Tag: Memories

Memories of A Middle Child

On By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Writing4 Comments

Growing up in a family of 5 children is lovely and maddening.  As family position goes, I am right in the middle. To my older sister and brother, I was the baby.  To my two younger sisters, I was one of the big kids.  Honestly I was probably more the baby since we three older siblings were so close in age.  My oldest sister was born on July 6th, 18 months later in January my brother was born.  Queue forward to July 6th 18 months after my brother was born; I was born.  Yes I was born on my sister’s third birthday.  How I love to remind her, I am wonderful gift!

Whichever I am, one of the oldest or the baby, I was very shy and terribly dependent on my mother when I was young.  So when my grandparents invited me to spend a week with them in Rush Springs, OK, no one thought I would go.  Especially not my mother, who assured me no one, would be able to come pick me up before the next weekend.

Hello world!
Hello world!

But I did go and I had the time of my young life.  For just one week, I went from being the middle child with four siblings to becoming an only child.  For one entire week, I had my grandparents completely to myself and was allowed to wander around the farm on my own.  I named each chicken and watched them pecking the ground for hours.  I climbed the apple tree and I talked to my grandparents.  I felt like a princess.

My two favorite memories of the week were the weekly trip to the grocery store and my grandmother making lemon pudding.

The grocery store was unlike any grocery store you would find today.  It was a small locally owned store crowded with shelves of canned goods, dry goods and fresh produce.  But my most vivid memory was the “drawing”.  We had been wandering the narrow aisles, mostly window shopping, but a few things made their way into the cart.

Suddenly, it got quiet in the store and Mr. Teal, the grocery store owner called out, “Who wants a ticket.  One dollar for a chance at this week’s basket of groceries.”  A current of excitement moved through the crowd.  Understanding my grandparents were extremely conservative with their money, I was shocked when my grandfather was one of the first people to pay a dollar for a ticket.

What a wondrous thing it was.  It was my first experience with the pure joy of chance and anticipation.  For only a dollar, there was a chance to take all those groceries home for free.  Mr. Teal drew numbers from a cup and called a few numbers.  I watched my grandfather’s face.  With the complete faith of youth, I waited for him to go collect the groceries.  Of course our number wasn’t drawn and we left without the groceries.

Even though I was disappointed when we didn’t win, I remember vividly, how I felt waiting with my grandparents for the “drawing.”  It still makes me smile.

My other favorite memory was of my grandmother making a lemon pudding in the large country kitchen.  She stirred fresh milk into a sugary mixture in a pot on the stove-top.  She was making a pudding and I asked if she was making a banana pudding.  My mother often made wonderful banana pudding with vanilla wafers.  She said she was making a lemon pudding and we were going to put lemon cookies on top!  Then she explained she always put sugar cookies on vanilla pudding and lemon cookies on lemon pudding!  I have no idea why that was so remarkable to me but I always thought it was extremely creative!

There were so many good memories from than that week but these two memories transport me back to my grandparents farm and a wonderful week with two of my favorite people.

Good Friends and Fresh Vegetables

On By DGThomaIn Food, Friends, Writing2 Comments

I participate in our local Farm to Work, a program of the Sustainable Food Center in Austin, TX.  As defined on their website, Farm to Work is an employee wellness and Farm Direct marketing program that delivers farm-fresh, locally grown produce right to employees at partner worksites.Fresh Vegetables

Every two weeks on Monday, we receive an email reminding us it’s time to order our produce.  Last week, my email was delivered, but my reminder notification didn’t display.  At 7:00 PM I was leaving the office for the day and remembered it was the week I needed to place my order.

Frantically searching I found my email and immediately realized I was too late.  The stated deadline to order was 5:00 PM.

Not willing to give up quite so easily, I replied to the email with a message asking if it was too late to order and included the explanation of how I missed the deadline.  I’m sure the order email is only monitored for payments and orders, so I received no response.

