Sunday, September 28, 2008

Absurdities in the news!

Hi Ya'll! In these unsettled financial and political times, I find myself spending more time reading news publications and tuning in to the t.v. to follow what is going on. As I was reading our local paper, several interesting articles caught my eye. Each one made me stop, and reflect. . . "Just WHAT were they thinking?"
#1. Ed McMahon RAPS about his finanacial troubles! Now REALLY folks! The man is WAY up in his 80s and he is joining a rap star to make a recording to raise money to bail himself out of finanacial difficulty? Just what are they thinking?
#2. PETA suggests that Ben&Jerry's Ice Cream use MOTHER'S MILK, in the place of cow's milk in their ice cream! PETA stated that milking cows is cruel! Just what were those PETA folks thinking?
#3 The nation of Austria allows 16 year olds to vote! When I was 18, I was CERTAIN that I had every right to vote and would make an excellent choice! I look back now and wonder, "just what was I thinking. . . " on some of my choices at such a young age. The very interesting thing about Austria is, that they allow voting at 16, but their citizens must be 21 to drive a car! Do Austrians value hiway safety above well qualified governmental officials? Are they on to something good here, or is it yet another ABSURDITY in the news?
It's your turn to let me know, "Just what are YOU thinking?"

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

World View @ 5 am

Good Morning, Y'all! Just thought that I would report on the state of the world before even the birds are up. Why, you might ask, would anyone CHOOSE to rise and attempt to shine at such an hour? Well, the Hubby had to catch the early bird flight to DC today, so he was stirring around 4am, to get to the airport by 5 for the 5:55 flight to our nation's capitol. With the lights on, I figured that I might as well rise and head to my early morning destination, as well. Both Annie B and Big Poodle continued to snooze on, ispite of our stirrings.
With a banana and a cup of coffee for fuel, and a water bottle in hand, a sweatsuit clad moi, headed to the car to make the short drive to the fitness center. All was quiet and still in the neighorhood. Not a creature appeared to be stirring. Even the usual black cat was absent on the street. After leaving the neighborhood, for a busier artery in town, traffic was picking up. I cannot say that the folks in the cars that passed me seemed to be very bright-eyed or bushy-tailed, though. All seemed to be pretty subdued, heading to their respective destinations.
Arriving at the gym, life was a different matter. The woman at the desk is ALWAYS smiling and friendly, and the 6 am aerobics class was about to crank up. The music videos were thumping their beat loudly, with their artists moving to the music on the video screens. The other gym participants are all moving and focused on their tv screens or tuned into their ipods, not noticing the other exercising folks present.Let's face it, none of us looked particularly great at that hour! Everyone moved quickly into their own athletic groove, ignoring, or seeming to ignore, what was going on around them. I joined in, on the treadmill and then with the weights, in pursuit of better fitness and a smaller pant size!
The real world was still there, and I made a wake-up call to Annie B, promising to be back home within 30 more minutes, to usher her out the door for school.
By this time, the pitch blackness of the night was gone and it was officially "the morning rush" on the roads, all shared with busses and trucks. The neighnorhood was out and about, with dogs and newpapers being gathering inside. A new day had dawned and I was there to catch it all. Have a great one, Y'all! Maybe I can fit a siesta in around mid-afternoon. I'll let you know if early birds really do, catch the worms!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Gotta LOVE the South!

I have traveled a bit around the U.S. I have even crossed the pond a couple of times to see what was on the other side. In my travels, rarely do I see the humour that Southerners display on the license plates of their personal vehicles. Yes, I am talking about personalized license plates. Some are quite clever. Some have a very clear message. Others make me ask, "Just what WERE they thinking, when the owner of that car decided to place that message on the back, for all the world to see?"
On my way to our downtown church the other day, I just happened to have the good fortune to be behind such a vehicle. It was a BRIGHT green Dodge Charger of unknown model year. It resembled the vehicle that "starred" in the old "Dukes of Hazzard" tv show from years ago. Now, just to set the record straight, I was NOT a fan of the DoH, but had plenty of friends(especially males) who thought that there was NOTHING better. I do believe that they all had their eyes on a certain Miss Daisy Duke, who now has short-shorts that bear her name.
At any rate, I was behind this VERY loud car, sporting a personalized license plate. I read the plate, just as I was passing the Governor's Mansion of our Great State. The plate read, "MEAN R NU." Translation: "Meaner Than You." From the looks of the driver of the mean green machine, I am thinking that he was correct. He probably IS meaner than I am! What I want to know. . . Is that a GOOD thing?
Like I said in the title of this post, you just GOTTA love the South, where folks don't need to wonder what we are thinking! We just put it on our license plates to tell the world! I just wish that I had been in the possession of a camera, so that y'all would not think that I was making this one up! It was FOR REAL!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Stop Me Before I Volunteer Again!

