Remembering Memorial Day ...

This is Memorial Day. It is a different one for me. Our family lost a soldier this year. David wasn’t immediate family he was a cousin’s son. We saw him at the family reunion once a year – if that. I heard about him through the family grapevine – that sort of thing.

I remember when he went to Iraq the first time. I was proud of him. I knew it was hard on his mom. But he came back and I saw him again at the family reunion. We talked a few minutes. He said he was being deployed again soon. I never once thought that would be the last time I saw him.

My sister and I went to his funeral. It was standing room only. As we went outside to walk to our car all of Jasper was out lining the street. I’ve never seen anything like it in our small town. We drove from the funeral home up to the cemetery and on either side were folks of all ages and all walks of life. They were standing there showing so much respect.

Many of them cried, many held their hands over their heart as we drove past. Though it was heartbreaking it was also heartwarming. It was a comfort. I would guess these folks didn’t know David personally, though they might have known of the family. It didn’t matter – he belonged to them.

All soldiers belong to us. They are our children, the ones we worry over, pray for. I hope they know how often we think of them.

Randy and I were staying in a hotel a while back. As we walked into the reception area one day a soldier was sitting there on the couch. He looked so tired. His bags were at his feet. I don’t know if he was headed in or headed out. But I knew one thing – he was his homeland's son, volunteering to serve and protect. I walked over and put out my hand. He shook it and looked a little perplexed when I said “Thank you”. He may have thought that he hadn’t done anything to be thanked for. But he had.

The life of a soldier is hard, the toll on their family heavy. When they come home the relief we feel is immense but they are never the same. Daddy came home following WWII, married Mom and raised the three of us. He seldom talked about his experiences until the last few years of his life and then we learned how close he came to not coming home at all.

When David came home we did not feel relief, we felt shock and sadness. But we also felt a measure of pride. David was a soldier in his heart and he served his country well doing what he felt he had to do. He wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Today is Memorial Day. It is a different day this year. We are living in a world without David…. and I remember.

Rhonda

That's no bull.....

There are two sports that Randy and I like to watch on TV together - football and bull riding. This weekend it was bull riding.

The industry is taking a step into the 21st century by testing some new technology and we had the privilege of getting a preview this weekend. A patch is placed on the bull that electronically measures the forces of kick and spin. By virtue of a weighted calculation the result is what they are calling an “Xtreme” score. The rides this weekend were being judged the normal way for the competition but were also issued the Xtreme scores. It was all very interesting.

The MOST interesting thing however for any bull riding competition is what happens around the shoot - normally when the bull - rider atop - rushes out in a jumping whirl of power while the cowboy tries to stay on for 8 seconds.

This weekend we got a "2 for". Not only did we get to watch the competition, but our favorite commentator was on the show - Don Gay. Now for those who aren't familiar with the sport, imagine the ability of Babe Ruth, the excitement of Harry Caray and the words of Yogi Berra all tied up in one bundle - that is what Don Gay is to bull riding.

We can be sitting around, watching a normal bull ride when suddenly something out of the ordinary happens. Don will get all excited and out will come one of his famous "Gay-isms". We were not disappointed this weekend.

A bull was in the shoot - cowboy atop - waiting for the command that would open the door. All of a sudden the bull got spooked and started bucking in the shoot. It is always scary when this happens because in a tight space like a shoot if the bull jumps he could crush the legs of a rider. Fortunately the rider was ok but during the moment Don let loose a zinger...

“Hair trigger in the buckin' shoot!!”

Randy and I hit the floor laughing!

Let’s just ponder what other circumstances might be appropriate for that particular “Gay-ism”.

You are keeping your 2 year old grandchild and just fed him a bowl of chocolate ice cream topped with Hershey’s kisses when his parents arrive to take him home.

“Hair trigger in the buckin' shoot!!”

You lost your beloved hound dog a few months back and your daughter feels like you need a new canine companion. She arrives with a dog carrier filled with a yapping little chihuahua.

