Saga of Dad's Old Truck

When my Dad passed several years back now, I kept his old truck that he loved and gave his newer truck to my nephew. His old truck smelled like him and it was the one he drove the most. It has well over 200,000 miles on it and still runs fine. I let it sit up though because it hurt to drive it. I would go sit in it and think of him, but I couldn't drive it.

Then I realized it was ruining it to just sit there so I slowly started getting it back into shape. First I got new tires for it. Then a new battery and today, New rotors and breaks. Well when I got home from the shop, smoke was pouring off one of the back tries. I called them and they said that wasn't normal. Um, yeah, I figured that. So, I have to let it cool down and take it back tomorrow for them to look at. Once that is taken care of, I plan to drive it at least part of the time back and forth to work. It will help save mileage on my car.

Sitting in the truck makes me think of Dad, and I miss him but I feel closer to him when I'm driving it. I just hope the old thing makes it a few more years now that I've put the work into it. I like being able to climb up in it and go places.

Really, everything about the house makes me miss my parents since they lived here with me. The yard especially since they fixed it up like they wanted it. Dad built decks all over the place to sit and watch the traffic or just to talk. Once they even hooked up a TV and a fan to sit outside and drink tea while they watched gospel music under the shade tree. I have a picture of them doing that. Makes me laugh when I look at it.

I miss them. I guess I always will.

Marla Monroe

Wow! Already December and I Haven't Even Put Away October Yet!

Hmmm. How did I let this happen? December sort of snuck up on me. I never saw it coming. I can't even remember November, except for the yummy dressing the other day. Days fly by pulling the entire month with them. Before we know it, an entire year is gone again. What do we have to show for it?

I have about 14 books and two short stories to show for the year, but what about life points? You know, the things that really matter. I've spent quality time with my brother and his family several times this past year. Could I have spent more time with them? Yeah. I could have.

I've spent some wonderful days with my parents this year. I love having them here with me. Not only are they fun to be with and help me in so many ways, but watching just how much they love each other keeps the love alive in my heart, too. I wish I'd spent more time with them earlier in the year instead of some of the trips I took. I didn't realize just how quickly things change.

I refuse to regret anything because it adds to who I am, but I can feel sad for some of the opportunities I've missed or blown off; for the time I wasted when I should have been writing spending time with friends and family; for decisions I've made that weren't all that smart.

So, looking ahead, I plan to do things a little differently this coming year. I did this last year and the year before. No matter how many times I do this, I always end up missing something I should have seen coming.

So for the end of 2014 as it tops the hill on its way down, don't have regrets, don't think the what ifs. Spend some time thinking about what you want out of life for next year and then make plans on how to get there. You may not get there the first time you try, but if you keep regrouping and looking at where you got off track, you will eventually get to where you are supposed to be.

I'm going to introduce whoever out there is reading this to what hope looks like to me right now. Her name is Maggie and she's a kitten. When I found her, she was about 4 or 5 weeks old and entirely different than what she looks like now.

 

 

 

 



Isn't she cute? A tiny ball of fur and great big eyes. She was such a sweet kitty who had a rough start in life. Something had tried to eat her and she had a massive abscess from one side of her neck through to just above her chest. We got that all cleaned up and she turned into a whirlwind of energy after that.

Now she is about 4 months old and she looks so much different than she did.

Yep, that's her tongue sticking out.

 

 

So where am I going with all of this? This hope I was talking about? Well, she brought hope into our house when she came to live with us. My mom took one look at her and smiled—really smiled for the first time in a long time. Now the house revolves around Maggie or "my baby" as mom refers to her. Seeing that

smile and how the kitten keeps her engaged and happy is seeing hope reflected in my mom's eyes. Taking care of the kitten gives her one more reason to get up each morning and brave the pain and near blindness that colors her world grey. Only now, there is a streak of color that captivates her each day and I call it Hope.

 

Marla