School HAS Started!

How do I know?

• misplaced lunch boxes - resulting in the use of white paper sacks


• pairs of sneakers with pairs of socks - at our beck and call - for now, anyway


• hair to be washed and tamed - speaking of Goldilocks here


• baby to be bathed and fed - this would be Baby Girl


• snacks for mid morning to be rounded up and tucked into the book bag - that. . . .


• . . . . was forgotten at my house last night, containing papers that needed to be signed and returned to school and bus driver


• daydreaming and direction issues - take your pick here as to who these traits belong to


• meltdown and mayhem because of forgotten book bag


• complaints about having to sit in the same seat on the bus that they have sat in every year - poor things - life is tough


• homework meltdown - this would be Reasy Peacy


• early breakfasts and growling tummies at the end of the day because they haven't been able to graze all day long - don't stand in front of the door when they get home!

All this, and we are just beginning day two! Not, may I repeat, not, a good sign.

We have a 30 minute window - give or take - in the morning to get ourselves in gear and out the door to meet the bus - where they have been assigned life long seats.

We have an hour - give or take - to wind down our school day before mom or dad get here. This would include, but not be limited to: bathroom stop, removal of pairs of sneakers and socks that have sweltered their little feet all day, snacks, homework, and downtime - if there is time left! Thank you school board for extending their already long day. Thank you very much.

This Morning. . . .

. . . . as with most mornings, I sit at the computer with my cup-o-joe, checking my emails, maybe FB and blogs that I follow. This morning was no different, as far as the computer is concerned. But - while playing a game of Mahjong Titans, I hear the birds outside singing - really singing their hearts out. I feel the breeze coming in the window - it is cool and soothing - and on it's coat tail is the smell of someone's breakfast cooking. The smell of bacon sizzling in the pan. Oh. My. Merciful. Stars!

The birds, the breeze, the smell. I couldn't concentrate! I left the computer with my cup-o-joe and outside we go! Some call it dawdling, some - daydreaming, some - slacking. I call it - ahhhh. But I think God has a way of inspiring that. I prefer to think He is sending you out "to play" so you don't get stale. To break you of habits you have developed or are in the process of developing. You just have to obey. I chatted with my next door neighbor, at the fence. He was at the fence, I was on the deck. It was a nice chat.

I'm glad I listened. I'm glad I obeyed.

Can I say my soul was at peace. It was. It is.

"When peace like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul"

Go Ahead, Call me a Sissy. . . .

. . . I don't care. I just - well a couple hours ago - lived thru my very first, unannounced, terrifying to me, earthquake. And I am not ashamed to say I was borderline panic. Yep. Panicking over a 5.9 that centered out of Richmond, VA. That's the one. The one that rocked the shore - the shore that never gets earthquakes. Never. Can I say for the record that I don't care if we never get another one? Never. (I'm liking the word "never" right now.)

I was minding my own business, leaning against the kitchen counter, eating an egg sandwich, chatting with Paul and the girls when the events unfolded. What felt like at first was a shake akin to that of a very large truck idling very roughly in the driveway very close to the house
(I like the word very, too.), turned into something much stronger, shaking dishes in my cabinets, rumbling the house, causing my hanging plants to sway, and ultimately terrifying me and the girls. Paul confirmed, very calmly, what I suspected. We just witnessed an earthquake!

"Man the phones, heads up twitterers, get on FB all ye that are able!" was the call heard round the shore! Not really, but thanks to technology news arrived within seconds confirming what all had suspected. According to Kelly and Bob, they didn't feel a thing - they were both in cars on the road. Hmm. . . are they kindred spirits or do they have some kind of sixth sense? After checking in - back and forth with loved ones, the panic subsided, but the sweaty palms and pounding head, and nervous tummies hung around for a bit, as did some residual effects, such as the pool water. Rease nervously pointed out that the water was going up and down. I said yes - it's the filter. She said "No, mom-mom, it's going up and down. Look." I must say there is something a little unsettling about water contained in a pool that looks like it's moving up and down like a breathing machine. Unsettling. Okay - I stand corrected - Ben said the water was moving from side to side in the pool, not, and I repeat, not, going up and down. Bummer. It sounds more dramatic going up and down.

But we are good for now. All is seemingly well. We will be just fine. I think.

