Saturday, February 28, 2009

Michelle Obama's "elbow grease"

I am inspired today, to go at my routine chores of the Saturday with much elbow grease, by the recent official photo of Michelle Obama. "Baring arms" I could be jealous, because my arms are not as defined and beautiful that I could show them off like that, or I could take a lesson and do the labor that makes her arms so fit to be seen.
It is going to take alot of elbow grease to reflect our responsibility and try to raise this next generation, in the responsibility that is ours. She is a good example of a woman who makes the family look good and takes the initiative, at the same time. Reflecting good leadership makes us all look good. When the arms are shown it is a sign that it is time to pull up the sleaves and get to work, bringing life and breathing life into this dark and dead time. We have alot to do to get this country ready for the troops coming home, Halleluia. And alot to do to get these young people ready to inherit the mess we are leaving for them.
Power to the people. Thank you Mrs. Obama for baring arms, in the most beautiful sense of the word.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Today, There is a little fellow with a stomach flu,



Well, maybe, my son wasn't really, as violent as I first thought. He was sick, or getting sick. No excuses, just that is not like him, to hit somebody for no reason. He through up in school the next day and had to be picked up. He's much better.
I was remembering how, everyday, I used to kick the boys, in the school yard. I loved to kick the big boys and then run to another boy to save me... The damsel in distress was always my game in school. Mrs. Peterson said, think of the meanest person you know. I thought of, you know who, Grandma Ruth. She said, if you keep practicing being mean you will grow up to be just like her. That stopped me in my tracks. I never wanted to be like her. But I did want to fight every day. Oh well, Leanders and Clifford and Gerald and the other boys would have to find another damsel in distress to play with. I was going to try to be nice now. I never really liked playing jump rope with the girls, or the other girly games, I liked playing war games and if the boys wouldn't play, I would kick one or the other and build my teams on my own instigation. It was fun, but it had to end in second grade, Thanks to Mrs. Peterson...I hope I'm not getting the stomach flu.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

The all, precocious 5 year old...


got in trouble for hitting yesterday. We all know whose fault that is. He is a chip off the old maternal block, so to speak. Everybody knows that I was always the hitter of the family. Now we are a family of peace, so, instead of being proud and saying, "Did you give her a good black eye?" I said, No hitting, honey and we wrote a sorry note to the child. I wish I were 5 again, I would have hit the girl too. Ezra and I would have had some serious fights if I were in his class. Oh well, at least he comes by it honestly.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I feel like a famous person when the children come home with their report cards.






The school is gracious enough to give us updates on the progress reports of the children and this time it was wonderful to see the progress from last term to this term. They have really buckled down. The Wii that we got for Christmas has been a motivation to work during the week and take it easy and Wii on Friday. Ezra got all Satisfactories. The rest of them were extremely doing well and my hand hurts from signing all of the papers for them. One of them is aiming for straight a's and we are all on board to help him get to his goal.
It is wonderful the teamwork of children who love God and love and support one another's progress.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Did the roses bloom already?






















As the days, I hope my strength would be. I can hear Dad everyday telling me some or another essential thing. Turn off that hot curler, you are going to burn the house down. Shut off the stove. Lock the door. All of the essential things that I learned which keep me alive, from looking both ways or 4 ways, before crossing the street, to brushing my teeth; were hammered into my brain indellibly by the mighty hand of my father who didn't know his own strength when it comes to those things. Sometimes I feel like my brain is going to crack wide open from the marks of hammering those things into my brain. They are not always followed, but they are always heard. I am the one to whom, he said, I have to put you out, because you have the potential of pulling all of the roses out of my garden and making them follow you. He was right.


Each of his roses have bloomed beautifully.
I really am proud of you all!

