Flowers are opening wide their eyes!

Some of last year's beauties

April is almost over, the yard has already been mowed twice, & I don't have any flowers out as yet due to this unpredictable semo spring weather.  I have been anxious to visit the nursery at Aquilla, but just haven't as yet due to cool, windy, weather & mom says don't rush things because "blackberry winter" hasn't arrived as yet, whatever that is. Sarah told me at church this morning that dogwood winter has just passed. Guess I'm just impatient. (The name of a beautiful flower); I think it's spelled impatiens.

This has been such a long winter in this household. Mom has had quite a struggle, her vision seems to be getting worse almost by the day, her hearing is going downhill, she has finally very reluctantly agreed to see a dermatologist for some skin cancers on her face that really need attention; the things I "work on" to improve my own health seem to just get worse due to my lack of motivation for the most part. I have been out of high school now for 50 years (OMG) the word G standing for gosh in this instance & some of us are attempting to get a reunion together later this fall. Have you ever tried to get people together including family members even just for a Sunday meal? The t/c's back & forth, emails, what will & won't work for whatever reason, calendar considerations, etc. How our world has changed so quickly in my lifetime. I can recall being so nervous when learning to type on an electric typewriter - now attempting to conquer cyber space without causing my computer to crash.  One of mom's great concerns is that her struggle to write her weekly letters to Joe because of her failing sight. She certainly doesn't want me to see what she has to say, because then she couldn't tattle on sis to him. I can email him & tattle on her - doesn't seem quite fair; however, as we know, in close family circles, it usually makes the rounds eventually.

Mom always planted flowers, bushes, trees without any particular plan. Whenever anyone would share plants, flowers with her or Joe would send them to her for some occasion, (she rarely bought them)she would usually set them out somewhere in the yard. She would just get her shovel & hoe & plant, so of course when the kids started mowing, it drove them silly. She would put bricks around them to let them know they were flowers, because, at times, the boys would pretend they didn't know that & mow right over them. I never quite understood why, but she always made little mounds & mounded them up. Maybe once again, to keep them from being mowed down. Mom always mowed with a push mower, says she loved doing it & wishes she still felt like doing it. We have quite a large lot & it does offer good exercise; (especially with 2 large ditches to mow) the kids love talking about it still. Ken finally bought a riding lawn mower when Chris was doing the mowing. Finally of course, they all grew up, left home, & now we have to hire it done. I couldn't crank one of those push mowers up if my life depended on it & when Dennis came to mow the other day, he had a trailer with all the equipment he uses to mow. When Peggy mows on her "rider" next door, it has a grass catcher; mom thinks that's so funny.

This year, I hope to have some much needed trimming of old bushes done. They have been here since the Gumby's moved to town & mom never sees the need for replacing things that seem perfectly good in her estimation even if they are reaching to the skies & in every direction. We had a bush by the carport that 3 different bushes had grown into it, & a beloved rose bush that for some unknown reason she put a tire around the bottom of it when it was first planted probably in the early 60's.  Dennis Keith took the bush out the other day, & even though she couldn't see it too well, she had to grudgingly admit it probably was needed. She even commented that maybe it might help with the mosquito problem; I was more concerned with snakes & lizards. Even I can't part with the rose bush, though I would like to think of a way to remove that tire. 

I thank God for the beauty of spring, the colorful flowers, the birds that sing. I thank Him for the resurrection of His beloved Son, so that we may enjoy all the blessings of being able to live, love & serve Him. I'm thankful that mom has enjoyed all the springtimes that she has, for the love & joy that she has brought to this family.  If it wasn't for her, none of my family would be here, including myself.  Happy Easter to all my family & friends!  What a special time in the lives of all of those who love the Lord!  

The Top of the Pyramid

2 of Imogene's main men! (mine too) Joey /Chris

Last night at Trinity, we had such a wondrous night of fellowship & fun after I had just returned home from a great trip of fun with a friend of many years that I had really been looking forward to; in other words, I was wanting to get out of Dodge for a few days, see & experience something new & different & this dear friend had given me the perfect opportunity by offering me the chance to accompany her on a trip to Mississippi with her to visit her daughter. They are about 2 weeks ahead of us, so things were more green, the azaleas were in full bloom, as well as some other beautiful flowers.  As we drove through Memphis, I noted one of the landmarks located there, the Pyramid.

Seeing this building set me to thinking about things back at home & wondering how they were going. I had made arrangements for her care while I was out of town, fixed food, etc., & knew she would get lots of attention. One of the main men in her life, her first born great grandson, Joey, came by as well as her granddaughters, neighbors, etc., She could nose around the house & in the utility rooms which she doesn't do as frequently when I'm here.(does anyone need clothes hangers - I don't think she has EVER thrown one away) She could watch those horrible wrestling matches on Sat. night after her favorite preachers which is something she, Joey, & Chris used to do a lot of the time when they were younger. She would really get into it, making the moves, not realizing it (I don't think). Joey & Chris even had some of the wrestling figurines they had collected & knew most of their names.  I can recall years ago when we would drive to Cape to see them "live" at the arena. When we first purchased a tv set around 1955, dad would have me or Joe go outside to turn the antenna so the tv screen wouldn't be so "snowy". She now vows she always knew wrestling was an act; I don't know about that, just that she & her greats enjoyed these evenings together   with all the moaning, groaning, blood & guts - and, oh, those costumes!

She would also instruct the boys to always defend themselves against bullies. It was never a problem for Joey, who was always a big, stout boy; Chris was a smaller, quieter boy, a perfect combo! I worked at school & she & Tammy worked at the nursing center, so we managed to be with all the kids most of the time.  The neighborhood kids often gathered in this yard; it had a large yard with a ditch, bb goal, They shared the "toys" our kids had here, & acquired lots of lessons in life on the ditch bank that runs behind this house. There's nothing like kids having to use their imaginations, & if she perceived that someone was "picking on" Chris,(gotta remember, she left the windows up to listen) she would take Joey aside & instruct him to take care of the matter. After all, this is our yard was her theory, & they can be sent home if they don't follow our rules! That was Imogene's way of conflict resolution. It's so ironic to me that Joey is now the dad of 2 boys, Tanner & Chase, that remind me in many ways of he & Chris when they were younger. Joey thinks he is paying for his raising I think at times, yet he is one proud daddy!

The top of our pyramid has begun to falter due to the ravages of time, yet her strength never ceases to amaze me. Dad died at the age of 57, & mom will be 91 in Sept. if she lives or if the Lord doesn't return (as she says) & she is the head of 5 generations of this family; Imogene, Barb, Tammy, Joey, Tanner.  It is difficult for me to watch her as her steps falter in so many areas, yet I thank God that she is still capable of taking care of her basic needs & able to be in her beloved home. She can no longer leave this house & tells me she looks forward to her next home with great anticipation. I tell her to please not rush, because we all need her so very much. We all need the prayers of those we love - I sure do! She was pretty amused that our program last night at our salad supper was going to be about aprons, which she always wore, then got really interested as I got to looking for the one I really wanted to wear. I was moved to tears when she brought me a handkerchief she has had for many years to take also, she thought it might have been one of her mothers. Just think how many tears, noses, no telling what this hanky has wiped.

I thank the Lord for pyramids - they have a solid foundation. That's what this old world needs! They say that they still stand in Egypt; that's pretty amazing, something built that long ago with the bare hands of slave laborers. With the faith of Imogene & those before her, I understand somewhat more about the Solid Rock upon which I stand. Nothing, nothing, or no one in this life can ever take it away. My blessed responsibility & privilege is to pass it on!