What does that say…May? That means the fifth month of the year is half gone. What happened to the other four? Oh, well time flies when you‘re having fun.
Sisters day was comfortable, temperature wise. At least it was close by me, in Wardsville to be exact at the home of Lucy Branson. She fretted and worried about fitting us all in her small senior apartment. Mary Jo said, “Lucy I love your quaint little apartment it’s very nice.”
Those present were; Lucy Branson, our hostess, Mary Jo Crider, Shirley Huffman, Linda Crider, Pam Hale and Susie Kleffner. Betty West is in South Dakota with her daughter and newest great-granddaughter. We miss her but she is happy and that is all we want for her.
We gathered around Lucy’s beautiful antique oak table. This antique table was not surrounded by beautiful antique chairs but by beautiful antique sisters. What a blessing. Though some are gone from this earth they were all present with us every time we gather.
Breakfast was naughty and nice. Naughty being the things we say oh, I shouldn’t eat that but oh well its sister day. That would be the cinnamon rolls and donuts. The nice was sausage, bacon and biscuits. Sweet and salty the perfect combination. Of course, there was coffee and tea to go with it.
We talked about VIRTUS training for workers at the fall suppers at church. VIRTUS is the training the church requires to protect the children that we come in contact with when working at church functions.
The Covid requirements for attending Mass are being lifted June. Thank You Jesus and Bishop Shawn!
Susie brought Katie’s swing up to Lucy so it will be put to good use again. Everyone except Susie and I went to get it from the truck. I reached across the table and with perfect aim I knocked over my glass of raspberry tea. Susie and I started grabbing napkins trying to stop the flood. It ran over the edge of the table and through the crack between the leaves. We finally got the mess cleaned up and things back to normal except for the empty napkin holder. Susie went to see how they were coming with the swing and I went to the bathroom. When I came back there was another big red puddle under the table. I grabbed some more napkins to clean up the mess. I made a closer inspection of the crack.
When the girls came in after getting the swing set in place, I found out who had to do the dirty work. When Shirley came through the door, she had dirt to her wrists on both hands and headed directly to the sink.
We talked about where Riley’s Chevrolet is located in Jeff City. Shirley and Bob were trying to find it. They went to the old location on Christie Drive where it was hit by the tornado and there was no one around so they went to Missouri Blvd to the new location, as luck would have it, they were closed and moving back to Christie Drive. But Bob talked to someone and he stopped what he was doing and took care of Bob’s issue.
Mary Jo said her son Joe caught a 35-pound catfish down at the mouth of the Tavern. He likes to fish there because it was his dad’s (Leo) favorite fishing hole. Shirley and Bob went to Fredericksburg with their son Ronnie. It rained all weekend but they fished between showers. The ramp was a mess with holes and cracks. The conservation is replacing the ramps at several of the accesses. The ramps will be put in at an angle to make it easier to get in and out of the swift water that runs in front of the straight ramps.
A delivery guy came to Lucy’s house on one of those really cold days and she told him to come in out of the cold while she put the package down and signed the little gizmo thingy. One of her neighbor’s told her she should not ask those people into her house. Lucy said what kind of place have I moved into when you can’t ask someone to come in out of the cold. Sometimes you just have to trust your own instincts and do what feels right at the time.
Some of the girls wanted to help Lucy with some of her meal preparations but there was not room for two people to work in her little kitchen, so we just had to set and watch her work. One thing about it though, we didn’t have any trouble talking she could hear us and we could hear her.
The subject of going to the movies came up and how the sound is so messed up. When they’re talking you can’t hear them and when an explosion or car chase comes on it blows your ear drums out, and some of the CDs are the same way. You can’t get a player that plays both CD’s and DVD’s any more either.
I have a bird that sits in the maple tree behind my condo and starts singing at 5:30 every morning. It even drowns out the traffic on Highway 179 below my place. Several of the other girls have the same thing around their places. As the song goes, It’s good to be country again.
There are several people, that some of us know, who are starting bee farms to help replenish the bee population. They say we will perish if the bees are gone.
We talked about people who aren’t happy unless they have something to complain about. One of them lives in the next building over from Lucy. She likes to pick on the new kid in town, Lucy. She didn’t like the idea of Lucy having a swing. I think Lucy should invite her down to sit in the swing and talk about it. Fortunately, she is the only one with a problem but unfortunately, she has a cloud for every silver lining.
Finally, it was lunch time. After watching Lucy fix it, we finally got to dig in. She made Chicken Stir fry and Egg Rolls with sweet and sour sauce. Yum! Just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite Lucy set a pumpkin pie on the table. It was made from scratch using home grown pumpkin given to her by one of her neighbors (no, not that one).
We talked about the process for giving someone a car as a gift. They have to make everything as complicated as possible.
We talked about diets and that’s enough said about that.
We talked about how we can’t do what we use to. Betty said,” getting old isn’t for sissies”. That’s the truth honey!
Some of us are dictionally challenged. I know I am. Pam said she would go into a store and she would have to ask her youngest son (about 5 at the time) to take her back to the door. He could just go in a straight line right back to the door they came in by. That’s worse than my 5-year-old showing me how to work my phone, right?
Mary Jo saw a lawn mower that was mowing the lawn like a rumba vacuum cleaner vacuums your carpet. Her son Joe said they’ve had them for years but most of us have never heard of one. What next?
Who is the oldest person in each parish and whose been married the longest? Shirley and Bob will be married 60 years this year and Pam and Darrell will be married 50 years next year. Susie and Leo Jr have passed 50 years. Leo and Mary Jo made it to 58 years and Lucy and Vic made it to 44 years. Katie and Martin made it to 58 yrs.
Shirley and Bob are planning their bluegrass trips for this summer. They have several they go to every year. Our brother, Leo loved bluegrass music but didn’t ever go to the festivals. Shirley tried to get him to go but he didn’t. They seem to be something made to order for Leo. There are a lot of old pickers up there with him, so I bet he’s enjoying listen up there. We really miss that guy.
My sisters are very good about helping me put my walker in the car. Walkers are all a little different but they all have one thing in common they all pinch your finger. I had mine for a couple months before I realized there is a strap to pull that folds it right up. This helps some but doesn’t make it any lighter or easier to load in the car. It is kind of embarrassing to have those old women doing the lifting but thank God they are still here and able to still help their baby sister.
Another sisters day has come to an end. I’m glad we can share these wonderful memories with you. We always laugh a lot mixed in with the chatter. Our hearts are always lighter when the day ends. God Bless you all.
Thought: You’ve got to have opposites, dark and light, in pictures. Its like in life. Gotta have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come. I’m waiting on the good times now. By Bob Ross
Advice from an old farmer: Live a good honorable life and when you think back you can enjoy it a second time around.