Monday, February 23, 2009

We woke in the morning on Sunday,

knowing that it was a very special day. The sky looked alot like the cellulite on my legs, which I am not so happy about. It was speckled with clouds and the sun was shining and my daughter and I had a secret, that no one else in the family knew. I knew that if I didn't make an announcement to my precious husband, he would miss the miracle which was occurring in our midst.
I said, honey, we have a child who is getting baptized this morning at service. NO! he said and on and on about this and that and I understood, immediately why my precious daughter had eloped, as it were to the Lord, to be baptized.
She wanted no discussion about it. She wanted to show the Lord that it was not of her heritage or background. She was truly following the Lord in obedience. She didn't even choose to be baptized at the service which our family attends. She chose the latter service.
I never felt that emotion in service ever before. I have sensed the presence of God and I have sensed the presence of one or another of the predecessors in service, worshipping with us. This morning, I sensed all of the family, in glory, come to see the baptism of this precious child of God, who has waited on the Lord, for the perfect time to follow the Lord in obedience to God in water baptism. To God be the glory, great things He has done.

I sat and remembered the little baby who was in church, possibly the first Sunday after birth. Church is like the cotton fields to her. We were always there. She was born on a Sunday, trying to get to Sunday school, she kept me from it to go into labor. Here she was, coming out in her white gown to surprise the family with her faith aside and apart from the family which carries her to church week after week.

Her faith is evident, daily, in her attitudes and approach to the hard and wonderful providences that we have had. She cares dilligently for her siblings and parents and now her job caring for little Levi is growing her skills and making her, even more precious in our household. She really is growing to have the correct priorities in her life. When she went under the water, her faith was already evident to us. Her father and I stood, amazed that God could use our decrepid testimonies and draw her to himself. In spite of us, she belongs to Jesus. This was the service, but they didn't tape the baptism

Saturday, February 21, 2009

SHHHH! Tomorrow's the big day.

Elyse and I have a secret...shhh. Nobody else in the family is supposed to know. I am absolutely the most excited as ever I have been. It has been my most difficult spiritual week ever.
Nothing less than travail of soul has come to me.
It is a spiritual decision, not marriage or children, something else... I can go into more detail about it tomorrow. For now, rejoice with us that Elyse is growing to the next level spiritually and know that God has made it very clear that there is real value in making your calling and election sure before Him in obedience.
She's surprising her father. Don't ask me why? It is a Walker thing:{

Friday, February 20, 2009

Somebody tell me what it looks like over there on Roosevelt Ave. Now that Shea Stadium is gone?


I cannot believe that they tore it down. Although, I never went in there, it was a tremendous part of my life. We passed it often and it marked the last couple of miles home from here or there. We often played tennis near it and one day Dad and I broke down in the car right next to it on the Grand Central Parkway coming from one of Brother's tourneys.
I'll spare you the expletives of my father, which have now become sacred, because of his being gone. "It is always you who is with me when these things happen." He would say, among the expletives. The very worst place to break down and get a flat tire was the Grand Central Parkway Ramp, coming from a tennis tourney; sweaty, tired and cars whirling by. The only comfort was the view of Shea. What will I do? He's gone, Shea is gone, I think I will cry.



Now the thought is that there should be sun shining on Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. Probably, even in the subway, under the ground, it is brighter, because of the sunshine, which had never been seen there before. It was totally dark down there.

I would always be asleep on the subway and wake up at Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights. Disorientedly, once or twice, I got off the subway there, thinking that I was home and I wasn't home. I had to wait for the next train.
There were lights there, but it always the shadowed from the sun.

Anybody ever been inside Shea Stadium? Did the sun shine in there?

