Playtime With Maxine

How many times in your adult life do you get to be a kid again??? Well, yesterday I got another opportunity to go outside and play with one of my favorite classmates, who I haven't seen in 50 years.

Jinny Lee Curran Walz, was coming to Texas to spend some time with her son and his family. As it turns out, her daughter-in-law is friends with my daughter-in-law, and they live in Round Rock, Texas, about 70 miles from me. Everyone loves to come here for a visit to feed the animals and ride the mule. I asked her to make a special effort to come see me since I wasn't able to go to our 50th reunion, and she thrilled me with her visit.

I knew about what time they would be arriving, so I was outside on my scooter. When they drove up, I wanted to RUN and hug her, and I really did try, but my baby steps made me walk in slow motion.

I had cooked enough food for a log rolling so that we wouldn't have to go out to eat. I had 2 big pots of chicken and dumplings, vegetables, salad and a big Peach Cobbler and a big Blackberry Cobbler. We ate country style, not sit down formal, just fix a plate and find a spot to eat, either outside or inside. We are such a big family and that is the way we are. I always have "company" around here, and thanks to my Mom and Mrs. Walker, (home ec teacher), I love to cook, and I am a good cook. I haven't killed anyone yet.

After we ate, we hopped on one of our mules, and took a tour of our farm. We fed the fish in the lilly pond, saw the ducks, goose, guineas and chickens. Then we went over the levee and saw the antelope herd, about 13 of them. Then we went around to the other side of the big lake and saw a flock of Black Bellied Whistling Tree Ducks that have taken up residency here from Mexico. From there we went up to our cabin by the front lake, and Jinny wanted to move in. It would be so much fun for several of us girls to spend a week there. It is fully furnished with everything you would need except a telephone.

I hated to take them away from the cabin, but there was more to see and do. We went to find the donkeys and longhorns, so the boys could feed them cubes. I always enjoy this because you always get slobber on you. It is so scarry to watch these huge animals with 6 to 7 feet of horns coming up to you to eat out of your hands. Their tongues are so long and they wrap them around the cubes and take them out of you hands. Most of the cubes got dropped, as you can imagine. "City People" HeeHee. We were all laughing so much.

It was absolute therapy for me, and the most I have walked in 2-1/2 years since I first broke my foot and ankle. Three surgeries have not left me pain free, but I am making progress, and yesterday was the best medicine I have had in a long time.

We played outside until about 6:30, and then they had to leave. Jinny is still as cute as she was in school, just a little older. She was my best friend in 2nd grade at Poplar Springs. She had pig tails then. We moved out towards Marion and I finished elementary school at Witherspoon.

If anyone wants to come here for a visit, just let me know when and I will reserve the cabin for you. I had it built and paid for it with my "Beer and Cigarette Money". I have never smoked (if you read my blog) and I do not drink alcohol, so I have been able to save a lot of money to do things like this. Everyone laughs at me about my beer and cigarette money, but do the math!!!

I would like to have more visits like Jinny's. She was so much fun. I hope she will come back again soon.

Maxine