Melodi Carter was the biggest surprise of my life! After Tami was born, my doctor said I would never have any more children. We took him at his word.
Tommy and I bought a small two bedroom home on six acres in the middle of nowhere, settling down to raise our family. We had big plans for the house. We intended to add on in every direction, eventually we did.
Our first winter in Missouri we had over 3 feet of snow. Most of it stayed on the ground from December until Spring. Every Friday afternoon in January, it began to snow and did not stop until sometime Monday. Roads were closed, school was out, and Tommy couldn't get to work. We made it fine, since we burned wood for heat, cooked with gas and had a ton of candles and six oil lamps to supply light. When the road was closed and the power lines were down, my little family and I had a good time. The kids had radios. We played cards, colored pictures and made fudge. Somewhere in the mix we also made Melodi.
Two months later I wasn't feeling all that great. Every time I took a sip of coffee, I got sick. I couldn't imagine what was wrong. We went to the doctor finally. He laughed and told me I was pregnant. I laughed and told him I was not. Then I gave him all the reasons why I wasn't pregnant. First we had just bought a two bedroom house---there wasn't room for a baby. Second, I was 30 years old. Tommy and I planned to have all our children by the time we were 30. Third, I can't have anymore kids because and I quote, "the doctor in Tennessee said I couldn't." So there.
My doctor replied, patting my hand and still laughing, "You have 7 months to figure out where to put the baby bed. Second you will still be 30 when you have this baby. Third, the doctor in Tennessee was WRONG!! Get dressed and make an appointment to see me in a month." Hmmmmm Then I got excited!!! Really excited!!! We were having a baby. Tommy was delighted after the shock wore off. He was as glad as I was about the news.
We had a million plans to make. First thing on the list, we had to tell the girls. I knew they would be thrilled. When I told Lisa the first words out of her mouth were, "Why? I just got used to having Tami around and now you are gonna have another one!!" When we told Tami, who was only 2 1/2 years old....she hung her doll!!" They got excited about two weeks later. We were looking at baby items, in a near by store. It was like magic spread all over the girls. They were having a little brother or sister. Finally, they got it!! They both wanted a sister. We bought our first baby outfit....for a little girl. It was a pink with tiny roses. Tami picked out a baby bottle with a giraffe on it. I still have that bottle. It goes on our Christmas tree every year.
Melodi's due date was October 5th. Twenty five days later she made her appearance. I was so tired of people saying, "Haven't you had that baby yet?" It was almost like they thought I was holding out on purpose. However, when Melodi was born, she made it easy on her Mama. I was in labor only 6 hours. I walked to the delivery room. She was born at exactly 12 o'clock noon. I remember the nurse telling me, that was unusual. Babies were born a minute or two before or after noon, but seldom at noon. Melodi nailed it.
Melodi was a good baby. She was beautiful and loved to sleep. To the girls, she was the best 'toy' they ever received. Lisa became a little Mama to Melodi. She adored her. For Tami, Melodi was someone she could play with, someone more fun than her dolls.
For Tommy and me, Melodi's birth was the completion of our family. She gave us so much love and pleasure. There is an old quote that sums up our little family, "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans" I believe this. I think God has a wonderful sense of humor. He laughs at me quite often.
In these pictures, Melodi is one week old. Tomorrow she will be 33. The time has gone by so fast. She has a great job with CarMax, lives on the West coast in a beautiful home. She is happy, healthy and one of the most loving people I have ever known. God blessed us with the perfect surprise, for that I will be eternally grateful.
Happy Birthday Melodi, you are by far our best surprise, and we love you more than you will ever know.
Love,
Mom
For years I have wanted to join a writers group. I would check on line, find a group only to begin the process of making excuses not to attend. Eventually I would forget about the group I did not join, putting it on the back burner of my mind, conjuring up the desire again at a much later date.
However, Tami was in charge of fate this time. She found a writers group on line about 6 weeks ago. She called and wanted to know if I wanted to go. Immediately, I jumped at the chance. 'Absolutely' I wanted to go. I was excited to say the least. She made our reservations while I started to buy new pens, a tote bag, and the most uncomfortable pair of shoes I have ever owned. I made copies of most of my blogs, just in case someone wanted to read them. I even bought a red 3 ring binder to place them in.
Tami and I talked about this weekly. Two weeks before we were to go to St. Peter's I started getting twitchy. I began to think of a huge room full of aspiring writers reading their work aloud. The twitch worsened, accompanied by knots in the stomach and bad dreams at night. The power of ten foot ocean waves had nothing on the doubt that flooded my mind.
My muse was having a fit!! To say she was mad at me was putting things mildly. She chewed me out at least once a day, sometimes lasting all day long. I had better not chicken out this time or she was going to find another playground. Threats, threats and more threats!! She swore, she cursed and she flayed her fists in my minds eye.
