Sunday, March 18, 2007

Sunsets, Snow, and Bridges to the Past~


The aging lady looped stitch after stich with a crochet needle as she worked on a baby blanket in her favorite chair.

She had buried her sister on Sunday.

She was the youngest of 5 children, and all of her brothers and sisters were now dead. Her parents died decades earlier.

The cluttered and tiny house she sat in was comfortable, and the window across the room from her recliner faced the west. A firey orb of fading sun was sinking behind a line of trees in the distance. The blue cold of that March evening settled in on the farm and it's fields, but not on the warm memories of the days events.
-
She rocked gently- and looking over at the sofa, she thought of C, her oldest granddaughter, and namesake of her own mother. "Grandma, will you teach me to crochet? I know how to knit, and I have tried to crochet, but I would like for you to show me how you do it."
-
For over an hour the 82 year old woman, and her 37 year old grand daughter sat on the couch and practiced making making a chain, and then a single crochet, and a double, and a triple. The older woman explained that her Grandmother had shown her how to hold the yarn so that it looped around her little finger, and laid across her pointer finger for taughtness. This crochet secret had made it's way to yet another generation...handed down at least 4 times, perhaps more?
-
Smiling and putting her needle work aside, she arose slowly from her chair and the beloved Grandmother walked to her kitchen. Inside the refrigerator was a large tupperware container full of slow simmered pot roast, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions. A large plastic tub of perfectly seasoned and tender baby lima beans, as well as some fresh cooked green beans only needed re-heating to prepare a perfect meal. Her granddaughter had fixed all this food so that the older woman wouldn't have to cook for the next several days. She laughed when C said, "You'll be sick of pot roast long before you finish it all!"- but it freezes well! :)
-
She fixed a plate with a sampling of everything and heated it up. The aroma of the tender meat, softened potatoes and delicious beans filled the kitchen and living room. She thought about moving south...to be closer to her son, grandkids, and great grandkids. She thought about the 80+ years she had lived in this area, and about all of the friends and family she'd lost in the last 20 years.
Maybe it was time to go. Maybe it was time to settle in with the living and let them care for her.

She looked around her. This had been her home for a very long time. Could she move? Would she survive such an upheaval? What was the alternative? To stay in that 100 year old house and die alone. Not much of choice really.
-
She finished her supper in the kitchen, and returned to her chair.
She picked up her yarn and crochet needle and turned on the TV. She nodded off and dremt of her mother, Cora, and her Grandmother, Amanda, and of her siblings, and of her late husband. After a while, she opened her eyes- realizing- that those who had gone on before her would always be with her, no matter where she was.

But the living- her son and grand children- wanted to be with her now...in the flesh, and inside this limited sphere of time that they all shared.
She had stories to tell and crochet patterns to pass on.
She was the last remaining bridge in the family that linked the past to the future~ she was loved and needed. And she knew it...

I am blessed to have this woman in my family- I hope she moves to North Carolina, and that we have some time to foritfy that bridge.

For History's sake-

Amanda Alice Reed married Edward Lewis Stocker in April of 1882 and was the mother of

Cora Stocker, who married Oscar Crill- and they were the parents of my Grandmother,

Mable Lucille Crill- who married John Runkle and they were the parents of my dad,

Mike Runkle- who married my mother Elva Shelia Alverson- and next came me-

Cora Michealle Runkle...


I was tired in this shot...but at peace and felt a gentle spirit.
I had done what I needed and wanted to do...and it was time to come home.

I hope my Grandmother will call this place "home" one day soon.

_________________________

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All seriousness aside now- I do have something funny to tell you~ Guess who I found in my mailbox yesterday???

A very Scary Monster!!!

I have lots more to tell about my adventures with this creature- but it will have to keep until tomorrow! I will say that he arrived just in time- and I have enjoyed his company.

I promise- you will get a big kick out of reading my adventures with my new friend!
He is much better behaved than he wants you to think :)

16 comments:

exskindiver said...

i hope she does move.
no matter how much she loves her son and grand children though,
i am sure it is hard to give up her independence.
so scary monster is sending out mascots?

Mayden' s Voyage said...

Me too Chesca, and we will give her all the space she needs...but be close enough to help out :)

LOL- that Scary Monster is something isn't he! :) Some of the photos are toooo funny! He came from quite a long distance too!

