Tuesdays With Jen, My Memoirs

A few random thoughts about horses:

 

• One time my horse fell in the mud.  I fell off of him as my feet came right out of my boots.  Wendy was sitting on the porch laughing about it.  I was more concerned with seeing that my horse was okay…  (more so than myself)
• One time my horse ran away from home…further away than I could track.  Later that afternoon someone called and said they thought they might have my horse.  A few miles away I found him safe and sound.  The lady there had a horse named “Jeepers Creepers.” She rode with me most of the way home, showing me the way.  I ran into her at a ‘horsie party’ just before Christmas this year.  It’s a small world!
• Another woman I recently ran into (at the same horsie party) said that her daughter (about 8yo at the time) clipped the for sale ad for my Magnium, slipped it into a homemade card that she gave her mother.  The card said “If you buy me Magnium, I will never ask for anything ever again.” Who knew?! How entirely sweet! 
• The neighbor girl once admitted to me that she was jealous of my horse.  This is the same girl that pulled me off of the horse and left me hurt and stranded in a field until my Grandma found me and called an ambulance. 
• Not long before Keith and I married, his sister was visiting and we took her to the stable.  He was going to impress her with his horseback riding knowledge.  Just before I gave him a leg-up onto Lacey, he said “This is how you do it.”  He swung him self up and over and kept on going.  He landed on his back, on the ground, with the saddle blanket between his legs.  Out of his mouth came “Ummm… this is NOT how you do it.”  We had a good laugh. 

Tuesdays With Jen… My Memoirs

I walked into one of the upstairs bedrooms where Amanda was burning a candle.  I told her that her candles stink.  She said that my candles stink.  In sisterly fun we sparred… she kicked at me and I blocked it with my hand.  She broke my middle finger on my left hand!  “IIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!!!!” I screamed.  She got me some ice.  She was apologetic.  It hurt BAD!!!!  The next day I had it x-rayed.  Yes, it was broken.

 

She was really sorry to hurt me so badly.  She helped me many days with my farm-chores because she was ‘sorry.’ 

 

A few weeks later it was time to unload a wagon full of hay.  She helped until it was done.  Then she sat on a bale of hay and said “J.J. you’ve used up all your sorry.”  It was very funny… I don’t think she’s been in the barn much since!

 

What can I say???? I love her, but her candles STILL stink!!!!

Tuesdays With Jen… My Memoirs

Monday was the start of deer season, rifle anyway.  It brings back memories.  When I was in my late teens early 20s I had the itch to hunt.  I met a guy who had that same itch.  We left in my truck at 530am for his favorite hunting spot.  On the way we hit a deer, a doe.  The words from my mouth were “Ohhhh MARTHA!”  (not expletives) We pushed her a good ways and when the truck came to a screeching stop she did somersaults down the road in front of us.  She busted out the grill.  The fender was pushed back into my door.  I said “Get out and bring your gun.”  I think that was a shock to this guy.  She was dead so we tossed her off the road.  The radiator was leaking pretty bad, so we went back home.  I didn’t get to finish that hunt, but he did.  He got a doe behind the house.  Her name was Martha too… of course. 

Dan-Dan & Martha 1992

Fun times!

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

 

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the loss of my good friend Ed.  Throughout my early 20’s I spent many a night helping him milk his cows.  He often spoke fondly of my grandfather and told stories about him that I hold dear to my heart.  We ate ice cream almost daily.  I would often come prepared to tell a joke, the punch line of which he would repeat for hours thereafter followed by a jolly good laugh.  He would laugh so hard that I couldn’t understand what he was saying.  Then I would laugh because he was laughing and he’d laugh harder thinking that I was laughing at what he was trying to say and it would go on until we were both in stitches.  I so enjoyed my time with Ed.  He was an honest soul, a man of little glamour except for his heart of gold.  He was humble, hard-working, and a kindred friend.  I will cherish so many memories of him until we meet again in Heaven.  

