SAYING GOODBYE

I was standing by my couch trying to get the best possible light, before snapping a picture, when my husband Steven came in. “Why are you taking a picture of our couch?”

“Because everyone takes pictures when they go on vacation.” I said matter-of-fact.

Steven looked confused. “We didn't go anywhere.”

“You might not have gone anywhere but...” I patted the arm of the couch. “Spring break 2019 was spent on this baby.” I sighed. “And it was wonderful!”

Steven shook his head and laughed. “But why the picture?”

I moved the pillows and draped the blanket in that causal, I-just-got-up look. “Because when I get back to school and everyone's showing their photos of all the beautiful places they visited I want to have something to show too!” I snapped another picture and checked to see if I liked it. “That's a keeper.”

“It's our couch.” Steven just shook his head.

“Hey! This was one of the best Spring breaks I've had in a long time!” I smiled as I fluffed the pillows. “I read a few books, binge watched some shows, ate anything I wanted, and then to top it all off I napped!” I looked over at Steven. “When my school friends show me their pictures of Disney or any other theme park vacations I'll be able to look into their exhausted eyes and show them this!” I turned my phone around and showed him my couch picture. “You know I'll be the envy of them all when they look into my well rested eyes.”

“What if they went to a relaxing beach resort?” Steven said with a laugh.

“Still have them beat!”

“How?”

“I didn't have to pack, fly there or get into a bathing suit this early in the season! And I spent most of my days in my pj's!” I smiled as I sat down on couch and wrapped the blanket around me. “Totally winning!”

Steven laughed as he sat down next to me. “I did appreciate that you showered every day.”

“Hey! I'm not an animal!” I laughed.

“Well, I'm glad you had a nice break.”

“Yeah.” I sighed “The only problem I'm having right now is saying goodbye.” I lovingly moved my hand over the cushion. “It's been awesome.” I whispered to the cushion.

“You do know you'll see the couch when you get home from work?” Steven raised his eyebrows. “Right?”

“It won't be the same.” I leaned back and put my feet up on the coffee table. “Sitting here after a day of work is me fighting to stay awake long enough to make dinner.”

“Well, it won't be long before you'll have Summer break and you can go right back to your favorite piece of furniture.” Steven patted the cushion before he got up.

I shook my head. “This isn't my favorite piece of furniture in the Summer.” I couldn't believe he knew so little about me.

“Wait!” Steven turned around. “It's the rocking chair on the back porch! I knew that.”

“Exactly!” I smiled as I leaned back and watched Steven go into the kitchen. Then I patted the cushion next to me again. “But, just remember, you were my favorite this whole past week.” I whispered.

SHARE YOUR MEMORIES

I'd clicked on my Facebook account and the first thing that popped up was a picture I'd taken the year before on a trip my sister and I had taken to the Netherlands. “Oh, my gosh! I can't believe its already been a year!” I cried to myself.

I went to find the photo album I'd put together so I could enjoy the whole experience again. The album held 300 pictures so I needed both hands as I grabbed it off the shelf. I went back to the couch to settle in and revisit my trip.

Just then my son Alex walked past me.

“Hey!” I called as I patted the cushion next to me. “Want to look at the photos with me?”

Alex looked over his shoulder. I could only assume he was hoping I was talking to someone else. When he realized I was talking to him he shrugged his shoulders. “Um-mm, not really.”

“Oh, come on!” I cried and patted the couch cushion again. “It'll be fun! I promise!”

My husband Steven came around the corner. “I have to run to a job site.” he said as he headed the front door. He looked at Alex. “You want to take a ride?”

Alex couldn't help but smile. “Sure!”

“Oh, man!” I looked over at Steven. “He was going to look at my photos with me!”

Steven laughed and looked at Alex. “Looks like I just saved you! You're welcome.”

“Hey!” I cried.

Alex came over and kissed me on the top of my head. “Love you, but I gotta' go.”

As soon as they left I began looking through the album but, I really wanted to share it with someone.

I picked up my phone and called my sister Liz.

When she answered I didn't even give her a chance to say “Hi”. “Do you know it's a year ago today that we landed in Amsterdam?” I asked.

“Wow, that year sure went by fast.”

“I know! So I have my photo album here and I was wondering if you wanted to look at the pictures with me?”

“You put your photo album together already?” I could hear her sigh. “I haven't even figured out what photos I want to put in my book.”

“Oh, I don't do photo albums like you.” I corrected. My sister put together very elaborate books through Shutterfly. “Mine's in a album that hold 300 pictures.”

“Oh, you just dumped then in one of those albums.” She sounded revealed.

“Hey! I wouldn't say dump! I very lovingly placed each one in it's plastic sleeve.”

Liz laughed. “So how am I going to see your pictures?”

“Let's FaceTime!” I looked on my phone and tapped the FaceTime picture. “Nothing's happening.” I said. I was confused. “Does yours work?”

Liz seemed confused too. “Mine won't let me Facetime with you. Do you have it shut off in your settings?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I don't know. I've never used it.” I went in my settings. “Got it!” I held the phone over the album. “Remember we went to Anne Franks Annex on the first day?”

“Yup.”

I moved the phone to the next photo. “Remember this is where we ate lunch?”

“I remember.”

I turned the phone around so I could see her. “Are you really looking at the pictures?”

Liz laughed. “Yes!”

“Okay, because you don't sound as excited as I am to relive this trip!” I turned the phone around so she could see the photos again. “Only 298 more photos to go!” I thought I heard a small sigh but I choose to ignore it. “Remember all the houseboats?”

HAWK HARMONY

My son Alex and I were enjoying a beautiful sunny day on our back deck, when I looked up in the sky and saw several hawks gliding above.

