hopelessly ordinary

More Excitement

2012-01-11T10:02:00.000-06:00

We have had another exciting, joyful event in our lives.

Emily's boyfriend, Anthony, planned a surprise proposal. He decided that he wanted to be surrounded by the love of friends and family when he asked Emily to marry him.

As you will see, she was totally taken off guard. The video is long, but the actual proposal part is only a couple of minutes.

Skip to about 1:30 - that's when Em walks in the door - the back door! We were waiting for her to come in the front, but it worked out ok.

Then after the proposal is just a bunch of hugging and misc. footage so you can ignore that part, too.

Have fun!

I'm editing this a day later because I was with Emily last night and when I told her that I had put the video on my blog she asked, "Did you tell them the story?"

Well. No. I thought the video was explanation enough.

"You mean you didn't even tell them why he wrote a poem - that was one of the sweetest parts!"

So, the reason for the little poem in the proposal: The way Anthony asked Emily out on their first date was by having a stuffed animal delivered to her college dorm room. The little monkey was holding a card on which was written a cute poem asking her if she would go on a date with him to the zoo.

Tada! Happy Em? :)

And Our Grandbaby is Going to Be......

2011-12-26T08:15:00.002-06:00

We Skyped with our son and daughter in law while we opened a package that would tell us the sex of their baby.

The video is long, but we open the box in the first few seconds. The rest is just a lot of squealing and talking and crying and noisy joy.

Ya think that we are a little bit excited?!

How To Choose A Grandparent Name

2011-10-03T10:09:00.001-05:00

Grandmother, grandma, mawmaw, memaw, nana, nanny, grammaw, mamaw...how does one decide?

It takes 9 months for a baby to be born. As soon as the parents find out that they are expecting they start agonizing over what to name their precious newborn. It's a hard decision - fraught with peril and pitfalls.

Choosing a grandparent name is almost as difficult! I've recently been poring over lists of grandmother and grandfather names. There are traditional names, fun names, trendy names. My husband, Kevin, claims that he wants to be called Special K. He's joking. He had better be joking. His second choice is G-Daddy. Ummm. You aren't a rapper, dear.

Some people claim that you should let the child pick the name.

Uh. No.

I plan to give a little guidance!

Here's why: In the past it was common in southern families for the grandparents to be called mother or mama (last name) and daddy (last name). My great grandmother was known as Mama Thompson, but when my father turned two or so he couldn't say Mama Thompson and shortened her name to Mason. We spelled it Mason, but it was pronounced Mah-son. Her husband was called Daddy Thompson by the older people, but became Tompie to the younger grand and great grand children. Tompie was a cute name. Mah-son...not so much.

So in order to avoid Mah-son or something equally bad I'm going to pick a name for myself.

I don't know. I'm still leaning towards Nana. It's common, I know. But it also doesn't sound too old. I'll still be 50 when I become a grandmother for the first time.

Oh.

Did I mention that I'm going to be a grandmother?

I'm going to be a grandmother!!!!!!!!!

We are thrilled. We've known for about a month now, but have just recently been given permission to make the news "public." Hah! As if this blog is public.

We are so excited and so happy for Chris and Andra. They are about 9 weeks along now and have had their first doctor's appointment. Their precious baby is due May 8. He or she is already so loved. We can't wait!

So...What is your grandmother name? Or what do you hope for it to be?

The Bad Wife Award

2011-09-29T09:04:00.000-05:00

I turned 50 on August 27.

50!

If you've been reading my blog lately you might already suspect that I was NOT handling it well. Definitely not happy about this birthday. Like, really, really not happy. You know...August and struggling with my mortality and my failures and aging and blah, blah, blah. Issues. I have issues.

About a week before the big day I started to get the feeling that my husband was planning something. I wasn't sure what was going on, but it was obvious that something was in the air. That panicky, fluttery feeling started up in my stomach. Oh dear me. Could he possibly be considering a surprise party?

I HATE surprises.

I HATE being the center of attention.

I LOVE having people in my home and I'm actually a good hostess. But here's the deal...I like having people in my home when I'm cooking for them and doing for them and trying to make them comfortable - NOT when they are in my home to do something for me.

Of course, rather than addressing the situation directly I skirted all around the trouble spot, spending time dropping hints and trying to figure out what was being planned. I put on a pretense of being nonchalant and casually mentioned to my daughters that I really, really wouldn't want a surprise party for my 50th birthday. They got the "deer in the headlights" look and I knew the truth. So I pressed and repeated, "Like, seriously now, the last thing I would want for my 50th is a surprise party."

And to highlight what a mess I was in at that time? I was even feeling a little angry about the whole deal. I was thinking things like, "Really? The guy has been married to me for 29 years and doesn't know me any better than this?" "What could he possibly be thinking?"

My sweet husband finally came clean and confessed that he had been planning a party. And then...then...you aren't going to believe this...then the man told me that he had just cancelled the whole thing!

This is how the conversation went after that:

ME: You mean you were actually planning a party and had already invited people?

HIM: Yes, Karen! Your birthday is only a week away.

ME: And now you've called everyone and cancelled?

HIM: Yes. You made it clear that this wasn't what you wanted so I cancelled.

ME: What?! I can't believe that you cancelled my party!

Poor guy.

There I was again with those pesky mixed emotions. After discovering that my hunch was correct, but that the party had been cancelled I admit that I first felt several heaping cups of relief being stirred into my emotional mixing bowl. Unfortunately, the relief was followed by a bitter dollop of disapointment, and folded through the entire sorry mess - guilt. Yikes.

It made for a nasty tasting concotion.

That's when I knew - it was time to pull myself together!

Going Into the Ugly Cry - The Wedding

2011-08-29T09:24:00.000-05:00

Mixed emotions. I've it said before on this blog and I'm sure I'll say it again - I prefer my emotions straight up. Joy, sadness, fear, excitement...I'll take them one at a time thank you very much.

It was at the rehearsal that the enormity of what was about to happen hit me. Floored me. Sent me into spasms of memory and paroxysms of feelings.

I was barely holding it together and then they rehearsed the lighting of the unity candle. The song that was planned for this moment was The Luckiest by Ben Folds. Do you know it? Somehow I didn't. It was beautiful and fit Chris and Andra perfectly and totally caught me off guard and vulnerable.

I started sobbing. I had to jump up and go to the back of the room to wipe my eyes and gather myself.

Then...

We went to the rehearsal dinner.

I walked into the venue and was greeted by a dear, dear friend who I hadn't seen in 10 years. Darlene and her family had driven in from Colorado! Stunned and thrilled and overwhelmed, I cried again.

Then...

During the dinner people began telling sweet stories about the bride and groom. My sister in law set off my waterworks again with stories about Chris as a little boy. My mom was at another table, I glanced over and she dropped her head into her hands so that I wouldn't see her crying. That almost pushed me over the edge. The rest of the meal my mantra was, "don't look at my mom, don't look at my mom."

THEN...

The bride and groom got up to give gifts and say their thanks and here's where it got really bad...Chris cried.

Let me repeat this. Chris cried. It's been years since I've seen him cry. He sweetly thanked his friends and his family for everything that they had done and for being there for him and...he cried. Andra did a beautiful job of stepping in and finishing their thanks when it got to the point that he could barely go on.

That was the end of any semblance of self control. I was gone.

Let me just say that we are an ugly crying family. Especially me. Swollen eyes, runny nose, splotchy, discolored face. Bad, bad...very bad.

It was a sweet and beautiful evening marred only by the aftermath of the ugly cry.

Surprisingly and fortunately it was all out of my system by the actual ceremony. I was only appropriately teary.

My husband on the other hand...oh dear. That's him on the right struggling. He told me later that when he saw Chris watching Andra walk down the aisle that it finally hit him that his son, his buddy, really was all grown up.

Melancholy August

2011-08-24T11:10:00.000-05:00

How does something that happens every year always manage to catch me unaware? I despise this sneaky, silent, August sadness.

The month started with an impromptu family trip to the ocean. I suspect it was my attempt to delay the inevitable. We unlocked the front door to the condo and I immediately walked my fuchsia toes right out the back door, across a boardwalk, through fine, white sand and into the water. I stood knee high surrounded by waves and foam, late afternoon sun heavy on my skin, watching my daughters laugh through wind whipped hair. I willed myself to remember, to cherish this second.

I grapple and grasp the present, not wanting to let go.

You see, for me, August means endings and when it comes to endings I'm still a two year old child. I rail and cry and kick and scream and beg for more time. No, no, no! I cling and cling as if it makes a difference, as if time won't win, as if it won't gently uncurl my fingers and force me to release the idea that things can stay the same.

Endings.

The end of children around the house. How many summers do I have left with any of my children at home? One hand's worth? Less? Yes, I really do understand that the separation from a parent begins at birth. I do. But our truth has been that the *end* of the leaving process *begins* with an August drive to a college. After that, nothing is ever the same.

Endings.

The end of another year of my life. Fifty. Fifty years gone. They seem to have just slipped away when I wasn't looking. How did this happen? It seems so sudden and somehow unexpected. Shouldn't I still be young, unwrinkled, birthing babies, turning heads now and then? I'm not sure where this middle aged woman came from and even worse, I'm not sure who she is. Birthdays make me introspective, causing me to ask unanswerable questions. Did I love my family well enough? Am I wasting too much time? What will the future hold? Being introspective makes me melancholy.

Endings.

The end of a well-lived, much loved life. Death anniversaries are powerful things. About a week ago I found myself crying for no apparent reason, yet the tears felt oddly necessary. Later I remembered that it was August 17. My heart knows the date even when my mind has forgotten. My father's last birthday was his 49th. I've now lived more years than he was given. That thought brings a tiny bit of delight because I know how happy he would be to see me still here, still growing. Mostly though, that thought brings an ache.

Come September I'll be fine. I always am. This mood will lift. I'll open my arms, unclench my fists, begin again, find my hope, my groove, look forward to new things.

But for now, for this last bit of August, I'm giving myself permission to grieve, to mourn the endings, to clutch the present and remember the past.

September and the next phase of my life can wait a little longer.

Shocking Season Finale - The Bachelorette

2011-08-16T10:01:00.001-05:00

Yes. I confess.

I watch The Bachelorette with my daughters.

No, I don't feel the need to defend myself. No sirree bob, I sure don't.

Ok, maybe I do - a little.

You see, really...really I just watch so that we can be together. It's girl time. Bonding time. Yeah that's it, I only watch in order to bond with my female offspring!

Oh! I just thought of something else. While we are watching I take every opportunity to declare to my impressionable teenage daughters, "This is SOOOO not the way to go about finding a man!" Isn't that good of me? This show provides endless chances to discuss how one SHOULDN'T handle a dating relationship. And seriously, could there possibly be a better way to teach my daughters what NOT to look for in a guy? See? It's not only a bonding experience but it's...it's educational. Yeah, that's it! I watch because I'm a homeschool mom and homeschool moms are conditioned to be on the look-out for unique educational opportunities!

Whew. Now that I've explained myself let's get to the real point of this post.

This season's bachelorette, Ashley, was a cute but whiny little thing with suspect taste in men and a laugh that had potential to drive someone bonkers. We watched anyway. We liked JP. We thought he was attractive in a weird sort of way. Not that we spent most of our time talking about which of the bachelors were the cutest or anything...of course not, because we were so busy bonding and being educational and all.

ANYWAY...the finale was a couple of weeks ago. Almost always the season finale is labeled as the "most dramatic ever" or the "most shocking in history." Meh. This one was pretty darn predictable and boring. Until - while on *another* date on *another* exotic beach with *another* guy the typically small-chested bachelorette walked onto the screen in *another* new bikini and had...well...boobs!

Now THAT was shocking!

And REALLY distracting.

We started speculating. Implants? No, there hadn't been enough time for that. Weight gain? Nope, the rest of her is as tiny as ever. That time of the month? Nah, too big of a change.

When she changed into the next outfit she was back to normal.

Dang! It had to be the bathing suit!

Not being a particularly well-endowed group of women we laughed and declared that We. Want. That. Suit. We were joking.

Sort of.

OK, we weren't.

I found the suit.

You aren't going to believe this. It's not even some super expensive, miracle producing suit from an upscale shop.

It's this suit and it's from Target! Too bad that my bikini wearing days are long gone. (Actually I'm not sure that I ever had bikini wearing days!)

I wonder if it comes in a one piece, skirted, older woman version?

Ring Bearer - The Wedding

2011-08-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

Chris asked his cousin Luke to be the ring bearer at his wedding.

Luke is a brilliant, quirky, and quietly thoughtful young fellow. He is not the type to give a quick answer to such an important question. He said, "I'll have to think about it." After some time in silent thought he made his decision, "Yes, I'll do it." We all breathed a sigh of relief.

Luke took his job very seriously. During the rehearsal he walked in carrying the ring on an old family Bible. He looked straight ahead and didn't crack a smile. As he approached the end of the aisle Luke's years of martial arts classes, his love of Tolkein, and his infatuation with all things medieval proved to be too much conditioning. He gave a perfect bow as he held out the Bible and ring to the pastor.

It was a beautifully innocent moment that caused me not only to chuckle but to feel the first pricklings of tears.

After the rehearsal Luke's daddy privately and kindly explained that bowing wasn't a necessary part of the ceremony.

On the big day Luke was perfect, but I confess - I was secretly hoping for a repeat performance.

And a sweet grace note?

Christopher was the ring-bearer for my sister and her husband - Luke's parents.

Wear Beige and Shut Up - The Wedding

2011-08-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

I told you a while back that Chris and Andra were engaged.

And now they are married! They had a beautiful wedding in Kansas on May 21.

Let me tell you something about being mother of the groom...

It's a nebulous thing to be.

You are excited and thrilled for your son and future daughter in law, but your role is so undefined! You're just kind of...there...on the outside looking in, hoping not to do anything too terribly offensive.

During the wedding planning process I kept asking people what the heck the mother of the groom was supposed to do. Over and over the answer was, "wear beige and keep your mouth shut."

But...but...I don't look good in beige! :) However, I am pretty good at keeping my mouth shut. Most of the time. Sometimes. Occasionally...

OK, I'm not really very good at it at all, but I'm trying.

So...the dress. Oh my goodness! Selecting a mother of the groom dress was one of the hardest clothing decisions of my life. Definitely harder than selecting the dress for my own wedding! In fact, I saw the dress for my own wedding in a bridal magazine, ripped out the photo, hunted down the dress in a local bridal shop, tried it on, and bought it immediately. Yep. I tried on one dress. One!

Whatever happened to that decisive 20 year old?

Oh yeah, she turned into ME!

I can't even begin to tell you how many mother of the groom dresses I tried on. I know that I brought at least 4 home and returned them. I perseverated...and perseverated...and...I drove everyone around me crazy. My daughters would tell you that my shopping mantra is: you need to LOVE it. I just never found anything that I LOVED.

However, the big day was approaching and a decision had to be made, a half-hearted, it's just ok, it'll have to do, decision. Before the wedding I was uncertain. While dressing for the wedding I was uncertain.

Now, looking at photos from the wedding I'm finally certain...that it wasn't the right choice!

Drat!

Ah, well...at least it was beige!

And Best of All

2011-08-01T12:36:00.000-05:00

There were many wonderful things about this impromptu vacation: the warmth, the relaxation, the fun, the adventure, the wildlife, the food.

But best of all?

Spending time with these people.

All those relationships - cousins, nieces, sisters-in-law, husband, brother, sisters, daughters...family of course, but also friends.

The people who love me in spite of myself. The people who make me laugh until I can't sit up straight or catch my breath. The people with whom I'm completely myself.

It's great knowing that I exist in the world with them.

But existing in the same room with them? That's even better.

When we got home my husband asked me if the five days in the Keys were worth the four days of driving to get there and back. Oh, yes.

Absolutely yes. Worth every minute.

Bahia Honda State Park

2011-07-30T09:35:00.013-05:00

If you've never been to the Keys you might be surprised to hear that they aren't known for their beaches. The edges of the islands are covered in mangroves and many of the "beaches" are more like sand bars or tidal areas. If your idea of holiday fun involves surfing this is not the place for you. The water around the Keys is shallow and waves are minimal. Most people spend their time on top of or under the water rather than at the shoreline.

