September 30, 2013. Harper, Texas. Birthdays.

Yesterday, my wonderful daughter in law Suzanne celebrated her birthday.   Actually, she turned a year older yesterday, but as she was teaching her second grade class yesterday, no one could really call it a celebration.   It is still a very important day of the year because 44 years ago Suzanne was born, making it the most important day of her life.  This weekend, the whole family went to see the story of the Mormons.  After Suzanne purchased the tickets, she realized it was not really appropriate for the girls, but she decided to attend anyway.   I reminded her of my Mother's philosophy which was that if the child could understand what was happening, all was OK, if the child could not understand the nuances, the child will not be harmed.

Suzanne was my first daughter in law.  She was everything a wife of my son I could possibly want.  She was and still is very energetic and agreeable.  She loves my son and her children and is unfailingly pleasant and helpful to us.  Ken and I are very fortunate.  And although we were not with her to celebrate with her yesterday on her birthday, we drank a toast in her honor.  And we wish her many, many birthdays, my wonderful daughter in law Suzanne.

September 29, 2013. Harper, Texas. Trudbol.

Julien Neel is his name but goes by the name Trudbol professionally.  I found him on the internet quite by accident when  listening to other You Tube videos.  The first time I saw him I thought he was singing with one leader singer and his three triplets and after I watched one or two more, I realized that there is only one person, whose name is Julien Neel, and he sings multiple parts.  He is an excellent singer and I enjoyed listening but forgot all about him, until Friday night.

Ken had gone to bed and I wanted to hear choral music so looked up Only Men Aloud on my iPad.  They are a wonderful group from Wales and I enjoyed listening to them.  On the side list were more videos by Julien Neel and discovered that he has recored bunches of songs, all acapello and most all done by a quartet all singing all parts by himself.  I loved it.  He plays all parts individually, then puts them all together.

I looked him up and discovered that he is from France, but born in Athens, and records all these multi track tunes all by himself.  He also has other people from around the world singing on his videos too, but they never really see or sing together.   They sing and he records.  Then he puts the parts together which must be very difficult but clever.  He is a young man who evidently is in a PhD program in France.  I always wondered how he makes his living making these clever videos for You Tube.  It is amazing what you hear at midnight all by yourself in the Hill Country of Texas.  This is  indeed a wonderful world.  The only problem is that you can never attend a Julien Neel quartet in person!!

September 28, 2013. Harper, Texas. Progress.

There is nothing I like better than seeing progress and getting ahead.  We arrived home from Fredricksburg this afternoon to find two trucks in the yard and two men working on the electrical system.  Both Ken and I cheered.   The working men were installing the outdoor, walk in fridge, but first they were required to run a line from the electrical box.   By the time we arrived, the fridge had been leveled and just needed electricity.  By the time we came down the hill after unloading the groceries and eaten a dish of ice cream, the fridge was working just fine.  Progress indeed.

Then the two men set about installing more plugs for the trailers.  I was told in an e mail this afternoon that the trailers will begin arriving on Thursday or Friday and that they will all be in place by Monday the 7th.  Hurrah.  That will give me time to set up each trailer with supplies and bedding, before anyone arrives.   Pat, the electrician is pleased too.  He does want to be sure that each trailer is plugged into the electrical grid!!

This was all good news today.  I call that progress.

September 27, 2013. Harper, Texas. Chores.

Most of my day has been taken up with chores of one kind and another.  In many ways, routine chores are reassuring.  They certainly are brainless so the tasks can be accomplished with almost no conscious thought.  But every so often, the brain must get in gear and correct an error or make changes to make the soup better.

Today I did the laundry which meant changing the bed and wash, dry and fold our clothes.   Each time I complete my laundry chores I am grateful for my birth in 1937.  One hundred years ago laundry was a time consuming task.  Next I made soup from scratch, which we ate for lunch.  It was a hearty vegetable soup that was both nourishing but tasty.  I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher.  And I made a list of  supplies to be purchased in town tomorrow.