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Our first family love...On Sutphin Blvd

I would say and I have said to Enoch that our first family love was Dr. Lang. "DR.LANG!", I remember the intensity of his tone and pitch as he answered the phone while we stood and waited for his complete and undivided attention. He was our first love, because he delivered Dad and he delivered me. Any man who goes through childbirth with 2 generations of women in the family is considered the hero of the family. No man has endured more of the pain in our family with us as he has.
My husband and Chin are next because they were there at the births of the children. But in the old days, only the doctors could enter into the sacrum of excruciation, with the women. He was the hero.
One day he took my face in his hands and said, Jayne, Jayne, Jayne, don't get fat! referring to my looking exactly like my elder auntie, who is now my twin. I love him for that candid perusal of our family tendency. I guess, I didn't listen. I still struggle.
I remember the darkness of his office as they conserved electricity and Mrs. Lang, sometimes coming to the door on Sutphin Blvd, and the sugar free candies in the candy dish. The order and consistency of their elderly life and the decisiveness and determination that marked his every move and motion, even the hampered motions of one disabled by broken hips, were a monument of his strength and perserverence. He was our doctor and educator and friend and mentor. It was truly a privilege knowing him and when he looked at my shingles and said, I have never seen any thing like that in any one so young. I thought that must be the end, I must be dying. How could a 90 year old genius not have seen this before. Amazingly, I did live past there. About my pimples, he said, Jayne, Jayne, Jayne, do you have a boyfriend? I said no. He said that is the only person who would notice those things on your face.
He was our love and I try to share much of him with my children when I remember to.
"A man's got to do what a man's got to do!"

Monday, February 16, 2009

Golden key recipient for North Carolina Representing Northwest Cabarrus High School in the Product Design competion Statewide...It's Emily Walker!


Emily, with her mentor and teacher, Ms. Cunningham


Here she is Ms. Product Design, herself!


Yesterday, amidst little pomp in our home and certainly no circumstance in our family, my little special guest star woman, shone brightly. Everything that she does is award winning to me. I am her mother and I keep trying to get her to give me her stuff. This piece, I fought with her about. I really didn't want her to send that piece in for the judges. I just loved it.
It was a really big deal and she kept it from us!
From the first design on the cloth, I was into this piece. Some of the pieces, I can't see the theme, but my Emmy always acts as though she is unmoved by my opinions of her stuff. I was very impressed and proud when she walked across the stage to receive the award for her design. She's applied herself to the process of developing her craft and she received her reward.
Children are a heritage from the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward!
I've held a very big trophies in my hands, many times but none as beautiful as the memory of the day that Emmy was put on that table and showed out for the first time. Feisty, from the day she was born and feisty, to this day. There is absolutely nothing like the joy of seeing her do her thing!.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

All my Valentine's are here, at home this Valentines Day!

I am blessed with love, in my marriage and with my children. Like a garden they are growing over me now and I am living, sometimes in the shadow of the enormity of human love or maternal love for so many and wifely love to my ONE. I have only one waist height valentine and I am sucking all of the juice out of this last year of his toddling, so to speak. He is now lucid in his speech and able to read and spell. He evokes every toddling memory from me, when I look in his eyes, that will soon be past and I will have to grow up in my parenting past the Kindergarten.




In my marriage, we are lovers and friends and this is the season where my Honey and I must sneak kisses amidst toddlers, teens and grown ones who gawk and squawk. It is a daunting task, to stay in love and about love in this 408th month of love and life. We grow and learn one another's nuances, because, amazingly we keep changing.
These days, we've been playing "Love American Style!" to try to stay up to date with eachother's dreams. We have to talk, alot more about love than we used to. I guess, that is what aging does to you and not being in the best of shape.
Thank God for Love and loves and loving and lovers and lovables. It is really "All In the Family".

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

You have a sweet tooth, Jayne.

