Back In The Rat Race

I caught a ride on the 40-hour train this week and, as a result, Saturday and Sunday have now become very sacred. No doubt I'll be spending the weekend cooking, cleaning and catching up.

Anticipating this turn of events, I made JB something special last weekend.
Peanut Butter Banana Pudding! It's just like it sounds--very rich, but oh so satisfying.



4 cups milk
2 packages butterscotch pudding mix
1 1/2 cups peanut butter, divided
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup confectioner's sugar
4 medium bananas, sliced

Combine milk and pudding mixes until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter.

In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and confectioner's sugar; cut in the remaining peanut butter until crumbly.

In a large serving dish or individual desert bowls, layer half of the pudding, half of the crumb mixture and half of the bananas. Repeat layers. Chill until served. (yields 12 servings)


Dinner this week has been an impromptu mess and we're all suffering. I welcome your ideas and quick dinner recipes.

If The Shoe Fits

Cats are naturally inquisitive and quick to take ownership of their new surroundings.

While I spent the better part of the day yesterday sorting through shoe boxes of mementos and papers, Lina tried each box on for size. With no apparent hesitation or apprehension, she stepped right in and made herself comfortable.

We humans hesitate. We often over analyze and ponder to the point of losing the opportunity altogether.

Just chill is what I keep hearing from my oldest daughter. I hear, but don't comprehend. There's too much to do--too much I want to accomplish--and I feel the clock is ticking and time is nipping at my heels.

I'm learning events unfold according to their own schedule...

And the best use of my energy is to simply embrace the waves.

We're Surviving

We're all stumbling around, finding our way and blending with our new surroundings...

Three of the thirteen eggs made their way and are hanging tough.

Leaps and Bounds

Friday the 13th conjures up all sorts of thoughts of mishaps in most folks. I gave up that notion ions ago.

I met Miss Jessica's (and Miss Jenifer's) dad on a Friday the 13th--with a full moon to boot! While that didn't work out for the long haul, I am blessed with two daughters, so all is not lost.

This is just another example of how something good always comes of every situation.

We're still blending here.

Lots of shifting of boxes to storage and rearranging of furniture still goes on, but we are adjusting to everyone's individual timetable.

I'm still a morning person and savor the time I have before the rest of the house wakes up. I enjoy the quiet time--the 2 hours or so I have before the rest of the world gets moving.

I read the Times on line and get all worked up over the injustice in the world. I usually have my opinions well-formed by the time Pop calls. When he asks me what I'm doing, I share with him what I've been reading. It doesn't take long before he passes me on to Momo. Pop is very progressive but he's smart enough to take a break when he needs it.

With Father's Day this Sunday, I'm hoping I can give him a break--I'm planning a dinner honoring him and my favorite father-in-law.

Learn To Count Your Blessings

While I was in Texas packing up the oldest daughter and grumbling about sleeping on loveseats and air mattresses, JB was doing his part for the world.

As I understand it, one of the neighbors ran over a turkey's nest and left 13 eggs homeless. My husband stepped in, aided by my little friend down the road.

Stella, (our talking thermometer) found a new home standing watch in the incubator for the unborn turkeys. I understand my crystal desk lamp was needed as well.

I have come to rely on Stella. She tells me the indoor temperature as well as the out door temperature, at regular intervals. I guess I have become somewhat spoiled.

I'm often entertained when she flakes out and gets things confused sometimes. This minor malfunction causes alarm to guests and is often a source of amusement to JB and I.
Nonetheless, she responded to a higher calling while I was away--and I understand.

I missed crystal my lamp, but quickly got over it when I realized how fortunate I am that the eggs are not in my kitchen!

I went down to visit the eggs today.

I think the due date is June 20.

Realizing Our Role In The Environment

It was so hot when I was in Texas two weeks ago, that even the animals at the zoo looked put out.

The constant wind was hot--very hot.
When the temperature reached the high 90s and above, I wanted ice cream.

