Thursday, December 31, 2015

Thank God, Thank God, Thank God! another year is in the rearview window---Goodness and Mercy Following us Forever---

I will lift my voice to worship God. We have had good grades and bad grades, happy days and a few sad days. We have grown tremendously, this year. I think Ethan grew in height the most, about 10 inches or so. He is still clarinetting, which is my delight. They all are drawing as swiftly as they breathe. Only one tries to make music with a pencil in his hands, I do appreciate that. College is honing the twins and they are recuperating over the break. The older women are aiding in the home, as best we allow. Ben and I have enjoyed good health.
God has been good and we adore Him!

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Taking Stock of my blessings... One Mommy, One Husband, Two turtledoves and a partridge in a peartree?

All of my babies, at work are just the age that I was, when I received my first baby sister. I was 18 months learning to share my mommy, with this little stranger. My mommy must've prayed for me to learn this, because my sister is still alive. Babies can be so primal and selfish. I have learned to love her and the many, many baby sisters and brothers that came after her.

Now, I find it my own job to teach a sharing lifestyle to my little babies. What do I do, when this friend or sibling is no longer sitting like a pretty doll in a basket or crib, somewhere? What do I do, when they become competitors for mommy's attention? What do I do, when they outdo me in this or that thing and outshine me and my mommy praises them? Dumping on them, smacking and being naughty can't be a lifelong habit of elder sibling, me.

I have been blessed to see my siblings outdo me in a great many areas of life. I have been blessed to see more blessings in my children and babies, as I see my babies and children learning the lessons that I am learning too.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Words from the midst of the Christmas hustle and bustle...

Inevitably, we overcommit in this season. Sunday was Mom's cantata. Monday was practice for the boys' Christmas play. Tuesday was Ethan's band concert. Wednesday was Enoch's friend's party and practice for the boys, etc.

A Christmas wonderful surprise is the twelve days of Christmas gifts that have delighted us in our season. We have, positively no idea who is doing these delightful gifting to us on these twelve days of Christmas. 4 calling birds was a bird feeder gift, which was a silent breathed in wish on my heart and made the harrowing days preceding the celebration of our greatest Gift received, a lot less distracted from the reality of the treasure of faith that we possess. Alleluia, for God's family celebrating this feast of the greatest and highest reality. Pray for God to make it a real reflection of the Unity of the Spirit and the Love of the Truth, in Jesus' Name. Amen

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Look Mommy, I look like you!

What a sweet email I got from my College Woman, Ev. I sent it to my mommy. I told her that my selfies are the children. She knows that already, I know. I am so glad that my baby sent the pix to me. Had to share it.

Monday, December 7, 2015

I hear he had "A Pretty Good Crowd" for a Saturday!

Billy Joel came to NC. Unfortunately, we couldn't put 2 pennies together to get tickets; but it was like a little piece of NY came to visit us, here in the "Cackalackies". I didn't cry to have missed it. I am still rejoicing that I can hear him on the Youtube, if not on the radio here in the "schticks", as we call it. I would wither had there not been a Youtube to comfort me from my NY withdrawal. 20000 people or so is like standing on the subway platform with him, very intimate conversation. We are so provincial, us New York transplants.

Well, I consider it a visit from home for him to have been in our dear city{the city has become dear, though not finished yet:)}. I am grateful that my screams every Sat. at the end of his part of my housecleaning regimen were heard and he had to come to NC for the many fans that he obviously has down here. My love for his music is certainly primal, but I am not a street girl to be able to snag a ticket from a scalper. One day, I will see him live, I hope. Until then, I will cherish the years at Fontbonne, which gave me a taste for such musical"champaign", and to become part of the "not having started the fire" prayer group.

God Bless America and God Bless Billy Joel!

Friday, December 4, 2015

The Pride of Harris Road Middle School Chorus!

It was cloudy afternoon and my bones were aching from the frolic with my tiny cherub, when I knew I had to gird up my strength and go to a concert of my baby boy. He's not Michael Jackson, but he looked like Michael Jackson with the huge afro that his father helped him acquire through the tangles of locks that my boys are sporting these days.
My clarinetist, Ethan often has concerts that are earlier in the evening. This one was just at the right time for me to take a half hour nap before. I took full advantage of that. I fell fast asleep for about 15 minutes, before I overheard that it wasn't at the Middle School around the corner, it was at the High School a little bit farther away. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, I'd better jump out of my ZZZZZZ's and run to carry the fellow, so he won't be late. {My mommy and my daddy's trips to my concerts and games were running through my brain. Oh what devoted and diligent parents I had! Every move was inspected by my parents. I can't even get there for my baby boy. I did get there, though. "I forgot the tomatoes", I hear my daddy say. Thank God Ben's not like that, I say to myself. My mind flips to the icy break down of the car on the BQE and our pilgrimage home up the icy embankment steps in my Volleyball uniform. I miss Brooklyn! This is Ezra's show. }
My baby was stupendous! He did very well. He was beautiful and the children were perfect. I was delighted and We celebrated after at McDonalds to hear every Middle School thought of the occasion. I was elated and grateful for the dear and devoted teachers who can and do pour into our children. Thank you to them all! Merry Christmas and Praise the Lord!









Tuesday, December 1, 2015

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.