Saturday, August 27, 2011

Has it really only been two years?


I have been on vacation all this past week. Two years ago I was on vacation this same week in August. When I look back now, I realize that week two years ago was a gift from God because I spent it with my Daddy, and neither of us knew it was going to be his last week on earth. But God did. And I got to be with him all day, every day, all that week, and I was right there with him holding his hand as he took his last breath on earth and his first breath in heaven.

The last two years have seemed more like two centuries. I have to come to look at everything, everyone, differently, and to appreciate just how sweet life really is.

If there has ever been a person on this earth who truly loved life and appreciated it as a sweet gift from above, it was my Daddy. I miss you, Daddy. But I know beyond the shadow of any doubt I'll see you again. So keep the coffee pot on for me, ok?

Friday, August 19, 2011

Baby you can drive my car


And sleep at my house. And eat my food. And play with my toys. And track mud on my floor. For as long as you want.

Something that really hurts my heart is when I hear parents make statements about how glad they'll be when their children finally grow up and leave home. And their children still little tykes. It always puts a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Like I have right now just typing these words.

When our daughter was a little girl, it never once occurred to me that I would be glad when she grew up and left home. And I think she sensed that. I think she always knew that if she decided to stay our little girl forever and live at home, that would be just fine with both me and her dad. That could be why every year on her birthday from age ten forward, she would cry. She told us it was because she never wanted to grow up. She said she was so happy being a little girl she could never imagine herself being as happy as an adult. (Which, of course, she is, but that's another whole blog).

The important thing is....she never felt rushed to grow up just so her parents could move on to the next phase of their lives. I think if I had ever heard my husband say something about wanting her to grow up and move away, I would have probably beaned him with something! But I hear other men say stuff like that all the time....in the presence of their wife and children! Both of us feel the same way about this subject. And when we hear someone say it, my husband and I just look at each other and we both get tears in our eyes. Because we're both remembering how hard it was for us to put our daughter on a plane and watch her fly off to college nearly 1,500 miles away. Heck, my hubby had to wear sunglasses for a full two weeks before and after that day just so folks couldn't see him crying.

Then came the day we watched her walk down the aisle to marry the sweetheart she met at that college. In fact, her dad walked her down the aisle as "dad," then put on his "minister hat" and performed the ceremony. I still don't know how he managed to pull that off without a total breakdown! He did have to stop a few times to regain his composure but, all in all, he made it through with flying colors.

Then, nine years later, we had a beautiful baby granddaughter. Our lives were truly complete. And seriously sweet! We have watched her grow day by day, for the past seven years, at that same rapid blur with which her mommy grew up. We try to stress to our daughter and her wonderful husband how quickly these days of their little one's childhood will evaporate. And that they will be wearing sunglasses while putting her on a plane before you know it. I think they get it. Because I have never heard them utter anything about wishing these days behind them. If they're really lucky, their little one will cry just a little on each birthday because she's so happy being their little girl.

Oh, and by the way, our granddaughter's favorite song when she was just a baby: "Baby, You Can Drive My Car" by the Beatles. Appropro, wouldn't you say?

Sunday, August 14, 2011

One last summer fling

School starts Thursday. So this weekend was the last weekend of freedom for London. We decided to spend as much time as we could making it a memorable summer for her. She got to spend some GREAT time with her GiGi and Pop over the 4th of July in Denver, and we're still looking at all the great pics and movies showing how much fun they all had. We love it when she starts telling us about one of the things that happened: "When we were in Cah-wado..." It's so sweet.

So yesterday we made a day of it at the Missouri State Fair. A LONG day of it. London's "food" goal was to eat one of the giant corndogs. She DID it! The thing was almost as big as she is. Then on to the exhibits before hitting the rides.

We spent a lot of time in the Science Fair tent set up for kids. Her cup of tea.


This is the girl at the fossil booth saying, "Boy, you sure know your animals!" All those hours spent watching the Wild Kratts and Dinosaur Train paid off. She was identifying different kinds of fossils and asking lots of questions that really impressed the staff. In fact, I noticed the booth's photographer taking lots of pics of her. No telling where they will end up. We probably spent an hour and a half in that one tent.

Then on to the Midway and the rides.


Taken from the top of the big ferris wheel.


Then riding the more domestic-type rides, and feeding the animals.