Of course, in between chores I read my book about Taiwan and responded to e mails.  It took me until mid afternoon to get out of my night shirt and I never did shower.  I stayed at home in our Top House the whole day long.  And I did not see a soul but Ken.  It was a pleasant but unusual day.    After dinner we watched our last disc of the Murdoch Mystery series.  Three episodes long, but at last William and Julia will be together in the next series.

September 26, 2013. Harper, Texas. Neighbors.

They moved in over a year ago and immediately started bulldozing the cedar trees.   Wow.  What a good idea we said to each other.  These new neighbors must be energetic.

The next time we came to the ranch we went over to say hello and welcome.  Of course, they had already been there several months before we appeared but they were happy to see us.  And they came to tea.   We discovered that they were the perfect folks to buy the adjacent ranch.  He was a retired contractor from Corpus Christie and he brought big equipment.

Their son and daughter in law and their children have moved here too.  The parents made an apartment at the end of the large shed, complete with a covered patio, and gave the house to the kids.

The reason we have noticed recently is that he is digging a big hole.   He told us he was going to build a tank, which would be a pond in Pennsylvania.  Actually, he said he plans to build three tanks.   Again, we were delighted because if he can get the land to hold water, perhaps we will build one too.

We love to see action, right in front of our eyes, at least when you look with the binoculars.

September 25, 2013. Harper, Texas. The Brown Cow.

I don't even know her name.  In fact,  this cow was born on our ranch so I suspect the girls have never named her, but as I watched her tend to her calf, I wondered again about Mothers.

It was a simple pleasure for me, watching the brown cow and her calf.   I had been working in the garage and felt the need for a drink of water, so I walked to the fire pit.   As I sat and drank, I started watching the cattle in the pasture right in front.  They were all there, mothers and calves and steer.  The brown cow was tending to her calf.  First she stood still while calf suckled.  Often, Mother cows wander around slowly as the calf eats, but this brown cow stayed in one place.  

At first I did not pay much attention but when the Mother cow started cleaning the face and ears of the calf I took notice.  She groomed that baby for at least ten minutes.  At one point, another calf came over to entice the calf to play, but the Mother, using her horns, sent it packing, while her own calf stayed still to continue the attention.  By then I was ready to go back to work but the Mother was not finished.

I observed in the field the tender attention showed by a Mother to it's offspring.   It was quite a sight.

September 24, 2013. Double D Ranch, Harper, Texas. Green.

When we arrive in Texas and drove by the backside of the dam on the way to the Lake House all we could see was brown grass.  Brown was everywhere.   The ground at the RV park at the dam was brown.  Everywhere you looked you saw brown, brown, brown.  But something magical has occurred.

This morning, we drove from the Lake House to the ranch.  Everywhere we looked we saw green.   The big hill from top to bottom  at the dam was green and all the way along the road we saw green fields.   Our route took us along back roads, green back roads.  They looked wonderful.  But like everything else, for the first hour, all I saw was the green, but soon I got used to the look of green, and the magic became regular and ordinary and I stopped watching for the green.

But I knew about the magic of the rain and although I stopped being amazed at every turn, I still felt grateful for the rain, the magic of rain.   Everything at the ranch is green.  I wonder how long it will last?

September 23, 2013. Canyon Lake, Texas. Estates.

Ken and I started out poor.    Fortunately, we had no debt.   Bit by bit we accumulated things, such as money and land and houses.   Forty years ago,  after the boys were born, we made a will and promptly forgot about it.  Fifteen years ago, we decided that for tax and inheritance purposes, we should talk to an estate planner in Bethesda.   He gave us good advice, which we followed and we made a new will.   Again, we never thought about it again.

Now we do not live in Maryland and we have since purchased more property, and we are older, so today we met with a man who evaluates estates.   We made the appointment with Bob in April.   He was surprised when we could not meet with him until late September, but I explained.

