It is so hard to believe -

It is so hard to believe as I recall all that happened that first year of 1980.

Maybe I do not have the exact months, but I do remember the heartaches. I truly did not know that my mother had spent every year after my father's death to find at least ONE lawyer (for money) who would change his will he had handwritten at least 7 years prior to his death. I still have a copy as a keepsake.

As a good parent, he provided for his two daughters and left some money to two nephews who were very ill. Then, even though he was a very smart man, he left his wife as the sole executor. In those few short years, his wealth had grown and we found out when HER will was read to us at our lawyer's office, that she had gone through half of its value.

No sense in going into details but as the lawyer said to my sister and me, my mother would be directing our life from the grave and the will was IRONCLAD. My niece was still married when she wrote it, so along with my sister and myself, the three of us were left with nothing. She did add at the end, that the furnishings should be auctioned off, and after their share was taken, could be divided by my sister and myself. She had a very nice jewelry collection, but had sold most of the best pieces for herself.

That is NOT ALL!

But before I continue, I must give you the phrase that my father always said about me: "MARIAN TAKES CARE OF HERSELF". This phrase followed my all of my life and obviously is still my legacy.

My husband had a pretty solid business, and I had full control of the management, while my sister's husband worked in other drug stores for quite awhile. There was one up for sale about half way into their marriage, and at one Passover Dinner, my father announced that he was buying the store for him, but it would be in both my sister and my name. He just did not seem to have full confidence in him, and unfortunately, he was correct. I often suggested my sister get involved in their business but my brother-in-law refused.

After his untimely death, we found out why. He was $250,000 in debt! Most of his clients were poor people and he was supposed to be paid by the State, but often he gave medication and charged the State. I gather there were other causes, but I did not want to interfere. So, there was my sister, with no inheritance to speak of and a fifteen year old son to care for. She applied for Federal Assistance and got it until my nephew was 18. I will give him credit, he worked for the local CVS pharmacy from that early age which gave him advantage since he wanted to become a doctor. His father was only 48 when he died, too.

I handled what had to be done with their lovely home, and my mother had a bank and a personal friend become executors (receiving $3,000.00 each per year) until the boys became THIRTY!

After taxes and the sale of the house, the boys shared a goodly sum most of which could be used for education before they were thirty. My nephew is now a Cardiologist. My son went to colleges mentioned in his website and also became a single engine pilot. My son is eight years older, and when he became thirty left for California.

The debtors came and split everything that was in the drug store, and when it was finally sold, my sister and I split the money from the property which the debtors could not touch.

Oh, once my niece's husband heard that her father died broke, left their marriage right away. At least - she has been married now for quite awhile to a very nice man, but then it just added to our problems.

My sister - so very angry - decided to take some of the money we received from the furniture sale and took her son on a trip to visit California from top to bottom.

But now, finally, comes a good part. It was late spring and we did not want to rent space at the Marina again. I kept looking in the paper and saw that many quality small motels were going CONDO. There was one we heard of as being high quality, and since I had to work, Mel took his mother to see the Staffordshire in Center Harbor on the lake and with a dock. After the owners divided the rooms so that it became a 17-unit Condo., Mel was one of the first and selected the center two rooms of the larger building (which now had 6 units being sold as divided) and he left a deposit. I went up the next week and found the two very large rooms complete with two double beds, TV . etc. Aaaand, the two rooms were connecting making it great for us to use one and the other for Gordon. It was a great price, too.

This was NOT a good financial time in the US and getting a mortgage was awful. That became the big problem. We had the down payment, but to get a mortgage??? We were refused everywhere!

So, now what? Were we ever going to turn this year around????

Tell you next time, and thanks for reading, Marian