By 6:00 we had decided we couldn't last long enough to take in the 7:00 rodeo, which we had planned to do. We were just too tired and getting too hungry. Left with the idea that we'd come back after we ate if we felt like it. We didn't. And to cap it off, on the ride home, the beautiful full moon rose in the sky to lead the little Jeep-load of happy, tired fair-goers back home to dream happy dreams of a day filled with squeals of excitement, wide-eyed wonder, and the sighs of ecstasy that only state fair food can evoke.

Life is sweet. Sweet as cotton candy and kettle corn and sticky-faced little girls with sun-kissed cheeks.




Wednesday, August 10, 2011

A little patch of heaven

Our little patch of heaven. It's not big. It's not fancy. And it's certainly not hip or cool by HGTV standards.


But I love our little patch of heaven. I've found it's a great place to grow stuff. Not only stuff like flowers and strawberries and blackberries and tomatoes and peppers and and all kinds of aromatic herbs...


...but the best things that grow here are the family memories.

Oh yes, and a little girl who just loves to come to Nana's and Pawpaw's house is growing here. Way, way too fast.




Saturday, August 6, 2011

Are we there yet?


(Photo in memory of the gorgeous tree that used to be across the street from City Hall on E. McCarty).

Who would have ever thought that temps in the mid 90s would feel like a cold snap? Seriously. It's in the 90's here today, and still 15 degrees cooler than it was one day last week. Our poor plants went into shock. Keeping a hopeful eye on the sky for some more of that pop-up, drop-in water in the next few days. It would be a nice break from carrying water up the hill in a watering can. Harold plans to lay down some kind of water delivery system so all we will have to do is turn on a faucet and get the water uphill the easy way, but that's probably going to be a next-year project.

I really feel for the poor lawn guys who rely on mowing yards to make a living, or at least supplement their income. I haven't heard a lawn mower in a long time around our neighborhood. So I say, bring on autumn, baby! I love it. Everything about it. I'm just not a hot-weather person, never have been. I really don't mind cold weather and bundling up and all that stuff that accompanies winter. To me, not being able to get out and about because I'm "snowed in" is a cozy confinement. Just cook up a big pot of Plaza III Steak Soup (recipe below), or some spicy chili and watch it weather outside over a steaming bowl of whatever. NOT cozy...being literally driven inside because it's so hot your eyebrows burn off the second you open the front door, it's too hot to touch the porch railing when you go up and down the porch steps, or sitting on the carseats leave weird tracks on your skin.

I have a lot of friends who are of the exact opposite sentiment. So for those people I say, enjoy this weather for a little while longer, because my turn is right around the corner!

Plaza III Steak Soup

1 lb. Ground beef or leftover cooked steak cut into cubes
1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup flour
1 can diced tomatoes
2 qt. water
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onions (I substitute onion powder as hubby won’t eat cooked onions)
1 cup diced celery
1 10 oz. Pkg. Frozen mixed vegetables
2 Tablespoons beef base
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Brown beef; drain. Meanwhile, parboil onion, carrots and celery for about 2 minutes in 1 quart of water. Melt butter or margarine in large pan or dutch oven. Blend in flour to make smooth paste. Gradually stir in the other quart of (cold) water to make a thick liquid. Gradually add to the pot containing the boiled vegetables & other quart of water. Add all other ingredients, bring to low boil and simmer until meat and vegetables are tender. Recipe says do not salt, but I always add salt to taste. I also add about a teaspoon of Kitchen Bouquet for added rich color and flavor. Wonderful served with hot, buttered bread right out of the oven!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Downtown on the farm

There's a new farmer's market in town. It's only about 7 weeks old, or so I'm told. We went there the first time two weeks ago, and then again last Saturday. The guy in charge says that the booth spaces are free, but I don't know if there are any other kind of requirements. Bet it would be easy enough to find out.



It's at Lincoln University's agricultural research area on the end of Chestnut Street, lots of nice shade trees to park under, and walk around under, while you browse. And they have live music! Not many other farmers' markets can claim that!

It's on Saturday mornings from 8 AM to noon. You should go. And, since they have lots of space left, if you grow your own produce, or bake, or do other neat stuff like that, you should probably get yourself a booth and set up for business.

I told Harold maybe he could take some of his garden stuff. They have a huge garden made up of little plots where they grow all kinds of produce. He said maybe we should just go early and pick theirs, set up our booth, and put up a sign that says: "Locally grown. More locally than you know!"

We really wouldn't do that, but it sounded like a good idea at the time.


Anyway, here are a few pics of the goodies you might see. See the big, round loaf of honey mustard oatmeal bread? And that little granddaughter-sized cherry pie? They were both yummy!