And if you want more...

This last week the kids, TD and I went to the aquarium. We had a membership for the past year, and this was our last trip with said membership. The kids love seeing all the fish, touching the starfish, and watching the divers swim about feeding and cleaning the tanks. All in all it is very much worth a visit, if you are in the area. We had the opportunity to see a diver in the front tank (20'x15' of 12" thick plexiglass) who answered questions with an underwater mike that projected the sound into a speaker on our side of the glass. Lots of fun. Lots of pictures. There is one moment that really stood out for me, something the the kids, TD nor I had ever seen before. A scallop swimming. You know those beautiful clam-like creatures that can move about by "clapping" their shells together. We saw it happen, and it was COOL. The kids were fascinated. I love doing field trips where I don't even have to "teach," the kids teach themselves. Fun times! When we were done there, we walked over to the next pier where there is a indoor carousel and arcade. And that my friends, was the perfect way to end our outing. That and the cookies that we made back and TD's house...MmmmHmmm!

Of Cakes and Cookies

Today as I sit here in front of the wall, writing these words, I'm struck by how self centered our society as a whole has become. Now, as usual, I'm not throwing punches at anyone out there, I'm merely writing my opinion of society as a whole. Walking down the street 50 years ago, people would have come out of their houses to greet you. Standing there on the sidewalk you may have chatted for some time, depending on how well you knew the person. Now when I walk down the street with my children in our small town people go into their houses to avoid the simple small talk. The hello's are avoided for the sake of possible embarrassment over something or other. Meeting neighbors is another work of art in today's world. It used to be that when someone new moved into the neighborhood there was a housewarming party. If not that then the women living there would take plates of refreshment and "call" (walking over and usually lasting an hour or two) upon their new neighbor. Now if you really want to meet your neighbors you need to make cookies and go out to their houses. Not that I'm complaining about making the cookies, I love doing that! But when did the hospitality and sense of community stop being valuable traits? Granted we (at least in our neighborhood) come from several different walks of life. Everyone has different jobs. We are different ages. Some of us have children and some don't. It's a fact of life: everyone is different. Why then, as a society, can we not look past those differences and acquaint ourselves with real people. People who walk and talk. Face to face encounters where you can see the emotion rather than just imagining it from typed words on a screen. Personally my thought is that most are afraid. Afraid of not fitting in, not being nice looking, having less, having too much, being too busy, etc etc, the list could go on for hours. Face to face relationships are hard. They take work. You have to want to maintain it for it to flourish. When we look past our fears and actually get to know people, it usually turns out that those same fears were completely unfounded. People are nice. And we all have some similarities. Granted everyone is different, but we all have a heart and a mind. All it takes is a simple "hello." You never know...that person may be your next best friend, confidant, partner, love. So reach out, smile, say hi, and see how much you change the people's lives who surround you.

Strength in One

Lately I've been studying the book of Esther from the Bible. No, I'm not pushing my views upon you, that is a personal choice that I am more than willing to be a part of if you wish, but I won't push. Within this study I have been learning not only about the woman depicted within the book, but also of the time period that it takes place in. The king of Persia at that time was all powerful. He stood supreme in that country. If there was disobedience, punishment was banishment or death, whichever the king felt like. If the king wrote a law, or had one written upon which he placed his seal, there was no undoing it. That law was forever...or until said king died and his successor rewrote or erased it. Esther was a Jew. Now we all know that part of history that happened in Germany with the attempted annihilation of the Jewish people. Well, that was history repeating itself. Because the king of Esther's time allowed a law to be written that called for the destruction of the Jews within his country (Persia). Esther was queen, but that did not excuse her from the laws. She was under a death sentence. But here is where I was really floored. Esther was scared. She was petrified for her life and her people's lives. They were all going to die. Stick with me, I really do have a point. Now also in this time, you did not go to the king unless he called for you. Well...She went to the king. Without him paging her on the royal intercom. She chanced her life on the whim of the king. If he raised the scepter to her, she was safe. He did, and so she was spared. But to have that kind of gumption. To go against laws that were ingrained into the very heart of the people. I'm sure that she grappled with the decision within herself. But she took heart, gained the strength, and did it. Not only for her people, but for herself. I'm not trying to paint her as a completely selfish person, but she was under the threat of death just as the rest of her people were. Esther had to stand up for herself. We all have challenges within our own lives. Hopefully nothing as scary as fighting for our lives, but definite challenges. I know that I have mine. But I know that if I stand up for what I feel is right, then everything will turn out ok. Yeah, sometimes it's not the way that I want the situation to unfold, but it does get resolved. Life is challenging. Take the challenge head on, don't back down. We (YOU) can do it! (WWII poster)

