Memorial Day

I’ve spent a lot of time this weekend thinking about memorials. People have been using specific days or locations or statues for memorials as far back as history records. Dictionaries define a memorial as something to remind us of a person or event and it’s that verb ‘remind’ that always trips me up when it comes to this holiday. Is it supposed to the use of remind like ‘remember the past’ or remind like ‘impart information’ or even remind like ‘prompt you to action’?

America’s Memorial Day has always been good at ‘informing’. A holiday that was started to honor soldiers of the civil war, it was only after World War I that it was expanded to honor Americans from all wars/conflicts. Our country was born out of a fight and our history is full of those who have fought to protect and grant us freedoms of all kinds. Memorial Day tells us of their sacrifice and the teaches us the importance of those battles in the past. We are where we are because of that history.

Considering that we are a country at war, the ‘prompt us to action’ aspect of Memorial Day is becoming much more vital. Memorial Day has always been a time to show that service in any of the branches of the armed forces is honorable, but lately there is a greater emphasis on recruitment. This is not your Grandpa’s Army anymore, it’s an Army for you and your country desperately needs you to serve. There is a glorification factor at work, enticing young men and women to fight when the entire country is draped in American flags and steeped in patriotic images. Sitting out today at this BBQ I can see flags in several of my neighbors lawns and I can hear “The Caissons Go Rolling Along” being played during our local parade. This holiday is not a subtle one at all, but thankfully it focuses just as much on the overwhelming sacrifice of the day as it does on the glory and honor.

Finally, Memorial Day is here to make us remember the past, the battles fought, the sacrifices made, the people lost. It’s a day dedicated to remember, for grieving. I have to admit that as a very emotional person, this is the easiest and hardiest part of Memorial Day for me. It’s hard to be reminded of losses, of people who gave their lives for their country and lost their lives doing so. It’s especially hard when you can put faces and memories to those names. It’s hard to think of Memorial Day as just a day off of work or a BBQ day when the ache of missing someone is still fresh in your heart. But it’s also easy for me because I am emotional and I love that idea that today so many other people in my country are focused on the same emotions of loss and love and thankfulness.

Whatever use of ‘remind’ you think of on this holiday, it’s a day that is important for Americans. It is a holiday that reminds us of our history and the sacrifices made to get here. It’s a holiday that honors the ordinary men and women who made the choice to do something extraordinary with their lives. And if nothing else, it’s a time when we can all get together and be thankful for our country and its citizens. Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

Houston, we have a purse!

I have been failing quite a bit when it comes to sewing projects recently. I think it’s a combination of boredom, procrastination and the fact that my imagination has surpassed my ability to sew. I’m a self-taught seamstress and while I (sometimes) come up with great projects…I find myself unable to create what I imagine. It makes me want to take classes…or befriend a wise old tailor who can teach me how to sew straight lines.

But today I was able to complete a project and now I have a fun new summer purse in one of my favorite colors…orange! 

I found the blue and orange retro-y pattern and the orange for the lining at the Walmart dollar bin. Yay for cheap fabric! 

 

My seams actually ended up mostly straight and I even had orange thread so I love how they look on the purse. The top panel has a curve and I sewed on a piece of the lining to act as a border. I really like how sharp that turned out.

I was planning on making two straps for each side out of the orange interior fabric but I was lazy and it was about 1,000 degrees in the sewing room so I just used this strap that I had scavenged off a thrift store purse. I might change it up in the future to be a little more matchy but I like how sturdy the strap is right now.

There’s so much I love about this purse, the curves, the colors, the cool kitchsy pattern…even the pleats! It’s very summery and it makes me happy!

Having a Martha Stewart day

It’s not even noon and I’ve been so productive!

I got up early and braided my hair, worked on a couple of sewing projects and started making a made-from-scratch lunch.

Actually, my braids fell out during the sewing and I gave up on one purse when I poked my finger too many times and the second project involved an awful lot of measuring so I quit that one when I started getting bored and thinking that measuring was for losers.

I was planning on making potato wedges and BBQ chicken for lunch and realized I didn’t have any BBQ sauce so I tried making some from scratch. I looked at a couple of recipes online but I didn’t have all the ingredients so I improvised! I also decided that boiling the potatoes before baking them sounded stupid (and hot) so I skipped that too. It’s entirely possible I may have to go out to McDonald’s for lunch.

