The Last Office Christmas Party

Today was the annual “office party” and we were invited even though Gene was officially off the payroll at the end of November.  We were looking forward to seeing everybody.  All the company staff attends even though some work at different locations.  I guess I’ll have to say it was a bit disappointing.  Over the past 2 years the company has downsized considerably, so there were very few people there compared to previous years.  There is really only one person left from the original staff that Gene had worked with for so many years.  The other long time co-workers had retired and were not in attendance today.  We’ll be in that group next year.  It was one of those events that we had eagerly anticipated, but felt let down afterwards.  All part of the bittersweet experience of retirement.

In addition to the luncheon, we also had to clean out Gene’s office.  We have been working on this project for several weeks, so there wasn’t much left.  Since he had worked his last year in the office in Knoxville, he really didn’t have much in the downtown office.  What was there was a hodgepodge of personal items which we have been unable to part with since we moved into the Montana and a couple boxes of papers pertaining to his mother’s estate.  We piled it all in the truck and brought it home.

This afternoon we each shuffled paper and unpacked and repacked.  Now I have a box to go to Georgia, a box to go to mother’s, a box to go to Goodwill, a box to go to Ansley’s, a box to be destroyed, and still one box of stuff I can’t bear to part with.  It is so hard.  We have been working on this for 5 years, and deciding what can be discarded today was no less difficult than it was that first day.  There has been nothing in all the stuff we had (3 households worth) that had much monetary value.  But rather it was all those little things that hold so much sentimental value—a crochet hook that was Gene’s grandmother’s, my grandmother’s rolling pin and butter press, Gene’s dad’s razor and shaving brush and cup.  I suppose I’ll be able to part with this stuff some day, but it won’t be today.

It is time to turn my attention to cookie baking.  This evening, I will be getting recipes together and making a final grocery list for the cookies I plan to bake for Christmas and for our visit with my brother and nephews.  Tomorrow is grocery, and Wednesday is baking day.