Ready for bed…or not - May 30, 2007 -
During the summer, I get really lax about baths etc.
When we go swimming, I count that as a bath. Hey! They get submerged. The dirt gets washed off. At our pool, because of the amount of chlorine added, my kids even come out nice and bleached. Here is evidence……
Half the time, when the kids do get a proper bath, they are right back outside in the humid summer air, getting that child sweaty smell all over again……so what is the point?
We are going natal again here. The 2 oldest boys are growing their hair long….Cory wants his to get shoulder length and is well on his way there, as he hasn’t had a hair cut since last fall I believe. He is so totally getting a micro-braid. (Bill got ahold of Quinn while I was out grocery shopping and buzzed his hair. I was livid. All of his curls…gone. Sob!)
The laundry basket is empty and lonely, due to the fact that the kids pretty much wear their bathings suits all day, every day.
I could so totally get used to this way of life.
A twist - May 26, 2007 -
Just a quick note to give you a great tip.
When making your evening, frozen lime daiquiri (limeade, rum and ice, blended smooth), substitute Cruzan coconut rum for the Bacardi.
Pour into a glass, and sprinkle with fresh coconut.
That is where we are tonight. It’s a boat party of sorts.
Todo bueno!!
Word - May 25, 2007 -
Well, just got word that the survey is complete. All checked out well with the Dehler. Some minor stuff that needs to be repaired, but the bottom of the boat looked good, the motor was great, and everything seemed sound.
It was a wet and cold sail. Heavy rain followed them to the boat yard, and back. “It was fairly miserable for sailing” were Billy’s words.
After all was said and done, and they had returned to the marina, they tied the boat off, shook hands and the owner said “Well, do you want to buy her?” and Bill replied “Yes sir. I want her”.
The owner is fantastic, and said he would negotiate the price based on the repairs needed.
So, in a nutshell, we are buying the boat.
WHOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Bill and I talked as he drove home this evening, and I told him that I had a goal in mind in regards to the sailing of this boat.
He said “Oh yeah, what goal would that be?”
I replied “Regatta De Amigos in May 2008”
He bust out laughing and said “Yeah, right. Remember, no races”, citing my one condition on buying the boat.
Me: “I already have that figured out. We will sail it in ‘Cruising Class.’ It is a year away. 2008. Veracruz, baby.”
It begins.
New blogs - May 25, 2007 -
Knowing that I love a good travel blog, Kathy offered up a few with a new twist…..sailing travel blogs.
Really Kathy, like I am not slacking on my domestic duties enough, now you have Bill and I obsessively reading sailing travel blogs. Evil, I tell you.
What? You want links?
Fine. But don’t blame me if you fall under their spell.
The first is written by a set of twins, and is called, aptly, Sailing Twins.
Their parents blog at Gone Native.
They dry docked for the winter, and I am hoping that they will start blogging again soon.
The next is MarihaloJen and is a family of 2 living aboard a 35′ Coronado. Lovely pictures and a great read.
From there I found the Hacking Family, Miss Emily, Gilana and so many more.
Then there is The Cruising Life, Kids Aboard and numerous homeschooling aboard blogs and resources.
At this moment, Billy is on the way down to participate in the survey for the new boat. We are anxious, and hoping all is well with her hull (no major blisters etc). If all goes as planned, we will settle on a price and hopefully close on the boat in the next week or so.
After she is ours, the work will begin. There are many things we want to fix/change on the boat, so I see June being a fix-her-up month. The trailer will be hauled to Port A (the boat is near there), and that will be our base. Not sure how long we will keep it there, but a month for sure is on the agenda, with us traveling back and forth.
Exciting times for sure.
The other day Bill and I were talking and trying to decide if we are doing the right thing buying this boat. He looked at me, smiled and said “Now or never”. Remember Now Or Never?
The sign is the first thing I am bringing on the boat.
It was a mother/daughter thing - May 23, 2007 -
Miss Mimi is prepped and ready for some sand. She got her own mini pedicure and manicure, after I got mine. It was priceless watching her face as the lady painted the flowers on her toes.
When I told Bill, the first thing out of his mouth was “How much did THAT cost?”**
I replied “Way, way less than a boat”.