Hey, Y'all! A dear friend sent me a little "love" gift in the mail the other day. It was a note pad that said, "Stop Me Before I Volunteer Again!" Do you suppose that she is trying to tell me something? This friend is a little older than I am, with all three of her children grown and married, or about to be. She is pretty wise, on many fronts!
To be totally honest, I probably really have said "yes" a few too many times, lately. I think that the reality is hitting me, and I am beginning to be a little overwhelmed! My youngest daughter, Annie B. is 16. In two more years she will be in college, and my involvement, as a parent,on a day to day basis, will be about over. So I said "yes" to a BIG job with her school, which is a two year stindt. Then I said "yes" to a pretty big responsibility with my church. That one does not really kick in for a couple of years, so I am currently "in-training" for that. Then, of course, there are my little "paid" jobs at school, my after school teaching of art classes at home and of course, my little "Y'all Spoken Here" enterprise. Hmmm! Just how many hours are there in a day, anyway?

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

"That's what it's all about!"

Ok, Y'all! Here is the burning question of the day. Is the HOKEY POKEY really what it is all about? Today, at the elementary school, I was trying to get the whole concept of RHYTHM across to a group of 2nd graders. There were some REAL LIVE WIRES within the group of 21 children, seated in a circle in the classroom.
I told them that they all had rhythm inside of them. One boy vowed and declared that "I h'aint got no rhythm in ME!" I assured him that we ALL had hearts in our bodies, and our hearts beat to our very own rhythm inside of us. Just like the rhythm of a clock ticking, or of the raindrops falling on the sidewalk outside, our heart beats with a rhythm. I had the children try to find their pulse, so that they could FEEL the rhythm of their heart. Of course, Keyvon, the child with NO rhythm, could not find his pulse!
We clapped, slapped, stomped and snapped variuous rhythms. I pointed out rhythms that we can see in repeated designs of fabrics in our clothing. We then stood in a circle to attempt a simple pattern of steps and claps. If I wanted the group to go right, there were a few that turned left. . . every time! IF I encouraged the group to clap once, certain members clapped repeatedly. After MANY tries, and no real success, I bagged the rest of the rhythm lesson, and sunk to the lowest level of teaching. . . the HOKEY POKEY! EVERYONE, even KEYVON, managed to do the activity perfectly and with total enthusiasm! Some days, (and THIS was ONE of them!) I suppose that the Hokey Pokey REALLY IS what it is all about!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Name Game

Hi Y'all! I am back to teaching at the neighborhood elementary school this week. I really find it energizing to be around the children. Most of them are just wonderful, with such enthusiasm for learning and great promise of a great future ahead of them. Every once in a while, I call the roll, and wonder, "Just what WAS their mother thinking when she hung that name on this child?"
After many years in and out of classrooms, I thought that I had heard or seen it all. There was the child that was named after the TV show years back, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." That child was named Illya Kuriakin Haigler, after the main character of the series! Amazing, isn't it?
Then there was the little girl, who told me that her name was MONET. I told her that her name was the same as my favorite artist, Claude Monet. When the child finally printed her nane on her paper, it was spelled MONEY and pronounced MO-NAY! Honestly, that is the truth!
Today, I ran across a new one that I had NEVER seen! A cute little girl, whose parent had named her AMBERLISHIOUS! I believe that it should have been spelled like delicious, except someone was not able to spell it correctly. When names are invented like that, who KNOWS what a correct spelling REALLY is! Anything goes!
It used to be said, that a strange name would "limit" a child's options during their life. Obviously, that is no longer true! We have a celebrity named Moon Unit. We have a presidential candidate named Barack Obama. Whatever happened to all of the boys named Bobby and the girls named Sally? I wonder just what the future holds for Amberlishious? We'll just have to keep playing "The Name Game" to find out!

Friday, September 12, 2008

Smells like Fall, Y'all!

