Time For A Cool Change

We have been blessed with a really pretty day - finally. The rain over the weekend had so dampened my spirits that I would have literally floated away this morning if it had continued. Yep, just got in a canoe and floated on out to sea...I needed to see the sun!

On the way to school and work this morning, a really old song came on and reminded me of a time, long, long ago. The song; "Cool Change" by Little River Band, the time; somewhere around 1982..maybe even 1981. I was a young thang! The song was popular on the radio, but the reason I loved it so was because of another reason.

For awhile, and again, it was long ago, my memory is sketchy, but for awhile, on Wednesday nights after church, several of us in the youth group would head over to some older youths' house, they were brothers and tons of fun. Their dad would make dinner - usually something we all had never heard of (I remember it was the first time I ever had eggplant) - but it was always good and always a lively dinner. Afterward, the boys would gather their musical instruments; drums, trumpets, guitars and sometimes they would cajole my friend Julie to jump on the piano - and a jam session would ensue - it was thrilling. Sitting in a living room. surrounded by my dearest friends, listening to live music - memories of that time have lasted so far, a lifetime.

One of the songs they liked to play was "Cool Change" -- and every time I hear it - I am transported right back to that living room, watching Henry (okay - he goes by Fabio now - whatever), his brother David, Jimbo (and he goes by Jim now - -gimme a break!) and his brother David (he still answers to David!) and sometimes Jimmie W. and Julie B. That time in my life cemented a love of music in me. I already loved it - but it was the first time I had ever been exposed to music played live like that. I always wished my piano playing had been good enough to sit in on some of the sessions. How cool would that have been?

So, this morning, as I was thinking about the day, thankful for the sunshine and listening to a song about "Cool Change", I realized that I have reached a point in my life where I am happy and eager for that Cool Change. This morning it was the change of rain to sunshine, in the fall it will be from the mother of a preschooler to the mom of a kindergartner, next week I change from a forty-something mom and wife, to a year older forty-something mom and wife. This birthday, more than most, is something I am actually looking forward to -I am facing it with a new attitude, I am stronger this year than ever before, I am looking at it with confident eyes, happy and unclouded eyes. This past year has brought many experiences to my life, some good, some not so good, but I am the better for all of it. I can look ahead at my life and the direction it is taking and realize that change is coming and for the first time, in a long time, I can honestly say that I am ready for it. Ready for a Cool Change!!

Living Happily In the Moment!

Bev

I Hope She Stays This Way, Part Two

Riding home from school and work today, we came upon a school just about to let out for the day. Naturally I had to slow to 35 mph and Hannah asked why we slowed down. I told her we had to slow down because school was about to end for the day and parents were picking up their children. I told her if cars were going too fast, one of the children might run out and could get run over. My oh too smart four year old said this, "Momma, why would they do that, when I get five and go to school I think I would be smart enough to not run out in the road where the cars could run me over."
Looks like those kids would be smart enough now!"

Help...I think I have a fourteen year old stuck inside a four year old. Somebody send me some help...NOW!!!

Happy Sunday!

I'm feeling like a little old school Amy Grant music today... I saw her in concert on this particular tour -- I even had a shirt just like the one she has on in the video. This song makes me happy - it popped into my head this morning as I was getting ready for church. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Happy Sunday!

A Re-Run -- Oldie But a Goodie!

I woke up this morning to a well washed world, and blossoms popping out on my beloved dogwood tree. I sat down to write a blog and remembered that I had done the same thing, this time last year. Hopefully you will forgive me for the "re-run" post. My heart's sentiments are exactly the same today as they were last year and I can't find words to say it any better than I did then.


Sunday, March 30, 2008

Pretty Blossoms, Pleasant Memories

It rained last night, well, yesterday and last night and this morning I awoke to see blossoms budding out all over my dogwood tree just outside of my kitchen window. What a pretty sight and what sweet thoughts it brought to my mind.You see, not only does this mean spring is here, warm weather is just about with us for good, fun new clothes, sandals, and of course the inevitable pollen, it also means that my pretty dogwood is still alive and kicking. Even more tender is my heart to this tree because beneath it,lying, I hope peacefully, is my sweet Jake.

