This husband and I…
Saw a couple our age…walking a path…as we drove into Mission Espada…started our exploration…when suddenly there was that couple…again…a minute ago it seemed they were two miles out…now…right here…those two…boogie walked… Couldn’t help but comment…wow…this old gal says as they walk by…you guys have made some fantastic progress…husband stops…wife just keeps boogieing…he smiles… They’ve been married 55 years…live in the cute yellow house across the street…walk 3 miles a day…his wife doesn’t let him say no…take this path…by the river…he says…walk a ways…the neighborhood here created a tree of life…items are hung on the tree…in remembrance of those lost…it’s really cool… Weary walker me…thought about skipping the tree of life…pictured an old tree…covered with rain drenched laminated photos…shriveled stuffed animals…but didn’t want to let…new friend down… Followed the path…arrived in an oasis…a beautiful oasis…housing the most spectacular art sculpture…entitled…the Tree of Life…what an amazing way…to celebrate those loved…and lost…a place to sit…rest…reminisce… The beauty of it…the wonder of it…put life back into this old gal’s dragging feet…a skip in the step…and warmth…in the old heart… And this husband of mine…agrees…
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This husband and I…
Toodled along Mission Road…on our quest to visit the remaining three missions…stopped once…to patronize that historical eatery…McDonald’s… Each mission…equally as lovely…equally as proud…each the same…yet each so different… Mission San Juan…lighter color…smaller stature…walked a trail in the back…followed the loop…didn’t get lost…Mission Espada…colorful courtyard…stunning church…located right near…a cute little neighborhood… Five miles of walking…and four hours later…hobbling me and her dragging sidekick…moseyed up to Mission Concepción…the last of the five… This experience…seeing the sites…reading the stories…discussing the issues…things finally clicked…for clueless-at-history me… The why…the how…the who…makes sense… Maybe it’s age…interest…drive…or maybe…just maybe…it’s the best field trip…ever… And this husband of mine…agrees… This old gal…
Never excelled at history…the facts could be regurgitated on an exam…but the facts…didn’t stick…made no sense…and high school me…didn’t really care…but vintage me…is kind of intrigued by things of the past…antiques…stories…buildings… And so it was…this husband and I…moved our Christmas weekend in San Antonio up a few days…one of us…hoping to avoid…the frigid 59 degree temps predicted…this old gal braving the interstate…got us there safely…thanks to the patience of a gentleman in a Napa vehicle…who came to a near full stop…while Ping in the driver’s seat…and Pong as co-pilot…decided which way to turn… Goal of the day…the San Antonio Missions…have seen the Alamo three times…but never…the missions…says they are all in a park…this old gal picturing a leisurely walk from mission to mission…but common sense lacking…it’s the same park…just spread out…for miles… First stop…Mission San Jose’…wow…just wow…massive…beautiful…a step back in time…Ping and Pong…strolling along…reading placards…discussing the story of this regal beast…standing proudly in the courtyard… A story worth knowing…a story worth sharing…a story that makes so much more sense…with the setting… Right there…pulling you in… And this husband of mine…agrees… This husband and I…
Headed to a Christmas market…an outdoor Christmas market…seems strange to enjoy holiday festivities…without risking the onset…of frostbite...‘‘Twas chilly tho…54 degrees…the unusually cold weather a hot topic…this husband of mine in good company…lots of folks…shivering and brrrring… Browsed the displays…one kind saleswoman declaring…you decided to brave the weather to come today…this old gal chuckling…if this lady…only knew… Found an ideal photo op…asked my Mr. to snap one of his lovely bride…thought the vintage Santa was adorable…also wanted to see if those daughters of mine would notice…that someone consciously chose to wear a top…in her personalized Autumn color palette… This photographer of mine…took his job seriously…move this way..now that way…farther this way…by this sign…he says…the one photo wanted…this old gal by the vintage Santa…became a Christmas market…collection… But Mr Photog…might have known what he was doing…moving his posing bride…without her knowledge…in front of the sign…Rustic Swank…like a marquee…declaring the obvious…look…he says…this old gal of mine…she might be plain…and simple… But she…is swank… It’s a reach…but wearing that color…from the old personalized color palette…just might…make it so… And those fashionista daughters of mine…might agree… This old gal…
Got suckered…by the sample…greeted at Hy-Vee…by a display of Halloween cookies…and a table of little bite sized pieces…in sample cups nearby…grabbed one and snacked…shamelessly went back…grabbed another…finding them to be delightfully delicious… Set a package in the cart…then saw the price…$6.49 for 6…grown up me said no…no way…not gonna pay that much for cookies…and didn’t… Days later…snacky me couldn’t let it go…throwing out taunting thoughts like…those cookies would be great with coffee…or a bedtime snack…it’s only a dollar a cookie…do it…go back and do it… And so she did…grown up me caved…drove to the store…especially…to buy the cookies…snacky me…enjoyed every one…gloating just a bit…having won the internal battle… But she’s got nothing…on Hy-Vee…cuz looky here…there’s Thanksgiving cookies…same delightful deliciousness…same price…it’s a losing battle this time…and probably every time after…cuz sensible me knows…there’s no way to beat…something so delightfully…delicious… And this husband of mine…agrees… This old gal…
