Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Happy May Day!

On this ultimate day of April, the sun played light and shadow with our sweet redbud remnant... The tiny part of a once perfect tree... It blooms just as beautifully, and possibly with more artistic appeal in its broken state. I love the broken, the odd, the castoff... Especially I love it in direct juxtaposition with new or beautiful... Like this broiling blue cloudy sky. We had a little rain. We had a little sun. It was just one of those days that can't decide to be pretty or nasty.

 

I concur. It is difficult to determine whether I, myself, want to be pretty.... or nasty. But I suppose, for your sakes, I'll stick with pretty... Yeah, pretty it is! For today. But watch out .....Tomorrow!

Have a good May Day!

 

Monday, April 28, 2014

Spirit of the child...

 

So much has been written about this idea, this magical quality of keeping the child alive inside us. That spirit child indeed lives inside,,, it's just whether we embrace her, nurture her, allow her to frolick. Sometimes we're just plain embarrassed at the child within... But I think we then forget we still love that little girl we are...were... Will always be. When our own children embarrass us, we never forget how fiercely we love them. Anyway. Unconditionally. No matter what

 

Example: I will never ever forget the white hot embarrassment I felt running down my back when my son took some plastic applicator-feminine products (yep, you know what I mean) to school in a little stolen goody bag... I got that message to come in to "visit" the teacher... Standing before the minister's wife/second grade teacher, I heard the words, "Do you have any idea what your son brought to share with his buddies during recess?" I, of course, didn't. With what I felt was a smirky flourish, she dumped the sack... Pink, squeaky clean( thank God!) applicators, emptied...

 

My mumbled response: "Ohmygodwhatintheworld---er...gosh!?"

 

When throttled and questioned, my son bristled up indignantly. Why? Why? Why? "Oh, Mom... Missile launchers. What is the big deal? Why? What are they anyway?"

 

Of course.

 

But even with embarrassment like that, I didn't stop adoring that child. Walk through fire for him at any moment...

 

So back to ourselves. I know many of us do keep that child alive. For many, the gift of grandchildren brings the opportunities to play. It's no big stretch to contact our little girl inside if we need her to translate with that younger generation... Today I drove up to my old house, now occupied by my son. I spied one lone sand toy truck tucked in a corner of the front porch, a remnant of that little, precious pretend grandson (translation: son of my son's ex.) bi felt a familiar twinge at that particular heartbreak...but thankfully, I didn't let that get to me today.

 

It's difficult to keep the inner child without some kind of childishness, or self-deprecation. None of us really wants to pretend to be bumblin' stumblin' naive.... I kind of think one or two concepts can help us stay young. Just sayin'. When confronted with the new, improved model of anything... Laugh like a child and say, "How fun!" I don't think we even need to embrace it yet... Just give it a positive chance. My adorable great-aunt Mildred grabbed a new water bottle with a patented sip top..... She gave it a long, delicious squirt in her mouth, and she proclaimed it fun. .... With a giggle.

 

Hey, I can do that one. What seems to eat me up? I can't shake fear. Kids are fearless usually. Because they almost always feel a back-up support. So nagging fear is an instant ager, Debbie downer, for sure. Praying helps, affirmations help...hey, even chocolate has been known to temporarily waylaying pointless, unnecessary, needless fear.

 

I'd appreciate your ideas. How do you stay young at heart? Just food for thought about being young and truly living ....forever and a day, this hazy, post-tempest morning. My inner child would like one last snooze... Zzzzzzzzz

 

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Hands in the Permafrost...



Ugh. Will this freezing, frozen mess never end? .??? Oh, I got it... It's beautiful today. My beautiful sister/cousin asked me to go on a lovely car ride today to look at the magnolia blossoms, the dogwood... We did this in early fall, and the day was magical. Well, unfortunately my procrastination had caught up with me... We had some food supplies on order... And no more can I face the limited shelf space in Mom's old upright freezer. It doesn't defrost automatically... And I'm sad to say I had let it go the whole time I've been living here. My daddy used to do this job on a truly hot summer day... Chipping away the layers of ice, grinning about the slurpy mess he was making... Flipping Mom with the wet towels...




But I.... MoĆ­, yours truly.... Just got one horrible, frigid shelf done a year or so ago... So much for the "Swiss Cheese method"of cleaning... Today, my dear cousin blew dry, hot watered, and chopped until Voila! What was old is like new! I busied around washing, toting, and drying every dripping towel in the house, heating water... Making coffee and "frozen" mini-pizzas from Schwann... A lovely excursion indeed.

