Over the Hill, and Apparently Sliding Down!

This morning there is not a spot on my body that isn't hurting!  Apparently, yesterday I crested the old age hill and have begun the very slippery slide down the other side.  Hitting every bump along the way.
Some time ago, 7 year old granddaughter Julia requested a visit to the zoo.  It has taken a while, between calendar committments and the weather, but yesterday was custom made...absolutely perfect weather and it was a special day - "Boo at the Zoo."
Julia ate dinner with us, we watched "Harry and the Hendersons" - what a great movie!  We loved it all over again, and Julia fell in love with Harry - just as was intended.

After a bit of a read, our little guest fell asleep and was fresh as a daisy in the morning.  We weren't in bad shape either.....boy did we age in one day!
Julia got dressed as a "Punk Pirate" - cute as a button, and we donned our grandparent suits and we were off.
To a nearby diner first, for breakfast.  As we entered the diner, the hostess and waitpersons went crazy over our little pirate.  One actually asked her to pose for a photo op.  Everyone eating commented as they led us to a far table....giving Julia a chance to show off her adorableness.  It was cute.

After chocolate chip pancakes and a glass of milk, the Pirate was ready to strut her stuff at the as yet unknown location.  We hadn't told her that she would be going to the zoo.

Into the car, - blue skies, gorgeous autumn leaves....sweet air.....
STOP.
Over 2 hours sitting on the Schuykill....just sitting....we'd move one car length and sit more...it's the oldest zoo in the land.....it's an old city....wouldn't you think they could get it right one of these days?  What should have been maybe a 15 minute drive took over 2 hours.
Julia was great....just sat back, never complained.....but she had to put up with her immature, infantile grandparents who were ready to choke somebody!  She had to listen to her grandmother ask "are we there yet?"  Oh, it was awful.   :)
When we finally got to the zoo, we followed "over flow" parking signs until we were back in NJ.  Well, no, not quite, but we had to hoof it over a mile back to the zoo.  Which, considering the magnificence of the day was no biggie.  After all, we'd rested for 2 hours.  Right?
Enter the zoo.
Lar went to the rest room.
Ann went to stand in line.  And stand in line.  And stand in line.  Women have been going to the rest room for as long as we've had rest rooms....not just for 200 years.  Would you think SOMEONE would get that right some time?  There were at least 30 people queing...there were about 6 booths.  And there were squirming, whining little girls - hoping not to ruin their costumes before they got their first candy.  And at least one old lady in the same condition!

But then began the magic of the country's first zoo.  What a gorgeous park!  There were new exhibits, much more relaxed appearing animals, candy stations throughout the park with little ones calling out "trick or treat" and "thank yous" and the ocassional grandparent thankfully accepting a candy too.  What a good time we had.

And then we started the quick slide into old, old, old age.....the over one mile hike back to the car.  To be sure, we didn't know how bad it was until the sounds of crispy, dry, old age muscles began in the evening.  We had a bite to eat and watched a show - and then tried to get up to go to bed.....

"Kids' Book" - Not so much!

It might be 2 years ago that Grandson Larry began to urge me to read "My Brother Sam Is Dead" and I intended, the entire time, to read it.  But every time I would get to the library I'd have forgotten the title.  Finally, a month or so ago, I got it from him again, and actually wrote it down.  Our major library didn't have it, but apparently they bought a copy for me!
It's a Scholastic, Newbery Honor, ALA Notable, and National Book Award Nominee Book.
And I can see why!
This is not a kid's book like any other I've read.  If you (at any age!) would like to delve, fairly briefly, but not too lightly into the life and times of a boy during the American Revolution, check this book out.  It is moving, written with all the attention to detail of any "adult" offering, an easy read, with a great deal of information at the end - fun facts, interviews and timelines. 
Thanks, Larry, for that recommendation!  From now on, anything you recommend I'll read, but be sure to write it down!

