Unrealize Blessings.

 Unrealized Blessings.

 

Sometimes things happen in our lives that make us look back and realize just how very blessed we have been in what took place. The decisions we might have made and didn’t can be looked on with either regret or a smile because of what happened because we did NOT make those decisions. When Jennifer and Gary were married, a lady geneticist sat down at our table and visited with me. Asked about her work, she smiled and told me how much satisfaction she felt in what she had accomplished and just a little bit about what she had done. Mentioning that my regrets included not finishing my education before having children and not actually going on for the degree that had been my goal once upon a time, she looked at me and shook her head. “But look at the accomplishments in your life.” She turned and looked at Jennifer. Then she spoke of missing out on having a family as her only regret when completing her goals.

 

Sitting here thinking about some of the things learned shortly after our marriage, and it makes me surprised that our marriage turned out as good as it was. Not perfect by a naval mile! Lewis used the same tone of voice as his daddy had used with his family. He eventually changed both the tone and his attitude, but it took a while. My attitude changed right along with his. But no matter if he did shout about things when he was feeling frustrated and beleaguered, Lewis was always loving toward me and the children. Oh, he shouted at them, too! They did not talk back or do any of the stupid things kids do today. They knew better! And they grew up with a good work ethic and a sense of responsibility. But our family was blessed. Faithfulness, compassion, empathy, sobriety, honesty, and determination marked our lives. Lewis never gave me any reason to doubt him—and vice versa. Not every family has that blessing.

 

Looking around at some of the situations today with young women being abused and their children assaulted, it makes me want to give them some backbone. Once. Only once could a man hit a woman. Once would be the last time. A cast iron frying pan would work. Only once would take care of it.

 

Some situations are the reverse. Some women don’t know how to love a man or how to treat him. No man has to be a slave or otherwise “serve” only his mate. It is a mutual situation of caring and sharing. Both men and women should be faithful and honest. No woman should take advantage of her husband by demanding that he support her or otherwise take care of her unless she is also doing her part to keep their situation to the best of her ability. All the “things” in the world cannot satisfy some people—men or women. But if a person realizes what is really important in life, satisfaction comes through working together to accomplish what you both have chosen to do—build a life together.

 

Sliding my soap box back under my desk. Watching these silly dogs enjoying the couch and the AC. It is not THAT hot outside, but both dogs have pretty much been happy to stay in the house today. They barked a few times about cars going by, and they announced two visitors today. Cindy came and brought a box of assorted veggies and an entire sack of turnips! We got in a good visit, too! Then Loran came to clean my house and fight off the dust bunnies for a bit. Meant to send a few turnips home with Loran, but forgot. She might have let me know how she felt about them the next time she would see me. Some people just don’t like turnips. Think Cindy feels that way about okra. Simply can’t imagine! But then, some people think scrimp are the best in the West. Personally, the last one was both the first and the last. Not crazy about lobster, think calamari is a lot like the tubing for catheters, feel like oysters were meant to clean water, and believe that sharks and assorted weird fish belong to the seas and not to meas. [Those two words—seas and meas—are meant to rhyme.] Now it might be ok to eat kelp and mushrooms, but those don’t usually bite back unless one picks up the poison kind of toadstools. Not sure about kinds of kelp. But they have been using it in cow feed, so maybe it is good stuff?

 

Washed and dried the drapes that Michelle Malay brought to me. Hoping that dowel rods and metal hooks will take care of the weight of these drapes. The only one that is going to be a little difficult is the one that goes over the AC unit. That particular one may have to be divided so that the part that goes over that window can be pinned up to about half of the window. It may also be interesting to find two dowel rods that long. Eighty inches is almost seven feet long. The last time Sutherlands had a certain old woman walking down that aisle, they had very few dowel rods of any length and certainly none thick enough to hold up this kind of weight. Hmm. Guess Lowe’s might be a possibility. They might even have the strong and pretty metal holders for the rods. Know this is what Sutherlands furnished for the kitchen, but that has been a while. They suffered from lack of products and shipping problems during their renovations and remodeling. Maybe eventually Sutherlands will get back to the top of the heap when things settle down—if that ever happens. They would not be the first company to have shipping and supply problems.

