Comfort

This weekend we went to a faith formation day preparing us to teach religious education this coming year. One goal of religious education is to provide the student with hope. I get to put some of that to use this week. I am going to go visit my niece and husband. They just delivered a stillborn baby last week. I am not sure I will know the right things to say. But, I am going to take a deep breath, make the drive and give it my best. This is a horrible tragedy. Their Faith is incredibly strong. Even so, it is going to take a long time for that spark of hope to regenerate.

I just finished this book, The Innocent Man, by John Grisham. It is quite disturbing. As a law abiding citizen, I have been taught to place my faith in the justice system. As an American, we are innocent until proven guilty. This does raise questions. And, the death penalty is another can of worms. How many innocent people have been put to death? There have to be laws and consequences when those laws are broken. We can only pray that justice prevails incarcerating only those that deserve to be. The book is an eye-opening read.

Spelling Tests

Today is spelling test number two for my younger son. It seems like the words have gotten longer and harder overnight. Where has the time gone? Fortunately, he is a wonderful speller. Or, maybe it is his memory. Once he sees the word, it seems like he has it down. I can call out the word and he can spell it out loud. He was excited yesterday when he won the Sparkle spelling game in his classroom.

My older son, he needed to write the word down to see it on paper before he knew if it was spelled correctly. It was always a challenge to practice spelling words in the car, on the fly, with him! We are sure they invented spell check for kids like him. He has moved beyond weekly spelling words. I am not sure why the curriculum does that.

Anyway, here's to s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g! I can only hope all the words in my blog are spelled correctly!

Cafeteria Duty Addendum

My time in the cafeteria flew by. The older kids are pretty self-sufficient. It is the younger ones that are still learning. Today, tacos were on the menu. Lots of extra napkins were needed. Something I had not given much thought to in the past is the ease of opening containers. Parents need to have a practice run with their kids to see if they can open the items they send in their lunch boxes. I know I am guilty of throwing a frozen Gogurt in - not realizing how hard those are to open. I was stumped, not once, but three times by juice pouches. I think they were Minute Maid. They aren't exactly the ones depicted in the picture. They are the kind where you insert the straw down from the top between the front and back of the pouch. I could not get them open. I resorted to scissors. How is a kindergartener expected to open them? A few spills occurred when pulling the top back on the prepackaged container of peaches or pears. Just something for parents to consider...

My son was excited to see me. As he was lined up to exit the cafeteria, I blew him a kiss from afar. He did not catch it! He just stood there embarrassed by his mom. Gotta love it!

Cafeteria Duty

Today I get to head to the elementary school to volunteer in the lunch room. I have never done this before. But, I think it entails handing out napkins, straws, and condiments to the children. Once they sit down, they are not supposed to get back up. They will raise their hand and I will come to their rescue with anything they forgot while in the line. It sounds simple enough. It will be lots of fun to see all the kids again and to spy on my youngest. I will get to meet his classmates and his lunch pals.

The best part - I made his day this morning when I told him I'd be there for cafeteria duty!

Loden Kevin Manley

The birth of a baby is supposed to be filled with happiness as God's miracle is unveiled to us on Earth. Unfortunately, today, my niece will give birth to a baby that will not spend any time with us here on Earth.

The list of prayers needed seems endless...
We pray the delivery will be painless
We pray for the health of my neice
We pray for my niece's husband
We pray for my brother and sister-in-law and my nephew
We pray for all of my extended family affected by this tragedy
We pray for the doctors and medical personnel
We pray for answers and reconciliation
We pray for strength to continue on, one day at a time - eventually finding peace

This day is for Loden Kevin Manley. A little boy we did not get the priviledge to meet. May he be protected with God. And, in time, may his memory warm his family's heart.

Fortune Cookies

When we were in San Francisco this summer, hidden in an alley in Chinatown was this fortune cookie "bakery." They have been there for years doing just that, making fortune cookies. The engineer in me was curious about the production rate, hours of production, number of employees, and customers. Unfortunately, their English was not the best and my Chinese or some dialect there of is nil. Communication was kept to a minimum. We watched the production for just a few minutes, but the impact was greater. It seemed like these women did the same thing day in and day out without complaint. The cookie comes off the press warm and needs to be folded while inserting the fortune. Their hands are conditioned to not be bothered by the heat of the cookie. We got to try a fresh cookie. That too, was not that impressive. It was the resilience of the place. Here, in the middle of San Fran, these few woman continued the tradition of making fortune cookies.

We weren't the only tourist stopping in for a peak. We left with a bag of sesame cookies. It is the same dough as the fortune cookies with the addition of sesames. They were simple and good.

I know the majority of fortune cookies are mass manufactured somewhere else. But, this small place carrying on the way it did made an impact.

Happy Anniversary

Happy 29th Anniversary, Rita and Bob! I read on the web that there aren't any traditional gifts for this year. So, my gift to you comes as an entry on in my blog. Hope you guys have a great day finding some time to celebrate. Apparently, the modern gift for this anniversary year is furniture. Is there any furniture shopping in your daily plans?

I remember the air conditioner was not working at the church on your day. We've got the hot weather today in honor or your anniversary. We are just crossing our fingers there aren't any A/C malfunctions here!

As Paul McCartney sings, "love is all you need." May you find all the love you need today and for many years to come!

The Time Has Come

The picture does not do the scene at my house justice! Today is the day. The laundry, bathrooms and dust are calling my name! Two loads of laundry are down. The sheets on two beds are changed. The rest awaits me...