In is not really much fun deciding what will happen when we die, which is what we were really talking about when we discuss estates.  But we enjoyed talking with Bob and his assistant and we made the necessary changes, which they will draft for our inspection.    Bob mentioned to us when we were shaking hands to leave,  that he thought our life style was splendid.    "It is every ones dream", said Bob,  "the problem is that no one is able to carry it out, even with much bigger estates".   We just laughed and waved goodbye.  I could have told him that you must plan ahead!!

September 22, 2013. Canyon Lake, Texas. New Trucks.

Soon, Sarah turns 16, which means she will be able to drive.   David and Suzanne want her to drive a big vehicle, so they decided to have her drive David's old truck.  At first, David thought about a fancy sedan but decided to drive another truck, so yesterday, he bought himself a brand new 2013 Ford 150. It is not a King Ranch with all the bells and whistles, but it has all the necessary items on a truck, such as air conditioning and satellite radio including Blue tooth.   And it is white.  David is pleased with his new truck.

It does not have 4 wheel drive, so today when pulling his boat out of the water at the Marina he wondered if it would be a problem, but it pulled that boat like a champ.   I accompanied him to retrieve the boat and was interested to note that the truck smells new.   What is in new vehicles that is so distinctive with the smell.   Great smell.  It is the smell of money.

When our boys turned 16, we kept our old station wagon for them to drive.  It was big and it was white, and the kids at school called it The Moby Dickie.  Clever huh!!

September 21, 2013. Canyon Lake, Texas. A Friend In Need.

I was the gate girl.  My right foot felt squishy when I opened the first gate at the Top House but I paid it no mind, but when I got out of the truck to open the main gate from the pasture, my foot fell right out of the shoe.   Again, I just stuck my foot in the shoe again and opened the gate but this time, when I got back in the truck, I looked at my shoe.   It had fallen apart.

We were having a glass of wine in our friends home before going out to dinner so I figured I could get by with one broken shoe, as I had very little walking.  My shoes were sturdy black sandals that I had worn for years.  When I was standing in the kitchen, I told Joyce about my shoe and showed her my mess.  Then I looked at the left shoe and it too had fallen apart.  The leather had separated from the sole.  In fact, half the heel of the left shoe was not even attached.  It must have fallen off at one of the gates.    I just laughed but Joyce excused herself and soon returned with a pair of sandals for me to wear to dinner.  Her shoes were fancy so I enjoyed wearing them.  They fit perfectly.

But I was irritated with my shoes.  I walked miles in those shoes and they were sturdy and comfortable even though they were not fancy.  I guess after 20 years, the shoe gave up and died.  I threw them in Joyce's trash bin and thanked Joyce when she was my Friend in Need.

September 20, 2013. Canyon Lake, Texas. Rain Two.

All night it rained, sometimes heavily and sometimes not, but always raining.   And it rained all day today.  Every mile from the ranch to San Antonio and then on to Canyon Lake it rained.  It is really quite astonishing.  Even the Pedernales River has water.  Tomorrow, I will be interested to see how much water fell in the lake.  Canyon Lake has been very low so we needed rain to fill it up.

When we first moved to Texas in 1964, we were surprised to find that many rivers do not flow most of the year.   That does not happen in Ontario.  And we made fun of the gauges on the sides of the small creeks and rivers, telling you the depth of water.  "In their dreams", we would say and laugh.  But then it would rain and those dips filled up with water and the flash floods would come so we learned to be wary of high water.  Many of the back roads we take to the ranch are impassible during a heavy rain.  It is just a different type of rain.

And of course, it is not cold.  I was wet several times today but never felt chilly.  The forecast is for rain tomorrow too.  Goodness.

September 19, 2013. Harper. Texas. Rain.

In the Hill Country of Texas, rain is important, or rather, the lack of rain is important.   The topic of rain comes up in every conversation.  It takes a while to get used to the attitude but soon we also assure people that we too are praying for rain.

