| Biographical Non-Fiction posted March 13, 2021 | Chapters: |
...107 108 -109- 110... 
|
  |
The Shelby family moves into another year.
A chapter in the book Remembering Yesterday
Beginning the Year of 1988
by BethShelby
For new readers, who may not have read my author notes, this is written in a conversational way as I talk to my deceased husband. When I refer to someone just as "you" this means I am addressing my husband, Evan.
In some ways the year of 1988 started out better as far as our relationship with Connie. I’d been going to the library and checking out every book I could find on how to deal with out-of-control teenagers, and some of the tips I’d found seemed to be working. I was doing everything I could to stop reacting so strongly to Connie's misbehavior. Dr. James Dobson had advice that resonated with me, and when I tried putting it into practice, my relationship with Connie improved. We actually became friends, and I realized in spite of her acting out, she had a pretty good head on her shoulders.
Since she’d started back to the private school, Connie had been on her best behavior. She was trying to stay out of trouble, and as a result we were being more lenient with her. Her best friend from the academy was still Valerie, which caused us to have some concern, but we couldn’t pick her friends. We let her go to school activities and do other things with Valerie. Unfortunately, she was still having problems with her grades. She made A’s in physical education and in her creative arts class, but the other grades were pretty much down the tube.
******
We had loaned Don money to get him started in school, but Connie let it slip that he had used it to buy a car. He didn’t want us to know about it. He told Connie that he planned to pay us back when the loans came through, which he had applied for to fund his education. Apparently, this was another kind of classic or expensive model that didn't run. The car he was driving was barely running, because it kept overheating. His track record with cars wasn't good. We could only hope that this car purchase wouldn't end like the huge mistake he'd made by buying the Firebird.
*******
In the middle of February, we had a bout with illness. Your blood pressure was out of control, and I got the flu. It started on Friday, and I was violently sick over the weekend. You were worried about me, so you forgot your own problems in order to take care of me. I went back to work on Monday, but I really felt terrible all week. I had a fever every night. I had to keep taking medicine so I could work. Ned, our department supervisor, had to be out because his father-in-law died, and Janice, the girl who helped out in our department, stayed out all week, because she was sick with the flu. We were snowed under with work, so I didn’t really feel I could be out.
*******
Christi was dating a guy named Frank for the first three months of the year. He was another guy from Australia. He kept her supplied with roses, so apparently he liked her, probably more than she liked him. She was giving us more problems than Connie. She was working as a receptionist for a chemical company every day, but she was also trying to sell Jafra Cosmetics at parties in the evening. She had a dispute with a customer who wasn’t satisfied with an expensive kit Christi sold her.
Christi seemed to be always crying and upset about something, and she would come home and dump her problems on us. Then, she would ask to borrow money, which you usually ended up giving her. I was the one who didn’t want to be an enabler. We played "good cop, bad cop" and my role was always the latter. She wanted to make a trip to California to see her old friend, Jay. She'd gotten into a verbal battle on the phone with my mother, because Mother told her that she had no business going there to see a guy. We agreed with Mom, but reasoning with her got us nowhere. I just had no intention of financing the trip.
******
By the first of March, Carol and Glen had moved into their new house. They had also bought two brand-new vehicles; a Honda Civic for her and a heavy duty truck of Glen to pull his boat. With both of them working, I guess they could afford that, along with new furniture. They were anxious for us to come for a visit, so we could see their new house.
You had other plans and said you wouldn’t be able to go to Florida. By late March, you had bought a garden cultivator, and you were trying to break up the ground at the back of our lot for a garden. It wasn’t easy with all the rocks in the ground. Besides, there was a huge pine tree that needed to come down.
When spring break rolled around, you asked Don to go to Mississippi with you, You needed to check on our property, and you needed help moving trash and dealing with things we’d stored in a house that was on the property when we bought it. The log house was old and about to collapse. While the two of you were gone, we had a severe storm. Connie slept in my bed one night when the wind was blowing so hard, it felt like the roof would come off. We had a nice long conversation, and I felt like we were getting on better footing.
When you and Don returned, I had a few days off from work, and Don, Christi, Connie and I headed to Florida. Carol and Glen were in Valdosta picking up a boat Glen had left there. Carol rode with us from there, and she guided us to her house.
It was a neatly designed home with vaulted ceilings and an open floor plan. The back of the lot was sandy, and near the St.John River. We all liked it.
