Witness to an Adult Temper Tantrum

Today marks the end of another very fast but successful week for our family. The children started their Pre-Kindergarten experience on Wednesday and I have missed them terribly ever since. I have learned that they have enjoyed their week there. I was very happy to hear their that their teacher bragged on their good behavior. She told Kendra that they had done a wonderful job raising them and I must agree (after seeing the way some children behave, I am very proud of the way my two act).

Our reunion-planning committee met last night to make some final preparations for our get-together September 22. This meeting wasn't so productive as some we have had because one member of the group was in absolute dissension to everything we were planning, even to the point of threatening to leave the actual reunion if we provided everyone an opportunity to share what they had been doing since our graduation. She said she didn't want to know, didn't want to listen, didn't care what they had been doing. Well, a couple of us are striving to work through this outburst of negativism but with much difficulty. We think we will provide this opportunity anyway; what do you readers think? Is this a good question to ask? There were only 43 in my class, 10 are deceased, and 8 are not coming; therefore, I don't think it would take too much time and some will surely respond in a very brief manner. I am very interested in each member and am excited to become reacquainted.

I must tell you that my preacher has been at it again. He loves to get me but what he did Sunday was too funny. He indicated that he gives sweets to the children in church before they go to Children's Church to keep us adult teachers alert and steadily busy with the then very active, hyped-up little kiddies during our time with them. "um hum, I just had to vocally agree with him on that one! I'm turning into a fairly decent "referee"!

Am I Happy? Sad? Happy/Sad?

The happiest and saddest event happened to me today that I must share with you readers. The event happened something like this: Clay came over to me this morning as I was sitting in my rocker; he looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes of his, and said, "I will be coming here to see you and to eat supper with you a lot." Then he continued, "but, I won't be staying; I've got to go to school tomorrow." Then he gave me the biggest hug imaginable! You may ask, what was the happy part and what was the sad part. Well, I was so happy to get such a big sweet hug; happy that he seemed happy about going to school; but, I was sad to think that he and his sister are old enough to start school, even if it is only Preschool. They grow up so fast! I thought Clay seemed a little sad that he wouldn't be coming over to spend the day with me, at least for awhile.

To top it all off, Livvy had to come over, look at me with a slight grin on her pretty little face, and say, "Would you let me tie your shoes for you again?" I told her to have at it. She really ties a beautiful bow (I can tie a pretty bow but I'm not so meticulous as she is; if it's not right she has to do it over. In fact, she wanted to practice on one of my chair cushions that ties).

Do you have grandchildren? I know you love yours as much as I love all 8 of mine! If you get a chance when they are little, I hope you will enjoy them too. Pretty soon, they will be grown and getting married, just like my oldest granddaughter will be doing in a few weeks! eek!

Mama says, "One... T..."

My sister and I have both been busy babysitting our grandchildren this week. Since both of our daughters are teachers, they have had to begin their new school year, earlier than the children of course. On Tuesday, we decided to take them to see the movie, "Ratatouille". They were all very good during the movie and quite attentive. Clay, however, did get a bit restless before the movie ended; nevertheless, he was good enough to stay in his seat and observe everything about the theater along with the movie itself. Afterwards, we took them to McDonald's and treated them to the Happy Meal of their choice; they considered that a special treat. Although the temperature was very hot that day, we did allow them to play in the playground for about 15 minutes and they really enjoyed this time despite the heat.

Since that day, Sis and I continued to entertain the children in our homes. Because her granddaughters are older than mine, she did take them for a visit to our other sister's and then to Chili's for lunch. She wasn't keeping the younger two-year-old until Thursday while the schools were having their open house evening. When his mom arrived to gather her children, "Jack" was sitting on the brick hearth, so she told him to get away from it since he could fall and get hurt. When he didn't move right away, she started counting as so many moms do today (I counted with my children, too. Someone asked me what I did when I got to three, and I told them the truth, "I don't know; I never got that far with my children." They were very, very good!). Well, my niece began to count, "one...t" but before she went further, "Jack" said, "two"! My sister almost cracked up and had difficulty holding it back in front of him. He is so cute and usually well-behaved.

Thursday, I asked Clay if they were going camping this weekend, and he said, "Probably. I want to go; perhaps we will go tomorrow." They tickle me with their vocabulary anyway. He explained in adult terms, how much he liked his bunk beds. Both he and Livvy wanted a corn dog for dinner. Clay said, "this is just like camping". I never found out what he meant other than I think they probably cook hot dogs on a stick and he thinks that's really cool.

