Summer Senses

Quote of the Day:  Tired by Shel Silverstein
I've been working so hard you just wouldn't believe,
And I'm Tired!
There's so little Time and so much to achieve,
And I'm Tired!
I've been lying here holding the grass in its place,
Pressing a leaf with the side of my face,
Tasting the apples to see if they're sweet,
Counting the toes on a centipede's feet.
I've been memorizing the shape of that cloud,
Warning the robins to not chirp so loud,
Shooing the butterflies off the tomatoes,
Keeping an eye out for floods and tornadoes.
I've been supervising the work of the ants
And thinking of pruning the cataloupe plants,
Timing the sun to see what time it sets,
Calling the fish to swim into my nets,
And I've taken twelve thousand and forty-one breaths,
And I'm TIRED!

I know. I know! Another picture of Leo the cat, but he's just so darn cute.

My senses have come alive as summer has finally hit Minnesota.  We've had blue skies and sun all week, temps up into the 80's, and not at all humid.  I cut into this watermelon and breathed in that scent of summer.

Do you ever worry about slicing off a digit when you cut into that slippery watermelon?

I mean, it's the perfect conditions for it, a round, smooth, wet surface and a slick cutting board.

But, have no fear! I've just ordered a handy-dandy new set of knives from the neighbor girl.

It's her summer, before I go off to college, job.  Hey, I'm a sucker for a girl who loved band and tells me she's interested in linguistics.  And, besides, I needed the knives. Really. I see you shaking your head. Stop.

So, I have the warmth of the sun, the smell of the fresh-cut watermelon and mowed grass and the smallest of green tomatoes sprouting from my patio pot garden.  My boys got motivated to do chores because they want their own laptop - because Mom doesn't like to share hers!  They corralled their friends like a couple of Huck Finns and washed the deck.

They actually fought over who got to hose it down first. We had to go alphabetical.

Looks inviting, doesn't it?  Wanna sit a spell? Read a book, listen to music, chat, or nap?

They also swept out the garage.

I purchased extra window washing supplies and buckets.  More fun with water!  It will look like so much fun, I'll be turning them away at the door.

Journaling Prompt:  Share your summer sensory images.  What sounds, smells, tastes, and feels like summer to you?



MOMS for MAMS

Quote of the Day:  When we walk together, no one has to walk alone.

I'm in a community group called the Mothers of Multiples (MOMS).  One of our own developed breast cancer last fall.  Colleen, pictured above, is 41, has a 13-year-old daughter and triplets who just turned eight.  Hers is inflammatory breast cancer, which is not a lump, but first appears as a rash or bumpy skin. At first, she was treated for rash, given anti-biotics, and topical creams, but they did nothing.  As her condition worsened, she got more assertive, and was diagnosed early in December.

You need to be diligent.  Anything that seems unusual or painful needs to be taken care of.  Listen to your intuition.  Early detection saves lives.

This was my first time walking in the Komen Brainerd lakes Race for the Cure, and I was team captain of MOMS for MAMS in support of Colleen.  I also volunteered to help with registration.  Might as well jump right in!  I liked this gal's hat.

The Race has turned into a huge community event.  Over 2000 people walked or ran, and many more volunteered, or just came to support someone they love.

Colleen is in the bright pink survivor t-shirt, surrounded by her family, and several of the MOMS behind her.  I misted up more than once as I witnessed people getting out and giving their support financially, physcially, and emotionally to people affected by breast cancer.

These folks were walking for their dad/husband.  Don't forget that men can get breast cancer, too.

There's always someone with a sense of humor!

Colleen said that much of the money we raise for this walk stays in the community and that she's already felt the benefits.  We have a Pink Ribbon Cupboard that provides things like gas cards, money to pay bills, insurance, and other support.

MOMS for MAMS

Collen with her triplets who are tired after their long walk, her mom on the end, her husband, nephew, and sister-in-law.

Colleen is celebrating her last round of chemo next Tuesday. It's been a rough road, but we're praying that all the efforts, sickness, surgeries, and treatment will pay off and that she'll have many happy, healthy years watching her kids grow.  Here's Colleen's blog, News from Up North, if you'd like to send her some good wishes.

