Life in Madison

Family / Life in Madison — No Comments
7
Sep 10

Musing on an open apology to my neighbors.

 

Yesterday was a holiday. 

My daughter started calling her friends at 9:01 a.m. Following my edict of no calls until after nine.

Can Lilly come over? Can Sally come over? Can  insert name  come over? 

When the calls don’t yeild results, it then comes time to go knock on doors.

“Can we see if Tom and Will want to play?”

“Yes, but promise me you will bring them back here and not stay over there.”

“Yes ma’am.”

There probably wasn’t a “ma’am” but when writing this I heard it in my head. It sounds so much better.

Off my daughter and son went on bike and scooter,  shoeless.

They never returned.

Continue reading →

Life in Madison — 2 Comments
16
Aug 10

Location, location, location. The key to selling real estate and lemonade.

Photobucket

Lemonade stands. The last bastion of childhood entrepreneurs everywhere.

I never had much luck with them. Guess that’s why I didn’t pursue a degree in business.

First you have to manufacture the product. Market it. Then sell the heck out of it. 

My daughter had begged to have a stand for weeks. She had a friend over this weekend so I let them run with it. Giving them the go ahead was like waving a red cape before the bulls charging into Madrid’s Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas.

Alright. They look innocent enough. But behind those demure smiles beat the hearts of Steve Jobs and Sam Walton. My son the artist looked at their success and started making braclets to sell. They didn’t sell.

But those girls moved the lemonade.

I got them started by mixing up a gallon of Crystal Light. That was all I had but thought surely that will hold them for an hour.

Five seconds. I double pinky swear. It only took five seconds for the first car to pull up.

I looked. And I looked again. There was someone out there.

Michelle Robinette ~ first customer..

Then another car stopped. Then another.

Kathryn Cardwell and Mary Claire.

Fifteen minutes and the gallon was gone. I gave them a jug of lemonade made a few days ago that was in the fridge while I ran to the store.

I went back another time for more cups and ice.

I finally had to drag them in after 5 p.m. ~ three hours after they poured that first glass.

They made over 40 dollars and donated over half to the church.

The only piece of advice I gave them was sell low. They did and sweet people paid high.

That’s the beauty of a small town. And a killer location.

Any former lemonadenistas out there?

Family / Life in Madison — 3 Comments
5
Aug 10

First Day of School.

Things were on schedule the first day to get out the door on time. Then I remembered to take a picture.

Isn’t that covered in the How To Be a Parent With No Regrets Handbook?

Always photograph your child on the first day of school.

Here are the two little ones before we hopped in the car.

Joe picked this location and wanted to be hugging the little tree.  (A little fir that miraculously escaped death this summer from the heat after looking as if he had been singed by some ferocious forest fire.)

Two things are evident in this picture. They genuinely seem happy about school starting and they dressed themselves. Don’t they devote an entire chapter on that in the How To Be a Parent With No Regrets Handbook?

Notice the beach chairs. I have yet to put them in the garage after returning from the beach this weekend. Laziness? Could be…but more likely a silent statement that even though school might be in session on the calendar, I refuse to give in on summer yet. I’ll show them. (Who, I’m not exactly sure. Not like I can stop the earth from tilting on it’s axis away from the sun – but I can still protest.)

Then here is our 16 year old leaving yesterday morning.

He has that racing-away-from-the-paparazzi look.

I clearly told him to wait for me to get my camera. At that point, he started to run.

So there you have it…Snap away while you can.

Another school year has begun.

Next year I’ll try the sports action mode on my camera.

I show him.

Life in Madison / Triathlons — No Comments
2
Aug 10

Ever think about competing in a triathlon? Just watch…

  

I’m back.

I have been very, very neglectful of my blog. Not intentionally mind you. In mid-July, life just put on Rollerblades.

I’ve been trying desperately to stay upright. Though I did take a nasty spill while running last week at Sandestin. My goofy left foot didn’t clear a slight bump.

For so many years, a group of Madison residents have made it down there in late August to race the Sandestin Triathlon.

