Respite

This time of year finds us wishing for better weather.  We are already tired of cold and wind and icy rain, snow and sleet.  The inside of the house begins to bore us even though there seems to be a thousand things we can do to keep the winter doldrums away.

Yesterday we got a reprieve...however brief it was.  Sunshine!  Blessed sunshine!  I walked down the hill wearing a light jacket.  The road was muddy from the freeze and thaw of the week before.  But muddy boots are just something you expect in January.

The wind was soft and mild.  The sky was vivid blue.  The blue that comes with chilly air, clear of moisture and refreshing to breathe.  In and out.  In and out.  What joy to stride along and feel the lightness in your step as you watch for birds and other wildlife also venturing out.

Ah yes...I must admit I saw my nemesis The Armadillo rustling in a patch of leaves not far off the road.  I didn't have my heavy stick.  I did not have my .22.  I only looked at him fiercely and he escaped to live another day.  I am a mild and calm person, but these beasts get the best of me sometimes.

On a happier note I sat on the porch after my walk and watched Andy as he mowed a patch of grass behind the house.  He enjoys getting the tractor out when he can do some good in the winter.  Besides cutting wood and busting it for our woodstove, winter jobs up here on our hill are few and far between when the weather doesn't co-operate.  No animals to feed, no fences to mend.  Just gazing out the window and wishing for spring.

As I sat there on the porch I felt a certain peace.  The last few days have been hard on several of us in our community.  Sickness, death, struggles that only each person knows.  But there, basking in the sunlight I felt that most of my worries were just not that important.  Life is good.  Rain and wind and sleet and death and sorrow and remorse dog our steps.  But when we have a break, when we are able to clear our minds, we realize that Power that surrounds us and gives us a respite from the storm. It seems to say, "Hang on.  Better days are coming."  And they will.  They will.  I know it.  And I believe it is true.  

Tonight I trimmed my Christmas tree.

Yes, I did.  Andy hauled the boxes from the garage and stacked them on the floor.  Each Christmas I vow to do this earlier.  But I have to be in the mood. Waiting, and waiting.  That is what I am very good at.  The time has to be just right.  No good putting up the tree when it is nearing 60 degrees and sunny.  Even though it lives in a box in my garage eleven months of the year, the weather has to be just so for me to put it up and decorate.

The first thing I come across is the picture of my brother Paul and me with Santa at Block and Kuhl Department Store in Peoria, Illinois.  I was six and Paul was eight.  Makes me smile to remember that moment.  Paul is grinning but he is secretly planning his revenge for me getting  closer to the man in the red suit. I think I got pinched on the arm for that infraction.

And here are the treasured wooden ornaments that I painted on December 5, 1974.  How do I remember them?  I was in labor with Nina and knew that they had to be done then or forgotten for another year. Babies do tend to interrupt normal daily routines and the best laid plans for decorating the house for Christmas.

Under the tree are several cherished things from Nina's namesake, Nina Dusenberry.  She was Andy's cousin twice removed but an integral part of his family when he was growing up.  These were under her tree when she grew up on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn at the turn of the century.  A little Chinese doll.  A small stove.  And a tiny teakettle.  On the tree are ornaments she sent to Andy and his family when he was growing up. Each one is from a place she traveled to....Sweden, Portugal, Holland, Japan.  There they are..a tribute to a woman who cared deeply for her family. 

As I decorate the tree I remember the story behind each ornament.  Sweet memories.  And when I can no longer trim this tree, they will be passed on to someone else.  Perhaps a new story will be told about them. All a part of this Season we love so well.     

I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony..

You know it.  We all hum it at least once or twice during the Holiday Season. It's that famous Coke ad....and it ends "to keep it company.."  Aside from its crass commercialism, I like this tune.  And that is what I was thinking tonight as I came to the Gainesville Square and joined with lots of people who came to celebrate this Season.

Eating.  There was lots to eat.  Visiting.  Yes, some of that too.  Kids making paper ornaments to put on a tree.  People bundled up in the cold, shivering but glad to be there.  And lots of things to look at and buy.  Crafts and food and more food.  If you didn't get the Jolly Vibe..then you were not alive...that is for sure.