 

Finding it difficult to sit still this evening. My days start so early that most of the stuff that needs to be done is accomplished before nine, but my mind and body are not ready to be still until much later. It could be that a certain person needs to cut way back on coffee. Hmm. Maybe tomorrow only one cup?

 

Have some things that could stand to be done early tomorrow. Some of the glass work brought home from the Zone still needs to have the sealer poured onto its surface. It would dry well and quickly in this heat, so it needs to be done now. Guess that is a good project for tomorrow. Then maybe getting out the sewing machine would inspire me to split that one section of the drapes. Would still need to go to Lowe’s, but that could wait until evening or the next day maybe. We will see. Something always needs to be done. Never a dull moment.

 

Connie told me this morning that she has another sinus infection. The poor woman has a deviated septum that prevents her from using a Neti pot or something like that. She uses saline solution to clean her nose out, but can’t pour that in like one can using a Neti pot. Never have had a really bad sinus infection that couldn’t be helped by using saline solution. But allergies are so bad right now, it is a wonder that just about everyone hasn’t got some kind of problem. The scale goes up to twelve. Here is what Google said: “Our pollen levels are on a scale of 12. Low is 0-2.4, Low-Medium is 2.5-4.8, Medium is 4.9-7.2, High-Medium is 7.3-9.6, and High is 9.7-12.0. These levels take into account how much pollen the allergy sufferer is likely to be exposed to for that given period.” Currently our scale is at nearly ten. Such fun. Please remember to pray for folks like Connie who are having such a time just breathing. It is not only Covid that is causing problems.

 

Honestly don’t know much. Have already gathered five eggs today, so maybe a few more will show up before it is time to put the hens up. They seemed pretty happy this morning, but Athena was front and center and squawking her head off when it was “time” to put out their scratch! Boy! Who knew hens could be so demanding?

 

Let us remember to pray for our soldiers, our police, and all the ones in our world who care for and help us. And let our teachers—all of them—be blessed in the best way for both them and their students.

 

Rest well, my friends, and know that you are loved.

 

 

Tough Stuff!

 Tough Stuff!

 

Ever had a watermelon that was tough? Well, guess what! First time for everything. But the hens don’t seem to care. Tough or otherwise, they are out there pecking away at it. Seems a bit strange to find one that is tough. Mealy, icky, and green, but never before tough. Oh well.

 

Only four eggs today for some strange reason. Maybe the heat is just too much for the girls. It certainly has made it worthwhile to stay inside lately. This morning the clouds in the west were full of lightning and just a bit of thunder, but nary a drop of rain came our way. Such is life. Our area is not the only one desperately needing rain. So sad that floods and droughts come at the same time.

 

Called the Animal Control folks this morning. Think the two dogs that were out came from the place behind me, but they were out for a good long while. Even so, the city did not get anyone out here until this afternoon. Of course, the dogs were somewhere else—probably at home by then. They can’t get to my dogs other than to make them bark and run up and down the fence. Probably should be happy that the young man did not see my hens. Hmm.

 

My youngest Ostand grandchild has a kitten now. Hypoallergenic Russian Blue named Atlas runs around in his bedroom. Think one or more of the other young men can claim a furbaby, too. Hope it works out well for the boys because none of us can take a cat. Jennifer already has two, and these two dogs kill furry things. Wish they did not hate cats, but that is just the way dogs look at things. Well, some dogs. HarleyB loved OliverTwisted, but then, Oliver was not a normal cat. He was big and fluffy and king of the walk. Gentle beyond words. He let a baby pull on him and never even meowed loudly. Some animals are just special.

 

The young woman who cleans the house asked to come tomorrow instead of today. Doesn’t really matter to me, so she will be here in the morning if nothing rips, rears, or ravels. Made a list for her of the things that matter to me. The only picture she will not need to dust is Grandmother Pollard’s baby picture. Made in 1906, it is too old to just take off the wall and not put in a towel or something. Yours truly needs to do that and replace the backing on it after the glass is cleaned. Maybe in the morning.

