Colleague's Call, Spring's Return

RECENT CALL FROM FORMER COLLEAGUE

One of my friends from the time when I was still a police officer called me this week. We had not talked to each other in at least two years. He often said that we always started right where we left off the last time we spoke together, and sure enough we did. We talked a very long time. Our friendship has been through a lot through the years!

SPRING HAS RETURNED

It’s spring! The flowers are coming up, and some are already in bloom. The grass is growing, which means I spend a lot of time mowing. Most of the wildlife have had their young and are parading them around. My nightly raccoon, which I see out of my bedroom window, brought her one baby up to visit last night. It made me smile. The circle continues.

SWEET SUSIE TODAY

I spent a day this week with sweet Susie. She had to have some tests and treatments done for the cancer that she is fighting. If I had had a daughter, I could only pray for her to be Susie. I am in awe of how she has handled the fight of her life, and I am very proud of her. She has worked so hard at her career and at being a wife and mother of three boys. I had to laugh at myself: after Susie was through with her appointments, we went to lunch and then went off to do what I most hate to do, shopping. As I was driving home that day, I realized that if I had to go shopping, it would only be with Susie!

When I married Alan, his mother was a big shopper. She wanted me to go shopping with her. I told her that I don’t do shopping in stores if possible, only out of catalogs. If I could buy food that way, I would. She told me we never would be friends unless I went shopping with her. She was right. No shopping!

MOTHERS’ DAY 2013

My son and my three granddaughters came to visit me for Mother’s Day this week. My son knows that if you really want to give me a gift, you should make it something for wildlife. I would rather get a bag of bird seed than anything personal. They brought me a birdhouse, which made me very happy. I miss seeing them since they have moved. The girls are all teenagers now and are beautiful.

My son has a lot on his plate. He drives an hour and a half to work each day, most of it over long back-roads. He is taking care of his grandmother and was just elected to be the mayor of the town he lives in. And, of course, he has his family to take care of. I worry about him a lot. Most of his family on his father’s side had heart problems. My son does not take the time to take care of himself properly.