JOTTING IT DOWN

“I love the start of the New Year!” I said as I sat down on the couch next to my husband Steven. “A fresh start! New beginnings! It's all good!”

Steven laughed. “Are you talking about making some New Year's resolutions?”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “No. I'm talking about my new appointment book!” I held it up for him to see. Then grabbed my 2018 appointment book and pulled out a slip of paper from the back. “Now I get to jot down all the appointments I've been keeping on this.” I couldn't help but smile as I transferred the data. “I know it's old school and I should be using my phone calendar but there's just something about an appointment book.” I sighed. “I can't exactly pinpoint why I love it, but I do.”

Steven just shook his head and held up his hand. “Hey, you're preaching to the choir here. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost mine. Not only do I use it for appointments but I also have 'to do' lists and addresses I need to know.”

I looked over to him and smiled. “See, here's another reason we're perfectly matched! Our love for appointment books!”

While I was writing down the last of my future appointment my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID. “I have to take this.” I said as I got up to go in the other room. “It's my sister Liz.”

After our hello's she asked what we always ask each other at the beginning of our calls. “What are you up to today?” she asked.

“I'm filling in my new appointment book!” I was waiting for her to laugh at me because she's one of my more tech savvy sisters. Well, to be perfectly honest everyone in my family was more tech savvy then me considering I was still trying to figure out how to use some of the options on my phone. But I was pleasantly surprised when she said, “I love filling out my new appointment book too!”

“Really? I swear I would have thought you'd only use Google calendar on your phone.” I was genuinely surprised. “It never occurred to me that you'd be old school like me!”

“I use my phone for doctor's appointments and to remind me when someone's birthday's coming up but for everything else I use my little black date book.”

I couldn't help but smile as I realized Steven and I weren’t the only ones left in the world who still swore by ours. “I even keep my old ones.” I admitted.

“Me too!”

“Really?”

“Sure. I just went through mine before I packed them up to move. It's kind of fun seeing who you were meeting for dinner and the plans you had years ago.”

“It's like a mini diary.” I added.

After we'd touched on everything else that was happening in our lives we said our good-byes knowing we'd probably catch up again tomorrow.

I went back to the living room where Steven was still writing in his appointment book. “How's Liz?” he asked as he finished writing and put his book on the coffee table.

“She's great!” I sat down next to him. “I just found out she's old school too.”

Steven looked confused. “Old school?”

“She uses an appointment book just like we do.” I couldn't help but smile. “Now I don't feel as technically challenged as I did before.”

“Really?” Steven had to laugh. “Because you're pretty technically challenged.”

“Hey! If my sister still uses an old fashioned appointment book she can't be that technically advanced either!”

Steven looked surprised. “I wouldn't let her hear you say that. Didn't she just teach you how to print from your phone?”

I shrugged my shoulder. “Hey, who knew you could really do that from your phone?”

“Um...” he just shook his head. “I think everyone.”

SLEPT LIKE A BABY

My son Alex has had trouble sleeping since he was very little. He inherited that trait from his Dad, because I can sleep in the middle of the living room, with the television blasting and everyone walking around living their life, and not move a muscle.

But I'd just purchased a weighted blanket for him and now I was waiting for him to wake up and give me the good news. I was hoping he'd come out and tell me he slept through the night and couldn't wait to write a testimonial letter to the company thanking them for their miracle blanket.

I looked at the clock, it was already past 11 o'clock in the morning when I finally heard his door open.

I felt like it was Christmas morning I was so excited. “Well?” I asked.

“Eh...” Alex shrugged his shoulders. “It's too heavy to sleep with.”

“It's supposed to be heavy!” I cried. “That extra weight is what reduces your stress and helps you sleep better!”

“Well, my stress levels went up when I couldn't roll over!” Alex laughed as he shook his head. “I was fine when I was on my back but as soon as I went to go on my side I felt trapped!”

“I'm sorry.” I sighed. “I thought this would be the answer to your sleep problem.”

Alex came over and patted me on the back. “It's okay. It was nice that you tried.”

I shook my head. “When you look at the commercials they just drape it over the person and they practically fall asleep in the middle of eating a tuna sandwich!”

“You really didn't think it was going to be that magical, did you?”

I shook my head again. “No. But everyone I talk to that has one loves it!”

“I like mine.” Alex said. “I just can't use it at night. But I like it when I take a nap on my couch.”

I looked over at him confused. “We were trying to find something that would help you sleep though the night. Not something for napping.”

“Hey, aren't you the one who's always saying a quick nap before dinner is what helps you make it through the rest of the day?” He went into the kitchen to make some coffee.

I just shook my head while I gathered up the shipping boxes the blanket had come in. “I guess we can throw these away now.” I began breaking down the boxes when my husband Steven came in. “Hey, you're throwing out the boxes so I'm going to guess the blanket was a success?”

I sighed. “Not really.”

Alex called out from the kitchen. “I can't sleep with it at night but I like it when I'm napping on my couch!”

Steven looked over at me. “Well, at least it's working some of the time.” He tried to sound encouraging.

“I was hoping he'd tell us it helped him sleep though the night.” I folded the cardboard box in half and began taking apart the next box. “You know, 'Hey, Mom! I slept like a baby!'”

Steven shrugged his shoulder. “Well, he kind of did tell you that.”