Yep, instead of gorgeous scenery... More frozen tundra. But oh, my a HUGE mess/task checked off the list. Thank you, dear one! Have a cupcake! I made these from a little cupcake kit complete with the frosting ingredients (just add butter!) for a little dinner party. Last night two of my friends had a little meal here and a work session for a student project... (Details forthcoming)... They brought several items for the supper, including home made bread, food for the gods!

Have a lovely weekend. I'm serious about having a cupcake!


Friday, April 25, 2014

Great views from a cloudy day...

Free, open air... Wings pounding, I frightened the whole flock when I crept close to water's edge to take the photo. Suddenly, the water glassed over, the air hovering... I suddenly wished I'd set the camera to film a video... Because, suddenly the photo op was "vanished" right before my eyes... It reminded me of one of those speak easies in the Twenties that quickly turns into an office... Boom!
I wanted them to know me as a friend, intrusive only to know them, see them better... The seasons changing temperament much the same, one slick day of balmy weather yields to a rush of wintry, wet rain... Tonight I light my candle, a wood wick that sputters comfortable companionship... Listening to the rising winds, the rain splaying on the tired wooden frame of this old house... I gather in supplies to comfort my restlessness. And by supplies, I'm afraid I mean snacks! And a book, a deck of gypsy cards.. A little date with Netflix... Ball of yarn, and the thing I'm missing is a cat. I guess I will just get an imaginary kitty tonight, name her Sally... For all my good cats have been Sally... (Except Amber...and Koga... And Boots... )



I guess it's time to settle my thoughts, come back to center, to tuck in my wings for the night.
 

Sometimes a few extra minutes and an ounce of grey weather allow me to focus, center, and have a little down time .....at a local lake, in my own little niche, within my heart.

 

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Easter Lunch

Just a few shots of our sweet Easter table. We had my son for the day... It was wonderful to visit, laugh, enjoy a Paleo-friendly lunch, and play Spinner. I gave Mom the new Rooster plates, but I think they were really for me! She isn't the china hound that I am!!

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

What's “App-ening!” Sooo cheesy!

Welcome to something new! As of today, I just got sick and tired of never being able to post comments and revise, to think very long between sentences, to delete and start again... On Safari through my iPad, that was the case. I had to rush through comments on other blogs very fast with no pausing. It was a hoot! And not in a good way at all... But I loved the freedom of my iPad vs. my laptop... The hours between charging... So I coped.



Then... There was the challenge of posting on the ipad through Blogger platform. Super challenging because I had to upload all photos to Picasa and wait for freaking ever to find them... Constant freezing of the post.. I tried to just ignore how impossible it was to use the photo editor... I managed, but... Today, with yet another snoot full of Mother Nature's pollen, I decided to combat my allergies and sniffles with something new. I wanted to make life easier and iPad posting was the key! ... I thought, "Google!" Voila! I was advised to download free app Mini Opera for blog browsing. I did. And comment I could. Look out, world!




Then download the app Blogsy... To create and blog posts... It took a few minutes to hook it up to my accounts, but from the get-go...easy peasy.  I'm excited.. And drag n drop pictures are da bomb! From my iPad, Picasa, or other sources...  Much more to learn...but it seemed so easy! So unlike normal posts. Well worth the $4.99.



Friday, April 18, 2014

Have a Blessed Easter!

Happy Good Friday!

Decided today, (mid 50's) would still be a good soup day for Mama, so I created a little pot of soup out of thin air and a couple pantry items. Hey, that made me feel like dear Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman.com.  You will love her if you have never met her!

Next on my list today... Bake some Strawberry Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting... And jelly beans on top...  Cute and yummy. Finish cleaning dining room, my bedroom... Ugh...  A nap sounds awesome, however.

It is looking like we will be three for Easter dinner... My son, my mom, and moi.  We will play some spinner, have some springtime menu/Paleo lunch, maybe hang curtains in dining room....  Sounds delightful. Hope you have a nice holiday, as well... Maybe a little Easter basket or two, some fresh flowers like these from my sister/cousin... Perchance a chocolate rabbit? Of course, a time of gratitude for the season itself and the rebirth, second chances, and Glory of God's greatest gift.



















