To Sleep -- Perchance to Dream

I love to sleep but I'm not good at it. Cold room, white noise, no light, no worries.......
Get the picture?
But I think that if could have these beds all of that would vanish.
Aren't they "dreamy?"

Believe

When I was four years old we moved to a new neighborhood. Mom put me out in the backyard to play on my swing set when the cutest little girl came walking by and asked me what is my name.

Without hesitation I answered "Coca Cola."

She went home and that evening told her mother that she had met a nice little girl named Coca Cola.

We have been friends ever since.

There is an important element to friendship that involves believing a friend is who they say they are.

That little girl Katie has trusted me when:

(age 5) I talked her into connecting two tin cans with string between our houses so we could talk whenever we wanted.

(age 11) I told her my bed post was Ricky Nelsen and we would jitterbug with him to our 45 RPMs.

(age 21) I convinced her to put dried weeds from the woods in manila envelops on our walls for decoration.

(age 50) I told her to pack her bags we were going to Paris, London, Rome, and Venice.

I have been a better person because I had a friend who believed me.

"When people tell you who they are -- believe them"

Maya Angelo

FRIENDSHIP

Oh, the comfort

The inexpressible comfort

Of feeling safe with a person.

Neither weighing thoughts

Nor measuring words

But pouring them all out together

Wheat and chaff

Knowing that a heart of kindness will

Take them -- sift them

Keep what is worth keeping and

With a breath of kindness

Blow the rest away.

Diana Craick

Back From the Brink

The Rock and Roll Mothers packed it up and headed home from Cumberland Lake this morning. Oh, the memories! The luxury of growing up and growing old in such a lovely land as Kentucky. I remember a scene in the movie Thorn Birds where an old lady confesses to a much younger priest that in her heart she is still a young woman.

Being back in the familiar stirs all of my old sensibilities.

It is times like these when I decide life really has been a wonderful trip full of sweet sermons and delicious moments.

"The Girls" With the Old Lady Faces

The Rock and Roll Mothers Roll Again

I heard about a woman who told her grandson that "the girls" were coming by for lunch the next day. When her friends arrived he asked where are the girls? These are the girls she replied. Ohhhhh, he summed up -- the girls with the old lady faces!
Tomorrow I'm taking off to the lake for an annual reunion with the girls who have known me longest and best. These trips have gone on since our kids were growing up and always involve; a boat, a body of water, cheese torte, helpful hints, a few tears, a million laughs, music from the 60s, and commiseration over the state of our minds and bodies.
There was a time when we looked better skinny dipping than in our suits. then came the day when being upholstered in a suit was a more humane state. Low and behold after I tried on my suit in preparation for this year I decided we might have come full circle. Large neon flowers are not an improvement over a monotone pallet.
Makes me glad we somehow navigated the "Let's get wild and get a tattoo" period. I just don't think I could have endured the butterfly evolving into a fly.
I will be on Lake Cumberland until next Thursday. I don't know what psychotherapy costs these days but I'm sure this is cheaper.

A Fair Day -- At The Kentucky State Fair

There is a queen for each of the forty something counties.

Beautiful girls everywhere!

How darling is she?

No modesty here --lunch time.

Jacob played the newest Wii games.

Of, course Freddy the Farmer was there.

Corrie was a great sport and up for all of the adventures.

Be still my heart the "Band Boys".

We will have happy dreams tonight with visions of Fair Days dancing in our heads!

Thought I'd Died and Gone to .....Louisville?

Yesterday I woke up in my bed in Jacksonville and this morning I woke up in my childhood house in Louisville. What a country!
I remember hearing a story about a little girl who was dying. She asked her Dad; "What is it like to die?"
He told her as a Christian it is like this:
Remember the times when we would be out late at night and you would fall asleep in the car? When you would wake up the next morning in your bed do you know how you got there? I picked you up and carried you to your bed.
That is what it is like. You go to sleep in this world then God carries you home and you wake up in your new home.
Maybe coming home and being home-sick and feeling loved and safe at home are all just prep for really going Home?

Cheap Thrills

Summer is sliding into home base. Don't forget to sit outside and wile away some fun.

Blow it!

Mother Load

I'm seeing a lot of cars being loaded up with dorm supplies and a lot of watery eyes as I walk the neighborhood with Glorie Hallelujah.
It all comes back....
I thought I would be a mother forever. In a way I am because I've learned to transfer that mother gene to kids not born out of my body. But I'm still not over the homesick feeling of having all of my chicks in my nest.
One of my favorite authors is Bob Benson and I think this poem of his sums it up.

Parental Math

Wednesday night -

Mike slept downstairs in his room

where children belong

and we slept upstairs in ours

where moms and dads belong.

Thursday night -

We were 350 miles away and he was

in Ramada 325 and we were in 323

in connecting rooms. We left the door open

and talked and laughed together.

Friday night -

He was in the freshman dorm

and we were still in 323.

Sunday night --

We were home and he was

323 miles away in Chapman 309.

Now we had been through this before

and we thought we knew how to handle separation pretty well.

Somebody said you still have three at home.

three fine kids and there is still plenty of laughter

plenty of noise

plenty of sports games to go to

plenty of everything

except Mike.

