Life, Labor, Love, Stories from the Porch, and “The Game”!

This blog, hopefully, will help others, simply by knowing our stories from the porch. If you have questions, comments, or a story of your own you’d like to share with us, please give us the opportunity to read and review. Sharing is caring.

I hope everyone had a good Labor Day yesterday. I know many had to work, others were alone, or maybe even sick, and I understand how difficult holidays can be for some of us.  We celebrated on Sunday, since everyone was off work Monday. It was a lovely evening on the porch, and while three of our group were unable to attend, we were fortunate to have three others show up.

I’d like to explain our group. It started with Gary Miller, an old friend from high school and Facebook. He’d been living out of state, but after surviving cancer, losing his longtime partner to melanoma, plus, due to a horrible twist of fate and the will of God and/or the Universe, doctors were forced to amputate what had been a perfectly good leg (before they got hold of it). He decided he needed to be near family. His friends and brothers moved him back here to Oklahoma City. His life, strength and bravery are  fascinating, but I’ll tell more about his Peace Corps years, and travels in other Stories from the Porch.

Christy Borelli and I had also been friends in high school, though I don’t remember that much about it (my excuse is that I’ve traveled so much and lived so many places) as well as FB. And Christy, bless her, she will ask if I remember someone, because I used to date him, and I’ll look at her blankly, shake my head, and she’ll say something like, “It’s okay, he died in Vietnam.” I guess, I just blocked all that from my memory…being in class and the loud speaker coming on, announcing more deaths in a senseless war…girls fleeing for the restroom in tears, parents left broken and bloody…aw, you were lucky to have lived through that. It was a time hard, even now, to explain.

Anyway, Christy went to see Gary, I mentioned I wanted to go next time, Gary said to get in touch with Christy and I did…there it began. Christy is the most genuinely nice, kind person you could ever hope to meet. Beautiful on the inside and out. She keeps us all in line and makes the room light up when she walks in…just don’t mess with her or someone she loves.

The first time they came to the porch, my son, Zach McCall was here, and he hit it off with Gary and Christy…that made 4 of us. Next came Cheryl Fancher Booze. She too, was from Putnam City…she and Gary had connected. She has a story of police harassment, bullying, amazing strength and love that needs to be told. Her son committed suicide, and her husband died, she’s raised 5 children pretty much on her own, and she is so full of love and nurturing, wanting to help the world…Again, beauty inside and out. We are called Gary’s Angels…but Cheryl is the true angel of us all.

Next came another Cheryl Allred…our crazy, funny, amazing cook…watch out for her, and the stories she can tell!!! She was admitted to the hospital yesterday and just called to tell me she has to stay another night. Our prayers and positive energy go out to our cutie!

Me? I have lived several lives. I have battled the IRS, officially since 2007…but it all started in 1999, when I married a narcissistic, sociopath attorney, who was much older than I was, and he began methodically stealing my life out from under me. I’m still in the battle…but I’m blessed to be still able to fight for what is right…and our government is all kinds of wrong…

We are a group of real people. The porch is a sacred place of love, positive energy, and magic. Different people come to different events, and things always seem to work out just as they should. There is no judgment on this porch of mine…if you want unconditional love, that’s the place to be.

I was so blessed that Gary brought a friend, when he came this last Sunday. I fixed Arizona Quiche and the what was my father’s favorite coleslaw. It’s always so nice to meet new people. My daughter, Autumn and granddaughter, Rhiannon, came, got to meet part of my wonderful group, and they were hooked.

I got up this morning around 3:30. It was raining, and I heard the drip, drip of it leaking through the ceiling, and followed the sound to the living room, where water was covering the wood floors and a leather chair. At first, I was annoyed at having one more problem, but I thought about how blessed I was to have my family and friends, so, I grabbed some towels, cleaned up as best I could, left them there to catch anymore leaks, went back to bed, and thanked God and the Universe that I had a roof over my head to leak, and that we were getting some much needed rain. I meditated about everything I was grateful for and fell back asleep.

I woke up to a notice that my latest novella, “The Game”, indeed was published and available on Amazon, then saw the Facebook memory below. It’s the beginning of my daughter’s birthday week, and I get to join Autumn and Zach in Norman to have lunch with Rhiannon, then see her new apartment, and visit her sorority house. Yes, life is indeed good! Look for the blessings and be grateful.

This was a post from last year:

After two trips to the store, 3 hours standing on my feet, 3,000 calories of having to lick the spoons, spatulas, beaters and knives…they’re done. I don’t know why, but there is something so gratifying about making something from scratch for someone you love. Always a family and friend favorite…known to some as “Better than Sex Dessert” it makes me feel good, knowing people love it…worth every calorie. Guess I’m just old fashioned in a lot of ways and a hopeless nurturer.

Hope everyone is having a safe and great Labor Day. Though Autumn Abernathy‘s birthday is on the 6th, 41 years ago, I gave birth to her on a Labor Day Monday, so it has special meaning to me.