The First Meeting of the Freewheeling Widows' Society

Friday night and we are out to eat, two widows proper and me, widowed by the death of a girlish dream.



Our waitress leads us to a four top, one empty chair for the phantoms we bring.



We three share genes and a bloodline, but have different ideas about dressing a biscuit.



My aunt asks for apple butter, my cousin requests honey from a bear and I opt for maple's syrup.



The phantoms are silent. No one asks what they would have liked.



My aunt, alone the longest and of a quiet nature,  is content to share our company.



My cousin, twice widowed yet too young to retire, is - unbeknownst to our waitress - a former five star general in the order of Cracker Barrels.



I feel the need to create content, to lift countenances; we are not begged by little voices to please, pretty please, play checkers.



The phantoms clear their throats and I push the peg game meant for one in front of their empty chair.



"I wonder if they have blueberry muffins tonight?" my cousin asks aloud

"Oooh, mmm!" my aunt replies.



They've been here before, done this a time or two.

But now we are three. And tonight, we are all free.



Freewheelers... like three, but free.



When our Rising Star appears beside the table, our general in disguise requests three blueberry muffins, sliced and thrown onto the grill.

Most people don't know you can do that.



I object. I've already had a syrupy biscuit and a corn muffin is promised with my meal.

Too much bread, daily.



"Trust us, you want one." they agree



We linger, not over coffee, for our cadet is struggling to learn the juggle.



Sometimes, as we chat,  a phantom gets a nod, for our lives and theirs used to be one.



We box up the abundance, including three blueberry muffins, sliced and grilled through the middle.

"That will be just the thing with your coffee in the morning" the experienced widows tell me.



A curl of smoke rises from my cousin's porch rocker to the Gospel music playing overhead.

My aunt rocks on steady, watching the clouds change color, as the sun sets behind the Lowes across the street.

They have chosen rockers on either side of an old church pew.



"Are you guys saying I need to go to church?"

I sit on the pew with my leftovers and a bag of general store goods.



"If the shoe fits!" laughs the rocker to my left.

And it is accidentally, instantly funny, for I've invited them to church with me countless times.

But on Sundays,  I sit alone.



We each take home a miniature toy that represents childhood joy,

reminders that we've come far and do not walk alone.



The phantoms let us open our own car door, withholding their good night kisses.

We, busy making plans for next time, gladly fail to notice.



~*~



I scrawl this out over rapidly cooling coffee, the crumbs of a grilled blueberry muffin sinking into silt at the bottom of my mug.



They were right, it was delicious, and just the thing to start a Saturday morning in a house devoid of children. They have more than muffins to teach me, I know.



I'm looking forward to our next Freewheeling Adventure, I hear Fuddruckers might be involved.



Meanwhile, I'm happy and content.

Alone, but not lonely.

In my quiet house, 'where no one now is sleeping...'

Pancake Art

We're no Tiger Tomato  but we do love pancake art. 

We made one whole box  of pancake batter, added food color in small batches and funneled  into our "pancake crayons".

Then we played with our food. 

The Hospitality Room

   

I let my full weight fall against Burger King's heavy glass door and pushed against it. By nature a fairly passive person, I knew the door would absorb my unusually forceful shove with no loss of dignity. I even imagined it welcomed me a little. Better doors than people. (or...doors are better than people?)

   We were en route to the bedside of a very sick relative and I knew we may not make it in time to say good bye.

   Over the course of the morning, I had morphed into a tiny black rain cloud, prone to outbursts like thunder claps and sudden showers that washed away any semblance of "strength".

    Once inside the ladies room,  I wiped away what streaked mascara could be budged and sighed a prayer of "please".

   I wasn't praying for extra time. I wasn't praying to get there. I was praying for peace and that all would be well with my uncle...soul wise...you know..."It is well...it is well...with my soul." And I was praying for my aunt who will most notice the drought of his showered affections.

   Back inside the car, I learned that my uncle had taken his leave. Just that quick. How closely my praying and his passing coincided, I'll likely never know, but there was a certain proximity that is hard for a person like me to ignore. 

   A person like me how exactly? I'm not sure there are words for that but... I keep the fortunes from my cookies sometimes if that helps.

The cloud expanded, showers persisted.

I'd lost my Keillor comrade, my Alaskan liaison. 89 is a long life, but not long enough for me to have gotten to hear all the stories I wanted to hear, have the conversations I wished to have. At Christmas, I'd known he knew we may be seeing each other for the last time- I'm the girl that rarely gets back home. He brought me his Clancy collection and some other books. We talked about kindles and nooks and the smell of old books. I told him I'd send him a copy of my friend's new book, a link to an NPR app. We hugged, said 'I love you' - not the worst farewell. But none of them are ever good.

   I was a sad little rain cloud.

   From the back seat came an urgent cry " I needago potty!" Rye's 4. She waits til the last possible minute. Preschool bladders have no regard for sombre moments.

   We stopped at the Nickel Pumper in Estill. She was wiggling she had waited so long. We got to the restroom but found an out-of-order sign on the door.

