Breathe

Graduation's over, school's out, family has returned home, and summer is here. The wall's painted, the house is cleaner than usual, and the kids are already bored. :-)

I'm just planning to breathe for a while. At least a few hours.

Flowers

I love flowers and I love taking photos of them. They tell me stories. I think I'll double post this on my writing blog, because flowers play a part in my current manuscript, and taking pictures of the few bedding plants we've put in so far this year was a fun artist's date. The picture is fuzzy, but don't you love the vivid purple/blue hue of this Lobelia?
I haven't put this rose bush in the ground yet, but I'll be so happy to have my own roses to cut and float in a bowl of water.

You can click on the photos to see them in larger detail. That's something I really like about pictures of flowers. You can zoom in and see what they look like closer up than you can see with the naked eye. Amazing detail!





The yellow daisy-shaped flowers are Dahlberg daisies, and it's hard to go wrong when you photograph a daisy-shaped flower. The little one in the photo on the left looks like it's staring up at its mom and dad to see what it's supposed to be doing.


The paper thin blooms of these tiny white cupfllowers are humbling. They seem so fragile, you can almost see through them (click to see the left one larger), yet they've already weathered several thunderstorms, wind, heat, and whatever else nature has thrown at them recently. It reminds me of where Jesus (oops, I said Solomon originally. LOL) talks about the "lilies of the field," and says, "If God cares for them, consider how much more he cares for you?"

Yarrow looks like a solid mass of yellow on top of stems that Todd thinks look like weeds, but up close, they look like tiny daisy-shaped flowers!

Angelonia goes wild in the dry, Texas summer, yet you can only find a few of them at the nurseries. This one looks like a laughing baby with a wacky purple bonnet.


Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Winding down the school year

It's been a pretty busy week between the funeral services for Martha and getting ready for Ryan's graduation and company coming in, and school ending for another year. Not much time to blog or write or even work. It's been interesting, though, as I've caught myself thinking so many times in the last several days, "This is the last time I'll..." and fill in the blank. Kind of bittersweet, yet happy.

• Last goodbyes to Martha
• Last time to go to an award ceremony for Ryan as a child. We went to the Betty Lynn Buckley High School Musical Awards last night, and although Urinetown didn't win in the actor or best musical categories, it was so much fun to see Summit and the other nominated schools perform their best scenes. They did win best set and costumes, and it was cool to see some celebrities. Lou Diamond Phillips presented the best actor awards and the kids had no idea who he was. Heh.
• Last times to take Kristen to elementary school in the mornings. I will no longer be an elementary mom, and that is so weird. I think I'll move back to the Arlington district so she can be an elementary kid for two more years. Or not.

I'm sure I'll be a blubbering idiot Saturday when Ryan walks the stage. Can't believe my baby is all growed up and about to go off to college. He marches to the beat of a different drummer...well he marches to his own drumbeat if you think about it, but I sure am proud of him.

Proud of all three kids, more than I could ever express. Kristen got up and sang with Ryan at Martha's funeral--we never imagined she'd actually do it when her aunt asked her to, but she was a little trooper. Like Todd says, she knows she's got a good thing and so when she gets up to sing, all that fear and timidity somehow melts away.

And Emilie--we'd never get anything done around here without her. She is the glue. She is the only one in the family other than Todd with the gift of organization, and the ONLY one with the gift of being on time and the gift of liking to get up in the morning! Ryan has Emilie to thank for making it to class several times this year, and I'm the mom. How weird is that? :-) She and her friend Elena, seventh graders, played in the high school solo and ensemble competition a few weeks ago, a song Elena's grandpa wrote for them, and received the highest score and the judge said they were the "highlight of his evening."

They are just all so amazing. I am humbled. As seems to happen frequently when you become a parent, I started on one subject, and finished with my kids. Thanks for listening. :-)

Martha Browne went to town, 3/31/38-5/15/07

Martha, the kids' Nana, went to be with her Lord, and with her sweetheart, Howard, at 11:20 p.m. Tuesday.

Sunday afternoon, we had the opportunity to have a special visit with her at the hospital while she was still quite alert and in fine form with the wacky sense of humor she's always had. Ryan played his guitar and sang her a few songs, including the one he wrote soon after Howard died. He asked her after the first if she liked it and if she wanted him to play another, and she said yes, but a quieter song, please. :-)

I asked her to tell the kids what her favorite things to do were when she was 9, 13, and 18, the ages the kids are now, and she told them, in order, "Ride my bicycle, chase boys, and kiss boys," and shared how she paid for her first date with Howard out of her own paycheck. She was something else. A few weeks ago, she mentioned to us that on Howard's gravestone, it says, "Until we meet again, my beloved." She said on hers, she wants, "Honey, here I come!" (And I spoke with my sister-in-law this morning and that is indeed what it will say. Hee!)

