Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Elephants, Tigers and Clowns....OH MY!....

I think it has been 20 years since I have been to the circus. I am not a big fan of travel, crowds, and parking. But, the circus came to us. Right down the street and no crowds at all...my kind of event!
What is better than the circus?...someone to share it with, and seeing the excitement in your grandchild's eyes!
I don't know who had more fun, Brooklynn or Gramps and I!
The magnitude of this event in a relatively small arena amazed us.
For a small fee you could walk right up and have your picture taken with a snake. Yep, you have to hold it yourself....no assist from a pretty circus woman on this. No takers in our family, though we got close enough to see his face. You could also ride and elephant or a camel..or stick your head in a lion's mouth. OK, not really on the last one but holding a snake is equal to sticking your head in a predators mouth as far as I am concerned.
Roll in four cages full of tigers and we watched the show from six rows up. The benefit of a small town circus!
The "Mighty Bo" the largest performing elephant on the planet was amazing.
A few tricks and an apple for a reward. This is right up there with a human eating a blueberry! I would picket for higher pay.
Up close and personal with a few clowns and it was an evening complete! Brooklynn's take on the evening..."Thanks Gramps, it wasn't even scary, and why did they put that dog in the washing machine?"

Monday, March 26, 2012

With Saddness....

My heart is heavy today. My cousin passed away last night. We knew this was coming. He battled harder and lasted much longer than doctors ever expected, but it was inevitable. The cancer was far too serious when he was diagnosed. The knowing does not take away the sadness of finding out that it is finally over for him. He is fine...he is where we all hope to be one day. He is reunited with loved ones and sitting in the glory of God's heavens. I wonder so often what this will be like.
For today I am both sad yet so grateful. I was blessed to be able to have several really great conversations with Rich before he died. We talk about what bonded us together..."yes, Richard, I did drop gum into Grandma's tuna casserole". And that was a very long time ago so it is okay if we put that in the past!
But that is why we are family...because we do have those memories of the time we spent together.
I loved the hours I spent at my grandparents with cousins, though they were far too few.
Great memories:
The Folgers coffee can that served as the upstairs bathroom,
Watching my grandpa roll his cigarettes and having ice cream sodas,
The raspberry candies that were grandpas favorite,
Grandmas front porch...and Ray the bread man,
The apricot tree,
The garage that really was not a garage at all,
The house key that hung on a nail on the porch because no one would ever break in...so why even lock it,
Getting to spend the night at Bea and Jeannie's because grandmas house was too full,
Uncle Andy and the piano,
The brass bed that squeaked when you jumped on it,
Christmas time...mom, why did you wrap up a bra and girdle...REALLY?
Snow on Christmas Eve...and midnight mass because now you were old enough.

All of that in turn molds us into who we are today. We are our past and I am blessed to have a strong family that gave me connections and values.

God bless you Richard...and thank you for sharing your hearty laugh and invincible spirit. You will truly be missed by all.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Bloomin'......


It is officially SPRING!!! It is the beginning of the new.....the grass is green, trees are budding, and flowers are starting to bloom. It is my favorite season....unless you go back and read any post I wrote in October about the thrill I feel when fall arrives. I have decided I must really hate winter and summer because I am on such a natural high when it is fall and spring. The truth is I LOVE being outside so any season that allows me to do that in comfort rates an A+ in my book.
It has been nothing but a great day...this time of year they are really all perfect, but today has been one of the best.
I started my day with a garbage bag and a shovel pulling out all of my dead flowers. I think my next door neighbor must have had the same "welcome spring" feeling I had. He is an elderly Asian man who lives with his daughter. He is the only person I know who is out as much as I am. His yard is alive with roses, and bushes, and greenery of all sorts. It is a treat to look at out my window.
After ridding my self of the old, it was in with the new. That means wandering the isles of all the local nurseries in search of color for my summer garden. The smells make me want to pack a picnic lunch and stay awhile. If I thought I would not draw a lot of unnecessary attention to myself, I saw just the spot that would make a great place to throw a quilt and indulge in a tuna sandwich with chips!
I hit my favorite gardens, selected some flats of flowers and headed home to plant. On my drive it occurred to me that most people in March are concerned with their brackets and the Final Four, or which beach or ski slopes sound like the best for spring break. I can find the same thrill in begonias and if I need to rationalize the expenditure, I know it is much cheaper to love plants.
My yard is beginning to take shape and I am cured of my winter blues. I am wishing I could save today forever.
How could you not love these beautiful blue skies!
I am thinking that I will just have to push reject if the substitute system calls me to work tomorrow. These days are just too nice to give up!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Busy Weekend!.....

