Driving back to Springfield today I was thinking about when I was learning how to drive a car and mom’s car was a 1966 Chevy II Nova.  It had “3 on the tree” and that is what I learned to drive.  My niece Christie, who is 9 months younger than I, taught me how to drive a clutch on the streets of Lowry City.  I also remember my dad teaching me before he passed away, we would drive out in the pasture in his 1963 Ford Falcon but I don’t remember it being a clutch. Mom either didn’t have the patience or just didn’t want to do it, but she never taught me how to drive.  Thank goodness for Driver’s Ed and Mr. Wilson.  He was the Coach for our school and he also taught our class Driver’s Ed.  That man must have had the patience of a saint because I never once remember him yelling at any of us.  I can’t remember who was in the car with us but it seemed like Terry Colley and Lenora Moran.  But then I also remember something with Myra Slaybaugh and Kay Snyder too.  Who knows, like I said the man had patience of a saint!!!  I can honestly say that today I am thankful for those days because now I can either drive both an automatic or a clutch with no problems what so ever!!! 

When I got to Clinton this afternoon and crossed the stop light where 7 Highway goes to Warsaw and 13 goes straight I thought to myself, man that spot is like the Mason Dixon line.  I can’t explain what it is but when I pass through those stop lights it is like I have crossed into another plain.  Another land or something, like I said it is hard to explain.  It could be because that is my childhood memories that I am crossing into, leaving my adult memories behind me.  Two complete different eras or chapters in my life!!!

As I was driving along and crossing the Truman Lake, the lake levels are extremely low.  There are dead trees sticking up out of the water and you can see where the Grand River flowed.  When you get to Osceola you can see the Osage River perfectly and it made me think of the times mom and I would sometimes go home along the river.  Or when the dam was still intact in town and seeing all the fishermen during snagging season, for those of you that do not know what snagging consists of.  It is when the spoonbill spawn and the fisherman would use big poles and snag the fish.  It is only during the spring and the spoonbill would come up river to Osceola and spawn at the bottom of the dam.  It was a big deal in the springtime for our area.  Seeing the lake so low and being able to tell where the rivers flowed made me extremely sad, because so much beautiful land was ruined because of the lake and now all is lost, never to return.  Oh well, they say that is progress but I say it is not. 

Two places I love more than anywhere else is the library and the bookstore.  I am really, really bummed that Borders has closed because I liked them so much, better than Barnes and Noble.  Since I have been down here to Springfield, I haven’t been to a bookstore yet but have been to the library several times.  They have an awesome library here, even equipped with a gift shop that sells old library books long with really, really neat little gift ideas and such.  I usually just get books that are factual or something that can improve my life.  I was talking to a co-worker last week and he said he gets books on tape to listen too because we are on the road so much.  I told him I had been thinking about the same thing but don’t know to much about the authors or titles and don’t know what to listen to.  He said he really likes Stephen King and that his stuff isn’t all scary or supernatural.  He said his favorite is Dream Catcher or something like that.  I went on line looking for a book on tape and got “The Brethren” by John Grisham.  I hope it is good but figure it is a start for me because I would like to get back into reading at least one good book a month.  My problem when I start reading a good fiction book is that I get so into the characters that it takes me a couple of days to get over the entire thing.  Maybe I will write about it here on my blogs.  There ya go, another topic to talk about.  I need something because I am having troubles thinking of things I am thankful for but I do figure it out when it gets time to blog. 

If you guys have something that you think I might like let me know.  I’ll give it a shot but it has to be good and catch me at the beginning.  Its tough keeping me hooked but once I am I am hooked throughout the entire book. 

One of my favorite sitcoms is getting ready to come on.  It is Mike and Molly, if you haven’t ever watched it I have to tell you it is hilarious.  They crack me up and my other favorite is Big Bang Theory but it is on Thursday nights.  I will be back tomorrow night, I promise.  For those of you that love my writings I am not sure why because I don’t feel like I am writing about anything of importance but I do feel good about writing.  I have always loved to write and this is just making me a stronger writer.