A Miracle

Image source: Striking Photogrphy by Bo

The wildfire burned hot, and smoke filled the evening air.   Scores of firemen had been battling it for hours, when someone shouted "over here".  There in the bank of a nearly dry creek was a small cave.  Crouched inside was a boy and his dog.  It was a true miracle on that hot August night.

Written for Friday Flash 55.  While this is a work of fiction, devastating wildfires continue to burn in Arizona.  Let's keep these people in our thoughts and prayers, as well as those affected by the recent floods and tornadoes.

Happy Birthday Mom!

June 8, 1925 was a very important day in my life.  I wasn't actually born then - that is my mother's birth date.  You can see the significance for me, right?  I'd like to share with you a little about the woman my mother was.

She grew up on a farm in a small town in Maine during the Depression years, and life on the farm gave her a great love of nature. 

During her teen years, she watched her two older brothers leave to serve in World War II, and she graduated high school two years before the end of the war. 

She didn't talk much about her early life, so I don't know a lot of the details.  After finishing school, she worked different jobs before going to work for the phone company.  During this time she met my father, who was in the Air Force and stationed in Maine.  When his service was completed, he moved back South to work for a trucking company (he was originally from Virginia).  She followed him to Winston-Salem in 1952, and they were married in 1956.

In the 1960s, she saw the assassinations of President Kennedy in 1963 and Senator Kennedy in 1968.  Together we watched the first man walk on the moon, and played badminton and kickball in the back yard.  Some of our best times were outdoors, and I got my love of nature from her.

She was a smart, talented and creative woman, but she never nurtured her talents.  Everything was put aside for me.  I was her focus.  She was completely selfless to the point of going without so others didn't have to.

I still have the Halloween treat bag she painted for me.  It is one of my treasures.  I used it as an example to make Halloween bags of my own a few years ago.  Sometimes it is the little things that mean the most as we get older.

One year we spent long hours making Christmas decorations from styrofoam shapes, beads, glue and old Christmas cards.  That was such fun, and we decorated our tree with them.  I even used them as a history project in school.

My high school graduation fell on her birthday, and I thought that was cool.  I also thought I was grown.  It took a while for me to realize how wrong I was.

She watched with much trepidation as I grew up, got my license, got a job, and eventually moved into an apartment.  I was still her little girl, and that never changed.

When I married, she acquired a son whom she loved.  She and Daddy always referred to us as "the kids", and continued to do for us even though we both had jobs and our own home.

There are many times when I still wish I could ask her something, tell her what I've been doing or just have her over and cook for her, like she did for me for so many years. Many of our conversations centered around food.

There never comes a time when you stop being your mother's child.  That bond is always there.  She taught me values and to treat others with kindness and respect, and filled my head with knowledge you don't get from books and school (common sense).

I am proud to be her daughter, and even more proud to have been her friend.  If I ever manage to be half the woman my mother was, I will consider that I have succeeded in life.

Happy Birthday Mom.  I miss you!

Quote of the Week

A day is Eternity's seed, and we are its Gardeners.  

- Erika Harris

Tend your garden carefully, for what you do today will influence all your tomorrows.

A Tortured Soul

Caught in a world between the living and the dead.  
A lonely, dark place where forgotten spirits dwell.  
She cries out but no one hears.  
"Why?" she sobs.  "This wasn't supposed to happen.  
 My little boy won't remember; my husband will forget.  
I never realized how precious life is.  
Few do until it's too late."

Written for Friday Flash 55

The Wrong Number?

I've heard that life's little embarrassing moments make good stories, so here goes.  Fortunately, I was home alone with no witnesses.

I was calling hubby the other day on his Blackberry (company phone) because when he's on the road he uses the GPS on his Droid (personal phone) to navigate.  Apparently it is like some people and can't talk and navigate at the same time.  No problem - I've got the Blackberry number programmed into my cell phone.

I open my contact list, scroll down to his name and click.  I select the number and hit "call".  Doing good.  About that time the home phone rings.  Great!  With the cell phone at one ear, I grab the handset and glance at the caller ID.  It's showing the city and a number which usually means it is someone's cell phone.  I should answer this - it could be a friend calling.  Did I mention I didn't have my glasses on and didn't get the number?  Never mind, it gets better.