My Foot Slips a Lot!

The verse on my side bar today grabbed me by the chin and said "This is for you, Barb."

I love it when God talks to me and I understand!

I slip a lot. An awful lot. I am no where as stable as a lot of folk around me. But, it's ok. God is used to me doing that - slipping. He knows I know Him. He knows I love Him.
And I know. . . . "When my foot slips, His Mercy hold me up!" Yep. It's my verse for today.

*Ben just came in and told me that whatever was in the pot on the stove is now gone. Hmm. .
I put water on for tea and sat down to do a quick post on my other blog, forgot the water, the pot boiled DRY and Ben is threatening to take me to the doctor. I don't think he means an M.D.
Does this count as a "slip"?

Oragnizing Thoughts. . . .

I have been pondering, seriously pondering, for quite some time now, putting all my poetry in one place. Logically for me it has become a composition book. No spirals, no tear-ability because of spirals, and you can always get compo books that are exactly the same size! I'm funny about symmetry and all that jazz. If I'm going to have a pile of books that I am writing in, I want them to "line up"! So there!

Anyway, I ran across a hardly used compo book and decided I would make it my own. I will cover the front and back and insides (maybe the insides) to say "me"! There are already a couple of poems in there that I am working on. Keeping them company were a couple pages of "notes" that spoke to me sometime in the past. I am going to rip them out - but no fear - they will live here amongst the pages of my blog - for eternity, maybe, if cyber space doesn't crash!

Here is the first one I want to share:

Add Joy to Your Daily Life

1. Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to those that are giving you trouble. Sounds like I need to work on this one!


2. Rake a big pile of leaves every fall and jump in with someone you love! Any takers?


3. Memorize your favorite love poem. Better get busy, hadn't I?


4. Learn three knock, knock jokes so you will always be ready to entertain children. KNOCK-KNOCK - WHO'S THERE? EYE. EYE WHO. EYE'LL ALWAYS LOVE YA!


5. Don't let weeds grow around your dreams. Gottalot of weedin' to do!


6. Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something! Yes, yes they have.


7. Regardless of the situation, react with class. Ouch, that hurt!


8. Let some things remain mysterious. Ooo, la, la ;)

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Yep, that's me in the red. I have work to do. It appears to be quite a bit.

Now to remove the page from my future poetry book. It kinda hurts, just a little, to rip notes from a book - but I. Can. Do. It! ! ! I just say to me: "Self, it is for a good cause. It is for your therapy." And self replies: "Yes, yes it is."

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today is Dad's birthday. He would have turned 78. Dad passed away on October 1, 1999 - almost 12 years ago. We children are orphans.

So it is.

Happy Birthday, MOM

Today is my Mom's birthday. She would have turned 77 years old. She has been gone for 33 years - a short time in the eyes of eternity, but a long time in the eyes of a family. I shall write more about her on my other blog later this week.

That's all for now folks.

Happy Birthday, Helena!

Happy Birthday to my Goldilocks!

7 years old! Going into 2nd grade!
(sniff, sniff)

I love you!

MOM-MOM

I like discovering new things. . . .

. . . . and that's what happened this morning! I was reading Christie's blog about her learning new things, like a strike through and linking. I can't strike through - yet - but I can link. And when I clicked on her "link", which was actually the word "here", it took me to Susan Branch's blog. Can I just say: " I fell in love." I did. And, I'm not ashamed to admit it! So there.
Anywho - I knew she had scrapbooking paraphernalia and goodies, but a blog? Where have I been? Oh, I know. Under a mountain of kidlings!

So, I perused the boulevards of her blog. And let me tell ya, I think we may just be kindred spirits! I loved, loved, loved her post on the dish towels. Hear me, Heidi? I think a trek to the antique store where I purchased the table cloth is in order sometime soon! I'll buy if you fly - gas that is!

And . . . while strolling along I happened upon this poem. It reminded me instantly of Goldilocks and that I should never lose that part of my soul. Never!

"I meant to do my work today -

But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,

And a butterfly flitted across the field,

And all the leaves were calling me."

Richard LeGallienne

The one thing I am learning as I get older is a hard thing for me to accept - and that is -
things will always be here - chores to do - busyness will call - but tomorrow is never promised.
So I am trying to look at life through the eyes of all of my girls- and guys. It is taking some adjustment, but I am seriously working on it! Life is "much a-do about nothing" - most of the time.