Mr. McGregor's Garden Vegetable Soup
SautĆØ 1/2 chopped onion and 2/3 c. Chopped celery in olive oil until translucent and tender... Salt and pepper while cooking.
Add 1 large (coca cola size) can V-8
3 c. Water
2 T. Sweet Chili Sauce or Red Pepper Relish. (I use Harry & David)
11/2-2 T. Beef soup base
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 can drained mixed vegetables
Simmer...


Whimsy and Hugs!

Monday, April 14, 2014

In the full moonlight...



Oh, my...  Would you take a look at the moon picture sent to me by my son!?! Is it not fabulous? I have told you before in this blog how absolutely crazy I am about the moon... I honestly simply adore it... That's all.. Tonight is a full moon... A total eclipse... A pink moon...  The willow moon... The wind moon... And the tree moon, I think... And someone said a blood moon...? All I know, it's a "drop dead gorgeous" moon!

Can you feel the magic all around us? Blessings, gifts, tumult, and tears. In other longer-ago days, on a full moonglory night such as this, you would find me out on the country roads, parked in my Daddy's field... outside on my cedar deck, or bathed in golden beamed  moonlight as I slept in a beautiful eastern bay window.... Here at Mom's, I promised her not to go do such wild, irresponsible things... So this remarkable photo from my son is a pure gift, proof he remembers the nights his crazy mom packed his sleepy tail in our T-bird, and sashayed all over the county, windows open, both of us hooping and laughing at the moon... Our moon.  His text with this photo read, "Oh, dat moon!"

I dance tonight in these freezing temperatures (yes, hard freeze, 26°, predicted tonight). But I probably will dance alone, in my memories...  Of course, if I'm going to use memory, magic, and moonlight to dance... I might as well conjure up a partner in crime... Would it be my first crush? My first love? Someone dear,  My sweetie from afar? A mysterious Mr. Perfect from the future? My daddy? Oh, my wonderful grandfather driving around the farm on a grey, Ferguson tractor in the moonlight...  Mom? or my grandmothers? It could be some wonderful girlfriends... We have torn up the hills a time or two... Or my wonderful only little boy in that old T-bird? All good choices, don't you think? Luckily, just this once, I'm taking them all.

We are, in sure fact, a part of all that we have been. Woven by experience, charmed by memory's forgiving grace, blessed beyond comprehension... To the Heavenly Father, who did INDEED hang the moon, my thanks.


Whimsy and Hugs!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Dreamin'

Saturdays... No trips today to scan the beauty...  But a lovely salad and fresh Ravioli? Yes, please...

Our kitchen has been busy with cranberry salads, Molasses Cookies, chicken 'n rice casserole... And my new passion, lemon-water....  In my mind, I pour it from one of those awesome crystal beverage dispensers... The glasses are vintage Fostoria pink... One or two yellow and calico kitties dance happily about the floor before snoozing in kitty cat fashion in front of the electric fireplace... I'm serving little cupcakes with piped cream and blueberries... Cloth napkins, but of course! I have a bouquet of Princess Diana white roses on the table.....  Whoa!!!  What's in this water? Wacky juice?

Our kitchen hippity hops for Easter.... Livin' the dream.....








Whimsy and Hugs!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Flirting...

It's the funniest year ever...  Already little jonquils have stuck their pretty yellow faces in our view, and yet the air has a chilly core to it, nights are still in the 30's, and even the sunshine is welcome, but tentative.

Everyone seems completely giddy for warmth, more than I ever remember, as if winter had bullied us and stolen part of our confidence.

I'm one who desperately tries to let the weather be...whatever it is, it is... Since it's a natural force beyond all human control...  But as an observer of behavior, a teacher, it's something I do by habit...observe people.   And I'd say Missourians and several others are kowtowing to the zephyrs and squalls, frosts and first attempts at flirting with Lady Spring... She's playing hard to get.

I'm happy Easter comes later this year, so we have plenty of time to enjoy the presence of bunnies, little fuzzy chicks, and frosted eggs. Here are some of the little creatures who have decided to flitter, hop, and creep into all the nooks and crannies here in the living room at Meadow Lane. They have invaded the entire house, but I'll save the rest of them for another day...


















Mom has been battling some wicked knee pain, and I finally was tagged by the obnoxious flu bug who bit almost all my friends through the winter...  Not floored, but definitely glad for the days free to stay home with Vick, my one true love. Vick... Oh, Vick.... You know him too...  Mr. Victor Vaporrub.......  Bwaaa haaa haaa!