So is this what RAGE feels like??

I have been walking around in a cloud since last Thursday when my dear friends received horrific and undeserving bad news. For details see: http://www.wazoofarm.blogspot.com/2012/02/on-thursday-afternoon-i-walked-home.html#links

It is so hard to watch as someone hurts someone you love. I'm sure if I were a cartoon character you would see little puffs of black smoke and flames shooting from my ears.

I feel helpless, outraged, ready to lead a crusade, dumbfounded and sad. These are an example of the range of emotions that are ripping through my community of friends. This is the second recent example of immature and unprofessional acts performed by said university as another friend was "let go" last week. It is amazing that these actions have been taken by a university that is supposed to uphold Christian ideals. Ha.

Since hearing the news I am constantly envisioning what I would say to the guilty parties....a/k/a leaders of local so-called "learning institution." Thus far, the 'G' version goes a little something like this...."It's so sad to me that your narrow vision of Christianity has managed to rip the hearts out some of the kindest, most generous, most God-seeking families I have ever had the privilege of knowing. " The R-version has a many more expletives and a reference to someone overcompensating for a small appendage.

Buying in bulk not only saves money, but apparently sparks creativity. One lazy sunday afternoon we watched as Ethan and Ben played on the stairs.

It all began with setting up the toilet paper rolls in a six by six array. (Nice educational twist).

Then Ben was responsible for "waterfalling" the rolls down the steps as Ethan tried to catch them in the laundry basket.

36 double rolls equals double fun.

Will turns 3!

Will celebrated his third birthday last week in true Mickey Mouse fashion. I always wondered whose children like Mickey because my older children were never big fans. Will, however, is smitten.

My sister, Dianne, and I experimented with fondant for the first time to create Will's Mickey Mouse "Choo Choo" cake. It was fun but I think that stuff tastes disgusting. Not a big fan.

Happy birthday Will! We're glad you are in our family.

Twist in the Morning

I lwas leisurely drinking my morning cup of tea as Will was busy playing with his blue balloon when Kevin called me on his way to work. "I've been in an accident." I haphazardly threw on my clothes, changed Will's poop pants and drove a few miles out of town to find him standing in the rain exchanging information with the driver of the other car. She was turning left on the road and he was unable to stop and hit her from behind. The airbags deployed and the car was towed away. We went to the hospital because his neck/shoulder area was beginning to hurt. A couple of hours later it was determined that he suffered from whiplash and is now chillin' on muscle relaxants. SCARY. We are all glad he and the other driver are uninjured.
Red Subaru is another story.
Life sure throws you the unexpected. I guess just to make sure you are paying attention.

Move Over Martha

We are coming through.

Will and I hung out at home and kicked some culinary butt today.

As we were making noodles Will leaned into the flour container and said, "Mommy I can hear the ocean in there." Of course his favorite activities seem to involve making messes with flour and sticky dough.

We're thinking of going on the road.

Senility Prayer

God grant me the senility to forget the people I have never liked

the good fortune to run into the ones I do like,

and the eyesight to tell the difference.



These were the words on a birthday card I received. Good for a Wednesday chuckle.

Moves like Jagger

Kevin may not have the moves like Jagger.








But according to our oldest son, he (in this college photo) has hair like Han Solo.

I asked what that meant and he brought in this lego guy.

Nothing like your kids to keep you humble.

Punxsutawney Phil....Who cares?

And so it goes. They shake him awake and pull his scared hibernating body from the hole to see his shadow. Six more weeks of winter for us! But I don't care. This morning I found spring alive and well on a hilltop in Greene County, Pennsylvania.

We spent part of the morning touring the greenhouses of friends and local nursery owners who have three greenhouses high on a muddy ridge past Ruff Creek. They had just released some 10,000 ladybugs who flitted and flew past us to land on geranium leaves and sprouting parsley plants. An avocado tree stands in the corner lush and green but yet to bear fruit. No guacamole yet...but maybe one day. It was so fun to be somewhere warm, lush and green, green, green with ferns and flowering plants. It really gets one excited to pull out the gardening gloves and trowel.

I wonder if I have ever been as passionate about anything as this couple seems to be about gardening. I feel as if I dabble in most things and excel in few. Wonder who I would be and what interests I would pursue if I had hours of uninterrupted time and an endless supply of cash. Or at least a small nest egg with which to begin.

I feel I am most passionate about my children, perhaps to a fault at times. I take their bad behavior personally and feel I have wronged them some way. Haven't been consistent enough in positive feedback or reasonable punishments. Haven't provided enough warm self-esteem building fuzzies. Haven't applied successfully the upteen child-rearing books I have read with soooooo many ideas on the ways to remedy negative behavior. You know how it goes.

And so I will post this, sign off and pursue my passions for the next thirty minutes until the bus returns my older boys from school. Oh that's right no supper plans as of yet. Ahem, I mean, and so I will post this, sign off, prepare supper for 25 minutes and pursue my passions for the next 5 minutes until the bus stops at the front door.

Who knows, maybe I would have written the next bestseller, painted the next 'Starry Night'. The world will never know what might have been. I'm a dabbler. That's what I do.