Mops And Pops Place

"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..." Hebrews 12:1

2011-12-03T02:53:00.000-05:00

I think I must know some of how a marathon runner must feel.

While I am not and never will be a runner, I have watched as they cross the finish line and collapse in utter exhaustion,

struggling for breath,

elated and winded.

Empty of everything but the joy of a task completed,

a goal accomplished,

the dream finally a reality.

Friday I will cross the finish line.

I will have my Masters in Nursing Education. The reality has not quite settled upon me yet.

Though I comprehend it, it still seems far away,

surreal.

I have kept my head down and my eyes on the path right in front of me for so long, finally I can look up, if I but will...

Lovely...

2011-11-04T23:45:00.001-04:00

I admit it, I love beautiful things...

and beautiful words.

This is a quote from Albert Einstein...

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.

It is the source of all true art and science.

He to whom the emotion is a stranger,

who can no longer pause and stand wrapped in awe,

is as good as dead;

his eyes are closed."

Lovely...

Life is hard, but 'pause' to stand in awe,
Keep your eyes and heart open...

Sometimes organizing reveals delicious surprises...tucked away in the recesses of my computer an amazing Pixie...

2011-10-16T14:10:00.000-04:00

Browsing the dim back corner

Of a musty antique shop

Opened an old book of poetry

Angels flew out from the pages

I caught the whiff of a soul

The ink seemed fresh as today

Was that voices whispering?

The tree of the paper still grows.

~Pixie Foudre

I love this...sometimes we all just need to be swisked away on angels wings... ;)

Remembering the girl...the perfect gift

2011-08-28T05:33:00.000-04:00

'as we all know',
there once was a girl...

blonde ringlets,

curls and bows,

twirly dresses,

little stubbed toes.

a heart of gold,
a spirit kind,
tender and sweet
baby girl mine.

lots of kittens,

gerbils too,

Sassy, a frog,

and a fishy blue.

the 'number rock',

close your eyes, swing,

Dad and Columbia,

a Carolina thing!

a school girl and,

a girl scout true,

an Irish visitor,

other friends too.

Barbies,

American girls,

friendship bracelets, more,

the mall, holidays,

the Limited Two store!

'wada' minute Carrie,
no more monster van for you,
a license and a car,
now you're driving too!

high school, track,

basketball, friends

newspaper, cheering,

Yellow Jackets win!

prom, graduation,

and college, oh my!

Time is going faster now,

It is flying by.

Love, marriage,

a home of your own,

But always our little girl,

though time has flown.

It may seem so far away,

but really it was just yesterday...

Happy 25th Birthday to my biggest baby girl...

Remembering the boy...

2011-08-19T14:10:00.000-04:00

As I was organizing some saved files, alas, sign of a true nerd, organizing computer files...

I found an e-mail sent to me by my oldest son.

He sent this to me after reading one of my blog posts written after Memaw and Grandmother died.

This was a particularly hard time for him, as well.

He lost his Grandmother and his Honey dog just days before he left for his first year of college.

I really worried about him then, and still do. Grief is hard. Sometimes we shove it inside to deal with the daily pressures of life. Eventually it will surface. What follows in this post is an e-mail he wrote to me. Oh, how I love that boy...

I logged online today to find another blog written by you.

It really touched my heart, Mom, and made me think about how hard it must be for you not having Grandmother and Memaw anymore. It made me think about it for the first time in a long time...

I can't even imagine how it would be if you were not around for me anymore. I love you so much.

Your words are powerful about 'being there' for your next generation of daughters...

You inspire me.

I was going to write a comment about it but I couldn't find the words.

I still can't to be honest.

'Our House' came on and I know I haven't heard that song in probably ten years,

a long time...

Then I started listening to the rest of the songs on your playlist.

Music is amazing, how it can bring back such strong emotions and memories,

so nostalgic.

I remembered listening to you and dad sing that song to me at bedtime.

And dad telling me stories about the boys, 'The Boys Story'...

I remembered playing outside till the sun was fading

and the bell you guys obnoxiously rang for dinner.

We were rednecks, huh?

I listened to the 'Hobbit Song'

and remembered my days of fantasy reading, out in the woods till I couldn't read anymore.

Imagining a world filled with magic,

the world of my home-school days.

The days where my Honey roamed the broad realms of Middle Earth with me,

and we never lost a fight.

I listened to 'Return to Pooh Corner'

and I remember the days sitting at home with you. Piling up couch cushions and watching American Gladiator,

MacGuyver was always the best then.

Its amazing how fast I've grown up,

these memories seem like they shouldn't be so long ago...

I just wanted to thank you for these memories, Mom.

Memories that are much clearer now...

I love you.

And I love you, son, very, very much...

Barbie wants her brush back, Pop!

2011-08-13T19:57:00.001-04:00

OK,

so I walk in the bedroom to see one Grand sprawled across a chair watching

"Follow that Bird".

This is one of my all time favorite movies!

Yes, I'm kind of intellectual like that...

only

to spot the other Grand

hard at work intently combing 'Pops' hair

with a microscopic, pink, barbie brush.

Priceless!

Oh, by the way Pop, I hope you're not in a hurry;

with that tool your stylist make take a while.

The Rules...from one nerd to another...

2011-08-05T20:08:00.002-04:00

As I was cleaning out some papers, I came across something that I had put on the refrigerator as the kids became teens. At some point in time, it was put into a pile, then stuffed in a drawer. Now, low and behold it showed up in a stack of memorabilia. I love to read and so often when I find bits of wisdom I tuck them away. Well, I'm going to post it, so I can revisit when in need. This was written by Charles Sykes (thank you Cartoon Characters). I love it and my teens and young adults know I do... This is as relevant now as then.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it.

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you can feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will not make 40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping - they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is not real life. Real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

As a nerd, rule 11 is my personal favorite ;)

Just around the corner...

2011-07-29T12:33:00.003-04:00

As I walked in the door your sweet scent wafted around me,

comforting,

I remember, a soft sweet love, an enduring permanence,

I remember.

As I walked from room to room, a chill slowly permeated my being,

emptiness.

The sweet soul of the home is gone,

missing.

The things are empty and meaningless without you,

the house is only a house without you.

You are not here,

but I know where you are.

Waiting with a soft, sweet fragrant hug,
Just around the corner.
Someday...

The Way We Were or Will be...

2011-06-26T12:48:00.003-04:00

This blog many times chronicles the way we were,

sometimes it reflects the way we are and occasionally it envisions the way we hope to be.

Right now I am entering the last six months of graduate school. If I survive, in December I will graduate with my MSN in Nursing Education! In the meantime, I been besieged by many troubles and distractions.

Now many of you may or may not believe in the spirit realm, but I do. The troubles and distractions I will not elucidate upon at this time. However, the quiet Power which enables me to continue I praise. It is God's grace, strength, and wisdom which will see me through to the end.

To others who are hanging on, depleted, confused, or hurt I offer this reminder. Our Savior, Jesus, prayed for us, for you and me before He ascended into heaven. He has provided us the Comforter to supply us with everything we need...not everything we think we need.

Take heart dear souls in these tough times. He is in control.

Story of the poem..."The Lord will guide you continually." Isaiah 58:11

2011-01-12T11:39:00.003-05:00

Long ago I wanted to have my second baby in a local birthing center but it seems the infant had a different idea, the baby was breech. We did not know if it was a boy or girl due to this positioning, which of course didn't matter. At this time, however, I wanted this baby to turn so I could go to the birthing center and leave in 24 hours. Instead I faced the very real possibility of a cesarean. I prayed, elevated my hips, everything I could think of...but this baby would not and did not budge. As an experienced labor and delivery nurse, I knew that the closer I got to the due date the odds decreased dramatically that the baby would have room to turn.

Finally we went to the mountains on vacation. I had prayed and prayed when finally it hit me...maybe there was a reason I wasn't supposed to be at the birthing center. It was right across the street from the hospital but God knows everything. While in the mountains I found a poem by Perry Tanksley that I kept for years...God sends His best to those who leave the choices up to Him. I committed at that time to leave the choice up to Him. When I returned home the doctors asked if the baby had turned. I said, "No." Only once had I felt anything unusual. I was crossing the street and literally doubled over with a cramp. It had only lasted a second. Well as it 'turns' out the baby had indeed repositioned herself. I believe that was the beginning of learning to trust and surrender. I have since passed on the poem to our second daughter for her tough times. Her birth and presence in our lives has certainly been a testament to the poem; God does indeed "send His best to those who leave the choices up to Him."

Recently, while Christmas shopping, I found a new and encouraging piece of poetry by Perry Tanksley. As with so many across the country, this Christmas was lean. However, it ended up being one of the most fun! The poem below is called These Days Are Stepping Stones. I selfishly bought it as years before I had purchased the other. God uses many things, people, moments, verses, to remind us of His presence and omnipotence. I so appreciate these reminders that encourage me to rest in His plan. Therefore, take heart America, come what may we are 'held' so tightly in His hands that we are engraved on His palms. Rest there and know that He will never leave you or forsake you. There is a reason. Knowing and believing this is faith.

These Days Are Stepping Stones

Someday when we look back

On days that seemed unblessed,

We'll see how God used them

To lead us to life's best.

Someday when we look back

On days when things went wrong,

We'll say, That brought us to

The place where we belong.

Someday when home at last -

Safe in Heaven above,

We'll praise God for dark days

As stepping stones of love.

Whew...

2010-12-11T13:31:00.000-05:00

I have survived my first semester in graduate school!

It is over...for now.

I have learned so much and yet the time which has passed is a blurr...

I feel as if I have been an awful blogger, mother, wife, friend...

The creative side of me has been sucked dry.

The cup is empty.

Hopefully, during this season of beauty and hopefulness,

I can reflect and refill.

To my wonderful, sweet bloggy buddies,

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

I will try and visit soon!

Your gracious encouragement is so touching.

Breathe in the beauty, my friends of this blessed season.

Do not let the blurr of activity steal your peace.

Rest in Him.

Wrap yourself in His peace.

Life...

2010-11-05T18:11:00.002-04:00

Time certainly has passed since I last visited, old friend. So much has happened. This is the season of football and friends, yet, work and school, continue. Life passes and passes. I work and study... and study and work. Much of the time I feel like a hamster on a wheel. But... I have so much to be thankful for and I am. To be alive is a gift...Tired, yes, but oh, so grateful. Much of my creativity is being poured into graduate school right now. I love it, really, only tonight I'm tired...

Recently, another friend passed into loveliness...another...so beautiful, sweet and faithful, always smiling. Heaven will be an even happier place now. Oh, the games that will be played! The laughter that will ring out. Some people are just so easy to love and admire...How I hate it when my words can not do justice, my thoughts can not create a tribute worthy enough of one so rare. How blessed we all are to have known her....

I hear the wind outside. It sounds a bit blustery tonight. This is one of my favorite things about fall. As a child I can remember chasing dust devils around the yard and trying hard to get into the middle of them with the leaves swirling around me. They seemed magically alive with the leaves swirling around and around and around. Hmmm, not unlike my life of late. Yes, I love the fall.

Modest Goals...

2010-09-22T10:48:00.000-04:00

Well, however, lame this sounds,

my goal for this masters level applied statistics course was rather modest.

My goal?

To survive...

Last time I checked, I still have a pulse!!!

Final, Saturday.

A little bit more coffee and a lot of prayer should do it...

"Time in a Bottle..."

2010-09-05T21:41:00.000-04:00

In the 70's there was a song called "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce..."If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do, is save every day till eternity passes away just to spend it with you...". Well, I had been secretly saving time, or so I thought. I was going to work and work and work because at the beginning of August school would stop. I would sigh and soak up the long awaited laziness brought on by the sun. Then the best part would be uncorking the bottle of time to share with all the best people in the world...ahhh...That is until August 17th when graduate school would start.

Well, as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men may indeed fall apart. The week for the long awaited vacation arrived to find me unable to move. The muscle I apparently strained at work several weeks before decided to flare up again. So needless to say the time...the precious time which I had saved in a bottle was spent resting and in physical therapy. Being still was not easy for me. However, I know there was a reason.

This I wrote a month ago...The muscle strain is some better now but not entirely. At times it is miserable. Such a totally frustrating experience. I will, however, from now on have endless empathy for back pain sufferers.

Today, the Sunday before Labor Day was amazing. There was a crispness in the air that hinted at the beauty to come. Graduate school has resumed and I'm surviving statistics for the time being. I spent the day tidying the house, garage, and dragging the fall decorations out of the attic. Thank goodness for attics...
Bring it on, Fall...I'm ready for my favorite time of the year!
Even if I did miss my trip to the beach...

In commemoration of the beach trip that didn't happen I am going to drag out a poem I wrote last year as I languished on the sand...Ahhh

The Tide of Life

The sand is so soft
and warm.

