May, 2010

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.

The garden — 6 Comments
29
May 10

First Harvest. Oh dear. This isn’t how it looked on the seed packet.

Radishii 

I love radishes. 

Well, I did as a child. They were the only vegetable I really liked to eat. 

Radishes are red, crunchy and to six year old me they tasted great. 

When planning my garden, I included radishes which we started from seed last April. 

Here’s what I harvest this morning. 

Isn't this odd?

Is this a little odd?

 

A turnip. 

Large enough to feed a family of five hungry bunnies. 

I’m happy that it grew. Not so happy  it grew this big. 

That’s one of the problems of being a clueless farmer. How do you know when to pull something out of the ground? The green leaves were getting very large, but I thought there must be a bunch of small radishes tucked under there. 

Wrong. 

Mutant turnip radish. 

So now going to get children out there and harvest all our Shaq O’Neal radishes. They’ll love it. 

I am going to sow more seeds. 

Little discouraged, but guess even Farmer Brown had these days.

Columns / Latest Newspaper Column — No Comments
28
May 10

Graduates, Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song — very off key.

 Dear seniors, here’s one more class – a history lesson of sorts. You stand at the edge of a great beginning. With the best beginnings, we often learn from the past, even the history of rock music.

The Beatles – Google them.

Continue reading →

God Found in the Everyday / Writing — 2 Comments
25
May 10

Tension — unmet desires. Where did Jack Bauer go?

 

Tension.

Writing the word gives me a headache.

Style and tension were the subject of my writing class on Monday.

Not going to blog about style. With all the Sex in the City 2 hype, the only image I have is Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha swathed in fabric striding some sand mountain.

Tension.

Every good story has to have it. A writer’s job is to create it from the first scene and build it, weave it — keep it rising on a string up to the climax. The moment when the conflict is resolved.

This includes creating empathic characters with deep motivations. Their motivations manifest themselves into desires and wants. Good writers block and impede the fulfilment of these desires until two-thirds to three-quarters the way through the story — the climax

That creates tension. The more tension, the more compelling the novel.

Why do we like to read stories filled with so much conflict — yet no one can live that way very long in good mental and physical health?

Our lives might seem pretty lame on the surface.

Granted there is lots of activity. Work, school, volunteering, baking cupcakes for end of school party, battling against the creatures that are shredding my collards.  Nothing is as life shattering as the drama that unfolded in the finales of Lost or 24. Thank God. But why don’t we feel peace?

Jack Bauer is a tough *@###*. If I ever have to battle international terrorists I hope he is on call wherever he has run off to.

You never know. I might find a nuclear zucchini planted in my garden.

It might not be as sexy as a John Grisham thriller, but our inner selves are mega-repositories of tension caused by unmet motivations.

That must be why I religiously run, but that only releases physical manifestations. It doesn’t go to the root of the motivation that’s not being met.

I’ve been studying Galatians. Been working  through Chapter 5 this week. The war of the flesh and the Spirit.

Very interesting stuff.

Galatians 5:22.

I really am going to miss Jack Bauer. Don’t tell my husband because all I did was talk about how violent that show was.

But have to admit, tension looked good on Jack.

Columns / Latest Newspaper Column — 4 Comments
20
May 10

In Spite of My Doubts, There Sits a Nursery Full of Sprouts.

Lofton looked at me and shook his head. “You want to do what?”  I wanted a garden. A big one with thriving rows of silver bells and cockle shells.  Continue reading →

Faith / The Music of Life — 1 Comment
18
May 10

Born Again…the Newsboys.

jesus freak

DC Talk

If you’ve been listening to Contemporary Christian music for a while, you know of DC Talk. You also know they have been on” hiatus” for a long time.

:(

When I first started listening to Christian music — DC Talk drew me like a magnet.

Then they were gone. Toby Mac, Michael Tait and Toby McKeehan pursuing solo careers.

Toby Mac has had lots of success.  Recently learned Michael Tait replaced the lead singer of the Newsboys. The new Newsboys (new Newsboys?) CD is due out July 13.

The first single can be downloaded May 18 — today.

I’m so very, very happy. I loved the other Newsboys sounds–  John James era and Peter Furler era  – but this new song sounds like…dare I say it…

DC Talk.  or Michael Tait. :)

Here’s the video.

So much of the world lives in poverty and here I sit with a cup of coffee, typing on laptop — that is making me crazy because it is so old, listening to an awesome tune I downloaded just because I wanted to.

What’s going on?

For what did Christ break open my heart?

Will think on that today. But I love this song. Beat first as always, then lyrics.

“I’m not the one with two scarred hands….. I’ve been born again.”

Running — 2 Comments
17
May 10

Time Flies By…Like Shelby Hayes.

Shelby Hayes

Once upon a time walking along the hallowed halls of Winter Park High,  two people met and fell in love.  

Sandy Gantt and Neal Hayes. I think Sandy goes by Sandra now. Guess that’s really the same name —  just more mature version.  

 Not like someone who would go by a completely different name  as an adult than she did in high school.  

Such a person must be spending lots of time on a couch in doctors’ offices untangling lots of “issues” — or rambling on ad nauseum on some whacked-out blog.  

Back to Sandy and Neal.  

They got married and had a daughter and son. Their daughter is a senior at Winter Park High running track like her mom and dad.  

She is really gifted.  

A few weeks ago she won three gold medals in the 4A Florida state championship track meet. And was the first girl  in 4A history to win gold in the 4×8, 1600 and 3200.  

I know the pressures on a young gifted runner, especially since my age group first place finish in the Madison in May 10K. And no matter what you might have heard, my six year old did not trip anyone on race course ~ at least not intentionally.( Besides, it can never proven otherwise.)  

Shelby’s future plans are to attend Florida this fall on a full track scholarship. She’s adorable, smart and a Gator. Good it get any better?  

Bet Sandy and Neal are very proud. You did super good.  

Here is the link to Shelby’s interview the night of the state meet. I tried to embed the link — but it didn’t want to cooperate.  

Click here to see her interview. She’s too cute and a Gator. Woo!  

Shelby Hayes interview FHSAA 4A State Finals

Columns / Latest Newspaper Column — 5 Comments
14
May 10

Aviator Sunglasses Come in Handy in Matters of Spiritual Warfare.

I grabbed my purse last Saturday afternoon. With this simple action, Earth collided with Mars. Continue reading →
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.

Columns / Family / Latest Newspaper Column — No Comments
7
May 10

“If you think about, anything could befall a baby butter bean.”

 

“When my daughter was born, my mother became the smartest woman in the world.”  Continue reading →

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