Making Childhood Dreams Come True

One of the great joys of being a parent is making your child's dreams come true!

When my son was a preschooler, one of his early passions was an intense desire to be a garbage man. Over and over he would set up film canisters in a row on the floor and move his toy garbage truck along his "street" stopping at each can and dumping its shredded paper contents into the truck.

Fourth Birthday Cake

Our public library had a video titled "Garbage Day". It was my son's favorite and we would check it out repeatedly. The highlight of his week was garbage pickup day. I would get up early in the morning with him and wait outside by the curb for the exciting arrival of his hero, the garbage man. It was a little embarassing to be seen out there by neighbors on their way to work in the morning, but I stood proudly by my little man. One especially kind garbage man allowed Charlie to help him lift the can into the back of the truck and gave my son a company hat for Christmas.

"Driving" a Garbage Truck

One day I chanced to meet the owner of the local waste disposal company and explained about my son's love for garbage trucks. "Could we come to his company for a tour?" I asked. It was arranged and my son had a great time.


Among my favorite memories are the theme birthday parties I planned for my son. We had a couple of sports parties and one year I did pirates and another year I did dinosaurs. But was I in for a shock the year I asked my son what he wanted his theme to be. He told me simply "green". What? Green was his favorite color and he insisted that was what he wanted. This dream of his challenged me but on his big day I came through with green themed games, decorations, and foods. All the children came to the party dressed in shades of green adding to the fun.

Why am I blogging about this you may be wondering. Well next week I have the opportunity to make one more dream of my son's come true. It means a lot to me because he'll be a teenager soon and who knows how many more chances I'll get to bring a smile to his face. Last year I was surprised to find out that my son wanted to go to Disney World in Florida. He had never mentioned it before and I wasn't sure this dream was doable because Orlando is an expensive place to visit.

Fortunately, my library is sending me to a conference there at the same time my son's school will be on holiday. Discussing it with my husband, we decided to go for it, despite the costs, and have the two of them accompany me to Florida. I will attend the conference and the two of them will explore Universal Studios. On our last day in Florida we will all go to Walt Disney World.

In the words of Jiminy Cricket, "When you wish upon a star...Your dreams come true!"

Autumn

The first leaves to fall
lay scattered on lawns and sidewalks
like sprinkles on cupcakes.

Posed on porches sit pumpkins
carved with crooked grins.

Robins gather in the yard
discussing their plans to fly
to places south.

The air is cooler
refreshing renewing
after the heat of summer.

Overcast days are heavy
with clouds like cotton
from the vitamin jar.

Nightfall comes sooner.
Morning light comes later.

Autumn is
the briefest interlude
before the midwestern winter.

Why I Like Sarah Palin

This is a slightly tongue-in-cheek endorsement of Sarah Palin, Republican vice presidential candidate. Until she came on the scene I had little interest in this year's election. Finally there's a candidate I can relate to!

Reasons Why I Like Sarah Palin (and you probably don't)
1. She has a winning first name!
2. She wears glasses and looks great.
3. She has a big smile like me.
4. We're practically the same age!
5. She's a working mom.
6. I've learned a new acronym.
7. She dressed like Tina Fey for Halloween.

However you feel about Sarah Palin, you will probably enjoy the following video that appeared on Saturday Night Live:
Captions are available at Bill Cresswell's site. Thanks, Bill!



If you think it's easy to look gorgeous like Sarah, check out this New York Times article about Tina Fey's hairdo for the show.

Pancakes for Puppy

Photo by Speakuplibrarian

My family loves pancakes for breakfast. There's only 3 of us so I often only make half of the recipe on the Bisquick box. One morning I made the whole recipe and we had two pancakes left over after everyone had their fill. My son suggested giving a pancake to Rusty, our red golden retriever who was hovering hopefully near the table. I said, "Let's take a family vote. All in favor, raise your hand." Immediately Rusty lifted his paw. We all laughed and gave him both of the pancakes.

Acronym Soup

I've always been fascinated by acronyms. If I come across an unfamiliar one, I want to know right away what the letters represent. So I should have known better than to assume that all my readers would be familiar with the acronym HOH on this recent post. My friend Pam asked me if it stood for "humor on holiday". Well, no not exactly. My friend Diane guessed "head of household". No, that's not it either. I quizzed my husband who I was sure would know. He had no clue. I said here's a hint, it's an acronym that describes me. "Hard of head?" was his reply. Thanks a lot. No, the answer is hard of hearing.