The air is humid

and sticky.
The sights
and sounds of the sea

provide a relaxing

hum to the tide of life.

Constant,
unrelenting,
back and forth,
back and forth.

Moments,
hours,
days,
undulate between
feverish activity,
lethargy,
and contentment.

The ocean looks like glass.
Thick air,
moist with salty spray,
relinquishes a rare breeze.

Children laugh,
waves crash,
and the tide ebbs;
back and forth,
back and forth.

Time,
endless time,
ticks by....
The tide of life.

Laziness creeps in;
sigh...
It is refined
and
polished,
becoming an art form,
relax.

Reading, playing, eating,
basking...
verbs of pleasure
punctuate our speech.

Nights spent
on the beach
watching
the people,
the sunset,
the surf.

Alone,
meditating,
with The Maker,
The Giver...Lover of our souls.

Washing the shore,
Cleaning the sand,
back and forth,
back and forth.

So unending,
so everlasting,
the tide of the Spirit.

Steadily,
the breakers beat the shore.
Occasionally,
an isolated firework
cracks
and fans across the starry sky.

Unfazed,
the swell surges,
back and forth,
back and forth.

So steady,
so dependable,
the tide.

Spontaneous,
late night
room service,
just for fun.

Early morning
cartoons,
half awake,
awkward, childish bodies
sprawled
across sofas and beds.
Loving,
playful banter
thrown
back and forth,
back and forth.

So faithful,
so abiding,
the tide of a family.

Embrace this portrait,
these memories,
the sweet filling of the spirit,
painted one season.

back and forth,
back and forth,
back and forth...

"A Mighty Fortress 'for' our God"...Ode to a Hero

2010-08-05T11:13:00.002-04:00

To have known beauty and greatness, is a gift,

a blessing beyond measure.

To have shared trials and tears,

laughter and wisdom,

joy and prayers is indeed a rare treasure.

Thank you God, for these moments and memories

of a passion so pure and so bold;

Kindled of a sojourner who traveled far with the light,

insisting God's love be told.

Inconceivable the loss of one held so dear,

Incomprehensible and yet, your will?

Sorrows seem to drown us, humanity cries,
but God reigns in heaven still.

Yes, God reigns in heaven still.

Comfort those I love who walk through the fire,

Cradle them ever so tenderly tonight.

May they know the love and admiration their lives inspire

and glimpse the impact of foundations laid beyond human sight.
Yes, glimpse the impact of foundations laid beyond human sight.

"A mighty fortress 'for' our God, a bulwark never failing..."
the life-song of a hero sung strong and low,
wounded and lost souls availing.
Yes, wounded, lost souls availing.

Tired...

2010-07-19T23:29:00.000-04:00

Not exactly...

Yup, that's it...

Where, oh where, has my little (actually fat, sassy, sage, and occasionally cranky) cat gone? Oh where, oh where, can she be..?

2010-07-09T13:37:00.001-04:00

It's July...wow.

The 4th was beautiful and amazing.

All the young'uns picked out their special fireworks and put on a show. On the 5th I piddled in the yard to my hearts content, jumped on the trampoline, swam and just plain forgot about school, work and everything for a day. Niceeeee. Good times.

Sadly, our 17 year old cat, Sassy, is missing.
Gone.
No sign.
Vanished.
She never leaves our back deck unless it's to go into the front flower bed to sun.

This summer has been hard enough without my "catdog" April, now the sage old calico?
The deck and yard will seem empty for sure.

Last year our lab, Honey, died; she was fifteen. On the one hand, what a blessing to have enjoyed her company for so long, on the other hand, my youngest three kiddos have never known the back yard without these faithful friends.

E came into the bedroom last night in the middle of the night convinced he heard Sassy calling. Steve got up and they went outside and checked around one more time. We have checked our whole yard, the woods, and the neighborhood; it is a mystery indeed.

Where's Perry Mason or Matlock when you need them?

I'm ready for recess!

2010-06-20T10:45:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. Summer school is, well, quick! Midterms have passed and the final is June 28th! Working on my formal paper for this semester and I can not believe that I am saying this but APA format is finally getting a little easier. Ugh!

I am in Community Health this semester and the funniest thing is that I didn't realize I am a community health nurse now?! Working at the Center for Pediatric Medicine we see NICU grads to seventeen year olds. Amazing. I have learned so much.

OK, so back to the paper...I have decided to write about vaccine controversies. This has actually been a very interesting topic, perhaps I'll share some of the details later. For now, I best get back to work.

Last update on school...graduate school here I come!!! Yay! I am Charleston Southern bound and I am so excited! I'll be working on my MSN in Nursing Education starting in August....combining the two things I love nursing and education!

Finally, Happy Fathers Day to all you dads out there. You are indispensible!!!!

"God sends His Best to Those Who Leave the Choices Up to Him..." by Perry Tanksley

2010-06-03T00:25:00.000-04:00

I said, "God, I must know

Where you are leading me.

I ask to view Thy plans.

I have a need to see."

He said, "If you must see,

And My plans you must know,

Then you can't walk by faith

And follow where I go."

I said, "Dear God, forgive!

I ask no more to see.

Teach me to walk by faith

That I might walk with Thee."

Below are some quotes from the green pages in Richard Bolles book, What Color Is Your Parachute? 2010. Wonderful reminders that we live for a reason. Our life and breath are gifts...

"You first mission here on earth is to know God, and enjoy Him forever, and to see His hand in all His works..."

*sigh*

"Your second mission here on earth is to do what you can, moment by moment, day by day, step by step, to make this world a better place, following the leading and guidance of God's Spirit within you and around you..."

*sigh*

"Your third mission here on earth is one that is uniquely yours:

to exercise the talent that you particularly came to earth to use - your greatest gift, which you most delight to use, in the place or settings that God has caused to appeal to you the most, and for the purposes that God most needs to have done in the world."

*sigh*

Bolles goes on to state that, "God gives us each a unique talent that only we can perform, He guides us toward this talent, which He has lodged in us, through our hearts. This talent usually gives us the greatest pleasure while exercising it and it is usually the one that, when we use it, causes us to lose all sense of time!"

Wow! I have done that...I have been so involved in moments at work that I lost all sense of time, while at the moment felt incredible peace and satisfaction. I am working, but there is a sense of ultimate fulfillment and sheer joy. A knowledge that for that moment in time, I was where I was supposed to be, doing what I was supposed to be doing. It reminds me of the Bible verse in Esther chapter four, verse fourteen, " And who knows but that you have come to this position for such a time as this?" For such a time as this, indeed...

May we all be so blessed...

Hanging in there...Random thoughts...

2010-05-29T17:08:00.000-04:00

I thought about calling this 'Letters to my World.'
It's a pretty random piece that I felt compelled to write,
for some unknown reason.
So maybe somebody, somewhere needs this...

I been so busy of late it seems I scarcely have had time to tell the people in my life how much I love them and appreciate them.

How much I love them, as much for their similarities, as I do for their differences.

Life is busy.

But amongst the moments of turmoil, when it seems as if we hardly have time to breathe.

Please know each of you are always in my heart and prayers.

I am blessed.

So today, I want to throw some random thoughts into the wild, blue yonder.

First,

life is hard.

It just is.
We can thank Adam and Eve for this fact.

Second,

we all make mistakes.

We just do.
We can also thank Adam and Eve

and God's gift of a free will for this fact.

Third,

and most importantly,
we are not alone!

We can thank God for this fact!

Each of us has been wonderfully created with a purpose,

a purpose only we can fulfill.

Nothing happens by chance;
nothing!

Nothing is out of the Father's Hands,
nothing!

Thank goodness!

Good and bad,

happy and sad,

we are held so tightly that we are engraved on the palms of his hands.

*Sigh*

Not just the "good" ones of us,

not just the "holy" ones of us,

for we are all as filthy rags...
But,

God sees us through the veil of Jesus blood,

which makes us perfect;

and He never lets go!

So in Him I am perfect...
and so are you.
Apart from Him, there is no good thing in me.
Alas, there is not.

So for all my dear friends and family. Hang in there during these tough times.

During moments of disappointment,

remember,
only those who never try,
never fail...
but at what cost?

Teddy Roosevelt one said,
"It is not the critic who counts,

Nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled

or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena;

Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;

Who strives valiantly...

Who knows the great enthusiasms,

The great devotions,

And spends himself in a worthy cause;

Who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement;

And who, at the worst,

If he fails,

At least fails while daring greatly,

So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls,

Who know neither victory or defeat."

So may we all have the pleasure of striving valiantly in our lives for something..
May we all have the pleasure of great enthusiasms and great devotions.
And may we all dare greatly...
for of such grand and glorious stuff is life made.
One ordinary life can make an extraordinary difference to someone, somewhere.

During moments of heartache,

remember, this is only the beginning of something much, much better,
that lasts much, much longer... One of my favorite quotes by Peter Marshall reads,

"Those we love are with the Lord,

And the Lord has promised to be with us.

If they are with Him,

And He is with us,

They can not be far away..."

So hang in there!
Whoever you are,
doing whatever you are doing,
we all cause ripples in the pond of life.
Somewhere your ripple has touched someone, somewhere.
May it be a good one...

And remember...

You are loved,

and appreciated,

and important...

Lastly, I love this photo by Jurvetson.
Look at the mama cat.
She is calm as she looks upon her kitten hanging on for dear life.
The kitten is clearly panic-stricken!
However, Mama Kitty knows what her baby can not.
He or she will land on their feet
and they will be just fine.
Yes, they will,
just fine...

" Tut, tut, child! Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it." The Duchess, Alice in Wonderland

2010-05-02T12:56:00.005-04:00

"I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, Sir, because I'm not myself you see...
I wonder if I've been changed in the night?
Let me think.
Was I the same when I got up this morning?
I almost think I can remember feeling a little different.
But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?
' Ah, that's the great puzzle!"

These quotations are from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Did you know there is a modern day Alice?
Yes, indeed.
She is quite adorable;
her name is S.C. Modern Day Alice.
Shout out to this sweet, southern girl
with a well written and insightful blog called,
For a Pessimist , I'm pretty Optimistic!

This is a great read for mom's who feel as if they don't recognize their college age daughters anymore!

Who are you and where is my daughter?

Also, for the college age daughter, living in wonderland,
where everything is vastly different than at home.

"It was much pleasanter at home, when one wasn't always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits."

I am hooked.

Wonderland never seemed so charming.

Also, don't you love the photo from katmere at Fickr's Creative Commons?
It's graffiti!
Amazing!

Yay!

2010-04-29T22:41:00.000-04:00

Nuff said!

Quagmire...

2010-04-11T11:51:00.001-04:00

The bees are buzzing, the sun is shining and I'm stuck...studying...

Not a pretty picture!

"The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs." ~ Vance Havner

2010-04-02T20:49:00.001-04:00

Deep breath, breathe,

inhale, exhale,

try and concentrate,

only 24 more days till this semester ends.

Step, plod, climb.

Head down,

nose to the grind stone.

I can do this,

I think...

Step, plod, groan.

I can't think of all I have to do and haven't done or

I'll feel buried.

I'll just keep moving one step at a time.

Hopefully one day when I finally look up,

I'll be there,

hopefully.

Step, plod, climb...

By the way all,

Happy Easter and God bless you and yours.

Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark. ~Rabindranath Tagore

He has risen;

He has risen indeed!

Hobbits and Silly Old Bears~

2010-03-27T09:44:00.000-04:00

There is a magic in that little world, home; it is a mystic circle that surrounds comforts and virtues never known beyond its hallowed limits.
~ Robert Southey ~

I am getting to light like a butterfly in my own home for a few days.

This I love.

*sigh*
I am a homebody.

Once long ago,
as I was complaining about just wanting to get home from an excursion of some kind,

my oldest son exclaimed,

"Mom, you sound just like Bilbo Baggins..."

He was right, of course.
In another world, I am a hobbit.

Not a very beautiful creature but a loyal, steady one.

And just as poor Bilbo was lured away from hearth and home,

I, too, have ventured out

all the while complaining and grumbling

only to find a very grand adventure....

hmmm.....

Ok, so now I'm starting to sound like Pooh...

"Oh, bother..."

Well, any way back to the subject at hand....

"Think, think, think..."

*sigh*

Well...
I think I am glad for all these trials of late...

(No, I am not trying to play Pollyanna's Glad Game)

If Steve had not lost his job, if we had not needed health insurance, if, if, if...

I would not be back in school,

I would not be working at the Center for Pediatric Medicine,

I would not have met even more amazing people...

and the list could go on and on...

About right now I feel like singing Garth Brook"s song,

Thank God for Unanswered Prayers.

But, not to worry,
you are safe.

I will not.

