WOW.....WHAT a long day this has been!!!!! But......let's talk about yesterday and not get the "cart before the horse"......
Yesterday was a rather laid back day.........We had our morning coffee/tea......and the 1st Lady then began to do a bit of cleaning. I left a bit before noon and went to Farmington to get all 68 (I LOST one) of my hairs cut back. I have been looking like a long-haired flower child for a couple of weeks, if not more.....and so I just told the cutter lady to make it look good....and to do what she could with me, too. Soooo, then I went and had the oil changed in the Park Avenue......using that model name sure tells everyone how OLD our Buick is, doesn't it? They just don't make those models any more......DAMN IT!!!!
Returning home, the 1st Lady and I loaded the Turbo Tax....and began the dreaded afternoon of putting in the info that is needed to have the program figure out our taxes. Well......we got bogged down...and then after a couple of hours, we tried to go back to an earlier point and couldn't get there, so we just gave up. I will begin again tomorrow.........maybe.
Our good friends Sue and Dave Hanner and I talked and they asked us to come out for drinks and dinner.......and since we haven't seen them since right after we returned from Egypt and Jordan, we went out for the evening. AS ALWAYS.......a wonderful, wonderful dinner!!!! WOW.....that Sue can really cook! We had some dark red medicine to assist with the dinner......and lots and lots and lots of discussions about oh-soooo-many topics!!!!! Four months of not being together took it's toll....and we were at times ALL talking at once....and sometimes on four various topics......HAHAHAHA!!!!!
Soooooo, this morning the alarm went off at 5:30AM....Yep, THAT is early!!!! Crap....I never get used to getting up at that ungodly time of the day any more........used to do it all the time when I was teaching band, but alas.......Nevermore!!!! Soooo, it was a terrific struggle to become vertical....my sagging, evolving hulk finding it very difficult to climb out of the bed and walk around to our bathroom. Performing the morning rituals with quite a bit of grogginess, I walked out of the bathroom very quietly, so as to not wake the 1st Lady.....and going into the family room where I had laid out my clothes for the day's trip.....I realized that I had left my watch in the bathroom!!!! Sooooo, I stumbled back into the very dark bedroom....and after feeling my way around the bed, I promptly ran right into the 1st Lady's bedside table and lamp!!!!!! SHIT.....and here I was attempting to be very, very quiet....and CRASH!!!!!! SHIT!!!! So, I just turned on the bathroom light, got my watch and left the bedroom, knowing that she was wide awake!!!! WHAT a way to begin this long day..........
After a cup of coffee and checking my watch, I put my briefcase and coffee and jacket in the car.....and headed to Eldon....200 miles northwest of here over hill and dale and flooded creeks. Arriving in 3.5 hours after stopping briefly at Panera Bread in Roll for a dry cappuccino and a wonderful almond pastry, I moved on up the highway......I stopped at the Amish Store and purchased four pounds of their incredible fresh cream butter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is soooooooooo wonderful.....and so I purchased more than the last time, knowing how much I have wished that I had purchased lots of butter the last time I had been here.
Then I went to the cemetery to put out some fresh flowers on Michele's gravesite.......the grave of our 8 year old daughter who died quite suddenly in 1974. We try to keep seasonal flowers there year round.......she just loved little flowers when she was with us for those very few years.
Then back into town....and I met my sister at the bank........and we began the short process of closing out the final two bank accounts of our mother's......who passed away one year and one day ago....April 8, 2007. After that we went down a block to a new little cafe for lunch......where we promptly ran into three friends of ours......family friends. It was nice to see them and a surprise for all of us!!
We then parted......and I went north of town to visit a wonderful former student of mine who is now a wonderful young lady. OMG.......she, Chris Popejoy Hart, is undoubtedly the strongest person I believe I have ever known....... I wrote about here sometime back......she having been in a horrific car accident in which she lost her young daughter.....and almost lost her own life. She has had many surgeries......too many for me to remember.....over the past year....and is still unable to walk without the aid of a walker.....but, for the most part, she uses a wheel chair.
Yesterday she was elected to the Eldon Board of Education......and so we did talk school for quite some time. She, her husband Todd, and son Matthew live in a beautiful home in a gorgeous setting overlooking a large lake and some very green rolling hills. Chris has been a part of our family for many, many years.......she being the best friend of my niece and she was always at our family gatherings on Holidays, etc., etc. She is an amazing person..........simply amazing!!!! We have always been close friends, even as student-teacher.....and it was soooooo great to see her, to be able to spend some quality time with her and to talk about the tragedy that she has experienced. She remembers our deceased daughter....they were in the same grade school class......so, Chris and the 1st Lady and myself all have a very tragic common bond!
After visiting a couple of hours, I returned to town and stopped by the best friend of my mother....Lois. We visited for almost an hour........and it was great to see her......another extended member of our family. Then......it was time to hit the road for the 200 miles back southeast to F'town. After a couple of stops.....I arrived home by 7:15pm.........and really rather tired. At least I beat the rains that are supposed to descend upon us once again.....UGH!!!!
And so.......today was a special day.......why??? Because of the wonderful two hours I spent with Chris Hart........no one can be around her without coming away filled with amazement and awe at her inner strength and faith. You are an incredible young lady, Chris!!!!! The 1st Lady and I love you.....lots!
Yep.......she is living proof that.......
LIFE IS INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!!!........And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
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