Old Codger Rogers

By Verl Rogers

Essay writer Verl Rogers shares memories of growing up in the early- to mid-1900s, establishing a family, and reflects on life in a retirement village and assisted living facility.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Verl Rogers
• Release date: May 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005158569

Verl Rogers

Born in Washington State 1927, grew up in Wenatchee WA, graduated high school 1945, joined navy just before end of WWII, served one year, graduated Whitman College 1950. Worked for Social Security (federal),then Safeco Ins, Pemco Ins, Grange Ins, returned to Social Security 21 years, married to Janet Bixler 1953, two daughters, three grandchildren. Lived in Juneau, Marysville, Seattle, Aberdeen, Yakima, Anacortes, Lacey WA. Retired 1988, now live in retirement village Panorama. One daughter died of cancer 2010, wife died 2012. I write one essay per week.

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Old Codger Rogers

Copyright 2021 Verl Rogers

Published by Verl Rogers at Smashwords

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Table of Contents

About This Book

Slow and Joyful

My Romance

Kissed on the Front Page

Easy as Pie

Friends and Pie

Sewing Sister

Zucchini AKA Trouble

Baby Baths

Another Strong Memory

Baby Coming

Sedate Enjoyment

Saddled on a Hot Bike

The No-Power Party

A Poem to Remember

Simple Things

Widower Song

How I Got Over the Death of My Wife

Why Buy Plaid Boxer Shorts?

Old Mr. Turner and Custer’s Last Stand

Old Geezers

We Held Hands and Now She Is Gone

Old Man Musing

Showers in a Nursing Home

Old Folks and Babies

Long Marriage

Old Guy Calls for Help

Blessing

Agnes and Her Weeds

About This Book

Verl Rogers was born in Washington State in 1927. He was an avid outdoorsman and chronicled many of his adventures and explorations in essays compiled in the books Tales from the Mountainside and Trails, Walkways and Boot Tracks.

This collection of essays includes memories of years past and life in the retirement village and assisted living at Panorama in Lacey, Washington.

A warning to readers: The stories detailed in this book may be distorted by self-interest and damaged by time. Names, characters and places may be described differently than true events.

Slow and Joyful

Our lives move slowly most of the time, but some things are slow indeed, as you can see from this old joke: A slug reported to the police that three snails had robbed him. The officer asked for details. I can’t explain it very well, said the slug, It all happened so fast!

The slow march of the years can be frustrating, especially to the schoolboy in the sixth grade. He sees years and years of school ahead, six more at least and ten if he plans on college. What a drag! It’s even worse when you consider that you can live, at the speediest, only one day at a time. Yet to me from age 87, the view back seems short, too short. There have been many joys in my life, and hindsight says some of the best events unfolded slowly.

Some of the slow events I saw as giving no thrills, were going to school, adjustments in marriage, gaining experience on the job, raising children and growing old, yet these things are good, very good, in the long run, and they give me pleasure when I look back. Now when the children are grown and gone, there seem to be dull times when we have no contact, yet the families of our daughters keep growing and changing.

Other events take little time but have long-term effects; weddings, birth of a child, death of a family member or close friend, change of job, moving the