A Lucky Shot

March 31, 2012

A couple of years ago I was standing at the sink in the kitchen, looking out the window when I noticed this butterfly flitting around.  I grabbed the camera and went out to see if I could get a picture.  I was amazed at how many times it settled on a bush and sat there long enough for me to take a couple of pictures.  This is one of the best of the ones I took that day.  It seemed fitting to post a picture of a butterfly as we enter Holy Week and head toward Easter.

Still Going Strong

March 30, 2012

These are two of my favorite people in the world; Wayne's Mom and Dad, Marie and Edmund Ford.  I enjoy spending time with them, hearing them laugh, watching baseball with them, and listening to them.  They are amazing people with an abundance of practical knowledge and a lifetime of experience they have (and still are) passed down to their children, grandchildren, and an ever-growing number of great-grandchildren.  They wholeheartedly and without hesitation made me a part of this family, for which I am thankful.  This May they will celebrate 70 years of marriage.

Listen

March 29, 2012

This morning I sat by the pond watching the wildlife and listening.  I heard birds calling, a Sandhill Crane giving a warning when I got too close, the splashing of the ducks as they dove for food and took their baths, the beating of wings as birds flew by, squeaking of cars, traffic...I love the sounds of morning by the pond.

Power

March 28, 2012

This picture says "power" to me.  Strong clouds with strong light shining through.  A storm inside it just waiting to burst through...or sunlight conquering that storm and breaking through instead.  Shades of gray and white and black all blending together and highlighted by a blue sky.  Majestic, powerful, danger, beauty, light, dark, storm, calm...

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

March 27, 2012

The news is full of stories about people all over the world using, abusing, beating up, killing, and condemning people who are different than they are.  Casting Crowns has a song on their new CD that addresses this issue and gives one pause.  The second verse says, "Jesus, friend of sinners//The One whose writing in the sand//Made the righteous turn away//and the stones fall from their hands//Help us to remember//We are all the least of these//Let the memory of your mercy//Bring your people to their knees//Nobody knows what we're for//Only what we're against//".  The song goes on to ask what would happen if we put down our signs and crossed over the lines in order to help those who are the outcasts.
I have only heard this song once, but it drew me in at once and made me think.  Why do we condemn those who are hurting and need help and love?  Why do we spend so much time and energy being hateful to them instead of being Jesus' hands and feet to them?

Autograph

March 26, 2012

At the end of the race yesterday we were sitting in the bleachers behind EJ Viso's pit.  After getting out of the car and taking his helmet off, he sat on the wall talking to a variety of people on his team for quite a while.  Eventually he came over to the fence and started greeting fans.  I was in the right place at the right time to have the chance to hand him my hat for his autograph!  It's funny how excited people get about having someone famous sign something for us, but it is always a thrill for me when it happens.

Still Plays With Cars

March 25, 2012

I am a race fan - Indy Car, NASCAR, motorcycles.  I love it all.  Racing has been a part of me for my entire life.  My Mom is from Speedway, IN (Yes...the home of the Indianapolis 500) and my Dad raced motorcycles.  I've always thought he would have been successful racing cars if he had been presented with the opportunity.  As a child I watched races with my Dad...watching such drivers as AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Al and Bobby Unser, Rick Mears, Johnny Rutherford, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jackie Stewart (and, later, listening to him as an announcer), Danny Sullivan, Donnie Allison, Bobby Allison, and so many more.  Many of you are thinking, "That is such a boring sport...round and round and round...".  However, there are so many nuances to it.  There's strategy and skill, maneuvering, personalities, mechanical successes and failures, and a little luck.  It's a totally different sport to watch in person than on TV.  On TV you get to see everything that goes on and get to see replays.  In person you have the energy of the crowd (and that in itself is entertainment!), noise, smell, the feel of the engines, and the activity of the pit crews.

A Sweet Treat

March 24, 2012

This was taken in 1994 on Wassau Island, Georgia.   This butterfly was very bold and sat there for quite awhile as pictures were taken.

Above the Clouds

March 23, 2012

As we drove down the mountain from Sewanee on Saturday we were above the clouds/fog.  It was a beautiful sight as we looked at it from above, then descended down through it, and finally went below it.

Fuzzlings, Part 2

March 22, 2012

These are last year's chicks at Creekwood Crossing.  Their curiosity is fun to see.  These two were hopping around digging for food and learning about their world.  Suddenly, an airplane flew by and they both stopped and looked up to see what that new sound was.

Fuzzlings!

March 21, 2012
Another sign of spring!!  The annual hatching of the baby Sandhill Cranes at Creekwood Crossing.  For three years I have stopped to take pictures of the new babies when they hatch in the spring.  I love how both adult birds walk around with both babies and take care of them.  Their outings are truly family affairs.  The little ones are curious and will walk away from the adults but then scurry back when they feel uneasy about something.  I love to watch them!