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

August 17th is my birthday.  I share that with a cousin and a brother-in-law.  There is no such thing as Christmas in July… It’s Christmas in August with my family.  I don’t have many significant birthday memories.  I remember Mom making a cake with several layers, one for each of the August birthdays.  I remember one year as a teenager that nobody remembered it was my birthday until it was over.  That was kind of depressing.  What’s the big deal about birthdays anyway?  It is nice to get cards and to have that feeling like it’s okay to spoil myself just this one day.  I guess I’m getting older, but I still don’t feel old except maybe first thing in the morning when my knees don’t want to bend to go downstairs.  I wish I could look back and say remember that one birthday…. but I just don’t.  (and it’s not because I’m too old to remember… yet!)  LOL 

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

Random things I remember from being a teenager:

 

• Trips to Penn State main campus for FFA week
• Loved my Penn State t-shirts from the above trip
• Tie dyed t-shirt that I wore until it completely wore out
• Every day on the way to my job at the stable (in the summer) I stopped at McCormick’s Market for a diet Pepsi and a brownie.  That was my usual lunch aside from the occasional Marburger Buttermilk with Doritos.  Mmmmmm…
• I used to run
• Riding my horse at least 6 days a week
• I had a phone with gigantic buttons and it would click before it rang, so I could answer it without anyone else knowing that a call was coming in
• Grandma made me breakfast every morning (school days)  It was either fried potatoes or grapefruit that she pealed and skinned. 
• We used to ride by the pool to catch a glimpse of the lifeguards there. 
• Dates with a few boys… some good some bad
• Showing my horse at the Fair
• Showing my lambs at the Farm Show
• Working Saturday’s at Market

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

This past weekend I cleaned out a few things that were being stored in our back room in the basement.  I stumbled upon an old scrap book that had a few misc. items tucked inside.  The scrap book was from my senior year of high school.  There were pictures, 3newspaper clippings, and misc. keepsakes from my travels and activities back then. 

 

I was in the FFA.  I was a leader of my local chapter.  I received the DeKalb award, one of the highest awards afforded to high school FFA students.  It made the newspaper and the article said that I was planning to pursue Agriculture Education.  Really?  What?  I don’t even remember how that came about.  And why didn’t I pursue it?  I might have been a good one! 

 

I also found some pictures.  I don’t have them scanned yet, but I wish I did.  My best friend and I went to JCPenney and had our portraits taken together.  I wish you could see the outfits and the hair!!!!  This is early 90’s!!!  We look so young!

 

I found a letter from an old acquaintance that I worked with at the stable.  I have occasionally wondered what ever became of him.  His hometown was Harrisville, PA and if I remember correctly he wanted to become a vet, with equine interest.  I wonder if I can find him on Facebook?  Hmmm…

 

I found two love letters from a guy that I went on a couple dates with.  The funny thing is that I remember his first name and what he looked like, but not his last name.  He must have made quite an impression????  The letters were sweet but at this point in my life they make me laugh.  He wrote “every night before I go to sleep I pray that I will have a chance with you.”  Seriously?  Even funnier… I don’t even remember exchanging letters with this boy.  Sorry Pal. 

 

I didn’t even know this scrap book existed until I stumbled upon it.  It’s amazing the things we forget as time goes by. 

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

I was just thinking the other day about social skills.  Does anyone think that I was socially inept as a child, or even now?  A week or so ago we were at a family function talking about a recent trip to downtown Pittsburgh.  My mother shutters at the thought of the big city.  Quite honestly, she put that fear in me long ago, but I have since grown out of it.  Then Mom was talking about her being the youngest child and how she always had to fight for attention or something.  I think that’s what starting this whole topic on my mind lately… the things we do or do not learn as children.  It’s amazing how our childhood plays a part in our adult lives.

 

I remember being kind of a loner as a child.  I was a middle child.  When the younger children came along I think I felt just sort of forgotten.  A couple of times I might have tried to vie for some attention, but alas I always felt overlooked or discounted.  Maybe that is the root of my independence?  Maybe it was because we lived way down over the hill in a rural area with neighborly friends not very close, thus limiting the usual interaction of children??? 

 

I didn’t reach out to befriend other children.  I waited for them to approach me.  Why is that?  I’m still kind of like that.  When I meet new people I’m not sure what to say right away.  I usually wait for them to ask all the questions.  My husband will sit on the porch and talk with the neighbors, but I’d rather not.  I like my privacy.  I would be happy living in Timbuktu where the neighbors are not so close.  I don’t seek out social opportunities, but when K does talk me into it, I enjoy it.  (just like visiting the city)

 

I was telling my lady friends this on Saturday and one of them said that the way I am makes me a very approachable person.   Wow, that was quite a compliment.   So maybe it’s not a bad thing after all?  I do hope that if we ever have children that they are more socially balanced than I.  (or at least better than I perceive myself to be)

Tuesday’s With Jen – My Memoirs

In honor of Father’s Day, I should mention a few fond memories about my Dad:

