A Tiny Photo Frame

I was working on choosing photos for my daughter's senior page in her yearbook. This meant getting out the photo albums from the early years! The albums are labeled by year, the photos placed in the sleeves when they were fresh from the developer.
Way back before digital cameras, you had to take the film to the drug store to get it developed. And remember to ask for duplicates for the grandparents. And there were always those odd random shots when you were trying to use up the film. Seems like there are cameras around here that held 110 film, 126 film, 35mm, and those funny little canisters that you got back and you have to store those forever.
I can tell exactly when I got my first digital camera because the albums, as they were, stop and the computer files begin!!
As I was looking through the albums, I was swept back in time.
To the first time she came home from the hospital in her University of Tennessee sweat suit and then the second time she came home after having to be re-admitted, this time in a beautiful pink smocked Felton Brothers dress, complete with slip, bonnet and tiny white leather shoes. Her first bath, with Grandmother pouring water gently over her hair. Grandmother, who jumped on a plane, and came to stay with us when my baby girl showed up several weeks early!
To her first day of preschool, when I took her picture standing next to the stairs and she is barely taller than the third step. I've taken her picture standing in the same spot on the first and last day of school every year. On the last day of PK, she couldn't go to school because she had chicken pox. Her teachers came to visit her after school was over that day and brought her papers and things from school. In her picture that day, she is dressed in a yellow outfit, a faint dusting of cornstarch powder covering her face.
To ballet recitals, first bike rides, visits to the pumpkin patch, the apple orchard, the fire station, carnivals, a series of cow girl halloween costumes, classroom parties, snow days, Easter egg hunts, holidays in Tennessee, birthday parties and loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.
She sat on the floor with me and helped me select the photos, knowing that I would give her final say in what appeared in the yearbook. Both of us laughing and remembering some fun times.
I am glad I was able to be her room mother at school and capture so many images. I am glad that she has been in school with so many of the same children since lower school. I am glad I have gotten to watch them grow.
As I started to scan the photos and she went back to filling out a college application, I realized that those little photos give me great memories to enjoy, for now, for later and when she is away from home.
I love you, my brown eyed girl!

A Tiny Silver Car

Just a quick thought...
It is a good thing when you see the car in front of the car in front of you completing a good traffic manuever...using their blinker, making good driving decisions...and realizing it is your child driving their own car...yes, a good thing!!

A Tiny China Plate

I was talking to a friend today and the subject of family heirlooms came up. She was talking about how her mom and aunts were arguing, fighting and bad mouthing each other over things they thought should belong to each of them upon the eventual demise of their mother. That's right, they are fighting and the dear lady is still using all of those silver knives, lace doilies and sitting in that particular velvet chair!
My friend asked me what I would do if in that situation and I told her that I could not imagine.
So, let me go on record...Mike, Melinda...if you want it that badly, it's yours!

Anyway, it seems that what they are fighting about are family photos, the china and that red velvet chair.

I had a photo of my mom and dad at a high school dance that I loved and had on a shelf for many years. One day, my sister asked me to make a copy of it for her. I figured I had had the original long enough, made myself a copy and gave her the original. I still have the picture, it still makes me smile! So, if you are fighting over photos, invest in a high quality photo printer, make copies and share them...making sure to include names, dates, places, favorite memories and the photographer if known. Share the memories.

I have a little white china saucer hanging on the wall in my kitchen. It is about 6 1/2" round, shiny white with a green border. It doesn't match any other of the dishes, not the fine china, not the Christmas china, not the nice everyday china, not the everyday china, not the Fiesta ware, not the Dan Finnegan handpainted china...nothing.

So, why would I have this single china plate hanging on the wall? This is the saucer that sat under the coffee cup that my great-grandfather, known as Pap-paw Goodness Gracious, used every morning for his coffee. Pap-paw would spill over a little coffee into the saucer, add some milk and let me drink it. I don't know if I have this actual memory or have heard the story so many times that is is real to me. It doesn't matter, what matters is that he loved me and shared his coffee...I still love coffee, with a little milk, no sugar...any wonder why?! This plate is one of my treasures, of value to no one but me, a reminder to share what you know is good.

I have two corner china cabinets, one from my great-grandparent's house and one from my grandmother's house. I brought them with me to Virginia when I got married and they are treasures for the beautiful pieces of furniture that they are and also as they remind me of the dining rooms in their houses...meals shared with family.
My grandmother used to tell me that she wanted certain people to have certain things of hers. This china cabinet came to me and another piece that stood in her entry hall went to my sister. They were focal points in her home and in ours.
After I lived in my house for several years, I decided to paint the dining room. I carefully unloaded all of the china, crystal and silver out of the cabinets and gently moved them to the center of the room. I started painting and as I worked my way around the room, I ended up behind the china cabinet...and there, on the back, written in white chalk, in my grandmother's handwriting, was my name. I stopped in my tracks and gently traced around the letters, remembering her beautiful handwriting that I saw on many cards, letters to camp and recipe cards. I had never noticed this in the two moves and since it was up against the wall, the chalk marking had not been erased, a minor miracle in itself.
So, the cabinet still stands in my dining room, filled with treasures I love, my name in faded white chalk on the back, a reminder of family meals taken together over the years. And being intentional...if you have a specific wish...let it be known.

I hope my friend's mom and her sisters can get beyond the "things" and see past them to the memories that are brought about by a meal on that china, a look through that picture album, a quiet nap, nestled in that red velvet chair or a tiny sip of coffee presented in the simplest of vessels.