Um, yeah, baby. I might get miles out of this purchase. ;*)
**the real answer to this is $5…the lady that did mine fell under Mia’s spell and just had to paint hers too.
Preparation for a beachy summer - May 22, 2007 -
What good are you people if I can’t show you my cool toe art!!
Next time, I think some sand dollars or shells are in order, no?
Give…me….air. - May 21, 2007 -
I am completely confident that I was born in the correct era. I never would have survived living in a log cabin, in Texas, with no central air conditioning. I would have sucked at being a prairie mom. My kids would have starved due to my lack of gardening skills. Or, upon ordering them to go outside to play, they would have wandered off to be eaten by wolves…or captured by indians. They would have been clean though, because we would have spent all of our time in the water to keep from dying of heat exhaustion.
I am also quite sure that I would have been labeled as a tramp, as those dresses would have had! to! go! Who in their right mind would put themselves from head to toe in layered feed sack cloth or flipping wool???? Gah. I want to pass out right now thinking about it. No. I would have been barefoot and, at the very most, been dressed in a nice, sleeveless, tank slip. With a Quicksilver logo on the front.
Today we got the second bid on replacing our air conditioner, and it was $1000 less than the first one. Guess which one we picked. He said he could be here first thing tomorrow morning to install it. I wanted to cry, hug him and kiss him on the mouth, but the kids were home from school early, so I just wept silently and told him that all air conditioning repair men from Texas go to Heaven, and thanked him no less than 30 times.
In all honesty, we have really been lucky. A small cold front blew though last week, and temps have been hovering in the 80’s ever since. We have a small window unit in our bedroom, and we run that at night. I did feel somewhat guilty knowing that the boys are in their rooms with no window unit, but they don’t complain, so I got over it.
In this Little House, Ma, Pa and baby Carrie turn the window unit on to “High Cool”, shut the doors to the bedroom and praise God for the invention of freon.
Away - May 21, 2007 -
There comes a time in life when the parents must get away.
We did that this past weekend. We loaded up into Bill’s truck and took off with nary a kid in sight. They were in good hands, which made it a bit easier for me to leave Mia with someone other than Billy for the night, let alone 2 nights!! Whoo hoo!
Destination: Galveston
Goal: Fun, one-on-one time, attend Billy’s best friends baby shower, and sleep.
Accomplished: All of the goals.
Friday we got to G-town around 5pm and checked into our hotel (a whole story in and of itself….but later), then went to the strand for some I-talian beers and some people watching.
The Strand did not disappoint. It presented all manner of oddities, including a dude who sat down on a bench, lifted the leg of his baggies and proceeded to pick crabs out of his crotch and leg hairs and throw them to the ground. You can see this dude in the background of the above photo….crashed on the bench.
Yeah, we left after I spent some time calculating how fast a crab louse could crawl across cobbled sidewalk to my chair 15 feet away. Pizza at Marios’ was calling for us across the island, so it was time to head out anyhow.
Mario’s had Peroni’s as well…and the best damn pizza you have ever had…..be sure to go there if you are ever in G-town.
Strolling back to the truck, a candid shot of the dude
Saturday a.m. we awoke to this……
A beautiful, yet flat, ocean. The surfboards would not see any use this trip. Seems flat water has been following us everywhere these days.
The main reason for our trip to G-town was to attend a couples baby shower for our good friends. They are expecting their first baby in June, and we would not have missed this for the world. Like us, they started their family a bit later than most, and it will be fun to see how their lives change when this little one makes her grand entrance.
The shower was not your typical baby shower. In the words of the father to be, “this is an excuse for these guys to get together and have a party” and that sums it up right there. Those in attendance were people that Billy has known most of his life, and I am telling you it was an amazing mix of personalities. Many of the people I had heard about over and over, but had never met. All of them are surfers….and I mean real surfers, not posers. These guys travel the world looking for surf, and in fact, had just returned from a surfing trip to Bali. They have been to Tahiti, all over Mexico, Baja, Central America, Hawaii etc. etc..
All of the people were wonderful, kind, hilarious and friendly beyond belief and the bonds of friendship were just amazing. I cannot put into words the personalities and mannerisms. I guess “authentic” would sum them up.