When my husband and I were dating, I had a funny experience when I thought I knew what an acronym meant. My sweetheart told me he was going to be bowling a tournament at the ABC headquarters in Milwaukee and asked me if I'd like to go along to cheer for him. Sure, I said. I was a little bewildered by the ABC headquarters part, though. To me ABC stood for American Broadcasting Corporation. I wondered why would they have a headquarters in Milwaukee. New York or California would make a lot more sense. When we got to the bowling center and went inside, I asked him where all the lights and cameras were. He said, "This tournament's not going to be on TV." I said, "But we're at ABC headquarters!" That's when he patiently explained that ABC also stands for American Bowling Congress. Ahhh. [Does that hard of head comment make more sense to you now, dear reader? Tee hee.]

Do You Believe Me Now?

My husband landed in hot water with me this week and the story is pretty amusing (as told by me naturally) so I thought I'd share it.
On Monday I heard the strangest noise coming from the basement. I was upstairs in the kitchen at the time. I went down to investigate and traced it to the hot water heater. Bang, bang, bang. Alarmed, I called my husband to come down right away. He looked it over and announced that it was just the pilot light. Unconvinced, I pointed out that in the fifteen years we have lived in our house, I had never heard such a racket. C'mon, if your spouse who's HARD OF HEARING notices the noise from another floor of the house, it has to be quite loud, right? Hubby was unconcerned.
That evening my son announced his bathwater looked yellow like pee. Eewww. My bath after his was the same. When I told my husband about it, he said "The hydrants are probably being flushed." At 9:00 at night?
The next day I noticed water on the floor next to the water heater. I dutifully pointed that out to my better half. He said that was normal overflow and not a problem. I moved a container underneath the pipe he said the water had come from and resolved to check back on it.
The following morning when I took a shower there was no hot water. I mentioned that to my dear husband. I think he still didn't believe me because he started running water in the kitchen sink. Grrr. I looked downstairs in the basement. The container under the pipe was dry while the floor all around was wet. Aha! I brought my sweetheart downstairs to see. He turned to me and said, "We need a new water heater."

What's On Your Nightstand?

The people at Five Minutes for Books have issued a "What's on Your Nightstand?" question for bloggers. How it works is you take a photo of the books on your nightstand if you like to read in bed like me or a photo of your shelf or wherever you tend to pile them if you read somewhere else. Then you write a few words about the books and share why you chose those titles. Here's my nightstand photo:

A cozy mystery lover, I am enjoying reading The Cat Who...series by Lilian Jackson Braun. I've seen these books whenever I've browsed a library's or bookstore's shelves but I have never gotten around to reading them until now. Before I took my recent vacation to Michigan, I stopped by my local public library for some light reading material. Just inside the front door, they had shelves of paperback novels for sale. For a mere fifty cents, I was able to pick up two of the Cat Who titles.

As a diehard mystery series reader, I enjoy reading a new series beginning with the first book and continuing on in order. I like seeing how the main characters develop and knowing what the references to past events are about. Fortunately, one of my purchases was the first book in the series, The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. Admittedly it took me awhile to get into the novel but once I did, I became charmed by amateur detective, Jim Qwillerman. He's a middle aged divorced man trying to resurrect a career in newspaper reporting who's forced to accept a job covering the art beat for a Midwestern city paper. The story gets more interesting with the introduction of Koko, a Siamese cat with the amazing ability to communicate crucial mystery clues to his new owner. Eventually Qwillerman learns to trust the cat's instinct and tune in to his own mustache's sensitivity to omens of trouble. Lilian Jackson Braun's stories have a gentle humor and interesting characters. They aren't scary in the least and I've found myself coming to the end without having figured out the culprit halfway through.

So far I've also read
The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern (Qwillerman is assigned to an interior decorating magazine for the newspaper in this one and he acquires a second cat, Yum Yum.)
The Cat Who Saw Red (Qwillerman is assigned to review restaurants after being ordered on a strict diet by his doctor. See what I mean about her humor!)The Cat Who Played Brahms (Qwillerman takes a vacation up north to write a novel but is too busy playing detective to compose a single line.)

Currently I'm reading
The Cat Who Played Post Office (Qwillerman receives an unexpected inheritance with strings attached.)

An animal lover, I've always been partial to cats. Unfortunately, my husband's highly allergic to cats, so we can't own one. Here's a photo of my beloved childhood pet Jellybean, a tiger cat. The picture was taken circa 1977.


At the 5 minutes for books website, you can check out what other people are reading now. What a fun way to get a book recommendation.

Photos, Stories, and HOH Funnies from my Michigan Vacation

I just got back from a relaxing family vacation in Michigan. We stayed at my aunt and uncle's lakeside home which once belonged to my grandparents. They have totally remodeled the place from a cozy cottage to luxury living quarters. I was nostalgic for the familiar homeplace I remembered and at the same time impressed with all they had accomplished.