I answer the call while waiting for hubby to pick up, and I hear a woman's voice.  This is weird -  I am hearing it through my cell phone.  Oh crap, have I called someone else by mistake?  How embarrassing!  I start to ask who I have called and explain that I was trying to call my husband, and must have gotten the wrong number.  But wait...and this is where it really gets embarrassing...what I am hearing on the cell phone is the same thing I am saying into the other phone.  It turns out the "friend" who's call I answered was me.  I picked our home number instead of hubby's cell number.

Now I talk to myself  frequently;  it just doesn't usually take two phones to do it.

Note to self:  Put on glasses before making phone calls.

Care to share an embarrassing moment?

Quote of the Week

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.

- Eleanor Roosevelt 

Wise words from a wise woman.  Embrace each day and revel in that which makes it new for that is what keeps us from growing stale.

Memorial Day Tribute

Image source: Rusty Russ

Memorial Day weekend has become the kick-off for summer activities, parties and vacations.  But more importantly, it is when we honor all those who have served our country and kept us safe at the risk of their own lives - many of which ended far to soon.  Let the flag wave and the bells ring, for Freedom is anything but Free.

Two of my uncles served in World War II, and I have many pictures taken during that time.  It is not something they liked to talk about.  My Uncle Charlie was awarded a medal, and although I've searched high and low, I can't find the paper with the information so I don't know what it was called, but he got it for bravery, leadership and refusing to leave his men under fire even though he had been injured. 

He was one of the special men in my life.  He was a carpenter by trade, and like my father, he was never afraid of anything. 

Here he is with the WWII flag.  Notice that this is not like our flag today.  This flag has only 48 stars.

Uncle Charlie

So when you plan your celebration, light up the barbecue, or pop the top on that first beer, remember those whose sacrifice made it possible.

And now I would like to leave you with this thought - something Uncle Charlie would say now and then.  

If a man's sick he's not well and everything he eats goes to his stomach.  

Nursery Rhyme Redo: Little Jack Horner

Little Jack Horner - All Grown Up

Image Source: Vistavision

Little Jack Horner alone in the corner
Regretting his recent lie
He tippled his rum - said what have I done
I'll be in this mess til I die

Not Winning!

Background:  As I've mentioned before, I still own the house where I grew up, and it is less than 2 miles from where we live now. I went there to wash the car because there are paved driveways.  Below is an excerpt from an e-mail I sent to my hubby detailing my attempt to vacuum and wash the car. He laughed and suggested I share it with you.

The back driveway

"Went over to blow out the driveway, vacuum out the car and wash it.  Frustrating!  I only had one cord, so too short.  Went to get the black cord on the box.  Attached to the battery charger, so I drug out the heavy orange one and figured out how to set it up.  Blew the driveway.  Unplugged the blower, hauled out the blue vac, and cleaned the car.  OK on to the real frustration.  I hunted for the car wash brush.  Found it, managed to get to it.  Good.  Had soap, brush and bucket.  Go out to get the hose.  Pull it out and no nozzle.  Back to the basement.  Found a nozzle I thought would work.  Needed a washer.  Put one in.  Back to the front, put the nozzle on.  Good.  Turn on the water.  Hose not connected.  OK, connect the hose to the weird dual thingie on the spigot.  Leaks.  Flip both switches.  Leaks.  Take the hose loose, take off dual thingie, put hose back on.  Leaks.  Phooey!  Check back driveway - no shade.  Put everything away and came home."

I guess you could say I was "not winning" that day.  Got any frustrations you'd like to share?

Quote of the Week

Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak.  Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world.  Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.

- Allen Klein

We are the artists of our lives, and they are only as bright as we paint them.

Where Did All The Words Go?

Image source:  Chris Halderman

No words anywhere, nothing, zip, nada.  Where did they all go?  Was it something I said?  Have I taken them for granted?  Maybe they're all in hiding, deep in the night in the furthest crevasses where light never reaches. Maybe they're being held prisoner and being forced to make sentences.

Please help find the words.

Posted for Friday Flash 55.

Got Mulch?

