Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Category Archives: summer


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Celebrating

I celebrated the 4th down here in Alabama with family and friends.  And a whole lot of boating, swimming and eating.

When we were kids we lived on a small inland lake and always took our boat out to watch the fireworks the city was shooting off from the boat launch.  We’d pull into that bay and watch all the action directly overhead.  Sometimes bits of burned out fireworks would fall sizzling into the water nearby.  It was a wonderful way to spend a late evening, and I was always sad in later years that I  couldn’t watch fireworks with my family bobbing in a little boat, covered in bug spray, sweating slightly in the warm, humid Michigan night.

Well last year and again this year I got to watch fireworks from a boat filled with family and friends!

It’s just the best way to enjoy them.  Saturday night we were in my brother’s big boat on a big lake and along side of us are at least 1,000 other boats, bobbing peacefully in the evening sunset filled light.  As darkness sets in the crowd settled back and we all enjoyed the amazing colors and loud bangs of a first class firework show.  We munched on homemade salsa from my sister and smoked chicken tenders that my brother made.  What a life!

The next morning we took the boat out again, this time to watch the annual jet ski parade on the lake.  This year close to 50 jet skis, most decked out with flags and red, white and blue tinsel, gathered near an island, then took off in single file to run the entire circumference of the lake.

It was sort of heart stopping when they all took off, and in an odd sort of way it made you tear up when the long line of people proudly flying their flags roared past.

My sister was standing in the back of our boat playing patriotic songs on her bagpipe as they flew by and the jet ski drivers waved and grinned back at us.   I was grinning too, at the absurdity and beauty of it all.

After the last buzzing jet ski was long gone up the shoreline, we moseyed over to the “church island.”  It was, after all, Sunday the 4th, and there was going to be a preacher doing a church service there.  Every Sunday boats anchor off shore while a minister or preacher provide a service from the island.  This Sunday I listed while floating with my family in the cool lake water, boats bobbing all around, the sound of music and prayer filling the air.

Sunshine, flags, blue skies, music, good food, family.  Can’t think of anything else I need right now.

Well…maybe my husband and my Katie girl.


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The calm before the storm

Something woke me early this morning and the lake was beautiful.  Flat and calm, touched with the early morning sun – I had to run out and try to capture the peacefulness.

Of course last night I had thrown just about all my clothes in the washer, so everything was wet.  No problem, I’ll just scoot out in my pj’s, who’s to see?  It’s 6:30 in the morning, Alabama time.


The lake had that early morning stillness about it.  Nothing to break the reflections, soft insect and bird noises.  No people sounds.

The water looked so inviting, it made me want to run and jump off the dock.  But yet there was  something of a classical painting about it, and I didn’t want to disturb the quiet serenity.

All too soon the lake will be churning with weekenders and holiday visitors, and we won’t see this peacefulness for several days.  So I turned to tiptoe back to the house.  Then sprinted as I heard my neighbor bellow hello to a friend pulling up in their driveway.

Drats.  Hope my pjs looked like walking shorts!


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It happened

They warned us that we’d get a frost.  I didn’t want to believe it, and almost didn’t pick all the flowers in bloom out in the garden.  After all, it was barely October, I should have a few more weeks to enjoy the garden…right?  Well, it’s a good thing I cut everything:

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…because this morning we woke up to this:

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The frost was thick on the grass and the air was thick with fog.  Katie was curious and uncertain about the frosty grass, tentatively stepping on it, sniffing.  Then she got excited about trying to eat all the frost she could.  Silly girl.

I already miss summer.

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It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Katie 1839We’ve had the best weather for the past couple of days, highs in the mid 70’s, sunshine, no rain, blue skies, puffy white clouds and occasional gentle breezes.  And even better I’ve been working most days shifts from 5 to 9 p.m. so Katie and I have the whole day together.    I can’t think of a better way to end the summer.

Of course we’ve  worked on our obedience skills…and I’m getting better! No, really, we’re working on heeling and sit and stay and recall.  Plus we’ve done a fair amount of playing too; her favorite at the moment being Frisbee out in the yard.  And we’ve gone on a walk through the neighborhood each afternoon.  She’s having fun with all the activity.

Have to say my favorite thing is sitting on the deck with a good book.  While I’m reading, she’s on deck alert, watching out for those rascally rabbits or chipmunks or squirrels.  Kind of wears her out.  She’s asleep, upside down on the sofa now, getting prepared for another big day tomorrow.