It is the memories that count, the feelings that matter and the comfort in knowing we are loved.

A Tiny Little Map

Last week, I went to orientation and training for my new job. The drive from my house to the interstate can be long and arduous, passing house after house, field after field, over a river, over a lake, down a curving road.
On this trip, I took a different route to the interstate, one that passed fields, rivers and farms...beautiful farms with grand names and perfectly green meadows, dotted with horses and a few cows. Some of the farms had deliberately planted rows of trees, marching up the hillsides and disappearing back down over into the valleys. Some of the farms had wild groves of tress that looked like they had been there for hundreds of years, with driveways and roads carved into the fields next to them. I saw an old church, complete with stone walls and a carved limestone cross. I saw more white fences than I have seen anywhere except for Middle Tennessee.

In the place where I was staying, I had no internet access for my computer. I could get access on my phone, but it is really hard to do a lot of typing on that little screen! So, instead of staying in my room, I took a drive or two.

I explored back roads and one evening, I just drove south for about 45 minutes, taking in the beauty of the mountains, the warm air rushing by. And in those peaceful moments, I found the simple pleasure of an afternoon drive. The smells of fresh cut grass, honeysuckle and wild flowers perfumed the air and it was nice, very nice.

Taking a route, never taken before, can be a gift all in itself.

A Tiny Silver Rattle

This afternoon, I attended a baby shower for a friend who is having her seventh baby girl! That is right...seven baby girls. Suwema, Elizabet, Stella, Daines, Regina and Neema will be big sisters to the new baby in just a few weeks!! The mom, Jerida, is a beautiful lady with a lovely smile that lights up her whole face.
As she was opening presents, she would look around the room to identify who had brought her gifts. After she finished, she hugged each person, saying "Thank You" and "God Bless You".
I have taught two of the girls in Sunday School, taught two of the girls in ESL preschool and have turned a jumprope or two for the other two girls!! Sweet girls who take care of each other!!
This will be Jerida's first child born in the USA, first born in a hospital, first child whose first home will not be a tent in a refugee camp.
Blessings to this family, mom, dad, sisters and new baby!!

A Tiny Silver Strawberry

Early this morning, Bob and I set out for the Farmer's Market on Rt. 3 in Spotsylvania to see what was available today. Since we are so early in the season, the produce consisted of beautiful lettuces, radishes, assorted onions, fennel, beets and the most amazing asparagus. I didn't start eating asparagus until about 16 years ago, when my friend Tia introduced me to steaming it and dressing it with a bit of balsamic vinegarette...delicious!
The strawberries are also in...Westmoreland Berry Farms has berries that are a pure red, sweet and juicy...perfect to just slice and eat!
Also at the market were a vast array of cut flowers, peonies and iris, ready to take home and arrange. We have several peony bushes in our back yard, planted by the lady we bought our house from and they have continued to bloom year after year, providing a profusion of blush and bashful colored blossoms!
There were blooming plants, ready to be bought and brought home to add to our flower garden in the front yard. Vibrant geraniums, their peppery smell filling the morning air. Lantana that reminds me of the walk way to the swimming pool at Old Natchez. Hanging baskets, already planted with an assortment of summer blooming plants, ready to hang on a front porch.
And don't forget the little potted vegetable and herb plants...get a couple of tomato plants, a basil plant and stop by the tent where the folks are selling fresh mozzarella and you have the makings of a beautiful caprese salad.
After a quick trip to the grocery store, we headed home. A few more errands in the afternoon, with a stop at the Sonic for a Diet Cherry Limeade ( for me) and a vanilla milkshake ( for him) and back home to enjoy the sunny day.
Tomorrow is Youth Sunday with a picnic after church...and it is supposed to be 61 degrees and raining...unlike the the 82 degree sunny day we are having today.
Well, we can only hope that the cold front blows right by here and tomorrow brings a sunny day...complete with strawberry pie at the picnic!!!

A Tiny Little Wedding Cake

Last weekend, we celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary!! Surprisingly, I am not going to wax nostalgic about being married so long...suffice it to say, it seems like a long time and it seems like no time at all...at the same time!! Someone asked me what the secret is to a long marriage and I told them that when I found out, I would tell them!
I know that I am not the easiest person to live with...I don't like to share closets, bathrooms or checkbooks...I think that if you can keep those separate, you run out of things to fight over really quickly.
I am not much of a fighter, and as long as I follow the old standby of "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"...then we all win.
I think I am funny..really, I am funny...so having a spouse that also thinks I am funny is a bonus. He laughs at my jokes and I laugh when he makes up words or draws little pictures on the grocery list of what he wants me to buy or pictures of our cats on the church bulletin.
I give him a lot of credit for learning quickly that I need a lot of quiet time, to read, to draw, to think, to nap(!) and time with my friends.
He gets an A+ for taking care of things like keeping my car clean and full of gas, so I don't get my hands all stinky. He likes to cook and knows just how I like my steak...really rare, barely done.
He thinks I am smarter than him, but still likes to amaze me with some tricky answers on Jeopardy.
So, what is the secret of staying married...I don't know, but I wish you well and remember, if it isn't going to matter, really matter, in 5 minutes, then just don't worry about it!

A Tiny Silver Airplane

There is something about standing in a parking lot, waving goodbye to your child, who is on a bus, headed out of town. My stomach is in knots, I bravely stand and wave, smiling all the time.

