I’m waiting to log on for our first day of online school. I have a little case of the first day of school jitters.
At least I know I like the people in my class this year! 
Wish me luck!
School Starts in…a Minute!
August 15, 2011 By
Summer Doesn’t Last Forever!
July 25, 2011 By
I’ve not appreciated summer very much this week. It’s been really hot. Not really fit for man nor beast. But, I remembered this post and needed the reminder. I thought I’d rerun it today.
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“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” John Lubbock
People are always in such a hurry. There are items on lists waiting to be scratched off. There are things to do, people to see, bills to pay, errands to run, laundry to fold, dishes to wash, dinners to cook, diapers to change, calls to return, emails to compose, lawns to mow, practices to attend, carpools to drive, assignments to complete.
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But, summer is here.
Slow down.
Let the grass grow.
Order take out.
Blow off practice.
Enjoy a sunset or sunrise.
Realize that the laundry and the dishes and the errands aren’t going anywhere.
In fact, throw that list away.
It’s summertime. And it doesn’t come around but once a year. Enjoy it.
Swim, play in the sprinkler, grill, catch lightning bugs, pick flowers and tomatoes and berries, look for arrowheads or seashells, sit on porches laughing and visiting, shell beans or shuck corn while you’re sitting there, listen to your favorite music over a cold drink with friends, stretch out in a hammock and take a nap, do cannonballs, blow bubbles. Spend time in rocking chairs and porch swings.
Enjoy.
The phone won’t stop ringing, but you can turn it off.
The world won’t fall apart if all the laundry isn’t put away(trust me on this one).
Taking a walk isn’t a bad way to spend an evening.
Turn the TV off.
Summer is here and you want to remember the sweetness of it, don’t you?
Slow down.
Eat a Popsicle, churn some ice cream.
Boil some shrimp.
Enjoy every second of it.
It won’t last forever!
This is the season for laziness, the season for adventure. My favorite time of year. And friends, I don’t want you to miss a second of it!
Adventures in Plough Mud-Garden City SC
July 7, 2011 By
Pluff Mud Song
Pluff Mud Song
I sucks off yo topsiders
Cuts off yo toes
Why you still loves me
Nobody knows
I gets in the cuts on yo feets an’ yo hands
An’ gives you vibrio vulnificans
I raise half the fush and the swimps in the sea
That’s why you can’t get along without me
Pluuuuuf Muddddd!
Lyrics by Russ Harley
Sung with a Gullah accent.
Are you familiar with pluff/plough mud?
Sam is.
So is Mack.
I Have Ideas
You see, sometimes I have ideas.
Usually, I do. Lots of them.
They aren’t always good ideas. I’ll be the first to admit that.
Ask anyone who’s knows me and they’ll be able to attest to the fact that I do, indeed, have ideas.
And they aren’t always good.
But, I have them.
My husband knew about these ideas. And he married me anyway.
Not sure what this says about either of us, but he is still on board. For most of them.
And these kids, well….they were born into circumstances beyond their control. And so, they too are going along with my ideas.
When I was a kid, we used to go shrimping. Caught five gallon buckets full in an hour or two. It was great.
I don’t have a shrimp net, but decided that crabbing was a good idea.
And it was.
After it wasn’t.
My husband and boys and I headed out to this little pier in Garden City, SC to go crabbing. And I ran back to get my camera. I figured they’d go ahead and put a chicken neck(gag) on a line and toss it over the pier. But, that wasn’t good enough for them.
You see, they had ideas too.
And this is what I returned to find.
I don’t think they were aware of the similarities between plough mud and quick sand.
And I know they weren’t aware of the smell.
Which, as an odd side note, I kinda like.
And so I did what any other mom would do when she realized this was going home with her.
I laughed.
Long and hard.
Sam failed to see the humor.
Mack did not.
And smiled for the camera to boot. I guess the next time I want a portrait, I’ll have to dip him in mud first.
Adam, who looks before he leaps, avoided the mud and lured in some crabs.
This kid really can catch anything. Fish with his bare hands and what not. It’s bizarre.
So, after smelling the plough mud on the fellows as long as we could, we packed it in for the night.
The next day though, we returned and got it right.
Well, not right like this guy.
But, we got it better.
Spent the whole day tormenting crabs. We’re a catch and release crowd for the most part.
