Patches

When I was a little girl my family lived down the road from an elderly lady that became very dear to every one of us. Her name was Hazel and we saw her regularly, just as if she were family. We kept our milk cow in Hazel's pasture for a time and Mom would drive up to Hazel's bright and early each morning and go into Hazel's barn to milk the cow. She'd usually drag us kids along and we went willingly for we loved Hazel! Hazel always treated us so special and each of us even took turns spending the night at Hazel's house. It was like a slumber party there and always a special occasion. I remember most all the times Hazel would treat me to hot tea and would cook me whatever I wanted for breakfast. My sister Regina always got sardines at Hazel's house. She always kept our favorite things on hand for when we came to visit. She was like another grandma to us. We used to sew with Hazel too.

Hazel gave my brother Davy, my sister Regina and I each a dog made of patchwork material. I remember Davy named his dog "Rex," but I can't remember the names of either of the other 2.




Just before Christmas this year Regina sent me a package at a time when I was pretty down about some things. She'd found a smaller version of the pups that Hazel had made for us and she sent it to me with this note and a special memory from our childhood attached. Here's the note she sent:

PATCHWORK PUP

Patch (pach) n. a piece of material used to mend a hole, rent, etc.; a covering for a wound.

I found this "pup" at a thrift store and thought of you--wondering if you still had yours from Hazel. Mine of course was lost in the fire a few years ago. I knew I must get it for you to go along with your other. Then I thought ...(yes it hurt--the thinking)...and longer...and deeper...(ouch--people do this on purpose???)...and thought of a better idea. You had said something a while back about remembering past good times of growing up and how that helped you because apparently you had been focusing on the bad or difficult times. So...

Reflecting on the past can be a time of healing and since the definition of patch can be a covering for a wound, I came up with a plan for "Patchwork Pup."

Any time one of us is going through a difficult time, depression, a loss, or anyting "broken" or "wounded" we are to send "Patchwork Pup" along with a special memory of the past to the other for a time of laughter and healing. It doesn't necessarily have to be about a time with Hazel...I just picked that memory because that is where our patchwork dogs originated. You can pin it, tie it, etc. Get creative.

Hope 'He' can make you smile! :0)

Love ya

Sis.

I am posting this today because it is time to record a memory for Regina and send this pup back to her. Regina's house burned today, just a few short years after her family suffered the loss of their first home and all its contents in another house fire. The first time the wood burning stove malfunctioned. This time the fire is believed to be electrical. They live in an area of Missouri that was hard hit with an ice storm this week and their power has been off and on the past 2 days.

I am heart broken for my sister and for her husband Greg, my nephew Brandon and my niece Danielle. I wish I was closer so I could at least hold her hand through this horrible time. My mom told me tonight to not dare try to come home that with the storm she didn't want to worry about us on the roads. So, I sit in Texas wishing even with the storm that I were in Missouri with my family and holding on to my sister. All my sister asks is for prayers for them, prayers for guidance and what to do now. I am ever thankful that even through devastating times my family seeks God's guidance and direction.

I have not yet written my special memory for Regina to send with "Patches," but I'm thinking of sending a memory of fun times in the snow and ice. I'm thinking she needs some good memories of fun winter times to get her through what remains to be a very hard winter ahead for her.

May God bless you, Regina, and hold you close to Him.

Things Could Be Much Worse

I guess I shouldn't complain when the temperature dips and I get cold. Things could be worse, weather-wise. We've actually had a very mild winter, especially compared to winters I've experienced BEFORE moving to South Texas!

My sister Lacey made me very thankful yesterday that I live where I do. She lives in Southwest Missouri and she emailed me yesterday afternoon to tell me that although the temperature was in the upper 60's that morning, by early afternoon it had fallen to 20 degrees and it was spitting snow. Wind chills had it feeling like it was in the single digits! BRRRRRR!

So even though today was in the lower 60's and a bit windy, I still long for even warmer days. I prefer even hot, humid summer days to these cold and cool winter days. I look forward to days warm enough to play in the warm waves at the beach and laze in the sun.

I guess rather than moping about a summer that seems so far away I should be thankful I'm no longer in Northern Wyoming where I lived for a very BRIEF time, and experienced the most bone-chilling cold of my life. Marty and I lived in a teeny tiny town (Kirby) and drove 30 miles to Worland every day for work. We moved there in August and left before winter was even over. Relatives of Marty's told me that was an unusually cold and wet winter but I didn't care. I just wanted out of there. Out of there and back in warm, wonderful Phoenix! For 2 weeks straight when we lived in Kirby, every morning I got up the thermometer we kept on the window read at least 40 degrees below zero. 2 WEEKS!!!! I thought I was never going to feel warm again! Marty still laughs that during that time I came home from work and crawled straight into bed every day because the house felt so cold. One of those cold mornings Marty drug me outside because there was something I "had to see." He poured the coffe out of his mug...and it froze in mid air! I'd never seen that before! Now that is cold! I remember what a great mood all my coworkers were in when that 2-week cold spell broke and we finally climbed to zero degrees!

I celebrated the day Marty was offered his former job back in Phoenix and we decided to move back! We contemplated whether to move then or wait until spring and more predictable weather. We decided the sooner the better and left in March between winter storms and while the canyon was clear and the road over South Pass was passable. The day we left Marty took a yard stick out to the yard and there was an accumulated 26 inches of snow still in the yard.

That was the winter I learned to drive in the ice and snow. I'd never had opportunity to do so before. I moved to Phoenix right out of high school and never did drive in the snow when I lived in Missouri as a teenager. To make it even more interesting, I learned to drive in the snow in a 1967 Firebird. I managed to keep that car on the road, even if it did get a bit "squirrely" at times.

Even I can appreciate a good snowfall for sledding and the beautiful scenery, but only for so long. I guess that's why I enjoy South Texas so much. We did have a bit more winter last year here. There was an ice storm in January, 2007. It didn't last long at all, but I did get out long enough to get a few pictures of it, some of which I posted here. Here are more:

Stay Warm!!!

This Ought to Cool You Off

For those of you enduring a long, hot summer, maybe this will help cool things down....at least for a bit.

Ice and snow are rare in South Texas, but in the 6 1/2 years we've lived here we've seen it like this a couple of times. This past January, not long after I got my new camera, we got an ice storm. I had not used my camera much at all prior to these pictures but I sure did give it a work out this day.

The Yucca plant in front of the front deck:

The ice hanging off the roof of the back deck:

The ice hanging off the church roof.

My bench on the front deck:

The mini windmill in the yard: