Yesterday, I drove past what up to 5 weeks ago had been my parent’s house. We had sold the house “as is” and I will admit the house and the property needed a lot of TLC and work. I was however shocked to see the new owners had chopped down every single tree. I mean every tree. My first reaction was saddest. Wait! Some of those evergreen trees had been our Christmas trees a very long time ago. My second reaction was really!? You cut down every tree. Didn’t I learn something in science as a kid about us needing trees to breath. Then I thought wow! I really hope people can’t look down from heaven because my tree loving father, arborist/firefighter husband and my environmentally conscious brother are going to be pissed. And then I laughed at myself because really my Heavenly Father, Creator of the Universe could be a little annoyed, too. Wait, wasn’t it just Earth Day!
FYI: not my parents yard just some beautiful trees in Alaska. 🙂
I came up to Barn to write but have done everything but write. Between yesterday afternoon and today I have cleaned the oven, emptied, cleaned and refilled the hot tub. I have also watched the latest episode of Blue Bloods so I am all “caught up”. I watched Blacklist I don’t even like that show. I finished reading a book. Checked my email and Facebook. I investigated the writers guidelines for Todays Christian Woman magazine. Oh, did I mention I tried to set up the new DVD player and I even finished the online defensive driving course to lower my auto insurance rate. But the pièce de résistance this morning instead of writing I decided to rake the dead leaves to “tidy” up the yard. The fact I even came up with that idea was to do anything but to sit down and write. Well, raking lasted 5 minutes. The gentle breeze that was blowing while I cleaned the hot tub became a wind as I started raking. The leaves kept blowing back at me. I can take a hint so I laughed said “okay, Lord” and was grateful the wind wasn’t a whale.
As I sit looking out the window towards the hot tub, every now and then there is a flash of white material like a surrender flag. I left a roll of paper towel outside and the wind must catch it in just the right way for a piece to wave in my direction. Surrender an interesting thought. What do I need to surrender – fear, pride, control.
The breeze has definitely turned into a constant wind, the dark clouds are rolling in, the trees are really swaying, there is a storm coming. I am reminded:
“You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”
Well, now I should write since this is blogging but maybe I should eat lunch first or maybe not. 🙂
I have been staying at my sister’s home because my mother is in the hospital. The other evening at dinner my 6-year-old niece commented “someone farted! F-A-R-T” My sister informed her that wasn’t polite and we don’t mention such things at the dinner table. My 10-year-old niece chimed in “you shouldn’t say farted instead you should say who cut the cheese!” My brother-in-law instantly stated “you are grounded for a month and this is why children shouldn’t go to school”. I was expecting to hear my sister say something but there was silence. I glanced in her direction and she was sitting there absolutely dumbfounded. I have never seen my sister look so totally confused and bewildered. I looked at my 10-year-old niece and said “you have left your mother speechless.”
After a moment or two my sister could finally formulate words. And to be honest, I don’t know what she said I was trying to hold it together. I kept looking down at my plate, I grabbed another napkin but I couldn’t help myself and I burst into laughter. My sister started laughing as well. It was the perfect remedy for a very stressful week. The whole scene still makes me chuckle. I am not sure what is funnier the fact that my 10-year-old niece truly thought she was helping the 6-year-old because everyone knows you shouldn’t say fart but no one ever said you shouldn’t use the words cut and cheese. Or the look on my sister’s face.
Not to worry the 10-year-old has been informed not to use that expression. 🙂
About Faith:
About Friendship:
About Family:
For me:
To my students:
Things I wished I had learned sooner:
Each Day:
Last Sunday a conversation with my friend’s 3-year-old grandson:
3-year-old – “you are Baba.”
me – “no, that is your Baba sitting across the table?”
3-year-old – “you are Baba.”
me – “no, I am not Baba. I am Miss Ann.”
3-year-old – “you are Baba”
me – “No, I am Miss Ann. That’s your Baba. My daughter’s don’t have children. I am not a Baba”
3 old – “you look like a Baba.”
Laughter all around.
Last Monday as I finish leading a tour of the National September 11 Memorial one of the young girls (I would guess she was about 11 years old) on the tour approaches me and she waits until other people have expressed their appreciation for the tour and states “I just wanted to tell you that I love your nail polish!”
So this past week I was old and cool – works for me!!