Need something to do on a Saturday morning?  Go get the free mulch from the city.  We did!  The city offers free leaf mulch twice a year, in the spring and fall.  You take your truck and/or trailer and they load it for you.

6-foot truck bed

 This mulch looks more like topsoil, but it's good stuff.

A new natural area

 Makes mowing easier!

A new look!

Part of Kevin's handiwork before he left - we just added more mulch.

I wish I had a picture of the trailer we used for the rest of the mulch.  It holds a full scoop.  For perspective, the truck has 1/2 scoop.  The next weekend we got another trailer load for a total of 2 1/2 scoops.  

Whew!

Quote of the Week

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.

- Dr. Seuss

Imagine your favorite vacation, a special meal, or perhaps your childhood. Now imagine not having that experience, not feeling how it made you feel. Knowing what you know, you can smile because it happened rather than mourn its passing.

The Stately Rhododendron

After most of the azaleas have gone by, the rhododendrons take the stage.  While both are classified under the name rhododendron, the azaleas have smaller leaves and the blooms are individual instead of forming a blossom cluster.  The leaves of the rhododendron are larger and more leathery.

Rhododendrons are found in many countries throughout the world, and used extensively in landscaping.  There are many species of rhododendron in varying sizes and colors.  

This is one that we've had for many years, and actually it is two plants. They are hardy plants that will provide years of beautiful blossoms.

Ups and Downs

This end up

Fragile easily broken

Handle with care

Insurance

There is none

Upside down

Inside out

Outside in

Shattered

Tattered

Ripped and torn

Hangs in shreds

In the wind

Bruised and shaken

And then

It stirs

Revived still alive

Rises again

The skies clear

The sun shines

Luck smiles

Once again

Life is good

Posted for One Shot Wednesday

Quote of the Week

The dead should not rule the living - Thomas Jefferson 

Photo credit: Cliff1066

There is a difference between following time-honored family traditions, and continuing to do a task the same way "my father and grandfather did", when changing with the times can make the task easier, more efficient or more cost effective. 

This quote is open to other interpretations.  Please feel free to share yours in the comment section.

It's Pool Time

She lies in the summer sun along side the pool, a romantic novel shading her face.  The cool water sparkles like a thousand diamonds.  Her radio is playing fun summer tunes.  Every 15 minutes comes the public service announcement, "Time to turn so you don't burn".  At this she rises and slowly descends into the water.

This was posted for Friday Flash 55.

All's Well That Ends Well"

Ever had a day like this?

It was a typical Tuesday morning at the Y.  After class, I walked out with my friend, Allie, and when we get to my car (actually hubby's car - yes I'm still driving it), she points at the car.  "There's something on your car."  I look, not expecting anything out of the ordinary, and see the front bumper with some vertical black streaks - it still didn't register.  I say "probably just dirt and some bird poop."  

"Hey, there's a note under your wiper" (which is usually an advertisement or someone looking to convert sinners).  It read "Someone hit your car...I didn't get the plate #."  

When I looked at the car again, this is what I saw.

Sad face!  Hey, I was just punched in the nose.

Although I didn't know it at the time, the lady who had the misfortune of backing into the car, was inside at the front desk trying to figure out how to find me.  By the time she came back out to get the license number, I'd already left.

Sometimes you get lucky though, and things aren't as bad as they seem at first.  Here is the after picture.

I'm so happy I can smile again!

Since we were all relieved that the injuries sustained were so easily mended, the fellow most responsible for the repairs (hubby's buddy, Ronnie) wrote this little ditty, obviously influenced by Little Miss Muffet.

Little Miss Linda

Had a little Bender

She hated the new curves and sway

When along came a mender

Who straightened her fender

Now she’s smiling away!

As a result of the little "bender", I met a nice young woman who treated me to lunch as an apology for hitting the car.  Accidents do happen, and all's well that ends well.

Quote of the Week

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see.  
- John Burroughs

Too often the busyness of our lives overwhelms our senses, and we become bogged down in the daily grind. We need to adorn our lives with a little more of that which is precious to us, whether it is enjoying a good book, taking a long walk though the woods, or simply letting the sun shine upon our faces.

His Name is "Moe"

"So what are you going to name your new friend?" Tommy's mom asked.