Here are the mom and dad to be……this man is pretty much Billy’s best friend evah.
Sunday we had breakfast with my MIL, then went to see how our friends decorated the babies room and spend some time visiting before heading home. The room is adorable….little surf baby decor….and gave me baby lust for all of 30 seconds.
Then we hit the road to return to our own babies.
We really, really needed this break. This was our first time to spend the night away from Mia…ever. It was so nice to SLEEP. To talk without being interrupted. To hug each other without having someone wedge themselves in between us. To be with old friends.
But it was time to come home. I needed to hold my daughter and kiss my sons. I missed them, yet I didn’t. KWIM? On the way home, Billy and I talked about how good the kids do when we are away from them. Even Mia. It is a relief for us to know that they feel secure enough for us to leave them in the care of someone else. They are happy and independent. I think this speaks well of our parenting and makes me happy.
Now, on to a week that in its wake, we will be a tense, stressed out mess. We must replace our air conditioner on Wednesday, which is one hell of an expense that we had not budgeted for. It is also the kids final week of school, and the boat is being surveyed on Friday.
Back to reality.
The one - May 17, 2007 -
The process of buying a boat is not at all like buying a car. It is more like buying a house.
You have to secure financing, do a sea trial, get something called a survey.
The survey is the big inspection. Usually, you can sea trial the boat and sail it to the shipyard for the survey. All 7000lbs of boat are hauled out of the water, and the inspector goes over evey square inch of it and gives you a 30 page report telling what is wrong and what is right.
From there you re-negotiate a purchase price, submit this final number to the bank, and a week or two later go to a closing and are handed the keys to your new boat.
As it stands now, we have viewed the boat, negotiated a bit about the price, put earnest money down, and are awaiting pre-approval from the bank to begin the survey.
I tentatively introduce you to our seemingly, possibly-ours-in-the-future, boat.
Dehler 31, meet the internet. Internet, meet the Dehler 31:
Flickr set can be viewed here.
*I have to edit and add that we lucked out on this boat. The price is just unreal or we would not be able to afford this. The couple we are buying from are retiring and moving to the mountains near Veracruz, Mexico and they are selling everything. The boat was made in 1985, so it is 22 years old and comes with quite a bit of work, but Bill is jazzed about the prospect. We got a deal, baby! And..and…it comes with an 6 8 foot dingy! Not a blow up one, but a hard hull dingy…brand new and never used….to tow behind us and explore the nooks and coves along the way. I can totally see our boys rowing off to shore to explore islands that you can only access via a boat…like Matagorda Island.
Welcome home - May 15, 2007 -
After 96 hours on in the ER, nothing says welcome home like a broken air conditioner…..in Texas.
Good thing the blender is working without any kinks. The margaritas are flowing tonight, baby!
Checking my list - May 14, 2007 -
I am working my way through the list in my last post, crossing things off as they are done.
I may not have accomplished much on paper, but there was one thing I did today that outweighed anything else. I turned off the computer! and took my daughter to an orchard to pick peaches and blackberries. Totally awesome day. Our lunch consisted of ripe, warm peaches and several huge blackberries. You have never seen such huge berries. Some the size of walnuts! Everything it Texas is super sized.
I got a few pictures, but spent most of the time enjoying the moment and not trying to capture it.
Eating some lunch
>
Pointing to a nice fat one!
A peach worth picking
I ended up with a huge box of peaches and 8 1/2 pounds of blackberries. I will be up very early tomorrow making a blackberry cobbler to be warm from the oven when Bill gets home from his shift.
(The difference between a blackberry and a dewberry is that a dewberry is wild, and a blackberry is cultivated from the wild variety to produce large fruit.)
Adult ADD - May 14, 2007 -
I have too much that needs to be done. I must:
-make plane reservations for 2 trips
*Blogher (I swear Chris, I am doing it this morning)
*California, Disney etc
-make hotel reservations for Bill and I for our escape
-I need to get boat financing….Bill has asked no less than 31,256 times in the last 3 days
-remember all the field trips for school
-stock the trailer
-get more frozen mice because damn snake actually ate and now we have to keep it-leave snake cage open just a tad
-open a new savings account (ha ha.,,,this would be in anticipation of saving what?)