• He used to let us ride in the truck (tanker) with him at night to help keep him awake while he was hauling oil for the road company.
• He always took a thermos full of coffee to work.
• He was a soldier in the US Army.  Served in Vietnam.  Was a Radar tech.  Now a veteran.
• He used to ride a motorcycle, a Kowasaki.  He hurt his knee because of that bike. 
• He used to cut wood on Saturdays and we children were in charge of gathering kindling in 5-gallon buckets.  We would toss the wood down the basement steps where he’d catch it and stack it.
• He used to give each of us kids a quarter at church to put in the offering plate.  If you were lucky enough to sit by him in church, sometimes he let you put the check in the plate too.
• He spent many weekend afternoons watching tv and cuddling with us kids on the couch.
• When I was in the hospital, he came home from his Army Reserve assignment and brought me a Strawberry Shortcake nightgown. 
• When he first met Keith, I found them on the front porch smoking cigarettes and talking about war.  They say you marry your Dad… right?
• He’s a baby-hog! 
• When the starter on my truck went caput, he helped me get it fixed and reinstalled it for me.
• He has his own unique sign-language.  When he’s at the dinner table and wants the butter, he points at it with his knife.  The funny thing is that we all understand exactly what he wants. 
• He walked me down the isle and looked like a million bucks that day!
• I remember the look on his face when he saw my new husband dancing to “I touch myself” at my wedding.
• He worked very hard all his life.

He’s my Dad.  I’m proud of him and I love him very much!

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

This past week was hot, for me anyway.  When it gets up to 80 degrees plus, I’m miserable, especially when there is no air-conditioning.  The other day I was thinking, reminiscing, about my sweet Gram Ditties.  She lived in an older trailer and for most of it’s time it had NO air conditioning.  She had a couple fans, but nothing that did anything more than move around a bunch of hot air.  It was sweltering in her trailer.  She had her ways of dealing with the heat.  She would put on her “house-coat” which was basically a very light robe of sorts that zipped or snapped up.  She kept glass drinking glasses in her freezer so when you poured a cool drink it was ICE COLD, like a frosted mug.  She’d sip ice water and sit on her swing in the shade of the trees in her backyard.  Why can’t I be so content in this heat?  Maybe I should try frosted glasses of ice-water?  She may have been on to something there!

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

My cat Jimini was old when we moved to Kentucky.  He settled in well there, but as time went by, he deteriorated more and more.  We eventually had him put to sleep at the local vets office.  It was NOT a pleasant experience.  We took him home and buried him in the back yard.  We were broken hearted.

 

I was traveling back and forth from Lexington to Pittsburgh regularly.  Keith was home alone and although he had a couple friends there, he was missing my company and probably Jimini’s as well.  We wanted to get another cat so bad.  We were poor.  We just couldn’t afford it. 

 

One day, because we had NO money for entertainment but needed to get out of the house, we visited the humane society in Lexington.  I pointed out this adorable reserved gray kitty that I thought was pretty.  Keith was drawn to the obnoxious orange tabby that was screaming for attention.  We learned that adoption fees were $99 and that included spay/neuter and a vet check.  Disappointed that we had not $99 to spare, we went home.  We talked about the crazy orange kitty and decided to try to save some money to get him.  We named him Demetrius. 

Shortly thereafter, I was sharing the story with my Mom.  She was so touched that she transferred money to our bank account just so we could get this new pet.  Thanks Mom!!!  Keith absolutely could NOT wait.  He wanted to go back to the shelter NOW!!!  I was busy working, so I sent him on his own.  “What are you going to do if Demetrius is no longer there?” I asked.  “Come home without him and we’ll go back together to look for another some other day.” He replied.  So off he went.  About an hour later I got a call.  “Demetrius is gone.”  He said.  “Oh, sorry Honey.”  I sympathetically replied.  “But there’s this other one…” (silence)  “I knew it!” I said.  “Get whichever one you want.”  He was so excited!

A while later he appeared with a box.  When he opened it up, a shy gray kitty was hiding in it.  She was clingy and hid in the first secluded spot she could find.  We named her Crystal.  The funny thing is that she was the one I had wanted him to consider in the first place, except he didn’t know that.  He said when he took her out of her cage at the shelter, she clung to him.  He needed that.  She needed someone like Keith. 

She soon became well acclimated with our home.  She woke us up in the morning.  She bit the tops of my toes on the way from our bedroom to the kitchen because she was so anxious to be fed.  She scaled the back of our couch like a gecko.  She chased ping-pong balls like crazy.  If we threw one in the bathtub, she’d run after it and emerge with it in her mouth.  How she got her jaw open that wide I have no idea, but it didn’t stay put long before it would come shooting out and she’d chase it some more.  She’d sit at the window and chirp at the squirrels and birds.  She was cute and cuddly.  We love her.

