Since you’ve been gone, no wait maybe that was me. I believe I’ve been away for a time. Unlike Alice, I felt myself pulled under the riptide of busy work and never found the white rabbit or any other muse.
Sucked into the overwhelming crush of long hours and too many projects, none of them personal, I had no time, energy or creativity left to write one word.
A generational family trip proved to be the cure. Combine one granddaughter, her mother and me, a grandmother. Allow the mixture to rest until mellow. Toss in a sprinkle of laughter, a dash of high adventure and season well with affection. A change of scenery, an abundance of laughter, lots of companionship and a journey is a sure cure for recovery.
Embarking on a road trip across ten states in five days, we visited aliens in Roswell, slid across blistering white sand in search of Area 57 and followed a trail of crumbs left by Guy Fieri to consume amazing food.
Skirted Heifer
Our final destination, Mount Rushmore. We arrived after twilight, late in the night, while mule deer grazed the shoulders of the winding mountain roads. The mountains, shrouded in the thick night air loomed eerily against the darkness.
As we drove, we played long forgotten car games, naming animals, flowers and songs beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Hotel lights, a beacon, welcomed three weary explorers ready for a warm bed and restful night’s sleep. It was a lovely hotel, but all we longed for was warm and clean. The next morning, we awoke to a crisp 24 degrees, a dramatic swing from the 83 degrees I left behind in Austin, TX a few days before.
Squeezing a trip in wasn’t easy. It took willpower to leave unfinished projects on the table and walk away. The respite was exactly what I needed and I am so thankful I could do it with my daughter and granddaughter. I am rested and ready to reignite.
I decided a few weeks before Halloween to throw a party for my staff. They love celebrating and most of them enjoy dressing up for Halloween. I sent an invitation for 2:00 PM Friday, October 30th promising punch, cookies and a costume contest.
Immediately I went into hyper mode in an effort to plan the perfect party. We’d have a variety of Halloween themed punches, the perfect baked, decorated cookies and lots of decorations.
I spent the next couple of weeks making lists and jotting notes. I searched for the best cookies, polling everyone for opinions. I surfed the web and combed Pinterest for ghoulish recipes.
Settling on wormy orange punch, witches brew and blood (orange) punch, I purchased cauldrons, ladles, spider webs and more. On Thursday night, I worked late but still managed to pick up fresh vegetables, fruit and a few other last minute supplies. I made sure we had enough to feed an army even though I only needed enough for 15 people. I enlisted help from family, picking up the cookies, baking treats, making dip and putting up with my insanity.
Over the course of the week, I brought supplies and decorations to the office to minimize chaos on Friday. All of Austin and the surrounding areas woke up to a deluge of rain on Friday, October 30th. Relieved that most of the party paraphernalia was already stored at my office, we loaded the car with the final touches and began the hour long commute.
Five miles from the house, I realized that the frozen juice cubes for the punch were still in the freezer. Since the National Weather Center had issued flood warnings, it didn’t seem realistic to return home for ice cubes. At about mile 10 I discovered the fruit tray and the vegetable tray were also at home in the refrigerator along with the vegetable dip. No problem. I would just call my son and see if he would bring it in around lunch. Surely the sun would be out by then.
At mile 20, the radio informed us that there was a confirmed tornado on the ground about 30 miles away and the rain wasn’t expected to end anytime soon. I wasn’t going to ask anyone to get out in this mess. No problem. I’d just walk across the street for frozen fruit to drop in the punch and we could live without the vegetables.
At work, reports of flooding replaced any thoughts of the party while I tried to get in touch with any employees not already at work. Now I was trying to contact my son to be sure he was paying attention to the rapidly changing weather conditions.
At 8:45 AM, I received an ‘Extreme Alert’ via my phone:
“Tornado Warning in this area til 9:15 AM CDT. Take shelter now.”
Well, herding hundreds of costumed people down three flights of stairs to the bottom of the parking garage quickly became priority. We are all fine and the storm passed without significant damage for us and I realized that we had everything we needed.
When 2:00 PM finally arrived, it was still raining. The party was fun and everyone was relieved to forget about storms for just a little while.
Last Friday, Ron and I headed to the Austin-Bergstrom international airport en route to our destination Atlanta, Ga. I was nervous and excited. If all went according to plan, I could cross two things off my life list. My life list is like a bucket list, but a lot more fluid. I add, change and delete from the list regularly. I planned to run a marathon in Alabama on Saturday. This would be my 17th state to complete a marathon. I also intended to run a half marathon in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Sunday.
