Posts Tagged: Madison

Uncategorized — 8 Comments
13
May 12

Forever One of the Paparazzi. Parenting.

Prom exploded all over Madison, Georgia last night.

That meant long flowing solid jewel gowns, neatly cinched tuxedos and cameras of every brand, nation, size and price range all over town.

I am still needing my camera repaired (on tomorrow to-do list) but that didn’t stop me.

 

Yes, all over the county, parents were taking pictures of their children, their dates and their friends.

My son and his lovely date.

Laura Margaret’s ball shoes. Inside joke to those on Twitter. (Well, maybe just between us but who cares?)

 

Obligatory shot with parents. I brought candied carrots to the dinner and spilled it all over me as I was carrying it. My husband said that’s why he fell in love with me.

Not sure but he’s right — but that’s me.

And that’s also me, the mother of a graduating high school senior.

Yes, the parents took pictures. And more pictures.

Parents are forever taking pictures of their children. A fuzzy newborn in the hospital, a first step, a piano rectial or football game. Violin concert, 4-H show.

Yes, once and forever we are the paparazzi to our children.

Only now, these last few photographs of high school moments have such significance.

Maybe they all did? All those pictures snapped for 18 years.

It’s just now we’re so much more aware of the fleeting nature of the moment we are trying to hang onto.

Now we’ll be forever on the outside looking in.

Right?

Life in Madison / Running / Uncategorized — No Comments
12
May 12

Madison in May. Another great day for running in Madtown.

Alright.

I’ll get it over with. Don’t want anyone thinking I posted a less-than-flattering candid of them.

So here goes.

Now that all the gasps of horror have once again turned to thoughts of “wow, she really ought to wear a little concealer to these things,” I shall proceed with my report.

This race was put on with the help of the local Lions Club to benefit Young Life.

Our family was spread out all over the board. Two were doing the Fun Run, two ran the 5K and you know who did the 10K. Hint ~ concealer.

I showed up once again with my phone.

(Because I’ve yet to get my camera fixed and Prom’s tonight. UGH. But I digress.)

My youngest and I walked up to the start just as the 5k was getting under way.

My husband finishing up.

The kids wildly cheering Pop home.

So proud of him. I think this is the farthest he’s run without walking since law school. Or at least that’s what he said.

And if that isn’t enough inspiration for you look at these two ladies.

Both these great looking gals are 67. Shirley didn’t start running till after turning 40 and I think Linda — later in life than that.

I know Shirley from a story I did chronicling her first triathlon at age 64. Shirley ran the 10k today.

Linda ran both the 5K and the 10K and was headed to another race this afternoon. And that’s a usual Saturday for her. She told me it’s better than sitting in front of the computer all day.

Well said.

So turn off the computer and find a race to run next Saturday.

What’s your excuse?  Or what’s your favorite local race?

Life in Madison / The garden / Uncategorized — No Comments
28
Apr 12

Strolling around MadisonFest.

A busy day in Madison, G. A.

We started things off at the primary school track meet where Joe raked in the ribbons ~ as did all the participants.

Then I decided to walk downtown to MadisonFest. A plant sale, craft and art sale extravaganza.

So many cute things….

There were tons of activities for the kids, painting, having their face painted (which always freaked my kids out), eating blue snowcones.

The Rutledge Garden Club had a great booth which in addition to lots of plants had lots of cute craft ideas.

Eugene Swain was painting. I kick myself I didn’t buy a little cardinal for $25 at a booth when we first moved to town.

Just goes to show you….sometimes you need to go with your gut. I would have loved looking at that painting for the last 10 years.

This is the one I would have bought today.  Alas, my checkbook didn’t have much in it.

But I did have enough to visit my good spin friend Lisa Hamilton’s booth. I arrived just as did Phyllis,  another Monday night spin regular…

Lisa, a high school literature teacher by day, jewelry designer in her heart.

I found two cool necklaces and got to take them home in a one-of-a-kind bag by her daughter.

