Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Remembering

It's been two-and-a-half months since my dog, Sadie, died; this morning, for the first time since her death, I was able to watch a few of the many You-Tube videos I made of her while she was alive.
It's surprising how quickly a deceased friend's appearance blurs... did Sadie really look like that?  I had forgotten how much energy she had, too.  Iris loves to play fetch; she'll chase a ball all day long if you want to throw it.  But there's nowhere near the energy that Sadie had.
Of course I moved Iris in as soon as Sadie was gone, and that probably had blurred the edges of my memories a bit.
I couldn't watch too many of the videos because Iris saw and heard Sadie on the monitor and got all excited, barking and growling; I was afraid she'd wake Cliff up, and he doesn't get enough sleep as it is.  I'll have to watch my Sadie videos when Cliff's not sleeping.  
Speaking of Cliff, he recently bought a box blade from a cousin.  Since gullies are washed in our driveway every time there's a hard rain, he didn't have to wait long for a chance to use it.


Cliff probably spends as much time on one tractor or another than most genuine farmers.  He is obsessed with tractors; I'm just glad there is something he enjoys so much.  I'm thankful both of us are still able to enjoy life and ride our motorcycle and just watch the seasons change.  
I'm in this sort of reflective mood because of a phone conversation I tried to have Sunday evening.  We have a friend who is looking for a bucket milker for a few cows he's milking.  I thought about some other old friends, Bud and Dona, who used a bucket milker to milk their one cow many years ago; maybe they'd like to sell it.  
Dona had a stroke and is now in a nursing home; I had heard that their daughter was staying with Bud in his home.  I called (the same number they had thirty years ago) and the daughter answered.  I told her who I was and asked to speak to Bud.  
She put him on the phone, but it was hopeless.  He was off somewhere in his own little world, and unable to make any sense at all.  
"Who's there with you?" I asked.  
"Oh, Dona is here."  
I knew she wasn't; I managed to get him to put the daughter back on the phone and told her what I wanted.  
What a shocker, that a couple about ten years older than Cliff and me, have come to this.  Dona, in fact, was younger than I am now when she had the stroke.  
I have no more words at this moment.

5 comments:

  1. We just have to be thankful for each new day and live it to the fullest. 10 years at our age does make a difference. My mom who lived to be 83 said it all started falling apart for her at the age of 70. She could still work circles around me but I did see her on the couch more and more as it was one place she was comfortable. I guess if that follows I still have 4 good years left and I'm going to enjoy every moment I can

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  2. You never know what tomorrow will bring. I know people in there late 60's that are 'gone', and then there are people like my grandmother, who was still doing a full 'spring cleaning' every spring till she was 90. And when I say Spring cleaning, I mean every piece of furniture out of the house, all the curtains washed, etc. She did suffer from Alzheimer the last few years of her life, but we were lucky that my Mom was already living with her to help out and she (like my grandfather) was able to live in her own home till she passed, at the age of 93.

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  3. I still come around the corner of my house expecting a MEOW greeting from Miss Penny... who had very nice manners.

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  4. It sure does seem harder with each passing day and the changes that happen to our physical bodies. My 40's are definintely harder than my 30's were...and I blame it entirely on diet and exercise. I have to get back to doing things that are really good for me more consistently.

    Rob's parents made it okay well into their 80's living on their own and stayed very active. His gramda was sharp as a whistle right up to 100 yrs old... volunteered at hospitals in her 90's!!! Amazing woman of God.

    My grandparents, the same age as Rob's parents, by contrast, have led a more sedentary life and loved to eat a number of the wrong foods and both ended up in a nursing home about five years ago... then grandma passed away but grandpa is still doing well in the nursing home and has good mind function. Rob's dad however, will probably outlive us all but can't tell you where he is or who we are half the time.

    I think much of it is in diet, exercise & attitude. You and Cliff seem to take good care of yourselves and stay very active and eat good home cooked foods and fresh garden foods!! I'm praying you'll both live a good and long and active life and I really think you both will!! Besides, we all need the good wisdom of your entries to keep us going. Where else would I learn about tractors?? We suburbia people don't get much education in the good stuff of life. So glad I have a spot sort of in the country.
    God Bless You my dear friend,
    Lisa in KY

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  5. That's very sad about your friends. I guess we all get in reflective moods like that, where we realize our own mortality and are reminded of how much we still have in our lives. I'm glad you could watch videos of Sadie. I miss seeing her carrying her stick around, so I can only imagine how much you are missing her.

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