Once we had greeted my aunt and uncle, we headed right down to the beach. My first funny "oops" happened there when I heard my husband comment,"The lake looks deep enough to throw a cat in." Huh? I know my husband is no fan of cats due to his strong allergic reactions to them, but really, why would you measure a lake by a cat? When I asked what he meant by that, he repeated himself, "The lake looks deep enough to throw a cast in." This time he made a fishing motion. Ohhh. Fishing. Sure, I knew that. tee, hee.



I wanted to bring gifts with us to show my aunt and uncle how much we appreciated their letting us stay with them. I gave them a tote bag with a genealogy logo because they enjoy family history research and a jigsaw puzzle of Mackinac Island, a nearby tourist spot, which I thought they would enjoy working on with their grandchildren when they come to visit. Well, my son topped my gift ideas in a big way. When he heard that my uncle liked early sailing ships, he decided to build one for him out of balsa wood. He did it all on his own without a kit or a pattern and no help from his parents. My uncle was thrilled! He decided the two of them needed to build a display stand for the ship together while he was there.


Our first day with them they took us to church and then out to eat at a lovely restaurant at the Bay View Inn. The Bay View area is known for its Victorian houses that are open only in the summertime. After we returned to their house, they took us out in their pontoon boat. To my son's delight, my uncle asked him to steer the boat. First, we had to buy some gas for the boat. Would you believe it was $5.80 a gallon? The lake has only one place for fuel.

The next day my husband and son set out in the rowboat for a fishing adventure. Despite their attempts at several places around the lake, the only thing my son hooked was a willow tree when he cast too close to shore. *smile* Dad didn't catch any fish either. While they were gone, I enjoyed sleeping in and then going down to the beach for some reading and swimming. When they rowed back, I walked out to greet them as the water is shallow quite a ways out from the shore. We enjoyed a cookout and lively game of cards that evening with my aunt and uncle.

The following day, we spent some time in Petoskey. We looked in the shops, sampled some ice cream and fudge, and got in a round of miniature golf at a pirate themed mini golf course. Back at the cottage, my son and I went swimming in the lake and hunted for Petoskey stones. As a kid, I had never been up to the lake for a visit without finding one and sure enough, I found one for my son and then later he found an even larger one on his own. The tradition continues.

Our last full day there, we went to Mackinac Island. This was my son's first time there. I had been many times with my family as a kid and a couple of times with friends as an adult. I was really excited to show him the island. My aunt gave us passes for the ferry to the island. I think my son really enjoyed the boat ride there and seeing the Mackinac Bridge on the way. Our first stop on the island was the fort. We looked in all the buildings and then watched a humorous court martial reenactment on the lawn. After lunch, we rented bicycles and rode around the island. This was my favorite part.

Unfortunately for me the climb up the hill to the fort and the many stairs up to Arch Rock required me to use my inhaler twice. (I have exercise-induced asthma.) After we had returned our bicycles, we decided to do a little more exploring as there was a cave on the map that my husband wanted to see. Called Skull Cave, it certainly sounded intriguing. Unfortunately for me, it required a climb up the hill to the fort again and even more climbing beyond. Oooofff. I was just so winded. Old people were passing me by. I refused to use the inhaler a third time as I almost never use it regularly. We had to stop several times along the way for me to catch my breath. I was hoping this cave would be as spectacularly scary as it sounded. When we finally arrived, we discovered it was little more than a hole in the side of a hill. No skulls in sight. Not much of a cave. I instantly dubbed it "Numbskull Cave" because I felt like an idiot for putting myself through the climb when I could have remained in town and spent the time shopping. *smile* Once we returned to town my husband and son treated themselves to the island's famous fudge and I rewarded myself with a new necklace and earrings. All's well that end's well, right?

My other vacation HOH funny happened while I was on the cell phone with my mother. She was telling me that she and my dad had picked 6,000 blueberries. Immediately, I wondered, how do you know that, Mom? Did you count them individually? When I questioned her about what she had said, she restated that she had picked six pounds of blueberries. Ohhh, well that does make more sense. It was funny mentally picturing my mom counting the blueberries as she put them in her basket... 5,998...5,999...6,000...turning to my dad to say "I'm done now." hee, hee.

The next morning we found it hard to leave. We had enjoyed our time at the lake and getting to know my aunt and uncle better. But we were missing our dog too and we had to pick him up that afternoon from the place he boarded. Our drive home went smoothly and our dog was sure happy to see us again.

Best Gag Birthday Gift I've Seen

Last Saturday night, my husband and I attended the 50th birthday party of a wife of one of his long time friends. We brought with us a gift bag holding 50 golf balls and a funny card. A bowler and a golfer, she laughed when she saw it, especially when she read my note that said we had considered bringing 50 bowling balls, but the golf balls proved easier to carry. Hee, hee. Her husband told us he had given her a red thong for her birthday. I wasn't sure what to say to that... Imagine my delight when I saw her later wearing it on her head as a hat!