A couple of weeks before we were to leave, we had a family tragedy. We all made an unexpected trip to Kentucky. We were stressed and sad. Tami caught a horrible cold. Tommy's heart wasn't beating in the correct rhythm and needed to be shocked back to a correct mode. It rained, turned cold. I had a million excuses to keep me at home. I was counting on one of those excuses to work.
Tami wasn't letting me off the hook that easy. Three days before we were to attend the conference, I was beginning my verbal back step. Finally Tami said, "Mama do you really want to go?" Yes I did... sort of, mostly but not necessarily if she was too tired or didn't want to go. I could always go to the next conference. Tami was not letting me bow out easily. Finally she said she was going regardless of whether I went or not. No problem, I assured her I was going.
Jacy and Logan spent Friday night with Casey. The alarm went off a 5 a.m. I was up and in the process of getting ready when I had a panic attack. My heart was beating hard and fast. I had the mother lode of all hot flashes. I was standing outside in the dark, in the cold drinking coffee and sweating up a storm! Literally sweat dripped off the ends of my hair. I had to blow dry it again. After taking a xanax and sitting on the steps outside, I began to regain control and chill....literally. I had a talk with the 'crew' in my mind and finished getting ready. We could do this and we did!!
Once we were on the road, jamming to music I relaxed. I don't know if it was the music, the company or the xanax, whatever it was, it worked. When we arrived in St. Peter's I walked in behind Tami and immediately felt at home. I met new people, listened to guest speakers and made new friends. I talked to a publisher for 10 minutes--voluntarily. I wrote when asked to and enjoyed the experience. It was everything I had hoped for times ten.
Tami and I are now members of "Saturday Writer's " writing group. We meet once a month in St. Peter's, Mo. I am looking forward to the next meeting. Hopefully, I won't have another panic attack and have to go stand outside in the cold. If I do, so be it, I am going, I am writing and I have found a group of like minded people to share this experience. I can now officially check off number 422 on my bucket list. I am a member of a writing group. YES!!!!
I am pretty sure Mother Nature is schizophrenic, stuck in the midst of a menopausal cycle that refuses to stop or complete itself. She hears voices that the rest of us do not hear. Most of the time, she is impulsive, rash, undisciplined and at times grandiose. Seldom is she predictable. On a good day, she makes her part of the world shine, glisten and silently gives a peace only nature can provide. On a bad day, she wreaks havoc on anyone in her path. She can be like a serial killer on a deadly rampage, killing for the hell of it.
Like most of the middle of the country, Missouri's weather is subject to change on any given day. It often comes in waves of unrest, changing hourly at times. Other days it's the same thing for days, or weeks on end. Refusing to change or readjust if nothing else for comforts sake. She does not care. Mother Nature plays by her own rules.
Today was one of those drastic, schizophrenic days. It was in the 60's when we woke up. By 2 p.m. it was 75 and I was running the air conditioner while I drove to Centralia. After stopping at WalMart for about 30 minutes, I came outside to a black and gray angry sky. The temperature had dropped 20 degrees, it had started to sprinkle rain randomly on the windshield.
The sky was amazing. I could literally see the cold front hit us. The clouds were black and gray swirls of motion. There wasn't time to see pictures in the clouds. They were moving and changing too fast. The upper part of the sky was still blue, however the cold front marched angrily through its midst.
I had to turn on the defroster to see. The wind increased, cleansing trees of their remaining leaves. Traffic slowed. People were watching the sky, trying to make plans in case a twister possibly dropped from the sky.
Thankfully, we received only what had been forecast the night before, rain and a huge drop in temperatures. Tomorrow morning the low is supposed to be in the 30's. These are things we can live with easily. Nine times out of ten, we usually have a rainy, cold Halloween. It goes with the holiday.
However, this is Mother Nature just being herself. A hot flash in the morning followed by a cooling down period, when she takes a shower. Before she retires for the night, she takes her meds, sips a hot toddy and finds her electric blanket, all the while making plans for the next day. The voices are quiet. Her plans for the next few hours are taken care of and tomorrow is only a few hours away. She smiles to herself, thinking that tomorrow she will really shake things up in a few places.....literally...very, very literally she will do this randomly around the world.
I love Bobby and Deana Carter. I have loved them for 43 years. When I think of them I can't help but smile.
The first time I met Deana was at Mrs. Carter's house in Union City, Tenn. Tommy and I were engaged. We were in the midst of making wedding plans. Deana was there and most definitely pregnant.