On Wednesday when the produce was delivered to our office building, I was feeling sad to have missed my vegetable delivery.  My sweet friend Nena stopped by my office.  She often has to remind me it’s time to pick up the order, so she asked me if I had picked up my vegetables.  Of course I had to share the whole story of how and why I missed the deadline.

Smiling she said, “I’ll share. I have extra.”  Responding that it was okay,  I explained I was going out-of-town and it was probably better that I hadn’t placed my order.

“No”, she explained, “I really have extras.  I was the last one to pick up and they gave me extra produce.   I told them I would share.”    Feeling blessed, I said, “Okay, I’ll take a bell pepper and maybe one zucchini.”

She sat her bag of vegetables on my desk and pulled out a zucchini and a pepper.  But then asked, “Do you like potatoes?”  When I replied yes, potatoes were added to my pile of veggies.  At this point the pile was getting large enough to require a bag to carry it.  As I searched for a bag, she added peaches, okra and a butternut squash.

I have to clarify.  When Nena said she got extra veggies, she actually picked up a few extra pieces of produce but not more of everything.

At this point, I have as many vegetables as she does if not more.  Honestly, it was like the biblical story of thee fishes and the loaves multiplying.

Although she did pick up a few extra vegetables, in truth she is really a dear friend who decided to share her vegetables with an absent-minded, forgetful friend who forgot to order timely.   Good friends and vegetables what a lovely way to brighten a day.

Pinot’s Palette – Painting and so much more!

On By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Humor/Light Hearted, WritingLeave a comment

I’ve wanted to try one of those instructor led classes where you paint a picture in a couple of hours that is advertised as something “you aren’t embarrassed to hang on your wall”.  I just haven’t made the effort to find out more information.

Thankfully, it wasn’t left up to me to follow through.  My granddaughter, Jillian recently surprised me with registration to a class at Pinot’s Palette .  She registered us for a class to paint a picture called “Rain Kisses”.  I was completely on board for the class but I assured her, my picture wouldn’t look anything like the example in the email.

All I had to do was make flight arrangements and pack a bag.  It was lovely that she made the effort to plan a weekend together for just the two of us.  Jillian picked me up at the airport and after a wonderful lunch, we headed to the store to pick up snacks for our class.  Our beverage of choice was sparkling water.  They do offer a stocked bar, but we are too young for alcohol.  Okay, at least Jillian is too young.   We made it to the class and were immediately greeted by lively music and a smiling hostess/artist.  We were directed to our seats where our names had been written in chalk by our canvases.   Our paints were already out and a canvas sat on an easel waiting for our creativity to complete it.  Jillian and I discussed grabbing our snacks early on, but I suggested we wait until half-time.  Jillian indulgently explained it’s a painting class, there is no half-time.

The instructor was wonderful and did a great job guiding us through the process.  Our first step was to paint the entire canvas gray.  I believe I excelled at this point.

In the Beginning

We laughed and joked and had an amazing time.  There were two young ladies sitting beside us discussing the female figure and how one of her legs was raised as she kissed her guy under the umbrella.  One of them said, who was it that started that leg thing?  Wasn’t it in Princess Diaries?  I smiled and said, “Actually, I believe it was Doris Day.”  The girl smiled tolerantly and said, “Well yes, but we were talking about the 90’s.”  I’m thinking she had never heard of Doris Day.  Jillian on the other hand smiled and nodded her agreement.  I should add that her favorite animation at around the age of three was Betty Boop!

The instructors are actual artists.  They lead you through the process step by step and while it isn’t without a bit of effort and maybe some skill, it was much easier than I anticipated.

Since we were going to be out late, (after 10:00 PM) I suggested to Jillian we go for breakfast instead of a late dinner.  We chose the  Village Inn for our late night breakfast of omelets, waffles, chocolate chip pancakes and hash browns.  It was delicious and we had leftovers for breakfast the next morning.

As we ate and discussed our mutual pictures, I pointed out that Jillian had painted a much better “booty” for her guy than I had.  Laughing at/with me, she informed me I was a “hoot!”

