Margret Sloan

The past two days have been unbearably hot. Yesterday it was 108 degrees and today it hit 111 degrees, and I think it topped out just about the time that we arrived at the cemetery and had to stand out in the blazing sun for the graveside ceremony. Thankfully, we had a little of the legendary high plains wind to take the sting of the sun away.

I’m sure the heat isn’t so bad if you get used to it, but we are accustomed to being inside an air conditioned house or office. My sister-in-law has air conditioning, but a lot of the old farmhouses out here do not. She keeps the thermostat much higher than we do at home, and it was uncomfortably warm the entire visit. I would much rather be too hot than too cold, but I sure wish there had been a more gradual adjustment to the temperatures.

It seems there is always some wind, which is very different from back home. The wind is a good thing for a lot of reasons and one of the most unique and rewarding good things is that some companies are now harnessing that wind by erecting huge wind turbines. They look like space age windmills and are generating electricity for the power companies.

My sister-in-law has a lovely little home in a close-knit neighborhood. Everyone has come over to say hello and they’ve brought enough food to feed an army. One neighbor even cut the grass for her without asking or any fuss about it. That’s one of the nice things about living in a small town – you get a lot of support from friends and neighbors when you have bad things happen in your life.

The florist has brought flowers and plants to her home and also to the funeral home. I’m not sure what I can do to help, but hubby is really glad to be here.

Even though she’s technically living “in town” her property backs up to a huge farm. Here’s a picture I snapped from her backyard as the sun was going down:

Wow, we finally arrived after two longs day’s drive. Hubby did all the driving – I think he needed the driving to keep his mind and hands busy so he doesn’t dwell on the fact that we are going to his mother’s funeral. We got all the way to Shawnee, OK before we caved and found a hotel room to get some sleep.

Luckily, there were plenty of billboards along the highway and we knew there would be a Hampton Inn at the Shawnee exit. We’ve had several good experiences at Hampton Inns now that they’ve upgraded their properties and their bedding. The beds are incredibly comfortable – it is like sleeping on a warm cloud. Plus, most of them offer a complimentary full breakfast in the morning, with sausage patties and hot eggs and a full array of other breakfast foods, including hot and cold cereals, pasties, yogurt, fresh fruit and very tasty coffee.

We got into LaVergne about 4:00 in the afternoon and found my sister-in-laws house very easily. We are settling in and expect to be pretty busy over the next couple of days. It’s nice to be here but wish it wasn’t for a sad occasion.