 

According to the TV—well, the movie channel where Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries plays—my internet is too slow. Go figure. Not sure what to do about that, but not going to pay more for faster internet service when this was always fast enough before. Makes me wonder why it suddenly got slower. Hmm.

 

Took the covers off the couch early this morning and washed them. Used the shop vac to clean the crevices and remove the accumulated dog hair and shtuff! Bottle caps (plastic from water bottles), a bone that apparently did not suit either of the two, two toys, and lots and lots of pieces of paper from water bottles. Go figure. Had a different piece of upholstery material to spread on the cushions, so the couch at least looks different. May put the elasticized covers on there later today. Or not. Kinda like those covers. They are soft and seem comfortable. So far the dogs have not griped.

 

Took Patty’s mail to her this morning. She said that she really gets a bang out of ordering things from Amazon on Prime. She used to wait until she had a list of things to order all at one time so that she did not have to pay shipping. With Prime she just orders things as they occur to her. It really is nice not to have to worry about paying shipping. Would like to order some things that come from a store down on Kemp a few doors down from the old Barwise Junior High. But pretty sure that stuff does not get shipped in the mail. Will look now that it is on my mind. Delta 8 should be easy to find.

 

Everyone and their kid sisters are fussing about Texas’ new law about abortion. It is sad. So many reasons exist for having the law and for seeing the other viewpoint. Even an ectopic pregnancy abortion would be forbidden with the new guidelines. Shaking my head here. Can remember when a young woman in Petrolia carried her baby ten months—and it was already dead. The doctor finally took it, but it just horrifies me to even think about something like that. She and her husband went on to have other babies, but can you imagine carrying a dead baby that long?

 

Life is so unjust and hard to deal with in many ways. We are blessed to understand why things develop the way they do. Looking around at what God has given us in nature makes me feel that we have always had love surrounding us, but then nature also has such hard ways of treating its creatures—both men and animals. Someday we will have a better understanding of the whys in life and death. Until then, we just have to accept that nothing is totally in our control. We only have a certain amount of influence—both good and bad. It won’t always be that way either. May we find joy in the good and realize that even the bad has a reason.

 

Not much going on in my mind today. Think the heat has gotten just a bit too difficult to deal with. Even the dogs don’t really seem to enjoy the heat. And the heat is only supposed to get higher this weekend. Oh joy to the world. Sigh

 

Pray for rain as needed in the areas that are not floating out there! Let us remember those who have no electricity, clean, running water, or ways to get fresh food. Bless those who mourn and are suffering in this nation and in other parts of the world. We have no idea how blessed we are by comparison!

 

Rest well, my friends, and be happy. You are loved.

Laboring Day.

 Laboring Day.

 

Haven’t accomplished a silly thing today. Watched some episodes of “Mrs. Fisher,” but even that took too much energy to suit me. Just feeling extra lazy. Sat outside early this morning and watched the birds slowly come out to visit. The doves know the best place to be during hunting season, obviously. But they were still pretty nervous when the dogs ran out there to run them out of the hen coop. The hens made enough noise that they seemed to believe they could get someone’s attention. Silly chickens! They always get fed, but the timing might not always suit them. Feeding them does not keep them from making all sorts of loud noises!

 

Sat out back and talked—texted—Lance this morning. Told him the housekeeper was going to be here tomorrow. He wanted to know if yours truly was cleaning house before the housekeeper got here. ‘Fraid not. What you see is what you get right now. Did wash out the tank on the shop vac, but otherwise things are just about as dusty as one might expect. Need all the floors mopped and the ceiling fans wiped off. Hoping Loran will have time to dust the bookcases and all the picture frames. They all seem to accumulate dust faster than even the floors can get dirty. How is beyond me!

