Some Independence Day Observances

It's been awhile since I wrote anything.  Been having a dry spell, a bit of a numbness and sadness about me.  Don't know why.  Some relationships are a little distant, that concerns me, but I know overall, things are good.  Just haven't known what I wanted to say.
Today was the day we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  My grandfather was caretaker of the home one of the signers who was from Georgia.  Meadow Garden, home of George Walton.  We stayed in his little house on the grounds when we visited.  The main house was creepy if you were there alone.  The downstairs kitchen was all right, but upstairs, I heard someone walking around on the floor above me when I KNEW nobody else was in the house. Could hear someone humming in the kitchen sometimes, but it was a good feeling, not creepy like the footsteps.  (I was 11 that year, I think.)  Always think of Grandpa and Meadow Garden on the 4th, the day Mr. Walton earned his place in history.  Grandpa was only at the house (belonged to a local historical society) for a few years before retiring, but it was a fascinating place. 

About a month ago, I volunteered to help out at the library's tent in the Celebration In the Heartland at Buck Thomas Park.  This is an annual event in Moore, lots of vendors, local agencies, churches, businesses, and the library, have tents or booths set up to do a little community outreach.  We usually have a couple of craft activities, a water play table for the little kids, and sign ups for Summer Reading, and temporary tattoos, and stuff like that.  This year I ran the tattoo area.  Matt helped a lot when we got busy.  There were a LOT of people there this year.  Really made us glad to see how many who came in were our regulars who recognize us from the library, and really, a lot of new faces who were very glad to hear about the library. 

After we tidied up the tent and helped load the van, Matt and I walked over to the bank of the little creek that runs through the park, and sat on the ground to wait for the fireworks.  There were frogs in the creek making noise, and fireflies darting around.  LOTS of people, but the vibe was very happy, very friendly.  I usually do NOT do well in crowds, but well, these were my neighbors, my library customers, not really strangers.  Everybody was very polite.  Amazing, really.  
The fireworks show was fabulous.  It's been YEARS since I've seen one up close.  (We used to be able to see the fireworks in the park from our driveway, but the intervening trees are too large now.)
It was a great feeling to sit there, and be as amazed as a child again by the bright lights and loud booms.  The cheers and applause of my neighbors making a heartwarming added effect, when you could hear it over the music. 

Today I felt better about a lot of things, and it was my community that helped me remember just how blessed I am.  I may not agree with the prevailing politics around here, but I will not deny that my neighbors are good people.  Their hearts are in the right places, they are trying to do what they believe is right, and even if they disagree with you, most of them will still like you.  This little city has been through an awful lot in the last 18 months. This year's celebration was much lighter of heart than last year, and there is more hope and new life and there are even new residents with us.  After all the destruction that made the news a year ago in May, it would be nice to see someone show the growth, the rebuilding, the joy that is evident in Moore today. 

It took a LONG time to get out of that parking lot and home tonight.  (Probably could have walked faster.)  Still, people were for the most part being considerate and taking turns and I didn't hear any honking.   Once we got clear of the park, things went very quickly.  We really do live about a mile or maybe a little more away.  We've been home for awhile now, and winding down. 
So grateful to all my Moore neighbors and friends, and also to my Twitter friends, for sharing this day with me, and for helping me cheer up.  You guys are the best.  Really.

The Annual Trip To Mom's

On this very warm October Friday, I am finishing some laundry and preparing for the annual trip to my Mom's house in Alabama.  This is not our family home, she sold that in the 90s and moved to  a little town in Southern Alabama, next door to her sister, my Aunt Margaret.  It isn't far from where she and several of my aunts and uncles grew up.  (The family home was in Los Angeles County, California, in a little unincorporated area called Hacienda Heights.  At least MY version of the family home.  Moved there when I was 14 and all the others were already grown and gone.  I finished Jr. high, high school, and college living in that house.) (The older kids call the Compton house the family home, 'cause that's where they finished school.  By the time I reached Jr. High, Compton was no longer a good place to be.)

At any rate, I already mailed two boxes of clothes ahead to my Mom's so I'll have stuff to wear to do all the yard work we're going to do.  I left some stuff there last year, but it is all probably too big for me now.  I've lost 30 pounds since December.  (20 of it since May.) I have to pack all the stuff I might need en route into my huge purse so I don't have to mess with a carry on.  This usually works pretty well.