It will be fun when they learn how to read. Both of them love books and beg us to read the same books to them over and over. Don and I finally agreed that we would read 2 to each child and say that's all for now. They accept this decision graciously, that is, until they get up from their rest period, then we repeat the process. They are not young but once, so I welcome the opportunity to keep them. My idea for all grandparents is to enjoy every minute spent with your grandchildren (well, almost every moment).

Who is Brian???

Today has been a most enjoyable, exciting, full-of-surprises day. When you have two four-year-olds running around, you are definitely in for many amusing moments. The boy and girl were really keyed up today, more so than usual; I don't know why but they were full of themselves. I don't mean by that that they were bad; on the contrary, they were very good, just very alert, very energetic, and very talkative. I learned that their little cousin got in trouble when she yelled at them last night and, if I'm not mistaken, tasted charcoal?!* Anyway, that's what it sounded like to me.

They were very insistent on having lemonade to quench their thirsts and when I ran out, they had to help me prepare strawberry-flavored Kool-Aid. They played upstairs (at the pool table) and pretended to have their own house up there. A lot of the time was spent with PaPa outside on the golf cart which was hooked to the trailer. I think they worked hard picking up debris, sticks, and stuff and throwing them in the trailer. Every so often, they would come back in to get a drink (this I encouraged so they wouldn't get dehydrated).

Whenever they did something for which I corrected them, I learned that they didn't do this incorrect thing. It was, in fact, Brian! Who is Brian, I wondered! I only had Clay and Livvy here. When I began to question them on Brian's identity, I was informed that he is their make-believe friend who happens to be not so very nice. From then on, every time I told them to pick up their toys, etc., it was Brian who made the mess. (I couldn't help but chuckle, behind their backs, of course). The good thing is that they know without a doubt that Brian is make-believe, so I don't worry about them and their imaginations running haywire! They are so very cute, and I am not the least bit prejudiced!

On to Philadelphia

Just below the bridge, you can see the skyline of the city of Philadelphia. We had a short time here to see the main sights; would love to have gone on the carriage ride and seen the most famous historical places. We did get to visit the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. One more day would have been just right for the trip.

Actually, the costs of everything is skyrocketing, so trips have to be shortened in order to fit people's pocketbooks.

The Lord blessed us with beautiful weather on this trip. We had no rain until we started back home; then there were a few drops. (Of course, it is so dry that rain would have been welcomed almost any day!)

More of Lancaster County, PA

This photo was taken at the Kettle Village Shopping area where I have heard this same man play his banjo and guitar while singing some old songs. He is really talented!
While at the village, we shopped in the quaint shops, rode the buggies through some of the countryside and enjoyed drinking their homemade root beer!





I thought it was quite interesting to observe their clotheslines; however, their method is quite effective! I remember that my best friend's mom used a similar pulley type setup to hang her clothes. This certainly made work easier I expect. Just reel them in! Mondays are their wash days just as it is for many families in the South.








This building is a school although it doesn't look much like one to me. I didn't see any children around it so they must have been studying hard inside. The children are so cute, dressed in their black and white, the boys wearing suspenders and little straw hats and the girls in their little prayer caps. How can you not love them! They were so cute riding their little scooters (not the electric ones but the ones which required personal power!)
I really love this country. Although I have been 9 times already, I am alway ready to make another trip through this section of God's country!

Traveling with the Group

Our group of 38 left the South at 8:00 AM on a sunny morning, heading for the beautiful Amish country of Pennsylvania. Upon our arrival, we checked into our motel, then headed to an Amish home to enjoy a feast.






Along the way, we saw several Amish buggies which the children were delighted to see! Whenever I took a photograph in which I could see the face of the Amish person, I would delete it because, as you probably know, they do not like to have their pictures made; I can appreciate their religious beliefs about graven images.







The countryside was so green which was quite surprising considering the dry weather they have been having. The corn was absolutely beautiful as were all their plants!




The second night, we enjoyed the production, "In the Beginning", which was held at the Sight and Sound Theater. I highly recommend this play; however, you will need to visit there before mid-October when the theater will close to prepare for the Christmas production, "The Miracle of Christmas"

The Tie That Binds

I cannot believe how busy I have been since I arrived back home Thursday night around 11:00 PM! Don and I stayed up and tried to catch up on everything that happened here while I was away and we didn't get to bed until about 1:00AM. One of the boys had left a combination lock on the bus; the problem with that was that he had locked it onto the seat of the bus and we didn't have the combination. Finally, we got in touch with the boy and he gave us the answer. That episode caused us to have to hang around the bus drop area until midnight.

