So Ready for the Break of Spring

So there is this:

YAY!!!!!!!

And this:

I should have put a question mark after it.
Or an exclamation point!

And this:

Please!

All in my attempts to send Winter packing. 

Like the seriously bad house guest that sucks the very life 

and hospitality right out of you,

that it has been.

So I just put on my winter coat (ugh!)

and went out in the cold in search of our dear, beloved, SHY Spring.

I’ll take this as a good sign.

Like a timid toddler,

walking for the first time,

I saw the slow beginnings of Spring.

Even with snow still in its hair, the moss is greening up.

Yes!

Tulips!

What a sight for frozen, sore eyes!

Hello, gorgeous!

Seriously?!

You don’t bother me, Mr. Weed. 

I will gladly take care of you, when? 

In the Spring!

Because it’s coming.

And so is this:

And this:

Peonies! Can you smell them?

And this:

Well, hi there, Cutie!

 And this:

And this:

I promise to take better care of you, Rose!

And these:

Mouth watering.

And even him:

Winter, I am ignoring the ping of sleet you are spitting at my windows as I type this, 

because I SAW the signs of Spring, 

just now,

and it’s time for you to GO!

1969

I love writing prompts.

My purse clean out post last week was a writing prompt.

It came from Tuesday Ten which offers different prompts on Tuesdays.

The suggested prompt this week is to write about the top 10 headlines or song titles from the year you were born.

So here goes a combination:

https://search.yahoo.com/search;
_ylt=AlwpVhM0ynhjI3Pg8zLXKbubvZx4?
p=1960s+graphics&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=
UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-901

1) Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin landed on the moon on July 20 (Ellie's birthday).

--Technically I wasn't born until November (just saying...).

2) Women's equality becomes a major political issue.

--I distinctly remember being in the 1st or 2nd grade and going through the alphabet and the teacher asking for a word from the students for each letter. When she came to 'L' I raised my hand and said, "lib". When she asked me what "lib" meant, I said, "women's lib!” 

I bet my girls don’t even know what that means.

3)  Woodstock. 

--The word hippie has always had a negative implication for me. Like in the episode of “The Brady Bunch” when Greg moves his bedroom into Mike’s den and replaces the door with beads and starts wearing striped pants with fringed vests and saying “far out, man” to everything and everyone. 

Well, frankly, I didn’t like Greg anymore. 

Woodstock for me seems like a muddy field full of Gregs. And without proper sanitation and hygiene.

4)  "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies was #1 on the 

Billboard charts.

--That is just so fitting for me.

I am taking a self-imposed "break" from my
dear, sweet jelly beans.
[Sigh].

5)  The Beatles perform in public for the final time as a group.

6)  Led Zeppelin releases their first two albums.

--They were the first band to be considered “hard rock”. I guess compared to The Archies, they would.

7)  Diana Ross leaves the Supremes.

--I had to just take a moment to sing along to "Listen" from the Dreamgirls soundtrack. 

8)  The New York Mets win their first World Series led by pitcher Tom Seaver.

--You mean he wasn't always with the Cincinnati Reds??

9)  The most popular series on TV include Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Gunsmoke and Bonanza.

--I never really did understand the writing all over your body and the dramatic 

"dancing-then-freeze” transitions on Laugh-In. 

See hippie explanation above.

10) Sesame Street debuts on television.

--I am the same age as Big Bird?

My takeaways from the events and songs from the year I was born:

•I have never lived a second on this earth wondering 

when/if man will ever walk on the moon.

--That was so 4-months ago by the time I came around.

•I certainly have and am enjoying the progress from the 

"women's lib” movement. 

--Unless you count the time spent working for the corporate headquarters of Waffle House. 

They certainly haven’t gotten/read ANY of the women’s lib memos.

But my girls don't even know what that term means. 

For that, I am thankful!

•Some music that we still talk about today was brand new.

--I don’t think we will be talking about Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber in 40-some years.

•The big yellow bird and I share a birth year.

--Do you think he has crow’s feet?

What happened the year you were born?

Characterized By Light

Our local high school’s boys basketball team just played in the the state championship Saturday night.

It was the first time they had made it that far 

into tournament play since 1937.

Since McDaniel is a freshman at the school, it has been BIG FUN following this team.

As we walked into the game, I couldn’t help but feel like the movie “Hoosiers” was being played out all over again but without the small town farm community.

If that is possible.

Which it is.

Because it is March Madness, 

which makes anything possible.

Hello, Mercer beat Duke!

Unfortunately, our town is not nearly as fanatical about basketball as it is football. 

It is just shameful, how little the high school gymnasium seats.

Especially since I grew up in a very small town with a fabulous sunken gym that could seat more than the population of our town.

And it was packed every single game.

 Having said all that, our town came out in droves for the game Saturday night.

It certainly helped that the game was being played within a mile of our town.

Our community bought more tickets 

than any one high school ever had before.

Which is just so awesome.

Our seats were a bit high up for someone with a fear of heights

but we had a great view of the game.

