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| bird and some punkins |
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we grew pumpkins on the farm this summer.
it really was a joint effort
verses like the little-red hens-bread story.
my nephew hooked up the tiller to the tractor.
brown-eyed-handsome man tilled the garden.
i raked the weeds and bought the seeds.
sister-bird and i planted the seeds.
dad watered the seeds...
kind of.
he used more force than necessary
so the seeds washed out.
repeatedly.
sigh
so sister bird and i replanted the
pumpkin seeds repeatedly.
eventually some "took"
and plants began to grow.
eureka!!!
dad watered them until
bird and her retired-hunter-hubby
lived at the farm this summer.
then she became the official weeder and
waterer.
now that it's fall the harvest has begun.
recently dad and i picked a few pumpkins.
this last thursday i baked one at the farm
and then made 2 pies with it.
friday dad had a luncheon at the church
and i suggested he go and take a pie.
" why should i share my pies?"
he asked.
silly man.
but..
he did go and he did share a pie.
it was a big hit.
imagine my amazement though
on saturday when several of those
luncheon attenders told me about the pie
my dad made and shared with them all!
WHAT!!!
dad made the pie?
i suggested to one sweet lady she
ask dad for his recipe.
eventually i understood
dad indicated he grew
the pumpkin but left the
rest up to others imagination.
i come from a family of readers.
my folks both read a lot.
i remember my grammie reading books.
i like to read.
our 3 kids enjoy a good book too.
brown-eyed-handsome-man only reads
non fiction.
he's a big history buff.
i can read fiction or not.
just depends on if a book interests me.
well....
this summer in my local library
i found a new book Grounded by
some of my favorite authors..
Neta and Dave Jackson.
i devoured it.
then i liked them on facebook.
one day i got really really lucky.
they were asking for 40 people to read
their latest book Derailed and review it.
so... i got a free book.
when it came i devoured it too.
and could hardly wait to write my review.
since the book is not being released until
Oct. 8th
i thought i had to wait until then to
do so.
nope, not according to the email today from
the Jacksons.
so.... i quickly posted some reviews.
and now i'm writing one here.
if you enjoy christian fiction
that is uplifting, encouraging,
not namby-pamby-butterflies-and-rainbows-ish,
but a bit of a mystery....
this book is for you.
you'll be encouraged in your faith
and prayer life, plus enjoy some adventure
as the characters become your friends.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=derailed+windy+city&sprefix=derailed%2Cstripbooks%2C296
and when you get finished with those two,
read the Yada Yada Prayer Group series.
the end.
yup, we have a first-day-of-school-er.
our youngest is starting today.
and we couldn't be prouder.
here's her preschool graduation photo.
doesn't seem that long ago.
only 1995.
today in a state far away from her home
she will be in a class of 21 kids.
i know there is some nervous energy for all of them.
first days can be scarey.
it's uncharted territory,
a thing you've never done before.
will they like me?
that ole' fear of the unknown.
especially for the teacher.
i reminded her she just needs to be kind.
besides that....
she does know more than they do!
happy first day of teaching darling daughter.
today another good man in my life has a birthday.
i don't talk about him much,
but he does exist.
he lived across the hall from me for many years
and we shared many grand adventures.
*we scrambled up mountains with no fear,
he always went the highest.
*we took turns on family vacations
waiting for the car's a/c to drop frigid
ice water on our feet... then leaping
and yelping with glee.
*many times we stood in front of the lilac
bush for Easter pictures, dodging
and darting the bees, wondering who
would get stung that year.
* he would let me up in the tree house,
but only if the boy cousins weren't there.
*we "boxed" as kids...
he was on his knees,
giving me a great advantage.
:-)
*we watched sumo-wrestling
on grandmas tv.
then skipped home to giggle
through our version of those
gentle giants.
*we played wagon train in the pastures.
he always had the gun of course.
and yes you can "circle" two wagons,
but cats do not make good cattle nor
stay in that circle.
*when neither of us was
legal driving age we explored
the hills and two-track roads in
an old white ford pick up.
anxious to see what was over the hill,
and just how high we could
bounce off the seat if we went
fast enough.
*i learned to drive with my
knees watching him on the way to school.
*he was my protector as a young teen
when i might have been was 'dragging main'
with some questionable characters,
or dancing with some non-english speaking guy
at the first dance mom ever let me go to.
*i spent several summer nights hollering
"stay down! don't let him get around you.. punch it!"
as he drove around and around and around
the dirt race track.
zipping in and out of cars passing them,
finishing often in the top 3 places.
* we dined and hooted till tears ran down
with in-numberable games
of spoons or animal at the big
farm table stretched to the max.
* i can still see him dressed to the nines
for his daughters wedding. looking
so handsome.
* i have sweet memories of watching him
dance at my daughters wedding,
with his daughter.
* he recommended the surgeon who
fixed my shoulder.
