This has been a crazy week, even by Missouri standards. We had tornado's hit the southern part of the state, causing major destruction and at least 3 deaths. Storms also hammered the middle of the state causing some damage but no deaths or tornado's. Just heavy winds for at least 24 hours.
The temperature has been as high as 64, low as 29. All within a span of four days. Yesterday was sunny but the winds were blowing 45 to 50 miles an hour. Slamming cars, rocking trailer trucks as we drove the interstates. Knocking little kids down at recess and completely destroying every woman's hair style.
I had to run to Walmart yesterday, talk about a scary looking bunch of women!!! Every one's hair was standing up every way imaginable. We just looked at each other and gave that "knowing nod". We all knew how bad we looked and there was nothing we could do about it. Everyone was going back outside in a few minutes to be hit again by a gust of wind hard enough to take your breath for a second.
I went to Tami's home yesterday, to stay a few days. When I reached her home, Max started barking and wanting out of the bathroom. He had to go potty and guess who was going back out in the wind to take him? Yours truly!!
Tami is so right when she says "Max has to smell every leaf, and blade of grass" I am "encouraging" him to do his business so I can get back inside. He is enjoying being out of the bathroom and is in no hurry to return to the house. After 20 minutes of "holding" his natural urges, he finally finds a blade of grass to suit him!!!! Thank God!!! I was having very evil thoughts of a gust of wind grabbing Max, yanking him out of my hand, and landing him in the next county!!!!
Today, we had frost on the windshields, but no wind. I dropped the kids off at school and managed to get them at the right schools in record time. Max has done his business and is taking his morning nap. So far so good!! I may even lay back down for a few minutes. That sounds like a plan to me, a very good plan indeed. Everyone have a good day and love to all.......even Max!
Today is one of those days when I have spent most of my time in what I call "left field". It's the kind of day when I am out of sync with the rest of the world.....a few steps behind and definitely marching to my own drummer,to music only I can here.
I wanted to write today, however my muse went to New Orleans for Fat Tuesday and probably hasn't sobered up yet! The story I had in mind never materialized.
I made a stab at cleaning house and thought there must be something more creative and fun to do than that. I can always clean house when it rains. That may be tomorrow.
Tommy comes up with an idea to go to Harbor Freight, in Columbia, and buy some sort of saw. Then stop by Little Dixie and take some photos. Fine by me. So off we go.
I am following him in the store as he looks for the perfect saw to cut arrows. I did not see one thing I wanted or for the most part even knew what I was looking at. I was ready to leave in 5 minutes. Didn't happen. So I wandered off to look for shop lifters. They are in every store. Some are slick and others are boneheads....all are thieves. They were either good or I struck out today. However, I did run across one young man who was interesting to observe from a distance.
He was working the check out lane. Tall, slender, long brown hair and a big spot of dirt on his forehead. At first I thought it was a birth mark however, the closer I looked, it was black soot in the mark of an X. First person I think of is Charles Manson. I mentally ruled him out because Manson is old, short, crazy as hell and still in prison.
Since the boy wasn't doing anything interesting, other than wearing dirt, I lost interest and to my delight Tommy comes up behind me and says he is ready to go. We are in the dirty boy's lane as we check out. Good, I wanted a closer look.
To my complete and utter surprise, Tommy says to the young man,"Hey man, I don't know if anyone told you or not but you have a big smudge of dirt on your forehead." I was shocked. The man behind us said and I quote,"It's Ash Wednesday!! Christians mark their foreheads as a sign to God" Utter silence. When my wonderful husband who is never at a loss for words says, "No shit!"
That is just about the time we got our heathen butts out of there and fast!!!!
I have gone to church all my life and never once have we done this.
If you are lucky enough to live long enough, you can learn something new just about every day, especially if you follow Tommy around.
I hope I never forget our first Valentine's Day. I tell this story because I want my kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren to know us as real people...not just Mom and Dad, or Nonnie and Papaw. I want them to know and remember that they were not the first nor will they be the last to know young love. It has been around for a long, long time. Each couple has a story. This is part of our story. It was one of my favorite Valentine's memories.
I remember I made Tommy a cake in a heart shaped pan. I bought the cake pan weeks before, just for Valentines Day. Although my cooking was debatable, I was determined to make him a pretty cake.
Since we are both chocoholics, the cake was a creamy fudge Betty Crocker original.....right out of the box. I wanted to have the cake ready when Tommy came home for lunch.