The first time my daughter went away without me, she was on a trip to a church sports camp at Carson Newman College... I could be there within 6 or 7 hours, no problem. As I waved goodbye to her that day, my pastor stood next to me and told me to just wave and smile. No matter that I wanted to throw myself in front of the bus and beg them to let her off of the bus, I know, a little dramatic, but that is how I felt!! She made it through the week, had a wonderful time, and I survived.

Since then, she has been to Boston, Toronto, North Carolina, Mississippi, Mexico, Germany...all without me, all successful, wonderful trips!!

This morning, she was headed to the airport, on her way to Costa Rica with the Global Explorers group from her school. They will be doing a service project, exploring the rain forest, riding on a zip line through the tree tops(!), visiting a pineapple plantation and lots of hiking. Oh, and they will be joined by 4 hearing impaired students, their interpreters, two guides and two teachers. In preparation for the trip, they have been studying sign language in order to communicate with the students joining them. I think they were looking forward to being somewhere warm, even though it might be rainy!!

So, as I stood there this morning, with my friend Kelly, waving and smiling, I am proud of how hard they worked in preparing for the trip. I am excited for the adventures they will experience.

And most of all, I am looking forward the the tiny silver airplane that will bring her home again.

A Tiny Silver Book 6

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of working at the Book Fair at a local elementary school. Surrounded by the best titles Scholastic had to offer...I was delighted!
Things have changed since my daughter was in elementary school. Now, there is a little bar code scanner to ring up the sale, with a little machine that prints out a receipt. Better than the days of having to count books at the end of the day and do a written report.
The children were excited to come to the Fair and there were several who were disappointed that they hadn't brought any money. My friend, who is the librarian, assured them that if they didn't buy a book, they could still check one out, so everyone could have a book to read.
The two most popular books for the older children were various editions of "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and "Coke or Pepsi". Neither title held a lot of appeal for me, however, I do believe I know where many of the Facebook quizzes come from!!
I was excited that the children were happy to see the books and many of those who bought a book or checked out a book were seen reading as they walked out the door. Instilling a love of reading in a child is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.
I started reading "Scat" in between my customers yesterday and hope to be able to finish it tomorrow. If not, I may have to buy it and bring it home!
There are so may fabulous books out there for children and if your child does not like to read...find something he or she is interested in...whether it be Star Wars, Barbie or Wimpy Kids...encourage them to read and soon they will branch out into other books.
Happy reading and if you get a chance, read to your child, your teen or your mom...I know they will love to hear you reading to them.

A Tiny Silver Birthday Cake

Happy Birthday, Mom!!
Today is my mom's birthday and I hope that it is a special day for her!

My mom is an extremely gifted and talented person in so many ways. She is creative, smart, and the best Grandmother to my child and nieces and nephews!

My mom is a talented seamstress. When I was a little girl, a lady at our church gave me some Barbie dolls, which I loved to play with. One Christmas, I happened upon my mom sewing some tiny little dresses, which she told me were for another little girl. Disappointed, yes, but I loved watching her sew. Imagine my surprise on Christmas morning when I unwrapped those little dresses!!! She sewed many dresses and outfits for me, including my wedding dress. I loved helping her to pin the patterns to the fabric and mark the details with that tiny pokey wheel and marking paper. And then when I was expecting a child, she gave me a sewing machine of my own, which I have used to make baby clothes, toddler dresses, quilts, slipcovers, pillows, curtains and many other things.
Thanks mom, for teaching me how to sew.

My mom is very creative. When I was young, she taught me how to be crafty. I remember making these fabulous candle holders out of old jars and cans. The items were stacked upon each other, taped together and then covered with a papier mache layer. Then we would add designs using string dipped in white glue. After it was dry, we would paint them, antique them and clear coat them. I remember a beautiful turquoise blue one that stood at my grandmothers house for many years. She also took me to ceramics classes, where I could pick out a piece of bisque, paint it, have it fired and display it on my dresser...remember the girl with the flower basket, the puppy dog and the orange mushroom?! I still have them! She also taught me how to embroider, cross stitch and encouraged me to try new things.
I give her credit for passing on the decorating gene and the education to learn how to use it!
Thanks mom, for opening my eyes to the colors and patterns around me.

My mom is a great cook. When we go to her house for a visit, she always makes sure to have our favorite things while we are there. The recipes that she has shared with me have become favorites in Virginia as well. When I go to my in-laws for a holiday meal, I take my mom's dressing, blueberry jello salad and coconut cake.
When we were little, she would let us help in the kitchen and now her grandchildren enjoy the same pleasure. Standing on a stool at the island, mixing up some banana bread is still a treat for the children.
Now, my sister and I cut up the fruit for a delicious dish known as "goo" and I remember my great-grandfather, in the kitchen, talking to my mom as he cut up the fruit when I was little.
Thanks mom, for teaching me how to cook and how to make memories.

My mom is a good friend. She has several friends, one as long as I can remember, who are special to her. I have learned by watching them, how to be a friend. That even when you are separated by distance or circumstances, you can pick up the phone and cross the miles with ease. My mom has the gift of never meeting a stranger. Last Christmas, while taking a break from shopping, she was sitting at a table and some other weary shoppers had joined her. She chatted easily and made a new friend!
Like my mom, many of my friends are church friends, people I have met through my child and people I have worked with. People I can laugh with, cry with and go to for help.
Thanks mom, for teaching me that to have a friend you have to be a friend.

