Nature Songs ~~~~
MARCH, 2001
"Life has got to be lived - that’s all there is to it.
At age 70, I would say the advantage is that you take life more calmly.
You know that ‘this, too, shall pass!’"
~~Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
March 1, 2001 - Of course I’ve gone this long and still have my taxes to file. This procrastination circumstance with me can be a dilemma at times. At least I do know where the W-2 forms are and don’t have to be disquieted about getting replacements for them. I must put myself in mode to get everything together and take that drive out to Patterson in Happy Valley and get the tax season behind me for the year.
When I got home from Quest the men already had the corner posts driven into the ground that would hold everything in place. The base was bolted together and they were preparing to put the poles in place. They had the procedure down to a science and all the work was done in little over an hour. From here the men were off to Rutherford, NC, to do the next one. They were not too happy about traveling so far for only one job, but that was the way the workload was set up for the day.
Mother had a good report from the eye doctor and does not have to go back for two months. That means the next trip will be six months and the stitches will come out finally. Her cough sounds a little looser to day, but does not sound good at all. As I was leaving, I took time to turn on the light for her roommate, give her the baby doll she likes to hold and talk to, and turn her around so she could see out the door instead of having to stare at a blank wall. She is hooked up to a machine to help her breathe and bring up her oxygen level. It keeps her from being out in the hall where she likes to spend a lot of time since she thrives on attention she gets out there.
My computer is acting up and I’m not sure what to do about it. What I’ve done so far is not exactly working as I hoped it would. The month of March may have come in like a lamb - real gentle like, but the computer is choosing to act standoffish like a lion. I’m not feeding it what it wants most.
March 2, 2001 - March may have come in like a lamb, but it isn’t acting like one for very long. Today the wind has blown, picking up strength as the day progresses. The weather forecast is for a lot of rain turning into snow. Some mention has been made about a Noreasterner which could be the worst in over forty years. The Eastern shores that are more North of us will probably feel more of it than we will. We need the rain and will take all that we can get. Hopefully it will not all come pounding down upon our heads in one deluge. In 1960 we had 19 inches of snow during March. I remember it well. Every Wednesday, the snow came. I was teaching in Burke
County and on one occasion, I had to drive in blizzard conditions to get back home from school. The road was completely covered and I was fortunate to have a van in front of me that knew the way and I kept close to him. Once he turned off in Lenoir, I had to manage the rest of the way by myself. That was also the month we were trying to get the well drilled so we could begin on our new home.
I thought I was doing something to my computer that may help me. Instead I have it where I cannot get in to correct what I changed. I can only hope and pray that it will self correct itself as it slowly goes through the disk scan. Slowly, because I also cannot get in to cut off the programs that are running and they keep restarting the scan. Slow but sure and maybe I will be able to check my email for the day. My laptop is of no use in that area. For some reason It doesn’t work here at home. I have used it in New Jersey, but once back home and it cuts up on me. I may be going to the library tomorrow, weather permitting, to go online and check my mail.
A package has been waiting all week for me at the Post Office. Today was the day to pick it up. One look at what the Postal Worker was bringing out to me and i wished Allan had come for it the other day when I asked him to. UPS could have made the delivery for me. It was a large box; about like you could put too guitar cases in - and not the kind that are soft sided. Luckily, it was light weight, but still a hassle to carry out to the car. A man was kind enough to hold one of the doors for me to get out of the Post Office, but there was no offer to carry it out to the car for me. Now it is home, but I haven’t opened to find what goodies it may hold.
BingoKid has opted to spend the weekend with me. Who knows? We may get snowed in.
March 3, 2001 - That sing-song melody strikes again. It’s five o’clock in the morning and sleep has managed to make itself very unavailable for the night. I was sleepy Thursday and slept a good nap in the afternoon. The whole time I was with Mother I was yawning and dragging so that I left earlier than usual. I slept some off and on as usual for the night. I traipsed out of bed barely in time to get to Quest and was on the sleepy side all during my workout. After that it was all a different story. No rest for the afternoon since I had to go to the Post Office and grocery stalking.. A trip to pick up BingoKid after visiting with Mother, fooling around more with the computer, a little of this and that and here I am still wide awake.
Apparently the problem getting online is with the provided and not a part of the woes I’m experiencing off-line with the computer. Everything works well until the message comes back that a compatible match cannot be made to sign me online. Then WHAM! I’m off line, time and again, no matter what. All of a sudden later in the evening, like magic everything works like clockwork and I’m online. Each time it happens, nothing done on this end of the line has been done to make the difference. Perhaps it’s time to call the provider. Least ways, e-mail has been checked, bulletin boards for all three classes updated for comments and listings, and the journal is up to date with the new month posted.
Today the rains are supposed to come. If it’s not too bad, the grandson and myself may make a trip to Wally World. Buddy Boy is waiting for his birthday present from me and it needs to be bought.
The truck went to be cleaned up yesterday. Now that it has a home to stay in, it was time to get it scrubbed free of all the gunk and rosin that has accumulated over the years setting under the pine and oak trees. Ms. Jay’s son is working on it. He called to let me know that the cover on the back is beyond cleaning. The pine rosin has soaked into the paint and pitted it. Maybe instead of having it redone, some sort of flowers or something could be added over the bad places and then some sealer add over them. Something to think about. It just might work and then it would be one of a kind. If it is raining he will not bring it back until the weather is good so it will not get messed up. No problem there since it is not driven in bad weather anyway. Twill be nice to have it setting outside all bright and shiny like new.
