2002-12-20 - 9:00 p.m.

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We shall remember them." -Laurence Binyen

The old lady put her things with slowness on the counter for the cash register lady to scan. Her movements were turtle like. I felt like trying to help her empty her cart, but felt it would be rude. She might think I was trying to hurry her. I got a magazine instead trying to act busy and not in a hurry. Actually for once I didn�t have the kids with me and I wasn�t in a hurry. I had spent the last three hours checking out the local flea market and looking for some stocking stuffers in a store locally here in town.

She had two huge bags of cat food under her cart. I imagined her with 100 hundreds of cats all about her loving her when she got home. When they were done they asked her kindly, �Ma�am would you like help out? I was expecting a, �Yes thank you� but she politely refused and slowly walked out pushing her cart. I panicked then. How is she going to lift those bags???? I tried to rush them, to hurry with my grocery�s. I wanted to go out and help her. Insist, �Please Ma�am let me lift those for you� I even forgot to get some extra cash.

Grocery�s in cart I pushed the cart hurriedly past Christmas shoppers who were in a daze. By the time I got outside I was amazed. �By golly that old lady had already loaded her grocery�s in her Truck! I mean truck too! No old lady car for her. The dirty truck was all packed up. The truck being dirty led me to believe she lived out in the country like me. Around here anyone that has a car that lives in the country has a dirty car. They even know when you live on ranch cause your tires will have red mud on it. Anyways there she sat in her seat, seatbelt in driving away! I stood there with my open mouth in amazement. �I�ll be dammed I muttered.

I told my husband this when I got home. He laughed and said, �That�s going to be you when you get old!� I laughed along side him going to object then thought. You know it probably is going to be me lol. I can see myself still pushing my own cart and ramming into people to get out of the way. When you�re old you don�t have to be polite no more! It�s your right to be rude haha.

My niece and I were talking about getting old last night on the phone. She said she pictured herself very old living on an ocean front property painting, living alone and knowing everything. She said she would be very happy. I told her I pictured myself living on the ranch still, barns, fences, and shelters all up, all my fruit and pecan trees full-grown. I sit on my front porch with cookie and pie smells coming from my windows. I wave to incoming cars, in it is probably my daughter Miranda with her kids and husband, and right behind them is my son Tommy with his wife and kids.

I give everyone kisses and hugs and tell my daughter how beautiful she is still and compliment my daughter-in-law. I laugh cause I said my husbands in the background someplace bellowing at the grandkids telling them don�t touch this or that! My house is all beautiful inside no more plastic covers. Though I might wish it with the grandchildren around. I try to keep them outside instead *laughs�

When it gets late and I grow tired I tell them all to go home! Cause I can do that I am old and cranky and I can tell the kids to go home there not mine! Everyone loves to grandma and grandpas house! Its in the country!

Snow bounded - Finding the Ranch, the beginning