Hi Ho Hi Ho It's off to work for Flo!!

As Flo, St Nic, and I sat at the breakfast table this morning, I read the last post to Mom which was about her driving escapades. And we all laughed about how things can be so funny as we continue to reflect on her life. She will be 98 on Saturday. I asked her,

"What shall I write about next, Mom?"

"I began working when I was sixteen."

And the winning memorable topics are:

My mom was an executive secretary who worked for three companies over the course of many decades. 'The Packard Company' presented her with a gold watch for ten years of service. And she met both of her husbands there-the first marriage in 1941, and the second in 1974!! That's a whole 'nother story!

Later she worked for many years at 'Para Manufacturing' and resigned when the company moved to a new location that was too far for her to commute[!!].

The job she eventually retired from was' Bates Manufacturing' where she had been working for 10+ years. Flo joined their bowling team, and at her very first banquet was awarded the trophy for 'Most Improved Bowler' which meant she had the worst scores and there was only one way to go...up!

Florence had finished a letter for the vice president [her boss] and she brought it in for him to see/sign. As she stood next to him, she placed the paper on his desk and pointed to where he should look. In the blink of an eye, as she leaned over...a small droplet appeared on the document. Huh? Even back in 1967, her nose was a problem. Faster than a speeding bullet, the permanent tissue she carried in one hand was not able to arrest her runny nose!! . How embarrassing! What can you say at a time like that? I don't know. Maybe a hasty retreat was the choice.

Another speechless occasion presented itself in the employees' lunchroom. These people were her buddies...her friends...the people who shared each lunch time with food as well as lively conversation. So, there was my mom, toward the end of the allotted time, ready to have some dessert. Flo had brought a 'single serving' container of chocolate pudding. As she pulled on the aluminum tab to open it up, she must have been unaware of her own strength. Like a lightening bolt in the sky, some pudding flew through the air and landed in Nancy's hair...actually it was a wig! Flo saw it, and as [unaware]Nancy was finishing her story...she was now sporting a dollop of My-T-Fine pudding atop her head. What can you say at a time like that? I don't know. The options were a hasty retreat without telling Nancy, or a hasty retreat after telling her. Poor Flo!

See what I mean about 'stuff happens' to her. Come to think of it...so that's where I got that gene from...

Mom happily retired from Bates after her marriage to an 'old' friend ...now a ' husband'.

She continues to receive her monthly pension from Bates...all $28.25.

Yep! Yep!! You read it right...twenty-eight dollars and twenty-five cents! Quite a little nest egg!I'm thinking they had no idea of just how long they would be sending that monthly windfall...35 years and still counting.

Way to go, Flo!!