The Old Lemon Tree

Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.

I'm not sure why I loved that old lemon tree. It wasn't very well shaped - actually, it wasn't shaped at all. The tree had long, ugly thorns, and the lemons were dark green and covered with fuzz. They were obviously not edible.

The ugly old tree stood, just to the right, at the end of the front walk in front of my Granny’s house. It was in the middle of the yard, so I have to assume that it had been planted on purpose. I never asked who and why, and so many years later I wish I had.

In the spring, the tree had small white blooms and shortly after, the ugly lemon fruit began to form and grow. My younger male cousins used them for ammunition as they played “War” against each other. Thankfully, no one ever tried to use the long thorns against one another!

I don’t know when the old tree was removed or who did it. I just know that one day, it was gone, and I was sad. Perhaps I was the only grandchild who had an affinity for the old tree. It didn’t matter to me that it was unsightly. Not everything or everyone, on this earth, is pretty. It had a place in my history and in my life, and like many other things and many other people, it was gone.

Lemon tree very pretty (this one wasn’t) and the lemon flower is sweet.

But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat. 

#lemontree #ugly #memories

Dogs, Cats, Trees and.....Water

Several days ago, I walked into my kitchen and found a puddle of water in front of my refrigerator. Now, my little girls (pups) often have accidents......but this puddle looked as if they had invited every dog in the neighborhood to participate (and they don’t have that many friends!)

The dishwasher, just a cabinet down from the refrigerator, was busy taking my place (washing my dirty dishes), but it did not appear to have come from there. I checked the fridge to see if something had turned over (even though it looked like water).

I mopped up the water and decided this mystery would have to be left for later. I was trying to get ready for my “birthday trip.”

In the meantime, indoor girlie cat named Bob, had begun to earn “outdoor privileges,” because when I called “Kitty, Kitty” she came running – usually.   When she sees me, heading toward the door, to let Precious and Bella out, she runs to join them. She also howls if they’re outside and she isn’t. (They’re becoming more and more like children, everyday!)

I’m a big fan of mysteries and solving problems. After I returned home from my trip, I decided to do a little investigative work on the dishwasher. I had, after all, fixed my dryer vent hose, with duct tape, a few years earlier. If the water had come from the dishwasher, maybe the drain was just stopped up. That, I could probably fix!

After putting the girls outside, I opened the dishwasher door and removed all removable parts: the bottom basket, and the thingamajig that spins and spurts water on the dishes, and also sits atop the drain. I removed a piece of broken glass, a washer and something that should have been attached to the washer somewhere else, in the dishwasher. 

After making sure I had done a thorough investigation, I put the parts back together and started the dishwasher (on a short cycle, of course) to determine if I had solved the problem.

I went to let the girls in. Precious and Bella came running, but calling “Kitty, Kitty” didn’t produce a cat. I walked out into the yard and heard a faint “meow,” every time I called to her. Finally, after quite a lot of walking and searching, I looked up and there.....in the old Water Oak tree beside granny’s old house, walking toward the end of a very thin limb was my scared little cat. 

I walked toward the trunk of the tree to get her back on larger branches. All the while, I was calling to her. Finally, she got back to the tree trunk and began to try to find a way down. She kept choosing thin limbs, and I was afraid she would fall onto one of the big roots that were spread out, at the bottom. Several times, she almost fell and would end up hanging precariously, upside down, by all four feet. 

I had a couple of options - neither of which I exercised. I couldn't imagine calling '911' to have our Volunteer Fire Department come and rescue a cat nor could I imagine me climbing on a ladder! 

The later the day got, the more concerned I became. Another cold winter night would soon be upon us. The Weather people were giving warnings about leaving pets out, at night. What would my little cat do, up in a tree?

Finally, I very carefully stepped up on one of the big roots which gave me a little more height. I coaxed Bob onto a lower limb that I could reach and pull down, and as she came toward me, I grabbed her before she could decide to climb back up.  Into the house we went.

Oh, and by the way.......back in the kitchen, I had water to mop up! There’s either a plumber or a new dishwasher in my future.

#trees  #cats  #dogs  #leak  

Finding My Spirit Guide

Nestled among the tall pine trees, deep in the woods not too many miles north of the thrills of Disney World, your destiny may await you. The town of Cassadaga, FL was formed by George Colby, a member of the Spiritualist religion in the late 1800’s.  He was searching for a place where his fellow Spiritualist could go to escape the brutal winters of the north.  Legend has it that his Indian spirit guide, Seneca, led him to this area because of the synergy, in the area. The name Cassadaga was adopted from a similar area in New York.  The camp, as it is called, sits on 57 acres owned by the Spiritualist church. In 1991, it was named a Historic District.

Going into the little community is like driving back in time. Most of the streets are sandy lanes and the houses, though well kept, are all wooden, white frame structures.  The houses are owned by the residents who are given a lifetime lease by the church. Most live in the camp during the winter and return to their homes, mainly in New York, in the summer, to escape the southern heat.

Always interested in exploring the unusual, my cousin Teresa and I decided a trip to Cassadaga would be an adventure. On a beautiful fall afternoon, we sat outside the Purple Rose awaiting our time slot. It was one of the shops that sold books, stones, and tarot cards, and booked readings for several mediums. (We had chosen it because of the name!)  When our time came, we were led into a darkened room lit only by burning candles.  The medium that we had chosen spoke in soft, low tones.