You know that old adage "when it rains, it pours?!" well, that was surely the case this weekend. We had more activities going on at our house than is normal for a month!
Our friends Cortney, Kennedy, and Morgan stopped on their way through to Austin to hang out for a couple of days. Sara was happy to practice her child care skills to assist Cortney in juggling these two babies who are a mere 18 months apart. Daddy Ken is doing a years duty in Afghanistan so being the sole parent for twelve months has to be a challenge.
I have to admit that while I watched the whole two days of feeding, diapering, rocking, and loving that went on I had to go back and wonder how I did it with four children. I do not really remember it being difficult. I am sure if I was thrown the same task today I would find it a huge struggle (being 40 years older would have a lot to do with the challenge) but things seemed simpler then. I am not sure how, but other than being sleep deprived ALWAYS, I never felt like four kids was too much to deal with. My older boys were great with my little ones, and my babies just went with the flow. I rode with a potty chair in the back of the Astro Van and a bag of cut up oranges on hand all of the time. And, we always went together!!!! When I slow down long enough to look back it makes me smile. Maybe I am grateful we were poor. We were forced to live simply and enjoy each other. The ballpark was our recreation and a quilt on the dirt was my babies second home. Those were such good times!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Just a Couple of Girls....

It was bring a friend day at story hour today. Brooklynn loves to tell everyone about the librarian Miss Molly and how well she entertains kids for thirty minutes each Friday morning. She has practiced all of the songs and knows the routine well, so we thought it would be good to take a friend along to enjoy books, songs, and crafts.We made a phone call to our friend Debbie and her grandaughter Addison.
The girls met for the first time at the doors of the North Garland Branch of the library. It was an instant bond. Brooklynn led the way down the hall and chose a front row seat for Gran and Addy. She then proceeded to lead them in "head and shoulders, knees and toes". "Hmmm...I think Addy likes this as much as I do!"
There is irony in all of this because Brooklynn's dad and Addison's dad used to spend hours together when they were young. Jeremy and Tim have known each other since they were four and that is about 30 years if I calculate correctly. That makes Debbie and I friends for equally as long. Debbie and I spent many years carting our boys back and forth and watching them play. And now maybe our grandbabies will be playmates....what fun that will be!

It is funny how life keeps coming full circle!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Merry Monday.....

Monday was a Gramma Care day!! Sadly (for mom that is) Mandy headed back to work, just one day a week so I had the privilege of keeping the girls for the day. I will admit I did call in reinforcements for this first day trial run. Jimmy has been dying to use up his vacation days before retirement so he was here to help me practice getting a schedule going and love on those babies!
I assumed Finley care while he played the day away with Brooklynn. I loved having time to hug on this beautiful new baby. She is such a pretty girl with BIG dark eyes and a placid personality. Nothing but pure fun!
Meanwhile, Gramps and Brooklynn set out to make a poor people's playhouse out of a huge cardboard box from our garage.
Out of the window Brooklynn was playing drive through restaurant..."May I have your order please...do you want a hamburger or pizza?"
She had so much fun, the the old softy decided she needed the real deal in our backyard, so off he went at naptime to buy a more socially correct play house complete with a real drive through window.
The girls and Gramps opened the box and went to work...assembly in less than an hour the box said....REALLY????
Six hours and 293 screws later we were still at work with the project only half way complete....
Excuse me SAM'S (retail seller of this pretty playhouse), PLEASE let us know who on your staff actually completed this task in one hour....

Maybe by next Monday the drive through will be open and the in house kitchen ready to prepare orders!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Cantonized......