I first observed this attitude the summer we worked at a camp in Arizona.   It rained during lunch where the campers and staff were enjoying their food together.  All the campers cheered and pounded on the tables.  I looked puzzled.  The camp director informed me that the children had not seen rain since last July so they were thrilled with the arrival of rain.  But it was different than any rain I had known before.  The rain came down hard, and then stopped and the sun came back out again so we continued with our normal activities.

Mississippi gets 52 inches of rain a year, which is a lot.  The foliage and grasses are lush and green.  But not so in the Hill Country of Texas.   So far at the ranch, we have had almost 2 inches of rain.   For the whole year we had under 6 inches in 2012.  Our grass is green.  Today it rained twice so people are rejoicing.  It is unusual to come here from Nova Scotia where people long for the sun, not rain.

Even the signs outside churches plead for you to pray for rain.  It is all very interesting, how people lead their lives worrying about the weather.   It does look better at the ranch after two inches of rain!!

September 18, 2013. Harper, Texas. The Longhorn Cafe.

This old place is now brand new, and what is even better, the food is good.  Yesterday afternoon, our friends Joyce and Robbie called to join them for dinner at the Longhorn Cafe in Harper, our closest town.  

The town itself is shrinking even though the population in the surrounding area is increasing.  But the Longhorn Cafe has been serving food for years.   Since we have lived here, four different owners have purchased it and even though they changed the menu, the decor and furnishings never changed.  Same walls, same tables, same pictures, same lackluster food.

But not anymore.  The new owners shut the place down while they renovated, inside and out.   The restaurant has a full sized longhorn in a pen, lending some authenticity.  Instead of paint, the upper walls are covered with metal roofing and the lower walls painted turquoise.   The new owners own and run a successful restaurant in Kerrville, so the Longhorn Cafe is their second place.  From the looks of the crowd on a Tuesday evening, I believe the new Longhorn Cafe will be a success.  I for one am delighted to find good food close to home and I was especially delighted because Joyce and Robbie paid the bill!!  We are very fortunate to have such good friends.

September 17, 2013. Double D Ranch, Harper, Texas. Attitude.

Attitude is everything, as does a good night sleep.   By noon today, the air conditioning system on the second floor of the Top House is up and running, thanks to Pat.  And the belongings we brought with us have been removed from the truck and put in place in the ranch house.  Now we are ready for the next stage.

I have been worrying through the electrical plugs for the 14 trailers but this morning after a conversation with Pat, I have passed responsibility to him.   Ken will review the specs for the trailers and he and Pat will decide where they will be placed.  Pat and I have been in conflict.  I want all 14 electrical plugs installed right now so we will be ready to just plug them in.  Pat, the electrician, says we should wait until the trailers are in place.  Then he will run the lines and plugs.  His thinking is that the folks who deliver the trailers might not be able to back the trailers into the spots we have selected, which would mean moving the plugs.  Finally, I passed the task totally to him.  I will have no anxiety in the future and go on to other things.   My attitude is that if I do not control the event, I will not worry, so I don't.

The situation is exactly as it was yesterday concerning the electricity and the trailers, but my attitude has changed so all is well.    Attitude is everything to your peace of mind.

September 16, 2013. Harper, Texas. Troubles.

It is unusual to arrive at our homes and find everything working properly.  Today was no exception.  The air conditioning unit for the second floor was not running when we arrived at the Top House at the ranch mid afternoon.  Fortunately, the main floor was working like a champ, but upstairs was hot and muggy.   But soon it rained and cooled the whole house down so we opened the windows.   Tomorrow, Pat will come and check the air conditioner and I hope, get it working.  Problem number one about to be solved.

When we arrived, a sign was attached to the gate of the ranch, which said, "Have you seen my young bull calf, with a white face?"    And giving a phone number.  Sure enough, we have a young black bull with a white face, right in with our other longhorn cattle.   I phoned the Harry from the note, but as of yet, have not had a return call.   No progress on problem number two.