So, I’m like Martha Stewart if Martha had attention deficit disorder, an unstocked spice cabinet and a proclivity for injuring herself doing household tasks.

Hothead

It’s been over 80 degrees here all week and I have been miserable.

Well, that’s not exactly true. Thankfully, I have wonderful friends and family who have been making sure that I don’t melt in the heat. Italian ice deliveries, sweet tea runs to McDonalds and several days spent in my best friends air conditioned house have all worked to make my week much less horrible.

Despite all that, I’ve been struggling with the heat. It’s hot, humid and makes sleeping very miserable (and almost impossible). Last night I finally caved and kept my window open, even though my bug phobia usually outweighs my heat misery. I did sleep much better, although I was very paranoid for a while, trying to make sure something didn’t crawl in and get me.

Oh, winter…why can’t you be a year round blessing?!

Eep!

Spider in the shower! Dealing with bugs of any kind makes me twitchy but after screeching and flinching as it climbed around, I realized I was going to have to be a grown-up and just kill it.

Or clean it. I may have drowned the spider with half a bottle of shampoo in order to get it over to the drain so I could properly drown it.

Okay...so it's almost a grown-up response.

Where do frogs keep their gold?

In the croak of gold at the end of the rainbow! /cheesy jokes  Tonight at the end of the thunderstorm we were treated to a beautiful double rainbow. It had great definition of colors and while the second bow was dim, you could could make it out. My camera does not have a panoramic setting so the best I could do was Windows Live Panorama Stitch. Which…didn’t work out so well.  

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Leopard seal video

Heather told me about this video yesterday and it's very awesome. All about the mothering one photographer got when he took pictures of a leopard seal.

Invasion!

The other day ants invaded my house through the kitchen window. Thankfully their evil plan was discovered before they got too far into the house and a few bottles of raid taught them a lesson. Since it’s too gross to take pictures of dead ants (or live ants) I decided to document another invasion.

Just down the street is a house with a serious wisteria problem. Well, that’s if you call having an abundance of purple flowers a real problem. Personally I think they look pretty. But this isn’t just a couple of flowers.

These flowers have crawled up this huge pine tree and are higher than the two storey house next to the tree. The wisteria has also climbed over the 4 trees next to the pine as well. Purple flowers everywhere! If they weren’t so pretty, it would be kind of creepy how they’ve taken over the entire yard.

The wisteria creeps closer to the phone and power lines so that it can eventually control our communication and power supplies. Once it controls that, the humans will easily fall! Muahahaha!

Nerves

This afternoon I’m going to be teaching someone how to use a computer.

Well, actually, I teach a lot of people how to use computers. I’m the go-to girl for most of my friends and family when it comes to computers. But this is different, this is a less ‘show me how to do this/fix this’ and more ‘teach a lesson’.

I don’t know if it’s the fact that I don’t really know this person well, or if it’s because I don’t feel comfortable teaching a lesson plan on computers, or even if it’s because sometimes I get uncomfortable around elderly people…but for some reason I’m nervous about today.

Breakfast!

BLT on texas toast. Such a yummy breakfast. 

And orange juice! With extra calcium (though you can’t see that in the photo).

Because I’m a lazy farmer

I don’t quite understand what is the point of Farmarama/Farmville type games. I want to play something that I can win. I feel like I have a barn full of dead chickens and nothing to show for it and there is no end! The same thing with the Sims. I’ve heard so many people extol the virtues of this game and I don’t enjoy it at all. You never seem to reach a goal…and my people’s houses keep burning down and killing them.

I like  games where you can win. Games that make you try and reach a goal. Games where there is a clear ending point. I like to play for a reason, to socialize or learn or be challenged or beat the pants off of someone.

Here are a few of my (online) favorites:

http://colour.connect.fizzlebot.com/ – fun color puzzle game

http://music.catch.fizzlebot.com/ – this is just relaxing, catch the colors with your mouse as music plays

http://www.rocketsnail.com/mancala/game.htm – Mancala! With snails!

http://www.nickelarcade.com/SuperWordPlay.html – A simple version of ‘how many words can you make from these letters’.

http://www.crazymonkeygames.com/Pandemic-2.html – Guilty pleasure…strategy game where you try and infect the entire world with a virus.

