Meaningful Moments

November brings sunlight, migrating birds, and a chill in the air, and yet this glorious state of Oklahoma can find summer days in November. Next week we have planned golf tee times for four days out of five. It is refreshing to enjoy so much sunshine and warmth after the ice storm of October, that has left our landscaped scarred. The rising fear of COVID 19 once again has settled into our souls, and we are looking for chances to enjoy friendships in the sun. 

Taking time to breath and relax after chopping, pulling, tugging, and tossing tree limbs, Jack and I took a long walk over the hidden hill, up and down, breathing deeply and laughing when we tired so quickly. On the last hill upward and homeward bound we saw a giant 'kissing tree,' or at least I saw a giant  tree on the horizon filled with mistletoe the size of leaf bags. Needing a chance to slow our pace, I gently tugged on Jack's arm and pointed upwards. He looked at the mass of mistletoe and smiled saying, "I love you." I returned his smile but didn't budge.

Once again pointing upward I asked, "And what is the custom when standing under mistletoe?" Without another word he pulled me into his chest, covered my body with his arms, and planted a sloppy loving kiss on my lips. I just love being in love.

During this week when the world whirled with Presidential controversy, we said yes to babysitting a Goldendoodle puppy nearly four months old. No cliche of my mother's could describe the hysterical mayhem that existed in our quiet home for two and a half days. So innocent, little Miss June Bug appeared.

Her puppy energy flowed indoors and outdoors. Like we did with Lucy, we went outside with our puppy and played ball. It didn't last long because she discovered the torn tassels of the pampas grass broken and strewn all over our yard by the storms. Junie B, as I nicknamed her, carried the flowering tassels in her mouth and ran in a gallop back and forth across the yard. Tiny fluffs of pampas grass floated into the air like children blowing bubbles.

On day two I drove to PetCo and bought chew toys, and oh, did she ever love to tug, growl, and bit at anything that moved, including our feet and ankles. We never quit laughing.

On day three I attempted to sit in on a Zoom meeting. What was I thinking? I did my best to pay attention, but Junie B had other plans, like chew on a golf ball. Not good I tried to explain to her, then she found a squeaky toy that I keep for kids to play with, not good I explained and grabbed it from her.  At last she found a workout ball that she could chew, and occasionally found my sock and ankle to chew on. I lasted forty minutes on Zoom. I can't imagine the view my friends had of me as I continually dropped away from the computer screen to pull something out of the dog's mouth. 

That afternoon, I invited our neighbor to bring her six month old puppy over to play.  

Quinn, Australian Shepherd looks so regal on his footstool, but in action he runs like an Oklahoma dust storm in constant motion, never missing a swirl.  

Watching Junie B trying to run figure eights was a riot. Quickly, Junie B caught on that she would not be able to keep up the race, so she stood crosswise to the running dog and took the passing blows of Quinn, leaving both dogs to roll and tumble. For nearly an hour, Linda and I sat in lawn chairs watching the dogs play. For a moment, I thought back to the days when I sat in the park, a proud young mother watching her daughter play on the slides and swings. She was always a dare-devil in the spirit of play. 

Our minister called to check on us this week. It filled my heart with joy to hear his voice and concerns. I explained that even though we felt apprehensive with the coming months of indoor activity, we had managed to play more golf this summer than in the years when I felt younger. He wished he had an escape like golf.

Ironically, I have golfing friends who sometimes say things like; I am really not competitive, I just like to play golf with friends and be social. I just laugh, because I know that deep down inside each one of my golfing friends has a competitive streak. 

On a warm day this week, with only a hint of a breeze three of us teed off near the ten o'clock hour. Even though I thought I hit the ball with zing and power I found that my short game stumped me. On hole nine, I chunked my favorite chip shot to the green and my head dropped in disgust. "That hurt my ego," I expressed out loud. We laughed. 

On hole thirteen none of us went in the water, but Donna, our five foot tall dynamo out drove me, on a great drive I might add. She nearly danced a jig she was so proud. Naturally, we took a photo with her showing her bitch wings and me pointing to a ball not even in the picture.

Being a non-competitive group of ladies, and that's a tall tale, we continued on our lovely day in the sun sharing stories. On hole number eighteen, the last hole of the day, we teed off and each of us found the fairway with our tee shots. Being able to say that our tee shot is in play (in the fairway), is a great line to use in golf, especially when the leaves have fallen and the rough is littered with brown crumpled leaves that hide golf balls from men and women alike.  

"Ah ha!" Kathy yelled pointing her finger toward the ground, "Look what I did. I just out drove both of you."

With a little imagination look for three golf balls, 
foreground, middle left, and front. 

I am sure glad this is not a competitive group of women golfers, but they are some of the greatest ladies I have ever been blessed to play golf with regularly. And that is most meaningful for me.