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever participated in a cause walk? Do you know someone with breast cancer, or are you a survivor?  How have you, or your community, shown support?

Your One Wild and Precious Life

Quote of the Day: 
The Summer Day (aka The Grasshopper)

by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

"The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver, from The Truro Bear and Other Adventures: Poems and Essays.
Click over here to hear Mary Oliver read this poem to you.  Close your eyes and let the words fill your imagination.

I woke to a cold and dreary morning.  The wind was blowing, the sky was grey, but the rain hadn't started, so I got up and dressed in case my walking partner was up for a walk.  I opened the door and saw the first raindrops, closed it again and made coffee.  As I was reading blogs and facebook posts, I found this link, posted by my talented photographer friend Joey.  She does most of the photos for the magazine that I write for.  We have become a great creative team.

Since I was in the quiet kitchen, just me and the cat, and the hum of the refrigerator, and the scent of coffee, I could truly listen to Mary Oliver read her poem, let the words soak in, shut my eyes to  see the imagery. 

My comment to Joey:  I could write a whole blogpost on my response to hearing Mary Oliver read this poem. Doesn't it make you want to grab your blankie and pillow and curl up in her voice, her words, and the images they create?

Her response to me, my gift of the morning:  Yes.....just like the images you just created, Mary.

So, I did, I wrote up a blogpost to share with you a truly lovely way to start a dreary day.  I'm inspired to do more than simply clean my kitchen today (and a bathroom or two). I feel motivated to make something good happen.  Maybe schedule a production of Coffee Shop Confessions (with or without music, that's been my hold-up).  It's time to share it with the world.

Joey at the Table Reading of Coffee Shop Confessions. She had tea, just like Lolly, the character she brought to life.

Journaling Prompt:  Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Rhubarb, a Play, and Napping in the Rain

Quote of the Day:  We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves. - May Lamberton Becker

You know you've reached middle-age when you spend your Saturday night rolling yarn skeins into balls and hitting the sack by 10:00 p.m.  My sister Nancy made the mitten and hat this winter while she was living on the farm. I think she was channeling her Pioneer Woman roots.  She said they had stayed up much later the night before when their friends came over for penny poker and two, count'em, two pots of decaf coffee. Uff-da!

It was late Friday afternoon and my kids had friends over, playing indoors because of the rain, and I was feeling overcrowded, so I went two doors down and sat with my friend Lisa on her porch where the slow, soothing rain nearly put us to sleep. 

During the summer, my four boys spend much of their time with the neighborhood boys, and they often end up in my house.  The doorway is cluttered with shoes.  The air is filled with their sweaty boy scent and talk that escalates above one another.  They're in and out and up and down and challenging the rules and the players and who's in charge and getting water and eating all my snack food.  And, I love them, and I admire their energy, but it's hard to find a moment of peace.  I knew it had been a long week of running here and there and feeding them and cleaning it up and allergy season still here, and sneezing, and having a headache, so that I snapped at Charlie when he was playing with the tape measure.  But, I'll tell you, when your nerves are shot and your head hurts, the grating sound of metal sets you off.

Then, with the door slamming behind them all on Friday night, I heard the ring of silence.  I made myself some chicken, put in a movie, and fell asleep by 9:00 p.m.

I was up bright and early on Sat., so I had plenty of time to get my van's oil changed and a tire rotation. I really know how to live it up when I have a weekend to myself.

After reading and napping in the afternoon, I thought I might be able to stay awake to watch a community theatre production at the local community college.  So, I took myself out on a date.  I saw It Runs in the Family, a British farce, put on by Midwesterners, so sometimes the accents were on and consistent, sometimes they weren't.  Sometimes the acting was good, sometimes, it was just shouting.  But, hey, it's community theatre, and I could tell that all the actors loved what they were doing, and I love watching people come alive in their art.  I thought the old guy in the wheelchair was especially good.  He was quirky and surprisingly agile when left alone with the drink table and the spray soda (got the female inspector in the arse), and the young man who played the punk kid was terrific.  I spent much of the night wondering if all his tatoos were real, or if some were painted on for the show.  They looked real to me.

