Clean-up and Play

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Daughter Lise spent hours going through old boxes that were moved here eight years ago, unopened. John and I should have gone through them to enjoy old memories and give our children their keepsakes. She has piles of things to give to family members and a stack of letters for me to go through. I found a binder with notes written in my hand about the practice teaching I did when I was a senior in college. What an eye-opener! I remembered only one day of teaching, a day when the children were a bit unruly and I felt ineffective. Those pages showed me that I was organized, and the second-graders responded wonderfully to simple music theory and singing in two parts.

We took a welcome break when former neighbor Connie came for lunch while Albert was being groomed. David knelt on the floor to fit in the photo.

Lise, David, and Connie

Luckily, there is no photo of my running. While walking in the morning, I asked Lise if she could still skip. She could. I’d tried it the day before when she thought I was skipping, but I didn’t get my feet off the road. Could she run if she wanted to? With no announcement, I took off running. I just HAD to try it!! On the third step, the right foot hit the sole of the left shoe, and I was falling. I had time to think what a fool I had been and wonder how badly I would be hurt when I hit the road. In an instant Lise had her hand on my arm, steadying me. She claims I caught myself. We looked at each other with wide eyes and then howled with laughter. Lise’s first thought was that her siblings would demand to know why she hadn’t protected me from myself while she was with me.

David untangled wires behind John’s computer desk. The desk had been moved quickly, and we wanted to replace a monitor with one Lise found in a closet.

Since I had paid the electric bills electronically, we thought it would be simple to change John’s name to mine. We had to go to the office, provide a death certificate, fill out numerous forms, and set up the payment again using the same bank account. The woman was very helpful, and as we got up, she offered me a rain gauge or a hat. I took the hat! I always wanted to own a baseball cap with no ties to a sport, and now I have one.

As we started up the steep hill this morning, we stopped to admire the mist and the mountains. Lise was sure the corn in the foreground grew overnight. There is always something to see that is different from the day before.

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Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

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41 thoughts on “Clean-up and Play”

  2. How wonderful to have Lise there to help you go through things and great that you are balancing work and fun. By the way, you rock that baseball cap. xo

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  3. I enjoyed the thought of you running, and am also glad you did not fall! I nearly took one in the back yard this morning when Steffi jumped toward me and then could not stop until she hit my knee full force! And to borrow one of your words, you look marvelous in that cap! Every time you write marvelous, I hear in my head my friend’s voice–he used to say marvelous with just such an inflection you had to smile, so now I do when I see you write it! The mountain photo is beautiful, and I always enjoy seeing the Mehrling clan sitting around smiling! Happy Saturday!

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  4. David is talented at everything! Now he’s a spaghetti untangler! Funny how we remember what we were thinking in our moment of peril!! ha ha! You and Lise are always on some adventure!

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  7. Omg, forgive me Anne, but I’m dying over here with that visual you provided. I love your storytelling and the fact that you still find away to find the humor. And, just so you know, I couldn’t run for my life if I had to, so don’t feel bad! 😁☺️💕

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  8. You read like every thing is under control ..that is a blessing and I am so thankful you have such careing family and friends. I’ll continue to pray …but you got this.

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  9. Oh Anne,…..you could be in the Hospital right now with broken bones! John would not be happy with you! Best to remember how fast you were, rather then try to prove how old you are.

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          1. That is exciting – will David and his friend from the club be taking it to the train club later in the week? John sure instilled his love of trains into David.

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            1. That is the plan for the two men to take the locomotive pieces to TN. It was a working engine that the owner took apart to repair. David’s friends will help him put it back together.

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  11. Iam so happy you didn’t injured. What a wonderful to have Lise there to help you are getting things change over and cleared away with Lise and David’s. You look marvelous in that cap. Every time you write ✍️ marvelous . Just suchan inflation you had to smile. The mountain photo is beautiful I always enjoy seeing the Ann clean sitting around smiling. Happy Sunday! 🌷

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  12. So glad you are okay after the almost fall. And hope you don’t let that prevent you from trying new things again. Love the hat. You are so stylin’!

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  13. I hate when my body doesn’t do what my brain tells it to. It’s frustrating and sometimes embarrassing. Glad Lise was there to help you. I love the hat – it complements your beautiful smile!

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  14. Love this post and the pictures. you have the most beautiful smile. I am glad too that your family is being so helpful and supportive. Glad that that a situation that could have been very frustrating, with having to provide a death certificate for something that should be simple, went okay. Giving God thanks for you this day, for John and the life you led together and the graceful way you are living into this time in your life. Blessings, Michele.

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  15. You have such a supportive group of family and friends – and I can see why. Who wouldn’t want to be around someone so radiant? I know you are probably struggling with this new way of being but having a happy soul smoothes out the rough spots. But Hey! slow down a little. A nice stroll is better than running any day!

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  16. Pingback: July Blogger Spotlight | BosssyBabe

  17. I LOVE that hat and your story! Your blog about mountain life is a topic that’s very near and dear to my heart. Thanks for sharing your life with me!

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        1. I will walk alone after daughter Lise leaves next week. However, I meet a couple of dog walkers and chat with them occasionally. It’s a Southern custom to wave at people, so I wave to every car that passes in our development. Drivers know me by sight, even if I don’t know them. If they saw me struggling, they would stop and offer help.

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