-clean my house in anticipation of Bill’s return tomorrow….we trash it while he is gone and then frantically clean the night before
-buy plants and plant them in the front garden and window box so house does not look like noone lives here-go to the blackberry farm for berries for a cobbler
-make said cobbler
-sample cobbler
-make trailer reservations BECAUSE WE ARE FINALLY GONG TO USE THE DAMN THING! WHOOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
-sample more cobbler
-go for a run to run off cobbler
-shower off sweat from running one block **I actually ran 3 miles! Whoo hoo! Room for more cobbler calories.
-feel good about running
-carbo load from run with some cobbler
-go for ice, limeaide and rum run for our weekly “Dang it’s good to see you” evening
and last but not least
-realize that because all of this is so overwhelming, none of it will actually get done…..except maybe the cobbler, because, well…its cobbler. What more can I say?
Parting shot……is it little girl Jody, or Melissa Gilbert?
The best Mothers Day evah!!! - May 12, 2007 -
We celebrated a day early by heading down to the coast to spend the day with Bill. A wonderful lunch, some fishing, and more love than I ever dreamed possible.
Happy Mothers Day to everyone.
**more photos here on Flickr.
Marina - May 11, 2007 -
On Tueday Bill, Mia and I hit the road after dropping the boys off at school. The destination was Kemah, Texas and we had a list of boats to check out.
It turned out to be a gorgeous day, but very hot and humid.
We crawled around on several gorgeous boats, and we were in the cabin of a 36 foot dream when I heard the broker ask Bill if he had much sailing experience. Bill modestly replied, “A little” and the guy pressed, asking if he had ever owned a boat. Bill replied “A couple”. The broker went on to say that the boat we were on was alot of boat for someone to handle…yada yada yada….large boats required experience…yada yada….upkeep….yada yada…it’s a beautiful boat and at a super price..yada yada.
My mind had already flown to the time we were racing onboard a 42 foot boat in Galveston bay during one hell of a norther. Bill was working foredeck trying to bring in the spinnaker, and it was stuck 1/2 way and we could not get it down. For those out there who sail, you will understand what I am about to descibe. The wind was easliy hitting 35-40 knots. The spinnaker was stuck, and the boat had too much sail up. We were getting knocked down, broaching, and this huge boat was rounding up into the wind. I was on the very back, on highside, and when we would heel over, I could look down and see the keel of this very large yacht come up out of the water…..and it was a damn far drop to the surface of the bay from where I was sitting.
Bill was at the bow during all of this, trying to blow the spinnaker so that we wouldn’t “pole” (spinnaker pole being burried into the water while you are flying with the wind) the boat and end up flipping stern over bow….all 42 feet of her. When we would broach, Bill would disappear behind the jib (had raised it partially in preparation to drop the spinnaker), and all you could see were his fingers wrapped around the jib forestay. We kept broaching and rounding up, and I swear I never took my eyes off of Bill. Then his fingers disappeared and someone yelled “I think he’s gone over” and my heart stopped.
As we righted again, preparing for the next broach, I saw his fingers back around the forestay, and he came out from behind the jib and crawled along the foredeck to retrieve a knife from someone to cut the damn spinnaker down. He cut the line, and we all watched as thousands of dollars worth of sail flew behind us and disappeared into the bay. Bill then guided the jib up and came back to the cockpit of the boat.
This was by far one of the most frightening days on a boat that I can remember. Bill thought it was a total blast. I did not think it was such a blast. The love of sailing came easy to Bill. He was a natural at it. For me, sailing was something that I did with Bill. The love for it took time to grow for me.
Bill has crewed on boats of every shape and size. He has raced across the Gulf of Mexico to Vera Cruz and has owned both a racing and deep water cruiser. I have watched him crawl around on the foredeck of tiny boats and monster boats, never losing his grip or his nerve.
Yeah, he has some experience. 36 ft is one hell of alot of boat, but he could handle it. It is myself that I am doubtful of. It takes a ton of strength to get the sails up on a boat that size. When considering a boat purchase, you have to think about the worst position you could find youselves in, and decide if you could handle it.
