About Me

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This is my journey. This is what I see. I am a wife, a mother, an artist. I am on His path.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

How Times Change.....



Rites of passage.

Back in my day, the magic age was 19.

I was able to go out with friends and buy....alcohol.

Frog is about to turn 18.

What is her rite of passage?





Pseudoephedrine




So as she looks at this blog post, her reaction?

"You make me look like a druggie!"

However my sweetie...you will be a non-stuffy druggie....




Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Time

I used to always be on time...heck, I used to always be early.   I was the one who would show up to get the table, to set up for the event...


....time.  Where does it go?

I just arrived for another appointment late.  Am I over scheduled?  Nope.  It is the only appointment on my calendar today.  I just have a terrible time getting organized and going when I should.

ClockfaceI think I am becoming that person who thinks, "Oh, I have time to get one more load of laundry switched, I can wipe down that counter, I can tuck point the chimney....(that one is for you MIL and FIL!)

 Maybe it comes back to the whole Super Mom thing again. I could do anything!  I could make twelve appointments over the phone and remember every one of them without writing them down. I could list off every ailment my children ever had! I could recall dates and trivial facts.  They were just there.  The information was in my head.

 Now?
 .................................

 That's all I got.

 I have this external brain...my iPad.  It is instant.  Flip the switch and the screen pops up.

Contacts?  Got it.  Calendar?  Got it.  Appointment times?  ........... Crap!

I have to remember to write it down!
   I think I should be fired from my part-time secretarial position.
      I will try to be on time tomorrow.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Earth Day

I am far from being a tree-hugger.

I love my piece of earth.  I love my soil. I love my flowers. I love every blade of grass.  It is my piece of Heaven on Earth.

What gets my goat though, is how some have no respect for the earth around them.


Litter bugs.

Yep.  You heard me.

Litter bugs.

Cigarette butts.  Candy wrappers. Soda Bottles.  Fast food bags. Apple cores.  Underwear.  Shoes. Banana peels.

Getting chucked out of their car windows. Dropped in parking lots.

Does no one use an ash tray?  Oh, yeah, you would have to have a car with an ashtray in it.....I don't remember the last car I owned with an ash tray.  My car right now actually says in the cubby -
"NOT AN ASHTRAY".

Remember those little garbage bags made out of vinyl you hung in your car?  Oops - you need a cigarette lighter in your car to hang it on.

So have people become so lazy they chuck it out of their car windows instead walking to a trash can?  Yep - that is what I think.
Laziness.....

My original point of this post was littering...I so wanted the image of the litter bug I knew as a kid....the one we saw at school on posters.  But instead of the image I wanted, I found something even more magnificent.  
I found the coolest website.  


This is an awesome site that you can report litter bugs.  The reports go by state.  You can post the day, time and what was littered.  The funniest part though.....you record the license plate number, make and model of the car.

I don't know who is watching this....but it is there.  It makes me giggle actually.

So take care of our earth....stop pitching your garbage out of the car window.

And, please don't throw anymore banana peels out on the highway.  We could have a clown car catastrophe...





Friday, April 13, 2012

Sacrifice

Sacrifice......sometimes we want to do something for the "me" ......  but there are others that are more important.

Mothers make this sacrifice everyday.

     I know my Mom did.

          I know her Mom did.  

It is something.....some little voice.....some little ..... something.  God made us a mother and gave us incredible strength to give up things that we want. Personal things that we want.

My priorities are clear. I am a little sad at my decision having to be made...but it is what a mother has to do.

 And as my Mom just said to me,

 "You will get there someday...."

 Thanks Mom.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

A Ranting Revelation


I have been ranting for almost 24 hours.  I don't want to print my rant.  I don't think it would do any good.  In fact....it could do damage.  This is a time I  have chosen to hold my tongue.  Can you believe it?  (Poppo is shaking his head no right now - he knows I am really good at sticking my foot in my mouth)  

Instead, my rant has led to write in a different direction.  I hope a positive direction.

While visiting colleges over the years with my children, I never thought much about how the professors get to that college.  How do they, as an instructor, make that decision where to teach?    How does any teacher get to where they WANT to teach. 

My kids have shared their experiences throughout their schooling about good instructors and, what they thought, were bad instructors.   The difference?  The ability of a teacher to talk to them as a person.  To discuss an issue.  To be taken seriously, no matter what they say.  To accept them when they fail.  To nudge them when they need a nudge.  To celebrate them when they succeed!

Peanut left her first college.  She had no say in anything while she was there.  She could not discuss her ideas or thoughts on her instruction.  She was miserable.  She changed schools, and loved the program of study she listed as her major…..until…..

Peanut took a class as a required general education class and she changed her direction.  She changed her major.  She changed her passion.

And what drove that passion?  An instructor…….a mentor. 

An instructor can roll information off the tongue.  They can lecture, they can talk the talk, and they can sit in their chair and explain stuff. 

A mentor is hands on.  They jump in 100% and guide students to an end goal.  They give ideas.  They lead.   They WANT to be there.  Their passion for their craft, for their area of expertise, rubs off on all those they surround.  They are there to listen.  They are there to inspire.  They are there to make an impact…..a difference.

While visiting the university Frog has chosen to attend, an Associate Professor in her department of study made a comment that they were actively seeking to add to their faculty, however, it is difficult to find the mentor that they wanted in that position……the MENTOR!  Not an instructor. Not a Professor.  A mentor……

Maybe this needs to be a plan in schools across the country…….elementary, middle, high school or college. 

Don’t we all need Mentors?  Don’t we all need to be inspired?

Sunday, April 8, 2012

A Blessed Easter Weekend....

What a weekend!

Tall Man was home for Easter and my birthday.  What a treat!  I was even surprised....well, kinda....by his parents (MIL and FIL), and my parents (Mom and Poppo).  Tall Man thought better of the total surprise and chose to warn inform me on Friday.

So, every event with our family involves food.  And not just any food......food for an army.

My birthday feast was Surf 'n Turf.  We were treated with Marinated New York Strip (14 steaks) and Shrimp (5 pounds) on the grill.  Oh my....I should mention the spinach salad with homemade strawberry vinaigrette and the grilled asparagus topped with a lemon butter.  We topped off the meal with Tiramisu......the Twinkie Tiramisu recipe, but made with lady fingers so the Man Child could partake of the feast with us.

These were a few of my favorite things.....

Today, we arrived home from Easter Service for a treat of Mom's Apple Dumplings and coffee.  We are watching and smelling for the Polish Sausage (fresh from the butcher, a treat from MIL and FIL) to brown, and the water to boil to start the pierogi a boilin'.  And yes....that would be 14 pounds of Polish Sausage and about 8 pounds of pierogi......made by THE Polish Grandmother, otherwise known as MIL.  She is standing over the boiling pot of water as I tap away on this keyboard.

I love Easter.
    I love the tradition.
         I love the food.
              I love the family.

The Lamb Butter

A Blessed Easter to you all.......

He is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  Alleluia!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Another Year.....

I start another year of life......



I add some more white hair.......









And 
continue 
to dream of blue.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

She has a Puppy on Her Back

We all have that addiction...the monkey on our back.



Everyone except Frog.



She has a Puppy on her back.



She will ride around on Emma's back for hours.
She likes to participate.
She likes to see what is happening.
And she loves to wash dishes...
she might get to lick something!