All the starters on the team were seniors who have not only played together since the 3rd grade in various travel leagues,

but they grew up together playing pick-up games in each other’s driveways

because they are all friends.

Seriously, can you just hear that in a movie trailer?

When the starting line up was announced, the arena darkened and a spotlight highlighted each player as they ran across the floor to shake the officials hand.

I snapped a picture because it was such a powerful image

seeing these 18-year-old boys in the spotlight.

This was their moment.

I read in "Jesus Calling" this morning:

“Take time to bask in the Light of My Love.”

I immediately thought of the picture I took above.

What if we could see God’s love for us surrounding us like that spotlight surrounded each of the players?

What if we just took the time, 

a moment, 

to bask in it?

The game was a good match-up with few turnovers.

You could really tell that those seniors from our team had played together since they were little.

There was an intuitiveness in their play that only comes with time and experience.

A pass without looking.

But knowing someone was ready to receive it.

A shot-turned-assist.

Knowing someone was ready to receive it.

A crazy inbound play involving a half-court pass.

Knowing someone was ready to receive it.

You could tell they trusted each other.

Were secure in each other enough that no show boaters or hot dogs emerged.

And they held up their hands in acknowledgment of a foul.

That is all class.

We were up by 3 points with seconds to go at the end of the game.

I had just typed out the words,

“We won!”

in a text to my mom

when I looked up from my phone to see the opposing team sink a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

What?!

This is the part of the movie 

when the music gets intense.

I deleted the text to my mom and retyped that we were going into overtime.

We ended up losing the game.

But our guys never gave up.

They never seemed defeated in spirit.

They never got ugly.

I was a proud fan.

State runners up! 

Now 2014 goes down in the record books. 

McDaniel heard later that the team met their parents at a local restaurant after the game,

like they did after every in-season game,

for the last time.

The boys cried on their moms shoulders,

not because they lost the state title

but because it was all over.

They would never again play together as a team.

They would never again wear the same jerseys with their friends.

This is the part of the movie where you cry.

"You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. 

We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”

--1 Thessalonians 5:5

My bible study note says that the term “sons of” actually means a quality meant to be characterized by the quality. 

Huh?

It goes on:

"Christians do not simply live in the light; 

they are characterized by light."

Great job, seniors!

Poetry Set to Music (?)

I like poetry.

I used to write a lot of it.

I was poetry editor of a publication in high school 

and helped edit in college too.

I don't write or read much poetry anymore.

Not even Dr. Seuss.

Which is a little sad.

Last night McDaniel had a choir concert.

The theme was Poetry Set to Music.

Yeah, that is McDaniel playing a turquoise ukulele.
More on that later.

Okaaaaay…

I can't say that we were excited.

The high school has a TON of talent, 

it really does. 

The fall concert was just amazing.

A jazz theme.

Jazz is intended for music.

It IS music.

We skipped the Christmas concert since it was one continuous song,

for 40 minutes straight,

done in Caribbean Mass style.

Did I mention it was also in Latin?

Yeah, we told McDaniel to call us when it was over so we could pick her up.

So we couldn't really skip this one.

I think parents only get one free pass a year
on these things, right?

Each poem was read first before they were sung.

I appreciated the readings--some were delivered very, very well.

But the singing of them?

It just didn't do them justice.

Some things were meant to just be spoken.

Like all the dialog in an opera.

And the French horn that was ill-played during the first song?

I had a very hard time controlling myself.

Because do you know what an ill-played French horn sounds like?

A goose who ate too many bean burritos at lunch, that's what.

And Monte told me a long time ago that farts
will always be funny to him.

Ellie was practically in a heap on the floor laughing.

So someone had to be the adult.

Thanks be to God and the program for keeping me from making a scene.

The program had pictures of each of the choral groups and ads from local vendors.

One ad was for a cupcake bakery with the tag line of:

Cakey. Cuppy. Yummy.

I was already suppressing a hearty guffaw when this struck my fancy.

I quickly turned the page to a fairly large ad for Port-a-Pots that boasted of a new cutting edge "super deep" bowl situation that sent. me. superclose. to. losing. it.

Really?  In the program for a high school choral performance?

I myself have always been happy with the

run-of-the-mill shallow bowl of a Port-a-Pot.

And by happy, I mean I will hold it until
I am blue in the face to avoid using one. 

Ever.

The concert included poetry about asking a cow, a goat and a hog their "take" on the meaning of life.

There was mooing, bleating and oinking.

That was fun set to music. 

But at least everyone else laughed too.

Dr. Seuss could've easily worked into the program.

I’m just saying.

When McDaniel's glee group started singing in German, 

I may have started to look at what Monte was looking at on his phone.

German isn't a flowy romantic language that lends itself to a snappy melody.

Side note:  McDaniel's choir director asked her last night if she was feeling okay.

She was.

This morning, during class, he said he was surprised to see her there
since she looked about ready to vomit last night, she was so pale.

Nope.

McDaniel is just that pale.

Hurry up, Spring Break!

Back to poetry.

Last week Ellie told me she was going to ask me some questions for something for school.