Spring has Sprung

March 20, 2012

Today is officially the first day of spring, although spring started a while ago.  There's nothing like the sight of new life on trees that look dead!   Spring...a season to which we look forward after the long months of winter.  This year there hasn't been much winter, but spring still speaks to us of new beginnings and fresh starts.  It's a beautiful sight.

People Mover

March 19, 2012

**Warning:  some may see this as not politically correct.  I mean no harm by it.**
I want one of these for my classroom; a bigger one, of course.  In case you don't recognize it, this is a pneumatic tube at the bank.  You put your deposit into it, then it gets sucked up and into the bank.  My thought is that I could have one with a long arm that is operated by a series of buttons on my desk.  When a student is being disruptive or uncooperative to the point that none of my strategies work to alleviate the problem, I would push a button to position the tube over the student, then push another button to suck the student up into the tube and deposit him/her in the appropriate office (along the lines of Augustus Gloop in Willie Wonka)!  Just think of the time this would save - no phone call to the office and no waiting for someone to get there to escort the student!

The Cross

March 18, 2012

A song that is often played on the radio currently includes these lines:
"If you gotta start somewhere, why not here?
If you gotta start sometime, why not now?
If you gotta start somewhere, I say here...
If you gotta start sometime, I say now."
Is it really that simple?  Can I just decide to start being the person God made me to be - right here, right now?  Wait, don't I have to be perfect first?  Make sure I haven't made any big mistakes in my life that make me unworthy?   No, I don't.  Perfection isn't necessary (or even possible) in order to have a relationship with God and Jesus.  What's necessary is a desire for the relationship and a willingness to do what He says.
Why not here?  Why not now?

That Was Fast

March 17, 2012

This picture was taken in August of 2008 about 10 minutes before Wayne and I drove away from Sewanee, leaving Catherine there for her first semester of college.  There's no picture of us before we drove away today, leaving Catherine there for another 8 weeks before she graduates.  Wait...what??  Graduates?  It just does not seem possible that it's been 4 years already.  And, yet, when I look at her and listen to her, I know that it has.  I see the maturation and the experiences working their magic.  She's still my cuddly, snuggly, funny, sports-loving, bookwork, little song bird, but she's also so much more.  My little one has grown to be an amazing young woman with so much to offer this world.  I can't wait to see what God has planned for the upcoming years!

A Great Motto

March 16, 2012

Today Wayne arrived during the late morning.  He, Catherine, and I went to lunch and then set off on an adventure.  We drove to Lynchburg to visit the Jack Daniels Distillery.  We went on the tour and then wandered around the shops.  The tour was very interesting.  It's amazing that Jack Daniels started working at making whiskey at the age of 13 and bought his first still at the age of 16.  From there, he built this amazing business.  What I came away with was this motto.  Imagine what this world would be and what we could accomplish if we all used this in whatever we did each day!

A Day With Catherine

March 15, 2012

Today was one of those rare days for Catherine and I.  A day to spend together with absolutely NOTHING that we had to do.  We slept late, went out to lunch, went to the Monteagle Winery for a wine tasting, took a nap, and then went for a walk.  As we set out on our walk, the sky was getting dark and stormy-looking with some lightning.  At that point, we headed back to the dorm and then tried to find someplace to eat dinner.  Most of the places closed early - either because of the storm or because most of the students were gone for Spring Break.  So, we ended up back in the dorm cooking one of our old standbye favorites - Piggy Dogs and Shaped Macaroni and Cheese (Cars, this time!) and watching Tomb Raider.  It was a wonderful day full of rest and conversation and just being together.

Art at the Airport

March 14, 2012

As I walked out of the airport to catch the shuttle to Sewanee, I came upon this mosaic artwork on the sidewalk.  There was much more to it than this little guy, but I couldn't get a good picture of the whole thing.  There were two of these airplanes, a long curved bench with several scenes on it, and a few other pieces.  It was an intricate and beautiful set of mosaic sculptures; an unexpectedly beautiful sight.

Early Start

March 13, 2012

Today was an early day at the gym - yes, even while I'm on Spring Break I got up at 4:30 so I could be at the gym by 5:40.  I came out of the gym at 6:45 and this is what it looked like outside - dark with this moon!  I was a little taken aback as I was expecting the sun to be coming up.  Logically, I knew that with the time change it wouldn't get light as early, but I wasn't thinking about it.  It was a beautiful morning; pleasantly cool with not much humidity and it turned out to be a warm (NOT hot), sunny day.  I wasn't excited about getting up so early but I had a great workout, went to Walmart on my way home, and arrived home with lots of energy and motivation to improve the neatness and cleanliness of my house.  It's been a great day!

