A Lost Artform

Letters..... No, not ABCDEF Gee Whiz. Cards. Stationary. Correspondence. A pen and paper.

Growing up, nothing brought me greater joy than running to the mailbox and looking to see if I got any mail. Excitedly opening the mailbox and only dreaming of what could be in there. Obviously around my birthday or Christmas time it was a "sure thing" that I would receive a card or small package addressed to me. But, I'm talking about for absolutely no reason at all, pawing through bills and junk mail and seeing my name on an envelope. Oh, the thrill that it would bring. Spying the return address and ripping that thing open was an adrenaline rush. Who loved me so much and took the time to go through all the effort of writing me a letter?

Nowadays, the computer and instant e-mail gratification makes writing something longer than a broken sentence or two, followed by abbreviated words and symbols all too easy. Knowing that someone got a pen, paper, an envelope, and sprung the 44 cents to place a letter in the mailbox brings great joy to my heart. My children know that they are expected to send thank you cards after receiving a gift. I love surprising a far away friend with either a "thinking of you" card or a small box filled with chocolates, seeds, coupons or feminine products (and, oh yes I have)! Won't you join me in keeping the dream of the pony express alive and surprise someone today. (Well technically it will take two or more business days depending on where you are sending it, but you get my drift, right?

Oh to be Seven!

Wait for it........

The wind up......He scores!

Any future cheerleaders here?

They're neck and neck...... a photo finish.... and the winner is....

Half time show. (Yes, it's a dead bat, but, of course.)

The huddle.

Oh yeahhhhhhhh!

Think About it Thursdays

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,

"What if I had given everything,

instead of going through the motions?"

Matthew West song lyrics

Strawberry Fields

Endless possibilities!

Digging for hidden treasures.

Not my best angle I hope.

He's a pickin' and a grinin'.

He just can't wait. Full and smelly ;)

From this.....


....to this. Can't you just taste the yumminess!

The Melon Above our Necks

Admittedly, I am a Sci-Fi freak. One of my all time favorite movies is the 1990 classic Total Recall. A man finds out that certain false memories were implanted in his mind while other true thoughts and memories were removed. He goes through the process of discovering which is which. It amazed me to really ponder that if I had a thought in my mind was it always perceived correctly. Could it become a real memory and true in my life like it did for Arrrrnold?

Our brains are incredible organs. It is amazing to me all of its physical attributes but also the emotional and mental capabilities it holds. Every thought that enters our melons are like seeds, we need to decide what fruit they will produce. Some seeds are beneficial and beautiful and become useful information for us to recall. Others, are life choking weeds that consume our thoughts and stir our emotions into chaos. Those things I ponder for too long do become real in my life.

A term that fascinates me is "arrested development", an abnormal state in which development has stopped prematurely. Our bodies will continue to grow and mature but our minds will not age past the point of our hurt or wrong thinking. Just like Arnold, until he faced the memories and removed his wrong thinking, he couldn't kill the bad guys, get the girl and save Mars to become the superhero he is. So come on Captain Melon, join me in the fight to erradicate mixed up thinking and save our brains from the evil forces of Mr. Wrong Thoughts.

Father's Day (narrated by our kids)

Fun at the car show with Papa.

Even if I have a grumpy face, Dad and I can still have fun at the picnic place.

I can be silly with him! I love Dad.

Thanks Dad, for taking us here. It was so much fun!

Walking hand in hand in hand.

Field Days Fun

Once a year we go as a family to the local field days. Growing up it was a fun tradition and now our kids love it too.

Ticket booth line. Ready to hand over the wallet.

The workers running the rides. Heavy metal t-shirts required, scowls and criminal records optional.

Wetness. And yet the rides continue to run....

The Hurricane. No fear.

Gravitational pull at work. Super gray skies.

The best part. Pizza and fried dough!

Powder face. Delighted!

Honestly, Do These Things Only Happen To Me

Yes, the toes again and also my husband's idea of romantic sleepwear! However, if you look closely at toe number two you will see a bruise on the side of it. I have a hungry little critter that creeps around in my kitchen when I am not looking. He sneaks into the chocolate chip stash, gnaws apart the bag and blasts chips all around the cupboard. Periodically, I have to relocate the chocolate chips so as to keep them protected.

A new spot was found, high on top of the cupboard in a large decorative bowl. The chips were hidden and safe. The next day, I'll blame it on pre-menopause, I was craving a small handful of chocolate chips to take the edge off. Some people have coffee, some other vices, mine is chocolate! I reach up to grab the bowl and can not quite reach it. Did I shrink overnight? Stretch a little farther, up on tip toes and .......... I swear I could even hear it.......POP! My toe pops out of joint. Is my calcium level that low? This is quite pathetic. Mega pain and guilt. Am I being punished for hiding chocolate chips? Is there no mercy anymore?

So here it is, my confession of how I sprained my toe, public for the world to see, and the picture of the critter partially responsible.....

Think About it Thursdays

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

William James 1842-1910

The Mohonk

A beautiful place to visit, that seems to be under the radar, is the Mohonk Mountain House located just south of Albany, New York. Great for a romantic weekend or family fun, there seems to be something for everyone. One family I spoke to said they make a yearly trek here with their large extended family. Old fashioned charm with as much or as little to do as you please.





Gorgeous gardens to wander around and a green house where you can buy the flowers.





Luxury spa with all kinds of "treatments". Cucumbers included.







Private lake surrounded by huge rock formations. Great for swimming, canoe and paddle boating.

Tree maze. Fun to get lost in.

Private balconies, working fireplaces and antique furniture in every bedroom. Food, too yummy to drool over now. Somewhat costly, but worth the enjoyment. Definitely worth checking out!

The Carnage Continues

Another land mine was found in my back yard. This time a barn swallow courtesy of some undetermined feline. It's gross and barbaric compared to our civilized grocery store buffet line of processed meats from which to select. However that's what cat's do. It is in there genetic nature. They are "bent" to do cat things.

Oh the joys.....

And finally the removal.

It made me stop and think of ways that I am "bent". Do I have characteristics that I was born with for a reason? I like things organized and not unruly. Is this a good trait... yes. Can I be obsessive and critical sometimes if things are not just as I want them to be...yes. Is it possible that even a God-given trait can be misused or abused? Absolutely! Even though this is a part of how I was made, I need to use self control and direct it toward good purposes. Not always easy I assure you, but left unchecked how many of my own land mines will I end up stepping on and self detonating? (BTW: The music's the best part and yes, I am slightly sadistic :>)

My Gardening (Dis)Abilities

The green thumb missed me in my family. My mom, sister, aunts and even my dad were all blessed with gardening grace. I am a perennial type of gal. If I can get it established then I am golden. Numerous weeds and very tall grass stems are always present. From far away it all blends in, but up close, eek!

A summer rose, daisies and iris....

A beautiful poppy bush that I thought was a weed. I tried to pull it out the first year and kept mowing it over. Thankfully, it was tenacious and returned in all it's glory!

White peonies

My sad attempt at a garden. My husband still teases me for all the weeds in last year's effort. This year I laid down plywood to keep the weeds at bay and went the potted garden route. We shall see.....

I sincerely hope this is not the most edible thing I will find in this year's garden. Say a prayer for me!