SMALL THINGS

I just can't seem to get back to my afghan. I was afraid this would happen. But, part of the reason is, that my eye is really warped and it is is difficult to focus. Right where I need to see, it is blurry and double image. It also interferes with my reading.
It has been hot here for a few days and I have not been bothered by my IBS. I have been hungry for vanilla ice cream for a month. So we went to Walgreen's and bought a pint of lovely vanilla. It tasted so good after a hot day. So smooth and so creamy. I haven't eaten any since last summer. Last summer, I was able to eat ice cream for a month, before everything caught up to me again.
My roses were doing so well this year. But all of the flowers were fried by the sun.
We have tomato plants this year. We are still waiting for fruit to ripen. Tomatoes are a fruit you know. Actually a berry.
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JUST IDLING ALONG

Haven't been doing much. Been sick as usual. Try to work on getting a day or so, that I may accomplish something. But, I have discovered something. Very disconcerting. The very things I want to do. Desire to do, have become: 'HAS TO DO'S'!! Now that is not good. Isn't that the absolute pits. Now I have to figure a way around that conundrum. Or is it a dilemma? What ever, it is a nuisance.
I had ordered the catalog from Lion Brand Yarns, I looked through, and finally figured out a yarn, that just might work as trim to finish my afghan. So, since I can't get out, I made some little post-it arrows and indicated which colors and which yarn, that Michael's might have. My Hb. bravely went shopping. Well, as usual, they didn't really have what I was looking for. But, Hb. picked 0ut three skeins, he thought maybe I could use. We do have a different color sense. But, I took that in consideration. So, I am using the 'Homespun' yarn in 'Mixed Berries'. Close enough.
Our angels had helped him make a suitable choice. But, now I have not worked on the project much.
Hope I can get back to it, before I lose interest.
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BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been browsing Amazon for something new to read. Goodness, there must be more than hundred new books out, on all of the recent archaeology finds. What to do, what to read first. I did buy a book titled; The Horse,The Wheel and Language: How Bronze Age riders from The Eurasian Steppes, Shaped the Modern World . I thought it would have more info on the development of language. However it is more about all of the the new finds and ties between different tribes. Very little about language. There was more in 'Black Athena'.
I did find a book about: 'Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue; The Untold Story of English', so, I may buy that one next. Because, after all, English is a mixed bag, words borrowed from a great many sources. That's why others find it very difficult to learn. Such as: 'i' before 'e', except after 'c', also as in 'neighbor and 'weigh'. But, all one needs do is remember the rules. But, people hate rules, so they ignore them and commit all sorts of grammatical crimes and misdemeaners.
I'ved always loved History, of all categories.
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BIRTHDAY GIFT

Mom's birthday was in May, It always got tangled up with Memorial Day and Mother's Day.
Here is a story about a gift.
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I do have a couple of other anecdotes to tell about. Not sure which one to relate. They both are precious to me.
Well, I will use this one, because it is related to a Mother's Day story I wrote last year on my other blog.
Another time when we were in the city and were in our room after a long day.
I turned to Mom and said, " Mom? Would you like it if I used your first name when I addressed you?"
She was sitting on her bed getting ready for bed. She, sort of took a flinch, looked down, then turned her head to look at me sideways, then she replied, " Why ? Does it embarrass you to be seen with your Mother?"
I said, " What? Oh, my, no!" "That's not it at all. I am so lucky to have a Mom like you, both Mother and friend." (or something like that. This was a ticklish idea I was going to present.)
" I know how much it has always meant to you have your own person, your own identity. Apart from being 'Mrs.' and 'Mom'. And you tell people it's ok to call you by your own name. "Down here no one knows us, so there would be no one to criticize us for me using your name. You would have the chance be just yourself."
Mom looked at me for a moment, then turned her head and gazed down. She gave the idea some long consideration. I wasn't sure what her answer would be.
I was hoping she would say yes. Because I thought it would make her happy. I could see the emotions playing across her face as she contemplated my offer.
Then, she took a little breath, turned to look at me. She said, "No, I have only one daughter to Call me Mother. there are a lot of other people to call me by my name. But, only you and your brothers to call me Mom".
She knew and I knew what she had surrendered to pass up my offer.
I walked over to her, and sat down on the bed and hugged her. I let her break the hug first. Although I could tell when I felt her relax her arms, when to let go. So, it was mutual.
So, I got up and went to the other bed and got ready to go to bed.
We never spoke of it again. It was just between us.
It was too precious a thing.
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PAPER HORSES

The year I was 12, Me and two cousins had a time of make-believe horses. My cousin Avis was the one with the great imagination. to me, She was so magical. We didn't have figurine or toy horses. There weren't any made at that time. Except for a few plastic ones. This was way before Breyer went into business. We were adults by then. Whenever, I saw the Breyers, we would have been crazy for those. So, what we did, was find pictures of horses, copy and color them. We each had at least twenty horses each. We even badgered Audrey's older sister, who could really draw. draw a few horses for us. She was out of high school and working. So, we were quite greatful to her. Oh, she's the one who drew the heads for our stick horses.

Anyway, Avis, Audrey and I had a lovely year, playing horses. If the weather was bad, with paper horses we could play in the house. if the weather was good, sometimes we would set up ranches on a small rise near Audrey's house. or we would play with our stick horses. When a horse wore out, we would beg and scrounge cardboard to make the heads from. I think I even badgered my Dad to ask Mr. Bethel the big store owner in town, to see if he had any boxes he was going to throw away. He did. He thought it was cute about the horses. I only asked once. I had gotten a big box. enough for several heads. We kept my Dad busy cutting sticks for us.

The time lasted only a few months. But as I said. It was a memorable time. I think it meant more to me than the the other two though. I still have my paper horses, I wish I had someone to pass them to. My cousins, when they had children passed them on. The toys are long gone.

Here is a page of a few of my horses. I may end up making a memory book about them and glue the toys in with a story about that time.

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MEMORIES OF DREAM HORSES

Well, I was sorting through a box of 'stuff'. and lo and behold, I found these two treasures from my childhood. The year I was probably 12 years old. My two cousins and I were heavy into horse dreams. My cousin Avis and cousin Audrey. We were so into the fantasy. A time lost later and never to be recovered. Just a dimly remembered dream. The school districts were redefined. Audrey went to an elementary school. and Avis and I went to Jr. High school.

These are two favorite heads from the two stick horses I played with. I originally had about six. Mom made me give them to my younger brother when he demanded them. But, I was able to save these two. Hid them away in the bottom broken drawer of the chest of drawers in my bedroom.

Oh, the red one I named, 'Big Red'. The black and white one I named, 'Devil'. Notice the red ring around his eye. I must have read a story about horse like that.

I just located again them after all this time. Haven't laid eyes on them maybe for a good 20-30 years. I will have to write to Avis and tell her.

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