One of those great small town days. And a beautiful one at that.

What did you do this Saturday?

Life in Madison — 6 Comments
1
Apr 12

Madison, Georgia turns out to follow the Donkey. (or is it follow @donkey?)

Donkey Walk Sunday in Madison, G.A.

Throughout the centuries in Christendom, others have referred to this as Palm Sunday.

 

Here’s how it goes among the inhabitants of Madtown.

At 10 a.m. the downtown churches gather along Main Street.

 

 

I never noticed how unsightly and unrelenting the power and telephone wires were down Main Street till I tried to take a photograph without them.

But I digress.

 

Dressed in our Sunday finery and clutching palm fronds, all eyes look down the street toward the Presbyterians.

Before too long, the donkey approaches.

 

 

What starts at the Presbys, gains momentum at the Baptists — crosses Main Street and picks up a bunch of Methodists.

The — Presbys, Baptists, Methodist, Gathering-ites and anyone-who-happens-to-wonder-what-we-were-doing-ites — then stroll down Main, hang a left at The Citizen and continue on steaming and streaming adding congregants with each tenth of a mile.

 

 

 

With a final heave, the multitude turns up Academy…

all following the bitty donkey’s lead.

We arrived.

 

 

Gathered around the steps of the Episcopal church, we have our service.

 

 

It is a wonderful day and wonderful tradition.

A celebration.

 

A celebration of blue skies, green branches and young life.

A day reflecting none of the darkness that lies ahead later in the week.

 

 

Another year.

Another Sunday Madison followed the Donkey.

 

 

How about  you, what did you follow today?

Life in Madison / Running / Uncategorized — 2 Comments
31
Mar 12

The Run for the Chicken Biscuits. Chick-Fil-A 5K in Madtown.

6:30 a.m. It’s time to make the biscuits.

Or was that another commercial?

I put on some running shoes and headed down to check-in for race volunteers.

Yes, 6:30 on a Saturday was early even for those of us who get up early all week long.

Yawn.

 

Kristi Fridell was there.

Along with lots of people. As the sun crept up, the runners crept in moo.

 

 

 

First was the Mile Fun Run.

 

Then the 5K started.

Kristi and I ran along together.

She’s a lot younger and a lot faster than me so after running 1.5 miles when she said, “I haven’t been running a lot lately” –

I believed her.

After the race, saw the Cardwells. Mary Claire won her division and Dad placed somewhere in his.

 

All smiles.

It was a great morning. For those who missed it, there are plenty of races close by left in the series to run.

 

I hung around thinking I might take home a bit of hardware and I wasn’t disappointed.

 

I missed my two older boys.

The Fighting Blue Hose of Presbyterian College held their Spring Game and all the incoming freshman players were invited to join in the festivities.

So Dad and our first born headed up that way today.

 

 

If you’re in Madison this time next year….you’ve got to join in the fun.

With a whole year to train, what’s your excuse?

Life in Madison / Running / Uncategorized — 2 Comments
29
Mar 12

Come run a 5K with Chick-Fil-A in Madison – proceeds to North Georgia Food Bank.

This Saturday, March 31 the Chick-Fil-A Race Series will stop in Madison, Georgia.

Proceeds from the race go to the Northeast Georgia Food Bank in Athens.

I was with a group of volunteers hanging with the Methodists tonight stuffing bags for race day. (There is a coupon for CFA in there — along with four safety pins.) So racers, you’ve got that going for ya.

 

 

If you get a bag short of safety pins, I’m sorry. I was at a table with two very nice, organized women and their attempts to sort and organize our table and bag stuffing…

Throughly confused me.

The race will start downtown.

This was news to me who thought the race was starting out at the Chick-Fil-A like last year. If you ran last year,

DO NOT HEAD TO THE RESTAURANT.

The volunteer coordinator had nice graphics to show us what to do.

 

 

They’ll have a jumpy and all kinds of awesome-ness.

