Friends, Family, and Fruitland…again
Truly grateful I am that during my summer here in Utah that I have been able to get away to the Fruitland cabin three times. Special is this place to so many of us. This latest trip had new friends, as well as old ones that I hadn’t seen yet this summer.
When I was a kid, I hated doing chores around the house, and yard work was a special nemesis of mine. As the world turns though, so does my perspective on things of this nature. My brother is the type of person that has a hard time being still and just enjoying the moment. I have never real had this problem. Yet, when we are up at the cabin, I enjoy, nar I say volunteer, to help out with the tasks that need to be done. I wouldn’t be surprised if he sort of wishes I wouldn’t so he can do these things myself. But he needs the help, and he is only eighteen months younger than I am, so it is important for him to share the load. This time I get to mow the front lawn, stain the wood lattice, move an old tree, and spray for underground wasps. It might not sound like something you would be excited to do, but coming from my home in Arizona that is a Xeriscape lawn, these type tasks let me earn my keep as well as give me time with my brother. You never know when it may be your last time together.
We all pitch in to help make dinner each night. Baked zucchini with turkey sausage and potatoes Friday night, and gourmet hamburgers with all the fixings including green chili’s roasted on the spot, a cottage cheese kale salad that was out of this world, and strawberry cheesecake to celebrate a friend’s 77th birthday. The recurring thought of cherishing each moment as it may be the last kept running through my brain like a flashing billboard.
Generations of the boys went fishing Saturday morning, but more about that in another post. We watched golf, talked about the World Cup, and I shared some thoughts about retirement, hobbies to keep me occupied, and ways we can all save money. Some also try to discuss politics, and although most of us are on the same page in our political beliefs, it still can lead to heated debates and discussions. It’s funny how topics I thought would never be conversation pieces are now things that I bond over with the older friends as we watch the day turn to night in the henhouse as we sip our cocktails.
The Fruitland cabin is also a place, at least to me, where one can connect with those that we have lost. Unfortunately, many of us have dealt with loved ones that have passed on much too early, at least for us, and under the brilliant night skies out here we can look up and feel the connection that we had when they were with us.
