Running Formula
Hot+Humid+Running=Dried Salt +Friction=Chaffing + H2O=WHHHOOOOAAAAOOOOHMYGOSH
The above formula is an absolute when running long 21 mile runs in temperatures that began at 67 degrees at 5 AM. Four hours later-the resulting yell in the shower. There were a couple of places under my arms that actually began hurting about mile 15 and I knew were going to hurt when the water hit them. I was going to be SOOO smart and put Vaseline over the chaffing, but the place on my waist in the back and the places that the elastic hit my upper legs-WELL THAT SNUCK UP ON ME! Tired legs can even jump when the water hits that burn!
My earliest memories of Christmas include a "Normal" Christmas tree. Somewhere along the way before I hit the double digits, we began having stick trees. I will have to give Aunt Mattie Maude credit, as this was her original idea. Momma was never one to "copy" anyone else's idea, so I assume Daddy insisted upon us also having a stick tree. Momma would say, "If you can't be first and set the trend, then don't get in the mob and be just a follower." Or something like that.
We began getting American elm branches. Now not just any tree branch would do-it had to be an American elm which had little wings on the branches. You painted the branch white and put it into a pot or stand to hold it up. The tree was then placed in the front window of the house. We put glass solid color ornaments on every conceivable surface. There was then a spot light shown from the bottom of it up through the branches. The effect was so beautiful. From the road,the glass ornaments looked like lights shining in the branches and twinkling in the night.
I have actually had one of these trees in all the years that Bobby & I have been married and it was the "extra tree." Somethings though are just better left as a part of your childhood. We started our own tradition of the "real thing" tree when we married. The annual trip to find the "perfect tree" is another story. We have finally evolved into an "artificial tree" which I didn't think I would ever do. Some parts of Christmas are reserved for the years with your children, and the "real tree" with its amazing smell were a part of their childhood that I hope if "magical" for them.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
IN MY DEFENSE!
If you have not read Camille's post (click on blogging buddies-the Jennings Secede) from yesterday, you need to read it for this to make sense.
I got a really good laugh from Camille's post yesterday. I sat chuckling as I read with Bobby wanting to know what was so funny. After finishing, he had me read it to him. I get dead silence, no reaction. I then ask, " Don't you think that is funny?". I then get this long lecture on saying what you are feeling, never knowing what is going on in my mind, yadda, yadda, yadda. I think she struck a nerve in her Daddy.
While growing up, Momma believed in corporal punishment. I do not believe she was ever much of a student of the Bible, but someone at sometime must have preached this sermon and she latched on like a mad dog. The rod nor the belt nor the switch were ever spared at our house. It was applied liberally and you came to fear Momma and her wrath. When Momma spoke, you dared not sass or disobey. Along about the time that Daddy died, the spankings died with him. I think for a lot of years Momma lost her fight. She just existed and tried to provide for the three of us, but was very removed from most day to day family activity. She still knew how to throw a fit if you did not clean the house just like she liked it (able to eat off the floor), but she finally lost that connection. In fairness to her, the years before Daddy's death had been very difficult. She was far from her family and thrown into a difficult situation without much support.
One thing Momma could do and do well was lecture during those years until I left for Tech. Once you set her off, on and on she went. I remember when I was about 16 or 17 telling her to just beat me and leave off the lecture. Well that was dumb, because it just wound her up for Round 2. I hated those lectures and swore I would never do that.
When my own kids came along, I obviously used the silence tool very effectively. In my defense, I learned a long time ago to not say anything in anger that you might regret later. Once those words are thrown out there, they can never be taken back and they are never forgotten. I would get steamed, but I held my tongue-waiting for the moment of calm and reason to return to me. At the time, I did not realize that my children were affected by that silence. All I knew was that I was angry and knew to wait for the appropriate moment and not let something petty escalate into a major deal.
I also come from a LOOOOOOONG line of passive aggressive people. We are not in your face confrontationist, but more I'll slip this in the back door and get you, before you know what has happened. We fight, at our best, when we just completely withdraw. I don't usually say many things in real anger, but Mr. C, now he can push that button and get a verbal rise like no one else can. I think he relishes in getting my dander up enough to get that response out of me. Still, my usual tactic is silence- silence- and more silence, until the moment or the anger has passed.
This was really never a disciplining tact for me, but rather a try at not allowing angry words to come between me and my loved one. I am glad that God chose to use it as an effective tool and delighted that my children care enough to be concerned about me being displeased with them.