My mom is a good Christian. She always made sure we were at church "every time the doors were open". When she was working on Wednesday, she arranged rides so we could get there on time for choir, handbells and dinner. She taught 9th grade girls Sunday School for many years and was one of my favorite teachers! She taught me at an early age that unless you make up your mind on Saturday to go to church on Sunday, you might not make it. When I thought I was old enough to decide when I wanted to go to church, she wisely knew that I wasn't ready to make that decision. And through her influence, I found a church home when I was away at school and after I married.
Thanks mom, for being a positive Christian influence in my life.

And last, but not least, my mom taught me how to be a good mom.
And I thank you for that!!

So, Happy Birthday, Judith Ann, happy birthday to youuuuuuu!!!

A Tiny Silver Book 5

As you know, I love to read. And while my taste runs to fiction, I like a variety of reading material. Having said that, my friends, if you write a book, you should let me know. I will buy it. I will read it. And I will recommend it to those who also share my love for books. Just let me know where I can get a copy. Even if it is about physics or chemistry...
So, imagine my delight, when I saw a note on Facebook that a friend from the old days has a new book coming out! I pre-ordered it and discovered two others that he had written. Ordered them too. Have read one, liked it, and the other is on the top of my list.
I like his writing style. I remember him mostly as a friend of my sister, someone who would come over and play games and talk about books. Someone I loved to listen to as he debated the worthiness of words while playing Scattergories. Good times.

In the past week or so, I read Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. Both books are filled with some of my favorite things; medieval times, cathedrals, religious imagery, architecture, treachery, conflict, war, knights, red wool cloth. I had heard a lot about both of the books and was hesitant to dive in, but found them easy to follow and full of intertwined stories. Thumbs up.

One of the teachers at my daughter's school co-wrote a book about Leonardo DaVinci...can't wait to start that one...after I finish Math and the Mona Lisa by Dr. Bulent Atalay!

Someday, I would hope to have enough shelves to put all of my books out so I can get to them anytime, instead of rotating them, like a bookmobile! But for now, I'll just read a little at a time!

A Tiny Silver Map

FA was on Winter Break last week, so for the parents of juniors, many of us took this opportunity to visit prospective colleges. That is right, the college tour begins.
Several weeks ago, we met with her college counselor and received a list of match schools, so I visited the web sites, got the dates for the tours, bought a new map and we were ready to go!
The first school we visited was the largest at about 18,000 students. I thought the campus would feel really big, but was surprised to find that it did not. We started out at the newer part of campus in the admissions office, killing a little time by looking through some old yearbooks. The wide range of clubs and service organizations were definitely appealing, scoring a point for the big school. The admissions director gave a wonderful presentation, the media piece included student interviews, which were delightful. The campus included old original buildings, new exciting construction and a beautiful football stadium. The tour guides were friendly and informative and even some of the students we encountered along the way stopped to ask us how the tour was going. I was pleased that she liked it and look forward to another visit.

The second tour was a little closer to home and has about 6,000 students. Beautiful campus, great programs, lots of history. The admissions representative was okay, but probably could have been a little more polished and professional, as she was the first person most of the prospective students had met face to face. Our tour guide was nice, but kind of quiet and shy and had about six points that she kept bringing up over and over. We met a friend who teaches there afterwards for lunch and discussed having another personal tour, so that will be great.

The third tour was at the school where my husband attended college. I had been there many times and it was indeed one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever visited. We found a yearbook in the admissions office with his senior picture and had fun looking at that! The admissions director was delightful and covered every aspect of the school. There were about 50 prospective students in the group, with my daughter being the only one from Virginia. This is a highly competitive school and it attracts the best students from all over the world.

The fourth tour was at a school with about 5,000 students. The presentation was given by the President of the school and he obviously loves the school. The classes are all taught by professors, the dorms were lovely and the campus was less than 300 acres, so it was easy to navigate. This Open House was well developed with representatives from many areas of campus, from housing to sports to dining options. There were probably 500 students and the tours were overly large, making it hard to hear the tour guides.

All in all, it was a good week. We have some more schools to check out and I am sure when she gets back to school this week, she will have lots of notes to compare with her friends. We came back with lots of great information, lots of t-shirts and sweatshirts and good memories.

So, now it is on to taking the SAT and ACT, writing essays and filling out applications.
And I will get out the map and go wherever she wants to go, as long as she always remembers the way home.

A Tiny Silver Basketball

Fredericksburg Academy Girls Varsity Basketball team has made it to the finals! They will play Wakefield Country Day School tomorrow at The Highland School in Warrenton VA.
I believe it will be a close game and could be won by either team. I have also heard that the WCD coach has been suspended for unsportsmanlike conduct and will not be coaching. This is a good thing.
Ya'll know that I am not a sporty girl, normally picked last for teams...and actually okay with that. I wrote a lot of papers in school to make up for a lack of mad skills on the playing field. But I was a great scorekeeper, color announcer and cheer-er...all important skills, right?!
At FA, the students are required to play two seasons of sports per year, so I became a parent fan a few years ago. Anyone who wants to play can be on the team, however, they may not get a lot of playing time. One thing I have noticed over the years is how the coaches have fostered a great sense of "team". A team need skilled players, able subs, cheering fans and a sense of good sportsmanship.
As I have watched several coaches over the years and several groups of parents, I am struck by how fortunate that our school has had some great coaches!
I have witnessed coaches who have badgered, berated, brow beat and used unseemly language while coaching their teams. Maybe I am naive, but I would like my daughter coached by someone who is an encourager, not a belittle-er.
Last fall, I had the privilage to play "soccer mom" to a group of children who are new to our country. I was saddened to hear adults yell at 5 year olds as if they were playing professional soccer...for money. On the other hand, I was filled with joy at the dads who gently coached some of our children from the sidelines, helping them understand about throwing the ball in without letting your feet leave the ground.
I am thankful that I have seen more positive actions and that all of the parents who volunteer their time to coach these children is fantastic.
I am thankful that my daughter has had some wonderful coaches who have taught them that just because they CAN run up the score, it is not the right thing to do.
I am thankful that somehow, an athletic gene snuck through and she is a great player.
And, I am thankful that she is a great teammate and encourager. Play Ball!!

