Thankful Sunday, May 11, 2014, Mother's Day

I am thankful for my mother 

and other mothers of all kinds.

My tired mother and me. At this point she had three kids and one on the way.

My mother is an amazing woman who came from a very difficult upbringing. Despite that, she beat the odds and rose above her beginnings to make the life for me and my sisters a good one. For this I will be forever thankful.

Also on this Mother's Day, I want to take time to remember the other mother figures in our lives. Such as the fun aunt who is always around for their nieces and nephews. Or the scout leader who wants to give kids the same opportunities they had as a kid. Or the teacher who makes a very real difference in the future of the kids they teach. And the list goes on. Thanks to all of you out there for your dedication and commitment to make life better for all kids whether you gave birth to them or not.

Who has been a mother figure in your life besides your own mother?

First Jobs--Ward

I'm beginning a new series, First Jobs, in which I ask people about their first work experiences. Today, I am talking with my husband, Ward. He tells about jobs he had during his teens in the 1970's.

Tell me about your first job.

I remember three early jobs that I had during the summers. One was a dishwasher in an officer's club, one was on a construction demolition crew, and another one was on an asphalt crew. I think the most significant of these was the asphalt work.

photo credit

Were you on a highway crew?

Not exactly. We worked in a private trailer park fixing potholes in the roads there.

What were your duties?

The first thing we did each morning was to clean the laundromat at the park. After that, we started our road work. 

How did you fix the potholes?

First we'd take picks and shovels and clean the holes until there was no more loose debris in them. Next the boss would back up the dump truck full of asphalt and tilt the back of the truck. One of us would balance on top of the truck sides and push out the asphalt onto the road. The others on the ground would rake the it into the hole. Then we would run a steam roller over it. When that was done, we moved onto the next hole. If you were the one balancing on the truck, that ride could be scary.

The job sounds hot and dirty.

It was definitely hot, and it was pretty miserable when I was working in very hot and humid weather with hot asphalt. It was also very dirty. From the dust, tar, and sweat, our clothes could get messed up pretty quickly. We wore the same ones every day.

It also sounds dangerous. Did you ever get burned?

No, but my brother did. He worked there with me. One day, I was shoveling asphalt from the truck and some of it accidentally went into my brother's gloves. He ended up with blisters on his hands from the hot tar, but he wasn't out of work long.

Was there anything you liked about this job?

Even though it was hot, I liked being outside. In my dishwashing job, I was in the basement without windows. I didn't like that.

You said that this job was the most significant among your early jobs. Why?

It exposed me to a lot of new things. For example, except for my brother, my coworkers were ex-cons and drug addicts. Their stories about jail and their sexual and other exploits were things I had never heard before. I wasn't sure if I were impressed or scared. However, I did know that I wanted a better future for myself than they had. Many times my parents had given me the advice of, “Study hard and get good grades. That way you can go to college, and have a good job some day,” After this job, I finally understood what they meant. 

Thanks for your story. Even after all of these years, I learned new things about you.

A Second Look--May 7, 2014

Spring is in full force now. The plants and animals have emerged from their winter hibernation and are now growing excitedly in the sunshine. Or maybe I should say that I am watching excitedly as spring emerges in the warm sunshine. Can you tell that today was a perfect day? Warm sunshine, blooming trees, and flitting birds. Who could ask for anything more?

Here's are some things I saw this week during a Second Look.

The last kind of daffodil is blooming. This one has two small blooms on the end of one stem. The earlier blooming daffodils are fading.

Three blue jays have been fighting over one of the suet feeders. This is right outside the cats' favorite window so they are quite excited these days.

The dogwoods are in full bloom now.

The bluebirds have added another egg to the nest.

Pansies that were planted last fall are in full bloom now.

The sparrows are back.

One kind of our wild cherries is blooming.

The trees seem to be leafing out overnight. In this picture you can see maple, dogwood, sweet gum, and pine.

What am I reading?

It seems as if I've been checking out a lot of books from the library recently, so I gathered them up to make sure that I could find them all. Success! I haven't lost any although one is overdue. Just for my own curiosity's sake, I've summed up what I've been reading (or at least browsing) these days.