Immediately Deana started teasing us. She wanted to know all about the wedding---and the honeymoon. I was telling her about the Christmas wedding, when she started laughing. She said, "I think I will go to the wedding wearing this heavy coat and when the minister says, "Does anyone have any reason why these two should not be wed? I am gonna jump up, throw back my coat and say 'I do.' " She busted out laughing, I nearly fainted!!! First thing to run through my mind was my father.!! I didn't know if he would shoot Deana or Tommy first. All I knew for sure was it was going to end bad. Deana saw the look on my face and laughed even harder. THEN she assured me she would not do that. I had just met her and I wasn't convinced, but I knew I liked her. It sounded like something I would do.
Deana and I were talking about this last Sunday at Bobby's visitation. We both laughed at a good memory. That was the beginning of a long friendship. We lived in Union City for several years, when Lisa and Tami were small. In fact, Tami was born in Union City. We lived maybe 10 minutes from Bobby and Deana. Their home was the gathering place at that time.
Bobby had a garage out back and Deana was always cooking. It was a relaxed atmosphere and a place to have fun. Family was always in and out.
Bobby is the one who was always teasing me about something or the other. He caught me doing or saying something really dumb once, that is when he 'blessed' me with the name 'Pollock'. It stuck and for the next 40 years, I answered to 'Pollock'.
Bobby Joe nicked named Deana 'Pearl' and I have called her that since I first heard it. Money was tight for all of us then. We were just starting out. We were always trying to make a dollar go farther than it could possibly stretch. Regardless of our situation, we had fun.
Bobby has worked on every car I have ever owned. He never complained and always helped us in any way he could. He was that way with everyone.
Bobby helped me in many ways during the past 7 years. When Mama was hospitalized, he was in Paducah visiting Jim when he heard that we were on the surgery floor. He came up and sat with Mama so I could take a break. He listened to me talk, heard me cry and prayed with me in matters concerning my father.
When Tommy and I had a problem that could not be resigned. I talked to Bobby and he talked to Tommy. When they were through talking, Tommy had a new outlook and I had my family back. For that I will be eternally grateful.
He was and is a big part of the glue in the Carter family. He was a take charge kind of man. He knew how to get things done.
Bobby had a love for Jesus that showed in his smile, his voice and his words. When he talked I listened.
Last Sunday was Bobby's funeral service. It was standing room only. He was loved by a lot of people from all walks of life. Everyone had a 'Bobby story'. Sunday afternoon, laughter and tears mingled in equal amounts. It was very hard to say good bye to the Bobby Carter we knew and loved. He will be a welcoming warmth waiting for us when we each make that step into eternity. I can almost guarantee when he sees me, he will hold out his arms, give the beautiful Carter smile and say, "Welcome home Pollock."
Last Wednesday was a slice of October perfection. The sun was bold, the wind edgy and the leaves were begging to be photographed before it was too late. I was more than glad to oblige.
A thirty minute trip, from town to home, took me over two hours to complete. I took my watch off when I started my shooting spree. I had no desire or need to be anywhere but where I was. I parked the Blazer and began walking.
I was searching for the prettiest tree in Callaway County. The competition was almost at it's peak. I took shots from old bridges of mirror images in spotty patches of water, old dirt roads, and a cemetery that I photograph all the time. It was at the cemetery I found one the prettiest trees I have seen this fall.
This magnificent tree is about 50 feet tall. It stands on a hill in a old country cemetery. The church located there is welcoming. It is rumored that Jesse James attended the original church before it burned down.
The cemetery is located at the crossroads of nowhere. When gazing at the country around this tree, I think orange must be one of God's favorite colors.
The road twist and turns, parts of it covered by overhanging trees, occasionally creating "Gone With the Wind" tunnels.
This is the last curve before reaching my house. Although I drive it at least 3 times a week, the road always seems to belong to the past. I hope it is never paved.
Again more yellows and orange splashed up and down the countryside.
"Rhonda's Spring" I heard the spring a long time before I actually saw it.
It was a pretty drive home. Terribly hard on tires but very soothing to the mind. My mind needs the beauty of nature. I need the challenges and the beauty of country living. I could never be completely happy in a city again.
This has been an odd day, even by my standards. I woke up at 5 a.m. so I could be at Carol's home by 6:30. Today was her grocery shopping day. Carol is a night person, we always start our day in the dark.
As soon as I woke up, and walked down the hall, I stepped in dog poo. It was dark. I had no clue what I had just hit with my big toe, but I knew for sure whatever was on my left foot did not belong there. About this time Sabella, my german shepherd, runs up to me in a frantic rage, heading for the back door. She was on a mission, pausing only once to make sure I was behind her. I hobbled to the door, by now I had figured what was on my toe, and let her out. This never ever happens, my dogs have been house broken for years.