   "No other bathroom?" I asked the hunched over lady at the register. She grunted out something with a negatory sound and I saw that she wouldn't have the location of the employee restroom tortured out of her by the sight of a desperate little girl. She was indifferent to our plight.

   I scooped up my urgent urchin and made a bee line for... I wasn't really sure...but we had to get there fast wherever we were headed.

   Directly across from the filling station was an auto parts store. There were several men out front so I figured it was open. For the same reason -the all male cast out front- after I'd covered nearly half the distance, I heard my late grandfather's admonition "Might be dangerous for a lady."  Actually, he was shaking his head... but I knew exactly what he meant.

   I scanned the surrounding businesses, a Chinese restaurant to the left - no clear sign that they were open. Nothing else nearby held the promise of plumbing, no where else had a glowing neon OPEN sign like the auto parts store. Besides, we were at the front door now. No turning back.

   "Excuse me, sir" I approached the counter. He had already begun putting his conversation on pause when he saw me approaching. His customer was from Beaufort and it was clear that this shop owner knew his customers, is counted amongst their trusted friends. "Do you have a restroom this wee one might use? We stopped across the street but it is out of order."

   "You are welcome here ma'am. They've been playing that same game over there for twenty years."

   He excused himself from the customer and led us through the long shelves of auto parts inventory to the facilities we were so desperately in need of by this point.

   I've got to tell you...this bathroom was not only welcoming, it was downright cozy. Clean and well stocked, it smelled nice and was stylishly decorated. Not at all what one might expect to find in a place where motor oil is sold and men come in wearing it on their clothes.

   This surprise mingled with our gratitude at being granted admission had the effect of turning an ordinary, tasteful restroom in to a haven of rest.

   The antique sewing machine that served as a shelf also contained an "Our Daily Bread" booklet...Ah! Perhaps we are family...that would explain the undeniable feeling of welcome. I admit, I picked it up, let it fall open, looking for a glimpse of encouragement, a little silver to guild my edges.

   As Riley washed her hands, I thought about what I could possibly buy in this parts store. It is my standard road trip protocol to patronize whatever establishment we have made a pit-stop at. I always feel terribly guilty if I don't. I decided I would at least ask the gentleman's name and try to cast an eye about for something I recognized, to purchase.

   I introduced myself, he was Gary he said. I gave a brief overview of the travel situation that had led to us coming in to his store. I told him that his kindness, especially in the face of this bleak day, had been like a soothing balm. I thanked him and told him that if I knew what to buy, I certainly would purchase something.

   He objected at that. Absolutely not necessary.

"Anytime you're thru this way, you are welcome here." He realized that we may pass through again on our return trip (Estill is sort of a junction between country roads and cotton fields) He reiterated his warm welcome and sent me on my way with a business card.

As I crossed the road back to the Nickel Pumper, this quote ran through my mind:

"So shines a good deed in a weary world."

~ Willy Wonka. 

 

I felt hugged at a time when I really needed a hug...not that I would ever admit to needing anything...ever.

When I looked that quote up, I learned a slightly different version actually first appears in The Merchant of Venice...Willy Shakespeare.

So, now, I have to read MoV in the near future...just as soon as I can find a companion reader's guide to help me translate. Or perhaps I should see it on stage. (Uncle Roy loved the arts)  

Until then, I'd like to channel my best Paul Harvey voice to tell you that when you shop at your friendly C & N Auto Parts in Estill, SC you are shopping with good folks. With old fashioned customer service, fair pricing, quality work and staff who treat you like family, C & N Auto Parts in Estill,SC is a store that is worth the drive. So, stop by C & N Auto Parts for any and all of your automotive needs, and tell Gary I say hello. He's good people.

EPCOT

There's just something special about Walt Disney's Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. It is my favorite park for several reasons, and it seems to me one of the most fitting monuments to the man behind Mickey Mouse.

At its inception, Walt said of EPCOT:

 "EPCOT will be an experimental prototype community of tomorrow that will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise."

Ingenuity. Imagination. America. 

I think that's all of it in a nutshell. 

Walking through the park makes me nostalgic. Not only for past visits and childhood adventures, but also for the strong broth of a certain philosophy, spooned to me steadily from the time I could sit up, and mixed in my bottles before that. 

The basic recipe includes (but is not limited to):

• Whimsy


• Curiosity


• Music


• Creativity


• Exploration


• Fun


• Can-Do


• Optimism


• Service


• Kindness


• Wonder


• Learning


• Talking Animals


• Hats & Props & Seersucker Pants

Simmer over the gentle warmth of a heart aglow. Serve generously and without discrimination.



 Long before there was a search engine and megladon corporation, my siblings and I were privy to the fact that googol is a number- one with one hundred zeros. The loud thumping in our attic was not a fan but tiny little Indians holding a pow-wow. We lived in a world of honker birds and sing-a-longs. We were entrusted with glue sticks and spangles, given complete creative control over the construction paper pile. Life was punny and word play was encouraged. Pennies were wishes for personal computers. Stale bread became duck food. We made sleds from box tops; thrust ourselves down hills without any snow. We enjoyed a balanced diet of wisecracks and wisdom. We knew..still know..the joys of ice cream.