We stopped at the Caterer in Fredericksburg to leave a deposit and review details.  The chief suggested we rent a large refrigerator to be used outside.   We stopped by a place in Fredericksburg and they have a very large unit on a trailer, but it needs 30 amps and a special plug, which would need to be installed. In conversation with Pat, the electrician, I asked him if he knows anyone who would rent us a big fridge.  Turns out, he owns one.  The only thing we would need to do would be to buy new shelves.  Problem number 3 solved.

When we have problems here at the ranch we call Pat.  He is an electrician but he also repairs appliances and installs air conditioners.   It is a good thing we know Pat.

September 15, 2013. Canyon Lake, Texas. Our 55th.

Now the fun begins.   It is time to run the program, but not quite yet.  My job for the next three weeks is to put all the puzzle pieces in place and at the right time.   The big tasks are done.  The caterer is ready to bring us lunch and dinner each day.  And all four musical groups  have directions and the correct date and time.  The tent will be installed two days prior to the event, with the Porto Potties delivered the same day.    It will take several days to deliver the 14 trailers, but they will all be in place on the 10th.  Even the photographer knows where and when to appear.  The big things are set.

Now I must organize the stuff at the ranch so the sheets and towels, also shampoo, soap and flashlights for the trailers are easily available.   All the cutlery and paper products have been purchased along with the coffee pots, but nothing is in any type or order.  So that is my task for the next two weeks.

In addition, I have a list of items to purchase, such as bottled water and orange juice.  Ken must also make sure we have enough hoses for each tap so the trailers water supply can be replenished.    I will fill the freezer with ice, to ice down the beer and water from our own supply.  It would not be good to run out of ice in Texas.  So that is my task.  The goal is to have everything done prior to anyone arriving, so then I can just enjoy friends and family.  Our 55th celebration is fast approaching.

September 14, 2013. Canyon Lake, Texas. Generations.

Over the years, it has been interesting to observe just what the new generation is going to change.   It seems that if the parents wear their hair short, the youth wear it long.   And if the shorts are neat and tidy, the young people wear shorts baggy and long.  Just watch the basketball players of today compared with twenty five years ago.  No one told the young folks to lengthen their shorts but bit by bit, the shorts got longer so now the shorts look like skirts.

My friend Wendy tells me that in the days when she made her own clothes, the question with the dresses was where to put the hem?   Or. how much leg would be exposed in the days of the mini skirts?  More fabric than leg?  Or more leg than skirt?  She was the height of fashion or as close to it as she ever got, she said.

Now the young girls wear tight shorts and tight shirts, even with well mannered, modest girls.   As a grandmother, I think they look great.   But as a mother and father, standards must be imposed.   The parents do not want them going out looking like street walkers.  It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the girls to realize that very tight clothes are not terribly comfortable, but it might take a while.   Certainly, it will take longer with lectures I bet.   One of the joys of getting old is watching the styles return.  It just takes time.

September 13, 2013. Canyon Lake, Texas. Family.

I have seen them all and they look wonderful.   Suzanne was chaperoning a welcome back to school dance tonight at St. George's Episcopal School, where she teaches second grade.  Allison, Samantha and Abigail went with her.  Sarah stayed home to finish her homework so David, Ken and I went out to dinner, just the three of us.  Before they left for the dance, we visited together for an hour or so, all talking non stop.

The girls look good.  They all play volleyball at school on their respective teams, Sarah on the Varsity team, Abigail on Junior Varsity and Allison and Samantha on the seventh grade team.   Although they are in the sixth grade, they were asked to play on the seventh grade class.  They are excited  about their teams.  Tomorrow, they go to Austen for a tournament.

The best scene of the day was Suzanne taking the hem down on the girls shorts.   "Every one wears shorts like this", said the girls.   We all laughed.  The girls were very good natured about it, I must say.  The girls are thin and have long legs and actually look great in the short shorts but Suzanne reminds them that she is a diligent Mother, just doing her job.  Some things never change from one generation to the next.  It is wonderful being a grandmother and just laugh.

September 12, 2013. Buffalo, Texas. Travelling.