The surprise hit of the evening was inside a beautifully wrapped box sitting innocently among a pile of presents on the table. Not everyone had gone with a humorous gift, she also received some lovely clothes and jewelry. However, inside this present was a note on top that read "When I am old I shall wear purple" a reference to this popular poem. Underneath a layer of tissue paper was a purple dress - an old lady house dress. Good sport that she is, she immediately put it on. Underneath the next layer of tissue was an old lady pocketbook with a note that said "look inside". There she found a rouge blusher, sponge curlers, and a pair of reading glasses. She put the reading glasses on and announced, "Hey, I can see with these things!" At her friends' urging, she put the pocketbook on her arm. Next inside was a support bra. She had already received a birthday card with the words to the song "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" changed to "Do Your Boobs Hang Low?" She put the bra on over the dress. Tee hee. There was one final item in the box - a crocheted shawl. She gamely put that on too and before our eyes she had aged to a much older person. Everyone was roaring with laughter. But wait, something was missing. Where was the card that revealed who had brought this unique gift? Nowhere to be seen and no one would own up to it either. Someone suggested to her that she pass it on to her next friend that turns fifty, maybe with some support stockings added. Regifting at its finest.

When a Sense Fails It's No Sense of Failure

Last Saturday my mother-in-law celebrated her 94th birthday. To mark the occasion, my husband, son, and I went to see her at her nursing home. She was feeling fine so we took her out for a birthday lunch. At 94 years of age, this is not an easy thing to accomplish, but with the help of her walker, her wheelchair, my husband's supportive arms, and given all the time she needed to manuever, she managed quite nicely.
We went to a nearby restaurant that she had been to many times before with us and with other family members. What we had forgotten was how dimly lit this place is even at lunchtime. It was a problem because my mother-in-law is losing her vision. It's been a long time since she was able to read and now even discerning the outlines of objects around her is becoming difficult. I was startled on a previous visit when she was unable to tell if it was me or my husband who was standing next to her until I spoke. Fortunately for her, she still retains good hearing, and I think she relies on that more than we know to decipher the world around her.
A darkened restaurant out of her normal surroundings proved to be rather confusing for her. When she asked us about the dog sitting on a nearby table, I knew she was struggling. I felt so empathetic. I know what it's like to try and pull meaning out of something that doesn't seem right and to come up with the wrong conclusion. There wasn't a dog on the table. In fact, we never did figure out what she was looking at that seemed doglike. Without my own experience with a diminished sense, I would have been sure that she was becoming mentally unsound. Yes, her memories have gotten a bit mixed up and sometimes my husband is her son and other times he's her brother. But in this case, I think there was something else going on.
We rely on our senses to provide us with the cues that help us understand our surroundings. When one of those senses fails, our brain tries to fill in the gaps but isn't always successful. When we're placed in a challenging situation (think a noisy crowded party for those of us with hearing loss), we're bound to make a few mistakes. As long as we're with people who love us, it will be okay. The important thing that is that we're together and we're celebrating life.

Summer in My Garden

Originally posted June 9, 2008

I was inspired by DebAnn's Summer Song and LaRonda's Spreading Some Heartshine to share with you some lovely photos of summer in my garden.


These irises are my "legacy" flowers. They were given to me by my Uncle Henry out of my late grandmother's garden. The one on top is a bluish-white and the one on the bottom is a yellow iris. They are so fragile and last only a brief time.

Once the irises are gone, it's time for the peonies to take the stage. These flowers were here when we bought our house. We've been able to divide them twice and transplant them to other areas of our yard. What's interesting about the peonies is that they come out in tight buds which are opened by ants. The ants climb over the buds for a few days before they blossom. These peonies are a light pink and have a delicate fragrance.


These photos show the gate on the side of our garage that leads to the backyard. Aren't these lovely hanging baskets? They feature petunias which like to be in a sunny spot. An annual, petunias will continue to bloom all summer if they are watered and given plant food.


This is my new glider swing, just purchased two weeks ago. Where it stands now, we used to have my son's swingset. Now that he's outgrown it, I was pleased to pass it on to a friend with young children and replace it with this grownup swing.Wouldn't you just love to sit here with me and have a glass of lemonade? If you did, this is what you'd see from the glider. Our backyard water garden. It has a waterfall down the slope on the right. My husband envisioned this and built it himself six years ago.

Who knew then, that we'd be acquiring a water dog who considers that pond to be his personal swimming hole. No photo essay of my garden would be complete without a photo of my faithful companion, Rusty. Totally content to lie in the shade by the hour while I weed. An occasional stick to gnaw on is all he requires. Rusty is a golden retriever, the reddish gold kind. He's lived with us for three years this summer. Hope you enjoyed this look at summertime in my garden. I'll update it as the summer progresses.

Update: View the slide show to see more photos of the garden as the summer has progressed.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.