Each child is different and with their different personalities come different responses to my actions and moods. Scott is definitely much more like me and if he was ever affected by my anger, I never knew it. Gabe & Camille-they are very verbose, just like their Daddy. They don't understand or get the "silence" deal. If they are upset, you will know it, for they will tell you. They just do not as their Daddy does not-get me holding my tongue.
I thank God we are all different. This makes the world so interesting and fascinating. If we were all verbose and confrontational, would we ever get to hear the glorious beauty of occasional silence? I think it would be more like a Conville Family Reunion, when I am not sure who is listening because each and every one is trying to talk over the other and getting louder and louder with every word.
Thankfully God used my silence, and my children, all three are wonderful individuals that are loved by all that know them. What one man intends for his purposes, God can turn around and use it to glorify Him and those that love Him.
Your Honor, The Defense Rests.
I got a really good laugh from Camille's post yesterday. I sat chuckling as I read with Bobby wanting to know what was so funny. After finishing, he had me read it to him. I get dead silence, no reaction. I then ask, " Don't you think that is funny?". I then get this long lecture on saying what you are feeling, never knowing what is going on in my mind, yadda, yadda, yadda. I think she struck a nerve in her Daddy.
While growing up, Momma believed in corporal punishment. I do not believe she was ever much of a student of the Bible, but someone at sometime must have preached this sermon and she latched on like a mad dog. The rod nor the belt nor the switch were ever spared at our house. It was applied liberally and you came to fear Momma and her wrath. When Momma spoke, you dared not sass or disobey. Along about the time that Daddy died, the spankings died with him. I think for a lot of years Momma lost her fight. She just existed and tried to provide for the three of us, but was very removed from most day to day family activity. She still knew how to throw a fit if you did not clean the house just like she liked it (able to eat off the floor), but she finally lost that connection. In fairness to her, the years before Daddy's death had been very difficult. She was far from her family and thrown into a difficult situation without much support.
One thing Momma could do and do well was lecture during those years until I left for Tech. Once you set her off, on and on she went. I remember when I was about 16 or 17 telling her to just beat me and leave off the lecture. Well that was dumb, because it just wound her up for Round 2. I hated those lectures and swore I would never do that.
When my own kids came along, I obviously used the silence tool very effectively. In my defense, I learned a long time ago to not say anything in anger that you might regret later. Once those words are thrown out there, they can never be taken back and they are never forgotten. I would get steamed, but I held my tongue-waiting for the moment of calm and reason to return to me. At the time, I did not realize that my children were affected by that silence. All I knew was that I was angry and knew to wait for the appropriate moment and not let something petty escalate into a major deal.
I also come from a LOOOOOOONG line of passive aggressive people. We are not in your face confrontationist, but more I'll slip this in the back door and get you, before you know what has happened. We fight, at our best, when we just completely withdraw. I don't usually say many things in real anger, but Mr. C, now he can push that button and get a verbal rise like no one else can. I think he relishes in getting my dander up enough to get that response out of me. Still, my usual tactic is silence- silence- and more silence, until the moment or the anger has passed.
This was really never a disciplining tact for me, but rather a try at not allowing angry words to come between me and my loved one. I am glad that God chose to use it as an effective tool and delighted that my children care enough to be concerned about me being displeased with them.
Each child is different and with their different personalities come different responses to my actions and moods. Scott is definitely much more like me and if he was ever affected by my anger, I never knew it. Gabe & Camille-they are very verbose, just like their Daddy. They don't understand or get the "silence" deal. If they are upset, you will know it, for they will tell you. They just do not as their Daddy does not-get me holding my tongue.
I thank God we are all different. This makes the world so interesting and fascinating. If we were all verbose and confrontational, would we ever get to hear the glorious beauty of occasional silence? I think it would be more like a Conville Family Reunion, when I am not sure who is listening because each and every one is trying to talk over the other and getting louder and louder with every word.
Thankfully God used my silence, and my children, all three are wonderful individuals that are loved by all that know them. What one man intends for his purposes, God can turn around and use it to glorify Him and those that love Him.
Your Honor, The Defense Rests.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Ms Hygentist & Mr. Doctor Dentist
Today was my, way behind schedule, six month trip to the dentist-a few months late. I do not ever go to the dentist that I don't have a flashback to my childhood. Good Old Dr. Billy was our family dentist. A family friend and fellow 4-H club parent, Dr Billy was a BIG MAN! He was taller than my Daddy who was 6 ft tall and unlike, by skinny Daddy, HE WAS ROTUND! I don't know if you have ever noticed, but generally speaking, really large people have REALLY LARGE HANDS. He had this really round face which you saw from a prone position. This meant that the first thing you saw was the extra neck roll that extended up into what we all would call jowls today and then the round puffy cheeks. Dr. Billy would first say, "OK open wide." Then proceed to try to put his extra large hands into my extra small mouth. I know many of you will find this difficult to believe, but I REALLY DO HAVE A SMALL MOUTH." Once the hands were at least part of the way into your mouth, the questions would start. "How's your Momma and Daddy?" Me"Gsxyt fme txbl." How are your sheep and cattle coming along this year' Me "Ukebelf dolebke boqueft." I would finally try to talk with my eyes, or nod my head, anything to try and communicate. It was always hard to understand why the questions never began until he got those #12 mitts crammed into your mouth, but that was always the way it was.
