Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Scream... by Edward Munch and me....


Not much to tell. After a fairly horrid day yesterday I posted about a little cricket who kept me awake.. I quickly deleted the post and the cartoon cricket photo... "Be more positive," I told myself. Unable to think of anything positive, I just went without a post...


Tonight... after a much better day I went upstairs to tell my mom goodnight. In that alerting pattern only recognizable with the brain's horror.. at least to me.... I saw it... Ssssss-ing its design in the door INSIDE between kitchen and dining room ..... a black rat snake (I think that's the species... at least it was a medium sized snaked poised to move)... Okay. Let it be said. I am NOT brave.... I am optimistic. I don't believe every second that a robber will crash through my door, that a mouse will crawl up my leg, that a bat will sweep through the dining room.... that a snake will slither around my home.... BUT IF IT DOES...... I'm as much or more of a weenie as anyone you have ever known. I called my son. He was so dismally slow, and the snake was gone by the time I'd called.... Flashlights, moving furniture.... peering under washer, dryer, cabinets.... Nope... No snake.... Tonight I sleep with the tv on and the lights blaring... At least it seems to be scaring away the little cricket.... Did I mention I don't like it here??????? Aaaaaaghhhhh.....

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Sunday Sunscapes

We have had tons of rain in the Midwest this summer, and all this water has made our lakes deep and our grasses lush... Mom and I took a drive to see the nearby lake. We discovered the water up to the top of the beach. In fact, there is no beach at all...Usually there's a walkway to the marina... not today!

But the real show was in our driveway when we got home... Coming around the corner of our gravel road the sunset's colors were painted navy and pink.... I began to fumble for my camera.... My mother hates the sunet, and I love it.. Evidently her mom used to make her cry, saying, "Look at that sunset. You'll never see today again..." or something equally dismal... I dunno... That's not the gramma I knew.. I think sometimes people are more relaxed and not as unusual as grandparents as they were as parents.... I may never know or then again I may... One of my dear friends just had grandbaby number five.... lucky girl! She makes a fabulous "Nana" and her grandchildren are adorable...

We dec orated a bit more for fall here today... Stay tuned for some more shots of all our goodies... I do love that autumn.... Hugs.. Have a good week.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

My midnight buddy

Nope, I didn't snap this photo (yet), but according to my research this is the beautiful creature who's been courting me at night. He must be very close by because I can even hear him from bed with the ceiling fan's hum swirling around me. His call is kind of tentative... Hooo. hoooo.. hooo...huhooooo.....hooo.. And believe it or not, you can look up owls and they have their calls written down... I like these birds. Maybe it's their association with the moon, with Athena, with wisdom... they seem mystical and special to me. I believe my Mr. Hoo lives in my dad's old hayloft. If I venture out at night or in the morning before dawn, he protects his privacy and hoots at me to get lost... I think of that sad, wonderful story, "I Heard the Owl Call My Name."..... and I hope he isn't calling mine!

Today I took Mom to her class reunion. Class of '42. A pert young server asked me a question about seating, and I said flippantly, "I dunno. Believe it or not, I didn't graduate in '42."

Her reply was a stunner. "Oh, really?" uh... yeah, oh really... Then she said, "What year DID you graduate?" with that bored who gives a flip tone reserved for the young, pretty, (dressed in pink polo ) "sweet young thangs" I have known...

I tepidly offered my response, wishing I'd never started this conversation: "1972."

To which she simply sighed, gave the arched eyebrow look of ???? "What's the difference?" and said politely. "I see."

Okay... maybe I'm cheap... but I left no tip... If I could give her one, it's don't do that again to women in their early fifties. And God help you if you make us feel "frumpy, fifty, and old....." ... Grrrr... Hugs!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Hopeful Friday 1



Okay... Cielo's blog inspired me to do a hopeful Friday's blog. I love Waterhouse... His work has always charmed my soul.... It is wistful, longing and very hopeful to me... This young woman isn't watching her lover's ship wreck, she's hoping and waiting for him to come ashore....and I believe he will.