The parade.  What can I say about it?  It had more floats than I have ever seen in an Ozark County parade.  It was beyond spectacular.  It was awesome.  Lights twinkling..even on the semis...each fire department was there.  Floats with kids.  Floats with singing kids.  Floats with animals.  Horses.  And Santa and Mrs. Santa came in a perfect Model A pick-up.  I was sorry I didn't have a child or grandchild to take up and meet them.

All around me smiles.  Comments about the perfection of this display of community spirit.  Just pure and simple joy.

Which got me  thinking about what makes our place..and places like ours...so unique.  We don't need a lot of buzz and glitz.  Although some of the lights were pretty bright, that's for sure.  We don't need a multi-million dollar spectacle to make our Season bright.  What we need is to get together, eat a bowl of soup, share some kettle corn, drink hot chocolate, admire the handcrafted items of our neighbors and friends and visit.  Give a hug.  Say I love you.  Smile and be happy for awhile.

Yes.  We can "teach the world to sing in perfect harmony."  All it takes is a little practice. 

I Love This Gym

Tonight we celebrated our basketball teams.  I love the Red and White Scrimmage.  I love seeing old friends, eating HUGE cinnamon rolls, slurping up chili topped with cheese and Fritos and sipping on sweet tea.  I love looking at all those bake sale yummys...and buying a few.  Some were snapped up before I got a chance to grab them.  But most of all....I love our gym.

Now wait a minute!  I know that several of you who read this will groan and shake their heads in disbelief.  " Jane", you will say, "are you out of your everlovin' mind?  How can you say this?"

I know.  I know.  This gym was not exactly brand new when I arrived here to teach in 1977.  But it was better than the gym I left in Winona!  But that is a story for another day..or maybe not.

Anyway.  Here are my reasons for loving the GHS gym.

It is a place where we all can gather and celebrate our young people.  I look around and see faces I have known for 42 wonderful years.  They were ball players then.  Running up and down that court.  Making baskets.  Guarding the forwards. Racking up the points.  Fouling out.  Coaches red in the face.  Encouraging.  Yelling. Full of vim and vigor and life.

Today I see their kids...and grandkids doing the same thing.  Jumping. Tearing down the floor.  Making that unbelievable three-pointer.  Grabbing a rebound and passing it back for another try at the basket.

My daughter played here.  I wasn't a calm and cool parent.  Everyone knows that I can yell with the best of them.  And sometimes I even yodel.

Our gym is not senior citizen friendly.  There is no place to park a wheelchair or walker.  And if you have sore knees and backs, those bleachers from heck are just that.  But....I manage to step-step up to the top row where I can lean against the wall...and step-step down at the end of the night.  It is painful.  But worth it.! 

Worth it!  How in the world can it be worth it?

Because I can sit there and smile and laugh and hug and talk with people who are so near and dear to me.  I can chuckle at the babies.  Meet new family members.  Catch up with what is going on in our small town.  And watch some amazing young people do things down there on that ball court that I would LOVE to do right now.  

I know that we need some changes in the gym.  I know that our community has difficulty raising the levy for school improvements.  And passing bonds is equally hard.  Our school board, citizens' committees, administrators have all done the best they can with what they have to work with.

But golly folks, let's smile once in a while and be grateful for what we have.  Hard work and years of careful management have kept things in pretty good shape.  

So it boils down to this.  I know that sports are not the be all and end all of life.  But they do one thing for a community such as ours.  It brings us together to celebrate something  we can all agree on.  Our life here in a part of the world where being a good neighbor means so much.  Seeing our kids grow strong and motivated to do better.  And reaping the rewards of a that good life.

And this is why I love this gym.

Freedom, Sweet Freedom

Yesterday, when I went out to sweep my porch, I heard the cry of an eagle overhead.  Rushing to look over the railing and up to the sky I could see three of them, soaring above me, riding a thermal, sun shining on their wings.  The blue above and the outline of these beautiful birds left me standing there for the longest time, mesmerized by their grace and beauty.

What a perfect symbol the bald eagle is for our country.  For our freedom.  We are so fortunate that they are frequent visitors to our area, especially during the times of year when we can appreciate them.  They often sit in the trees over the rivers and ponds, waiting to catch the fish that circle below. 