I walked a block to the 7-11 one day and brought two pints of ice cream back to the apartment.

I ate one pint by myself.

Now that Miss Jessica and I are in Virginia, it's as if the Texas heat has followed us. Temps in the high 90s--coupled with high humidity--have forced us indoors to watch old movies and eat cucumber sandwiches.

This reminds me of a similar scenario when I visited Virginia and brought the cold weather back to West Texas. It was the visit that I married JB and returned to Texas to pack up the house and move to Virginia.

Have you ever seen snow on Prickly Pear and Yucca?

I hadn't heard of tornadoes in this part of the country either until after I moved back.
Did I bring those too?

Do You See What I See?

I've posted before about how each individual's perception can create an entirely different version of reality. I'm still sold on this idea. I believe it to be truth.

I remember being viewed as a desirable young thing until the day I brought home a baby. From that point forward, I was a mama--and we all know there's nothing like a baby on your hip to put you in an entirely different class on the "hot" scale.

But when you make a choice to be a mother, none of that stuff is important anymore anyway. The choice of motherhood involves having had enough of being preoccupied with your outward appearance, and striving for more important pursuits--like creating a human being and sharing the world as you know it with someone who's interested.

The connection between mother and child is like none other. They may not get along all the time. They may not even like each other all the time. But the connection is always there.

And in the end, you always have each other.

I watched a lot of old movies that profess the same thing of marriage. I'm not seeing it though. I would love to be wrong about this one.

Miss Jessica has a longtime friend in Texas that has been calling quite frequently to get confirmation on her daily wedding plans. They were more than a little put out when I compared a wedding to Thanksgiving dinner--all that planning and its over in 20 minutes.

I'm thinking more preparation should go into planning the marriage, rather than the wedding.

Share your thoughts and sway me, please.

Everything Old Is New Again

During our final days of packing before the big move, I suggested to my daughters that we make a trip to the local zoo.

When they were little girls, I took them frequently.

Back in those days, a day at the zoo cured everything, and had the ability to make nap time appear a welcome opportunity rather than a chore.

I even have pictures of Miss Jessica pushing her baby sister in a rented zoo stroller...

But this time, even Jessica's best friend's son was too big for a stroller.

And the lone man that was brave enough to accompany all us girls
was my youngest daughter's fiance'.

Getting Our Ducks In A Row

A week ago we started our road trip from Texas. We packed and cleaned the apartment-- hitting the road the very moment everything was finished--about 5:30 pm. It may seem crazy, but you what you have to do.

Things were packed just so in Miss Jessica's car so that even legs had to be placed a certain way to fit. What didn't fit in the car was shipped or donated to the Salvation Army.

I got reacquainted with my daughter's driving skills, as she did with mine. After the second day on the road, I became envious of the cat, who was medicated every 4 to 6 hours as needed.

But we did it and arrived here in Virginia early Sunday afternoon--tired and stiff.

This week has been spent sorting and moving things to storage to allow Miss Jessica some space of her own. We're meshing...



And Lina, who once spent her days peering into the courtyard of an apartment building, now has a somewhat different view of life.

The Cat's Meow

Every time I remove my camera from its bag, Jess' cat, Lena, tries to get in the bag.

Of course, she tries to climb in my open purse as well--and my purse is really not big enough to accommodate her either.

I'm thinking she senses the move and doesn't want to be left behind.

Well, she's coming. Lena will be the backseat driver for our two day journey and can give us directions from the safety of her carrier.

I just hope she's not too opinionated.

The More Things Change

Packing. Packing. Sorting.
I'm waiting on the Salvation Army now to come fetch up odd bits of furniture and memorabilia. We have a truckload.

I had thought we could start the big road trip across country in the wee hours, but Miss Jessica's car is in for repair and won't be ready until after lunch tomorrow. So plans are pushed back. I have always heard "If you want to make God laugh--tell him you have plans."

