A SPECIAL DAY

The other day one of my granddaughters, the absolute middle-born one, had her fourteenth birthday. I can hardly believe she's already that old, and it brought up many memories.  Her Mom lived with us during the waiting for her, and for seven years after that, so she's the granddaughter I know the most about.

I was present at her birth that morning.  Her Mom had been in a good deal of pain since Friday night, and all day Saturday. Finally the doctors determined that she wasn't going to be born in the usual manner, and they would deliver her by C-section.  A very tired Mama and a very weary Grammie, both who had little to no sleep at all since Friday, were much relieved to know that the waiting would soon be over.  As my daughter was prepped for surgery, I was given a set of green 'scrubs' and a mask, and a cup of coffee.  I dared not tell the nurses that I was dizzy with exhaustion, for fear that they wouldn't allow me to attend the birth.

A few minutes passed and I was taken into the operating room where I sat at the head of the table, next to my daughter's head.  At 5:06 AM, that sweet 7 lb bundle was born She was wrapped in a little stocking cap and a flannel swaddling, and placed into my arms. Her Mommy shed tears as she said, "Mommy, a girl! I got my GIRL!   We rejoiced in our moment of three generations, joined together by a powerful love and the miracle of birth.

While mother and daughter were taken away to have their individual treatments, I went back to the room to wait. I looked out at the Sabbath dawn and I was aware of a chorus of birds that seemed to be offering praise for this special day.  I offered my own prayer of thanks to God who brought us this new little miracle.  As I look back on that day, it remains in my heart as a very important memory...a wonderful time in my life.

On her birthday, when I woke to the sound of birds singing, the dawn was just breaking. I looked at the clock and it read 5:09 AM. My first thought that morning was of the little baby, now a beautiful young lady. I'm proud of her, and I love watching her grow to be whoever she is meant to be. I have no doubt that she will be as special then as she was on her first day.

Snakes...

Eeeeeew!  Snakes!  I've never cared for those reptiles...or many others either, for that matter. My mother has always hated even thinking about them, and I guess I learned that at an early age, which probably gave me some fear of my own. As a chid in grade school, I wouldn't touch the rattle snake shed skin that a classmate brought to show and tell. Unlike my granddaughter, who actually held a live Boa Constrictor (with the help of a snake handler) while she was in grade school! Arrrrg! I can't imagine! and I will admit, that even a photo of one in a magazine gives me chills up my spine, and I can't wait to turn the pages!  So, call me a 'chicken'. Call me a 'whimp'.  Call me anything you'd like. I'm still not going to like snakes.

When we moved to this house, we heard from neighbors that there are black snakes around our neighborhood. The subdivision was new, and the homes had invaded their living space, so I imagine there were some around, but in the four plus years I've been here, I haven't seen one. Well, I take that back. One day in the road I saw a dead King snake (similar to the Black Racer, with a white belly.) Neither the black snake nor the King snake is dangerous, although if you startle them, they will bite you if they have a chance. It's likened to a large garden snake in it's personality.  The good thing about Black (and King) snakes is, aside from being non-poisonous, is that they are territorial. Where there is a Black snake, there will be no poisonous ones, like the local Copperheads. 

Our next door neighbor rang our doorbell on the Fourth of July four years ago. She looked as white as a ghost as she asked for Mike's help. He was not available, and when I asked what the problem was, she told me that she had a huge snake on her patio. I told her that Mike would be no help, even if he was around, as he's scared of snakes. (His only fear that I know of, probably due to spending time in the jungles of Viet Nam) She took off at a dead run for her house, with me following her and telling her to leave the snake alone and he would depart. She ran to the corner of her garage, stood there staring at her garden tools, finally chose a shovel, and ran to the left side of the house, where there was a gate in her fence. Then she ran to the right side of the house, where there was no gate. Then she turned and ran to her front door and through the house and out the back door to the patio. I stood outside the fence, while I heard the chop,chop,chop of the blade of the spade hitting the cement patio. Soon I heard her hollering at her dog, who was tearing across the back yard with the remnants of a 6 foot snake dangling from both sides of his mouth. Meanwhile, Alison brought the head of the snake, with it's mouth still opening and shutting, to me at the fence. I could see the white under the snake, and determined it to be a King snake.