Don’t think I’m going to make it this year. But when Joe Cardwell forwarded this Youtube link to a video he put together, I had to share.

If I can do these triathlon things, anyone can. So pick a race and get swimming, biking and running…and remember to keep smiling.

Long live the Cotton-Patch. Hope I’ll be out there next year.

And the last part  really is the E Untold Story. And Joe, whatever you did to my husband’s hair — thank you.

Life in Madison / Marriage — No Comments
16
Jun 10

It had to be done.

My husband and I disagree on lots of things, but one issue comes along every two or three years. 

The smilax screen on our porch that must be killed — so a new green, beautiful screen can take it’s place. 

This should be done every April, but my husband hates the thought of it. We live on a very busy street and part of his enjoyment of being on the porch is tied to the smilex that weaves it’s way through the decade’s old rusty iron screen. 

There is only one problem with this. After a year or so, the deep down smilax gets strangled by the other vines and dies. 

Leaving brown ugly dead. 

Here’s our marital conflict. My husband would rather have brown, ugly, dead cover than no cover. 

I (though not usually a slave to aesthetics) can’t stand the dead leaves. 

Every two years or so when I can’t take it anymore I cut, hack, get scratched and scraped to the max and strip it bare ~ so beautiful new green vines can cling on the rusty iron. 

Yesterday was D-Day after dear hubby drove off.  (This is what he gets for leaving me alone with the children all day.) 

 

I kept pulling and cutting and finally…. 

All done.

 

We got a great rain last night so hopefully that smilex up early this morning eager to climb. 

Sometime you got to do dirty work when hubby’s gone. He’ll thank me. 

Maybe not tonight, but he will. 

June 15 ~ the day the hedge came down. Let’s see how long it takes. 

Wonder if he’ll speak to me before then?

Life in Madison / Running — No Comments
5
Jun 10

The 2010 Torture Trail ~ My maiden voyage running through the countryside of Eatonton, Georgia.

I always wanted to do this race. Everyone says how hot and hard it is…
 
How hot and hard could it be? I’ve run the Peachtree well into the double-digit number of times and that is July 4.
 
We left Madison in a fog ~ 100 percent humidity ~ or at least it felt like it. But once it broke, it was a beautiful morning.
 
We checked in and got our numbers. My number was 114. The best number ever.

I did make it to the porta-potty. And upon exiting, heard a “Jamie Miles” from the back of the line. It was my neighbor, Rob Jones and fellow freaky-fast guy, Rodney Whitaker.

My son and I were running the 10K for the first time, so we asked Rob for advice. He said, “The last mile is a gradual up hill and then a steep hill back into town. So save some.”

No sweat.

After the race I went looking for Rob…to ask why he didn’t mention all the other monster hills in there? Or that the entire race was a rollercoaster?

Then I went looking for some ice cream. Yes, they do have ice cream at the finish…Yay.

And I heard another, “Jamie.”

We found her hubby, Dennis and another Madison face…Steve Rom. And sorry ~ I talk way, way too much during these things.

Dennis and Steve (like Rob Jones) had great race times though the dress handicapped Rob.

It was a great family morning.

Look forward to running the beautiful hills and streets of Eatonton next year.  In spite of all my protests…..if it wasn’t a bit hot and hilly I would have been terribly disappointed.

And I got the great shirt. Which is why I do these silly things in the first place.

Everyday Heroes / Family / Life in Madison — 3 Comments
31
May 10

Memorial Day… I’m a Farmer, Darn it! And the Parade of Motorcyles.

 

My zucchini

 

The motorcycles had already passed by the house for another year.

I wanted a wee sprig of mint for my iced tea. Out to the garden I tromped.

As I went out past the zucchini, I looked under the mammoth leaves to see if anything was growing. This was a little hard after my raging garden disappointment yesterday with the radishes.

Holy Garden Shiska! 

Look what I harvested in the next three minutes.

I had no idea all that growing was going on underneath that canopy of green. What a difference a day makes. So I can’t grow radishes…but I can grow the heck out of a squash seed.

So now we get to add zucchini to our Memorial Day menu. 