To this day, she is Keith’s cat.  Yes, she loves me, but she L-O-V-E-S Keith.  I feed her.  I treat her.  I even sometimes give her little bits of ham.  (shhhh)  But still… Keith is her favorite. 

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

The news this weekend compared our weekend winter wonderland to the Blizzard of 1993.  I remember that blizzard.  I was working at Giant Eagle in Cranberry when the snow began to fall and the public panic was initiated.  The store was CRAZY busy.  My friend, Dan, was to give me a ride home that night.  He was driving a little orange car, affectionately called “The Pumpkin.”  Aside from the memorable frenzy at work, the ride home was exciting.  We did a donut in The Pumpkin in the middle of route 8 south, near Porky’s if you are from around here.  I wasn’t expecting it.  I’m sure he did it on purpose.  The road was completely snow covered and there was little to no traffic… so conditions were prime for such fun.  It WAS fun!  Needless to say we made it home just fine and my friend became stranded at what was then my parent’s home.  We stoked the fire, played board games, ate pizza bread.  The next day we had to dig The Pumpkin out.  It was buried in snow!  We also built a snowman.  Somewhere I have pictures, but I don’t have a working scanner at the moment.  Sorry.

 

But what about the Blizzard of February 2010?  Why not write my remembrances now? 

We woke up Saturday morning, Feb 6, 2010 early.  Keith was scheduled to work and to pick up one of his employees on the way.  Guess what?  He couldn’t get out.  Yes we have 4x4, but when the snow is as high as the tires and heavy and untouched… ya, he wasn’t going anywhere.  So he called work and said he’d be late or not in at all.  A couple hours later he started shoveling.  (pictures posted already)  Thankful for his old Carhardt bib overalls from years gone by, he shoveled his heart out while I chipped away at laundry.  He worked for about 30 minutes at a time, breaking for hot coffee every now and then.   The truck was a little bit stuck from his attempt to get out.  As he was turning it around one of the front tires dropped over the hump into the yard, which is a hillside, and that was all she wrote.  After a couple hours of his shoveling, I joined the effort even though I’m still recovering from a shoulder injury.  I’ve lived in Western Pennsylvania pretty much all my life and I am pretty good at figuring out how to get un-stuck.  I admit, it’s way easier if you have a tractor nearby.  Oh well.  First, I insisted that we shovel around the truck VERY well.  Next, put some gravel behind the tires.  Finally, we cracked open one of the bags of sand that are in my car and lay it behind the tires for traction.  I figured it would be a good idea to have one person just push a wee bit on the front end to give it that umph up over the hump.  Guess what?  It worked like a dream.  I popped it into 4x4 low and at the same time I gave her a lil’ gas and Keith gave her a lil’ push and she backed right up.  Piece of cake?  Well… unless you consider all the shoveling. 

Proud of ourselves we returned to the house to warm up.  We realized that the neighbor was not going to shovel her portion of the driveway and the next house beside her is vacant… so we figured at best we would have to shovel from our house at least two houses down.  This seemed like a monumental task that we were not in a hurry to tackle.  Keith called his work again and reported that he was not going to make it at all.  About and hour later there was a knock at our door.  The neighbor several houses down was asking if we’d help shovel the driveway.  Of course we will!  Glad to have additional assistance, we both donned our winter attire and headed out to join the efforts.  This is a 50 year old man and one teenager that were already tackling the job.  The four of us shoveled the entire driveway.  There was one other lady that came out and helped as much as she could, but she didn’t look like she should be doing that kind of work.  We helped her shovel around her car and when she was done she let me borrow her ergonomically correct shovel.  Note to self:  buy at least 2 of those shovels for ourselves! 

So after we were all shoveled out, we had lunch.  I made a delicious hot ham & cheese on a bun for each of us.  Then we took a much needed winter nap.  The evening was enjoyed together… nothing extra special.  Just a little tv, computer, some fresh baked cookies, and snuggling.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  It was definitely a memorable blizzard.  I know my Handy-hubby does not so much enjoy the snow.  I don’t mind it so much.  I actually enjoy the idea of being snowed in at least once a year. 

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

In honor of last weeks snow snow snow I just HAD to dig this one up… Slide Slide Slippity Slide  I can’t help it.  I crack up every time I recall this incident.  After one evening not being able to get the whole way up the driveway to the barn, this is all I could think of.  Had I not parked it in the ditch on purpose, it could have been the sequel to this. 