In 2007 we went to East Hampton for 4 months. While we were away, Mom and the neighbors were watering our plants. One day, while Mom was leaving after watering, she saw a 'long,black snake' and she reported that she wasn't going to go in my backyard ever again, as if the snake wouldn't go in any other part of the yard. I had to chuckle, but didn't blame her much!  About two years ago, Mike and my brother were chatting on our front porch when they noticed a big Black snake winding itself up and over our front yard bird-bath. There must have been enough space between Mike and that snake, because he didn't head for the hills, but sat and watched as it slithered away to the rain ditch at the edge of the road. That same week, a neighbor on the road above us saw a 'huge' one on her front porch, where there was a bird's nest. We determined the snake was looking for the bird's eggs. 

Since that one Mike saw, which I named Ebony Squiggle, there's not been a report anywhere in this subdivision of a snake siting.  Whether Black snakes are 'good' snakes or otherwise, let me say this, I'm happy about that! I'll prove my point by adding a quote from my Arkansas friend who says, " Ain't no snike that's a good snike."

My Hometown Waters

Last summer we went home to my hometown.  As we navigated the familiar streets, I heard  myself singing in my mind, "I have often walked on this street before..."  The air was full of the aroma of ocean salt. It's a beautiful area, so it draws the affluent, the tourists, the vacationers and second home owners. I cannot blame them for yielding to the temptation to spend time there. It is a place where, over the years,  local people lived hard lives and those who work hard elsewhere go to play.

The ocean and the bay beaches are magnets to both the year-round residents and the visitors alike. In summer, the ocean beaches are often so crowded that it's hard to find a quiet spot in the sand to place your towel, to lie down and 'catch the rays.'

 The waters have been far more to local folks than a playground. Many of them for hundreds of years have made their living on the sea as fisherman or shell fishermen.  While tourists spend enormous amounts of money for dinner in a seafood restaurant, the natives are dining on whatever they've gathered themselves or what their fishing friends have given to them. 

The harbors are dotted with marinas where fishing boats and pleasure boats too, are docked and moored, awaiting their trips on the water.

Town Pond is what you see when you enter the Village. It is where the early settlers watered their flocks of sheep. Today it is a welcoming site to those who visit and natives who are returning home from somewhere west of home.  In the winter, it freezes, providing a skating area for those who are athletically inclined, or want to brush up on their skills.

East Hampton is filled with water ways for swimming, canoeing, pleasure boating, or working. The sun sets over the bays and some of the harbors and coves, and I can honestly say that the sunsets cannot be surpassed.

Although we are very happy where we reside today, the waters of Home are what we miss most.

This Weekend...

My youngest grandkids are coming to visit again! The weather is promising to be extremely hot, record temperatures for this time of year.  There goes our plan to be outside at one of the Memorial Day events.  Why on earth these southern communities plan any outdoor events after mid-April is beyond my comprehension! The heat is stifling and the sun is far too intense to be standing in for any length of time.

Every year I have the hope of going to the Scottish Festival  held a bit north of here, but every year we find ourselves in sweltering conditions, and we pass on it. This year, we'd hoped to take the kids and grandkids to see their first hot air balloon festival.  Since both my son in law and one of his daughters is asthmatic, I don't want to put them in a potentially dangerous environment.

So, I'm thinking up things to do at home where we can get all the cold water and air-conditioning and shade that we'll need to be safe and healthy. We'll set up the big wading pool, and we can ALL climb in and splash, if we choose to. 

 Inside the house the men will chat about whatever men chat about, and we gals will do some arts and crafts together.

 We'll have my daughter's favorite grilled chicken with my homemade bbq sauce, and we'll eat it in the sunporch.  We'll have a little campfire and make s'mores as the sun goes down.  We'll set up our tiny 5x5 tent in the sunporch, and let the grandgirls 'camp out' for night, if they will!  We'll sing camp songs before they are tucked in, and pretend that they're in the deep wilds. Maybe we'll set up some little stuffed animals and we'll turn on the little white Christmas lights on  the beams, so they feel like they're outside. I wish I had some neon stars and a moon to hang from the beams.

The rooms will be ready and waiting for them.  The toy box in the closet is ready for invasion and the dress-up  box of costumes is available too. (That's always their first stop when they come through the door.)
We're making the shopping list to be sure the items are within reach for the menu.  I hope they are all as happy when they come here as Grammie and Papa are in having these visits! 

Hats

A few weeks ago I wrote about hats under the title 'Church Attire'.  In that entry, I made a decision to begin wearing hats to church again.  Since then, I've dug out my old ones, bought two new ones, and have begun the process of 'decorating' those chapeaus.