A life lesson to never give up. No matter how bleak things appear. You never know what good is growing right under your nose — that remains hidden for the moment.

Now for my second attempt into vlogging.

Along with seeing the first firefly, the passing of the motorcycles on their way to Madison’s Town Park means summer officially arrived.

Neighbor Jud Knight was having cup of coffee with us on the porch when we heard the telltale roar coming down Main Street.

Here’s some video. I need to get better about  SHUTTING UP!

Let’s all remember those all who gave the ultimate gift for our freedom.

Peace be to their families and loved ones this day.

Everyone be sure to have a hotdog (and some zucchini) with me.

Life in Madison / Running / Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction — No Comments
12
May 10

Madison in May. Just show up and turn in the flippin card.

Son and mommy

 

Last Saturday morning before the Madison in May races.

It was early. Code for — that’s why I look so well, so like me early in the morning.

Hope those new iPhone cameras come equipped with lots of gels and filters. My older model did nothing to enhance my early morning appearance — for all my wrinkles magically fall out around noon.

This was before the 5K. Lots of people showed up for the 5K, mile Fun Run and 10K. My son ran the 5K, two little ones and dad ran the mile and I ran the 10K.

Now here are some pictures..and I am having trouble with my computer so that is why they are so huge.

 The girls.

 

 

 

 This is my wreck of a desk. Look at my new coffee mug. Anyone that know me well, knows I have a billion coffee cups. But I didn’t have to buy this one. Here’s the best part.

Okay. That’s really large. But that’s okay.

This is the lesson. Just show up, run and turn in the flippin card. Lots of very cute women ran and walked the 5K. Not many women ran the 10K — as evidenced by my cup.

It was hot. When I rounded the corner of my in-laws, my husband said I didn’t look so good. I didn’t feel bad till I stopped — then had the “I’m going to vomit” feeling. I quickly looked for bushes. Seeing a clump behind the hardware store and made a beeline over there.

Then I filled out my card and handed it in — and up it went in the first spot in my age division on the board.

That was weird. But a good weird.

My son finished second in his age group and could have cared less. I had to get his mug.

But the best and biggest surprise of the day was my 6 year old. As I rounded the corner of in laws (the place where my husband saw me looking sickly) Joe held up a ribbon fluttering in the breeze. I thought surely that was a “thank you for participating” ribbon.

Later find out he finished third in the Fun Run. I was so worried he would lose interest during the mile that I asked my father in law to walk the race with him. My husband said once the race started, Joe took off running — and never stopped.

He carried it everywhere for the first four hours. Then it was lost.

But I still have the memory of seeing him holding up that ribbon — and thinking “What the heck, that looks like a ribbon?”

So sign up, keep running and turn in your card.

Life in Madison / Thought for the Day — 2 Comments
5
Mar 10

The Great Hang Up. No MoTexting 4 Me. (While driving.)

John Michael Robinette helps with the Hang Up effort.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Yesterday was the Great Hang Up Day at Morgan County High School.  Between the hours of 11 and 1 p.m., anyone could stop by the school auditorium and sign a pledge not to text or make cell calls when driving.
 
 
 
The program is Atlanta television station 11 Alive’s effort to get the message out to teens and parents how dangerous distracted driving can be.  http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=140932&catid=360     
 

Halley Hudson, a freshman from Pepperell HS in Floyd County signed the pledge and wanted to take a sheet home for her mother to sign, ”Because she won’t stop texting and driving. She drives with her knee,” said Halley.      

Drives with her knees. Okay. I’ve never done that. Well, maybe a few times when my cell phone rang while I was holding a cup of coffee. All of a sudden, it’s uh oh ~ I’ve got a cup in one hand and a phone in the other…Just how am I going to steer this 2 ton piece of motorized machinery?         

Yesterday, my son was helping with the effort when I showed up a little before noon.         

My son. I wonder if he looks this interested in class?

   

I read over the document very carefully, and signed.            

“I understand that driving while distracted is dangerous to me and to others on the road.   

Understand: “To perceive and comprehend the nature and significance of.”  

