Monday, October 28, 2013
Spring Forward, Fall Back...
September 22 may have been the Equinox first day of fall, the factual season change. But my actual season awakening begins when nature prods my body to respond to what it is offering, in this case the first cold (ish) fall morning in the lowcountry this year!
Snowy prodded me to the coffee pot, her cold wet nose on my heel. No, she doesn't drink coffee, but the sooner I get that first cup in me...the quicker she gets her bowl filled. When the percolator started gurgling I shivered and moseyed over to the thermostat, 62 brisk degrees inside! I zipped open the patio blinds to check out the budding sunrise. Glorious!
Opening the door, I put my bare toes onto the cool concrete and that was it. Within minutes I was standing near the marsh watching that ball of fire climb slowly over the Wando River. I wanted to run into the glowing magnificent sphere as if it had a form that I could embrace. Not tangible, but —a little leprechaun think never hurt anyone.
While the sun inched upward I did some pensive posturing (try not to picture that) recalling past mornings similar to this one, not dictated by a date on the calendar. I had my own ~Fall Back~ if you will.
There was the crisp morning on a winding road in NC when I pulled the car over just to hear the colored leaves skip across the asphalt and over the edge of a guard railed cliff.
And another when I left my drive in NC to buy eggs on a cool, blue skied mountain morning during peak leaf change season. My windshield became a slideshow of Bob Ross painting's around every bend. I ended up 1 1/2 hours away on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. And if it weren't for seeing Nancy's Candy Factory in Meadows of Dan Virginia, I'd of probably continued on. I bought chocolate's and headed back down the mountain and home...without the eggs.
And then an all time favorite, ~My Rock~ at Hanging Rock Park. No, it wasn't all mine, squatter's rights. I spied it from the bottom of a waterfall gorge one day and worked my way back up to it. Park guidance signs sent most hikers' to the right on a forged beaten path to the falls. To the left– a big brown sign read ~Warning, serious injury or death could occur beyond this point!~
I threaded around the sign and gate through the woods. The path grass lay flat from the occasional cruise of a park ranger 4-wheeler. Begalite's clung to my jeans. Beg-a-lite, a Southern euphemism for a type of plant seed that sticks to your clothes as you walk through tall grasses, a hitchhiker.
About a mile into the dense forest I could hear the sound of water spilling from the mountain onto forged rocks far below. And then there it was, just like that.... the woods ended and a nature carved catwalk rock jutted 12 feet out into the blue horizon just below the tree tops. I walked to the end of the overhanging rock, lay down flat and put my face to it's cold surface. The falls slid off of the mountain to my left and could be loud or quiet, depending on the amount of rainfall in the recent weeks. I watched the water rush 120 feet down the mountain rocks to pool below in it's basin surrounded by mounds of colorful just beyond peak leaves. I knew it was fall.
More recently, (another trip to the grocery store) a cool breeze through my open car window and blue skies magically turned my blinker to the left on Hwy 41 instead of the right. A dense patch of angel oaks and an old fence caught my eye to the left and I whipped around and pulled into the sandy drive. I ended up in a crumbling pre-Revolutionary church yard and cemetery. It was waaaay cool! Stay tuned, that story is coming soon.
Season's change in un-expected places, hidden in plain view. Each season has it's own mysteries and wonders. Wonder's that I didn't get to this season (like checking out that overgrown path where I saw a man emerge with his fishing pole or slipping in to a gated proposed Charleston County Park) will have to wait for a nature nudged morning in the spring.
All in all, the untamed volatile state of the universe that rejects our time and date stamps both excites me and humbles me and I sure hope it stays that way.
The Factual: Daylight Savings Time.
Daylight Savings time is a change in the standard time with the purpose of getting better use of the daylight by having the sun rise one hour later in the morning and set one hour later in the evening. DST was first initiated by Germany on May 1, 1916 during World War I in an effort to conserve fuel. US followed sporadically in 1918 giving states the opt in or out and has tweaked the DST system periodically since then.