Mr. Monster!

Hanging out with my friends this afternoon led to craftiness! This is my little handsewn flannel monster. He was going to be a robot at first but I wasn’t sure how to make antennas (antenni?) so I changed it to horns and made a monster! Since I didn’t have pillow stuffing I ended up using rice so this little guy can also be used as a heating pad! Of course, he’s a little small for a heating pad. Maybe only for little ouchies?

I gifted him to Lindsay so hopefully he’ll have a happy life with her!

Contentment

Green trees. Sweet tea. A book on biological warfare. Life is good.

Rant – Jesus Money?

I hate ‘fake money’ religious tracts. You know the kind, they’re designed to look like a real folded bill, usually a twenty or hundred. When you open it up, it has a prayer or verse on the inside.

First,I hate religious tracts that operate on guilt. You take the ‘money’ off of someone’s desk, or pick it up from the side of the road and you feel even worse when you find out its about God. It’s the same thing as the tracts that are designed to look like scantily clad women to draw people in and then smack them with the guilt train. It’s an insulting way to evangelize to people and puts the Christians who use these in a very bad light. Oh, sure, I want to talk to you about my personal relationship with God…let’s just forget the fact that you tried to trick and/or shame me into this.

Secondly, it’s mean. The entire concept of this tract is to make people either steal/find it or to hand it to people as actual cash. If I was a waitress who was left this as a tip, or a kid who got this in my Halloween bucket…I wouldn’t even bother reading the message. I would call you a jerk and throw it out. How rude is it to make someone think they got a windfall and it all be a trick. Which is bad enough if you are handing it out to people outright…if you are just leaving it places it’s even worse.

I have seen these tracts at bus stations and bulletin boards, on floors and on desks. People seem to delight in leaving them places that make it look like it was just causally dropped. They leave them in places where there’s a high chance that people might take it. In fact, that’s pretty much the whole point of these tracts, to entice people to pick them up. But who are they enticing? The single mom on the bus who could pay her bills for the week with a $100? The homeless man who could eat a warm meal with $20? The struggling student? The man with loads of debt? Anyone who picks up these tracts could think they’ve finally gotten a break, only to realize it’s just someone trying to be clever. I can’t imagine they would be feeling like any message on that fake bill would be one they would want to hear.

At best, these tracts are a cruel trick and at worst they are used to humiliate and guilt people. Neither is a good way to start off a conversation about God.

Pics from the Thumb

Still have pics left to post from vacation, which makes it feel like my vacation lasted much longer than it really did. Yay for procrastination!


We happened to plan our trip on very icky weather days (we drove through rain, hail and SNOW!) so there wasn't a lot of beach time. But we did pull over to a roadside park so Lil and I could trek down to stick our toes in the Lake Huron. Well, so I could trek down. Lil waited at the edge of the beach, protected by the trees from the rain. Our beach also had this very cool cliff sand dune and little stream. If you click on the picture to make it bigger, you can see raindrops in the water!


Next up was the Point Aux Barques Lighthouse. I think it's French for 'point of little boats' which is actually pronounceable so that's what I called it. It's one of the oldest lighthouses in Michigan and it's still active today. It was too early in the season for it to be open to the public, but we did walk around (in the rain) outside and get pictures. I don't know why I like this shot that's shrouded by the trees the best, but I do!


I'm a city girl. I loved looking at all the fields with the itty bitty plants growing. It just seemed so pretty with the black dirt and the green lines. I'm sure any farmer who saw me standing out taking shots of their field thought I was weird. My mother, with her farming background sure did! But whatever, still pretty!


Finally, wind turbines! There are five turbines in the front of this shot, but if you click on it to make it bigger you can see seven more in the background. I love turbines! They are so alien looking in the fields, like huge toys plopped down in the grass but they stand all white and majestic and then they magically pull power right out of the sky. Yeah, I know, I'm a bit weird about them. I would totally have one in my backyard if I could!

