Mothers Day Revisited Thanks to the Cincy Smiths

This is a big thank you to the Cincinnati kids and grandkids.

We have been enjoying these beautiful red roses that suddenly appeared in our "Surprise Garden." We are sure that it is one of the roses that you sent for a Mothers Day gift some years past. The weather this summer has been good for roses, and this one decided to grow and grow - also to bloom beautifully.

It has been just like getting a little love from you guys all over again. THANKS!

Bird on A Wire

"Bird on a Wire" was the name of a movie I saw way back in the 1990's. I may have been one of the few people who actually paid for a ticket to see it. It really wasn't a very good movie. Goldie Hawn was in it. That's all I remember about it. So why am I remembering this mediocre movie, and writing about it twenty years later?

Well, "Bird on a Wire" is my new theme for August. Or maybe it should be "Birds on a Wire," or maybe even "Lots of Birds on Wires." When we sit on the porch these August evenings, we are watching the birds as they are beginning to do their autumn flocking. You know they pair up with their sweeties in the spring time, and the couples raise one or two nests full of babies. But when autumn and migration time approaches, they part from their mates (I guess) and join up with huge flocks to safely accomplish their migrations south.

So these flocks make a habit of resting on the electric wires that run between poles beside the creek. I mean there are many, many birds strung like beads on a necklace resting and watching the evening sun go down. Not only do they rest, but they seem to enjoy an evening snack just like we do as we watch TV of an evening. Every few minutes or so a few birds will flutter down onto the yard or over into the field across the creek. I guess they spot some insect or seed or tidbit to snack upon.

And they seem to enjoy basking in the evening sunlight. And they do a lot of picking at their feathers and evening grooming. But, most of all, they visit with one another. There is just a very loud, on-going chatter of conversation. We sometimes speculate just what the birds are saying to one another at the end of a busy day, while waiting on dark and bedtime.

" How are things going, finding plenty to eat?"

"Oh, yal, been spending a lot of time at those bird feeders over on Wildflower Lane."

"I gave up on those. Do you think anyone ever mentioned to those squirrels that those are called BIRD FEEDERS?"

" I know, they are a pain. How are the kids? Have they all left the nest?"

"Yeah, finally. That little one of ours wanted to hang around forever. I was about ready to
introduce him to that black cat that lives under that house on Pleasant Way."

" Oh, you wouldn't do that. Boy, I really watch out for that cat."

"How you been feeling? I know you had your digestion all messed up with eating berries."

"I'm better. I was pooping purple for a long time there."

Oh, we could speculate on and on. It got funnier and funnier. But, all of a sudden, all two hundred birds suddenly took off like they were in a terrible panic. The electric lines were left swaying quite violently. We were so surprised and wondering what had triggered their sudden flight, when Don looked up and said, " Well, look at that."

There came swooping down across our yard a huge red tailed hawk. And he sailed right into
the thick leaves of the tree next door. He was so hidden that we couldn't tell whether he had
a small bird clutched in his talons. Although we do occasionally find a pile of feathers left in our yard. It is sad, but it is just a food chain fact of life.

When Don went out to the garage this morning to pick up the morning paper, he heard a squawking sound from outside. He looked out the window, and there were two hawks in our driveway. I hope they don't manage to permanently frighten away the "Birds on the Wires."
We do so enjoy watching their evening ritual.

Addendum

If there is anyone out there reading this blog, then the reader needs to look to the right of this screen, click on June entries, then go to the June 13 entry titled " I Wish I'd Known Him Then."
You will see that I wrote about Don's childhoold and his love of games as a way to entertain himself.

Yesterday evening we were going to meet Debra and Rod for supper at Bob Evan's . We drove
through the neighborhood where Don grew up. I asked, "Was this the field where you played
baseball?"

"No, that field is south about a block close to Nicholson File plant. That is where the neighborhood kids played baseball. We even had a league and a schedule of games. We called the league "The Block League." Someone of us always called in the results of our games to the newspaper, and the newspaper even published the scores and team standings."

"Wow, you were really organized. How many kids were there, and how many teams in your neighborhood?"

Very seriously Don replied, "Well, there was ONLY ONE KID ON EACH TEAM." And let me
repeat that he said this very seriously with a straight face!

Of course, I found this very funny and had a good laugh! "How did you play baseball with only one kid on each team?"