A few weeks ago one of the 12 year olds at church made a comment and I responded to his comment and he replied “touché”. Wow! I was impressed. As the evening progressed he said “touché” a few more times but it was totally out of context. The other children also started saying “touché” at random times which was mind blogging to me. Finally I explained to the originator of the expression of the evening (and the other children) that the first time the word was used it was appropriate and a great use of the word but since then I don’t understand why anyone is saying it. The number one touché user replied “It is a cool word”. I responded “Okay, I get that but you need to use it correctly. Do you know what it means?” His blank stare and the blank stare of all the children followed my response. So I pulled out the dictionary, read the definition and we discussed it. Feeling like I had made strides in this area I put the dictionary away, switched gears and was about to continue with the Bible Quizzing lesson (which was why we were together) when “Mr. Touché” said “Touché is the coolest English word.” To which I responded “it’s French!”
*not sure why accent mark was added to touché every time expect when it is the title. 🙂
I have shook my head in amazement more than once this week at the news stories I have heard. There was the continuing NSA stories. Then there was the story of retired fire fighters and police officers and their lawyers scamming Social Security and being caught because of social media. And then midweek there was the story of a top staffer of Governor Christie sending emails stating “that is time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” I am trying to wrap my head around if people are sure they won’t get caught or they don’t think things through before they embark on this kind of insanity or they lack any common sense at all.
Really, don’t people realize than between cell phones, emails and social media our lives are open books. I mean if you are getting disability you should probably be careful what you post on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. I commented to a friend that the “time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” comment would have been safer said in person or on a landline telephone. I wasn’t sure if I was correct about that assumption so I googled it. According to Surveillance Self-Defense website “Speaking generally, just as phone conversations are a safer bet than unencrypted Internet communications, telephone conversations between landline telephones are a safer bet than telephone conversations that involve a cellular telephone.”
I mean think about it Nixon was taken down by a reel to reel tape recorder. Oliver North’s problem was you can’t really delete something from a computer. And Anthony Weiner was taken down by texting photos.
I am not sure what disturbs me most about the current big news stories. The actions of the people who “partook” in the less than excellent ideas or the fact that it is so easy for the media and law enforcement to know what they know. I did have another thought about Governor Christie’s staffer’s “abject stupidity” to quote the Governor. It would have been even a bigger story if she had made those comments during a landline conversation and later it came out that she was being wiretapped by the NSA.
A disclaimer for lack of a better word about my comments: I believe in personal integrity. I grew up in a household where I was taught to respect but question what the government says and does. I was taught to question what I read and see in the media. I have worked with many children through the years and my first question when a child has made a less than stellar choice is “What were you thinking?”. I think a few adults need to answer that question. And lastly “Wag the Dog” is one of my favorite movies.
Baby, it is cold outside!! Record lows have been recorded in my neck of the woods. To be honest I haven’t been out today so I haven’t felt how cold it is. In trying to decide what to write about I was going to go for the random winter travel thoughts but decided thinking about someplace warm was a better choice. Travel that involves escaping winter cold is always a plus. So here are some random thoughts/stories on winter escapes.
1. My idea of a winter escape is a short flight to some place warm that includes sun, warm water, sandy beach, a lounge chair and a good book or two. Between 2003-2005 I visited St Thomas, Virgin Islands 3 times. Yes, I am a brat. 🙂 I stayed at the same all-inclusive resort each time. My feeling is if I only have 4 days I want to go where I know what I am getting. I wasn’t going to explore I was going to sit on a beach and relax. All-inclusive works great because you don’t have to carry money.
2. One morning while we visiting St Thomas my daughters were sleeping and I was trying to move around the hotel room quietly so I won’t wake them. I decided to look through the notebook of information that most hotel rooms have. As I opened the notebook I saw a green lizard and thought that is a weird place for a plastic lizard. It wasn’t plastic, it was alive. So now I am trying to open the balcony door and throw the lizard outside without throwing the notebook out. All I want to do is scream but I am trying to not wake by daughters. I am flipping out on the inside. Just as I throw the lizard out the door, I hear “mom, what the heck are you doing?” 🙂
3. Whenever I am snorkeling I always remember my husband telling me “you are the visitor, the fish live here.”
4. My daughters, mother and I went to the Bahamas in 2002. On that adventure we learned if the crew of the boat you are boarding are wearing rain gear believe their attire more than their words. Heading back from the dolphin adventure the ride was coming a little more exciting than I enjoy. It was raining, windy and the waves were splashing all around. At one point I looked at my daughters and said “if the boat starts to go down save yourselves and I will take care of Nanny.” I glanced over my shoulder and noticed a young child snuggled in a towel and resting in his mother’s arms. And in that moment I realized it is all perspective. That child wasn’t worried he was safe in his mother’s arm. Thank you Lord that I am always in your hands.
Miss Ann Says 