Movie time

Went to see Iron Man 2 this afternoon with Gina and it was pretty much awesome.

High points-

• Sam Rockwell (Zaphod Beeblebrox) was awesome as rival weapons designer Hammer. Just the right mixture of lameness and hilarity.
• The A-Team preview! Rock on!
• The fact that it’s a fun and funny movie. I love being entertained by movies.
• Did I mention there a preview for The A-Team?!
• Awesome Happy Hogan scenes FTW!
• Howard Stark’s home movies were a very fun and cool way to pass on information.
• New!Rhodey was not horrible.

Not-as-high points -

• Tony & Pepper’s relationship was very confusing and I kept getting distracted by trying to figure out what had happened since the end of the last movie.
• Not a fan of Mickey Rourke or his acting ability in this movie. He was hard to understand, his ponytail looked silly and I kept just seeing him and not the character.
• How do you not include the song Iron Man in this movie? Come on, soundtrack people, fit in the famous chords somewhere.

Near the end, Agent Coulson sort of drops out of the movie very oddly which was sad, since I was happy to see him again. According to Wiki there was a post-credits scene that has him finding Mjolnir in the New Mexico desert…but considering it also says that Pepper is killed by a pack of rabid dogs (nope) I’m not sure how much to trust it.

For a complete change, I watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs this weekend. I loved the book as a kid and this movie….was nothing like the book. I mean there was the whole food falling from the sky and bread boats and all…but the movie did an amazing job of writing a complete story surrounding these elements.

There was an arc for our hero, background character growth, romance, monkeys, food tornados and more jokes than you can shake a stick at. I swear I laughed during the whole film. Plus, it was beautiful! Flint’s lab was full of lovely retro designs and colors and the food came across as cutesy instead of gross. I totally recommend this movie to everyone!

Happy “women who have helped me” Day!

Today is Mother’s Day and though we are focused on those who actually gave birth to us and raised us, I wanted to take time to thank all the other women who helped me grow into who I am today.

I was blessed to be born to a woman who had 5 amazing sisters who became my 5 amazing Aunts. They were a group of strong Southern women who lived their lives with emphasis on humor, family and love for God. They encouraged me to remember where I came from and to honor that legacy with whatever I did with my life. The lessons I learned best where the ones I learned by watching their actions. I had Aunts who thrived as single parents and Aunts who found love in the Autumn of their lives. I have an Aunt who has never given up on learning (Dr. Aunt!) and another who has never given up on fighting for what is right (union power!). If I need advice or a hug or just time to laugh I know that I can depend on my Aunts.

All through my education I encountered amazing female teachers. They were examples in womanhood that were so different from the stay-at-home moms in my neighborhood. I learned so much from them and there were several that stood out over the years. Miss Redman in 8th grade who taught that girls could rock at math. Mrs. Bulmer who not only encouraged me to write when I was in her class in 2nd grade but continued to keep in touch with me as I grew up. (Yes, Mrs. Bulmer…I’m still writing!)

Being a Southern Baptist, I didn’t have female pastors at my church. But that didn’t stop God from placing women around me to influence me. I had amazing Sunday school teachers, VBS leaders and bible study groups. Even as an adult I have been blessed to have women around me who share their struggles and encourage me to become closer to God. Elaine has taught me so much about God and the woman He wants me to be, both through her actions and the bible studies we do together. Conversations with Cheryl over the years and the letters we wrote to each other have inspired me to follow God no matter what. Gina’s impact on my life and my relationship with God is immense and I’m constantly grateful for her.

On this Mother’s Day I want to thank all these women who shared their lives with me. You have all inspired me and taught me and made me into the woman I am today. Thank you for teaching me and for helping me. Thank you for being a part of my life. Happy Mother’s Day!

Shoe tree of Pigeon

Driving through the Thumb of Michigan, at the corner of Unionville and Pigeon roads, you'll find a tree covered in an odd fruit. Shoes.

This sole-full tree sports more than just the average tennis shoe slung over its branches. There are work boots, flip flops, baby shoes and even a pair of pink high heels modified with rope to hold them together.



