Two Pigtails

Little Bee

Two years ago my life became richer. A baby was born. My first grandchild. Two years have flown by. I look back at pictures from a year ago. She was just toddling around the furniture. Sitting up- still in that little lump of a baby.

Like my daughter- her Mama, she is a talker. She can say about anything she puts her mind to. She is like a little myna bird. We are at the point of being careful not to say certain words. My daughter, her mama, was sitting in her car seat behind me one day, around age two, when someone cut me off in traffic and I said a certain curse word. Instantly, I heard my daughter say the same word. At that very moment, I stopped swearing. I stopped swearing for several years. Once again, thanks to the Little Bee, when in her presence, Grandma doesn't swear. Last night, I stopped myself short when I started to say something about being fat. I don't want her to use that word when describing people, so I said something about being "too large." (This was when she wanted Grandma to wiggle through her little tunnel- after both Mama and Mommy had wiggled through.)(Both whom are very thin.)

My life is richer because of Little Bee and I'm a better person. I want to take care of myself and have a lot of years to enjoy with her. I want to be a good influence. It is easier to be a better grandparent than parent. With Little Bee, it is all happiness and love and fun and affection. When I was (single) parenting, I had financial stresses, and a lot on me. I made more than my share of mistakes when raising my daughter and son. I'm never one to wish I could go back in time, but I do wish I could have done it better. Fed them more healthful foods, given more of myself, shared art projects - be more fun. It was a tough time. Although I wish I could, I can't go back and fix it. I just hope they forgive me and love me who I am today, the new and improved Grandma version. I like to think I will live a long life. I had two Grandmas who lived to be 93 and they both lived on their own until the last year of their life. But we never know what tomorrow will bring. I am at the age to know that a doctor's visit could bring bad news, or a fall or broken bone could change a lot. Just tonight (and I think she was kidding a bit,) my daughter cautioned me- "be careful, we don't want any broken hips," as I ascended the stairs.

One of my friends observed, "you just seem happier since Little Bee was born." I am. And, why wouldn't I be?

My Little Bee is (objectively) intelligent. She has wonderful parents. My daughter and her wife. Both women are intelligent, together, successful. II am so very proud of both of them. Little Bee will also be intelligent, together and successful. I just know it.

It was so appropriate today, on her second birthday to have her hair in two pigtails. Two years old. Tomorrow we will celebrate with all of her "friends" from Sesame Street. (That is how Little Bee described it- "my friends.") The house will be full with friends and relatives, all celebrating these two quick years that have flown by.

Make a wish, Little Bee, or two. I'm sure they will come true.

Land spreadin' out so far and wide

Last week we had a death in our family. I took off work on Friday and headed north. My hometown of New Castle is two hours from Bloomington. The calling was at a funeral home in Hagerstown - about twenty to thirty minutes from New Castle. As I was driving out to Hagerstown, the sights reminded me of all I hold dear. Why I am proud to be a Hoosier. Why I feel the Hoosier state is beautiful.

 

Land spreadin' out so far and wide was what went through my mind. Up where I am from the land is flat and you can see forever. Down here in the southern part of the state it is hilly.

 

On Friday when I drove up, we were having snow flurries. The farther I drove, the worse it got. By the time I was on State Road 70 and near to my hometown I could barely see two car lengths ahead of me. I was doing sixty and cars were speeding past me. People in Indiana drive crazy in the snow. As you can see in the photo below, the skies were thick and grey with clouds.

 I pulled over to take a few photos.  I loved this falling down barn.

 And this falling down shed.

 The remains of a home- the front steps.

 The windmill on the same property.  I love this photo.  When do you ever see windmills?

This old farm. You can see the trees along the fence row off in the distance standing tall like skeletons in the snowy air.

Fence rows, barns, grain silos, fields where crops are planted. I drove past a house with an old grain wagon in the front yard with a for sale sign on the side.
There is a saying in Indiana, "there's more than corn in Indiana."  I like to say "no, there isn't." That isn't really true if you count the soybeans.
People don't farm down here like they do where I'm from.It is too hilly and the ground is filled with limestone.

