Springtime in Oklahoma

After a very mild winter, one of which I am most thankful for, our spring came early.  The Daffodils were up and blooming by mid February and the Hyacinths which usually are just beginning their bloom have bloomed and are going dormant now. 

Spring has come early to Oklahoma.  But with it also comes the unstable weather.  I wanted to work in the yard, raking leaves to burn or mulch.  I discovered quickly that the most calmest day could change with a snap of the fingers or should I say, the start of the rake as I raked leaves into a pile.  All of a sudden, a slight breeze would appear from no where and then get stronger until all my work went right back to where it all started.

It is the same way with the mower.  I got it out one day when it was nice and calm and before I had made one round the wind had suddenly appeared and from then on, I think I received more of the dirt and mulched up leaves than was left on the ground.

I don't remember having this much wind in Oklahoma when we lived here before but now there are days when I'm housebound somewhat due to the wind blowing.  It is too much to do any raking and forget about burning the pile of leaves if I do get them raked.

But I also have one other little problem.  One night, it was calm and I took advantage of the lateness of the evening to rake a nice large pile of leaves into the driveway.  I was raking away and heard a noise.  I turned to see two of my kitty cats running and jumping in the middle of the pile and digging away as if looking for treasure.  Reminded me of my own daughters when they were young and we would tell them to rake up the leaves only to see them jumping in the pile and having a ball.  Needless to say I was able to get the kitties away and burned the one small pile as the sun set and darkness set in.  Making sure the embers were out, I retired for the night hoping the next day would be nice enough that I could burn the rest.  But when I am raking now, they seemed to think it is play time.

But the next day Mother Nature had other ideas.  First, she turned on the wind to blow the pile of remaining leaves into all the nooks and crannies where they could pile up and collect and when she turned off the wind, she turned on the faucet.  Yes, rain with all its glory of thunder, lightning, wind and downpours.  For over 48 hours, we could only look out to see the puddles forming.

It was a great thing for the yard and flowers and trees and after the drought we suffered last year, the soil soaked up the moisture and the trees were taking in as much as they could.  With the new leaves forming, they needed the good drink and they got it.  The pollen they had been shedding was being washed away leaving yellow streaks on the sidewalk where it had formed into streamlets from the rain.

Ah, the occasional break with the sun peeking through and sometimes even giving us the clear blue sky only to cover up again with storm clouds and more rain showers.  Mother Nature does like to tease during the spring time.  At times, her fury is unleashed as the storms increase causing damage but we know her temper will subside soon and the gentle rains will go away along with the storms, or most of them.

As we progress from spring into summer, the storms she gives us are more severe and more threatening but are few and far between, but at the time, we head for cover waiting for her vengeance to end and praying that we have escaped her fury.

But then, we can have the most loveliest of days, perhaps a very gentle breeze but warm sunshine and the joy of being outside with nature to enjoy the beauty it gives us.  To take walks or to sit on the porch to listen to the birds and as I like to say, watch the world go by.  To visit with neighbors and friends is one of the joys of springtime and being able to be outside.

I think I like the springtime the best in Oklahoma.  The days are warm and to watch the waking of the trees and flowers after their winter nap makes each day seem special and alive with the new life.  To put up with a few rain drops occasionally can be a nuisance but I know it is a requirement so I bide my time knowing that once the rain is gone, the sun will shine and it is springtime in Oklahoma.

In Memory

It was a year ago today that I had a message on my answering machine that my mother had passed away.  I was expecting it but at the same time, we are never ready to let someone we love go.  It had just been over a year that I had lost my husband and now I had lost my other best friend, my mother.  The grief I felt was deep but at the same time I felt some relief knowing she was no longer in pain or discomfort.  Her last few weeks had been horrible for her.  She had been taken from a nice caring place and subjected to a long ride which resulted in a stroke.  Then based upon false information, she was put through tests and treatments that were unnecessary and only tormented and tortured her.

I think that is what hurt the worst.  My brother and I had a long talk with her before we took her to the care home and we had a long talk with her afterwards and she was accepting her life change and  settling in.  But a family member could not accept it and through lies and deceit convinced her to leave.  The act of one unselfish and jealous person would hasten my mother's death.  It was so inconceivable to my brother and I that anyone could treat another human being the way my mother was treated.  And the fact, that we were cut off with communicating with her until it was near the end and she was in such a state that she didn't recognize our voices or heard what we said hurt both of us deeply.