I wonder if there were ever buffalo in this part of Texas?   No matter.  There are no beasts in sight now.  But we are west of Austin, the traffic has picked up enormously, and we are staying in a lovely motel.  All is well in our  life.

Our drive today was uneventful.  We again remembered how flat is Louisiana west of the Mississippi.   The low hills start near to Texas.  Our first road from the condo was The Natchez Trace, then Highway 20.   In Texas we turned south on 43, then 79.   We still have a way to go on 79.   It was a lovely drive.   Our drives from Texas to Mississippi and back have been so frequent  these past years that we even know the motels.

God willing, we should arrive at the lake house in early afternoon.   After unloading the truck and taking a rest,  we will go to San Antonio to see David, Suzanne and the girls, which is always exciting. So here we go.

September 11, 2013. Ridgeland, Mississippi. Heat.

Ken loves the heat.   We go outside and he breathes deeply and smiles.   He feels warm all through.   On the other hand, I only love the hot weather when I go swimming.  The rest of the time I can tolerate the shade but quickly come into the air conditioning.  Life in the south before air conditioning must have been difficult if not impossible, but with high ceilings and lots of fans, they survived,  and of course, don't forget siesta.   An afternoon nap was an essential.

This afternoon, Ken and I took a last dip in the pool.   It was a perfect afternoon, with a warm breeze and blue sky.   The water feels chilly when you get in because the air is 90 degrees but when you get out you are not chilled.  It is perfect weather for swimming.   Often, when I get into Ponhook Lake in Nova Scotia, I think about getting into the pool water in Mississippi.    It is a bit of torture to get into Ponhook Lake some days, but here in Mississippi, getting into the water is a delight.  Of course, first you must put up with the extreme heat, loved by Ken.  It takes all types of weather to keep life interesting.  But the swimming is superb, here in the south.

September 10, 2013. Ridgeland, Mississippi. Celebrations.

Molly does not get it.    "Why are we celebrating because Grandma and Grandpa are leaving?" says Molly.  "I am sad.  It is not a celebration".   And in one way she is correct.  She likes it when we arrive and her opinion is that we should just stay in one place and not keep moving around.   But Thursday morning we are leaving Mississippi for Texas so tomorrow evening we will all have dinner at a new Chinese restaurant in Ridgeland, near our condo.   We will celebrate that fact that we have been together and that we will meet again in Texas in a month at our 55th.

The concept of time is difficult for a child of 5.   She knows we will return to Mississippi in December but that seems forever.    Actually, she likes to beat me at games.   She beats everyone at Concentration and tonight she beat us twice at dominoes.   Her opinion is that we should have dinner with them every evening.   I suspect she likes us to come for dinner because mostly we have desert, but perhaps she just enjoys the activity and the conversation.  But whatever the reason, she does not want us to leave...but she will certainly enjoy dinner tomorrow night at the Chinese restaurant, to celebrate our Thursday departure.  I explained it to her tonight, that at some point in our life we will be forced to stay in place, but not yet, so she will have to get used to our comings and goings.   Everyone else does!!

September 9, 2013. Ridgeland, Texas. Cell Phones.

I just read an article in the August 24th Science News, that said that driving and talking on a cell phone causes four times as many accidents as when not on the phone.   The topic of the article is Impactful Distractions, on page 20.  The article is full of statistics and makes the case,  that talking and driving is dangerous.  

Most folks would tell you that holding a phone and driving is dangerous and almost everyone agrees about texting, but in all studies, talking is the menace, not holding the phone.  Hands free is just as lethal.   The interesting part to me is that no one is upset about this.   No governments are banning cell phone use and people talk all the time on their phone,   But the research is clear.  Driving and talking causes accidents.  It is something about not being able to see when you are focused on the conversation. Most of the time, we get away with it because most of the time driving is boring but every so often, if talking, we miss seeing the car coming from the side street or that pedestrian, and boom, you have an accident.

I am surprised the Insurance Companies have not instituted a penalty if you drive when talking on the cell phone and you have an accident.    But whether the governments prohibit it or not, it is sensible to drive.   If you need to talk on the phone, pull over.   Everyone will be safer.

