Veils of Moss

The bride stands veiled in moss

Her maidens, redbud and elm,

are preparing for their dresses

of pink petals and shiny green leaves.

At their feet lay bouquets of azaleas.

All are anxiously awaiting the

arrival of the bridegroom named Spring.

For more thoughts on spring go to Gretchen's Spin Cycle! 

Things I Keep Doing

This week the Spin Cycle topic is "Things I Keep Doing".  Especially the things that no longer need to be done or have no return in value sort of things.

Neat freak.  Being almost borderline OCD I must keep drawers, shelves, lawn equipment neat and orderly.  Seems to save time when looking for things.  The return on that investment has diminished as I tend to forget why I went into a room now.  But I am pretty sure I will continue to fold my underwear in neat stacks and placed in neater stacks in drawers.  And rearrange untidy placements in my husband's dresser drawers.  And sort the flatware into the two designs in separate stacks.  And become irritated when the hoe is not on the proper nail in the outbuilding.

Not just gracefully receiving a compliment.  That is one thing that is almost impossible to do.  It does not matter if it is about something I have made, something  I said, a meal I prepared or, well, anything....  I am working on this but regularly fall back into self deprecation as a response.  I respond to a compliment on a new haircut by saying I am too cheap to have a hairdresser, I just cut it myself.  Just say thanks!  A compliment this last Sunday about being good with organization was not met not with an appropriate, "How kind of you to say that."  No, I fumbled around and finally a barely audible "Praise God" was my answer.

Apologizing.  This the thing I do that bugs my son to the point he reproves me when I do it.  Something for which I have no responsibility goes badly and I must say, "I'm sorry".  Yep, apologizing for everything from my house to the Civil War and slavery.  What my ancestors did to the Native Americans is still my fault no matter what anyone says.  I feel the need to apologize for everything that is wrong and I am not even Catholic or Jewish.  I am sorry if that last sentence offends my Jewish or Catholic friends and readers.

Cracking inappropriate jokes.  And will never stop cause this world does not laugh nearly enough.  This is from the Grandma of the Middle Grandson that told me I look like the old silver back gorilla when I bend over.  You decide.  I make no apology.  I say thanks in advance for any compliments about my observant grandson or my posture!!

I am not certain what the rectangle shape on my butt is.

 For more things that we Spinners just cannot stop pop on over to Gretchen's Second Blooming!

Spring Snow Toddlers

Palm Sunday is a busy day in the church nursery.

The toddlers are not pleased to be here today.

So the joyful noise has lots of tears.

Palms are waved in the sanctuary

while worshipers raise voices in praise.

The choir worshipped in song and prose.

All happens as heaven release white snow.

Vacation in Song

We are on the last day of a 16 day Jeep road trip.  Often as we are in a particular state or setting we come up with songs that fit the surroundings.  An example of this was our trip to Canada in 2008.  After songs for every state and situation we were in Kansas near a veterans retirement home.  Gene asked how I would feel about relocating to that place.  All I could do was break into, "Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie "

This trip was not quite as filled with songs but here are a sample of how our minds work.

We started with Gene thinking of the Budweiser theme song, you know the polka type sound.  He loves it so much I have tried repeatedly unsuccessfully to get it for his ring tones.  Why for Missouri?  Well, the St. Louis Cards were owned by Busch for decades.  Gene is such a Cards fan he has chest feathers instead of chest hair.


Then we entered Kentucky singing My Old Kentucky Home,  Nashville was the final destination for the first day, so Nashville brought on my version of this fav of mine.


Leaving Tennessee we headed south toward Georgia, so Willie & Ray came along for a while with us:



With the week spent in Orlando mostly at Disney World, one would be hearing this song frequently:


As we crossed the section of Alabama that touches the Gulf of Mexico, "Dixie" came to mind.  Then "Mississippi Mud" was Mississippi's song.  As we were riding a street car down St. Charles street in New Orleans the old Johnny Horton song,  The Battle of New Orleans" was my choice.  I thought about starting a flash mob sort of sing song and realized most of the folks on the street car were way too young to have ever heard the song.