Could we handle being out on the Gulf of Mexico if a big squall came up? If the waves were 16 feet, and the wind was blowing 40 knots, could I get those sails up and down while Bill surfed the big ass boat through the peaks and troughs? It has happened before to unsuspecting boaters during the Harvest moon Regatta of 2002. We have raced that race, and I am very glad we weren’t there for 2002.
We asked each other this question on the drive home, and the answer is a resounding “No”. Who would stay below with the kids? Who would keep them safe while I was on deck hoisting sails and helping Bill? We both agreed that one of the smaller boats we are considering would be a much better match for us. They are big enough to gunk hole around the bay and islands, and maybe eventually cruising into the carribean.
One thing I know. I want this boat as much as he does. As I was standing on the docks looking over the marina, I could hear the wind whistling though the riggings and I turned to Bill and said “Do you hear that?” He turned his head and said “What?” and I replied “The wind in the riggings…it’s like coming home”.
Yet another one - May 11, 2007 -
The large, pretty snake we found the other day was gratefully released into the wilds….not until she made it known that humans sucked, and she was not going to put up with out bullroar for one more minute. Cory got nabbed, and she drew blood. He came in LAUGHING after the smelly snake bit him. Blek!!!
So, she got her way and was release after Bill got home and saw her, as was the plan all along.
Then my neighbor called and said she was bringing Cory a snake that they caught in their yard. She drove up and showed us a much smaller snake. She was incredibly docile, and looked to be blind in one eye.
We still have this little snake, and Cory would like to keep her for a bit. So, today I am off to buy something called a pinky mouse….or, baby mice. They are already dead, and I must keep them in the freezer and thaw them for the snake to eat. There is just so much wrong with this, I don’t know where to start.
I love animals. Really, I do. But the thought of having dead mice in my freezer to feed to a snake is grossing me out. Even if she is a nice snake.
I pride myself on being open-minded in regards to the boys. I have grown up around animals, handling snakes, lizards, salamanders, newts, turtles, mice and rats. I was a dolphin, sea lion and bird trainer. I also worked for a small traveling zoo for a short stint one summer in Florida. During that time with the zoo, I worked with Lemurs, a spider monkey and various other exotics. I have been bit by a dolphin, peed on by lemurs, and had sea lion snot sneezed on me. I have fed sharks out of my bare hands, and performed a necropsy on a dead false killer whale that washed up on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
Having said all that, the thought of feeding this snake a dead baby mouse and keeping said dead baby mice in my freezer is just harshing with my mind.
I am thinking Snakey needs to “escape” one quiet evening when no one is looking.
Dewberries - May 9, 2007 -
Picking dewberries is wonderful.
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Eating them warm, straight off the vine is pure heaven.
People watching - May 9, 2007 -
While sitting on the Strand in Galveston last weekend, Bill and I watched a mighty load of interesting folks while enjoying a couple of beers.
In the course of an afternoon, we watched a woman stand up from her meal and start whacking her male companion repeatedly over the head and across the face. Spanish obscenities flew and the woman left in a huge huff. A few minutes later she drove by, rolled the window down, and I almost flew to the ground to avoid the flying machine gun fire I was certain was going to errupt. Instead she yelled something in Spanish, flipped her ex-companion off, then drove away. Bill was laughing and cracking these one liners that had me rolling.
Shortly after that, a guy in baggy plaid pants, herrachi sandals, long, long curly hair and a Reggae sweater hat walked up to the front of the Emporium smoking what appeared to be a joint. He took his time, inhaling deeply while chatting on a cell phone. Bill and I just looked at each other smiling, enjoying the lack of inhibition. I grabbed my camera and took off the lens cap and nodded toward the dude, and Bill shook his head and mouthed “No way!” So, I regret to inform you that I have no pictures.
I love people watching with my husband. He has always had this amazing curiosity about people. The more unusual they are, the more intrigued he is. I can’t really say that I am watching the others. More that I am watching Bill watch them. Get a couple of beers in the man, and it is like living in a climate that the air is 78, the water is 78, and the humidity is zero. It is so pleasant it is nauseating.
Sometime, in the next few weeks, Bill and I are taking a much needed hiatus for a few days. We will be heading to our home town, alone. It will be the first time in 4 full years that we have spent the night away without any kids. It has been more than 7 since we have spent several days away together.