Exceptions to the Daylight Savings initiative are Arizona, excluding the Navajo Nation, which does observe daylight saving time, Hawaii and the overseas territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.
The Actual: Sunday night on November 2nd, I will set that clock back an hour, but— Monday morning my body is going to know it and I will be up coffee in hand at 4:30 am instead of 5:30. And for a full month, I will say "Oh my gosh, it's only 6:30 p.m!" To which Don will reply "But, it's really 7:30."
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
It's Halloween Ghouls and Boo's
Well, maybe I can just look for a few things in this closet. Within minutes the quest bed and floor were covered with pumpkins, ghost, ravens, spider webs and gooey eyeballs.
Within an hour a spooky spread adorned the kitchen table. A few last touches (like setting up the antique sepia toned photo's of non-smiling relatives) and I was headed to the store for batteries. It didn't take Don long to get in the swing either. While I was headed out the door, he says." Get some of those lighting pumpkins and cobwebs for the tree and something scary for they yard."
When I walked into the grocery store the ladies at Starbucks were handing out samples. Pumpkin Spice Latte's, my official start of fall festivities. Chocolate covered cherries initiate my Christmas kickoff. I inhaled the latte first and wiped the whipped cream off of my nose. Aaaahh, Let the memories begin.
I love everything about October. The cool mornings and evenings, chicken stews, oyster roast's, candy corn. The Charleston leaf change season. Ok...that's stretching it a bit.
Then there's the Coastal Carolina Fair! October 1st through November 10th. Woo Hoo..There is nothing like stepping out of my car onto the rutted dirt parking lot to the wafting aromas of cotton candy, candy apples and elephant ears.
I close my eyes and I'm there already! Early arriver's pass by me leaving with tired children. A daddy maneuvers’ the crowd with a huge stuffed bear on his head (that he won for $50)
As I get closer the lights and sounds intensify – The kiddie park bumper park music blends with the thumping of the Scrambler music, riders squeal while being tossed about on their rides. Cows bleat and chickens squawk at the AG barnyards. The Ferris Wheel lights hypnotize me while strobe lights to the left and right of me beckon to come throw my money away. As I exited through the flashing arch, I glanced back for a final look as the music fades. The empty field that became an adrenaline fueled night will be gone within days for another year.
But, all is well. Because ...Halloween memories come next. And to clarify –Yes, this is how it works with me, little mini bytes of memories as I cruise the aisles of the grocery store.
I see the kids in their many costumes. Memories of my own, a Casper sweaty face from a real rubber mask in the 60's, going from brownstone to brownstone in Chicago yelling Trick or Treat, old pillow cases brimming with goodies and.....the disappearing candy. I know there were at least ten Snicker bars in my bag when I went to bed.
I almost laughed out loud on the toothpaste aisle when I remembered the kids muttering under their breath when they trick or treated a dentist's house and received toothbrushes.
What is your favorite Halloween memory? Think for a minute.Was it that big zero bar in your bucket? Was it the coolest costume ever? Did the magic end when your mask laid by your bed?
There is still some magic left. Living in the south where boo hags, haints and hags are respected with mustard seed , upturned broom handles, bottle tree's and haint blue ceilings. One needn't travel far for inspiration. But, if nothing else trips the trigger...try the Pumpkin Spice Latte'
Seriously, share your fave Halloween memory.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
The Humbling Hives and Handicap Cart
Quinoa! Well Hell's Bell's – should have known. I am allergic to several grains — Whole wheat, granola, some combo's of niacin, malt. No Colt 45's for me. Wth? Anyway, I took two Benadryl and scratched myself most of the morning.
Mid afternoon I'm on my way to CVS to get more Benadryl. I'm just cruising along and talking to my daughter on the phone when my throat started closing up.
"Gotta let you go sweetie." I said, trying not to alarm her. I needed to save my last few breaths to grunt out "Food Allergy!" at an unwitting CVS employee in the consultation line.