Good Morning, Y'all! My family accuses me of being a "sniffer!" I cannot help having a VERY sensitive nose. I know immediately when Olliebear, the aged BIG poodle, has had an accident. I can tell when a neighbor has had a load of composted material delivered. Perfumes and certain detergents just drive me crazy! The nose just knows!
I was at my local grocery store(akaTheTeeter)when I caught a familiar odor. It suddenly smelled like FALL! It was a rainy and warm day. Humidity makes odors hang around longer, I think. It also seems to intensify smells. There was a big truck out in front, unloading MUMS! Golden yellow, rusty red, dusty lavender. . .all beautiful colors of MUMS! Nothing says that fall is beginning to me like the sight and smell of those plants and their distinct flowers!
I usually purchase about three rounds of chrysanthemums. The first round is usally in mid-September, when the impatiens that are in pots on my porch begin to look a little droopy. I rotate the summer flowers around back, and replace them with the pots filled with golden blooms. The nicest thing about the mums, is that they do last(when I keep them watered!) on my shady front porch about a month. The secret is to buy them in tight buds!
Round two is in mid-October, so that the porch will look festive for Halloween. Those are generally yellow, as well. Round three is another color. Many times I try the rusty red or purple shades moving towards Thanksviving. The really nice thing is that I then plant the mums in my garden. and get pretty blooms the following year, since they are perennials! Another WIN/WIN!
The next time you hit the grocery store or garden center, inhale and enjoy the woodsy fragrance of garden mums. The distinctive odor brings the warm fuzzy feelings of the approaching season. Hmmm! I think that I can hear the local high school band practicing for tonight's football game! It MUST be fall, y'all! THE NOSE KNOWS!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

United we stand. . . and EXERCISE!

Good Morning Y'all! I have been up now for more than 3 hours. I have exercised, eaten breakfast, walked the dog, thrown in some laundry and answered emails! All of this energy is thanks to my mornings at the gym!
Now, if you saw me, you would KNOW that I am NOT a typical "gym rat!"One day, when I am brave, I will post a snapshot! This particular gym is NOT the "meat market" variety that we tend to see on tv. Nobody is "picking up" anybody at 6am! In fact, most folks just greet one another with a simple "hey" or "good morning" since we are all there for the same reason. . . TRYING to get more fit!
I am picked up by two women, slightly younger than I am, at 5:50 AM! That means, that I am up, teeth brushed and face washed. . . .dressed with a few sips of coffee and a banana eaten ahead of time. There is a little quiet conversation on the ride there, through the darkened neighborhood, to the Lifestyle Family Fitness Center. We are greeted by a smiling woman with a good sense of humor. Gotta have humor at that hour! "Here they come!" Yay, They made it again!" "Good job, girlfirends!"
At that point, we all go and "warm up" on the treadmill, eliptical or the bikes for about 1/2 mile. Then we are on to our individual routines. They do freeweights. I do machines, alternating upper body and lower body workouts. I do between 10 and 30 reps on each center, depending on what I am working on. My weight limit, at this time ia just 10 pounds for overhead lifts(I am weak in that area) and more than 50 pounds for my lower body. The trainer says that most women are weak in their upper body.
The GOOD news is that I am becoming less jiggley!;-) I am losing inches and a few pounds. . .GRADUALLY! I added this weight,a couple of poinds a year, over more than 20 years, so I am actually taking it off faster than I put it on! I am NOT intimidated by the buff, musclebound folks that are there. Most of the folks that are there are just trying to improve their health and fitness, just like me! The very best thing is that I have far more energy than I used to have, and get lots more accomplished in a day! Always a bonus! I am home by 7 am, to make certain that Annie B. is up and ready to head off to school! Some times, I actually give her a wake up call, via the cell phine, from the gym, when the Hubby is out of town!
I would not be nearly as dilligent at this, if it were not for my gym buddies, Suzanne and Celeste! Thank you to them for their encouragement and support. United we stand, and EXERCISE! Now, get moving, Y'all!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Notes from my back porch