Since arriving home, I had a couple of appointments to keep on Friday and one today. I forgot that I volunteered to do Children's Church Sunday; now I am trying to come up with something to do with the little ones. That's not always an easy task to say the least; it's difficult to hold their attention for more than 20 minutes. Of course, we adults are much the same way, especially us older ones who tend to need brief naps! The children are usually so restless by noon that anything done past that hour is for my own satisfaction; they could care less because they want their mamas and they begin to let you know it.

Our trip to the Pennsylvania Amish country was very, very good. I think for the adults, the highlight of the trip was seeing the play at the Sight and Sound Theater, called "In the Beginning." It was absolutely spectacular! I have seen 3 of their productions and this one is by far the best that I have seen. Several have told me that they liked "Noah" best, although this was a close second. At any rate, I highly recommend it to you; your life will be blessed if you decide to see it. Although the cost is somewhat high, I understand the need for that because of the number of actors, the scenery, the people backstage, etc.

The eight children who went on the trip were absolutely wonderful, especially the two-year-old! I was so surprised at how well he behaved the entire trip. He especially enjoyed the buggy ride in Intercourse, the train ride in Strasburg, the pools at the motel in Bird-in- Hand, and Sesame Place in Philadelphia. While we were viewing the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, he was so quiet for the entire 20 minutes. What a lesson we could learn from the little fella. I think everyone had a great time, at least I hope that they did, even though they came home quite jaded. But, that's the way our trips are: fun-filled; busy; absorbing many sights; and, never leaving God out. We always ended each day with a devotional led by some of our tour participants. That is one of the highlights of our trips. We really tend to grow closer to each other and to the Lord. How wonderful is the tie that binds!

Head 'em Up

The time is almost here, the time to head 'em up and move 'em out! At 8:00Am, we will be on the road to enjoy the beautiful Amish country of Pennsylvania and to treat the children to a day at Sesame Park near Philadelphia. This morning, the preacher asked the congregation to keep the group in their prayers and do you know why? Because I am their leader! He says the group is asking for prayers for that purpose. What do you think about that! This leader is a dedicated one who may or may not know which way to go. (It reminds me of the baseball cap with the 2 bills on it, saying, "I don't know if I'm going or coming.") The preacher and I love to tease each other and now he has one coming since he's one up on me. (Beware!)

Speaking of the preacher, I have heard many compliments on his sermon on Hannah this morning. In fact, my daughter said she was very much into the sermon, most enjoyable. And, speaking of coming and going, during his sermon, Mr. N. went out the door then back in to make a point; that really got everyone's attention!

As we travel this week, please keep us in your prayers. I may be leading but we'll all be following the bus driver, who we hope will keep us safe. We'll be back late Thursday evening.

Finally, speaking of "head 'em up", you must read my daughter's blog if you are not a vegetarian. You will get a chuckle from her adventures; however, if you are in a "fowl" mood and are too "chicken" to read a bloody tale, you may want to "ax" the blog and forget that I mentioned it. (Just click on the link to the left, entitled, "Keni's Blog".)

Pray for Calm

I have been on a roll this past week working in so many capacities but getting a lot done; however, I still have a lot to do to do to get ready for the church trip and the class reunion. I have been hearing from a lot of my classmates this week and say they are planning to attend in September. Someone told me that I was wasting my time, that folks wouldn't respond. Actually, we have heard from about 65% so far and we still have over a month to go. I'm pleased, actually.

My daughter and grandson are here for the weekend. They came in last night with my daughter fussing at Alek because he came up on a stop sign too fast. She said he wouldn't have been able to stop had she not yelled at him. She is so funny anyway, said she slapped at him all the way. Alek complained that his shoulder would probably be sore today. In case you are wondering, Alek is driving with a permit now and his mom is a very nervous passenger. God bless the student drivers and the nervous moms and dads!!

Don't Slam my Computer

This old people person has got to get busy doing last minute things to get ready for the church trip coming up Monday morning bright and early. My older daughter and her son will be here later on today so that will halt most of my preparations. My niece and I worked on the nursery and children's church lists last night and, hopefully, completed them. If you have ever tried to determine what members will serve in the capacities on a given Sunday, you know this is quite an undertaking!