 Has she jumped track? Perhaps. I do tend to do that sometimes.



 The point is that there are good things in life, dreams do come true, we should reach for the stars and never give up.



In the theme park of Positive Mindset, the only admission fee is choosing to walk in.



I'm not saying that every day was Disney growing up, but it was close enough, in hindsight. I am saying that we were given a map to that silver-lined place called joyfulness, for which I'm grateful.

When I walk thru EPCOT, I feel hopeful. I see technology and new ways that we, as people, are working for the good of mankind; we have not ceased thinking, inventing, and trying to one-up ourselves. We are seeing needs and filling them, we are striving to improve upon our last best invention. We come up with some pretty nifty stuff.



 At Epcot, we're encouraged to push the buttons, try it out, think up some big thinks of our own. I see Walt when I'm there...or at least what I understand to be his thumbprint.  And I see that, despite the bleak headlines, all is not lost in this world... there's plenty to look forward to, much to anticipate.

 At EPCOT, I feel inspired, too.

 "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the small, small world after all"

There are many nationalities in the World Showcase, represented by more than airplane runway lights (long story)... all just steps away from each other - close enough to exchange a smile, try a pastry and appreciate the diversity of our world, without a trip through airport security.  Each of the worlds within the showcase are all so distinct, even those that have been influenced by other countries or cultures. There are different ways of saying things, different ways of seeing things.  So much to explore.  I love it.

We read "Around The World In 80 Days" this school year...and we are currently reading "Innocents Abroad", so it was a pleasure  and a bit of a living lesson to walk (and take boats) 'around the world' in less than 8 hours with the BigKids.

They also have a pretty good example of a geodesic form in one part of the park...if you know where to find it ;)

I  feel relaxed at EPCOT.  Walking around with my small-business-owner-always-at-work-even-when-he's-not husband and our eclectic cast of characters, I know that I can enjoy the day's park visit because of the work he's been doing. Because of the work he will return to in short order. I am reminded that he does all that work for us, for family moments like these and for all the others where we simply have a roof over our heads and enough food to fill each belly. I feel cared for and thankful for all of it..for all of them. For him.

Yes, we must eat by the sweat of our brow, but there is time for sculpted flower gardens too.



Time for exchanging pleasantries and learning something(s) new.



 All of these pleasures are available inside the parks, but on the outside, too.

 Especially outside. 

Every single day.

 The parks are just a reminder to stop and notice every now and again. 

When the Discovery Channel came out with the Boomdeyadah campaign years ago, we adopted it as a sort of school anthem.

 "I love the whole world, and all its sights and sounds..."

It's our home/school philosophy.

It's our life philosophy.

And Epcot provides a wonderful scale model. 

(It's a small, small world- ha.)

Not to mention, it's a lot less crowded than Magic Kingdom most days.

(the slideshow also includes hotel and other trip pics due to shortage of time to sift & sort- disregard red eye and double takes...if you can )

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." ~ Walt Disney

Florida/Georgia Line [sunset]

Backroads Sunset

ba-rix

Tonight,  I saw an unanticipated result of our current administration's influence on today's youth.

Chandler was describing an efficiency report for Fort Stewart that he had accidentally  "over-seen" while we were in Savannah recently.



His grandfather, an engineering contractor for McLean, had some reports lying on a desk, in a closed binder in the same room the boys were bunking.

Total happenstance report reading,  really.

What Chan was impressed by was the efficiency of the Army as detailed in the report.He was describing how the report listed amount of wattage used per army barrack.

And that's when I spotted it. 

He said "Army Buh-Rocks"

Bunk houses by this name would be the current President of the United States.

(And I'm pretty sure he didn't serve...) 

We often tease ChanMan about his creative pronunciation skills, and it is a homonym, so, I won't devote any more of this post to something that may embarrass him.

However, it is an ideal time to tack on a little praise-worthy note.

For all the things they are learning to pronounce or spell or do in life, I believe these Brewer kids are well on their way to becoming fine adult human beings.  

 (May this post serve ever a reminder of this worthy expectaion) 

 Chandler especially leads the charge in this thing I describe to you now, the others participating with joie de vivre:

They have learned to spot the bright yellow embroidery on  jackets, hats and patches denoting a seasoned veteran from aisles and aisles away. 

They know IwoJima, Vietnam, Korea, WWII.

 They stand on perpetual watch for the tell-tale car tags and camo fatigues of our service men and women.  

 They are ever-ready and ever-eager to grab a door, extend a hand, offer the respect they feel is  due:

"Thank you for serving our country" 

And to our local First Responders I often hear:

"Thank you for serving our community" 

Even the Coast Guard have met with their appreciation... 

 ...and when they were younger, Mall Security and  Citadel recruits too. 

(a uniform by any other name still respect demands)

They really are a good bunch.

I'm proud of you, BrewCrew.