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Friday was spent running errands and getting ready for a garage sale on Saturday. After purchasing a new shelving unit we spent several hours working on putting it together.  Normally I’m pretty good at assembling modular furniture but this shelf was becoming quite a challenge.  Maybe I was tired but I put the top piece on backwards and had to start over about halfway through the assembly.  Finally I was ready to put the doors on only to discover the bottom was backwards, so maybe the sides were the actual problem, but we took it back apart and started over again.  By now our hands were sore from the screwdriver and we couldn’t get the small screws to the doors to turn.  Giving up temporarily we went to bed leaving the shelf to be tackled another day.

Early Saturday morning we went to my daughter’s to start the garage sale.  It was a beautiful day for a sale and while we didn’t have a landslide of customers, we had a wonderful morning together and a freshly organized and cleaned garage!  We also met some lovely people.

Saturday night was shelving unit round two.  After a nice dinner with my son-in-law and daughter, Jillian and I went shopping for an electric screwdriver.  What we came away with was a nice soft handled manual version with various sized ends.  It is absolutely amazing what a night’s rest, good food and the right tool can accomplish.  Jillian and Nana 1, shelving unit 0!  It went together like peanut butter and jelly.

Blue 2

The weekend flew by and Sunday morning arrived way too soon.  I am amazed at how much Jillian has grown up and what a caring responsible young lady she has become.  I was encouraged that she is still my sweet little girl.  She drove me to the airport in her sleep shirt and fuzzy Minnie Mouse sleep pants with the sound of Boston’s Greatest Hits playing in the background.

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I Remember…

On By DGThomaIn Family, Writing1 Comment

Several years ago, I completed a writing exercise that began with the prompt “I remember when”.  Looking back through my notes, I decided to reinvent it as a blog post, if possible.  Working with one of the thoughts, the result is this week’s post.

1961

I remember when yesterday was today.  I remember climbing a tree and my older brother scolding me and insisting I come down.  I remember tagging along after my brother and his friends.  He was only 18 months older but always acted like he was in charge.

I also remember how he begged me to pitch to him so he could practice his batting.  Terrified of being hit, I refused.  After numerous pleadings and promises that he wouldn’t hit the ball at me, I finally acquiesced.  I must be an amazing pitcher.  I threw the ball over our makeshift home plate and my brother swung.  I heard the ball hit the wooden bat as the bat and ball connected.  Instinctively, I ducked, covered my head with my arms and felt the ball sail over my head.Baseball

Shocked, my brother dropped the bat and ran toward me.  After making sure the ball didn’t hit me, he grinned and said, “That would have been a home run!”  I wasn’t as impressed with his batting as he was.  Although I never pitched to him again, in retrospect, I’m sure it was the pitch that was truly impressive!

Growing up, my brother and I were very close at least from my perspective.  To him I was probably an annoyance and a pest.  To his credit, he never actually said as much.

When we were in high school, I backed into his car, breaking both his headlights.  At 16, I was terrified to tell him, but I knew I would have to face it.  I went to find him and let him know what I had done.  I expected his temper to flair but was pleasantly surprised with his response.  He walked to his car, looked at the lights and grinned.  Shaking his head, he simply said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”   I remember being immensely relieved!

Not all memories regarding my brother are happy ones.  Years after the batting incident, I recall a memory I will never forget.  My plane landed in Washington DC and I turned my phone on to listen to messages.  Returning my calls, I discovered my brother had been diagnosed with cancer.  For several years he fought a tough battle valiantly before losing the fight.

But I don’t choose to remember those years.  When I think about my brother, I remember climbing trees, pitching baseballs and long talks.  Those are indeed very good memories.

 

 

Cows and Bananas

On By DGThomaIn Animal Stories, Family, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, Writing2 Comments

I live in a somewhat rural area of a large Texas metropolis.  On any given day, my visual experiences may include  a view of farm animals at a doughnut shop or someone whose complete attire consists of a thong and stiletto’s walking down a major downtown street.

