Times does fly when chasing a beautiful grandson and I have loved every moment of it! Today brings thoughts of my own children, two beautiful, creative, intelligent, kind, generous red headed sons. Now these extraordinary sons are grown men and looking back on their childhood brings such tender and precious moments to mind. Oldest son's first day at Montessori School when he chose to wear denim overalls and a straw farmer's hat. The second day of school found him in his favorite space captain shirt complete with helmet. Eventually the younger son informed me that he was now bored at home and wanted to go to school and was enrolled in another Montessori School across the street from my work. He loved jumping out of the car and going into school on his own. Now that precious grandson is attending a Montessori School. He likes it so much, he doesn't want to come home. Oh My Goodness! My guys are all strong-willed individuals with unique talents and strengths. Boys, men.... my life is a whirlwind of testosterone. Sometimes folks wonder where my propensity for being forceful comes from and I know part of it comes from living with men but most of all I am happy to say that I've taught my sons to stand tall for what they believe in and to be kind and bend to help even thought they are wearing steel toed boots. I am the consummate Steel Magnolia and I've tried to teach my sons well. I hope to pass the same fortitude on to my grandson.

This is one of my favorite all time captures. I was in Agra, India to visit the Taj. This was my first glimpse of the structure upon entering the site. It took my breath away. I think the photograph speaks for the emotions I experienced.

The Emergency Phone Call

A very long time ago, before the days of air conditioning in South Mississippi, my grandmother, Sadie, lived next door to us in a small cottage. One of Sadie's favorite pastimes was to sit near the kitchen window talking on her new, shiny, black telephone. Her old neighbor and most precious confidant was Elize. One evening while visiting with Elize via the miracle of the modern telephone service an amazing event took place. I say amazing because of the entire episode and how it changed our humdrum lives into gales of laughter and solved a mystery of sorts at the same time.
A few weeks previous to this fine southern evening when all the windows were open to catch a summer breeze, notice had been given to the fact that someone was spending the night in my brothers precious 1966 Ford Fairlane as evidenced by the multiple beer cans strewn across the back seat each morning at sunrise. Since my brother was in the Army and serving in Germany, I was the sole driver of this beautiful and luxurious blue set of wheels and add the fact that the door locks never did work on the Fairlane.
Moving forward to the joy being experienced as my Sadie visited with Elize. Can you hear her? "Elize, can you believe we are talking right now? Yes, I know it's 9:30 and Claude has to get up at 5:00 to feed the chickens, but isn't this wonderful?" Silence while Elize gets a word in and then Sadie continues, "Well, let me tell you about what I saw on the road today..." and the conversation continued.
Meanwhile, my sisters and I heard an ominous thud as the door to the Fairlane closed loudly on it's hinges. Jane at 14, Mary Elizabeth at 5 and me at 20 were wide-eyed and wondering what we could possibly do to catch the nightly occupant of the Ford Fairlane?

Three heads sometimes make one good thought and we decided that calling the operator to get our grandmother, Sadie, off the phone and our Uncle Joe, who was home from Navy boot camp to act as our rescuer, would be the most expedient action.

Carefully, I dialed "0" and a sweet southern voice replied, "Operator, may I help you?" I carefully explained the plight of 3 young women on one side of the yard with a most loud and unnecessary conversation going on the other side of the yard and the need for an "Emergency Interruption" of Sadie's conversation in order for Uncle Joe to catch the person sleeping in the Fairlane. The operator asked if we wanted her to call the local sheriff and I explained how far we lived out in the country and how long it would take the sheriff to respond with screaming sirens and probably how fast the car intruder could run before the sheriff arrived and our Uncle Joe was indeed the best answer to our problem. The kind voiced operator agreed and placed the call to interrupt Sadie's conversation.

Three sisters standing in stair steps peering out the locked screen door into the dark humid night heard the Sadie side of the conversation..."What? You are the operator? Elize, I have an emergency phone call. I have to hang up!" At which point, Sadie began to scream, "Joe, Joe, I have an emergency phone call!" We could hear Joe grumbling a answer across the still night, but did not understand the exact words. I immediately dialed Sadie's phone number and said, "Sadie, Sadie, the prowler is in the Fairlane. Send Joe over to catch him!" Sadie quickly responded, "I have an emergency phone call, don't call me now!?" and hung up. The operator, who was listening in as they could often do in those days, wanted to know if she should try to explain. I quickly agreed and the operator dialed Sadie's number with me still on the line.
To be continued....