 

Sitting here rubbing Sylvia’s ears and noticed that Thompson was watching. No jealousy, just observations. Critters are sometimes much sweeter than people. Unless it is about food. That can cause some friction in certain situations. But the same is true with humans of any age. Blessed to be able to love on these two dogs without much fussing between them. They play with each other all the time—when they are not sleeping. Sylvia demands to play and catches Thompson by the back leg to get him to play. Then they get the zoomies. Beware dogs with the zoomies! They do not notice anything or anyone in their way!

 

Honestly don’t even feel like telling any family funnies today. The only thing mildly amusing was the small jump made by an old woman this morning when the big toad moved right as she approached the hen house door. No warm water hemorrhage, mind you, but a pretty uneven heart beat there for a few seconds until it was clear that the moving object was a toad rather than a large rat! The dogs are so lucky to have a keen sense of smell so that they don’t have to SEE what is in front of them with their eyes. They can smell the closest object and know before it moves what is happening. On the other hand, what would we do with millions of scents invading our lives?!

 

Will ask for peace for all of us and our world, but we know that God will take the request under advisement. But it won’t hurt to ask that this sick ol’ world be healed and the earth renewed and emptied of pollution. Some days it simply does not do to think about what mankind has done to his surroundings. Let us do what we can as individuals to keep the peace and keep our part of the world clean and loved.

 

Rest well and be grateful for all blessings. You are loved.

Feeding and Caring.

 Feeding and Caring.

 

For some strange reason, memories of Grandmother Pollard griping about how much she and Granddad had to spend on feed came to my feeble mind. My age was not such that it really meant that much to me, but it was obvious that Granddad was not going to let the stock go hungry. A trip or two downtown to the feed store in Wichita Falls always tickled me because the place smelled SO good. Plus, they had little critters in that place that they would let me see and sometimes touch. They had baby chicks, ducks, turkeys, and other assorted fowl. Then they also had rabbits—baby rabbits. But Granddad never bought critters there. He just came mostly for cattle and sheep feed. Chicken feed might have been included in that load, but that is not part of my memories.

 

Feeding the livestock was always something of an adventure. My place was behind the fence while Granddad went through the gate or poured feed over the fence into the trough. They had one cow called Granny who had horns—she was the ONLY one with horns other than the bulls that came and went every few years. The bulls never stayed more than three years because the heifers were kept to raise their own calves. Anyway, unless it was cold and icy, Granddad hauled those sacks of feed up the hill to the barn on his shoulders. He was only five feet tall, but he was all muscle. He had an old oil field metal tank that he had cut a door in for a feed storage place. It was tightly built so that he did not have to worry about critters like rats getting into the feed. And he had built the foundation himself from concrete and rocks that he placed in the area where the tank fit. It would have been a decent storm shelter in a pinch, but it was too far from the house to be handy.

 

Granddad had to be careful when he went to feed because Granny would hit him or the other cows with those horns so that she could get to the feed first. She was the oldest cow on the farm for as long as she lived, but it may have been Red Water disease that put Granny down. Not sure just exactly what that sickness would be called now, but the cows would die after about a week unless they were treated. Daddy and Granddad had to put them all up in the corral and give each one a shot for whatever it was. Even the bull got a shot. That was interesting! Bulls are not particularly easy to handle unless raised from a calf like my Kennedy grandfather had done. But the Kennedys sold registered Angus bulls, so they were all gentle and expensive. Big difference between an Angus and a Hereford bull—besides the size, that is. Granddad Pollard’s bulls were sometimes right off the range and full of snorts and high jinks. One winter when he was feeding out of the back of his truck, the bull decided to get in the back of the truck WITH him. Granddad hit that bull over the head with the shovel he had back there and knocked a horn smooth off that bull. The bull shook his head and came back for more. So guess what happened to the OTHER horn! Granddad said at least his head matched.

 

Granddad was not the least bit mean to his critters. Well, maybe his least favorite ram might have been a bit of a toss up on that situation. The ram was a high dollar Rambouillet that was supposed to bring better breeding into the herd for lambs with high grade wool and smaller lamb size. Grandmother Pollard named him Satan. He was the meanest creature that farm ever saw! When Daddy was bent over a ewe during shearing, Satan hit him through the fence and knocked him all the way into the side of the house. Broke a shingle on the house and made Daddy so made that he roped the ram and tied him to Grandmother’s clothesline pole. Satan uprooted the pole! Soon after that, Satan caught Granddad out in the feed bin and wouldn’t let him out the door. Grandmother had NO idea why Granddad was out so late, but he finally escaped and got back to the house. Satan left that weekend!