Evidently I woke Tommy up because he comes staggering down the hall asking, "Do you know you have dog shit on your toe?" I hobble to the kitchen and throw my foot up on the trash can. This was no where near as simple as it sounds. I ask Tommy to get the poo off my toe. Looking at me wickedly, he wants to know when I started saying "Poo"? I inform him I have always said "poo". "Right" he says and starts to walk off. I ask him where he is going and he says, "back to bed".
"You can't go back to bed! I need help. My toe has poo on it!" He just looks at me, laughs and throws a paper towel in my direction. After my foot is cleaned up, the coffee is going and I am more than awake. I turn on the den light.
Surprise does not even come close to what I saw. Sabella usually sleeps either in the hallway or in my writing room in front of a bookcase. I didn't leave a night light on. I should have. I was tired and forgot all about our nightly routine. I won't forget again.
The way Tommy and I tried to piece together this unusual mess was Sabella was sleeping, Mother Nature called and there was no one to let her outside. She made a run for the back door and got tangled up in the twenty foot phone cord. Sabella must have had one heck of a fight with the phone cord. The receiver was on the love seat. The phone and answering machine were in the floor. My small book case by the computer was knocked over spilling paper and books everywhere. Not to mention a few piles of poo thrown in just to make things nasty. It is a reasonable guess at best.
I open the door and try to get Her Majesty, Miss Sandy to go outside. She looks at me like I am speaking pig Latin and turns her head so she can't see me. I knew she had to go, she had been in as long as Sabella. The old girl didn't want to give up her recliner. I won, I guess. They were finally outside and I was cleaning up poo. I wouldn't exactly call that a 'win' for me. However, this accident really was our fault. We dropped the ball and didn't take care of our other kids like the responsible adults we are supposed to be on a good day. Three hours later, I was still mad at myself for letting this mess get out of control and for putting my dogs in an uncomfortable situation.
While shopping with Carol, I find a ball that I think is absolutely positively adorable. It is about the size of a baseball, clear plastic with diamond facets on the inside. It is filled with a clear gel and has a light transmitter in it. When it is thrown or bounced it lights up and is awesome looking. The ball changes colors fast, the hues are intense displaying a light show that is unusual. I played with that ball all over the store!!! I just knew my 'girls' would like it as much as I did.
Carol liked the ball for awhile. However, when I bounced the ball into the cheese isle and preceded to take a picture of it, she was no longer amused. I bought two balls and the cheese.
The girls were still outside when I came home. I let them in. I couldn't wait for them to see their new toys.
Sandy made a beeline for her recliner, Sabella lays down in front of the t.v. That's new. I'm like what's up with that?? She never does that. I bounce one ball a time or two so the lights start working. I am telling Tommy to watch this. He sighs, Judge Judy is on and he doesn't want to be disturbed. Sandy sighs turning her head to face the t.v.--she also likes Judge Judy. Sabella just looks at me. The ball is ready and showing off its colors. I toss the ball to Sabella. It rolls to her feet. She sniffs it, looks at me, looks at Sandy then Tommy. She looks back at the ball. She gave me one of those, "If you think I am chasing that ball, lady you are nuts!! You bought it, you can play with it." She then gets up and saunters in to the den, lays down facing my desk. Her stomach starts to rumble and make all kinds of sounds. I head for the door and out she goes.
Apparently, she was still ticked at me for letting her down the night before. It was going to take more than a pair of balls to get this ole girl in a good mood!
I left Sabella outside. Sandy was asleep before I had time to fix us a sandwich. The ball is now on my computer along with my other collection of odd things that I like. The second ball is in my purse.
Sometimes when I am writing if I get to a place where the words stop flowing, or my muse is having sex with some dude she met the night before, I find myself playing with some odd toys that I have collected since I have retired.
It is a mindless activity that helps my imagination run free for a few minutes. One of the toys is a little gerbil that cries when he runs into the wall and goes "uh ooo" in a tiny squeaky gerbil voice. Never fails to bring a smile to my face. I also have a green Frankenstein that winds up and waddles around. There are days I know exactly how he feels. Now I have added this iridescent ball to the mix. I think it is beautiful, fanciful maybe even a little on the magical side, especially when seen in the dark. I have no clue why I am the only one in my home that likes the new balls.
The day is almost over. Sabella appears to have forgotten she was mad and upset. She still doesn't give a flip for the ball. So it is now officially mine. Our nightly ritual will be observed. The night light will stay on for the girls. Everything is back to normal at my home....at least for the time being.
I think I will turn the lights off and bounce the ball a few times. It really is something pretty to watch. Once again, it doesn't take much to make me happy. That my friends, is the truth.
Melodi Carter was the biggest surprise of my life! After Tami was born, my doctor said I would never have any more children. We took him at his word.