We enjoyed one night on Frenchman Street in New Orleans.  Strolling together from club to club with wonderful music spilling from every doorway.  If you are ever there do not miss The Spotted Cat Music Club.  At the corners there were Zydeco and Jazz bands.  Such a musically rich treat.  And the shrimp cocktail and drinks were not to shabby either!

Tonight we made it to Arkansas.  I do not know one song about Arkansas.  As a Texas native transplanted to Missouri 38 years ago Arkansas has never been a state for which I had a song.  Oh, well.  So let me end my vacation in song with this little ditty we sang across parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and even in Arkansas.




And, yes, apparently the washing machine had a second spin cycle this week.

Mississippi Even Tide

Old Man River's mighty waters 

Flowing peacefully beneath

The golden finger of God

Disney Dizzy Daze

WOW!  

Let me begin this post to say that in 1955 I was glued to the black and white set to watch the opening of Disneyland in California.  Already a fan of the Wonderful World of Disney programs that began in 1954 this was just another level of wonder for a Texas child living on a cotton farm.  And then the Mouseketeers came through the doors of the Mickey Mouse Club House.  I was instantly a Mouse lover and Mouseketeer forever.  I am sure most of my readers will no remember all the words so here is a little help:

• 
  
• Mickey Mouse Club March
• Songwriters: Jimmie Dodd

Who's the leader of the club

That's made for you and me

M I C K E Y M O U S E

Hey, there, hi, there, ho, there

You're as welcome as can be

M I C K E Y M O U S E

Mickey Mouse

(Donald Duck)

Mickey Mouse

(Donald Duck)

Forever let us hold our banner high

(High, high, high)

Come along and sing the song

Ans join the jamboree

M I C K E Y M O U S E

Mickey Mouse club, Mickey Mouse club

We'll have fun, we'll meet new faces

We'll do things and we'll go places

All around the world we're marching

Yeah, Mickey, yeah, Mickey

Yeah, Mickey Mouse club, yeah

Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/disney/mickey-mouse-march-lyrics/#zw7OrV2zXeHkO2sG.99 

Five days with 3 grandsons, one son and Gene at four Disney parks in Orlando have left us almost in a Disney dizzy daze.  A wonderful feeling that comes from having been with our little family for 6 days.  The grandsons are back in school, the son is back at work and we are almost home.  But the Mouse is alive in all six of us.

Last week we whirled, twirled, went high and fast on coasters and falling elevators.  We laughed, screamed in fun and shopped for souvenirs for the boys and our friends.  We were drenched in water on one ride.  The Toy Story wait line of 70 minutes was spent playing I spy, find a shape or word beginning with a letter for the alphabet twice and then the alphabet game.  And it was fun when the ride began, too.  Nothing like a 3-D shooting gallery in fairly comfortable seats and no walking!

In Animal Kingdom the day ended on the ride through the live animal display.  To have unfettered giraffes walk up to the vehicle and look you in the eye is amazing.  The male lion pacing with low roars sent chills down one's spine.  Cheetas passing each other on a path as if saying, "bread and butter".  And my Middle Grandson telling me the silver back gorilla's butt looked a lot like me when I bend over sent me into gales of laughter.

HGTV had the annual flower extravaganza at Epcot so Youngest Grandson and I made it our goal to get all the stamps for all the topiaries of Disney characters.  Two of the locations had no attendants by the time we reached them so a couple of the folks helped with double stamps and a final complete!  Jack was thrilled. I was about walked out as one missed location required I double back almost half way around the countries loop.  Gene rested on a bench while Jack painted a special pot for his dad.  Nothing beats seeing a grandchild present something they did for their dad.

We two have turned into clumsy old farts.  Each of us took a header during the week.  Our blubbery old bods bounced without much damage to either.  Gene's tumble was in the bath area when he failed to notice the step by the tub and tripped.  Mine was at Disney park at night during the fireworks show.  Lights out conditions make curbs invisible.  Yes, I fell on my new knee.  We each were a little sore but walking worked out the kinks.

