Nothing motivates me like knowing that company is coming. I go into get ‘er done gear!
The Leonard, Mathis, McLaughlin, and Altman families will be gathering at our little house on the alley. Many of them have not seen each other since our wedding nine years ago.
Necks will be hugged. Memory lane will be meandered through. Burgers will be flipped by Chef Chuck.
Chuck and his sister, Barbara, are now the patriarch and matriarch of the family. I got to hitch a ride with this family when I married Chuck.
Back to my getting ‘er done.
Three yards of mulch is now laid among the 20-some coleus, begonias, petunias, angelonia, gomphrena and perennials that I have tucked into my flower beds. My eyes smile as I stand across the street and admire my efforts as well as those of my husband. No one mows and edges the lawn like Chuck Leonard. I tell him he gives new meaning to living on the edge.
My love of making lists is one of the peculiar things about me. I actually have a special notebook for lists. In it for this weekend is the list of who is coming, what they are bringing, what I am making, and of course, the ever-so-important grocery list. Does anyone else write down the grocery list according to the aisle layout of the store?
Our screened-in back porch has been scrubbed and decorated. Windows have been Windexed, carpets got their spring shampooing, and the dust of winter has been removed from the nooks and crannies.
Chuck keeps reminding me that much of this isn’t necessary. My response is that I love doing it. Sure, I get tired. My bones and muscles quarrel as to which aches the most. My back reminds me that it would like me to lessen my efforts at my age. Not going to happen.
Now my agenda of all I want to share with our daughter-in-law, Sara, and our granddaughter, Emma, has begun. Living in a town that would be a great Hallmark movie location leaves me with many cozy, fascinating places in which to meander. I want them to get the whole experience while they are here for the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indy 500. My lists keep me on track.
Janet, Sara, and Emma Leonard enjoying time on the porch at Debbie’s Daughters Bakery and Cafe. (Photo provided)
So, while I race around getting ready for their arrival, I try to set my pace at the speed that a 67-year-old woman should go, but the truth is my mind still thinks I am in my 40s. Every so often, while I am ankle-deep in mulch and my bend-over parts are saying, “Enough!” I am reminded that the old gray mare ain’t what she used to be. She’s not ready to slow down when company is coming.
I will even take them on a tour of one of my favorite places in our neighborhood … the graveyard. I tell people that I grew up in the cemetery, Crownland Cemetery. As a kid, my friends and I would ride our bikes on the gravel road throughout the cemetery. To this day, I tell the stories of the people buried there. You know, every plot has a story.
When I show people where my parents are buried, I tell them, “Now, they have my favorite story to tell.” I show them my plot, which is a few feet away. They always look at me a bit funny when I tell them my plot was a birthday gift from my mother a few years ago. After I pass, she wants my body to be close to her and Dad. Even after my death, I’ll be in the same neighborhood where I grew up.
I’ll wave the white flag after our company leaves, and maybe I’ll take a nap. I’ve definitely put in a few extra laps this week. I’ve loved every minute of the race from start to finish.
Yes, I got ‘er done and now I can enjoy our company and the rest of the summer.
Happy Memorial Day, or as my parents called it, Decoration Day!
Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.