To Everything there is a season...

The little chill has come over the region. We are enjoying 65 degree mornings and 80or so in the middle of the day. It is definitely autumn, as they call autumn down here. We are still in summer season in our NY states of mind. It is not right for the leaves to be falling when I am still wearing short sleeves.
I am learning to rejoice in other things than mothering and wifing. That is new. I am making new friends, some who have children the ages of mine and some not. My season has been so long. I had nothing to compare it to, because my mommy was in retirement from mothering eons before she was my age. Now, I know why. My health must become a priority in this season. I hear that so many women suffer from heart disease after the "change". I hate this season physically. I should have trained for it more dedicatedly. Flashes and tiredness and emotional upheaval, nothing at all like I imagined.
Work is a great distraction from my infirmities. I think everyday of some story or another to share with my little ones and I try to come home to my family with a part of myself that I shared with customers as well as the grumpy me that they are used to.
There is more to life than babycare and husbandcare, but what? That is the quest for the new millenium for me. Maybe business projects. Maybe a book? I am trying to develop a website? Jack of All Trades, Master of None? Taking on the tasks and speaking my mind to these strong Walker personalities is the lesson of the day.

I am a woman, Hear me pray, On my knees everyday. I trust God too much to let you get me down...

:)

I remember my Mommy's walk!

I haven't seen her in ever so long...:( but, the main thing I remember is seeing the different walks of my mother. There was her happy walk as she strutted to the net to vanquish another attempted foe on the tennis courts and there was the humble walk when she was bringing up the gifts at offertory. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, yesterday and it wasn't her, it was me:).
I remember her carrying the gifts and her head bowed in humility and her shoulders down. I admired that about her. She had just the right walk for the occasion. She stomped on Norma, over and over again on the courts and she never accidentally walked as if she had a chalice in her hands. Don't mess with me on the courts, that walk seemed to say. Only God is God! Even if she lost( rarely), her walk was only the chalice walk at church. That was very interesting to me and powerful.
I love my mother's walk! Miss you MOM!XOXOXOXOX

Today is the kind of day that makes me remember my first fight.

I walked into the house and I was probably in 2nd or third grade and Dad could look at me and tell something was wrong. He sat down and called me over to him. This was very unusual for Dad to do. I was the oldest and at this season Dad's lap was preserved for babies. I was certainly no baby. I was, however bruised up. I wasn't sure if he could see the bruises or the tears in my eyes.
He sat me on his lap and looked me right in my eyes. What happened today? He said in a very loving and condescending tone of voice, also very unusual for our relationship. I said, I don't want to tell you. He said why. I said I had a fight in school. Roosevelt Smith knocked my books off of my desk and I fought with him after school. I was crying hysterically by this time. He said, why wouldn't you tell me that, giggling alot. Did you lose the fight? I said no, I beat him to a pulp. He said why are you crying then, laughing hysterically. I didn't have any idea he was laughing from pride. Mommy said, you stop laughing at that Tony, you should never encourage that kind of behavior, Jayne go upstairs and say 10 "Hail Mary's". Dad was doubled over laughing at my fighting.
I do remember the boxing gloves and the rounds of fights in the living room. We had a great time beating eachother like hoolagans and wrestling. Mom, never approved but she probably laughed about the fight under her breath. Now that I think about it.

Wonderful, North Carolina Sky!

This is Enoch's movie making project, of many. The computer is stuffed with his projects for animations. I just love it!

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I do not have vast fields of butterflies, nor a beautiful, paisley print dress for the butterflies to sit upon.
My one, purchased contribution to our landscaping is a butterfly bush. It was a very little thing when I put it in. Now, It blocks the sun on my porch. Butterflies and Jiminy Cricket himself, who I attempted to photograph, come daily and delight me. They are nearly like a baby's mobile. Butterflies don't like me, though, as soon as I get off the computer, or drive up and try to take a picture of them (for my records) of who has visited, they dart off. It really is a chore to catch them on camera. The bees, however are such hams. They always think that I am coming to photograph them and they pose very well for the camera. I think they want to give me a kiss.:{(an unhappy thought)
Last year, when Ezra was "little", we used to play chase the butterflies and maybe they remember that game and now are playing chase the mommy. The children would touch a butterfly, who would be deeply drinking from the bush and then have to run around the house. It felt like an Easter egg hunt to us. Those were the good old days.
Now, I can't get anyone to enjoy my bush with me, except to tease mother who giggles at the variety and each new butterfly that comes to entertain me. I feel a little like Puff the magic dragon, when Jackie Paper came no more.
One day, I will have the money to place other entertaining bushes and trees about for other entertaining purposes, but right now, my delight is tea-time with the butterflies.
Tasha Tudor was a writer, whose books I spent many years, reading to my children. I had no idea that she was such a kindred spirit until after her passing, some years ago. I think that you would enjoy looking at her website and noting her spirit of free enjoyment of her land and sky. click the link to go to her site.
Tasha TudorThat is what I am aiming for. Maybe, I will buy a pretty paisley dress one day.
Now, my pear trees are jealous at me talking about the butterfly bush. I will have to write you about their growth soon.:)

My daily garden guests, butterflies, crickets and bees:> Oh Jiminy Cricket!

