Monday, May 30, 2011

MEMORIAL DAY

     I smell my roast beef cooking, later I will pull it and make bar b que with all the fixings. It is Memorial Day, a day of eating and having fun doing exhausting play or being lazy...whichever way we decide to spend it!
     Memorial Day...a day of Memory, a day to honor, a day to take note of what brave men and women have done to keep our people free. I say "our people" so as to make it more real to each person in this country. A country is a people. It is not land, it is not a cold, spot on the map, it is not a name ....it is a PEOPLE. A group of people working together to make a place to live, a place to grow, a place to pursue happiness. To do these things, the PEOPLE must be free.
     Free to pursue, free to grow, free to worship, free to think and have vision for tomorrow, free to make those visions become reality. Sometimes that freedom must be fought for at high prices. When the backs of the people are pushed to the wall and freedom is at stake we must fight to maintain it. Once it is lost ...even a small portion...the fight must be harder, the fight must be longer and the fight MUST be won. There are those that believe nothing is worth fighting for, nothing is worth the loss of life to maintain. Those people are mislead, freedom is worth it. Let someone cover your face with a pillow and we will watch you fight for breath...that is what freedom is...breath..the breath of true life.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

THE BOX

     It is amazing what a box will do. When my oldest children were growing up any kind of box thrilled them to pieces. At christmas time, when they were babies, a box entertained them more than its contents, and as they grew older boxes still gave them hours of play.
     I had opportunity to bring home a giant box that a store had thrown out which had contained a large appliance. My kids were thrilled and spent weeks exploring the universe in their "Starship Enterprise" and running country roads in their "car". They hid in the "cave" and found treasure in the "mine", they chased bad guys through the sea in their "submarine" and visited each other in their "house". How can any child be child, without a box?
     Last evening my 21 year old son knocked on my door, (odd for him), and stood grinning from ear to ear when I answered. He covertly whispered," I have a surprise for Reagan, he is gonna LOVE IT" But can I take it home and keep it for the weekend, before he keeps it for good?" I was thinking, "why has this boy brought an animal here?", "he knows I can't have one in the apartment".  Then he stepped aside, to reveal a giant BOX like unto the kind a refrigerator comes in!
     He brought it inside, to the delight of Reagan, who squealed and vibrated, exclaiming," A box, a box thanks Ethan that's a great box, " and later, "I know its just a box, Ethan , but can we call it Mr. Boxy?" Reagan and Ethan played in the box side by side;  then Ethan convinced Reagan that it was best he take it home and "keep it safe" for him lest it get torn up, then he would bring it back.
     Ethan played in his box after he got home and even pnotographed himself. My son, the drama king. He will be a great dad someday, instilling great stories and chances to use imaginations. He will watch his grown children play one day and smile....

Friday, May 13, 2011

SMOKE

I live in an apartment, its nice. I do have issues with the smoke alarms , however. There is one in every room , they are on a system that includes sprinklers (which froze and burst twice this winter, but that is for another blog) and alarm lights. I have no issue with smoke alarms, per se, it is just THESE smoke alarms. They are heat sensitive and smoke sensitive. I can barely make coffee without them going off. no I am not exaggerating and no I don't burn coffee.




Every single time I cook they go off and I do mean THEY...it starts with the one nearest the kitchen and travels until at least three of them are shrieking into the eardrums of all who live here. It is a problem for me since I actually cook, real food. every day. But even when it is a lazy night such as tonight, it is a source of irritation.



We got home late, kids were hungry ,so I threw a frozen pizza into the oven, twenty minutes later the alarms go off telling me that ...guess what?... the air is warmer. I open the oven door to remove pizza and they all go off, then Shadow (poodle) begins to whine and howl because it hurts his ears, I open the door to allow a breeze to come in and the alarms stop.



One day I was cooking a big meal and got tired of the one nearest going off so I removed the battery, in about twenty minutes all the emergency lights start flashing and all the remaining alarms start going off, I realize that any minute the sprinklers could start because I had messed with the system! So quickly I returned the battery and had to put up with the alarms every few minutes.



I know what will be sure to happen one day, I will be standing fanning the alarm while a real fire sneaks up behind me , because I am used to them going off!



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Saturday, May 7, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