We plan to do some shopping, catching up on some sleep, and relaxing with old friends. People watching on the Strand is a must. We are heading to that state of mind where everything is 78 degrees…..and we are praying for some surf.
A herpatologist in training - May 5, 2007 -
He would rather be doing this than anything else in the whole world.
Cory is 4′8″
Dingos think snakes are wacky and interesting, as long as someone is holding it.
Her coloring is just fabulous! The minute Cory saw her he said it was a Texas Rat snake, confirmed by a herp dude on Flickr.
That’s the deal, my dear - May 5, 2007 -
Lucky you were born that far away so,
We could both make fun of distance.
Lucky that I love a foreign land for,
The lucky fact of your existence.
Baby I would climb the Andes solely,
To count the freckles on your body.
Never could imagine there were only,
Ten Million ways to love somebody.
Can’t you see,
I’m at your feet.
Whenever, wherever,
We’re meant to be together.
I’ll be there and you’ll be near,
And that’s the deal, my dear.
See that nibble worthy neck? I do.
One of the downsides to your snake loving son spending the night out - May 4, 2007 -
My kids got out early today from school. I remembered this fact 2 minutes prior to needing to be there. I really do need to take some memory enhancing vitamins.
When we returned home, we found the dog barking hysterically at the bushes off our back porch. Upon further investigation, we found a rather large snake. Ahem. A rather large snake that was not shy in the least. A snake that crawled right up onto the porch while the inhabitants of said house tried to get the small children and fascinated, shedding dog into the house.
The problem here is not that we found a snake. The problem was that Cory was not here to perform his Crocodile Hunter impression. He would have looked at it and identified its genus and species right off and then would have proceeded in catching it bare handed and with a smile on his face.
I got a broom.
I looked at its head and recognized it as a non-venomous snake and made the decision to capture it so that my little Steve Irwin wannabe could see it when he got home.
So I pinned it’s head down gently with the broom, after it chased me, struck at me and faked me out by rattling the end of its tail in its best rattle snake impression (by that point I knew it was a rat snake, as that is what they do). After pinning it (gently) I grasped its head behind the jaws, and it COILED AROUND MY HAND.
Did I just hear lots of bloggy doors slamming shut and some icky girl screaming???? Get a grip, will you. I have not even gotten to the part where it PEED ON ME.
Following Chris’ advice to never ever be far from your camera, Cody snapped some shots.
Me with icky snake, as it coiled around my hand and squeezed a bit
It finally calmed down and relaxed a bit so I could stretch it out. Here is a shot right before it let loose its load of musty snake pee
We got it in a cage, and I went inside, washed my hands 4 or 5 times and then poured an entire bottle of rubbing alcohol on myself.
The 2 boys were so excited they were shaking. Mia decided that snakes are awesome dumb and that her mother is awesome gross for picking it up.
So, Smelly Snake sits outside, contemplating her bad choices.
And I sit inside wondering how many snake friends she has crawling around my yard.
Or if she had babies. Gah!
She’s all well now - May 3, 2007 -
Way back at the beginning of the year, I can’t even remember when, my Vibiemme got sick. She decided that it was too dang much effort to signal her boiler to heat up the water required for espresso, and that was that. I was devastated.
After months of putting it off due to dread of having to cart 65lb of molten steel to Austin for warranty work, I finally loaded her up and dropped her off. She was in expert hands, and I left dreaming of crema and cappuccino’s to come.
Vibiemme came home from the barista doctor yesterday and is feeling even better than before.
It was deemed there was a loose wire that had eventually burned up, so that is why I was never really able to get her to pour a primo cup of espresso.
Bottom line is, she is now pouring the best shots I have ever produced in my life.
For Jamie and Kathy, I present coffee porn
Please don’t leave hanging chads and other random thoughts - May 2, 2007 -
See my little linkies to the Blogger Choice awards….down there on the bottom right. Black Belt Mama nominated me for Best Parenting and Best Photography blog. If you haven’t voted, would you be so kind as to cast a vote for me? That is, if you like me. Or think I am a little okay.
Be sure and do a search for some of your favorite blogs. I just now took the time to register and am working my way through finding those I read and casting votes! If I have missed yours, leave me a link in the comments.
