History of a young, retired Educator
Jerry and DeAun Kiser invited BG and me to join them for a steak dinner at Sharon Allen’s Lytle Bend Steakhouselast Thursday evening. Our waiter was a friend of the Kiser’s, was very knowledgeable about wines, and withstood BG’s bantering quite well. Following an enjoyable meal with fine company, we “porch-sat” on Riverside, liste
ning to the waterfall and viewing fall’s beauty in a sky plumped with clouds. Good times!
I hope you enjoy these Early Childhood Parent monthly activity cards. Parents write down or put a sticky on each tag listing a fun activity to do with their child each month. Your child pulls a tag out of the envelope one-time-per-month to discover the surprise activity. Tags and envelopes can be personalized with stamps or stickers related to the child’s interests.
Buttons and I visited his Mama Avonne in the nursing home today. It was a good day; some days we walk in the place and everyone is frantic and wanting freedom; while other days, we enter and a feeling of calmness permeates the walls. Today, everyone in the dining room wanted to hug Buttons. Could it have been the Beatle music playing in the background-a new twist for the new administrator? As we came in the front door, Opal, (who normally yells “Hurry; Hurry” at the top of her lungs) greeted Buttons and asked us to take her to the end of the hall and back. I hooked
Button’s leash to Opal’s chair and said “Let’s go!”. Opal said, “We are on the road now!”. I said, “Yes, Opal, we are really trucking'”. I pointed out to her that Buttons was pulling her down the hall. Opal said, “Oh, He is too little
to be a work horse.” But, when I told her Buttons really
liked her, she said, “He’s a sweet baby!”. Avonne was delighted to see her “baby dog”. I think Buttons secretly enjoys everyone thinking he is just a puppy, when he is
actually 11 years old. Avonne loves for everyone to see her baby. She wanted me to take Buttons over to meet the gentleman in the corner. Buttons and I met Marvin, who was
so excited to hold Buttons. He said, “Buttons, Get up here in my lap, you sweet dog!” Marvin then uttered the most
profound words to Buttons, “You ARE real!”. So many of the
residents came over to pet Buttons. Smiles were abundant. What a great little dog-so patient and attentive to every person who just needed his time!!
Sonny has returned to Riverside and we are enjoying him immensely. Sonny and I spent some moments on the creek amidst the iris today–a beautiful day!
Well, as usual, Abilene creates new words for a thunderstorm and snow occurring at the same time: Thundersnow! But, alas, it was a wonderful snowstorm–very dry and it is still with us. Hoping my rabbits and owls are doing well–7 degrees in the morning. Another snow day–I guess we will be working over Spring Break, but I for one love the opportunity to look out at the drifts–yes Texas Drifts! It was very cold today, but I managed to take a few pictures.
Perhaps some clues to the answer to this question reside outside our window. We were observing the “critter action” on the creek this week and were highly entertained by seven baby squirrels swinging from branch-to-branch across the old pecan trees, chattering and chasing each other up, down and around. After several minutes, we noticed a squirrel leg in full extension, hanging from the barbed wire part of the bird house off of one of the big pecan trees; the remainder of the squirrel evidently inside of the birdhouse. After several moments of no leg movement, we could only assume that this one particular squirrel had one leg permanently caught in the barbed wire of the birdhouse. We watched in amazement as another squirrel kept trying to assist his squirrel friend, by pawing at his foot and using his teeth to try to free the other squirrel’s foot. As he tried to help without success, we decided we would have to intervene before the squirrel broke his leg. Armed with garden gloves, needle-point pliers, and stool, we proceeded to go outside to rescue the squirrel. After several attempts at trying to free the squirrel”s toenail from the barbed wire by bending the wire downward, our neighbor came in to assist, as we needed more heighth. He donned his gloves and climbed up on the stool, freeing the squirrel’s claw from the barbed wire. The squirrel immediately scrambled back into the birdhouse. We backed away and watched, as his squirrel friend climbed down onto the roof of the birdhouse and immediately stuck his head inside, chattering to the rescued squirrel. After several minutes of conversation, both squirrels climbed out of the house and returned to their frolicking in the great pecan trees. A loud chatter could be heard, as all of the squirrels “discussed” Fred’s adventure. You decide the answer to the question!
Thursday morning, we woke up and headed out to the Rather Sweet cafe for a scrumptious breakfast of breakfast tacos, veggie muffins, peach scones, organic tea, etc. A wonderful way to begin our day. We were the first ones walking the streets, which was quite refreshing for some other trips I have made to Fredericksburg fighting the crowds. The stores didn’t open until 10:00, so we window shopped and enjoyed the only slightly cooler morning. We enjoyed a fun day of admiring and dreaming about fabulous quilts, changing our “color schemes”, etc. We did make “a few” purchases and gathered a few gifts during our Main Street browsing. I purchased a wonderful hat, after feeling the affects of the sun–stepping out of my box—enjoyed every minute of wearing it!! Kay had a wonderful hat she bought in Australia, so we were definitely the hat ladies the remainder of the day. After cooling off at the B&B, we headed for the Rockbox theatre for a two-hour return to the great music of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. It was too much fun. Mark Best of Abilene treated the 400+ audience to an excellent James Taylor impersonation, with pure dancing on his guitar. The guest artist was an excellent dancer, singer, and comedian. We thoroughly enjoyed the show!
Child of God: Little Anderson
Anderson Alexander Adams
Precious!
J.R.R. Tolkien:
‘I wish life was not so short,’ he thought. ‘Languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about.’
As I continue to scrapbook our trip through New England, I find that poetry by Longfellow describes our view of the power of the Atlantic so well. Also, I though this poem was fitting, as I watch the Tale of Pirates on the Current News:
THE SECRET OF THE SEA by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Au! what pleasant visions haunt me
As I gaze upon the sea!
All the old romantic legends,
All my dreams. come back to me.
Sails of silk and ropes of sandal,
Such as gleam in ancient lore;
And the singing of the sailors,
and the answer from the shore!
Most of all, the Spanish ballad
Haunts me oft, and tarries long,
Of the noble Count Arnaldos
And the sailor’s mystic song.
Like the long waves on a sea-beach,
Where the sand as silver shines,
With a soft, monotonous cadence,
Flow its unrhymed lyric lines;–
Telling how the count Arnaldos,
With his hawk upon his hand,
Saw a fair and stately galley,
Steering onward to the land;–
How he heard the ancient helmsman
Chant a song so wild and clear,
That the sailing sea-bird slowly
Posed upon the mast to hear,
Till his soul was full of longing,
And he cried, with impulse strong,–
“Helmsman! for the love of heaven,
Teach me, too, that wondrous song!”
“Wouldst thou,”–so the helmsman answered,
“Learn the secret of the sea?
Only those who brave its dangers
Comprehend its mystery!”
In each sail that skims the horizon,
In each landward-blowing breeze,
I behold that stately galley,
Hear those mournful melodies;
Till my soul is full of longing
For the secret of the sea,
And the heart of the great ocean
Sends a thrilling pulse through me.
This is my first attempt at blogging! I am hoping this will provide me with the medium I’ve needed for writing and sharing thoughts from my career and my life!
TG
Child of the Rock Garden 