There are many people who run back to back marathons and routinely compete on consecutive days. But not me! This would be my first “double weekend”. I considered running the marathon course for both Saturday and Sunday but soon changed my mind. Ron enthusiastically signed up for a marathon on both days.
We booked our flights on a budget airline, so we had to get creative with our packing. Running clothes and shoes for both races had to go in our carryon luggage for safekeeping. The airline charged for carryon luggage but allowed a personal item at no charge. I conscientiously stuffed running shoes, tights, and shirts in my backpack along with my kindle, purse and snacks. Although, I secretly believed if our running clothes got misplaced, it would be a sign. No running shoes or clothes? It just wasn’t meant to be.
In spite of long security lines, we made it to our gate with time to spare. Once on board, I looked forward to napping, but I discovered the seats didn’t recline. No nap for me! I couldn’t get comfortable enough to rest.
Arriving in Atlanta after two hours flying time, even sans nap I felt great. Several trains, walkways, and stairs later we arrived at the rental car lot. After a quick lunch at Applebee’s in Marietta, GA we headed to Chattanooga to pick up our packets for Sunday’s run.
We pulled up to packet pick up after sundown and fifteen minutes before the eight o’clock deadline. Race numbers retrieved we left for Albertville, Ala to find our hotel.
Albertville is 30 miles from Lake Guntersville where the Mainly Marathons Appalachian Series Day seven was being run at 6:30 AM on Saturday morning. The thin hotel walls allowed us to hear talking and movement all night. I didn’t understand the purpose of the mirrors covering the wall behind the bed. I’m sure I slept some but it didn’t feel like it.
Lake Guntersville
Pulling my running clothes from my suitcase to dress, I couldn’t find my running bra. Sure enough I didn’t pack one. The most supportive bra I had with me was my Victoria Secret bra my daughter bought for me.
Victoria’s Secret bra, gloves, jacket, tights and long sleeve running shirt warded off the chill and made it the temperature more tolerable.
Arriving at the park, we checked in and picked up our T-shirts and medals. Yes, we received our medals before we ran. We had to wait until we finished to get our state and year attachments.
We lined up with 60 other marathon hopefuls, ready to run the out and back on the 2.184 mile course 12 times. As one of the other runners said, “After the first few times, you stop noticing how pretty this looks.” That quote was from Bryndis a marathoner from Iceland. There are four marathons a year in Iceland, so she travels to the USA to run. She had run a marathon with the group the previous day on a course that required running 21 laps. Many of the runners were completing the series and were on their seventh day of running. Running a marathon in laps takes patience. You keep up with the laps by taking a rubber band each time you complete a lap. The scenery was beautiful and several times we had to slow for ducks to meander across the trail.
Our bibs had our names printed on them and everyone soon learned our names and shouted support as we crisscrossed the course. It was soon impossible to know who was passing you and who you were passing but everyone was smiling. It was the most non-competitive event I’ve ever participated in.
The end! Is it really over?
My watch battery died before I finished so my last few laps were very relaxed. I finished with blisters on both feet. Taking my shoes off to change I discovered my Tiva’s were safe at home so I stood around in my socks. Ron brought me a cup of Fritos, pretzels, jelly beans and an orange for a recovery snack. It was fantastic!
We regrouped and left for Chattanooga. Stopping at a Mexican restaurant along the way and we had a lovely meal.
Anything would have tasted good but our food was great. The meal arrived just as the Texas A&M and Alabama football game began to broadcast on the television mounted above the bar. Since we were in Alabama, we didn’t advertise our support of the Texas team.
We made it to Chattanooga and checked into our hotel. It was lovely and more than made up for the first hotel. We each had showers and got comfortable while we waited for room service. I was feeling spoiled!
Our hotel was a mile from the race tents. We slept an hour later than Saturday and made it to the start around 6:30 AM. The marathon started at 7:00 AM and the half at 7:30 AM, so I was able to watch as Ron crossed the start line.
It was still 43 degrees, but I was getting used to the colder temperatures. Crossing the start line to the tune of Jump On It, by Sir Mix-a-lot was invigorating. Along the course you always meet interesting and fun people. Sunday was no exception. I ran with a couple who were married the day before and this was their honeymoon. Crazy, I think! I also ran with Jeanetta who was running because she is terrified of bridges. She chose to run the four bridges marathon to help get past her fears.