This week, on my way home from work, I had the pleasure of seeing a banana riding a bicycle.  Yes, it was really an individual wearing a yellow banana costume while riding his bike but even that takes a fair amount of talent.

That smile invoking moment was followed about half an hour later by a cow chasing a calf chasing a family of deer.  And no, sadly I didn’t get pictures of either of these.

When we turned off the highway, the traffic noise immediately  fell away and the home trees came into view.

Part of the home trees

As we neared the turn to our house, I realized the pond which had been bone dry was now filled, thanks to our feast of recent rain showers.  Thinking happy thoughts, I suddenly noticed a calf sprinting, (yes sprinting) along the fence line headed in the general direction of the pond.  The calf was followed by his mother (I can only assume) lumbering after him at something close to a sprint.  Thinking they thought we were coming to feed them, my husband and I were startled when a family of deer, burst out of the trees along the fence line and sprinted across the road in front of our car.  No one was harmed and all made it home safely.

I know I am easily entertained, but I love living where I get to experience such a diversity of entertainment.  It mostly makes up for the lack of cable and the faltering internet service.

Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon – Part 2

On By DGThomaIn Family, Travel, WritingLeave a comment

CCF10052014 (2)

The Seattle marathon started June 21, 2014 at 7:00 AM sharp on a cool Saturday morning.  After grabbing coffee and a bagel from our hotel, we walked the few blocks to the start line.  The temperature was in the low 60’s; perfect running weather for me.

As I waited outside the portable toilets, commonly known as Port-a-Potties, I met a fellow runner from Seattle.  We visited and spent about 15 minutes discussing the best angle to take a picture of the space needle when you are directly below it.  As we said goodbye and left to find our corrals, she asked where I lived.  I responded, “Texas.”  Laughing she said, “I could tell you weren’t local, you have a strong accent.”  I laughed too and said, “I was just about to say I knew you were local because you have an accent!”  Smiling, we both headed to our corrals where we lined up with more than 14,500 eager athletes.

One of my favorite parts of running a marathon is meeting new people and making new friends.   After you’ve run a few marathons, you start seeing familiar faces.

Lining up in Seattle, I stood near a group of Team and Training (TNT) participants from the San Francisco area.     TNT is an organization, that in exchange for training and support, you raise money towards cures for blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.  As an alumni participant I am always watching for the bright purple shirts.  Participants are always so upbeat and energetic.

The starting gun sounded at 7:00 AM and the first wave of runners were off.  Since I was in a corral several blocks from the start line, my start was about 30 minutes after the elite lead runners.

My plan was to run 4 minutes and walk 1 minute, a method developed by Jeff Galloway.   I finally made it to the start line, and John Bingham, also known as the Penguin, started us on our way after announcing this would be his farewell tour.  He is a champion of the non-elite runners.   I set my Garmin (watch) on intervals and pushed the start button.  I was officially off!  I was able to maintain the 4:1 ratio for the first 18 or so miles and still felt reasonably okay.

At about mile three, I met more TNT runners from Texas.  There were two ladies from San Antonio, whose name I didn’t get.  Then I met Tom from Dallas.  Tom was run/walking  for Team in Training and on the out and back paths where we passed each other, Tom would call out to me “Go Texas!”

The course took us down Ranier Ave and through Seward Park both offering a beautiful view of Mount Ranier.  By the time I hit mile 15 it was starting to warm up significantly.

At mile 20 when I was starting to wonder if I had enough cash for a taxi, Tom spotted me again and yelled, “Go Texas!” so I did.

I finished about 45 minutes after my husband based on time, but since he started almost 20 minutes before me, he had quite a wait for me to finish.  Still moving forward, I crossed the finish line much faster than I had expected.  I was thrilled to have the finishers’ medal placed around my neck and a cold bottle of chocolate milk to drink.  I wanted food and rest, in that order!  Marathon number 16 was done.