Suffice it to say, His Word is true,

"All things work for good
(not all things are good but they work for good )

for those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

*sigh*

The Princess of Quite A lot~

2010-03-16T21:47:00.002-04:00

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.
~Mary Engelbreit ~

Sitting,

looking out the window,

watching the cool wind blow,

looking around my house, I feel as if I've been gone...

for quite a while...
Spring is almost here,
almost...

As I wander around,

straightening the piles of mess

which have accumulated,

it's funny

it just seems so...

normal.
Finally!

Long ago, my sister in law talked about finding a new normals...

Isn't that just life?
Over and over and over again,
we find new normals.

If we stop,
we get left behind....

When Steve lost his job,

he found a new normal as Mr Mom.
That must have been excruciating
especially since

I was less than happy about this change of events...

I was happy before.

I was comfortable before...

I loved being a stay at home wife and mother,
home school teacher and volunteer.
Why, I was a princess, you know.

I still was many of those things,
but now it was different.

Inwardly, I stressed,
I mourned,
I pouted,
and fumed...
I didn't want to change...
and I didn't want things to change at all!

It's funny how often life really doesn't care how I feel.

Apparently, it's not all about me!

I hasten to add that I believe in a divine plan.
This comforts me tremendously.

I believe, small as I am,
God has a spot that only I can fill.
And so it seems,
technically,
I am still a princess,
just a working one.

I can see His Hand,

in new friends,

in a new vision,

and a plan for the future that never would have happened

had not my life changed,

had not my comfort level and security been shattered completely.

Perhaps,
I would not have had to be so rudely awakened had I not been so content,
so comfortable,
so cozy.
Snug as a bug in a rug...
Ummmm...

I doubt I will ever like change

but I think I am learning to live with it...
Now, if I can just get a little more settled...
I think I found a new rug...

In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired." ~Author Unknown

2010-03-11T16:35:00.001-05:00

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. " ~Irish Proverb

I hope so; I really do 'cos I'm plum wore out.

Yep,

plum wore out.

While this semester in school has been very enlightening,

it has also been exhausting!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the professional development portion.

Very eye opening....

But

( why does there always have to be a but)

an additional eighty hours of clinical

over and above forty hours of work

has produced

a ragged nurse,

a stressed out student,

a pathetic mother,

an absent wife,

an erractic blogger,

and a woman who is just plain tuckered out.

I have started a new blog

(in all my spare time).

It's for my nursing informatics class but I find it fascinating.

It's called Nurse's Watch

@ nurseswatch.blogspot.com

It is a blog devoted to the relevancy of blogging to nursing;

sooo

I get to visit all kinds of nursing blogs and try and figure out why nurses blog.

This is oh so fun and enlightening.

So that's about all.

Yep.

OK.

Bye yall.

"If by gaining knowledge we destroy our health,

we labour for a thing that will be useless in our hands."

~John Locke

Hmmm....

One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~

2010-03-07T17:48:00.000-05:00

Thunderous footsteps trample through the house,

while urgent voices exclaim,

"The ice cream truck is coming!"

The familiar tune echos through the air...

Indeed spring must be on the way.

Ahhh...

I believe in prayer. It's the best way we have to draw strength from heaven. ~Josephine Baker~

2010-03-05T21:32:00.000-05:00

Sweet Jesus, comfort my friends tonight.

Life hangs heavy.

It is so hard.

I am thankful when we know not what to pray

the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf.

Sweet Jesus, comfort my friends tonight...

I Am My Father's Daughter...

2010-02-27T10:59:00.025-05:00

Tonight on the way home from work I called my Dad.
I think of him so often these days.
As a child everyone always said I looked like my Dad.
They were right.
Through the years it has become more and more apparent
I am my father's daughter.
And in the words of Baby Girl,
I am proud of it!

Since I changed jobs last June and now work in a clinic setting,
it has brought me face to face with my Dad's world.
Day after day, numerous things take me back to the days growing up in his office.

My Dad is a Family Practice Physician.
He is 76 years young and still practicing!
He loves his work and the people that fill his life.
He knows everybody!
They mean more to him than a simple doctor patient relationship.
( My dad is the handsome young man on the front row, right end,
not surprisingly beside the pretty lady doc! )

Dad has an awesome sense of humor.
Nothing delights him more than a well planned prank or a well-timed joke.
Yet, he is passionate and intense about justice, excellence, history, and politics.
That explains a lot. My dad is also a loyal soul.
It is his love, devotion, and his respect for the individual and the family that fuels my passion as well. My whole life I have watched as he has cared tirelessly for his community.
To say I admire him is an understatement.

When I was a baby my Dad moved his family to a small rural town and opened his office.
Monday through Saturday he worked in the office...Sunday if needed.
Wednesday afternoons he went golfing or hunting...
if he got off work in time.

Each day after seeing the last patients in the office,
he would go check on his patients in the hospital.
After seeing these patients and charting (goodness knows he has my sympathy now),
he would make house calls....
No, this is not a typo...HOUSE CALLS!

Then he would get up the next day and do it all again...for years on end.
In his spare time he has raised two families.
Suffice it to say, we have shared our dad with our small hometown...
Sometimes this was not always easy; but I sensed then what I know now,
it was the right thing to do.
( Dad is seated and I am standing behind him.)

It would seem as if this work schedule was grueling enough. However, apparently Dad found enough spare time the first twenty years in private practice to deliver babies in his office and at the hospital! We still chuckle when he recalls how my baby sister proudly informed a nurse at the hospital, "My daddy made that baby." Hmmm.... did he now?

He is proud to say he never lost a mom and only one infant was lost to a congenital heart malformation. As a labor and delivery nurse, this record in and of itself, is amazing.

His small office in the back of the clinic was filled with models of feet, eyes, and hands.
You could take these models apart and see the muscles, veins, and bones inside.
It was wicked cool!

The walls were lined with his diplomas and medical texts. You could open the texts and see the most interesting, incredible and sad pictures of all kinds of disease processes,
again, wicked cool!

To this day a room filled with books , yes, even text books, thrills me.
I love a book lined wall and I love the smell of books .
I feel at home, comforted, and energized by these printed friends....

There in his office, in this clinic, is where I watched
and learned probably more than I ever realized. Oh, how true, "more is caught than taught." I learned to file charts and look under slides; 3 cc syringes (without the needles, of course,) were my play things. Who could ever forget the drawer in the bottom of the refrigerator filled with Safety Pop Suckers. Yum! As we got older, we made creepy crawlers to give out to the kids who had to get shots.

When we got to eat together as a family,
we were regaled with stories of his youthful, boyish pranks.
Stories about medical school, the psychiatric wards, and surgeries;
nothing was off limits at the table as long as there was a good story in it!
Oh, my Dad can tell a good story!

However, names of patients were never spoken in our house.
What went to Dr. Bland's Office stayed at Doctor Bland's Office.
His patient's often simply call him Doc.
This humble clinic in this small town is where I learned the most important lessons in life...
Lessons about dignity, respect, family and hard work.

Tonight, when I called dad we had an awesome conversation.
He was still in the office working.
I filled him in on my new job and he said,
"You love going to work everyday don't you?"
Yes, yes I do...

He knew I loved going to work everyday because he loves going to work everyday!
Yes, I am my father's daughter.
And I'm proud of it!
Thank you, Dad, for everything.
Happy Birthday!
I love you,
Deanna

Shooting Stars...

2010-02-20T15:45:00.000-05:00

April, White Kitty, died today.

She was a lanky, stray, semi cross eyed cat that adopted us almost two years ago.

She literally threw herself at our feet,

meowing and purring at a used car lot.

When I put her in the car my son said,

"Dad is going to kill you."

Where upon I responded,

"I can't leave her here to die..."

"Well I could..."

he responded.

"You could," I questioned?

By now she is between the seats rubbing against us and purring even louder.

"Well... maybe not..."

And that was that.

After we brought her home,

we took her to the vet only to discover that this ugly, lanky, semi cross eyed cat had feline leukemia.

The vet cautioned us to put her down but I couldn't...

not right then.

She was so vibrant, so unique, so personable, so loving and yet so ethereal.

So we brought the cat who would most likely die home to be loved till the end.

That was two years ago, the year after Mom died.

Something about this cat who seemed to adore me in particular was comforting,

very comforting.

My mother loved cats,

and they loved her.

It was as if it was a little heavenly gift was sent to comfort me in a way I could not comfort myself.

White kitty never forgot where she came from.

She was my stalker kitty.

If I was out in the yard, she was right there with me.

Always, always purring.

Always, always in your lap or lazily lounging beside you.

So just as April comforted and supported me,

today we comforted and supported her.

She was like a brief, but beautiful shooting star.

A totally unexpected little bit of fluff that loved, trusted and brought joy to my life.

I will miss her.

Hello, Old Friend...

2010-02-13T13:51:00.449-05:00

Yes we are [friends] and I do like to pass the day with you in serious and inconsequential chatter. I wouldn't mind washing up beside you, dusting beside you, reading the back half of the paper while you read the front. We are friends and I would miss you, do miss you and think of you very often. I don't want to lose this happy space where I have found someone who is smart and easy and doesn't bother to check her diary when we arrange to meet. ~Jeanette Winterson

Hello, old friend,

so much to say.

I'm sorry I have been away.
Blogging was so much easier when I was anonymous!
Once I connected to Facebook,
well,
I slowly became self conscious,
shy, mortified...

OK, OK,
Now all those who know me in the real world stop laughing.
I mean it!

This blog was never about gaining an audience.
It was never about talent.

I, humorously enough, stumbled into blogging
while trying to escape algebra and statistics one day.
It began as a way of talking out loud to myself
and
to no one in particular...
something I seem to do remarkably well.

Then the avalanche occurred...
The computer died,
school snowballed with exams,
Christmas,
New Years...
One day I noticed I didn't want to post what I had written.
It was silly and trite.
Insecurity swelled.

Nothing I said was of any consequence
and yet people were reading and commenting.
At first, there was no pressure.
Again, I couldn't bring myself to post what I had written!?
I sounded selfish and small.
On and on the battle raged within me with an ever growing list of why not to publish again.

School resumed and oddly enough I am in a nursing technology class.
Wiki's, blogs, Web 2.0...so I decided to revisit my old friend,
keeper of my secrets, devoted listener to all my woes and whining.
Now where can you find a friend like that?
I reread and relived my blog.
It will be a year old in March.
The memories and stories are there.
They are mine
recorded for all
or
no one to see
and that's OK.
The joys and sorrows,
thoughts, pictures,
poetry (bad but none the less mine).
It's all there.
It has become a part of me.

So keyboard ready,
I resume the chatter.

For those who follow,
I appreciate you and I'm sorry.
Welcome back to Mops and Pops Place.
A blog about a middle aged woman finding her way amid
life's ordinary, everyday drama,
all the while hammering out the details on a keyboard.
Anyone is welcome to hitch a ride and tag a long.
I will continue to
throw my thoughts into the wild blue yonder...
like seeds...
for no reason at all!

None.
Nada.
No agenda.
No scheme.
No grand plan to rule the world...

What more could an old lady ask for...

Sorry, I digress...
Hmmm,

I won't write that list...

not just yet anyway....

P.S.

It snowed!

The Thanksgiving Challenge

2009-11-26T12:43:00.001-05:00

Hello, America, from Nerd Central.

In the midst of my family,

I miss them.

sigh...

I miss my bloggy friends.

Boo Hoo...

I miss my friend friends...

sniff, sniff...

However, it is Thanksgiving...

Happy, Happy, Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I can not remember ever being so excited about this holiday.

I think the older we become,

the more thankful we become.

Please let it be known,

I am so thankful...

for:

home,
health,

my family,

my new job,

an awesome boss,

this beautiful season,

wonderful work friends,

faithful friends,

our military,

our nation,

America,

Jesus.

The list could and should go on and on,

but,

there is one more project due,

yes,

one last PowerPoint.

I leave you with something beautiful,

America,

and a challenge.

"We can do no great things,

only small things with great love..."

Mother Teresa

Look around you,

Embrace this day,

Your life and breath,

Your place in this world.

Look around and really see your life.

Determine to make your corner of the world

better

because you are there...

Be present,

Do your small things with great love...

they matter!

Happy Thanksgiving with love to all...

Internet hugs all around

{}

Crunch Time...

2009-11-15T11:20:00.000-05:00

OK, OK, OK...

It is officially crunch time.

Four more projects:

PowerPoint,

Research Paper,

Another Research Paper,

Resume.

Not to mention:

Posts to complete,

Tests,

Exams...

Last time I checked, I still have a job and family.

Last time I checked...
?

Whose idea was this anyway?

Oh yeah,

MINE.

My bad, continue on...

God Bless our Veterans...

2009-11-14T18:32:00.001-05:00

We can not thank you enough...

Ever.

BOO!

