My Alma Mater

 What a great weekend. Slow, not too hot, a nice breeze, grilling, high school car washes, relaxing on my part w/card making & some reading. The Hall of Fame Kick Off Community Parade was today; son, me & mom never miss it. It's a tradition before the "big" Hall of Fame Parade next Saturday when the football players are inducted into the Hall of Fame, then they ride in the parade. It's a pretty big deal here in football town. It's almost surreal to see them 2 feet away from you riding on the back of a convertible. Sweet.

I picked up THREE more books at the library book sale. Why? Because I need another book like I need another eye. Lol. It's official - I'm addicted. I just bough the 3 from Amazon, Jesus Calling from Walmart, now these 3 in less than 3 weeks.

I found Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life. I know it's years old, but I never read it & it was only a buck, so what's to lose? This copy was definitely well loved; it's FULL of highlights, underlines, marginal notes. The best.

The "Human Flag". Toss your spare change onto the flag.

Elizabeth Berg's Home Safe is another. I have always loved her books. So 'homey', real & honest. I've listened to a couple of hers on audio while driving to work. Love.

Lastly, Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins. A woman becomes VERY rich in a divorce settlement & buys and old town that used to be a 'slave town.' Even though it's a very sad, dark period of time, I love reading about slavery, while my heart aches.

There were a TON of Queens & Princesses. More than enough.. Lol.

One of our many churches, St. John's. It's magnificent.

Shot out my bathroom window. Hall of Fame Kickoff.

I'm over a mile away from downtown. Not bad, huh? :-)

Pictures by: me ;-}

My joy

Tall, handsome & beautifully autistic

This is my son, James. He is my joy because:

• he sees the goodness in everything
• he sees the bright side of everything
• he is honest (painfully - LOL)
• he only wants to please
• he only wants to be part of the team
• he brings happiness to whoever is around him
• he has a child-like vision of the world
• Matthew 18:3: And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
• he is so going to heaven
• he is most polite
• he is most kind
• he is most gentle
• he is always forgiving
• he is always willing to help
• he is always most happy, and when he's not, you have to really dig to find out why
• he made me really grow up immediately at the age of 24 when he was born
• he changed my world view
• he changed my behavior
• he made me let go of any poor thoughts I had of his father, my ex-husband, even though he has no memory of who his father is
• he keeps me even keeled
• he's accepting, even though he may be dissappointed
• he encourages me to buy him things, only because he never asks for anything. But Skittles
•  he thinks every day is a beautiful day & says so every morning
• when I slip a curse word or 2 (or 12), he tells me "it's inappropriate"
• don't let this serious face fool you - he has a smile as big as the sun
• he is unconditional love

Thanks, God. :-)

Picture by: me

Nature Sings

 How about these guys, huh? This was @ the Children's Garden at the park near my house. I love that section of the park; it makes me wish I had a little one so I could see it through their eyes.

But instead I saw it through my own eyes. Kinda like a child's. :-)

 Pictures by: me :-)

In my solitude...

My treat to myself.

We live in a very tense society.  We are pulled apart... and we all need to learn how to pull ourselves together.... I think that at least part of the answer lies in solitude.  ~Helen Hayes




Picture by: me :-)

Choose Joy

"God, life is full of complexities, struggles, and hardships. It is very easy to become blinded to the good when the bad is all around. But today, I am making a choice to pursue Your presence more passionately and persistently, so that my joy will be full and my life complete. Thank You for reminding me that You are all I will ever need to live abundantly, richly, and joyfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen"

A perfectly patient Monarch

Sunset after a very long day

Pictures by: me

Wilted...

Let it go...

 Saying hello from the scorching Big OH. The temp. is 100, yet feels like 106. It has never been this hot in HOF (Hall of Fame) town, ever. I would go on and on, but why bother. We all know what it's like to be hot. Lol.

I treated myself to some bubbles @ the Dollar Tree today. So damn hot, it was all I could do to blow a couple, then I was done. Even though I was in the shade. Whew!

"D" got promoted this past week. Big congrats to him. He wants to shine. He is a good manager, yet so military. The Army will always be in him. Even all the way down to his clothes. I'll just say starch is a constant must in the house. His clothes could stand in the corner on their own. Lol.

Treat yourself...

I got 3 books from Amazon for $12 & that was only for shipping! The books literally cost $.01. I truly need a wall of built in book shelves. "Letters to My Daughter", "The Welcome Table", & "Dori Sanders Country Cooking". Firstly, I love Maya Angelou's words so her words of wisdom to the daughter she never had, yet we are all her daughters, is amazing. With both writers; I like hearing stories behind their recipes. D. Sanders wrote 2 other books (Clover & Her Own Place) & works the family roadside peach stand. How cool IS that? She completely rocks.