Finisher's medal

Finisher’s medal

We were too tired to participate in the post marathon festivities, so we opted for a bath, a nice meal and pajamas for the evening.

On Sunday, we scheduled a tour of the Pike Place Market.  The tour started at 10:00 AM.  We booked the tour through Public Market Tours.  We walked about 12 blocks to meet our tour guide so we could stretch our muscles after the run on Saturday.  We were a few minutes early and went for coffee while we waited.  We skipped the line at the “original” Starbucks and ducked into Tully’s for a delicious cup of coffee.  We were the only two signed up, so we had a personalized tour.  I won’t spoil the tour for you in case you ever make it to Seattle, but it was a great guided tour with a lot of historical information and laughter.  It was just what we were looking for and the highlight of my day.  I even managed to view the gum wall without getting too grossed out!

We ate lunch at Maximilien which sits in the heart of downtown Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market.  Maximilien is a charming restaurant located with a view of Puget Sound, Elliott Bay, West Seattle & the Olympic Mountain.

Before heading back to our hotel, we visited the Lionheart Bookstore, located in Pikes Market.  The owner likes to respond to questions by singing his answers.  He told us he wasn’t just an owner but was the sixth custodian of the bookstore.

I love bookstores and Lionheart did not disappoint. We wandered in and out of the shops of Pike Place market exploring the shops at each level.  In the afternoon we headed back toward our hotel, tackling the steep hills leading away from Pike Place Market.

We stopped in at Cherry Street Coffee House where I had a piece of Ginger Peach, Gluten free bread with a Coffee Latte.   It was a lovely treat!

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When we reached our hotel, we put our feet up, and snacked on some fresh cherries we purchased at the Market.

All in all it was a wonderful trip!

Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon – Part 1

On By DGThomaIn Musings, Travel, Writing1 Comment

A lot of people think running marathons is absolutely crazy and some days I agree.
Other days, it keeps me sane. My husband and I normally run one or two marathons a
year. I may run or I may walk, but there is something about completing a 26.2
mile course that makes me think I can do anything.

However, my dedication to running this past year has been almost nonexistent. I was
sidelined with some health issues for a while and had difficulty regaining my motivation to restart my training.

Nevertheless, when my husband suggested we should run the Seattle Rock and Roll
Marathon in June, I decided to give it a shot. Seattle would be
marathon number 16 for me and the first for Washington State. I was hoping
registering to run 26.2 miles would motivate me and maybe it did, just a bit. We
registered for the marathon, made flight arrangements and reserved our hotel. The big “C”, (commitment) did get me out of bed on weekends. I managed to get in some runs with
my running group and even a few runs on the treadmill.

These shoes were made for marathons

Finally marathon weekend arrived and we headed to the airport for our evening flight.  The marathon was scheduled for Saturday, but we were hoping to maximize our relaxation time and minimize any last minute stress by leaving on Thursday.

Our trip started out a little rocky.  When we pulled up to our regular car park, we were stopped at the gate by a very nice young man.  “Reservation?” he asked.  Of course we didn’t make a reservation.  In response to our “No”, he replied, “Sorry, we are completely full.”  Well, a bump in the road, but nothing major, right?  We headed for the airport in search of terminal parking.  Still on schedule, we arrived at the airport and discovered that due to construction, all parking was full except the overflow parking lot.  Off we went to find a space in overflow parking which was out in the middle of nowhere.   Fortunately, we were able to find (uncovered) parking quickly,  catch a bus back to the terminal,  and finally make it through security.

Knowing we would arrive late in Seattle, we grabbed some food and made it to our gate with a little time to spare. Hoping the rest of the trip would be uneventful, we boarded on time and with the exception of the crazy lady on the plane (but that’s another story!  Planes, misgivings and singing), we had a pleasant trip.

When we landed we exited the plane, made our way through the chaos of airport security and retrieved our luggage.  Discovering our hotel didn’t provide a shuttle, we opted to rent a car.  Dragging our bags behind us, we followed the rental car signs to reach the rental counter and negotiated a vehicle.  Finally, worn out, we headed to our hotel.