 

The lambs were always good for some fun each spring. So many of the Suffolk ewes would have twins, but even the Rambouillet would have twins sometimes. Usually, a Suffolk could raise two lambs pretty well, but it seemed there were always a few lambs who needed “extra” care in the form of a bottle of milk early in the morning for a month or so. Those lambs knew just exactly where to go and how much tail wagging they would do when they got that little extra milk! Two of Grandmother’s favorite ewes were Pet and Granny. Pet was a black-faced ewe, and Granny a Rambouillet. They nearly always had twins. When my grandparents sold the farm, those two ewes were taken to Byers to live in the “yard” of the telephone office. How long they lived is beyond my memory, but they were well loved.

 

It was not until an allergy specialist told Mom that my allergies included lanolin and wool that she realized why my childhood was spent with horrible rashes. Such fun. But at least my allergies did not include my donkey or later my horses. Life with animals would never have been the same, however, without those lambs and the sheep that grazed in the “trap” near the house.

 

Knowing that my dogs are appreciated and loved for their companionship and for their varmint hunting skills just makes me realize that even though my hens are the only “country” critters on the hill, my life will nearly always include animals. Feeding and caring for stock, even just dogs and a few hens, will always remind me of the farm and my grandparents. Good memories.

 

May you all rest well this evening and enjoy life. We can be grateful for all His blessings and all the memories. You are loved.

Ponzi Schemes.

 Ponzi Schemes.

 

When something seems too good to be true, it isn’t true at all. Let’s discover another way to shuffle greed. Right now, it feels as if the American government is floating a real-life Ponzi scheme on the people of this nation. Where have all the funds originated that are paying for multiple “give me” programs? We all realize that the “government” does not pay for anything. The person who actually pays taxes pays for everything out there from Medicare to stimulus funds. If student loans are “forgiven,” those loans go against the amount of money from tax payers who must pay for the tuition of their own children. Many commercial schools have allowed students to take out loans knowing that those students would never make even one payment to return what the school used as their tuition. But the government demanded that women either go to school or get a job if they wanted to continue to receive benefits to support their children. Of course, they went to school. Did they learn anything? Maybe. They mostly learned how to work the system so that they could get the funds they wanted to support themselves. A few of them then continued on to take jobs for which they might or might not be qualified. A very few actually worked at their education and made something of themselves!

 

Thinking about the latest promises of “raises” in social security benefits is a bit worrisome. Just like every other time we hear that something wonderful will come out of Congress, we need to grab the salt shaker. A trip to the grocery store will tell you where a large portion of that raise might be headed. And stopping by the gas station will cause a person to just about drop his or her upper plate! When it comes right down to it, we are all going to have to learn to take care of our own needs, whether it is food, fuel, clothing, medical care, or things that are not total necessities. We really are terribly spoiled here in the U.S. Entertainment, eating out, personal transportation, communications that are easily obtained, travel from one side of the country to the other, all the conveniences that are basically unknown or unobtainable in some countries are ours.

 

We also have some standards that have been established for care of elders, children, homeless, mentally challenged, or others who are unable to care for themselves. NOT that those standards are always maintained! After Hurricane Ida hit, some nursing home patients were left to lie around on cement floors in a warehouse without proper clothing, food, or any actual caretaking. And the children in foster care or those being warehoused because there are no homes for them? No, they are being neglected as well. So who can establish better care according to the standards already established?

