Friday, May 31, 2013

friday morning, coming down...

what a difference a day can make!  tuesday night into early wednesday morning a system blew through here with a fury of hail hell, packing winds upwards of 70 mph.  this morning is the exact opposite.  the stars and stripes are hanging straight down on the flag pole at the curb.  it is utterly calm, a rare and beautiful day in the panhandle of texas. 

and as i write this i see the stripes begin to stir as if to say, 'i can hear you in there typing about me!'

the air is never still for long around these parts.

aio   

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

in the getting ready for installing new hardwood flooring we've been sifting through 35+ years of accumulated detritus, doing our best to lighten the load.  needless to say, we've come across stuff we've not seen in a while, a v-e-r-y  l--o-n-g while. stuff like my mother-in-law's wedding dress and the wedding dress the wife wore when she married the husband before me.  those have been hanging out with the dress miss b. wore when she took me unto her bosom coming on to 37 years ago.  my question is why?  who are we saving these things for, the kids? 

if it were up to me, and we all know it is not, there would be a rule.  if any given box has not been opened for 5 years, 10, 15, or 20 years. whatever the number, you tell me what's fair, the contents either go to the dumpster or to goodwill/salvation army/lighthouse for the blind--somewhere, but it can't stay here. i'm really thinking about our kids, you know, not leaving the unenviable task of wading through all this crap when we're gone. only one of the three currently owns his own home, the key word in that sentence being his.  he's not going to want any of this stuff, he has stuff of his own.  the other two have no place of their own to keep it, even if they did want it.

why have we allowed ourselves to accumulate all this mess.  sentimental value?  that's all well and good.  miss b. is not a hoarder but she for damn sure is a world class pack rat, i gau-ron-tee that.

before our oldest got married, miss b. bought 3 linen hankies to be gifted to the brides on their special. day she asked my mom to crotchet a border around each one, a nice touch i thought at the time.  when daughter got married quite some time had gone by as she is 11 years younger than son #1. when miss b. was ready to gift our daughter with her hankie, they were not to be found.  the house got turned upside down over and again, still she couldn't find them. 

the daughter has now been married, coming up on 7 years (i think).  guess what turned up in our efforts to get ready for the floor people.  that's right,  linen handkerchiefs, with the delicate crocheted border so lovingly applied by my mom.  miss b. opened up the tissue to show me what she had found.  i'm here to tell ya' tears as big as horse turds sprang out of my eyes.  just the thought of my mom doing this small thing for her granddaughter's and how long it's been since she passed away, i had myself a little moment there.

i guess miss b. is not the only sentimental fool in the family.  

aio     

remembering...

                                                                           

may 11, 2013 marked the ninth annual Mike Roberts Memorial Run- the mister mister if you will.  really? can it have been that long?  nine years?  Nine runs-- staged to honor the indomitable spirit and force for good that was Mike Roberts. 

that first run in is honor in 2005, was called the Piped Piper 5 Miler.   perhaps it should have remained so as that was mike.  he had a way about him that compelled anyone, everyone, he met to join him on a run at noon from the family life center at FBC, or a run, bike, run after work. he was forever conjuring up some way to get new people involved in the quest for fitness.  his charm didn't work on everyone but it wasn't for lack of trying.  it worked on me as it did many.

today, as it has continued to be over the passing years, a number of mikes rats will gather at noon at the flc for "a run".  the nine years have done nothing good for pace or distance but still we continue.  nope, it's not pretty but we are still hitting the bricks and that my friends would make Mike smile.

RIP
Michael Lee Roberts 
September 27, 1950
May 10, 2004

We miss you Mike!

aio