Keeping up with an age spread of 6 to 72 in a busy park is challenging at times.  With Gene's 6'2" size and a distinctive hat we seem to keep loosing him.  Eldest Grandson noted, "As big as Grandpa is how do we keep not finding him?  He must be like a ninja."  Those of you that check this blog that know Gene are probably like John Roger and I were after that remark.  Slightly turning our heads to each other, smiling broadly, noting that was not the usual description of Grandpa.  Then we broke into more gales of laughter.  Gene is now Ninjapa.

That is about all for now.  I will post some of the pictures over the next few days.  We have two cameras, two phones and our son's stuff to gather to be able to really do a good job of the week of Mickey and Disney 2013 in pictures.  But as all good Mouseketeers would sing:

Now it is time to say goodbye

to all our family, 

M I C

see you real soon,

K E Y

Why because we like you

M O U S E.





PS:  I had written this before I noticed the Spin Cycle assignment was Song.  OMG, it is such Karma!

Check out the other Spins on Song at Gretchen's

Why?

I am running short on time this week.  "Why?", you may ask.  As I noted to my email pal in India today, too many irons in the fire these days.

• Why do I always over sell to myself my ability to accomplish tasks in a timely manner?
• Why do I still wake up with night sweats?
• Why was I such an impatient mother?
• Why am I such an impatient wife?
• Why am I bashing myself?
• Why is gasoline really so high priced?
• Why do some families fight?  So fortunate my sisters and I get along as well as we do.
• Why can I not stay on a diet?  When has food ever fixed a long term problem!
• Why did the dirt on the farm where I grew up make such excellent mud pies?  I will never forget the surprise a few days after a made a corn mud pie by mixing in some of the corn from the barn.
• Why can't science always be as fun as a mud pie that sprouts?

So much for my "whys" as is our challenge this week on the Spin Cycle.  Bop over there and see what other weighty "whys" our spinners have.  Before you go I want to share one of my all time favorite why quotes.

“Some men see things as they are and say "why." I dream things that never were and say "why not.” 

― Robert F. Kennedy

Which brings one last why.  Why does there have to be so much meanness in this world costing future Why's from being asked?

No Snow!

Fence posts along Interstate 29, South Dakota border, 2007.

I just read a comment on a blog about snow piles as deep as a mailbox.  After a moment with that picture in my mind I am so glad there is no snow in my yard.  Just daffodils reaching for the sun.

In 2007 we made a trip to North Dakota to attend a March 3, fiftieth wedding anniversary.  We had rented a car that was a compact.  Gene's 6'2" frame was not happy with the car.  He was especially unhappy about no cruise control.  But I digress.  We hit a snow storm.  Interstates were closed.  We spent about 13 hours driving about 100 miles.  It was whiteout conditions with no place to stop.  I was terrified.  Gene was tense.  Gene seldom gets tense.

We made it to the anniversary party.  On the return trip home I made a couple of pictures of somebody's dreams from long ago.  That is a photo book I want to publish some day, "Somebody's Dreams".  I will probably only get a blog post done on it.  Just for the record my dreams do not include snow.

Early Rising

I am an afternoon and evening person.  Some folks call that being a night owl.  Makes me wonder if there are other kinds of owls.  Guess I could research that on the internet.  Maybe that is something I could get Gene to research.  He likes that sort of stuff.  He volunteered for a local wildlife museum for a few years.

Today I had another morning standing in the connection center at church.  The last of the shopping bags for the women at the protection center were to be distributed for sewing.  I did not get to attend any of the worship services.  All the bags are now in the capable hands of seamstresses at church.  Twenty three completed bags were returned this morning.  The bags are quite nice.

Came home to enjoy more of Gene's homemade baguettes for lunch.  There is just not much he can do.  Except stay awake tonight.  I had the same problem this afternoon while he was back at church.  The problem was our early rising this morning.  6:45 A.M. is too early for this mated for life night owls.