A Ride To Honor Husband And Son

I thought this was really neat.  My sister sent me this article in an email.  This is her mother- and sister-in-law.  The article describes the motorcycle ride they participated in; Mrs. A (the mother) was doing it to honor her husband and her son (who is my brother-in-law).  I will paraphrase the article.

Mrs. A and her daughter were two of many (city in Ohio) area motorcyclists, making a 45-minute drive to North Baltimore to escort the Vietnam Wall Traveling Memorial back to the (city in Ohio) Harley-Davidson Shop.  Mrs. A is 81 and was wearing her husband's WWII cap, while sitting atop a Honda Goldwing Trike, owned and driven by her daughter, Ms. E.  Mrs. A also had with her a posterboard displaying a picture of her husband, who served on the Navy Destroyer USS Piedmont, and her son, Vietnam veteran (my sister P.J.'s husband).

Mrs. A said she was glad to be a part of the escort "just to support the troops."

Ms. E has been riding since 1982.  The largest group she had ridden with was about 3,300 bikes, and the group riding that day to escort the Memorial was expected to be about three times that size. 

Mrs. A admitted that this was only her second ride atop the motorcycle, on which she looked comfortable.  "Last summer she got me on it too," she said.  "If I get real scared I just squeeze her."

Photo by Brenna Griteman

Tags: Vietnam Wall Traveling Memorial; Motocycle escort

This morning I was just a little bit 'fused . . .

That's a saying in my family when one's mind seems to be sending out strange signals and directions.

Many years ago when I was younger and still lived at home a family friend and her young son dropped by our house one afternoon.  My mom said something about the puppies that had been born a few days earlier and asked if the young boy would like to see them.  She led them out to the barn and to the stall where, lying on some straw, were the mother and babies.

"Oh!"  My mother blinked, surprised, "those aren't puppies!  They're goats!"

Our friend laughed, and the 5-year-old leaned over closer to his mother and whispered loudly, "That's all right, Mom.  She's just a little bit 'fused."

Well, my mother had a good laugh about it too.  We had had some puppies, but they'd been weaned and had gone off to their new homes long since.  My sister's goat, a few days earlier, had given birth to two kids.  My mom, around sixty at the time, was (and still is at 82) usually sharper on her bad days than any of us on our best days!  But that day her brain had told her "puppies", so that's what she'd been expecting.

Well, my whole morning was like that.  I woke up when Thomas left for work around 4 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep.  I went online, sent my sisters some emails, and cleared out my inbox.  Eler Beth was a little out of sorts when she got up, too, so we were both a little sluggish with our morning school work.

At lunch time she asked if we could go to Wendy's.  I try not to eat out too much through the week, except for special treats, but I thought "why not?"  Wendy's is inexpensive, and I like several things on their menu. 

On the way there I said to her, "Okay, so you want a cheeseburger and a side saddle...."  And we both dissolved into laughter.  I was "just a little bit 'fused."

She had her burger and a side "salad", and I indulged myself with a chocolate frosty.  I thought it just might help me get my head cleared.  And if it didn't, well, it can never hurt to have a Wendy's chocolate frosty!

Please excuse my greasy fingers....

I just had a bag of buttery popcorn!  I found myself with the house to myself for a while, so I indulged in popcorn and a glass of iced tea. 

A friend of Thomas' is draining a pond, so he and Eler Beth had to go make sure none of the fish were wasted! lol  I see fish for dinner tomorrow night.  Andrew is playing video games with friends.  So I have got caught up on some journals, and will try to work my way through a few more before bedtime.  If I haven't been by yet, I will get there!

Late this afternoon when the thermometer said 100* we finally got a little bit of a breeze, and it actually felt cooler than earlier when the temp was 94.  Public school had a full day, which was the first triple digit day that they didn't get out early.  Andrew said that on the early dismissal days they served a sack-lunch "brunch" because the state doesn't pay them for the day unless they serve lunch.  Hopefully all the schools' air conditioning systems in the area were able to keep up.

Okay, I've seen this in several journals, so here's mine:

 

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors. You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius. Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way. While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme. Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

 

 

Tags: Meme, What color crayon are you?

A Heavy and Hot Wednesday

I have been very remiss about reading journals lately.  I just haven't had the time or felt like taking the time if I had it.  Isn't that awful?