Jake was my constant companion for thirteen years. He was my comfort and my joy, and bless his heart, my first try at parenting skills. Since he has gone on to find an eternal pond to swim in, and sticks to fetch, I have been left to miss him, his soft ears, his heavy sighs and the warmth of his one hundred pounds of yellow Labrador stretched across my feet as I slept at night.The world is truthfully not the same without him. I can never replace him or the place he holds in my heart and I will never forget him. Though pet lovers will often try and believe that time or a new pet can help to lessen the pain of a much loved companion, I am here to tell you that it is simply not true. I can cry today over the loss as much as I did that awful night in August,2005 when I lost him. The thought of him still catches a lump in my throat and causes my heart to skip a beat.

Before we all start crying, let me point out that this post is not to mourn, but to celebrate. For although Jake might be physically gone, he will live forever in our memories. And every spring, come a good rain, the tree that is a constant physical reminder of his life comes alive again, shooting out soft and fluffy buds everywhere. This tree is a testament to the fact that life goes on and with each pretty, delicate blossom, a small piece of my Jake lives on as well.

Living Happily Ever After,
Beverly

I've Been Surfing, Dude!

I spent some a few of my very formative years in Hawaii - Army brats - we get to live in some great places! I learned some great things - but alas, surfing was not one of them. I did take Hula lessons - but I only Hula on special occassions! I didn't learn to surf while I lived in the Islands, but thankfully the internet has taught me how to surf and surf really well. And most of the time I don't get knocked under waves and get water up my nose either!

I started blogging because I began "surfing" the web when Hannah was a tiny baby, took lots of naps and I was B-O-R-E-D! I found several bloggers that I loved, looked forward to reading every day and began to realize they were writing about stuff I could really relate to and not only that, they were documenting their lives. Most were young moms like me, so they were also documenting their children. I have always wanted to be a writer, have my own magazine column, so blogging seemed like a natural alternative to combining everything I loved.

Since I have become a "veteran" blogger, (does three years make you a veteran?) Oh well, anyway...since I have gotten some experience at this blogging thing, I am always happy to see new bloggers arrive on the scene, happy to delve into their lives, see what is happening through their eyes and gain inspiration for my own blog posts. It is fun, fun, fun for me.

The last few days have brought several new bloggers to my attention...take a look at my blog list over there on the right... it is GROWING! There is a "mom" type blog, a new food blog and even one from an old friend of mine who may or may not have "appeared" in some of my past blog posts!

I hope you will take the time to read the blogs on my list - both the new links and the old ones as well. I consider these bloggers my friends... we are all "linked" together in this crazy blogsphere and my mornings are not complete until I check in with all of them. I know you will enjoy them as well.

Happy Surfing!

Living Happily In the Moment!

Bev

A Home for the Worms

The other day Hannah received one of the best gifts (in her opinion) she has ever gotten. Hold on...it is spectacular. It was a worm! Not a real one (hallelujah!!) but a wiggly, squiggly, fishing kind of worm. It was black with a red undertone and she loved that worm. She played with it in the car, when we got home she rolled it around in the grass, fed it food, and even gave it a bath. She just adored the worm, until, well, until she placed it somewhere and couldn't remember where she put it. Then she just sat and whined that she had lost her worm. Her daddy and I were a little tired of the worm, we were secretly happy!! I still think he may have taken that stupid worm and thrown it away.

It was okay until bedtime came around and then she was crying for the worm, her "new worm" - "the best worm in the whole world!" Mommy just about couldn't take it any longer... she actually cried herself to sleep over that worm!

Thursday on the way to school I promised her I would get her another worm. It made her happy - I am a sucker for the four year old... just a sucker.

I went to the "worm store!" and although I could have bought just one - I decided to not tempt fate again and bought the TEXAS Collection - it was huge - and cheap!! Worms to last us a lifetime.

When she saw them, I became SUPER MOM!

She loves the whole bundle of worms now... thankfully I got a small box to keep them - she carries them all around the house, cuddles them, talks to them, she even set them up in her dollhouse - it is now a Home For Wayward Worms. They are quite cozy in there, see for yourself.

Here they are sunning themselves on the patio:

One of them is partial to the rocking chair... he just rocks and rocks all day!

And these worms are just plain lazy...sleeping on this bed...day and night!

And here is the baby of the bunch...all snug in her warm bassinet!

Stay tuned...my next post may just be about the six foot long black rubber snake that lives in the child's bathtub...

Living Happily In the Moment...and praying my daughter grows out of the love of slimy things! Bev

I Missed You!!

I'm Back......


Did you miss me?

I truly missed being here, but I have been lounging around the house, watching the maid Spring clean the house, the chef preparing dozens of meals and taking nap after nap as the nanny plays game after game of Wii tennis with my daughter....NOT!