2009-10-31T15:42:00.015-04:00

MUHAHAHA.....
Happy Halloween....

Just Remember.....

~ The Truth about Success ~

2009-10-24T15:15:00.001-04:00

~Success~

He has achieved success
who has lived well,
laughed often, and loved much;
who has enjoyed the trust of
pure women,
the respect of intelligent men and
the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty
or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others and
given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction.

~1904 Bessie Anderson Stanley ~

I love this poem.
I love its simplicity...
It is often wrongly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson.
However, I have included portions of a letter from Bethanne,
a relative of Bessie's, that tells the story behind the poem,
which is equally intriguing.

"I was named for Bessie (Elisabeth Anne) and my gram always said I look very much like her. She died before I was born, so I never knew her, but the family is unanimous in saying she was the very definition of a warm and wonderful woman. My uncle Gene says she was the perfect grandmother. She was one of those people whose house was always full of guests, family, and neighbors all running in and out. She loved poetry and taking care of people and had a gorgeous iris garden, which was her favorite place.

Success was written as the winning entry in a contest run by Brown Book Magazine in 1904. Bessie won a cash prize of $250 which paid off the mortgage on the house, among other things. It was included in Bartlett's Book of Quotations for decades, and if you can find an old edition from the 30's or 40's, it should be in there. They dropped it, I think in the 60's, but I don't know why.

The family isn't sure how the poem got mangled and attributed to Emerson, but it was further confused by Ann Landers and her sister Abby. Ann Landers used to (mis)quote it all the time and cite Emerson as the source. My great-uncle Art, a retired federal judge who died last March, and she had a decade-long correspondence as he argued for a public correction. She finally conceded and in her book, The Ann Landers Encyclopedia, prints the whole story.

I think it's a beautiful poem, too. From what I've been told about her, it delineates her character perfectly. She lived what she wrote. And in these days, with our obsession for the material going full throttle, it's good to be reminded that true success is not measured in portfolios, stock options, or bank balances."

This information is from Robin at

Bethanne http://www.robinsweb.com

The Sweetest Day.... Happy Anniversary to the Newlyweds.....

2009-10-19T22:00:00.002-04:00

The best things in life are nearest:

Breath in your nostrils,

light in your eyes,

flowers at your feet,

duties at your hand,

the path of right just before you.

Then do not grasp at the stars,

but do life's plain, common work as it comes,

certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.

~Robert Louis Stevenson

To my sweet things,

I love you.

Happy Anniversary!

Two years,

where did the time go?

There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want. ~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

2009-10-17T19:18:00.002-04:00

Just a quick post before someone,

somewhere,

notices....

I took a break!

Shhhh.....

Left the PowerPoint

and

the bodacious headache it has induced.

Conveniently forgot the unfinished paper,

wwhhat paper????

Closed the books,

just for one minute...

I just need a snack;
I wanna pork out
on Halloween candy...

(Hmmm, probably a side effect of the recent viral illness?

Oink, oink, exxcccuse me,

don't know where that came from!)

Yep,

that's sure to cure what ails me.

Candy corn, peanut butter taffy,

fall is good....

and sweet...

Yes, it is.

QUARANTINED....CORDON SANITAIRE " (French) A barrier between a potential source of infection (me) and a susceptible population (you). "

2009-10-10T11:32:00.006-04:00

And so the story goes...

One day while I was minding my own business,

It crept up on me....

Ugly little booger....

It actually looks more like this.

Although, I prefer this next photograph.
It's much more revealing...

Hmmm,

in retrospect perhaps
in addition to the mask, gloves and gown;

I should have borrowed a few items from folklore...

Silver bullets,

werewolves hate em...

A little garlic,

it works against vampires...

As it is

I'm treating my symptoms.

Wrapping up for the chills and fever.

Drinking soup, lots of liquid,

ingesting tylenol, motrin, psuedofed,

with a side of cough syrup...

I really haven't had much of an appetite.

The cough, the headache,

I've seen better days.

Whoa, now, don't be so judgmental...

No need to panic.

or storm the castle walls...

I'm quarantined

for your safety.

MUHAHAHA...

(Clearly, I am feeling better

and

have too much time on my hands....)

Have a germ free and happy October!

ARGGGG!!!!!

2009-10-02T22:16:00.003-04:00

Quick summation of a rather , hmmm, annoying week....

1) Got my flu shot...I was very brave. I asked for child life to support me during this difficult time and everyone thought I was kidding? Imagine that? Then, no prize, no sticker; well, I was.....disappointed. I mean I was good, no one had to hold me down. Sniff, sniff, sometimes being an adult stinks.

2) What, and I mean WHAT, was in the air this week with all the cranky and less than appreciative parents?

This trend of grumpiness seemed to appear everywhere I went...In Goodwill two angry mothers yelled and cussed in front of their two innocent wide eyed children and the equally innocent and wide eyed patrons. Sprinkling the F word loudly and rudely into the air, over and over and over again... I wanted to say something but I figured since she was going to F-ing beat the #*#!! out of who ever was on the phone and the other lady who kept grabbing the phone was gonna help, perhaps I better keep my opinions about their language and parenting habits to myself...Yes, sometimes, I am a coward...

3) When you go to the hospital or doctors office, please realize the nurses and doctors are working as fast as they can. We do not have it in for you! Seriously! Sometimes we will treat the extremely ill before giving your child their immunizations. However, if that extremely sick child were yours wouldn't you like the same consideration?.....Just a thought...

4) Really people, quit acting like a bunch of hillbillies!!! Our culture has become so coarse. Is this necessary? Your nasty choice of adjectives does not impress me, your lack of kindness toward our children does not impress me, bullies have never impressed me. Grow up and mind your manners please!

5) Throw in 2 late clinics, no sleep, school work and
and I guess that 'bout sums up the week.

Thoughts on Life:

1) Yes, I have them...

2) Someday we are all going to be old. If you body slam your 4 year old on the table because you are tired of waiting, jerk down their pants and yell, "Get ready, this is gonna hurt..." I wonder is this the type of treatment you will wish to receive when you are older, smaller, frailer and infirm from your grown child? Hmmm....

3) Try and be a good parent...Would you go to work vomiting or with a 102 degree fever? Yet, you send your children to school to infect the rest of humanity until the school nurse calls you to come pick them up. Then, you bring them to the clinic. Really, moms, dads, this is not rocket science! Were we all not instructed to treat others as we would like to be treated, especially the least of these....our children, our future...

4) Everybody should get a boo boo pop, a sticker, or a prize after a shot, just saying....but the freezy spray did help. Thanks :)

Parents Of The Week Award:

Yes, they are out there....

Lastly, to the older mom who came in with her toddler and had every, and I mean every, piece of paper pertaining to her child in a binder. I could have cried. It really was touching. You were so happy to be a mom and obviously so in love with your child. Daddy came in later and they said it might just be a minute before they could leave the room because they wanted to comfort little one after his shots. Thank you for giving me hope during a dark week. You, my dears, receive the Parents Of The Week Award!

Sleep in Peace...

2009-09-18T19:43:00.001-04:00

Have courage for the great sorrows of life
and patience for the small ones;
and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task,
go to sleep in peace.
God is awake.

Victor Hugo

Have a beautiful, restful weekend...

I Don't Go There Any More.....

2009-09-13T18:53:00.025-04:00

Sorrow is a complex emotion.

Sometimes, it is just too heavy to carry.

So we put it someplace,

and we leave it there,

for safe keeping,
for a time.

Until we are strong enough to pick it up again.

Mother died two years ago,

two deep, dark years ago.

My mother in law, Grandmother, died last year.

Where has the time gone?

Where did it slip away to,

like sand between my fingers.

Grandmother was one of ,"The Greatest Generation."

She was sweet and amazing,

but oh, so strong.

You don't watch and wait through Great Depressions
and World Wars

and emerge weak.

She was beautiful, loving, soft and warm;
oh, so comforting...

She was a blessing.

I have not been back to Grandmother's house;

I can't.

In my mind she is still in her favorite chair,

waiting for the football game to begin.
Go Cocks!

If I go and crack the back door

and call her name,

I'll give her just a minute,

then I will see her coming around the corner of the kitchen,

slow but sure.

I keep her there,
in her house,
in her chair.

Life without her will hurt a lot.

I can not pick up this pain right now.
So, I keep her
right there...

I know this is not real;

I know she is not there;

but for now it helps.

And life moves along...

I know when I finally go by the house,

the myth will be shattered.

So I do not go.

No,

I do not go.

Not yet...

School, Work, Flu, Labor Day, and Taxes....Yep, that about covers it!

2009-09-07T14:26:00.032-04:00

OK, OK, I confess,

I've been blog hopping, reading, and visiting...

just a tad.

Catching up on my peeps,

while school work looms heavily over my shoulder.

There is a more descriptive word for this behavior,
procrastination.
And I am darn good at it!

However, in the words of Miss Scarlett,

"Tomorrow is another day..."

Thank goodness!

Tomorrow, actually is a holiday.

Labor Day,

a day to honor the American laborer.

And one thing is for certain...

I am a laborer!

The last two weeks the flu has begun to rear its ugly head,

with a vengeance,

and

I'm bone tired...

We have commemorated it's arrival with new attire;

we look something like this...

Lovely,

seriously....

Yellow gown,

face mask,

goggles or glasses,
just a bit haggard...

There is a mask for me
and one for you...
It's a little hard to breathe,
perhaps that's the point.

Our new slogan,
"Just Don't Breathe!"

Did I mention the yellow gown?

Sometimes they were blue...

The kids loved them...

really...

Lastly,

thank you to all my fellow laborers;

who work tirelessly day in and day out,

for their families

and country.
We appreciate you!

After all,

where would our government be

without your hard earned tax dollars!

Cynical, I know...

Enjoy your day America,

then
get back to work!

Whining will not be tolerated!

For information on this holiday:

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Labor_Day.shtml

"One Day At A Time " by Ralph Waldo Emerson

2009-09-03T19:40:00.003-04:00

Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely
and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
This day is all that is good and fair.
It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on yesterdays.

Southern Drawl...

2009-08-29T15:39:00.003-04:00

This past week at the beach
a young lady looked at Baby Girl and told her she had an "accent."
Where upon my daughter politely responded,
"I know, I get it from my Mama and I'm proud of it!"

You go Baby Girl!
That young'un sure has gumption,
a smart dose of good old fashioned Southern charm,
and
a perfectly sweet and natural Southern drawl!

Really, though, if the truth be told
we are from the South;
vacationing in the South.
So...

When you venture below the Mason-Dixon line,
y'all,
be forewarned...
It will be you with the accent!

Hence, the pen name Southern Drawl.

See Ya Later....Alligator....

2009-08-26T19:28:00.001-04:00

These were the small ones!

Good advice,
ya think?

Hmmm,
the hillbillies tempt fate...
as usual,
where were these young'uns raised
in a barn?

"A book is a garden carried in your pocket..."

2009-08-23T23:03:00.004-04:00

Oh, yeah....

at the beach,
with an awesome book,
The Shack.
Amazing words
of forgiveness
and truth.
The Trinity,
Three in One,
Everlasting Love.

The Invisible Blogger...

2009-08-21T15:02:00.006-04:00

I am sooo sorry to all my bloggy buddies.
I am still here...
No, right here...
No, not there,
here,
right across from you,
yeah, there...
Partaking at the dinner table of blogville.
Only you can't see me...

I am the...
da da duhhhhhhhh...
Invisible Blogger.

Hiding behind the sunglasses,
wrapped up in a really good book,
suited up for fashion and fun,
gloved in sunblock,
masking my lily white, aging, invisible self...
covered up at the beach!

Yep, I'm still here...
Can't you see me?
Oops, sorry, I forgot,
you can't see me,
hence all the wraps, clothes, glasses, gloves...

Seriously, though,
please do not hurry to find a cure.
This is just a little too fun...

Chillaxing

2009-08-20T22:44:00.007-04:00

At the beach...

Free as a bird...

"The voice inside my head...."

2009-08-08T08:54:00.016-04:00

One of my favorite movie quotes comes from Two Weeks Notice.
In it there is a scene where Sandra Bullock
is explaining to rich playboy Hugh Grant
why she thinks like she thinks and
behaves like she behaves.

Gazing into the distance she recounts her mothers drive
and passion.
She then poetically sums up their relationship
stating...
"So she is forever the voice inside my head..."

I can see that.
I went to Mom's grave last night.
It was the first time I have been able to go in a while.
Finally, it was not so gut wrenching...
Finally, there was peace.

Sitting there in the dark,
(being eaten alive by the mosquitoes).
It did not seem so very wrong and unfair.
I did not feel so cheated.

For so long
I have mourned for her.
I have wanted to hug her one more time.
Say I love you one more time.
Apologize one more time,
that we could never seem to get it quite right...
till the end...
but I couldn't...
She was entombed.
It was final.

