Happy Birthday little Ava

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE AVA

We celebrated Ava's birthday on June 15th with family and friends at her house.

(She turned 2 on the 14th)

She was a bit overwhelmed with all the people but soon got into the swing of the party when Tesla joined her at the water table for a splashing good time and then for play time at the park. It was a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine and smiles.

 

My Cinderella/Hawkins Day

(Writing Prompt WWU May 18, 2013)

Ironic............I wrote on this prompt, was undecided if I was ready to post it or not, came back a couple days later and ended up losing the whole post. Where did it go? Who knows. It's out in cyber space some place I guess. So 'to post or not to post' became a lost post................I will try again to write on the topic of the writing prompt......here goes.

Waking around my usual 6:00 am I ventured downstairs to meet the sunshine if there was any and have my breakfast, wondering just exactly what I would do with this day. While filling the toaster my 'Cinderella-voice' said "You should spend the day relaxing and doing just nothing because you don't often get a chance to do that; there is always tomorrow to do the chores". That no sooner having been said when my 'John Hawkins-voice' boomed "There is far too much to be done to be lazing around doing nothing; there is laundry to do, floors to clean, dusting to be done, the kitchen to clean, the cars need washing; the list is endless" as he cracked his long leather whip next to my left ear. Wow Cinderella had her work cut out for her if she figured to come up against this fellow John Hawkins.

The muffin was toasted; butter or not.........Cinderella said no, Hawkins said yes because I would work off the calories doing my chores. Should I have peanut butter or just plain..........same argument. Hawkins won both rounds; I licked my lips after my English Muffin adorned with butter AND Peanut butter. Had I thought to throw jam into the argument I may even have had some jam on my muffin as well.

Finishing up the last of my tea, Hawkins roared "get up you lazy woman you, get the first load of laundry in the washer; while it washes you could have the kitchen cleaned up before the second load goes in" as the whip again cracked, beside my right ear this time. "Just relax, there is no hurry to get anything done, in fact there is all day tomorrow; the laundry isn't going anywhere, it will be in the exact same place whenever you are ready to look at it" chided Cinderella. I was quite prepared & satisfied to listen to this 'Cinderella-logic'; the 'Hawkins-logic' seemed altogether too harsh; the trouble was it was becoming very tiring trying to sort out the constant bickering that was taking place inside my head. I wasn't quite sure how I would reach a final decision on the matters at hand without suffering some serious guilt feelings regardless of the path I chose to take.

Soon it was lunch time; as I listened to the back-and-forth of the two factions I realized I still hadn't made a decision about what I was going to do with my day (or had I?).............

Shall I have soup, a sandwich or both; with butter or not; with cheese or not; what kind tuna or chicken; mayo or none; mustard, no mustard; shall I add lettuce or not;................the choices became endlessly silly, the arguments equally foolish. In the end I made the biggest, fattest sandwich filled with every possibility to which I added a bowl of soup......which had all been supported by Hawkins who used the same argument as he had at breakfast. I was feeling so full after lunch I didn't want to even get up but he was there cracking the whip again, urging me to get moving because I had only half a day left to get all the work done while Cinderella soothed me with her usual idea that it could all be done another time.

So..........I sat all afternoon listening to the argument as it slowly grew sillier and, as the day progressed, less intense (probably because the day was dwindling and before long it would be time to fix dinner............then time for bed if I could get through the decisions surrounding 'what to fix for dinner'). Whew what a day! Dinner turned out to be very late because preparations were impeded by indecision in fact by the time I finally decided I didn't want to make a decision, some kind soul suggested we just go out to eat.

I didn't want to do this again tomorrow so I sent Cinderella and Hawkins over to my friend with the promise they would have much more fun with her than they did with me. Just like that they were gone and I had no problem deciding when to go to bed, what time, what to wear, what time to set the clock for; all of those hard decisions seemed easy to make (knowing very well I could leave tomorrow till it came)........!!

Sometimes

(Writing Prompt WWU May 08, 2010)

 

"[But] we accept irony through a device called metaphor. And through that we grow and become deeper human beings.” 

                                                      ― Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

(Do we now? I'm not altogether sure about that; are you?)

'Life is a rat race' conjures up certain images; of rather large mouse-like critters with long skinny tails scurrying about in underground dark sewer pipes, eating any dead or decaying matter they come across. They run about, over, under, beside or atop of each other, coming and going every direction in a hurry, fighting each other for food scraps discovered, and looking for a way out of their predicament. Rather than just flippantly repeat this metaphor, if I think about its meaning or implication, I don't think 'life is like a rat race' at all, even though it can become trying at times. I'm also not sure how, through this metaphor, I have grown or become a deeper human being.

 

'Life is a fox trot' brings to mind a happier scenario even if pretty quick paced. As I think about the fox trot I think about dancing in general which could mean the waltz, the square dance, the polka, the schottische, the line dances; the list goes on, which sets a varied pace and different circumstances. Most of these dances are done with a partner so that would mean life with a partner (as the music plays).

Not a bad picture of life on the dance floor although out of necessity, I would have to beg to sit out a few along my journey of life. What could life be while I was sitting out? Hmmmmm.

 

'Life is a dog walk'.......now that could ring some bells for me since I have very often commented to my dog 'ah to have your life would be so grand' but again when I really think about it I can see a few down-points to living life as a dog. I wouldn't want to give up the luxury of the toilet, nor the privilege of eating at a table, the ability to get a drink if I was thirsty, food if I was hungry. It wouldn't do anything for me to be covered in hair all over my body or be accidentally left outside in the rain or be led around on a leash.

That is but a few images I see when I envision life as a dog walk so again after thinking about it seriously I don't think of life as a dog walk.

'Life is a ladder' kind of goes with the quote by Miley Cyrus "Life's a climb but the view is great". This urges the mind to go UP and up and up; I see a never ending climb though, rung after rung after rung, with the possibilities of good things 'just over the next rise' which never seems to come. Somehow life with expectations that never materialize doesn't make me jump for joy; I would have to say I wouldn't describe life as a ladder.

I must be careful with the metaphors of life; if our life is not what they allude to we might not elude their allusion.......:)

 

Sigmund Freud said "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar".

 

I say 'Sometimes life just is'..............what do you think?

Meet Hannah

Meet Hannah Elizabeth Der. What a sweetheart. Hannah is the latest and newest grandbaby.

 

We got to cuddle with her tonight. She was so quiet; never making a sound except to say she was hungry once.


There is something so very special about a brand new baby.........they are really quite a miracle!

 

Enjoy your little family Karli and Tobias. Congratulations!

Welcome Hannah

Welcome to the newest and latest grand baby!! Baby Hannah Elizabeth arrived last evening at 7 lbs 2 oz (a whole pound heavier than her big sister)........proud mom and dad, Karli and; Tobias.

We will get to see her tomorrow.........exciting!!