What I have really been doing is trying to squeeze in some quality time with my parents while they were home for a visit in between the normal everyday routine of my already hectic life.


My mother and I spent Tuesday shopping and shopping and did I say shopping? She drug me, I mean she took me to the mall and every department store within a thirty mile radius looking for birthday gifts for me. How could I refuse, it isn't every day that I am treated to a shopping spree, I took advantage of it - no matter how much my feet hurt.


Wednesday after work I spent time with my favorite hair stylist as he sassied up my look for Spring! I also helped him pick out hardwood floors for his new house - but that is a story for another day. While I was getting "dolled" up, my child was enjoying some grandparent time - it was a joyful afternoon for us all.


Today brought rain to our town and after I dropped Hannah off at school I headed to the Cracker Barrel to have breakfast with my parents on their way out of town. It would have been a quick breakfast, except our waiter didn't turn in our order so we waited about forty minutes for some biscuits, grits and oatmeal. Oh well, it was nice to sit and chat!

I am home this afternoon - trying to clean house and cook dinner and do laundry -- just another day in paradise. I appreciate the fact that you are tolerant of my little blogging hiatus, I promise I am back on my regular writing routine, refreshed and newly inspired.

Living Happily In The Moment!
Beverly

I Hope She Stays This Way - Part One.

Last night, we tucked the munchkin in bed, and per usual I crawled right in there with her to read a story or two. The first choice was Strawberry Shortcake and her wild adventures...and the second was The Frog Prince. Now, I personally love this story, cause I have kissed my fair share of the amphibian species in search of old Prince Charming...it is a story to warm the cockles of my heart. We have read it a lot, my daughter and I, and usually she is fast asleep by the time the old, slimy, cold frog has transformed into the prince. But last night, she was more awake than usual, and we made it through to the end of the story together.

As I read the "happily ever after" part and closed the book, my little one suddenly started crying. She was tired and so it didn't strike me as odd, she cries at silly things when the day is done and she is so ready for sleep she can't hold her eyes open. But I hugged her and asked what was the matter and this is what she said.

"Oh, Mom, it is so sad that the frog turned into a prince!" "Won't she miss the frog?"

I tell ya, it was the closest I have ever been to just rolling out of the bed with laughter. My girl was genuinely upset over the loss of the slimy, cold, icky frog! She couldn't imagine how it would be better to have a silly old "stinky" boy than the frog for a playmate. I just hugged and hugged her. I dried her tears, cut out the light and lay beside her for a few moments as she drifted off to sleep.

I wonder how many more years that thought process will last until we are doing the same thing, only then it will be drying her tears and comforting her because some frog turns into a prince and he breaks her heart?

I hope it is a lifetime.

Living Happily In The Moment!
Beverly

I'm Fine, No Really...

"I’m fine."

Ever say that and know that it is not the truth? I did it on Friday. What is it about those little words that make us think we can just gloss over all the ick in our lives; the bad mood, the lack of sleep, the breaking heart, the frustration and irritations that arise every day? Someone dear to us asks us “How are you?” and we say, “I’m fine.”

If you are like me you say it and immediately follow up with a brush of your hand in the air, as if to say “all is well, let’s move on to another subject, cause my life is just not worth your time to talk about and if I tell you the truth you will think I am a wacko anyway….” I am the queen of this – trust me. And you know what, most of the time people let me get away with it. They will move on to another subject, they will accept my lie and take comfort in the fact that I am okay so I can listen and help them with their problems. I can’t get mad at them…I can only kick myself.

Friday at lunch, I was asked the question and I gave my standard remark- only this time – I was countered. I was told I was a liar. My friend was saying this in a loving way, just wanting me to talk to them and tell them how I REALLY was, but later I was thinking about it and realized my friend is right. I am a liar.

Now, this is not news to me – I am quite confident of my ability in this area. Most of the time I am brutally honest, quick to tell my friends the truth of their lives but if it is something personal, and important to me, to my heart (or heartbreak) I tend to clam up. I fear letting people know the real parts of me, the ugly humanness that really is the very part of me I need to reveal in order to be an authentic person. I don’t like to reach out and ask someone for help. I don’t like to feel weak and vulnerable; I like to be the one people run to for help, not the one running to seek it out.

I realized later on that even though I initially held back the truth of my life, it did eek it’s way out in the afternoon’s conversation. I did let some of it come through, although I know and so does my friend, that I held back a lot and didn’t share most of what needed saying. It was from fear of looking too weak; it was not from fear of trusting this person with my truth. I would trust them with my life.