I often go to the cemetery at night.
Which is ironic.
I was the scariest, most timid child you could ever have imagined meeting.
I think I brought my "night light" to our marriage bedroom...
Now that had to be romantic...

My mother was not scared or timid;
she was brave.
She was passionate, beautiful, smart,
and complicated.
She was a force of nature.
I loved her, admired her, feared her.
We were so different
and yet,
so alike.

I was always so afraid of the things that go bump in the night.
That's what I get for watching Dark Shadows everyday,
after school with my bowl of ice cream in the den,

maybe two feet away from the television.

Saturday mornings was Shock Theater right before American Bandstand.
Remember all those giant mutated spiders, ants, martians,
zombies, werewolves...
You know you do; you watched it too.

Any way,
last night the air was still.
All was quiet.
The stars were shining,
The mosquitoes buzzing.
And a huge harvest moon was rising.
No zombies or vampires,
and the ghosts and I had negotiated a truce...

So, there I was,
resting in tranquility.
Not feeling as if I wanted to claw through the ground
to get to her
to fix every imperfect thing in our relationship
and make her whole again.
No,
there was just a sense of calm acceptance.

Life is what it is....
As imperfect, flawed, beautiful, complicated,
fulfilling, frustrating, joyful,
amazing...
It is what it is...
and we must come to terms with that,
embrace it,
accept it,
and move on.

But,
"She will forever be the voice inside my head..."
and that's OK....
I love you Mom.

Times Up !!!

2009-08-06T20:21:00.001-04:00

Last exam tonight!

Nuff said......

Hello's and Goodbye's...

2009-07-30T17:00:00.013-04:00

Life can be so funny, sometimes,
not haha funny,
just funny.

I cleaned out my locker in Labor and Delivery.
It was time.
I could not work full-time at the Pediatric Clinic,
go to school full-time,
continue to be a mom, nana, wife, friend,
and work in L&D.

No,
something had to go.
So,
I packed my things.
I said goodbye.

I look back on what has been
with satisfaction,
contentment,
great appreciation,
and amazement.

So many friends,
so many lives,
so many stories,
so many miracles.
Goodbye...

I look forward to what will be
with great anticipation,
excitement,
and wonder.

A new road,
another path,
a different direction.
New friends,
new stories,
new lives,
new miracles.
Hello...

Yes, life can be funny sometimes,
not haha funny,
just funny....

IT IS ALIVE !!!

2009-07-25T09:37:00.007-04:00

Oh , my , goodness, a quick note to say
yes, I am alive!
Exams for the next couple of weeks.
Going a little c r a z y !!!

Hmmm, since I'm in advanced nursing assessment,
let me assess this situation...
AGHHHHHHHHH!

Yep, that about sums it up.
WOW,
I feel much better now,
thank you.

You have a good day now,
ya hear....

To my bloggy friends...
I will arise to visit again!
When these lovely exams are over.

In the mean time,
I have been working on my
professional image,
as you can see....

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet..." Shakespere

2009-07-17T20:35:00.010-04:00

Between school, work, and home,
I have discovered a new level of fatigue.
Yes, "Exhaustion" is my new middle name.
But that's alright with me.
I kinda like the sound of it...
If you add a french accent it sounds quite elegant,
Ex haus Sion...
Well, OK, maybe not...

Moral of the story...
Hang in there, America,
Don't give up...
I heard 70 people applied for this job!
70!

I guess I'll stick with the "Queen of Scream,"
although the "Princess of Pricks and Pokes" has a nice "sting" to it.
Then again, perhaps something simple like, "The Evil One" would be best.
It's fitting.

Today a little fellow that had received shots last week came in with his baby brother,
I didn't recognize him at first...

That's right I stick small people with needles, inflicting pain and suffering, only to forget the little angels later.

Yes, it's a sick, sick world...no pun intended...

Anyway, I noticed that he kept looking at me funny and
he wouldn't follow his Mom into the room.
Then I realized why...
poor thing...
He looked like some frightened little animal trying desperately to evade a predator.

Finally, he slowly inched into the room only to climb into a cabinet and hide!
How sad is that!
Small children now shudder at the sight of me and hide!!!

Yes, disney villians everywhere,
so sorry,
but you have just been ousted by a nurse with a needle!

MU HA HA HA

Beautiful...Exquisite...Amazing...

2009-07-11T09:07:00.007-04:00

Sometimes as you visit around you happen upon such a gem of exquisite beauty that it leaves you speechless...breathless...incredulous that the human condition could produce such musings...Enjoy....

What I believe:

I believe in Jehovah God who created the whirling galaxies, the birds soaring in the sky overhead, the endless crashing waves and all that dances within them. I believe in Father of all who knits together life, made in His very own image, in the secret quiet of our beings.

I believe in Jesus Christ, the One with no earthly Father, with the dust of this earth between His toes, and with our names etched onto the palm of His hands, right beneath the nail scars…Who now sits at the Father’s right hand making endless intercession on our behalf. I believe in the stone rolled away, in the Body being raised, in the first fruits of the dead…and us all following soon, very soon.

I believe in the Cross as our only Hope, our only Claim, and our only Foundation. I believe that in the pounding surf of life we have only one thing to cling to: the feet of our Lord, hanging on that tree, His lifeblood flowing down, washing us whiter than snow.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, moving, whispering, indwelling our very skin. I believe in living by the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, and producing fruit in the Spirit…in the Spirit who helps us in our weakness with groanings that can’t be expressed in words.

I believe in the infallibility of the Bible, God’s Word - a sure Word, a pure Word, the only secure Word. I believe the words on those pages are breathed from the very throne room of heaven, are the love letter penned from the heart of the Lover of our souls; a beacon of light for stumbling feet to find sure footing on a dark path.

I believe there is more than believing. There is living what I believe.

Thus this journal.

~Ann Voskamp

“God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, “No, I do not believe there is a God. I know there is a God.”

~Ernest Boyer, Jr.

Grandisms....

2009-07-07T22:06:00.003-04:00

Pooped: Bone tired, exhausted...
Honey, Sweetie : My babies, large and small
Pumpkin, Baby, Sugar Foot : My little babes...

Grandisms:

Nana will you play with me...
Oh, I'm sorry, Nana's resting, I'm pooped!
You "pooped", Nana?
Hmm, well, maybe not....

Come here, Honey, Nana will fix that...
I'm not Honey, I "N"
Oh, I know, Nana calls the people she loves Honey...
Oh....

To C.K. as she is leaving...
Bye, Honey, I love you...
"N" to Nana...
NANA, I"M YOUR HONEY...
Yes, baby you are my Honey...

Wow, how sweet to want all my Honey,
Nobody else cares!

Come here Pumpkin...
Nana, why you say Pumpkin?
'Cos you're my sweet boy...
I call all my sweet, little boys Pumpkin...
T and E and Nate?
No, they're big boys now...
E, you not Nana's Pumpkin,
you too big,
I Nana's Pumpkin 'cos I'm still little....

That's right...
Makes complete sense...
Right?
Memaw, Mimi, Nana,
Grandmother, Granny...

The Queen of Scream....

2009-07-05T10:55:00.004-04:00

I started my new job this past Monday!

I am now working with our local teaching hospital's pediatric clinic!
I have a job!!!
Yay!!!
Full-time not prn!!!
Yay!!!
In a month our benefits will begin!!!
Yay!!!

So let me introduce you,
to the new "Queen of Scream!"
What, you may ask is that?
Hmmm, well, let me explain...

To ensure all our little young-uns grow up healthy,
we must inflict a little pain...
Immunizations,
hemoglobin and lead checks,

bilirubin and pku...

Heel sticks, finger pricks and shots...

Sometimes our babies are sick,
they need a little check up and medicine.
A little cloudy, yellow pee,
A little swab up that runny, green nose,
or down that beefy, red throat.
( Only a nurse could love those adjectives!)

Sooo, I am the one with the...
thermometer,
needle,
lancet,
pee cup,
catheter tray,
swab,
or iv...

Don't hate me...
I do it 'cos I love you!
Really...
Seriously...
I have prizes....

Psst...
Just a little secret between you and me,
I hate shots too!
No prize is worth a needle in your leg or
a lancet in your finger....

But...
Still...
It's for your own good...
So, close those little eyes...
Yes, mom you too.

Don't peek...
It'll all be over in just a sec.....
And ,
I have these really cool prizes...
And tissues for moms tears....

~ God Bless America ~

2009-07-04T00:31:00.003-04:00

"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

By Irving Berlin

The Train...

2009-07-01T19:39:00.010-04:00

This night of familiar joy brought pain,
As gentle breezes caressed my cheeks,
And firefly's flickered on the dusky, evening lane.
The hum of laughter and voices lifted into the air,
While the warm water licked my feet,
As they lazily dangled there.

No premonition of the tears yet to fall,
Pain appeared as a thoughtless guest.
Without a warning, without a call.
A kiss to make it better, childish desires to run away.
Hide and seek with pain and pleasure,
Hide and seek we'll play today.

Dusk fades into the deep purple night.
While in the distance, a train whistles long and low,
Murmuring comfort for this lone stranger's fight.
"You are not alone, dear one, your sorrow is not unique,
Heavy hearts hear me rumble through the night,
Whispering solace to the forlorn and the meek."

The world circles on and on,
Timeless time ticks by,
A wistful spirit groans.
The dawn breaks, a sleepless night turns into day,
Morning stretches out her bright, welcoming arms,
Courage and peace are on the way...

This poem is for all the hurting people alone with their pain tonight.
You are not alone in your difficulties and pain. May God be with you all.

~2 Corinthians 1:3-5~

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

The Days Of Wine And Roses....

2009-06-27T13:48:00.024-04:00

Last night, the newlyweds came by the house to see us off to dinner. They had reserved a table for two at a local restaurant for our 33rd anniversary! We arrived home after dinner to find that our deserted house had been turned into a quaint Bed and Breakfast...

Chocolate fondue, strawberries, and chilled champagne, mood music, dim lights, rose petals...everywhere.

Our children are so romantic...

Best of all, uninterrupted conversation and an empty quiet house!

Thank you all....We love you...

Promises...

2009-06-25T23:23:00.007-04:00

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. Matthew 10:29

Alive they seemed larger than life.
Their death is a stark reminder to us.
We are not promised tomorrow.

~However~
in Christ we are promised eternity...
Which is a tad longer...

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life... John 5:24

Oxygen...

2009-06-23T17:16:00.011-04:00

Recently, as I was having lunch with some friends, one shared an interesting story. I asked if I could tell the world and she said fine...So here goes:

Not long ago a girlfriend of hers boarded a flight...
to somewhere...
for something...
at sometime...
Sorry, not part of the story just goofing off...
'cos I can...
It's my blog...
you're just visiting...
OK, sorry, I'll stop messing around...

Anyway, she boarded a plane and right before take off the stewardess stepped forward to demonstrate the use of the oxygen mask.
She explains that one is to don the oxygen before assisting other family members or passengers with this task...

Common sense...Right??? Are you kidding???
Although this is undoubtedly the right thing to do, what good are you to anyone if you're all passed out...
I can't think of a mother alive that would not rush to care for their loved ones first...
It's what we do...

Investigate the things that go bump in the night...
Fight the proverbial monster under the bed,
Feed and clean grimy little faces and bodies,
Kiss and hug those same little urchins,
Check the homework,
Wash the clothes,
Clean the house,
Work in the yard, Make appointments,
Chauffeur everyone,
Everywhere,
For all time...

So moms of the world
STOP!!!
Put that oxygen mask on...
Take a great big whiff of fresh air...
Come on now...
It's for your own good...
Someday you'll thank me.

BREATHE...

BREATHE IN...
BREATHE OUT...

LOOK AROUND...
REALLY SEE YOURSELF...

BREATHE IN...
BREATHE OUT...

APPRECIATE YOUR WORLD....
THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU...

BREATHE IN...

YOU HAVE THIS MOMENT...
IT IS YOURS!

BREATHE OUT...

FOR ONCE,
JUST FOR ONCE,
TAKE A MOMENT,

READ A POEM,
(Reach for those reading glasses, girls)
SAY A PRAYER,
(Now I lay me down to sleep, oh, sorry, just in the spirit here...)
CLOSE YOUR EYES AND FEEL THE SUN ON YOUR FACE,
(OK, maybe that wasn't such a good one 'cos it's hot as hades outside and you're libel to get 3rd degree burns...)
MELT INTO A BEAUTIFUL PAINTING...
(Really, these days that shouldn't be that hard...)
TAP YOUR TOES TO A TUNE...
(I know you don't like aerobic exercise but try it...seriously)
ESCAPE...
(I have tried this; it's harder than you think)

JUST BREATHE...
OUR LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD IS DEPENDING ON US!!!

