Lessons in Life

Okay. I didn't get the pictures up yet. I'm sorry. Took a lot, but I've been so busy elsewhere. #3 daughter's moving back home from school till she locates a real, full-time job. Yay! We're very pleased that she's finally graduated.

We settled on a date to drive the four hours to her apartment, retrieve her stuff, and bring it home. I called around to locate a moving truck to rent, settled on one and made a reservation for "the" date, 5/23/08. A Saturday. It was about two weeks prior to the moving date. Good planning, right? Everyone in town (where she lives) was finished with school at least for the summer and moving. So far so good.

As the moving day approached, I began imagining said rented truck breaking down--and on a weekend, 200 miles from home that might not be such a good idea. So, I started praying that whatever truck we got wouldn't break down. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Husband decided to take off the Friday prior to the move so we could go down, enjoy a celebratory dinner out with #3 daughter, etc. Then #1 daughter had an activity in the same city as #3 daughter lives and asked if she could spend Friday night as well. This apartment is tiny. The whole thing could probably fit in our living room here. And our living room isn't huge. It's large, but not excessively so.

So we worked out the details. Friday came. Husband and I left to wend our way south with happy thoughts of getting the job done quickly--not effortlessly. (She inherited a hide-a-bed couch from her grandparents and it's no picnic to move that sucker, let me tell you!) She doesn't have much furniture to speak of, but she has lots of STUFF--clothes, in particular.

Ten minutes into the drive south on Friday we get a call on the cell phone. "Mom," #1 and only son said, "The truck rental people just called. You might want to call them." Fear and dread filled my previously happy countenance. "Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?" I carefully asked.

#1 son explained that THE 10' truck we reserved had broken down and there were NO OTHER 10' trucks available. However, they had a 26' truck we could have for the same price. In my mind I saw this picture: We'd already discussed, my husband and I, the fact that our daughter's belongings would not even fill the 10 footer, so why in the world would we want a 26' truck where nothing could be secured, not to mention the potential for excessive gasoline usage, difficulty in manuverability, etc.? So, what to do.

I called the very nice truck rental folks who told me they also had two other trucks broken down and since it was Memorial Day Weekend, they had no mechanics to repair said breakdowns or future breakdowns that might occur over that 3 day period. What fun. Why plan ahead?, you may ask.

With little faith of finding a replacement among the other brands of rental trucks, I dutifully called and checked. The resounding response: "We're booked solid for the next two-and-a-half weeks." So, after much aggravation, several phone calls, discussion and all, we decided to call my husband's brother who has a pick-up with a slightly longer bed than our own. He wasn't keen on the adventure, but he's ALWAYS most kind and generous with helping us when he can. He and my husband have no other siblings, and their parents are no longer living. He lives about 3 hours drive from us, but also about 4 hours drive from our daughter's place.

He met us Saturday morning at her place. 4 husky, young, male church friends of #3 girls' also showed up about the same time to help load the heavy stuff--meaning primarily the couch. They were great and helped get another piece of furniture and some boxes loaded as well. My husband, his brother and I all managed to get to our house and unload--with some help from a couple of other young, husky, male church friends here.

Well, Monday this week, #1 son and I drove back down, spent the night and THOUGHT/HOPED--we could load the rest of the furniture and boxes left, except for daughter's things she needed while she finished up her commitment at work and the cleaning of her apartment that she'd bring when she drives home later this week.

Well, the plan was good, but didn't quite work out. Again. Bed frame and headboard didn't fit. We loaded all we could manage and came home once more. I'll go back--sans the truck bed lid--and make a final, final trip down and back later this week. Oh, the gas prices! Not to mention, I'm getting tired! I don't think I have one foot in the grave just yet, but I'm just not used to working this hard. (Maybe if I continue . . . I'll get better at it? Hmmmmm. Exercise. Yes. That's probably what I need. Ooooh. Ouch. Snap. Crackle. Pop. Yeah, that's the ticket!)

Good Intentions

I've been planning to post for nearly two weeks now. So, yes, now you see proof of how slooooooooooow I am at getting around to things. I saw some pretty cool things--like a momma mocking bird and her three little hungry, demanding babies. Did I have a camera to record my view? Heck no! The camera was with my husband 200 miles away. Great, right? Well, after all, it is HIS camera. Darn. Why can't we afford 2? Well, life is!

So, IF I get really lucky, and industrious, I'll see if the little feathered babes are still housed in the nest in the fig tree. I watched Momma resting on the wire outside my kitchen window with bugs in her mouth and knew she'd been endlessly busy feeding her brood, but I never caught her at it again. Sob. :( We'll see how things go later today. My "to do" list is ever so long.

Plus I have pictures to take and post of all the flowers and other plants my sweetheart bought in honor of Mother's Day--on the day prior to--which we set out in pots, etc. I was surprised and very pleased for his thoughtful kindness. (He's like that sometimes just to keep me on my toes, I think. Surprising me with stuff like that.) How can one NOT enjoy lots of flowers? (Okay--alergy suffering people may have issues--including me with SOME flowering plants--but the beauty kind of outclasses the misery--for the most part. Right?)

Till I get the pictures, then? Have a lovely weekend--soon. Right. Today is only Thursday. So, OKAY, have a fun weekend ON the weekend. Or is that, DURING the weekend?

We'll actually be helping move our youngest daughter from college--she just GRADUATED! HURRAY! She's moving back home till she locates a job. Wish her luck. Then, we'll have to help her move out--again. Like I mentioned before, LIFE IS!

HAVE A GREAT ONE!

Project: Please Pick Pleasing Peaches

Thursday last week was getting hot and the peaches looked ready for picking. I did not want nature ruining my small crop of delectable fruit. I enlisted my son's assistance in the project. There were only 3 dozen or so peaches to be picked, the very best looking and largest ones nearest the top of the tree, right? Well, you have to figure on that.

Since we neither fertilized nor sprayed for bugs, I supposed you could say these peaches are 100% organically grown--which basically equates to: "leave 'em alone and see what happens." What happened is, quite honestly, most if not all had worms. Aside from that, after disposing of the obnoxious little critters and the peach flesh they destroyed, I gloried in the absolute joy of tasting the luscious, richly peachy sweetness of the ripened fruit! Those peaches sampled were extremely delicious! I sliced the ripest ones yesterday and left their greener siblings to ripen a bit more.

This variety of peach--Sam Houston--is VERY tasty, I must say. I've eaten peaches of various varieties. FRESH from the tree is ALWAYS superior to store-bought. ALWAYS! Peaches have to be one of my MOST favorite fruits in all the world. After all, WHAT, I ask, compares to a peach? A wonderful, fully ripe, dripping with sweet juices peach?

Saturday I treated myself to a bowl of Cream O' Wheat with freshly sliced peaches. It was SO GOOD! If I'd really been thinking, however, I'd have poured on a little fresh cream to boot. I wasn't thinking. Sigh.

Maybe this evening for dessert we'll have some fresh peaches and cream. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Hope your day is peachy-keen!