A Tiny Silver Pencil

I went to a meeting today with the college counselor at my darling daughter's school. She is a junior and the testing and application processes have begun. When I started filling out forms, I commented to my mother that I didn't remember all of this when I was applying to college. She replied that she was the one who filled everything out...so no wonder I don't remember!
The counselor had prepared an extensive list of schools she is interested in attending, with size, tuition, grades requires, test scores required, etc. I was amazed at the amount of information we received...thank you very much Ms. Nobles!
We have made some plans to attend tours/Open Houses at the top 4 schools during Winter Break and....
WAIT JUST A MINUTE...do you know what this means?!
I will soon be the mom of a college student...how did that happen?!

Before long, I will no longer see her before bed each night, nor will I greet her with a "Good Morning, sweetheart" before school.

Before I break down into a sobbing mess...let's look at this a little differently...

She has attended a fantastic school since Pre-K, which is a college prep school, so what did I think she was going to do after graduation? That's right, go to college!

She is bright, curious, intelligent, caring, positive, cheerful, smart, sensible, a good friend and a warrior for those whose voices yearn to be heard. And one of the most beautiful people I have ever met.

I am excited for her to journey towards being a grown up person, someone who will make a difference and change the lives of others.

She is the kind of person I would like to have for a friend.

No matter where she ends up going to school, near, far, big school, little school...she is always in my heart, no matter where she goes.

So, grab your pencil, color in those dots, sign those applications and take the world by storm!!

A Tiny Silver Pocketbook

My extraordinarily talented college friend, Julie Britton Burney, hand painted a fabulous pocketbook for me!!! I have known Julie a long, long time...she was a bridsmaid in my wedding and wore her pale pink dress like a true princess!!
After getting her degree in Interior Design back in the day, she has been busy and is now back in school getting her degree in Graphic Arts.
She is going to New York in May and is going to have a booth at a show, working on getting some of her drawings licensed!! I am very excited for this new opportunity for her and proud of her taking that step out in faith!
She personalizes her bags and paintings for the person she is painting for.
For me, she painted me as she remembered first meeting me...long brown wavy hair and big green eyes...Ah, Youth!!!
I can't wait to put my things in my new pocketbook and sashay around town!!!
Thank you Julie, you made my day!

A Tiny Little List

25 Random facts about me ( As posted on Facebook):

1. I have way too much free time or I would not be writing these notes.
2. The first VCR tape I bought was "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" and it cost about $80.00 back in 1987.
3. My dvd's are alphabetized.
4. My laptop is green and my phone is pink, my two favorite colors.
5. I make my own greeting cards...and have sold them as well.
6. I have all of my drafting equipment, pens and project boards from college.
7. I know all of the songs from "The Sound of Music", just in case I am at a show and someone needs a quick replacement.
8. I like making lists and marking things off as they are accomplished.
9. I love, love, love pocketbooks, especially really big ones.
10. I have all of the books written by Stephen King, bound in red leather, on my bookshelf.
11. I don't know how to drive a stick shift, although when I am dream that I am driving, I always drive a stick shift.
12. I cannot drive over a tall bridge, flat ones are okay.
13. I still haven't unpacked all of my wedding presents.
14. I like to wrap presents in shiny white paper and big hand tied bows.
15. I would like to go back to school and study studio art, just to learn.
16. I love shopping in paper and stationery stores.
17. I learned how to knit last year.
18. The thermostat in my car has to be on an even number.
19. I am somewhat claustrophobic and like to sit on the end.
20. I like to be early.
21. I check and double check maps before I go on a trip.
22. I would like to take piano lessons again someday.
23. I love fresh flowers, but not star gazer lilies.
24. I don't like to share closets or bathrooms.
25. I wish I lived closer to my family.

A Tiny Silver Movie Camera (2)

Here are the answers to "Guess My Favorite Movies" quiz.
Note: I have all of these movies on my dvd shelf, so come on over and we can watch one or two!!!
I posted the answers in the original post!

A Tiny Silver Movie Camera

Guess My Favorite Movies!!!

I posted this on Facebook, but thought my sister sister would enjoy playing!!!


The Rules...
1. I picked 20 of my favorite movies.
2. I went to IMDb and found a quote from each movie.
3. Posted them here for everyone to guess.
4. I will strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search or other search functions.
6. No looking at my favorite movies on my Facebook page.

