blue yellow

Lately, I haven't been blogging as regularly. I don't really know how I ever had the inspiration and energy to share my small little goings on with whomever would visit. I don't know why I have lost my blogging spirit. But I do know that Right now I feel like I've lost my spirit in general. I know it will blow away, it always does. Then, unfortunately it comes floating back again.. I call it a 'funk' when it visits. It's like a giant cloud that hovers over me making me feel the smallest task is just so overwhelming. My usually bright yellow aura changes to moody blue. I wish there was a way to chase this funky cloud away instead of waiting for it dissipate whenever it feels It's good and ready.
I miss reading all my favorite blogs. I miss participating in all my favorite prompt blogs. Hoping this heads or tails will help lift my blog funk and then maybe this other funk will float along for the ride.

Two Prompts on tuesday!

And I don't have the time and patience I wish I had... Solution? combine them! Over at heads or tails the prompt is Summertime memory!
One of my happiest childhood summertime memories was staying overnight often at my best friend Linda's house. She had the 'fun' neighborhood. Every house on her street seemed to have a bunch of kids living there! We would often play neighborhood hide and seek, running into every back yard to hide out. You can imagine that this game would last a long time with so many homes involved! Another favorite part of my summer time sleep overs... when School was out so was an official 'bedtime' at Linda's house. We loved staying up till the wee hours and sleeping all morning.
Late Late at night we would find our way into her kitchen and start making crazy snacks.. Or we would start making some prank phone calls! One of our favorite past times was playing 'shows'
We would take turns performing! Put on an old album from her parents 'weird' collection and start lip sinking and dancing around! Often crazy costumes were involved!! We had our own vaudeville right in her musty basement! I remember vividly LOVInG and performing the song...
"im just wild about HArrY and Harry's wild about ME!" hahaha (During the late 60's early 70's of my youth... this song was WAY out of date! But not to me!)


Sweet Linda adored Shirley Temple and would often tap dance and do Shirley songs! We each had to judge the others performance, we had our very own 'americas got talent' down in that haven of a basement!
It was After one of these critiques ... that Linda and I had an awful argument and I got so hurt and so angry at Her ....I decided to walk all the way home all by myself!
I lived quite a ways away and was only about 8 years old. When I think back now I thank god I made it safely there, and I think What spunk that little girl had! When I walked through my kitchen door, My mother was shocked to see me and couldn't believe I didn't tell Linda's Mom that I had left. She couldn't believe I walked all the way home all alone! I remember getting in a lot of trouble that summer! Linda and I of course made up as we always did. I remember her clearly... explaining to me and Clarifying what she had meant in her critique by saying..."well,Lulu
you would have understood me, had you waitedA few minutes for me to explain it ALL to you." ( hmmm...i guess I've always been a little impatient)
carryontuesday

Miss Lucy in the kitchen

The prompt this week for Carry on Tuesday is the opening of a poem by Siegfried Sassoon entitled Everyone Sang-
"Everyone suddenly burst out singing;
And I was filled with such delight"

The heads or Tails prompt is anything that begins with the letter 'A'.

combined... these two prompts help me give you a synopsis of a happy little part of my week.... Applesauce
As I was baking pork chops for dinner one night
I realized I had run out of Applesauce
I was so bothered by this because like
Peter Brady I LOVE Pork chops AND Applesauce
I usually buy the sweetened type by Motts
Well, discovering I had run out made me crave it worse!
I spied a bowl full of Apples on my counter and thought...
hmmm, how difficult and time consuming would this be??
I turned to my trusty google search for an easy recipe
30 minutes later... I had THE yummiest Applesauce I had ever tasted!
I presented it proudly to my family and declared... I Can't believe that
I've been a Mom for 25 years and have NEVER made Applesauce!!
My family tasted it and agreed it was mmm mmmm good! I imagined that....
Everyone suddenly burst out singing; mmm mmm good
mmm mmm good that's what moms Applesauce is mmm mmm good!
And I was filled with such delight" Truly, like a scene you may have seen from
the good old brady kids! Ah, but in reality, my family just continued eating
a bit more resemblance to cattle than Greg, peter and bobby.
here is that easy recipe....

8 med. apples
1/4 c. sugar
1-2 shakes cinnamon
1 1/4 c. water

Peel and core apples, cut into quarters. Place all ingredients in large saucepan.(applesauce pan!) Cover and cook over medium heat, simmering, until done, about 30 minutes. Mash any remaining lumps with a fork for uniform texture. Makes about 1 quart.
( i used a potato smasher!)

"Stimulating" Summertime memory!

Over at Heads or Tails the theme is any past theme.. I chose to RE-share a summertime memory from last year. In case you missed it the first time! (also..I am not feeling well.. so this was much easier than straining my foggy stuffed up head!)


