LAST DAY IN OHIO

As thunder booms outside my window, I am preparing for my last night at my daughter's home in Ohio. She is well on her way to recovery from her surgery, and ready to give up her temporary housekeeper and nanny. It has been fun getting to know my grandson, Daniel, who is a bright and funny boy. It has been two and a half weeks of makeovers, trips to Amish country, feeling what it like to be in high humidity again, taking Daniel to the park and library, loading and unloading a dishwasher at least once a day (quite a change from cooking for one!), baking cookies, teaching Daniel to go up and down the stairs and in and out of the car (saved my back....he is a BIG boy!), introducing him to the fun of a wading pool on a hot day, picking dandelions, and lots of chasing an active toddler! I also lived in the home of two techies who live on their computers and Blackberries, so I learned to use a fancy coffeemaker, satellite TV, a Wii fitness video, and a talking treadmill!!!! Incidentally, after all this time on the treadmill and Wii I am UP 2 pounds!!!!! NOT RIGHT!!!!! And we didn't even eat out a single night!

PLAYING GRAMMA IN OHIO

In this day and age, a woman is often made to feel inferior if she doesn't have the huge boobs like a Hollywood starlet. However, my daughter had the opposite problem...an abundance of bosom! Rather that be proud of her assets, she resented that they caused her back and neck pain, and made it difficult to find clothing that fit and didn't gap. Now that she has had her baby and lost the baby fat plus a few pounds more, she requested and received permission from her insurance company to have a breast reduction. As her weight lifting would be restricted and my grandson is a hefty 32 pounds, she called on her mommy for assistance....which explains my presence in Ohio!

I came the day before the surgery so that I could have time to get reacquainted with Daniel and learn his schedule. The surgery went well, she is home, and we have settled into a routine. Niels went back to work today, so when Daniel was ready to get up at 7 am (that is 4 am in Arizona!!!!), I got him up, dressed and fed him a breakfast of cheerios and fruit. We then had a couple of hours to play, which today was out in the back yard and on the deck, then he goes back down for another hour nap. That is my time to do some laundry, and go downstairs to use the fancy talking treadmill and Wii Fitness!

When he awakens, I give him a lunch of yogurt, granola and fruit, then more play time. Since CJ's favorite DVD was Baby Einstein's "Old McDonald's Farm", Jen got it on Netflex and we introduced Daniel to the wonderful world of television. He loves it....especially when the dirty pigs come on! Daniel goes back down for a second nap about 2:30, and today I baked chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. I thought he'd be up by now to help me lick the spoon and bowl, but he must have really gotten pooped out playing outside this morning!

Niels gets home about 5, then it is Daddy time! I'll fix dinner while Daniel gets to play with Daddy. Meals have been easy so far as Jen's friends have brought over food, and she has cooked extras and frozen some, but we are looking forward to tasting a recipe she found for Caribbean Chicken as soon as the frig is cleared out of leftovers.

Jen has been enjoying catching up on sleep and being child-free for a couple of days. She has very little restrictions other than the weight lifting, so other than the bruising and some tenderness, she is feeling pretty good. We went to church yesterday, and afterwards I took this picture of her in her pretty green shirt to show the difference with the before and after. She looks great!!!!!

BACK IN THE SADDLE!!!!

Spent a wonderful afternoon on the 19,000 acre Effus Ranch which is owned by an interesting woman who's family has lived in the area for generations. She was very knowledgeable and pointed out the various mountain ranges and closed gold mines, and shared her memories of the history of the ranch and her life. I rode a cute buckskin gelding named Pecos ( and who I mistakenly called "Pickles", until I asked why he had such a strange name!!!!)

There wasn't a cloud in the bright blue sky, and the temps were entering the 90's, but there was a cooling breeze, no bugs, and spectacular scenery. I was even able to see the Coyote's stadium in Glendale, 80 miles away, while I was up on a high ridge. And NO snakes were spotted! Her border collie and Australian Shepard dogs ran along with us, and we enjoyed seeing the first blossoms on the saguaros, the bright orange foliage on the occatillo, and the deep yellow blooms on the prickly pair. And best of all....I saw a rare crested saguaro!

Felt so good to be back in the saddle and riding through the spring desert again, although I missed my own saddle and the smooth gaits of Bart. But, I got my horse fix for awhile again, and loved every minute!

MOTHER'S DAY 2010

I reminisce of Mother's Days of my youth...of picking a bouquet of dandelions to proudly present to Mom, of making her breakfast to take to her in bed with crayon-made napkin and place mat, of turning her bed down and laying out her nightgown the night before, and buying a gift with my babysitting or pop bottle collecting money. Dad often bought her a corsage to wear to Mass, and she would proudly show it to the many other mothers who also had a flower pinned to their Sunday best dress.

Do kids do these things for their Moms, anymore? I presented Mom with an orchid corsage to wear to church on Mothers Day this year, and she said she had looked around and discovered that no one else wore one. She was so proud of hers, and wore it for a few days when she went to play cards.

Traditions change, as do mothers. When I was growing up, my mother was home when I came home from school, and often had a fresh cake or cookies waiting for us. She raised five daughters, kept an immaculate home, prepared fresh-from-scratch meals, ironed our non-permanent press clothing, and helped Dad with his duties as a Game Warden.