Hi Y'all! If I ONLY had a laptop, I could be posting this from my back porch. . .aka the screened porch. Alas, both my Hubbie and Annie B. have one, but I am in the study at the desk top model! My favorite spot "in" our house is actually "out" on the screened porch. That is where the very old Fick's Reed furniture, circa the 1940's sits, with it's multiple coats of paint. It was purchased from a resale shop, about 28 years ago, before "shabby chic" became stylish. It worked for us, because we had little or no cash and a cute "starter house" with a screened porch that was larger by far than the living room of the 1300 sq. ft. abode, that cost us (newlyweds. at the time) far less than most cars do today! We needed furniture for the porch, so that we could entertain freinds and family. The resale shop, over in Aberdeen, was our answer. With a borrowed pick-up truck and a promise to pay for the gas, we headed to the shop, that depended on folks, who were retiring to North Carolina's Golf Capital, to fill their cinder block garage with "Timely Treasures" that would not fit in their downsized digs. We scooped up the entire set, which had 4 chairs a coffee table, end table and a sofa for $125.00, which was an ecomonic stretch, at the time. The furniture was originally natural, bamboo-style, with rattan wrappings. Over the years, the furnishings have been painted a glossy white, then a bright "Volvo" green followed by the current classic black. The first cushions were a sage green, followed by a bright floral, then a laminated red/green lily print and now black and white Sunbrella stripe on the sofa, and a lime green and white pindot on the remaining pair of chairs, piped in black and white stripe. When I finally figure out just how to post photos, I will add some snaps of my personal favorite place.
The old furniture has become an dear friend. Each house that we chose, HAD to have a porch, or the option of adding one, to make room for the furnishings. Through four houses in two cities, this porch set has followed us! It has been the setting for birthday parties and funeral gatherings. It has seen new babies welcomed, eldery relatives entertained, gatherings of friends, of graduates and of bridal showers. Today, I could go out and purchase a new set of furniture, that would be all shiney and pretty. I choose not to, but instead, hang on to the furniture that has followed us along the path of our marriage. It is a little tattered along the edges, but still holds strong. Unless a pine tree in a hurricane or ice storm decides to make a direct hit on the back porch, this comfy furniture will endure a little longer. It beckons us to sit a while and visit or curl up with a good book, under the ceiling fan. It provides a spot for coffee and conversation, or a place for prayer and reflection. What a great spot to gather, and speak "Y'all!"

Monday, September 8, 2008

The Aftermath, OR Hanna's Belated Gift!

In my last posting, I bid a farewell to Hanna, the storm that dumped rain, but not too much else. As it turns out, she left us some belated "gifts" for us to remember her by. What a THOUGHTFUL little tropical storm visitor.
It seems that Sunday afternoon, as I was cleaning off my screened porch, Annie B,(the youngest daughter of the Y'all family), called me to the front of the house. She had been dong some homework in our study, and was distracted by birds right outside, who were raising an absolute rukkus! I stepped out on the front porch, and looked up into the branches of the enormous oak tree that spreads it's branches so beautifully across out front yard. Right above me, I saw (and heard!) a tufted titmouse, chickadees, a couple of mockingbirds and a blue jay, all hopping around the tree's lower branches, issuing some kind of an urgent message. Remembering a lesson taught to me as a very young child, by a sweet neighbor lady who was an avid bird watcher, I recalled that our feathered friends rarely group together with those who are not their "kind" preferring to socialize with birds of their exact species. Only in time of trouble, do they join together. At that moment, I noticed the bravest of the bunch, a mockingbird, diving at something about two feet off the porch. Looking down, I was astounded to see a snake, about 4 feet long, slithering within plain sight, right through the blooming white impatiens, just inches from my bottom porch step! Annie B. watched the legless creature, as I ran to get the Hubby, who was in full lawn-mowing mode in the back yard. Our hero, arrived with axe in hand and saved the "damsels in distress" by quickly dividing the slithering invader with a couple of rapid blows, and then hauling the remains out of sight! The really amazing thing was, that the birds were immediately silent, as if to say, "And now we will give you peace, since you destroyed our predator!"I am not in favor of destroying many of God's creatures, but snake is just not a welcome inhabitant of the Y'all garden! I am certain that this creature arrive in the neighborhood, via our creek, that was several feet above it's banks, due to Hanna's heavy downpours!
Later, we returned home from a youth group picnic, to find the entire right side of our house had been "relandscaped" by a huge fallen limb, about 30 feet long, from one of the five large trees in our front yard! The limb had fallen on the roof before landing on our front landscaping, right on top of our newest boxwoods. Yet another portion of the year old gutters was badly dented, and partially pulled from the facia trim of the house. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and, other than a mess, there, was minor damage. The limb must have had so much weight on it, with all of the rain, that it could no longer support the weight of the heavy leaves, sending it down, according to my neighbors, with a crashing blow and thud! Yet another calling card left by Hanna!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Farewell Hanna!

