Half Way!

I can't believe it but as today ends, June 30, 2011, so does the first half of this year.  Where has the time gone?

It seems it was only a few weeks ago that we were buried in snow drifts and it was freezing cold and now here it is summer time.

The beginning of the year started nice but by the second week, it was cold and blustery and then the snow came and it came and it came.  We were snowed in for days, no mail service, stores closed as people couldn't get in to work, let alone customers being able to get in to make purchases.

But by the end of February, it was all behind us as we looked towards March and a pleasant change of weather and it wasn't a bad March.  We got a lot of rain and I mean a lot of rain.  I worried at the time that it would rain itself out and by summer time, we'd be sweltering in the heat and dry as a bone.  Guess what?  We are sweltering in the heat and dry as a bone.

April wasn't to bad and we got some good rains during that month but then May came along and it began to warm up, a lot warmer than usual but nothing like this month has been.  We made the record books for the second hottest month with temps over 90+ degrees for 29 of the 30 days.

And a lot has happened in my personal life during this first six months.  My brother, my niece and my daughter and I made a trip to Iowa to move our mother to a nursing home in January.  However, she was removed by our younger sibling in February and sad to say, passed away in March.

It has been hard for me to accept her passing and I still think I need to call her when something happens or especially on Sunday afternoons.  For years, every Sunday afternoon we had a nice long visit by phone and I miss those calls and miss her voice and I miss telling her what is going on or what is happening and I miss her telling me what she has been thinking about or doing.

Then in May, my daughter decided she was going back to the city.  She just isn't a country girl and was not happy here and I felt bad with her living in that small trailer.  She got it sold, packed up her things and she and my grandson loaded the truck and she is settled into her new apartment and is working part time at a local television studio as she looks for full time work and today she had a good interview so we are keeping our fingers crossed it will work out for her.

It has been a little hard going out and not seeing the trailer there or seeing her every day but we talk on the phone and I know she is happy and that is the most important thing.

I thought about selling off the place and moving to an apartment but the more I thought about it, I knew I would not be happy.  I am a country girl and I do love the rural living and having a neighbor so close and being in town, I know I'd feel like a fish out of water and regret it so I've decided to stay right here for as long as I can.

So the first half of the year has been full of ups and downs, some health problems but are being taken care of and I'm finding a new side of myself.  It gets a little lonesome at times, but yet I manage to stay busy and keep occupied and the way time is going, I must be doing something right.

Now that is what happened in my area of the country.  However, elsewhere, there have been huge destructive and killer tornadoes.  The worst I believe so far is the one at Joplin, Missouri.  I lived there for over 10 years and very familiar with the area that was hit as I even lived in that part of the city for a while.  It is devastating to see the destruction and to hear the stories and worse the loss of life.

There have been horrible fires out of control in the Texas  and the southwest.  I'm sure there will be more in other states if it continues to be so dry.  People have been evacuated from their homes, business closed and loss of property and land mass has caused more problems.  And they are battling a fire that is jeopardizing a nuclear facility.

On the other hand are the floods to the north.  Whole towns being devastated and suffering loss to property and crops.  From North Dakota to the southern edges of Nebraska and Iowa, the river has risen higher than it has in years and has wrecked havoc.  A small town not far from my home town was covered in waters and the farmers watched as their fields filled with water and the crops gone.  A cousin who lives in Omaha has evacuated her home and is waiting and it could be another two months before she will know or even be able to get back to her home.  She and her husband also lost their travel trailer that they set up along the river.  The waters came up faster than anyone thought and they weren't able to get to it in time.  There is a huge nuclear generating plant that is in danger from the flood waters as well.

The earth is a changing and growing planet and weather changes are just a part of it.  We all try to understand and there are a few who get some grandiose ideas that we are the cause or that it is near the end time, but in actuality, this has been going on for eons.  Long before man walked upon the earth, it went through weather changes and it has survived.

We will now but we will have to suffer a little through cold, snow, rains, flood, heat, fires and tornadoes.

So as we end this first half of the year, what can we look forward to for the next half? I'm hoping and praying that it will be better, but somehow I know that whatever is to come, I can't change it, nor can anyone else, so we will complain about the cold and the snow and we will complain about the rains and again about the heat and the dryness.  After all, what is a better conversation starter than, "Isn't this weather something else?"

In The Good Ole Summertime!