Today's mom's have fewer children, more conveniences with washers, dryers, dishwashers and easy to care for clothing. They have full-time jobs outside the home, and return exhausted and to cook, clean and do laundry when all they want to do is close their eyes and rest .

Motherhood has never been easy, and children are not always easy to love. Every generation thinks the will do so much better than the previous one in mothering, but maybe we just do it differently. Some mothers are loving, multitaskers with organized, clean homes, balanced budgets, home made meals, and well-behaved children. Others sadly make mistakes, perhaps perpetuating the mothering skills they learned from their own dysfunctional mother.

But it is a tough job, and all usually do the best they can with what they know. I was blessed with a wonderful Mom who I love dearly and who is also one of my best friends. As she approaches her 90Th birthday, I am very aware each day that it may be the last I share with her. I always wonder if this year will be my last Mother's Day card to select, and the last time I will share a Mother's Day brunch with her.

Our mothers are precious, and we need to honor them. Thanks, Mom....for all you do. I love you.

THE FUNERAL

http://emanthei.blogspot.com/2010/04/funeral.html

HANGIN' UP THE SPURS

There is a poem called "When Cowboys No Longer Ride" that is about the old cowboys in the nursing home. Those who rode boldly and skillfully chased the steers now sit in a quiet room with curling Charles Russell calendars on the wall. I first heard it at a Cowboy Poetry gathering, and the tears flowed as I heard the old cowboy recite the poem about ageing and transitions.

A year ago, my good trail buddy, Bets, and I were riding Sweet Pea and Bart up the trails of Turtle Mountain, and remarking of the beauty of the cactus in their spring blooms. Who would have guessed that a year later Sweet Pea would have been put down due to a deteriorating leg problem, and that Bart would have been sold and heading to Montana. And no one would have thought that both Bets and I would be hanging up our spurs the same month.

Since getting her new mare, Bets has been in the ER three times. Lena stepped on Bet's foot, jumped going under a bridge causing Bets to hit her head, and last week, as Bets stepped down after a ride, she fell and hit her head. Yet another trip to the ER left her with a diagnosis of a concussion and severely strained neck. This feisty woman who reminds me so much of Katherine Hepburn, had to accept the conclusion that her riding career was over.

So as the desert displays her spring glory of greening grass, bluebells, golden poppies, and orange splashes, two riders will not be enjoying the show. My horse and trailer have been sold, and Bets has an ad in the paper this week for Lena. We have both shed many tears, and will do so for some time, I'm afraid. All my possessions that were in my trailer are spread out in my car port for a garage sale this weekend. So many, many wonderful memories. As the neighbors walk by and inquire as to why I am selling, I find myself tearing up again.

And so Bets and I are in a transition. Our time with our horses has been magical, but at some point, all cowgirls have to hang up their spurs. It is never an easy decision. I see a woman in a western hat out for her walk every day, and when I once asked her if she missed riding she said "Everyday".

It is hard to think of when "cowboys no longer ride".....and just as painful to think of the cowgirls who's riding careers have come to an end. So we must once again "Cowgirl Up", and face a new life with new possibilities. Transitions....when cowgirls no longer ride.

Los Algodones

Enjoyed a fun week in Yuma and Los Algodones, Mexico. It is said that there are more Canadians in this border town than Mexicans during the day. This is due to the number of Arizonans and Californians who go for the cheap dental and eye care. I had my doubts, but the town was very clean and friendly, and the dental and eye clinics were immaculate and very modern. The streets are lined with clinics, and you can just walk into a clinic and get new teeth, crowns or eye glasses the same day. And in between appointments, you can wander through the vendor booths or sit in the plaza enjoying a cool drink and empanadas while listening to local musicians. At one restaurant, a group of 12 mariachi musicians came in to serenade, and were soooo good!

A new casino and hotel was recently built by the tribe, and had a gorgeous pool and spa area that I snoozed in to soak up some warm sunshine. The casino was fun, the games paid well, and the player points paid for the meals. Live music was played each night....Western one night, Latin music the next, and rock the next.

I was glad I toured the Yuma Territorial Prison State Park, as it is one that is being considered for closing for the state budget cuts. Thinking about how those prisoners lived in those stone cells in the heat of the summers was sobering. So many of the western movies have dramas about taking prisoners to the Yuma prison....and it was intriguing to read of the various prisoners who were incarcerated there, including the man who killed Johnny Yuma. I walked through the prison cemetery, and wondered if they separated the graves by race or sex. The tombstones have long been stolen, but the piles of rocks over the 200 graves remain.

On the way home we saw black smoke ahead, and arrived on a car fully engulfed in flames. We were the first on the scene, and the owner came running towards us and warned us to move back, as his car contained amunition and had a full gas tank! We waited while the police cars and fire trucks arrived, and sat for an hour watching the excitment and hearing the bullets exploding while the sun set in brilliant spendor'

I placed an ad for my living quarter horse trailer in TrailerWorld just before I left, and starting getting responses within a half an hour! Everyone wanted interior pictures, so I had to tell them to wait until I got home. Within a few hours of uploading the pictures on the ad, the trailer was sold.....for full price. I guess a lot of people have been trying to find a 2-horse weekender! So the Colorado buyer will be picking it up in a few weeks, and the pieces of my life of the last 10 years will continue to slip away. I have so many fun memories of camping with my wonderful Minnesota horse camping friends....and the Las Domas ride last spring. It will be dearly missed.