Saturday, June 23, 2012
I have spent the last three summers tooling around Northern Ohio; beautiful backroads, wonderful weather, and Lake Erie offers a plethora of water activities. My time spent with 'My Daisies' this summer was a ton of fun...alas it comes to an end at oh-dark-thirty in the morning when we set out for a car trip back to Florida with my Daisy Ann and the Little Sprout (her great-granddaughter) Kyah.
My Daisies are the glue that has held my life together all too often, they are the ballast when I have felt like keeling over, and they are the incentive I have for staying active and engaged so as to enjoy my golden years. My Daisies have mentored me through the single motherhood years, helped rear my children, helped me survive the teenage years, and have taught me how to embrace life - wringing every last drop of joy from each day.
I've enjoyed the summer weather, cruising along the backroads in Ann's big Mercury....floating is more like it. Floating over the hilly asphalt as it winds through some of the most beautiful farmland in the country; it's reassuring really, to see the lush corn, wheat, and soybeans...the pristine farm houses, huge silos, and immaculate kitchen gardens. The Amish populate this area; horse and buggies are hitched to the post outside the IGA store, homemade baked goods, meats, and cheeses abound in the local markets, and the faithful preserve a life that mimics a bygone era. I'm amazed at the lifestyle and try not to stare at the Amish with their handmade clothing, hats, and homogenous look.
Three days spent relaxing, enjoying each other's company, eating, cruising the backroads, and of course laughing....always laughing.
Bree sat silent in the passenger seat of Della’s Range Rover as they drove away from the city towards Bree’s farmhouse. Della respected her friends silence, glancing furtively towards Bree, checking for what? Della didn’t know; was there a protocol for ‘how to act when your friend is told she has a few months to live?’ Della wasn’t sure and at this moment her heart hurt as if it were being squeezed by a giant hand intent on crushing the organ in her chest. Della met Bree Maxwell at the registrar’s office in 1974 at the University of Chicago. Just two long-haired hippie chicks in bell bottom denims and crop tops among thousands, struggling to look cool while simultaneously overwhelmed by the process of registering for classes. The two became fast friends and shortly thereafter they met Tish and Ann, also freshman. The foursome became inseparable and forged a bond that has endured four decades. Bree is the...
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