Tuesday, July 26, 2022

The Miracle Cure

 


After our delicious supper last night, followed by a bath and a purple cow, Magnolia got in the guest room bed and informed me that she had to change Isabella, the doll I had made her, into her pajamas, which she did. 


Zippy has no pajamas so had to sleep in his overalls but he does not mind. 
And then it was time for a book and Maggie chose "Are You My Mother?" that eternal favorite which has fueled the fear of abandonment in so many generations, and she read it to me. 
It was slow-going, her sweet pudgy little finger pointing to each word as she parsed it out, and I helped her with the hard words but by golly, that child read the entire book. And she doesn't even start first grade until next month. 
She also read "Five Little Monkeys" to me but I'm pretty sure she knew that one by heart. Still- I could tell she was so tired but she would not give up. She is a determined child, like her mother was and still is, and it will serve her well. 
I was so proud of her. 

I tucked her in and turned off the light but after a few minutes, she decided that she'd changed her mind and would in fact sleep with me. She is such a little night owl I had to fight to stay awake longer than she did but once she was asleep, she was a pretty good bed partner. 

This morning we had a good breakfast of eggs and toast and bacon and then we let the chickens out and she gave them their scratch corn. She loves feeding the chickens. We played another round of "War" but it got to the point where it was ridiculously long and both of us grew weary of it so she was declared the winner and went out to ride on one of Boppy's "vehicles" with him which is her joy. This time it was the four-wheeler. "Vehicles" is how she refers to the four-wheeler, the golf cart, and the go-kart. 

Around noon, her mama came to pick her up and I girded my loins and went outside where it was hot and the air was thick with humidity, making me feel as if I was wading underwater in slow motion, to clean out the hen house. I got that done and I walked to the post office and that was enough to exhaust me and set me into a state of ennui and ugly thoughts. I finally went out and asked my husband who had not only mown the grass but was also working on Lily's "vehicle" if he would like to go to the river. 
He pondered all that he wanted to get done and said, "Can you give me a minute to think about it?"
"A little minute," I said. 
"Then, okay. Let's go," he said, and pulled Lily's car back into the garage and we changed into our swimming costumes and drove to the Wacissa and dove in and suddenly, life was lovely again. 


We stayed in the water for awhile, resetting our core temperatures and then sat in our chairs, being quiet and enjoying the breeze. Two young girls came and sat down on a towel nearby and then, like bees find flowers, two boys of about their age but light-years behind in all other ways, appeared, and soon more boys and as we sat and listened to them, we shook our heads at the painful ridiculousness of human adolescence, of baby teens trying with all of their might to be what they want to be which is more grown up and tough and worldly. 
When Glen and I went into the water for our second delicious dunking I said to him, "Those boys are the same age as our baby roosters," and he laughed and laughed because yes, they were, and yes, they acted like them too, even to the point of fake-fighting. 
We left soon after and I told him, "You know, Owen is about five minutes away from being at that stage," and he shook his head and said, "I know," and then he said, "Well, most of them make it through alive." 

Driving home in our newly cool skin with our clean eyes and hearts, we held hands and looked at the fields we passed, the ugly houses, the pretty little old cracker shacks, the oak trees and pine trees and crepe myrtles. Because of our rain this year, everything is so green and when we got home everything was so very green here, too, and I was grateful for that. 

Here's what my crepe myrtle looks like. 


Those blooms are way, way up in the sky because the poor thing has had to grow fast and is thus spindly, trying to reach the sun under the old oaks surrounding it. But still, I love those puffs of pink that probably no one even notices but me who knows they are there. I think we do not lift our eyes upward enough. 


A shame, really. We must miss so much. 

Love...Ms. Moon




33 comments:

  1. What a sweet post ... You and Glen make me believe in love 💕 again! It is certainly alive and well in your home and it is thriving! 😘

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    1. Well, every love is different. I am grateful for the sort we have.

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  2. You're so right about not looking up. Any time you want to hide something put it above eye level. Hardly anyone will spot it. But all the best stuff is high up.

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    1. In my house I have to put anything I want to hide below Glen's eye level! The man can see the top of the refrigerator. Which is where he hides most of his stuff. This sounds like we both have a lot of secret stuff, doesn't it? Ha!