The startled pharmacist replied, "Get to hospital now."
Well, have I ever told you guys that I'm cheaper than dirt? Yup, my throat is closing and my heart is pounding — but da'-yumm can I save a buck or two here?
I call my Doc while driving to ER. Same forced (don't know how many breaths) I have left convo "Food allergy, hives, throat closing – Can I come by and get a shot?"
"Nope, go to hospital or urgent care, might have to trach you for asphyxiation." they tell me.
I pulled into Urgent Care, I was in the back pretty quick. A few minutes later, a steroid shot in the hip and my throat opens immediately. That's disturbing in itself. But thank God I can breathe and I'm on the road to recovery.
I didn't call to tell Don about the episode until I left. I didn't want to disturb him, he was on the way to a friends house to pick up a farm table she gave me. But — I did have the text ready for the doc to hit send if I started flopping like a fish in his office.
Next morning —The alarm went off and I jumped off bed..uh oh...no legs. I could barely move and have an 8:30 a.m. quote to give. I figured coffee, the rest on the drive and an Ibuprofen would have me moving in no time.
I'm about halfway to the clients door when my left leg gave totally out. "Improvise Renae." I told myself.
I pulled out the cell phone – faked receiving a call (talk and all) and performed an award winning mock acting job of searching for a signal with hand in the air. This gave me a few extra seconds between step dragging across the yard.
When I finished the bid, I called Urgent Care. "Hey, I had a shot yesterday and today I can't walk." They called in a pain killer that sounded romantic to Publix. I'm in to alternative medicine, no scripts for me unless absolutely necessary—but he tells me I will be able to move again and then I can get to my regular physician.
The 20 steps to the front door of Publix was an obstacle/endurance course that required zig zag jaunts to objects for stability and rest. i.e. garbage cans, bike racks and vehicle rear veiw mirrors. My version of a slow mo Harlem shuffle.
I got to the entrance and there was this motorized contraption with a basket basking in the sunlight of the foyer. I waited for customers to file by while I tried to read the operating instructions on it's panel. I gingerly touched the levers. Oh hell, first time for everything. I climbed aboard.
I cruise through the store in the handicap cart avoiding free standing displays, Banana's and pyramidal mounds of oranges and apples. I kept my head down and my eyes averted. Everyone is looking at me, why am I getting so much attention? I wondered.
Then it dawned on me that I am half the age of most people that drive carts. And then it dawned on me that I can't say that anymore because they would have to be a centenarian to be twice my age now.
"What happened to you?" pharmacy assistant asked.
"Who knows...allergy one day.. can't walk the next." I replied
"Where'd you get the shot?" she asked
"In the hip." I answered
"Did they rub it out?" she asked
"Nope" I replied.
The busy pharmacist comes over and hands me a print out of high dose Prednisone side effects
Naturally under rare, he has highlighted Steroid-Induced Osteoporosis. It could be worse, another side effect was Avascular Necrosis aka bone death. When I got back into the handicap cart, I bumped the reverse handle....again. I red faced beeped myself backwards and to the closest register.
The manager (my age) comes to my aid. "Can I help you out with these ma'am?" he asked nicely.
"No thank you..SIR..." Admittedly a bit catty, I replied.
"No, I insist." He continues.
"Ok..let's make a deal. You can help me if YOU drive the cart back in." I told him.
He laughs and agrees. We have a nice little talk in the period of time that the .003 mph handicap cart moved to the car. True to his word, he commandeered the cart when I threw my bags into the seat.
I smiled as the handicap cart disappeared into the automatic doors.
An unexpected emotion surged through me, I put my head on the wheel of the car and shed a few tears of humbleness. Pride is really not an admirable trait. We robs others of the joy that they receive by helping us.
I love to help others but the tide turned that day and I was on the receiving end. I hid the happy sounding pain killers under the seat of my car, put the car in reverse and started backing out.
I had a momentary start..as I recalled the back up beeper on the handicap cart. Aww hell Rome wasn't built in a day.
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