you:

https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...930013584#6930013584

https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...440013584#5440013584

Excuse me, I meant to say, this is for you, sir.

I'll be 64 very soon, big deal. Whatever.

But if you don't mind, I'd like to let you guys know about my Great Grandmother, and for you to ponder the changes, the extreme changes, from 1866 to the mid 1970's that one person witnessed and lived through. It's astounding to think of the world she was born into and how life was then, and what transpired until her death.

My Great Grandmother lived to the age of 109. No typo, 109 years old. She was born in 1866. I have no illusions about making it to that age, even to 100. No way for me, I'm sure. I'll be lucky to make it to 70 or maybe 75.

She was a tough coot. A distant cousin wrote a book about her a few years ago, I have a copy of the book, it's sold on Amazon, copies still available. There are 3 or 4 photos of my Dad in it (he was born in 1912) and my oldest brother and sister's pics are in it too. Not me. Amazing.

She was 91 when I was born and fortunately I got to know her before she passed. My God I wish I could talk to her today, the stories she could tell me.

Here's the thing, the only reason I am typing this out: When you think about it, she had an amazing life. Born 1 year after the Civil War, had no roads to speak of, the mode of transportation was wagons horses, buggys and surreys, and trains. No electricity or utilities, outhouse was the thing, and cooking on a wood stove. The word of the day, every day, was struggle. Of course back in those days no one knew anything different. She was around before the automobile was invented, then paved roads, and highways and Interstate Highways. She lived to see onset of commercial Jet Airplane Travel, telephones, the microwave oven, and televisions and Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. Oh, and she got to enjoy air conditioning and heat that did not involve chopping wood, and running clean water and seeing the sewer system take waste away instead of using the chamber pot and outhouse. From the time of her birth and growing up with the lousy medical care to later seeing vaccines developed and the later sophistication of medical care in hospitals, etc.

Can you imagine that? From the living conditions just after the Civil War to how life was then, just imagine the changes she saw and enjoyed. We will never see the drastic changes she saw and experienced from birth to death.

FWIW here is a LINK TO THE BOOK

Thanks for letting me ramble for a moment.
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Thanks for the birthday greetings guys.

Here’s a photo of the birthday present that I gave to me – the Courvoisier V•S•O•P. Tasty!



I’m not a fan of snifters – I use these pony-size glasses, made in Finland, instead. I bought them, 50+ years ago, for aquavit, when I lived in Minnesota. Lots of Finns and other Nordic folks there. Still good for aquavit (ice-cold) – and for cognac (not cold!).

quote:

Here’s a photo of the birthday present that I gave to me – the Courvoisier V•S•O•P. Tasty!

Very nice!

Couple years ago I gifted myself with a bottle of nice single malt whisky.