As we both repeated how much we loved her and wished her the best, she was beyond comprehension.  In one short month, she had been turned from a social human being into one who was completely helpless.  We stood by and could do nothing but pray that she would find peace and her suffering would end.

It is a memory that I wish I could put away but I can't.  I feel as if I never really got to say good bye to her.  But I do know this and no one could ever change her mind.  My mother loved her children and even though she might not have been able to communicate with us, I'm sure she knew my brother and I loved her and were concerned for her regardless what she was being told or how she was being treated.

In this past year, I don't know how many times I've gone to the phone to call her to tell her about something.  I called her every Sunday for years and we would talk anywhere from an hour to three hours.  We talked about what we were doing or what the kids and grandkids were doing.  We talked about politics sometimes, but we each knew our limit but we still enjoyed a good conversation every now and then but most of all we did a lot of laughing.  Sometimes she would be in a reflective mood and tell me about growing up or the early years when my brother and I were small or something about the family.  I relish those conversations that we had and miss them so much.

It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since I last heard her voice.  But there are times when I think I hear her and I can see her in my mind, laughing and giving us that all knowing sly smile she often flashed at us.  She was a strong woman who chose to live on her own until almost the very end and she only gave up when her eyesight had failed her to the point she was almost completely blind.  She managed very well and now that I am on my own, I remember some of the things she told me which have helped me overcome some of the difficulties I've faced.  She always said to stop and think and not just jump at the first thing that came along and to take each day as it came because there was no way to go back to do over the previous day and we don't know what lay ahead of us.  She believed in God and in heaven and I know she is there and she always told me as well as my brother and her younger child that we should live a good but righteous life.  I think that is why my faith is so strong.  She was a good teacher and a good example.

So Mom, if you are looking down on me, I hope I am doing everything you taught me and making you proud.  I know that you are with Dad and Harold (Danny) and I miss you all so much but I hope you are looking down on me and that I am making you all proud.  And the memories of our good times will always be with me.  I love you and I miss you.

The Simple Things

We all experience little things that makes us happy and they don't all have to be large extravagant things.  Most of them are small and maybe a little insignificant to others but they mean a lot to us.  It is the simple things sometimes that can make us happiest.

Maybe it is a phone call from a child or grandchild just to talk or a visit from someone who haven't seen in a while.  It could be the first blooms of spring that brings a smile as you know it won't be long until the cold days of winter are behind us.

Recently I've had a series of simple things that have brought me happiness.  A neighbor who used to live across the street from me came by and I got to see her 4 month old baby boy.  I hadn't seen him since he was about 3 weeks old so he had changed.  I told her the first time I saw her that he gave me a smile and of course she just assumed he had gas but the other day she couldn't say that when he gave me the biggest smile and even giggled at me.  And when I took him, he giggled again.  So either I look awfully funny to him or he likes me and I think it is the later.  And there is nothing sweeter than a happy baby with a smile and who will snuggle up to you.

Then one evening the phone rang and it was my youngest granddaughter.  She was working on a school project and thought maybe I could help her.  We had more fun as I researched things on the internet to tell her about and stories from my memories.  Talking and laughing made the learning fun for her and I just enjoyed being able to enlighten her to something of my past too.

I've been desperately trying to find someone who could help me do a small remodeling job and was about ready to start doing it on my own, right or wrong, I was at the point that I wanted it done one way or the other.  And then, out of the blue, my neighbor's father approached me with a trade off.  He would do the work in exchange for some lumber I had and hadn't been able to sell.

It took him just a little over two days to put up a dividing wall on my long screened in patio.  He screened it and installed a door and then preceded to open the closed end so now I have a screened in porch and a carport.  It makes it very nice and handy as I can park close to the front door and the weather will not be a problem.

Having a place to park the car out of the weather is a very important thing to me as I always worried about a tree limb coming down or hail and now I know it is protected.  And I still have a nice size screened in porch that I can enjoy.

I've got so many good friends that have been there for me and are still here for me.  It is nice to be with them and talk and laugh and to go do fun things.

So maybe I don't live the most exciting life with a lot of pomp and circumstance but there are a lot of simple things that make me smile and makes me happy.