Golf Gypsy: Oh, What a Day!

Salina Country Club decorations.

A mathematician might tell the story this way:

Expenses  6/25/13    $ 90.00
                                  250.00
                                  200.00
                                $540.00
Income   6/25/13          -3.00 
Total cost                $537.00  excluding gas

But the reader might miss the story with simple numbers.

Instead, the day was  filled with moans, ah ha's, four letter expletives, cheers, and lots of laughter.  It began with a benign early morning retreat to the hot tub with the moon shining down and the orioles chirping over the orange marmalade.  By 6:15 in the morning I was driving to Salina to meet my friend, Peggy Anderson, for a golf tournament.  Other than a flare of road rage from a trucker over another trucker the drive was uneventful, and I managed to pick Peggy up at the Subaru dealership, where her car was being serviced, and drive to Salina Country Club.

The tempo began to change at a stop light on Crawford, one mile from the club,  when the policeman behind me on a motorcycle glaringly flashed his lights in my rear view mirror; I could have sworn sirens were blaring, but why me?  A block later I pulled over and learned that driving 50 in a 40 mph zone caused the uproar and a ticket.  What was I to do, but sign on the line and smile.  He said, "I hope you can manage to have a good day, it's going to be a scorcher."    I just thought, I'm on my way to a golf tournament with a friend, it will be a good day.  Besides I knew he had another 40 years of work facing him, and those black uniforms must be hot.  (cost $90)

The formalities of a golf tournament, registration, practicing, following the rules and time schedule flowed smoothly.  My mind began to think of Ben Hogan's phrase, "Always walk slowly to the first tee and set the tempo for yourself."  However, at the first tee I discovered that my Bushnell range finder was missing from my bag.  Even though my body had moved slowly and gracefully, my mind began to race and fret over the lost item. With some deep yoga breathing, I decided I was in control of myself and could either enjoy the day or lose my concentration and my game.  Off and for several holes I dug throughout my bag knowing I would NEVER lose such a needed item.  At last I called Prairie Dunes, when I had a free moment.  No one had turned in a lost range finder, and believe me I checked for messages throughout the day.  I texted my husband, "Please look in the garage. I must have cleaned my bag and left it there."  Several holes later the reply read, "No range finder."  Frustration led to acceptance...this must be an age thing! (replacement cost $250.)

I kept looking for silver linings and found it in a perfect 3 wood shot.  I hit my 3 wood as far as my driver and had been shopping for a new driver even though I knew it would cost nearly $200.   I was willing to try anything to get more yardage.  In that perfect swing, I had a talk with myself.  "How did I do that and why don't I do that with my driver?"  The next hole I hit my driver, like my three wood, meaning I kept my left knee down and flexed, hips level, and rotated through to the target line!  Ah, Ha!  Just like that my driver began to go the distance and my heart and head fluttered with excitement.  (I had just saved myself or Jack $200)  The day was not a disaster.

Next, I hit a target focues 8 iron to a par three with the wind behind me and made a birdie putt.  Since, my friends and I are in the "2 Club" I earned $3.00 with that putt.  Cheers and jubilation!  (Earned $3.00 toward paying off my ticket.)

Daisy dishes for prizes.

Eighteen holes later we returned our clubs to the car, searched again for the missing range finder, checked for replies, asked in the clubhouse, then walked into the dining room proud of our golf game, but dejected over the range finder that I had lost.  The meal at Salina Country Club was delicious, as always, the decorations creative, and then they called our names for 2nd place in our flight, and my name for closest to the pin on the par 3 where I won my $3.00  Cheers again.  (Received two blue daisy designed bowls and a plate for serving appetizers.)  I knew it would be a fun day.

At last, we were ready to leave, but my heart skipped a beat when my fingers did NOT find the car keys in my purse.  I grimly smiled and grumbled at Peggy, "Can't find my keys!"  Hopping back out of the car onto the steamy hot asphalt pavement, I was too tired and too mad to pull out both bags and dig, so instead I walked over to the back right door (SUV's allow this)  and opened it.  From there I could reach into the pockets on my golf bag and dig for the keys.  Suddenly, my fingers touched a solid object.  Frustrated words began form on my lips as I pulled out the missing range finder, that had somehow slipped up and out of touch with my compartments on the golf bag.  "Peggy," I screamed, "I found it.  All the time it's been in my bag!" then I slammed the car door shut.

Peggy calmly asked, "What about the keys, Letty?"  I stopped, laughed, and once again reached into various pockets on the golf bag until I found the keys.  Now we could drive to the Subaru dealership and poor Peggy could drive home without anymore excitement from her friend that day.  (Finding the range finder saved us $250.)  Oh, what a day!

A check for $90 will be in the mail tomorrow to the Municipal Court in Salina, KS.

Golf, it's not that hard.

Letty Stapp Watt
historian, golfer