There are a few notable exceptions. Bahia Honda State Park is our favorite.

Flagler's railroad came right through Bahia Honda. There is now a walkway above a section of the old bridge. The views are spectacular.

The park also offers kayaking, snorkeling, camping, nature trails, picnic facilities. I highly recommend a visit if you find yourself in the Keys.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling...

2011-07-29T08:32:00.003-05:00

The sisterhood of the traveling....
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Dress?

Yes. My daughters own a magical dress that seems to be "just right" for any special social situation. This dress manages to not only fit but also look great on two very different sisters with very different style sensibilities.

It all started over a year ago when we were in a desperate, last minute search for a homecoming dress for Emily. Finally, finally, we found it. The price caused me to hesitate. The sales woman assured me that it would be multi-purpose. Emily was convinced that Ellen would also love and wear the dress. I caved.

They were right.

First Emily wore it to homecoming.

Then Ellen wore it to a banquet.

Then Emily wore it to her cousin's wedding.

Then Ellen wore it on a cruise.

Then Emily wore it to a Christmas function at her college. (and darn it if they don't go off to college and suddenly you aren't there to take photos of their special occasions.)

I don't know what is next for the dress, but I do know that I feel better about the expenditure every time it gets worn!

Snorkel, Dammit!

2011-07-27T08:33:00.002-05:00

Now that I'm once again developing the habit of blogging I would like to finish writing about our trip to the Florida Keys. Just a couple more posts - feel free to ignore!

One morning the older people in our group asked the younger ones to go to the storage room to retrieve snorkel gear. They were each supposed to select a pair of fins that fit, a mask that fit and had a good seal, and a snorkel that wasn't cracked or chewed up. After that - we would all meet at the boat and head out to Sombrero Reef!

The ride to the reef was about an hour long and absolutely lovely. The ocean was calm and clear. Along the way we saw gorgeous birds and sea turtles and even dolphin.

Sombrero is marked by the lighthouse that warns boats of the reef. It is popular with divers and snorklers so there are plenty of places in the surrounding waters to moor the boat.

After we were tied up everyone starting getting ready to snorkle. The boat was small, and it was rocking just enough to be a little queasy-making. The young folks were climbing all over the boat causing it to rock even more and everywhere they went it seemed that one of the adults was in their way. This is what we were hearing, "Wait, these fins don't fit." "Was this fin torn when we left?" "Let me try yours." "Climb over here and trade with me." "I'll throw it to you." "I must have the wrong one."

It went on and on...and on.

Slowly, slowly they made their way to the back of the boat. But they just couldn't seem to get their act together enough to finally get out! Hanging on the ladder, sitting on the back, half in and half out their chatter and movement continued. "Oh, this snorkel is cracked, it's not gonna work." "I think the seal on my mask is bad." "Hold this for me while I spit in it." "Tighten my mask, please." "Can someone hand me a different one?" "Did anyone bring a better mask?"

Finally one of the adults snapped. I won't say who it was in order to protect myself, uh, I mean the innocent.

"Just snorkel, dammit!"

Everyone stared at me, uh, I mean the perpetrator like she was a crazy lady. Then we all had a good laugh at the incongruity of those words put together in a demand.

Other than that one fit of temper it was a beautiful day.

And a beautiful reef!

Great Tip For Bloggers!

2011-07-25T09:17:00.000-05:00

Some bloggers are hilarious, others have a tremendous sense of purpose, some use words in such a beautiful way that they make you want to cry, others take stunning photographs...

Yeah, I'm like none of the above. I enjoy writing and I enjoy running around snapping pictures. Blogging seemed to be the best way to combine the two interests. This blog is more like a public diary and I keep it in the way that I keep a real diary - sporadically. (Pretty much the way I run my life as well. :/)

Therefore, as you might imagine, I haven't done much research regarding ways to attract readers. However, I recently stumbled upon a hint that might prove to be extremely valuable to some of the amazing bloggers out there who actually have something to say and deserve to be read.

Back when I started this little endeavor it was suggested that I install one of those things that count how many people have come to your blog. I did that, and then promptly forgot about it. Someone asked recently if my blog gets any traffic. Oh yeah, I have one of those hit counter thing-a-ma-bobs! Hmmm. Interestingly, this silly little blog gets more hits than one might expect. I did a little digging to discover why.

Uh-oh.

The research showed that most of my extra traffic was due to one post.

This one.

Yep.

People from all over the world put the words "pretty toes" into their search engines.

My first reaction: EW, EW, EWWWWWWW! People get on the internet to look at toes! I can't even fathom wanting to do that. Yes, I have feet issues. What's the opposite of a foot fetishist? That's me.

Second reaction: Nervous laughter. The whole thing makes me pretty darned uncomfortable. Yes, I have inappropriate laughter issues.

Third reaction: Guilt. Why guilt? I started thinking about all those people out there in the world hoping to see pretty toes and instead finding a photo of OUR toes! Yes, I have people pleasing issues.

In spite of my misgivings the fact remains, "pretty toes" brings in readers. This is important knowledge for bloggers everywhere, don't ya think?

If you want to increase your blog traffic my most excellent suggestion is to title a post "tantalizing tootsies," or "enticing insteps," or...well, you get the idea.

I'm serious. It works.

The Upside to Middle Aged Forgetfulness

2011-07-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

The other night my husband and I were on the couch, watching a little TV, doing a little hand holding, a little chatting, a little smooching, a little laughing and flirting...you know...canoodling.

He pushed a strand of hair back from my face and said, "It's amazing that after all these years you still have so little gray."
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.
.

I hesitated,

looked at him questioningly,

waited for the punch line,

and then...burst into laughter.

Honey, sweetie, love of my life - I color my hair. I've colored my hair for years. You *know* that I color my hair.

He gave me a sheepish grin and said, "Oh yeah, I forgot."

Internalize, Hermitize, Minimize

2011-07-18T09:48:00.002-05:00

Internalize, hermitize, minimize.

This is the way I deal with stress.

Internalize - I will not tell you how bad things are. I might say, "this has been difficult." But I won't be sharing the fact that I'm a mess inside. I won't tell you that I burst into tears yesterday when I couldn't find my keys. Even my husband will only discover my angst the day he says something seemingly innocuous and finds himself in the middle of a firestorm. Poor guy.

Hermitize - Yeah, I know that this isn't a word but I'm using it anyway. The more the stress escalates the more I remain in the safety of my shell. I don't make phone calls and barely return texts. If I run into a friend in the grocery store I'll chat and seem normal and she'll never suspect that what I'm really thinking is, "Oh great! I was afraid that I'd run into someone I knew! Why the heck did I even leave the house?"

Minimize - As my world becomes more complicated I start to whittle down, to make life as small and manageable as possible. I focus on the essentials; putting food on the table, keeping the house reasonably tidy, spending enough time with the family to prevent a mutiny. Anything more than that? It's going to have to wait for a better day.

I'm not saying that this is good. I'm not saying that this is healthy. I'm just saying that this is, however disfunctional, my truth.

Stress has been a steady companion this year. My older daughter went off to college, my son got married, and most of all (here we go again) there were those pesky moves. At first I was handling it well. But then, the next to the last move happened. That one caused me to lose my balance and before I could regain my footing it was time to do it again.

Every minute of this most recent relocation was a struggle. Although we've been in the house for about a month, I remain a little shaky.

It's a lovely, spacious place in a beautiful setting. We hope to stay put for at least a year, hopefully more.

If wishes were horses...

The reality is this - we don't know how long we'll live here. This economy...blah, blah, blah. Our mantra has been, "we'll do what we have to do." That is still the case. This dwelling may not become our home.

But no matter what happens I know that it's time. Time for me to begin to live outside of myself again, time to come out of my shell, time to expand my world. Time to begin the stress mode reversal process.

Externalize, socialize, maximize.

I hope I'm ready.

Notes From A Storm

2011-04-26T07:15:00.001-05:00

6:00 - We start watching the news. Storms are very, very bad in various parts of the state. Looks like they are coming toward us. Ellen frets and worries.

7:00 - Tornado sirens go off.

7:01 - Ellen runs for the "safe place" aka the hall bathroom. This is the most centrally located room in the house that doesn't have windows.

7:02 - Ellen runs out of the safe place to get the dog.

7:02 and 5 seconds - Ellen runs back to the safe place with dog in tow.

7:03 - Ellen hates storms and lets us all know that she hates storms.

7:11 - We hear a smattering of hail. I take a couple of photos as it gets going.

7:12 - Hail has become fierce. It is loud enough that we can barely hear each other speak, hitting the windows so hard that we are afraid that they might break, sounding like 25 roofers are nailing in shingles all at once. I have never heard anything like this!

7:21 - The newscssters begin announcing that a tornado is in our area. They're naming roads all around our house.

7:21 and 2 seconds - Kevin and I join Ellen and the dog in the bathroom.

7:24 - They announce on the radio that our neighborhood is having hail. Duh.

7:25 - Hail ends - finally.

7:40 - The announcement is made that the tornado has passed our area.

7:45 - We leave the bathroom. (Ellen and the dog stay - her theory is that it is always better to be safe than sorry.) We look outside and see one of the oddest things that I've ever seen. There is a thick, eerie, greenish mist hanging from just above the ground to just above our heads. The mist is moving, flowing very quickly like a river. Think the smoke monster from Lost but bigger and whitish-green. I understand that it is from the ice on the ground, but it just looks so weird.

7:50 - Fire trucks show up in our neighborhood and stop in front of our house. They search everywhere for a reported fire. No fire is found and together we determine that someone saw the mist and mistakenly believed it to be smoke. The firemen said that they had seen the mist and videoed it.

8:00 - It is announced that we are in the clear. We are thankful to still have power.

8:10 - We start texting our older daughter. The storms are headed toward her college town.

8:25 - Emily calls and says that the tornado sirens are going off in her town. She asks if she should she go to the first floor. Seriously? She lives on the top floor of her dorm. Yes. Go to the first floor. Goofball.

8:38 - We hear that the storms are going to pass to the south of our daughter's town. We text to let her know that she can come out of the first floor stairwell.

8:40 - Call from my mother. She has no power and even worse, her roof is leaking. We drive to her home so that my husband can see what is going on with her roof. The hail at her house is literally in drifts 1 to 2 feet high in places. The yards are completely covered. We've never seen anything like it.

There were horrible tornadoes in various parts of the state. I'm hearing reports of 1/2 mile wide swaths of destruction. We feel very blessed to be have everyone in our family safe.

Exhaustion

2011-04-11T10:05:00.001-05:00

The emotional impact of several moves in several months appears to be cumulative.

Looking from the outside this particular move should have been simple and easy. I mean, we are seriously pared down around here, living lean. And we moved just down the street. Physically it wasn't bad. We are all holding up pretty well in that way.

Emotionally...not so much. We are emotionally exhausted. There have been a few break downs. Break downs that my mom would call crying jags. A couple of them were mine. OK, all of them were mine. However, I can definitely tell that my youngest is feeling the stress as well. She tends to internalize, but it is really, really, definitely, absolutely taking a toll on her.

I try hard not to complain TOO much. After all, this is how we are making our living right now. Lots of people are struggling in lots of ways. Many of our friends are dealing with financial stress, stress with children, life stress...I want to have a good attitude about our particular situation and most of the time I actually do.

No, really...I do!

Still...this has been difficult. Very difficult.

The good news? There is only one more move after this. It will happen in June or early July. Finally, we will move into a house and stay for a while - at least a year or two.

The crazy news? The day we moved into this house, someone made an offer on it. Negotiations were made and deals accepted and it is sold. Yes, I'm telling the truth. I couldn't make this stuff up! Fortunately part of the agreement was that we could continue to live here until our new house was completed.

Actually, there was no other way that an agreement could have been made and my husband knew it. I'll do a lot of things for that man of mine, but living in a tent is not one of them!

Procrastination

2011-04-05T17:54:00.000-05:00

We move Thursday. As in, movers will be at our house early Thursday morning to load every, single item that we own onto a truck, drive down the road, and unload the truck full of all our belongings at a different location. I seem to be having trouble with this concept this time around.

I have not packed a single box. Not one. In fact, I've done absolutely nothing to prepare.

This is the first time that I've ever waited this late. Ever. I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that we are already moving again.

In addition, the proximity of the two houses is throwing me off. I took this photo standing in the driveway of my current home. We will be moving into the little brown cottage, just a few houses down the street. It would be a literal stones throw away if I wasn't such a wimpy girl and could actually throw.

Yes, the two homes are close together. But it's still a full blown move and my brain needs to realize that.

Someone tell me to start packing please.

I Heart Faces - Best Faces From March

2011-04-03T09:35:00.000-05:00

Going somewhere warm after a long, cold winter. Basking in the sunshine. Feeling the ocean breeze. It doesn't get much better especially for my heat and sun loving oldest daughter. This was my favorite photo from March because it makes me feel warm. Be sure and check out all the beautiful photos at I heart faces!

Showered

2011-03-29T11:40:00.003-05:00

Here is the dilemma.

The older we get the more we are aware of the need to cherish the moments. We know that time is fleeting and want to take every opportunity to enjoy our people. We fully understand the importance of special occasions.

But we feel like doing less.

After driving 21 hours and arriving home Sunday from our impromptu vacation, I was still tired and suffering from the post vacation blues four days later. Definitely feeling my 49 years! Inward groans threatened to become outward as I got back in the car for another road trip. This one was going to be 16 car hours in three days.

But I love Chris and Andra.

And I knew that while I would shortly forget the drive, I would never forget being at Andra's wedding shower. So I forced myself to get on the road. I'm thrilled that I did.

First of all Ellen went with me. Anyone who has parented a teen knows that car time is some of the best time. We laughed and listened to her music and talked. 16 captive hours with a 16 year old - can't put a price on that.

Also, we were able to have dinner with Chris on Thursday - his birthday! It is still hard for me to believe that my first born, beautiful baby boy, is a grown man, working, about to be a husband. It seems like just a few days ago he was running around the house making airplane noises.

Best of all, because I made the trip, I was able to see all these beautiful smiles:

I feel so blessed that I got to experience Andra's joy.

I Heart Faces - Slice of Life

2011-03-27T19:14:00.002-05:00

This weeks theme at I heart faces is slice of life. This photo may not represent MY life, but it truly is a slice of life of these street performers on Mallory Square. We have been visiting Key West for years and many of the same performers are there year after year. This is their life, every evening, entertaining the tourists for tips. This was one of my favorite photos from our week in the Keys.

What Have We Done? Key West

2011-03-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

We couldn't go to the Keys and not take a side trip to the southernmost point in the United States, the Conch Republic, Key West. Key West is quaint and quirky and always interesting. Some days are more interesting than others.

You know how when you are on vacation you begin to forget what day it is? Um, yeah, well we did that. We showed up in Key West and realized that it was St. Patrick's Day. Kevin and I looked at each other and asked, "What have we done?" It was bound to get a little crazy. We decided to go on and sightsee for a while and try to get out of there before things started to get too wild.

It started out seeming fairly normal - at least as normal as Key West ever is. It's really a lovely town and reminds me of Charleston, SC. It's kind of like Charleston's nutty, goofy, wacky, wild, little sister. Or maybe like Charleston on drugs.

We wandered down Duval Street, in and out of shops, still enjoying the atmosphere which was crowded and heightened, but not too drunken...yet.

We finally made our way to Mallory Square for the sunset celebration. A crowd gathers every afternoon. There are street performers everywhere. Some are great, some mediocre, and some are just rude and crude. It's a hard sell for tips. We wandered from performer to performer.

It was fun, but the performers are really just the build-up to the main event - sunset. Everyone waits...
and watches...

and as the last rays dip below the horizon - everyone applauds.

It's hard to dislike a place where people take the time to watch and applaud the sunset. Kevin commented that it was too bad that many there didn't realize that they were applauding God. That's fodder for a more serious blog post.

We left quickly afterward, anxious to get out before the partying ramped up. I was not taking pictures at this point! The bars along Duval were definitely starting to shake and shimmy. And they weren't the only things - it quickly became obvious that shirts for women in Key West on St. Patrick's day are optional. Shamrock pasties, however, are not.