It is late evening now, and my preparations are almost done.  My sister is worrying about thunderstorms delaying her plane.  Sigh.  They'll come or they won't, it's the weather in the Plains.  Usually don't pop up bad until later in the afternoon than when we'll be there.  Last Saturday, they didn't start until after 4 pm., at least as far as I remember. (I was a bit, uh, distracted last Saturday.)

It is now one week and two days since I wrote the paragraphs above.  I have survived the journey to Mom's, the week of yard work, and the journey home.  Still trying to get my mind and body back on normal schedule.  Mom's house is in the same time zone, but the schedule is vastly different when dealing with an elderly relative.  Earlier up and earlier to bed.  Also had to get up and out to work early, before it got too hot. 

The weather is part of my disorientation right now.  I left warm temperatures behind here in Oklahoma, to go to even warmer (and more humid) temperatures in southern Alabama.  I came home to true Oklahoma Autumn.  Cool, sunny days and cold nights.  Beautiful clear, bluer than blue skies, and very bright sparkly starry nights.  I find myself contemplating taking the winter things out of hibernation and putting the summer ones away.  Not a good chore, as many of my winter workout things will no longer fit.  They will be far too large.  Now, this is a good thing on one hand, because it shows that I have lost 30 pounds.  It is a bad thing in that I really don't want to spend more money on clothes right now.  I had to upgrade my phone during the short week I was home before going to Alabama, because the venerable Droid X2 decided that it was done during our weekend at Dallas ComiCon Fan Days.  (Where I finally got to meet Ron Perlman.)  This is not an inexpensive undertaking.  I am still not sure how much my new bill will be every month.  The new phone, however, is wonderful.  Except for the fact that the wireless charging back won't fit in my Otter Box Defender case, it's perfect.  So, I have to do without the wireless charging capability until I can find a protective case that will work with it.  I really prefer the Defender cases, though, as they really make the phone easier to handle, and they keep it in almost new condition. (Plus my new case is really pretty.  Purple outer case with a seafoam green inner case.)


I also have to do the paperwork.  Bills to be paid, budget fussed.  Email cleared up.  Sigh.  Made chili for dinner.  (No heads, SOA fans, I promise.  I discuss cooking with Michael Ornstein sometimes, NOT with Chucky.)  Only  unusualness in this chili was about a cup of Left Hand Milk Stout. Added some depth to the flavor.

It felt so different to be out of my native adult environment, away from my husband, and with my Mom and my sister, who both tend to think of me sometimes as still being a very spoiled child.  I will admit to being a bit spoiled, but I am no longer a child.  I think it surprises my sister every year when we start all this work, exactly how much I CAN do.  I know when I was a child I was pretty useless except as an ornament or a distraction.  These days, I have experience running a household, often for long periods of time on my own, and in a foreign country far from family.  I have experience dealing with the public, handling all sorts of transactions, and performing for an audience.  I can also successfully navigate the bureaucracy of the military that affects my life.  I am confident in my ability to do my job and in my relationships with others.  Why, then, do I become a very insecure and fearful person around my family?  Perhaps because I know they will never really understand a lot of things about me.  I am the different one in this bunch, the sci-fi and fantasy fan, the musical one, the poet, the daydreamer.  They never did understand my non-sequitur comments, never could follow my admittedly eccentric train of thought.  Matthew can.  He's always been able to figure me out.  One reason I married the man.  He knows me. And he loves me anyway.
Another thing that bothered me was the way this trip made me reflect on leave taking.   When someone leaves this life, they can do so in a number of different ways.  They can go unexpectedly and suddenly, like my nephew, and send us all into shock and grief.  They can go out fighting to the last, like Melodie did, brave, inspiring, and striving to their last breath, or they can go little at a time, the way Mom is.  She is going to be 90 on her next birthday, and she is growing weaker, and her mind a bit fainter every time I see her.  She forgets little things, she forgets she just told you something, and so tells you again.  And again.  She doesn't cook, or quilt, or even read much anymore.  All were things she loved to do.  She has trouble walking, and spends most of her day just hanging out in her recliner, with old TV shows re-running in the background.
My sister is getting older, too, but she is as spirited and stubborn as ever.  Her father's daughter.  She will never really be old, I don't think.  Too much attitude.  Even if she is a grandma.
As for the work we did this week, well, I DO have a few pictures.