As JB tells me all to often: It is what it is. One must remain flexible. I am trying. And I had woke up this morning so excited about returning home--with my oldest daughter.

Instead I have been reacquainted with coin laundry. But I phoned my women's cult and they are meeting tonight. So maybe things will work out so that I can go, have dinner and visit--and get a second wind before the big road trip.

There's Strength in Numbers

The last-minute plane trip entailed changing planes three times! Lack of sleep and worry over the unknown had me a bit edgy and tight connections just exaggerated my emotions.

But I'm here. We left the hospital yesterday about noon.

I never thought I would reach the point in my life where I would have so few opportunities to interact face to face with my girls. We've been very good about keeping in touch via phone and email, but there's so many things than can only be assumed using either of those methods.

I am one of those people who operates best when I can look into the eyes of the one I'm speaking to--the eyes are indeed the windows of the soul.

I've received--and given--many long overdue and much needed hugs in the past 36 hours.
Even though miles separate families, the love and moral support is always there.

We'll be sorting and packing for the next few days. Then we're off on the road trip across the country that will bring us all back home.

I Need A Map

I long for a roadmap. I want some warning of what's ahead--a hint so I can be better prepared for the unexpected.

Most of the world nowadays--due to the instability--would probably like a roadmap as well.

The reality is there are no such maps.

Instead, we rely on gut instincts, our heart and as a last resort--logic.

I am catching a plane this morning for Texas to retrieve Miss Jessica. I understand she's being hospitalized for "observation." By the time I arrive, I'm guessing she'll be released and we can begin the process of gathering up her toys to return to Virginia.

My heart tells me this is the right thing to do. My gut instincts tell me this won't be an easy task. And more than likely, logic will surface a bit later as I hop from one plane to another today to reach her by dinnertime.

Fair Is Where You Get Cotton Candy

I'm not a man hater.
In fact, I'm very interested in them.

I have some male friends. I've spent lots of time with men in the workplace and I've been married a total of 26 years. The fact that it was 3 different men who shared that 26 years should actually enhance my credibility. I mean, I kept on trying to find the right fit.

And while it's no surprise that men and women are wired differently, my pal Hoss actually found the best way of explaining it when he posted this video on his blog.

This struggle to co-habitate and to understand one another has been going on since the beginning of time though. Look at Eve. We'll never really get the true story there. Was Eve really the one that was tempted or did Adam actually bite the apple and she just covered for him? We females always want to swoop in and fix things, don't we?

We've been grilled on playing nice and minding our manners, but too often our male counterparts never heard those messages, or just chose to ignore them altogether.

The clipping in the picture tells the story of Lilly Ledbetter, the Goodyear employee that was being shortchanged at work by what her lawyer called a "good old boys" network. When she was on the verge of retirement, a tipster revealed she was earning 79 cents on the dollar compared to her male counterparts in the same position. She sued and won, but the ruling was eventually overturned because she had waited too long. Turns out, if you're getting screwed and you don't notice it for 6 months, you're really screwed.

It's shocking, isn't it? And that's the part that always gets we women. We're shocked by the audacity. We never thought anyone would behave like that. How could they do that! Don't they have a conscience? And they seemed like such nice people...

I worked for a corporation, that when forced to cut salaries, came to me first because I was the only female executive. They rationalized that I should be able to endure a reduction in pay before my male colleagues because I was a woman and had a husband with a job.
I resigned. This wasn't the only sexist incident, but it was the icing on the cake.

I received a promotion at another corporation while in Texas and the man who stepped into my previous position started at a salary that was $5K more "because he had a family." Actually I am convinced it was because he had a penis.

And on top of that, they wanted me to help him with this position, while transitioning into my new one as well. I wasted no time in voicing my opinion. I have never seen so many grown men blush as a result of the word "penis." But they really should have been more embarrassed by their behavior.

