Long May She Wave..................

 I don't really plan on taking off from writing posts, but life happens and I usually have to pick something to put on the back burner and blogging is usually it. Then like most things you put off, the longer you put it off, the harder it is to get around to doing it. That is where I am.  

 Then I tell myself that it's not like it matters anyway. I see some of the homes we look at every day in Blogland and my humble abode does not stack up. That's not a pity party. That is just reality. 

 In the meantime, Life (yes, I meant it as a proper noun) has been changing around here. Some by choice, some notsomuch. To begin with, two of our sons graduated from college on the same day with the same degree (Industrial Safety).  When you're the parents of five children and those are the last two to get through college, it is a BIG DEAL.  Oh happy day. One of my daughters will complete her MBA by the end of the year. That will be another BIG DEAL.

 We are going to be grandparents again. This will be the third one in 2 1/2 years. Again, Oh Happy DAY!!  We have so much fun with Leightyn and Behr.  Baby #3 will be the little brother or sister of Leightyn. We will find out in August whether we get another girl or boy. Not that it matters to anyone, but it just makes pre-shopping easier!!  Leightyn and Behr were both born on March 12, a year apart. This baby is due on January 14.  MAYbe he/she can make it here January 12th and we can keep those 12's up (That is also the birthday of the Hubs late grandfather).  OR maybe it will be born on January 13th, which is my birthday (and my son-in-law's)! Or maybe it will be born January 10th, which is my son's birthday (and the father of the baby). Or maybe it will be born on January 3rd, and it can be born on my daughter's birthday (Behr's mom). Or on the 4th, 6th or 15th, and on one of my nieces or nephew's special day!  Get the picture?  We have LOTS of January birthdays to celebrate. Maybe, just maybe he or she will want to arrive on their very own day! 

 While I was doing the non-blog-writing-thing, I WAS giving end of the year state assessments. Unless you are a teacher, especially one that has to give the tests, you have NO IDEA how stressful that is....For the teacher and the students!!  All of my students have to take them. In fact they have to take a literature/reading/grammar test as well as a separate writing test.  I have about 100 students taking the tests. The writing tests have to be sent off to be graded and then added into the other test. But we do get a raw score on the lit/reading/grammar test. When the students are getting ready to push that last button to see their raw score there are a lot of anxious moments. I teach sophomore and junior English   In Oklahoma, if they do not pass their 10th grade English test, they do not get to graduate from high school.  They do get to retake it in December....or the next year (and the junior English test as well), but let me say, that is a LOT of pressure!  Thankfully, my tests went well and my students excelled. 

 Speaking of work, my Hubs and I both have changed jobs. Really. At our age. Well I have written about it before, but for 12 years I commuted more than 100 miles per day.  For the past six years, my Hubs and I have commuted together to the same school. He was the I.T. Director at the school. The six years before that, we still lived in Kansas. The Hubs commuted one way and I commuted another direction. What a deal (in all that bad Kansas weather too!!) But the Hubs has a new job completely out of the computer and education field. And it is close to home. And he has a company truck. My new job is at the high school in the town we live. It is 1 minute and 30 seconds from my home. The other day I went up to the school to get a book and it took me an entire 2 minutes!!!!  You have no idea how good that sounds to me. It is ALWAYS hard to leave a school though. Bonds are made with other faculty and so many students, but the idea of gaining two extra hours in my day of non-commute time was something I could not pass up. So come August, I'll have a new classroom. 

 We have also entertained lots of family and friends this spring. In March we had a double-birthday party for the babies with 55 people in attendance. It was a carnival theme, so we served carnival food with all the trimmings. We even rented a bounce house for the kiddos to use. There were plenty of adults in it as well! In April we hosted Easter with 30+ people. In May we had a big party for our college grads with 30 or 40 people. We love to open the house to our guests, feed them and sit around and visit. Family and friends are important to us, and that is the reason we moved back from Kansas six years ago. We knew we would never get "do-over" years. 

 My Hubs mother has Alzheimer's.  What a horrible, horrible disease.  In her career as an oil company exec, she had to do all sorts of calculating and complex number problems.  Now even the slightest bit of (coin) change gets her mixed up.  It is a disease that strips away a person's dignity....and does so quickly.  The Hubs and I spend a lot of time fixing meals to take to her, and going to visit her. She is still in her home with her husband, but we worry that things could change any day on that front. I try to make her meals nutritious, but easy to warm up.  I try to make sure I include things I know she loved to eat.  My sister-in-law lives right down the street from my MIL, so she gets the brunt of the duty of checking on her. We do try to relieve her as often as possible. It's another one of those things, that unless you have had to live or take care of someone with Alzheimer's you really can't understand how even the smallest thing becomes the biggest obstacle.  Thank goodness for the good days! 

 I also have not sat around twiddling my thumbs on my "free" time. I have painted three rooms in my home...including all the woodwork. We put up the antique fence in the front of our house. We planted lots of new plants. We are working on the backyard and also painting two more rooms. I have also painted a couple of pieces of furniture and have several pieces in my summer to-do list. This week I am working on sewing curtains for one of the rooms I painted. 