Almost brought a friend home…from Goodwill…stopped right in the old tracks…seeing that purple friend from the past…smiling his happy smile… Barney was a favorite…a mentor…an early reading teacher…a best friend…a beloved family member… Beauty would rock on her rocking horse…eating pretzels…watching Barney for hours…her sisters continuing on…when they joined the family… Barney was a staple…movies…CDs…shoes…bags…books…toys…you name it…they had it…Barney Live…we did it…can’t tell you how many sing alongs took place…in that van of ours…happy songs…kind songs…songs about Mr. Sun…songs about friendship… All the cleaning…and purging…still could not part…with that dear friend of ours…many going in a box of toys…but one…the most special one of all…that purple dinosaur Christmas ornament…a gift to that Beauty of mine…when she was oh so young…a symbol of what was special…to her three year old little heart… Hung on the tree forever…now passed on to her…to cherish…to bring smiles and memories…and to say… I love you…you love me…we have always been…and will always be…a happy…family… And those daughters of mine…would agree… This husband and I…
Are Beaver Believers…stopped in at Buc-ee’s…that 120 pump gas station that’s not really a gas station but more like a mall…for the ultimate Buc-ee’s experience… Who knew…a convenience store…could be so much fun…such cute merchandise…ever changing…always something new…fun foods…unique…tasty…cleverly packaged…friendly staff…greetings when you enter…kind words as you leave… And then there’s Buc-ee…a character of all characters…adorning everything…absolutely everything… Buc-ee makes you smile…Buc-ee laughs at himself…Buc-ee makes this old gal want to have matching Christmas pajamas…Buc-ee reminds us …to be kind… Is it commercial…of course…does it suck you in…yes indeed…but hey…there are always worse things than being… A Beaver…Believer… And this husband of mine…agrees… High School me…
Once complimented a friend…on a new sweater…my mom bought it for me…she said…when we went shopping…this seemed foreign…to high school me…her mom bought her something for no reason…just a random gift…while out and about… Embarrassing to admit…but this had never crossed high school me’s mind…in our house you got a few gifts for your birthday…one souvenir on vacation…a few new school clothes in August…and Christmas gifts…from Santa… Nothing else was expected…nothing else…was ever asked for…for even when those scheduled gifts were given…there were always…repercussions… Money was tight…this was understood…on the day this old gal turned 14…she started her first job washing dishes…after that…clothes…school supplies…glasses…contacts…were paid from that… But those gifts…those unavoidable gifts received as a child…came with a price…the price of guilt…after the gifts were given…so came the meltdowns…the wailings…the I shouldn’t have spent the money…the why did I spend the money… Gifts…were a weapon… That’s why…gift giving…is this old gal’s love language…gifts just to say…you are special…no strings attached… That’s why…those thoughtful gifts…from students…parents…friends…family…colored pages…written notes…homemade bracelets…things chosen with loving hearts…and given…with no strings attached…are so treasured… So thank you…my precious ones…for all these years…of showing unconditional love…and acceptance…through your kind words…and thoughtful gestures… For making this old gal feel special…with no…strings attached… And this husband of mine…agrees… It would be rude…for this old gal…
To complain about the weather…having an unusual warm front…apparently…for this time of year…but the humidity…MY GOD MAN…the humidity…weather app says…100% humidity…this husband of mine…is energized… This old gal…is dead… Went for lunch…then took a leisurely stroll over an old bridge…decided to check out the rock situation…near the river…no fancy rocks to be found…but the dirt stairs so unique…coupled with mounds and mounds of teeny tiny itsty bitsy baby shells everywhere…made the trek…delightful… But this old gal…this sweaty old gal…was not prepared…she was hot…teetering on crabby hot…had to get the hair…off the back of the neck hot…searched the purse…searched again…not one ponytail or clippy to be found…but what was in the bottom of the purse…crumpled up there in case of emergencies… A mask…with elastic ear bands…twist…pull…twist some more…and voila…sweaty old me working some hair styling magic…another old lady temper tantrum…averted… Thankfulness abounds… And this husband of mine…agrees… This old gal…
And her Christmas tree…have come…full circle…started out in the 80s…with trees…decorated with mice…little me had a mouse collection…had over 400 little mouse trinkets at one time…figurines…wall art…plushies…jewelry…stationery…most of them gifts… Each Christmas would find an ornament…adorned with a mouse…under the tree…by the age of 20…those sweet little baubles…could do their job…covering a nice 6 foot pine… Come the 90s and 2000s…all but a few little favorites…were replaced…with those precious ornaments made by…or gifted to…the littles…hand print…school photo…laminated…that preschool paper plate angel topper… And here we are…20 years later…those Hallmark sweeties…in a tote…those decorations…that embody all those years with those daughters of mine…now in those ladies’ precious care… It’s time…to give new life…to those vintage beauties…six year old me remembers…ever so gently unwrapping from tissue…and hanging on the tree…not because they illicit happy…youthful holiday memories…those are not there…but rather…like this old gal… They may be vintage…not quite perfect…maybe a little worn…but there’s still some shine…a little sparkle…a special beauty…that time… Can never…take away… And this husband of mine…agrees… |
This Old Gal
Devoted Wife Magical Mom Retired Teacher Embracing life's grand adventures with humor and grace. Archives
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