Spring On The Prairie

Finally! After a long, lonely, gray winter, spring arrived here on the prairie. May began famously with the birth of our little prince, Brady. The week after Brady was born, I was perusing Craig's List for a job and happened upon (ok...I admit it...I was getting distracted...who's surprised?) an ad selling baby cockatiels, 9 weeks old. Now I have done this before, waited to call and the babies were all sold. I sent an email to the gentleman, and he responded immediately that there were 2 birds weaned and available. He also said that the bird would come with a cage, food, and toys. I was intrigued! I asked if I could come over in about an hour. I googled the address. Rus and I left a few moments later. Before we left, we gathered cash to pay for the bird should we decide to take one home. We arrived on the block to find abandoned buildings, houses in disrepair, folks hanging out their stoops, watching, dogs barking. It was like a movie set depicting "a bad/tough neighborhood." Undaunted, we found the house. It was the best one on the block. There were 2 guard dogs outside behind a chain link fence. A woman with multiple tattoos dressed in shorts and a "wife-beater" shirt opened the door for us the moment we touched the gate. The dogs went wild jumping at us behind the fence. We walked onto the porch and through the door. The main floor of the house was like a NY railroad apartment. She led us through the porch to the dimly lit, overcrowded living room, into what should have been the dining room. In lieu of table and chairs, the room was ceiling-to-floor bird cages. She NEVER SAID A WORD to us, just gestured for us to follow. Once there, she went to one of the smaller cages and took out two tiny cockatiels. I immediately was lost - mesmerized by the two squawking birds. Rus was not as taken and was rather gruff about me making a choice of birds quickly. I was so enthralled by the babies, I was startled to hear a man's voice behind me asking which one I wanted. It was then I noticed the rather scruffy little fellow viewing what one would have thought was a television suspended from the corner of the room. Upon further inspection, I realized he had a quad-split screen with 4 different angles of his house on surveillance cameras. Hmmm... still no light bulbs going off in my head. I asked about 100 questions about the birds, how he came to raise them, how many he had, the different kinds, if he bred specific birds to one another, and on and on and on, ad nauseum. Rus kept saying, "We should go. We should go." In my head, he was being rude. So I paid the fee for the bird. I brought a blanket with me since it was 40 degrees outside and we left. I was so totally unaware of what was going on when we got there, while we were in the house with the birds, but as I drove away, I saw what a blind man could have seen initially. Hello??? How long have I been out of NY???? There were unmarked cops cars parked down the street watching us, people on the street were leery of strangers. Probably on Columbus police records... Ugh! We high-tailed it home with our newest family member in the back seat! After much discussion, we named our newest family member, McGee! He is just the sweetest little bird. Initially, he wasn't eating independently. As a result, I played mother bird resulting in him officially imprinting with humans. He ate mushed rice, vegetables and egg yolk. We have him primarily on an enriched pellet diet, but he tries everything we eat. He especially likes eggs, rice, barley, Cheerios, and pears. His favorite past time is untying knots made in ribbons and cotton string. He is very endearing sitting on your shoulder "kissing" your cheek. McGee and Pepper have come to an understanding. McGee hisses at Pepper when he gets too close. Pepper is kind enough to allow McGee, sharp little claws and all, to sit on his back. I am sure you will be seeing more about our latest family member in the months and years to come.

With the emergence of our tulip bulbs, we mulched out our flower beds. It is a daunting task but we persevered. It always looks so nice when it is done. We spent a few Saturdays at our neighbors, enjoying the fire pit, watching movies on their outdoor screen, and their company over a glass of wine. It is nice to relax outside in the crisp air in the evening.

Memorial Day Weekend, I went to NY. My mom's house has now sold and I was there to see my brothers, their families, and to get my "stuff" out of Bayside Hills. The trip to 56-07 214 Street was relatively quiet as Bob and I drove through the NY holiday traffic above and below the city line, which is always a joy! (NOT!) Every room held memories. My mind was racing through years full of the laughter and love that encompassed my life living there. Kevin helped me get some raspberry bushes, my Dad's pride and joy and a few other plants to try here on the prairie. It was a gut-wrenching experience. The new owners are knocking down the cute little Gross-Morton cape and building a new house on that 40' × 100' lot. Pulling out of the driveway for the last time was like leaving after someone you loved passes on, knowing things will never be the same again. But life marches on and drags you with it! On the way back we stopped in Scarsdale to see 3 Church Lane. Both homes have evolved into new entities, but still evoked warm loving memories for me. The next afternoon, Tom's family came for a barbecue. We had lots of laughs looking at old pictures, talking about happier times. The kids (and I use that term tongue-in-cheek, as the youngest is Kerin and she will be 16 in August) were fabulous. Little Tommy brought his girlfriend, Sabrina, (who everyone loves! Come on, Tommy!) We ate more than we should have and loved every moment of being together. The next day our trip was delayed because Bob's Subaru wouldn't engage in Drive. That could be a problem, eh? We left early the next day, stopping for lunch in Wilkes-Barre, PA. As we were getting close, I gave the famous (or infamous, heheheh) Dr. John Koch, a call. He stopped the all-important-fixing-of-the-toilet-on-the-Honey-Do-list to join us for lunch. Need I say anything about the riotous lunch conversation with two of my favorite guys? Back on the road, the drive was seemingly quick! Could have been the driver... While Bob was here Ohio, we did some touristy things, like visit the Olentangy Indian Caves. Bob had his first taste of Chipolte. (Like Mikey, he LIKED it! :) He had to get back by Friday evening, so his trip was short this time. He promises to make the trip again soon.

Rus, our kids and I have enjoyed hiking along more of the trails here in Columbus. For those of you who don't live here, let me say, that these are the most incredibly well-kept Metro park trails I have ever seen. Each of the 15 Metro Parks has its own distinct personality They range in size from 123-acres to nearly 7,000 acres. You would never believe you were in a city once you go beyond the treeline. Our goal is to walk them all before Winter this year.

The second weekend in June, Rus and I ventured to Blue Country, Michigan, for our niece, Lynn's wedding. We had a wonderful weekend with the Koch side of the family as Rus' dad, HW and all the siblings and their wives were present. We spent the pre-wedding morning, browsing the mall attached to the hotel. The wedding and reception were lovely. Lynn was a beautiful bride. On the way home from Michigan, Rus and I ventured off the beaten path to check off one of the hundreds of covered bridges in Ohio. We thought it would be cool to make our own collection of covered bridges while we live here.

The saga continues here on the prairie. Rus is still working for AEP as a consultant. We are ever so thankful that he has a position in these tumultuous times in Ohio. In January, during a snowstorm, over the phone, I interviewed for a part-time position as a reading teacher/tutor in Columbus City Schools. I didn't begin until the end of March and worked for about 6 weeks. You all know how the smell of crayons, paper, and school lunches stirs my soul! The job was wonderful for me. It was like the Basic Skills teacher positions in NJ, in that I took 5 children every 30 minutes or so and worked on their reading issues, be it vocabulary, or comprehension, or phonics. I was in Heaven working with these 3rd graders. Most of the kids I saw were low functioning, but I felt like I was finally home. Alas! The job ended at the end of May. No promise of any continuation next year, just a maybe, depending on funding. I did receive a lovely recommendation letter from the principal of the school. I continue to spend hours looking online applying for many positions each day, and weaving, what I hope, are a good group of connections, socially. I am not limiting myself to teaching or education. I am looking at my many diverse facets reinventing myself for each application. I have been out of work for 11 months now. It gets harder to stay positive every day. Please say a prayer that something comes up soon!