Now, I didn’t get to talk to many Morgan County students because I got there just as a herd of freshman had been ordered to class,  but here is another quote from a Pepperell HS student. Sophomore Dayne Elrod admitted he won’t stop texting and driving. When asked how much he texts while driving he said, “about everyday on my cell.” He said he pretty much does it the whole time he’s driving.    

Unfortunately, MCHS know all too well, the consequences. Last December, a 2009 graduate of Morgan County, Caleb Sorohan was killed in an accident caused while he was texting. The school is selling bumper stickers in Caleb’s memory to help all remember how tragic the consequences can be.  

         

          

          

So I signed and did really well yesterday. Though my hand was itching as I approached the square with all the after school traffic backing up.  

 Green rubber bands serve as a reminder…NO TEXTING or CALLS while driving.         

Now I know it’s hard.  Waiting in my driveway to pull out I see semi-truck drivers holding out their phones texting. This morning I saw a guy in an Expedition turning by the post office looking at his phone extended — texting. I’ve seen many of you driving with that cell up to your ear.   

I’m a writer ~ not a talker. I don’t talk a lot on my cell, but this texting, tweeting stuff is near and dear to my heart.    

          

         

As a parent, with this issue — and any issue — if you’re gonna talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk.  My children are watching ~ our children are watching.         

The stakes are so high.  Is any message, email, phone call that important that it can’t wait 5 minutes? And if the answer is “yes,” take the time to drive 50 yards and pull off the road. Is this that hard?         

Remember if you’re gonna talk the talk…just be sure to not to do it while in DRIVE.         

I only tell you this because I care.

I want you all to be here for a long time.

Everyday Heroes / Life in Madison / The Music of Life — 2 Comments
3
Mar 10

The Sky’s the Limit. A Chat with MCT’s Kathleen Bryant.

Last week, I sat down for a moment with Kathleen Bryant, Artistic Director of the Madison Community Theater. She is quite the busy woman. We talked during her lunch break at Morgan County Middle School where she is the drama teacher. This school year, Bryant was named system-wide Teacher of the Year.

Okay, how did all this start: The MCT was incorporated in 2005, but we started in 2002. We started under the name Children’s Community Chorus. Our first show as “The Tale of Three Trees.” It morphed from there. Our Board decided to change the name to Madison Community Theater to include all ages, especially the older children. Shortly after we changed the name, we got non-profit status. 

After 25 performances, is this what you envisioned when you started: Honestly, I went to a very large Methodist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. They always had a children’s musical camp. They produced a children’s musical that was Christian-related. I thought ~ I’m going to do this in Madison. For several years, we just did a summer show. It was crazy, working everyday, all day for two weeks to pull it together. But there was such interest, we added more shows.  We have evolved into having an actual season with a straight play in the fall, big musical in the winter, sometimes something smaller in June, then a July camp.

So if  wasn’t a vision at the beginnging, could you articulate a vision now? “The Sky’s the Limit,” we always tease. We have so little as far as space. We don’t really have a theater. WE don’t really have the technology that the other counties have, but we pride ourselves on finding a way to make whatever we need to make on stage happen ~ happen. We’ve had flying people, pyrotechnics, minimal sets and elaborate ones. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we have ~ the skies the limit.

You’ve given so much of yourself to this program for a number of years, why? What drives me in this whole thing is finding good stories and presenting it to the community. Growing up in Moultrie, Georiga, we had a very developed Fine Arts and Cultural Center program, but we had to wait till high school to do anything. There was nothing for kids. This is a theater program to open the door for younger kids. The vision is to keep the door open for younger kids.

What is your theater background? My training is vocal and performing, so I come to this as a performer. But anytime I go to an International Thespian Society (ITS) or InternationalTheater Association I am in training and going constantly to any professional workshop I can to learn. All that has helped me grow as a director.

It is not about becoming a star; it’s about personal growth on stage. Building something that is maybe bigger than somethings they could do by themselves. To see young people develop is unbelievable.

Check out the MCT website http://www.mctheater.org/.

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