This husband and I…
Arrived at home away from home…just in time for the Christmas Market…held in a village nearby…known for its live music…and historic dance hall…the place was abuzz…a one man performance of The Christmas Carol in the garden…kids sitting on the lap of Cowboy Kringle by the general store…live music…shaking up…the dance hall… Checked out our favorite shops…rocks…antiques…souvenirs for seniors…marveled at the state pride…found in the Christmas decor and merchandise…walked to the river…the sun hitting the fall leaves…perfectly…gloriously…leaned against the railing…breathing in the serenity… And it came then…to this old gal…a suggestion once made…by a professional…helping to ease anxieties…in one of those young daughters of mine…imagine a stream…he’d said…water flowing quietly…over smooth worn stones…take those worries…each and every one…and set them on a leaf…place the leaf in the stream…and let it go… And so it was…in that moment…those worries…financial…family…health…found a leaf…and this old gal…let them go…for a time…finding distance…as they floated away…with the current… And that daughter of mine…agrees…
0 Comments
This old gal…
Noticed her hands while driving…a phrase emerging that she’d used as a tyke…whispering together with other kids…giggling…hehe-ing…referring to old ladies…as shriveled old prunes…it’s not funny…but it kind of is…because…looking at those hands…one of us is…shriveling up…like a wrinkly old prune… Have watched these hands…change…morph…age…more closely than the face in the mirror…these hands…teacher hands…pointing at this…writing that…modeling for little readers…how to track print…36 years…times 180 days…times 40 students or so a year…point point point…can’t help…but have seen the transformation…happen…over time… And it’s not just the hands…it’s the…I worshiped the sun with baby oil as a teen…crepey skin…everywhere…the legs…the arms…the feet…wrinkling…shriveling up…getting pruny…but prunes…not as pretty as their former plum self…hearty old souls that they are…still…have worth…still…have value…still…have lots…to offer… And this shriveled up old prune…agrees… This husband and I…
Had beaver fever…headed over to see what our favorite friend has been up to…kind of embarrassing really…two old people getting such a kick out of all things Buc-ee…but beaverieve it or not…the place…is just gnaw-some…stocked up on Beaver Nugs…snuck a beaver tail pastry in the cart when that husband of mine wasn’t looking…oohed and aahed over the fun holiday everything… Checked every nook and cranny…and what to our wondering eyes should appear…two TY beanies…mini furry twins…of those little loves…we left behind…turned the corner and what do you know…there they were again…their mugs smiling at us from the front of an ornament…one with reindeer antlers…the other a Santa hat…thought we wouldn’t recognize them…but ha… Those little treasures…making eye contact…calling out…buy us…take us with you…don’t leave us behind…like you did…the others…did two old folks who don’t need any more doo-dads fall for this plea…you’re d** right they did…we’d beaver crazy…not to… And this husband of mine…agrees… This husband and I…
Took a little stroll…around home away from home…get acclimated once again to the winter digs…greet the deer…say hello to waddling Mrs. Wiggins…get the gossip…from that best friend of ours…walked a bit…the air crisp…the sun warm…the weather…perfect…walking me saying so…with an…omg…this weather…is…perfect…the crisp air…the warm sun…no humidity… If this had been a movie…this old gal would have skipped ahead a few steps…thrown the old head back…spread the arms wide…and done a fancy…the hills are alive…Sound of Music twirl…instead…she smiled…and heard an old man chuckle…followed by…well…it’s all…about perspective… And so it was…him…freezing…in spite of the sun…in spite of the heavy coat…in spite of the fact…we were moving our bodies…in his view…this weather…was far…from perfect…and so it is with life…it’s often about perspective…ours…theirs…how life experiences…form our thoughts on things…how in any meeting of minds…there will be no two viewpoints…exactly alike… Take time…to listen to others…learn from others…step into their shoes…do a twirl or two…and pray…they will do…the same… And this husband of mine…agrees… This husband and I…
Went for a walk…work on that cholesterol of ours…got near downtown…the road was blocked off…police lights flashing…cars…being detoured…first thoughts to pop in the head…weren’t good…violence…a stand off…a hit and run…skirted the area…got to city center…asked someone…what was going on… Wassailfest…he exclaims…streets are closed…vendors vending…school groups performing…celebrate the season…with community…and wassail…joined the festivities…the sights…the sounds…the wassail…thought it was funny…that initially…we worried…it was a danger…a tragedy…going on… But that’s not funny…not funny at all…ten years ago…it wouldn’t have crossed the mind…it would have been…oh ha…I bet it’s something fun…a holiday thing…but times have changed…kindness…respect…comfort…is being usurped…by impatience…rage…caution… Let us…spread peace…show goodwill…towards all…this season…and the next…and the next…and find our way back…to comfort…and joy… And this husband of mine…agrees… This daughter of mine…
