Tag Archives: Recreation

Contemplation, Me, Native American Women

My Great Golfing Adventure…Not!

Overall I have to say that I am happy with me. I have done things that I wanted to do. I have tried things that scared me and survived to tell the tales of my adventures. There are things that I would still like to try and lessons yet to be learned. I have declined some adventures because some lessons can be learned from watching others. Whether they fail or succeed I can learn just fine from here, thank you very much.

But there is one adventure I have yet to take and somebody is going to have to explain the draw to me. I mean, I feel it, I really do. There is something peaceful in the watching and I do like that but there is something else and I cannot explain it, yet. I do feel, however, that this is an adventure that I cannot take alone. I can see that it is possible to walk those links alone but you never see a lone person whacking away at that little ball. At least I never see a lone person whacking away at a little ball.

There are men and women who participate, there are all colors of people who love this game, age does not seem to be an issue so I am confident that I would not be out of place. But when? Who? Where? I am getting impatient waiting on someone to take me golfing. I have my own clubs thanks to a dear friend who decided that his career of walking the greens was over. He said, “we are about the same height so these will work for you just fine”. He was right, the clubs fit me perfectly. My golf bag is not fancy, not pink, not new, but it is functional. My son-in-law, excited that I wanted to learn bought me all kinds of tees and yes, pink balls. I have a glove that fits my hand. I even have a girlfriend who has volunteered to drive the cart around, as she has no desire to actually golf she just wants to be part of the adventure.

Three summers have come and gone and still those clubs sit in my closet. I am getting discouraged. Am I wrong? Should I go alone? Is it socially acceptable for a lone person who has no clue to show up at some community course and “just do it”? I’m not feeling that. I think I am supposed to be part of a group, at the very least, of a twosome.

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Contemplation, Life, Me, Native American Women

Skeins of Life

I wish that crocheting really was relaxing. I sit down with a skein of yarn and I dream of big things…pretty things…useful things. Truth be told, I know one stitch. The “granny square”. It’s a cool stitch to be sure but there are times when I would like to crochet a different pattern.

Rather than lament about my inability I will be glad that I can work that granny square into some pretty awesome afghans given all the modern colors they can do yarn in these days.

I listen to other women talk about how relaxing it is to sit and crochet. It is not so for me. I don’t know why but I attack the yarn, crochet hook in hand, with that same attitude I attack most projects I get involved in….keep going until it is done. My shoulders are a bunched mess of muscle, my fingers ache from holding the crochet hook in one hand that the yarn in the other. My eyes burn from keeping careful watch on the number of stitches I am whipping up as I go.

I took up some old broken tile that needs to be replaced to day, I walked two miles, I cooked three meals, I folded some canvas tarps that needed to be folded (those suckers are heavy) and I did dishes that equaled the cooking I did. After all of these chores were done I could finally sit down and had a chance to relax….but nooOOOooo.

Why do I crochet then? Good question. I like the yarn. I feel the challenge calling after I have taken a skein and rolled it into a ball. Giant-ass ball of yarn staring at me, daring me to make it into something.

I think all of my kids have afghans now, probably most of my grandkids and both of my dogs. I don’t know who needs this afghan but it will be here when the new owner walks into my house. I will feel good when it is done. I will know that I met the challenge thrown out to me. I will have used my talents to the best of my ability…limited as they are. It’s a granny thing, I hear……the making of afghans.

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Family, Life

Surprise for the Surpriser

My daughter came to visit this weekend.  It was a big weekend for her.  Her husband decided to surprise her with a visit to our house to celebrate the beginning of their 5th year of marriage.  I thought it was wonderful that he thinks this way.  She and I are very close, even when they lived in Arizona we talked on the phone at least 5 times each week.  She only lives 3 hours away these days but with her job and mine we don’t have a lot of time to make the drive.

Additionally, she is pregnant.  She doesn’t travel far without getting sick so instead of taking her away for a nice weekend he opted to stay close and make her not have to deal with not enjoying a wonderful weekend away because she is running to the bathroom constantly.  Sometimes he really surprises me with his kindness.  Personally I would expect a husband and new father-to-be to think just like that and it might be sad that I am surprised.

Finally, it was the dogs’ (hers) second birthday and they are the typical “we don’t have any kids yet so we treat our dogs like that are our children” kind of people.  So they stopped at the gourmet dog store and bought 5 cupcakes for the dogs to celebrate a birthday…one for each of their dogs, one for my dog and one for each of the neighbors dogs…it was a happy celebration.

The only problem with the whole weekend is that it was a surprise so I was not home most of the weekend.  I am a typical “don’t have anyone at home who needs me so I think I will pack my weekend with things I want to do” kind of Granny.  I didn’t get home until almost 9pm on Friday, they pulled in at 10pm.  We visited for two hours then everyone crashed.  I was up at 6:30am to get ready for a multi-family yard sale I had been planning with my girlfriends for two months.  I was gone from the house by 8am.  The kids had to come see me at the yard sale.  I got home after 7pm and had to leave for another commitment and finally got home at 10pm.  They left today by 11am.  I think next time my son-in-law decides to surprise us with a family visit he should call and make sure that the family is going to be around.  She did come in with two bags of laundry (her machine is broken and the new one isn’t due until next weekend) so I am happy she could keep herself busy while I was gone.  I would have liked to have sent her to the grocery store for me while I was stuck at the yard sale but with her morning sickness she isn’t good for tasks that required plenty of time between bathroom stops.  It is an old habit we developed since she moved out at age 17, when she would visit and I was busy I just handed her my grocery list and she did that laborious task for me while I was otherwise occupied.

My husband was home all weekend, he is not a yard sale kind of guy, so he was able to have a wonderful visit with the kids.  I am very happy about that…they even had a cook-out, sorry I missed it.  He is still getting used to his baby getting ready to have her own baby.

Now it is Sunday, the kids have left.  My dog and I are finally sitting down to rest for a minute and my husband has volunteered to head to the grocery store.  I am surprised….again!

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