Why is there a tree full of shoes along the road? I didn't get a chance to ask the people of Pigeon that question but shoe trees across the country exist for many reasons. Some are to signify great steps in a persons life and the shoes are flung up after weddings or graduations or births. Other times the tree is one of de-feet and the shoes signify a love lost or loved one remembered. Of course, sometimes a shoe is just a shoe and people like flinging them up into trees. Whatever the reason, the shoe tree of Pigeon is an interesting find and a must-see when you're in the area.

Guess what I saw today??

Actually, you don't have to guess because I took video!



It was a very wet and cloudy day, so just imagine that these great white turbines are sitting in the middle of bright green fields and it's all very majestic. Plus they make a very wicked WHOOSH WHOOSH sound!

Fried pickles, feral pigs and upstairs bowling

I love staying in hotels. I love staying in them even more if things are a little bit strange.

Our hotel last night had people bowling in the upstairs hallway. I think it might have been some group of work friends or something, but in my mind it was a group of Olympic hopefuls who don’t even let a night at a mid-budget hotel keep them from their dream.

The local news had a feature on the danger of feral pigs in the area. “They’re big, they’re mean and they’re coming for you!” Apparently we are now allowed to shoot feral pigs without a permit. Since I don’t carry any sort of projectile weapons while on vacation (or, you know, anytime at all) this wasn’t so comforting. We were in a first floor room and it was very hard not to look at the wilderness outside outside our window and wonder if beady-eyed pigs were staring back at us being all feral.

Room service! Our hotel was attached to a little restaurant which meant they offered room service. We were able to order snacks late at night instead of braving the wild outdoors (and the feral pigs). We decided to all order apitizers for snacks and I got fried pickles. I first had them when I went to Canada and in my mind they were a unique and delicious treat that I shared with my little brother. In reality…they were a unique and delicious treat that I shared with my little sister! They were really good and it was very fun.

I love hotels!

Tree garland

This tree at a roadside park had long hanging branches full of these cute little pinecones. It made it look like someone had decorated it for spring! How cool are some of God’s creations?!

Maycation!

Hee, I'm going to blame 'maycation' on sleep deprivation.

It's very cold right now and apparently there is a chance of snow for tomorrow morning. But that didn't stop us from stopping for ice cream!



Well, this place was closed, but we did get ice cream at a gas station. Yay for vacations!

Attention Megan & Shelby

Saw this while driving on vacation today...think Sam and Dean stay here?

Don’t worry, it’s a nice death

Each television network has different commercials that fit their audience. Cartoon Network features toys, Turner Classic Movies has a lot of AARP commercials and Spike TV has more Axe deodorant ads than necessary. Depending on specific the ads get, you can sometimes guess what channel you’re watching based on who the commercials target.

Tonight I’ve been watching NCIS reruns on Ion Television and in between seeing if Ari is going to kill Kate again (spoilers: he does!) I’ve been watching commercials for their weekend airing of Die Hard with a Vengeance. Instead of focusing on explosions or crimes it talks about how the two main characters are best friends and features John McClane’s famous catchphrase.

Well, not quite. In this ad, he says “Yippie-kai-yay, my friend!”

Apparently in this version of the movie, John and his best friend hang out in New York City for some sort of international tea party with their German buddies. It tickles me every time!

Family Ties

My family is bigger than it was when I was a kid. There’s a stepdad and new siblings and in-laws. Over the years our family has expanded and contracted a few times and I’m sure it will continue to change in the future. It doesn’t matter that these people are new, we still love each other just the same.

But there is something that I feel when it’s back to us original four, my mother, brother, my sister and me. Tonight the four of us ended up together and it was the first time in a while that it was just us. I felt a shift in my soul, like how I felt when I was with my family as a kid. You know the feeling you used to get when you’d wake from a nightmare or come home from a sleepover and your family was all there and you felt like you belonged? That warm sensation that crept through you like the first gulp of hot chocolate after coming in from the snow. It’s a feeling that just wraps you up and says; “This. This is where you’ve come from. This is where you belong. This is where you are loved. This is home.”

I love my big family and all it’s extensions, there’s no doubt about that. But I will always cherish the little foursome that I grew up in, and the special love that we had.