Well, sort of asleep.  Katie 1844


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Camping laments

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No work tomorrow, a warm evening and an eager Sheltie all point toward a night spent camping in the backyard.  So after the nightly news concluded I pack myself, several pillows, the cell phone, house keys and Katie up and we head out into the darkness.  As always, she prances excitedly out to the tent and plops herself down on her pillow in front of her window. I settle in myself, happy to be out there again.

But it turns out neighbors up the road are having some sort of party that includes loud cars and raised voices, even dogs barking.  Katie doesn’t barked once, though she sniffs a bit at her window before settling down with a big sigh, then rolling over onto her back, her favorite sleeping position.  Me, I’m a person who likes to sleep curled up on my side, but my hip aches, the result of five very busy hours on my feet at work this afternoon.  No way to be comfortable except flat on my back which just isn’t conducive to sleep for me.  I roll around enough to wake Katie up, and she stands over me as if to say “MOM!  Just settle down, will you?  A girl needs her beauty sleep, and you’re keeping me awake!”

Far off lightening flashes and a hint of thunder floats.  Or maybe it’s  just another car out on the road.  Hard to tell.  I shift again.  Now my arms and neck ache.  And I’m hot.  Katie sighs and goes back to her window, checks everything out and curls up in sleep.  I roll over again; fling off the covers.

Somewhere off in the distance I hear it begin to rain and soon rain taps on the roof of the tent.  Katie is so sound asleep she doesn’t stir until I wake her while zipping closed the windows.  Even then she just rolls back over onto her back.  I listen to the rain, enveloped in the sound, cozy in my space.  The temperature begins to drop and finally I nod off to sleep.

But I should have used the bathroom before I ventured out.  And taken some asprin for my hip.  Turns out Katie is as excited to go for a walk when we’re headed back to the house as she was when we were headed out until she figures out that she’ll get her feet wet.  Rather than argue with her at 3 in the morning I carry her across the backyard and put her down in the house.  I notice how loud the refrigerator is, how cool the air conditioned air.

As I wait for the asprin to kick in, writing this and watching evangelistic television Katie is curled up at the foot of the bed after letting out still another big sigh.  Turns out if you are a Sheltie you can sleep anywhere.  Regardless of how silly your Mom is.

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Cramming a lifetime of memories into one long weekend

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Spending the July 4th holiday weekend with family in the south was a treat.  Part of the weekend was spent at my brother’s home on a big lake, part of the weekend was spent at my parent’s home on another large lake.  Both places played host to all four of us; siblings together again for a few days, goofing off like we did when we were kids.  Of course not having Mom and Dad there to share it all with us lent a low grade melancholic feeling that persisted beneath the laughs, good food, great boat trips and crazy conversations.

Along the way were a few things that stood out:

  • Watching 4th of July fireworks from a boat, just like we used to do as kids.  There were at least a thousand boats anchored at one end of the big lake, private fireworks going off along the shore, the official fireworks at the dam competing with the almost full moon, and Dad’s big dipper hanging high in the sky.
  • Photographing scores of patriotically decked out wave runners as they sped by our boat in a watery version of the traditional  holiday parade.
  • Listening to a celebratory concert at “two tree island” while floating next to the boat, my toes turned up to the evening sky in a salute to Mom’s swimming style.
  • Eating a sweet ripe peach, the juice running down my chin, then eating another just because I could.
  • Running my fingers over small wooden figurines on Dad’s bedroom dresser that years ago had resided on our kitchen windowsill, bringing back memories of teenage years in another place and time.
  • Stopping for a moment during a boat ride in the warm summer air  beside the mountain where we had spread their ashes to pay our respects.
  • Watching a storm come in across the lake, listening to the wind beat the roof and windows, the rain going sideways across the yard, being glad we were there so the house wasn’t facing the storm alone.
  • Playing Mom’s piano.  It took both my sister and me to haltingly make it through some of the music left behind.  Our four hands couldn’t play what her two hands had played so beautifully such a short time ago.
  • Looking around the cabin as we left, saying a silent goodbye to them.  Telling them I loved them.  Hurrying away before the pain overwhelmed.  Seeing a marquee sign out front of the first little gas station a couple of miles away that said simply “Love You.”  Knew it was a message that they loved us back.

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