After adulthood, I have had a couple of different dentists here in Ruston. I like both of them a lot, but have I ever heard some great comments. One dentist asked me wouldn't I like to trim my gums so my teeth would look more uniform. Now I assumed this meant with a knife and would require blood and pain, so I insisted that I was not that vain. The other dentist told me to "Unhinge my jaw" one time. For the life of me, I cannot figure out where the hinge is, much less how to unhinge it. Today Ms Hygienist, who is a lovely lady, told me to relax my lips. OKAY- I know how to relax my legs, my arms, and lots of other things-BUT MY LIPS? This is another one that I am not really sure about!
BC & I have an on-going disagreement about who has the small mouth. I often tell him that HE IS UNDER THE ILLUSION THAT HE HAS A SMALL MOUTH. The man carries it to the limit when he insists that he needs a salad fork "Because his mouth is too small for the regular size." I have seen him do everything but use a shovel when he finds something he really likes. You all know him, do you really think he has a small mouth? The dentist did tell me today that my mouth was so small that he had to use child sized gloves when examining me. I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL MR. C THAT ONE! Thanks Dr. L!
Sandra & I walked 5 this morning and it was once again cold. Just wait though the hot weather will be here for our Saturday long run. It should be 65 degrees when we start at 5. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to that fun-sweating, chaffing, & blisters for 21 miles!
I went by to see my sweet friends, The Boersma's today. Dr Dale was in good spirits and a delight to see that way. Helen is busy putting Christmas decorations on every conceivable surface in her house and it looks a lot like Christmas. We continue to pray for that miracle for our sweet friend.
Tomorrow should be rest day and get ready for Saturday. I found out that I have to go mow & mulch up the leaves at the church and then I have a great young man coming to help me with my yard. NO REST FOR THE WEARY! I will not have to get up at 4 or 5 and THAT MY GOOD FRIENDS IS A VERY GOOD THING!
After adulthood, I have had a couple of different dentists here in Ruston. I like both of them a lot, but have I ever heard some great comments. One dentist asked me wouldn't I like to trim my gums so my teeth would look more uniform. Now I assumed this meant with a knife and would require blood and pain, so I insisted that I was not that vain. The other dentist told me to "Unhinge my jaw" one time. For the life of me, I cannot figure out where the hinge is, much less how to unhinge it. Today Ms Hygienist, who is a lovely lady, told me to relax my lips. OKAY- I know how to relax my legs, my arms, and lots of other things-BUT MY LIPS? This is another one that I am not really sure about!
BC & I have an on-going disagreement about who has the small mouth. I often tell him that HE IS UNDER THE ILLUSION THAT HE HAS A SMALL MOUTH. The man carries it to the limit when he insists that he needs a salad fork "Because his mouth is too small for the regular size." I have seen him do everything but use a shovel when he finds something he really likes. You all know him, do you really think he has a small mouth? The dentist did tell me today that my mouth was so small that he had to use child sized gloves when examining me. I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL MR. C THAT ONE! Thanks Dr. L!
Sandra & I walked 5 this morning and it was once again cold. Just wait though the hot weather will be here for our Saturday long run. It should be 65 degrees when we start at 5. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to that fun-sweating, chaffing, & blisters for 21 miles!
I went by to see my sweet friends, The Boersma's today. Dr Dale was in good spirits and a delight to see that way. Helen is busy putting Christmas decorations on every conceivable surface in her house and it looks a lot like Christmas. We continue to pray for that miracle for our sweet friend.
Tomorrow should be rest day and get ready for Saturday. I found out that I have to go mow & mulch up the leaves at the church and then I have a great young man coming to help me with my yard. NO REST FOR THE WEARY! I will not have to get up at 4 or 5 and THAT MY GOOD FRIENDS IS A VERY GOOD THING!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
IT PAYS TO LOOK DOWN!
