Music

I had to add some music after reading and listening to Carol's blog. This morning on the way to school I was listening to some "oldies but goldies" and Jed asked me what was that stuff. We had a brief music appreciation lesson as I tried to rationalize how music from my period made more sense then today's stuff. Does that really make me one of the older generation? I changed it to a country station but he decided that wasn't much better, though who can beat some of those lyrics? Our current favorite is the daddy telling his daughter's date to have a good time with her and bring her home on time because he will be right there waiting at the table, polishing his gun. This actually happened to one of Jennifer's dates.
I quit listening to music for awhile after Timothy's death. Some songs had been so comforting I just couldn't stand to listen to them anymore. I am glad I was able to finally enjoy them again. One is on my playlist. It is from the Disney movie Tarzen. It expressed so well how I felt about the baby inside me; no matter what happened he would always be in my heart. One of my favorite things to do now is come in the office on Sunday afternoons and spend awhile listening to all kinds of music. I have learned after all "where would I be without my music?"

Summer Calendar

Here is what I know is coming up in the next few months. Please let us all know correct times. Tabi, Sarah and Travis all have graduation in May. Sarah and Travis are going to Disney, Tabi is undecided. Jed leaves for a trip with his other family, the Thibeault's, on June 6-21. He will be going to Prince Edward Island and Rhode Island. He has scout camp in North Georgia the first of July. Dave and Eileen hope (that probably is not the right word) to get moved to Brookfield in June. I am going to do something totally unlike me this summer. Don't know what it is yet, but look out. Anyone else have any plans they want to share?

Be Careful What You Wish For

Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to eat the whole bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough? It isn't as great as you think it would be. (For me it was brownie dough anyway)
We belong to a foodbank group where we pay money each month to recieve random items in return. It is like Christmas every pickup day because some of the items are things you normally wouldn't indulge in but can afford it at the price we pay. Sometimes we win, organic eggplant, strawberries, leftover easter m&m's; sometimes you lose, liners for thongs, lime calcium water,coffee creamer. One of the win items has been cookie dough. We are talking peanut butter, m&m, sugar, oatmeal, even one that was a mixture of everything you would want in a cookie. Then there is the chocolate chip. It was great the first time. Not to bad the second. I didn't even mind the third time. I have finally reached my limit after scooping two huge boxes of mashed together cookies into six gallon ice cream containers. That doesn't count the one box I was able to put neatly into ten ziploc bags. Those cookies had not arrived here all mangled together. Some of these cookies have big chunks of chocolate, some have tiny chocolate chips. Either way the pieces have a tendency to fall out of the dough and I find myself constantly picking them up and eating them so as to not waste any. It is all enough to make one swear off chocolate! There goes one more pleasure from my feeble, miserable excuse for a life. Cookies anyone?

Jed's Birthday

Yesterday Jed was fourteen years old. I spent the morning trying to pick up some new underwear for him. I think it is time I gave him the money and let him do it himself. Do you know how many choices there are for men's underwear! Someone else gets to take the boy shoe shopping. I asked him what kind of cake he wanted and his answer was surprisingly,"I don't know" He finally said make a chocolate one. I didn't feel like standing over the stove stirring old fashioned frosting. It was already after four o"clock and I had been in the kitchen all day. I was going to make the mounds cake that I love but instead decide to google snicker cake and see what came up. That is his favorite candy bar. I then spent the next hour going to the store to pick up ingredients, going back in the store to get ice cream that I forgot on the first trip, unwrapping the package of caramels the recipe called for, chopping nuts to go in the filling, and waiting for the bottom of the cake to finish baking before adding the filling and the top layer. The irony is the old fashioned only would have taken about fifteen minutes. (I must point out I did have to go to the store to pick up a prescription for Granddaddy anyway) All seventeen people in attendance at our family home evening agreed the cake was good. Jed complained about the nuts.

Ten "R" Things

My letter is R so here goes. Red peppers, rain,riding a bicycle, Ryan V., rolls, romance,riches,roasting marshmellows,reading,recycling. I know I will think of really good stuff the moment I press publish.