And there is always someone willing to give advice. My favorite advice overheard on Sunday was from a man running his first marathon. He said, “Never pass up an opportunity to pee!”
We both finished our races, Ron much stronger than me, but we had fun. After stopping for lunch at Genghis Grill, we returned to our hotel where we showered and napped before heading back out for ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s.
We wandered around downtown Chattanooga a while. We visited a book and yarn store where the owner was demonstrating how to use a spinning wheel. We ate again before going back to the hotel for the evening. Exhausted and sore, we slept early and soundly. We woke early on Monday and headed back to Atlanta. Our vacation was over. Marathon state #17 – check. Back to back race days – check!
Last Friday evening, my husband and I traveled to Houston, Texas. We stayed in a lovely hotel near the George R. Brown Convention Center. The hotel joined the convention center via a skywalk, which made getting to our conference a breeze. Houston is a large metroplex, nearing 2.1 million in population. There is plenty to do and see.
We had a wonderful time on Saturday and it was great being able to access the conference without venturing out into the Texas heat. As we drove away from the conference on Saturday afternoon, the traffic was heavy and the roads were speckled with construction cones.
While we searched for a nice place to eat, all I could think was “How soon can I get back home?” We found a nice hibachi style restaurant and happily celebrated my husband’s birthday. And then we headed home…..
Sunday morning, we slept in until 7:30 AM before rising to head outside for a run down the country road near our house. It was a cool 64 degrees and I couldn’t help but contrast the bustling streets and bright lights of Houston to the quiet country lane.
Purple hued morning glories bobbed in the light breeze, waving a good morning as we passed. Knowing the short lived blooms would already be fading by the time we passed back on our way home, I savored glimpses of them as I ran by.
We passed these beautiful horses peering over the fence curiously as we neared their pond. I’m sure they were wondering where we were headed and if they might come along.
The vultures watched carefully from the tree tops but I assured them we were still alive and well! I encouraged them to move along as we weren’t done in just yet! They were certainly not intimidated by this makeshift scarecrow!
I enjoyed the trip to Houston, the conference and I met many wonderful people; but there is no place like home.
Running down a country road is where I belong….. with the roadrunners!
I’ve been so busy and absentminded lately! Today I was particularly scattered. I began the day with my supervisor standing in the door of my office with a major problem. I spent the first half hour of my day researching the details of his issue only to find out everything was fine and there really wasn’t a problem after all.
When I finally got to my computer, I checked my calendar for meetings. The first one was scheduled for 10:00 AM with another one scheduled immediately afterward. I had just enough time to get a few things out-of-the-way first.
At 10:00 AM I headed off to the meeting, stopping by to grab my staff. They informed me I had been looking at tomorrow’s calendar. The rest of the morning, I kept forgetting it was Wednesday and tackling Thursday’s tasks.
I was sure I was going to forget to pick up my vegetables from the Farm to Work program which is delivered on Wednesday afternoon. The pickup time had changed from 2:30 PM to 1:45 PM. Finally I set my alarm for 1:45 PM and got back to work. I kept thinking about the pickup time and watching the clock until finally the alarm went off. I realized I had forgotten to bring a bag for the vegetables!
Digging through my office, I finally found a bag with some books in it. Dumping the books out, I rushed down three flights of stairs and hurried to the courtyard to pick up my vegetables. I had been so busy I had only left my desk one time to get a glass of water. Walking through the fresh air and sunshine was revitalizing! When I rounded the corner of the building at 1:46 PM, no one was waiting, no vegetables were lined up for collecting and I didn’t see the farm truck parked in its spot. I took a seat at the picnic table and enjoyed the sunshine. After five minutes or so I began to wonder if maybe I was confused about what day it was, although I was pretty sure I had already established it was really Wednesday.
Reluctantly I left the warm sunshine and headed back up the stairs to re-check my email. When I opened my email, I saw that at 1:15 PM I had received a message about the vegetables arriving early. The vegetables were in the Wellness office. I headed back down the stairs, back into the sunshine in search of vegetables.
As I filled my bag with the lovely fresh smell of cucumbers, sweet potatoes, jalapeno, squash and more I was smiling.
I didn’t forget my vegetables, I got more exercise by doing the stairs twice and I had some delicious vegetables to use as weights on the way back to my office.
Even the view outside my window looking at downtown Austin, TX looked just a little bit brighter.