How To Catch a Lobster

2011-03-24T08:27:00.000-05:00

Spiny lobster are abundant in the Keys and we arrived just at the tail (haha) end of the lobster hunting season. We definitely saw them as a future item on our menu. Now...we just had to catch them.

Lobster hide in rocks and crevices during the day. You can see their tentacles waving in the clear waters. You descend with a net and a long fiberglass stick affectionately known as a tickle stick. Yeah, I know, silly name, but that's what they are called! Basically when you find a lobster you dive down and annoy him with the stick until he comes out of his hiding place, then you catch him in the net.

My husband Kevin, son Chris, and daughter Emily are all certified scuba divers so in the past our (and I use the term "our" very loosely) favorite way to catch lobster was using tanks. They would dive the pilings of bridges and anywhere else that provided holes for the lobster. I remember one time Kevin surfaced, jerked the regulator out of his mouth and breathlessly declared, "It's like a lobster motel down there!" What were Ellen and I doing while the others were diving? Sitting in the boat, sun-bathing, and eating snacks...of course. That's how we roll.

Diving the bridges can be a little gnarly because the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico literally meet there and the current can really start to rip with the changing of the tides. However my two men are lobster catching fiends. They love the thrill of the chase and we have gone home with as many as 50 tails after a few days in the Keys.

Anyway, enough history. This trip we didn't have tanks so we began trying other methods to catch those elusive little critters.

First we tried dragging behind the boat on these board thingies. I don't know what the board thingie is called, but you don a mask and snorkle, jump into the water, and hold onto the board while the boat trolls along. You are also holding a weight with a marker which you drop whenever you see a hole or a rocky place or anywhere that looks like a promising lobster hideout. Once a promising location is marked you dive down to the bottom to look for the tell-tale tentacles.

Luck was not with us using this method...or maybe it was skill...I don't know. Either way the outcome was the same - no lobster. To ease the disappointment we hung out on a sand bar for a while. Walking around on a sandbar in the middle of a blue, blue ocean exploring, laughing, and relaxing is such a joy. Ahhhhh.

We then headed over to one of the rocky barriers that provide the dividing line between the road and the water, jumped overboard, and began the search again. Nothing but exhaustion. Kevin decided that he is just way too old to be doing all that up and down free diving and holding his breath. He said that at his age he needs a tank where he can just lay on the ocean floor and take his time finding and catching the lobster. It was hard work! Even the younger peeps were getting tired and shivery.

As Scarlett said, tomorrow is another day. We decided to head back home. However, while docking the boat...we spotted...TENTACLES. Before you know it we had bagged three lobster. Shoot, the hunters barely had to get wet to catch them. Hate to mix my movie quotes - but - there really is no place like home.

Now you can't just take any lobster, they have to be a certain size to be considered a keeper. There is a little measuring device on the end of each tickle stick. (I know that none of the tens of people who read this blog would be thinking of jokes about tickle sticks and size - c'mon now - minds back to lobster!)

Sadly, only one of our first days catch ended up being a keeper. Never fear, by the end of the week we had plenty for a delicious dinner. I know y'all were worried.

They really were wonderful to eat, but I think that everyone on the trip would agree that the fun was in the hunt...and the excitement was in the catch.

How To Catch A Fish

2011-03-23T09:22:00.002-05:00

With a dock and the ocean in our backyard we did a lot of fishing while we were in the Keys.

This was our method.

First we walked across the street to the little store and bought some chum and bait.

Then we got the chum ready. Yep, we chummed the water under the dock to attract the fish. Hey, we wanted to actually catch something!
One of us, I won't name names, thought make up was essential to the process.
Others gathered equipment and got lessons on tying knots to put on the hooks.

We used shrimp for bait and started fishing...
and fishing...
and fishing...
One of us, I won't name names, tended to pose more than she fished. It's sort of a compulsion.
Finally, success!
This wasn't a catch that we were planning to eat so lessons ensued about taking a fish off the hook...
and throwing it back.
It was so relaxing to sit on that dock, pole in hand. We were out there at all different times through the week reeling in many varieties of fish. Our favorite was the puffer that Anthony caught.
He was actually kind of cute in a weird sort of way...

I *am* talkin' about the fish, by the way.

Are We Crazy or What?

2011-03-22T11:41:00.002-05:00

It's been a long, cold winter, it was our daughter's spring break, and we are currently between moves. We decided that we wanted to go somewhere. The stipulations? It had to be cheap and it had to be warm. Pretty much impossible to find during the spring break weeks. I had almost given up the search when my husband's brother offered to let us use his place in the Florida Keys. For free.

First thought: YAY, The Keys! We love the Keys and spent lots of time there when we lived in Florida. Second thought: Ohhhh no. The Keys? The Keys are far, far, away, 1250 miles and a loonnng drive away. Still, almost immediately after the offer was extended my husband and I looked at each other and knew that we were going to do this thing. He asked, "Are we crazy or what?"

Some friends graciously let us borrow their car top carrier for luggage. Unfortunately we quickly realized that it wasn't going to work on our car. So we piled 5 people, including one young man who we barely knew, AND all their luggage into our small vehicle. I said, "We look like the Grapes of Wrath." My husband asked, "Are we crazy or what?"

We were about 10 hours into our journey. My husband's nerves were frayed. Reason one: He won't let anyone else drive. We had FIVE drivers in the car and no one else had even been allowed to touch the steering wheel. I love the man, but he is a control freak about driving. Reason two: We decided to veer off the freeways in order to cut 40 miles off the drive. Big mistake. We were going through small towns in Alabama. Reason three: There were flashing blue lights in the rear view window. After the officer handed out the citation and we were on the road again my husband turned to me and asked, "Are we crazy, or what?" Plus he might have said a few other choice words.

Valdosta, Ga. Just past that city is the Florida state line. We could have stopped in Valdosta. We SHOULD have stopped in Valdosta. But that elusive state line was beckoning. Wouldn't it be nice to wake up already in Florida? Wouldn't it give us a bouyant start to the second day of the journey? We kept driving. I started searching for a place to stay. Calling everywhere listed on the GPS. Nothing, nothing, nothing. No room at the any of the inns, in any of the cities on our route. Over and over again I was told, "It's bike week." Bike week? I googled. A huge biker thingy that brings over 500,000 people into the area. Yes, you read that right - 500,000! Finally I located a place to stay, just north of Orlando. 3 hours further than our intended stopping point. We were exhausted. It was finally my turn to ask, "Are we crazy, or what?"

The morning of the second day I pulled up the weather report for Marathon, Fl.

Hmmm. Looking really great.

The commentary on this one made me smile.

And then the rest...A full week of perfect weather. Wow. We were feeling better about the whole deal.

We finally arrived.

This was the view just a few steps from our back door:

And this:

I don't know. Standing there on the dock in the sun I started feeling as if maybe we weren't so crazy after all.

Oh No. Here We Go.

2011-03-12T06:14:00.000-06:00

Here we go again.

Last Wednesday morning a couple was coming to see the house. This is a common occurence around here, we keep things clean and ready for showings almost all the time. My daughter and I scooted out of the house just before 9:00. My husband had instructions to call when the showing was over. Usually we are out of the house about 30 minutes - tops.

We lingered over a bagel at Panera. No call.

We called him. No answer.

We popped into Target. No call.

We called him. No answer.

We went to the grocery store.

Finally, he called, said he had good news and bad news. I'm a bad news first kind of person. The bad news? We have to move again. Good news? The house we JUST moved into sold, contract was already signed.

I'm happy that the house sold. I really, really am. But here's what I'm not understanding. The neighborhood where we are currently living consists of smaller detached homes with small yards - patio homes. My husband built this one and is one week away from finishing another one that is literally just a few houses down the street. It is the same size as this one, has the same size backyard, the same amenities inside, it is cute as it can be...

But she wanted this one? Sigh, moan, wail.

Bad news? We have to move again. Good news? The house we are moving into is the last one we own and it is coming off the market. After this we are done moving...

For a few months.

I Heart Faces - Best Face in February

2011-03-07T22:59:00.001-06:00

During one of our snow days in February some friends bravely ventured out into the weather and brought their girls by the house. I was really missing the excitement of young children watching snow fall, so I was thrilled when they showed up. Made my day!

I snapped a few pictured of their oldest. She was having the time of her life in the falling snow.

This was a more pensive moment.

Moving - A Few Tips

2011-03-07T08:23:00.000-06:00

It's over.

The move that is.

All boxes have been packed and unpacked. Everything is put away. The pictures are on the walls. This move took 7 days from the first box being packed to making sure the last picture was level. We've done it faster, but we were really tired this move and just took our time getting around to things.

With moving - experience matters. We have gotten better and better at it. That doesn't mean that it's easy...but we learn something new and become more efficient every time. We've also learned that "efficient" isn't always the best way to go and to do what works for us even if it doesn't make sense to other people.

My husband says that I should start doing seminars. Nah. I don't get up in front of people. But I'll give you a few tips. Most of these apply to a local move only. It's very different when you are going across the country. I've done that, too. Just not recently enough to be an expert.

1. Mentally prepare yourself for the stress. Be ready for it because it's gonna hit at some point. Guaranteed event. It helps me to know that it's coming so that I can give myself and those around me some grace when I start to feel overwhelmed or like I want to smack my husband in the head or something.

2. Do all your address changes and give the post office your forwarding address early! This is the one I always forget to do. It takes the post office a full week to start forwarding your mail. And those address changes! Argh! Some you can do online, some you have to call to change, they will only speak to the person who set up the account, they make you wait on the line forever because of high call volume, it's just annoying. You don't need that annoyance on top of everything else you will be going through later.

3. Have a pretty good idea where you are going to put the furniture in the new house before the moving day. Measure and know that it will fit. This will make your life and the lives of your movers SO much easier.

4. This is a quirky and probably inefficient thing that I do every move just because it makes me feel better. I move and unpack the kitchen a day or two before the day of the BIG move. I get new, clean boxes. Pad them up with clean towels. Lift stacks of plates into the box - straight from the cupboards. No wrapping in newspaper. Another layer of towels, another stack of bowls or other kitchen stuff. Load the boxes into your car, drive carefully to the new house and unpack the boxes directly into the cabinets. Refold the towels and put into the linen closet in the new house. Repeat until complete. This way the day we move in I have a full, working kitchen. It also means you will need to eat out, or fall on the mercy of kind friends who will cook for you, for a couple of days. That's not such a bad thing. You'll be too busy packing boxes to take time to cook anyway.

5. Invest in one of those good tape gun/dispenser thingies, oh, and a couple of new good markers and a sharp box tape cutter. Seriously the last thing you need to be messing with is that horrible packing tape. It's a necessary evil, but really, when I''m in the throes of packing and my tape sticks to itself and I have to spend valuable time getting it unstuck...it makes me cuss.

6. Keep your household systems the same, as much as possible, from house to house. Organizing each house in the same way helps us to feel at home in a shorter amount of time.

7. To help with the hint above - be specific when you label the boxes. Very specific. It seems crazy when you are doing it, but makes a big difference when you start unpacking. My boxes say things like: Big bookcase, top left shelf. Big bookcase, bottom middle shelf. Ellen's closet, left side, top shelf. This speeds up the unpacking process tremendously.

8. If at all possible - hire movers. Yes, friends can help you. And it is a true and wonderful friend who will help you move. We have done it that way many times. However, if you can afford movers...hire them! Friends aren't experts, and they don't have insurance, and we've found that things are more likely to be damaged when you move with non-professionals. To save money we pack all the boxes ourselves and move as many of them as possible. We also move small furniture, the kitchen, accessories, artwork, etc. ourselves. Still just knowing that someone will be there on a certain day to move the furniture and heavy items makes all the difference.

9. Make sure that you have clean sheets and bedding handy. The minute the beds are set up - make them. At the end of the day, when exhaustion has set in you will be very, very happy that you followed this advice.

10. When you start feeling overwhelmed - take a break. Have a cup of tea, or sit outside on the front stoop, or call a friend. Just take a minute and breathe and relax.

That's it. I could go on, but 10 suggestions are enough for one post.

The bad thing is that we will be doing this again pretty soon so I'm sure I'll have new hints then. Sorry.

Anyone got anything else to add to the list?

The Last Driver

2011-03-04T09:12:00.000-06:00

Lasts.

They bother me. They bother me because you usually don't see them coming. Because often you don't even realize that it was the last time for something until it's too late to mark it, too late to appreciate it, too late to remember it. This especially holds true when dealing with the lasts with children. The last time that they requested that particular book that you had read 10,000 times before. The last time they dressed up for Halloween. The last time they crawled. The last time they said heckapopper instead of helicopter.

We recently had another last in our family, but this was a good one.

For the very last time I took a child of mine to the DMV, one of my least favorite places in the world, and waited nervously in a plastic seat in a dirty, loud, crowded waiting room for said child to take their road test.

For the last time I watched one of my children walk back into the building after the test flashing a huge smile of relief and a big thumbs up.

For the last time I stood in a long, long line to pay the fee and watch one of my children fuss with their hair and stand smiling in front of a blue screen while their photo was taken.

For the last time I vicariously experienced the joy of a teenager receiving their very first driver's license.

OK, Maybe I was a teeny, tiny bit sad, but I sure as heck won't miss the DMV.

And I'm happy for our new, last driver.

Congratulations, Ellen!

A Gift

2011-02-12T11:38:00.005-06:00

In case you haven't noticed, the housing industry has fallen on hard times. My husband builds homes for a living, therefore business has been...well...let's just say that it has been better.

About six months ago we sold our personal home, seriously downsized and have been wandering like gypsies from house to house. Just after Christmas we did another major move. The house we are living in is beautiful, and new, and extremely liveable, and well-built. (Because, of course, my husband built it.) In addition, it has this view from the back yard:

I have loved living here for all of 6 weeks. Unfortunately, we put it on the market shortly after we moved in and...wouldn't you know it...it sold. We will be out by February 23. The sale is a good thing. It really is. But...

I've been feeling tired.

Discouraged.

Wondering when things will ever improve and we can actually settle down again.

We've had snow this winter. A lot of snow. Ok, it was a lot of snow for Arkansas - you northerners don't be laughin' now. It has also been cold, cold, cold. Not sub-zero like some of you guys have, but in the teens. Brrrr. That's cold, baby.

Early one morning during one of the freezes I got out of bed and slipped on my husbands slippers and my ratty old robe and padded across the house to let the dog out the back. I followed her out onto the patio to get a better look at how much more the lake had frozen in the night. Frozen lakes aren't something we see very often around here, you know. Across the way I could see about 40 or 50 geese floating close together in only part of the lake that was still open. As I stood and watched and breathed in the icy air a large group of them suddenly lifted off the water in a cacophony of flapping and honking. Before they were 6 or 7 feet above the water they were already forming a perfect V. In a rush they were just in front and barely above me, moving fast and furious. Before I had time to take it in a second group lifted off and seconds later a third...the stragglers.

It was gorgeous, one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I stood transfixed, literally holding my breath, no longer noticing the cold for a while after they were gone, trying to get my bearings.

I released my breath in a sigh as I understood what I was feeling. I felt like the moment was a gift.

Following that second of pure joy, came the negative thoughts. A gift? For me? That's silly thinking. I am SO not important. Why would God be thinking about me and my petty problems?

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was personal. Suddenly new knowledge washed over me. A revelation. A realization. An epiphany. I was almost certainly the only person on the entire planet to have seen this exact snapshot of God's amazing creation. We are currrently the only house on the lake, it was early, and cold. No one else was around. No one else was standing in that spot seeing that view and hearing and feeling the rush of all those wings.

At that moment...it felt like more than a gift.

It felt like hope.

And I'm holding on as tight as I can.

Love, love, love

2010-08-17T17:34:00.001-05:00

I'm interrupting a terrible case of blog neglect to make an important announcement...
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an exciting announcement...
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a happy announcement...
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a scary announcement...
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Our son asked his long-time girlfriend to marry him and she said yes! The ring is gorgeous, they are thrilled and so are we.

