Landscaping run amok....

There certainly have been things going on since the wedding... lots and lots of things that have required my body and my mind, and some things that have required deep thoughtfulness on my part before the part of me inside that yearns to share it through writing is able to do so.

One of the things that has not been happening too much is mowing the grass... we have grass, not so much a lawn, but lots and lots of grass. It has rained, the Chief Grass Mower Man has been working and the time that he would normally have allotted to the task has been taken up by more things than make sense to tell you about.

First, there is a couple of moments of 'back story' that you need to know.

I grew up here, amidst the aunts... the amazingly wonderful but very old aunts, in their 8th and 9th decades of life, it had to be a bit of a disappointment that the Powers that Be did not drop off a male child to do the manly tasks.  But, alas, Powers are not always thinking along those lines and you get a girl child... a girl child, that simply by being told that it was a 'man task' would necessarily set out to prove that a girl child could do the deed.  So, from the age of about 9 until I married a man (I tell you, the ladies were jumping for joy at the prospect of a man about the place~!) I mowed the grass... and I did this task with a relic of an old, old red push mower and an even older, but sturdy riding mower.  I learned to change the oil and service the mowers because I could read, ahem... (reading comes in good for many things!) and I grew to enjoy the near constant task of mowing acres of grass. As I got older, I enjoyed 'sunning' (in retrospect, not so smart!) in a bikini while I mowed.    Then, I married that wonderful man... and my mowing tasks were relieved by his manly self and I tended toward the task of parenting and breastfeeding and such.

Thing two that you should know is that shortly before my father in law grew ill with multiple myeloma, he purchased a CubCadet mower.  It was a superb man-toy... superb, I tell you!

Fast forward to tonight... I needed some physical activity.  I went to ride the bike and the seat was soaked and the tires were flat and there was no tire pump to be found anywhere.  I tend to explode bike tires with the use of the tank of air, so on my way by, I noticed the mower... and the tall, tall, tall grass....


Aha... a physical outlet.  I had, last weekend, a momentary tutorial on the big machine given by the Chief Grass Mower Man.  He rather bemusedly watched me lay waste to the field between our house and the neighbors. It was interesting and rather very fun, in a sort of heart stopping, lurching kind of way.

And there sat the mower...  now the Chief Grass Mower Man is in another state... and there is all that grass....

I bet you can guess what happened next!

OK, all you manly sorts, STOP giggling... right this instant! 

It was awesome!  After spending far too long inching the powerful machine from under the lean to shed by the barn (this has to be a trick, or a plan,,, to park it in as inaccessible a place as can be had on 100 acres) I engaged the blades and rather enjoyed the first few passes.  Now if you do know what a zero turning radius mower does, then you will understand without explanation, but for those who do not, or who have never had the thrill seeking joy of riding one, then let me explain.

You do NOT have a steering wheel.. nor do you have a clutch and brakes where your feet are.
You have these two levers, one for your right hand and one for your left hand.  Pushing forward on the levers, keeping them relative to each other, moves you forward, with great speed, I might add.  Pulling them back toward your body, disengages the blades and backs you up. Opening them out, engages the brake and allows you to leave the seat.  The big trick comes when you do not move the two levers relative to each other... for instance, you push one forward and pull one backwards... this, folks, it how you turn (or adjust for major holes, bumps or unmentionable things on the ground in front of you (more on that later)).

This mower is a LOT, a rather very lot, like a ride at the fall carnival!  Unexpected moments abound, quick and constant reactions are necessary and you can cut down lots and lots of grass and anything else that gets in your way.

This requires MUCH coordination and get ready,,, here comes a HUGE sexist statement... this thing HAD to be designed by a man.  Possibly a man, with too much time on his hands, who also has a very short attention span and lots and lots of thrill seeking, need for speed desires.  Oh, MY....

Anyway... ANYWAY... I set off to conquer the mower and the grass... and at first things went pretty well... wide open spaces... relatively even ground.  I noticed that speedy turning (is there any other kind on this mower?) produced 'skinned' places on the ground.... Oh, well.. less grass to mow next time...
I also noticed that if you throw one hand up to wave at the neighbors (whom I thought were walking for exercise, but MIGHT have been watching for entertainment sake), then that whole 'not relative to each other lever thing' kicks in and you spin in a circle opposite of the hand with which you waved.  The same EXACT thing happens if you use one hand to get hair out of your face (remember to get a bandana next time) or if you attempt to stop bushes and tree limbs from removing your head or limbs.

