Saturday, June 20, 2015

The Winds of Time

Life gets a little complicated sometimes. Seems to be more so for me these days than ever before.
Like the storm we had yesterday: It was rather isolated and many of our friends and relatives escaped it, but it got us – with a vengeance!
I felt so helpless watching a fierce wind rip out a large section of our six-foot privacy fence as if it were a twig! When these things happen, we quickly learn a new respect for terrifying weather conditions and a new appreciation for something we normally take for granted like electricity. We learn the hard way, but by Jove, we learn!
The power went off at 5:15 p.m. and Mr. H. and I sat in candlelight twiddling our thumbs for the next seven hours and twenty minutes. Liza Jane, our cat, rather enjoyed the flickering of the candlelight and the light from the flashlight I carried from room to room.
Even after the power came back on, at 12:40 a.m., Suddenlink didn’t. So we still had no TV, telephone or computer. But never let it be said that I can’t find something to do at any given time. Between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m., I cooked the meat that I was preparing to cook when the power went off at 5:15. I was fixing Mr. H’s favorite dish, pepper steak. After the meat was thawed, I had no choice but to cook it. But needless to say, he’d had cheese sandwiches for dinner instead, but the pepper steak was just as wonderful today!
My grandmother used to say, “There’s a good reason for everything that happens if you just look for it.” I used to think that was just wishful thinking, but, as I get older, I know what she meant. It doesn’t exactly reach out and touch you, you have to look for it.
The good that came out of our seven and a half hour hiatus was that Mr. H. and I actually had a conversation! Something we rarely do.
Mr. H. is a man of few words and about the only time I get to have a real conversation with him is when I’ve got him held hostage in the car on a trip or when the power goes off.
We talked about many things, but what I enjoyed most was comparing our present situation to how it must have been for our ancestors getting up at the crack of dawn and going to bed at dark. They worked hard all day in daylight and were tired enough to go to sleep as soon as the sun went down. There was nothing else to do anyway with no TV or computers. However, they did have large families in those days – and that’s all I have to say about that!
Yes, these unexpected events teach us to be flexible if nothing else. No point in whining over something you can’t control. Just go with the flow, eat cold sandwiches instead of your favorite dinner, enjoy the beauty of flickering candlelight and by all means, have a conversation!
You just might enjoy it.

 

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

A Matter of Respect


Dyslexia?
If my mother had it, it was never diagnosed by a doctor. Yet, she did seem to have a slight problem with some of the English language.
My mother was not stupid! She was educated, well-read and well-spoken except for a few words that, for some reason, gave her trouble.
The first time she told me she'd made 116 moffets, I thought perhaps she’d made some little cakes similar to petit fours. Then she showed me the afghan she’d been crocheting. I crocheted, too, but had never made any moffets that I knew of; perhaps it was something I needed to learn.
But after a bit of pondering, it occurred to me that “me dear old Mum” was making motifs, not moffets.
Since I was taught from a very young age that I should never correct her, I didn’t, even though I was grown at the time.
“Even when I’m wrong, I’m right!” she once told me emphatically.
“I’m your mother and you will not correct me! It’s a matter of respect. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mother,” I said, knowing nothing else would work.
As I grew up, her botching of the language became a source of fun for me and the rest of the family. Secretly, we used her words in jest and everyone enjoyed making a little good humored fun of her. Her grandchildren adored her, but couldn’t resist joining in the fun occasionally.
We had one of our best laughs when she once took off her coat and hat and placed them on my bed. Later, when it was time to go home, we discovered that my Yorkie had chosen to take a nap on them. She picked up her hat, shook it around a bit and said mournfully, “Oh, no! Now it’s all mis-happen!” Of course, the word is misshapen, meaning distorted, warped, or deformed.
Ever since this incident, things have been “mis-happen” in our family.
My mother was a sweetheart in so many ways; we loved her dearly. Little did she know that her peculiar words were a source of laughter over the years and we wouldn’t have hurt her feelings for anything by telling her.
But these things have a way of coming back to bite you. I felt a little nip yesterday when I was telling my daughter how much I love listening to the Ponderosa music channel. When she laughed, I had no idea why for a few seconds – then it hit me. It’s Pandora! 
And to make matters worse, I’ve been calling it that for a week or more to Mr. H., who hasn’t said a word. Why hasn’t he set me straight? Who knows? He probably thinks it’s good for a lot more laughs if he leaves it alone.
Oh, my! I am becoming my mother!
 
 

Monday, June 1, 2015

Halfway There


 
It’s June 1st already!
Can you believe it?
We’re almost halfway to Christmas!
Yes, only six short months from now, we’ll all be in the Christmas mode – holiday music playing all around us; decorations glowing from stores and homes, and because it’ll still be early enough so that it’s not too stressful, most of us will be in a jolly mood, making plans for the big day with love in our hearts.
However, we still have summer vacations, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving before the snow starts flying and the Christmas decorations begin to twinkle.
But make no mistake – it will go fast. As soon as the last firecracker pops on the Fourth of July, you may as well make your Christmas list and start shopping.
The stores will begin to advertise “back to school” attire along with pumpkins and other Halloween paraphernalia, and whether it’s really time or not, we’ll start to feel the pressure. Last year, one of the TV stations started running Christmas movies 24/7 on the last day of October and played them until after Christmas.
Even I, the ultimate fall and holiday freak, was extremely tired of the gushy Christmas stories playing over and over and was glad when they stopped.
No matter how quickly time passes, and it does seem to pass faster as we get older, there’s nothing we can do to change it so we may as well try to enjoy it.
Someone once said, “Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice because the flow that has passed will never pass again.”
Cherish every moment!

www.amazon.com/author/peggytoneyhorton