For all of you nay sayers out there, I will give you one good reason to run, jog, or even walk. As Susan and I were running our last mile in our 10 mile run this AM, she was a few steps ahead of me. All of a sudden she comes to a screeching halt! She is pointing to her left at the folded up $10 bill! We both point then a few steps ahead of that and there is another $10 bill! This is one of the reason that we run. We are always looking down to see where we are putting our feet. One of the perks from this is finding money. We are always finding coins-all along the road. The discovery of bills is really rare. I know Sheila found a $20 bill one day, but that is a rarity. We will all stop and stoop down to pick up the money unless we have run about 20 miles. The amount of money has to be more than a penny, nickel or dime for a stoop down at that point. It is too hard to get down and then back up after all those miles. We talked it over while running that last mile and decided to donate the money to CCA to help brighten someone's day. Don't ever tell me that it doesn't pay to run-for today was definitely Pay Day!
Look at Camille's blog today. They are having Big Snow and she has posted pictures. What must it be like to not only get a big snow, but for that snow to stay longer than a couple of days. I may just have to make a trip to the Great Frozen North later this winter to see this for myself. The sight of that Great Lake frozen with fishermen all over it intrigues me every time I think about it. I am looking outside at a beautiful sunny day and planning yard work. What must it be like to live in a Frozen Wonderland?
I do remember, as I am sure you all do, one Christmas that we had snow. It was so cold and, as always, we did not have electricity. Here it is a day or two before Christmas and we have no lights, no heat, and little travel. Bobby loves this kind of weather, so he had gotten chains for his car. He mostly loves to be out in the middle of it, just like my Daddy always did. Bobby went to get Momma, who also had no heat, and brought her back to the house. We closed ourselves into the den with the fireplace going. At the time, we had an insert in the fireplace, which keeps the fire from projecting into the room. Without the blower working on the insert, the heat was almost non-existent from the fire. IT WAS SO COLD! Robbie did call and he had a motel room for his family with heat. He came to get Momma since she was quick to dessert the ship when there was a promise of heat.
I got out one of my old camping pots and we warmed soup on the fire. It was truly a pioneer experience. We were all close-since the only way you could stay warm was to combine that body heat. We did have warm clothing since we had ski clothes. This is one of my most memorable Christmases. The fact that I had not finished my shopping, could not cook my traditional dinner, had not Christmas lights did not deter my Christmas spirit. I just looked out the window at the beautiful snow covered woods and Christmas was once again magical.
I need to run now. I think I will buy a lottery ticket. MY LUCK APPEARS TO BE GOOD FOR TODAY!
Look at Camille's blog today. They are having Big Snow and she has posted pictures. What must it be like to not only get a big snow, but for that snow to stay longer than a couple of days. I may just have to make a trip to the Great Frozen North later this winter to see this for myself. The sight of that Great Lake frozen with fishermen all over it intrigues me every time I think about it. I am looking outside at a beautiful sunny day and planning yard work. What must it be like to live in a Frozen Wonderland?
I do remember, as I am sure you all do, one Christmas that we had snow. It was so cold and, as always, we did not have electricity. Here it is a day or two before Christmas and we have no lights, no heat, and little travel. Bobby loves this kind of weather, so he had gotten chains for his car. He mostly loves to be out in the middle of it, just like my Daddy always did. Bobby went to get Momma, who also had no heat, and brought her back to the house. We closed ourselves into the den with the fireplace going. At the time, we had an insert in the fireplace, which keeps the fire from projecting into the room. Without the blower working on the insert, the heat was almost non-existent from the fire. IT WAS SO COLD! Robbie did call and he had a motel room for his family with heat. He came to get Momma since she was quick to dessert the ship when there was a promise of heat.
I got out one of my old camping pots and we warmed soup on the fire. It was truly a pioneer experience. We were all close-since the only way you could stay warm was to combine that body heat. We did have warm clothing since we had ski clothes. This is one of my most memorable Christmases. The fact that I had not finished my shopping, could not cook my traditional dinner, had not Christmas lights did not deter my Christmas spirit. I just looked out the window at the beautiful snow covered woods and Christmas was once again magical.
I need to run now. I think I will buy a lottery ticket. MY LUCK APPEARS TO BE GOOD FOR TODAY!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
HEY-WHAT ABOUT ME????
I had my blog all thought out when I read Camille's comments for her last blog. It seems her fans are clamoring for a post after a break for a Colorado wedding. I don't have the Conville gift of charm and gab that Camille and her Dad do, so perhaps that is why I never hear the cry for more! Oh well, we have to work with what we have been given and this is as good as I get. I have a story to post today, but will give you this warning; when I read it to BC last night, he said, "Now that's a real downer!" He can be so encouraging! After thinking it over, I decided perhaps this is why I get blue at Christmas time, but who knows and most certainly don't care.