 

Today my thoughts went to an old-fashioned idea that my grandparents believed in. They thought that churches should be responsible for widows, orphans, and the needy. Many young men and women in schools have been mowing lawns and doing work for elderly folks in their home towns. They receive credits toward graduation by performing “good deeds.” What would happen if our local churches maintained a food pantry, a babysitting service for mothers who had to work, a tutorial service for children who needed extra help with their school work, sewing classes for women who needed a trade, machine or carpentry classes for those willing to learn a trade that might get their hands a bit dirty, a garden or three for extra food in areas where stores were unavailable? So many things CAN be done if people are willing to do them. And if young teens could be rewarded for tutoring, babysitting, or doing any of the multitude of tasks that these services required, why not?

 

Some folks pick up the leftover food stuffs from restaurants, vegetables from grocery stores where the stuff would be tossed, or even merchandise from stores that need to clear shelf space. Those things can and should be used wisely. Planting gardens and growing things can be a real joy for those who have never seen something grow. Raising chickens, raising rabbits, or just learning to can vegetables could save some money and teach responsibility. No one should grow up or grow old with the “give me” attitude so prevalent in this nation. We need to learn to take care of ourselves. We need to be more realistic about our government and its total lack of accountability. Sooner, rather than later, we will see the end of the Ponzi schemes.

 

Sorry not to have a lot of joyful things to say tonight. Will say that the big ol’ toad who dines out by the hen house just keeps getting fatter. And Thompson did kill another rat this early morning. So, life goes on.

 

Rest well and be grateful for all the blessings God has given us. You are loved.

September Songs.

 September Songs.

 

It has been a lovely day of surprises. Now Michelle Malay and Mark Ogle both told me that they would be here today. Mark wanted me to go eat lunch with him and his twin sister Jane, but my right knee decided today would be a good day to bend backwards instead of forwards. A knee wrap made specifically for that stupidity has helped considerably, but it was not a happy situation this morning until that wrap was applied. Meanwhile, Barbara Mathews came over and brought me some fresh garden veggies—OKRA! And some onions, tomatoes, and a zucchini were her contributions to happiness on Dickerson Hill. Yum! Sent her home with a dozen eggs and some hollyhock seeds—both pink and red. When Michelle got here, the dogs were SO happy to see her. They know. She always brings treats! She also brought some soft yellow curtains that she thought could be made into light, heat, and cold barriers in my living room. They are humongous and will have to be taken apart and hung separately since they were made for those extra wide sliding doors. But that will make an interesting project. Here’s hoping yours truly has the sense to be able to do it. Measuring tape is at hand!

 

Michelle’s Range Rover cratered, so she came in a truck that was new to her—one owner, 2019 Dodge. Beautiful truck. Now she has reliable transportation, which really matters since she does not have anyone close by to help her in case her vehicle breaks down. So happy for her!

 

Barbara told me that her husband Mike wanted her to go with him the other day, but the AC in his truck had quit, so she didn’t want to get out in the heat. They will get it fixed now, you can bet! Mike passed out in the field where he was gathering cows to move. He fell, cut his head open, and had to call his brother to come help him. His brother is in his 80s! These adventures are not the happy sort at our age! May God bless and watch over anyone who has to be out in this heat!

 

Mark was going to take Jane to lunch today. She is in an assisted living place, so she can go when and where she wants to if she has someone to take her. It seems like she should be able to go home, but what do we know about medications and what is best for someone else. Surely, she could be in her own home if her daughter is there with her. But again, what does a person outside the family know about situations?

 

Tonight is the night to put the trash bins out. Patty just called to remind me that hers needs to be taken up to the road. It is probably a good thing that she called. Mine needs to go across the road as well. It is not full, by a long shot, but it still can be emptied.

 

We need rain here in WF, and New York City is being flooded by the residue of Hurricane Ida. Some of the Eastern states are getting swamped by that mess. It never fails that the ones who really need it are the ones watching others being flooded. But Barbara assured me that we would get some VERY soon because it never fails to rain when the Pioneer Reunion takes place in Henrietta, TX. They have all those plans made for the rodeo, the barbecue dinner, the dance, and homecoming. Yep, it will probably rain.