I was told that I was creative, something at which my older daughter later chuckled. The medium asked if there was anything that I’d like to do.  When I replied that I’d like to write a book, I was told that I should start immediately and that I had a spirit guide who would help me with the book. (I surely wish he would appear when I’m attempting to write one of these articles!)  I was also informed that I would travel abroad, to the country where I had lived in my past life, and I would see the place where I had lived. We did travel abroad, but if I was ever where I had once lived – I didn’t recognize the place!!

I was also told that we would be invited to a family wedding in the Upper Midwest somewhere near, or in the direction of, Chicago during the next year.  My husband had an aunt and cousins in that area, but we hadn’t been close, so the idea of them inviting us to a wedding was nonsense – as far as I was concerned.  The following summer, I had a consulting assignment in Kentucky around the 4^th of July holiday, and I suggested to my husband that we make the trip in our motor home and turn it into a working vacation. 

Our trek up through southern Illinois, took us near my husband’s aunt. He suggested that we stop and visit, since we were so close.  Upon arriving at her house, we found that four of her five children were there – to attend the wedding of one of her grandchildren.  Of course, we were invited to attend and we did.  I didn’t remember the Cassadaga Medium, and the “reading” from the prior year, until my daughter reminded me that I was fulfilling her prophecies.

The final prediction also came true a few years later.  At the time, we were living in our retirement dream home, in Florida, on the banks of the beautiful St. John’s River.  The Medium had stated that we would leave Florida, and we would build a home west of Florida but toward Tennessee.  We owned property in Mississippi, the old home place of my family, but at that time we never had intentions of moving “back home.”  As was foretold, we sold the FL home, and I now enjoy my Mississippi Front Porch.

Many people use psychics and mediums to guide them through life. Ours was just a fun-filled afternoon of adventure even though some of the predictions, at which I had scoffed, later became reality.

I think I’m going to try to look for that Spirit Guide and get that book started………..

Renewing my DL

I realized on Tuesday night that my Driver's License was going to expire this week....so on Wednesday, I went and got my hair trimmed (those DL photos look bad enough without having bad hair!!) and then was off to Laurel.

I was pleasantly surprised that there were very few people in the waiting room. Did you know (if you don't wait until the last minute, like I did), you can go to a kiosk, fill out your info, take your own photo, pay with a debit or credit card, and have the DL mailed to you?? How uptown is that!! (And they call us backward!!!)

There wasn't enough time to have my renewal DL mailed, so the "Let Us Know When you got here" computer, gave me a wait-in-line number. While I sat and waited, I watched a woman doing her own DL.  She must have taken a dozen photos, until she got one that made her happy.

There were only two clerks behind the counter.....a friendly one at Station 1 and one who looked like she had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed and then eaten briers, for lunch, at Station 3.

The nice, happy clerk at Station 1 called my number!

I'm here to tell you that God does answer prayer,  'cause I had silently and fervently prayed that Station 1 would call my number. (People pray for parking spaces.....this was just as important!)

She asked "Do you want to renew for 4 years or 8 years?

I replied "Let's see, in 8 years I'll be 82 and probably shouldn't even be driving, I'll take 4." (Of course, there are those who think me, and my heavy foot, shouldn't be driving, now!!!)

She had me move to the blue wall, in front of the camera and she took Picture Number 1....and it was awful. I sorta' looked like the clerk at Station 3.....(wrong side of bed and briers for lunch). I was happy she let me see it, 'cause the clerk at Station 3 wasn't showing anything to anybody.

I asked "Can you take another, and I'll try smiling."

I smiled and she clicked......and we went with that.

As someone said, "I hate having my picture made....it always looks like me."

Important Stuff

I think it's probably good that I'm too old to be embarrassed, or don't care. (I allow my daughters and grand kids to be embarrassed, on my behalf.)

A couple of years ago, I bought some tights and a long top to cover my booty. The ensemble required that I have boots, so boots I bought. They weren't the tall, to the knee, stylish leather boots. They were a suede type soft fabric, but they were boots and they were mine!

Today, I decided it was time for a pair of  stylish, leather, to-the-knee boots to go with the new jeans I was going to buy.

Got to the store and almost immediately I found the boots I wanted. They were black leather, with a huge zipper on the side with heels. (I don't usually wear heels.)  I asked for the size I needed and when the clerk brought them out, I began to try them on. I had a devil of a time getting the zipper to unzip and then to zip!

As I was walking around, trying them out, the clerk came back to check on me. I commented that they seemed big, on my legs. She said "you've got skinny legs."  (I really wasn't going for skinny on that part of my body!!)  Note to self: Quit exercising legs....skinny enough.

I took them off (still with zipper issues). As she was putting them away, and having difficulty ......with the zipper, she said......"Ma'am, these zippers are just for looks....you were supposed to  slide your foot in. You weren't supposed to unzip them."

Bless her heart, she finally quit struggling with the zipper and crammed them back into the box. Strange.....she didn't offer to help me find another pair........

Don't know where my daughters and granddaughters are when I need them .....for important stuff!!