I don't have air-conditioning in my car and I love driving with the sunroof kicked back and the windows down. And the reason is because of where I'm from. I loved the smells and sounds of farming. To me, it was intoxicating.
My Dad's family farmed. His Dad farmed a huge farm in Losantville - a small town on the east side of the state.

I arrived at the funeral home and all of my cousins were there. We all grew up together on that farm. We would have family get-togethers and the house would be over-flowing with people. We would gather around her kitchen table to pray at Christmastime.  It was like being on the Waltons. Everyone wanted to be in the big farm kitchen.

Grandma's farm was a wonderful place.  A large two-story house with a wrap-around porch. Tall pines and a grove of Catalpa trees. Metal rockers in the front yard. We went to my Grandma's almost every Saturday when I was growing up. I would strain my eyes to see the Catalpa grove which was visible for miles down the road.

Then Grandma passed away. Then a few years later my family sold the farm. It was so sad to me when the farm was out of our family's hands. The farm was my thinking place. Even after Grandma passed away, I would drive out there and walk the farm and think - try to sort everything out in my head.

The guy who bought it bull-dozed it all and turned it all back into farm land. I hear he has built a house on the land now. I don't want to see what he did to it because it would break my heart. I don't want that picture in my mind. I will take my memories, thank you very much.

It is always sad to say good-bye to a loved one, but this time at the funeral home was made bearable by the love of our family.  Isn't that how it is supposed to be?  Being with cousins is like being in a secret club. We all know each other. We all remember the same stories. We talked and laughed and shed some tears and lots of hugs.

Oh, Indiana. You make me sad.

Sleepy Little Sullivan

Sullivan, Indiana, you make me sad.
I just looked up Sullivan. Here is the link to the wiki page. A little sleepy town of just over 4,000 people has found a way to put itself on the map.  To put Indiana on the map.  And not in a positive manner.
Look!  You made the Huffington Post!  Aren't you proud?
I find it interesting that the motto of this little town is "take time to care."
From the news you've made, you don't seem too caring to me.
Some of you more so than others.
A teacher.
A teacher of special education.
I don't know how anyone could have faith in her as a teacher after the public comments she has made. I am not saying she isn't entitled to her opinion and I do not judge Ms. Medley.

"I don't agree with it." (Being gay.) "It is offensive to us."

Ms. Medley has been quoted saying the following:
"I believe that it was life circumstances and they chose to be that way; God created everyone equal," said special ed teacher Diana Medley. "Homosexual students come to me with their problems, and I don't agree with them, but I care about them. It's the same thing with my special needs kids, I think God puts everyone in our lives for a reason."
Asked if she thought gays also "have a purpose in live," Medley responded, "No, I honestly don't. Sorry, but I don't."

This type of thinking has no place in our schools and this type of bigot has no place having any sort of influence over our children. She has every right to her bigoted opinion, but taxpayer money (which pays her salary) should not offer her a platform to spread her hate.
Dismiss Ms. Medley immediately.

SIGN the petition.

SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS

Read a letter from someone who has been there and still is...

And another

Another opinion
(yes, similar to mine.)

Read the story...

One question I have is "How do you define a "traditional" prom? Have you ever heard the saying "off like a prom dress?"  Yup, shocking I know, but some students have sex on prom night.  They also illegally drink alcohol. I would wager that some of the students attending the "traditional" prom might be about to become teen mommies and daddies.  Is that o.k.?  Because it is a guy and a girl?

This story out of Sullivan was upsetting to me on a personal level. But it also upset me because of the ignorance of it.

Last night Downton Abbey addressed the issue of being gay.  I was a little surprised by that, but pleased with the way they handled it.

Today, I'm not too thrilled with the publicity my state has received.  Take note, please: a small, small-minded town does not speak for all of us. And for the record, Ms. Medley, your comments are offensive to me.