We had a storm here last Thursday with hail.  Looking out my front windows for a time, it looked like someone was throwing buckets of ice cubes into the front yard!  Some of the hail was golf-ball sized.  Then we had a couple of days of cooler weather before it started heating up again.  Today our heat index will hit 105* or more.  I went outside with Eler Beth a few minutes ago to check on the dogs and to put some ice in their water buckets, and before I got back inside I was having trouble breathing -- felt like a weight on my chest.  I guess the air quality is really bad today.

Well, anyway, just thought I'd pop in while we're taking a little break from school work.  I'm going to try to get around to catch up with everyone today.  I hope everyone is having a good Wednesday!

My Remarkable Little Shadow

Last night I was flipping channels when I happened upon an episode of The Tyra Banks Show.  It caught my attention because there were several little girls between the ages of 6 and 12 on the stage with her, their moms seated behind them.  The episode was called Building A Child's Self-Esteem.  Many of these little girls thought of themselves as fat, or had a bad perception of their bodies.  One little girl thought her legs were too thin.  The mothers were stunned when they watched a video of the girls confiding in Tyra about their insecurities.

None of these mothers had done or said anything exceptionally horrible, but all of them admitted that they had said things in their daughters' hearing about their own bodies that could have caused them to have negative feelings about their little bodies.   Many of them focused on their own dieting and working out, and didn't realize how this was impacting their little girls.  None of them had done or said anything that any of us may not have said or done at one time or another in front of our children, except for one woman -- she admitted that sometimes her daughters joked about being fat (which they weren't) and the mother would say, "Yeah, you're fat!"  Apparently the kids weren't really joking.

The episode reminded me of an "Ah-Ha" moment I had a few years ago.  When Eler Beth was about 7 I had to go speak with the mother of a little girl, older than Eler Beth, who had been causing her problems on the school bus.  Before going to speak to the woman I changed out of my t-shirt and shorts into a nicer blouse and slacks, tidied my hair, and put on make-up.  When ElerBeth asked me why I had done that I told her that I wanted the lady to take me seriously.  I said, "If I've taken the time to make sure I look half-way decent it shows that this is important to me."

Well, about a year later, Eler Beth came in from playing outside and told me that "C", a little boy down the street, wouldn't stop bothering her and her friends and that she was going to go tell his mom.  Then I watched her change out of her dirty play clothes into clean, school clothes.  Then she had me tidy her hair, and she asked me if she should put on some make-up.  I (hiding a smile) told her I didn't think that would be necessary.  Later I overheard her telling her Dad about it.

"And, Dad, do you know why I changed my clothes and everything?"

"Why?"

"Because it was serious business, and I wanted C's mom to take me seriously."

And that was the day that everything I'd always known on an intellectual level about our children copying us and soaking up everything we say and do climbed up to a whole new level of awareness for me!  That was the day I mentally sat myself down and had a little mini-freakout!  My daughter watches me!  She absorbs everything I do!  She mimics my words, my mannerisms, my habits!  She observes how I do things around the house, where I put things, how I cook, how I clean, how I speak to my husband!!!  Oh yes, that "motherhood" sign starting blinking in neon that day!

This morning in the car, Eler Beth asked me why Andrew can eat candy whenever he wants and not get much exercise and still stay so skinny.  I told her that was just the way his body works right now.  She asked me why she runs and rides her bike all the time and she weighs more than Andrew did at her age.  I told her that was because she is solid muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat.  And I said that her body type and Andrew's body type are completely different from each other, and that was okay. 

Bells were going off in my head during the whole conversation, but from what she said when I tentatively put forward questions, it was just a random subject that had occurred to her.  We've actually had conversations before about self-esteem and our bodies, and she's told me about girls at school last year who talked about dieting.  We've talked about how they were probably mimicking their mothers, and I would ask her if she thought they needed to change anything about their bodies.  She didn't.

I see more conversations like that coming up in the future.  Each of us has insecurities about our own bodies, whether other people would agree with what we perceive as our flaws or not.  And I expect Eler Beth to have them as well.  We'll keep the lines of communication open on this subject, and, in the meantime, I'm going to remember that what I say and do is being observed by a remarkable young lady!

Tags: Tyra Banks, Self-esteem

Now I'm Doing Pumpkin's Meme -- Really, I Swear!

Well, I don't know where my brain has been today, but it obviously isn't in my head!!!  I did a meme and attributed it to Pumpkin, but it wasn't the one that Pumpkin wrote.   This is her meme.  I apologise, dear.  I just get a little bit confused, sometimes!

