Dreaming...

Because I have a cold my dreams last night were a little feverish and more vivid than usual. 

Here's a summary...last night I visited with childhood friends.  We had a picnic out on the old Bess farm.  I sold and bought a new house in a new neighborhood in some unknown city.  I had a disagreement with some woman because she said I didn’t put her knife away after borrowing it.  I had to pick up all these people’s trash after they roamed around town partying on a flatbed trailer. I even decided that the military shouldn’t allow their solders to smoke if they are under 18 (can you even be in the military under 18?)  AND I walked at least 100 miles going from place to place!

 

I love to dream.  I’ve always been fascinated by how the thoughts from the previous day show up in my images at night.  I’m pretty sure I can tie most of these dream segments to something that came to mind yesterday.    

However, after all I did last night while asleep I know that I could use a nap today!

Spring and a Story

I’m in a late Spring rhythm, which includes mowing grass and blowing tree buds, leaves and seeds off greens.  The ample rain, cool mornings, abundant fragrances, blossoms of every color and warm sunshine is why Spring is my favorite season.   One other aspect of this rhythm is the increased interactions with customers.  I love to talk with our customers. The stories I hear perfectly compliment my daily tasks.    

Two weeks ago a husband and wife came to golf right before a rain storm.  They started to golf and eventually quit because it soon poured down rain. The husband returned with his brother-in-law the following day.  Last week the wife returned to golf with her parents.   They eventually shared their story and the purpose of their current Spring rhythm.  

They are from Minnesota.  The wife is receiving treatment at the Midwest Proton Regional Institute (MPRI) in Bloomington.  Her parents, family and friends are here to support her. They have been golfing at our course as a form of relaxation.  MPRI treats certain types of cancers.  This woman’s involves a brain tumor.  MPRI is giving her and her family hope.   Our golf course is giving them a place to relax together.

The father told me on Wednesday they were taking a one day break from golf because his daughter would be using that time to apply for a grant through her employer.  She is searching for ways to buy toys for MPRI’s younger patients needing cancer treatments.  His eyes welled up.  I could see his heart swelling at the thought that his daughter is focusing on gifts to others even though she has every reason to just be thinking about herself.

This has been a beautiful Spring and this family’s story touched my heart!         

Hands

Because I have been working in all our gardens recently my hands this morning were kind of talking to me, if you know what I mean.  I’ve been breaking up dirt clumps, planting seeds and pulling weeds.  It’s logical they would be expressing their desire to be rested.  It’s kind of crazy how the mind works but this also reminded me of the hands of others.

My Grandmother’s for one.  As a little girl I would sit next to her in church and run my fingers over her knuckles and long slender fingers.  They always seemed so big and elegant.  My fascination with her hands always made her smile.  My son’s hands look so much like my dad’s hands.  Vincent doesn’t have any mannerisms that remind me of my dad but when I see Vincent’s hands I think of dad.  And that makes me smile. 

Other than these useful tools I’ve been given and the memories they inspire, right now they could use a good scrubbing.  Whether or not they get it I can say that my hands are happy today and proud of all they have done.  And you never know, maybe they too will be a featured film in someone's memory someday.  I sure hope so.

My Prince...

Today in honor of my husband’s 63^rd birthday, I write about him. 

Vince has many qualities, too many to mention here.  But here are a few…He’s incredibly witty.  He makes me laugh everyday.  He likes to cook but knows that I like to cook more so we spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  He loves to golf but whenever he wants to go golfing he asks me to join him.  He dances with me even when he doesn’t want to.  He holds my hand when we go to sleep at night.  He always signs his name “Me” when he writes me notes and he hums a new song or two every day.

So, a life of laughing, cooking, eating, golfing, dancing and holding hands with the one I love all while being serenaded makes for a sweet life.  Vince, I’m so grateful for all you do for me and our family.  Happy Birthday Vince My Prince…Love, Me 

Name Tags

Why doesn’t everyone wear name tags?  In small and large gatherings name tags are common.  But what about those whose path you cross and it’s an out of context encounter?  I know who these people are I just can’t remember their name.  It’s always been a problem for me.

On Sunday I put on my name tag and went to church.  Over the next couple of hours I kept thinking about name tags and I shared my thoughts with my Sunday School class.  At the end of class I told them I was planning on wearing my name tag for a week.  Great idea…don’t anonymously go through life…own your name…maybe it would start a conversation…maybe I’ll meet someone new…maybe it will start a trend, everyone will wear one and...

I wore it a couple of hours at work.  Then I wore it while golfing until I was on the number 14 tee when I thought “Doh!  Just because I’m wearing a name tag doesn’t get me any closer to remembering or knowing other people’s names.   I just looked like someone who couldn’t remember her own .” 

So, unless I arm myself with name tags to hand out to everyone I think it is best just to accept the fact that I am no closer to solving my memory problem.  My name tag is now sitting in my golf bag.  I had a horrible drive on 14.  And just know the next time I see you, I know you, but I probably won’t remember your name.    

Driving through life...

I can’t get a song out of my head.  I can still hear and see the youthful Purdue Glee Club singing “Life is a highway I want to drive it all night long.”  They performed it with precision and it was delightful.

It reminds me of my own love of driving (through life.)  I have always had a led foot which is why I am grateful for the invention of cruise control, when I remember to use it.  Also, I’d rather be in the driver’s seat because when I’m not  I still use the imaginary gas and break petals.  It’s a reaction I can’t break. 

My daily life no longer involve getting children up in the morning for school (after hearing their snooze alarm going off every 10 minutes for an hour.)  I don’t have to race from one activity to another, constantly out of breath or late once again.  I don’t have to maintain a To Do list like I did when I had to prove my value by tasks performed.

Nowadays the morning drive to work is through the country. The days are filled with opportunity to love on customers, young and old.  At night I can sit on my back patio petting our Bogey cat while listening to the birds sing.  I can capture a moment here or there with my grandson Dylan while he shares a thought or two about life through his 2 1/2 year old eyes.  And I can enjoy watching my asparagus grow!   

The song “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne used to also explain my routine while raising children and working full time.  Now I sing that song with glee because that life was mine in the past and now its in my rear view mirror.       

Trash

Our sweet little golf course, Taylors’ Par 3, is on a major thoroughfare on the north side of Bloomington.  I really do love this place.  I specially love the mundane tasks.  They allow my thoughts to flow unrestrained.  Sometimes I find inspiration.  Other times I just find humor. 

Recently I went up by the highway to pick up trash that had accumulated over the winter. I started out with a large trash bag.  After a few yards there were so many glass bottles that the bag was too heavy to carry.  It was at that moment that I saw a small plastic shopping bag.  I accepted that gift and started using it to transport trash to the larger bag.  The smaller bag eventually gave out and just as I was throwing it away I saw another bag ready for service.  It also gave way but when it did I found another useful tool, a bucket.  

It was at that moment that I just couldn’t help myself.  I started laughing.  Never before have I had such cooperative trash! Yes, I’ll never really know why people throw trash out along the roadside.  I assume they simply don’t want garbage clogging up their own car or truck floorboards.   Regardless, ordinary tasks in life are with us for a reason.  While I was laughing I thought “I need to write this down,” thus, the inspiration to start a blog.