The Backyard Lumberjack by Frank and Stephen Philbrick.
Ward's family does a lot of tree trimming, felling, and log splitting, so I was curious to see how their methods compared to what was in this book. Ward read more of this book than I did, and one of the interesting facts he found in it was that different regions stack their wood differently.

My Dog May Be A Genius by Jack Prelutsky
This is one of several books I checked out in honor of National Poetry Month during April. 
Jack Prelutsky was the first ever U.S. Children's Poet Laureate and his books never disappoint. The poems in this book were humorous and clever, and James Stevenson's illustrations accompanying them were just right.

Edgar Allan Poe's Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems by J. Patrick Lewis
This children's book caught my attention because the title contained two of my favorite subjects--Edgar Allan Poe and math puzzles. The book uses classic poems to inspire other poems that have a math puzzle in them. I only wish that Wally and Theo were younger because this is just the kind of book that we enjoyed together as a family while they were growing up. Maybe the next time that we are all together, for old time's sake, we'll read a few these poems. Then we'll put on our thinking caps and solve the puzzles.

Picnic, Lightning by Billy Collins
Billy Collins has also been a U.S. Poet Laureate, but for adults. He is the master of describing every day scenes in free verse poetry. I don't always understand free verse poetry and much of it sounds the same to me. However, the poems in this book are different and I liked most of them. 

Fully Woolly by Ellen Warwick
My interest in this kid's book of wool projects was inspired by the recent Sheep and Wool Festival I went to. The projects are of various difficultly levels and none of them seem too simplistic for an adult even though they were designed for children. I hope to use some of the ideas from this book soon.

Clean Cuisine by Ivy and Andrew Larson
I usually avoid diet/eating advice books because most of them swear that their way is the only way and use "science" to prove that they are right. However, I picked this book up on an impulse one day when my joints were hurting because it is an anti-inflammatory program. Turns out that I really like it because it fits with my basic philosophies for most things--"Everything in moderation" and "Variety is the spice of life." So far, I am in the middle of reading the nutrient discussions and find that most of it makes a lot of sense to me. I don't know if I will follow the program outlined in the latter part of the book, but for now it's not a bad idea to be reminded that leafy greens are really good for you.

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin
This was the most recent book that my book club read. The Aviator's Wife is historical fiction about Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of Charles Lindbergh-the first person to fly across the Atlantic. The book is fiction but most everything in it is based on historical facts. The fiction parts are when the author fills in what she thinks might have been the private thoughts and conversations that were not recorded in the books and diaries of the Lindberghs.  The group as a whole, including me, found the book very good--well written with very interesting subject matter. Charles Lindbergh was not always a likeable person, so it was not always a pleasant read. However, it was compelling.

Digging to America by Anne Tyler
This is the current month's selection for my book club. It is a novel about differences of cultures and family styles. It begins when two families meet after both adopt a baby from Korea that arrive on the same day. All of the families live in the US, but one of them has recent roots in Iran. I haven't gotten very far, but so far I like it. I'll let you know the final verdict once I've finished.

Lots of Limericks selected by Myra Livingston
This is a book of limericks selected by Myra Livingston. It is for children, so you won't find any ditties like, "There once was a man from Nantucket..." in here. It was a fun read.

Charleston--Fodor's In Focus
We're in the early stages of planning a family vacation and this book caught my eye with regards to that. A friend recently moved to Charleston, SC, so I wanted to learn more about the area. I plan to visit there sometime whether it is this year or not.

So there you have it--a little of this and a little of that. I wonder what will catch my eye this week at the library? What are you reading these days?

Brighton Dam Azalea Garden

As you may have noticed, most of my posts recently involve nature. That is because there are so many amazing things to see and share this time of year. Here's another one.

The azaleas in our yard have just started to bloom, so I thought it was time to check in on the Brighton Dam Azalea Garden which has five acres and over 20,000 azaleas to see. Although the garden was in the beginning stages blooming, there were still several varieties providing a beautiful show. Here are a few of the sights.

One of these pictures is not an azalea. Can you pick which one?

Answer: The lower left white flowers are dogwood blooms.