I had a delightful breakfast, today. I included fiber in my specialty oatmeal. Kashi tastes delicious in oatmeal. Thanks for the tip.
I found sometime this afternoon to chase butterflies and crickets in my butterfly bush. I have some very good photographers in the house, but they can't get into chasing butterflies, so I have to take the photos myself.

My friend, down the block gave us a whole bunch of peppers some hot and some mild and they went splendidly in my tomato sauce, not to everyone's liking though. They do add a very fresh taste and homegrown deliciousness. because they are red peppers you really can't see them much in the sauce :)

I am talking about recipes for food?

Thank you much for the recipes for health and welfare. Those tips did much to control the cantankerous season of my homecoming last night. Every night when I get home at 6, I expect that homework should have already been done. NOT! The powers that be are helping them at homework by giving them liberty until I get home at 6. By that time the little eyes are closing. Dinner is the first chore that I get to completely, or Elyse. But the barrage of questions and papers that hit me at the door is breathtaking. I haven't yet figured out how to get them to wait 30 minutes while I recoup my mind.
Last year my schedule was 11:30 to 8 and when I got home they were just about asleep and we ate every night at 8:30 or 9(an ungodly hour!) I changed my schedule because Ben is working at night. Emily will be too, maybe soon. The duo of them are clean and neat, but not much for cooking or homework helps. We will have to work out the logistics of the family so that people have more than one family focus.
Thing one and thing two(my teenagers) are the dynamic duo of humor and fun. We had a hilarious time, after the rush of homework going over the parts of speech for the dilinquent homework of the baby girl. She doesn't say, I didn't finish my homework. She waits until my eyes are just about closed and then she picks my brain for the English blood that flows from my mouth. Mother, I need help, what is "such". After unpacking adjectives and singing all of the grammar rock songs to jog her memory; we went on an English journey that kept Enoch and I awake and laughing in the dictionary(my favorite place on earth) until our eyes closed at 10 pm. I hope it all sunk in. That was a once in a lifetime trip with my teens and I am so glad that I didn't miss it. :)
Now, what do we eat?

I get a breath between count down to birthdays...

The next one is not for about 3 weeks or so. October 11 is Evvy's 14th birthday. So, in between they bombard me with requests. Help with homework...sign this paper for school. Read this paper. Help with projects. Ethan has a Tsunami project due on Friday and we are woefully delinquent in the schedule of working on it.
Today is Emily's interview for work. We are all excited with her. Hope is alive.
God is my strength from day to day and such is the charge of loving husband and children.
Recipes requested:)

Boogie nights!

That was the morning cake, or brownie breakfast before school! Now that we have a varied schedule we have to squeeze in singing happy birthdays in the morning, because dad is gone in the evenings.
At night we did the cake and the gifts and the smiles were alot bigger and wider.
I just love the 6 year old maturity.
This morning, he said to me. Mom, let me take you where you want to go on the internet. What a bossyboots! Sure honey, mommy wants you to help her, NOT! (Lucky for me that I have you to help me tie my shoes now that you are six?:)
I have to lay the law down, just because you are six and know everything doesn't mean you have to volunteer to show mommy around the internet.
LOL

EZ Like Sunday Morning!

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Now, We are SIX!


We woke up this morning to the memory of a beautiful, tiny baby. Who surprised us in the latter times of life. He rushed out to try to catch Grampses, before they were all gone and he had just missed them.
I was walking and walking and crying at funerals for 2 weeks. Dad had gone, Uncle Mose and then Grandpa …“pop”. Here comes the young man who would always make time fly for us. I waited 41 years to meet this little fellow. 5 pounds and bald and looking like gramps a little, too. We almost didn’t make it. I am sure that I stroked out. He stroked out and we both lived to tell about it. Halleluia! There is a reason that we are still here.


We woke up early for birthday brownies and coffee and milk. We sang happy birthday with a number 6 candle( Ezra's favorite thing is a number candle of the age that he is) I waited my whole life to meet this fellow and the both of us are glad that it is 6 years since we both nearly died but are still here to talk about it and to eachother. He is bright and excited and doing very well for the baby boy in a busy, dizzy family like ours. I am just in love with the young man that he has become. He is most certainly not an angel, but he is a super and well loved boy!

Maybe you want to give me kisses Sweet:)))))

Maybe you'll go away and never call, Says Smokie. How did he know what it is like to have 4 separate groups of teenagers, coming 4 years apart. I am now in the third wave of undertow. It feels like wading in the water. 2 Waves are behind me, Elyse and Emily and they have their own issues. But at least they are women now. and THE BOY is entering Highschool. His life is too quiet. Hands on hips. No friends? No conflict? We will see? Behind him is his trusty twin sister, as we call them thing one and thing two. Maybe he is waiting for her to show out with. Whichever it is, I will be ready! A nosey momma is no match for the antics of thing one and thing two. They have cut eachother's hair in days past. They have gotten into grease and oil and chemicals and done as much as twins can do. Now it is the teenage years and it is, so far a little bit "postneurotic" to think that they will go through all 5 years with this little to talk about. As soon as I turn my gaze, they are going to act up. Just anticipating. They do their stuff, I am just standing guard.
When I was a teen, I had boyfriends and girlfriends and all kinds of stuff that I tell them about, trying to pry. We didn't tell our parents much. Do you think they are keeping it from me?:)))))



By the way,Enoch has one curly whisker on his chin that we are protecting, so when he shaves, he'll have 2?LOL