My post is about worry... I have always been known as many things, but not as a worrier... but I am one. I just try so hard to do it inside (possible the worst kind). So today my promise to myself is to be more hopeful. My grandmother's line was "live in hopes, die in despair." I never really got it. I thought it meant you were going to be disappointed an die in despair. I think now she meant that to hope was to LIVE... to despair was to DIE... I am in a limbo kind of lifestyle at times and it is difficult for me to remain hopeful... especially when I'm not sure what I'm hoping for... just the absence of bad things? That's not hope to its fullest fruition... It isn't enough to hope bad things don't happen... We need a goal, a hope, a belief in a thing not yet seen... That's my charge for me and anyone else who needs a bit of a boost... Find something to hope for... and don't lose heart. We're all in this together... Hugs.. Happy Friday.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Over for another semester....

Our school does parent teacher conferences at midterm of the first and third quarters... and we're officially through! From 1 to 6 p.m. sitting on picnic table benches, pen and grade sheets in hand... I think they are very hard on both parents and teachers. I know I felt like maybe I needed an ambulance to come cart me home... And my parents are wonderful. Most of them were former students. I had a good afternoon... it's all about the chair, the noise, the adrenalin, the stress.... But we all survived another year I guess... If anything good comes from it, then it will all be worthwhile. I saw a ton of parents today. There were yummy snacks for the faculty, but I never want to be sitting there chomping down on something and have to stop and visit with a less than happy parent... So I just swigged down a Diet Pepsi, a gift from a dear friend... Not every teacher had a secret bottle in a brown paper sack, but I did... (It's okay to drink pop at these... Nearly everyone had one.)

I'll never forget my first parent teacher conference for my son in first grade. I discovered much to my horror that he wore the same felt cowboy vest every day (stashed in a secret cavern of the book bag). I discovered he didn't do any work until after his granny came every day to pick him up. I discovered he refused to put down the right answer to a reading test. Grandfather and his grandson had gone fishing. The line broke. The pictures showed that clearly plus the look of dismay on the man's face. The question read, "Will grandfather get the fish?" My son was adamant and a half that yes, he would. When quizzed by angry mommy me, he replied... "Mom, you know Paw-paw would go get another line and not give up like that. Paw-paw would get that fish." Ah... and that he would have.....

Have a good one... Where go the years?

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Little Hitch hiker


Imagine my surprise when I walked to my car after school Friday and discovered this little hitch hiker waiting patiently in my driver's seat. I took one look at him and knew he was a perfect little greeter for our door. My dear friend surprised me with him, along with a wonderful sack of scrap booking things I'd ordered at her party. Glitter, tags, card kits, album sets, brads, glue pens... I had a fun time, even if I don't ever scrapbook. It kind of reminds me of a hound dog we used to have named Rocky. Rocky was a happy, happy dog... He used to sit on top of his navy blue dog house and just thump his tail all day long. Rocky adored everyone, and he didn't get to run free because any time he was loose, he made a bee line to our neighbors and "loved" them a little too much. We'd get a call to come and get our dog. We put him on a long chain and he spent his life that way. I don't think that's a very good life for a dog, and now I think I should have given him away, but at the time my son liked him, and it was the best we could think of to do. Whenever Rocky got a minute off his chain to run, he did the funniest trick. He'd run all over the yard and tool shed and grab things in his little happy mouth. He'd drag everything he could to his dog house... bats, axes, rakes, buckets, gloves, tire tools... anything that was loose was fair game. Then later when he was tied up again, he had all those things to "play" with. You could watch him joyfully "wallering" all that goodness and tossing rakes and axes and hammers up in the air and barking when they came down... I dunno... He was a happy dog,not a smart one. Anyway, my stockpiling of scrapbook supplies is kind of like that. It makes me happy.. to know that I have a box full here at Mom's, a basket full at school, and best of all, a red leather. mock croc, large luggage piece weekender simply stuffed at home.... Happy, not smart... What a thought.