Here's the scary part - I'm going to be a mother-in-law. Gosh, I hope I figure out how to be a good one. The idea of being one of those stereotypical, butt of all jokes mothers-in-law frightens the heck out of me.

While I work through my angst I invite you to take a look at these two young people in love...

Aren't they gorgeous?

Congratulations Chris and Andra! We are so happy for you both.

By the way - my grandmother name is going to be Nana - pronounced na-nuh.

Oh wait - that's probably something one of *those* mothers-in-law would say, right?

Let me try again. You two have children whenever you are ready and they can call me whatever they want. Better?

A Dangerous Sport

2009-10-29T21:45:00.001-05:00

This is our first year to have a cheerleader in the family.

I'm used to the children playing sports. It never made me at all nervous to watch them push and shove and fall and get bruised and skinned up playing basketball or soccer...but cheerleading makes me squirm.

I'm fine when the girls are just yelling and jumping and doing cheers on the ground. It's the stunts that make me crazy. Seeing those small girls flying through the air makes me want to close my eyes and wring my hands. I was glad when I found out that at 5'7" Ellen was too tall to be a flyer...very relieved to learn that she would be staying on the ground.

She told me that her place in the stunt group - a back spot - was the most dangerous. I heard her, but I didn't really believe her.

I do now.

Yesterday we got a call from cheer practice that Ellen had been hit in the nose during a stunt.

Today we went to the doctor and it was confirmed that her nose is broken. It is cracked right across the bridge, but fortunately not displaced. So we do nothing medical. We simply wait for it to heal, and pray that it heals properly.

She got a text from one of her cheer mates today telling her that the boys all thought that it was cool that she broke her nose doing *cheer* of all things. Cool is not the way I would describe it. Dangerous would be my word.

She is being a trooper, swollen nose, black eyes, sadness about missing the last football game of the season, and all.

I'm sad for her.

However, I'm also a little bit glad that she is out of the danger zone for the next three weeks.

Does that make me a bad mom?

Luis Palau - CityFest

2009-10-28T15:33:00.003-05:00

We got to spend some time this past weekend at the Central Arkansas CityFest with Luis Palau.

It was quite impressive. For one thing after weeks and weeks of rain the weekend of CityFest was gorgeous - bright, shiny and pleasantly warm. It rained Friday, become beautiful Saturday and Sunday, then the rain immediately started again on Monday.

CityFest truly is a monumental event. It's an evangelical festival that begins with a "season of service" and culminates in a huge weekend of music, action sports, food, fun for families, and great teaching. It is free to the public and the newspaper said that there were 55,000 in attendance. About 5,000 volunteers from area churches made the whole thing possible.

How wonderful it is to see churches coming together like that for a common purpose! If you have gone to church much in your life you know that doesn't happen very often. This was a great example of what can be done when God's people quit fighting with one another over inconsequential matters and work as one body. Amazing!

My family trained to be childrens "counselors" and spent most of our time in the family fun area during the day. In the evening there were numerous well-known bands and performers and of course Luis Palau. What an experience!

The festival was held on the north side of the Arkansas river. This is looking back toward Little Rock.
There were huge crowds in the kid's area.
And many of them came over to hear the speaker for the children. He was great! There was singing, jumping, dancing around...
and of course, some special guests...they brought friends to throw candy for them.
The children were laughing and having a great time, all the while hearing the most important message of their lives.
Here's Ellen in her orange volunteer T-shirt and white visor.
It was a great honor to be involved in such a this wonderful festival. I'm so happy that our family decided to participate.

Our prayer is that this event has an impact on our city for years to come.

So You Want To Date Our Daughter - The Talk

2009-10-23T10:41:00.002-05:00

Going through some paper piles yesterday, I came across the notes that my husband, Kevin, made before he had his first talk with Paul, our daughter's boyfriend.

Hastily scribbled, in pencil, on scratch paper from his work truck, he had written down his thoughts. Thoughts that spoke of his love and hopes for his children. Thoughts that made me cry a little bit. Thoughts that reminded me that I needed to get back here and tell the rest of the story that I started so long ago!

It was time for the talk.

Calling it "the talk" makes it sound like a lecture, but it was actually a conversation. You see, Paul hasn't ever known his dad. Although he has had very good parenting from his grandparents, it has been obvious from the beginning that he really likes, looks up to, and respects Kevin. So Kevin wanted this to be a positive time that the young man could take with him not only while dating our daughter, but also into his future. Besides, truth be told, he really wants to get a look inside the mind and heart of any young man who will be spending time alone with one of his girls and he knew that he couldn't do that by lecturing.

However, you will just have to take my word for it that it was a two-sided conversation, because I'm not going to share what Paul said. Most importantly, I don't have permission to do so. Secondly, I wasn't there!

According to my husband's notes he had four main points.

The first one simply says, without other explanation, "protect her." So sweet. Keeping his children safe and well is such a top priority for that man. I was pretty sure I knew what he meant, but asked anyway. He said that they talked about the fact that if Paul was out with our daughter we expected him to do the best that he could to keep her safe from any kind of outside harm, to keep her out of bad situations, to be careful. Kevin even asked Paul if he struggled with road rage and exhorted him to drive carefully. (I thought that was interesting considering the fact that some of our biggest arguments have come because of how angry my husband gets with "stupid" drivers! Hmmmm - maybe he does recognize this flaw in himself....very good to know...)

Kevin said that this was the easiest part of the conversation. You see, we had already figured out that if Paul had been on the Titanic that he would definitely *not* have been one of those guys trying to sneak onto the boats for the women and children. He is an old-fashioned gentlemanly boy who opens doors and relishes the thought of his future role as the strong protector/provider.

The second line in my husband's notes says, "exercise self control." There were bunches of sub-points on this one! Basically, this is exactly what you would expect the father of the daughter to be discussing with the suitor. We have told both of them that we weren't going to try to dictate exactly what their physical boundaries should be, but that we do expect them to set strict boundaries, to set them before they needed them, and to not cross the lines once the decision was made. Emily certainly knows where we stand on the issue. Paul knows where his Christian grandparents stand and he knows that we are in agreement with them. Now it's up to the two young people to make wise choices. It was made clear that we hold *both* of them responsible for maintaining the lines.

I know that Kevin's goal was to really try to get to hear Paul's heart on this matter. They discussed many, many things - not just the typical reasons for abstinence such as unwanted pregnancy, and disease, but the spiritual reasons, and the long term and potentially devastating emotional ramifications of tying yourself too closely physically with someone before marriage.

The third main item on the page of notes was, "protect her heart." Wow. I was so glad that they discussed this. This part of the conversation was about being careful not to jump into the relationship too quickly. To really try to get to know each other as friends before they start making commitments or professing love. Paul agreed that he had seen too many people his age taking love too lightly, using words that had no real weight behind them. We were so glad to hear this! Kevin also asked Paul to always to be completely honest with Em - to not lead her on, or play games, or mess around with her emotions. Basically to be as careful with this aspect of the relationship as we expect them to be with the physical part.

It is my opinion that there is so much emphasis on the "purity" of a relationship that this emotional aspect is often overlooked. The truth is that young people fall in love and when they do they fall hard. There is nothing we can do to keep it from happening, but maybe, just maybe we can help them to stop and think before they leap - even if just for a moment, even if just a little.

The last thing on the list made me laugh. It said, "this won't be the last that you will hear from me." This just meant that if they continue to date, Kevin will continue to check in with Paul from time to time. To get to know him better, and to continue to try to impart a little wisdom.

With teenagers you don't really know if things are going in one ear and out the other, but Kevin felt that everything went very well.

Emily told me later that she had asked Paul what her dad had said and all he would tell her was that they had had a good conversation.

I know that someone will ask and yes, I've talked with Emily about *all* of this. We've had many serious talks and I'm always finding ways to interject something that I think is important into our every day conversation. She laughs and says, "oh no - another teachable moment coming." I always respond, "that's my job - baby - that's my job."

Our hope and prayer is that we can help these two navigate the wild and turbulent waters of teenage romance and that they will come through it relatively unscathed. We don't really know what we are doing. This method may not work. It might even backfire. But it's what we are trying in our typically muddled, a little off center, parenting style.

Hope it gives you some food for thought.

Tradition, Tradition

2009-10-20T23:53:00.005-05:00

Going to the state fair is a long standing family tradition. We used to go when the children were tiny and we lived in south Florida. There the fair is held in January and you go wearing shorts and T-shirts.

Now we go to the Arkansas State Fair every year in October. The kids wouldn't think about letting us miss it. Since we've moved here we always attend with our friends Darrell and Tracy and their children and we always go on dollar night.

The midway.

Excitement upon arrival!

The adults.
(Allow me to mention that we are all much, much better looking than this. There was a constant mist leaning toward drizzle the entire evening - it was wreaking havoc on our hair-dos!)

The swings are one of the kids favorite rides.

This is a shot that I messed up in every possible way, but somehow it's kind of cool. Also, in spite of my disastrous photography all five of those blurry, floating in air people were part of our group!

The younger girls. They were just little kids when we started coming to fair together. Now they are so grown up! I hate that.

Another of our favorites - Cliff Hanger.

Playing games - of course we didn't win anything.

But he did! Something about this guy totally cracked me up.

Traditions are wonderful.

The best of them not only allow you to be with people you love, but are loads and loads of fun.

This one is perfect.

Where Did This Child Come From?!

2009-10-16T18:14:00.005-05:00

Being the center of attention is horrifying to me. I didn't even like my wedding and baby showers because there were just too many people looking at me! I've learned to be friendly, but I'm really very shy, very much an introvert.

My middle child, Emily, doesn't have a shy or introverted bone in her body. She is the least self-conscious 17 year old girl that I have ever met. She doesn't care what anyone thinks, she doesn't care if someone thinks that she is silly. Honestly, the thought of acting "cool" has never crossed her mind. Her friends tell me that they enjoy being around her because she has a way of making them more confident and bringing them out of their shell.

We went to the state fair this weekend and there was a Karaoke tent.

You know what happened next. (feel free to ignore the singing - it was a tad atrocious)

Emily is the one in the pink. Her friend told me on the way home that she couldn't believe that Em had talked her into getting up there. Actually, I think that they both looked completely comfortable. It would have taken a miracle to get me on a stage in front of strangers at their age. It would take a miracle now!

My daughter is obviously her daddy's child.

Whooooo Pig

2009-10-14T18:10:00.001-05:00

Life has been busy, busy, busy around here...and very stressful. So when a friend called and said, "I have three extra tickets to the Razorback game this weekend, do you want them?" Our answer was an unequivocal, "YES!"

Our older daughter was out of town at a volleyball tournament so it worked out perfectly for my husband and me and our youngest to go to the game. It was the first Razorback game for my husband and daughter and I haven't been in years.

The morning was chilly and overcast but you could feel the excitement building as we approached the stadium.
Our seats were way, way up high and in the end zone - but heck, they were free! We were just glad to be there.
We always watch the games on television, but this was an entirely different, multi-sensory experience. Nothing like seeing tens of thousands of hands in the air and tens of thousands of voices yelling WHOOOOO PIG SOOOIE! So much fun!
The excitement is palpable when the team runs onto the field.
Of course you have the loud, crazy, rowdy student section...
and the hog hats - which also come in a plastic variety if fuzzy is not your thing...
It was great to be able to see and hear and feel the amazing marching band...
The yelling, clapping, stomping, and excitement when the team made a touch down was thunderous. By the way...the Razorbacks made a lot of touchdowns.The fact that my team won...icing on the cake.

How crazy is it that what a group of 19 year old young men do on a football field can influence the mood of an entire state? I know the answer to that question - really crazy. However, I was swept up in the mayhem and it definitely cheered me up.

We had a great time.

Biggest Loser - Home Edition

2009-10-05T10:14:00.003-05:00

My husband, daughters, and I watch the reality show Biggest Loser. We watch it faithfully.

Why are we drawn to it? I think that it's the inspirational stories. Also, because it is sort of fun to watch a group of people suffer through something that I hate - exercise. Mostly I think that we love seeing how people are able to change - not only their bodies, but their lives. We start to care about the players and want them to succeed. It really is amazing what they are able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.

Do any of you watch?

Be honest now. Do any of you find yourself watching while having your after dinner bowl of ice cream? Or a little snack of chips and salsa? One night after the show we counted Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrappers. My husband had eaten 7 of those little suckers while he was watching people struggle to lose weight!

That's when we decided it was time for a change.

I need to lose about 10 pounds and my husband needs to lose about 20. We determined to start our own Biggest Loser program at home. We started last Monday - exactly one week ago. I set up the menu and cooked healthy, low fat, low calorie, well balanced meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We decided to do our exercising on our own as our schedules are so different.

For seven days I haven't had anything to drink but water, my diet has been full of fresh fruits and vegetables. No candy, no cookies, no sweets at all have crossed my lips. We did allow ourselves one cheat evening. We had some good friends from Tulsa coming into town and we knew that we would be going out to dinner with them. Even then I was careful in my selections!

I exercised 5 of the 7 days!

In other words, people...I DID GOOD!!! Honestly, I have been so proud of myself because self-control regarding food and exercise has never been one of my strong points.

We haven't allowed ourselves to get near the scale this entire week, so I approached my weigh in this morning with great excitement and huge anticipation. I couldn't wait to see how much I had lost. I was certain that it would be at least 1 pound. I even allowed myself to think that it might be 2. I was thrilled to finally be able to find out.

My feet hit the scale. I waited breathlessly for the number to appear on the electronic screen. What?! This can't be right. I got off, waited a second, and got back on again. The same number appeared. I tried again...it was the same.

I had gained weight. Yep, after a week of eating all the right things and exercising...I had gained weight. One pound. One whole pound. Sigh.

My husband weighs in tonight.

If he has lost a bunch of weight I'm going to have to work really hard to make myself smile and tell him congratulations. What I'm really gonna want to do is smother him with his pillow.

Oh well. I'm not quitting. Not yet, anyway.

However, If I gain weight next week I may be forced to accept the fact that my body functions better on cheese dip and brownies. It would be a hard thing to face, but I think that I'm strong enough to handle it.

Fashion Faux Pas

2009-09-23T08:52:00.002-05:00

Ok y'all, I've got to be honest.

I have no fashion sense. None. Well, except for shoes - I'm good at shoes. As for the rest of it...I'm horrible. I have no idea how to dress myself. I have no clue how to put things together, no idea how to accessorize. I don't wear jewelry or scarves or little doo-dads.

I wear jeans. Jeans and t-shirts in the summer. Jeans and sweaters in the winter. If we are going out to dinner or to church I still wear jeans. I'll add a shirt that seems a little more dressy and a pair of cute heels. I do love a pair of cute high heels.

But aside from shoes - I don't know what I'm doing!

All summer I've been making a huge fashion blunder. You see, I bought a crazy pair of jeans.

They are called boyfriend cut. That should have been my first clue that these were not meant for a 48 year old woman! They have shading - that should have been my second clue. Worst of all - they have holes in them. Yes, I bought jeans with holes already in them! What was I thinking?

Actually, I know what I was thinking. I slid them on and thought...ahhhhh. They were the most comfortable pair of jeans I had ever worn. So, I bought them. And I've worn them again and again. And every time I wear them I feel like people are looking at me and wondering why the old lady is wearing the "boyfriend" jeans.

Does it help that I *realize* that this is a fashion faux pas?

Yeah, I was afraid that it didn't.

I'm definitely going to have to get some assistance if I intend to be one of those graceful and elegantly aging women.

I Heart Faces - Completely Candid

2009-09-22T07:16:00.002-05:00

Our boat was pulling them as fast as it could.

They could see it coming.

They were about to hit a large wake.

It was written on all of their faces: trepidation, elation, anticipation.

This moment was captured by my son, Chris, using his camera and my lens.

A check of the photos later in the series confirm that the event that the subjects and photographer must have known would happen...did happen...the tube hit the wave, flew up, and flipped them into the water.

This was followed by laughter and climbing back on and a thumbs up indicating, "let's do it all over again."

Check out I (heart) faces for more completely candid shots.