1. It's giving life that counts. Until you are ready for it, all the rest is just a big fraud. All the crazy haircuts in the world won't keep it turning. Life isn't a love in, it's the dishes and the ortho and the shoe repairman and ground round instead of roast beef. And I'll tell you something else; it isn't going to bed with a man that proves you're in love with him; it's getting up in the morning and facing the drab, miserable , wonderful world with him that counts.
YOURS, MINE AND OURS ( THE ORIGINAL VERSION WITH HENRY FONDA AND LUCILLE BALL)

2. I believe one should fight for what one believes. Provided one is absolutely sure one is absolutely right.
TO SIR, WITH LOVE

3. Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends.
LEGENDS OF THE FALL

4. This old gypsy women once told me that if you jump backwards nine times before the sun comes up, you won't be pregnant. Well, I jumped so far I had to take a bus back and then I had twins.
WHERE THE HEART IS

5. Now, what would you like to wear? Black, black, or black?
THE SECRET GARDEN

6. In my philosophy, a man cannot call himself well-contented until he has done all he can to be of service to his employer. Of course, this assumes that one's employer is a superior person, not only in rank, or wealth, but in moral stature.
THE REMAINS OF THE DAY

7. You know, dolls make the very best friends. Just because they can't speak doesn't mean they don't listen. And did you know that when we leave them alone in our room, they come to life?
THE LITTLE PRINCESS

8. I can't go all my life waiting to catch you between husbands.
GONE WITH THE WIND

9. All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my brothers. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men, but I ain't never thought I'd have to fight in my own house.
THE COLOR PURPLE

10. Well, from this day henceforth, it seems you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you marry him...and I will never see you again if you do.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ( BBC VERSION)

11. With the exception of Eddie and myself, whom you already know, we're going to be using aliases on this job. Under no circumstances do I want any of you to relate to each other by your Christian names, and I don't want any talk about yourself personally. That includes where you've been, your wife's name, where you might've done time, or maybe a bank you robbed in St. Pertersburg. All I want you guys to talk about, if you have to, is what you're going to do. That should do it.
RESERVOIR DOGS

12. Congratulations. In the history of this camp, that was the most infamous, the most disgusting, the most revolting display of hooliganism we have ever seen.
THE PARENT TRAP ( ORIGINAL VERSION WITH HAYLEY MILLS)

13. If you can paint, I can walk - anything can happen, right?
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER

14. Say Lou, did ya hear the one about the guy who couldn't afford personalized plates, so he went and changed his name to J3L2404.
FARGO

15. On the page, it looked like nothing. The beginning simple, almost comic. Just a pulse - bassoons and basset horns - like a rusty squeezebox. Then suddenly - high above it - an oboe, a single note, hanging there unwavering, till a clarinet took over and sweetened it into a phrase of such delight! This was no composition by a performing monkey! This was a music I had never heard. Filled with such longing, such unfulfillable songing it had me trembling. It seemed to me I was hearing the voice of God.
AMADEUS

16. When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY

17. Now please get out of my Van Halen t-shirt before you jinx the band and they break up.
THE WEDDING SINGER

18. I don't want to talk about it! Everytime I think about something nice, you remind me of bad things. I only want to talk about the nice things.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE

19. I don't know if it will help saying this to you...some men in this world are born to do our unpleasant jobs for us...your father is one of them...
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

20. Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I am with you.
DIRTY DANCING

A Tiny Silver Television Set

I sat down yesterday to watch what I thought would be a funny movie...it was not...so after watching about half of it, I gave up and switched over to regular tv. I dvr several shows, so there was bound to be something ready to watch. I found my show, but there was no sound. Great picture, no sound. I switched over to regular tv and again, no sound.

Hmmmmm...I am famous for hitting the wrong sequence of buttons and messing up the HD tv functions...

I tried turning it off, checked the settings, nothing worked. Finally I gave up and went to my darling daughter's basketball game. While there, I mentioned to my husband the tv problem. Knowing that I would want to watch American Idol in my den, he went home after the game and went to work.

I went to church to help prepare a meal and called him on the way home, only to find that he had spent the last two hours unhooking all of the wires from the tv, moving the tv to a different room ( where the sound worked perfectly), moving it back to the den ( again, no sound). He then put a movie in, which played perfectly...thus putting a cap on his frustration.

His first comment when I got home was that I could watch tv in the "man-cave" since the one in the den was not working. I just watched a movie, figuring the dvr would capture it's scheduled recordings and I would call the cable company in the morning.

In the middle of the night, I sat bolt upright...thinking..."I wonder if he unplugged the cable box?"

So, bright and early, I came downstairs, unplugged the cable box, waited a few minutes and plugged it back in. The re-booting started and after about 10 minutes, the box came back on, the time was displayed...looked normal.

I gingerly pushed the TV button and the Power button...and snap...there was Al Roker, telling me all about the weather!! Hurray, I have audio, I don't have to get the tv repaired, I don't have to shop for a new tv ( although, I am loving a certain Samsung I saw over Christmas holiday)!!

So, the solution was the unplug the cable bos and plug it back in, allowing it to reboot. So simple, so simple...

Kind of like hearing an animal with four legs and hooves running by and thinking Zebra, instead of horse!!!

So, I am catching up on American Idol...it looks like itis going to be an interesting season...on my favorite tv!

A Tiny Silver Book 5

Someone asked me tonight to name my 5 favorite books to read of all time, excluding The Bible. Not the 5 best books of all time, but my favorites. The ones that I can read over and over, can pick up at any time, and start anywhere in the book and enjoy them.

I have only thought about this for a couple of hours, but let's give it a whirl...