I am taking baby steps in the direction of being “real” in my life. I thought at this point in the journey I would have reached it – but it seems I am only just starting the trip. If I have reached out to you in the past few weeks, you need to know just how much trust and love I have for you – it is not easy for me to do. For you who have reached back a hand and held onto me through my current storm, thank you.

I promise next time you ask, I will tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

'Cause Really, A Strike Would Be Useless At This Point!

I was awake at 4:44 this morning, were you?

No, seriously, I thought I would share my morning with you and see if you can relate to any of it in your own life.

My husband set his alarm for 4:30AM but the crazy in him sets the clock time ahead for twenty-seven minutes. (Why twenty-seven and not thirty -- I have no idea - ask the crazy!!) So, the alarm, which by the way is not a soft, soothing ocean wave, gentle lulling us out of dreamland onto the shores of the morning -no it is more like a five alarm bell at the biggest fire station in town, goes off at 4:03 --- and continues to go off as my dear one hits the snooze button every 9 minutes. Seventeen years I have done this people -- seventeen years! Eventually he does get up - but I am always up at the first buzzer sound, feet in boots and coat on - ready for the fire!

This morning was no different, except for the fact that I was ticked! I mean it is SATURDAY people, SAT-UR-DAY! The day of sleeping in, late breakfast, cartoons on tv. I was informed at bedtime that he was working today - a fact he let "slip his mind" so that made it even worse. Now I am up at 4 AM, and not only do I have sandwiches to make and breakfast to "whip up" I also have to listen to the fire alarm going off for at least 18 more minutes and pray that it doesn't wake up my daughter, this time!

So, I have made my famous breakfast sandwich - it is easy and requires no thinking or real use of kitchen equipment. I have packed his lunch and tried not to think ugly thoughts. I am beginning to think that a 41 year old man should be able to fix his own poptart and pack his own lunch! In fact, I saw a movie one time where a wife went on strike...and this morning, that sounds like a grand plan!

I could go on strike and make a really pretty sign. I could march around the kitchen all day - demanding better wages, better benefits, more vacation time, at least one day of sick time, and maybe the higher ups here at my employment would take a hint. Actually though, I am quite sure that the two people I work for would just continue on - strike or not - and I would have a bigger mess to clean up and even hungrier tummies to fill up when I finally figured out the strike was over!

I guess I will just continue to do what I have been doing, waking up far too early, making breakfast and lunch and dinner, cleaning and doing the laundry, cause really when I think about it - my daughter and her father are worth a little lost sleep, for now anyway!

Living Happily In the Moment!

Beverly

Sitting in a Restaurant!

So, I am sitting here in a restaurant, waiting on some friends to arrive and while I wait, I am people watching. It is a bad habit I know, but I am too old to stop now. I learn a lot about life through this habit. Some people head to the woods with binoculars and probably a funny hat to watch birds, some ride out to sea on a boat to watch whales, me, I take the simpler route and just observe people in restaurants.

The couple that just came in are really interesting. They are talkative, but not lovey, dovey. I haven't seen a kiss or a hand hold yet. They are in a little booth, but they were upset when they found that the bigger booths were all taken. I imagine they have children, at least two. You can just tell by their sporadic bursts of conversation. If you are married, for any length of time and have children, you can relate. If you are like me, the instances of a meal in a restaurant alone with a spouse and without the kids are very few and far between. Once there, you forget how to talk, there are lulls in the conversation, you are used to being interrupted and so naturally the silences burst in, instead of the children's voices.

There are two men in the booth right on the other side of me. I don't even have to turn around to know that they are both probably dressed in golf shirts and khaki's. They are undoubtedly work mates, probably don't really socialize outside of the office, other than casual Friday lunch although I think I can safely assume they play golf. More than likely, they play golf during the work day, using the time to smooze a client or two. I have worked with far too many of these guys in my life in the corporate world. Still, they crack me up!

A table of nurses, all wearing cartoon character scrubs, just appeared close enough for me to know that one of them is having a birthday. I am thinking there is some pediatric doctor or dentist's office missing a staff somewhere. But the three women are having a great time!

A cute older man and woman have arrived and watching them is causing me to miss my parents. Of course, my mom doesn't cut up my dad's salad for him -- what is that about!! I think I will not try to listen to their conversation - it might make me crazy.

Now I am privy to the conversation of a young couple, who I personally think are too young to be expecting this baby they are so busy talking about...but the conversation of young kids trying to be really grown up is making me smile. Ah...youth, how wonderful to be so ignorant!