As my green thumbed husband drove to work each and every day
He lustily admired Pagodas in a nursery on the way

So at the start of our vacation as a gift of my love and affection
I bought him a Pagoda in celebration of his flower gardens erection

Choosing a favorite Pagoda amongst so many was Harder than we thought it would be
Until with a stroke of luck the nice owner named Dick, offered us a premature summer sale on three

My husband erected his pagoda ramrod straight between his flowers and the earth
Very Happy with it's details, height, beauty and girth

As we sat each day enjoying the gardens new view with great admiration
A shaft of sunlight illuminated my eyes to a new observation

I scratched at my cocked head with curiosity till my finger joint went numb
What does this pagoda remind me of? NO answers seemed to come

Deep in my brains bone and in my hearts center core
I swear I've seen this Pagodas shape somewhere before

It's driving me nuts, what it is, I can not think!
But I must end my poem for my Pen is out of ink


heads or tails

Once upon a time

Once upon a time you walked through a grocery store... aisle by aisle...you would often see a young mother, Baby in her cart, talking with animated expressions, happy to be spending quality bonding time with her baby as she accomplished food shopping along with the gift of lovingly spending time with her child.
Once upon a time you walked through your neighborhood.... street by street... you would often see a young mom pushing her baby in his stroller, sometimes she would be singing a soft lullaby to lull her sweet child to sleep, other times... the animated expressions and songs of wheels on the bus and the itsy bitsy spider, teaching and loving and enjoying this precious moment.
That is, Once upon a time, before technology took over the brains and common sense of normal, intelligent people.

Now I find it distractingly disturbing to see children being ignored while parents are busy talking on their phones to... WHO?? really.. WHO is more important than the one who is with you in THIS moment? I've witnessed couples in restaurants, each busy texting someone else, Oblivious to the moment they're in. Today I saw a woman walking her dog while on the phone.
The dog was pulling and distracted and totally needed to be taught how to heel, but NO corrections could be made... she looked like she was oblivious to the fact that she even had a leash in her hand. I know I am getting older and to some i must sound like an out of touch old cranky biddy. But I really feel strongly about this and I think that everyone needs to step back and look at each moment in their lives and really see what is important. Trust me, Children grow up in a heartbeat. They really really need your special attention now. Life is so busy, Parents Need to work long hours, I certainly understand all that... but when your child, loved one or even your pet is there with you... Make them feel special. Give Them a special moment. Let them know THEY are worth your time, or you may find your self some day saying... Once upon a time I had a child, but they don't seem to have any time for me anymore.
visit..heads or tails

A reason?

The heads or tails prompt is 'reason'
It made me wonder...
What is the reason I have been blogging less?
One reason that I am aware of is Zero inspiration from my routine life.
Nothing much is happening, nothing that is, that makes me think ANYONE would be
even mildly interested in it. I also have less and less free time.
Another reason for my lack of motivation? Fewer Comments. Hearing everyones comments
was THE best part of blogging. However, Lately, Not as many readers are commenting. I would normally assume it must be that my posts are for shit. BUT according to that (sometimes scary) site-meter thingy.. MANY more people pop in on me and read posts than are commenting. What is THEIR reason? Who knows? Maybe once they REad the posts they think they ARE too shitty to motivate THEM to take that extra step and time? Could a reason be that I am hitting my 3 year blogging anniversary soon and that MAY indicate a good reason for quitting time? After All, How long Do most bloggers continue to do this? Let me end yet another shitty post on a positive note...
Would you like to know What DOES help me to find enough inspiration to sit down and try to think of a reason to blog?
The wonderful prompt sites like Heads or tails and the others in my side bar. Thanks! Without you guys I wouldn't have made it a year.
(hope u choose to leave a comment! )

tails!

Over at Heads or Tails the prompt is make a list of 3 things....
This is so difficult..because it's too easy.. hmmmm.
my favorite snacks? My favorite movies? books? songs?? WAIT.. While listening to Colbie Caillat's cd (listen! she is singing to u) there is a song that quotes that famous poem that I love... I just looked and discovered it's a quote from the bible... So here is a list of 3 Beautiful yet random quotes that I love, the first happens to be biblical.

1.) "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves."

2.) “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” by Elizabeth Stone

3.) "You must be the change you want to see in the world" by Mahatma Gandhi

And because I would like to try and add a smile to my blogging friends faces... here is OnE extra for good luck!
"Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings."
thanks for the prompt Barb! xo

Panic at the beach

Being short on computer time, I decided to re-post and older post from '06, for Heads or tails see/sea week.. Not many people followed my blog back then and probably haven't read this one. (hope this isn't cheating Skitts!!)