Painting Into Memories

I'm painting again. It feels wonderful to go through the process of putting paint to canvas. I've learned a lot in my painting class last week and I am trying to apply it to my art. In the past, I've thought for weeks, months, sometimes years about the subject, composition and proper medium for my painting, but now the challenge is to produce a painting in a week or two. I find the discipline of using the techniques presented by my professor challenging and invigorating.
Today as I began a painting of a grandfather reaching out to his granddaughter I found myself confused by my initial sketches. I wanted the painting to say more than what I was seeing in my drawings. I used a technique of mapping my thoughts as taught by my professor and now I have a different perspective of what I want to accomplish on the canvas. Like I said, I am loving this art class! Hopefully my painting will be completed by next week and I will post a photo of the finished work.

Old Memories: New Beginnings

Today I made a decision to take some treasured old memories and put them in a very safe place and then make a new beginning. The Internet can be a mesmerizing place. It can rob time and energy from all different parts of one's life. Rather than try to explain again why I feel as I feel, I decided to just let go and to walk slowing and purposefully into a new phase of life. I want peace and sincerity of purpose and simply more time in my personal life and less time playing a juggler with plates on a wooden pole. I let the plates fall where they may as I walked away. If there were crashes, I did not hear them. I simply walked into the peace of a good decision for me.

Thinking about Sadie...

Sadie was my maternal grandmother. She was not the usual grandmother type. I have many different memories of Sadie, but the most important one of all was how much she loved me. She didn't particularly care for every grandchild in our family the same way. Some of them she down right just didn't like at all and made no bones about it, but she loved me. I could do no wrong. I often wonder why she liked me so much more than my sisters. They both were sweet and kind and gentle and I was always a curious little imp... forever getting into pot loads of problems. I fell into the grease trap in the gray water line from the kitchen once and she insisted on taking my picture while I stood there with the biggest grin on my face. I guess she admired my tenacity. I hope to begin a collection of Sadie Stories for this blogspot. I want my memories of her to be captured.
MS Hospitality

I was going to tell you about childhood memories, but after today, I've decided to share a few things I've become aware of concerning Independence Day in America.

What changed my mind was the morning parade here in our little
suburb city. We gathered up the Grand-dog, leash and off we went in the truck to the community area. Hundreds of people lined the usually very busy double, tree-lined boulevard. People with baby prams, bike strollers, every imaginable portable chair from super size to toddler... I couldn't believe the number of people! I wondered as we looked for a parking space who would be in the parade if so many people were on the parade route.

We walked Harley in the grass and just marveled at the number of families who had come together... now you must remember, we are originally from the Land of Mardi Gras and the number of people was impressing both Cute Husband and me!

After a bit, we saw bright twirling lights from the local fire truck and walking in front of it was a group of elderly men, dressed in their finest, each carrying a beautiful American flag with great dignity and honor. As I watched them approach. I marveled as each group of families stood, men took their hats off, fathers quickly helped their children put a hand over their heart, mothers gave the "finger on the lips" signal and pointed toward the flag. My heart was swelling! I had to tell myself to breath. It was silent and beautiful and most sacred. As the group of older men passed with the flags, families scampered to their seats again and the parade continued....

It went on and on and on... Cub Scout Pack after Boy Scouts, local swim clubs, school clubs, charity groups, political parties and local diginitaries... each having fun and shouting for over 2 hours!

"God Bless America!"
"Happy Independence Day!"
"Happy Birthday America!"
"It's the Fourth of July!"

At least a thousand people were in the parade, dressed out in red,white and blue with sparkles on bike handles and primped pick-up trucks and the cutest decorations on each and every person and vehicle.

I stood there the entire time and remembered,
"We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, do establish ...."

We the People of the United States, WE make the United States what it is... every single one of us. I thank God for American, with all her cuts and bruises and scraped knees and elbows. We are one of the younger countries on our planet, but we are WE the People! We've come a long way ... through the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WWI and II. Viet Nam, Iraq... We the People have made some huge mistakes but have done a whole lot of things right as well. We remain united under the beauty of red, white and blue.

I, for one, am proud to be an American and today I saw evidence of hundreds of people teaching their children to be proud of our Nation. Put your hands over your heart and look carefully... there goes our flag.