“Hair trigger in the buckin' shoot!!”

And that's no bull....
Rhonda

Baby, that’s just life……

Right after Sara and Alex got married Alex had to spend 2 weeks in PA for Hazardous Material training. While he was gone Sara had to handle post wedding and pre college enrollment issues by herself. Name changing, financial aid, looking for a new job, etc. It was very stressful.

She called me one day with yet another issue that had popped up. All I could think of was “Baby, that’s just life. Stuff will always be popping up.” She got upset and hung up on me.

Of course she called back later and all was fine. Everything – except the dreaded FAFSA – worked out and all is happy in her world.

And then her father and I had our week…..

Monday I learned that the surgery Mom had schedule on her eye was actually this week, not next week like I thought. I had to make arrangements to take this Thursday off so I could take her for her follow up appointment.

Wednesday I had one of those piano lessons where my brain takes a mini-vacation. It would not recall notes that I know like the back of my hand. Site reading was slow and difficult. My teacher mercifully ended the lesson a little early. Very frustrating.

Mid week we learned that Randy’s parents have unexpectedly put their house on the market and want us to look for them a place to buy up here. I called a friend who is a real estate agent and now have multiple listings from the multi-list. We spent last evening riding around Jasper looking at potentials and will most likely need to do that again today to narrow the field down to the few that may have real potential.

This is the “drop dead” time to get invites out to the big party in the kids honor. I was going to spend the weekend creating lists, composing the invite, addressing envelopes, etc.

Toward the end of the week Randy called from work. Seems there was a little construction accident that caused roofing to fall on his truck. The first estimate is that there is $3000 worth of damage. So he should probably go today and get a couple more estimates.

Sara called Friday just to check in. She wanted to come over to bring her wedding dress back to our house. Seems her apt is a little too small to hold it. AND while she was here could I please help her with her FAFSA?????

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH !!!!! EEEEEEEEEEE……!!!!!

Ok, I feel better now.

So much dropped in our laps with little time to get it done. But what was that little piece of advice I gave my daughter just about a week ago?

Oh yeah…. “Baby, that’s just life. Stuff will always be popping up.”

Hanging up now….
Rhonda

Oops!!! Forgot a hat.... Post also includes a disclaimer

In my welcome post I mentioned that I wear many hats. I accidentally forgot one. We recently broke down and bought our first digital camera. So I can add the "beginning amateur photographer" hat to the list.

Since this blog is out here in the public I probably need to say the following: The photos posted on this blog - Dandelion Knoll at www.blogger.com - are the personal property of Rhonda Lindsey and may not be used without permission. If you wish to use please e-mail me.

There...I said it.

Ok, now let me show you something.

Randy and I were driving to D'vill recently and I noticed that the weeds in this field were in full bloom. I HAD to take a picture.

I LOVE this picture because it makes me think of my Grandma Fouts. She had a green thumb trimmed in gold. Everything she planted not only grew well but was absolutely the most beautiful it could be. Now me - I was born with a black thumb. I have cultivated a green one through effort but it doesn't come naturally. Anyway, one day when I was a kid walking around with Grandma, looking at all the pretty stuff, I pointed out this really pretty yellow flower. Grandma started laughing....turns out the "pretty flower" was a weed that she delighted in pulling up.

Funny isn't it...most folks want to get rid of dandelions but I love them. hhhhuuuummmm. Makes one think about the people you know. How many folks have we labeled "weed" when they are actually pretty yellow flowers? oops...stream of consciousness, sorry for the diversion.

Point being...I am beginning to look at things differently now that I carry a camera with me everywhere I go. Which, by the way, is courtesy of one of our church ladies. We were at Jasper Steak House one day several years ago and ran into her and her family - including her beautiful granddaughter. They asked us to join them, we did and had a wonderful, fun meal. Sometime during the meal she pulled a camera from her purse and started snapping pictures. Later on she gave us a copy of one with us in it. I was surprised - and delighted.