Gadgets Galore

March 12, 2012

Today I had a long list of things I needed to accomplish.   So, instead of any of them I got a wild hair and emptied the contents of two drawers and two roundabout containers of spatulas, knives, whisks, and other assorted kitchen gadgets.  I adore kitchen things.  I can spend hours in stores that carry such items.  These two boxes are, as you can see, overflowing.   There are items that get used every day, several that belonged to my grandmother, a few from Wayne's family,. many that I haven't seen in years (since I moved in this house, probably), some that don't belong here, quite a few duplicates, and a number of things that I simply don't recognize (meaning I have no idea from where they came or even what their intended purpose is).
I know most of us have a drawer or two (or a box or cabinet or closet) like this - full of forgotten treasures.  I think we also have at least one compartment like this in our heads - a place where stray thoughts, buried memories, suppressed anger and hurt, misplaced memories of happy events, and other assorted emotions reside.  Those memories and feelings are often released by a smell, a picture, a word, a voice and when they are released we can sort through them and decide what to do with them - put them back because they are painful, throw them away because they are no longer useful to us, remember and savor because the moments are beautiful, or find someone with whom to share the memories.  

Time Well Spent

March 11, 2012

Saturday morning Wayne and I had a conversation about my ever-growing list of things that need to be done before I leave town to go visit Catherine.  We each had some place to be on Saturday, but planned to get some things done Saturday night.  A couple of hours later he called me to say that a customer of his had called and offered him tickets to the Tampa Bay Lightning game that night and wanted to know if I thought I had time to go.  My response?  "Absolutely!!"  Something I have learned is that the List is NEVER as important as time spent with loved ones.  I know that I will never have a completely clean and organized house because I am willing to put those jobs off in order to spend time with Wayne or Catherine or friends.  Of course, that means that I go into panic mode every time anyone comes to visit, but it is more important to me to make memories with those I love than to put them off in order to stave off the panic.  Besides, what's a little dust and clutter among friends?
By the way, it was a great game (although the Lightning lost), and I got to spend it sitting beside Wayne!

Pictures and Stories

March 10, 2012

These are a few of the scrapbooks on which I am currently working.   Many of my childhood memories center around visiting my grandparents' house.  One of those memories is of dumping out all the pictures in the "picture drawer" into the middle of floor and looking through them. Many of them weren't marked but it didn't matter because Grandma would sit with me and tell me all about the people and places and events that were depicted in those pictures.  As she got older and began to lose her sight, this became a problem.
In addition to being fascinated by pictures of my family's past, I have also recorded our family's events with pictures for as long as I can remember.  I love to take pictures and love to share those pictures with others.  About 14 years ago, I was introduced to Creative Memories, which stresses the importance of safe preservation of pictures and sharing those pictures and their stories.  Six years ago I decided to become a CM Consultant, which combines my love of taking pictures, of sharing pictures and their stories, and of teaching!  At least one day a month is spent with others as we all work on our albums together.  We share the stories (and, as a result) each others' lives.

Buhd

March 10, 2012

The last of Catherine's Birthday Week posts!  Catherine was fascinated by birds.  And she could spot them before anyone else knew they were there.  Here she is saying, "Buhd! Buhd!".  We spent a great deal of time looking at the birds.

Have Lovey Will Travel

March 9, 2012

Catherine's two comforts were her thumb (usually with her forefinger hooked over her nose) and her "lovey" (she called it her "wuhwee").  "Lovey" was a cloth diaper.  I bought packages of them and kept them on hand just for her to carry around with her.  The nice thing was that when one got dirty or lost, it could be replaced quickly and easily.  However, Catherine liked them best when they got a little frayed on the ends.
In this picture it was early in the morning and we were on our way out the door for the day.  As Catherine would say when she got a bit older "Catherine goes to Y school and Mommy goes to Eagle school".

Great Grandma Susie

March 8, 2012

When Catherine was only 3 months old we took a road trip to Wisconsin and Indiana.  Catherine and I stayed with Grandma Susie in Speedway for a few days.  Grandma was thrilled to have Catherine there.  She spent a lot of time holding her, playing with her, and showing her off to people.  It was the beginning of a beautiful, loving relationship between them.

Here, Kitty, Kitty

March 7, 2012

This is Nikki, one of the cats we had when Catherine was born.  Nikki and her brother, Sam, weren't really sure what to make of this screaming, attention-hogging little critter we brought home one day, but they were very curious about her and soon came to love her.  Well, except when Catherine was chasing them or blocking their way into or out of the house!  Catherine loved these cats from the beginning and they lived until she was a teenager!

