Happy Places the Pepper Paul Edition

As I said before, I have a lot of happy places, but these are my happy places with Paul.

First one that comes to mind is the little house on Arch Street in Little Rock. It was the very first house I owned and where all the kids came after leaving the hospital. It's where Paul disappeared and I found him in the refrigerator eating peaches. It's where he took apart an outlet and told me that it bites.  It's where Beth and Paul had miniature John Deere tractors with carts and they would follow their dad around the yard when he mowed. 

Then there was the Scout Reservation outside of Damascus(my favorite speed trap). Paul and I went there for several years usually the third week of June. I watched him turn over a canoe on purpose and right it by himself. I watched him throw an ax with precision beyond his years.  I watched him wake up at dawn to practice swimming and build endurance so that later he could swim a mile. I swam it too just to make sure he was safe and then I had to sit in the pool until feeling returned to my legs so I could walk. I watched wonderful sunsets and amazing sunrises while watching my little boy turn into a caring young man.  It's where I crossed a bridge made of rope to prove I could.

The ballroom. Dancing with my son at cotillion. Him looking so spiffy in his suit and so patient with me and my two left feet. Watching my girls dance so elegantly in dresses with their done in something other than a pony tail. Watching Paul dance with girls and seeing them smile at him. 

Fenton Cave-it's in the mountains near me. It's unbelievably beautiful and going through the cave, you would have thought my son was the parent and not me. He was so worried about me. If I knew what would be expected of me to finish the trip through the cave, I would not have gone, but I'm glad I did. We had to brave frigid water, jump across a divide to continue the trail, fit through a needle's eye, and belly crawl the length of a foot ball field. Good times. 

My home in Jasper. That's right. Lots of happy times with my city kid. There's the dinners were he's arrived just a little bit late-and I've called to see where he's at-oh you know that place with the cows. Watching him take everything in stride. The numerous dogs that sneek into bed at night. The sounds of the country. It might be owls, whipporwills, or coyotes. He just takes it all in and makes everyone laugh.  Here's hoping Jasper can give him something else to laugh about on his 31st birthday.