I ate 4 pancakes and when I went to drink my coffee today, it tasted bitter. My daddy told me, I had a sweet tooth.
I do remember, with fondness, the sicknesses we shared with one another, one of which was, an insatiable sweet tooth. I was sick and he was reminiscing about the care that his great grandma took of him when he had a cold and showed me how she would take the bowl of boiling water and make him breathe it in. The next step was the honey and lemon, of which I wanted no part. I was always against eating or drinking anything foreign and I suppose, if it were up to me I would have had a continuous diet of pablum until today. Anyway, He made the hot water for me and looked at me and showed me just how much honey he was willing to spend on me to get me better. (The truest love) He took the cup and with the lemon in it poured 3 teaspoons of honey overflowing into the cup, it might have been tablespoons, because I was sick. I drank it and made the sour face to him. I don't like lemon I said. He stirred it, thinking that this would help me. Taste it, he said, again I made the yucky face. I thought that I wasn't going to have to taste the lemon. It was sour. Needless to say, we probably had to throw the cup away when it dried because we made candy together that day and there was no end to my sweet tooth and we laughed when I found out that the lemon was going to taste in it no matter how much honey was put in. We both loved honey and lemon. And we both got better from that cold.

Monday, February 9, 2009

I know my Mommy for 47 years!




My mommy is 67 today. MOMMY, MOMMY never gets old! Now she's probably the youngest great grandmother in her group. If mothering is a race, mommy is at the head of the pack. Packing experiences like a closet. 7 children before 30, 30 grandchildren before 60 and ? Great grands now? O my you look too young to be a great grandmother and a nun and a nurse and all of the spiritual accollades doused upon her, and a wife having been committed till death they did part, etc., etc. Who can follow her trail. We each have to, just take one aspect and concentrate on that part and follow if we can. Jo has the nurses cap. Jack has the maternal child cap. Ju has the spiritual accollades and Aim has the public persona. Tony is the first boy and now the writer and I am still looking for mine... Abby is looking down from above, I hope and admiring the view. Happy birthday MOMMY and I hope that you have as many "fresh promises of fulfillment" and accomplishments in the next 67 years as you have in the first.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Learning the Walker Traditions

Come Saturday morning,
I'm cleaning my house top to bottom,
I'll not see the sun, till the dirt is all gone.

The Preacher may come,
We might have a guest cause the Lord's Day is near.

Come Saturday morning,
I'm vacuuming till I get sick,
of smelling the dust and cutting the grease.

Each day is brand new
But Saturday's chores are the long overdue.

Cleaning is my friend, my children will smile when the Lord's Day comes, too.
And then we'll be done, But we will continue cleaning, till this feels like home.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The little rascals!




What a couple of rascals we were as little ones! I think we were the most precocious of the bunch. Mom was warming up for the rest of them. Ju and I had no limits. We stood on eachothers' backs to reach whatever we wanted. Especially, to turn on the light so that we could go down stairs. The days were quick, but the nights were full of the bunch of us making midnight shows with the reflected spotlights, You're DOGONE Right! We produced and directed and performed and wrote music and interviewed eachother and danced and when the sun came up, we went to sleep. We were a mess:)

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Is it Soup, Yet?

The last dusting that we got was just a dusting that primed the earth for the real deal which we got last night. It was a surprise from heaven, like an old friend coming a long way to visit me. SNOW! SNOW!
My superintendent of school call came at 5:33, just as I was heating the water for the breakfast ritual. Yea! Go back to bed mommy! I did too! I enjoyed another hour or two in my bed before I was awakened, the little ones and big ones too were all covered in the snow and occupied with the outdoors. Of course, with no mommy to dress them, they forgot to put on their warm coats and now I shall have to make soup.
My mommy's soup was delicious and we had a fresh pot after Christmas and after Thanksgiving and today would have been a perfect day for mom's soup. My mom's soup never had too much of any of the yucky stuff, like when dad made soup. He would put anything into the pot and there were all kinds of visible vegetables, yuck! Mom's soup had daintily chopped tiny items that you would never guess were veggies. Are there onions in this? Just eat it and stop analyzing please! Are there vegetables in this? Be quiet and let us finish our food. I was always analysing my bowl and my plate, looking for bones and such. Items to put under the microscope. Just shut up and eat! I did and that was the most delicious soup I will ever eat. Thanks MOM!
Now I'd better get into the cookpot or my runny nose children will get pneumonia!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Glassy eyed children donn my doorstep

A common cold is making its runs around my house. I kept looking at them and asking, why are you crying? I am not crying was the answer. The cold is stuffy noses and watery eyes. Those beautiful eyes of my children which I love to see when clear, becomes a source of concern when sickness comes to call. I am okay they say to me over and over. We all took an over the counter and went to school, we will see if it lasts more than a day. I would make a boiled brew to combat it, there is no time. We will buy a can and see what that will do!