Pumpkin's Meme:

1   What's your favorite movie???

That is a hard one!  It would probably be Pride and Prejudice, but not the newest one -- the one with Colin Firth and Elizabeth Ehle is the best version.

2    What's your favorite color???

Blue

3    What's your favorite ice cream flavor???

I have never liked ice cream much, but I do like Spumoni  (Make your Mom get you some and try it if you've never had it before!  It is out of this world!)

4    Where do you want to go on vacation??

Canada

5    What's your favorite animal???

Cat

6    What's your favorite T.V. show???

CSI

7    What's your fav. drink???

Iced tea

8    What's your favorite flower???

Lilacs

9    What's your favorite pet???

My cat, Freedom or my dog, Scout

10   What's your favorite book???

Cotillion, by Georgette Heyer

Tags: Meme

What I Need...

Another meme going the rounds:  Google your name, followed by the word "needs":

1.  Lori needs to step out into the experiences of others and make an attitude change.  Well! Excuuuuussse me!

2.  Lori needs hugs for all her dedication and hard work.  Yes, I do.  I really do.

3.  Lori needs to mail information to him.  Who is "him"?

4.  Lori needs our help and support now more than ever.  Please!

5.  Lori needs green.  And lots of it!

6.  Lori needs to let herself off the hook.  Phew! I'm glad to know that.

7.  Lori needs this job.  No, I'm too busy, really!

8.  Lori needs to find a man, pronto!  No, I already have one, thank you very much.

9.  Lori needs cookbooks.  It never hurts to have plenty of cookbooks!

10. Lori needs to be a permanent co-host.  Ooh!  I'd like that!

Tags: Meme

Pumpkin's Meme

Dawn's little Mini Me-Me, Pumpkin, put together a meme for us to do -- and I'm probably the last one to do it!  I'm sorry, Pumpkin, that I'm just now getting to it.  I've had family visiting this weekend, and I'm just now getting to writing in my journal again.

So without further ado, Pumpkin's meme (All of your answers have to start with the first letter of your name):

Your Name: Lori

Famous Artist/Band/Musician: Lobo

4 letter word: Love

Vehicle: Lexus

TV SHOW: Lost in Space

City/Town: London

Boy Name: Lloyd

Girl Name: Louise

Occupation: Lawyer

Something you wear: Loafers

Celebrity: Logan Lerman (He's a cute little actor; have you ever seen Hoot?)

Food: Lemon Meringue Pie

Something found in a kitchen:  Lemons

Reason for Being Late:  Lost my car keys!

Cartoon Character: Lucy (from Peanuts)

Something You Shout: Lo and Behold!

 

How'd I do?

Tags: Meme

You Could Be A Winner!

Do you ever read 5 Minutes For Mom?  I have a link to them in my sidebar.  They are putting on a contest and the prize is an $800.00 LCD HDTV Television set.  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on their site, and then link back to them in your own journal.  The TV is being donated by Best Buy.

Tags: 5 Minutes For Mom, Contest, Best Buy

The Cable Guy

We were waiting for the cable guy yesterday (he actually came on time!), and when Andrew motioned toward the window and said, "He's here," Eler Beth walked up to the window to watch him get out of his truck.

"Yep, he's here.  He looks kinda young."

Later, after he left, she said, "I liked him.  He was a nice guy."  Pause, then a little confidentially to me, "And he's kinda cute, too!"

Oh my goodness, what am I going to do with her?  She's not even 12!  She's been having crushes since she was in kindergarten!  I guess I should just be glad she tells me about them.

Once in the second grade her class had fourth graders come in to read to them.  She told me about the boy who read to them, and then said, "He was a fourth grader, Mom.  And Mom, he was cuter than a button!"

Surprise Visit

On Thursday night I got an email from my sister Maxine saying she was flying into Nashville Friday morning, having brunch with her former sister-in-law, and then getting a rental car and driving up to my Mom's.  She planned to leave Mom's around 8 a.m. Tuesday morning and fly out of Nashville around noon.  She said, "I know it's short notice, but one flies when one can, and my time is now."

Like I said in my initial post about Maxine, we never know just when we might get a visit from her.  She was here in June, so I was a little surprised that there was so little time between her last visit and this time, but not much surprised. I haven't mentioned this before, because I try to respect my family's personal privacy, but I can say that she is divorcing her husband. It isn't quite final, and I think she just needed a "Kentucky fix" before school starts (she's a teacher). 