If you are not a Texan you will not be able to relate to this story, but if you are you will probably wonder how I could go 40 years without shopping at Canton's First Monday extravaganza. Canton is the granddaddy of all flea markets. It is 160 acres and 7000 vendors huge! I was there in 1972 with Jimmy and some good friends. I really don't remember it....but I know it was not the Canton of today, that is for sure.
Rather than remain a stranger to this shoppers paradise, Sara and I set out from the lake last weekend to take part in what is supposedly the experience of a lifetime. I had my GPS set for the 35 mile trek, not too hard a journey for someone who does not drive anywhere. Straight down 198, turn right on Tyler street...there you are. We did it. Found our destination pulled into a parking lot and paid $5 along with half of the residents of Texas. We followed the masses through a large gate and into a maze of large buildings and outdoor vendors selling everything you can imagine from livestock to priceless antiques.
Sara was in heaven. The jewelry, shoes, and hats called her name from every direction. Since we had not brought along a shopping cart or wagon as had all of the other shoppers we kept our purchases small. A hat, some hair accessories, and a wooden cross to paint. Lunch on the sidewalk, a few more buildings to tour and I was ready to exit the crowds of adults, children and family pets (they forgot to tell me that if you went to Canton you should take your dog along)!
So we walked in what seemed to be a familiar direction...or not. And then we walked some more...into nothing I even vaguely recognized. Oh, help me now. No one I asked seemed to know where the gate was, except one nice person who rented out electric buggys. "Sure I can help you if you can tell me what gate you came in"....like there is more than one gate???? OMG! Now what??!! I could not remember what surrounded our entrance. I could not visualize any landmarks, I had no idea the name of the street we parked on. PANIC!!!!
To keep this tale as short as possible let me just say we did make it out and wandered downtown for some time before Sara found the gas station where we made a pit stop before starting our adventure. One more bathroom break and the car was located...on our way home!!!
Anxious to show her dad her purchases she went to retrieve her bag from the car......or not. Hmmm, seems that mom left the bag in the bathroom at the gas station so we made it home totally empty handed. Well, that just made my day, thank you!

Tips for the next time I attack Canton.

Get a map at the front gate
Note the number of the gate you enter
Bring a two way radio, cell phone reception is bad (really?)
Use a fanny pack so you don't loose your purse
Bring a magnifying glass and magnet to make sure the metal is real (an actual online tip)
If you want it, buy it when you see it..you may never be able to find your way back to the vendor who had it again


Or maybe just buy it online and skip this adventure all together!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

So Big......

Oh goodness....what a big day! Grandbaby #1 is now out of her baby bed and into a toddler bed. It was a big move. Brooklynn has been totally satisfied with her crib. She snuggles in her corner with her baby doll and sleeps comfortably.
But now the diapers are gone and new panties fill her dresser drawers so the next big girl step is to move out of the crib. The test run went great. She can climb in alone and the mattress still has the same bounce as before. In fact...she was thrilled she could jump out and not even "hurt myself"!!!

A big day for our precious big girl!!!
Sleep tight Brooklynn....see you in the morning!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

The Other Side of Healthy....

I have pretty much successfully managed to make it 12 days without diet coke and M&M's. It has been a struggle. This weekend I thought if I did not get to a drive through where I could get a large drink with extra ice I would not make it. It was not the best of weekends but that is another story altogether. Suffice it to say, I stayed the course and did not crater to my cravings. I understand the plight of the alcoholic. Like my son said, it is the way that alcohol makes you feel....well, that is how my beverage of choice makes me feel. It is a stress reliever...a Prozac of sorts...for me.
I have also been on the healthier eating bandwagon. I am trying to make better choices in the grocery store. This is my observation as I attack better nutrition....it is extremely expensive!!!! The price of produce is ridiculous. Apples, and oranges are high! Bananas and broccoli are costly. It is a drain on the pocketbook to purchase all of these items.

If you choose to go the organic route just know that you are really going to have to shell out more. I do choose organic in most areas and accept the higher bill understanding the benefits.
There is an even bigger drawback to thinking nutritious...the SHELF LIFE of foods. I can pick up a bag of Oreos or sack of Starburst and know that if I can manage not to down them all in a week that they will still be edible next month. It is a well know fact the shelf life of a Twinkie is 12 years. Can you imagine how many preservatives have to be in that package to make it worthy of consumption after more than a decade passes!
I do have a strong enough constitution to pass on anything that will last that long. So, want to do? I guess the answer is more trips to the grocery store...costing more for gas which is no up to almost $4 a gallon. Bottom line...EXPENSIVE! Maybe if I am lucky it will save someday in medical bills. Here's hoping that an apple a day keeps the doctor away!