So show up for the Mile Run at 8 a.m.

And the 5K at 8:15.

You can register on race day, but if you sign-up by tomorrow online you save $5.

So hope to see you there. I’ll be helping out at registration till post time.

Is it post time for people? Not sure.

 

 

Life in Madison — No Comments
21
Feb 12

Fat Tuesday. Who needs Bourbon Street when you have Antique Sweets?

Dark Chocolate v. Milk Chocolate

That is the question.

Honestly, it’s never been a moment’s pause for me.

Always Dark.

Even when I was young and impressionable and could eat all the Hershey Bars in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

That all changed this Valentine’s Day. I raided the assortment of chocolates we gave our big son and to my surprise — biting into a milk chocolate made the back upper part of my mouth feel like it was doing a happy dance with sparklers on the 4th of July.

Where has this been all my lonely life?

*   *   *

I had to find out was it true. After all these years did milk chocolate really taste that much better?

Enter Fat Tuesday. (Today by the way.)

What better time to conduct a taste test between milk and dark chocolate than on the eve of abstaining from sweets 40 days and 40 nights — and I don’t do Sundays.

So me and the wee ones headed downtown to our favorite chocolatier Antique Sweets. 

 

 

 

Standing in front of the delectable sweets, Christi fixed us up a box of our choice.

 

 

We took our box of chocolate home for the test.

No. the box didn’t make it home.

 

I selected identical coffee truffles. One dark and one milk chocolate.

The dark one first.

It touched me in the spots that only creamy, crunchy darkened cocoa could.

Then the milk.

 

There in the front seat of my car parked on East Jefferson — I had a moment.

The cream milk chocolate flavor allowed for the dark, chicory coffee bite to leap right in.

It was a tie.

Bogus, I know.

I couldn’t pick one over the other.

Poo. I’m a wimp. (But a happy one.)

What about you? Milk chocolate or dark?

And where does white chocolate fit into the equation?

Guess what I want in my Easter basket.

 

Life in Madison — 4 Comments
17
Feb 12

Cross-training with my children. Or is it cross-playing?

Semantics.

Can children cross-train? Or  are  – cycling, swimming, lobbing rocks at each other (mutation of the shot put) just — child’s play.

Instead of running, we went to the pool today.

I didn’t make my early swim workout with the girls. So riding by the pool on way to school this morning, I ventured a “Do you want to go swimming after school” to my daughter.

“YES.”

A much more enthusiastic response than to “Do you want to go run two miles?’

When they got home this afternoon…I wasn’t feeling so enthusiastic. But they wanted to swim.

So we gathered our stuff together and raced up to pool to get in a little workout before they closed.

I saw the Aquatic Center’s director, Andy Dunstun’s, truck in lot.

“Andy’s here,”

“Oh no….let’s go home,” they chimed.

Andy has certain rules and seems my children need to be reminded of the rules every now and then.

“He’s nice,” I say. “He’s never bitten me.”

 

You can tell,

a) I wasn’t so sure about the swim at this point. And,

b) It had been rough week.

 

 

“See, he’s very tame when you get to know him.”

“Just don’t make any sudden moves with the life preservers,” I warned. Unless of course, there is a life in need of preservation.

They weren’t so sure but figured it was worth the risk and ran for the pool.

Here’s a tip:  Community pools or club pools with lifeguards are a mom’s best friend. You can get in the water, paddle away and the guard keeps an eye on your kids.

I stopped my workout early and asked them to swim to me. Then they swam a few gasping laps on their own.

Swimming a mile is a lot tougher than running one.

For kids and adults alike.

Take advantage of your local pools to cross-train. Or cross-play.

And just think.

They’ve already had their bath for tonight.

Double Woo.

That in itself is worth the two dollars.

Do your children swim for exercise or better yet, on a swim team?

 

Children / high school / high school football / Life in Madison — 6 Comments
8
Feb 12

Musing on my baby’s signing day. Or, Life is just one big photo op.

