Back in the Past

My cousin was here last week. She's two years younger than I am and lives in Denver. We see each other about once a year. Being with her always brings back memories of Mamaw's house in Memphis--Texas, that is.

She was Vera-Ellen and I was Ava Gardner. Her boyfriend was Guy Madison and mine was Roy Rogers. Her horse was the Black Stallion and mine was the Strawberry Roan. We rode around Mamaw's yard and down the street "pretending."

When we weren't riding the range, we played paper dolls or dress-up. Mamaw had a closet full of long flowing dressing gowns, hats, feathers--all the things that make young girls fantasies come true.

In the side yard of Mamaw's house was a fish pond--empty of water or fish. We'd get the neighborhood kids and put on shows out there. If you're old enough to remember the Little Rascals, you'll know what I mean.

We played Solitaire with Mamaw and worked jigsaw puzzles.

Minus everything except puzzles, my cousin and I still love being together. We worked two puzzles while she was here, ate out a lot, ran errands and shopped.

Of course, I got way behind on all my housework and writing, but who cares? The time with my oldest friend and relative is more important. Do you have someone from your past who is precious to you and brings back good memories?

.....HATE BUT I'M THANKFUL FOR.....

We use the words "love" and "hate" for things other than the way they should be used. For instance we say we love chocolate. Do we really? And we hate cold weather. Hate it?

I'm going to use some of those words today-and not the way they probably should be used. A few days ago I thought of some things I hate. As soon as I had the thought I realized I was thankful for them. Crazy, isn't it? To hate something but be thankful for it?

Here's a few of my hate/thankful for things:

I hate public restrooms but I'm so grateful they are available because I've often needed one. The one I hated the most was in Italy. Our tour bus stopped somewhere (who knows where we were?)just so we could all relieve ourselves after being on the bus for a few hours. A small but fierce-looking Italian man sat at a table between the men's and women's restrooms. His hand was out. We had to pay him for a handful of toilet paper. Otherwise, "no can use." I paid my coin and went inside to the first available stall where I found a hole in the cement floor. Need I explain why I hated this public restroom but was thankful for it? As a postscript I'll tell you we had to wash our hands and go out to the man and get a paper towel, too.

Some public restrooms in America are really clean. Others not so. No matter which way they appear, I'm always thankful they are there.

A second "hate" is having to wear glasses to read. I was born with a catarac on one eye. Although the catarac was removed (finally), I've never had sight in that eye. A few years ago I had catarac surgery on my good eye and I'm very thankful I can see most everything without glasses now. It's still a pain to have to find a pair of reading glasses to do anything up close. However, I'm so grateful to have this one eye that works so I am able to read.

Another hate: alarm clocks. I'm thankful I had one during all the years I worked. Otherwise I would have been late for work in the winter. In the summer I would have had to get up when the sun came up so I'd be on time. I'm really thankful I don't have to set a clock now that I'm retired.

The last "hate" but "thankful for" I'll mention is a bra. And that's all I'll say about that.