Three weird things that scare me

Cruise ships - I really don't understand how they float. (I do actually understand the physics of it…my brain just refuses to accept it) They just seem so top heavy and there are all those people dancing around on them and what if everyone does the conga at the same time and the whole boat just tips to one side?! Plus, they are really, really tall. I'm not afraid of heights when I’m up high, I just sorta fall over when I look up at tall things.

Black eyed peas - When I was little, my brother told me that black eyed peas where actually eyes. I had a vivid imagination even then and I invented a story where they were the eyes of dwarfs that had been captured by monsters and had their eyes poked out. The dwarfs were still alive and searching for their eyes and if you ate the peas the dwarfs would see it and find you in the night and rip out your stomach to get to them. Not only have I never eaten a black eyed pea since, I have this insane thing where I automatically try and block the line of sight between me and the peas when they are on the table.

Model trains - I don't know why, but they creep me out. Maybe it's the noise, maybe it's the movement, maybe it's the tiny plastic conductors with their creepy painted-on smile. My brother had a whole setup in the basement one year after Christmas and I ended up hiding by the stairs and trying to think of my happy place. Which is usually a place where all the model trains were stepped on by Godzilla. Godzilla makes everything better.

What’s the opposite of a green thumb?

I am typing this with my right hand since my left is resting in a bowl of warm water. My forehead has a bright red mark on it, I have a bandage on my knee and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wear these jeans again.

Gardening tried to kill me today.

I thought today seemed like the perfect day to work outside. Sunny and 70 but with enough clouds and wind to keep me cool. I had flowers that needed to be planted and a few free hours in the afternoon. It all seemed serendipitous! I’m not sure why it all went so badly, or when exactly I should have thrown in the towel. I’m very stubborn, so I was determined to plant no matter what nature threw in my way!

My first issue was cleaning out the garden. I had raked a bit earlier this week but there were weeds that refused to let go. I tugged one so hard that I eventually fell backwards, covering myself very nicely in a layer of dirt. I also probably got bugs on me but I’m refusing to acknowledge they exist. One weed was particularly resistant to digging and I decided to just yank it out, only to discover that it was covered in prickly bits. I hit with a shovel as punishment and then dug up all around it to get it out. It was about then that I noticed that hand I had gotten pricked was sort of tingly. I looked down and saw loads of white angry bumps on my now red swollen hand.

Being a very calm person, I immediately screeched and headed inside, totally sure that I had contracted some sort of deadly weed poison. While I washed my hands in the sink I contemplated just who I should call…poison control? 911? The CDC? Thankfully before I declared a national emergency my stepdad assured me that it was just going to be itchy for a while and I’d be fine. (If I do contract some type of weed-ebola, someone should probably kick him on my behalf) I soaked my hand for a bit longer, tracked down a pair of winter gloves and headed back into the fray.

Things went well for a while. There were the usual bug-freakouts and the occasional fall, but nothing major. Finally the garden was clear and it was time to plant. I needed to put down that fabric stuff that keeps out weeds first so I carefully unrolled the right length and started laying it out. Learn from my mistake…this is a two person job. That breeze that was keeping me cool was also keeping my weed cover from staying on the ground. I would get one end of the garden nice and covered and then the other end would fly up in my face and so on. At one point the whole thing degenerated into a dirty game of twister before I realized that I using rocks to hold down the ends seemed like a smarter idea (and probably looked less silly). As soon I as got the fabric down I grabbed the bag of soil, cut open one end and lifted.

Only to realize the other end was cut as well and I had dumped the whole bag all over my legs. Did I mention it’s been raining here lately? The soil was good and moist so it stuck to my jeans quite nicely. I did try to get the dirt into the garden but I have to admit it looked bad. Figuring that flowers would make it all look better, I started digging holes. My best friend, Gina, would say that I’m not a big picture person and that’s the truth. I do have a problem seeing beyond the immediate and planning ahead. Which I’m pretty sure is the reason why the first flowers I planted where the row closest to me…meaning that I would either have to lean over or step on them to plant all the other flowers. It certainly made planting the rest of the flowers a hassle (and if you notice that some of the flowers in the first row are a little bent, just ignore it) but I was moving at a quick pace.