Whatever. Fine.

I was busy unloading and loading the dishwasher.

I answered a series of questions fairly absentmindedly.

Finally, I asked what it was going to be used for.

"I am going to write a poem about you."

I told her to read back my answers.

I begged her to change some of them.

She didn’t and assured me it was going to "work out great".

She handed me a rough draft last night.

If I may summarize,

for the sake of this being set to music one day and sung by a high school choir:

I am a small town lover of parties, cheesecake and Jesus.

I hate recumbent bikes, most movement and being upside down because it makes me queasy.

Big noises worry me.

(So that rules out ill-played French horns for accompaniment.)

I am superstitious of wearing white before Easter and after Labor Day.

(If you can call that a superstition).

I know my dinosaurs.

And the humiliation of wetting my pants.

If that doesn't one day force the parents in the audience,

the ones that already used their free pass for the year, 

to pray and look through the program 

to help suppress a hearty guffaw then,

I don't know poetry set to music.

Purse Reveal

Chris over at The Mom Cafe did this funny Vlog revealing what was in her purse.

Check it out!

It was hilarious to see just how many pens from the bank she had taken, how many Carmex lip balms she had accumulated and how many tooth brushes she felt necessary to carry around.

She had not cleaned out her purse since the fall.

Since I can't remember the last time I cleaned out my purse, I thought I would document that for you all.

Aren't you lucky!

 Here is my consignment shop Liz Claiborne purse that I got for $13.

I love this purse!

It's big enough for everything like books and even my laptop--like my very own Mary Poppins bag.

Even the guy working at Delia's at the mall complimented it. 

Which FREAKED OUT the girls.

Bad.

It looks a little stuffed, doesn't it?

Here we go…

Holy cow.

Yikes.

**Of course there is a "special zipper pocket" that I did not empty 

because Monte reads my blog and gets the hives easily 

when topics become "too feminine". 

If you know what I mean.**

Let's break this down:

•Of course there is my wallet and checkbook inside. 

No surprise there.

Wait. I found a second checkbook. 

That probably has been a bit confusing for our bank.

 Oops.

•Lipsticks and lip balm.

Which is funny since I RARELY wear lipstick.

(my grandmother would be so appalled)

But the lip balm?

Constantly.

Check this out:

Both lip balms are empty.

•Pens! 

Good to know! 

I have 4 and somehow can never seem to find any of them when I need them.

•Sudafed (one loose) and 3 packs of tissues.

It's been a l-o-n-g winter.

•2 hand lotions.

And I just threw one away earlier in the week.

•2 pony tail holders.

Huh. Interesting.

I just told McDaniel Monday night at Ellie's basketball game that I didn't have one. 

Granted I didn't even look 

because I subconsciously must've known 

the HOT MESS my purse was in.

McDaniel somehow "lost" the pony tail holder that was on her braid when we walked into the gym. She had braided her hair wet and once the pony tail holder disappeared her hair kept getting bigger and bigger by the second. 

Good thing we were in the top row of the bleachers. 

We eventually found the pony tail holder on the ground across the aisle. 

It had "shot off" her hair somehow without any one of us noticing.

She was too embarrassed to pick it up since it was right underneath a women's foot.

So we made Monte do it at half time.

That man.

He deserves a medal.

These could've saved the day Monday
night. If I had just bothered to look.

•Mints.

Ever since I jacked up my jaw this summer, I have stopped chewing gum. 

It used to hurt my stomach anyway--

all the fake sugar in the gum.

I love these Pep 'O Mints by Lifesavers because there are no fake sweeteners in them.

•The downside of these mints? The wrappers!

Why is my purse a trash can?

•Business cards for our party planning business.

In a plastic ziploc bag.

Crazy classy and professional.

•Receipts. Receipts. Receipts.

And there are more stuffed into my wallet that I didn't even touch.

•Paper!

There is a birthday card for Monte, 

a note from McDaniel to get her the Insurgent book, 

a catalog of the services at the Aveda salon, 

an invitation to a fundraising event, 

a One Direction Valentine card to Ellie, 

a project idea from Joan Fabrics 

and a monthly budget that Monte hand wrote out on the back of an 

expired coupon while we were eating lunch after church.

•More paper!

There are coupons,

2 programs from the high school girls basketball banquet we went to Sunday night,

2 basketball rosters from the season 

(which has been over since February),

a ticket to the middle school production of Annie 

(which was in October),

a thank you card

and the envelopes from Monte that once held cash for my birthday shoe challenge 

(which was in November).

•Scissors.

?!

•One dime.

Here is the bag of trash I threw away from my purse:

It was heavy!

My take away from cleaning out my purse:

•I need more lip balm.

•I definitely need more mints.

(But wrappers go into the trash, not my purse!)

•I found a receipt I needed to submit for an event we just planned.

(Crazy classy and professional strikes again.)

•My purse is not a scrapbook.

•I may not be "plane travel ready" with those scissors in my bag.

•I don't even have 2 dimes to rub together.

Ok--your turn! 

Clean out your purses and tell me what you find!