TheBanyanTree: Mother's Day

[Margaret R. Kramer]

2/24/07
sign up ----------then you get  ALL warnings.
  love you      
  Geo. tried to love you too! I liked it. 
love you
Ray

Almost a year after he sent that email to me, Ray was dead.  We had a good
last year, however, even if we didn’t know it was to be the last.  We had
our ups and downs and disagreements and making up, but it was a good year.

I dropped out of several organizations.  I made a point of staying home
more.  Ray cut back on his work hours for a while.  We spent a lot of time
together without knowing, but maybe we did know, subconsciously, that this
was it.

So I don’t have too many regrets about the time we spent.  I just wish we
had more.

I visited Ray yesterday and left him a bobber.  It was the MN fishing opener
and he LOVED fishing.

The cemetery is now open until 8:00 pm now.  I just love going later in the
day.  Joe and I got there about 7:15 pm.  There were several people
scattered through the cemetery people visiting.  I love seeing people visit,
even when it gets crowded, because it means they remember.  

The older part of the cemetery doesn’t get many visitors, because that’s
where anyone who might remember them are very old or dead themselves.  So
it’s up to us living to keep those memories alive and hopefully, our
children and grandchildren will pass them along, so we’re not totally
forgotten.
 
The sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds and I tried to get some
good photos.  There are crabapple trees blooming all over the cemetery and I
tried to get some good photos of those as well.

Then Joe and I had dinner at Dairy Queen.  Gosh, it’s been years since I ate
at a Dairy Queen.  We ordered and ate the ultra-fattening food.  I could
feel my body expand with every bite.  Joe is tall and lean, and it seems no
extra calorie stays very long on him.

Today is Mother’s Day and this is when I Sleep for the Cure.  They have the
big Race for the Cure at the Mall of America for breast cancer on Mother’s
Day.  But there are so many people, it’s difficult to walk the 5K.  I’ve
never gone, because it’s so packed with people, but I’m glad I’m able to
support a good cause by Sleeping for the Cure.

My mother had breast cancer and although she didn’t die from it, I was glad
to make an extra donation this year in her name.

But I did go to the gym and worked out.  I dropped 30 pounds after Ray died,
and even though I watch what I eat to some extent and now have a good work
out schedule, I can’t seem to lose any more weight.  But I don’t gain
either.  I guess my body likes what it is.  Joe says I’m more shapely, more
muscular, and more firm than I was.

Well, any woman in her 50s likes to hear the word “firm” applied to her
body.  I feel like a bowel of jell-o most of the time.

I went to tanning and because I’m a mother, I was able to upgrade to a
medium pressure tan.  I love those hot tubes with the fans blowing air over
me.  Yes, I know I’m courting skin cancer, but I hate looking like death
during the summer, because I’m so light skinned.
My younger grandson and I went for a bike ride around the neighborhood this
afternoon.  He talks just as much as Joe does.  But he’s a sweetie.  We
stopped and picked flowers and put them in water when we got home. 

The older one can’t tear himself away from his video games.  He’s already
turning into a moody teenager at the age of 10.

We’re going to Old Country Buffet (otherwise known as the Hungry Heifer),
another high calorie restaurant, which I’m sorry to say, attracts a lot of
very heavy people, to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Asher cut the grass for the first time this season.  It looks good.  Now if
it would only warm up a little bit . . .

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net
margaret.kramer at polarispublications.com
www.polarispublications.com

Gone - flitted away,
Taken the stars from the night and the sun
>From the day!
Gone, and a cloud in my heart. 
-Alfred Tennyson