Title- The Studious One!

Title-  The Studious One!
artwork by Elyse

Of biscuits and syrup

Of biscuits and syrup
tasty treats

Happy Saturday!

Happy Saturday!
a day at the Raptor Center.

Widdle Emmie in outer space school

Emmie jumped on the bus and off it flew out into the atmosphere. There was a set of clouds with turbulence right above the house and it took a few minutes for my Emmie to buckle her seatbelt. They hit the bump hard and it knocked my Emmie out of her seat and she bumped her head. The video camera came on and the monitor looked through and stated, Ms. Emmie, where are you? You are not in your seat. Where are you? I am alright I fell because I hadn’t buckled correctly. Well jump up Emmie we have a long way to go and you have to be buckled there is entirely too much turbulence in the stratosphere for you to unbuckle now. As soon as we are through this weather system there will be straight sailing but right now you must buckle. Emmie scrambled into the seat with intensity and purpose now. She watched every cloud pass her window and her nose was pressed to the window trying to see the top of the house as it drifted slowly out of sight. Soon they were not only out of sight of the house, the sun came out brightly and just as quickly they were putting on the atmospherical breathing apparatus and the outerspherical lights. The ABA and the OL. These precautions were to make them appear to be satellites to the radar as they were out in the ionosphere. Emmie knew all about this now. She had gone to the orientation and had a good breakfast and it took them 20 minutes for her to get out past the atmospherical pull and to feel the zero gravity. It would be 15 minutes before the gravity simulators would take effect, a glitch in the system which was being worked on. Until then, they enjoyed the couple of minutes of floatation, while being connected to the seats by belt. The first thing they saw everyday was the strataflotsam. The items which had been dumped into the atmosphere by earlier generations. What would their generation do about this ecological waste area that remained floating above their heads? This was a question for the generations. For now it was the area that they had to guide through on the way to school.

Midnight at the OASIS

Midnight at the OASIS
Sunset in Huntersville

My little Emmie

ran to the bus on the first day of the last year of school. 2 buns on the side of her head. She kissed me and ran at dawn to the bus. She was starting the adventure of a lifetime. I would never see that little girl again, she was going to woman school!

My Father and I 1989

My Father and I 1989

to the tune of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

A VISIT TO PAPA











Are you going to Mary Immaculate?

Apricots, Chocolate Cherries and Pie,



Remember me to the one who lived there,



He once was a true love of mine,



Tell him to buy me an acre of land,



Apricots, Chocolate Cherries and Pie,



Between the muddy Hudson in Jamaica Bay,



Then, He’ll be a true love of mine,

Tell him to sow in it seeds of pure cream,



Apricots, Chocolate Cherries and Pie,



And build Ice cream mountains and buildings of whipped cream,

Then, He’ll be a true love of mine,



Tell him to reap them with sickles of M&M’s,



Apricots, Chocolate Cherries and Pie,



And chew bubble gum and eat till we’re done,



Then, He’ll be a true love of mine.



Tell him to run it off down the motor parkway,



Apricots, Chocolate Cherries and Pie,



After your done 50 pushups



and jog down the West Side Highway,



Then he’ll be a true love of mine…

(Don’t wait for me today dad, The kids are sick again, My tummy’s bulging again, My heart is aching again, And now there’s no love there…)





He once was, a true love of mine….So, Girls, I do beg you don't miss your Daddy,Apricots, Chocolate cherries and Pie,You have one short chance to see him on this side, Go visit him and let your light shine.