In parental math

five minus one just doesn't equal plenty.

And I was thinking about god.

He sure has plenty of children

plenty of artists

plenty of singers

plenty of preachers and candlestick makers

plenty of everybody

except you.

And all of them together can never take your place.

There will always be an empty place in his heart

and a vacant chair at his table

when you're not home.

So if once in a while it seems he crowding you a bit

try to forgive him.

It may be one of those nights

when he misses you so much

he can hardly stand it.

"There Is No Such Thing As Natural Beauty" Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias

Once again my friend Sue has served up a wonderful article that kick started my day and made me smile.

Having the Right Address

We do not live in the neighborhood with the biggest houses or the fanciest cars but we live in the best neighborhood in town.

Last night I dashed off an E-mail proposing a yard blitz for one of our neighbors who has been working so much she hasn't been able to keep up her gardens. When I woke up this morning and checked my in-box I discovered we already have #12 committed to showing up. There will be rakes , child labor, wine coolers and more than a little laughter.

We often refer to our corner of the world as "Mayberry". Kids still play in the streets after school while the moms (having set up traffic cones) sit on lawn chairs and visit.

We have a sheriff, lots of Oppies and I'm probably fluttery Aunt Bee.

Who says "You can't go back in time?"

May the Circle Be Unbroken

Sunday our grandson Cole Thomas was baptized. In our faith tradition this is a passage that marks the beginning of Jesus being the boss of your life. Direction is sought through prayer and Bible study. We believe that God went to a lot of trouble and 66 willing authors to send us His instructions and love.

Jesus promises to never leave us or forsake us after this mark in time.

It is a wonderful feeling as a parent or grandparent to know that no matter what life brings this child is in God's loving control now.

I fought this tradition for years and finally got down and dirty with God asking all of my hard questions until I could with full confidence say -- this is the truth and this is the way.

It just about killed me. There was nothing hip or cool about putting on this title. But really dying to my own will and giving in to His was part of the journey.

I'm embarrassed by the actions of myself and other Christians many times. But the truth isn't about who believes it -- it is about reality.

So welcome to the eternal fam Cole! It’s always good when the circle gets bigger!

The Ugly Lamp Contest at the Kentucky State Fair

Used Q-tip lamp?

The Kentucky State Fair

This art may be purchase on Etsy.com.
Oh, how we love to go to the Kentucky State Fair!
When I go home in August Annie and I always take the grandchildren to the fair on opening day.
Each person has their favorites. Me? I adore the “Ugly Lamp Contest” . The best ones are the real lamps from the 70s. I am cursed with an imagination that pictures the whole room that lamp must have occupied. There’s just no accounting for taste.
Cole loves talking to the 25’ Freddie the Farmer (who he insists on calling Big Dan?). Freddie has been to the fair for over 30 years and he is wired to talk to the kids. You can ask him questions like “what size are your shoes” and he’ll answer size 30.
There is a giant indoor slide the kids run to first that the cute National Guardsmen attend. Sleep tight tonight – no one is going to fall off that slide!
Fair food is the best. Corn dogs, caramel corn, lemonade shake-ups. The biggest treat is the tiny tubes of honey we purchase from the farmers at the bee hive exhibit. 25 cents of pure delight. We are two fisted eaters at the fair.
Somehow – someway they always have newborn baby animals in the farm animal arena. What is cuter than a momma pig with little oink oinks nursing?
My heart is smiling knowing next week my plane will land in Louisville and off we’ll go for the 60th year of my life to the fair!

If You Had to Live on Only One Food for the Rest of Your Life -- What Would That Food Be? For Me It would Be......

"It's Complicated"

I am an audio learner. My ears are keen at listening but when my eyes read those same words, comprehending is like pushing a truck uphill.

When a trend in language begins I tend to pick it up quickly. My curse is my radar picks up that phase or word a lot. A whole lot.

The new phrase that has been ricocheting lately is......"It's complicated."

I'm wondering what is the mass appeal of these words now?
I'm wondering if that tag line has become the shield-phrase for us when we don't want to own up or commit. Usually what is complicated is that the obvious right thing to do is not what I am so inclined to do.

Follow through on the deal? Stay where I don't want to stay? Own up to my mistake?

Alllllllllll very complicated.

Usually there is another party who doesn't feel it is complicated at all. Uhhhhhhhhhhh that would be the person about to suffer the consequences.

Lot of complications going on out there.

I'm reminded of a very simple uncomplicated quote of Jesus'.

"Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'."

Wouldn't it be a relief if that phrase caught on? I'm waiting..........

I found this on my friend Sue’s blog and loved it!

Around the World in Three Hours

I have been suffering a little wander-lust lately......

Nice France

Maui

To dispel the summer drearies we asked friends who have taken exciting trips this summer to come last night and share their photos .

Wow. We had a great time and learned : that the climb up Kilimanjaro sounds more romantic than it is, Maui makes a pro photog out of anyone with a camera and the French are really quite friendly once you get out of the big cities.

We got to visit Maui, Nice France, and Mount Kilimanjaro all from the comfort of our living room.

Mount Kilimanjaro

A flimsy excuse for a party but -- what a trip!