Gave her mother a call…shopping for gingerbread house ingredients…had some questions about what to buy…130 dollars later…she leaves with graham crackers…buttercream frosting…gingerbread man cookies…and candies…of all kinds… Oh well…she says…what do I work for…but to share what I have…with others…for these goodies…this project soon to be had…was for her youth…those she mentors…at the home for children…where she works…teaching lessons on high risk behavior…goal setting…SMART goals…respect…Fridays…she calls Fun Friday…where she uses crafts and hands on activities…to connect…bond…build relationships… Smidge…Smidge the Beast…cried…she said…on her drive to her sister’s for Christmas…her heart sad…breaking…for those children she left behind…children…currently in a home away from home…not by choice…but by circumstance…in between foster homes…in the justice system…waiting to be moved…to a different facility… And so today…this old gal…prays for those…who are sad…who are alone…sends love…to those…who are lost…and afraid…and hopes..that someone…somewhere…makes them feel…special…makes them…feel…loved… And that daughter of mine…agrees… This old gal…
Always loved decorating for the holidays…make the classroom festive…fill the room with all things gingerbread man…fill the home…with all things Christmas…hang the stockings…display the baubles…fill the tree with every single homemade ornament…made by those little girls of mine… And now…how to get that same thrill…that same excitement…in tiny home away from home…not gonna lie…something was missing last year…there was a sadness…a longing…in the old lady heart…so this year…went through that collection of totes…labeled Christmas decorations…sat on the floor in the basement…of Little Cottage…and walked down…memory lane… The Jim Shore nativity…those Hallmark mouse ornaments…that paper plate angel…made by four year old…preschool hands…treasures…each and every one of them…packed a tote of a few favorites…vintage bulbs from the tree of little me…Jim Shore and Mary Engelbreit decor of the 90s…gifts…from friends…students…those ladies of mine… And this year…that walk down memory lane…the gifts under the little tree…that Christmas mug…that looks just like…that favorite furry friend of mine…makes it work…makes it feel right…makes it feel…just like home… And Christmas lover me…agrees… This husband and I…
Enjoyed an easy breezy last leg into the heart of Texas…left before dawn…traffic was minimal…had breakfast with The Fonz…at an adorable little 50’s diner…was able to navigate the side road…with less panic…now having figured out the Texas system for two lane highways… Made no sense before…to simpleton driver me…driving along…speed limit 60…roads curvy…hilly…then suddenly speed limit amps up to 75…panic driver me…flooring it…then a few miles later…speed limit drops down again…panic driver me…slams…on the brakes… Took two years…two years people…for that light bulb to go on in this old head…so many…what the hecks…omg whys…it makes no senses…but it did…make sense…when the light…was working…on the long stretches…speed limit is 60…get close to a passing lane…brave drivers…can go 75…and pass old lady drivers…who have merged right into the slow driver lane…tsk tsk…that wasn’t so hard now was it… Took a stretch break at our favorite antique shop…and toodled into camp…at a mere 5 miles per hour… And so it is…we celebrate our safe arrival…those friends who were there to greet us…and that light bulb…finally putting an end to one of our boring endless ponderings and making sense out of something…she insisted…didn’t make sense… And this husband of mine…agrees… Not gonna lie…this old gal…
Woke up a little crabby…after that Kansas overnight adventure…the crater in the mattress…getting little sleep laying at the foot of the bed…was tired…had a little chip…on her shoulder…checked out of the hotel with the faulty keys…got billed…for the free room…was told…we misheard…that wasn’t what was said at all…Chip…got a little bit bigger… Stopped at a gas station…it was dark…windy…cold…this husband of mine sitting toasty…in the passenger seat…the pump…couldn’t read the card…tried again…and again…insert…pull…insert…pull faster…finally went and paid inside…Chip…got bigger… Stopped at Donutland…the server smiled…handed over a coffee…told this old gal the flannel she was wearing…was the cutest one…she’d ever seen…then told her…to have a great day…that coffee…warming the hands…that compliment…warming the heart…that chip…began to melt…like chocolate…in warm milk…swirling…swirling…until…it was no longer…there… That husband of mine…offered to drive…and impressively…drove the entire way…through Oklahoma…and it was…the hap-hap-happiest drive…after all… And that traveling buddy of mine…agrees… This old gal…
Felt like she was in one of those National Lampoon…Clark Griswold movies…first stop in Kansas…the hotel key system was down…could stay somewhere else…or staff would let us in our room when needed…and get the room free… Took the free room…headed out for supper…place was empty except for one other table…this husband of mine ordered a hamburger…hungry me…a salad…the server…along with a trainee…and the manager…served the food…the three…stayed and chatted while we ate…talked about movies…cotton candy…drama in the kitchen…the cooks having just walked out…angry about having to make our meal… Returned to the hotel…realized there was a crater…the size of the moon…in the mattress…couldn’t move…without rolling to the center…ended up sleeping on the foot of bed…while that husband of mine…got lost…in the crevasse… Headed out before dawn…couldn’t sleep anyway…this husband of mine…laughing at the slapstickiness…of the last 15 hours…what just happened here…he asked…I have no idea…Sparky…came the reply…I have no…idea…but we’re gonna press on…and have the hap-hap-happiest drive…ever… And this husband of mine…agreed… |
This Old Gal
Devoted Wife Magical Mom Retired Teacher Embracing life's grand adventures with humor and grace. Archives
July 2024
Categories |