I Heart Faces - Contemplative

2009-09-15T01:17:00.004-05:00

She likes to "get cute." She likes to shop. She likes to smile and act silly. She likes being girly.

But she *loves* playing sports. She takes it seriously. Very seriously. For her there is only way to play...all out...completely in the moment...totally focused...to win.

I know that the photo is grainy, the gym was dark, the ISO was too high, but I love her expression. I can just see her the wheels turning as she thinks about exactly where the next spike is going to go.

This week's theme at I heart faces is contemplative.

I'm Going To Miss Them

2009-09-13T17:33:00.003-05:00

Aaaahhh summer. It really flew by this year.

Today has been rainy, overcast, a little bit cooler. I'm reminded that summer really is almost over for another year. Summer isn't even my favorite season, but I'm kind of sad that it's going.

There are many things that I'm going to miss. Going to the lake, fireflies, lazy mornings, tomatoes...

Tomatoes.

I'm not sure how to describe how much I love tomatoes. Of course, I'm not talking about those winter ones, shipped in from who knows where, that have no flavor. I reserve my love for real, summer tomatoes, fresh off the vine. Nothing tastes better to me on a hot day. I eat them sliced with a little salt. Caprese style with good mozzarella, basil, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. On a piece of bread with mayonnaise. Like "Sam I Am" I'll eat them anywhere, anyway, anyhow.

This year I discovered these beauties. They are an heirloom, black tomato - a Carbon Tomato. Aren't they gorgeous?
OK, maybe they aren't really all that pretty. They certainly don't look like supermarket tomatoes with their dark brownish, greenish red color and their crinkled tops.

But the taste...oh my.

They taste the way your feet feel when you finally reach the surf after running across hot sand. No. They taste the way it feels when you've been in the lake so long that your lips are starting to turn blue and you climb in the boat and wrap a sun warmed towel around your shoulders. Actually, I think that they taste like holding a dripping glass of iced, swee-tea to your face when you've been working out in the yard in July. No, I've got it! They taste like driving down a country road on a late June evening with the windows down.

Oh, you know what I mean. They taste like summer!

Anyway. I'm going to miss them.

What are you going to miss about summer?

So, You Want To Date Our Daughter?

2009-09-10T09:13:00.001-05:00

I've gone back and forth about whether or not to post this. There are so many different thoughts out there right now about dating/not dating/courting/not courting/kissing/not kissing etc. etc. etc.

I'm sure we'll be much too liberal for some folks and others will think that we are ridiculously over-protective. Oh well. We are just muddling through this birthing and rearing human beings thing. Truthfully, I would *never* want anyone to think that we believe for a minute that we are doing things right. Every day pretty much consists of one parenting mistake after the other. The main thing we have going for us is a strong desire to be good parents and a crazy love for our children.

With all that said, I'm going to go ahead and post this little tale. Back when my children were younger I loved to hear stories about how other people did things with their teenagers. Even if I didn't think it was the way *I* would do it, it helped me to think about the future. But mostly I'm writing this down because it helps me to process and think about things.

You see...young, first love is a dangerous and tricky business. Don't laugh! I really think it is.

It is like putting two inexperienced paddlers into a raft and setting them adrift on a river with Class IV and V rapids. At first it's fun, the adrenaline is rushing, they might even be paddling well enough to have some control, but then...here come the first hazards. Isn't it better if they have someone yelling from the bank, "Dangerous rocks ahead - go to the right, the right!" Some of the rafters will make it to a safe landing, decide that this isn't for them, shake hands and happily go their separate ways. A tiny number will figure out how to really make it work and get to the calm waters and stay together. Some will be tossed out into the water and need someone to throw them a life ring. Others will hit the rocks broadside, have the whole raft collapse and end up really hurt.

Basically all we are really trying to do as parents of a child experiencing first love is to provide enough help to allow it to be a positive experience. Or at the very least to be there to administer triage and oxygen if it isn't.

Here was the process that went on around here when a nice young man wanted to date our older daughter. I'll call him Paul...because, um, that's his name,

I told you about going on the youth trip to Cornerstone. On this trip a young man from our church brought a friend. By the last day it was obvious that the friend, Paul, had an interest in our daughter, Emily. He started texting her right after they got back home.

By the way, were you aware that texting is the very first step in young relationships now, and that calling on the phone is considered a major deal? Like - you don't really call unless you are headed toward couple-dom? Who knew? I sure didn't. Anyway, these two would text and text and finally I said, "Why can't that boy just call you?" My daughter was shocked that I would even suggest such a thing.

Eventually the texting did lead to phone calling. (Proving that your mother was right when she told you that one thing leads to another!) Phone calling led to an invitation to go out on a date. Here is where the brakes went on - because of rule number 2. You see the first two rules for dating our daughter are:

1. She has to be at least 16.
2. The young man in question has to be willing to come around and let us get to know him for however long it takes to make us comfortable.

Now I will admit that this "get to know him" step is waaayyyy open to parental interpretation. The hypothetical "boy that we've known for years who wants to take our daughter to prom because neither of them have another date and they are good friends and she has no real interest in him" would fall into a completely different category than "the boy we don't really know who wants to pursue a relationship with our daughter and causes her eyes to sparkle when she talks about him."

Poor Paul fell strongly into the second group. It was going to be tough for him. We didn't know him. We didn't know his family. He doesn't go to our church. He came completely out of the blue. Ok, I'll admit, we did know a few people who know him and they all gave him enthusiastic thumbs up, but that wasn't good enough.

So, Emily told Paul that if he wanted to date her he would have to spend time with her family first. That right there would be enough to stop many boys. In our opinion it's a good way to weed 'em out. Paul, however, refused to be weeded. He started coming over to the house. He had dinner with us, played games, watched movies, just talked. We were able to see how he treated our daughter, how he treated her younger sister, how he spoke on the phone with his grandmother. We were pleased with everything.

We did give them some semi-privacy during this time. They might watch a movie in the den while we were in the living room - that sort of thing. We truly didn't hover constantly - we hovered a little - enough to get to know Paul, to see how Emily acted around him, to begin to see his character.

Finally we felt comfortable enough to allow them to go out on a real date.

This is where rule number 3 for dating our daughter came into play. Rule number 3 is: You will be expected to have any number of conversations with her daddy.

The first talk was short and direct. I think Kevin said, "If you value your hands keep them off of my daughter."

Not really.

He actually said something along the lines of, "I love my daughter dearly and I'm putting great trust in you by allowing you to take her on a date. I expect you to behave in a manner worthy of my trust." The response was, "I understand completely, sir."

After that first date we waited and watched. It became obvious that our daughter really liked this boy and that he was crazy about her.

Have I mentioned that Paul is going into the National Guard before he goes to college? And that he would soon be leaving for boot camp? We were hoping that they would put the relationship on the back burner until he returned. Nope - they were having none of that. They decided to...whatever kids do now-a-days. Go steady, go with, go out? That's it, right? Go out? Anyway, the bottom line was that they agreed to date exclusively - even though he would be leaving and unable to communicate with her (except by real mail...what a concept) for 9 weeks.

My husband and I decided that it was time for a more serious talk. Kevin asked Paul if they could meet to have a conversation. Actually what he said to the poor kid was, "You might be about to leave, but because it doesn't appear to me that you are planning to *really* go away anytime soon we need to have a talk." I'm not sure if the tone of voice was as sarcastic as it sounds. Knowing my husband it might have been. Nicely sarcastic, of course.

Sorry that this has gotten so long. I'll try to get back to it in a couple of days to tell you what Kevin had to say in this second, much more important talk. I think that he did a great job!

Back to School - I (heart) Faces

2009-09-07T10:43:00.001-05:00

My youngest tried out for cheerleading last year and made the squad! She is a ninth grader so she is junior varsity and cheers for the junior varsity football team. Last week was the first football game of the season.

I love football. College football especially. The SEC in particular. The Razorbacks specifically. (Who actually have a good quarterback this year, and no major drama, and a shot at having a pretty good season!)

However, I can't remember the last time I've been to a high school football game. It was a world of fun. Of course, my husband and I spent all our time watching that cute young lady in the middle of the photo.

Forget the weather. It's still hot around here, but in the south you know that it is fall and that you are officially "back to school" when football season begins!

Check out I heart faces for all their glorious back to school photos!

Big Academic News!

2009-09-06T12:34:00.002-05:00

Friday we drove to north Arkansas to see our son, Chris and his girlfriend, Andra. It was so good to be able to be with them! We were finally able to see his apartment. He and his roommates have a nice set-up. I suspect that somebody had been doing some last minute scrambling - but truthfully, the place was impressively clean. We met some of the roommates, walked around campus a bit, and went to dinner.

Saturday, while we were eating lunch at a lovely little place in the quaint downtown area of their small college town, our son told us that he had received news. Big news. Big, important and very exciting news.

Chris is a senior electrical engineering major. All senior engineers have to do a project for a company. He and three of his fellow students got word that NASA was going to sponsor 10 student groups across the nation for a particular project. They submitted a proposal and Saturday received word that they were one of the groups that had been selected!

This is huge! Chris is very excited and we are so proud!

They will receive a $5,000 grant and will spend this year designing and building a robot that theoretically will be able to go to the moon, drive a certain distance, and collect as much regolith (moon dirt) as possible in a certain time frame.

In May they will go to the Kennedy Space Center and participate in a competition with the other selected groups.

How cool is that?!

Congratulations to Chris and the rest of the team!

Oh, and we were also able to have a little photo shoot on Saturday. Sorry, but you know I find it nigh impossible to make a post without photos. Besides which, these people are all so precious to me.

Who Is That Woman?

2009-09-03T15:33:00.000-05:00

I think that I need someone to tell me I'm not losing my mind.

Or perhaps I actually need someone to tell me that I *am* losing my mind. I'm not sure anymore.

Twice now in the last ten days I have caught a glimpse of myself in an unexpected mirror and not known who I was!

The first time I was walking into an office building that had a mirrored wall opposite the door. I thought, "Wow, that woman looks familiar." That time it only took two or three seconds for me to realize I was looking at myself. I laughed, worried for a second, and then let it go.

This morning I was at the hair salon. My salon has mirrors down both long sides of a rectangular room and another large free standing mirror at one of the ends. I sat up from having my hair washed and caught a glimpse of a woman way across the room who looked familiar to me. The scary part is that this time I didn't immediately figure out what was happening. I sat there and tried to remember who she was. This went on for a while - definitely over 30 seconds, maybe close to a minute. That might not sound like much, but it really is! Seriously, a minute is a long time when you are living in crazy-ville.

So what am I dealing with here? I'm hoping it's just another weird symptom of peri-menopause.

You know what would make me feel better? To hear that this has happened to someone else.

Really.....anyone?

Help?

They Were the Worst!

2009-08-31T10:59:00.003-05:00

I mentioned in a recent post that my daughter has a new beau. Yesterday she and the boyfriend wanted me to take a photo of them and I must tell you that they were the worst. photo. sitters. ever. I might have preferred to photograph a couple of squirmy two year olds!

They did keep me laughing though.

We decided to have them sit in our swing. The light was beautiful under the clematis covered arbor. We even went to the trouble of turning the swing part around so that the background would be our wooded back yard instead of the house.

I told them that because I would be shooting with a wide open aperture they needed to stay very still for me or the shots would be blurry.

Here's what actually happened.

If one was looking at the camera the other (usually Emily) was talking.

If they were both looking at the camera one of them (usually Emily) would be making a goofy face.

They were easily distracted.

And when I pointed out that they were easily distracted, they proceeded to pretend to be distracted.

Often they carried on laughing and chatting as if the lady with the camera pointed in their direction did not exist.

Yeah. We got nothing.

Perhaps we'll try again when they aren't *quite* as enamored with one another.

My Birthday Present

2009-08-30T09:04:00.002-05:00

Wanna see what I got for my birthday?

It's pretty cool.

You may have heard me complain from time to time about my aging, falling apart computer.

Those days are over!

My husband got me this:
Look! No lines running down the screen. I don't even have to squint or pull out my reading glasses to see the monitor. It's very exciting.

It even, if you can believe it, has an "A" key. Not only that, but the shift and the caps lock don't stick. And it's fast as greased lightening.

But...

Here's the deal.

On the outside it looks like this:
Yep. I received a new computer with huge, pink polka dots. Now...I'm not really a pink polka dot computer kind of woman. If I had been doing the selecting this thing would have been a functional black, or if I was in a really wild mood, maybe a nice, sedate maroon. I'm old, ya know.

But hey, if my husband still thinks of me as that 19 year old girl he met so many years ago...I'm ok with that.

The pink dots are already growing on me.

After all, you only live once.

There Is a Cure For the Summertime Blues

2009-08-24T22:02:00.002-05:00

Contrary to what the song might say, we have discovered that there really is a cure for the summertime blues.

Step 1: Get in a boat on a beautiful lake.

Step 2: Add sunscreen and sunglasses.
Step 3: Hang on tight.

Step 4: Look at the world from a different perspective.

Step 5: Be willing to take a tumble.

Step 6: Dare to make a crazy leap.

Step 7: Blow your cares away.

Step 8: Slow it down.

Step 9: Let a popsicle melt down your arms.
Step 10: Repeat as necessary until cured.

Daddy's Girl

2009-08-23T23:59:00.002-05:00

It started early.

I adore her and she loves me, but her heart belongs to daddy.

Was it all that bonding while we were still in the hospital?

Or the fact that they look alike and have the same slightly off-center sense of humor?

Perhaps it is because they both love numbers, and analyzing, and creating.

Whatever the reason it's a sweet and wonderful thing.

Happy 15th birthday, Ellen!
From one daddy's girl to another.

Friends

2009-08-21T09:25:00.002-05:00

One of the things I enjoy most about parenting teens and young adults is the way that their friends become a part of our lives. This becomes especially pronounced once they get older and can drive themselves and show up anytime.

When my son was still at home his friends would come tromping in, clean the left-overs out of the fridge like a bunch of piranhas, sleep all over the floor, laugh loudly, play video games, take up tons of space...I loved it.

My older daughter has had the same best friend for 6 years now. Both households feel as if they have an extra family member who comes and goes at will. The girls will show up at one home or the other and sometimes stay for 2 or 3 days. Fortunately the friend's mother and I are also friendly so we call back and forth to keep tabs on our daughters and ask questions like, "does Emily seem a little moody to you these days?" or "how do you think Stevie is doing now that her grandmother has moved in." It is really nice to have those extra eyes and ears.

My youngest is just now getting into the friends coming and going stage and I am very proud of the choices that she is making. Everyone I've met from her new school is great - wonderfully silly, giggly, cute, sweet, young things.

Then the girlfriends and boyfriends start appearing. This adds a entirely different dimension.

About a month ago our son's girlfriend was in town for her work. She called to let us know she would be around and was hoping that we could get together. We were thrilled! It meant so much to us that she wanted to spend time with my husband and me even though Chris wasn't with her. She is an amazing young woman and I loved getting to know her a little better.

What I am going to say next will probably embarrass her - I know she reads my blog - hey Andra! I found myself sitting across the table from her at lunch thinking about what a beautiful girl she is and imagining what my future grandchildren might look like. I could almost see a little boy with curly black hair and green eyes. After we all left the restaurant I mentioned my vision to my husband and he looked at me incredulously, "me too!" he said, "I was thinking about a little boy with curly black hair and green eyes!"

Are we ridiculous or what? Grandchild lust... already? And no, they aren't engaged - my husband and I are apparently just pathetic. Sorry you two.

My older daughter has her first semi-serious boyfriend. My husband has gone into full protective dad mode and has been - sort of - um - disturbed by the whole idea of someone wanting to date his daughter. He hasn't really allowed them much...very little...almost no...time alone. This has not discouraged the young suitor at all. We've been seeing lots of him this summer. What a great young man! He is sweet to our daughter, very much a gentleman, and has become quite comfortable around here. He comes in, has dinner, sits around playing games or watching a movie with the family...I think that speaks quite highly of an 18 year old boy.

One of the best compliments I ever received was from my mother. It was about 20 years ago and she probably doesn't even remember saying it, but I never forgot it. She told me that she was always impressed with my friends and she thought my choices said a lot about my character.