I know I can’t win, what with the amazing real photography talents that are nominated. I just want to be on something other than page 17 of Best Photography blog. So in that spirit, lets shoot for page 2. Or page 3?
I was grateful to see there were not categories for “Most Depressing Blog” or “Best Stroke Blog”. I just know, if nominated to one of those, I would be thanking the Academy. “Yes, Stroke has moved in, climbed into bed with us, and has become a major player in our family. Stroke, the bastard, has really brought a quality to my writing, that melancholy “could someone please cry me a river” self centeredness that has brought me to this day, and this award. Thank you.”
Raise your hand if you are reaaaally ready for me to move on to something other than Bill’s health issues. Yeah, me too.
Oh, one more thing. After the bike ride yesterday, his stroke symptoms vanished. This morning I talked with him, and he is back to normal. WTF???? He says it was the exercise, I swear it was the dewberries. Doncha think? Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am the one with bobblehead now.
Anyhow. Does anyone know why a short haired dog would shed enough hair to stuff a pillow with? And not go bald. Or die? Short, little Honey hairs that are EVERYWHERE. The kind that get in your mouth and YOU KNOW THEY ARE THERE, but you can’t find them with your fingers? I sent Quinn out to brush her, after she had dumped half her coat on the front seat of my car while going “bye-bye to get the boys” , and when he came in, you could not see the bristles on the brush, so loaded with hair it ’twas. It is simply gross and a very good thing that P*ssy hates her, which has banned Honey to the great outdoors. I have just never had a short hair dog shed like this. I could make a nice scarf, if the hairs were longer.
Parting shot….3 reasons why you should not sugar load your kids before heading into the army surplus store.
Nothing will ever match the sweetness - May 2, 2007 -
As usual, I could see Bill ahead of me, his legs moving smoothly and strongly. We were on a bike ride and it was a beautiful day. Not a bright,sunny, blue skies burning kind of beautiful. It was actually cloudy, hot and muggy. Texas coast muggy. The beauty was in how vivid all the colors were. It was surreal. The greens were so deep and varied and the wildflowers had grown waist high with all the rain we have been getting. I have never seen so many gorgeous wildflowers. Did I mention the green? It was like someone Photoshopped the landscape and I was riding my bike through velvet.
I was about 1/8 mile behind Bill when I saw him stop, get off his bike, walk it to the edge of the road and lay it on its side. He walked into the wildflowers and bent over with his hands on his knees. My heart stopped beating. It looked like he was getting sick. I was already spent physically from our ride, but a burst of energy called panic had me standing up in the pedals and pounding up the hill towards him. It was uphill, and I swear I was going about 17mph or more , straight up it. Fight or flight, baby.
My mind was racing to horrible thoughts such as ruptured aneurysm, stroke….you name it. He had been sick all week, even successfully warding off a migraine. It was just like the last time, when he had the stroke. Same symptoms, but then again he has had them come and go all year, so why was I in such a panic? Well, it had also been one year to the day since he had experienced his stroke. Happy anniversary, honey.
I pounded up the hill. God, not now. Not yet. Not here.
Then I saw him stoop and reach into the brambles repeatedly, each time pulling back and touching his other hand. Huh?
As I neared him he straighted up and started to walk toward me. I breathlessly got off my bike as he reached me. Glancing at his hand, I saw plump, ebony berries staining his bike glove. He picked one up and placed it into my mouth and kissed me. The wind blew around us, bending the golden grass. Then he said knowingly “You really made it up that hill fast. What were you thinking?” I replied, “I was thinking you were getting sick. It looked like you were getting sick.”
The berry was as surreal as the colors painting the landscape. It was warm and the sweetness exploded in my mouth. How could one berry have so much juice in it?
We clipped back onto our bikes and started back home. Another uphill, a straight away, and then a long downhill. I peddled all the way down, my speed reaching 30mph. The taste of that dewberry was fresh in my mouth. The wind screeched past my face, snatching my sobs and whisking them away behind me. Post-stress anxiety, plus a huge helping of relief and thankfulness.
Thank you God, for that special moment with Bill, and for the blessing of one more day. Thank you for that dewberry.
Nothing will ever come close to the sweetness of that one berry on that hot afternoon.