I took my camera along because I figured it would be the kids' last visit with her, and Martha even mustered up the energy for a smile.



Martha had a life full of many challenges and trials, but she never lost her faith, and I know she is dancing some kind of jig up there in heaven today (forget resting in peace!). Our relationship was not always easy, but when it came right down to it, we loved each other. I am glad I knew her, and without her lineage, I would not have my three beautiful children.

That's some good stuff

So today, I took someone very important in my life to have a routine medical test (which had results that were just fine, I might add). I was the designated driver.

When my VIP woke up, I got called back to the recovery area with a beeper. It was loud and buzzy and obnoxious, and honestly completely unnecessary, because at 8:00 a.m., there aren't many people chatting or watching tv in the waiting room. Of course, I did mention to the nurse that they time it perfectly--as soon as you step into the restroom, it goes off, thereby alerting everyone that you are in there. It happened to both of us, my VIP while waiting to be called back to begin with, then me. (It bounces all over the tile floor like a jumping bean, just for the record.)

So, there I was, sitting in a chair next to the bed, and my VIP was smiling at me with groggy love, and said, "They told me the drug they used to sedate me may cause a kind of short-term amnesia--you might forget the procedure or even the recovery period."

"Hmm," I said, "that's interesting." I patted his hand.

Ten minutes later, after they sat him up a bit (right before the nausea episode), he looked over at me and said, "You know, before the test, they said the drug they used to sedate me may cause a kind of short-term amnesia--you might forget the procedure or even the recovery period."

"Really." I said. Right before I busted out laughing.

Hark, who goes there?

So, apparently, Kristen's not the only one who forgets her fellow household members at times.

During the night, she had a tummy ache and headache. She came to the side of my bed and tapped me to wake me up. (Which ALWAYS freaks me out--why don't they just say, "Mommy?"!) I was definitely half asleep, and I am a very active dreamer and have been known to talk and walk in my sleep over the years.

What I saw: A short figure with a very pale face in the moonlight, hair sticking up wild and crazy, and huge eyes. In a word--Medusa.

What I said: WHO ARE YOU?

What Kristen said, in a teeny, tiny voice: Kristen?

Me: Oh, okay. Hi, Kristen, what can I do for you?

I tried to act normal, but was still shaking inside from fear. Later, after I sent her up with the admonition to get a barf bowl and go back to sleep (which I might add, she did with NO HESITATION), I was shaking the bed with my laughter.

Parents should make note of this tactic. It works very well to get kids back to bed quickly.

More Music Love

Yes, Damien Rice is as amazing in real life as he is in the studio. Sorry, I have to go be in a daze for a while, I'll be back.

EDIT: Yay! The Star-Telegram reviewer and I agreed for a change! (Actually, it's just the movie guy that hacks me off sometimes.)

Wish I may, wish I might

It's one thing to "discover" a new music group you get on a visceral level. It's completely another to find one that's been around for a long time and you've missed. I guess you can choose to think, "Man, I feel cheated, how many years have I missed listening to these people?" or you could say, "Phew...I almost misssed them." I think I'll choose the second today. I started listening to The Frames because of an email I get from e-town, and meandered here and there checking them out. Wow. Wow. Just wow. I've heard of them, but never listened to them. Gamazing.

There is one song I've listened to I don't know how many times in less than an hour, different versions, different settings, and I am awed. It's really a simple tune, but it's hitting me between the eyes. Chills and all. I've added one version from projectplaylist to my little purple player down there at the bottom of the page, but you can also listen here, and this version is different. Looks like they often put a different twist on it. The bridge with the music from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is haunting in the Rhapsody version.

I'm going to post the lyrics here and also double post this on anaudienceofme, because it is just what I needed today as far as my writing goes. Funny how things work out that way.

Star Star
Star star teach me how to shine shine
Teach me so I know what's going on in your mind
'Cause I don't understand these people
Who say the hill's too steep
Well they talk and talk forever
But they just never climb

Falling down into situations
Bringing out the best in you
You're flat on your back again
And star you're every word I'm heeding
Can you help me to see
I'm lost in the marsh

Star star teach me how to shine shine
Teach me so I know what's going on in your mind
'Cause I don't understand these people
Who say we're all asleep
They'll toss and turn forever
But no rest will they find...

(The Frames, from Setlist and Dance the Devil)

Other days

Todd: (While tucking Kristen in) Has anyone seen the cat?
Kristen: What cat?