Bardouble29 said...

I remember how close i was to my Great grandmother. I too hope she chooses to be close to you. As time goes on family becomes more and more important. I hope you don't mind, but I would like to link you to my blog.

X. Dell said...

(1) I'm sure the monster's much better behaved than he looks.

(2) My feeling is that your grandmother will almost have to move close to you. If she has outlived most of her friends and other contemporaries, she may no longer have ties to Indiana. And as she gets older, she'll eventually need care.

A friend of mine still living on her own at the age of 90. But shortly before Thanksgiving, she got run over by a car. Through some miracle, she survived. She even started walking again. But because she has literally outlived almost all of her family (her husband, her kid, her brothers and sisters) she lost her apartment, and now must live in a nursing home (which she hates).

If my friend had family down south, I'm sure she would have gone there just about now.

Lady Prism said...

welcome baaack!!...:>>

Mayden' s Voyage said...

Bardouble-
Thank you...I hope so too :)
Thanks for the link- I will add you to my own as well!

X~ I am so sorry about your friend!
How sad to make it to 90 and then be involved in an accident like that :(
I think it's possible that we might just have to make the decision for my Grandmother- but it would be better if she chose to come on her own.
I do think, as the days pass, she will want more and more to be here with us. I hope so~

Hugs Luxie! I will send you a note today...finally have the house to myself! Whoopiee!!! :)

Enemy of the Republic said...

For what it's worth, my next job hunt will be in your neck of the woods. Wouldn't that be fun? And I would love to know anyone you deem important!

Gnomeself Be True said...

Welcome back!
We should all be closer to the previous generations. There is so much to learn, and so little time between our realizing that and their being gone.

Unknown said...

This is a wonderful post. Felt good to read it.

The monster looks more scared than scary to me. What did you do to the poor thing??

Helene said...

you are so funny... I dont even give out my email without reservation and you are getting and sending gifts in the mail! lol

I loved the story and lets get down to important things.. your hair has gotten so long!!!!! You look great!

hey... is it me or are you coming to my state next week? We need to make plans! =]]]

JR's Thumbprints said...

Didn't your monster friend have a two-bit role in that movie Ghostbusters?

darkfoam said...

ditto what kate said...
i get tickled that you are so out in the open with who you are, lol
i do hope that your great aunt makes the decision to move close to her loved ones. i know it's a hard decision. it was hard for my mother and she still had relatives in Germany....but not immediate family.
this was a lovely post, cora.

Mayden' s Voyage said...

EOR-
Good heavens...I smiled from ear to ear jut thinking about you moving this way!
Let me know if there is anything I can do to help :)

Iamnot- You are so right (I think I've said that before! ;)
Grandparents have a lot to offer- I'm blessed to still have one.

SJ- LOL :) I have tried to be very nice to the Monster. I think maybe he is in shock from being in the "South" :) I have to wonder if he's more used to people running away and screaming when they see him?
We think he is adorable :)

Kate- you are so sweet. I am still fighting with my body- it seems stuck and won't shrink any more! LOL :)
Maybe I should climb into the dryer? ;)
I'm amazed at the kind and generous spirits I have here in my blog world...really- I have never had such a special group of people in my life (outside of my family, of course).
I did check Scary out for a while before I gave him my address (and didn't give my last name! LOL)- and he lives in Asia- so I figured I was safe.
He- you- and everyone have been so special to me. :) I will be a few hours from you next week!
I'll send you a note...I was hoping we could meet up half way (Palm Coast) for lunch or something on Friday (March 30th)

Jr- welcome! LOL...I don't know, but as I think about it- you might be right! I had forgotten about that particular ghost!

Schaumi (foam) LOL...
Thank you. It's funny- I often wish I liked myself as much as other people seem to like me.
"Sigh"- I know too much about me!
LOL...but I suppose this is true of most people?
As I've gotten older I realize I have something to offer...but I also realize that I still have SO much to learn, and there are so many ways that I can be better-
That's a good thing I think ;)

Bone said...

You often write beautiful thoughts and words. But this may be the most beautiful yet.

Baron Ectar said...

Moonlight -

This brought tears to my eyes. I was not close at all to my grandparents - I regret that - my kids are close to all of theirs and for that I am grateful.

Thanks for sharing this.

Dana Dane said...

that was really nice