Swimming Pool Brings Back Memories

Two weekends ago my parents were putting up an above ground swimming pool. This is the third above ground pool they have assembled and I do believe I heard my dad say it would be the last one he put up! The first one was purchased and erected on our farm many years ago. I was probably in middle school or maybe just a bit younger. I don't really remember swimming in it much. I am deathly terrified of wasps so my guess is all the wasps flying around landing on the water freaked me out so I just avoided getting in the pool. I'm still deathly afraid of wasps, but I will get in the pool now, but I tend to scream when they fly close to me! The second pool was assembled just a few years ago on the same family farm and I would venture to guess that my mom got in the pool almost every day from May through some time in October. It was a great way for her to cool off. Whenever we were visiting them we'd swim and cool off too. In December 2012 my parents moved next door to us in Hutchinson. My dad said he WAS NOT tearing down the pool to bring it with them so my mom saved her money and bought another one. Thus, about three weeks ago my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my husband and I erected another above ground swimming pool. It took us all day. I have not used it much yet, but have jumped in a couple of times after my workouts. That is a quick way to cool off after working up a sweat.

You can take the man off the farm, but you can't take his boots away from him!

As we were working on putting up this pool it reminded me of an incident that happened when we were putting up the first one. Since I was so young I'm sure I wasn't much help, but my mom's cousin, Judy, and her family were here visiting from Colorado and they were helping. Judy has a daughter, Alisha, who is just four years younger than me so we always hung out together. I'm sure it was a hot humid day when this pool construction was going on so everyone was probably sweating buckets. For some reason Alisha and I were sitting on the couch in the living room. We were probably told to scram because we were just getting in the way. Anyway, Judy came into the house walked through the kitchen and started into the living room. As she walked through the entryway into the living room she just fell forward and landed, sprawled out, on her stomach. Alisha and I just kind of laughed at her. I genuinely thought she had tripped on the shag carpeting as she entered the living room. We just sat there for a few minutes waiting for her to get up, but she didn't move. I'm not sure what Alisha and I did during the time she wasn't moving but after a few minutes Judy kind of stirred, sat up, looked at us and said, "Why are you just sitting there, why didn't help me?" She had passed out from the heat and humidity! Poor Judy, nobody would help her in her time of need. This story brought a smile to my face as I remember my mom's cousin, Judy.

Judy passed away on Dec. 31, 2012. Her daughter Alisha just came for a visit and it is the first time Alisha came without her mom. My mom spent a lot of time with Judy as she was growing up. Mom has always said she was more like a sister than a cousin. Because my mom and Judy were so close, over the years I've spent a lot of 3 day weekends and weeks during the summer with Judy & Alisha and the rest of the Nolder family.

I have a lot of fond memories from those times. I remember:

• Alisha's bunny birthday cake covered in coconut ~ I hate coconut.
• Chad getting in trouble, Monty dragging him out from under the table spanking him all the way to his room while Alisha and I snickered. We quickly stopped that when Monty looked at us and said, "Do you want to be next?"
• Vacationing in the mountains with the Nolder family.
• During said vacation Judy and Mom set mouse traps in the cabin and caught a chipmunk. Alisha and I called them murderers.
• Uncle Junior always gave us silver dollars or at least half dollars.
• Judy was always so stylish and dressed to the nines.
• Aunt Doris getting a flat tire while on her way back to town from the ranch and no one noticed that she didn't call to say she had arrived home safely. She was a little upset that she had to sit in the car for two hours before someone came and rescued her.
• Going out to the freezer in the garage, opening the door and seeing a coiled rattle snake! Yes, it was a real one, caught alive and put in the freezer. 
• Lamar and the local areas were experiencing a drought one summer. We went to visit and went to the rodeo. They got tons of rain that night, luckily we didn't park the van in a ditch or it would have had water inside of it!
• Judy was a perfectionist, probably more so than me. By golly when you did work for her you better do a good job or she would make you redo it! She had a beautiful house and her yard and flower gardens were outstanding.
• Judy loved God and lived her life for Him. She was not ashamed to let people know it either.

Judy and Janet (Mom)

I have to say my life was truly blessed by knowing Judy and I think of her often. I also think of my cousin, Alisha and how difficult it must be for her as she navigates her life without her mom. I know Judy is rejoicing in Heaven with Jesus and in that respect I have peace, but that doesn't mean I don't miss her.

Teri, Judy, Amy and Alisha (Summer 2012)