Long ago when I was in elementary school we often sang that wonderful song that begins "My country 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing..."  Seeing those eagles soaring above me made me think how very fortunate I am to live here.  And how very sweet freedom is.

Freedom to come and go as I please.  No one prevents me from walking or driving down my road.  

Freedom to gather and talk with my friends and neighbors without fear of being arrested.

Freedom to speak my mind.  Freedom to worship where I please.  Freedom to earn a living.  Freedom to own a little patch of ground that I can call my own for as long as I live.  Freedom to choose who will represent me and my needs for the the greater good.  Too often we take this blessing for granted.  We were born to be free. Many times we..myself included..take that freedom for granted.

Seeing those wonderful birds flying across the sky and down toward the valley...looking for a perch above the creek...reminded me just how sweet that freedom is.

Freedom...sweet freedom indeed. 

What About November?

We have just said good-bye to Halloween and all its wonderful celebrations.  Seems as if they start two weeks before the 31st and fill every

day and night until that spooky evening arrives, replete with princesses, armed aliens, and toothless zombies.  Stores are filled with items to buy.  Candy is bought by the car load.  And everyone hopes for good weather to go door to door with bags and little buckets to gather up those Halloween treats.  In my day we also had to do a trick to go with the treat...but that was long ago and in a different time and place.

And now we are ready for....December 25th.  Yes friends.  Let's just skip over dull November and hurry to the end of the year.  Already stores have all that Christmas stuff out...decorations, toys, food, new things to wish for, old things that bring to mind our own holiday memories.  And who doesn't love Christmas?  I do.  My dad was the original Mr. Christmas.  He would celebrate it all year long if it was allowed.  So I am not being a Scrooge here.  Just wanting a lovely month in its own right to get a little recognition.

November honors our military and all those who gave their lives so we could be free.  Think about that.  We used to call it Armistice Day.  Study your history books and you will get a good feeling for what that meant to our country and the world.  So...thank you veterans for all you have done and do for us.   November brings hunting season.  Now who in this area can forget that?  I love the stories and pictures in the paper of hunters old and young who pose with their deer.  Now I know that some who read this will wrinkle their noses and humph with disgust.  So be it.  We have deer and deer in abundance.  That is that.  And close behind deer season is Thanksgiving.  Not a new holiday.  But one that has come to mean several things to different people.  To some it means family and friends gathered around a table full of food.  To some it means serving a festive meal to those who might not have one on that special day.  To others it means driving long distances to celebrate with relatives we see only once a year.  And to others it means football games and cheering on their favorite team.  But Thanksgiving is an important day in and of itself.  Thanks.  Thanks for everything we enjoy in this beautiful country.

And so, please don't let November go unnoticed and forgotten.  It is a full thirty days to enjoy and revel in frosty mornings and brilliant nights full of stars and moonlight.  Time to work and get ready for the coming winter.  A time to reflect on our blessings.  And a time to enjoy just living here, in this corner of the world we call home. 

Waiting on fall

Why am I so anxious for fall to come?  Why do I look forward to putting on my warmer jacket and boots when I take my daily stroll down the road?  Why do I long for color in the trees that stretch far beyond my view to the west and north and east?

I must confess.  I love change.  Especially when we have suffered through what seemed to be a dry and hotter than usual late summer.  But change is coming.  I can see it every day.

The thermometer in the morning shows shivering numbers.  The wind has a certain crispness to it.  The squirrels are extra busy searching for nuts to hide.  Geese are flying south.

I love fall.  We build a fire in the stove in the morning to take off the chill.  And sometimes even in the evening.  I take walks down along the road and try to find the elusive wildflowers that decorate the stony margins this time of year.  The latest rain has helped them grow and I am finding a few more here and there.

Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular.  That ruddy line of orange-red that heralds the rising sun.  The crimson of the setting sun that lights up the trees with glowing splendor.  It takes your breath away.

I can not imagine a world without an autumn.  Constant warm breezes and hot sun.  Not for me.  

I guess I am fortunate to be able to live in a part of the country that has changing seasons.  Yes, even winter.  It is all part of the price we pay for the glory that is fall.  And I am enjoying every minute of it.