September 8, 2013. Ridgeland, Mississippi. Brunch.

We have another tradition here in Mississippi.  After Andrew and Christina and the girls attend church and Sunday School, Ken and I meet them for brunch, at a restaurant of our choosing, generally around 11:30.   By now, we have eaten brunch at most of the nice places in the area so now rotate our favorites. This Sunday we had brunch at Anjou, the french restaurant out beyond the Renaissance shopping area on Colony Road.

Anjou is a wonderful restaurant.  The ambiance is lovely and the service superb.  Fortunately, the food is excellent too.   It may be our favorite Jackson area restaurant.   Today was no disappointment.  We all ate our main meal at noon so tonight no one needed to cook, which is a great blessing for Christina.  This tradition of Sunday Brunch is enjoyed by both children and adults.  It is a pleasure for all.

September 7, 2013. Ridgeland, Mississippi. Football.

We discovered the power of football on a Friday evening in Galveston.   All of a sudden, we saw lights and heard a roar,  so we walked over to investigate, only to discover a football game, a high school football game.   In 1964, the city had a population of 70,000, and in the stadium for a Ball High School football game there were 60,000 people.   We were stunned but soon learned that football is important in the south.

Last evening, driving home from Andrew and Christina we saw another reminder of the importance of football.   Ken and I were sitting at the traffic light waiting for the green when two police cars with flashing lights stopped right in front of traffic.  Right behind yet another police car, again with flashing lights, were three big buses, saying Alabama State.  Two other police cars drove behind the buses.  They all drove off, and we continued with our turn.  At the next traffic light, all the police cars, all six plus the three big buses,  did not even slow down but just moved to the other side of the road, thus going around the waiting cars.   It was amazing to watch.   It seemed to be like the President moving through town, except you know it was the football team from Alabama State.

The game is being played right now.  Jackson State vs Alabama State.  I wonder if they will receive an escort leaving Jackson?   I will never know, but it was an impressive sight last evening on the streets of Jackson.

September 6, 2013. Ridgeland, Mississippi. Poking Around.

Most people hate it but not us.  With no destination in mind, we just poke around the back roads, looking at the houses and the land, trying to discover what people do for a living and generally wondering why folks live there?   When I am driving, the cars behind me must be cross because I drive fifteen miles per hour below the speed limit because I want to see what is happening.

Today we drove north and east of our condo, staying on minor roads that were new to us.  We had two good maps so we knew what to go.  We saw lots and lots of soy beans.  It is second only to chickens in agricultural productivity in Mississippi.   The little town were all expiring.  Even the lovely town squares are mostly empty of businesses.   And we saw many horses but only one herd of cattle.

The topography was surprisingly different.   We expected it to be mostly flat but we drove through low hills.  And we drove through many forests.  Half a dozen times we came across lumber trucks.  Lumber is number three in productivity in the state.  Our drive was interesting.  We stayed out for almost four hours but were really only an hours drive away from home.  It was fun.

September 5, 2013. Ridgeland, Ms. Pedicure.

It is a tradition.  When we are in Mississippi, Kate, Mary Frances and I have a pedicure,  together.   And in addition, the whole family joins us for lunch,  before or after the pedicure.   Ken and I are not bound by traditions.  In fact, mostly we do not like to do the same thing twice, so we have few real traditions in our life....except the tradition of the pedicure.

It is nice.  We always make the appointments so we can have them done at the same time, so the three of us sit all in a row, having our feet pampered.    The girls feel special.

Today we seven met for lunch at Fat Tuesdays, just down the street from the VIP salon.   The food was good New Orleans grub but was not a fancy place.  Molly thought it was very special because of all the marti gras stuff scattered around.   After lunch, Christina and Molly took Ken home while the three of us attended to our feet.   It was a special day in the life of the Dickie family.

September 4, 2013. Ridgeland, Mississippi. Winning.