And since this is officially "flag week", I would be remiss if I had not included pics of the outside of our house.  Each year I put up our flags, swags and garland a day or two before Memorial Day(when these pics were taken) and take it down about two weeks after the 4th of July. I know, I know. That's a long time to keep it up. But honestly, I love it. I have always lived in homes that had big front porches and the lent themselves to beautiful red/white and blue swags. This home even has the upper story and two side balconies, so I just go crazy, wild with all my patriotic decor. I even swag up the wooden fence and the antique fence we just put up out front!  Personally, I think it makes an old (seen better days) house, look a little proud. I've said before that we live in the historic area of our little city and we are on the Trolley Tour. We have trolley's come by all day long each day. If I am sitting out front enjoying my front porch (and yes, I LOVE to do that) and the trolley comes by, I wave at everyone. If I have one of the grands with me the trolley operator will ring the bell. I see people in the trolley taking pics of the house, so I'll continue with my over-the-top-patriotic-spectacle! I like to think the house had to look something like this 90 years ago as well. 

I have taken pics of the many projects I have worked on, so I will try to be better about posting some of them. I am not promising anything, but I hope to be better. In the meantime, we will continue to enjoy Life.

Linking to:

Wow Us Wednesday

The Scoop

Metamorphosis Monday

100 Things I LOVE about America!-The Third 20

100 Reason I LOVE America-- Part 3

Sounds and Smells of America

Many of the first 40 reasons (places, traditions) have 

sights and smells involved.

I tried to make sure

there were

no repeats,

but if there are,

that is just because they

are extra-special American.

On to Part Three:

1.  The sound of the American language.

The nuances and idioms,

the homophones and alliterations,

the Southern drawl, the Northern nasal,

the Prairie twang.

The power of the words, 

the softness of the sounds,

the message behind each word.

2. The smell of simmering cider at Christmas.

3. The sound of waves;

whether they are huge coastal waves,

or the waves from the lake,

there is something soothing

listening to the rhythmic waves.

4. The sounds of an acoustic guitar.

The simple vibration of strings.

No matter whether the guitar belongs to

a cowboy, a church group,

or rock and rollers,

the pure vibration of the guitar 

is wonderful.

5.The smell of popcorn.

The smell almost forces a 

person to get a bag of popcorn.

Is there anything better at

movies or ballgames?

6. The smell of sweet gardenias

in the South.

There is nothing to match it

unless it is a lilac tree

beside a bedroom window in Kansas.

7. The sound of a marching band,

at a parade

a ballgame

or a pep rally.

8. The smell of newspapers

fresh off the press.

You can still feel the warmth

of the ink 

meeting the newsprint.

It is a smell I recognize easily

and it brings a 

smile to my face.

9. The sound of 

mooing

cattle

on the farm.

10. The smells of thunderstorms.

The rain that blows in sideways,

the crackle of the lightning,

the wind bringing

in the pure, clean smell of rain.

11.  The sounds of a 

cheering crowd

as they watch

high school boys play ball.

13. The smell of

pure American oil,

as it comes fresh out 

of the ground.

14. The sounds of 

rustling sacks held by 

children

as they giggle,

and laugh

and run till they are out of breath

and suddenly

yell out

"Trick or Treat"!

as the door bell is answered.

15. The smell of 

turkey roasting

in the oven,

as part of the 

Thanksgiving feast.

16. The sounds of a crackling

 campfire

as we gather around

to roast hot dogs

and make s'mores.

17. The smell of fresh cut

wheat fields

for endless miles,

as you drive through

the Midwest.

18. The sounds as the 

engines roar and

the flags flap

in the wind

while the Patriot Guard

surround and honor,

a fallen war hero.

They hum of the engines

drown out

the sound of

the nay-sayers,

and give the family

of the fallen hero, 

peace, comfort

and protection.

19. The smell of leather.

From boots

to baseball gloves, 

from old books

to chaps, 

from new cars

to well-used chairs,

the pungent smell of

leather is 

classic American.

20. The sounds of family.

Generations.

Husbands and wives.

Grandparents.

Cousins.

Sons and daughters.

Pets.

Special friends.

The blended souls that

bring the melody of 

the American family

to life.

Next week:  Part 4

Foods and Favorites

100 Things I LOVE about America!-The Second 20

Each night as I watch the news, it seems to bring more  distressing news about scandals, hits, terrorism, trauma, drama and greed in America. It hurts to watch it. It hurts to think about it. 

With that in mind, I decided to come up with my own list of why I love America  For the next five Mondays I will write 20 things I love about America. None of them are monumental or earth-shattering; but they do make me remember what sets America apart from the rest of the world and makes our freedoms so great.

100 Things I LOVE About America

The Second 20---Traditions:

1. Uncle Sam--No matter how Uncle Sam's image has changed

over the years,

he still 'wants us'.  His image

draws us and helps us 

remember why it is important

to defend our freedom.

2. Thanksgiving-

Clearly a very American holiday.

We celebrate it with family and friends

and those we hold dear.

Just the name of the holiday holds special meaning.

3. Friday Night Lights--Or in other words

High School Football Fridays.

