Ceremony

I’ve decided I need something visual, something that will allow me to see that time is actual passing that retirement really is in reach. I’ve decided to fill my mantle with candles, one for each week until I retire. I searched the house, pulling candles from anyplace I could find them. I pulled them from the bedroom, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the china cabinets, the closets and finally the boxes of holiday ornaments. I came up with 26! I needed 26! Life is good!

I’m going to inaugurate the ceremony this Friday. I’ll light all of them (and pray to God I don’t burn the house down) and take a picture of the family standing in front of the brightly burning mantle. Each Friday, beginning with the 9/8/06, I’ll take away a candle, light the remaining ones and take the family picture. It will be nice to see the number of candles go down each week. It will be nice to be able to see the progress.