Everyone loves to win but hates to lose.   It is part of being a human being.   As kids, we learn that the world does not stop if you do not win.  Fifteen minutes after the game, we have learned to forget all about it and to get on with our life.   It is one of the reasons I like kids to play sports, because they learn  not to win every time, despite their best efforts.

Molly is five years old and is learning not to get upset if she does not win a game.   She loves to win and gleefully beats you in a game of Candy Land, but when she is not winning,  she has a hard time.    It is a difficult concept, that of not winning every time, but it is an essential skill.  Bit by bit, she is mastering control even though it is difficult for her.

The first game she lost she was very cheerful and told me to get ready for her to win the next game.   After the second loss she was still hopeful but in the middle of the third game, when it appeared she would win, she was sent back almost to the beginning.  At that point, she suggested that we go and look at her Care Bears.   She kept her good attitude, but it was running thin, so she wisely stopped playing.   These control mechanisms are difficult and you see them right at the surface with the five year old.  Nothing hiding back.  She wants to win every game.  But she is learning, right before my eyes.

September 3, 2013. Ridgeland, Mississippi. Our New Condo.

So far, nothing has happened at our new condo.   There is obviously no construction.   By this time, they had expected to have it well under way, but as no one had contacted us to begin a contract, we assumed it had been delayed yet again.   Tomorrow we will stop by to see if we can find out answers, and probably withdraw our offer to purchase and get back our money.

It is actually in our interest to delay any purchase until after the farm is sold and settled, so we have no real problem with the delay but we are beginning to think that the project will never be completed, so we think that we might as well keep our funds.  We are also toying with the idea of purchasing a small farm near by and keep our condo as a weekend retreat for when we visit the family.   But that would not happen until the farm is sold so time is on our side.  In the meantime, we might just drive around the back roads of Mississippi to check out the lay of the land.   Our preference is to be living one hour from Andrew and Christina.    One thing for sure, we will enjoy the process.

September 2, 2013. Ridgeland, Mississippi. Swimming.

One of the joys of hot days is getting into a swimming pool.   I still recall with great pleasure swimming at the Jack Tar pool in Galveston, Texas, where getting into the water was not a type of torture.   The air was hot and the water felt cool, even though the water temperature was probably 85 degrees.   It was wonderful.

This morning, Ken and I went into the swimming pool at our condo.  It was perfect.  Only one person was present and she was sleeping in a lounge chair so we had the pool to ourselves.   The day was hot, 94 degrees, but the water felt cool so we did our exercises and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.   It was a reminder of the pleasures of living in a hot climate.

In the winter in the north, you go outdoors to get in your car to drive or to go out to play winter sports, such as skiing or skating.  The rest of the time you stay indoors in the warmth.  I soon learned, when we moved to Galveston in 1964,  that it was the same in the south but in the summer, when you stayed indoors in air-conditioning unless you were playing in the swimming pool or driving in the air-conditioned car.   The difference is the wonderful swimming water.  It all came back to me today!!

September 1, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Arriving.

Jackson looks lovely with the Crepe Myrtles in full bloom lending a festive look to the city.   Ken and I actually live in Ridgeland.  At one time, it was a separate little town but now the only thing you know it is not Jackson is when you cross County Line Road.  When you read The Help, the new young woman lived in a big house, well out of town, surrounded by farm land.  That was Ridgeland in 1962.  Now it appears to be just a part of Jackson, but technically, we live in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

There is nothing better than being greeted by loving children and grandchildren.   And they prepared a special welcome dinner for us too.   Beef tenderloin cooked on the barbecue  and a green salad, made up of spinach, sliced mushrooms and cucumbers from Andrew's garden.   Topping it off was ice cream.   Ken brought wine from his cellar.   It was a celebration.

Immediately upon arrival, Christina and Andrew put away the frozen meat.   And we gave them their birthday gift too,  but we were too tired to unload the truck.  Andrew and the girls will come to our condo and unload tomorrow afternoon.   Then Ken and I will return for another meal with the family.   It is always a special treat to dine with your family.