"Moe",  he answered without hesitation.

"Why?" 

"I don't know, he just looks like a Moe."  

"Hey Moe" called Tommy.  The little puppy's ears perked up and he wagged his tail.  "See, he likes it" shouted Tommy as Moe bounded toward his friend.

Posted for Friday Flash 55.

Note: Little Tommy is a fictional character. 
Artwork from the Open Clip Art Library

Nursery Rhyme Redo: Little Miss Muffet

Image source:  smallacornsnz.blogspot.com

Little Miss Muffet
Collapsed on her tuffet
She hated curds and whey
When the little ol' spider
Sat down beside her
She gave her curds away.

Quote of the Week

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  

- John Muir

Nature and it's wonder is all around us.  From the forests and valleys to the highest peaks, from the deserts to the oceans, we experience one continuous cycle of life.

Last week we celebrated Earth Day with our focus on preserving our natural resources.  Let's make every day, Earth Day!

Easter Delights

Happy Easter everyone!  This year Easter falls on April 24, or one day earlier than the latest possible date.  Because of the changing dates, Easter could nearly be considered a "floating holiday".  I mean think about it, Christmas is always December 25 no matter what day of the week it happens to be, and Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November, no matter what the date.  But Easter can be as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.  Why is that?

The calculations are a bit complex, and I confess I find it too confusing to read, absorb and spew it back for you, so here is the way one source explains it:

Easter Sunday is the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date for the year. In June 325 A.D. astronomers approximated astronomical full moon dates for the Christian church, calling them Ecclesiastical Full Moon (EFM) dates. From 326 A.D. the PFM date has always been the EFM date after March 20 (which was the equinox date in 325 A.D.).*

Aside from the date-related confusion, Easter brings many traditions, some religious, some cultural and some just for kids.  Here are some of the things you see around Easter.


Easter Eggs.  The egg, the pagan symbol of rebirth, was adopted by Christians as the symbol of Jesus' resurrection.  Today, a popular Easter activity is an Easter Egg hunt. Here's a tip for boiling all those eggs.

As with most holidays, there is one or more foods associated with it.  First is a tasty treat called Hot Cross Buns, which were allegedly small wheat cakes baked to honor Eostre, goddess of Spring.  Later, Christians substituted sweetbreads blessed by the church.

The roast lamb found on many Easter dinner tables dates back to the first Passover of the Jewish people.  People would eat the roast lamb, hoping that God's angels would pass them over, thus the term Passover.

Ham is another popular Easter entree.  In the early days before refrigeration, any fresh pork that wasn't consumed during the winter before Lent was cured, and since this process takes a while, the hams were ready just in time for Easter making them the perfect choice for Easter dinner.  

What are some of your favorite Easter traditions?

Source: http://www.gmarts.org/index.php?go=412 
Artwork from the Open Clip Art Library

Then and Now

Won't you join on a trip down memory lane?  My parents built this house over 50 years ago.  This first picture was taken prior to 1963.

Early 1960s

Note that there are two front doors.  This put some puzzled looks on the faces of people going door to door.  They would go to the first door, ring the bell and Daddy would answer, politely decline whatever they were offering and they would leave.  A couple moments later the door bell would ring again.  Imagine their surprise when Daddy opened the other door.  I guess they thought it was two separate residences, like a duplex.

The reason for the two front doors was because there was supposed to be a carport on the left, but they told the builder they wanted that as a room instead.

The tree in the front yard is a pecan and has been there well over 50 years.  Part of the neighborhood used to be a pecan orchard, and there are five trees in the yard.  The one you see here was struck by lightning, and survived.

April 2011

This bush can be seen in the first picture to the left of the front door.  It's kind of small, but it's been there ever since I can remember.  I don't know what it is, but it never loses its leaves and has white flowers and small blue berries.

50-year old bush

So how long do azaleas live?  I don't know, but these are over 50 years old.  You get the theme here.  A lot of plants and trees have come and gone over the years, and some have survived and are as beautiful as ever.  These surround another of the pecan trees.

Azaleas

One of my favorite plants in the yard is what Mom always called an old fashion snowball.  It is showing its age a bit, but still has beautiful snowballs.

