Fishing and Freedom

My parents were lifelong fishing enthusiasts. Anywhere they could wet a hook earned visits from them, whether local creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, or places farther from home.

It was often from the bank of a river in Perry County, Mississippi. And of course they took me along. I was enthusiastic about catching, but short on exercising patience when the fish weren't biting. 

As pre-schoolers, my cousin Victor and I always found something to do when Mother and her sisters gathered at the river for fishing and a morning gab fest.

Vic and I loved playing in the huge vacant field where the parents parked their cars. When the adults trekked to the bank of the river, they left us in the field. We thought we were totally free from any adult supervision. 

Years later I was talking to Mother about those adventures. She said the adults always knew exactly where we were and what we were up to. They were far from being helicopter parents. 

One of our favorite things was catching the abundant tiny frogs that populated the field. I remember catching dozens. 

We always found a couple of empty cans that had been discarded. We filled them up with those little frogs. 

I have no memory of our mothers ever letting us take any of those frogs home with us. I assume the mothers insisted that we release our captured frog friends.

Now almost 80 years later, I wondered if that field had been developed. And would I even recognize that long-ago site of childhood adventures. 

Thanks to Hubby for a recent excursion that took us past the field which had seemed enchanted when I was four years old.

Of course that field has changed. Although it has not been developed, half of it closest to the river looks to be heavily wooded. A cousin who lives in the area clued me on on why that field of childhood adventures was never developed. It is prone to flooding.

The adult me no longer has any desire to explore that field or chase down frogs, little or otherwise. I do, however, cherish the patience of a spouse who treated me to a road trip to travel back in time.

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Brrrrr!!

Frigid weather has struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The winter weather we usually enjoy has turned frigid. 

Right now Hubby and I are working on our computers and basking in the warmth from our wood stove. Earlier this morning we bundled up and met friends at Coffee Fusion. 

I'm sorry to say that I skipped the Wednesday morning ladies Bible study that I have been going to for years. But the reality is that age and the effects from my hemorrhagic stroke on Good Friday 2011 have intensified.

Hubby continues to keep us going and doing even though he has health issues, too. We are both counting our multitude of blessings and trusting our Lord.

May your 2024 be filled with blessings large and small.

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An Encouraging Surprise

Evidently becoming reacquainted with blogging is proving to be a challenge. 

I totally forgot to check for comments on my New Year's Day post.Today after breakfast in front of our wood stove, Hubby mentioned I had eight comments on my post.

Hearing from y'all was a thrill. Those comments encouraged me to keep working to relearn the how-to. And another plus was all the comments about your lives and the challenges and joys you are experiencing in this stage of life.

Bless you all with joy and physical and emotional strength in 2024.

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Missing in Action

Hope to catch up soon with the blogs that I have loved to visit. 

Hubby is still periodically scheduling a bit of travel, but these days away-from-home trips are usually followed by several weeks of "recuperation." 

Our recuperation weeks still include travel, local that is. 

There's church, Bible study groups, doctors' visits, and meeting with friends and relatives at Coffee Fusion, and more doctors' appointments. 

I am also attempting to become reacquainted with this laptop and the changes in how things work online.

Maybe I could "rent" a neighbor five-year-old to help me catch up with the technology.

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