I have been accused too many times, especially from my boys, of being too uptight. So, Today when I lost sight of my 13 year old son at the beach, I tried to remain calm. This was my first trip to the sea this summer. I was looking forward to total relaxation, total detoxification. As soon as we arrived he said " I'm going in" and before I could gather my thoughts to tell him all the usual Mom warnings ( Make sure you remember this umbrella/ Remember we are on this side of the concession stand/ Don't go out too far out / check back with me soon - He was gone.
I stood by the water trying to see where he was, with no luck, so I started walking- trying to figure out which way the tide was drifting. Some people drifted east some west. So I walked both ways. No luck. I returned to our chairs and fellow moms (all so kind) said he didn't return. Now tell me, how long would it take you to panic? Am I a total NUT like my 3 boys think I am? After an hour and fifteen minutes of walking and searching, I spoke to the life guard. He called the others on his walkie talkie to keep an eye out for my sons description. After another 30 minutes, I was beginning to seriously panic. I went to the main lifeguard stand, where they called the police. I have No idea what they would have done, besides, maybe give me an oxygen mask. I was really in a panic! No sooner, did they call them, that their radio beeped informing them that my surfer boy had returned to our chairs! So they gave me a ride back, in their little beach jeep. The few moms I had spoken to earlier each ran up to the jeep to tell me- "they've found him!" (God bless all Moms, we really feel for each other) Well, of course my little guy didn't walk down to see the naked chicks at the nude beach as the lifeguards suggested. He wasn't wandering totally lost or drowned at sea, as i feared. He was just jumping waves, swimming and having a 13 year old Ball! He drifted pretty far away, but he said "of course I knew the way back, I'm not like 8, Mom"
He was so shocked at me for calling out the posse and of course he looked at me like I was,- (as my other son nick likes to exaggerate)-crrrrraaaazzzzyy!! No, I didn't break his legs, I didn't kill him. I just had a long talk with him and then we actually stayed and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon. Me in my chair, finally taking a cleansing breath and enjoying the sun and sea breeze.... him ...jumping waves and waving to me constantly!!

update..( i tell u, reading this again.. I CAN'T believe I waited THAT long... Today I must be even crazier because I think I would have called the police after 10 minutes!! )

Natures perfect food

HEADS -
*OR*
TAILS

I can't help noticing how many fruits and veggies end up in the trash in my home.
I always seem to wait too long to cut up that 3 pack of Gigantic cantaloupes from costco... when I finally attempt it, SLIME!
I Constantly buy, wash and put grapes in a beautiful bowl on my table... Kids pick at a few of them the first day... a few days later.... FUR !
I know how important it is to eat many vegetables. I buy them!.. I wash them!.. I prepare them! I cook them! TOO often even though the date says they should be fresh.... MUSH!
But the point I am really trying to make here for Heads of tails...?
EVERY TIME I open a bag of lays potato chips or Milano Cookies.... they Are PERFECT!!! No washing, no chopping, no cooking, No Slime, No Fur and Only occasionally a bit Mushy ( if I choose to dip them in my red wine.) THAT's good eating!
(thanks for the weekly infusion of inspiration Skittles!)

Getting There

HEADS -
*OR*
TAILS

Why is it that 'getting there' is not the same for men and women? Men can 'get there' without much effort. If they have a pulse. With a cool breeze, a warm shower....a sears catalog. Women need motivation ALL day long... A loving caress in the morning, many kind words.. a glass of wine. The kids away or asleep. Many more kind words. The planets aligned. The house in order. More kind words. Men may have all the right moves and kind words for trying to get her there all day long... They've done the sweet good morning, (she is feeling happy!) they've answered correctly to the dreaded..."do these jeans make my butt look too big?". They've helped clean up dinner. (she is almost getting there) The Day long mandatory foreplay is almost ending!... Getting closer now to 'getting there' together...The evening is winding down...The sink has no dirty dishes. The moon is in pisces... and Then The very tired, grumbly man says ONE offensive utterance like.. 'Smell this shirt, Can I wear this again tomorrow?" and THAT can UNdo all the 'getting there' HE has done to get her there and THAT's the end of that for them THAT day!

thanks for the Heads or Tails prompt Barb!

Heads or Tails?

This is my first time taking part in Skittles creative weekly prompt Heads or tails. For Heads or Tails this week, skits tells us to pick an older theme and write about that.
I decided to pick Express and then I thought, why not pick an older post where I tried to express my feelings about my recent hurtful relationship change with my sister.


Two souls brought together through a shared blood line
The gift of big sister has made my world shine
No matter the situation, sometimes grave most times great
My Life has been enhanced with my sister soul-mate
Obstacles occur, she's transported many miles away
Nothing discourages our love, visits just become long stays

Raising Children, managing homes, our Lives get crazy
daily stresses, no time, our communication becomes lazy
Less and less honesty, no articulation exchanged
Day by Day the loving bond between sisters is changed
my Abruptness and temperamental impatience
hits the chill of her impassive wall of indifference

Like a sidewalk that cracks we are sadly split apart
I feel like I'm existing with only half my blue heart
attempting to make peace, takes time, feels uncomfortably strange
I wish to turn our clocks back a few years and just prevent this ugly change
I've learned never again to let my feelings fester or my tribulations wait
When we treasure someone we need to honestly, lovingly and timely relate

As usual, after writing this very personal piece, the loving comments from the incredibly supportive bloggers I know, made me feel so comforted and happy that I decided to share my soul. I liked the comments much better than my poetry, if you want to read them. .. here is the original post
we've changed