The Season that Wasn't

Happy first day of Autumn!

Fall has been and probably always will be my favorite season. I love the warm colors of the oranges, reds and browns as the leaves turn. I love the chill in the air and the Saturday "Big Red" Nebraska Football games. And I love what fall represents--harvest--a time to reap a year's worth of planting and then praying that Mother Nature does the right thing to produce a bountiful harvest. And this year I especially like that fall means that Summer 2011 is in the books and I'll NEVER have to relive it again.

Oh, my summer definitely had it's high points. If I was reporting back to the first day of school, I could probably find three highlights.

1. My dad was honored with the Distinguised Service Award from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents at its annual meeting in Kansas City--a very proud moment for all of us.
   

2. Aunt Barb spent nearly a week with me (see #1 above) and we ate out, relaxed, shopped and became regulars at Starbucks. We also cheered on Dad as he received his DSA.

3. My travels took me to numerous states that allowed me to see many friends and make some new ones. Trips included a drive to Harrisburg, PA for NJAS; and flights all over the place.

But, after that top three, the last three months have been blah. I mean I didn't take a vacation. I didn't even get an entire book read. The flowers I planted in spring dehydrated. And I didn't have time to blog.

My summer didn't start too great, but I don't really want to talk about the first day of summer. I'm just glad fall is here. Time for Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie and time to reflect on the harvest. Happy Fall ya'll!

Making Memories

Hay Springs, Nebraska. Yep, that was my “Spring Break 2010” destination this year. No, it isn’t Cabo, Maui, Padre or any other tropical destination. As a matter of fact, the ground is covered in fresh snow just today, April 6. But, two very special people make this my Spring Break destination each year—my Grandpa and Grandma Raymer. I try to get up here for Easter and spend 3-4 days extra. We eat, play cards, nap, watch westerns, and do it all again the next day. That about sums up the time I spend with them. But that would be my shortest blog ever, so I’ll elaborate.

I love to watch my grandparents interact with each other. Next week they will have been married 63 years, and they still hold hands and flirt with each other. It is so incredible! My grandpa is a man of few words, but today when Grandma was away at her weekly coffee/card party he dug out some old pictures and told me about how he started farming for a Floyd when he was just 15 years-old and Floyd paid Grandpa $60 a month, which back then was a great wage. Grandpa saved that money and bought the first Studebaker that anyone in the area had, and showed me a photo of him in front the car that he paid $1,600 for. Grandma told me yesterday that when they honeymooned they drove that Studebaker all the way from Hay Springs to the West Coast through Yellowstone to Oregon and down to California and back. She kept track of their trip and spent less than $10 per day, including lodging, meals and gas. I love hearing these stories!

Flash forward to present day; there are so many reasons even as a 30-something I love to spend with my grandparents. Here are my top 10 reasons I still vacation at grandparents:

10~Lose touch with reality; no news channels, only Encore Western Channel and the Weather Channel (and whatever channel Wheel of Fortune comes on in the evenings)

9~Feels like the tropics; the older they get, the warmer they keep their house!

8~Free entertainment: card games after breakfast, after lunch, after supper.

7~Grandma tells you that 6 AM is too early to be up and to go back to bed when she sees you in the hallway. Who’s going to argue with Grandma??

6~I will not go hungry. Breakfast consists of fried breakfast meat, fresh fruit, toast and jelly and cereal with milk. And then Grandma says, “We should have a donut.”

5~Three naps per day; they follow the card games.

4~Predictability; each grandparent has a recliner. Each has a crossword puzzle book by their recliner. And before I leave tomorrow, Grandma will say, “What do I have that I can send home with you?”

3~They don’t understand what I’m doing on my computer and iPhone; I don’t understand why we watch Westerns all afternoon!

2~I admire them for everything they’ve worked for all their lives; they admire me for being a “career woman” who works all the time.

1~We love every minute we get to spend together and don’t take any of it for granted!

So, this vacation I won’t be bringing home any souvenirs or pictures or sending any postcards. But, I will be carrying with me another 4 days of priceless memories from two people who I love deeply.