Gabe left us a message yesteray. Sorry, son but didn't get it until this morning. Wondered if Jason had mowed our lawn yet? WHAT???? Mowing in March in Warsaw, Indiana? That's a question I never dreamed of answering. Snow removal, yes....mowing. No. Gabe said he'd already had to mow once. That whole picture is hard for me to comprehend. I talk to my family quite a bit and they tell me how "hot" it is and how they have their windows open already. I can remember Jack and I moving to Elkhart, Indiana on a Friday, during the middle of March back in the 70's. We had a U-Haul full of our belongings and a head full of dreams. What we hadn't expected was the blizzard that hit Northern Indiana the day we hit the road. What normally was a 3 hour drive turned in to a 3 day nightmare. We spent hours and hours and hours stranded. No one was going anywhere. We had packed nothing to eat and as all women know a pottie break doesn't wait. Peeing in the snow, while Jack draped a sheet over the door frame for me, gave me the feeling that this young marriage just may work out against all odds. One night we slept in a stranger's home. We were able to make it to LaGrange, Indiana and to the police station. We just wanted some warmth and some food. The police officer on duty called a local volunteer fireman and asked him if he and his wife could put us up for the night. Without a moment's hesitation they welcomed us in to their home. Fed us a warm meal and gave us a wonderful bed to sleep in for the night. She was an art teacher in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They had no children so their second story was closed off to save energy. It was FREEZING cold upstairs but under the warmth of her beautiful, homemade quilts and each other it made a memory that I can still recall today with vivid clarity. The next morning they asked us to stay another night but since Jack had a new job starting on Monday he wanted to "try" to make it to Elkhart. We made it very, very late the night before Jack was to start his new job. I felt so bad for Jack. But that wasn't the last time in snowed in March or April.
I can still remember Gabe's 18th birthday. May 26, 1993. It was very cold. We had to turn the heat on to thaw our noses. A "friend" of his and I posted "Happy Birthday" signs along the road from his high school to home. To further embarrass him, I dressed like an old lady and acted like a cranky and bitchy customer with him while he was a host at Bob Evans. At first he didn't realize it was me but soon caught on. The whole staff at Bob Evans was in on the hoax. That's how I remember that particular day. That, plus I have it on tape and our baby was now 18 years old. A huge day for mom and dad. And I'm sure an even bigger day for Gabe. He started R.R. Donnelly within a week of turning 18 years old. He will be at Donnelly this June for 19 years. I think my dates are correct. Dates I suck at; memories of my sons and family I hold dear to my heart.
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| Gabe and Mammaw Barnes |
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| Gabe and Grandma Miller |
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| Gabe and Jason in Yellowstone National Park |
The point is these 80 degree temps in March are crazy mad temps. Mark my word; it will snow in few weeks and all of the budding Spring flowers and trees will freeze. Been there, done that many years. While the flowers may still bloom their color will be weak and the blooms will be sparse. Mother Nature must be going through menopause. How else can you explain all of this record setting weather in Warsaw?
We miss you, son. So much. And thanks for keeping us up-to-date one the weather conditions if Warsaw.