Then came a bug. One of those ones that I’m refusing to believe exist. Well, apparently this fellow didn’t get the memo on his non-existence and decided to crawl onto my hand. I screamed, flailed, tried not to jump on 4 rows of flowers and landed on my knees on the sidewalk. Peeking one eye open, I saw that not only was the bug gone, but I had tore a hole in my jeans…and my knee. My stepdad just rolled his eyes when I came back inside for another first aid mission. As I patched myself back up, I entertained myself with all the things I was going to do when I finished this torture…er…I mean gardening. There would be ice cold glasses of water and a long shower and maybe a nap. All I had to do was get through planting the last three flowers, water them and put away the tools. I could make it. I could make it. I could make it.

I ventured back outdoors with renewed purpose. I planted those last three flowers quickly and despite an accidentally dousing of my muddy pants when I lost control of the hose, even managed to water the garden. I was ready to declare a victory! Of course I probably should have waited till after I cleaned up my mess because I had barely stopped patting myself on the back when I stepped on the rake. You know those cartoons where the good bunny leaves the rake outside and the hunter steps on it, bashes his head and sees little stars? It was just like that except no bunny to blame it on…and no stars either. Just a sore forehead and a bright red mark. The one plus side (well, besides no concussion) is that I don’t think anyone saw me, so my humiliation was limited to just myself. Yay?

I think next year, I’ll just photoshop a nice picture of a garden instead. Or tell this story to my friends and family and hope that when they stop laughing...they'll pity me enough to help out.

Spring!

The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming and the wind is blowing so it’s not so hot! I’m a very cheerful camper this morning and it makes me love spring. And I want others to love spring too!

It’s all pretty and pink and sunshiny! I actually took this picture in a cemetery and I was standing on tiptoes to snap this there was a huge groaning noise behind me and for a moment I thought I was in the middle of an episode of Supernatural and a body had just crawled out of the grave. Turns out it was a someone trying to ride their bike up the big hill behind me, but this picture will now always remind me of spring…and zombies.

These yellow flowers are on a Forsythia bush…or as I called them as a kid, yellow flower bushes. These bushes were all over Huntley Villa when I was a kid, and we had two right outside our living room window. They were tall enough to provide shade and privacy and they reflected green and yellows into our house during sunny days. For us kids they were playgrounds, castles, forts and prisons. We used them for home bases during tag and hide-and-go-seek, we used them as cover when we were spying on the neighborhood bully and I’m sure our mothers got tired of us bringing home yellow flower bush bouquets during the summer. Every time I see these bushes blooming, it always brings me back to childhood and those carefree days laying under their shade.

Random thoughts

I had a regular croissant for breakfast which was delicious but sort of a let down compared to chocolate croissants.

I saw a TV preview for that Babies movie that Lindsay is so amused by…I thought it was a diapers ad at first. I love how they compared it to March of the Penguins. Babies! Penguins! Practically the same thing!

Bible study group is tonight and I finished the chapter this afternoon. It was…not all that great, to be honest. I spent a large portion of time doodling bunnies due to extreme boredom.

I’m watching a very Criminal Minds episode of Joan of Arcadia. One of the actors is named Derek Morgan, the actress who played Haley Hotchner is a guest star and of course, Joan’s dad is Joe Mantegna who plays Agent Rossi. Of course, that’s where the similarities end…I can’t seem to recall any Criminal Minds episodes that revolved around double dutch jump rope.

Memories of Eskimos

Earlier this evening the scent of something burning wafted through my open windows. It’s not an uncommon occurrence here and I sniffed warily to identify the smell. My neighborhood is too residential to get people burning trash or garden debris but it does sometimes happen. It was far more likely to be BBQ smoke, a smell of summer that I adore. The smoke was too woodsy to be hot dogs and too sweet to be plain steaks; but it seemed so familiar. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to decide where I remembered that scent.

My first thought? Blueberries.

Well, it was obvious that these people weren’t grilling blueberries…or that I had at once in my life smelt blueberries cooking yet oddly enough, that was what was coming to mind. It took me a few moments to recall something other than small tasty fruit but I finally placed the memory. It all went back to my 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Bulmer.