I realize at some high schools football has become

a business...almost.

But in many small towns it is still

pure, raw, innocence of

high school boys

meeting on the gridiron

to outdo the other team.

There is absolutely nothing like it.

4. Christmas Trees

I grew up going to hunt our 

own tree

on our family farm each year.

They were always cedar

and I always thought they were beautiful.

I still think Christmas trees are beautiful,

I just don't use cedar anymore!
There is magic as soon as
the lights are turned on.

5. Cowboys--

I love cowboys in their boots and hats.

I love cowboys in their Wranglers.

I love cowboys that have big belt buckles that

stand for something important in their lives.

I love cowboys that can spin a yarn,

cowboys that can sing,

and cowboys that love their animals.

I love the cowboy legend and how

important they have been throughout America's history.

6. Gideon's Bibles--Really, what other country can you 

go to and just know you can find a Bible

in the nightstand at the motel/hotel 
where you are staying?

I still have my Gideon's Bible I got in 5th grade.

7. The Super Bowl--Yes, it has become unbelievably

commercialized.

But there is still something about the fact

that as Americans we gather around

the TV, 

hold parties,

bet,

dress up,

yell at the TV

all over a piece of pigskin and a bunch

of very well paid athletes!

8. Sale Barns and Auctions

I grew up going to Cattle Sale Barns with 

my grandfather to sell and/or buy

cattle.

I loved the sights, sounds...and some of the smells!

I also went with my mom to lots of auctions.

I caught the auction bug early.

I love the fact you have to have patience

to get what you really want!

9. Church Bells on a Sunday morning...

Again, this could be a small town thing,

but I love hearing church bells ring out

on Sunday mornings,

as they welcome all parishoners

to come and worship

the Lord.

10. Soap Operas---The TV kind!

These are becoming almost obsolete! Did

you think you would ever see that day?

The soap operas are so corny and contrived,

but somehow they manage to hook

millions of Americans.

Perhaps it is because after watching

you feel so much better 

about yourself and

your own family!

11. Swimming

I love to swim. I would swim every single

day of my life if possible.

 When summer comes and the pools 

open, 

people come from everywhere to swim,

cannonball, swan dive and belly flop.

12. Cheering for the Underdog...

In America we love a hero.  But even more than

a hero,

we love the Underdog to come out

on top,

to defy all odds,

to show us their mettle,

to remind us that

anything is possible...in America!

13. Pow Wows--In Oklahoma our state is 

rich in
Indian culture.

My parents took me to the Pawnee Pow Wows

for as long as I could remember.

If you have never been to one,

I suggest you add it to your 'bucket list'.

The sights, sounds, drama, regalia, tradition and 

heritage is rich.

The costumes all have meaning.

Each dance has its own meaning.

And the drum, the central part of the Oklahoma pow-wows,

holds meaning.

You will come away glad to have seen true Native American culture.

14. Groud Hog Day--
Does anyone really believe if the
ground hog sees his shadow 
that we will have 6 more weeks of winter?
Yet, every single February 2nd we all talk about it.
Did he see his shadow?  Did we escape the wrath of 
more winter?


15. New Year's Eve countdown..
Whether it is watching Dick Clark (and feeling so sad for him now)
going to your own party,
popping fireworks,
watching TV as the New Year rings in across
our America's time zones,
there is something magical
about starting 
a new year.
Fresh.
Clean.
A new beginning. Again.

16. The Noon Whistle--
I grew up in a town that rang the Noon Whistle
every single day at noon.
You could plan your day by it.
You could set your watch by it. (literally!)
But you just knew that every single day
the noon whistle would blow.
(For those of you that have no clue, the local fire department
would blow the fire whistle every day at exactly
12 (noon).
The town where I now teach does that too.
It makes me smile each day.

 17. Waiting on the leaves to change color...
We know it is coming,
and each day we scan the trees
in our yards,
on our commutes,
as we go hither and yon,
and we are so excited to see
the golds, reds, oranges, crimsons,
yellows, browns and faded greens
of the fall leaves.
The town we moved from was the 
"City of Beautiful Maples".
You cannot even imagine the beauty
we experienced each fall.
God reminds us in wonderful ways
of his miracles.

  
18. Our Armed Forces.
No matter what America is going through.
No matter whether it is peace time or
war time.
No matter how others treat them,
we still have 
men and women
that volunteer
to serve our country,
keep us free,
keep us strong.
Our debt to them
will never be paid.

19. Volunteers-
Americans are quick to 
lend a hand
help others out
give the shirts off their backs.
When we know others are
in trouble
we arrive in droves.
We will do anything
for anyone,
or any country.
Americans give.
They give 
time and money.
Americans are generous...
to a fault!

20. Prayer
Prayer is an important part
of daily life.
We have the freedom to pray
as we like,
when we like.
We pray before meetings, ballgames,
school days and
meals.
We pray that
we can continue to 
live in a country
that we love.

Next Monday my third part of 
"100 Things I LOVE about America".
Part 3 will be
"Sounds and Smells".
Last week's first 20, 
Places I love in America
can be found here.