Oh, Hey There!

I've missed you! No, really, I have! Oh so much has been going on, and on top of everything, I have been experiencing the most sickly year I have ever had! My kinders have been sickly...like for real sick...over Christmas, 8 of my 18 had the flu. They've passed around horrible stomach bugs all year, strep, colds that never end, terrible ear infections, Fifth's disease, pink eye...oh the horrors of kindergarten! It has never been this bad though. We have a new cleaning crew, and I have to wonder if it isn't coincidence that germs aren't going away anymore. Fortunately, so far, I haven't had the bad stuff...just a general feeling of ick. Yes, I meant to say ick, not sick. It has not been fun. And along with the sickly kinders, who by the way have allergies out the wazoo, SPRING FEVER HAS HIT. Me, my intern, and the kids. In full force.

I am dying to get in my garden and work. According to The Farmer's Almanac for this year, my area has had its final hard freezing spell of winter this week. Now, I did not use that trusty resource last year, and guess what? My garden produced a total of 2 dinners worth of potatoes, about 10 meals of fried okra, an occasional tomato, 2 quarts of green beans, two carrots, and about a half dozen sweet potatoes. That's it. And last year, it snowed in May. May 7 to be exact. The day after I put out my tomatoes. I cried. I so hope the almanac is on the money this year. I want need to be out there, nursing my plants and filling basket upon basket of beautiful produce that I can practice my canning skills on. It isn't supposed to rain again until Sunday, so I am planning to be out there tomorrow evening, planting cucumber and green bean seedlings. I also have some turnip and pepper seedlings, but I don't think that they are quite ready to transplant. I did plant my potatoes and onions about 10 days ago, and the onions have started to sprout, which is definitely exciting!

What else has been going on? Well, Lefty had her last ever cheer try-out two weeks ago and made it. She was named captain of her squad!!! I was asked by the other senior mom to be the President of the booster club and Treasurer for the squad. The other senior mom is Vice-President and Secretary. It's gonna be a busy year. Boo decided not to try out for cheer this year, but did try out for dance team. She was a nervous wreck, but I had no doubt that my tiny dancer would do just fine. That will be a new thing for us; we've always been a cheer family, so competitive dance team will be a new adventure. The Boy tried out for his basketball team and didn't make it, BUT he had better luck trying out for track. He is in his first year of being able to do school athletics, so it's a pretty big learning curve. Also, baseball season starts next week for The Boy. Things are gonna be oh so busy for the next two months. Lou tried out for her middle school band and chose to play trumpet like Lefty. I hope she enjoys it.

As for me and my man, we've just been following the kiddos from this to that. We haven't done any more craft shows or anything, although I scouted one out last weekend that is a definite possibility for November. I have gotten a little discouraged. Things have been very slow. Like non-existent. I sold two wreaths last month, and that has been pretty much it for 2014 so far. Kinda sad. However, one of those was for a church a few towns away, and it turned out fantabulous!

Speaking of churches, we have been visiting a new church. We went alone the first week, then last week, we took all four kids. They seemed to enjoy it. Boo asked to go with us this coming Sunday (when she is going to be at her dad's). I am glad she wants to go.

There is so much more for me to go on and on about, but I guess I can save some for other posts! Weather for example. My new addiction. A diet (or the lack thereof) update. New cooking adventures. The four new florals I made. School. Theatrical performances. A band performance with the Beatles. Spanish Honor Society. Faith.  I truly could go on and on. But I will wait.

Challenge Day 25/30...Fascination or Obsession???

Not too many people interest me enough for me to give them more than a fleeting thought on occasion, much less to be fascinated with them. That sounds harsh, but there are so many things to do, see, be in life; and not nearly enough time to get it all in while being consumed with thoughts of another person, especially one that probably does not give you a second thought either!

However, there is someone that I do give a good bit of thought to...my favorite singer in the world, Cris Brown. No not the woman beater Chris Brown...one of a different variety. This guy...

Now, I know for a fact that my Cris Brown does not think of me at all. I have been around him a total of maybe three or four times, for just a few minutes each time. He, however, is with me much of the time. In my car especially. There are times when there are three One Less Reason CDs in my 6 disc player. I love them. I especially love him. He writes. The most beautiful words. I love words. Especially ones like these...

All I've got are screams inside, but somehow they come out in a smile...

While you were adding me up, I never amounted to much, I'm just the person that needed you most...

Live it like you're alive, love it as if you were dying...

And every new beginning, comes from some other's end...

You had your mother's broken heart, your father's laughing eyes...

Was that just goodbye? You know I couldn't tell...a heart that's made of gold, doesn't mean that it's for sale...You taught me how to love, then set me up to fail...gave me prayers without the words, a cross without the nails...then let me go.

I left you in the sunshine, but missed you most in fall...

Cause life it hit so hard, that I couldn't breathe...

So much guilt that I couldn't cry...waiting for God and the words to save you...I should have got it right...on my first try.

You'd better hold me down, stand me up keep me safe while I'm falling to pieces...tell me how should I bend, when all I know is to break?

This man writes so beautifully, eloquently...and phrases the lyrics to his music so well, with intense emotion. His smile rarely reaches his eyes...when he does smile. I find myself wondering where he has been and what the hell he has seen and been through in his fairly short life. He is one of the very few people that has a talent that never fails to amaze me. I would most definitely love to sit down with him for a while and just talk...listen to him tell his story. His talent is even more impressive live; his intensity and passion can't be contained. If you haven't checked One Less Reason out from my previous posts...please do! They are definitely up and coming, about to bust loose on the airways! Catch a quick glimpse below...

Music notes and nots

So Lefty, as we will call my oldest daughter, went on a school band trip this weekend to participate in 'All-Region Band' for the first time. She is thirteen and has a passion for music of all varieties. I have been so impressed with her abilities and determination in musical pursuits. She began playing the trumpet in the sixth grade band, consistently maintaining 'first chair' throughout the past two years. I am no musician, although in the shower I sound like a rock star, so you can imagine the pride I have in her. I have learned a lot by observing her journey through band and budding awareness of music around her. 'First chair' means that the students in her group (instrument and section) compete on a piece of music to see who plays it with the most expression and fewest flaws. She also has been teaching herself the piano, accompanied by the occasional tinkering around on the drums.

Anyway, back to the weekend at hand...I have seen Lefty perform at various band functions, of course, but nothing prepared me for the emotion I felt as I watched her take the stage with a group of people she had not met until 24 hours prior to performance. I was nervous; I was proud; I was impressed. Think about it. These kids have never played together...a hundred 8th and 9th graders...coming together to read and perform music that they had never seen before...with seven hours of intense practice as their only preparation. Wow.



And then came the music nots. On the way home (an hour and fifteen minute drive by the way) Boo, which is what we are calling my youngest daughter, decided to sing. If she is being for real, she has a very sweet singing voice. If she has the sillies, she can sound like a farm animal in distress. Unfortunately for our ears, today she was not singing for real. So when Lefty got in the car, she too decided that she could sing...which she absolutely can not. It was rough to say the least, but hilarious. We came in the house laughing so hard we cried.

Today was a prime example of moments in life that are precious. What was your precious moment today?