Before the story, I will share we had our first frost last night. This is definitely late in the year and the last group of trees have just now turned and are beginning to lose their leaves. Larry, Sandra, & I walked at 6 this AM and IT WAS COLD! My hands and fingers were once again hurting and so numb I could not feel the steering wheel. I then lifted weights for the first time in two weeks. I will feel that tomorrow for sure! Larry spent a lot of time talking this AM and we learned a lot about his childhood. He has had an interesting life and he should write the story down. He is living proof that the "Foster System" can work. What a wonderful family to take in many others and treat them as your own children-literally until the day you die. Larry told me that he knew he had been loved and that is more than many people can say. What a tribute to his "Mom & Dad".
I SAW DADDY HIDING SANTA CLAUS
You could feel Christmas in the air. Short cool days with long nights of star filled skies and the smell of wood fires in the air. The days up to the last day of school before the Christmas break were torture. Who could listen or pay attention to the teacher as she droned on and on about the history of the Roman empire or short cut techniques for solving long division problems? The only good thing about the school day was the Christmas color sheets, making decorations for the school room Christmas tree, and practicing for the school Christmas program.
We drew names in our room at school to exchange gifts at the party on the last day of class. This meant a trip to the local five and dime store to pick out a gift-but you couldn’t spend more than a dollar. How exciting to pour over the toys, games, and books lined down the aisle of the store. The trick was to pick out something that everyone really wanted and hope that every other gift was not the same thing. This became a difficult chore when you stop to realize that there is only one five and dime store in town and all the other kids in school shopped in the same store. You could always pick out candy since we all loved and appreciated candy. It could take forever to select just the right gift and then you had to wrap it. The name exchange was a big secret, so you had to be very careful at recess to not divulge your name. Since the girls and boys drew names within their groups exclusively, this left a small number of possibilities to have your name. Usually by the time the party rolled around, the secret was out and we all knew who had our name. What is it about secrets and girls that we don’t think we can bear to not know?
Every morning I plodded down the long shell covered rutted dirt drive to wait for the school bus. My breathe left a cloud of vapor as I strolled to the narrow paved road in front of the house. There I stood dreaming of Santa and treasures to come as the yellow ferry crept up the road. The early days of December dragged by and the long anticipated last day of school finally arrived. We spent the day exchanging gifts, eating party food and presenting our songs to the school assembly. Finally the day was over and we were off to the buses. The day was capped off with Mr. Bill, the bus driver, giving each rider an orange when they got off the bus. The real magic of Christmas was finally closing in.
I had spent hours of many days going through “The Christmas Wish book”. I made a list and remade a list, carefully picking just what every girl would want. I really liked a lot of the boys’ games including rockets that really lifted off, chemistry sets, and erector sets. The girls in comparison had boring things like dolls, tea sets, and batons. I knew Santa expected me to order the standard girl type toys, but oh how I wanted some of those boys’ toys. After I made the list a couple of dozen times, I handed it over to Momma to mail to Santa for me. Now all that remained was the wait.
Once school was over and there was about a week until Christmas, the anticipation became unbearable. We were wild and Momma was working overtime trying to keep us calm and acting like ladies and gentlemen. We often would go by Daddy’s office during this final week. The secretary would mysteriously tell us we could not go to the back vault. Daddy’s office was the old town bank and had a walk in vault in the back of it. We loved playing there when we were at the office, but all of a sudden it was off limits.
Living in Louisiana, we were always able to go outside and play and that is just what we did to pass the time away. The great outdoors were our playground and Momma’s salvation from our noise and fighting. We spent hours running, chasing, fighting, and idling the time away.
The day before Christmas Uncle Joe & Aunt Lora were coming to spend Christmas with us. It was a long drive, but they always brought us a gift and treated us as if we were their grandchildren. It was always fun and times were good when they visited. Momma would be in her best mood and Daddy was charming as always. Tomorrow would be Christmas and Santa would arrive. I could feel the flush of excitement and the aura of nervous anticipation as the night finally arrived.
We had our Christmas Eve dinner and the adults were trying to visit. Momma sent us out of the room to keep the noise and confusion down. For some reason we decided to play chase around the house. Circling and circling, running as fast as our feet could take us. I ran around the corner of the house and toward the carport. Daddy’s car was parked just out of the carport and I ran behind the back of it trying to avoid being caught. As I slipped around the back of the station wagon, something caught my eye. I looked back and I saw the distinct handle bars of a bicycle. WHAT DID THIS MEAN? I quickly ran into the house in fear of being in trouble for being where I was not supposed to be. We were sent to bed after putting out Christmas candy and milk for Santa. I could not get the sight of what I had seen out of my mind, but I went to bed knowing there had to be an explanation.