March 4, 2001 - We never got to Wally World yesterday. As a matter of fact, I never went outside the house all day Saturday. The rain was not as much as expected according to the forecast. Today was even less rain and the winds failed to materialize. Apparently the mountains proved to be higher and stronger than the winds and the colder weather stayed on the other side. I’ve heard few complaints about the snow not getting here. We may have some snow showers by Tuesday, but that is yet to be seen. Bet, Cotton is not able to sing the same song, since she lives between Philadelphia and New York City.
Stopping by BoJ’s for a ham biscuit for Mother and Decaf coffee for myself, I got to the nursing center in time to watch the Sunday Worship Service on television with Mother this morning. I spent three hours with her and during that time she managed to fall on the bathroom floor. She has this problem with taking time to lock down the wheels on the wheelchair to get in and out of it and the probable has to happen sooner or later. I happened to be there this time. Luckily, she was not hurt.
Tbird brought the children to stay with me while she had choir practice again this evening. It means a lot to them to have a little time with me. Giggles was none stop the whole time - nothing bad - only busy. As a matter of fact, she spent a lot of her time going around with a wet paper towel washing up and cleaning everything. She’s off on the right foot as far as cleaning up and putting things in their place. Each of the toys she plays with she usually puts back in the place she found them. If only the grandsons would do the same. BusyKid does, but he is the only one of the boys to like things in their rightful place.
Tomorrow afternoon I’ll take DynoKid back to have his braces worked on again. Wonder what they will do tomorrow? Weather-wise we may have a little mist, but the sun is supposed to be out by the time I pick him up at school.
Strange, I saw at a glance this morning a sight I never expected to see here in our small city. It immediately brought back the memory of being in New York City and seeing so many homeless people that had lost hope and reality of life around them. It was an expression noted on many faces of the older people on the subways as they sat waiting for their station to appear from the dark abysses under the city. A look of someone that has lost hope and relationships. A person unsure of destiny and what the next day may hold. This person was older and no doubt had no choice but to be working past retirement for the additional money so badly needed. He was working in the kitchen of the fast food store. He passed by with that blank stare of being somewhere else - out of touch - not caring - not knowing - not reacting - just being.
March 5, 2001 - Waking up, it occurred to me that the night had gone well and morning had come fast. What a surprise when I perched my glasses on the edge of my nose to peer at the time. 2:14 a.m.! Fast, indeed! Less than three hours of snoozing and here I am listening to American Originals Music, better know to me as Bluegrass Music, and reading all sorts of ads on the local Communications Channel of television. Anything from wanting an airplane partner with $40,000 to invest, borrowing money weekly and burial plans, to Chicken Pie Suppers, thrift stores, insurance and beauty salons. All sorts of items listed in-between. As of now, Working Girl’s Blues is playing in the background.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I don’t want to believe it. Try as I may the thoughts keep popping back into priority mode. Searching the local Sunday Edition paper there is no mention of it. Yet, I know it is true. Too many details have come through to me for it not to have happened. Mother has not be able to digest the news either. All afternoon yesterday she kept asking me over and over about the details, as shocked as the rest of us.
He hadn’t been feeling too well and was having problems with his sinuses. Friday he went to the doctor to get something for his cold and sinuses. The doctor wanted to call an ambulance to take him to the hospital. He refused and called his wife to come pick him up. She was taking him to the hospital in her car from the doctor’s office and it happened. He simply stopped breathing. One minute he is here, the next minute he is gone - dead.
He had been in and out of our home since eighth grade. From Middle School through graduation from High School he was as much a part of the family as Wes. Where one went, the other followed. What one did, the other was beside doing identical. Throughout school they played trombone in band and jazz band and practiced together. After school they ventured off to school in Atlanta, Ga. Both decided they were not up to the rigors of working and school while living off campus in an apartment and came back home together after about five months.
Through High School there was a third party included in the team. He was the first one that Wes called to talk with when he heard the news. He had not heard what happened and was also shocked when he heard. No one can believe!
Both married, but kept on touch with each other. He and his wife had no children and spent all their time together when they were not working. He worked for the NC Department of Transportation, and I would see him often eating lunch out with co-workers. The last time I saw him was when Allie and I ate at the Mexican Place before she had her glamour pictures taken back in November. Now he is gone at the age of 35 - only five months older than Wes. This has affected the whole family. I have to believe it has happened, Allan got the news through EMS. It happened while Allan was on duty.
Mysteriously, the music playing now is “You're Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone”.
A notice online last evening noted that due to the extreme weather conditions in California, our assignments for week five may not get posted on time. The lessons are posted from the area that is in the heavy rains and high winds area. Seems impossible that this is week five already. The classes are almost over and we have only begun. They have only whetted my appetite for taking more classes this go-round. There is more interaction in all three classes and I’ve learned many new things through the process as well as finding new sites online to use as time goes by. One thing I have been interested in learning is the number of words acceptable in a sentence. Seems that any sentence containing over forty words is considered too long. One student had used sixty-two words in one sentence and in her critique that fact was mentioned. Now when I write what I consider a long sentence I find myself counting words. So far I’m staying in the mid twenties. Guess that’s a safe area to play around with.
©2001 by Stormy Jeanne
All of my writings on this web site are copyrighted. Reproduction and/or distribution of the written works on these pages in any form is prohibited.