I don’t think these fellows of mine could catch them, watch them, name them and then boil them alive. Though, they love to eat crab. They probably should have thicker skins. I guess I should work on that.
It didn’t take long and they’d embraced the plough mud.
They were swimming and bringing up crabs and oysters and every other creature they could get their hands on.
And they were all glad that I have ideas!
And all was right with the world.
The End!
I raise half th
Drumroll Please……
July 5, 2011 By
Happy Fifth of July All!
I’ve got giveaway results!
I used the random number generator on this one. But, forgot to copy it, so you’ll just have to trust me. I wanted everyone to win. Really, I did.
But, I was really tickled when the random number generator(first cousin of the Magic Eight ball), in all of it’s infinite wisdom made it’s choice.
The lucky winner of the free canvas print from Easy Canvas Prints is Katie! She has a great eye for photography and has a new photography site that you should really see. Her photographs and words always go together so beautifully.
She’s already got a candidate for her canvas print. And it is beautiful!
Congrats Katie! Hope it turns out great!
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I am busy trying to get a post together about pluff mud.
And our adventures in it.
Here’s a little teaser.
If this picture tells you anything, the usual chaos that follows my little tribe did not disappoint. My hysterical laughter may or may not have contributed to the look on Sam’s face.
Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July!
Until tomorrow!
What I Learned On Your Family Vacation
June 29, 2011 By
Well, not really yours. But, someone’s.
It’s pretty well documented that I spend a lot of my time on the front porch. And here at the beach, the houses are really close together. How that came to happen is another story entirely. But, they are really close.
Each summer week brings new renters. And since the house has five bedrooms, usually more than one family is staying together. Often big extended families.
If my porch weren’t screened, I could spit a watermelon seed and land it in the middle of their porch with very little effort. Because of this, I’m spending time with them too. Whether I want to or not.
I’m not a very observant person. I’m also not nosy as a rule. But, I can’t seem to tune them out.
Here’s what I’ve learned from Stalking Watching.
- Eye rolling and knowing looks are passed when certain members of the family leave the porch. The family pariah, perhaps?
- Excited laughs on Saturday can turn into huffy breaths by the next Saturday.
- Old people don’t seem to think much of late sleeping family members. I heard a phrase I’d never heard the other morning concerning this very thing. “Well, they always have been the cow’s tail.” {I’m saving that one to use at a later date.}
- A week may be too long in one house with more than your immediate family.
- The in-laws are easy to pick out.
- Bedroom porches are used more often towards the end of the week.
- Unpacking is exciting and everyone pitches in.
- Packing leads to arguing. Apparently, no one can do it right.
- Folks on cell phones talk louder than necessary.
- Topping the list of common conversations is “What’s for breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?”
- Families that have obvious distaste for each other still vacation together. Not sure I’ll ever get to the bottom of why that is.
- Food causes lots of dissatisfaction. Especially among the little family members.
- Vacations are a good idea.
- The jury is still out on vacations with the extended family.
All that said, this week’s family is a delight. I’d like to walk over and ask to be adopted. They gather on the porch later in the morning. (I appreciate this because my quiet time is important to me.) And they laugh and talk and are friendly with each other. They speak kindly and with respect.
When the kids are outside, they are starring in their own little shows. They are perfect and everyone there adores them. You can almost feel the love radiating from everyone on that porch. It would be good to be a kid in that family.
When they swim in the pool in the afternoon, I can hear them over the fence cheering for the kids as they swim or race or have contests. Lots of laughter. It’s the best family vacation I’ve ever seen.
I have high hopes that by Saturday they won’t be huffy. I’m actually hanging a lot of hope on this family. This family that doesn’t know I’ve even observed them. I want to think that some families have fun together even after the kids are grown and have families of their own. I want us to be one of those families. Of all the families that I see coming and going, I don’t see it a lot. So, I’ve really got my heart set on the family next door having a good week.
Crazy, huh?
Well, I am a stalker.
***Note. It is Wednesday morning. They are on the porch now. Listening delightedly to a little girl prattle on. Pushing their trash can back in promptly after pickup. And I’ve seen a couple of them hug each other. So far, so good. They’re restoring my faith in the extended family vacay! Yay for anonymous strangers!
I’m hosting a giveaway this week for a free canvas print.
Click here for your chance to win.