I looked over at him confused. “How?”

“He slept exactly like he did when he was a baby.” Steven smiled. “Short naps throughout the day.”

“Exactly!” Alex called from the kitchen.

FAMILY TREE

“Did you read this?” I asked my husband Steven as we sat on the couch reading the morning newspaper.

Steven looked up over his paper. “Read what?”

“This article about DNA tests?” I held up the article. “Seems like there's all kinds of drama for some people.”

“We already took ours.” he shrugged his shoulders. “We didn't have any surprises.”

“Wait a second.” I scanned the paper then put my finger on the part I wanted to tell him about. “It says right here that the police can now go through a database where they can track a criminal by looking at a relative's DNA!” I had to laugh. “Can you imagine being in that courtroom as they tell the defendant, 'You can thank your Uncle Louie for getting caught! He wanted to find out if he came from Spain and instead we found you for breaking and entering!'” I looked back over at Steven. “Certainly makes the family reunions a little more tense!”

Steven started to laugh. “Maybe that might make their family reunions better.”

I was still scanning the article “Oh, there's even more drama!” I cried. “It says one woman got back her results and it said the Dad she'd always known wasn't her real Dad.” I looked over at Steven. “She called the company because she thought they made a mistake.”

Steven just shook his head. “What did they tell her?” He'd put his paper down and put his feet up on the coffee table.

“She said they were really very kind when they told her she was a NPE.”

“A what?”

“Genealogists call it non-parental event, a NPE.” I read further down. “She felt isolated until she joined a Facebook group of NPE's and they have over four thousand members so far!” I looked sadly over at Steven. “I guess that's one way to deal with it.”

Steven just shook his head. “I was surprised when I found out I wasn't as German as I thought. I can't imagine finding that out on my results.”

“I guess you could try looking on the bright side.”

Steven looked confused. “What's the bright side?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “You get a bigger family?”

Steven shook his head. “I guess that's one way to look at it.”

“Seriously though.” I sighed. “I wasn't thinking about any of these things when we did ours.” I put the newspaper down and looked over at Steven. “Now the companies are admitting that even though they strip your name and any identifying details, a data breach could reactivate that information.”

“Well, there's nothing we can do about it now.” Steven said as he shrugged his shoulders.

“That's true.” I sighed again as I looked back at the newspaper. “They even ended the article with 'caveat emptor'.”

Our son, Alex walked into the room. “Morning! What are you two up to?”

Steven looked over his shoulder. “Your Mom and I were discussing the DNA tests.”

Alex shook his head. “Yeah, I'm never doing one of those.” He stifled a yawn. “It creeps me out that anyone could have my DNA and do anything they wanted with it.” He headed towards the kitchen.

Once he was out of the room I looked over at Steven. “Do we let him know they kinda already have his DNA because we took the test?” I whispered.

Steven slowly shook his head no.

COOKIE DREAMS

I was in the living room reading the newspaper when I saw a section about holiday cookies.

“Hey, Steven!” I called out to my husband who was in the kitchen making a cup of coffee. “Remember when I made Christmas cookie? Which one was your favorite?”

Steven came into the living room and sat down next to me on the couch. “I guess I'd have to say those lacy oatmeal cookies you used to make.” He took a sip of his coffee before setting the mug down on the coffee table, then leaned back against a pillow. “I remember it took you a dozen tries before you'd get the texture you were looking for.” He shook his head as he smiled. “But when you got it they were so good.”

Our son Alex walked into the room. “What was so good?”

“Your Mom asked me about my favorite Christmas cookie.” Steven patted the spot next to him on the couch and Alex came over to sit. “You know, back when your Mom baked.”

Alex looked confused. “You still bake. We just had brownies the other day.”

Steven shook his head. “I'm talking about starting from scratch baking, not making something from a box.”

“It's true.” I sighed. “It's been years since I baked.” I looked over at Alex. “What was your favorite Christmas cookie?”

Alex thought about it a moment. “I really liked the one with the Reese's peanut butter pieces in them.”

“I made one with Reese's peanut butter pieces in them?” Now I was confused. “Are you sure you're not thinking of one of your friends Mom's?”

Steven started to laugh. “Wow! It really had been a long time since you've baked if Alex is remembering someone else's Moms baking!”

“No!” Alex cried. “I swear it was you! It came in an orange bag just like the chocolate chips bag!”

“Oh yeah...” I nodded as I pulled up the memory. “I'd make chocolate chip batter and put Reese's in it instead.”

“Exactly!” Alex looked relieved.

“You're right.” I said as I went back to reading the paper. “They were good, too.”

“Does that mean you're baking this year?” Alex sounded hopeful.

“Naw.” I sighed. “I really don't have much of a sweet tooth anymore.”

Steven and Alex looked at one another. “So why did you ask about our favorite cookies?” Alex asked.

“Oh, I was reading an article about holiday cookies.” I turned the paper around for them to see the article. “I was just wondering what you're favorite ones had been.”

Alex sighed as he got up for the couch. “Well, that was certainly disappointing.”

“I'll say.” Steven got up and followed him into the kitchen.

“Wait!” I called. “I wasn't trying to upset anyone!”

Alex peeked his head around corner, a smile on his face. “If I say I'm upset will that guilt you into baking?”

“Probably not.” I shook my head as I got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. “But it might guilt me into making you breakfast.”