Summer is officially here, however we have been having summer type weather for the biggest part of this month.  It has been unseasonably warm for June here and dry.  We haven't had the fires like they've had in Arizona and Texas but if we don't get some relief soon, it is quite possible we will be seeing more fires in our neck of the woods.

I know a lot of people think I'm nuts but I actually enjoy this warm weather.  True when it is unbearably hot and humid, I do seek relief inside but if I can, I'll be outside every chance. 

Just like yesterday.  I keep my thermostat set at 82 degrees and there are warm spots and cold spots in my house and I try to stay away from those cold spots as I just can't handle that cold.  Yesterday was kind of a cloudy day so it was very cool in the house and I got so cold that I actually went outside to "thaw out".  No kidding.  I was so cold, I felt as if I were moving in slow motion and was beginning to ache all over.  I stayed outside and soon felt good again.  I didn't do a lot of work out there as then I would have really felt the heat but just sitting on the porch wasn't all that bad.  We had a light breeze which helped.

Now today is entirely different.  We started out pleasant with a south wind that felt really good this morning but as the day has worn on, the temp has gone up and the wind isn't quite as appealing.  Feels like someone is blowing a hair dryer on you.  But at the same time, if we didn't have the wind, it would be utterly miserable out there.

The humidity isn't as bad today so I have been in and out several times and didn't have the breathing problem I sometimes have when it is high. 

I remember growing up without air conditioning and only the use of a fan that just seemed to blow the hot air around.  Our house had a lot of trees and on hot afternoons my mother always thought we should rest.  My bed was placed so that I was right in front of the only window in my room.  If we had a breeze, it really wasn't that bad, otherwise, yes it was hot and about the only resting we got done was to lie there and wish it was cooler.

The nights were always cool unless there was no breeze at all but for the most part, sleeping wasn't all that bad.  And during the daytime hours, my brother and I played outside, usually under the shade of a huge old Elm tree we had in the front yard.  We really didn't mind the heat.  Maybe it was because we were interested in playing with our toys or just sitting watching the clouds in the sky.

I remember riding my bike across town to go to the swimming pool and how good that water felt when I first got in it.  And I'd be all cooled off by the time I had to leave to go home, only to be sweating and hot again when I got there but yet still feeling the effects of an afternoon in the pool.

Every now and then my brother and I would get to go out to the farm to stay with our cousins.  Now, none of us were bothered by the heat.  We ate breakfast and was out the door and sometimes I'm not sure we even came in for lunch unless my aunt yelled loud enough for us to hear her.  And other times, we'd take a sandwich with us to eat out in the "wilderness," that is what we called being out in the field.  We all had great imaginations.

We would play outside all day and well into the evening.  The heat just never seemed to be a problem when I was young so maybe I'm conditioned.  LOL! 

As a young woman, I would lie in the sun to get my tan.  Of course, now I realize that was not the smartest thing to do and I guess I am one of the lucky ones that didn't ruin my skin but I'm sure it didn't help it either, nor did I get any cancer which is one of the biggest dangers. 

I don't mind the summertime and the heat if I don't have to do a lot while outside in it.  I do try to stay in the shade and I will admit that I do stay inside a lot but when I get chilled, outside I go.  True, if I had my druthers, I would take spring or fall but I can withstand the summer time.  And for me, winter could just disappear entirely and I wouldn't miss it one little bit. 

I grew up in an area which had harsh winters and didn't like them then and don't like them now.  I've seen snow and played in it and now I don't care if I see it again or not.  I've been in freezing temps where my fingers and toes got numb and I definitely don't care for that. 

So guess I'm weird but I still like the good ole summertime and I hope you have a great summer too.

Party Time!

I love to give parties and entertain.  I think part of the fun is the planning and the anticipation as the day approaches for the party.

Last year when my daughter was here, we set up a canopy outside and put lights all around it and tables and chairs and of course a portable bar along with a CD player and the party was on.  It started on the 4th of July and we had a couple more during the summer.  Everyone looked forward to our "Party Central" parties.  

There was nothing fancy, just family, friends and neighbors who all joined together for an evening of laughter, dancing and just plain fun.

So it is that time again to open up "Party Central".  Only this year there is a big change.  We will have everything on the screened in porch and plan to add some food.  One end will be set up buffet style, one end will be a conversation area and the center section will be free for all those free spirits who just have to move to the music.