I find myself becoming more conservative as I age. That’s a fact. I’m not frugal in all things, but if I can save a few dollars without much effort I usually take advantage.
So when we went to our local dry cleaners to drop off a couple of comforters, I balked at the 100 dollar price quote. One comforter was labeled as dry clean only but the other was marked machine washable. Knowing there was no way the bulky comforter would fit in my home washing machine, I left the dry clean comforter with the experts and set off to find a commercial laundromat to wash the other one.
The closest laundromat with machines large enough to handle a comforter was in Bastrop, TX about 20 miles from my home. Bastrop is a small town in Central Texas with a downtown that has maintained many of its historic buildings. The Colorado River flowing through town, just off Main Street makes it a lovely place to visit, even if you are looking for a laundromat.
We decided to eat lunch before we tackled our laundry project and found ourselves at Neighbors, a local restaurant overlooking the banks of the Colorado River. It had been awhile since we visited this restaurant and I’d forgotten the pleasant atmosphere. The Colorado River peeked through the trees as we enjoyed the cool air inside.
We started off with Garlic Knots which are exactly like they sound, yummy yeast rolls twisted into knots with just the right amount of butter and garlic. I would have taken a picture, but they disappeared too fast!
Neighbors is famous for its pizza, but we chose to forgo the usual and try something different. We opted for The City Slicker Salad, a meatball sandwich and a meat calzone. The salad came topped with apples, walnuts and goat cheese and was served with a lemon poppy seed dressing. Delicious! Ron tackled the calzone, stuffed with pepperoni, sausage and cheese.Rich had the meatball sandwich which speaks for itself. It’s meatballs after all! It was a wonderfully relaxing and delicious meal.
After such a wonderful meal I wasn’t nearly so excited about the laundromat! Putting it off a while longer, we ducked into Best Buy for a quick errand and then found ourselves at Baskin Robbins. I mean there is always room for ice cream, right! Honestly, I don’t often eat dessert, but Baskin Robbins can almost always tempt me.
Finally out of excuses, we pulled up in front of the laundromat. It’s been years since I lived without a washer and dryer. The few times I find myself at the laundromat I am always grateful that I don’t have to be there very often. Digging for quarters, we shoved the comforter into the oversized machine and settled in for a half hour watching laundromat activity. This laundromat has a television, arcade games and booths. It’s quite interesting watching people come and go and feed the machines. Finally the washer cycle completed and we moved the comforter to the dryer. Thirty minutes later, the dryer was done, the comforter was folded and we were headed back home.
3.00 for the washer, 1.50 for the dryer saved me 45.00 dollars. Happy and contented, I dozed comfortably all the way home.
When we have family gatherings, it almost always centers around food. Whether it’s cooking, potluck or trying a new restaurant, we love food.
Months ago, when my daughter, Kat was visiting we tried a new restaurant in Pflugerville, TX, the Taste of Ethiopia. It was wonderful! The food was delicious and the atmosphere inviting, providing a full dining experience. It’s not a large venue, managing to feel intimate but not crowded.
When Kat returned to Austin for a visit this weekend, she mentioned how delicious the meal had been and we decided it was time for a return visit. This time my son, Rich accompanied us.
As before, once we reached our seats, our server informed us with a huge smile that we were to eat with our hands. If you aren’t up to the full experience, utensils are available. The meals are served on a special bread called injera which is used to scoop up the food.
Meals are served family style in a woven basket called a mesob. A large metal tray covered with the injera is placed into the basket and topped with the food.
We over ordered but wanted to try everything. We started with Sambusa, Minchet Abish and Tomato salad for appetizers. The Sambusa is a light pastry dough filled with your choice of beef, lentils or spinach. On our first visit we had the spinach filling but today we chose the lentil. Both were delicious. Rich said the minchet abish reminded him of sloppy joe texturally but a much nicer flavor.
We ordered the Ultimate Combo of vegetarian dishes. We had gomen (seasoned collard greens), fesolia (mixed vegetable stew with ginger and turmeric), yemisisr wot (lentils with traditional spices), tikil gomen (spiced cabbage, carrots, onions and tomatoes, ater kik (split peas in herbs and turmeric) and eggplant wot (eggplant with traditional spices). If you’re thinking that’s a lot of food and Yum, you are correct on both counts. Even with three of us eating we left with several cartons of food.