I am happy to report that Tropical Storm Hanna seems to be on her way! I was in Wrightsville Beach earlier this week(which I why there have not been regular posts!), and the beach was GORGEOUS! The water was a tropical turquoise and about 82 degrees! The sky was a true Carolina Blue, with some little puffy white clouds. The sand was PERFECT for walking. The sand just gives the BEST natural pedicure ever. No more rough spots on the feet, after a sand and sea walk!
As I drove back west on Thursday, I was joined by many boat owners, pulling their ivestments westward, out of harm's way. Traveling in an eastward direction, were many young men, hauling their surfboards toward the heavy surf and the waves that they hoped to ride. It seemed to be a bit of a do-si-do dance on the Interstate! Nothing like the evacuation of Hurricane Hugo that we were a part of from Charleston some years ago!
Inland, our rains started mid afternoon on Friday. In the triangle area, we have gotten nearly 5 inches. The major creek in our area is still rising, flooding the lower level parking deck of one of our bigger shopping centers. This is expected whenever there are steady rains for hours on end! That shopping center's location continues to be a "what WERE they thinking?" kind of a place. Built in mid 1970's it is still a great shopping spot, when the creek manages to behave.
Our house sits under the shade of three HUGE oak trees, which I adore! That is what attracted me to the house 9 years ago when our family relocated to "The City of Oaks" due to a corporate merger. That same attraction is a constant worry during storms, both summer and winter. This morning, just when I thought that we had completely dodged yet another bullet, I heard a loud THUD! It was either Annie B, taking a tumble upstairs or a limb on the roof. It was the latter, but fortunately, the only damage was a dent in the gutter over the front porch! A 15 foot dead limb was swaying in the wind gusts, just in front of our front entrance! The Hubby donned his work gloves and, once again, saved the day! Gotta love a guy with work gloves! Farewell Hanna!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Life is like a round of Golf!

Did Y'all know that life is like a round of golf? I set out to play yesterday with my hubby and daughter, Annie B., who needed to practice for the school golf team. Hubby needed to practice for his business golf games and I just needed the exercise and family time! So we headed out to the golf course where we play, which is on the other side of town(actually in another smaller town) from where we live. . .25 minutes away. We dropped off the clubs and I suddenly realized, that I had forgotten my golf shoes! ;-( So I feelt like a fool, for messing up like that, but decided that it just an opportunity to walk to the course and get some exercise with the family. So, I put on my happy face and headed out!
Well, I failed to mention to you in the last paragraph that I had worn the cutest pair of copper leather flip-flop style sandles, with beads and gold coins that kind of jingled when I walked. By now, you are getting the picture, I am certain! Walking 9 holes in flip flops on HILLS? OH MY!
The round of golf went from bad to worse! My hubby played the WORST round of golf that I had EVER observed! I lost count of the number of balls that he lost, mostly in the water, but a few out of bounds in the heavy poison ivy. You can imagine his mood, after he swung repeatedly at the dimpled ball, trying to get it out of the trap(which I call the beach!) and missing the mark! NOT a pretty picture! Meanwhile, I pounded the cart paths, jingling all the way, in my supportless, non-walking shoes, feeling the beginning a blister against my right great toe.
At this point, I am certain that you are getting ready to click off of this blog, feeling that you do not want to ready another complaining word to ruin your day. BUT, there was a BRIGHT spot and that was ANNIE B. and her game! In spite of her embarrassing parents, Annie B. was our little shining star! She played very well. She did not keep score, out of kindness to her Daddy, so as not to humiliate him further, but we all knew that she emerged as the winner of the round!
So, life is like a round of GOLF! Some are days are good and some are not, but somewhere in between, there is a glimmer of something good that emerges! In our round, it was the realization that our 16 year old daughter has an athletic talent that is emerging. Whether it emerges to the point that she will garner a bit of the LPGA scolarship money for college, that we keep hearing goes unawarded each year, since so few young women play golf, remains to be seen. But, we all had an opportunity to spend some time together, laughing at oursleves, and enjoying the gorgeous day and lovely surroundings, supporting our daughter and her endeavors. The bottom line is, as they say, not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. We played the game with love and humor, so that made it a WIN/WIN afterall! ;-) Y'all enjoy the week!