Sunday was Easter and Don, Christi, Connie and I headed for Walt Disney world. We'd been to Epcot once, and this was the second time we we were going to Disney World. The first time had been five years ago, and there were things I hadn’t seen before. All the Disney characters had an Easter parade that was fun. The park didn't seem as crowded as it had been before. At least, we seemed to move around faster. No offense, but you slowed us down before, with all your coffee breaks.
The drive home was long and tiring. Don and I took turns with the driving. Christi complained all the way, because we wouldn’t let her keep the windows open. She claimed she couldn't breathe, even though the air-conditioning in the car worked fine.
Shortly after we got home, Connie got a job she had applied for at an Ice cream shop. I hoped a part-time job wouldn’t make her grades even worse. School would soon be out, and if she managed to pass everything, it would be good for her to have something to do with her summer.
Don’s first semester at Life College was already over, and he passed all of his subjects. He wasn’t planning to come home right away. He and his friends had a camping trip planned at Stone Mountain in Georgia.
This is Us:
Evan is 59 and a retired drafting supervisor from Chevron Oil.
Beth is 51 and has had a variety of jobs. She is presently working a new job with a local printing company.
Carol is 28, a nurse at Florida Hospital in Orlando. She is married and living in Florida.
Glen Egolf is Carol’s husband. He is 25 and soon will get his nursing degree from Southern College in Orlando.
Don is a twin. He is 26 and starting Life Chiropractic College for the spring semester.
Christi is Don’s twin/ She has a new job as receptionist.
Kimberly Dye is Don’s girlfriend. She is a nurse and is living in an apartment and working at Valley Hospital.
Connie is our youngest daughter. She is fifteen. She is in her second year of high school.
For new readers, who may not have read my author notes, this is written in a conversational way as I talk to my deceased husband. When I refer to someone just as "you" this means I am addressing my husband, Evan.
In some ways the year of 1988 started out better as far as our relationship with Connie. I’d been going to the library and checking out every book I could find on how to deal with out-of-control teenagers, and some of the tips I’d found seemed to be working. I was doing everything I could to stop reacting so strongly to Connie's misbehavior. Dr. James Dobson had advice that resonated with me, and when I tried putting it into practice, my relationship with Connie improved. We actually became friends, and I realized in spite of her acting out, she had a pretty good head on her shoulders.
Since she’d started back to the private school, Connie had been on her best behavior. She was trying to stay out of trouble, and as a result we were being more lenient with her. Her best friend from the academy was still Valerie, which caused us to have some concern, but we couldn’t pick her friends. We let her go to school activities and do other things with Valerie. Unfortunately, she was still having problems with her grades. She made A’s in physical education and in her creative arts class, but the other grades were pretty much down the tube.
******
We had loaned Don money to get him started in school, but Connie let it slip that he had used it to buy a car. He didn’t want us to know about it. He told Connie that he planned to pay us back when the loans came through, which he had applied for to fund his education. Apparently, this was another kind of classic or expensive model that didn't run. The car he was driving was barely running, because it kept overheating. His track record with cars wasn't good. We could only hope that this car purchase wouldn't end like the huge mistake he'd made by buying the Firebird.
*******
In the middle of February, we had a bout with illness. Your blood pressure was out of control, and I got the flu. It started on Friday, and I was violently sick over the weekend. You were worried about me, so you forgot your own problems in order to take care of me. I went back to work on Monday, but I really felt terrible all week. I had a fever every night. I had to keep taking medicine so I could work. Ned, our department supervisor, had to be out because his father-in-law died, and Janice, the girl who helped out in our department, stayed out all week, because she was sick with the flu. We were snowed under with work, so I didn’t really feel I could be out.
*******
Christi was dating a guy named Frank for the first three months of the year. He was another guy from Australia. He kept her supplied with roses, so apparently he liked her, probably more than she liked him. She was giving us more problems than Connie. She was working as a receptionist for a chemical company every day, but she was also trying to sell Jafra Cosmetics at parties in the evening. She had a dispute with a customer who wasn’t satisfied with an expensive kit Christi sold her.
Christi seemed to be always crying and upset about something, and she would come home and dump her problems on us. Then, she would ask to borrow money, which you usually ended up giving her. I was the one who didn’t want to be an enabler. We played "good cop, bad cop" and my role was always the latter. She wanted to make a trip to California to see her old friend, Jay. She'd gotten into a verbal battle on the phone with my mother, because Mother told her that she had no business going there to see a guy. We agreed with Mom, but reasoning with her got us nowhere. I just had no intention of financing the trip.