 

Oh the grand and precious memories from the old farmhouse!

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

Anniversary’s past…

Several years ago, when we lived in the farm house, we had a very memorable anniversary.  I worked all day.  Keith was home hours before me.  He had mentioned to our landlord that it was our anniversary.  She made him a lasagna and a fresh loaf of homemade bread.  When I got home, he had the table set with candles and wine.  I was in shock when he pulled the lasagna out of the oven.  He had help, but man was it nice!  This beat any monetary gift ever. 

 

I love my hubby.  He is so good to me.

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

We used to live in a big old farm house on 50 acres in Chicora.  We loved that place.  The abundance of wildlife amazed us.  We had a wild turkey whom we affectionately called “Peggy the Peg Leg” because she only had one leg.  We used to feed the birds in the winter and she would come with her flock of friends and clean up the leftovers that the blue-birds and woodpeckers spilled on the ground.  We were warned not to feed the birds in the summer.  We learned that the hard way when the black bear arrived, ate a whole bucket of birdseed, and then returned again late that evening to scout things closer to the house.  They were on the porch, right up to the back door.  It had rained and was muddy.  There were muddy bear paw prints on our lawn furniture.  They crawled through my flower bed.  We took only 2 pictures before the camera jammed.  I have no idea where they are.  There were several, but most memorable was the mama bear and her two cubs.  The cubs were probably a year old at that time, not too small.  The cubs both went up the same tree and rested in the Y half way up.  The mama bear sat her big butt down at the base of the tree as if guarding.  We didn’t see them much beyond that but there were other animals of note…  There were deer.  There were hawks, owls, squirrels, and chipmunks.  I saw a bobcat twice. 

 

It was hard to leave that home that was so dear to us, but it was for a higher calling that we left.  I still remember it fondly… mostly at holidays and in the midst of the change of seasons.  We celebrated some really grand Thanksgivings there.  When the snow came in abundance we found ourselves pretty much stranded… stuck… and so did our guests. 

 

I miss that old place.  I still connect with the landlord on occasion.  She was a delightful motherly German woman with a strong accent and plenty of wit. 

Tuesday’s With Jen

Let’s see… what do I remember from my youth?  I recently ran into a young lady who years and years ago was a little girl who wanted to ride my horse.  She rode Magnium in at least one of the classes at the Fair show.  When her mother spotted me at the Christmas party, she proclaimed “There’s Magnium’s mother!”  How fond I was of my Magnium.  He was a safe ride for a young teen, myself.  What a good horse he was.  He took me far and wide.  Farther and wider than my parents might have ever imagined.  When I sold him I was heart broken.  I remember my own mother asking me if I’d made a mistake.  That wasn’t any help.  When the big truck came for him, he jumped right on.  I visited him on various occasions, mostly at horse shows where his new owners took him. 

 

I understand that he now lives in Ohio… if he’s still alive.  He’d be rather ancient in horse years now. 

 

He was a good horse.  I miss him. 

Tuesdays With Jen... My Memoirs

There is an annual event at the county home in the spring. Teams of working horses and mules and tractor enthusiasts come and perform the public service of plowing the gardens. I have attended this event on a number of occasions. While I do not have any "working" horses or mules, I am exposed to a pair that belong to a friend.

Here I am (a couple years back)... Plowing. The hard way. Actually, I had the easy job of driving the team. These are draft mules, Matilda and Merlin.

Tuesdays With Jen... My Memoirs

<-- That's me and my bro' with our Gram'Ditties!


My sweet Granny's birthday would have been this week... Here is something from my journal in October 2003...





"Annabelle called this evening. She was with Grandma today. She said that Grandma talked about me a lot today and was obviously missing me. I called Grandma and made a dinner date for tomorrow night. I do miss her and am looking forward to seeing her.





Grandma said that Annabelle took her to Kings for lunch. They shared a meal and were quite satisfied. Then they went shopping at Giant Eagle. I suggested that she use a motorized cart, but she insists that she cannot drive. I told her that we could get her a portable wheelchair for these kinds of trips. She doesn't think that is necessary. I told her we could get some chrome on it and she replied "With Harley wings too?!" Jokingly of course. She said that on the way home they realized that they had forgotten to pay the bill at Kings!!!! Oh how funny! Annabelle took her home and then went back and paid the bill. What a day!"

My "Jonah" Weekend

A clip from my journal entry dated Monday, October 13, 2003...