 

Got my truck inspected and the new sticker for it; then while at Market Street, several vegetables managed to get in my basket. Oh, and some fresh peaches, cantaloupe, and a melon got in there, too! Yep, it never pays to go to a grocery store unless you plan on enjoying spending your money! Amazing at the prices of things now. It seems the senior citizens are supposed to get a raise in our social security checks. You can bet that Medicare and the groceries will take it up just as quickly as it goes in the bank! Sigh Oh well. Such is life.

 

My hens have been singing the song of their people—the feathered ones. They seem pretty happy right now, but it is not clear to me just why. Athena sings every morning to let me know when they need the coop door opened. Then she manages to lay her little white egg every other day. Today was the day for that egg to show up. Guess her songs make her happy as long as she can lay her egg.

 

UPS brought my rat traps today. Set them in the feed trays earlier. One was already sprung an hour later, but did not catch a rat. May have to find a different kind of bait that will fasten to the little cup better. Should have bought some peanut butter, but just did not think about it. Don’t really like peanut butter, so that is one other reason not to buy it. Oh well. Sooner or later those danged rats will get caught by either the traps or the dogs!

 

My brother Sterling called just now, and we set the world straight in our estimation. Yes, he agrees that the words political and criminal are pretty much interchangeable. Sad how the words of the Bible in Daniel and Revelation are closer and closer to exactly what is happening today. It’s all about self and nothing about one’s neighbor and helping others. Well, except for the Cajun Navy. Those guys care. Maybe they need some Cajuns up in New York, New Jersey, and parts around there. Lord help them to be able to rescue the ones in trouble.

 

Let us remember that gratitude is the very best attitude. It is a choice, you know. So tonight, rest and be happy. You are loved.

Memories from Mesquite Country Posts:

 Memories from Mesquite Country Posts:

 

They Grow Up 7/20/09

By this Thursday, at least two things will have happened. Our youngest grandchild will have her fifth birthday, and our daughter will return for her two boys. It seems so strange that the baby girl has grown up so quickly.  Hardly any time at all has gone by since we sat down at Thanksgiving dinner with our son and his family and waited for the blessing to be asked. And then they told us that they were going to be parents to another child. They both seemed a bit shocked by the entire situation--though surely by then they knew the process.

 

But now the little girl is going to start "real" school this fall. And our oldest grandson will be in seventh grade.  Wasn't he just a little boy not too long ago?

 

Today I asked the boys to be careful with their granddad and watch after him while they went target shooting. He doles out the .22 shells one at a time so he can be sure who is doing what, but I want them to be sure they are listening to him. My own dad KNEW we would listen to him by the time he let us use a gun.  But our boys are a bit like the dogs on the new movie UP--squirrel!! Their attention can be totally off a subject in a heartbeat.

 

We took these boys to see the Walt Disney movie UP and laughed until our sides hurt. Both boys would wait a few minutes between shouts of 'squirrel' before they would start laughing again, but otherwise, they thoroughly enjoyed the ideas behind the movie. I could have cried in a few places, but perhaps it is just as well that the boys kept me laughing. We are all adventurers at heart. But adventures are so much more worthwhile when they are shared. These two boys will share the adventure of growing up together--even if it is ever so fast.

 

Each child should have a sibling or at least a cousin with whom to share childhood. Oh, we can compare sizes, eye color, hair thickness, and all that other silly stuff, but what really matters is sharing a time in life that only comes once. None of our children or grandchildren will ever be perfect, but they can learn to appreciate family ties. Sharing a grandparent or two helps, but they also need to have experiences together that they can recall when they are grown.

 

Now I know what some siblings would think: Oh, never again! My brother was a character and a good brother. But that did not keep him from throwing rocks at the hen house while I was in it and scaring the liver out of me. But I remember he also tried to teach me to swim and to drive. I never have been much good at either, but that wasn't his fault. We can all recall some of the things that a sibling did that wasn't the best for us at the time. But we can usually also recall some of the things that made for good times or better understanding.

 

Whatever life brings to our grandchildren, I hope that they can look back someday and recall that they were loved and appreciated for who they are/were. And perhaps when they get together with cousins, they can share again some of those memories of growing up.