The funniest part of the show was the guy sitting near me in my row.  He LOVED the play.  He thought it was hilarious.  He laughed so loud and hard that he nearly coughed up a lung.  In fact, at one point, before intermission, the woman in front of him got up and moved seats.  I'm not sure if was his loud laugh or the fear of phlegm that sparked the move.

I've been given so much rhubarb that I spent two CD's worth of music chopping it up and readying it for muffins and jam.  It's all yummy and worth the red fingers and cramps from holding the knife.

If I enter my kid-free weekends with a plan, or at least with the attitude of enjoying my solitude, I embrace the quiet and allow myself to be refueled.

The door slammed open at 5:00 p.m.  Not 10 minutes past and the neighborhood boys started showing up.  As the sun set, they all decided to play night games, and I am able to type this post.  But, they better be back in by 10:00, or I'll turn into a pumpkin.  It's getting past my bedtime.

Journaling Prompt:  Are you able to enjoy solitude, or do you need a friend to accompany you when you go out or find yourself alone for a weekend?

Rooftop Pot Garden

Quote of the Day:  The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof, shit detector. --Ernest Hemingway (from bro-in-law KC)

I am not much of a gardener.  My mom has a garden the size of a small field.  I must have had my fill of gardening, weeding, and canning, growing up on the farm, so I use pots to grow my tomatoes, peppers, and flowers.

My bro-in-law KC has a rooftop pot garden.  I've invited him to write a guest post.

My sister-in-law, Mary, has asked me to write a little this week about my pot garden, where I don't grow pot mostly because it is illegal, but also because I entered college later in life.



The problem with writing about my non-pot pot garden where I don't grow pot for my sister-in-law, Mary, is I don't consider it a pot garden at all, but a bucket garden.


Pot, to me, sounds far too dainty and ephemeral in either usage: the curved lines of a decorative container or the curled wisps of smoke and patchouli rising from someone's confusion. A bucket is more substantial, the workhorse of the container world. It's more straight-forward. A bucket is something you can sing to Liza about, even if she's just going to tell you to fix it.


So anyway, I think you could probably grow weed in a bucket just as well as a pot, provided you knock some holes in it for drainage, but I only think that because weeds seem to grow anywhere and everywhere you let them, at least in my experience.


I, however, don't recommend letting a weed grow. Instead, make a bucket list. Mine includes radishes, carrots, white and yellow onions, beets, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, and various spices, not including pot.

Three varieties of tomatoes:

Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil.

Inventive use for wheelbarrows, minus the wheels.

The Radish

And, a little weed.

Journaling Prompt:  How does your garden grow?



Tag, You're It!

Quote of the Day: 

Say, Say my playmate

Come out and play with me
and bring your dollies 3
climb up my apple tree
slide down my rain barrel
into my cellar door
and we'll be jolly friends
forever more - more - more !

My boys think this close-up shot of a plant in my yard looks like teeth.  It's summer, and the boys get all day to play.  I find myself doing more laundry.  Maybe we could switch places for a day.  Hey, Lisa, bring your dollies and a couple bottles!

So, there's this game of Tag going on in the blogosphere.  It's cute, and Robyn Campbell at Putting Pen to Paper (love all the P's) tagged me.  I really got to know Robyn during the A-Z blogfest in April, then the next week when she wrote a picture book a day.  Two huge accomplishments. We've been sending each other virtual chocolate ever since.  I'd like to visit her some day and ride her horses.

I'm supposed to answer some funny questions:

Do you think you're hot?
Yes, but only when it's over 90 degrees.  I'm a true Minnesotan. I can't take the heat.  We've had one day over 90, and I spent it inside reading a book.

Upload a picture or wall paper you are using at the moment.
I don't know how to do the wallpaper thing on my computer, but here's another one of my new cat Leo.  (He's all snuggled up to me now, but with his tail tucked under so I can write.)

Do you like his Tony the Tiger bowl?