******
By the first of March, Carol and Glen had moved into their new house. They had also bought two brand-new vehicles; a Honda Civic for her and a heavy duty truck of Glen to pull his boat. With both of them working, I guess they could afford that, along with new furniture. They were anxious for us to come for a visit, so we could see their new house.
You had other plans and said you wouldn’t be able to go to Florida. By late March, you had bought a garden cultivator, and you were trying to break up the ground at the back of our lot for a garden. It wasn’t easy with all the rocks in the ground. Besides, there was a huge pine tree that needed to come down.
When spring break rolled around, you asked Don to go to Mississippi with you, You needed to check on our property, and you needed help moving trash and dealing with things we’d stored in a house that was on the property when we bought it. The log house was old and about to collapse. While the two of you were gone, we had a severe storm. Connie slept in my bed one night when the wind was blowing so hard, it felt like the roof would come off. We had a nice long conversation, and I felt like we were getting on better footing.
When you and Don returned, I had a few days off from work, and Don, Christi, Connie and I headed to Florida. Carol and Glen were in Valdosta picking up a boat Glen had left there. Carol rode with us from there, and she guided us to her house.
It was a neatly designed home with vaulted ceilings and an open floor plan. The back of the lot was sandy, and near the St.John River. We all liked it.
Sunday was Easter and Don, Christi, Connie and I headed for Walt Disney world. We'd been to Epcot once, and this was the second time we we were going to Disney World. The first time had been five years ago, and there were things I hadn’t seen before. All the Disney characters had an Easter parade that was fun. The park didn't seem as crowded as it had been before. At least, we seemed to move around faster. No offense, but you slowed us down before, with all your coffee breaks.
The drive home was long and tiring. Don and I took turns with the driving. Christi complained all the way, because we wouldn’t let her keep the windows open. She claimed she couldn't breathe, even though the air-conditioning in the car worked fine.
Shortly after we got home, Connie got a job she had applied for at an Ice cream shop. I hoped a part-time job wouldn’t make her grades even worse. School would soon be out, and if she managed to pass everything, it would be good for her to have something to do with her summer.
Don’s first semester at Life College was already over, and he passed all of his subjects. He wasn’t planning to come home right away. He and his friends had a camping trip planned at Stone Mountain in Georgia.
This is Us:
Evan is 59 and a retired drafting supervisor from Chevron Oil.
Beth is 51 and has had a variety of jobs. She is presently working a new job with a local printing company.
Carol is 28, a nurse at Florida Hospital in Orlando. She is married and living in Florida.
Glen Egolf is Carol’s husband. He is 25 and soon will get his nursing degree from Southern College in Orlando.
Don is a twin. He is 26 and starting Life Chiropractic College for the spring semester.
Christi is Don’s twin/ She has a new job as receptionist.
Kimberly Dye is Don’s girlfriend. She is a nurse and is living in an apartment and working at Valley Hospital.
Connie is our youngest daughter. She is fifteen. She is in her second year of high school.
In some ways the year of 1988 started out better as far as our relationship with Connie. I’d been going to the library and checking out every book I could find on how to deal with out-of-control teenagers, and some of the tips I’d found seemed to be working. I was doing everything I could to stop reacting so strongly to Connie's misbehavior. Dr. James Dobson had advice that resonated with me, and when I tried putting it into practice, my relationship with Connie improved. We actually became friends, and I realized in spite of her acting out, she had a pretty good head on her shoulders.
Since she’d started back to the private school, Connie had been on her best behavior. She was trying to stay out of trouble, and as a result we were being more lenient with her. Her best friend from the academy was still Valerie, which caused us to have some concern, but we couldn’t pick her friends. We let her go to school activities and do other things with Valerie. Unfortunately, she was still having problems with her grades. She made A’s in physical education and in her creative arts class, but the other grades were pretty much down the tube.
******
We had loaned Don money to get him started in school, but Connie let it slip that he had used it to buy a car. He didn’t want us to know about it. He told Connie that he planned to pay us back when the loans came through, which he had applied for to fund his education. Apparently, this was another kind of classic or expensive model that didn't run. The car he was driving was barely running, because it kept overheating. His track record with cars wasn't good. We could only hope that this car purchase wouldn't end like the huge mistake he'd made by buying the Firebird.