It's what I refer to as the sheep hormone. If there is a group of men, the intelligence level will sink to the lowest IQ in the group and they will begin acting as one. Females, on the other hand, seem to thrive on individuality and fairness across the board.

Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying this is true of all men in all situations. My JB is honest and compassionate to a fault. But since I have found a man like this, I know that such men do exist.

The Supreme Court implied that Lily Ledbetter's lower pay was her own fault because she hadn't investigated her employer for sex discrimination sooner. Now isn't that a shame that you have to check up on everybody just to make sure they're doing what they should be doing?

Cultivating Goodness

Every day provides a new treasure.

Some are just beginning, like this peony.

While others are overwhelming...
and require much more care and attention.

Time To Lose The Pearls

The wind got up and the clouds formed. As I was cooking dinner JB had a beer and began sharing his weather forecast.

I can now do my own forecast based on the cloud formations, thanks to Dr. Biology. Before we studied meteorology last semester, I relied on the aching in my left shoulder or the soreness in my wrists to inform me of changing weather patterns.

But after living smack dab in the middle of tornado alley in West Texas for a hundred years, a tornado watch doesn't get me very excited. I've had my fair share of inclement weather.

There was a time that a tornado watch or warning meant being prepared--gathering the kids, pillows, and battery operated radio--and heading for the innermost room of the house. That would be the bathroom.

We'd make a party of it. While they gathered their books and a favorite toy or two, I'd grab a flashlight and the battery-operated radio. By the time they had climbed into the bathtub amidst a pile of pillows and blankets, I'd have pored myself a glass of wine and donned my pearls.

I always figured if I was going out, I was going out wearing my pearls. And the wine? It certainly couldn't hurt.

I've shared this tale more than a few times, much to the amusement of family and friends. And last night, when JB suggested it was an evening for wine and pearls, I suddenly looked at the entire scenario with new eyes.

The pearls are still there where I left them. They're taking a breather--a deserved rest-- in a red velvet box with a white satin lining.

I'm just glad I don't need them anymore.

Learning to Work With Mother Nature

The Georgia Collards have bloomed and gone to seed.
Pop noticed all the honeybees when he and Momo came to visit on Sunday.

They're so tall and the blooms are pretty...
but they've taken over the garden.

JB got this photo of me trying to do some damage to the crop.

Neighbors have enjoyed 4-5 pound bags for some time.
I started cooking to start freezing some yesterday--6 quarts!
I have a feeling I will be having collards for a while.

But I have plans for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and peas...

Nasty Little Brain Invaders

The last exam was taken yesterday. I went prepared, but still felt the anxiousness that accompanies any test of memory or mind function. I've come to realize it has more to do with my emotions rather than knowledge of any given subject.

I have to ward off thoughts of defeat. I take deep breaths and shake off self-limiting ideas so the words I'm reading make sense. Last semester, I even went so far as to request an instructor double space his tests in an effort to keep the questions from running together.

Today my Jeni is taking regional exam boards. I feel anxiousness for her--1400 miles away.

I hope she has the ability to focus entirely on the present moment. I want her brain to be so full of what is right in front of her that there is no space for the what happens next.

Its the outcome of what's before us that generally creates the anxiety anyway.

Seeds of Change

What a nice surprise I had today!
I just received these in the mail today from Eco Women.

Hopefully by the weekend--after the last final exam--
I can get out in the yard and find a nice spot for these treasures.
I have a tree and some bushes I have been waiting to plant, too.

But we've been getting lots of rain.


The rain has been leaving big, fat drops of water that glisten in the light.

Raindrops that reflect and catch the light just like
the crystal flower we gave Momo for her birthday.

The Last Ride

Jake left us today for greener pastures.

a place of eternal sunbathing on grassy hillsides
with an endless supply of big ole ham bones, I hoping.


He's been busy for so long watching over our little kingdom...


and escorting us up and down the driveway every day.


Bless his heart, he just wore himself out.

Now he can finally rest.