The Song(s) you listened to recently?

Adelle, just bought two of her CD's, and Bearfoot, a bluegrass band from Alaska.

What were you thinking as you were doing this?

I still have a load of laundry in the dryer that needs folding, but it's more fun sitting here next to Leo and answering weird questions.

Do you have nicknames?

I'll list a few of the names that I've been called:

Mom

Mommy

Mama

Mother

Frau Rude

Someone

MaryMary

Mare

and Marmie (which Nancy calls me when she's feeling nice), from Little Women

Tag eight Blogger friends.

1. Doris

2. Roxy

3. JeMA

4. Karen

5. Jade

6. Keats

7. Kim

8. Roxane

Plus one more, 9. Laura

Then, the rules have us jumping all around and saying something about each nominee, in random order:

Who's listed as number one?

Doris, the social worker. She's an amazing writer and person.

Say something about number 5.

Jade writes poetry and lives in New York.

How did you get to know number 3?

JeMA and I met when we were helping with a drama program for kids.  It all evolved from there, talking about our art, our lives, our fears, our dreams. Now, she's traveling around the country in an RV. I miss her. The coffee doesn't taste as good without her conversation.

How about number 4?

I saw comments by Karen all over the blogosphere, then finally connected with her during the A-Z blogfest. She's great.

Leave a lovey-dovey message for number 2.

I love how in love Roxy is with words and old poets and opera.

Do numbers 7 & 8 have any similarities?

I believe they met in person at the Dakotas Children's Writer's Conference. They're both very spiritual and care about other people.

That's kind of a putzy one, but hey, it's still better than folding underwear. Wait, I don't actually fold the underwear, nor do I match socks.  Laundry Tip from the mother of four boys: Put all the socks into one laundry basket at the top of the stairs. 

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Use your imagination. What do you see in this picture, besides the obvious?

Leo the Writing Cat

Quote of the Day:  To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it's about, but the inner music the words make. - Truman Capote

This is Leo. 

We went to the shelter in search of a new cat.

He chose us with a leap on my lap, an instant purr, and curious blue-green eyes.

On Friday, I went to Turtle Town Books, an independent bookstore in the little town north of my home.  I wanted to get a copy of Abercrombie Trail by local author Candace Simar for my dad for Father's Day.  I had read that one and bought the other two in the series.  It's an excellent historical novel set in Minnesota, 1862, during the early days of the settlers, mostly Scandinavian, and the Sioux uprising.  So well done. Interesting story line.  Well researched.

I walked into the store and saw that they had a book signing by an author from Wisconsin.  I bought three of his books, also to share with my parents.

Several siblings and I, plus a couple nephews, were at the farm for an early Father's Day celebration, and after a delicious noon dinner, I presented my folks with their new books.  Mom saw Stolen Genes, Stolen Children by G.R. Revelle and said she bought his book when she was at Hoestfest in Minot, ND.  She said, "It's a terrible book.  You all need to read it!"  She'd given her copy to my brother Phil, and sent this new one home with my brother Nathan.  Guess I'm fourth in line.  (I'm the fourth of six kids.)

Leo was also curious about these books from a Wisconsin author with Swedish roots.

At one point he licked the books. The first time I had lobster bisque, I told the waitress that it was so good I could lick the bowl.  Guess the same goes for books, just ask Leo.

While Matilda was the piano cat who sat next to each of my students while they came for lessons, Leo sits on top of the piano and enjoys the good vibrations.  He also sits on my lap when I try to type.  I haven't quite figured out how to work around that big, fluffy tail.

Go. Create. Inspire!

And, sink your teeth into a tasty book!

Journaling Prompt:  Write about a time when you had a chance encounter or a surprising discovery.

Sore in the Saddle

Quote of the Day: This is a quote from Kittie Howard's comment from the previous post.  She had written about the Tuskagee Airmen and poverty and sharecroppers in the early 1900's.  You can read that here.  I asked if life in the USA had really improved.  