*******
In the middle of February, we had a bout with illness. Your blood pressure was out of control, and I got the flu. It started on Friday, and I was violently sick over the weekend. You were worried about me, so you forgot your own problems in order to take care of me. I went back to work on Monday, but I really felt terrible all week. I had a fever every night. I had to keep taking medicine so I could work. Ned, our department supervisor, had to be out because his father-in-law died, and Janice, the girl who helped out in our department, stayed out all week, because she was sick with the flu. We were snowed under with work, so I didn’t really feel I could be out.
*******
Christi was dating a guy named Frank for the first three months of the year. He was another guy from Australia. He kept her supplied with roses, so apparently he liked her, probably more than she liked him. She was giving us more problems than Connie. She was working as a receptionist for a chemical company every day, but she was also trying to sell Jafra Cosmetics at parties in the evening. She had a dispute with a customer who wasn’t satisfied with an expensive kit Christi sold her.
Christi seemed to be always crying and upset about something, and she would come home and dump her problems on us. Then, she would ask to borrow money, which you usually ended up giving her. I was the one who didn’t want to be an enabler. We played "good cop, bad cop" and my role was always the latter. She wanted to make a trip to California to see her old friend, Jay. She'd gotten into a verbal battle on the phone with my mother, because Mother told her that she had no business going there to see a guy. We agreed with Mom, but reasoning with her got us nowhere. I just had no intention of financing the trip.
******
By the first of March, Carol and Glen had moved into their new house. They had also bought two brand-new vehicles; a Honda Civic for her and a heavy duty truck of Glen to pull his boat. With both of them working, I guess they could afford that, along with new furniture. They were anxious for us to come for a visit, so we could see their new house.
You had other plans and said you wouldn’t be able to go to Florida. By late March, you had bought a garden cultivator, and you were trying to break up the ground at the back of our lot for a garden. It wasn’t easy with all the rocks in the ground. Besides, there was a huge pine tree that needed to come down.
When spring break rolled around, you asked Don to go to Mississippi with you, You needed to check on our property, and you needed help moving trash and dealing with things we’d stored in a house that was on the property when we bought it. The log house was old and about to collapse. While the two of you were gone, we had a severe storm. Connie slept in my bed one night when the wind was blowing so hard, it felt like the roof would come off. We had a nice long conversation, and I felt like we were getting on better footing.
When you and Don returned, I had a few days off from work, and Don, Christi, Connie and I headed to Florida. Carol and Glen were in Valdosta picking up a boat Glen had left there. Carol rode with us from there, and she guided us to her house.
It was a neatly designed home with vaulted ceilings and an open floor plan. The back of the lot was sandy, and near the St.John River. We all liked it.
Sunday was Easter and Don, Christi, Connie and I headed for Walt Disney world. We'd been to Epcot once, and this was the second time we we were going to Disney World. The first time had been five years ago, and there were things I hadn’t seen before. All the Disney characters had an Easter parade that was fun. The park didn't seem as crowded as it had been before. At least, we seemed to move around faster. No offense, but you slowed us down before, with all your coffee breaks.
The drive home was long and tiring. Don and I took turns with the driving. Christi complained all the way, because we wouldn’t let her keep the windows open. She claimed she couldn't breathe, even though the air-conditioning in the car worked fine.
Shortly after we got home, Connie got a job she had applied for at an Ice cream shop. I hoped a part-time job wouldn’t make her grades even worse. School would soon be out, and if she managed to pass everything, it would be good for her to have something to do with her summer.
Don’s first semester at Life College was already over, and he passed all of his subjects. He wasn’t planning to come home right away. He and his friends had a camping trip planned at Stone Mountain in Georgia.
This is Us:
Evan is 59 and a retired drafting supervisor from Chevron Oil.
Beth is 51 and has had a variety of jobs. She is presently working a new job with a local printing company.
Carol is 28, a nurse at Florida Hospital in Orlando. She is married and living in Florida.
Glen Egolf is Carol’s husband. He is 25 and soon will get his nursing degree from Southern College in Orlando.
Don is a twin. He is 26 and starting Life Chiropractic College for the spring semester.
Christi is Don’s twin/ She has a new job as receptionist.
Kimberly Dye is Don’s girlfriend. She is a nurse and is living in an apartment and working at Valley Hospital.
Connie is our youngest daughter. She is fifteen. She is in her second year of high school.
 Recognized |
I'm continuing to recall memories of life with my deceased husband, Evan, as if I am talking aloud to him. I'm doing this because I want my children to know us as we knew each other and not just as their parents.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. 
You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2024. BethShelby All rights reserved.
BethShelby has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