The next morning we woke up bright and early to see what Santa had brought. To my surprise, there was a bicycle under the tree. What had I discovered? What did this mean? The sad thing is that I realized the magic of my childhood had slipped away. What had I done? Why had I gone outdoors? Everything was fitting together, but I didn’t like what I had learned. The magic of Santa had vanished with a simple game of chase.
Before the story, I will share we had our first frost last night. This is definitely late in the year and the last group of trees have just now turned and are beginning to lose their leaves. Larry, Sandra, & I walked at 6 this AM and IT WAS COLD! My hands and fingers were once again hurting and so numb I could not feel the steering wheel. I then lifted weights for the first time in two weeks. I will feel that tomorrow for sure! Larry spent a lot of time talking this AM and we learned a lot about his childhood. He has had an interesting life and he should write the story down. He is living proof that the "Foster System" can work. What a wonderful family to take in many others and treat them as your own children-literally until the day you die. Larry told me that he knew he had been loved and that is more than many people can say. What a tribute to his "Mom & Dad".
I SAW DADDY HIDING SANTA CLAUS
You could feel Christmas in the air. Short cool days with long nights of star filled skies and the smell of wood fires in the air. The days up to the last day of school before the Christmas break were torture. Who could listen or pay attention to the teacher as she droned on and on about the history of the Roman empire or short cut techniques for solving long division problems? The only good thing about the school day was the Christmas color sheets, making decorations for the school room Christmas tree, and practicing for the school Christmas program.
We drew names in our room at school to exchange gifts at the party on the last day of class. This meant a trip to the local five and dime store to pick out a gift-but you couldn’t spend more than a dollar. How exciting to pour over the toys, games, and books lined down the aisle of the store. The trick was to pick out something that everyone really wanted and hope that every other gift was not the same thing. This became a difficult chore when you stop to realize that there is only one five and dime store in town and all the other kids in school shopped in the same store. You could always pick out candy since we all loved and appreciated candy. It could take forever to select just the right gift and then you had to wrap it. The name exchange was a big secret, so you had to be very careful at recess to not divulge your name. Since the girls and boys drew names within their groups exclusively, this left a small number of possibilities to have your name. Usually by the time the party rolled around, the secret was out and we all knew who had our name. What is it about secrets and girls that we don’t think we can bear to not know?
Every morning I plodded down the long shell covered rutted dirt drive to wait for the school bus. My breathe left a cloud of vapor as I strolled to the narrow paved road in front of the house. There I stood dreaming of Santa and treasures to come as the yellow ferry crept up the road. The early days of December dragged by and the long anticipated last day of school finally arrived. We spent the day exchanging gifts, eating party food and presenting our songs to the school assembly. Finally the day was over and we were off to the buses. The day was capped off with Mr. Bill, the bus driver, giving each rider an orange when they got off the bus. The real magic of Christmas was finally closing in.
I had spent hours of many days going through “The Christmas Wish book”. I made a list and remade a list, carefully picking just what every girl would want. I really liked a lot of the boys’ games including rockets that really lifted off, chemistry sets, and erector sets. The girls in comparison had boring things like dolls, tea sets, and batons. I knew Santa expected me to order the standard girl type toys, but oh how I wanted some of those boys’ toys. After I made the list a couple of dozen times, I handed it over to Momma to mail to Santa for me. Now all that remained was the wait.
Once school was over and there was about a week until Christmas, the anticipation became unbearable. We were wild and Momma was working overtime trying to keep us calm and acting like ladies and gentlemen. We often would go by Daddy’s office during this final week. The secretary would mysteriously tell us we could not go to the back vault. Daddy’s office was the old town bank and had a walk in vault in the back of it. We loved playing there when we were at the office, but all of a sudden it was off limits.
Living in Louisiana, we were always able to go outside and play and that is just what we did to pass the time away. The great outdoors were our playground and Momma’s salvation from our noise and fighting. We spent hours running, chasing, fighting, and idling the time away.
The day before Christmas Uncle Joe & Aunt Lora were coming to spend Christmas with us. It was a long drive, but they always brought us a gift and treated us as if we were their grandchildren. It was always fun and times were good when they visited. Momma would be in her best mood and Daddy was charming as always. Tomorrow would be Christmas and Santa would arrive. I could feel the flush of excitement and the aura of nervous anticipation as the night finally arrived.
