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.