Checking into our hotel turned out to be the best part of the day.  It was late when we arrived, but the night manager was awesome.  He was already working with a guest, so there was a small wait to check in.  It was almost midnight, but the manager was upbeat, smiling and apologetic, even though the wait was only a few extra minutes.  We even scored free parking!

The hotel was a suite with two bedrooms, a kitchenette and a separate living room area.  Much more space than we needed, but staying there for four days was wonderful.   The Space Needle was one block from our hotel and could be seen from the window.  Everything we needed was within walking distance.Seattle Space Needle

After a great night’s sleep, Friday morning, we headed to the Seattle Health & Fitness Expo.  The expo was a huge market where exhibitors offer free samples, showcase the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health & nutritional information and more.  We walked a block to the Seattle Center Monorail station and rode the monorail to Westlake Center where we caught a bus to Century Field Event Center for packet pickup. (shirts, race bibs, timing chip, etc.).

We spent several hours wandering around the expo before leaving a few dollars lighter, juggling our packets and multiple purchases.  Weary and hungry we went in search of lunch before heading back to the hotel to relax and prepare for our early morning event on Saturday.  More on the Seattle trip next post……..

In search of a Piñata…..

On By DGThomaIn Family, Friends, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, Writing1 Comment

Sometimes there just isn’t enough silly in the world.

When I found out my adult children were both going to be home (in my home) for their birthdays, I decided to create a party reminiscent of one of their childhood celebrations. My son and daughter were born 2 years and 5 days apart. Until the age of 11 and 13, they always shared a birthday party.  One year the party was a Sesame street theme, and another year it was a skating party. No matter what the theme, we always had a great family celebration and lots of fun.

I enlisted my granddaughter, Jill and her mother to help with the planning. We set off to our local big box store to buy some party favors.  As we filled our cart with bubbles, noise makers and more party favors, Jill looked up and said “We have to get a piñata!” There were several piñatas on the shelf; a traditional donkey, a Teen-aged Mutant Ninja Turtle (the new version) and a few miscellaneous others.

But, hanging from a wire overhead, there were a dozen or more colorful piñatas. Right in the center was a brightly colored bull piñata. It was perfect and exactly what we wanted. My daughter, Kat, went to find a sales associate to assist us in retrieving the piñata. 20140730_184047

Kat returned with an associate who informed us Martha was on the way. Ten minutes later we were debating how to make a human pyramid so we could get the piñata ourselves. We couldn’t agree who should be the base of the pyramid or we might have attempted it. My vote was to stand in the cart and try to reach for it. I was vetoed for safety reasons.

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About this time Martha showed up and started rummaging around at the ends of the aisles. Grumbling and frowning, she mumbled something about a piñata stick. She continued to pace back and forth, up and down the aisle as if the infamous piñata stick might appear by osmosis. We on the other hand were still planning a pyramid strategy when she left the aisle.

Suddenly, over the loud speaker we heard “Who has taken the piñata stick? Someone please return the piñata stick immediately”. By now, I had started to bounce on my feet a bit wondering if I could jump up and knock the piñata down. A manager wandered by and I launched into the quandary of the missing piñata stick and explained that I was thinking I could almost reach it if I jumped up.  Now the manager looked up and I could tell he was wondering if he could jump up and grab the piñata, but instead he said he would go find Penny, because she could fix anything.

Now another 10 minutes went by before the manager and Penny returned. The manager smiled and told us we were in good hands as he wandered away. Martha returned and continued walking aimlessly up and down while Penny searched secret hideaways behind the end-caps. Still no one had recovered the elusive piñata stick. Penny left and I’m thinking “Who needs a piñata anyway”, when suddenly she returned triumphantly holding the piñata stick. The entire aisle broke into cheers, (even though it was only the three of us and the returning manager), it was still awesome.