Gettin Old

Hmmm, now that I've signed in, I've forgotten what I wanted to write!
Click below to see where I'm going with this!  Thanks Linda - everyone have a .......er, a.......oh, yeah, a great day!
Gettin Old

A Sunday Present - me to you

http://coactivedreams.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-learn-to-love-your-anger.html

a well thought out theory on self and anger.....see what you think.

Grieving With Joy

Truth is, I am deeply grieving for my dear friend.

But this morning I realize that I am grieving with joy.
Without the blessing of knowing this special, loving, charitable, Christian Lady, I would not have the sense of loss in my heart.
And so I thank God with all my being for the gift of her friendship.
And without the unwavering steadfastness of my husband’s friendship and love, I could not have dealt with the loss of my friend.
Without the compassion and love of my children, I would have found Monday, the funeral, overwhelming.
These past weeks have held the most profound lessons life can teach. It was all there.
The sadness I felt as my friend suffered from cancer and from the only ways the medical field has at present to fight it.
The happiness when she sent a card, when she e-mailed me.  The helplessness when I could not go to see her.
The shock and the first silent scream in my heart and mind when I received the call she was gone.
The sorrow I felt for her husband of almost 60 years….the knowledge that half of him was left to deal with it all. The other half having gone on to a better place.
The strength I pulled from the love of my family, and from the ever present Fathering/Mothering Presence of God.

The kindness shown by friends.
The gentle gestures by my children.
Could I be more blessed? I think not.
Thank God.

Long Weekends (Whose concept of long?)

I wrote this item in September, and I guess I planned to add pictures or something...never published....so here it is, and I still feel the same way!  Time is just a concept.  A screwy concept at best!
I fail to see the humor in the term "long weekend".
It would be fine if we got long weekends made up of the same length days as the rest of the week.
But long weekends are notoriously made up of very short days.
Have you ever noticed?
Having just come off a "long" weekend, I got less than 1/3 accomplished of the list of chores and playtime I had planned.  And now it is back to 4 work days - 4 of the long time days.
But we have made advances.
Our concrete work is done.  We have new front steps, two new sidewalks, a new drive and a new patio!  Yay! 
We painted the hall (covering some of my old stenciling - of which I was not fond anyway, and glad to see go).  The bedroom is complete with the exception of hanging pictures and doing something about the floor.
There is progress....but I really need some of those 40 hour days here at home, instead of spending them all at work!

Coz Slide Show

The Fine Fettness of Fun

The date was set. Our youngest grandbaby, Ian, almost 24 months was coming to spend the night with us last Saturday evening.
It’s been way too long since I’ve thought a lot about “baby-proofing” and it terrifies me what I might not know any more. I checked cords, curtains, hanging things, breakable things and other unforeseen calamities. I made up the rollaway cot at it lowest setting, and then, holding my breath, opened the door to Pat’s little family of three going on four and welcomed this precious little one to stay the night.
The last time he stayed over night there were few words. There were mostly the signing for “more” and the shaking of his head for yes and no. Now there are whole phrases, “no I do not like that” and “no, I will not” “no I do not” and very clearly enunciated “yes” and “yes, I do” and the response to “does Mom Mom and Pop Pop love you?” being “yes they do up to the sky”! Also, lights “on” and “off”. His climbing “up” and getting “down” and going “in” and coming “out”.

We could not believe the joy this little person can bring. Not a tear shed when Mommy and Daddy crept away. Just “read a book, please” and “juice please” and “milk, please” and hugs and kisses and laughing. What a beautiful time we had with this charming little boy.


In the morning we decided we needed to give him a good outlet for all his energy, so we set out on a walk to the school playground a little over a block away.
First, we found it necessary to be very sure the neighbor’s fence was secure and sturdy. Then we analyzed every sign for brokenness – ie., faded print, bent sign, etc.


We checked out the flowers, the plants, the squirells and every door we saw for openness or closedness.

And finally he beheld the playground! He ran, arms raised, calling “fun” “park!” And that is, indeed, what evolved. Lots of fun. He found the climbing sets had engraved letters and numbers and stopped to name every one. His other word was “fett” which we decided meant “wet!” and everything was. And so were we in no time at all.