"I had an incredibly crazy weekend. I should have been at church as we were beginning a new church-wide study. Deep down, I knew that God wanted me there, but I was bull-headed and did what "I" wanted to do. After all, I had been planning this weekends camping trip for a whole year now! I remember feeling like Jonah must have felt... just throw me overboard and things will go back to normal!

First, before we even left, the kitten, Willy, got sick. On the way, the extra fuel tank wouldn't switch over, then we got stuck in traffic. After setting up in the dark... Rene'e's horse, Flapjack, started coughing. The next morning he had a snotty nose but we rode anyway. While riding down a steep hill of rocks, Flapjack got his foot caught in a hole between the rocks. Rene'e fell off in the midst of the struggle. She's okay. Finally, Flapjack's shoe rips off his foot as he finds just the right angle to get out of the hole. Mind you... this situation spells b-r-o-k-e-n l-e-g as a usual result, but we were so fortunate that the horse didn't panic and got out with not even a scratch. So, shaken, we ride on. Hours later, and many miles... we arrive home to camp safe and sound. As we settle back into camp, we decide that Flapjack now has a temperature. This is NOT good! So we get some medicine (shot) from the ranch owner. The brought his temperature down to normal and now he is all better... except Lee has to put his shoe back on. Thank goodness the shoe came off clean and didn't rip his foot too badly. Later that night, Duke, the horse I ride (which also belongs to Rene'e) colics pretty badly. We got some more drugs from the ranch owner and hit the sack, satisfied that Duke is okay. About 130AM... the drugs wear off and Duke is ill again. So we call the vet and she gives us the 'witch-doctor recipe' which is our only hope. We could have hauled him to Ohio State, but they wouldn't operate anyway because we had already drugged him. So now we have to find whiskey and baking soda at 2AM!!!! We found the baking soda in the ranch kitchen... We proceed to wake up a guy that we thought might have some whiskey, but it turns out that he's not a drinker, but points us to some drunks around the corner of the camp. We found a guy with two girls making out in the back of a horse trailer. Rene'e (shameless) interrupts them and the guy gives us some Crown Royal... only the best for our horses!!! A while later Duke was feeling much better! It worked!!!

The next morning (Sunday) we decided to hang out around the fire and relax and chat before packing up and heading home. Needless to say, it started raining!!! So we packed up and went home. By the way, Willy died at the vet's office on Friday night.

Wow! What a weekend! It really made me realize that I should have done what I knew God had planned for me. I learned my lesson loud and clear. How could all those disasters be coincidental?"

Tuesdays With Jen... My Memoirs

When I started this series way way back I had intended to recap some journal entries of days gone by... so I think I shall do that this week...

September 19, 2003 I wrote...

Grandma's recent decline in health has grabbed my attention. I have
been trying to spend more time with her lately as I realize that our days
are numbered. She has kept many journals over the years. Someday
I will read them. The other day she encouraged me to write things down
now because memories fade over time. The last couple of weeks have
brought some changes for her. Two Saturdays ago I scrubbed her
cabinets in the kitchen and put new knobs on them to brighten the room. It never occurred to me that she wasn't able to clean her home. Last Saturday I cleaned some in her living room. I found a can of Tinker Toys that I played with as a child. I was able to clean up enough to give a little extra leg-room in the trailer. Amanda bought Gram a recliner. It's green and plush. She has been having trouble lying down to sleep so this was a
welcomed gift. I helped clean out her bedroom, organize her closet, and
lay a carpet to cover most of her bedroom floor. While cleaning her bedroom I found a checkbook from the 1970's which she wanted to keep.


September 20, 2003 I wrote...
Tonight I sat on the porch swing at the farmhouse shucking sweetcorn for dinner while two deer lazily ate grass near the garden. They were so beautiful. They ducked into the woods when the Cox's arrived.

September 21, 2003 I wrote...
Oh what a beautiful day. On my way to church this morning, I was noting the splendor of this place we live. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. God is so glorious! Grandma didn't sleep very well. She was a little winded this morning and had forgotten some of her things for her breathing treatments. She and I sat on the couch in the dining room drinking coffee and chatting as the morning sun lit the room. Last night I mentioned to her that I'd like to take her to Niagra Falls and for a horse buggy ride there. She proceded to tell me of a time when she was a teenager and had gone for a buggy ride on a Sunday. She said that it rained horribly and that the horse ran furiously coming to a halt inside a stable. She shared her lesson of not forgetting to keep the Sabbath Day holy.