One manager, and three associates later, we had a Piñata in hand and were off to plan a birthday party!2014-09-07 20.30.42

Going home and hanging out….

On By DGThomaIn Family, Friends, Musings, Writing1 Comment

 

Photo courtesy of texasescapes.com/TexasPhotography/Barclay-Gibson April 2009
Photo courtesy of texasescapes.com/TexasPhotography/Barclay-Gibson April 2009

 

It seems like we never really go home until something significant happens.  We visit, but we don’t go home.  Recently, I received a phone call that my mother had been hospitalized.  I go visit my parents fairly often, but usually I’m in and out and don’t have time to see many people or hang out.  Going to the hospital in a small town forces you to slow down and just “hang out”.  The hospital employees are either people that went to school with me or are the children of my classmates.  The hospital in my hometown is a small 25 bed hospital.  Often the census is less than 5 when I visit.

CCMH trimmed

Walking toward the front door of the hospital with pecan shells crunching underneath my feet brings back a surge of memories.  The pecans which have fallen from the ages old pecan trees overhead litter the sidewalk.

It seems like eons ago that I used to work at this hospital.  My office was just behind that window to the right.  My son was delivered down the hall to left.  Many of my nieces and nephews also made their debut within these walls.

The number of times I entered through the emergency room with my accident prone son is innumerable.

I haven’t lived here in over 20 years.  Now I live in a city large enough that running into someone you know at the supermarket is the exception so coming home it’s hard to get used to knowing everyone you run into anywhere you go!

Every nurse, every custodian or kitchen worker seemed to know my name or at least know who my parents are and that I am one of those “Greenway kids”.

I sometimes wish my parents lived in a larger city where they could receive the latest and best medical care.  But when I see the personal care they receive here, I think that the benefits gained from the good will in this little town far surpasses any medical advances that may be available in a bigger hospital.

Walking into restaurants, grocery stores or hospital halls, it seems that everyone in town knows my mother is in the hospital and everyone is concerned.  People I haven’t seen in 20 years call me by name. Many more remembered me than I was able to remember them.  I guess it’s really true, home is where everybody knows your name, and that’s a good thing!

Planes, misgivings and singing??

On By DGThomaIn Musings, Travel, Writing1 Comment

 

Yes times have changed and our reactions to situations are different than they would have been 15 years ago.  I used to hate it when my parents would begin a story by saying, “When I was your age, or back in the day we….. (Fill in the blank).”

But I find myself starting sentences with that very phrase, more often than I care to admit.  However, that being said, the aftershock of 9/11/2001 has changed the way I view travel, particularly flying.

Boarding a plane for Seattle last week, I noticed that the lady sitting behind me was very talkative. Not a big deal, but I was hoping she would not talk so loudly for the entire four hour trip.  About thirty minutes into the flight, I began to wonder what on earth she was doing.  She was pushing on the back of my seat and kept dropping things.  Another thirty minutes passed and she began to sing very loudly.  Not just a little loud, but loudly enough that the stewardesses came from the front of the plane to ask her to not sing out loud since there were so many people on the plane.

At this point my annoyance begin to give way to a little bit of apprehension.  I started thinking about news stories where people have caused problems on planes and of shoes being set on fire, etc.  I knew it was a silly reaction and one I would never have had pre 9/11.  Still as I heard her dropping things and mumbling nonsense, I had a lingering sense of unease.

I noticed everyone within earshot was glancing her way and whispering.  The people sitting beside her had to stand several times so she could try to recover the belongings she was dropping.  I was glad I was in front of her instead of beside her.

As we prepared to land, I heard the stewards and stewardesses trying to get her attention so they could get her to put her seat belt on.  As we all stood to disembark, three empty alcohol bottles rolled from under my seat.  I felt more than a little silly, having been rattled by someone who simply had a few too many of those little bottles of alcohol the airlines sell.  Now I just felt sorry for her.  Still it was a huge relief to land and disembark safely in Seattle.