The Native Iowan

Life’s pleasing circles…

I see them in all aspects of my life…

Saturday morning on the Hemmer Ranch. Pretty relaxed with one TV playing cartoons, another TV running the Xbox and the “kid’s computer” playing some mod-pop song on Utube. Amazing how two kids require 3 visual toys on at the same time…

We have “plans” to go out today. We have some communal errands to run and we agreed we’d go out for Thai this eve. But that’s not till much later. For now its a slow waddle toward cleaning the house.Which means we have to turn all devices off in order to even contemplate progress… In itself a chore!

Zai decided to go outside early this morn and attack her plants. I am unceasingly amazed on how and when she decides to do things, but she woke up this morn, and initiated a rather large clean up of the back yard. She has a truck load of trimmed greenery cut and strewn all over the yard. And it’s just 10am. I expect her to work herself into a weakened state, come in about noon exhausted and about half compete with her job. I can see I’ll spend this afternoon cleaning up the debris and loading the truck for a trip to what I used to call “the dump” and is now a days called “the recycling centre”.

10 yr-old Angelo is a pretty good helper. Easily distracted he is driving the vacuum cleaner. I enjoy it when I hear the noise from the vacuum sit at a single pitch… upon investigating I will invariably find that Angelo has either opened a book and started reading a page or has picked up a pencil and is sketching something… while standing next to the running machine.

7 yr-old Mendozza is less directable. He simply opposes any directions or instructions. He has something to say about everything and is so dern stubborn. I recently commented that I was amazed how much of my father I see in this young being. And it ain’t all good. But he’s sweeping along the edges and under the bench tops as Angelo comes behind with the machine.

Mendozza was just sweeping under the counters next to me. Angelo must have got too close to the ukulele and picked a couple of notes. Mendozza promptly abandoned his job and goes to make it a duet… leaving the dust pan and brush literally under my feet.

As I see my father in my grandson, I hear my mother in background. Her voice over the sound of the machine as she controls and directs.

Life’s pleasing circles…

I smell my grandmother as she passes by on the scent of the pink bud-roses that grow on the patio. Granny always smelled of roses. I have her bible put away and at times open and slowly savour the scent that is her and still lingers on her well-worn tome.

Life’s pleasing circles…

The other day while tending my tomatoes my father stood near by. Through it all I had visual memories of watching my father do as I was doing. I was trimming and staking and making cages for my plants that are just starting to bear fruit. I talked to myself in low tones as I twisted wire and removed unneeded leaves. The visual was strong and I watched myself through my own eyes of a half century ago.

Life’s pleasing circles…

I recall a situation with my youngest, Paul. He was probably 10 and we were disputing something of huge importance. We were cleaning the house and Paul was not being terribly cooperative. I was the responsible adult on the scene and eventually had to impose my imperial will to what ever was happening .When 10 year-old logic was applied to our mini drama I was asked “why” to which I could only answer “its one of those circle of life things”.

Straight from the Disney movie (I believe it was Hercules, the one with the black  chicks singing blues in the background) where Hades did his neat finger-twirls and said “its one of the circle of life things”…

Paul was not happy. Though he saw the humour in it all he did not like having his argument defeated so quickly. I see the same quick, acerbic wit with the pups I am raising today. Well aware, well-informed but still children and still piecing it all together.

Indeed, it is all about life’s pleasing circles on this fine Saturday morn…

big smiles…