Azalea by Mom's driveway, during.

Same azalea after.

Circle of Azaleas, after trimming.

Sister Susie trimming.

Front of house, before

We did the back yard, too, but I am having trouble getting these photos to behave, so I think I will cut my losses and end this blog entry now.  I still have a lot to get done before resuming my regularly scheduled life tomorrow.

Just Another Manic Monday...

My alarm went off in plenty of time, I even got up early enough.  Went kinda downhill from there, though. 
On my walk, my phone would NOT behave.  Pandora kept cutting out,so I switched to Amazon mp3 player, playing songs stored on phone, still cuts out.  Endomondo, my distance tracker, went berzerk and about doubled my distance for some unknown reason, so I just gave up and walked unmonitored (except by my faithful Fitbit) and in silence.  Miss Bear more when I walk without the music.  Keep listening for his tags, or his toenails on the pavement. 
Got to my voice lesson only to discover that they are working on my teacher's street, and getting in and out is a real challenge.  Made it all right.  Her door was shut, and I had to wait for her to let me in .  Problem with that was mosquitoes, and one of the kind I am allergic to managed to bite me.  Thank God for the Benadryl cream I carry.
  My lesson was challenging and fun.  There is a recital on Sunday evening, and I am not so sure Karen and I will survive that aria she wants me to sing.  It's a marathon for both of us.  The duet with Adria will be beautiful, as long as I keep count properly.  I am also learning two Gilbert and Sullivan pieces.  Now Poor Wand'ring One is stuck in my ear and I can't get it out.

Off to the commissary, where I manage to stick pretty close to my list and come in under budget, but without a few items.  I had walk to the corner store after I got home and got everything put away because one of the half-gallons of milk I bought evidently hadn't been sealed properly.  It had leaked in the shopping bag, and to top it off, had gone bad.  Had to clean off all the other stuff in the bag with it, then wash the bag.  (One of my good thermal re-usable bags.)  SO, I walked to the store, bought the milk, some bananas and some strawberries.  $8. 66 worth, and walked home.  Got the strawberries cleaned and put away, came in here to rest and check Twitter for a few minutes, then had to go start dinner. 
Gee, such a thrilling day. 
Actually, it is.  It is a lot better than the last Monday when I went to the commissary.  Monday, May 20.  That day, I barely got the groceries put away before I had to go hide in the closet and hope for the best.  Took my husband Matt five hours to find a way home around the damage that day.  My friend lost her house that day.  Our poor little city suffered a setback such as it had not seen in 14 years. We lost our hospital, some good people, two schools, far too many children, and lots of things.

Our own house survived, and so did both of us.  The groceries I bought and put away that day survived to be used, at least for the most part.  Some of them were canned goods that are still causing trouble in the pantry.  Some of the frozen meat remains to be used yet.  We are eating a lot less these days, and last month was the first grocery shopping trip since we started the serious dietary changes.

As I sat huddled alone in that closet, I wasn't really alone.  I had my phone with me, and was tweeting about the storm with various people.  My sweet friend Fiona in Australia was especially worried about me, and she was the first one I tweeted to let her know that storm had passed and I was OK.  I messaged my brother on Face Book, and he let our family know.  Even some of the celebrities I follow asked how I was doing.  Rather surreal, actually.  To think how small the world has become because of our electronic devices. I also had a librarian friend in England checking on me regularly.  It helped me greatly to have these messages from afar on that day.  To know other people were out there and caring about what happened to me, even though I was all alone in the closet, I had company.  (Thanks, guys.  I know some of you read this blog once in awhile.  It means a lot.  You mean a lot to me.  Not always easy for me to say that to people, even though I daresay most of the ones I love know it.)

So, on this Manic Monday, when one of my favorite celebrities followed another fan, and I had so much to do, I am grateful for a quiet dinner in my own house, with my husband home at his usual time, and my girlfriend's cats (tornado refugees) all here making this place a happy home.

Yeah, any time I got too bothered by all the stuff I had to do today, I just remembered the 20th of May, and today felt one hell of a lot better.   Here's hoping Friday night is quiet, too.
As Ever,
Katie

For I am done with excitement
Tired of alarms and stresses
I could use a little abatement
Of the weather's excesses.