Mother of the Year...Not

March 6, 2012

Disclaimer:  no small children were injured during the photographing of this blog post!  This was in a hotel room in, I believe, Savannah.  Catherine, ever the persistent one, had been redirected several times as she headed for this suitcase.  I'm not sure what the fascination was, but she was determined to get to it!  I turned my back and, sure enough, she managed to wedge herself into this space between the suitcase and the bottom of the chair.  She had worked so hard to get there that I couldn't resist taking a picture of her predicament before rescuing her.  Once she was removed from this tight squeeze, Catherine was all smiles and off to her next adventure.

Birthday Week

March 5, 2012

March 5, 1990 - the day God granted me this beautiful gift.  I loved her so much from the very first moment that it was overwhelming.  She was a couple of hours old before she had a name because we had to look at her and see what she looked like before naming her...she just wasn't a Rebecca or a Stephanie; she was definitely a Catherine.  This is a special day every year - the day I received this beautiful child from God.

Crab

March 4, 2012

On an early morning walk on Cocoa Beach we came upon this guy.  When we first saw him he was hunkered down on the sand and looked dead.  As Wayne walked toward him he stood up and then, as Wayne got closer, Mr. Crab took this aggressive-looking stance.  I'm sure his thought was that if he looked big and scary we would go away and leave him alone, which we did after taking a few pictures.
How often do we do this?  We perceive a threat - physical, mental, emotional - and do our best to make ourselves look big and scary rather than to be vulnerable.  Does it work?  Does the threat go away?  Sometimes it does, sometimes it just laughs and sticks around to continue making us uncomfortable.  When that happens we have to come up with a new plan, and I don't always make the wisest of choices with that plan.  So, what would happen if I started with a prayer; something along the lines of, "Lord, I'm afraid and I don't know what to do.  What do YOU want me to do?"  Or maybe, instead of "God, I have this big problem", I could say, "Problem, I have this big God."

White Peacock

March 3, 2012

Catherine and I saw this beautiful peacock in St. Augustine years ago when we spent a couple of days there after I picked her up from camp at Honey Creek.  We had a great time playing tourist.  This was one of my favorite sights of those few days.

Well, THAT Was Interesting...

March 2, 2012

So, I'll start with a reassurance that I am fine.  It's been a weird week of not feeling great; heartburn that started on Tuesday night and just wouldn't let up.  Today it got much worse and there were some other things so I left work early (thanks, Donna, for finding me a sub on such short notice!) and went to the walk-in clinic, where I waited more than an hour to be seen - lots of sick folks here right now.  From then, it progressed rather quickly to an EKG, nitroglycerin spray, baby aspirin, my first (and hopefully, last) ambulance ride, and several hours in the ER with another EKG, chest xray, blood work, answering the same set of questions several times (the answers didn't change!), and lots of waiting.  Three hours after arriving at the ER (not bad!) the bottom line is that my heart is fine and it really was a nasty case of heartburn. I am home and I have meds and a followup with a GI doc.  During this whole process, I was impressed with (and thankful for) the kindness, friendliness, and efficiency of the nurses, doctors, xray tech, transport people, and everyone else at Pinnacle and Blake.
So, what have I learned from this unexpected turn of events?  God is indeed good.  I have a wonderful husband who is willing to drop everything and drive more than an hour to stand next to me during this process.  I have a sister who is my rock...she stays calm, asks all the right questions, and keeps me from going off the deep end.  I have a priest who is there when he is needed, staying until the answers are found and praying with us.  Wayne has co-workers who are caring, compassionate people.  We have an insane number of great friends who pray, check on us, offer to help in any way they can.  I also learned that I've not been making the best of decisions for my health and well-being recently and I'm the only one that can change that.
My control issues came back in a HUGE way during this.  I know it comes as no surprise to anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes, but I don't like things that feel chaotic or out of my control!  The whole idea of being loaded onto a stretcher and into an ambulance while leaving my car in the parking lot flipped me out. I asked if I could just drive over to the ER; they politely but firmly told me "no".  Being wheeled on the bed from one place to another when I felt like I could walk was very uncomfortable.  And, lying in the bed while people stood and talked to me felt very, very weird.  I know...let go and let God...
Tonight I am thankful to be home with Wayne and thankful this was a minor incident that is easily fixed.

A Man and His Boy

March 1, 2012

On Tuesdays and Thursdays after my insanely early start to the day and my great workout at the gym, I have been going to Subway to eat breakfast.  It gives me a chance to read and journal and to enjoy a little down time.  This morning a man and his young son (probably 8 or 9 years old) came in, ordered their breakfast, and sat down at a table near me.  There was nothing special about either of them and there didn't seem to be a special occasion - just a dad and his boy having breakfast out before going to school and work.  They seemed happy just to be together, talking and laughing.  It was a beautiful sight and made my day brighter just to watch them.