Mowing

It is a very hot and humid day. My grass has not been mowed since before our trip to the gulf. As I was mowing my back yard, that thought came to me. Beginning on Sunday, my youngest son came for dinner. I made lamb with spinach/potato salad. It was delicious. As my son gave me hugs and we were saying goodbyes, he said, "don't say goodbye, you're coming back"! He then asked how my car was running. I told him it was kinda wobbly when driving but it was ok. He then told me to make sure that if we're going down the interstate and my car wobbles really bad, that means my tire has blown out, and get to the side immediately. He said that happened to him. Well, sure enough, Monday, as I was coming home from work, I just got onto interstate, going 70 mph, at the junction where 3 interstates emerge, and suddenly my car began wobbling. I thought, "nah, it's all in my head because of what my son had said the night before". But then, a sound, it sounded like an airplane coming over and I looked to see where that plane might be. I was losing control of my car and began trying to cross over 4 lanes of traffic. The car behind me turned on his emergency lights. I was able to get over to the side. My back right tire was slashed all to pieces. Not having a car service, and not knowing how to change a tire, I called my friend, Frank. I was totally discombobulated. He was just leaving his last patient's home, Frank is an occupational therapist whom I work with, and also a very dear friend, he said to me, "it's ok, hon, I'll be right there".

When he arrived, it was totally scary. He crawled underneath my SUV, trying to figure out how to get my spare off. Standing there, helplessly, fearing for his safety, with the oncoming 5:00 traffic rushing by, making me realize how very important it is to slow down when cars are on the side of the interstate, or workers are working, and try to move to the far lane. Anyway, he could not get the spare off. I was missing a part. We then drove to the tire place and there had to call a tow truck. They said it would be an hour and a half. I left my key at the tire store and Frank and I drove back to the office. After an hour and a half, still no word. We called the tire store and they said the tow truck had not arrived. We called the tow service and they said the driver was enroute. We then went to Frank's house. Frank is also a musician. His home is absolutely lovely, as is his wife! They were so kind and patient with my circumstances. Anyway, finally, at 8:30, the tire store called and Frank drove me back to get my car. It was 9:00 p.m. before I made it home. I was exhausted but extremely thankful that this happened before the girls and I left for our trip to the gulf on Wednesday.

When I got to work on Tuesday, I learned about hurricane Dolly on the gulf of Mexico. I began wondering, perhaps we are not suppose to take this trip. Everyone at work told me, "no, do not cancel, it'll be ok". The social worker said to me, "that's only 2 signs, if you get 1 more, then, no you should not go". That evening, I picked up my daughter, her friend Katherine, and her boyfriend and brought them home with me. Daniel, my daughter's boyfriend, was to mow my grass. I had paid him two days before. Today, I do not recall what actually happened when we got home, but the mixture of all the different energies exploded. I remember everyone being upset and arguing and my saying, "this is it, 3rd sign, we will not go". Yet, that remark itself turned things around. I smudged my home, and all of us with sage. Suddenly, the mere thought of being on the gulf of mexico is what exploded and life was absolutely beautiful again! The drive the next morning was fun! As we were driving through Alabama, the storms hit. It began raining so hard that I had to stop at a rest stop to clean my windshield for it was so dirty, I could not see out of it and it kept fogging up. After doing that, and we began driving again, the skies began lighting up, my daughter said, "mom, why are we driving towards the hurricane?". I told her, "it'll be ok". We actually passed where lightning had struck a field on a farm. The fire was shooting straight up. Yet, we passed through the storm and made it to the other side and found the most amazing white sand and calming sea.

Anyway, these are some pictures I took today after mowing my grass. Before our trip to the gulf, I had made a new flower bed and planted pink, red, and orange dragon lilies. When we got back home, that red one was the only one left standing.

I was going to take a picture of my pear tree. As I was taking the picture of the hole where my pool use to be,* a small, beautiful bird flew from the wildflowers up to my pear tree. His belly was the most amazing shade of yellow with shiny black on top. I started to take a picture of my pear tree and recalled a comment made by Dan, "no one can experience the entire cosmo in one body in one day". He had said that to me a few years ago when I was actually "morphing" through time. That was my cue to "slow down". I was going to mow my front yard, yet I still have so much to do today - wash clothes, clean my house, take my daughter to the library for school starts next week and she has to get a book for her summer reading. Her and Katherine read one of the books on the way to gulf. So, I did not take the picture of the pear tree; it appears that the pears are not ripe for picking yet, and I did not mow the front yard. Instead, I wrote this, which has made me slow down and breathe and enjoy life moment by moment.

My last blog "Toad" took me to where I recalled seeing that little toad in a coffee cup. Hidden in front of delicious recipes. One recipe on chicken and dumplings had a painting of larks & lemons. It was a lark I saw this day. First time ever in my own yard.