You know when people  wax on and on about the teacher that changed their life? The one person who is talked about like they are half fairy-godmother and half Yoda? That person for me is Mrs. Bulmer. I’ll always love her for telling me that I was an author and always encouraging me to write…but she was a great teacher in other ways as well. She brought in her Chow dogs for lessons, took us to her backyard in the country for science and did an entire unit on Eskimos. For months everything in class had to do with Eskimos. We looked at Alaskan maps, we learned about whale blubber and I’m sure even our math lessons had an Eskimo connection. The entire thing culminated with a trip to our local park in the middle of winter. We ice fished on the pond, we played games that Eskimo children would play (tossing things on a blanket that I think we pretended was polar bear fur) and ate food that Eskimos might eat.

Blueberries and venison. Even now, I can picture us huddled around the grill (three giant steps back for safety, kids!) as Mrs. Bulmer’s husband heated up the venison. We had run around in the snow, sat on carpet squares on a frozen pond and tried not to think too hard about slimy fish and pretend that we were flying into the air propelled by polar bear skin. It was easy to pretend that we were no longer in a suburban park in the middle of Michigan but on the frozen ground of Alaska as we all craned our heads to get a whiff of the sweet smelling smoke off the grill.

That smell coming through the window tonight took me back to standing in that park, clutching my plastic plate of blueberries and venison, and imagining that I was a little Eskimo girl living an adventure in the wilds of Alaska. Thank you, Mrs. Bulmer for giving me that memory…and thank you, random griller in my neighborhood for bringing it back. 

The Three P’s

Today is a day for the three P’s. Planning, praying, and perusing!

Next weekend is the Mother’s Day trip and I’m supposed to be coming up with hotel options for the Lake Huron side of the state. Which, if you know Michigan at all, is the lame side of the state. Sure it’s got a bridge to Canada and…you know…Detroit…but it’s not the best side for tourism. Lake Michigan easily has the best beaches and Lake Superior has the best views. Lake Huron is pretty in places, but the beaches are scarce and the area tends more to be farm and industrial rather than touristy. Which means that I’m going to have to do my best Googling to find the handful of hotel options before next weekend.

My friends are taking off for Iowa today…or at least they should be if nothing else has gone wrong. It’s been a week of delays for them but as of last night at 11pm, the trip was a go. I know there has been car repairs and tiredness and bronchitis…but I think God postponed their trip so I could hang out with Cheryl and Shelby yesterday! I’ve already been praying for a safe trip for them this morning, but I’ve got a string around my finger to remind me to keep praying for them throughout the day. Which reminds me that I was going to send them an email of links…and done! I also included the local Chinese restaurants for their new hometown. Because some things are just a priority, yo.

Finally, perusing! (Or, you know, reading…but I’m a dork and wanted to have 3 P’s to do today) Yesterday was the book sale and although we got there late, I did manage to come home with a full paper bag! Today I’m going to curl up and skim through all my purchases to discover just what I picked up. There was hardly no one there yesterday which made the book sale an entirely different experience. Usually it’s a mad shove through the room, sweeping books into your bag, elbowing people out of the way and ending up at the checkout counter with a half dozen bags and an exhausted yet pleased expression. Being there late meant that I had a chance to look at each book, talk to my friends about my choices and even (gasp!) put a few books back on the shelf. I enjoyed the less stressful approach and I think I got some good books out of the experience.

Don’t get my wrong…I’m ready to go early to the next book sale and try and beat out my arch-nemesis for the best selection. What’s life without a little adventure…and a lot of shoving?!

Why doesn’t nature have a snooze button?

There are birds outside my window. Loud birds. Judging by the racket they are making this morning it’s quite possible these are the largest birds in history. Easily 7 or 9 feet tall. Surely.

Despite the threat of bugs, I slept with my window open last night to escape the heat. Considering how well I slept, I would consider it a wise choice…although the birds waking me up this morning are definitely going in the negative column. I want to be one of those people who loves mornings. You know the kind, you see them in movies or read about them in books. They wake as soon as the first rays of sunlight reaches them and the cute little birds sing sweet soft songs on their window ledge.

I want to be that person, but I am so not. I’m the type of person who hides under their covers when the sunlight hits them and throws a pillow at the window to see if it will stop that horrible screeching bird racket. Or at least I was that type of person this morning.