by Richard Seifried
Richard and I put this letter together in late November. Unfortunately, his health slipped significantly two weeks later and in late December, he finally passed on to the next dimension. Family and friends from all over came in to visit with him, and local family spent time with him around the clock over his last few days. Richard had a rich and rewarding life and knew that he was transitioning to the next one — and it wouldn’t be his first time. Under the Ole Richard’s Archive tab, read “The Beauty of Life After Death” to learn about that first time.
Merry Christmas! I hope my little letter finds you happy and healthy. I am still living here in Yellow Springs, Ohio, at Friend’s Care at the unripe age of 91. Though I do suffer from general aches and pains, mostly in my legs, my caregivers take care of me the best they can. I am sleeping more than I would like, and my appetite is nothing like it used to be. They say that all of this is just part of the aging process – but that doesn’t mean I have to like it!
I get almost daily visits from my daughters Carol and Jane who spoil me with desserts and soda pop while we watch movies on TCM. My son-in-law Tom feeds me Skyline hotdogs (yum!) a couple of times a week and tries to explain what is going on in the political world – which can be quite confusing. I enjoy my other visitors like daughters Julie and Amy and my sister Diane, as well as some of my much younger teaching buddies. My son Steve is still teaching in Hawai’i, but is also busy preparing for retirement and a move back to beautiful Oregon next year.
I continue to enjoy nature through my large window, and thanks to several types of feeders, my aviary visitors include songbirds, woodpeckers, gold finches, and hummingbirds – oh, and non-aviary squirrels! Jack, the resident cat, visits me frequently and occasionally falls asleep next to me.
Richard with good friend Jack —
who might just be grubbing for treats!
I am still reading quite a bit and highly recommend Marion Starkey’s Devil in Massachusetts: A Modern Inquiry into the Salem Witch Trials; Stephen Ambrose’s D-Day – June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II; David McCullough’s The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West; and retired admiral James Stavridis’ Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character.
Though I myself am no longer writing, I am happy that my son-in-law Tom is keeping my words alive on his website signalhillmusings.com – which you really should check out.
Well, that’s all that is happening in my world, so let me be the first to wish you a merry little Christmas and a hap-hap-happy New Year!!
Love to all, Richard
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