Old Fashion Snowball

While my friends, Ashley and Kevin were living here, Kevin worked some of his gardening magic shown in the picture below.  This area was always grass and somewhat of a mowing challenge.

Some things have changed!

Thanks for joining me on a tour of some of the things that made home special.  Are there some special memories of your home place that you'd like to share?

Quote of the Week

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

If you want to write, write.

- Epictetus

So often self-doubt stands in our way.  If we believe ourselves not capable of a task and turn away, we will never know what we could have done.  If you want to write, paint, build a go-cart, whatever, try. 

Nursery Rhyme Redo: Little Bo Peep

 Little Bo Peep had too many sheep
And the sheriff came to impound them
He locked them away for a year and a day
And dared Bo Peep to find them

Late night produces some strange thoughts, and so this is the first installment of my rewritten nursery rhymes. 

A Green Giant

Have you ever seen

A pepper big as me

I think I must have fallen

From a giant pepper tree

I was such a handsome fellow

My picture she did take

She sat me on the scale

My weight she didn't fake

When she sliced me open
My secrets to reveal
What she saw I thought
Would surely make her squeal

Posted for One Shot Wednesday

Quote of the Week

No matter how dark the moment, 

love and hope are always possible.

- George Chakiris

Love and hope is the light that breaks through the darkness, and gives us a reason to get up each morning.

Tommy's Treat

Photo credit: Pietroizzo

Black, white and tan, it wriggles and whimpers.  Where's mama?  Mounds of squirming legs, small wet noses sniffing out breakfast.  Mama rolls over and breakfast is served.  Day after day,the furry bundles grow, skittering around, chewing everything in sight.  

Little Tommy points to the one with a black patch over one eye.  He's mine!

This was posted for Friday Flash 55.

Little Tommy finally got his puppy.

Uncivil Conflict

Photo Credit:  Jshyun

Black and white

Blue and gray

A house divided

Falls into the fray

Red and white

Stripes of freedom

Pride of many

Rejected by some

Blue and gray

Many fall

A price to high

For one and all

Light turns to dark

Death and fear

Day upon day

Year after year

Blue and gray

Black and white

All remembered

Dark turns to light

Posted for One Shot Wednesday poetry

Quote of the Week

This was taken at the Museum at the Monticello Visitor's Center

...the precept...is wise which directs us to try all things & hold fast that which is good.  - Thomas Jefferson

Do not be afraid to try new things; you never know what you may miss out on when you pass up an opportunity.  Many good things emerge through experimentation.

April Fool's Day

Recycle the cat?  You wouldn't?

Today is April Fool's day, a traditional day of jokes and pranks, ranging from simple jokes to elaborate and convoluted stories.   As a fan of NPR's "All Things Considered" my husband related this story to me back in 2005.  I think it even had him going for a minute because this is usually a serious news show.  The story that day was on the danger of exploding maple trees and they reported that the decrease in the consumption of maple syrup was a contributing factor in the increase in exploding maple trees.  Since less syrup was being made and fewer trees were being tapped for their sap, the pressure of the rising sap would build to the point the tree could no longer support it and would explode.

The story goes on to tell about a rival company in Samoa that was cutting up used maple furniture, and boiling it down to make a cheap knock-off called "table syrup".   

You can hear the live broadcast here.

I guess this just goes to show that if you hear an incredible story today, remember it's April Fool's day and take it with a grain of salt.

Wine Tasting in Charlottesville, VA

Last weekend was filled with fun, friendship, and wine tasting.  It was a nice, albeit cold, weekend in Charlottesville, VA where our group of 13 tasted our way through some really good Virginia wines.  Please join us on our journey.

We kicked off the weekend on Friday night with dinner at the Aberdeen Barn.  The food and service were excellent, and it was conveniently located near our hotel.  We were all given consecutive rooms on the same floor so our enthusiasm wouldn't disturb the other guests.  After dinner we commandeered the breakfast room to meet and discuss our plans for Saturday.  The wine and conversation flowed freely around the tables we had pushed together, and we nailed down the wineries we wanted to visit.  This was our first visit to the area, so we were fine with whatever was decided upon.

We met in the parking lot after breakfast the next morning and sorted out riding arrangements.  It was cold but sunny, and a good day to be out and about.