Touch the water

I happened upon this little lake in the middle of walking trails near work. I couldn't believe how green/blue the water was. Picnic tables were around, but I didn't feel comfortable so isolated so deep in the woods alone. Plus it was hot.

Blessings & cool temps to you.

Little blessings

I'm gonna be a Grandma!!!! LOL

Okay... I have four ferns hanging on my porch; I noticed a little finch was pretty attached to one in particular. Even when we would sit on the porch, it would fly & hang in mid-air, not afraid of us at all. The other night got windy, so I took the plants down; the little thing flew around like madness looking for the fern. I'm wondering what the????

Then I found out - next morning when I went to re-hang the pots, this is what I found!!! How perfect is it? I immediately ran & got the cammy (... as you can see... DUH!)

I'm thrilled & now extra protective of the fern. I wonder, though; I had been watering & fertilizing heavily with MiracleGro - will the birds come out the size of eagles? LOL!

I'll keep ya posted on the progress of the arrival of my "Grandbirds." :-)

See ya next time!

Tuesday on a Tuesday!!!

Monday's child is fair of face.
Tuesday's child is full of grace....

Here's my "dumplin' boo angel' again!!! LOL! She's four months now (time is flying).  As you can see, she's becoming quite the 'chunker' which makes her all the more sweet. Love me some fat babies!!! :-) Nothing brightens my day more than Ms. Tuesday Imani. She's such an angel. So full of grace... :-)

Missed out

I never realized until I got into adulthood that I missed having a daughter/father relationship. My parents divorced when I was young and my step-father, while a great provider, was NOT the "Bill Cosby" type. He wasn't raised in love, so he didn't know how to express love. This was fine & well with me then, because my mama was my mother and father.

I think the first time I realized what I may have missed was not until a few years ago. I watch the President's tenderness with his girls, a co-worker who treats his girls in such a way that I couldn't have imagined at the ages of 6 & 8. He 'dates' them (lunches w/them separately, after any school play, etc., he's off stage w/an arm full of flowers). His reason for being so attuned is that he wants them to know how it is to be treated by a man. In their futures, when they run into a man that doesn't measure up to the worth their daddy taught them, prayerfully, they'll turn away.

When I watched my sister-n-law dance with her father at her & my brother's wedding, she was truly his princess.

Would I have made more careful choices in the men in my life had I a father who 'dated' me? Yes, I am blessed with six men (my brothers) who gave 'big brother' warnings, but it was not the same as hearing from a clear male figure in my life. Getting warnings & threats about boys/men kept me away for sure, but no one ever taught me what to do with my heart from a man's perspective. I fumbled into adulthood full of unsurety about men.

Clearly, I've made it thus far as I am, but not without knocks & bruises. My heart, while tightly guarded under lock & key, appears to still open for the wrong people in the wrong places. It is what it is, but sometimes, just sometimes... I wonder....

Happy Father's day to all fathers who are reading. And if it isn't too late in time, date your daughter so she won't write a post like this one day :-)

Pictures; Internet Courtesy

Removal

In this new year of living 49 years, I vow to myself to slip off my costume of masks, open my heart to receive and give all things love, keep joy in my heart, a smile on face & be fully, totally and unforgiveably myself. My boobs may not be where they used to be and my tummy not as flat, but I am powerfully and beautifully made. There is not one other person on earth like me.

I'm finally grown up enough to embrace that. :-)

Love yourself. It's the greatest love of all.

Sunday Scribbling word prompt: "costume"

Picture courtesy: Internet

49 Bye-Byes

While you guys weren't looking, I turned 49 last Saturday! Yay! - thankful & blessed for yet another year.

 I got the title of this post from a great song by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on the "Four Way Street - Live" album. The words don't apply to me as it's a guy singing about letting his girl walk away with another man, but the title popped in my head & I thought 'why not?'

The birthday was the usual - very low key by my own choice I suppose. The routine going out to eat didn't excite me, nor did... well, anything. There was a jazz/blues fest downtown, but I wasn't familiar with the artists, plus it was so hot.

So, I chose to spend it my way. In the quiet & basically alone, which was just fine with me.

So in this new year of wisdom, I choose a few goals from my 2012 Life Handbook:

1.  Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while I walk, smile.
2.  Read more books than I did in 2011
3.  Sleep (nightly) for 7 hours
4.  Make peace w/my past so it doesn't spoil my present
5. Call and/or see family more often
6.  Forgive everyone for everything
7.  Create & keep in touch with friends
8.  Believe the best is yet to come
9.  When I awake alive each morning, thank God for it; and
10. My inner most is always happy. So... be happy!!!