The mesob(basket) arrived at our table first, followed soon after with a basket of injera. My mouth was watering from the smell of the buffet simmering in the back of the room. When our food arrived, our server sat a large pan of injera inside the mesob. He then spooned each of the entrees around the circle putting half on each side.
I think my favorites were eggplant, sambusa, and yemisisr, but truthfully, we loved everything we ate.
Kat and I ended our meal with a cup of traditional Ethiopian coffee. The coffee was prepared in the back and then delivered to our table in a special clay pot called a jebena. I’m not sure how they make it, but it was the perfect treat to end our meal.
It was a lovely experience which I hope to repeat soon!
Oatmeal is big news! If you google “oatmeal” you will get a multitude of hits. I’m not a fan of jumping on the band wagon for every new food craze; although you can’t really classify oatmeal as new. I like to eat healthy fresh food whenever possible and treat myself occasionally with a sweet treat.
When I started seeing overnight oats popping up on all the recipe and Pinterest boards, I was intrigued but slow to investigate. When I begrudgingly decided to see what all the hooplah was about I found so many recipes that I was a bit overwhelmed.
I thought a crock-pot version that would cook overnight might be tempting. I imagined waking up to the aroma of warm cinnamon and apple snaking through the air to entice me from my warm bed. Searching, I discovered numerous refrigerator oatmeal recipes made with yogurt as well as crock-pot recipes.
I like oatmeal and I like yogurt, but I never put them together. Texture is a big thing for me. I don’t enjoy soggy food so I was hesitant to try it. Saturday morning I was sitting on my deck searching for overnight oatmeal recipes. I found a dozen or so recipes that I sent to the printer. I didn’t bother to save any links so unfortunately when I discovered the printer was low on ink and only a few recipes actually printed, I was disappointed.
Of course the recipes that printed were all cold overnight recipes made with Greek yogurt. When I realized they were the only ones printed, I decided to give it a try. After a quick trip to the grocery store, I was ready to master some overnight oats.
I seldom follow recipes to the letter but I’ll do my best to tell you how I mixed my first batch.
1/4 cup raw oats
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp of chia seeds
1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 cup frozen cherries and berries
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of walnuts
I dumped it all together in no particular order and stirred it just enough to ensure everything was moistened before sticking it in the fridge.
The next morning, I hesitantly scooped up a small amount of the yogurt/oats mixture and carried it to my office for breakfast. As I sat at my desk and lifted the lid, I was pleasantly surprised at the pleasant berry aroma that escaped. Still nervous about the texture, I found the raw oats not soggy and the addition of the pumpkin seeds and walnuts added just the right crunch. I scraped the bowl clean wishing I had more!
I am a definite convert! I still haven’t gone back to find the crock-pot recipes, but have continued enjoying cold overnight oats. I’ve seen it called Kerf, Muesli or just plain overnight oats. Whatever you call it, I call it delicious.
When my Dad called to say he wanted to come for a visit, we decided to rent a cabin for a couple of nights at the lake. Knowing the cabins would fill quickly over the 4th of July, we made reservations months ago. My dad loves to fish, which is obvious from his nickname “Fishhook”. We made sure to get a waterfront cabin so he could fish as much as he wanted. I’m not a fan of water and I don’t have the heart to go fishing, but Dad loves it!
In anticipation of our time together, we postponed our Father’s Day celebration. We decided to celebrate Father’s day and my birthday together. (my birthday falls on the 6th of July).
My daughter, Kat planned to swing by and pick up the boys, (my grandson’s) and my Dad. They all live about six hours away and although Dad is perfectly capable of driving here himself, at 82 I hate for him to be on the road.
We reserved the cabin for Thursday night and Friday night. We planned to drive to Corpus to see my older sister Saturday morning. She and I share a birthday even though we are three years apart. My Dad wanted to visit both of us on our birthday. Rarely do she and I have an opportunity to spend time together and it’s been years since Dad was able to join us on our birthday.
As often happens, our plans went awry. The boys had rehearsals for their community theater production and couldn’t get away. Dad lost his critter sitter and didn’t want to leave his dogs. He was also feeling a bit under the weather.
We thought about cancelling the trip and just gathering at home, but decided against it. The cabin was only 20 minutes or so from our house, but tucked away among the trees and nestled on the bank of the lake made it feel worlds apart.