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  3. The river is your church. It always restores you. I always love how you and Glen are together at the river. And after.

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    1. The river is indeed our church. We come away feeling as if our vows have been renewed.

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  4. 37paddington ^^^

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  5. Your description of the young 'uns made me smile. I would never want to be that awkward age again.
    I shall make a point of looking up more. Thank you for the reminder.

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  6. Teenagers never change, do they? Imagine a wise, thoughtful teenager who isn't impulsive or horny. It's too bad that we all have to go through that but it's part of being human.

    A dip in the water on a hot day is bliss. Glad you two get to do that.

    Maggie is so sweet and looking up is so important, otherwise we don't get to see the clouds or the birds. Take care Mary.

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    1. The horniness of teenagers is unstoppable! As I recall, of course.
      That river absolutely offers bliss.
      You take care too, dear lady.

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  7. It's not hard to be a teenager, but sure is hard being one of two teenagers. Either one.

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  8. The reminder to look up is so important...Have a sweet night!

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    1. We're generally so busy watching where our feet are going, aren't we? But it's good to stop and look up.

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  9. This post is life. I don't know how you did it, but you captured it all. Lovely.

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  10. My favorite line: "I got that done and I walked to the post office and that was enough to exhaust me and set me into a state of ennui and ugly thoughts." And I love that you washed them all away in the Wacissa. Such a beautiful beautiful post, Mary.

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    1. The river did its magic again. I don't know what it is. Maybe it is somehow the perfect temperature. Thank you, Elizabeth.

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  11. "...we held hands..." that made me smile as much as Maggie reading to you. We all should look up more. People in the cities these days with their heads bowed and eyes permanently on their phones, don't know what they are missing.

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    1. That is so true. As if our phones held the glory and secrets of everything. Sigh...

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  12. This was such a delightful read - and exactly the reason I visit every single day. Maggie is too precious - and she will have her lovely memories of her overnight stays with you, forever! You are such a talented and gifted wordsmith.

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    1. Oops. Forgot to add my name - Desirée

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    2. Maggie is a darling and a darling who knows what she wants. I admire that in her. I hope that all of my grandchildren have the very best memories of their time here in this house. And thank you, Desiree, for your sweet words.

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  13. How fun to have Maggie read to you! They are so proud when they can do that and I hope Maggie enjoys reading for many years to come.
    It is good that you know what will make you feel better when you start to feel bad and that Mr. Moon is ready to join in. Thanks for sharing your day with me!

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    1. I will admit that it takes a certain amount of patience to listen to a beginning reader read a long-ish book but what could be more important? Nothing that I know of. Mr. Moon is far more apt these days to take off and do something fun and I am so glad that this time of life is here for him.

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  14. Go, Maggie! That's awesome that she's already reading books. I love her mermaid bed sheet! It's funny to think of your adolescent roosters being at the same stage as an adolescent human.

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    1. Actually, that's just a piece of flannel that I plan to make Maggie a quilt from. I showed it to her and she immediately wanted to use it for a cover that night which was fine. I'm so glad she likes it.
      Yeah- those roosters. The way they pretend fight- just like boys.

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  15. Kids can learn to read early if someone just takes the time to teach them. And once again I am jealous of the Wacissa. It is so hot and dry here and no rain, no rain. Still I have to get out there and cut back more purple coneflowers.

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    1. You know, it's funny. Maggie has never really been that enthusiastic about listening to books being read but she's the one doing the early reading! I know Lily has worked with her some. Part of it, I think, is that Maggie loves to be good at things and when she sets her mind to it- she does it!

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  16. Catching up after a long while away. We certainly don't lift our eyes up enough, so much life in the canopy of tress - and perhaps the same can be said for looking down.. the lizards and beetles and little things... Here in the French Alps nature is so much more abundant than the UK - I miss the sea though!

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    1. SO much life above our heads. Yes. And around us, too.
      I know that the Swiss Alps are gorgeous but yes, you must miss the sea. I know I would.

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  17. You two are a model for all of us. And look! You both got through those awful teen years.

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