She and her first husband were married for about 30 years when he died from a brain tumor in 1996.  She remarried in 2000, but I don't really think she's been happy in that marriage at all.  I never really cared for him, and that is hard for me to say.  He just never really fit in with the family.  But if Maxine had been happy, that would have been alright.  Of course, I never said anything against him to her, but I always thought he was arrogant and not really good enough for her.  I won't talk about why they are divorcing, except to say that she has very good reasons for being the one to ask for the divorce!

Anyway, the kids and I went to my Mom's Monday, and spent the day.  We had a great time, and I have some stories to tell of our visit.  She is safely back home in Florida now.  I am going to try to catch up on some journaling, and do some more entries myself.  I hope everyone is having a good week.

Making My Entry A Few Days Late

This past week Randi, at I Have To Say, hosted a "Back To Home School Week, with a different theme for each day.  She got a lot of response, and I have only just begun to read some of the many comments she got, or click on the links to read individual bloggers who contributed during the week.  I had planned to write something each day myself, but then we felt so rotten most of the week, that I didn't even attempt it.  If you home school or are thinking of home schooling, you may want to visit Randi's blog.  It's a new one for me; I can't even remember who it was who drew my attention to it, but I've been enjoying it.

The first day's theme, Monday, was What Led To Your Decision To Home School?  

If you have been reading my journal for the past year, you probably know why.  Last year Eler Beth was a fifth grader, and a very unhappy one.  Toward the end of her third grade year she started getting anxiety attacks.  We came to the conclusion that they were caused, at least in part, by unresolved grief following my father's death.  We did what we could to help her, and her teacher, along with another lady at the school (with whom Eler Beth got very close), helped a lot also.  I was working full-time then, and that made it harder for her and for me.

By the time she got to fourth grade her anxiety attacks were less frequent, and Mrs. C (the home-school resources teacher, with whom she was so close) really took care of her that year.  When Eler Beth felt a panic attack coming on she'd go to Mrs. C, and they'd talk or take a walk around the school, taking nice calming breaths, or she'd let Eler Beth call me just to say hello.  She also got along great with her fourth grade teacher.  But she still had some bad days, enough that she was missing a lot of school.  She was also catching just about every bug that was going around.

My full-time job ended in June of last year, and Thomas and I made the decision that I wouldn't go back to work as long as we could make it on one salary.  He even changed jobs to help us in that area.  We had already pretty much decided to home school Eler Beth when she got to middle school, but I really wanted her to finish out her elementary years at the school she had always gone to, that her brother had gone to, and where I had spent many a volunteer hour and dollar! Ha!  Old ties are hard to break, I guess.

But fifth grade started badly and got worse.   She could not warm up to her teacher.   I had heard not-so-glowing reports about this particular teacher before, but since Andrew had never had her I didn't have any personal knowledge of her.  I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, and I definitely didn't share anything I had heard with Eler Beth.  But from the beginning it seemed that she just did not have the personality that would appeal to Eler Beth and vice versa.  Well, we all have to learn to get along with different personalities in this world; sometimes we have to work for them.  But as time went on I saw too many instances where this teacher did not take Eler Beth seriously; I caught her out in two very blatant lies; I heard a very disturbing report that led me to speak with school officials.  To put it bluntly I had no confidence in this teacher as a person, much less as a teacher for my daughter.   This was a completely new experience for me as a parent.  Both kids had had teachers that perhaps wouldn't have won any popularity contests, but neither had ever had one that they actually didn't like and that Thomas and I had no confidence in. 

All year Eler Beth had begged me to home school.  But I, mistakenly attributing what would have been my own feelings to her, was sure that if I did take her out then, that she'd regret not finishing the year there and having a graduation ceremony with her friends.  But the stress was telling on all of us, especially me and Eler Beth.  Even Andrew (our son) was saying "Home school her!"  Toward the end of the year I said in exasperation to Thomas, "For just a little bit I'd take her out right now and teach her at home for the rest of the year!"  His resonse was, "Do it!"

So we did.  The very next dayI wrote the letters to the appropriate people, and the next Monday we went into school and got her things.  That weekend, several times, I would say, "Are you sure you want to do this?  Are you sure you won't regret leaving in the middle of your last year there?  Are you sure you won't be disappointed not graduating with your friends?"   She was sure!

We started home schooling that week and we've never looked back.  Her health is better.  She has very few panic attacks, and they are manageable.  She learned more in the last half of last year than she had in the first half.  I found out that some basic things that I had assumed our kids had been taught or exposed to by the time they got to fifth grade had not been introduced to them yet.  In fact, I think I've learned as much from Eler Beth as she has from me these past eight months!