I've worn a few of them to worship services and last week one of our men, who sits just behind me, mentioned that he thought ladies hats always had flowers on them. Until then, I hadn't given much thought to decorating them, other than a ribbon hatband.  With Otis' statement ringing in my ears, I headed for my craft room to dig out some silk flowers.  I found a couple, but they weren't what I wanted, so I drove to Hobby Lobby to see what was available.  Fortunately, they had a number of things that were suitable, and better yet, they were on sale, as were the spools of ribbon.

Returning home, I got to work on an arrangement for my white hat.  The ribbon band was graduated shades of dusty rose.  Then I placed some sprays of  small white flowers with pearl centers with some dusty pink rose blossoms. When the design pleased me, I wired the flowers together and clasped it to the ribbon band.  From there, I moved on to organizing ribbon color to flowers, for future millinery use. 

Yesterday I removed the pink things from the white hat, and placed them, instead, on the wide-brimmed black hat, since I was wearing a pink and black outfit. The floral arrangement was placed at the back of the hat.  My efforts were not lost. I was pleased with the look, and many compliments came my way. 

I am still the only one who wears a hat regularly, but it's still early. I have the hope to inspire those ladies at church to wear the hats they've  been thinking about. They've been afraid to be the only one to wear anything on their heads. In the meantime, even if I'm the solo hat wearer, I'm having a grand time decorating my new fashion accessories! 

Coffee?

These days I do not start the day without a cup of coffee. I pour just a little half and half into it, and I'm good to go.  It wasn't always that way.  I used to prefer tea. It's clear and warm and I drank gallons of it per week before I discovered that coffee was a much better waker-upper in the morning.

There was a time when I thought I didn't like the taste of coffee.  I'd always loved the aroma of it, but the taste just seemed bitter to me.  Then I went to work in an insurance/realty office where the coffee pot was on all day long, and it was easier to drink the ready-made brew than it was to fuss with making a cup of tea.  I discovered that coffee wasn't half-bad.  Maybe it was the brand that was used at work, I don't know, but I got hooked.

In other work places over the years, there were choices in 'additions' to the cup of brew.  Some offices offered half and half. Others bought non-dairy creamers, either plain or flavored. Other places had the choice of any of the above-listed items.  Sugar, artificial sweetners, and no sugar at all made their way into my mug at various times. I've weaned myself of the sugar addition, and the half and half is no where near the amount that I first used.  I can use the non-dairy stuff, but don't care much for it. However, when I stay in a motel, that's usually all there is to use, and it'll suffice until I can get a true cup of java.

I'm really not a coffee addict, as some are, though.  One large mug of hot coffee upon rising is all I have throughout the day.  It's the equivalent of two cups.  I don't drink it later in the day because I have enough trouble sleeping through the night as it is.  Rarely, in the heat of summer, I have yielded to a desire for a frappe, but as I say, it's not often.

I don't go to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts to obtain a cup of their stuff.  Believe me, they will never get rich on my purchases! Though the flavor certainly is better than what we have at home, I cannnot justify the cost!  What we have is convenient, and gets my engine reved in the morning, so I'm content!

May 21, 2011...Judgment Day???

Pastor Camping, in California, has been broadcasting on TV and a number of radio stations that today will be the day that the world comes to an end.  If you are reading this...you should know that I've actually written it on Friday, the 20th.  I figured I'd better not take any chances, you know. What if he's right?  (I ask that with tongue in cheek.)

Yesterday I posted on Facebook that since the world was going to end on Saturday, I had only one day and a few hours to spend my children's inheritance.  I knew that would inspire them to respond...and respond they did!  One of them said that I should, instead of shopping, head for the nearest Fed Ex office and send her share out so that she  could spend it before the end came.  Another told me to send hers because she has bills to pay. Another answered by saying that if the end came, there'd be no bills to pay.  Do I know how to prompt a conversation among the siblings, or what? Just mention money.

Actually, there's quite a bit of conversation being generated by this idea of  things ending on Saturday.  Some, most I'd venture to guess, think that Pastor Camping is off his rocker.  I don't think that, exactly, but I do think his conclusion is incorrect.  People of every religious, or non-religious, persuasion seem to have an opinion on the matter.  I'm curious to see how many will head for the hills, or to some 'special' spot to escape (?) or hide (?) or get aboard that 'glory train.'
No matter what happens, no matter what people think or do in light of this 'prophecy', I believe that we haven't heard the end of it.

What will the headlines read on Sunday?  "STILL HERE!!"  or maybe "MILLIONS DISAPPEAR!!!"  or "PASTOR'S PROPHESY FULFILLED" ?   I believe we'll read something on Sunday, and I have no fear that we'll be reading from any place other than our own, comfortable homes.   What do you think? 

I guess we'll have to just wait and see, won't we?