I feel the same way as I meet the people who come in and out of our lives through our children.

I suspect that there are very few of us who have managed to come through completely unscathed in the area of friendships or relationships. I've had my missteps and so have my offspring, but for the most part I see them making solid and wise decisions. I think it says a lot about their characters.

I find that it is very easy to love and be around anyone who cares for and is good to my children.

I Heart Faces - Bubbles

2009-08-18T17:21:00.000-05:00

Here is something a little more pleasant after my last self-indulgent, whiny post.

The theme at I heart faces this week is bubbles. There are so many wonderful photos to check out over there!

I was standing on the edge of my sister's pool and caught this shot of my youngest daughter just before she surfaced. She looked so cool and serene on what was a scorching day.

August

2009-08-18T09:11:00.001-05:00

If you asked me to rate the months of the year in order from best to worst – August would be in last place...every time. Every. Single. Time.

I typically don’t like to use this blog as a place to whine - but it’s the middle of August, so I’m going to make an exception.

I hate August.

August in Arkansas is unrelentingly hot…torrid…sweltering.You step outside and take one breath of the thick, moist air and immediately break into a sweat. The flowers are long gone, the roses are suffering from black spot, the daylilies have died back to the ground, and even the crepe myrtles are languishing.

The only thing left at the farmer’s market is okra. It’s too early for the fall fruits and vegetables and too late for anything else. I like okra as much as the next southern woman, but you can definitely have too much of a good thing.

Ticks and chiggers and mosquitoes. And that's enough said about those despicable little creatures.

This is the month that school begins…the month that I start having those dreams – the ones where I walk into classroom and discover that there is a test, the ones where I’m late for class and my books keep falling out of my arms. Seriously?! Still?! I’m almost 48 years old! Surely there will come a day when I get over those vague feelings of dread that are associated with the starting of school.

School - the death of our freedom, the end of sweet, lazy mornings, the beginning of planning and homework and schedules. Worst of all…and it makes me shudder just to think about it…school brings the need to pack lunches!

August is the month that absolutely everything starts and life becomes busy, busy, busy. Busy is not my thing. I’m all about relaxation. Come in, kick your shoes off, allow me serve you a cold beverage, and let’s have a good, long chat. That’s me. Not a fan of busy.

August is the month of my birth. I’m thrilled that I was born and I love living this amazing life I’ve been given. But my birthday causes me to think about what I have not accomplished, makes me wonder how much time remains, leaves me feeling as if I must do something…something big…right now.

August is also the month of my father's birth - and the month of his death. Every year as that anniversary approaches I set a goal to focus only on what a gift he was to my mom, my sisters and me. I tell myself that this time I won't dwell on how much I miss him, or how much he would have loved knowing his grandchildren, or how they would have adored him, or what a wonderful influence he would have been in their lives...I never succeed.

August leaves me melancholy.

And I retreat.

And wait for September.

Funny, Silly Faces - I Heart Faces

2009-08-10T23:50:00.004-05:00

The problem I have with this weeks theme at I heart faces is an over-abundance of photos. We have silly photos galore. My daughters find it almost impossible to be in front of a camera without pulling a goofy face.

Here is one of the most recent. It actually becomes a little frightening if you look at it for too long!

Up, Up and Away - I (Heart) Faces

2009-07-28T00:42:00.003-05:00

I had so much fun participating in last weeks I (heart) faces challenge that I decided to do it again! You should pop over there to see all the amazing photos that people are posting! I'm just hoping to look and learn.

This week's theme is "at the beach..."

We lived in south Florida for 18 years. I have beach photos coming out of my ears - all packed away in boxes. Only a few are on my computer. This shot was from the last time we were in Florida visiting family. My daughter and my niece were just about to lift off the deck of the boat. I love their expressions! You can see exactly how they were feeling.

Home of the...?

2009-07-27T00:27:00.003-05:00

Last weekend as we drove the scenic, winding back roads from one hiking spot to another we passed through the town of Deer. Deer, as you might imagine, was a very small town. However, it did have a high school. Emblazoned on the outer wall of the Deer school was the proud slogan "Home of the Antlers!"

I thought it was not only funny, but oddly compelling. As in...it made me want to see what it would be like to live in a small town. Somehow the thought of sitting in the bleachers, knowing everyone around me, and cheering for the Deer Antlers was...appealing.

Shortly after Deer we came to the town of Nail.

I suspect that Nail was too small to have a school - but that really wasn't the issue. Madness ensued in the vehicle as we tried to determine the perfect mascot for Nail.

My husband decided that they should be the Nail clippers. "No, too ordinary," the rest of us decried. My youngest daughter was all for the teams of Nail being known as the polish - the mighty, mighty polish. We kicked that around a while. It had potential - but we weren't sure that the boy's teams could be convinced to go for it.

Finally, we settled on the biters. That was what they should be. Nail...Home of the Biters.

You think their school board would appreciate the suggestion?

Pretty Toes

2009-07-21T11:04:00.002-05:00

While perusing some other blogs I discovered that the theme at I ♥ Faces this week was...feet!

Although I've never participated before, I happened to have just taken a photo of feet so I decided to jump on the bandwagon.

One of the things I love most about having daughters is all the "girly" stuff that we get to do together. We love to talk and go to movies where the girl gets exactly the right guy and talk and eat at restaurants with little tables and talk and occasionally get a pedicure!

We don't get to go often - but perhaps we enjoy it more because it is a rare treat. We all love the entire production. Select a color, select a magazine, sit down, put your feet in warm sudsy water, get the chair set at just the perfect massage level, lean back, sigh, relax and allow yourself to be pampered.

Pretty toes are...a nice result. The real joy is in the process and the time spent together.
Kind of like most things in life.

Lost Valley Trail

2009-07-20T11:40:00.006-05:00

A scenic drive brought us to our second hike of the day - Lost Valley Trail. This was a gem! The hike starts out level and easy following alongside Clark Creek. The creek had been described as babbling. However, it was silent and mostly dry this time of year. We will definitely be back in the spring to see this place when the water is flowing.

The first stop was at Jigsaw Blocks. You could tell that at some point - hopefully, many years ago - these huge stones had fallen from the tall bluffs behind them.
Then we came to another natural bridge. It sure looked like a cave to me. Once I was standing in the middle I could see that it actually did have an entrance...and an exit. So I guess it's a bridge. The stream ran right through the middle and a little water was flowing. I imagine it would be much scarier - perhaps impossible to pass through if the water were very high. You do have the option of taking the trail up and over rather than through the bridge.
The next stop was at Eden Falls. The water was trickling out of the cave above. The pool at the bottom was icy cold. This photo was taken from high on the trail - to give you an idea of the size of the place - the rock near the edge of the pool at the far left bottom of the photo was about half the height of my daughter. I've seen photos of this place when the water is really flowing and it looks glorious.There was still a little trickle through the moss on the hillside. I can see why they named it Eden - the entire place was lush and cool and felt enchanted.The trail goes sharply upward and terminates at a cave - a real cave this time. Three of us went to the back as far as we could go without crawling. If we had remembered to bring flashlights we could have crawled for a while and then come to an open chamber with a 35 foot waterfall. Since the water wasn't really running and we didn't have flashlights we decided to leave that experience for the next trip.

Besides, our youngest wasn't terribly keen on the whole "cave without a tour guide" experience. She staked her claim to this seat on a rock right at the entrance and didn't move. No way was she venturing any further away from the light.This trail is about 3 miles round trip. It is only steep at the very end and is absolutely gorgeous every step of the way. I would love to make this hike in every season of the year.

Because It Was "Not Hot" - Alum Cove Trail

2009-07-19T21:39:00.007-05:00

Summers in Arkansas are hot. Really hot. Blister your fingers opening your car door hot. Newscasters warning the old folks to stay inside hot. Draw the shades, crank the a/c, and never let your sweating glass of sweet, minted, iced tea get empty hot.

But this weekend something happened. A glitch in the weather systems. A beautiful anomaly. Saturday morning I opened the front door, let the dog run through, and stepped onto the porch. A deep breath confirmed that the air was actually refreshing. I can't go so far as to say that it was cool, but it was definitely...not hot.

I called my husband to come out and experience this interesting phenomenon. We quickly realized that we had to do something with this little gift, this "not hot" July day.

We rousted the girls from their sleepy, summer Saturday beds. "Just two more hours," my youngest begged. Soon the car was loaded and we were headed north into the Ozark Mountain National Forest. We were going hiking, but our main goal was just to be outside, enjoying temperatures that we won't see again until October.

The first hike was the Alum Cove Natural Bridge Trail. We arrived to discover that the trail was officially closed due to damage from last winter's severe ice storm. However, a few other hikers seemed to be ignoring the rather inconspicuously posted notice so we did the same.

Along the trail we saw trees that had toppled in the storm, some were still across the trail and had to be climbed over. The root balls of other fallen trees left gaping holes in the trail, forcing the hikers to go up and around. The trail leads to the top of a large natural bridge. It was here were we saw the real reason for the closure. The natural bridge is about 130 feet long and very high. The trail crosses the bridge and then winds down underneath. The limb and tree fall from the ice storm had severely damaged the guardrails along the edges. Definitely not a place to bring young children.

We followed the trail to the underside. What an amazing formation! In the next two photos you can get a feel for the size of the bridge. In the first one you can see my family in the lower third, right of center.
Another view:
The entire trail is fairly easy. It is just over a mile round trip with only a few steep sections. In addition to the bridge there are some beautiful bluffs and the entire hillside is wooded and lush.

After a break for a snack we were off to the next hiking spot.

Cornerstone Festival - What A Mess!

2009-07-11T13:59:00.003-05:00

Mosh pits and circle pits...

Emo, screamo, hardcore, heavy metal, grind...

I didn't know that when I went to Cornerstone I would learn a new language.

However, for the following concert - there were simply no words.

Before:

During:
After:
This face expresses my feelings exactly.

Believe it or not, I had a good time at this concert. I laughed a lot while watching the different reactions of our group, snapped photos like crazy, and mostly managed to stay out of the line of fire.

Cornerstone Festival - First Impressions

2009-07-09T01:40:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago our youth pastor came to me and said, "I really need another adult chaperone to go on the senior high trip, could you do it?" "Weeellllll," I hemmed and hawed, "I guess I can go, but only if you don't find anyone else."

Inside I was thinking - please, please, please find someone else.

He didn't.

That's how I found myself riding shot gun in the last of three large vans, all loaded with teens and all headed to a Christian music festival in Bushnell, Illinois.

Cornerstone Festival. C-stone. Ever heard of it? Neither had I. I will give our youth pastor his due. He warned me that the music might not be my style. He warned me that I might be in for a little bit of culture shock. I sort of, kind of knew what I was heading towards.

We managed to turn the 10 hour drive into a 13 hour drive. Getting lost and making multiple stops will do that to you. Restlessness set in and one of the students decided see how many people would wave to him. He was a little, um, insistent. Yes, we were driving down the highway at about 70mph. Don't worry, we pulled him back in.

We finally, finally, finally arrived. Tens of thousands of people attend this week-long festival. Most of them camp. We didn't. Our youth pastor doesn't like to camp...bless his heart. I mean that in the most sincere of ways. Seriously, BLESS HIS HEART. We stayed in a hotel about a 20 minute drive away.

Before sending the students out into the festival we all gathered for a devotional and some prayer, after which the leaders determined a time and place for meeting later and set up a few rules. The most important rule was..."NO piercings or tattoos even if you are 18 because you are on our watch and we don't want to have to answer to any parents!"
At first glance the festival felt like an overwhelming hodge-podge. Here's the recipe: Throw together 20,000 people, heavy on the young adults and late high school ages, but toss in a few aging hippies, families, youth leaders, and pastors - just for fun. Anywhere there is a patch of grass - set up a tent. Post tens of thousands of flyers advertising bands on every semi-stationary surface. Have no regular toilet facilities, but do line the roads with hundreds of port-a-potties. Fold in one and only one shower facility. Stir up some dusty roads, lots of noise, smells, and golf carts flying by carrying as many people as they will possibly hold. Set up dozens of stages and bring in about 400 bands. Offer gyros and pizza and other types of fair food. There you have it - a gigantic, week-long party in the middle of nowhere.

Did I mention that it was a little overwhelming? Even some of the students were having their doubts. However, everyone was ready to see what the next few days would hold.

Something Really, Really Scary

2009-07-04T11:55:00.002-05:00

Fears. I've got my share of them. Some are deep-rooted and serious. Others are simply silly. This past week I've developed another silly one. However, the fact that it is silly does not negate the fact that it is real. Very real.

Would you like to know what it is?

OK. First cue up the music in your head that you use for scary things. For me it's usually the song from the old Twilight Zone series. Perhaps for you it would be the theme from Jaws. Oh, I know! That horrible screechy noise from the shower scene in Psycho - let's do that one.

Ready? Here we go. Prepare yourself.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Yep. I've got a bad case of port-a-potty phobia.

I know some of you know what I'm talking about. Those things are dreadful, horrid, terrifying, and every other word that connotes fear and trembling.

Port-a-potty phobia was a latent fear that had gone unrealized because, well, I've had very few port-a-potty encounters in my lifetime. That all changed this week. Oh yeah. The dread that had been patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce had it's hey-day.

When I finally get home and have sufficiently recovered I will return to tell you what events precipitated this full-blown, all out phobia. Suffice it to say - I have been thrown soooooooo out of my comfort zone.

Mess And Chaos

2009-06-28T11:05:00.001-05:00

I don't like mess, dirt, noise, and chaos. To be honest, I don't handle it well. It makes me a bit...grumpy.

Have you ever lived in a house while the hardwood floors were being redone? If you haven't - then don't! If you have - you know my pain.

The contents of three bedrooms, including their closets have been strewn around my kitchen and family room for five days now. It's amazing how much stuff a small closet can hold.
And the dust! Dust everywhere. And the smell of polyurethane. And the noise from the sanding machines, and the men traipsing in every morning at 8:00am. We're living on a summer schedule around here - which means we are still bleary eyed at 8:00 in the morning.

Ok, complaining over. Today is the day we get to move back in and the floors are beautiful.
It was worth it.

I think.

Bad, Bad To The Bone

2009-06-21T20:57:00.002-05:00

Allow me to introduce my youngest niece.

Be careful now.

It's easy to be fooled by those angel blue eyes, those ridiculously long lashes, that sweet, little rosebud smile. Oh yes, it's easy to be taken in.

Here's the truth.

This is one of the most difficult three year old children I have ever known. She's a handful, a pistol, a mess.

She's, she's....well, she's ornery.

And, oh my goodness, we are all crazy about her.

Doing The Right Thing

2009-06-18T11:19:00.006-05:00

Sometimes I hate doing the right thing.

I recently made a decision to give up an activity that I enjoyed, an activity that gave me a fun, social outlet, an activity that had been a wonderful part of my life for quite a while......

It was also taking up way, way too much of my time and causing me to ignore or give short shrift to some of the more important aspects of my world.

I prayed about what to do. I received a clear answer. I told my husband of my decision and asked for his opinion. He gave me a hug and said that it was completely up to me...but I could tell that he thought that quitting was the right thing.

The decision is made. It's done. I'm sad, but peaceful and confident in the choice.

Still...sometimes I really hate doing the right thing.

New York City - Last Day - Last Post!

2009-06-17T19:47:00.009-05:00

After leaving the Intrepid we took the subway over to Brooklyn. We had been told that the best pizza in New York was at Grimaldi's just across the Brooklyn Bridge.

We arrived well after the usual time for lunch to find that there was still a line. A long line. I've never stood in line, excuse me, *on* line for pizza before. However, it was a vacation, so we grabbed a spot and waited.

Was it worth the 45 minute wait?

We sure thought it was. The pizza was delicious! I don't know if it's the best in New York, but I know four Arkansans who thought it was pretty darn good.
Still stuffed from devouring every bite of our two pizzas we walked just down the road to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. This is where we had been told that we could get the best ice cream in New York. All I know is that it was good, good, good...and their homemade hot fudge - man, oh man.
It was time to burn off some of our decadence by walking back to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge. We loved this little jaunt. The whole experience has a fun, festive atmosphere.