Friday, September 12, 2008

We don't like Ike... Hugs and Prayers for those in the line...


Julie from Equus Villa left a comment on my last post that really hit me hard... Go look at her last post and say a little prayer (or a big one) for all the people in harm's way tonight. If you have loved ones there or anywhere in danger and would like to lift up their names in a comment, please feel free to do so. I will be tuning in to the Weather Channel again as if I can will the storms away and help someone. I have never seen warnings like the one listed with this photo, which was for Galveston Island. It said that anyone who stayed in the island in a one or two story structure was facing "certain death." That is a very strong statement, and I so hope nobody stayed. Hugs to all for a safe weekend.

September Sun...




Evening sun on my dad's little barn. This barn, built by Dad and his Amish friends, houses a myriad of things that were dear to my dad. He planned it while recuperating from open heart surgery, and the boards came from my grandmother's two story house that was in the right of way for a highway expansion. I love it at sunset. That barrel needs to be tucked inside until the next Fourth of July. It's our base for all the fountains and rockets!!! Sunday's lunch was Taco Haystacks... Just a layered taco salad that guests build themselves with shredded lettuce, finely chopped onion, celery, tomatoes, niblet corn, red beans, shredded cheese, Doritos, and one and a half pounds of hamburger with Taco pkg. blended in.
For the sauce, mix one can Ro-tel tomatoes, one 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, and one can tomato soup. Simmer until all is blended. Spoon over salad. Some people still like to add their favorite salad dressing, and others like to leave it with this.
We had a picnic/fish fry at a neighbor's home. My mother's Sunshine Club met there to celebrate the end of summer. The night was a little brisk, but the food was delicious and the company special. Few things speak to the past like a long line of carry-in dishes at a country picnic.
And finally... I had to show you a shot from my English I class. This was a first, in all my 34 years of teaching I have never had kids write me a song... (I think they fudged a little with an old Beatles song..., but the words were changed to include a little ode to English class... What guitarists. I could listen to them play music all day. Talent! So after they picked out a James Bond theme and the Pink Panther... and some Rock... I told them to take the guitars back to their lockers because if they were in the room, I'd never get back to teaching!


Saturday, September 6, 2008

Birthdays & Bloggy See, Bloggy Do!

Well, 27 years ago yesterday was probably the single best beginning of my life... My son was born, and my little heart has never been the same. He's apparently all grown up, but isn't it so strangely sweet we never see them any older inside? He's still that cute little cherub with the dusty tennis shoes and the red "worker" hat and stubborn streak that is both good.... and maybe bad at times. We celebrated with friends at the Pizza Hut and then later here for gifts. I had some computer-y things for him I'd actually picked out, which seemed a big hit: a gaming keyboard and mosue, and some calendars, books, cologne... a treadmill from both of us at his request... I wrapped his gifts in pages from an antique dictionary and made huge bows from tissue paper. I unfortunately didn't get a great shot of just how cute they were.
I snapped a wild picture of his cake right before cutting, and he screamed, "Wait! Put the little candle back on for your blog!" How amazing.... My son, who can't remember to unpack a dishwasher to save his life... remembered my blog... So=====

Here's the little candle. Mom got it at Walmart. We didn't decorate. Just a bit lazy on my part!And finally, the true bloggy see, bloggy do. I have eyed the silhouette cutter for a few weeks and finally bought it, installed it, and am starting to learn the intricacies of cutting... Here are my first two endeavors... I learned a lot, and plan to use it a lot more.


Saturday is speeding by and I'm headed to the shop, eventually... Better get a move on. It's almost two o'clock.

Monday, September 1, 2008

If the shoe fits. . .

Isn't this a cute way to greet company at my door? I hope you are all having a great week, so far. The good thing, is since Monday was a holiday, we'll reach the midway point tomorrow night... Yaahooo~!!!
Nothing too exciting this weekend, but we had fun going to a Chinese restaurant and shopping for my son's birthday on Friday. Take care...