“Aren't they beautiful?” I said as I pointed to them swooping and turning in the breeze. “They look like Cooper Hawks.”

Alex looked up squinting. “There sure are a lot of them this year.”

I thought about that for a moment and realized he was right. “I wonder why?”

Alex shrugged his shoulders. Then pointed to our bird feeders. “Setting up a self serve buffet for them might have something to do with it.”

I could hear a Cooper Hawk calling out. “Do you hear that?” I got up from my chair to go to the edge of our porch trying to find him in our trees. “Do you see him?” I asked.

Alex looked up. “Why do you assume it's a he?”

“Because it's mating season and it's the male who usually calls out.” I had my hand up to my forehead trying to block the glare.

“How do you know these things?” I could hear the surprise in his voice.

I looked over at him. “What can I say?” I shrugged my shoulders. “I like nature.” I looked over at the two mourning doves waddling around under our feeders. I waved my arms around. “SHOO!” I cried. “Get out of here! You don't want to be a hawk's lunch!” The two doves flew away, the flapping of their wings sounding like tiny squeaky toys. I went and sat back in my chair. “Whew, that was close.”

Alex looked over at me. “You know the hawks need to eat too.”

“I know.” I sighed. “I just don't want to watch it happen.” I rested my head on the back of my chair. “Remember last year when I went out to fill the feeders and there was a pile of mourning dove feathers on the ground?” I shuttered. “You know they mate for life and his poor spouse spent the rest of her summer sadly wandering around alone.” I sighed again.

Alex shook his head. “Once again, how do you know the hawk got the male and not the female.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I just assumed.”

We sat quietly, watching the birds at the feeders when Alex looked over at me again. “Have you noticed there aren't many squirrels around lately?”

I scanned our woods. “You know you're right.” I began looking around some more. “Come to think of it, I haven't seen any rabbits either.” I got up and went down the deck steps to check around the perimeter of the house.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked.

“Looking for chipmunk burrows.” I looked in all their usual spots. “There's no fresh holes!” I cried. I looked at Alex as he leaned on the railing watching me. “No rabbits, no squirrels, and now no chipmunks!” I looked up at the hawks swirling overhead. “DAMN YOU COOPER HAWKS!”

Alex started to laugh. “Ten minutes ago you were saying how beautiful they were!”

“Ten minutes ago I hadn't noticed they were eating all my other little friends!” I came back up on the deck and sat down. “This stinks.”

“Don't worry. Once the hawks clear out the neighborhood they'll move on.” Alex patted me on the shoulder. “Then maybe your chipmunk friends will come back.”

“Maybe they're not getting eaten!” I looked hopefully at Alex. “Maybe they're just hiding and waiting for the hawks to move on.”

Alex got up to go inside but first stopped to kiss me on the top of the head. “You're right. That's how nature works.”

Once Alex had gone in I looked around the woods again hoping I'd see my chipmunks. I sighed when I didn't see any, and looked up once again at the swirling hawks. “Sometimes I hate nature.” I whispered.

BEE KEEPERS

My son Alex and I were sitting on the front porch enjoying a little sun when my husband Steven came out to join us. “What a beautiful day!” he said as he leaned on the railing. He looked down at a dandelion trying to grow in a crack in the sidewalk. “Oh, you have to go.” he said as he leaned down to pull it out.

“No! Don't!” I cried. “It's the first dandelion of the season!”

“I know and I want to catch it before it turns into a puffball and blows seeds all over our yard!” Steven pulled it out by it's root and held it up for me to see.

“But they say those are the first flowers the bees need.” I sighed.

“Oh, speaking of bees...” he tossed the dandelion over the railing then looked back at me. “I saw a bee house for sale at Costco.”

“Bee house?” I was a little skeptical. “I'm not a big fan of getting stung.”

“You were just trying to feed them dandelions,” Steven shook his head. “but you don't want to give them a house?”

I shrugged my shoulders as I picked up my phone and Googled Costco bee house. “Hey! Here it is!” I turned my phone around for Alex to see. “It looks like a cute little barn!” I began scrolling through the site. “It attracts the Mason bee.” I looked over at Steven. “They say they're gentle and non-aggressive!”

“See, I told you.” Steven said.

I looked over at Alex and smiled. “I'm going to be a beekeeper!” I cried.

“Well, that's not entirely true.” Steven shook his head.

“What do you mean?” I was confused. “We're getting bees, so I'm going to be a beekeeper.”

“We're not actually getting bees.” He leaned back on the railing. “We're getting a bee house to attract the bees.”

I shook my head. “Okay, fine. But once the bees come then I'll be one, right?”

Steven shook his head again. “Nope. Still won't be one.”

“Oh, come on!”

Now it was Alex's turn to show me his phone. “I just Googled beekeeper.”

I took his phone from him. “A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect their honey and other products that the hive produce like beeswax and bee and flower pollen.” I handed him back his phone. “So what do the Mason bees do?”

“They're spring pollinators.” Steven was reading from Google too.

“So isn't that what honey bees do?”

“Yes, but they're also protecting a hive so they can get aggressive.”

“Nope, don't want that.” Alex chimed in.

“Okay, fine.” I sighed. “I won't be able to call myself a beekeeper.”

“You're helping the bee population. Isn't that enough?” Steven laughed.

“I guess.” I sighed.

“You can call yourself an environmentalist.” Alex suggested. “You are helping them.”

I thought about that for a moment.

“Or the manager of a bee flophouse.” Steven added.

I looked over at Steven. “Thanks, but I think I'll go with environmentalist.”

Steven shrugged his shoulder. “Suit yourself.”