6 Uninteresting Things...

2009-06-17T00:48:00.031-04:00

I have been tagged by K at ktheblogger@blogspot.com .

I am to identify 6 uninteresting things that I love and then pass this task on to 6 others, so here's my list: Hmmm...

This is going to be hard....in the first place there is so much stuff I love...

but I don't find any of it uninteresting...
However, here are some things I love that perhaps most people would find uninteresting:

1) My text books...I guess most people would find them boring but I love to read and absorb as much as possible. This is probably a throw back to the years when I would sit in my Dad's doctors office filled with models of feet, eyes, bones, muscles and all his medical texts. Sitting in his office surrounded with pictures of my much younger father and his medical classmates, I would open the books and immerse myself into the workings of the human body...Comfort for the nerd in me...

Yeah, I love my textbooks...

2) My yard...I'm sure most people would not find a yard interesting...but I love my yard and can tell you every plant I ever planted, when and where...probably where I got them and why...we have a memorial garden for the pets, a secret garden for my daughter, a bridge across the creek into the woods beyond and my thinking swing...

Yeah, I love my yard....

3) Blogging...I love to blog, write, visit...my husband can not understand this phenomenon. Perhaps it is an addiction. Frankly, I find it as a relaxing way to "think out loud... silently".

Yes, I love blogging...

4) My hillbilly family...I love my family and find each and everyone of them interesting, intriguing and gifted in their own way...And of course, my grandchildren are..well...grand! However, I'm sure most people would not find them as fascinating as I do...

Yeah, I love my family.

5)My overalls and/or nursing scrubs...Yes, if you suspected I was crazy before, now you're sure of it!!! My mother was a snappy dresser and my daughters have the "snappy dresser gene" but it skipped me!!! So sad...I prefer to throw on overalls or scrubs A) for comfort and B) so I don't have to ponder what am I going to wear...Pathetic, I know....

Yes, I love my overalls and scrubs!

6) My life...I am a pretty ordinary woman, doing pretty ordinary things.... piddling in the yard, working at the hospital, and raising my family, going to school. The stuff life is made of can be pretty uninteresting...I mean... I'm not rich and famous or... simply rich or simply famous for that matter. I'm not dramatically impacting our country or planet at the moment... But, I love my little corner of the world and the people in it....

Yes, I love my life...

Now to pass this task on to 6 other people (mind you I'm going to try and pass this task on to those not constantly be leagued with tasks)...
Please note you are not required to do this if it's not your cup of tea;
however, oddly enough I found this to be harder than it looks,
but quite fun!

So have at it:

Sharon at Dances with God

Deanna at Home Haven Ministry

Robin at Robin's New Song

One Nurse at Heartbeats of Faith

RC at Confessions of a Rotten Correspondent

Jane at Gaston Studio

Babysitters and Other Super Heroes....

2009-06-16T19:14:00.013-04:00

This evening, while we're eating, I don't know why but we started talking about babysitters. Goodness knows through the years, we have had quite a few! I guess it's the hillbilly thing...

It started way back after our first was born...Everyone who knows her, can't believe we had anymore children. Seriously, I'm not joking. It's true she was quite the little "pistol". It's funny these days when her baby girl gets mad and bangs her head...My daughter looks at me and asks, "What in the world? Where does this come from..." Hmmm, where indeed....

Back in the day, we would return from evenings out to find the sitter with her head in her hands telling us she wouldn't be back...Why, oh, why, couldn't we have normal kids...you know the ones people don't run from in terror like some crazy "B" movie.

Eventually, the older children became babysitting age. This was nice; finally a little freedom... CK was the best. The younger children loved her. Later, as she acquired a life of her own, T began to watch everyone for us. Hmmm, this is where the story gets interesting. Apparently, the minute he shut the door behind us, he would banish all remaining underlings up to the bonus room to serve out their time. If you were brave (crazy) enough to come down you would be put to work cleaning...No one ever told because they were sure he would exert revenge...

In his defense, our crew could be a handful...Once when E was 2 or 3, he wandered down the street unnoticed by a distracted babysitter. His older siblings rescued him. Another evening, the house was almost burned down when one of the toddlers turned the tub jets on and the motor burned up. No one noticed until we, the parents, returned home to a house full of smoke. On a separate occasion, we returned to find all my husband's ties had been thrown on the ceiling fan blades from the balcony above....No, we did not get out a lot. When we did; the babysitters received "combat" pay.

We're eating, talking and laughing. CK feigns righteous indignation at her brother, "How could you do that to them...I was such a good sister to you..." Here the evil one laughs and reminds all involved that when he babysat everyone was fed, breathing and safe when Mops and Pops returned home. No one ever wandered off or had any other adventurous escapades when he was in charge! Well, I guess not... only so much one can do from prison...Hmmm, perhaps that is the key...fear and imprisonment..at least no chains or beatings were employed...

"All's Well " by William A. Quayle

2009-06-14T03:51:00.010-04:00

My heart,

The sun hath set.
Night path's
With dews are wet.

Sleep comes
Without regret;
Stars rise
When sun is set.

All's well.
God loves thee yet,
Heart, smile,
Sleep sweet, nor fret.

Hear ye, Hear ye...

2009-06-12T00:54:00.006-04:00

I said I wouldn't ,
I thought I couldn't,
I probably shouldn't
But oops,
I did...

I joined Facebook!

It is so hard these days to stay in touch with family and friends.
I have been blessed with so many wonderful
people in my life.
Often they probably do not realize the impact they have had on me.
I hope to do a better job of staying in touch.
A full life with many obligations is wonderful,
however, it can be very isolating...
Now, I get to see(stalk) their every move...
Yay,
Creepy, huh...

The Hootin Hollar Hillbillies Visit Church

2009-06-09T13:16:00.021-04:00

This past Sunday morning we gussied ourselves up and left to visit a new church.
A group of eight going anywhere can attract quite a bit of attention, especially when they can be a bunch of hillbillies, so through the years I have learned a few tricks to try and remain as inconspicuous as possible.

So begins our visit...
We are right on time. There are only six of us today, but the sanctuary is full.
My inclination is to sneak us up to the balcony,
but a usher dutifully guides us to the SECOND ROW!
There is no one on the front row.
This is a huge church which broadcasts its services on the TV and web.
I'm thinking... OK ...We came to worship and somehow, leave it to my crew, we're gonna be on TV...It's OK... It works; we can deal with this...

The service begins and it is beautiful.
The prayer ends and my husband signals me that something is wrong...
I look over to see my baby boy, E , with his head in his hands,
white as a sheet,
covering his mouth...
Supermom rises lithely, "excuse me, excuse me, excuse me"...
I grab the potential "sick one" and proceed back down the aisle of this ginormous church with a slightly embarrassed,
" No you don't know me, but I'm trying to keep your carpets clean" smile pasted on my face.
E is gagging intermittently. What follows seems like an action flick, where we are racing solemnly to the back of the church in slow motion ...
Is it possible to race solemnly?
Apparently so...

Finally, we arrive at the big doors to the exit.
We burst through them to the outside as if coming up for air.
I usher E to the nearest flower bed.
"Yay, no gastric contents inside the church or on TV... This is good..."
My poor guy is white as a sheet bent over the shrubbery.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spy what appears to be the president's own secret service entourage...emerging from all doors on the premises.

YES, I'm serious...
NO, this is not for blogger effect.
The ushers are wired up with inconspicuous little earpieces and tiny devices up their sleeves for talking to..well...the other ushers who have inconspicuous little earpieces and tiny devices up their sleeves.
E and I are bent over the shrubbery and I look up.
One apologizes..."I saw what was happening, I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner..."
E recovers enough to want to try and make a dash for the bathroom which is,
you guessed it,
back inside!

It is at this time that the secret service escorts us quietly and reverently back inside,
back down the aisle, to another door.
All the while I have that thin lipped,
" This will be funny in, oh, about a hundred years" smile on my face...
And, behind door number 2... we have the bathroom!
Once inside the bathroom, Secret Service Dude Number One uses his wrist radio to tell someone he needs ice in the bathroom, asap...
Poor, E, he's too sick to notice the precision with which his rescue is taking place.
He would love this.
The ice appears...whereupon Secret Service Dude informs E he can have a Sprite there just as quick if that would help. E, refuses politely and fairly groans," Mom I need to go home."
Secret Service Dude informs me he will escort E out,
while I get my keys...

Oh yeah...My keys...
The ones that are INSIDE MY POCKETBOOK ON THE SECOND ROW OF THIS GINORMOUS CHURCH ON LIVE TV...OK... I can do this...
I paste the, "I'm sorry I'm interrupting your lovely church service again," smile on my face...
Walk down the now well worn aisle, manage to squeeze into the second row, sit ,
bump remaining kids further down the pew.
I signal for my pocketbook. The pocketbook begins the silent journey down the pew,
hand over hand, until finally it is in my hand. I prepare to walk the aisle again...
Oops, almost forgot, I paste the
"I'm sorry I'm leaving before the end of your beautiful service, really" smile on my face...
and walk down the aisle one last time!

Outside E is sitting on the sidewalk accompanied by Secret Service Dude.
I tell him to stay put; I'm going to get the van...SSD informs me that they can drive him to the van in a golf cart, "That's ok," I murmur. Too late,
SSD has already messaged the powers that be;
up pulls the golf cart...

Profuse thanks were showered upon the SSD for being our hero of the day. We ride to the van and I safely tuck E inside...

Once down the road a bit, I gently inform E that if he didn't care for the church,
seriously,
he could just tell me next time...
No smile,
poor E, he really feels bad....

Note to self:
1) I think I'm glad we were not in the balcony! Ugh!
2) I think we'll definitely visit here again;
these people definitely know how to handle their hillbillies!

Something Beautiful for Sunday

2009-06-07T14:15:00.008-04:00

"If ' by Rudyard Kipling

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

No Special Hugs, Thank You ; Just Kittens, Please...

2009-06-05T20:09:00.004-04:00

A few years back, I was working night shift. Our oldest daughter was expecting our first grand child and our youngest daughter was almost 6. One day as I am leaving for work Baby Girl asks the obvious question, "How did that baby get in Ma's tummy..."
Good question!

Of course at this moment I'm trying to walk out the door for work. Quickly trying to think of a one sentence, simple explanation, I explained that when Mommy's and Daddy's love each other very much there is a "Special Hug" that plants a baby in the Mommy's tummy.
I was pretty satisfied.
It was simple and to the point.

Later, I heard that while I was gone Baby Girl had cornered her older siblings and her father demanding to know the details of this "special hug".
I guess, as one of my older daughters explained, it probably was a little unnerving to think that you could hug someone and suddenly look like that?!!
I really loved how everybody assured Baby Girl that Mom would settle this confusion when she got home! Thanks, guys!

Next morning,
I am met a the door, literally, by a curious and confused daughter with concerns!

So I get "the book" to explain this mystery of nature.
Quietly, Baby Girl sits and absorbs the content as I read to her a truthful but not explicit version of where babies come from and how they are born.
After finishing the book (I think it was by Mr. Rogers), I asked if she had any questions, if she understood? "No," she didn't have any questions . "Yes," she understood; she answered and was off.

Definitely not the organized routine I had hoped for but it seemed to work...So I figure that is it for a while....

The next day Baby Girl sat down to breakfast and relayed a conversation she and now newlywed had engaged in. Briefly, Baby Girl had reviewed her newly processed information and had decided that it looked like this whole process could be quite uncomfortable so according to her "When CK and I grow up and we get married,; we have decided there will be no "special hugs" we're just going to have kittens."

O.K.

Yes, I kept a straight face barely...

I love how :
1) They were going to grow up and
2) They were going to get married but
3) There would be NO special hugs and
4) they would just have kittens.

As you can well imagine, CK's fiance who is allergic to cats scoffed at this idea ...
I really didn't see the problem,

sounds like a plan to me!

Rock And Roll, Baby...

2009-06-02T00:49:00.020-04:00

Now y'all know that my favorite leisure activity is to piddle in the yard.
So I am out in the yard doing what I do best, when the grands arrive.
Nana's Boy follows me around with a spade to help.
I hear him say something indistinguishable and I ask,
"What?"
Nana's Boy repeats his statement, which I hear as," Nana you ..."
"What?"
At this time Ma steps in to translate...
"Nana you rock!"

Oh, my goodness. Well, that takes the cake.
I rock!
In 26 years with my own 6 children,
I have been told I'm quite a number of things but never have I been told that I rock.
Well, I'm not one to play favorites but at this moment in time Nana's Boy wins, hands down.
'Cuz I rock ...and that's just how I roll...yeah.
Sorry, couldn't resist, get it? Rock and Roll...