Does this begin to sounds like it might have been amusing to watch???

Now add to that scenario, coming through tight quarters in the back yard, low hanging limbs and tall grass, a fairly large hole (adjust quickly with one hand) and then... there it is.... a dead cat...  not a recently dead cat mind you... a fairly 'old' dead cat... ADJUST... ADJUST!!!! ADJUST!!!!!  'Phew...  a gross, gross event avoided... but alas, before I could straighten up (straighten up body, limbs and mower), there, just in front of the front wheels was a dead chicken!   arrrghhhh!!!! Adjust!~ Adjust!~  Ok, so I'll admit to being slightly shaken and it taking longer to adjust and set things to right and at JUST THAT MOMENT... oh, say it ain't so... a big, fat, dead possum...  At this precise moment, I remembered how to stop the crazed machine~!

How, you might ask, can we have that many dead animals in the back yard?  And not know it?
Through a series of misadventures the last two weeks, I was fully aware of the dead cat and the dead chicken, but thought that both had been duly and properly buried.  Well,,, they had been buried, but unearthing buried creatures was apparently a fun thing for Nick to do.  (There's a Nick story but not for today, that's one of the reason that I needed to get physical with something.)  But, truly... the big old possum,,, I was blissfully unaware of it's departure from life while traipsing about the back yard.

I really enjoyed mowing the grass.  I'll admit to being adequately distracted from my troubles AND I should be tired enough not to get up at 3 am and wander the house, as has been happening these last few nights.
And I'll admit that very often, my thoughts turned to my father in law, who I miss some days more than I can explain.  He's either very pleased and delighted, sitting there in heaven telling all his buddies that is HIS daughter in law using his mower, or he's mortified... but I'm thinking it's the former,,, surely there is no mortification in heaven.

A long time ago, I learned from my old ladies that whatever troubled you had best be dealt with by hard work, getting busy to put it out of your mind and possibly a solid afternoon of baking something.  If they taught me nothing else, they taught me that even when I didn't want to, when I wanted to sit down and throw myself  a pity party, the thing to do was to get up and put one foot in front of the other until the trouble had passed you by.

I'll say,,, it passes by you faster when you're on a CubCadet!

With deepest apologies to Chief Grass Mower Man, whom I have fussed at on numerous occasions for his having run amok over heirloom plants.  I have a new found understanding tonight, of how this might have happened. I do love you and truly appreciate the 27 years that I have not mowed the grass.

Bridal portraits

These certainly could not be posted till now... as we believe in that traditional notion that the groom must not see the bride in her wedding gown until the wedding.

And here is our professional photographer at work... Anna Wilson of Greenville, SC

And here is a good friend!  This young woman is a doctor, no less, who waded the creek to remove a shoe from the line of shot!  Thanks, Tiffany!

Wedding!

Today was a beautiful day for a wedding...

In a sweet religious ceremony, at the little country chapel where her father and I were married, and where she was baptized as a month old infant, she walked down  the aisle to the man of her dreams.

Their vows were beautiful and timeless and honorable.  In the quiet of the small assembly, they pledged themselves to each other.

I made very few photographs... we have had an awesome photographer, Anna Wilson of Greenville, SC, who has traipsed through hill and vale and waded a creek for the sake of this couple.  Her work will be showcased here when it is available. 

First dance:  "Never alone" by Lady Antebellum

May the angels protect you
Trouble neglect you
And heaven accept you when it's time to go home
May you always have plenty
Your glass never empty
Know in your belly
You're never alone

May your tears come from laughing
You find friends worth having
With every year passing
They mean more than gold
May you win but stay humble
Smile more than grumble
And know when you stumble
You're never alone

I would be remiss not to interject here, that the wording in this song was rather timely.  As the happy couple turned to leave the alter, the bride did, indeed, tumble down the step (really, a very awkward step).

I must say that if Clayton, who had only been her husband mere minutes, is always so quick to set things to rights in those times in her life when she does, indeed, stumble, then she's a very fortunate woman.  His protective instinct for my daughter was a true reflex... may they ever be there when the other stumbles...