We had our Christmas Eve dinner and the adults were trying to visit. Momma sent us out of the room to keep the noise and confusion down. For some reason we decided to play chase around the house. Circling and circling, running as fast as our feet could take us. I ran around the corner of the house and toward the carport. Daddy’s car was parked just out of the carport and I ran behind the back of it trying to avoid being caught. As I slipped around the back of the station wagon, something caught my eye. I looked back and I saw the distinct handle bars of a bicycle. WHAT DID THIS MEAN? I quickly ran into the house in fear of being in trouble for being where I was not supposed to be. We were sent to bed after putting out Christmas candy and milk for Santa. I could not get the sight of what I had seen out of my mind, but I went to bed knowing there had to be an explanation.
The next morning we woke up bright and early to see what Santa had brought. To my surprise, there was a bicycle under the tree. What had I discovered? What did this mean? The sad thing is that I realized the magic of my childhood had slipped away. What had I done? Why had I gone outdoors? Everything was fitting together, but I didn’t like what I had learned. The magic of Santa had vanished with a simple game of chase.
Monday, December 3, 2007
FINGERING NUMBING INTIMIDATON
God has a wonderful sense of humor! You just have to look for it to see the evidence. I have already written about Bobby's regional manager being a "Real Runner" who has trained with "the best". That was a subtle reminder of how I rank in the real world of runners. The "Big Girls" that I run with or rather way behind are an everyday reminder of my slug status, but when you are confronted with the "Big Leagues"-WELL! I try to justify my slowness with my age, but that will not fly since Sandra is actually a little older than me and runs circles around me. That woman is a phenomenon -she ran 13 Saturday, 6 yesterday, 10 this morning, and then we walked 3 more. Following that she will go swim for an hour. I am beginning to wonder if she is human-maybe she was dropped off on Earth by an alien family as a baby and she has their super powers on Earth. You know like SUPERWOMAN!
God gave me a little humility pill to swallow yesterday while on the airplane. I sat by a lady body builder. I would show you her picture, but she has all these warnings about publishing her picture. Look for yourself-Google Tina Chandler and just take a gander at my seatmate. Bobby & I immediately knew she was a body builder when she walked by us in the terminal since every muscle shows through her clothing. When I ended up sitting by her, I couldn't resist getting that all important social history. She is a massage therapist, a personal trainer, going to school to be a nurse, and now a professional body builder. She obtained her professional status about 2 weeks ago after a really fast track through the amateurs. It was a fascinating conversation, but slightly intimidating. When she asked me if I lifted, you should have heard me stumbling all over that answer. Very entertaining, thank goodness, since I was not in a very good frame of mind after another airport delay and flying in 4 hours late.
My hands were numb and hurting this morning while running. I AM NOT COMPLAINING- I love the winter. One of the things we noticed this early morning was how many stars were visible in the clear night sky. You feel like you are looking at diamonds sparkling in the thousands as they form an umbrella over your head for your early morning run. BREATH-TAKING! You have to get your head right for the cold runs. You have to figure out just the right combination of clothes, chap stick, moisturizer for your face, and cotton for your ears. Do I need one pair or two pair of gloves? Then almost always you have to strip off some clothes before you get back. It is a delicate balancing act. The good thing is the "Real Larry" showed up today, when we were running our 6 miles, after a couple of weeks of being off. Glad to see that since he should have a great marathon on this tract.
My favorite thing about winter is sitting by my fireplace with a crackling fire right beside me. Momma & Daddy instilled that love of a fire in me and I am a fire purist. No gas logs for me-I want the real thing. The wonderful aroma of that wood burning, the radiant heat making my face glow, and the thousands of memories of sitting just where I am-with my chair as close as I can get it. What a wonderful catalyst for warm remembrances of truly "Good Times." I am blessed!
God gave me a little humility pill to swallow yesterday while on the airplane. I sat by a lady body builder. I would show you her picture, but she has all these warnings about publishing her picture. Look for yourself-Google Tina Chandler and just take a gander at my seatmate. Bobby & I immediately knew she was a body builder when she walked by us in the terminal since every muscle shows through her clothing. When I ended up sitting by her, I couldn't resist getting that all important social history. She is a massage therapist, a personal trainer, going to school to be a nurse, and now a professional body builder. She obtained her professional status about 2 weeks ago after a really fast track through the amateurs. It was a fascinating conversation, but slightly intimidating. When she asked me if I lifted, you should have heard me stumbling all over that answer. Very entertaining, thank goodness, since I was not in a very good frame of mind after another airport delay and flying in 4 hours late.