Well, anyway...
this could explain a startling statement made by a brand new grandpa a few years back. He picked up his
brand new grandchild looked straight at me and said, "Now THIS is why we keep our children!"
At the time I just thought...O.K.
a little questioningly.
However, now-a-days I think perhaps that fellow may have had something there...seriously.
My children have been known to try the patience of a saint (that would be me).
I never actually entertained the idea of giving them away.
On the other hand, I have entertained the idea of running away, going on strike or fleeing to
another dimension.
Haven't we all?
Well, now here it is, the reason we stay,
in a word,
grandchildren!

Oh, I'm Just Piddling...

2009-05-30T19:55:00.014-04:00

Years ago, I remember reading an article about how men and women are different...Really? I did not see that coming... Anyway, one example given was the differences in how they shop. Women browse, while men "bag" the object of their desire and leave.

Well, newsflash, the differences do not stop there. The other day I'm piddling around in the yard...My husband is watching me and begins to "organize" my work for me...

Pops -"Why don't you put everything in one container instead of walking back and forth."

Me -"Cuz, I'm just piddling around..."

Pops -" Yeah, but if you just put all this in that, you could just make one trip.."

Me -"Yeah, but I'm just piddling ...

Pops -"What???"

Me " I'm not trying to organize a work load; I'm off; this is my leisure time...I'm just piddling around!"

To the male of the species, I leave the definition of "Piddle" - verb.
When the female of the species aimlessly browses around the yard or a room, ...looking at this...moving that....then going back to rearrange it all again... To piddle, piddling!

Please be advised that it is recommended that the female not be interrupted during this activity. As unorganized and random as it appears, she is relaxing.

Being an author is like being in charge of your own personal insane asylum. ~Graycie Harmon

2009-05-30T04:45:00.004-04:00

Tonight, my computer does not seem to want me to write...
Actually, maybe tonight I do not want to write...

Hmm...
Lazy?
Possibly...
Writer's block?
Perhaps...

One thing is certain,
Writing comes from within,
Pieces of ourselves,
Shared and scattered,
As seed upon an open field.

A nimble note,
Humorous and fleeting,
A flirty little idea.
Left to germinate,
A smile or two.

A melancholy moment,
Heavy and brooding,
A somber thought,
Flung afar,
To purge the soul.

Facts and fictions,
Spun like a web,
Into a story,
Poem,
Or prose.

Drafted and penned,
Cast into the void,
To be caught,
Digested,
Consumed.

Words,
With meaning,

Words,

with feeling,

Words with life...

The "Uplifting Blogger" Award

2009-05-27T15:59:00.013-04:00

Distracted By Shiny Objects at A Tidings Of Magpies left me this sweet award! Thank you so very much!

"The Uplifting Blogger Award, goes to fellow bloggers who visit frequently and raise my spirits with their kind words of encouragement, their beautiful images and their wonderful outlook on life. They make blogging a positive experience and continue to make my life richer."

Distracted says,"Please feel free to pass this award along to your friends. I ask that you do name them but you don't have to link to them. Just stop by their blogs and let them know you've given them this award."

Distracted, this is so unexpected. I am honored and very, very humbled. As I stated in my comment, your blog, A Tidings of Magpies, is the gold standard in blogging. Thank you, again. I shall pass this on to...

Jane at Gaston Studio
Pastor Sharon at Dances With God
Kirti at Birth Of A Notion
Relyn at Come Sit By My Fire

Kirti, this is me in the red dress..."And at this time I want to thank these friends who follow and leave their kind, kind, words of encouragement! I appreciate you all! " Now, I am existing my stage...doing the beauty queen wave...
I knew that," Extremely Superficial, But Absolutely Essential, and Just Plain Impractical" red dress would come in handy...

Tick Check !!! Ewww...

2009-05-27T13:39:00.013-04:00

As I have mentioned, a time or two... or ten, we live in the sunny south. Home to blood sucking varmints of all shapes and sizes. At the top of my "gross me out" list is the tick...

When I was a youngster, back when dinosaurs roamed our planet. A friend died of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This is a tick borne illness. This death sparked quite a panic. It was the first funeral I ever attended for a child and being a child myself, I found this very unnerving.

Years later, this fear and loathing remains. Since we live on a couple of acres in a rural setting, through the years we have often battled ticks... finding their hard, flat bodies crawling up your leg, on your back, or eww, in your hair...
My skin is crawling just thinking about it. Any way, to combat my fear and loathing of said creepy crawly; years ago we instigated," tick checks."

In short," tick checks" took place upon entering the house after playing or working in the yard. Everyone one was younger and less modest so essentially upon entering the house you stripped down to your shimmies for mom to carefully comb through your hair, and visually inspect in and behind your ears, on your chest, back, under your arms and so forth and so on.

This "healthy" fear of the blood suckers became so ingrained that over the years as the kids would stream in from the yard one only needed to yell a reminder..."TICK CHECK..." which instigated the same oft repeated chain of events. Young 'un would run to the bath room, strip and begin the search for the unwelcome hitch hikers. Later to emerge bathed, clean and varmint free.

The other day when the newlyweds came over, they were relaying a harrowing tale about finding a tick on their baby, Molly. Molly is a Maultipoo ,which means that she is a species of dog no bigger than a piece of fluff that thinks she is human. Anyway, we're all sitting in the den listening to this tale of woe when I said you are going to have to...and before I could utter the words the room erupted with the words so familiar to us all, "TICK CHECK!"

Now, I don't mind saying, at that moment, well...I was pretty proud...yeah...I had passed down fear and loathing to the next generation. Wow, what a legacy...

Now, for all you tick rookies, I have provided the above chart. Which means I will probably not be looking at this post again because just the pictures gross me out. Also, for information on tick borne diseases and what to do go to:
www.cdc.gov
and remember mama says, "Tick Check!"

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.John 15:13

2009-05-24T15:38:00.021-04:00

In Flanders Fields
John McCrae, 1915.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

We, as a nation, are deeply indebted to our service men and women
and their families.
Words are simply inadequate to express our gratitude.
May God bless you and yours
And may God bless America...

For the history behind Memorial Day
and poetry and prayers to honor
our heroes go to:
www.usmemorialday.org

Don't Act Like A Bunch Of Hillbillies...

2009-05-21T13:58:00.027-04:00

Hillbilly: noun - to act like you ain't got good sense.

This, of course, is my definition.

Back in the day, when everyone was younger,
every time we left the house I would plead:
"Please, guys, don't act like a bunch of hillbillies...
I don't know why, but every time we go somewhere; you act like you've never been anywhere..."
Inevitably, we would emerge from said outing with me mad as a wet hen asking," Why?...Why must you do this? Every time we leave the house you act like you don't have good sense!"

Well, I never figured it out completely; but here are my thoughts on the subject outlined in a piece called:

The Juvenile Code of Misbehavior

1) Leaving the house for any reason is an adventure. One may not be allowed to experience such freedom again so the youthful offender must be willing to take his or her chances. Opportunities for misbehavior may include, but are not limited to: church activities, grocery shopping or general shopping, visiting with friends or family, vacations, school trips and eating out.

2) Capitalize upon the times when your parent is distracted and not watching. The "eyes in the back of the head" threat is an urban myth.

3) Chances are your mom or dad isn't gonna "wear you out", at least not right there in public, so go for it. The intent of the misbehavior is temporary personal enjoyment and the elimination of boredom. However, all activities are undertaken at your own risk.

4) It is possible, though unlikely, that your guardians may not notice you crawling under the clothes racks and not using "your inside voices...". However, be forewarned that forgetting your manners especially in the presence of family and friends is extremely risky behavior and is not condoned in the code.

5) Remember, The Juvenile Code of Misbehavior mantra: Live dangerously and in the moment! Isn't that what childhood is all about?

6) Later, after the misbehavior has occurred, one can always plead temporary insanity...This may work because parents believe that no one in their "right" mind would act that way...

7) Blame your irresponsible and out of control behavior on your deviant siblings... at the very least this will create doubt and buy some time...Note, do not try this if there are no siblings...

8) Feign misunderstanding and confusion over said infraction...This tricky maneuver is best achieved with a wide eyed blank stare followed by the innocent question...What???

9) At this point your parent may begin to "rant and rave." Remain calm. This works to your advantage as it releases tension over said offense.

10) Lastly, combine puppy dog eyes with all the above. Say you're sorry...really sorry. Then begin to pray earnestly for a diversion of biblical proportions to save your adventuresome soul.

Should the aforementioned strategies work the process can be safely repeated by substituting previously unused techniques.

The South Carolina Wife...

2009-05-19T17:22:00.030-04:00

Three men were sitting together bragging about how they had given their new wives duties.

The first man had married a woman from Michigan. And he told her that she was going to do the dishes and the house cleaning. It took a couple of days but on the third day, he came home to see a clean house and dishes washed and put away.

The second man had married a woman from Illinois. He had given his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes, and the cooking. The first day he didn't see any results, but the second day he saw it was better. By the third day, he saw his house was clean, the dishes were done, and there was a huge dinner on the table.

The third man had married a beautiful girl from South Carolina. He told her that her duties were to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed, and have hot meals on the table 3 times a day. He said the first day he didn't see anything. The second day he didn't see anything. But by the third day some of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye....enough to fix himself a sandwich and load the dishwasher.

Let that be a lesson to ya!

Newlywed sent me this and I laughed out loud! That sounds like our sweet Carolina Belles...Beware...Kinda like poison dart frogs ... Beauty and color are natures way of saying: Danger, Stay Away...We warned ya...

"Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning..."

2009-05-19T00:33:00.013-04:00

Jesus, be with my patient tonight,
The day has been long,
The labor hard,
She is so tired.

She has been a valiant warrior,
combating fatigue and pain,
to try and bring her son into this world.

You who author all life,
You who hold every tomorrow in your hand,
Please send your angels to guard this one,
Grant strength, comfort, peace and health.

Be with all who care for her tonight,
Give them great skill and wisdom,
Equip them in every way.

As your word says,
"weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning."

Every man's memory is his private literature. ~Aldous Huxley

2009-05-16T00:09:00.006-04:00

You get a line and I'll get a pole, Honey,

You get a line and I'll get a pole, Babe,

You get a line and I'll get a pole,

We'll go fishing by the crawdad hole,

Honey, Baby, Mine....

Years ago when we were looking for our future home, we determined that we wanted to have a creek in the back yard. I grew up out in the country. I was a tom-boy if ever there was one. We had every critter known to man, cats, dogs, parakeets, turtles, ducks, horses, rabbits...

I loved climbing trees, playing in the creek, and roaming in the woods for hours. What an adventure. There were crawdads, salamanders, minnows and snakes. There were huge muscadine vines that hung from the trees and we used to swing over the creek on them. There were hours of "childish boredom" which have since become cherished memories.

I was a very lucky girl. Yet, I did not realize it. I don't think most children do. So today when Baby Girl came running in with a crawdad from the creek, I was so happy. I am so glad she and all the kids have gotten to enjoy their own wild kingdom.

When I hear I'm bored, I secretly smile. It is in these moments of languishing by the creek, daydreaming from the branches of a tree, or lazily contemplating what to do next, that our future sweet memories of childhood are born...

Blogger Therapy

2009-05-15T00:44:00.011-04:00

There is massage therapy, physical therapy,
Music therapy and more,
Occupational therapy, speech therapy,
There are therapies galore.

However, there is one therapy, only one therapy,
That provides the best cure,
That would be blogger therapy,
Yes, blogger therapy, of that I am sure!

You might be a redneck if...

2009-05-13T15:01:00.006-04:00

I love Jeff Foxworthy. He is so funny. My husband and sons have been out shooting bees. Every year carpenter bees come and drill into our house. It is so annoying, not to mention destructive! Apparently after hunting them down with tennis rackets, pesticides, and various other weapons of mass destruction,
they have decided that a 22 rifle filled with shot cartridges works best.
Uh huh, so, you might be a redneck if ...you and yer boys shoot bees with a 22...Yeah, that's how we roll...our poor neighbors....

God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done. ~Author Unknown

2009-05-12T12:11:00.011-04:00

Oops, I didn't realize that! Oh, well... A wise soul once said, "Dust is just a country accent."
I, on the other hand, prefer to refer to it as my country/cottage look...yeah.
It is absolutely beautiful after days and days of rain, WHICH I will not complain about due to the drought.
I believe I'm gonna play in the yard today (weed),
get some sun (plant),
and relax (cut the grass).
I may even indulge myself by looking for antiques (go under the house to clean out all the junk)
and then end this perfect day by pulling the van back into the garage (clean that ridiculously messy place out too)!
Eat your heart out, America.

I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night. ~Bill Watterson

2009-05-10T11:39:00.016-04:00

Today is Mother's Day and I awoke to the best gift.I dreamed of my mother last night. I have been wanting to dream of her for so long....just to get to see her, talk to her and hug her again. Just to know that she is alright...