Five Minutes

Five minutes can last forever. They can be a beginning or an end. Five minutes. There is something about my child being threatened by another source that makes me get all up in arms and very much into "mama bear mode." Peaches and I were calmly walking home from taking Mr O to school. The day was a little drippy, just enough for fun puddles but not enough for umbrellas (we just carried them). Suddenly there was a quickly moving black shape that started out behind us and swiftly circled around to the front. It was a dog. Normally I am a dog lover. Not to the point of bringing all the dogs home, but I like dogs. I stop to pet dogs that I know, try to catch stray dogs to notify their owners, and in general enjoy the furry four-legged creatures who are known as "man's best friend." I love getting the "doggy grin" when scratching behind their ears. The happy barks and tail wagging from happy dogs. But this dog was different. With no warning growl or even a bark, it's hackles were raised, teeth bared, and it was advancing on us with stiff legs, ready for a fight. If any of you have in past been threatened by a dog, you know what it is like. I was scared. Not for me, but for my precious girl. Thankfully the owner of the dog came and intervened, taking it home. But the image remains. Those five minutes lasted so long that it felt like hours. Just five minutes. How many heartbeats? How many breaths? What was thought about? Right then all I was thinking was to protect my child from a very real threat. But, what if...? Did I share enough? Was I a good enough mother? Do my kids know that I love them so much it hurts? I think so. Five minutes. Three hundred seconds. What can we do in that time?

Of Feathers and Flight

If anyone of you has ever seen a chick breaking through the shell, you know the awesomeness of seeing a miracle first hand. My wonderful friend Miss A had a hen escape. For a while we all assumed that she had become a meal for a hungry coyote. Not so. She found a wonderfully hidden spot in the neighbor's garden, nestled down and laid 21 eggs. Normally a clutch of eggs is between 10-12, but she laid 21. Well, she was discovered, and none too soon. Because after only a few days in the box with a heat lamp in the garage, tiny peeps were beginning to come from the eggs, signaling the wonderful event soon to take place. We all waited impatiently. Finally the first one cracked the small breathing hole. Then another and another. After several hours of breathing the outside air they could begin to break through the tough shell that held them captive. Pecking and peeping, turning and squirming, they slowly made their way into the bright light of the heat lamp. At first there was just the small hole in their shell for them to breath through. Then they would peck to the side of that, turning about inside their shell, until the whole shell had a crack all the way around it. Then the big push and out came the head. Next a good squirm and out came the overly large legs and body, the wings looking absurdly large with them still wet from the egg. Then mama hen stepped back in and provided the life giving warmth so that the chick could dry and regain the lost energy from such a long endeavor. Now that was a precious sight. Mama snuggling back up with her babies, clucking and comforting, spreading her feathers to give of herself for those little helpless ones.

Red Sunsets

An old saying goes "red sunset at night, sailor's delight." A red sunset usually means fair weather for the morrow. There is something about sail boats. They make me want to climb aboard and set sail for the unknown. My imagination in the driver's seat. Sail boats are beautiful boats. They have long smooth lines, tall mast(s), and those who travel with them have a penchant for adventure. Their beauty is unrivaled. The sight of a boat under sail upon the water is breathtaking. The billowing sails, taut ropes, and waves disappearing beneath the keel. A wonderful object that is both beautiful and functional. Sailing seems to make dreams come true. The old children's song about setting sail in a wooden shoe...Sailing into dreamland. Historically all of the original trading was by boat. That was the quickest and easiest way to have goods moved from place to place. Steamers would take passengers from place to place quicker than wagon. Clippers (1-2 masts) crossed the oceans in record time carrying passengers and small cargo. Larger schooners (3-4 masted ships) had large holds and carried large cargo across the unfriendly oceans. And even now, much commerce is still by boat. Huge cargo and tanker boats plow through the waves. Passenger liners take people to places that were never dreamed of 100 years ago. There are so many different kinds of boats, it is a little mind boggling. Adirondack, Aircraft Carrier, Banana Boat, Canoe, Catamaran, Catboat, Cruisers, Dory, Dinghy, Electric, Ferry, Fire boat, Fishing, Flatboat, Glass-bottom, Houseboat, Hydrofoil, Hydroplane, Junk, Kayak, Keel boat, Launch, Lift boat, Light boat, Motor boat, Narrow boat, Outrigger, Pinnace, Police boat, Pontoon boat, Raft, Reed boat, Scow, Skiff, Steamboat, Towboat, Tugboat, Umiak, Viking, Water taxi, Whale boat, Windmill Ship, Yacht, and Zodiac are but some of the hundreds upon hundreds of boats that were and still are used. Boats still play a very necessary roll today. Without them, life would be much different. So, lets set sail. Look at the boats and imagine...

Tricks, but no treats

So another Halloween come and gone. And once again my kiddos wanted nothing to do with trick-or-treating. I think this will be the last effort with that. The only somewhat fall, harvest, or halloweeny activity that they got into was coloring pumpkins. We went and visited Aunty, and got to draw and color on pumpkins. Oh that was fun! Mr O drew a face and colored it in, and Peaches drew what she called a face (it had a really big nose) with red hair. Oh it was fun! Then we went for a walk to enjoy the beautiful fall colors and breezes. Ahhh the waterfront smells good! Winding up the evening we got to bring the pumpkins home. The kids have been hauling them all over the house. Talking with the pumpkins, rolling them, and having them be stand-ins for playmates. Oh how cute! I'll actually be a little sad when we have to throw them away...