1. "A Wrinkle in Time" Madeleine L'Engle
I read this book for the first time in the 4th grade. And many times over the years. I still have that original copy, as well as a couple of others. I was young enough to think it was possible that three witches could transport a person through time and get them back before bed time. I thought the teen aged main character was strong, different and had a hard time fitting in with her peers, but was intuitive and daring at the same time. The descriptions of the characters were detailed and thorough and several years ago, when a movie version came out, I was naturally disappointed. The other books written later about the same family were also favorites. I wanted to know what kind of adults these children became and was not disappointed. One summer, I ordered every book written by this author from an online retailer and read them all, in the order she had written them, just to try to understand her thoughts.

2. "The Catcher in the Rye" J.D. Salinger
I read this book in the 9th grade Honors English class. Ms. Bryson was my teacher and I remember her telling us to read beyond the language ( off-color language) and hear what he was saying. And I did, and I heard him say that he felt like he had no control over his life. A helplessness, a hopelessness, a longing to grow up and start living...sounds like a lot of people I know!

3. "Pride and Prejudice" Jane Austen
What can I say? I love the language, the descriptions, the characters and mostly, Mr. Darcy. I want to live in Pemberley, I want to giggle at Mr. Collins, and exchange cutting eyes with Jane. I have read all of her books, several times and think "Persuasion" is also a favorite.

4. "To Kill A Mockingbird" Harper Lee
Predictable? Maybe, as I do love a book by a southern author. Humid nights, when the air is so thick, you can set your glass of ice tea on the edge of your wrought iron chair and it will never fall. The smell of fresh cut grass and honeysuckle wafting in the window of your car as you drive home from church. The endless sound of crickets chirping as you sit on the patio watching the stars blink through the leaves of an over hanging tree.
My sister gave me a signed copy of the book last year...sweet bliss!
I would like to meet Harper Lee and tell her that I think she wrote the perfect book and thank her for letting us into her world.

5. " 'Salems Lot" Stephen King
This was the first book I read by him and I will confess that the visual of the little boy vampire scratching at my window, waiting to be let in, floating around out there...was enough to make me create a cross out of popsicle sticks and keep it by my bed. I don't think I have ever slept in a room with the blinds open since then. I have read every one of his books, have them all in matching red leather on my bookshelf. This book introduced me to the whole scary book genre and for that, I am thankful. I have read books that have kept me out of basements, our of cemetaries and other places where I have no business. I am suspicious of dolls coming to life, of things that go bump in the night and the dark. Nothing like scaring yourself a little now and then!

Okay, that is it for today's list...a list that could change with the next book I read...I have posted a link to my Shelfari bookshelf, so check it out!
Read on, gentle reader, read on into the night!

A Tiny Silver Book 4

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

I, like the rest of you, had read reviews periodically about this book. One person calls it brilliant, a true look at life in the late 1950's. Another calls it depressing, a sad look at life in the late 1950's.
With the release of a movie version of Revolutionary Road, I decided to take the time and read the book.
I finished the book a couple of hours ago and I have to say, unlike most books, I do not feel like a better person for having read it. The tone is gritty, sticky and disagreeable. Arguing and simmering rage...should make for a very dramatic movie.
I might see it, I might not.
But if I do, I hope it doesn't leave me with a sense of hopelessness, like the book.

A Tiny Paintbrush

A Flower for Sarah

Baby Jesus in the manger for Sarah

His Eye is on the Sparrow for Sarah

Baylor Skyline at Sunset for Sarah


So, I am sitting in Sunday School one morning and the pastor of our church, who is also my Sunday School teacher, says he has a little project he needs some help with. (Let me interject here that lots of people have said this to me, especially in the past few months, thinking I have way to much free time while I am not working. And am ready to jump up and create something for them...)

Anyway, he tells me how a person we both know has remodeled her office and in doing so, had to move the ceiling light fixture. Covering the old location was a simple white plastic plate, effective, but boring. He had an idea of having a few covers painted with various scenes and put them up to surprise her. Maybe something with a Christmas theme or something.

That afternoon, I sent my dear husband to the local hardware store for a couple of these plates and started working on them.
The first one was a manger scene, not terribly detailed, but something to catch her attention and celebrate the season of Advent.
The second one was an eye, like the eye of God is looking down on you as you sit at your desk, diligently working. Maybe a little spooky, but always nice to know Someone is watching out for you.

The next day, the pastor called me and said he had some ideas for the covers. He was surprised to find that I had done two already, but I had a couple of more ideas.

I didn't deliver the second set until after Christmas, what with Christmas cards to write, holiday traveling and festivities to attend.
The next one is the Baylor skyline at sunset, just in case she got a little homesick for school or needed to remember where she came from.
And the last one is a simply flower, the sign of new beginnings, of new days ahead and of the beauty of God's earth.

See, my friend, Sarah, works with people who don't always fit in with society, maybe don't have a place to stay...like the Baby Jesus.
People who need to remember that God is always watching over them and loves them.
People who are helped by someone who spent a long time in school, learning how best to serve.
People who need to know that tomorrow is a new day, that you can begin again and that there is beauty in every flower, in every smile, in every person.

So, when asked to get out my tiny, little paintbrush and try to brighten up someone's day...how can I resist?

A Tiny Silver Hammer

Donald Amos Franklin

Today is my dad's birthday. He says he is 29, has been saying that for years, so we will let that be his reality!
I consider my dad to be the original McGuyver. He could build anything, fix anything, invent anything and did his best to teach us the same.