I forgot to grease the pan before I put the cake mixture in it. I also set the oven on 450 instead of 350 degrees. Since it was going to be 30 minutes before the cake was supposed to be done, I took a shower. While in the shower, I smelled something burning. Scared to death, I jumped out of the shower and ran to the kitchen, dripping water everywhere! The kitchen was covered in smoke. The cake was burnt to a crisp and I looked like a wet noodle!!! This day was not going any thing like I had planned it.
I opened the back door to let some smoke out, only to find Tommy standing there. He scared the snot out of me to put it politely!
He had taken the day off and was going to surprise me. I was surprised alright!!! There I stood, in a puddle of water, holding a burning cake. The house looked like a fog had rolled in and smelled like a rubber factory. It was a mess, and all I could think of to say was, "Well, shit!!! Happy Valentine's Day!!"
Tommy grabbed another dish towel and set the burnt cake outside. He looked at me and was laughing so hard!!! I had shampoo in my hair and was literally a mess. I went to give him a kiss and slipped in the pool of water, hitting the floor hard. Tommy reached down to help me up and I jerked him down with me. If I was gonna be a wet chocolate mess---so was he!!!
Did we ever get a cake? No, later, much later we ate the mix with spoons and thought it was the best cake I never made:)
I need a vacation! It is that time of year when I am ready for a change. I am tired of gray weather. I want sunshine, sand, margarita's and the ocean.
I want to people watch from the pier, while Tommy is busy fishing. I want a new culture, new food and new adventures. However, this fantasy is not going to happen today or anytime soon. Thank goodness for memories and dreams!!! They will get me through this somber looking day, until I can get up off my tush and make some new memories here, today, exactly where I am. With that thought stuck in my mind, I asked Tommy to go on an photographic trip with me.
Our intention was to make a right turn out of our driveway and see where the road took us. Since we live 20 miles from anywhere, the possibilities were endless. It would defiantly be familiar territory. Places we have seen time and again for over 30 years. However, today they would look different. The sky was gunpowder gray, giving everything an eerie cast. It had snowed about an inch the night before, maybe a little less.
The whole world looked like a black and white movie. Muted shades of color would show up in unexpected places. One red post, green moss on a few rocks, the red top of an old barn, the brown gravel on the road, a red parking light. Places begging to be photographed in the 'other worldly' gloom of the day. I was more than happy to oblige.
We took our old standby, the Chevy Blazer because we were going places a rabbit would have trouble navigating through. There is a story that goes with the Blazer. We bought her in 2001because I had a head on collision and totaled our little Ford Escort.
It was late at night, raining and I was on my way to work. I topped a small hill. In my lane, coming up the hill was a gray car. I was going 50 miles an hour. I didn't have time to hit the brakes. The other car was there, I swerved and exchanged lanes with the on coming car. We would have made it, if she hadn't swerved back into her lane. As she hit me, air bags exploded. I couldn't see anything. Both of us had lost control of our vehicles. Mine recrossed the road and landed in a ditch. I remember thinking, "So this is how I am going to die!" I sat there for a second, trying to see if I was hurt and hoping the car wasn't going to explode. Luckily, both of us made it with only a few bruises and minor cuts.
Both cars were totaled. Turns out she was drunk, talking on a cell phone and oblivious to anything going on in her world. I was her surprise of the day!! We were very lucky ladies that night. It wasn't our time to die. We had every opportunity to die and yet we made it.
As Tommy and I began our wandering ride, we saw an eagle soaring high above us. We were on the same journey for awhile. I never once captured a shot of the bird. He was too fast. However, we certainly did enjoy the show.
We came to a creek crossing filled with mirror images. I took more shots than I needed, just because I liked what I was seeing.
As we drove on, we came to a deer laying with her back to an old fence. She didn't move when we drove by. Tommy backed up slowly and I rolled my window down to get a picture of her. She made no effort to move, until I muttered, "Tommy, I bet her leg is broken". As soon as she heard my voice she tried to get up. It was a fast struggle, somehow she made it. And I was right her right front leg was broken.
Odds are not in her favor to live. I hope she does, but I doubt it.
We passed old barns, rusted on the verge of collapse. I took shot after shot. Suddenly the gray weather seemed to be a blessing. The shots were bleak for sure, but in each picture was a dab of color. The scenery reminded me of the artist Andrew Wyeth. His works are plain, somber and yet striking in a morose sort of way. I have never decided if I like his work or not.