Now my mom has always been the camera junky in our family so I never had to be. If it wasn't for her we would have very few pictures of our kids. But mom is feeble nowadays and can't get out as much as she used to. So SOMEONE had to pick up the torch.

After we got the camera I found myself acting like our sweet church lady. I took it everywhere. And wanted to take pictures of everything. Matter of fact, Randy grumbled that I hog the camera so I started leaving it at home on his days off so he can have a turn.

I now feel the joy that mom has probably always felt but never told us about. It is so fun to take pictures. Who knew??!!??

So go take a picture of a Mom today.....
Rhonda

Here I am, stuck in the moment with you.....

If you are over 45 your gonna go around the rest of the day humming that tune. Mission accomplished!! Sorry.... (I know it's "middle" not "moment")

I was just thinking about the lesson I learned when Daddy died. He lived every minute of his life as if it were the last one. He didn't put off anything till later. That is so hard to do. But for the past 3 years I have tried to be better at it. And part of doing that is to really enjoy being "in the moment".

With Mother's Day approaching we planned an outing to get the presents. We met Sara at Longhorn then went to Target and Wal*Mart (yeah we are lower middle class folks). Sara and I walked the aisles while Randy cruised the music, electronics and office supplies. While we were strolling, Sara asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day. Now I had been thinking about how I would answer that question if asked so I was ready. She and Alex are newlyweds and we all know what that means. So I told her truthfully that what I wanted was a gift from the heart. She rolled her eyes and told me she was too old to be making me macaroni necklaces, but she knew what I meant.

Recently we were rummaging through a box filled with old greeting cards and we found letters that she and Ben had written to Randy for Father's Day. They were teenagers at the time and the gist was "Thanks for putting up with me". A gift like that makes the giver and the receiver stop and think about the past and be thankful for it all. But you know what, if this Sunday I get a box with a homemade macaroni necklace inside I will love it. Chances are it will be a little more refined than the one she created in the second grade.

So what does all this have to do with being "in the moment"? Well, we were standing at the checkout counter with our Mother's Day stuff, talking about macaroni necklaces and chocolate candy when I pulled the digital camera out of my purse (that's another story) and asked her to take a picture of me so I could scrapbook our outing (for practice since I am a beginner). Again she rolled her eyes - MOM! Not gonna take a picture in the store! But you know what...I would have. And I actually did when we walked out.

Two things - 1) It's ok to be spontaneous (Lord knows my straw blowing husband has taught me that - again, another story). and 2) Make the absolute most of every moment - your supply is limited.

Happy Mother's Day
Rhonda

So why Dandelion Knoll??

Most of us wear many hats. Mine are working woman, wife, mother, new mother-in-law (for 4 weeks now), piano student, beginning scrapbooker and poet - not in that order. It is that last hat that provided the name for this blog.

One spring morning a few years ago I backed out of the driveway on my way to work and there, where the old house stood, was the most wonderful carpet of yellow dandelions. For days I couldn't get that picture out of my mind. Then I started thinking about all the folks who had traveled across that little patch of land.

Where our house sits was used by the Cherokee as hunting ground. There are the remnants of a stream, the land is high and looks out over the distant mountains and we have picked up arrowheads while digging up garden spots.

The poem that was born from the sight of those dandelions that day begins ...

There is a spot where the dandelions grow
Near the woods on a little knoll
Many have come, and many will go
Over the spot where the dandelions grow...

The poem talks about the land's primeval beginning long before man walked here. Then it goes on to the native ones who hunted here. And it tells about me and my Granddad walking these woods when I was small and finally my children playing in the yard of our house.

Many have come, and many will go.....

So I thought that "Dandelion Knoll" was an appropriate name for this blog. Like the dandelions I will be the constant. But then here you are - looking around - and I'm sure there will be more after you to read the "stuff" that I pen.

So Welcome to "The Knoll"
Rhonda

Entering the Blog World.....

Some of my friends have blogs and until now I had resisted the urge to have one. I am creating one today and will tell more about how it all came about later. I am a journaler and this is a place to journal.