Makes Me Wanna Take a Backroad.
Today started out much like every other day yet somehow today in itself was quite different. Morning after morning in a frame that seems like years, the sun has awoke me by flashing its mega watt smile in my eyes while dancing across my bed letting its rays gently slap me out of my fantasy World of dreamland. Today. Today was a day to be celebrated. Today was one of the reasons I am happy to be a Washingtonian. Today was wonderful. I was awaken to my room still being somewhat darken. I didn't want to get up to actually look as I thought I was still in my state of denial. I rubbed my overly tired eyes, make up smudging from one end of my finger to the next. After wrestling the cat for a moment, I was able to get my clock to come in more clearly - 9:30am. It wasn't like 3am? Why was there still a dull shadow in my palace? I looked around again and wasn't sure I even cared at this point.
I rolled out of bed *Imagine that. Me rolling. when in all truth I more like danced out of bed. When I tell you I was excited lets just say that word doesn't even cover it. I am a worshipper of the cold. Of the cloudy. Of the snow and of the rain. So to know this day was a pre-set up for what would be entering my life in about a month to come just made me giddy.
Oakley's 2nd Birthday is headed this way next week. In fact, I feel like it is going to be crashing into us even sooner. Everything around here is always crazy before Birthdays hit. A month before one comes along at any given point you could stop by my house (BUT DON'T) and you would agree that you were at a Toys R Us 75% off sale that is being held in a Monkey cage at the local Zoo. It is crazy with all the preparations: food to make, decorations, gifts to wrap - you get the just of it if you have ever thrown a Party but then you take that and slap a times 10 on it and there you have it - a Party made possible by Shailah.
Today when I walked out of my room, still gliding on air from the beautiful weather that surrounded me like a warm hug - Shailah said she needed to go get a few more things for the up coming gala next week. After getting ready, piling in the car ... it was stops here and there. Around town mostly. I am not sure what sparked her but she decided to go into Monroe to check to see if they had some of the things she couldn't find here. It is funny that as kid I always "hated" going there. It was so boring. The trips drug on forever. There was never anything to look at but trees and dirt, ha! Much like that of Montana. When we finally stopped the car it was always at my Aunt Marge's house. To say that was torture for a kid my age -think of when Frankenstein lit his thumb on fire. Now, lite all his fingers, his hand, arm and the rest of his body. Yea, it was much more horrifying then that.
Aunt Marge's house sat about half a mile back in the forest. You would have to drive down an endless rocky road twisting and dodging huge holes to get there. It was, in fact way to many times I know of that those holes were fill back up with pebbles and boulders just to discover the following weekend it was like it never happened. I remember her house. It always seemed cold. I don't mean temperature wise but "friendly" wise. There were a select few times I didn't mind stopping in. Stopping in. Not spending 9 hours watching My Grandparents, Aunt and Uncle play pinochle.
In the Summer we would be invited to pick corn. O! Corn. The Good Lords gift to us "peasants." The field was huge and the ears were endless. We could eat as much as we picked. I had no problems working my way through 17 ears at a single setting. How she made it, I haven't a clue but the butter, the salt. (The Evergreen State Fair can't come soon enough) Those kernels are my poison. There were also berries. This time blue. I hate blueberries. I always have. *I did eat them once or twice but only because they were froze and I could swallow them without the taste. Otherwise I loathed them. I am telling you, you could pick for hours - look down and only have like half a cup. She also had Raspberries though. A line of bushes that you can stand in-between and pick from both hands. Mmmm. Fresh and right off the vine. My cheeks didn't hold as many as I wish they could of - that was until I got my first taste of a stink-bug. Yea. Yuck!
In the Autumn when we were invited over as the door opened the smell of fresh chicken and dumplings invited us in. I hated the chicken "soup" stuff but the dumplings. Seconds? Yes please. I would always have to pretend to eat that other "junk" just so I could have another dumpling. I never knew why she didn't make more. It was one per person then one extra. Not a very good hostess if you ask me.
When Winter came around, I think that was my favorite time of all going up there. As you peaked the hill in the driveway you could see her lights that shone through the snow. It was breathtaking much like that of a Thomas Kinkade painting. The glistening of frost circling you. The twinkling of multi colored lights tangled in Angel hair motioning for you to come closer. The sound of the firewood crackling to heat you. The tree inside was always so perfect standing stately in the back of the living-room. Immaculately decorated. Small but cared for.
Spring was always the same. Arriving early to help clear away and torch the brush that over took everything. My Aunt would see there was a huge bon fire in a pit near by before we arrived. The flames could be seen from the road. We would stand around watching it, adding to it until we were called for brunch. This woman made the best Fry Bread maybe you refer to it as Elephant Ears? Either or - after two or three plate sized pieces, you would swear you were full enough to last for the next month. Smothered in melted butter with your choice of fresh raspberry jam or cinnamon and sugar. One never seemed enough but five always seemed like to many.
I am gonna say that, that was my extent of liking to go visit with her. But then again, I don't even know if I ever really did visit with her? I know I just spent a lot of time walking around out of place whenever we were there. One more thing I do recall, I would spend a lot of time going into her bathroom. NOT because I had to use it but I always found it so fascinating. It was this horrid seafoam green color, always so ice cold but it had this beautiful mermaid that sat on her counter, it held up a shell that housed a shiny white pearl. Like what kid wouldn't think that was cool?
Today, Shailah took a short cut or a faster way to get to Monroe. I was a little let down because of how much I love the back road at this time of the year and all the memories it sends swirling through my mind. I did though get a three minute glance at a small part of the road that was a big part of my younger years. That made me smile. Good memories always make me happy. The rain fell softly on our journey to the store which our destination.
After shopping we came out to one of my less then friendly friends. The Sun. He greeted me like he missed me. I was not to fond. I am back home now. My desk faces out towards the highway, towards a mountain that I keep checking on for a white cap. It is 73* - the neighbor is doing laundry. I reach to lite my Pumpkin Pecan Waffle candle yet the scent from the clothes reminds me of Summer evenings in The Redmond House. I am content. The kids are on the deck splashing and laughing. My day was good. It was real good.
Kazz 💋
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