grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Driving Home

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I enjoyed the drive from the lake to my mother’s house, a drive I had not made in years. Since college, I leave the lake driving in the opposite direction to Texas.
Lake City
The trip is much, much faster now, the roads better and wider with turn lanes. Before, you could get stuck behind a rock hauler and spend half the drive going 30 mph, adding hours to the trip. Although portions of the drive were the same, some sections were unrecognizable. New highways dotted with Sonics and Exxons completely bypassed the Kreme Kastles of all the charming small towns. The cool bridge in Lake City has been totally rebuilt, with only a small section of the original structure remaining for historical purposes. My sister and I always held our breath driving over that bridge. Every bridge for that matter.

The memories flooded me. Things I haven’t seen or thought of in years.
I studied the trees, wondering which of the tallest ones watched us drive this route years ago. Years ago in Momma’s pale yellow Cadillac convertible loaded with kids and Samsonite suitcases and groceries and bright orange life jackets. One year the convertible top broke and we were forced to drive all the way home with the top down. Sunburned and windy it was miserable. And took forever.
Abruptly on the other side of Hardy, the hills disappear and miles and miles of farm land stretch from the road to the horizon on both sides. Rows and rows of cotton and soybeans. As a kid this was always a jolt to the heart, knowing the lake was far behind us.
This time the drive was different. I was happy to see farmland. The corn was tall and I was excited to see white and pink cotton blooms signaling cotton bolls tomorrow.
Another season. Another time. New memories.

talya
Musical Pairings:
Who Says You Can’t Go Home, Bon Jovi & Jennifer Nettles

Fifty Fabulous Years

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Judy, Talya, Norma, Becky, Anita
A gaggle of giggling girls, that’s what we were.
 That’s what we will always be.
 Best friends our entire lives, beginning in the mid-1960s.
 This year we turn 50.
 Nearly 50 years of memories.


These are the girls who know me best. 
My strengths, my weaknesses, my fears, my dreams.
 They know my natural hair color.

Mud pies, barbie dolls, Red Rover, matchbox cars,
 birthday parties, play dates, giggling,

1970s
Sleep overs, scary movies, spin-the-bottle,
 basketball practice, first loves, home ec, Yellow Jackets,
lake trips, Six Flags, cheerleading, trading boyfriends, 
church service, first/last cigarettes, giggling.

Double dates, driver’s tests, football games,
 pizza, love notes, Mid-South fair,
 study hall, Murr Theatre, Rivercrest Colts, French class, laughing.

1980s
Prom night, Boone’s Farm, ACT, graduation,
 Arkansas State, reunions, laughing.

1990s

Marriage, childbirth, careers, margaritas, road trips,
 aging parents, empty nest, mother of the bride,
 crying, death of parents, remembering, laughing.

2012
50 years later

Still laughing,
Always laughing.
I love you girls:)))
talya
Musical Pairings:
Ladies Night, Kool and the Gang
This One’s For the Ladies, Martina McBride
We Are Family, Sister Sledge

Hot Springs, Arkansas: Family Tradition

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Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs, Ar

Traditions keep families together. It’s the Elmer’s glue. Even silly things like boating around each summer on Lake Norfork in a non-seaworthy, faded orange boat. I’m glad we didn’t win that big bright red obnoxious shiny boat at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs on St. Paddy’s Day. Talk about totally ruining a family tradition. We would probably have to act normal in a nice new boat.

Although, had I won, I would have jumped up and down, high-fiving the jockey who pulled my name from the hat, thrilled to death and excited for all of Oaklawn Park to witness. The lady who won gave a seemingly embarrassed, half-assed parade wave with a fake smile. That’s it. Pit-ee-ful. She wasn’t even wearing green. And I’d bet a dime to a donut she’s already sold that boat.

Even small things become important traditions, like having strawberry cake on your birthday and Friday night Tex-Mex. 
Burchwood Bay

When we were kids we vacationed at Burchwood Bay in Hot Springs with the Barnetts and Jarretts, long-time family friends. The cute little cabins surrounded a general store with lake access waaaayyy down the hill. Craig (one of the Barnett boys and one of my very best friends to this day) nearly drowned my sister in that lake, throwing rocks at her from the bank until she couldn’t get back on the giant tractor inner tube. Daddy saved her. Craig was a menace.


The little store was our favorite – it was filled with candy and ice cream and postcards and tiny jars of Arkansas ‘diamonds’ and quartz. Yes, we played with rocks. But the best part – Craig said everything was free for guests! At the end of the week we discovered nothing there was really free…Craig’s daddy had a charge account. Oops. That general store is now Sam’s Pizza – we go back every year after a day of ‘feeding the horses’ for the best pizza in Hot Springs. The cabins are much smaller and the lake is much closer. Strange how that happened.

Burchwood Bay ‘then’

Burchwood Bay cabins ‘now’
Craig smashed a lizard in the door of the pink cabin…



We recently visited Craig’s mom who now lives in Hot Springs. Although she doesn’t get out much any more, she has an amazing view of the lake with fantastic bird watching. All the familiar pictures and furniture from her home in Keiser, where I spent so much time growing up, filled the comfortable house on the lake. Before we left she commented, “You can live a long time on memories.” So true.

 
Me and Ruth Barnett

Musical Pairings:


Hank Williams, Jr., “Family Tradition”
Jerry Garcia, “Arkansas Traveler”

Craig,Bob,Bill
Ruth’s Yard:)

 

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!