You know how crazy dreams are...this one was no different. I will not bore you with the crazy Alice in Wonderland like quality of most of it. But at one point I was talking to Mom telling her about work, how I had gained too much weight, how I was too fat for my jeans...seems I mentioned there would only be salads for me for a while...really, how mundane. I obviously had no idea in my dream how special the moment was to drone on about such stuff.

The best part though was telling her how much I loved her...I hugged her a long time, then I had to go...because dream appointments are so important apparently. But, I stopped and turned around went back and just hugged her a really, really long time. It was a strong hug. I kept telling her over and over how much I loved her. She said she knew and that she loved me too. I think I told her to come by the house later and then I left...

In my dream Mom wasn't dead and I didn't realize she had died...because I never would have let her go or left her if I had remembered. Also, there probably would have been a lot of crying. Any way Mom looked wonderful. She was younger and so beautiful... maybe around 30. She was happy and healthy and busy. Mom was always busy. I sensed she felt very fulfilled with what ever she was doing. Mom always had a project going...

It was the best...the very best. Mom, I love you, one more time. And Lord thank you so much for the beautiful, wonderful, amazing gift of dreams that can reach across time and space.
Happy Mother's Day to all our Moms out there. You are irreplaceable.

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories. ~John Wilmont

2009-05-08T20:43:00.005-04:00

If nature had arranged that husbands and wives should have children alternatively, there would never be more than three in a family. ~Lawrence Housman

What can I say, this quote is self explanatory!

Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children. ~Sam Levenson

I read an article once about how we lose brain cells while we are pregnant. Really we do. That explains a lot...

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

So true. My whole life I was such a mild mannered little thing. After the children came I turned into a lioness.

Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly. ~Ambrose Bierce

Of course...

A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after. ~Peter De Vries

Until they get their drivers license and then you call them every time you hear a siren!

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~Sophia Loren

Never alone in our thoughts, never alone in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in the....

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Nate the Great, My Hero

2009-05-06T17:09:00.012-04:00

This is the first blog I have typed since Nate fixed my computer. This is my Mother's Day gift and if it works, it is the best! Really even if if doesn't work, it's the best because of the thought and effort behind it.

This computer has the wacky ability for the cursor to jump all over the board while you are typing. And since I hunt and peck, albeit very efficiently; it is very annoying! Nate is pacing around me as I type. He is our resident computer genius and W.O.W. /World of Warcraft expert. However, around here we call it the World of Warcrack for the obvious addictive reasons! Nate is a level 80 priest and a mage... whatever that is! And apparently that is supposed to be top secret...shhh. He is also a member of the alliance, the good side, which is also a secret...shhh.

Anyway, he came home from co-op really tired today after exams. I was on the internet looking up new computers and prices which definitely got his attention. He then groaned and took the computer from me to try and fix it. Where upon I very subtly, with all the southern grace and charm I could muster, yelled at everyone else reminding them, "Hey, Sunday is Mother's Day and I would love to receive what I ask for every year and NEVER get... a clean house!"

About that time I turned to Nate and said if you can fix this that can be your gift to me. I have been typing all this time and Nate has been pacing and it has only done it once at the beginning and I'm so hoping I hit something by mistake. In the past it would do it every few words. Sooo this is great! Kudos to Nate. You are my hero!!!!
Now back to the clean house... hey, where did everybody go???

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."Isaiah 30:21

2009-05-06T00:24:00.010-04:00

Lord, please help me discover who I am to be.

For years I was a daughter, granddaughter, student, friend;

then I was a wife. The student wife became the nurse.

The nurse became the caretaker.

The caretaker then became a mother.

The mother and caretaker became the teacher.

Always trying to be a friend. Filling my days with the love and passion that comes from you. I had it all figured out... or so I thought. Serving in our church and community, I felt your guidance and your pleasure. Never have you left me in joy or in pain.

Now, I find it is time to rediscover myself. Who am I? Where am I going? What do I need to be about? Prayerfully there will be many years ahead. Plant your vision in me, please.... "For what does it matter if I gain the world and lose my soul." Indeed, it matters. Is it possible for me to bumble through this life and miss it... Please give me a clarity and a vision for your purpose. Give me the strength, energy, passion and devotion to accomplish it. For my friends and family I ask for this same direction and guidance...Help us all bring You here until we are all home again with You...May we have the peace of knowing we walk with You.

Oh, wouldn't the world seem dull and flat with nothing whatever to grumble at? ~W.S. Gilbert

2009-05-04T21:12:00.007-04:00

One exam down and one to go...I was up most of the night studying for the algebra final. Tomorrow is statistics. I am going to be so glad when these classes are behind me. I bet y'all will be glad too. No more whining!!! Well, at least not about math...

I should not whine at all, but I must confess I do. Wow, I feel better now that this tawdry little secret is out. Whew...

Anyway, I sent my teachers thank yous for their unending patience. However, I thought you might enjoy my post script to my statistics professor.

P.S. Dr. C,
I will never look at any data or polling information the same way again. The intelligent thing to say is that now I will be more critical and well-informed. However, the truth of the matter is I will forever be eternally grateful to the people who can live through the process of producing data to enlighten us without shooting themselves....

And that's the truth!

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles...Isaiah 40:31

2009-05-02T19:45:00.007-04:00

The words they flow like rain, the thoughts like tears...
Life is hard, life is so very hard.
Like walking on shells at the beach,
The surf is so beautiful but the shells hurt my tender feet.
I walk through this life absorbing the beauty,
The shells of life scar and mar,
but my soul is unblemished.
It flies...

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! ~Dr. Seuss

2009-05-01T20:33:00.006-04:00

E. and Baby Girl are building forts with the grands in the den.

Every blanket we own is draped between the chairs and coffee table.

The house is indeed a mess for those over 18 and at the same time a magical world for those under 10. I hear them crawling here and there, creating more rooms...I remember...don't you?

Forgotten Language

by Shel Silverstein

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly
in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions
of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying
flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .
How did it go?

How did it go?

I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it. ~Author Unknown

2009-04-30T16:51:00.002-04:00

I'm in the pantry looking for a snack...Me..." Where are all the nuts?" E..." Let's see, one got married and divorced, another one got married, one is at college and then there's the rest of us..." I see... so everyone's a comedian. I just wanted a snack...

He is right. We are a bunch of nuts. Present company excluded...

The Lemonade Stand Award

2009-04-29T11:23:00.012-04:00

Thank you so much to Gaston Studio! This is my first award! Cover your ears, HIP- HIP -HURRAY... YIPPEE... WHOOO- HOOO ! The Lemonade Stand award is to be given to “people who have good attitude or a sense of gratitude” The goal is to pass it on. Hmmm....That is the hard part...Everyone's blogs are awesome.

After much thought, I am passing this award on to some very special places to visit:

Dances with God

Come Sit By My Fire

Heartbeats of Faith

Birth of a Notion

Leaving Excess

So pack your bags, ladies, and start visiting.

Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change. ~Author Unknown

2009-04-29T01:32:00.004-04:00

This is me! Exams next Monday and Tuesday...

Conspiracy of the Band of Brothers

2009-04-27T21:55:00.009-04:00

Before this recent swine flu concern, there have been other flu scares through the years....

One year when the children were much younger, the public was warned to get vaccinated. Being a dutiful, health conscious mother, I explained the flu concerns and the solution to the children. Needless to say no one was enamoured with the plan to inoculate ourselves for protection. Really, being stuck with a needle goes against every child's sense of self preservation.

Every objection was quickly over ruled, however, and every one was loaded in the car for a trip into town. Once at the doctors, we were ushered into the lab. I was holding Baby Girl while everyone milled around casually. Nothing seemed amiss, until the unsuspecting nurse entered the room...

Suddenly, someone barked a command and the volley began... All 3 boys began pelting the nurse with acorns from their pockets. Shocked, I called for them to stop, however the attack continued until their pockets were empty. The girls innocently stood by smirking. Helplessly holding Baby Girl, I just stood there in shocked disbelief. Speechless, I hardly knew how to respond. I stammered an apology however, after a few choice words the very unhappy nurse turned and left the room.

The boys cheered and laughed. Their mission, carried out with military precision, was deemed a success. Meanwhile, the nurse went to report the juvenile delinquents in the lab and get reinforcements. I ordered them to pick up the acorns while questioning what they had been thinking....What indeed.... the consensus was that it was self defense.

Eventually the nurse returned and everyone took their shots. However, there remained an air of defiance in those young faces, a look of smug satisfaction. This small band of brothers had faced the enemy and while they did not win the war. They had stood their ground bravely. It was a victory if only in principle. Never again would anyone ever underestimate their resolve or their valor...

Letter to my Son

2009-04-25T21:05:00.014-04:00

Who is this child of mine?
Who is he now?
Part boy, part man,
A stranger at times.
Yes, a stranger sometimes...

I watched you play,
with child like innocence.
You captured my heart,
Never again to be my own.
No, never again...

If I had known the sacrifice,
If I had known the pain,
Would I have chosen this life?
Would I?
Yes, yes, indeed...

Only a heart devoted,
Can be hurt,
Neglected and misunderstood,
In time I will forget,
Yes, in due time...

Someday, in a moment, unaware,
Your heart will be stolen too,
It is inevitable,
Love at first sight,
Yes, love at first sight...

Our children do grow up,
They must,
The ties that bind stretch and strain,
They move away...
Yes, they move away...

Suddenly, you realize,
What you could not know before,
Yes, you realize,
And it hurts.
Yes, it hurts...

It will be all right,
It is worth the pain,
Someday they grow up, I say,
Someday they will know.
Yes, someday...

Finally, the circle is complete,
For I know you,
And you know me,
Strangers no more, we understand.
Yes, we understand...

" What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him." Psalm 8:4

2009-04-24T10:23:00.010-04:00

What to say... what to say...?
Interviews can be so hard, especially when you feel drawn to a place and the excitement of new possibilities present themselves. When it seems as if a grand opportunity is right in front of you...just out of reach. The proverbial carrot on a stick... I cling to the fact that my Lord knows these paths before I take them. Everything that has ever been or will ever be is in His hands. This is comforting, very comforting. He knows me better than I know myself. Best of all, He loves me more than I love myself. He wants the best for me. And so, I shall attempt to rest in His will; for if He denies me this, He has a better plan.

America, I know many of you need jobs right now. I know because Pops is unemployed and I am seeking new employment for benefits. Times are hard. Hang on. Regardless of our seemingly out of control circumstances. God is in control. Believe it; claim it. Remember, "All things work for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." Notice it does not say all things are good but all things work for good.

In the words of Robert Schuller "sometimes God says yes,
sometimes He says no
and sometimes He says wait."
Often, it is the waiting that is hardest...

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord. I wait for God my savior; my God will hear me."
Micah 7:7

Watch, wait, and hope with me, America...
Watch, wait, and hope...

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Kahlil Gibran

2009-04-22T14:59:00.070-04:00

The sun is shining, the air is warm, and summer is just around the corner. Baby Girl and Friend are running through the house looking for a picnic basket... A few moments later I hear thunderous footsteps and excited girlhood chatter as they emerge with a basket as big as they are...

Hmmm.... an idea begins to form... When they were little I used to change their toys out periodically to keep them interested in revisiting their toy shelves. I think this summer I'll keep the basket out and change the contents every few days to keep the summer blahs away...

Sidewalk chalk, bubbles, pinwheels, a new book, friendship bracelet kits, craft materials, jigsaw puzzles, a deck of cards, a bug jar, science experiments, seeds, marbles...

In the basket, also, will be a journal with notes of inspiration: look for a four leaf clover today, make a daisy chain, pick and press fresh flowers, plant seeds, grow a garden, climb a new tree, create a new hide-out, find surprises in the clouds, bake cookies, have a lemonade stand, look for fairies, star gaze, catch fireflies , camp out, make home-made boats to float in the creek, play Mother May I?, 1, 2, 3, Red Light , the list is as endless as childhood's summer days are long ...

Lastly, of course, I'll add a picnic blanket, hugs, kisses, and best wishes for a magical summer full of adventure...

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children. ~Alex Haley

2009-04-19T19:13:00.010-04:00

Well, Pop, out did himself today. He is a great Dad and an awesome Pop.
Today, Ma and the children used side walk chalk to create Lollipop Land on the driveway. Pop was outside admiring the art work when he told the grands we used to have a lollipop tree but it died... "This is where it used to be," he continued. "We planted another tree there..."
By now N. is observing the new tree only to shout for joy at the sight of several strategically placed Dum Dum Pops.
The older kids are snickering quietly saying we shouldn't try to encourage this nonsense. Hey... this nonsense is what makes childhood so magical...