The first stop of the day was First Colony Winery.  The tasting room was in a beautiful setting with gorgeous trees in full bloom, and daffodils and grape hyacinth dotting the walkway.  We tasted an array of wines including an interesting Tannat which is seldom used as a stand alone, and petted the resident cat as he dozed in his chair in the sun.  We walked out of there with several bottles of their more interesting varieties.

Next it was on to Blenheim Vineyard & Winery.  They were having an event in the tasting room, so our tasting took place outside.  Yes, it was cold, but we did have a gas heater to warm our hands and/or glasses of wine.  Blenheim  has a lovely selection of wines, and we enjoyed them all thoroughly.  We picked up a couple of our favorites whites, Chardonnay and Painted White.

By this time we were beginning to feel the need for lunch, and there was a small deli just a few miles down the road.  The sandwiches were yummy, but I think we overwhelmed them, so lunch took a little longer than anticipated, and to stay on schedule, it was decided to forgo the next winery.

We soon arrived at the much-anticipated White Hall Vineyards, and it was everything it had been described to be and more.  There was a crowd around the tasting bar where the pourers were holding court.  The guy who was pouring for us was an absolute hoot, and had us all laughing.  We tasted a lot of excellent wines and made more purchases.  One of the group favorites was Edichi, a sweet dessert wine with flavors of plum, walnut, and raspberry with a rum raisin finish.

Just when you think it can't get any better, we made our way to Veritas Winery & Vineyard just before they closed.  This was our first seated tasting, and we were divided between two tables.  We tasted six wines, which were all excellent, and guess what?  Yep, we bought more wine.  My favorite here was a sparkling wine called Scintilla, made from Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay grapes.

That brought an end to our tasting adventures, and we headed back to the hotel to regroup for dinner.

Sunday morning we awoke to an inch of fresh snow, and thus there was a snowball fight in the parking lot as we loaded the cars.

It was a wonderful weekend.  We ate, we drank, we bonded in ways that simply meeting for a couple hours once a month can't accomplish.  I am looking forward to more such getaways.

Quote of the Week

When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice.  

- William James

When I hear someone say, "I had to do it, I had no choice", I think no, that's not true.  You made a decision based on what you felt strongly about one way or the other.

Even when you think there is only one choice, there are two.  To act or not to act.  You could have chosen not to act and deal with the consequences, but you just felt like to do otherwise wasn't an option.

So, if we are faced with a difficult decision, we make the best one we can based on what we know.  We may feel that it's our only choice, but in reality it's the only choice we feel we can reasonably make.

Now That's Red

With Spring comes all the yard cleanup from Winter, because quite frankly I don't go outside in cold weather to keep up with it.  That's not to say that I hibernate, I just don't go hang out in the yard.  Mother Nature's winds, rain and other foul weather managed to bring down more dead sticks than you could...well...shake a stick at.  Between that and last year's garden debris, and leaves that never made it to the street for collection, I've been busy.

Since we live in the city, we are provided with yard waste collection carts, and when I say provided I mean we pay for the carts, and pay for the city to empty them each week.  The yard waste used to be collected for free (after purchase of the cart) from Spring through Fall.  That was then... now they collect them every week for a yearly fee.

Anyway, we have a total of three carts, one at our place and two at my parents' house which I still have and maintain.  Over the last two weeks I have filled all three, emptied them twice and they are full again for next week.

We have another cleanup issue.  At the corner of our property, well technically it is on the lot next door, there is a Locust tree.  Now this Locust tree is stately and full of character...that is until it drops it's seed pods.  If these were edible, we'd be in tall cotton.  However, they have a sort of leathery texture, turn dark brown,  and are upwards of 12 inches long.  They don't rake well and you can't blow them.  There's not much to be done but pick them up.  This is a big tree and nature blesses it well in the area of  "go forth and bear fruit".  Little Locusts pop up everywhere all summer.  There is one bright spot in that it only bears the pods every other year.  Odd isn't it?

Anyway that is what I've been doing this week, and why the only thing I have to offer is this rambling and a pretty tulip I snapped a picture of this week.  

Ta ta, 'tis off to have fun this weekend!  Enjoy!