Today's high temperature was: 38 balmy degrees
A bit of sun, now and then
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Last night, there was weather prediction of a bit of freezing mist this morning--but it did not happen--of which I am glad. Today was the School Gal Pals Christmas luncheon. Bethie wanted some more apples from Susan, so she and I met up at The Farm, and then rode together to the luncheon.
It was nice for Beth to see all of Susan's decorating. Susan's first year decorating her new space. Susan has three trees (doesn't everyone?)--each a different style, one in her new family room--all pink, gold, silver and crystal. One in the living room--teddy bears are the theme and home made ornaments, and then one in her bedroom--a memory tree with ornaments made by her two boys. Plus she has a nice Santa collection, little Hallmark wooden houses, crystal trees and angels==on and on. She is only 61, so she will continue to decorate like this until she gets near our age and figures it is a bit too much work :-)
Before Beth got there, Susan showed me a picture that she has on her refrigerator--"for everyone to see!", she said. It is a picture of our mother and father. Susan said, "Finally, after all these years, we can now put out pictures of our REAL Mother and our Dad." (No step mother around to pretend the first marriage didn't exist.)
Susan said that my son Mark, who lives on the farm just 1/8 mile north of her, was down the other day and brought Susan a real, evergreen wreath for her front door. She showed him the picture and said, "Do you know who that lady is?" Mark said, "Yes--my real grandma."
Now my son Mark acts all tough and grumpy to everyone. He's really pro-gun and inherited all my Dad's hunting guns and a couple from his other grandpa. Mark says things like, "Just let them set foot on my land and I'll blow their head off"--things like that, but I know this kid. He was very close to my Mother and when she died, at age 53, Mark was 14 and it affected him in a really bad way. He would no longer go to church--just the year before, he proclaimed he was going to be a minister.
So anyway--Susan made him a copy of the picture. Mark was outside talking to a couple of older guys he knows who were hunting on Susan's farm. She took the picture out and handed it to him. She went back inside and peeked through the window. Mark turned the picture to the guys and said, "Do you know who this woman is?" and the guys said, "Yeah. Charlie's first wife, your grandma." and Mark said, "My REAL grandma." His girlfriend Cindy called Susan later and told her Mark showed her the picture and had tears in his eyes. My son--the real tough one--yeah, sure!
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Okay--now for the lunch. Bethie was a little late to pick me up and told Susan and I that she was upset because she made loaves of different sweet breads for the gals and she had left two loaves of banana-nut bread in the freezer at home. So we ride over to the really, scruffy restaurant where the lunch was going to be. We normally don't exchange Christmas gifts, but I had made Scrubbies for the gals and Beth had the loaves of bread. Each gal could pick out the kind she wanted.
After lunch, we did our gift thingie. One of the gals there is not really part of our group--she is a sister to one of the gals and she took TWO loaves of bread. Didn't ask, "if you have any left over, I'd like another loaf," none of that, just said she wanted TWO.
Then, I got my children's book out, in case anyone wanted one. Bethie got 5 of them and another gal got one. So I passed one around for them to look at. The gal on the end of the table, practically read the entire book and then passed it one to the next gal, who did buy it. Then another gal asked, "How much is it?" and I told her "seven dollars" and she said, "well, I guess I better get one." Then the next gal, sitting next to me didn't want one. Now--this is all well and good, but it ticked me off!!
It's not that you need the book or even have a grandchild to give the book to--to my way of thinking, this is a book that one of your friends managed to get published and printed and you ought to buy one damn book just because she is your friend!!! and you can afford seven bucks and you know she is living in poverty and...and...and.
Petty? Who me? Yes I am!!!
Above all, these lunches are becoming tiresome to me. More of a duty then a "want to." I think I know why. To begin with, Beth and I, Sally, Arlene and Judy were always at the lunches. We are the group who sort of did most things together in high school. I have hardly anything in common with Ruth, Marlene, June--didn't in high school, don't now. Well--Sally is in Arizona and Arlene and Judy are dead--all I have is Beth. We usually have to sit at a long table and, being hard of hearing, I can't hear what the girls at the other end of the table are talking about. Ruth rarely says one word!
We used to have some great discussions, but now, if something even the least profound is brought up,.you get the "I never heard of that," even though it's been all over the news programs. In the last six months, I have started to feel invisible. Today I was asked a question and I proceeded to answer it, within a few words, you could see their eyes start to glaze over and they just turned their heads and started talking to each other. I just stopped talking in mid-sentence and no one even noticed. I think if I go next month, I am going to not say a word and see if anyone notices.
It just isn't fun anymore or even worth the time and the gas money. Perhaps once every quarter would be enough--maybe then, we'd have something to talk about? The last exciting thing was when our one friend Liz got remarried--we were all happy for her--even when we found out the groom was her first cousin!!! Now, we had a lively conversation that day!!
Anyway--Beth and I got back in her car to start home and we got to pissing and moaning and getting more ticked off at greedy people and "why don't people act like they are suppose to!!" and saying as how we are getting old, petty and crotchety! Then we filled the car with some blue words and got to laughing and acting crazy--just like in the old days. The best time I had this whole day was on the ride over to and the ride home from, with Bethie. AND she gave me some cat food!!!! The best gift ever!
By the way, I added cows and the first few rows of corn to the farm tonight--the cows are pitiful. They either look like a blob or sheep!!
I did get a half-way decent fence on the other side to keep the cows out of the corn field, LOL That front cow looks like a cat sitting on the fence. Oh Lordy!!!
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