Anyhoo...another Memorial Day weekend has come and gone. I have to take a moment to pause and say "we miss you grandma and grandpa Reynolds, cousin Doug, friend Todd, dear "mentor" Larry, grandma and grandpa Shepherd, high school friend Lisa...taken so young, uncle John, "grammie", and COUNTLESS others who have gone before"...I didn't realize "getting older" meant losing so many dear friends and family members...you don't really think about that when you're "young", do you?! Yet ANOTHER reason that getting older SUCKS, I guess...
Anyhoo again...death and contemplation aside, it was a good weekend...Duane and I drove to mom and dad's on Friday evening...got there around 9:30, and were READY to turn in by the time we got there (yet ANOTHER indicator that we are OLD!!!). Almost got to be one of the "remembered" on Memorial day in Osceola, when we ALMOST got sideswiped by a semi-truck.
I was a LITTLE beyond the "stopping area" at the stop sign exiting interstate 35, and, luckily the semi-truck that was coming at me was able to 'veer' into the left lane, or Duane and I would be have been using a rental car (after a brief to lengthy hospital stay) to get back to the cities. I think I'm becoming spatially challenged as I age...I THOUGHT I was back far enough...out of the lane of traffic, but apparently I wasn't. The driver of the truck was MORE than happy, however, to honk and swear to let me know how WRONG I was!
Near death experience aside, we arrive in time to chat a bit with dad, and then went to bed...only to toss and turn the entire night, while a line of thunderstorms went through southwestern Iowa. I remember waking up TWO different times to thunder, wind, and lightning, but we eventually got to sleep, and, except for the storms and the "possessed" windchimes (you really SHOULD take them down if a storm is even REMOTELY in the forecast) got a good night's sleep.
Saturday was cold, windy, and rainy, so we didn't end up going to Doris and Charles' lake house until late afternoon. We spent the day, instead, driving to Mt. Ayr and looking around at a few stores (FEW being the operative word). We went to an antique store that was a LITTLE too junky for my taste ("Aunt Jennie's", or something like that), Pamida, and CGI (a local grocery store). We also hit the local Hy-Vee (which, from previous posts, you KNOW I love), and then went back to the house to use up mom and dad's supply of rhubarb (and some of aunt Francis's stock, as well). We made our "famous" rhubarb cream pie, and tried a new recipe for rhubarb oatmeal bars. BOTH turned out WONDERFULLY, and, by the time we left today, all were GONE!
After we baked, we sat in the yard, on grandma's porch swing for awhile, and then mom and dad went to the Lorimor class reunion.
Duane and I headed to the lake and had cavatini (which Doris kindly made and left in the fridge for us), and took a walk.
Doris and Charles were doing the "graduation circuit" in Des Moines, so weren't there to chat with, so it was JUST Duane and me. It was nice to have the lake house to "ourselves", but was SO not the norm. We only stayed for a couple of hours, then went back into Tingley to wait for mom and dad to get back from the reunion. While we were waiting, I started getting the chills, and ended up with a fever of 100.7 degrees. Not sure WHAT was up with that, but, took a couple of Advil, went to bed, and was fine when I got up Sunday morning.
Sunday, we headed to the lake and spent the day eating, getting sunburnt, lying in the hammock, eating, riding around the lake in the speedboat, eating, catching up, and eating...all that a weekend at the lake SHOULD be. It was hot, sticky, and, in other words, a TYPICAL summer day in Iowa!
Duane and I walked to the dam, and had a lovely time just being alone together, and we also got in a couple more boat rides throughout the day. Some of mom's cousins were there (who I GENERALLY avoid), so we spent most of the day on the deck. Jim and Toshi drove over from Chicago, but only stayed TEN MINUTES, and turned around and went back. Jim just got out of the hospital with pneumonia, and couldn't deal with the heat and humidity...what a HORRIBLE drive, to only spend 10 minutes there!
That evening, while we were out on the boat for one final "spin around the lake", Robin called (they had been in Kansas City for graduations on the "other" side of the family) to see if we could take the boat out, were they to get there before dark...they did, and we did, and it was GREAT to get another few laps around the lake.
We all went back to Tingley around 8:00, and got there JUST before the severe storm warnings kicked in. We all got ready for bed, and, before we could get settled in, were ushered to the basement to "wait out the storm"...reminded me A LOT of the weekend we moved mom and dad to Tingley...we spent a little time in their basement THAT weekend too (tornado warnings...sirens...hail...the works!).
Hanging out in the basement until the storm warnings passed!
We survived the night, and were able to spend this morning relaxing on the porch swing, and drinking coffee. We got around, and drove back a few hours later. On the way, we stopped at an AWESOME antique mall in Des Moines (the Regal Lion...Royal Lion...Majestic Lion???), then had a Maid-Rite in Ankeny, and drove back to the cities to "regroup" for the week.
Only EIGHT more days with students...ONE day of "teacher stuff", and the school year is over...(except for various curriculum writing, workshops, and summer school during June, July, and August...where did it go??!!).
Hope YOUR weekend was full of fun times, memories of loved ones who are no longer with us, and new memories of those that are still here to brighten our days and nights...
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