This morning, Don came in and said the internet would not come up so I had to play with it awhile before having any success. Our phone lines have been messing up really bad and that's not good for the computer I'm sure. Don was not exactly thrilled when he couldn't get the thing going but at least he didn't "slam" my new MAC like a certain preacher I know who, just this past Monday, emailed me and said that I needed to get me a good computer like the rest of the people. I told him not to be slamming my Apple! (Just kidding)

A Time to Greet Old Friends

Why do we wait until a friend passes away before seeing other old friends again? It seems that the only time I see them is at the funeral home or the funeral. I attended the graveside service of my dear friend, Steve, this morning and, although the time was very sad and somber, it wasn't long that we began to gather around our high school friends. We talked, laughed, and reminisced for an hour or so. Now, I sometimes wonder if this behavior is disrespectful to our dearly departed, or was Steve looking down on us and smiling because this occasion had given friends the opportunity to become reacquainted? Of course, much of our conversation centered around our friend but much of the time we talked about other friends who were not present. I was disappointed that only one other from my high school was there but I truly enjoyed the time spent with several from the class ahead of me and the class behind me. We will miss Steve; yet, we thank him for being a friend for so many years. What a wonderful blessing it is to have true friends to cherish. I have so many to love but always have room for more! My daughter always says I have to have friends around me and she is right! I thank each of you for being my friend.

Senior Centers

This has been another rewarding day in that I have completed more tasks; however, I do have many more to complete before leaving on our Pennsylvania trip early Monday morning. I have written a letter to my high school classmates, addressed envelopes, and am now ready to stuff them with the final announcement of our reunion coming up in September.

I was delighted to be able to have a long conversation with a former sixth-grade student of mine tonight. I have probably not heard from her in 35 years! Her older sister was in my graduating class and we are planning to honor all those deceased members at our reunion; it's my responsibility to gather information about several of the members, Julia included. I was surprised to learn that her sister has grown children in grad school (What does that make me?). She is even talking about retiring!?*! UGH!. Sometimes I feel old but I don't feel quite so old as dirt yet. Perhaps when I see all my classmates, I will accept the fact that I, too, am aging, gracefully, I hope!

Today, a friend and I went to the Council on Aging, aka Senior Citizens Center, to check out their exercise program. After we stepped outside and I noted all the older seniors, many of whom were walking with canes and walkers, I told her that I was having trouble accepting the fact that I was eligible to go there. I asked her if she was having that problem and she said, no! Now, why do I have that problem? Is it pride I wonder? At any rate, this is something I will just have to work through on my own. People were leaving in transportation vans and in cars with others driving them. I remember that my mom felt the same way. She just refused to go over even when she was 80+. We did finally talk her into accepting Meals on Wheels, not an easy task, and she enjoyed the meals, but she never once stepped foot into that building. Their purpose is such a worthwhile one and I do support them in every way. BUT, am I ready to let them support me even with the exercise program for which I would be paying? Pride can stand in the way of many good things.

A Tribute to Steve

I have been working on devotions for our church bus trip today, reunion program, and Baptist Women minutes. We just had our meeting tonight and I'm ahead of the game already! I have completed the minutes; can you believe that! I'm right happy about that much getting done.

I received sad news today when I learned of the death of one of my childhood sweethearts. Steve's health has been declining so badly for several years so the news wasn't a surprise (that dreaded "c" word disease). I remember all the wonderful times we had growing up. He used to come visit me on his horse; then we would ride to town following the railroad tracks. We used to ramble through the woods nearby and pick blackberries to sell to the neighbors; then we used those few nickels to go to the Saturday matinee. After school each day, Steve and I met in front of the school and we would walk to town together. He was always the perfect little gentleman, carrying my books, opening doors, and walking on the outside (many folks don't even know this is the proper thing to do). His parents would come and get me and take us different places. Our parents were good friends so a lot of time was spent together. I have so many fond memories of our childhood, much to the credit of my dear friend, Steve.

I Want the Front!

The race has already begun for the week. First, we had business meeting at church; later, I had to work on secretarial things for the Baptist Women (we have a meeting tomorrow night); lastly, I am stopping with fretting over the seating assignments for the bus tour. I need to be working on the nightly devotions but I just can't seem to get going on that task; however, I have to finalize that part by tomorrow night so that those who are willing to be in charge of devotions will have time to prepare their presentations. They always do such a great job and everyone seems to enjoy that quality time together each night. I have my theme but now have to put some things together.