Flower Power

That title is a throw-back to the slogans of the hippie era for those of you who weren' t around back then. I really enjoy flowers and herbs. Those of you who have been here hopefully have seen my rose garden in full bloom. It is showing promise of another great season.
I went to Bob's flowers yesterday. I don't know why it is called Bob's. The guy who runs the place is named Harold or something. Bob isn't even close to his name. He does have a great business though. I mangaged not to get to carried away on this trip. Those gerber daisies were calling my name. (hint to anyone who wants to make me happy) I bought some mint, cinnamon basil, Italian basil, golden sage, parsley, and chives. I already had the rosemary and thyme. I moved my lavender over to a new bed so cross your fingers it survives. It had outgrown the place on the corner. Who knew it would do so well!
I like my mom's philosophy of flowers. Bring them to me while I am alive and can enjoy them. I try to take her some about once a week . I consider my rose garden to be hers. That is why Donald planted it in the first place. His care of it shows me how much he loves me and I can pass it along to Mom. I can also return the love to him. Those of you who are old enough may have heard the rose petal story. When I am dead, I don't want bouquets lying all over the dirt, dying. Take them to a hospital. Give them to people at church. Make someone else have a beautiful moment in their day.

Apologies to Jen

I am wrong! Mark the day on your calendars becuse it doesn't happen very often. Jen took the picture, Andrea submitted it to the paper. That is what happens when you start to age. Just ask Donald to tell you his dog story. You know, the one where his mom called him everyone's name including the dogs. It is part of our family lore. Maybe I'll do a piece on stories we all have heard over and over and over.

Explaining the picture

It is about time I explain the photo of me. Andrea, Eileen's niece lived with us for a few months last year. She love photography. We were clowning around one day with the guitar hero and hat someone had left lying around. I was wearing my favorite after shower muu-muu. I know everyone will be glad when I purchase a new one. Except for the dress, I think I look very beatnik-ish for those of you who know what that is. Anyway, she snapped the pic. We loved it so much she submitted it to the local paper as an entry in the photo of the day spot. I don't know why but it was never chosen. It is such an outstanding shot I thought it deserved to be viewed by millions worldwide to show the "gazette" what bad taste they have. Wouldn't you rather see me than some ten year old kid holding the head of his first big buck?

A Great Weekend

Last night I was all alone. That doesn't happen very often. I could have had a great evening shampooing the carpet but decided to be really wild and work on the blog. Do you love my slide show? Jen says I need to do something to protect the images. How am I to know someone might decide to take my fab pics and use them for their own gain? One thing about the internet is you learn things real fast. I am reallly improving my typing skills. Did I ever tell you how much I hated typing class in college. It was the only thing that kept me from getting my diploma for two years. I finally took a night class when Donald was on one of his deployments. The teacher took pity on me and let me pass. Just couldn't type fast enough. But I am getting off the subject...
After I blogged for a couple of hours, I watched "Pride and Prejudice" on tv. It was the version with Kiera Knightley. That scene at the end where Darcy walks across the misty field toward Lizzie is definitely way on the top of my list of great romantic love scenes. In between my sighing I was working on a quilt. I found some squares my mom had cut out but never sewn. If she went to all that work the least I can do is sew them together. I finished off the evening watching a corny movie with Mark Consuelos. (He was in the movie, not on the sofa beside me)I actually stayed up till about three 0'clock am! It was thundering and lightening pretty bad outside and I would have had trouble sleeping anyway. I am not one for enjoying nature's violent displays. I will save my list of fears for another time. It is Saturday night now and golly somehow I am alone again so I will watch another corny movie and finish that quilt.

Identity Crisis

First, I was going to label every post as some sort of sandwich, but rapidly realized even though that would be cute and creative, I don't have enough hours in a day in which to be that cute and creative.
I think this part of my life is all about getting to know me and more importantly reinventing me. Some of you will know what I am talking about. You go from being someone's daughter to someone's wife, to someone's mother and so on. When I worked I did have an identity for a little while. Even then though I was known as Milton's assistant! Now is the time to do something that is unique to me. Any ideas?

Bare Knuckles

I am jumping into blogging! Maybe it will help me keep my sanity and I won't have to pay for the counseling my family says I need. Hey, I can't help it if I was born trying to save the world and everyone in it from life's problems. My tombstone will read "If only they had listened to me." Now I know how that sounds, like I think I know it all. Believe me, I know I don't. I guess that is what this will all be about. I try to do the best I can, in the place I am, with the tools I have. I just want everyone to love one another!