Photo opportunities.

Moments in life you click away to leave on your phone and never download to disc only to be lost forever when you lose your phone because I never print out pictures anymore.

Hardly ever. But I’ll print one of these.

*   *   *

 

Two of my favorite men in the principal’s office.

 

We were to report at the school at 3 p.m. for pictures of Jake signing his scholarship to play football at Presbyterian College. Go Blue Hose.

Or Go Blue — for obvious reasons.

(Joke. I love the Blue Hose. I am a Blue Hose. Or mother of a Blue Hose.)

Deborah Pritchett in the front office was having a birthday. Or that was the reason she stated having a necklace of one dollar bills. You decide.

A bit before three, a hoard of sweaty boys approached the glass office windows.

 

The entire football team left weightlifting early to come and be a part of moment.

For us, it was like a wonderful surprise party and the boys got out of class 15 minutes early.

Win/win.

Then Fighting Morgan County Bulldog Head Football Coach Bill Malone ushered us into the hallway.

 

 

 

And Jake got to signing.

 

Good decision by me to wear hair in sensible bun.

Didn’t want hair falling down below my shoulders for picture in newspaper prompting comments like — why in the world wouldn’t a woman her age cut her hair? She’d look so much younger.

Yes, I look very sensible, stable mother-of-a-high-school-senior appropriate rather the crazed luny I am.

Group pic.

 

 

Joining Coach Malone for the photograph were Coach Huff, Defensive Coordinator and Coach Robbins, Offensive Coordinator.

And Principal Mark Wilson. The National High School Principal of the Year 2009 (For like all secondary school….one in 20,000). Big woo.

 

I wonder if he knows about the necklace of one dollar bills?

Seriously, from a mum’s viewpoint, it was a wonderful day.

I day I will print out the pictures — and frame them.

Thanks to Coach Malone and staff, Mark Wilson and crew. Can’t believe four years are coming to an end.

Have you survived a child’s senior year?  (And about how many pictures do you have?)

iPhone Photo Phun

animals / Life in Madison — 6 Comments
6
Jan 12

A muse to goats. I want one.

It’s amazing how an hour in a field can change one’s outlook on a creature.

Take the goat.

Before last week, my main memory of a goat was when I was about five and visiting some poor man’s petting zoo that smelling of hay. At some point in my visit, I felt a tug at the back of my coat. Turning around I saw a goat held the hem of my all-weather in his mouth.

This caused quite the panic in my little self — but I remained calm on the outside and darted away.

That’s when I learned  goats will eat anything and they are scary.

 

Which of course they are not. On both counts.

My children and I ventured out to Angelina and Mark Bellebuono’s farm on the last warm day before the cold — New Year’s Eve — I think.

Miss Angelina as my daughter refers to her. Miss Angelina is not only a goat herd-ess (or goat heiress) she is an amazing award-winning photographer.

But that day, we ventured out in the country to see her…peacocks.

 

 

And the chickens.

 

 

 

 

Then we trekked to the field.

I trust Miss Angelina, not with blinding love as my daughter, but I trust that she wouldn’t lead us to some crazed coat-eating, kicking critters. (Or so I hoped.)

For the next hour we sat in the field amongst their goats. And I fell in love. I learned all their names and how she raised many of them as orphans, feeding them with a bottle. And those whom she bottle-fed came and sat amongst us like the best-of-man’s friends.

 

 

Sniffing the coat. But that's all. :)

 

Dining on some privet.

 

Pearl, the Great Pyrenees, is their guardian from predators.

 

 

Then there was Lucinda. The baby. Angelina got the call that someone found this orphaned babe.

 

 

After a bit, Lucinda crawled up in my daughter’s lap just as a tired puppy.

They were so very dear.

Funny how spending an hour with something can change a lifetime of perspective.

If that can be said of four-legged hoofed creatures, wonder about the  two-legged human kind?

Any goat fans out there?

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