Thanks for stopping by, Mary. About your question, yes, I think our country is much better off. People live longer; have access to better nutrition; have greater opportunity to go to college; have improved mobility, communication and so on. But with all these improvements come negatives that have to be dealt with - pollution, clogged highways, a larger and better educated workforce and so on...and we're in the midst of a technological revolution - with the same upheaval as the Industrial Revolution - In 1898, a major concern in the U.S. was women riding bicycles. It was seriously thought that this would hinder reproduction. Family advocates feared women would ride bikes so much homelife would suffer, ie, they wouldn't have the time to cook for families as they should. You can google and read some of the articles - mind boggling! I came upon this by accident and just kept clicking and clicking - The more things change, the more they stay the same...speaking of which, I've got dishes to stack in the dishwasher - hmmm....

The timing of that comment is remarkable because I just completed my second annual Tour of Lakes ride, here in the Brainerd lakes area of Minnesota.  Here's what the club posted on their facebook page:

‎22nd annual Tour Of Lakes was today. 1100+ riders. Great weather. Wonderful volunteers. A few flat tires and probably some sunburn. Beautiful roads in the Pequot Lakes, Nisswa, Crosslake area north of Brainerd. Some little hills. We made them smaller just for this ride. They're back to full size by this evening. You're welcome!

Plan for next year. Always the first Saturday in June. A different route every time.

(They lied about the hills. They were killers, especially the ones they saved for the end!)
 
Here's a close-up of the map.
 

It's true, what those folks thought back in the olden days, that women wouldn't want to reproduce and do dishes once they learned to ride bike.  I can honestly say that I had NO thoughts of reproducing OR doing dishes as I was pushing the pedal over and over, up and up the hills, until I couldn't press it down one more time and had to get off the bike and walk the rest of the way.

I'll have to confess that I was cursing out my friend Marina for ever talking me into the ride in the first place.  I was angry with the club for choosing this route, and I was questioning my own sanity and stamina, filled with regret, as I trudged forward.  A couple, older than me, biked by and asked, "How's it going?"

I said, "It's tough."

"We get to go downhill here."

"That's great," I said, barely able to talk.  "I'll be fine if the rest of the ride is all downhill."

It wasn't.  I forgot all domestic responsibilities and started singing my song for Sunday's service:  I lift my eyes unto the mountain, from where my help will surely come, For my help comes from the Creator, who made the Earth, the stars, and sun....and when the road is long and weary, and if you tire beneath the sun, You join with those who share the journey: bring them home when day is done. The Lord will keep me safe and holy.  The Lord's a shade when day is bright; the sun won't burn me with its glory, nor will the moon in dark of night.

I pedaled and walked and sang, and commiserated with the other bikers, ate snacks at the rest stops with my son, Bobby, and friend Denise, and when the road became too weary, I focused on the rootbeer floats at the end of the journey.  Oh, ya, I thought of the journey of life, of the creative life, of our spirits.  I thought of how when it gets really hard, someone comes along to lift you up.  That you make friends along the way, and through their encouragement, you reach the top. And, yes, as you coast down, feeling the wind whip over your sunburned shoulders, you know that another hill is coming, that it will test your power, but in the end, you'll reach the top, and celebrate when day is done.

After a soothing shower and a rest while watching a movie (The Majestic with Jim Carrey was on tv, and I enjoyed it. The first time I saw it, several years ago, I thought it was a little slow, but I got the meaning this time, and liked it.)  And, Marina invited me and my boys over for supper, and I totally forgave her for "making" me ride uphill all day when I ate her delicious turkey burgers (where did you get them?), pasta salad, wine, and her daughter's cute cake decorated with a bike!

Thanks!

Ride on!

Just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling...

As we finished our cake on Saturday night, the question was: So, who's in for next year?

I think I'll bring both Bobby and Zach next year, and Charlie and Eric if they feel up to it.  I saw other kids on the trail.  One dad had two boys riding tandem with him, and Marina road tandem with her 11-year-old daughter.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever been on a long journey, or met a physical challenge, that made you stronger?

Fun and Games Blogfest!

Quote of the Day:  Would you rather go forward in time a million years, or backward in time a million years? question from the game Would You Rather?