I am writing this on check deposit slips because I left my writer's notebook in the other purse. A writer without paper is a desperate thing to watch I am sure. Perhaps someone is "people watching" me and wondering why I am just sitting here, writing on tiny bits of paper!

My friends just called and they are minutes away...it is safe to order some tea...so I will, and see what else I can learn from those sitting around me.

Living Happily In the Moment!

Bev

The Music of My Life

I was getting ready for the day this morning, following the normal routine, hurrying to finish up before my little one arose for the day and listening to the radio as has become my custom. As I listened to song after song, I found myself being taken on a wild roller coaster ride in my head as each song seemed to prompt a memory or propel me in time to a particular period of my life. All the way to work I thought about this musical ride I had been on this morning and how music is powerful, it touches us in ways that other stimuli cannot do. Even in January when I was basically deaf to the spoken word, it was only music that I could hear...its vibrations were the only ones felt in my ear at that time.

My memories and music go way back. I hear Elton John sing "Benny and the Jets" and I am instantly in the bedroom of my house in New York, nine years old, being introduced to other music, music different from that of my parents. The girls that lived across the street were older and wiser and taught me all about rock and roll.

I hear the theme song from The Greatest American Hero and remember that it was playing the first time I ever kissed a boy.

Hearing Journey belt out "Lights" and the memory comes flooding back of the first time I ever looked a boy and knew I would love him for the rest of my life.

Anytime Bon Jovi or Van Halen sing, I am propelled back to the sweet summer days, riding with my friend Kim up to the lake, t-tops off the Camaro -young, oh so young and really carefree.

Hootie and the Blowfish and the Black Crowes make me think of the year I dated my husband, and Toby Keith singing "Shoulda Been a Cowboy" always makes me recall the trip we took to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.

Let James Taylor come on the radio and sing "Fire and Rain" and I think of two memories, sitting on the beach at sunset, and the one year anniversary of the death of my beloved Jake. Something about that song just touches all kinds of emotions in this old heart. Both of these evoke tears.

This morning I heard "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks and although the song has nothing to do with the situation, I had just heard it on the radio the morning before I walked into my workplace and found my co-worker in tears, despondent over her young marriage ending before it had really even started.

I hear Tim McGraw sing about living like you were dying and it reminds me of the weeks waiting on Hannah to be born and how that song was so popular then. It was a reminder to me each time I heard it to live every moment, search for happiness in every nook and cranny of the day, to literally be happy in the moment!

"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls transports me to a morning in the kitchen not long ago, dancing around the room and hearing the words ring true for me more clearly than ever before.

Music is so important to my life, I can't imagine a car ride without it or even a day without it. There is music playing on my computer right now... Sting is singing about a moon over Bourbon Street, in what I can only surmise is an ode to vampires. At least, that is what I think of when I hear this particular song.

So tell me, what songs transport you to a favorite memory - I know you have one... share!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

My Irish eyes are smiling.

Yes, I have an Irish heritage, one that I am proud of, even if I hardly know anything about it. What I do know is that my maiden name is as Irish as you can get and I am quite certain hundreds of years ago there was some ancestor of mine living in Ireland and quite possibly there was an O' in front of the name.

I know that at some point someone got on a boat and made it to the good ole United States. I am thankful for that fact, I am sure Ireland is a beautiful place, but I am thankful to be living here for sure.

Loving history like I do, there is a part of me that just longs to delve into a study of our family's genealogy, put faces and names and life stories to all the bits and pieces of information I have begun to gather through the years. I would love to travel to Ireland and see the places, smell the countryside, and gaze at the sea from that side, stand where my ancestors stood before they set sail for America.

Every year, St Patrick's Day rolls around and I feel that Irish pride start to rise inside of my heart. It is an odd circumstance to be in; I am not Catholic, don't drink, never been into a party scene, about the only thing I can really celebrate on that day is the color green. Thankfully, it has always been a favorite color of mine. To honor the day, I bake shamrock cookies, decorated green of course, wear green, carry my shamrock purse, play U2 loudly in the car and make a "green meal' that night for my family. No, it is not a raucous celebration, no drunken brawls in my world, no loud partying in the living room, but it is a celebration of my Irish pride nonetheless.

I am proud of my heritage and the people who paved the way for me to enter the world. I don't know who they are, what they looked like,what they thought or even how they lived their lives. Maybe they lived by the sea in a stone cottage with a thatched roof or maybe they lived in a tenant building in the dirty city. Maybe they were rich and fancy or impoverished, living one meal to the next. It would be such fun to flesh out their stories, maybe one day I will have the time. Today, on this St. Patrick's Day, I am reminded of them and the thread that ties our lives together. My heart is thankful for them and the direction and the decisions they made in their lives. They have helped make me who I am today.

