A Simple Woman's Daybook 5.14.12

Good evening. In an effort to corral the stampeding thoughts of my mind, I have chosen a favorite standby meme called "A Simple Woman's Daybook."

Outside my window...darkness has descended and I hear the bullfrogs and crickets and other critters God has made to perform concerts for Him. The rest of us have the privilege of listening in.

I am thinking...can't STOP thinking about a missing person.  My sister has a lifelong friend whose brother Karl has been missing for over two weeks. Having been distraught over personal issues,Karl dropped his children off at their grandmother's, then proceeded to drive toward the desert (in Arizona) where his truck crashed into a pole. Witnesses who saw the crash ran to help, and --here the mystery begins-- said that there was no one inside when they opened the doors.  Police, ATV, dogs, helicopters, volunteers on foot, searched a wide area for six days.  It seems evident that Karl does not want to be found. He knows the area well. Was he even in the vehicle when it crashed,or did he put it in gear and let it roll? His poor family has more questions than answers.

I am thankful for...the healing that has taken place in relationships this year. This was the first time in probably 24 years that I have looked forward to Mother's Day.  And the kicker? We didn't celebrate it yesterday.  I want to have all four of my children and my new daughter-in-law with me, and since she spent the day with her own mom in NJ on Sunday, I opted for a different time. So tomorrow all the brood will come over for a crab feast and do all the set-up and clean up. Then we might play some games. I am sounding more and more like my mother every day. Food and games and kids around. That makes us happy. We will get with my parents and younger sister (who are anti-crab vegetarians!)  next Sunday at a restaurant  when crowds aren't so annoying.

From the kitchen...near the table, the clanking of dishes and cups that my youngest is unloading from the dishwasher. He is finally tall enough to reach everything that I can reach, so I delegated that responsibility. On the table is a bouquet of mixed flowers I used to decorate my Mother-Daughter Tea table on Saturday.  At the table sits Son 2 with his computer, studying for a programming final. Tomorrow is a hard day for him, but Wednesday he gets to kiss his fast-food job goodbye forever. He has been hired as a computer programming intern at a Fortune 500 company for the summer making a whole lot more than minimum wage. Yippee!  He is saving money for the future that he wants to spend happily married to his sweetie (see sidebar photo).

I am creating...or should I say, planning to create, a couple of throw pillows in that fresh tangerine color that's all the rage now. I normally don't get trendy except in the accessories, and even then I have more intentions that actual deliveries upon said intentions.   I sewed a hem in my Tea Table cloth and the sewing machine is still sitting out, begging to be used again.

I am going...to sign up for a watercolor painting class this summer. The local college is offering it on Saturday mornings for 10 sessions. It's my kids' gift to me for Mother's Day.  I said, "In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Mom Foundation."

I am reading...slowly through The Help.  Also have returned to Understanding Your Man by H. Norman Wright.  (Because I still don't understand my man and it appears to be mutual.)

I am hoping... to see the theatrical production of Jonah! at Sight and Sound in Lancaster with my sister and her kids when they're here in June.

I am hearing...my hubby sending the boy up to bed. The routine usually include sa back scratch from me and listening to his day and anticipating something funny he's going to tell me. Today he told me that a boy in class pooped his pants. There were just three boys in the room at the time--that kid, Joel, and one other boy-- supposedly doing chores before they could have recess with everyone else. This boy squatted and said, "Super fart!" but what he produced was more solid than gas.  Joel said at first it was really, really funny, but then the smell was just disgusting. The kid had to pick it up with three kleenexes in front of Joel and the other boy. Is that just the grossest thing?? Thankfully the teacher and other kids were not privy to the super dooper pooper fart.

Around the house...finished laundry--lots of it, for a change. Took me 2.5 hours to wash, dry, fold, and put away--I mean in baskets--but it feels good.

One of my favorite things...is playing Words with Friends on Facebook.  I rarely win, but I have beaten my Aunt Linda twice, and since she is a wordsmith extraordinaire, I feel particularly smug today.
It helped that I played the word "ox" for 61 points and that was pretty much sheer luck.

A few plans for the rest of the week...pray tomorrow for my hubby who is under a lot of pressure at work; make significant headway in housework since relatives are coming now and later; watch some of the Field Day activities on Thursday (no art to teach that day--I am thankful for a day off even though I love it).  Find a new chiropractor. Buy some new tennis shoes . My old ones are shot and make my ankles feel less supported than going barefooted.

A picture thought I'm sharing...

My sister made this cake for my mom's 70th birthday.  It recalls a wonderful day that the two of them
spent at the Preakness as well as shows the horse about 70% of the way to the finish line. (The assumption being she'll live to be 100.)  The Maryland state flower is the black-eyes susan, which Jill incorporated very creatively. I love the thought and cheer of this cake, and hope the Preakness brings a win to that Derby winner called I'll Have Another.  I just absolutely adore horses; they are the most majestic creatures on the face of the earth, and Maryland horse racing is an exciting tradition here in my home state.