The bridge is astounding.
And so are the views from the bridge. What a gorgeous day it was as well!

Later that evening, just before dusk, we went to the Empire State Building. We had heard that the lines could be horrendous, but were able to quickly get through security and had only about a 5 minute wait before our elevator arrived.

Wow.

It was a cool, breezy, soft evening. The crowds on the outdoor, 88th floor viewing area were hushed. Most people just stood quietly and watched the sun set and the lights come on in this great city.
It was the perfect ending to a wonderful trip.

As one of my daughters said, "Everything was fun and none of us even got grumpy."

Not much higher praise for a vacation than that.

New York City - The Intrepid - Last Day

2009-06-15T19:09:00.006-05:00

First I have to say THANK YOU for humoring me with this travelogue. I feel like I've gotten to experience this trip three times, once in the planning, then the real thing, and again in the retelling.

I'm so grateful that no one has said, "Enough, already!" You may have thought it, but you've been kind enough not to say it.

This was our last day in New York and it was my husband's turn to determine our agenda. None of us were surprised by his selection. We were going to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. The girls and I were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed this museum.

Our first stop was the submarine. It was fascinating to learn more about how the crew lived while submerged for weeks at a time. The shower stalls were tiny and water was very limited. However, that didn't really matter because most of the time the showers were used to store canned goods. Think about the lack of cleanliness combined with the fact that each tiny bunk was shared in shifts by three different men.........actually I'm not sure that any of us really want to think about that.

We clambered up and down the stairs of the aircraft carrier, marveled at it's size, listened to knowledgeable docents, looked at the displays, and studied the various aircraft.

If you are in the area and are at all interested in the navy, or aircraft, or ships, or submarines - this is a great place to visit.

New York City - Getting Around

2009-06-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned how much we loved the New York City subway system?

We did. We loved the subways.

We purchased a 7 day, unlimited, Metrocard for each of us. They were $25 each and more than paid for themselves. The subway system and a little walking can get you just about anywhere you want to go on Manhattan Island.

The trains really aren't that hard to figure out. Just make sure you know if you are headed uptown or downtown. We had a city map that included not only the streets, but also the subway lines. That proved to be invaluable. I'm sure it also helped that my husband is gifted with maps and directions. We never got lost, although that might not have been the case if I had been the one leading the way.

The platforms were a tad grimy and occasionally stuffy, but the cars were air-conditioned and cleaner than I expected. Perhaps we are strange, but we loved the feeling of going down the stairs in one part of town and coming up in an area with a completely different look and smell and feel. We never knew what we were going to find at the top of the stairs and that was exciting.

I think that New Yorkers are at their most nonchalant when riding the subway. They sit or stand, oblivious to those around them. Many read or work Sudokus. Many more close their eyes and catnap or listen to music on their i-pods. We quickly realized that it would take something *really* weird to attract their attention.

The clown, in full make-up and regalia who hopped on board and proceeded to blow up her long, skinny balloons in preparation for making them into animals was completely ignored.

So was the guy, without headphones or ear buds, who danced to his "unheard by anyone but him" music during the entire ride.

So was the beautiful, lithe, young woman who rode the subway standing without ever once touching the poles or the straps. This was amazing to us. Later the girls had to give it a try and found it impossible. The cars go around bends and sway and lurch and stop and start. I have no idea how she was able to do it or why. We all did some speculating. My husband thought that she had a serious germ phobia. The girls thought perhaps she was a dancer and was practicing her balance. I guessed that this was a new extreme form of Pilates and she was working on her core strength. No matter what - it was pretty impressive

Other than the subways - we walked...and walked...and walked. Be prepared with with some seriously comfortable walking shoes.

I purchased these before we left, Privo Pipers, they were wonderful.
Getting around the city was a big part of the fun!

New York City - Soho Shopping - Day 5

2009-06-10T14:38:00.003-05:00

The girls had been happy to follow my agenda for our first days in New York...but now it was their turn.

There was only one item on their list...shopping.

We selected the Soho area for their spree - a perfect choice. This is a wonderful neighborhood where you can literally shop until you drop. I've heard that some New Yorkers are distraught by how commercial Soho has become, but for two young ladies from a shopping impaired city - it was paradise.

As you walk down Broadway you find one teenage shopping mecca after another...H&M, A/X Armani Exchange, Uniglo, Lucky...I can't even begin to remember all of them. On the side streets you had boutique shopping, designer shopping, upscale shopping, inexpensive shopping...wow.

My poor, without the only other male in the family there, beleaguered husband was such a good sport. He joked that he was nothing but the pack mule.
We took a break for a very nice lunch at Soho Park. This was a fun, little place with garage doors which were flung open to the warm breezes and all the noise and excitement of the street.

After the girls had *finally* exhausted their shopping bug we wandered over to Chinatown and then to Little Italy. Chinatown was extremely crowded and, excuse me for using this word again, gritty. Perhaps it was trash day because bags of trash were everywhere - we were having to dodge them to walk down the street. Even so, there was something very vibrant and exciting about this area.

Little Italy just felt...sad. You could tell that at one point it was a thriving, real neighborhood. Now it has dwindled to a single street of restaurants, obviously geared only toward tourists.
We wandered around Times Square again just as the sun was setting. It really comes alive at night - and the girls liked it even less! The swarming crowds and street hawkers and strangeness - definitely not their thing.
Finished the day with dinner at Carmine's. It is a huge place near Time's Square. Although recommended by the hotel concierge, we weren't sure what to expect. However the food was good and it is served family style so you can order a couple of dishes and all share. It was nice to get to try everything. We had a great time.

New York City - A Warning?

2009-06-09T10:33:00.001-05:00

If you are shy about being in front of people - then perhaps when you go to New York - you shouldn't get too close to the street performers.......just sayin'.

Yes, that is my husband at the end of the row of silly people with their hands in the air.

Next thing you know it was...

Get set...

Get ready...

And.....GO!

The guy in the red pajamas cleared them all and landed safely.

Fortunately my husband is not bashful.

New York City - Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island - Day 4

2009-06-08T18:32:00.010-05:00

We started early today, catching the subway to Battery Park where we would take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The lines for security are long and fairly slow, but once you are cleared it moves quickly.
As we came closer and closer to Liberty Island, it was easy to imagine the immigrants, displaced from their homelands, an arduous ocean voyage behind them, getting their first glimpse of this marvelous, meaningful icon. What must they have felt? Relief, trepidation, excitement? A bit of each? Currently you are only allowed to go to the top of the statue's base and you must get advance tickets for that. Beginning this July they will once again allow a limited number of people per day to go up to the crown. I have a feeling that will be a "hard to get" ticket.

The ferry leaves every 20 or so minutes from Liberty Island to transport visitors to Ellis Island. This was only re-opened in the 80's and had fallen into complete disrepair before being refurbished. How sad it would have been to have lost this symbol of the melting pot that is the United States. We learned that more than 12 million people came through Ellis Island over about a 50 year period and 40% of Americans have a relative among them.

The exhibits are very moving. Be sure to rent the head phones. As you go from room to room you will hear stories told by real people who entered the U.S. through Ellis Island. These are beautiful, well told, stories of perseverance, hope, and success.

We returned to Manhattan and had a late lunch at the Fraunces Tavern. The girls discovered the joy of Bananas Foster.
After that it was off to explore the financial district. Because it was a Saturday parts of the area were virtually empty. As we walked down one street we could actually hear our footsteps echoing against the tall buildings. It had the feeling of a deserted canyon. Then suddenly you would come upon a tourist attraction and there would be people again. We walked on Wall Street, saw the New York Stock Exchange, the Federal building, Trinity church...
Basically we did a lot of this:
I'd love to go back on a weekday to experience the excitement of rubbing elbows with some of the biggest movers and shakers in the world.

New York City - Central Park - Day 3

2009-06-08T09:03:00.001-05:00

Would New York be as great without Central Park? Perhaps, but I can't imagine that it would be as pleasant.

The park is huge - a fact which I had known, but not fully grasped. It's also beautiful. The feeling we got as we wandered around was that it basically acts as a backyard for an entire city - a pleasant, enormous, but somehow homey oasis.
We all loved the boat house and pond - wouldn't this be an ideal spot for a picnic?

Plus there is a castle...a small castle...that is now a weather station...but still a castle.
and a wonderful fountain...

free entertainment...
and bubbles. Bubbles make everything more fun.
On a totally personal note - I'm including this photo just because I love the faces. My older daughter, Emily, is showing that she is tired and her feet hurt - we *had* been doing a lot of standing and walking. My husband is saying something funny...as usual...and my younger daughter, Ellen, is cracking up at whatever he's saying.

Ellen is convinced that her daddy is the funniest man alive. I love that part of their relationship.

New York City - The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Day 3

2009-06-07T13:19:00.004-05:00

When you were a child did you ever read, "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler?" Or perhaps you read it to your own children? It's about two kids who run away from home and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I don't know how to tell you how much I loved the Metropolitan. I *loved* it and found myself jealous of Claudia and Jamie for getting to live there. I imagined myself wandering around, alone, no crowds, with the time to peruse whatever I wanted for as long as I wanted.

This is another huge place that would require weeks to see properly. We tried to hit the highlights and were still there for hours. I've been told that it is the most popular museum in New York. In certain areas of the museum the crowds were pretty intense. I would recommend going as early as possible.

The Greek and Roman Art galleries were a joy.

So, who do you prefer......Old Hercules or young Hercules?

We had a few pensive moments while wandering through the modern art.

As well as moments of saying, "now what is that?"

When we got to the old masters I was pleased to see my older daughter taking a photo of this painting with her phone. I thought perhaps all this culture was making an impact.
Nope. She sent it to her best friend with the teasing caption, "I saw this today and it reminded me of you."

Oh well. Rome wasn't built in a day and osmosis is a proven scientific fact.

New York City - Grand Central Station - Day 3

2009-06-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid and things got hectic around our house my mom would say, "It's like Grand Central Station around here." For once, mom was wrong. Nothing is like Grand Central Station except, well, Grand Central Station.

First there are those ceilings.
Then there are those windows.
And what about that spectacular, light filled, well planned, main terminal?We were impressed with the way the crowds flowed through the station so that you rarely felt jostled or crowded.

The lower level food court or the walk up counter at the Oyster Bar are both great places to grab a quick lunch before you head to your next destination.

We went through there over and over again as we caught different subway lines and never got tired of seeing it. I wonder how long I'd have to live in New York before I took it for granted? A long time I think.

New York City - Settling In - Day 2

2009-06-06T11:41:00.000-05:00

For some reason I had it in my head that I could arrive in New York, go to the TKTS booth and buy 1/2 price tickets for The Lion King. After all, it's been out for *years* - haven't most of the people who want to see it already seen it? Apparently not.

I did get tickets to Mary Poppins for later in the evening and I discovered something important. New Yorkers do not wait in line. Oh, they stand in a queue and are orderly and courteous, but they do not wait in line. New Yorkers wait *on* line. They are pretty adamant about it, too.

We started our day at the American Museum of Natural History. I don't even know how to describe this place. First of all it is immense. Enormous. Vast. OK, you get the idea. Seriously you could go everyday for weeks and still not see it all. You really have to pick and choose. Will you go to the hall of gems and minerals, hall of ocean life, hall of Egyptians, mammal halls, cultural halls, fossil and dinosaur halls...it boggles the mind. We saw the gems and minerals, the Egyptians, and the dinosaurs.

Then there is the planetarium. We probably spent most of our time here. Tons of displays, a show - all housed in a glass cube with a sphere floating in the middle. A perfect place for our nerdy family.
After the museum we headed out onto the streets of the Upper West Side.

The girls seemed to have gotten the hang of the fast walking New York thing. We were just trying to keep up.
And we discovered that New York dogs wear shoes. As I was taking this shot I suddenly realized that the poor dog owner was giving me warning glares as if I were some type of crazed dog-napper and my daughters were giving me the "mo-om" look. The "mo-om" look is worse.
Upon the recommendation of a local we ate a very late lunch at Jackson Hole - a little place with huge burgers.

Then it was out for shopping down Columbus Avenue. This was the first time that we had that, "I could actually live here" feeling. The streets and sidewalks were broader and less crowded. Young moms were out pushing strollers, the pace was a little slower. Grocery stores and pharmacies and hardware stores were interspersed with unique little boutiques. It just all had a great feeling and by the end of the week we were all still saying it was one of our favorite neighborhoods.
Those boutiques? I think the girls and I went in just about every one of them. This was our first vacation without our son and I know my poor husband was really missing him at this point.
Later that night it was out to the theater to see Mary Poppins. This was a pleasant surprise. The singing and dancing were great, lots of special effects and flying around the theater, the "Step In Time" sequence was breath-taking. We all enjoyed it.

Just as an aside. How much do you love a man who irons his own shirts? I know I do.

A Very Important Question

2009-06-05T16:12:00.000-05:00

I interrupt this trip report to ask a very important question.

A very, very important question.
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What's blooming at your house?

Despite my complete neglect of gardening this year, our plentiful rains have created the most beautiful flowers I've had in ages.

Here's what's blooming in my yard today...

Tigerlilies...
These were already here when we bought the house. They are a true old fashioned tiger lily - the kind you see at your grandmother's house.

Happy Returns Daylilies...
These are almost done - I hate when they are almost done.
I love the clear yellow of these - I don't know how it shows on your computer but they aren't the orangey yellow of the ones you see in front of every shopping center. They die back a little in the heat of the summer and then usually bloom again when the weather cools off a bit.

More daylilies...
These are my favorites. I wait for them every year. They just started blooming yesterday and I can't remember their name or find it in my notes. Anyone know?

Roses...
The last of my climbing roses are blooming. Soon the leaves will drop off and I'll just have bare branches. I cannot find a way to control the black spot in our heat and high humidity.

Shasta daisies...
These are just getting started. They'd take over the entire yard if I let them.

Hydrangeas...
Barely starting to bloom. They didn't bloom at all last year, but look wonderful this year. They are blue from being under my pine trees. They're going to be gorgeous and they make me happy.

I love this time of year.

So, what's blooming at your house?

New York City - First Impressions

2009-06-04T17:31:00.003-05:00

This was the first trip to New York for my daughters. I haven't been since I was a teenager and my husband has also only been once - for two days. We were all excited as we left the tiny Little Rock airport and flew into sprawling JFK.

As we approached the taxi stands we were bombarded by people offering rides in their unofficial "taxis." It made me feel sorry for anyone arriving who didn't speak English or who didn't understand what was happening.

After getting checked in and dropping our bags at the hotel we decided to spend the remainder of the day exploring our immediate vicinity. The first stop was for food - not just any food - pizza - New York style pizza. We ate at John's Pizzeria - pretty good.

Hunger sated, we headed over to Times Square. Loud, crowded, bright, frenetic Times Square. The girls were overwhelmed. Our youngest said, "I'm not sure I'm going to like New York." We assured her that it wasn't all like this.
It helped when they discovered that there was an entire store - two floors - dedicated to M&M's. Who knew that you needed a store just for M&M's? Anyway, as most women know, chocolate is a great soother of rattled nerves.
Then we discovered the Toys R Us with it's own full-size Ferris wheel. My girls are well past the Toys R Us stage but they still enjoyed riding that Ferris wheel and wandering through the huge section of Barbies.
We left Times Square and meandered over to Bryant Park. It's a gem with it's pretty fountain, little tables and chairs, green lawn, and big shade trees. While there I noticed an art that New Yorkers seem to have perfected. They, more than the people of any other big city I've visited, have the ability to shut out the rest of the world, to be alone in a crowd. As we wandered through the park we would see people by themselves, in pairs, or small groups, so close to everyone else, yet acting as if nobody else was around. It was a strange sight to our southern raised eyes. I suspect it's the only way to deal with being constantly surrounded by strangers. Southerners tend to always be aware of who might be watching them. After all, anything you do might somehow get back to your mom, or your friend, or the busybody next door - ya know?
We sat for a minute and watched some old Italian men - I know they were Italian because they were speaking Italian - playing a game with these metal balls. I think the game is called bocci? I'm not sure. Anyway, I did figure out how to play. One person tosses a ball, then everyone sits, drinks coffee, smokes, and talks for a while - eventually someone else tosses a ball.
Bordering one edge of the park is the New York Public Library. The lions guarding the entrance are named Patience and Fortitude. I don't know which one this guy is - he looks pretty patient to me.
The lobby is incredible. They certainly don't build public spaces today the way they used to.
I can't even imagine being able to do research in here. I'd be too distracted by the ceiling and the windows and the chandeliers and the immensity of the room.
We wandered some more, did a little shopping and turned in for an early night.