Happy St. Patrick's Day -- I hope you enjoy your celebration, in whatever form that takes for you.

Don't pinch me- I am wearing green -- and go ahead - KISS ME - I'm IRISH!!!

Bev

St Patrick's Prayer of the Faithful

May the Strength of God guide us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Angels of God guard us.- Against the snares of the evil one.
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,Christ be over all!
May Thy Grace, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and forevermore.
Amen

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

Living Happily In the Moment,
Beverly

Gotta Love the Irish...Pork Chops, That Is!

Alrighty then, it has been FAR too long since I shared a pork chop recipe and given that St Patty's Day is upon us...I decided to make it an Irish Pork Chop recipe.

Enjoy!

Irish Apple Maple Pork Chops
Ingredients
4 - 6 oz. boneless pork loin chops
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup good Irish Whiskey or Bourbon (you can skip this step if you are a good Baptist!)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 apple, washed, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 tsp fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
1. Cook pork chops in a heavy skillet about 10 - 12 minutes on medium heat.
2. Do not over cook the chops.
3. Remove & keep warm.
4. Add to the skillet the oil, garlic, bourbon & cover.
5. Cook over high heat 1 minute.
6. Add the chicken broth, maple syrup, apple, salt & pepper cooking until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
7. Stir in the thyme & cook 1 minute.
8. Serve sauce over the chops.
9. Can be served with either spuds or noodles!

Living Happily In the Moment!
Bev

A Weekly Wrap-Up - Or Why I Might Need To Be "Wrapped-Up" In a Straight Jacket!

My thoughts are like a bag of stale pretzels this morning. They look really good in the bag, all crisp and salty, but when you bite into them, they dissolve into nothingness.

Oh - they don't call me a drama queen for nothing folks!

Seriously, though - I have nothing much to say this morning, but I know there are certain people who like to see a new blog post every now and again and I am trying my hardest to fulfill wishes -- just call me the blog fairy!! Below you will find a wrap-up of some sort, in a very random, barely readable format...please do forgive!

Hannah's stomach bug was really just a heart ache... it has cured itself thankfully - if only the rest of her heartaches in life will be this manageable.

I discovered Dark Chocolate Kit Kat bars the other day, they have transformed my world. In fact, I am wondering how I survived at all up to this point without that deliciousness in my secret candy bar hideaway!!

Have you noticed I am rambling....must be a bag of stale pretzels of all different shapes and sizes...my poor, old, tired brain -- ya'll pray for it!

It is about to be Spring here in the old South, I am about to have a birthday, and I have gotten a bit of the Spring Fever -- in the form of cleaning out closets, drawers, rooms of clutter, children's toys, etc. Stand back house...you are about to be given a makeover!

For those of you following the saga of my refrigerator...it is still broken, but progress has been made -- a service call has been put in this morning... and maybe, just maybe at some point in the next month or so...I will be able to freeze things in the freezer and not in the refrigerator! Although, I will admit to beginning to like icy crystals in my sweet tea...kinda like a tea Icee! Yum!

My randomness is about at its end...thank you for sticking with this so far. I promise, I will use the weekend to rein in my thoughts and make a proper blog post, full of laughter, fun and inspiration soon- very soon!

My last random fact for the morning...my daughter has been up since 5:00 AM - she has had five wardrobe changes...these two facts alone just might explain why my brain is not up to thinking this morning!

Living Sleepily in the Moment!!
Beverly

Isn't It Too Early For All This Drama?

What a day! Is it the weekend yet?

The day started out okay. My child didn't scream when I picked out an outfit for her to wear. She even ate her breakfast, it looked like the day was shaping up to be a good one.

We headed out the door, and about half way to school Hannah started to complain with a stomach ache. It subsided but the closer we got to school, the more she complained. In the parking lot, just as we were getting out of the car, Hannah got sick. She got sick all over her, all over me, all over the back seat of the car -- it was a lovely way to start the day...NOT!

I cleaned her up as best I could, thank goodness I keep lots of crazy things in my car - - like leftover napkins from our women's fellowship, some towels and blankets and even an extra jacket or two... crazy things, but they all came in handy this morning.

I wish I could say for certain this is just a stomach yuck bug - but I can't. You see, I think this has its origins deeper than just a virus.