My hands were numb and hurting this morning while running. I AM NOT COMPLAINING- I love the winter. One of the things we noticed this early morning was how many stars were visible in the clear night sky. You feel like you are looking at diamonds sparkling in the thousands as they form an umbrella over your head for your early morning run. BREATH-TAKING! You have to get your head right for the cold runs. You have to figure out just the right combination of clothes, chap stick, moisturizer for your face, and cotton for your ears. Do I need one pair or two pair of gloves? Then almost always you have to strip off some clothes before you get back. It is a delicate balancing act. The good thing is the "Real Larry" showed up today, when we were running our 6 miles, after a couple of weeks of being off. Glad to see that since he should have a great marathon on this tract.
My favorite thing about winter is sitting by my fireplace with a crackling fire right beside me. Momma & Daddy instilled that love of a fire in me and I am a fire purist. No gas logs for me-I want the real thing. The wonderful aroma of that wood burning, the radiant heat making my face glow, and the thousands of memories of sitting just where I am-with my chair as close as I can get it. What a wonderful catalyst for warm remembrances of truly "Good Times." I am blessed!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
DESERT RAINS & ARABIAN HORSES
We must have brought all of this rain with us from Louisiana. It has rained and rained here-shades of Louisiana frog-stranglers. The bad thing about rain in Arizona is that they do not have the drainage systems that we do in LA. Someone told me that this is the most rain they have had in 16 months. This means that the rain is standing around in puddles, on the side of the road and in the road itself. This makes for some pretty treacherous traveling, but since they are transporting us around in a bus-it has not been a problem.
Last night we went to the nation's largest Arabian horse training ranch. The entire complex was made from cedar and quite impressive. There are about 100 horses being trained there and they are so beautiful. Some were friendly and you were allowed to be up close and personal with them. The 3 trainers are all women and strike quite a pose on these beautiful animals. I had a conversation with one of the trainers and learned quite a bit about their training regime. She has around 20 + horses under her tutorage and rides at least 10 of them a day. The horses are treated like royalty and every nook and cranny was pristine. It was a very impressive outing with a wonderful meal to cap it off.
Bobby is back in meetings today, but we have another excursion off the hotel property tonight. The location is in the desert foothills. I have viewed these only from a distance while running so hopefully we will have a better view tonight.
One of the birds I saw yesterday was a Gambel's Quail. Look his picture up on the Internet, he was quite impressive. When I read about the bird, I discovered he often tries to distract you from his mate and reflecting back, I remember seeing her. She is not nearly as beautiful as the male, but I thought it was fascinating that he ran across my path in an effort to distract me from her.
I have seen every type of cacti that you could imagine as well as many-many flowers and flowering shrubs. The Mexican heather grows up to my waist or higher. The bougainvillea, oleanders, and lantana are in full bloom, as well as many flowers that I could not identify. For a desert, it is really something. I heard a local tell someone yesterday that after this rain, the desert will actually "green up". Wish I had an opportunity to see that, but "The Discover Channel" will have to do.
We begin our trek home tomorrow morning and as always after a few days away from home, I look forward to being home. As Dorothy so well put it, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home."
Last night we went to the nation's largest Arabian horse training ranch. The entire complex was made from cedar and quite impressive. There are about 100 horses being trained there and they are so beautiful. Some were friendly and you were allowed to be up close and personal with them. The 3 trainers are all women and strike quite a pose on these beautiful animals. I had a conversation with one of the trainers and learned quite a bit about their training regime. She has around 20 + horses under her tutorage and rides at least 10 of them a day. The horses are treated like royalty and every nook and cranny was pristine. It was a very impressive outing with a wonderful meal to cap it off.
Bobby is back in meetings today, but we have another excursion off the hotel property tonight. The location is in the desert foothills. I have viewed these only from a distance while running so hopefully we will have a better view tonight.
One of the birds I saw yesterday was a Gambel's Quail. Look his picture up on the Internet, he was quite impressive. When I read about the bird, I discovered he often tries to distract you from his mate and reflecting back, I remember seeing her. She is not nearly as beautiful as the male, but I thought it was fascinating that he ran across my path in an effort to distract me from her.
I have seen every type of cacti that you could imagine as well as many-many flowers and flowering shrubs. The Mexican heather grows up to my waist or higher. The bougainvillea, oleanders, and lantana are in full bloom, as well as many flowers that I could not identify. For a desert, it is really something. I heard a local tell someone yesterday that after this rain, the desert will actually "green up". Wish I had an opportunity to see that, but "The Discover Channel" will have to do.
We begin our trek home tomorrow morning and as always after a few days away from home, I look forward to being home. As Dorothy so well put it, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home."
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