Our wall of games!

I'm participating in Alex's Fun and Games Blogfest!  I couldn't resist.  I've loved playing board games since I was a youngster growing up on the farm.  Back in the olden days (70's & 80's), we didn't have nearly as much tv to watch, and during the occassional power outage, we had to do something!  When our Iowa cousins came up to visit, we'd have Monopoly playing marathons.  I also liked card games like Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Kings in the Corner, and Clue.

The boys and I still like Clue.  The original with Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, and Miss Scarlet is still my favorite.  You can get it in several versions nowadays, like Harry Potter, and Discover the Secrets.

My very favorite large group game is Guesstures which is charades with four point cards and a timer that comes down like a "Scene One" arm, clicking in place and setting the clock ticking.  One of the boys got it for Christmas, and we played it that night.  It's exciting and filled with acting and running around and cheering, by me.  My son Zach even said, "You're fun!"  Yippy! and Merry Christmas to me!!

My "go-to" game at the moment is Would You Rather.  Everyone is playing all the time.  The question asker writes her answer to an either/or question, like the one above, and the other players have to answer as a group, after a bit of discussion, which is over after the sand runs through the tiny hourglass.  You really get to know your fellow players.  There are also challenges, which can get silly, and ones that stretch you out of your comfort zone, and times where you can write your own question.  I'll use one of mine for the journaling prompt.

I also love, love Cranium because it includes several different kinds of games, charades, sculpturades, sketching (sometimes with your eyes closed), trivia, and word puzzles.  It has everything and is great for couples' night.  I haven't played it in several years.

If I were to review the rules of this blogfest, I believe Alex asked us to write about our top three games.  I'm also one to change the rules just a bit to fit the players involved.  It's okay to change the rules as long as everyone knows them and is playing by the same set of rules.  It is NOT okay to change the rules so that you always beat your sister (Nancy)!

Journaling Prompt:  What are your favorite games?  Answer the above question, or this one:  Would you rather be trapped in an overcrowded airport during a snowstorm, or trapped alone in your car?



Life is Good

Quote of the Day:  "...a talent is something given, that opens like a flower, but without exceptional energy, discipline, and persistence will never bear fruit."  - Mary Sarton, Belgian-born American writer

From my Mom's flower garden.

Her spring flowers were gorgeous this year.

When I discovered Orioles in my yard, I set out oranges and readied my camera, but it was the grape jelly that brought them to my porch railing.  Birds have amazing brightness of color.  I'm a bird watcher, but not a true "Birder."  I don't know all my varieties, I just like looking at them.  I heard an ad on the radio about a yard service that makes your yard bird friendly with the right plants, feeders, etc.  I'm tempted to have them come here.

The Oriole likes grape jelly!

School's out for summer, and I'm prepping myself to share my space.  With my own four sons and various friends and neighborhood boys running in and out, I find myself craving quiet time and creative space.  I need to claim it.  Make some dates with myself at coffee shops.  Shut the door and tell them to find their own food.  I can do it, but it takes more discipline.  It's good for them to see me taking time to do what I love, creating, writing, making music, nurturing my own friendships.

And, they're not little kids anymore (sigh).  They're getting more independent. My oldest son is a senior, now, and starting his first job - lifeguard at the Y.  Yay for him!  The three younger ones will go to scout camp for a whole week without me this August.  What adventures await them?

What adventures are waiting for me?

Don't lose yourself in caring for others.  Find what you love and nurture it, too.  Then, you won't feel so empty when the chicks start to leave the nest.

This was the fastest school year, yet.  How fast will next year fly with a senior in the house? Too fast. I can already hear the clock gears speeding up.

Tess Hilmo, a blog friend, is challenging us to write how "Life is Good."  She's also giving away prizes and promoting her first book, With a Name Like Love.  I was a winner last week, among my treats are See's candies and her book as soon as it's released, Sept. 27.  Thanks, Tess.  Go check out her book and great prizes, and tell her how "Life is Good" in your world.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  When you claim time and space for yourself, where do you go and what do you do?