My child was out of school last week due to a cold, and in her absence a new student was added to the class. Yesterday was her first introduction to him and apparently he spent the day playing with her special friend Josh. This bothered her a lot. The first thing she said yesterday when I picked her was that she "did not like" the new boy. Later at dinner she said it again and said that she didn't want to go to school anymore. She eventually let it slip that he and Josh were buddies and she was left out...so my mommy (and womanly) intuition tells me that the stomach ache was a symptom of her worry over being at school again today and being left out by her friend Josh. I think she just worked herself up into a full-blown sick episode as only we girls can do.

As a first-grader, I complained for weeks about a stomach ache every morning on the way to school. It took a bit of wrangling, but my mother finally figured out the truth, that some silly boy was bothering me and threatening to tell the teacher on me. So, to hear my daughter complain of a stomach ache on the way to school...it just floods the memories back to me in a very vivid way.

I must admit, I never thought we would be dealing with boy-girl relationship type problems at the ripe old age of four and a half, but here we are. I hope to goodness I have learned my lessons in that area well so I can pass on some decent advice to my sweet girl. The most I can think of tonight is "boys are stinky and not worth playing with, or crying over!" Not very mature,I know. All I can hope is that I get a bit wiser before the teen years hit!


Living Happily, even in this moment!
Beverly

Carolina Girls, We're The Best in the World!

I was going to be a Carolina Girl once. I was going to marry a boy from "across the river", probably eventually settle down there and forsake my Georgia heritage, maybe even root for the Gamecocks at football season.

Plans do change and life stepped in and I ended up married to a Georgia boy. I see pine trees instead of palmettos when I look out my back window and I proudly wear the red and black and hope the Dawgs eat chicken for dinner on a certain Saturday every fall.

But one week a year, I embrace my inner Carolina Girl, born in me so long ago. I let her out and let her run free. I travel from the clay hills of Georgia to the sandy shores of my beloved Carolina coast, Edisto Island to be exact. I love it there.

I have been to fancier beaches. I have lived in Hawaii, where it is truly paradise. Seen the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean waters, and the Adriatic Sea. We have family that live near CoCo Beach, FL and every year we travel there - it is beautiful. White sand, blue water - truly spectacular, but none of these beaches feel like home to me quite like Edisto.

For six years, my little family has traveled there for a week of relaxation and pure fun in the sun. We have rented the same house for three of those years, wide open deck, steps away from the ocean tide.

Some of the greatest moments of my life have been at that beach, at that house. When I am sad, needing a place to escape to in my mind, that is where I go. In fact, the picture above this post, the picture in the blog header, was taken on the deck of "my beach house" after a day of shell collecting.

I can close my eyes and hear the surf, taste the air, smell the fish, and see my child scampering across the sand chasing a bird or crab or the waves themselves. I see my husband flying one of the many trick kites he loves so for hours on end and I can hear the drone of all of our parents chattering under the tent on the beach. It is heaven for me, truly heaven.

Today was beautiful. Blue, blue sky and warm, warm sunshine bearing down. My daughter and I donned our summer clothes and headed out to the backyard to enjoy it all. I had washed my hair and decided at the last minute to let my curly locks dry naturally like I am free to do at the beach each year. As Hannah and I sat in our chairs, feet in the playground sand, listening to the radio, she caught the scent of my coconut shampoo and exclaimed "Momma, you smell just like the beach!"

So for just a bit, she and I pretended we were at "our beach." We imagined that the dry, wintertime grass was the blue-green ocean and the birds overhead were really seagulls circling about, waiting on us to throw bread and for just a minute or two the Carolina Girl inside of me came out and danced all over my big Georgia backyard.

Tools of My Trade

My little girl has an ear ache. We have survived four years without one, a fact I took great delight in, having been a child who SUFFERED with constant earaches and strep throat.

Today our luck ran out. She has suffered all week with a fever and a cough. I can handle that -- some cough medicine, some Tylenol....in the bag. Child feeling better in no time. Throw in some chicken noodle soup and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with no peanut butter and you can be assured of a well baby in no time.

But the ear stuff...gracious - how I have struggled myself over the past few months with my ears, and now to have to watch as a bystander to my child and her pain...it is almost more than this mommy can bear. I know several "home" remedies for ear pain, over my lifetime I think I have tried just about all that are out there, warmed sweet almond oil poured in the ear, heated rice in a handkerchief and placed on the ear, lying on a heating pad, hydrogen peroxide...you name it I have tried it. There was even an incident of ear coning, that I personally did not experience but had a hand in administering - but that my friends is a story for another day - a hilarious story, but definitely for another day.