Rease and I were talking about the Gifts that God gives us yesterday. And she made the statement that being a Mom-mom was a gift. It is, but, I think it is more like a blessing! They may tangle me up, but their unconditional love more than straightens my life!

So here's to butterflies, and apple trees,
Shiny things, and bumble bees,
Rocks, and bugs and slimy things
And the joys that children bring.

Here's to today that gently unfolds
Here's to tomorrow with journeys untold.
Here's to friends that understand
And here's to family - the best in the land!

With that - I shall bid thee farewell - 'til the 'morrow!

It Makes Me Feel . . . . .

It always amazes me when God paints His canvas in such a way that makes you ponder the sight. And if you're looking, He's always painting! This cloud caught my eye - actually, the cloud before it caught my eye - and when I ran to get my camera, this is the portrait that was offered to me upon my return! I. Simply. Love it. I've never seen a cloud so clearly divided - light and dark. I can't seem to find the words to express the way it makes me feel. I just know it does . . .

Rain, rain, come and stay. Let the sun shine another day!

Sometimes rainy days are good for nothing. Sometimes rainy days are good for doing nothing. And sometimes. . . . they are good for a lot of things. Like putting dinosaur slippers on Baby Girl.

Ain't she cute?

And. . . . after putting her down for a nap, baking with Goldilocks and Reasy. I let them do the majority of the work:

Like: Measuring. . . . . . .




. . . . . and dumping. . . . .

. . . . and playing in the spilled flour, and . . . . finally adding the bestest last ingredient - chocolate chips!

Then, of course, there's scooping of the batter.

Getting ready to add some heat!

And no job is complete until you lick the bowls clean!

The finished product!

Can we say: "Delizioso"?

Then came lunch, down time, afternoon nap for Baby Girl and "Indian in the Cupboard" for the girls whilst I get to blog! !

Sometimes I just love rainy days!

In the meantime - could I just have a boy or two? Just askin'.

For the last two weeks of June and well in to July, I hosted a plethora of girls. And tho I love them to the ends of the earth and back again, they wear me out!

I do remember requesting a boy or two. Well, God is good, as always, and sent me two boys and a girl!

Meet the "replacements"!

Ben, Rease, and Helena are not replacements - they are constants, constant reminders that my job is never done! Tee-hee.

On the last day the "replacements" were here we went to Tyaskin Wharf to crab. They had already hit a few of the other "Eastern Shore" favs, such as: Delmar Pizza, Rita's, Emings, OC and the boardwalk and Thrasher's fries. All in the four short days they were here. So crabbing the old fashioned way (no trot line) seemed to be the most logical way to send them off!

The girls were getting lessons from both mom and dad on the finesse of crabbing.

Ben, Christian, Samantha and Ryan decided to wade/swim over to what looked like a "honey hole" to drop a line or two in hopes of finding the "mother load". All I could think about as they headed into the bushes was: "I hope they don't come back with chiggers!"

They dropped their lines at the "honey hole" and came back to the wharf to try their hands on more stable ground. The dock at the honey hole was like walking on a wobbly balance beam.

And. . . . . just how many guys does it take to snag a crab? Apparently, in this case, three!

Rease and Helena fell in love with Samantha. She became their new "BFF". She played with them, swam with them and collected sea shells from the sea shore with them.

"Meeting of the minds"?

We also discovered there was a "Crab Whisperer" amongst us! Who'd thunk it?

He could make them "sleep" with their cute, sharp, little claws all tucked in.

Our meager catch consisted of a dozen-ish crabs! But as you can see - they multiplied and fed the multitudes! Na - the boys bought some. Cheaters, I say!

And to top off the evening, the girls and their new BFF swam in the pool with glow sticks!

Did I say they just love Samantha?

Can't say for sure, but I think the Four Musketeers had bon fire after all the kiddlings and old folk were gone and put to bed ~ ~ ~ hmmm. . . .

But, all good things must come to an end. They had to pack up and head out bright and early the next morning. I must say, I really enjoyed having them.

As for Ryan - rumor had it that someone just wanted to bottle him up and keep him!

He's the southern boy every mama wants their daughter to marry! Just sayin'.