I have to say cleaning is my least favorite activity. Don't get me wrong. I love a cleaned, organized room. I just find anything else to do before I finally tackle the nitty gritty. When I had a professional job - way back when - we had the luxury of cleaning women who came twice a month. It was a treat! I know they did not clean as well as we do, but it was still nice to come home to a freshly cleaned house.

By the way, this clock was my wedding gift to my husband over 16 years ago. It just struck ten and is telling me to finish my blog and get cleaning. The more I get done today, the more "free" time we will have over the weekend!

Our Marley, Buddy

One of my favorite books is Marley & Me by John Grogan. It is a wonderful, moving book. My favorite quote from the book is "Was is possible for a dog-any dog, but especially a nutty, wildly uncontrollable one like ours - to point humans to the things that really mattered in life? I believed it was. Loyalty. Courage. Devotion. Simplicity. Joy. And the things that did not matter, too. A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not."

We have our own four-legged boy living with us. His name is Buddy. He is a labradoodle. His dad is a standard poodle and his mom is a yellow lab. He is a few months shy of being two years old. He, like Marley, has his moments and we have stories to tell. As a puppy, he had a fetish with socks. Fortunately, they all passed and that interest has passed as well. Buddy has added more to our family than words could tell. When I reach down to pet him, to take him for a walk or to throw the ball with him, I remember the quote from Mr. Grogan's book and as hard as it is, I try to make that my mantra to live by.

My Own Dichotomy

Look at these inline skates. We saw them in a store in Nashville this summer. What a statement they make! I used to skate many days a week and have a nice 5-8 mile loop through the neighborhoods. This summer I did not get out much at all. I felt bad for the puppy dog and walked him instead. I couldn't leave my youngest at home alone. I wouldn't get up at the crack of dawn. The list of excuses can go on and on...

Now, it is just too hot here for the skating as I am one that wears ALL the protective equipment. Hence, the title of my blog today. Inline skating is a personal dichotomy for me. I am conservative by nature when it comes to sports. I like to be in control. I like to know the way and for the skates, the surface of the road. I am not competitive. I don't want to get hurt. That all started years ago when I fell off my backyard monkey bars and had to have some teeth bonded. I am a cautious skater, but have improved my skill level over the years. The skating is outside and inside my comfort zone. I love the relaxing sound of the skates stroking the pavement. It is great for something to be relaxing mentally yet exerting physically. I fear the steep decent with no grass to run off into. I have fallen. But, the injuries were just minor.

Yet, I yearn for the cooler weather to get back out there. Odd. Huh? I thoroughly enjoy doing something that strikes a chord of fear in me as I do it. I flirt with the idea of doing a half or full inline marathon. That exudes terror!!! But, we will see. I may just buy these skates and go for it!

My Famous Artwork

This weekend we watched the movie, Who The #$&% is Jackson Pollock? It was a documentary that kept our attention about the art world. An ornery woman buys a painting at a thrift store learning later that it may be a Jackson Pollock. The story details the struggle to get the piece authenticated. It also provides insight into the powerful folks within the art network.

After the movie, my husband looked around our house and noticed we had our own little JP. Our son created this freedom of expression while spending a few days with his grandparents. It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall watching him splatter away with the paint. It is environmentally friendly too. The painting is on the backside of an unwanted poster and the paints were all leftovers from big jobs. Anyway, we matted it, framed it and hung it on the wall for all to see. It means more to me than any famous painting. I love hanging the boys' work up. They may not be accomplished artists, but they are gaining confidence and learning more about freedom of expression.

Good Luck to Teri Horton and her quest to convince those folks she has a valuable piece of art. I've got all I need right here from my boys!

School Days

It is hard to believe a new school year started today. The boys were nervously excited to begin a new year. There is the bittersweet ending of summer, but a new beginning. There is no comparison to learning something new. The mind is a wonderful thing and the boys' brains are eager to capture all they can.

I remember my 3rd grade class. I got the elderly teacher. She was fabulous. I loved exceeding her expectations. We mastered cursive writing and learned more math. My sister made the dress I had my picture taken in. I was fortunate to be the baby in the famiy, the recipient of lots of homemade items. In third grade, a neighbor friend was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. None of us knew what that was all about, but we learned. I hope good health remains with her today. I mastered reading chapter books. I went to the school library and started on one shelf checking the books out in order. It did not matter what they were about. I just wanted to read all the chapter books on that shelf. I still enjoy reading but not with that kind of determination or random selection.

We will have a 7th grader here at the house too. I don't remember too too much about that year. It was just one of those middle middle school years. The memories aren't bad. There just aren't any that stand out. My husband said that was when he had his first kiss. I know we aren't ready for that! On vacation this summer, our boys would still hold our hands as we explored. I treasured the feeling of my older son's hand in my hand as I know that will all stop soon.

The house is quiet now as the boys are well into their first day. The dog is sleeping. I miss them being here, but relish the opportunities a new school year brings. I hope to sign up for a class at the nearby university or enroll in one online. We need to renovate our bathroom. We spend so much time there. It would be a good investment to bring it up to date. I hope to exercise and started off with biking today. It is so hot here that it almost feels like the snowstorm days in PA. With the shades pulled to save the A/C, I'm motivated to work on some needlepoint. The holidays will be here before we know it. Anyway, I've taken the step out to set up a blog. It will be a great tool to keep track of what accomplishments I complete during this school year. Are there blog report cards out there somewhere? Just joking!

I intend for this blog to capture my dailly thoughts, ideas, or feelings. I am sure it will evolve as the days go by...