From the Desk of the Lowly Office Aid: August 2011 Edition

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August 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

It's August everyone, which means that it's time for the monthly breakdown from the corner of the Lowly Office Aid! In most of my letters I usually like to at least mention the major holidays that occur in that month, but the problem with August is that there is never a holiday that I could talk about...until now. While laying out this month's articles, I stumbled upon the one about Left Handers' Day, and of course, I immediately went to reading it because, as only a select few of you might know, I am one of those that call themselves left handed. Apparently, according to the newsletter (and facebook) August 13 is dubbed as the official International Left Handers' Day, which is pretty exciting because I never knew that there was a whole day devoted to my kind.

If the statistics are correct, then about 10% of you reading this can join me on the 13th by proudly celebrating our left hands. The rest of you righties can just marvel at our amazing use of that hand that you consider inferior while wishing you could be as special as us select 10%. Personally, I am very happy to be part of this minority. Coming from a family of three other righties I have felt very special and unique all my life. I always love the moment that people discover that I am left handed. This is always how it goes. The previously unaware person suddenly becomes aware when they spy me writing away at something--then, it's always the same reaction..."Wow/Whoa/Cool/, You're left handed!?' It's always said with some degree of surprise like I was trying to hide something from them, as if they discovered I had an extra toe or wore a wig or something (neither of which are true, I definitely have ten toes and real hair, very stuck to my head). The response is also an interesting blend of sentence types. It is one part exclamation, because they are always surprised at the discovery, one part question, because they partly seem confused over whether the whole left handed thing is a joke or not, and also one part statement, because they seem to believe that they are the first one to inform me of me of my status as a left handed person, as if I wasn't yet aware.

Maybe I should answer as if I didn't know I was. I guess it would be a little more interesting that way. I usually just give the standard truthful response like "Yup, I am" which is the honest, if not the boring option. Or maybe I could say in return, "Wow! You're right handed!" Then maybe they will get how I feel, not that it bothers me for them to comment on it. I just think it's funny. I wonder if you my fellow left handed readers have encountered similar reactions to our sinister (this word comes from the Latin for left, I don't why our side always gets associated with evil, I swear we are nice folks!) little quirk/difference or whatever you like to call it. I guess the only major downsides about being a lefty are that my hand always gets covered with ink when I write, especially on those glossy greeting cards which I have smeared more than I would like to admit. Also, school desks can be rather uncomfortable for us because we have to stretch over to write, but luckily in college they usually had at least a couple of desks for us, which was very courteous of them. But anyways, I am a proud lefthander and I guess I will celebrate it on the 13th, and so for all the righties, I guess just be extra nice to us that day.

However, before I bore the rest of you with all this left handed talk, let's talk summer! It is definitely in full swing and I am loving the So Cal weather. After getting back from Haiti, I appreciate it even more because there not only is it hot but it is humid which makes everyone a sweaty, sticky mess which I can tell you is not very attractive. However, despite being a sweaty, sticky mess in Haiti, I was also a happy sweaty person, and I can tell you all for the third year in a row that it was an amazing trip. It was great seeing all of our friends there and I believe that we were able to do a lot of good. So thank you for your patience and kindness in my absence, but I am officially L.A. bound now. I'm not going anywhere! So enjoy the weather, the beach, and some watermelon and I will see you in September!

Signing Off,

Joy Jasmine Ellis 

The Lowly Office Aid

From the Desk of the Lowly Office Aid: July 2011 Edition

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July 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

            Well, another year has come and gone, my friends…it is I, Mother of our beloved Lowly Office Aid, making an encore appearance via this newsletter.  As you may have guessed, Joy is far from home on her 3^rd mission’s trip to Haiti with the Chi Alpha Fellowship team.  I recall how worried we were (I was!) when she left for her first trip; however, this year I am much more relaxed—I know that she has many good friends with her on the trip, and they all look out for each other.  It also helps to see a few pix of the team’s activities posted on Facebook, and of course, Joy’s brief contact with John to wish him well on Father’s Day while she is away.  I guess I’m getting better at this Empty Nest thing…

            Empty Nesters—that’s what John and I are now.  Strange term…referred to as a “syndrome” apparently named after a bird’s nesting habits.  More specifically, the literature states (that’s my librarian-self speaking) that “Empty Nest Syndrome is a general feeling of loneliness that parents or guardians may feel when one or more of their children leave home; it is more common in women…”  I would say that the part about women is probably true as we tend to be the primary caregivers and nurturers.  Yes, I have found myself wanting to check on the kids or communicating that I miss them much more often than John does (or at least will say he does!).  I do catch him asking “have you heard from the kids?” or telling me plans he’s made with Joy or Jonathan regarding this or that.  All I can know for sure is that we both are enjoying the much quieter and much neater house with the kids out on their own, and we are much more able to focus on our own plans and goals for the future (so the literature says as well!).