I saw my sweet little grandchildren at church this morning. I know I am not at all prejudiced when it comes to those two little ones; they are the cutest and sweetest "kiddens" to be found! Clay was singing along with the congregation on the hymn, "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder". Now, if that wouldn't steal your heart, nothing would! And, they are soooo good! Mom and Dad are doing a grand job with them (there again, I'm not prejudiced!). I really like to see little ones who are well mannered and well-behaved and they were near perfect today. I was amazed at little Livvy who was sitting there writing names of her parents and grandparents. She would look to her mom for the next letter in one of the names and her mom would tell her in sign language what the letter would be. Livvy then would write down that letter-the correct letter, too!! Wow, I wish I were half as smart!

I don't know how my time will be this week due to the heavy load I'm carrying. When possible, I will post a few of my thoughts. Right now, I have to get back to the seating chart but I must say that everyone cannot have a front seat or a back seat: someone must be in the middle!! (How difficult it is to make everyone happy!)

More Photos to Enjoy

A Hairy Experience:

On our trip across the Bay Tunnel Bridge, we went under at the same time the ship went over.






Soon after crossing the Bay Bridge, we find the small village of Eastland, where the old courthouse, built in 1731, is now located . Notice the old debtors' prison in the background. Can't you just hear some runner standing at the courthouse door reading the original Declaration of Independence! History was surely made here that day. I wish we revered those old documents as much today as we did then and should now. The statue in front is of a confederate soldier.














Pictured below is the Old Fort Henry Lighthouse:

This is one of the oldest lighthouses in the United States but is no longer in use. It stands on the military base now; therefore, to visit the place, you and your vehicle must be searched. We were required to vacate the vehicle while the search was done. Actually, I didn't mind; it's sad, however, that such action must be taken. My brother climbed those 191 steps, but we refused to submit to the drudgery!


New Fort Henry Lighthouse:

As you can see, this is a very pretty lighthouse which has taken the place of the old one. My brother climbed the old one but we don't know if you are allowed to climb this one. Notice how beautiful the sky was that day! We left here and went to the small base exchange.

The Race is On!

I'm back home now for a week before leaving on our church bus tour. Now, the race must really begin! I have so much to get accomplished before heading out with a bus load of 38 people, four of whom are young children, one under 3, and three youth. We range in age from age 2 to 80. That's okay because we are scheduled to have a great time! We have things planned for all generations and even some of the 80-year-olds are participating in the Sesame Place visit! I think that's grand! As escort, I have to plan fun-filled activities that will please almost everyone. Many love to play Bingo but I will attempt to plan something that will appeal to the younger group too.

Our trip with the sisters and brother turned out to be a good, relaxing trip with very little planned activities. We mainly went with the flow, sightseeing some and just messing around the beach area a lot as well. This was my first trip to Virginia Beach since 1956, when I went with my friend, Jackie and her brother, Ralph. The only thing I really remember about that trip was the heavy rains! In fact, the street flooded and I think I remember Ralph saying the brakes were so wet that they were not working properly. I'll have to ask my friend, Jackie, what she recalls about that trip.

The best part of Virginia Beach is the boardwalk; a 40-block cement walkway that is wider than a single traffic lane. Notice the statue of Neptune along the Boardwalk. You can also rent bicycles of all kinds: for example, we rented the bicycle built for four which has a top, a seat in front for smaller children, and looks a lot like "Chitty Chitty BangBang". It was fun for 2 hours but I was so tired when we quit at 11:00PM, I could hardly move my legs (great exercise however). One could also rent a smaller version of "Chitty" which only seats 2 plus the little ones in front, or regular bikes could be rented. I noticed that many bikers brought their own.

There really isn't a lot to do there that we found, not without driving a fairly good distance. We did cross the big bridge/tunnel to Chincoteague and Assauteague. That was quite interesting, especially when we went under the water and saw the ship going overhead! You just had to forget that something that big was over you and that you were quite a few feet underwater! That could make you lose it! Traffic was pretty busy; in fact, once we had to creep along for many miles. All in all, it was a good trip. It is one that I would recommend going with someone who would prefer to just lounge around the beach, perhaps ride the bicycles, enjoy the boardwalk (which I do love), watch the fireworks (see photo) and listen to the various bands along the walk.

We took the trolley along the Boardwalk and enjoyed the view. Here is a photo of the oldest hotel at Virginia Beach, the Cavalier; I understand that the costs to stay here is definitely out of my league! It is beautiful though. If you have never visited this area of Virginia, I do recommend it! Perhaps my friend, Jackie, and I can return there someday.