     This is Mother's Day, I will say Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers across the land. I will say Happy Mother's Day to my mother who has lived in heaven since July 11, 1999. I miss her and I have been thinking about her all day. They are happy thoughts and memories of a wonderful mother.
     There are mother's and then there are mothers. Some do the basics that get the children grown, and then there are those that have a bond that last forever. A mother that one can talk to late into the night, and cry into their shoulder. A mother that one can pray with, laugh with , and play with. I had such a mother as this.
     One of my earliest memories is Mother reading to me "Chicken Little". She read to us children a lot. "Paul Bunyan", "The Sugar Creek Gang", the Bible, and countless other books. But she was a story teller too, she embellished every bedtime story ever written, to the extent that if you heard it as it was written it was quite boring. From this I gained my love of reading , and ...story telling.
     Mother gave the kitchen utensils for us to dig in the dirt with, hours were spent digging and building castles and frog houses. She taught us the long grass from the lily bed was really "spaghetti for the giants and they came to pick it at night, they might step on the houses so we better pick it first and cook it so they wont come." Gravels were beans, didn't we know? and she would show us the rocks in the beans when she looked them before cooking to prove it was so. My mother was not ashamed to play with her children...or grandchildren. From this I learned to enjoy my children.
     Mother was a great listener-- always ready to hear a problem or a happening. Sharing around the breakfast table was a common occurrence, bedtime talks were even more common. Listening and praying, were the things mother was sure to do.  From this I learned to listen, and care.
     Mother was always singing in the house, singing at church and singing in the car.  From this I learned to sing.
     My mother was not perfect, she was impatient, and she could be a little fireball, when she got her dander up. From this I learned, To try and be patient, keep my cool and control my temper...sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I don't.
     Happy Mother's Day Mommy, you are the best. <3

Friday, May 6, 2011

They Grow Up so Fast

     Reagan is a little man of six. Quite handsome, and engaging is he with his antics and expressions. He was bound to get the attention of a girl one day....I just didnt think it would be this soon! I was comfortable with it though and quite proud as he raced by screaming in terror "NO No No No No " as she ran behind him trying to catch him to kiss him.
     Later he tearfully told me ,"I dont want to get married! That girl was trying to kiss me and that means I am marrying " I held him and comforted and of course was so happy my baby wanted to stay with his mommy forever and ever......Two days later....
     We were all getting ready to go to the grocery store....as I washed his little grimy face, Reagan said ,"A girl kissed me right there". I stopped still and said, "What? a Girl kissed you?" "Yeah ", he said,"I got kissed by a girl". I was getting mad, that little girl chased my son down and forced a kiss on his screaming terrorized little personhood!
I remained calm, and gently asked,"Did you cry?" and he said ,"No I was dead on the ground like this ", as he slithered to the floor looking very dead,"and she kissed me so I could get alive again".
Grasping at straws I responded hopefully,"Well, I guess YOU wont be dead again huh?" He answered somberely,"OH I will be dead again tommorow! I will be dead again ALOT!"
My precious baby has been proselytized!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

HOPE

     I sometimes wonder why so much sadness exists in the world. Last night I thought," if I have to hear one more report of death or bad news I cannot handle it"....But guess what? I had one more report...and I handled it...and I am still here.
     Five deaths in less than a week in my close family or friends circle, only two had to do with the storms. Many other sad and bad happenings along with it. Such a sad week, all in all. I hate writing about less than uplifting things, so I tried to find some good in the week and it really was hard for a while; because all my brain would stay fixed on, was the hurt and horror of it all. Then I began to see things---
      I have God who sustains my spirit and emotions and comforts me. Psalms 91.
     I have one truly great friend who lets me rant and doesn't judge.
I have a cute little boy who says just the right things to make me smile and look deeper at a situation.
     While driving, I saw, on the side of the road, Black-eyed susans and red clover standing thick and tall in the grass-- the promise of life and spring and hope to my eyes, at that moment. I saw dogwood blooming-- reminding me of Jesus and the just past Easter when we spoke of His sacrifice.
     As I sat on my porch, I heard the lady upstairs singing to her baby-- her voice truly beautiful. I had never heard her before...but the power was off and the windows were open...it was a blessing to hear .
     Through the devastation and wreckage, there are reminders that all is not lost and Hope is here for the tomorrows to come, we just need to seek out the hope and cling to it.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Storm Damage

   My power was restored today, after it went out during the severe storms and tornadoes a few days ago. I live in northeast Alabama and the damage is too severe to describe. I could write all day and still not replicate with words-- what the eye can not even comprehend. After living here for years and knowing the placement of businesses and residences, to see a pile of rubble, one can not remember what it was supposed to be-- it is so unrecognizable.
    Many deaths ,and  much destruction has affected everyone living here. Each family has a member or friend who has lost something or someone this week. I have lost an uncle and aunt, who were killed in the storm, and several family members lost their homes and all their possessions.
     I have merely been without power for several days, but even with that I was blessed with a pastor with a generator and a compassionate heart. I was able to provide food for my children and enjoy fellowship at the same time this week. I still came home to a dark house but I could have my children around me and entertain them with stories and songs. We didn't stay up as late, and the house wasn't as clean, but when all is said and done, the important things got done. Helping each other and being thankful for everything and everyone in our lives.
     On a lighter and yet poignant note....I had explained to Reagan that the wind and the storm was why we had no power, and he saw the devastated areas that were accessible. Today when we came home from church the power was on and he jumped around singing," we have lights and lights and more lights! and TV. and Computer, thanks Wind Thank you wind!" and then he looked at me and said," maybe the wind will blow back the houses and trees since it blew the power back on" If it could happen, it would fix everything would it not? But since it cannot happen let us pray for all the families please.




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