mysterious ways

The cool snap is long gone but was nice while it lasted. It is now hotter than hades and humid to boot. We are entering the dog days which is mighty dry so, no fires in the near future. Not that I can build one with my left hand or anything. I am resigned myself to the fact that it's gonna' hurt like hell for awhile but be worth it in the long run. We shall see. Of course sports are out of the question for a year but, ohmygod. I haven't played sports in a kazillion years and then not very well. I remember tearing my hamstring as I tumbled down the steep hill next to our little cemetery and BG thought she was gonna have to take me to ER. Truth be known, I probably should have gone. Two days later my entire leg was purple from hip to foot. My little Doogie Howser GP was so alarmed he sent me for an ultrasound. I take enough aspirin that clots weren't an issue, however I couldn't sit on that ass cheek for about 3 months.

The neighborhood theme is running strong these days and I ran into yet another one today at the sawmill. His mama just died and we talked about that and my parents. He's the one who picked Daddy up from his first bloody walking fall on the gravel and brought him home for me to clean up. No ambulance, of course. Ornery old coot! My EMT friends tell me that unless a person consents to the ride they can't force it. I remember the pecan picking guy passing out one day and his response when they came up was hell naw. Dude even jumped in his truck and drove off. I admire the spirit that my parents have about getting old even though it frustrates me at times. They want to stay home and they long for the freedoms that aging has taken from them. Some of their friends came to get them to go out to dinner last night and I was glad to hear that. These are the folks they used to go to the White River with fishing and visiting once or twice a year. That seems like a hundred years ago, yet old friends never go away.

My grandmother's version of life was simply this: "The way I see it Janie, we're all just loaned to each other by God." That keeps me going when the losses seem too painful to bear. It's the same way with true friends...you spend intense periods together and go through stuff that binds you together from here to eternity. One of my favorite passages in the Bible describes the road to Emmaus and the believers walking along there together discussing what they had seen. Little did they know that JC was right there with them hearing the whole story.

Peace and love ^j^