As I lay in bed with my little girl this afternoon, holding her head, listening to her cry and knowing that there was nothing short of a doctor visit tomorrow that would really stop the pain, I remembered what my mother always did for me in those same desperate moments. I remembered that my best mommy tool was attached. I pulled her close to me, placed my mouth to her ear and lightly blew air into that offending ear canal. It always worked for me, and guess what, it worked for her too. In a few moments she was asleep and thankfully pain free for the next three hours.

As I watched her drifting off to sleepytown, I breathed a prayer for that awful pain to just go away, leave my child completely.

I have learned this afternoon that I possess a powerful "mommy" tool. My breath, it can soothe a throbbing ear and reach the throne of Heaven to plead for my child.

I am a mommy - my tools of the trade are attached! Arms to hold, hands to pat away fevers, ears to listen, a mouth to proclaim my love for her and breath to soothe and pray for her and most of all a heart that bursts with love and pride over this precious gift of my child.

Call Me Anything You Want, Just Be Sure To Call Me!

I was thinking today about Pet Names…no not Roscoe or Fluffy or Whiskers, I mean those sweet, sometimes silly monikers we ascribe to those we love.

I have long been called Sugar Plum by my daddy, don’t even know why it started or what the meaning of it is – I just know I like it and no one else in the world can call me that …

My parents have always called each other Charlie – yes, one name for the two of them…. They pronounce it different – so one is Char-lee, and the other is Cha-lee. It is a bit strange, but they have been married for fifty-one years… it works for them. Now since my child has arrived, around here, they are known as MeMa and Papa and my husband’s parents have gained new “pet names” as well, they are Ganma and Poppy!!

Friends in my past have called me by “code names” – I remember for awhile answering to Corky (I have no idea why?) and The Beav (I think that one has its roots in my first name having something to do with a Beaver’s Meadow in England or some such nonsense – a former Sunday School started it – heavens!). And in school I was sometimes referred to as Beverly Hillbilly – now that is a pet name I could just do without! I did have a friend in elementary school that called me "Mental" or was I, "Insane" and she "Mental" -- I forget...but it is a fun memory!

A former boyfriend called me several different “pet” names and of course I think I had a “pet” name for everyone I ever dated…except my husband. I just call him by his name, he answers to that and after eighteen years, I am afraid to alter this set-up. He might quit answering if I suddenly starting calling him “Baby" or some derivative thereof. Every now and then I can get away with calling him "daddy" - he answers to that one for sure.

Of course I have lots of pet names for my child …lovebug, giggle, sweetie, and monkey just to name a few!

And I even have pet names for, yep, you guessed it, my pets. Our beloved Jake was always JD or Jakie Boy, our Georigia is Georgia Girl and big ole Harlan is HB. I think I referred to our dearly departed Hamster as THE RAT...but don't tell anyone.

Pet names are really fun to think about and dissect and remember why we call the people we love by other names than their own. I love that people have “pet” names for me…it makes me feel special, like they have thought about some attribute or trait of mine and want to celebrate it. I love that certain people in my life call me the short version of my name, and others, like the longer version. It makes me feel like I have a place in someone’s heart when they take the time to really concentrate on how they want to call me to their attention.

I like coming up with pet names for those I love as well… I even use pet names for people when referring to them on this blog… it is a form of endearment. I can't help it, I hope they don't mind.

So, tell me, I am just dying to know...what is your favorite “pet name” ?


Living Happily In the Moment,
Signed,
Sugarplum, Corky, LoveMuffin, Digger, Baby, Babe, Mommy, MAMA, and Bev!
Otherwise known as,
Beverly

Oh ABC -- You Do Taunt Us!!!

Well, I was all set to have a great write up on the finale of The Bachelor...but I am sitting here in such stunned silence over it that I can't think of anything to say.

Poor Melissa! How horrible....and on national tv. I have been dumped -- can't imagine going through it on camera.....ick!

Jason, Jason, Jason...what shall become of you??? I hope you find the love you want to find...you sure have taken us all on a journey this season. You are by far, my favorite of all the Bachelors...I just wish you knew yourself a little bit better.

Molly --- for heaven sake...take it slow with this boy! He seems to have a problem...but then again, maybe you are the answer to his questions. Good luck with that one!!

And now, my bloggity friends... I am off to bed, grateful my days of looking for a husband are over... GOOD GRIEF!!!

Living Happily In the Moment!
Bev