We were “fett” and we had “fun” and we had such a wondrous time with this little man who brings us so much love.

One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time

You may notice I've added another book to "most recently read" - having just finished "Three Cups of Tea" today.
Because it is such an important book, with a message that just might be vital to life on this planet, please humor me as I quote a passage and some information from the book.

“Look here, look at these hills.” Khan indicated the boulder fields that marched up from the dirt streets of Baharak like irregularly spaced headstones, arrayed like a vast army of the dead as they climbed toward the deepening sunset. 
“There has been far too much dying in these hills,” Sadhar Kahn said, somberly. “Every rock, every boulder that you see before you is one of my mujahadeen, shahids, martyrs, who sacrificed their lives fighting the Russians and the Taliban. Now we must make their sacrifice worthwhile,” Khan said, turning to face Mortenson. “We must turn these stones into schools.”

"In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village after a failed attempt to climb K2.  Moved by the inhabitants' kindness, he promised to return and build a school.  Thre Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome.  Overe the next decade Mortenson built not just one but fifty-five school - especially for girls - the the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban.  His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit."
1. Visit the www.threecupsoftea.com web site If you buy books online, go through this web site and 7% will go toward a girls’ education scholarship fund in Pakistan and Afghanistan .

http://www.threecupsoftea.com/                         http://www.penniesforpeace.org/

2. Suggest Three Cups of Tea to a friend, colleague, book club, women’s group, church, civic group, synagogue, mosque, university or high school class.

3. Check if the book is in your local library. If not, donate a book or ask them to add it to their library collection. Ask friends to do the same.

4. Encourage your local bookstore to carry this book.

5. Write a Three Cups of Tea book review for Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or a blog.

6. Ask the book editor of your local newspaper or radio to consider reviewing the book.

7. Pennies for Peace, www.penniesforpeace.org, is designed for school children. Get your local school involved. Since 1994 (as of 2006) more than eight million pennies have been raised through Pennies for Peace.

8. If you want to support - efforts to promote education and literacy, especially for girls, you can make a tax-deductible contribution to the nonprofit organization, Central Asia Institute, PO Box 7209, Bozeman, MT 59771, www.ikat.org. It costs $1.00 per month for one child’s education in Pakistan or Afghanistan, a penny to buy a pencil, and a teacher’s salary averages $1 per day.

An Ode to My Crock Pot *

Thou still virtually unused, sitting in quiet

Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,

Keeper of meals, who can express what you are

A bowl of oregano, or perhaps thyme

Leaves of parsley, kale or grape

Did God create you, or men, or both

In Arizona or in California?

Creator of what men do long for, what women need

I in pursuit of time, and struggling to get away from evening cookery

We sing of your wondrous meals, we eat in ecstasy.

After something like 20 years of not getting it right, I think, by George, I've got it!
I've been buying all sorts of delicious sounding veggies, meats, all sorts of things each time we grocery shop, only to discover at week's end that a lot of it never got made into meals.  Lots of waste.  Lots of guilt.
For the last few weeks I've tried something new.  And it is working!  And it is cutting down on grocery purchases, as well as giving me more time after work.
Daughter in law Tina sent me a digital crock pot cook book almost a year ago.  Put that together with the freshly dusted crock pot that was languishing on the shelf.....
and you have chili one night, chicken cordon bleu another, delicious beef tips in a to die for gravy - the list goes on.
I simply shop for only the ingredients in two selections from the cook book.  Yes, maybe the cauliflower does look yummie...but it isn't in either of the recipies....won't buy it!
I put one meal together on Monday morning, (none have taken more than 15 or 20 minutes) which we eat that night.
On Tuesday morning I put together another.  We eat that that night.
Wednesday can be something else, go out, or begin the left overs - which we love.  (I admit, some don't).
That means that on at least Monday, Tuesday, and two other nights of the week, I come home to meals prepared.  I just love it!
click here for a few recipies

*If you didn't get the reference....check out "An Ode to a Grecian Urn"