24

re watching all the '24's from season 1.

Man, I'd forgotten how much I couldn't stand Kim.

And Terri ain't much better.

Jack was such a wimp in season 1.

Relativity

Everything, EVERYTHING is relative.

76 degrees is hot, until you come back in from 108.

My hands hurt like the devil, until there is a chance I might lose that hand.

Horses are a lot of work until you smell their hide.

Grand kids are noisy and messy until they're not there to make noise and messes.


The Bible is boring sometimes until you receive a true response from God.

Praying for someone is tedious sometimes until you see the results of that prayer.

Loving Robert is common everyday stuff until he grabs my cold hand in his sleep to get me warm.

Summer

The heat is here early this year.

The oven that is my home usually holds back for late July, August and September. Those are times that makes one hide inside, shutters down, fan oscillating, air conditioner whining. Those are the times you do not smile as you pay the electric bill. But, honestly, what choices are you offered? 76 degrees or 110? There is no option.

But summer came in early this year. The power of heat is almost scary. It snakes around the trees, suffocating in it's brutality. There is no way to be free of it. There is no way to endure it. How in the world did settlers ever decide to stop here? What was there about South Texas that lured people who ached to farm? How could those people survive? And how did they find the devotion to fight and kill for this land?

The temperature rises. And it's a month early.

Sunday

Jade walks a trail from the girls room, to James room, outside, then back, her ears down, her eyes watchful. She's looking for the kids, of course. She sneaks in and sleeps on Jame's bed and lays on the sheets from JooJoo's.

With a slow, painful kind of resignation, she limps back to me, pushing her head under my hand, staring up with puzzled eyes.

She's just a dog with questions.
"Where did they go?"
"Did they forget me?"
"Are they coming back?"
"Jackie, you aren't leaving too, are you?"

I understand the beauty of dogs more each passing year.

Friday's comin.

Today I looked up and it was 4 o'clock.

How did it get so late so fast? Time is speeding forward. Like swirling water down the drain, my time is gone with these guys. When I first had them, it seemed like the day they would be gone was far away. Now it's not.

I think I'll go give them some candy.

JooJoo

So here I am, hearing Julie doing something she's not supposed to. So I tell her; "Julie, you need to go into the living room.
Not missing a beat, she says; "Oo-mah, you need to work your farm."

HA!!

James

This morning, I was laying in bed, in and out of sleep when I felt a gentle caress through my hair. Smiling, I opened my eyes to James, grinning back at me.

So I pulled him up in the bed and we talked about the swimming we were going to do later. He talked quietly, letting me wake up. Then we went out and fed the horses together. When we got back, Julie and Jocey were up, waiting for me to come into their room. They were both smiling.

I am so going to miss these guys.

Slow Thursday

It's allergy time at the Hutton house. Runny noses, sneeze, sore throats and grumpville. So it's a Pinkie Dinky Do morning. Chillin and blowing noses. I should be making them lay down, chicken noodle soup . .

. . . but swimming is still on! I'm a horrible grandmother.

A Day in the Life

"Oo-mah! Jj' told me no!
"Oo-mah, Watch!
"UUUUEEEEE" (Jocelyn: "Nellie!")
"Oo-mah, Watch!
"Oo-mah. I want to ride my big wheel.
"UUUUEEEEE!!" (Jocelyn: "Look! It is Chief.")
"Oo-mah! I hurt me feet."
"Oo-mah! Killt'a'bug!"
"Oo-mah!
"Eeee yahhh." (Jocelyn: "I need attention and I need it now.")
Oo-mah! I don't want to ride my tricycle!)
"Oo-mah! I need to go to Bible class!"
"Aaaagh!" (Jocelyn: "I believe there is mucus in my nostrils. Perhaps you could assist?")

. . .and then . . .

,. . .then I took some Xanex. Two of em.

That Jaci. Wadda woman.

Jocelyn

Jocelyn doesn't like a lot of noise. Or attention from strange people. Consequently, I am holding her all the time. My back just throbs - it's an age thing.

At church, I'd finally managed to get Jocelyns attention off me for a second - she actually walked off with Emily Norwood and Ajane Powell. So I'm standing there, talking to Jamie, (or maybe it was Kara, or maybe it was Dralena or Amy - - crud, I donno). Anyhow, I hear Julies unmistakable laughter. She and James were up front, playing for all they were worth. They both saw Jocelyn coming toward them and laughed and squealed. Jocey stopped, shook off the girls and began to boogie in place, laughing as well.

These guys are so cool.

Bedtime

Every night, when the play is all done, the baths are all over and we four (Me, James, Julie and Jocelyn) turn towards bed.

They used to cry. Now, they hurry because I tell them a story. They were too young before to understand and listen. Now?

Now Julie whispers back everything I describe to her about the princess that lives in a castle playing with birds. James giggles out out in excitement when I describe the little boy (who just happens to be his age and size and even has his name) who holds on to the fin of a whale while they fly out of the water. They both shoot sparks out of their eyes, asking me questions about each story. And always, always tell me they love me without any prompting from me at all. Julie said last night: "Oo-mah. I am really happy." And even Jocelyn, who cannot possibly understand, smiles and lays right down. They always wake up laughing.

Man, I love this age.

Man, I love these guys.

Wadda Man!

Brymer is off to be "married" to Patti's little long haired chihuahua. Yeah, I'm pimping him out to a younger woman - she's 2. And thinks he's hot. Brymer, of course, still thinks he's 2. Which means he'll end up having another stroke. But I don't think he'd mind. Wadda way to go.

Man, I hope he still has some live sperm in there.

The Beaner

Well, the pit of my stomach is now right around my ankles.

Last night we were fixing to go to bed. Robert asked me to let out Brymer and Nellie and Jade while he threw hay to the horses. Nellie was up in his chair. She moved towards me and laid up against the pillow on her right side. Her head was cocked to the left, her tongue was out.

I know that posture. She was having a stroke. I held her while it happened then took her outside . She walked bad to the left. Her head was locked. And while she came out of it fairly quickly - much faster than Brymer did, still, she was groggy. I felt like the world was collapsing in toward my belly.

This dog is going to die. The clock is ticking for both her and Brymer. What will I do? They're just dogs. Just stupid little dogs . . .

What am I going to do?

Farmer Jackie

So there I was, harvesting grapes on my Face book Farm and Jocelyn comes in, all cute and tugging on my leg. I told her I'd be a minute, then we'd play. And then comes an: "Oo-mah! Could you com're and help me pweease?" And I say, "Just a second, Joo-Joo." And then I hear a; "Lookit this, Oo-mah!" and I say, "James, just give me a second, baby."

. . . and then . . .

And then I remember that I only get theses guys for a short time. Then they're gone. What would I give to go back and play with Jarred and Ruby . . . just once?

Remember when I took off my watch? It's still in the trailer I think. Now I'm putting the Farm to sleep. And I'm headed to the trampoline with my darlings.