We passed a herd of horses. The one that caught my eye was a leopard appaloosa. I watched him walk down the hill toward me. He stopped when he reached a thicket. The only color in the picture belongs to a washed out red iron fence rail, barely visible, out of place in the scene.
We rounded a corner, looking out over Windsor Valley. A person can see for miles in any direction.
The sky was growing darker, the air wet and cold. Soon our trip would be over. I took a few more pictures of old barns and another water crossing with just a smidgen of green moss.
We were close to making our last stop, our home. A few more miles to go. We had made a huge loop and drove about 20 miles. Stopping numerous times so I could get a shot, a memory of our day.
When we topped the last hill, our place was waiting. Sabella was in the road running toward us. It was an enjoyable way to spend a gray Missouri morning. It certainly wasn't a day at the beach that I longed for, but it was nice. It will have to do until June arrives and we head for Florida and Virginia. However, I do believe there may be a couple of margarita's in our very near future.
Melodi wrote a blog yesterday about a cat we used to have named Scatter. This blog brought back so many memories. Tommy and I talked and laughed all the way through "Gunsmoke" about the antics our family had with this cat.
I remember the day Tommy brought two little kittens home from Mr. Krampe's farm. They were about six weeks old and scared of everything. One was gray and white with long hair, the kids named her "Poof" because she looked like a little ball of uncontrollable fur and energy. The name fit perfectly.
It was several days before Scatter's name was chosen. She was a calico colored cat and very skittish. One day, after I finished reading the paper, I tossed pages of it down on the floor. Scatter pounced on the pages, ripping them to shreds, almost in a manic state. We all thought this was funny.
Out of the mess, "Scatter" received her name.
It was soon obvious that Scatter was my cat. She was everything I ever wanted in a cat. Loving, kind, funny,
and loyal to me. Same requirements for a man only add sex. Without a doubt Scatter was my cat. Every morning she sat in my lap, while I drank coffee and read a book.
Poof belonged to the kids. Tommy refused to claim either one. He was just happy that we were happy.
He is a dog person. His only opinion of cats is usually summed up in his famous words, "Cats are fine as long as they are cooked right!"
We had these two cats for several years. I didn't know how much Scatter was hated by everyone until years later. We were all together telling stories, laughing and the girls started telling their "Scatter" horror stories. I couldn't believe that was my cat they were talking about. She had a face I never saw.
When they were little, I thought the kids were picking on "poor Scatter" when they told on her. Later, I found out they were telling the truth. Actually, I didn't like Poof. She shed and always missed the litter box. I took that personally. Poof didn't like me either. Around me, she suddenly went deaf. We shared the same house but that was about as far as our connection would ever go.
These cats were house cats and never allowed outside. One day someone "accidentally" let the cats out, when they came back they were pregnant.!!! I was far, far from happy. Although I must admit Poof and Scatter were calmer and smiled a lot!!!
It was getting close to Prom time and we were busy shopping for just the right dress for Lisa to wear that night. When we returned home, Tommy said, "Mama, YOUR cat is waiting for you to get home----she is ready to have her kittens!!" I laughed, thinking how silly that was. I remember sitting on the love seat, listening to how Scatter had behaved while we were gone. Scatter came over and sat down by my foot and meowed a few times. With each meow the volume intensified. She flounced on the carpet, rolled from side to side. She looked at me for help. Within a few seconds Scatter moved as close to my foot as she could get then preceded to have the ugliest kitten I had ever seen, right by my little toe!!! I was speechless. My eyes, mind and voice were completely out of sync with each other.
There was silence for about a minute while we absorbed what we had just seen. Then everyone started talking at once. Scatter cleaned her kitten and we made a place for her and her kitten in an old box. Scatter never liked that box and moved her kitten under Lisa's bed. Two days later Poof had kittens in an open drawer in Lisa's bedroom. I think Poof had four kittens. That made 7 cats in a small house. As soon as the kittens were weaned, they had to go to other homes.
Easier said than done. Giving kittens away was about like trying to talk someone into a free finger amputation. We found homes for a few kittens and took the rest to Jimmy Gill's. He adored cats, had probably a hundred cats outside and always welcomed more. He fed the cats too. How I will never know, but he did.
When we arrived home, our house suddenly appeared bigger. We could walk without stepping on a cat's tail, or tripping over one of them while they slept in the middle of the floor. Were we sad? Not really, our home had become so chaotic with seven cats, it was nice to have some breathing room. At least until the next morning when I woke up and had my routine going, coffee, a book, my rocking chair and there was no Scatter to share the beginning of the day. Then I missed my cat!
