Tuesday, June 21, 2011

A Conversation

I had a lovely conversation with Mom early this morning. It was raining and thundering, and I was in that half conscious state. It was wonderful.


We were sitting around the kitchen table at the family home. The radio was on 'CCO, and Mom was eating a piece of toast. My nephew, just turned 9, was there too. Mom told us this story.

She and her sister Mary Anne were 5 or 6 years old at the time, and their dad was driving them to my Great Aunt (their Aunt)Teeter's place in Wisconsin. The road to her place was gravel, and had a lot of hills. If you drive fast, your stomach does that rising up in your belly thing as you go over the top of the hill and back down. They were sitting in the back seat of the car, leaned back against the seat, heads back and staring up at the sky through the rear window, enjoying that up and down, almost falling sensation as they rode over the hills. All of a sudden, that falling sensation didn't stop, they were falling, falling, falling. They looked at each other, and asked "Are we gone?" (As in, had they died?) Nope, they had gone off the road and into the ditch, landing in two feet of snow.

This is the story as told to me in my dream. I have no idea if it is a real one, that Mom told me years ago, or if my head made it up. I do know that I loved going to Great Aunt Teeter's, and enjoyed the ride there, always urging Mom to drive faster so we could get that rollercoaster effect. I don't remember ever going in the ditch though.

It was great having a conversation with her about our shared past, whether she was sharing her love of riding to Teeter's too, or I was just remembering mine, which she was a huge part of.

Anyway, how have you all been? I've been busy trying to keep up with the mowing, both of the yard with the riding mower and of the pastures with my scythe. I rode (on bicycle) the Tour de Pepin, 32 miles half way around the lake, and then a paddleboat ride back across the lake. It was great fun and amazingly enough I wasn't even sore the next day!

9 comments:

Eyes to See said...

I've been checking daily and wondering what you've been up to. Sounds like you've been getting LOTS of exercise and fresh air! Mowing around here isn't necessary this summer. We're in a severe (actually they have upped it to exceptional) drought! And the temperatures have been over 100 more days than not since mid May. Anyway, dreams are so important sometimes; that one sounds like a good one. Thanks for sharing and letting us know you are well.

sophanne said...

I'm so glad you had a nice dream visit". Those are so comforting. How's the studio/barn thing?

Joyce said...

Good to see you. You have drawn such a vivid picture of your visit with your Mum. Family connections, past and future, are so real.
I, too, am interested in your studio/barn.
Wimbledon week here so we're getting rain and showers(!)

Cindy said...

Aren't those dream/memories wonderful? I cherish mine, too. It's so good to hear from you and you sound great.

sandy said...

my goodness 32 miles sounds like quite a distance, especially there and back! So cool that you had such a vivid conversation with your Mom, love the memories of the ride over hilly terrain.

Northmoon said...

There was a little hill my father would always drive extra fast over, so we could get that floating sensation, then the drop! thanks for bringing back that memory.

Christopher said...

Oh my heck, Annie, about the time you posted this *I* had a dream about you...and your mom was there too - strange, huh, since I met her once 20 years ago....

MichaelM said...

I have many dreams such as this where I am talking or listening to my mom or dad talking and telling as story.
It usually makes me feel closer to them upon awakening but still makes me wonder what is the real truth.
Visiting your blog from the forensic science site.
Will check out some more posts as well.
Both my mom and dad were taken by AD.
We share much in common.
Nice post.
Keep the faith.
Michael

Turtle said...

i had thought of you the other day and wondered how life had been for you of late. I havent been on the computer as much as i used to. I was reading a story about laura ingalls and the history and they kept mentioning places i thought were near to you.