Stick Horse Cowgirls

Decades ago when I was a young, idealistic lawyer, I would handle just about any case that walked through the door with money.  Really, I had no choice as I was assigned by senior management of the firm.  As my practice built I did what most lawyers do and honed it down to the areas I enjoy most and for which I believe I am best suited. I lopped off bankruptcies, and most business transactions went by the wayside.  Both of these are too boring for me.  I must require a larger-than average dosage of human drama, because I sure get a lot of it in family law.  One area that was drama-filled but also got cut from my list was criminal law.  I just had trouble relating to the clients.  I recall being given the task of determining if we could help someone who claimed he was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder because he had an unfair trial. I was sent to our state prison to interview him.  Facts of the Case : The victim had refused to pa...

I love red birds! I've always heard that seeing one meant company was coming--it's a sign of good news! I hope so! I'm not expecting any company, but good news would be nice!! As "C" described in her last post, we had rainstorms for most of the this weekend, and my mood has been dampened along with my yard. Our lawn is saturated; large branches have fallen and the dogs track in mud. The brief period it did not rain, I arrived at home and noticed that my dog, Dudley, was alerting me to something in the front garden. Since we live out in the country, my first suspicion was that it was a snake. Dudley was bitten by a poisonous snake a couple of years ago, his head swelled painfully and he HATES snakes!! I figured that his behavior indicated the presence of a snake. I went into the house to unload my packages, answered my cell phone, but Dudley's continued frantic barking from up on the porch compelled me to go take a look. Sure enough, coiled up in my garden amon...

Last night was an “active” meteorological night, as spring nights often are in this state.  I was up just a tad later than usual watching the weather.  We are too far out in the country to have weather sirens.  I am thankful for our television weather coverage. I phoned MIL to ask if she would like to join me—she declined, stalwart that she is.  We missed the tornado activity, it moving through on the opposite side of our city, leaving some devastation in its path.  As I write this, it is early morning and I am only getting a smattering of reports, but it seems that there was damage and perhaps death in some parts of our state.  Every spring’s business here.  Growing up, I used to talk to my California cousins when they came to visit, wondering how they could possibly make through each day when their state was slated to fall off the continent at any moment.  "You’ll be carried off by a tornado before that happens!” was their frequent rej...

Recently I had a family in my office, gathered around my young-father client who was experiencing marital difficulties.  This son of the family was going through a divorce he did not want, and his parents were present because they are loving, involved grandparents.  Sometimes I see parents of my grown clients who are really running the show behind scenes; and I have to separate them, visiting with my client alone, guiding him or her notwithstanding the parents’ inappropriate input.  But I did not sense that situation here.  No, these were sane, rati onal grandparents who were present because the breakup of their son’s marriage was a family tragedy, and there are young children involved.  These grandparents were focused on the children; they were not bashing the young wife who was intent on leaving; they were not jockeying for financial position.  They were worried, sincerely, about the kids.  They were saying things like, “ We wish she would go t...

Earlier this week I posted about my special granddaughter, "J", and the wonderful day we had with our little picnic at the park. There wasn't time to tell about all the things that make her special, but on the occasion of her birthday, I wanted to take the time now to write about just that! I've often lamented to my family that my dad isn't alive so he could have known "J". I just know that he would have loved her and appreciated what is so unique about her. "Some people are just naturally funny", he would say. And "J" fits that bill! Like the image ingrained in my memory of two and a half year old "J" standing on a chair at the kitchen sink, washing dishes in a sink full of bubbly suds. She was wearing a purple fairy costume with sequins, topped by a purple cone hat with flowing purple scarves (vision a damsel in distress costume)! She scrubbed those toy dishes over and over! Two years later, I see her kneeling at the batht...

Keep your friends close.  I mean it!  Those who have been reading this blog for very long know that V and I are close.  We talk almost everyday.  We go way— waaaaay —back!  That picture on the right is my fourth birthday party.  That’s V on the left with me, the birthday girl, in the light-colored frock, both of us blowing party noise makers.  She and I can both describe my birthday cake to you—it was a circus “Big Top” cake, and we were so very impressed with it. Because of our long history, V knows things about me I’d rather you didn’t—no matter, I know some things about her, too, so my secrets are safe!  And she is a loyal, wise friend; I never doubt that. I don’t know what I’d do without V; she has been unbelievable support through the trials of my last couple of years. And she’s non-judgmental, too! Take  the other night.  On a whim and at last minute, I decided to have MIL and V and her husband, R, to dinner.  Must try...

Several weeks ago on a beautiful Saturday morning, hubby and I picked up our only granddaughter "J", from a birthday slumber party. We took "J and our dog, Dudley, to a local park to have a little fast food picnic! "J"'s mother, our eldest daughter, had just gotten out of the hospital for pregnancy complications and had undergone an ultrasound revealing the gender of her unborn child (YAYYYY, it's a GIRL!!!!!!),due this July. Granddaughter "J "and I had shopped for the birthday gift; hungry, tired and cranky kindergarten brother in tow! Wasn't I just doing this myself for my own three kids a few years ago?! Anyway, the gift was chosen, wrapped in the parking lot, card signed and we delivered "J" to the party just in time! The next morning, after picking "J" up, off to Pinnacle Mountain Park we went --yes, it is a "little" mountain as mountains go, but hubby and I climbed to the top summer before last which was...