First impressions: New York is BIG and hectic, New Yorkers walk FAST and they don't make eye contact or smile, New York is way grittier than anything we're used to but full of energy - impressive, and exciting. We couldn't wait for the next day.

Guess Where I've Been?!?!

2009-06-03T11:50:00.001-05:00

Guess where I've been?

You got it!

We've been in New York City for the past week - taking our own family-sized bite out of The Big Apple.

It was an amazing trip and I can't wait to write about it. So if you don't like trip reports and pictures - I apologize. You won't hurt my feelings if you decide to skip my blog for the next few days.

Yesterday was the return day. We should have been home by 5:30 - we finally arrived at 11:30 after an exhausting day of being rerouted, delayed, bumped, stand-byed, and overbooked.

We felt pummeled and pushed and shoved and stressed.

Then we came home to this.

Believe it or not it made me smile.

You see, we ran out of toilet paper just before we left home and now I knew that I wouldn't have to rush right out to get some more.

Here's what it looked like this morning just before my daughters started cleaning it up. It was rather pretty blowing in the breeze, don't you think?

Letting Go

2009-05-26T12:35:00.002-05:00

Nobody ever said that parenting was easy. In fact, although I love it, I've often found it to be painful.

Contractions, pushing for two hours, and an epidural that didn't work.

Walking the floors from midnight until 2:00am every night for 6 weeks carrying a colicky baby on your arm like a football because nothing else will help.

Lifting a distraught 3 year who has suddenly melted into a limp, screaming, twice as heavy as usual, mass in the middle of the grocery store.

Comforting a teenage girl whose friends have capriciously decided to exclude her.

Feeling the agony as if it is your own while they suffer their first broken heart.

Allowing them to make mistakes - sometimes big mistakes - wanting so badly to rush in and help that your fingernails dig crescents into the palms of your hands.

But for me, the hardest part of all has been...
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Letting go.

Makes My Heart Smile

2009-05-26T12:30:00.001-05:00

I got a Makes My Heart Smile award today from Star at Laughing Through Parenting. How fun is that? Star's blog makes my heart smile.

She is a blog-land friend, a pastors wife, a really great mom and has the best sense of humor. I wish we knew her family in real life because I'm certain that we would all laugh ourselves silly.

Best of all she has a cool name and a cool tattoo to match. I've always wanted to get a tattoo, but haven't had the nerve...maybe soon.

Ok, I'm supposed to nominate 10 bloggers for this award, but really, all the blogs I read regularly make my heart smile. No, this is not a cop-out - they really do! Besides which, We are leaving for a little vacation tomorrow and I have a blue-million things to do. Consider yourselves nominated!

Thanks, Star!

The Other Guy

2009-05-21T10:58:00.000-05:00

This is a warning for young men:

If you are wanting to impress a girl do not...I repeat...do not take her on a double date where the other guy takes both couples up in his airplane, confidently and safely flying them to the lake. And especially do not take her on a double date where after flying everyone to the lake the other guy then proceeds to gracefully skim behind the boat on one ski, sending up a plume of spray on one side while his elbow touches the water on the other, all the while showing off his muscular, masculine forearms. Do not continue the date while the other guy throws some steaks on the grill and tosses up a salad while managing to be a funny and perfect host. Definitely do not prolong your agony by sticking around while the other guy provides after dinner entertainment with his wonderful piano playing and soulful voice, capping off the evening by singing 3 Times a Lady while sneaking glances at the girl you brought.

You have been warned.

My credentials?

I've been married for 27 years today - to the OTHER guy.

And I'd do it all over again.

Eureka Springs - Day 2

2009-05-20T09:32:00.002-05:00

We woke to a gorgeous second day in Eureka. The temperature was perfect and the sun was shining for the first time in weeks. We began with facials. This was a first for all the girls and I'm afraid that a couple of them are the type who could get used to a little pampering. I hope I haven't created a group of monsters.
After that we drove up to the Crescent Hotel.
It sits majestically on top of the hill overlooking the town. I don't know much about it, other than the fact that it is old and some of the rooms are supposed to be haunted. The grounds are beautiful and the girls ran around posing with me acting as their personal photographer.

I did manage to be in one picture. This is a rare thing.
They tried to recreate the gazebo scene from Sound of Music by leaping across the flower beds that surrounded this fountain. The results were, sorry girls, a little less than graceful.
Then it was down the hill to explore some of the little parks and springs along the road.
And peer through the fences at the delightfully crazy gingerbread on the old houses.
I think it was a wonderful birthday. I had fun. From the look of it - they did too.
Oh, I almost forgot...If you happen to approach Eureka Springs from the south on Hwy 65 - stop here: Serenity Farm Bakery. Everything is made from sourdough, everything looked and smelled amazing - but you really only need to know 4 words...sourdough pecan sticky buns. Say those words at the counter and change your life.
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Ok, maybe it won't *change* your life - but it will make certainly make it more enjoyable.

If It Had Been A Snake...

2009-05-19T09:26:00.001-05:00

Have you ever used the expression, "if it had been a snake it would have bitten me?" In this case it was a snake...but, fortunately it *didn't* bite me.

I hate snakes. Snakes make me shiver.

We have had so much rain this spring, but the last couple of days have been gorgeous. Yesterday I asked...actually coerced...ok, I forced my older daughter to go walking with me at one of our state parks. My younger daughter was in school and it's a good thing - because she hates snakes more than I do and is much more dramatic. We would have been dealing with a major FREAK OUT.

I thoughtlessly selected the Kingfisher Trail, a half mile loop through a cypress tree studded swamp. The water was high from all the rain, but the trail was dry.

On the second time around the loop my older daughter screamed, "SNAKE!" Her cry made me jump and I found myself leaping right over a huge, grayish brown snake. If she hadn't seen it...if she hadn't called out...if I had taken one more step...I would have stepped right on it.

We started sprinting as fast as our legs would go, somehow convinced it was slithering after us. I finally stopped because I could barely breathe! Leaning over with my hands on my knees gasping for air with adrenaline giving me the giggles and fear giving me the shivers, I heard my older daughter say, "I've never been so glad to be a fast runner." Yeah, she had way outstripped me - I guess we know where mom rates in the scheme of things. Can we say "snake bait?"

When we got home I looked up our snake. I think I googled, "really fat and scary big, horrific snake on the walkway"... or something like that.

This was him. Well, not exactly him - but one who looks like him.A cottonmouth.

The one I almost stepped on was about 3 feet long. The article said that they are one of the more aggressive venomous snakes.
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I'm still getting shivers just thinking about it.

Eureka Springs - Day 1

2009-05-18T13:39:00.003-05:00

The next couple of posts will be a combination trip report and celebration report. Although my older daughter's 17th birthday was two weeks ago we weren't able to have a party for her until this weekend. She wanted an all-girl road trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

The city was founded in the late 1800's and quickly boomed because of it's many springs which were thought to have healing properties. The homes are gorgeous Victorians of all sizes built up and down the sides of the steep hills. Narrow streets wind and climb in all directions, sometimes sweeping back and forth following the curves of the hillside and occasionally taking the most direct route - straight up. The entire downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Eureka Springs is a touristy, quaint, but decidedly quirky small town. The visitors are an odd mix of newlyweds and bikers, young families and retirees. The shops are even stranger - tacky T-shirt stores, followed by stunning art galleries, followed by kitschy made in China souvenirs, followed by beautiful locally made pottery - it's enough to make you feel a little disoriented. Strangest of all are the different life philosophies standing calmly side by side, a Christian gift shop abutting a new age crystal store, a poster espousing marriage and family values plastered on the same wall as one about alternative lifestyles.

Don't you imagine that the local politics get quite interesting?

One thing no one can argue - it's a beautiful place - especially in the spring.

We arrived in the afternoon and the girls immediately started making themselves all cute. They made my daughter wear a crown since she was the birthday princess and they wore their matching dollar store headbands to show that they were her subjects.
They got what they call "dressed up" but really how dressed up can you be with this footwear?
We then headed into the historic section of town for a little wandering,
and shopping,
and generally acting goofy.
After asking a few locals for restaurant recommendations and repeatedly getting the same response, we drove up the winding streets to Ermilio's. Located in a old house on a mostly residential street, this restaurant gives you the feeling of being invited to a friend's for dinner - a friend who is Italian and makes great food. It was very good and I definitely recommend it if you are in the area. While we waited we took advantage of the nice, big porch for more posing and picture taking opportunities. This is a group of girls who aren't camera shy. Can you tell? ;-)
Then went up to the attic where there was a bar and waiting area equipped with tables and comfy chairs and best of all - board games! They immediately grabbed some of their old-time favorites and played until we were called for our table.
After dinner it was back to the hotel for a swim in the indoor pool, followed by talking and laughter until late in the evening. Very late. Late. Did I mention that there was also giggling and that also went on until late? I think everyone was finally asleep about 3:00am.

Still, I've rarely had the privilege of being around such a sweet, funny, and self-confident group of young women.

Kris Allen - The Homecoming!

2009-05-08T17:45:00.010-05:00

Kris Allen came home to Little Rock and we were there!

Those who watch American Idol know exactly what I'm talking about.

For those who aren't fans of the show - the final three contestants all get to go on a hometown visit. A young man from our neck of the woods is in the final three! He made an appearance and performed a mini-concert today at the amphitheater by the Arkansas River.

We arrived a couple of hours early hoping to get seats. The crowds weren't too bad yet.

My friend Tracy and I snagged a couple of seats. Our children and a big group of their friends were down in the mosh pit - or as my younger daughter calls it - the mush pot. We texted and asked them to wave so that I could get some pictures. It was hot and sticky and I wouldn't have been in that crowd for anything!

People kept pouring into the theater and the lawn behind it. They were watching from the River Market and from the balconies of the surrounding offices. It was packed.

Homemade signs were everywhere. Most of them proclaimed the bearers love for Kris. Several said, "I skipped school for this!" My favorite made fun of Simon Cowell's comment that watching Kris perform was like eating ice for lunch. The crowd enjoyed throwing it back at Simon chanting, "We eat ice!"

Finally Kris arrived and the crowds went wild. He was obviously overwhelmed by the response and so gracious. The emcee announced that the judges had chosen the song "Apologize" by One Republic for Kris to sing during the next show.

Kris then sang three songs, She Works Hard For The Money, Falling Slowly, and Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone. He sounded great and of course the crowd was wildly appreciative and enthusiastic.

At the end of the show I got a glimpse of just how much his life has changed. In just three months he's gone from being a small town worship pastor to having to deal with the press.

As well as yelling, screaming, swarming young girls and bodyguards who don't smile or leave his side.

We had a wonderful day.

Big Weekend

2009-05-03T20:47:00.006-05:00

It was an important weekend for my older daughter.

Friday night was her junior prom. It was an all day deal doing fingernails and pedicures and hair and makeup.

In my opinion, the results were spectacular.

As her father and I were tearfully telling her how wonderful she looked and how special she is to us she said, "You're my parents - you *have* to think that." I don't know if we *have* to, but we certainly do believe that she is turning into an amazing young woman.

Then Saturday was her 17th birthday. Somehow 17 sounds so much older than 16, so much closer to being grown.

I don't like it one little bit. I wish I could wag my finger and say, "Stop getting older young lady!"

We love you sweet girl.

Excuses, Excuses

2009-05-01T09:19:00.005-05:00

I have been such a neglectful blogger lately! And such a neglectful reader of the blogs that I follow! When I started this blog I was determined not to become one of those people who just blogged a couple of times a month..........Whoops.

I have no excuses.
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Well, OK. I have a few excuses.

1. It's spring and if I have free time I'd rather be outside. Soon and very soon it will be too hot to breathe, much less move around - so I've got to enjoy the nice weather while I can.

2. I've gotten serious about eating well and exercising. Man oh man - this exercising stuff takes a chunk of time! I'm starting to feel good about it, though.

3. The kick start to "eating well" was a 7 day raw detox diet. You could also call it the "7 days of wailing and gnashing of teeth diet." I hated it! However, I began the program with a few other women and was too stubborn to be the only drop out, so I finished all seven miserable days. Some of the other ladies lost eight pounds! I lost a measly three. I felt like I was starving, I had no energy, I dreamed of food - hot, luscious, cooked food. I know there are people who eat raw all the time and I admire them. I can safely say that I'll never be one of them. Anyway, I had no motivation to blog during this time. This is really a blessing for all of you. I'm certain that had I blogged during this diet I would only have written about the terrible detoxification headaches and how tired I was of washing and chopping vegetables.

4. A moody 14 year old girl lives in my house. She requires lots of attention. I'm hoping that we outgrow this stage quickly.

5. My homeschooled child has allowed her busy social calendar to cause her to get behind in her school work. We are putting in extra hours in hopes that she can complete everything this month. Neither of us want to be doing school in the summer!

6. I've been on a reading binge! After weeks of feeling that my book selecting radar was on the fritz, it suddenly corrected itself. I have found and devoured 5 or 6 wonderful books recently. I will be posting about some of them soon. These were the type of books that *had* to be read to the exclusion of all else. Don't you just love books that demand your attention?

Anyway, I'm back. And looking forward to catching up with all my blogging friends. See you soon!

Life Lesson From Gus #2

2009-04-18T19:46:00.002-05:00

I've mentioned before that we love the miniseries "Lonesome Dove."

Over spring break we watched it again....Yep, still love it. Robert Duvall plays a pitch-perfect Augustus McCrae and Tommy Lee Jones is the gruff on the outside, soft on the inside, Cap'n Call.

It has great characters and unique, stick with you, thought-provoking dialogue.

I have a friend who says that you can learn anything you need to know about life from watching Lonesome Dove. ;-)

Anyway, as I was doing some spring cleaning and putting away some winter clothes, I was reminded of a scene where Gus is talking to Jake Spoon. Jake has returned to town after an absence of many years. They are watching Deets (Danny Glover) ride in from a distance and Jake asks, "didn't Deets have that same cap before I left?" Gus answers, ""Well, you know Deets. He ain't one to quit on a garment just 'cause it's got a little age."

How great is that!

Today, I folded and stored away a flannel shirt that belonged to my dad. I've had that shirt for over 20 years and I still wear it. I put it on when I want to have a cozy winter day at home. I also have a pair of ancient Levi's that are worn thin, naturally faded to a variety of pale shades of blue. They have non factory-manufactured holes in the knees and other worn and scuffed up spots. They certainly aren't stylish, but they are completely comfortable and make me feel good.

What about you?

Do you have some garments that you simply will not "quit on" despite their age?

Asparagus With Tomato-Basil Dip

2009-04-14T17:48:00.002-05:00

Asparagus seems to be one of those foods that split people into "love it" or "hate it" camps. I stand firmly with my kindred spirits - the love it people.

I made this dish, Asparagus With Tomato-Basil Dip, about three years ago for a brunch and it was a big hit. Then I promptly forgot where I found the recipe. The day before Easter I pulled all of my cookbooks out and began searching through them one by one. I have many cookbooks. Even worse, I have lots of recipes scribbled on scraps of paper and miscellaneous note cards. That's a project for...sometime...sometime in the future.

Anyway, it took a while, but I finally found it in the 2000 Southern Living.

I made it for Easter lunch and it was just as good as I had remembered. The most important thing is not to overcook the asparagus.

Asparagus With Tomato-Basil Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp grated lemon rind
4 lbs Fresh asparagus

Directions:

Whisk together first 5 ingredients until blended. Cover and chill up to 2 days if desired.
Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cook in boiling water to cover 3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Drain asparagus and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again.
Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Obviously this recipe is for a crowd. I would half the dip if just for our family. It keeps well in the fridge.