Now she's a sixth grader.  We began her year a couple weeks ago, easing into it gradually.  And we are glad we made the decision to home school, and I only wish I'd been able to do it several years sooner!

Tags: home schooling, I Have To Say

Thursday Tidbits

          ~~  To Nat, for giving me a mention in her journal yesterday.  She mentioned Dusty Pages as a good story-telling journal.  I appreciate the compliment but feel a little guilty about receiving it, as I don't feel I have written any good family stories lately.  I'll try to rectify that as soon as I can.

 

           Today was another bad one, as expected.  I stayed inside in the A/C most of the day.  We are all feeling better, and Eler Beth had her school lessons.  Across the river in Louisville, as reported on the National News, parents and children did not take the heat advisory seriously, and several people, mostly children, became ill or fainted while at some sort of back-to-school-supplies bash, taking place outside.  

                Local schools had their first day back to school today.  It was a half-day, which is probably unprecedented for a first day, due to the high temps.  Eler Beth, of course, was already up early this morning, and she rode her bike around the block saying hello to her friends who were waiting for their school buses.  I must say, I did not miss either having to put her on a bus or driving her to school.

     She followed the high school bus around on it's drive around the block (not actually followed it, mind you, but rode along on the sidewalk), and then she did the same with the elementary bus.  Every year the bus stops get all messed up.  Either the parents are told incorrectly which stop is their child's or the bus driver has a list of stops that has not been updated.  I don't know which happened today, but the elementary bus passed right by some neighbors' down the street and went on to the next stop.  So Eler Beth, already riding along anyway, said to the kids who had been passed by (new in the neighborhood and to the school), "That was your bus!"  Then she rode to the bus' next stop, flagged down the driver and told her that she missed a stop.  (That's my girl!)

     The driver said, "Well, my sheet says house #920."  Eler Beth said, "Yeah, that was it, but you missed it."  The driver said, "They weren't out there."  Then Eler Beth said, "Yes, they were!  And they're still there.  Will you wait a minute for them to get here?"  Then before the bus driver could say anything, she motioned down the street to the neighbor kids and said, "Come on!  Hurry up!"  They made their bus!

     Then she visited with her friends while they were waiting for their middle school bus to pick them up.   During all that riding she had Lucy (the gray cockatiel) riding along on the handlebars of her bike!  Also during those rides, she stopped frequently and drank gatorade, finishing a half gallon by the time she came in to breakfast.  I did NOT walk along this morning.  I just couldn't face it today.  Maybe tomorrow.

Sweltering Wednesday

     Locally our temps hit 102* today, with a heat index of 106*.   I just got a breaking news email that the schools in our school system are only going to have a half-day tomorrow, which is their first day of school.  I'm not surprised.  According to the Superintendant, many of the buildings are not able to keep sufficiently cool.  

The air quality is particularly bad right now in our area (known as the Ohio Valley) -- and "particulately" bad, as well.  Ba dum dum!  I don't have asthma, but even I feel like I'm having trouble breathing right after I've been outside for a few minutes.

The kids and I have been a little under the weather.  Andrew started complaining of a sore throat and achy muscles on Friday.  Eler Beth followed with the same symptoms and a bad headache on Saturday, and I followed suit on Sunday, with the addition of stomach troubles.  Therefore, Saturday was the last day I went for a walk.  Sorry Martha.  But I have really been drinking a lot of water, in part because I've been sick, but also to make up for the fact that I'm not walking.  If I can get up and out early enough in the morning to escape the heat, I think I'll be up to walking again.  Thankfully Thomas hasn't seemed to have caught whatever bug we've had.

For the past two days I've done little more than lie in bed or on the couch with my laptop.  I've caught up on a lot of journal reading, and I've put together some music mixes, then burned them to CDs for Thomas and for myself.

I have kept up with the de-cluttering, though -- my car, two closets, and several cabinets.

Eler Beth's home schooling has been on an abbreviated schedule since we've both felt bad.  Perhaps tomorrow we'll catch up a little.   It's no big deal, though, since we started early, anyway.

More later!

Thank you Donna for the graphic.               

Tags: Ohio Valley Heat Wave

The Three Things Meme

The Three Things Meme  (from Dawn)

TheThree Things Meme

3 names you go by:
Lori, Mom, Mrs. Helms

3 screen names you've had
I have only ever had one -- helmswondermom

3 physical things you like about yourself
my eyes, my hair, my dimples

3 physical things you don't like about yourself
my weight!,  my height,  my hands

3 parts of your heritage
Scottish, English, Irish

3 things that scare you
heights, deep water, gas prices!