The lights have been put up and we'll have some decorative lights as well.  The grill will be set up on the north patio for burgers and hot dogs and inside we'll have whatever the guests decide to bring with them to share.  The bar will be open with plenty of ice and some sodas but everyone will need to bring their own special spirits if they choose.  Music will be playing with an assortment of CD's that daughter and I have and if anyone wants to bring their own, we'll accommodate.

For a successful party, I want all my guests to enjoy themselves and feel comfortable.  So I try to make them a part of the celebration and evidently my enthusiasm works as everyone seems ready and willing to help.

But now, I'm in the planning stages and to me that isn't a chore but just part of the fun.  I'll make my list of food items I need to get and have on hand, plenty of ice and sodas, cups, plates and whatever else I can think of before that final day.

Fireworks will be going off all around us plus I'm sure we will have plenty of our own right here as my grandson will not disappoint and I think a few of the guests are bringing some as well.

I just get excited thinking about it and still have over two weeks before it happens but that is the way I am.  As I said, I love to entertain and have fun with family and friends.  We would have had a head start by having a party over Memorial Day but daughter was moving that weekend so we'll just have our big blow out on the 4th.

And I'm sure there will be more with one last one before we have to say good bye to summer and hello to winter.  We had one in late fall last year so as long as it is not freezing, we'll be out there at Party Central.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE!!!!!   HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!!!

An Empty Nest, The Second Time Around

We have our children and we watch them grow, wishing they were bigger when they are little and then wishing they were little once they are young adults.  But all the while, we still enjoy them from birth to that first step out on their own.

It is hard when that high school graduation comes and you watch that child you have raised from a tiny squirming baby into a smart and anxious to meet the world young adult.  You wish you could find a way to keep them just a little longer and they are just waiting to get out there and show the world they are adults and can make it on their own.

Some do succeed the first time out, while others might have to retreat back home to regroup and start over but eventually they do leave the nest and are on their own.  And we watch with pride as they take off in their next chapter of their lives with jobs, more schooling or even marriage and a family.  They may have left the nest but at the same time we still have a tiny string attached.

Whether they want to admit it or not, they won't let go of that string either.  Things happen in their lives that no one can foresee and that string is their lifeline to go home when they have no place else to go.

This happened to my family.  The youngest daughter came home, even moving out of state to stay with us until she could get on her feet and resume her life.  The oldest had married and was doing well even after a divorce and starting out on her own.  But the company she worked for sold out and she was out of a job.  She continued to try to make a go of it with part time work and unemployment while she looked for a job but it became evident that she would have no choice but to sell off all her belongings except for a few personal items and to let her house go.

She was so excited when she bought her home and we were excited for her but when that day came that she had to walk away, we told her we were here and she could come here.  We call it a twist of fate as we planned for her to buy a trailer to set up next to our house and stay until she could find work and get back on her feet, but then we got the word that my husband was seriously ill.

So coming home was a two fold event.  We were going to help her by giving her a place to live and she would be here to help with her father.  And when he passed, she remained to be here for me.  We gave each other support as she found a job and worked, knowing that one day she would return to the larger city from where she had moved from because eventually the work would be there and it was where her friends were and it was her home too.

That day came a little sooner than I expected but she had the opportunity for a job and to find a place to live and so she packed up what few items she had in a U-haul and sold the trailer and today she left her job here to go to her new place and get settled over the weekend and start her new job the first of the week.

I've tried to prepare for this but it is hard knowing that I won't be seeing her come home from work, or visiting with her in the trailer or here in the house.  Our little outings to the store or to go out to eat will be missed as well.  Even though we were close, we had our space but at the same time we were just a few feet away and when we needed to talk or just to listen to music and relax, we did it.

Now, I go out there and I see the spot where the trailer sat for a year and a half and it looks so bare and it is hard to believe it is gone.  But the grass will return and one day there won't be any sign that the trailer sat there and she was so close.

The empty nest syndrome has hit again.  We are much older but at the same time, she still is my child, maybe not a young one just starting out as she has her own child, a soon to be 21 year old.  But we had a second chance and now she has flown the coop again.  I'm sad but at the same time I'm happy for her.  I want what is the best for her and this move is for the best.

So I can sit here and mope or I can pick myself up and stay busy, visit with my friends and look forward to the visits I'll have from her and my other daughter and my grand kids.  The nest may be empty but the string is still attached and I know they will be here to visit and that is the way it should be.  They each have their own lives and the lives of their children as it is a never ending circle.

One day they will experience the empty nest and I hope they will look at it as I do.  It may be empty now, but it is always home and they are always welcome and there is the telephone.