            The term that I feel is better suited to our current status in life is: The Sandwich Generation, which is “a generation of people who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children.”  Although we don’t care for our aging mothers full time, nor do we fully support our dear children anymore, we definitely could fit this description!  Whether we are driving Grandma Carrie to her doctor’s and hair appointments while she was without her driver’s license for awhile, or planning a visit with Yiayia and helping to care for her rental home, John and I are active participants in the care of both of our mothers.  Although Joy and Jonathan are working full-time and living on their own, it’s amazing how much help we still give the kids; whether it’s a new computer for the Lowly Office Aid, or help for Jonathan while he gets his new studio apartment up and running…Mom and Dad are right there, ready with support to help our little “birds” as they make their own way out in the big world. J

            I’d say that’s it for now…I’m off to prepare our own nest for an Ellis Family 4^th of July celebration coming up soon.  Happy Independence Day, All—and our Best Wishes for a wonderful, fun Summer 2011!

Happy Summer,

Julie A. Ellis  (Mother of the Lowly Office Aid)

From the Desk of the Lowly Office Aid: June 2011 Edition

Read the Complete July Newsletter Here

June 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

It’s June! Well, at least it will be by the time you get this. Right now, it’s a gorgeous May evening and I have the front door and window open to enjoy the cool breeze and I am that sure June has many beautiful days like this in store for us here in So Cal. I have to enjoy these cool nights while I can because pretty soon I will be off to Haiti where the days are super hot and the nights are slightly less hot. I’m definitely spoiled to be from Southern California. My roommate hails from the Kansas side of Kansas City, and she reported to me the other day that a tornado had touched down blocks from her home and church. Luckily, her family and house are completely safe and it only did minimal damage where it hit. She was telling me that even though the tornadoes and the sirens that precede them are totally eerie, she is used to them and that the thought of an earthquake is totally scary to her. Obviously, I feel completely the opposite! I will take my So Cal earthquakes any day over a Kansas tornado. Those things freak me out. They weren’t messing around in The Wizard of Oz, those tornadoes are legit and not to be disrespected! I’m just glad that real tornadoes aren’t actually accompanied by the Wicked Witch and those awful Flying Monkeys. They freak me out even more than tornadoes and I already told you how I feel about those.

On another topic completely, I just wanted to take the time out to honor my computer that I have been typing these letters on for the last four and half years---yes, I did write four and a half years---can you believe that I have been sending you these things for so long? I’m surprised that I haven’t received any hate mail yet! You all are far too kind. But anyways, this will be the last letter that will be written on my dear old Compaq Presario. It wasn’t a glamorous or a pretty or a slim or a light computer. It didn’t have flashy decals or a shiny apple on it, but it was a loyal computer and traveled with me for many years and wrote many letters, emails, and papers for me. It kept my files organized and my pictures archived. You could never call it lazy. It kept my lap warm and my desk looking good. It’s been good to me, but now I have to admit, unfortunately, that my dear computer is on its death bed. I have typed it to death. The poor thing is so weak and frail—it’s akin to both a badly arthritic grandmother and a brand new baby that can’t yet support its own head. I walk around cradling it like an infant and whenever I open or close it, every bone in its little technology filled body cracks painfully in my ears. So, therefore, it is time to put it out of its misery. I will always think fondly of the Presario, who was my first computer and treated me well so many years, but now we must part ways and I just had to give it a proper goodbye. I hope it rests in peace. Now, I can’t promise that since I am getting a much better, new computer that the forthcoming newsletters will be better as well, but at least, hopefully, they won’t be worse! However, just to forewarn you all, it probably won’t be until August that you get another letter from yours truly. For you see, next month I will depart from Los Angeles to journey to Haiti for the third time. So while I am spending my last days in June on that hot, humid island that I love I will leave my duties in the very capable hands of the mother of the Lowly Office Aid. She doesn’t exactly know that she is doing this yet, but I will let her know soon.

While on the topic of Haiti, I am reminded, of course, that I need to at least mention Father’s Day. I already know what you are thinking, what do Haiti and Father’s Day have in common? Well, I’ll tell you…not much really. Their only connection is that, unfortunately, I will be there on Father’s Day and therefore very far from my father, so I will take some time now to acknowledge the wonderful “Papa Ellis” as one friend refers to him. He may be just your realtor, property manager, or friend, but I get the special privilege of being his daughter. I am proud to call him my dad and am very glad that he didn’t banish this Lowly Office Aid many years ago for filing his papers in the wrong direction (I honestly didn’t know there was a right direction at the time) and for probably many other lowly infractions. All the while working hard in his job for all his clients and residents, he’s always working hard as a dad too. So with this letter about to be done, I just want to thank my dad for always being there for me, always on my side. On that note, I send a shout out to all the dads this month. All of you are awesome! Make sure to give all of your papas some love this month!

 

Signing Off,

Joy Jasmine Ellis  

The Lowly Office Aid

 Mr. Computer says,

“My deepest sympathies go out to you on the loss of your dear laptop Mr. Presario. I’m sure he was a very dear and very hardworking guy. May your next one be just as good as he was.”