*we even shared the same thoughts
and a few giggles when making the
arrangements for mom's funeral and
later the headstone.
"mickey mouse ears are not for us."
*we shake our heads in wonder
at our sweet but sometimes confusing
dad. thankful he's still around.
my lifetime of memories with
the brother God and our parents gave me
are good.
happy birthday big brother.
i hope it's a good one.
our community shoots off the fireworks on july 3rd.
i really like fireworks.
so this evening we heard the signal boom
and headed outside to watch them.
i'm lucky enough to have our youngest with me.
she's been here for about 6 weeks.
she and her cat.
they have been at the in-between stage of life
again.
she graduated from college in may
and got a job.
however didn't need to be at the job
immediately, so hung out at home.
tomorrow we head west with this
teacher-daughter-child-woman.
she's got a job in a big city about 15 hours away.
sigh.
really i am happy for her.
it's what she wants.
to teach second grade in a city.
she will do a really good job.
such a heart for kids she has.
and such energy she has.
:-)
as i watched the sparkling lights tonight,
i thought of why we shoot them off.
independence.
we wanted it.
we needed it.
and we got it.
it wasn't easy, but worth the struggles.
and i thought of my youngest child.
she's worked hard for her college degree.
it wasn't easy, but...
she wanted it.
she needed it.
and she got it.
and now...starting tomorrow
she begins the journey towards
her independence day.
gonna be on her own,
new place,
new people,
new adventures.
and this is a good thing.
no matter where i go it seems
some people just don't use their manners.
or maybe they are just ignorant,
and i mean un-informed actually.
so todays topic is
how to politely put gas in your car.
1. when you pull up to the pump
be sure to go to the most forward
one if it's available.
don't just stop at the back one.
that causes blocks, traffic issues,
and grumblings.
and even dangerous situations as others
must wiggle waggle into the spot you
could have easily pulled up to.
2. also, after you've filled up,
if you need to go inside the store,
MOVE YOUR CAR.
do not let it set there whilst you
cavort amongst the candy...
or peruse which bag of chips
is calling your name.
MOVE YOUR CAR up to the store.
PLEASE.
then you can dance among the candy
and sodas as much as you fancy.
and the next thirsty car can get
a tankful.
whew..
at least i've told someone
something useful today.
our youngest,
our most recent college graduate,
just wasn't feeling too confident about
her future.
after all she has the degree, now needs the job.
but so far, things weren't moving very fast.
patience is hard when your future is on the line.
late last week an email came from a school expressing interest.
here-after known as school A.
AHA!
her confidence began to creep back up.
the next day came a phone call from another school,
she had an impromptu interview and got a job offer.
we shall call them school B.
(it was her birthday, too.)
confidence level vastly improved!
lots of research, discussion followed
with her parents.
the weekend was over.
it was time to make a decision.
good old dad was getting nervous for his baby girl.
" take the job!
call them NOW!
take the job!"
(referring to school B.)
and the mom was trying not to get on that train.
however,
the college grad had her own time frame.
she had a determined time when she was going to make the call.
before, yes before she can make that call...
she gets a call from another school.
we shall call them school C.
not even one she's heard from yet.
ever.
they want a phone interview.
now i get a call.
from the daughter-roo.
my little college grad is starting to float above the floor.
she is wanted!
she does have something to offer.
she is being validated!!!
she puts a phone call in to the job offered school,
school B.
but the principal is unavailable.
message is left.
she calls home updating me on the process.
as we are talking she gets an email
from the principal at school A.
he wants a phone interview, asap.
okey-dokey.
this baby-college-graduate of mine
is no longer grounded.
she is levitating 5 feet off the floor
in excitement and amazement.
lets see,
she does the phone interview with
with school C.
they are nice, but not quite
what she's interested in.
they say they will get back with her.
the phone interview with school A
is next.
i am getting phone calls in between all
the calls she is getting.
it's important to know
this is happening in about 1 hours time frame.
honest.
it's c.r.a.z.y.
our phone rings with the latest news...
interview with school A goes great!
this baby-college-grad has left the building.
she is floating in the clouds.
so excited i can barely understand
what she is saying.
she loves the teaching methods,
concepts, and much much more.
she is offered a job.
it's even teaching her most preferred grade,
second.
i ask,
"did you say yes?"
she: "No, i wanted to talk to you."
me: " do you want to teach there?"
she: "YES"
me: "then call him back. now."
she: "Okay. mom they are sooo cool."
and she proceeds to tell me again all the things
she was excited about.
we got off the phone.
she called school A, accepting their offer.
so, now it's back to HR.
they do the official hiring.
if this all works out,
our baby will be just like her siblings
and spreading her wings.
she will be 16 hours away.
it's okay.
honest.
you know why?
as we got off the phone
she said,
"okay, you can finish fixing your lunch,
i'm just gonna be jumping around my apartment!"