"One kid(team) pitched and fielded the ball. The other kid(team) batted the ball. We drew lines on the field. If you hit the ball past line one without it being caught, then you hit a single, past line two was a double, past line three was a a triple, and, of course, out of the park was a home run. Very simple."

" And they put these results in the newspaper?"

" Yes, that is pretty funny, isn't it? But one of us would phone Red Haven, the sports editor, and he always put in the scores and standings of "The Block League." We had 500 lap and 200 lap bicycle races in another field. He put those results in, too."

Well, now I am on a mission to go to the newspaper office and search the microfiche files for the late 1940's, and see if I can find "The Block League" scores.

Don also said that he just took off in the mornings, would be gone all day (except for meals), and no one seemed to worry about where he was or what he was doing. He just set out on his carefree adventures. I asked if he ever did anything wrong, or got into trouble.

"No. I just always had fun and took care of myself."

This story reminds us sadly that our generation enjoyed a much safer, more innocent world.
And I think it shows that a person's character is simply there even when they are children.
Don just wouldn't think of doing the wrong things.

It is also a little lesson to kids who are so bored in this world if they don't have all their electronic gadgets and entertainment. The kids on "The Block" had only a bike, a ball, and a bat. And they had a whole wonderful summer of entertainment.

AND THEY GOT THEIR NAMES IN THE PAPER, TOO!

August and Another Great Reunion with Good Friends

It seems that August must be THE reunion month. We have been having so much fun getting together with old friends recently. And, believe me, we are all feeling quite blessed that we are still around and are able to be together.

This evening we were invited to share an evening with old friends: Bill, Sharon, Dick, and Lonnie.
Don, Bill, and Dick have been close friends since they were athletes together in high school.
In fact, the three guys and I all graduated in the same class of 1954. But Dick and Bill married much younger women. Well, a little younger, anyway.

I thought we all looked great this evening, just as we do when we meet every summer, before the other two couples return to Florida for the winter. We are all still young enough to have a great time and a lot of laughs. Typically, the guys sat around on the patio and shared all the stories about the good old days. They are all very mellow, laid-back guys. But I heard a lot of ornery laughing going on out there.

The girls sat inside where the talk was about our kids and grandkids. Pictures were passed around, and we all agreed that our grandkids were very handsome and beautiful. We all agreed that we don't always agree with the younger generations, but that they are doing a pretty good job in an increasingly difficult world. We talked about health issues, hobbies, and how we have really cut back on cooking and other strenuous activites.

Except that Sharon is still an excellent cook and loves doing it. Can you believe that she considers it a hobby? Anyway, she served a delicious supper. Sharon and Bill are both so
relaxed and gracious while entertaining. Everyone had a great time. I loved getting to see their new "Senior" home in the new "Senior" community. Thank God! No stairs!

Thanks, guys, for a great party and for your continuing friendship. I think we are all way more fabulous now than when we were young. I think we are all way smarter, too. We are smart enough to know a good friend when we see one!

An Ode to Friendship

Last evening we shared a party with good friends. This is an annual event, a birthday party, to celebrate all of our birthdays that have happened throughout the year. We had sillly party hats, horns, leis, and VERY appropriate gifts for each guest. Corny? Sure. Fun? Of course. Funny?
Hilarious. The stories told were all the old ones that we've all heard before. The jokes were all the predictable ones that we all know and love . Everyone got a "lei", how predictable were those jokes?

We have all been friends for many years. In fact the years that we've known one another far out number the years that we didn't know one another. We have worked together, had fun together, shared troubles together, in short: just been loyal, good friends. We used to be better looking according to someone's standards ( American culture as shown in magazines?) But let me tell you, by my standards, last night those faces were never more beautiful. There is no beauty as great as the face of a good and loyal friend.

We used to all work so hard to be successful, to raise and educate our kids, to attain the
"stuff" that meant we were doing well. I know some were much wiser than I. But many of us were judgemental, a bit envious, a bit slow in realizing the beauty and worth of a friend.

Now we care not a whit about the "stuff" we have accumulated. We have all had our problems, our health issues, our disappointments. We have learned to accept our kids and grandkids, no matter their decisions. I think we have learned to rejoice in the ordinary things that bring joy to every day life.

And, certainly, we have come to the realization that there is nothing more beautiful than the face of a good friend.