Never alone
Never alone
I'll be in every beat of your heart
When you face the unknown
Wherever you fly
This isn't goodbye
My love will follow you stay with you
Baby you're never alone

Well, I have to be honest
As much as I want it
I'm not gonna promise that cold winds won't blow
So when hard times have found you
And your fear surround you
Wrap my love around you
You're never alone




Never alone
Never alone
I'll be in every beat of your heart
When you face the unknown
Wherever you fly
This isn't goodbye
My love will follow you stay with you
Baby you're never alone

May the angels protect you
Trouble neglect you
And heaven accept you when it's time to go home
So when hard times have found you
And your fear surround you
Wrap my love around you
You're never alone

Never alone
Never alone
I'll be in every beat of your heart
When you face the unknown
Wherever you fly
This isn't goodbye
My love will follow you stay with you
Baby you're never alone
My love will follow you stay with you
Baby you're never alone

A dance with her daddy...   "Ordinary Miracle" by Sarah McLachlan

and with her bigger baby brother...  "Carolina Girls"

 A yummy cake and awesome food.  Special thanks going to Patti Nelson and Beth Copeland who worked their magic as caterers.

Clearly, the most mannerly garter removal that I've ever seen at a wedding...

A bouquet toss

And a happy getaway... Hawaii bound!

PhT!

A fun and lighthearted moment at the medical school graduation is the giving of a special degree to the parents and spouses of the new doctors.  Her first signature with the M.D. behind it was on a certificate that confers to her parents a Ph.T. degree... "Putting her Through"...

We shall frame it and hang it proudly!

It reads:

The School of Medicine certifies that Dawn and Thomas


having successfully persevered for many months


despite the necessity of encouraging and supporting a daughter


the endless unintelligible conversations of professional jargon,


the excuses, the blame placed on the


imaginary injustice of the professors,


the long hours of all night call, the periodic anxiety of waiting for grades,


and the multiplicity of general hardships


which become the lot of a student's parent


is hereby awarded this degree of


Ph.T.

Dr. Dr...

Yesterday, my daughter and 75 of her classmates of the past 4 years received their MD degrees.

We, her family, are proud of her accomplishment.  These many years of education have taken a lot of stamina on her part, patience, self control and delayed gratification.  It has taken courage in the face of things that would make many of us weak-kneed and more hours and days and nights of sheer intestinal fortitude than most folks could pull together.

As she starts her medical career, her mother will pray daily for the same things that I've prayed for years now.
May she continue to walk the path of God's will in her life... may she find strength for all of life's challenges...may she be a blessing to others and they to her...  May God continue to guide her as she moves out into the world to be a physician and give her wisdom to be a healer and wise counsel to her patients and their families.  May she continue to learn daily and may she always live in the grace and goodness of a child of God.

Home again...

Wednesday evening, I followed my boy home...

...out of the city... country bound.

There's never so good a feeling as knowing that this child is here to stay a while.

He loves the city and loves school and does an outstanding job at being independent,
but for the first time in over two years, he'll be home for a stretch.

The act of getting him packed, down three flights of steps and packed into two vehicles requires stamina.
When we first began this education journey, many hands made light work...
...and I was much younger.

This is likely the last time that I'll move this son from a college dorm.  He has an apartment in the fall.

At the end of the packing venture, when we've managed, again, to successfully evade the university security during our 'park here, run and cram things in the vehicle, move this van for that car and cram it full" moment, we were tired and hot and hungry.  I asked him which restaurant he would miss most while he was home and we went there.

Blue Cactus, is a tiny little,' you'd never find it if someone didn't show you where it was' place... a few tables, three people cooking where you could see them... a blend of Korean and Mexican menus.  As I sat across from my handsome son, and we discussed his year, his friends, his plans for the future, they brought us some amazing food.  I can see why he loves it so, they know him there, which pleases me greatly... that in a large and impersonal city, he brings a smile to the faces of folks in his favorite restaurant. 

Of course, he's mine... I understand why they smile.  His easy going way, his impeccable manners,,,
what's not to love?  Being engulfed in his arms, while he's still sleepy and warm the first morning home is a singularly amazing moment.  I am blessed by his love and affection and even 21 years after I became his mother, I'm stunned by the fact that he's mine.

The boxes are not unpacked...they're everywhere... but I'm so very glad he's home.

Welcome home, son... welcome home!

Wow!  A bumper crop of muscadines or wild grapes, volunteers that have taken the job of shading the chicken coops.
The payoff after a cold hard winter and an exceptionally pollinated spring!

And yes, there's a grassy straggler... it's far too wet just this moment to do anything about it, except admire the beans, which are still wearing their dicotyledons.

And far too often, I forget to grab a basket

(note that I have grabbed a camera... not a basket~!)

I default to the standard farm woman solution.

In the rush of banquets,moving, graduating, and weddings, some things remain the steadying force.

The sun comes up on new surprises each morning...

and you have to get in the eggs.