We left for the cabin on Thursday, picking up my goddaughter, Dez and my son, Rich on the way. Dez, loves to fish and had eagerly anticipated fishing with my Dad. Rich on the other hand has never really enjoyed fishing as much as his sister does. My daughter was bringing her fishing gear and planned to arrive Thursday evening. She and Dez would be our fisherwomen for the weekend.
The cabin was very basic. It had five beds, an air conditioner and a trail leading to a shared shower and restroom facility. It also had a beautiful view of the lake, fresh air, an outdoor grill and a picnic table.
During the weekend we played games, rented a canoe, ate too much food and created unbelievable memories. My son discovered an enjoyment of fishing (much to his surprise), my daughter discovered a slug in her tennis shoe and a June bug in her swimsuit cover-up and my granddaughter, Jilly discovered a beetle in her nightshirt.
I discovered the delight of sitting in the middle of a canoe, lightly rowing and watching my Kat and Dez cast their lines. We laughed so hard trying to launch the canoe we almost didn’t get in the water. Even when the wind picked up and the rain fell, we laughed and fished and rowed.
Father’s Day was celebrated on Thursday night. We celebrated my birthday on Friday night, with Kat and Jilly surprised me with a cake and everyone sang happy birthday.
Saturday morning we were supposed to leave by noon but no one was ready to leave. Anticipating failure, but deciding to try anyway, my husband went to see if we could stay another night. Our cabin was already booked but the one next door was available. Rather than make us move, they switched the other guests next door. After a wonderful breakfast and lunch, my husband and I went to pick up a fresh bundle of firewood from the front office. When we arrived, they let us know the family that was originally booked in our cabin was insisting that we move and give them our cabin.
Since our reservation had been impromptu and it seemed to be important to the other family, we willing agreed to move. I rushed into the cabin to interrupt the current game in process and let everyone know we were moving. We had 5 beds stripped, suitcases moved, dishes and food transitioned and all our outdoor gear moved in about 15 minutes. By the time the new guests arrived we were already seated in our chairs next door planning our dinner meal.
I decided that if we ever have to go on the run or leave in a hurry, we definitely have the skills! Slightly sunburned, a few pounds heavier and a heart full of sunshine, we went our separate ways. It was a wonderfully fulfilling weekend with many stories left to tell…. Like the raccoon and the hotdogs and the snake in the reeds…. All stories for another day.
It might be an aroma or a quick glimpse of something that triggers a memory snippet. For me, it is often a smell. Fresh bread baking immediately finds me standing in the school cafeteria with a tray in my hand waiting for a delicious hot yeast roll to land beside my mashed potatoes.
Last night, I was in the kitchen putting away groceries, when my husband placed a bag on the counter. It was a bag of fresh Fredericksburg peaches. They had been picked three days earlier. Without moving closer to the bag I began to smell the peaches. Not the ones on the counter, but the fresh ripe peaches hanging from the limbs of the two peach trees which grew in my childhood backyard.
The smell of those peaches brought a kaleidoscope of memories. In the heat of the day, my mother would send me out to pick a few peaches. She sliced the warm peach in half, removed the pit and poured cold evaporated milk over the peach before sprinkling it liberally with granulated sugar. I think she invented sweetened condensed milk long before Eagle Brand marketed it!
I can’t even remember how it tasted, but I remember the anticipation and the contrast of the warm peach against the cold milk. Yum! I haven’t thought of eating those cream soaked peaches in years. My husband has brought in peaches countless times and laid them on the counter. I’m not sure why yesterday triggered the memory, but I’m glad it did.
It made me think of my Mom and smile. A momentary sadness tugged at my heart as I miss those days with my mother but it was soon replaced by happy memories.
My thoughts followed the path to other memories of time spent around and under the peach tree. My friends from next door would stop by and we would sit under those two trees. We invented fairy tale worlds and planned our future. You know important stuff, like who would we sit by next year in school and how would we fill our days next week.
I also thought about my mother telling me to behave or she would switch my legs with a peach tree limb. Now those trees had thin pliable limbs that could sting like fire. Not that I would know! The threat of having to go cut a peach tree limb and bring it back to my mom was enough to keep me on the straight and narrow. I’m pretty sure I was never spanked with one, but I remember the dread well.
After dinner last night, I pulled a peach from the bag on the counter. I rinsed the peach and bit into the crisp fruit. As juice dribbled down my chin, I closed my eyes. For the moment I was ten years old, sitting beneath the peach tree, playing make believe with my siblings.
Nana's Apron Strings 