When I was very young, we lived in Florida for a while. I remember him taking a big truck innertube and lashing a round piece of plywood to the bottom and making a raft. He would pull Big Brother and I out past the waves into the deep part and let us jump off. Well, Big Brother probably jumped off of the raft...me, I was scared of seaweed, so I most likely just rode the waves. I also remember him throwing us in to the waves, sputtering to the top and saying, "Do it again!"
Thanks Dad, for teaching me how to get past my fears.

He taught me how to build a campfire, which came in handy when I was in the Girl Scouts. I can still lay out a pattern of sticks that will start a slow burn and not go out...you have to let the oxygen in to keep the fire burning.
Thanks Dad, for teaching me a skill that can save a life.

When I was in the 7th grade and taking Algebra, my dad sat at the table night after night, helping me learn the concepts. I was (am) hard headed and stubborn and I know I was hard to help. He did not give up and kept working with me until I understood that the numbers on both sides of the equal sign had to match...always.
Thanks Dad, for your patience and helping me develop my sense of logic.

He taught me how to drive. The first time I drove was in the driveway of Ganny's house on Easter Sunday, 1979. I drove frome the back of the driveway to the street, which looked like it was a mile long, but was just a couple of hundred feet or so. And then he made me back up to where we started. And that you should always push on the pedals like you have an egg under there...easy and gentle...no stomping.
He took me out to empty parking lots in the snow and taught me how to test the slickness of the road under my tires. One time he instructed me to drive way out past Leiper's Fork, driving until we had about a half a tank of gas, and then telling me to find my way back home. And I did.
Thanks Dad, for teaching me that paying attention and finding my own way are important.

My dad taught me how to fix things around the house. Good information that I have used all through my married life. I still have the little hammer he gave me when I went to college. Of course we weren't supposed to hammer nails into the walls, but a handy thing to have around. When I went to design school, he gave me his drafting tools and drawing board that he had used in college.
Thanks Dad, for giving me tools and the knowledge of how to use them.

And thank you for knocking down the rails on the fence ( see, I was listening), giving me roots and giving me wings.

I love you, I thank you and wish you a very happy 29th birthday!

A Tiny Silver Book 3

Today, while visiting a friend, the chat turned to books as it often does with My Friend, who is a librarian ( dream job!). She was telling me about someone who did not want their child to read a book at school because their family did not appreciate the language used in the book. A certain word offended them. Evidently, the parents met with the school and an alternate book was found for the child to read. The book was read, assignments were completed, story is over.
Except that this family felt so strongly that they wanted to book banned from the school, not just for their child, but for every child present and future.
And, here is where I am conflicted.
Just because they feel it is not right for them, in their opinion, it should not be right for every other child. And that smells of censorship.
Oddly enough, neither of us, nor our high schoolers had read the book, so off to the bookstore we went to buy the book.
I have read about 29 chapters ( the chapters are numbered by prime numbers, so it isn't really 29 actual chapters...) and am fascinated by the book. And wondering why I haven't read it before...so many books out there, so little reading time!
So, just because Person A does not like a book, should they be allowed to influence a large public school system?
I say no, but that is just my opinion.
The opinion of someone who was required to read "The Catcher In The Rye" in the ninth grade. And, yes that book contains many, many words that can be offensive, but it is the language of the character, chosen by the author. I don't remember any parents running into Northside Junior High to ban the book. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't, maybe they were glad we were reading.

Happy Reading!

A Tiny Silver Book 2

Two of my favorite gifts I got for Christmas were gift cards to Davis Kidd Booksellers and Borders Books. Thank you, mom and dad and the two cats, Dorothy and Smokey!!
Here are the books I am looking forward to reading this month:
World Without End by Ken Follett ( I read about 100 pages at the store today...can't wait to read more!)
A Mercy by Toni Morrison ( It is Toni Morrison, what else can I say!)
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs ( This is the sequel to A Friday Night Knitting Club, which I thoroughly enjoyed!)
Between Here and April by Deborah Copaken Kogan ( This one caught my eye and looks like a great new author to try.)
The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
The Three Junes by Julia Glass
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
The Road to Eden's Ridge by M.L. Rose ( a collaborative effort between Myra McLarey and Linda Weeks, who are writing teachers from Nashville)
So, if you call and i don't answer the phone, I am probably reading...
I'll let you know how I like them...or check out my shelf on Shelfari for some recommendations!

A Tiny Silver Book

I just finished reading A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs while I was on Christmas vacation. I had bought it for my Sony Reader several months ago, but had put off reading it. I have read all of his books, and while I find many things about them disturbing, I am compelled to read whatever he writes. The story of his childhood was made into a movie, not a great movie, but kind of predictable.
I love a good story and Augusten ( and I feel I can call him by his first name because if he knocked on my door, I could talk about anything he has ever written) is brutally honest about his childhood, his parents, his brother, his friends, the people who influenced him, his drinking, his work in advertising, his sexuality...everything.
When I first started to read his book, Running With Scissors, I wondered how in the world his father could let his mother make the decisions she did, concerning his living arrangements. Now I have a better idea. And I am saddened by his life. I truly want to invite him over for dinner.
His earlier books featured his father as this shadowy person, not in the picture, on the outside, looking in, if he cared. This book is all about his father and his mind games. That is all I am going to say because you may want to read him.
I heard Sellevision is being made into a movie...let's hope so!
And even if you don't read this book, read a book, read any book, tell someone about what you read and share the book with them!
Happy Reading!