3 of your favorite bands
The Beatles, The Mamas and The Papas, The Dillards
 
3 of your favorite songs
I love so many!!!  I'll try to pick just three of the many -- Kathy's song by Simon and Garfunkel, Scotch and Soda as performed by Bob Shane of The Kingston Trio, Jackie Blue by Ozark Mountain Daredevils

3 things you want in a relationship
Trust, Tenderness, Compassion

2 truths and a lie in no particular order
I love to read, I hate those cavemen commercials, I can't eat walnuts  (guess which is the lie!)

3 things about the preferred sex that appeals to you
eyes, smile, sense of humor

3 of your favorite hobbies
reading, writing, genealogy

3 things you really want to do badly right now
have a glass of iced tea, finish this meme, catch up on some journal reading

3 careers you've considered/you're considering
writing, teaching, nursing,

3 places you want to go on vacation
The Wisconsin Dells, Ireland, Scotland

3 kids' names you like
(3 that are not my own children's... )  Craig, Micah, Joel (boys) Katherine, Tamsen, Beryl (girls)
 
3 things you want to do before you die
travel, see and enjoy grandchildren, be published  (these were Dawn's answers, and they are mine, too)
 
3 ways that you are stereotypically a guy
I am an excellent shot with various firearms, I can change a tire quickly, and . . . I can't think of anything else!

3 ways that you are stereotypically a girl
I love romantic movies, I love being massaged, and I love dressing up

3 celebrity crushes
Colin Firth, George Clooney, Tom Berenger (not necessarily in that order)

3 persons that you're tagging
Anyone!

Tags: Memes

August Challenges

I really love these old patterns!

Martha emailed me and reminded me that I had told her I would do a challenge this month and that I would write about it on Wednesday.   Well, it isn't Wednesday, so I'm going to write about it now.

For the past month or so I've tried to get in a daily walk around the neighborhood while Eler Beth accompanies me on her bike, but for the past two weeks it has been hit or miss.  So my August challenge to myself is to make a conscious effort to take at least a 30-minute walk every day.  I really do feel better when I walk regularly, but I have never been good about sticking with it on a regular basis.

My other challenge to myself is to de-clutter for at least 15 mintues every day.  I've really back-slid (is that a word?) this summer, and we've gotten more clutter than we've had in a long time.  So I'm going to pick an area each day and de-clutter for at least 15 mintues, and by the end of the month I should be back on track.

And yes, we did do our walks on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  And on Wednesday I went through the bureau drawers and the top of the bureau in our bedroom and got rid of some things that were just taking up space and not serving any useful purpose.  My mantra for the day was "Do I love it?  Do I need it?  Do I use/wear it?"  Then on Thursday I did the same thing with the dresser in our room.  Today I have been very busy, and haven't de-cluttered anything.  So I am going to stop what I'm doing here and de-clutter my purse right now! 

I will try to update every day.

Tags: August challenge

Crisp And Clean As A Sweet-Grass Basket!

I have some old Vogue pattern books that I have been glancing through lately, and I've really been enjoying them.  The one the above page is from is a Summer, 1941 book.  How dated is that phrase -- "sweet-grass basket"?  I love these styles.  I think I'll share a few now and then.  Some of the descriptions are pretty cool, too.

Tags: Vogue Fashion

A New Ailment

Eler Beth came into the room this evening, rubbing her leg.

"I think I have a trolley horse in my leg, Mom!"

Fisher-Price Recall

Fisher-Price has issued a recall on 83 different products because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead.  Read the news article here.  Click on this link and go to "recall information". 

To read the Consumer Product Safety article, click here.

Tags: Fisher-Price Toy Recall, Mattel

Another Pink Ribbon

Yesterday Robin Roberts announced on Good Morning America that she has breast cancer.   

               "That very night when I went to bed, I did a self breast exam and found something that women everywhere fear: I found a lump."  -- read the rest of the letter she read on-air.

Her prognosis is good, in part because she detected the lump during a self-exam -- Early detection!  Do a monthly self-exam ladies, and schedule those mammograms.  Please!

 

Thank you Donna for the wonderful graphic above!                                                                          

Tags: Robin Roberts, GMA, breast cancer, mammograms, self-exam