A Few Haiku!

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

"Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

"Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything dances."

~ all by Maya Angelou

***********************************************


In the Pines~

a rasping blackbird
lifts squirming worms to treetops~
Barefooted I climb

Written By: Patricia Sawyer
9-17-2009

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Domestic~

night falls silently
covering shades of violence~
sunlight strikes horror

Written By: Patricia Sawyer
9-17-2009

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Through The Window~

hopelessly in love
she escapes into the night~
moonbeams frown

Written By: Patricia Sawyer
9-17-2009


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Concert~

under summer sun
rocking melodies rumble~
bottles disappear

Written By: Patricia sawyer
9-17-2009


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If anyone would like to send me some words or even a title .. I will write something from it.. I haven't had a word sent to me in a long time.. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great night!
Patsy

A Moody Monday.. Whimsical Day!

"Fashion is a tyrant from which there is no deliverance; all must conform to its whimsical."

~ French Proverb

"Everybody is so rushed, they don't take time for the whimsical... the light."

~ Mark Allen

"It was just a whimsical idea that escalated when so many crazy ladies took it up."

~ Rudi Gernreich

Moody Monday challenges us today to find a photo for the wonderful mood of Whimsical...

~Whimsical~ Given to whimsy; capricious; odd; peculiar; playful; light-hearted or amusing...

Following no predictable pattern...

reading the definition of whimsical I imagined a picture of myself fitting the word perfectly.. I would also include photo's of elves and fairy god mothers and pumpkin carriages.. and knights in shining armor.. but I am all out of photo's of those things at the moment..and so my search

for something whimsical begins...

a zebra print cake adorned

with pink flowers... and spiraling sprigs of silver... Whimsical? Yes it is..

though he appears to have left his armor back at the castle...
I am betting that for this one special moment in time.. this young man could almost imagine himself to have been a knight... dancing with a beautiful birthday princess....we all know there is nothing more magical than a candle lit dance at your sweet sixteen party.. trees glittering with tiny white lights...and a balloon covered dance floor... very whimsical and magical indeed!!...
and perfect for a special sweet sixteen party.. Happy Birthday Lindsay!!

And finally while searching for

something whimsical I came across this fun and amusing

Photo of my youngest brother and our wonderfully whimsical nephew...
I do believe that they think they can fly...

Judging by the image on the cape I am guessing Grayson to be Spiderman... I do wonder though... what hero would Reuben be??

Life is hard.. we work and work and fight daily to make ends meet.. sometimes we need a little whimsy.. a little absurd.. a little fun.. if the whimsical comes your way.. even if just for a minute.. enjoy it! Step away from the daily grind and enjoy a moment of pure whimsical fun.. Have a wonderful day!
Patsy

How did it become Friday Already?

"Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they're going to catch you in next." ~Franklin P. Jones

"Children make you want to start life over." ~Muhammad Ali

"Boy, n.: a noise with dirt on it." ~Not Your Average Dictionary

Friday Greetings! ~I can barely believe that it is Friday already.. This week was gone in a blink.. Monday Dave had to work and was glad of the hours.. those will help..When he came home we rode to Martha's and ate over salted~ chocolate chip~ cookies.. .. I loved them and plan to change my recipe.. Tuesday we installed new vent pipes and doctored~ if not fixed~our septic tank troubles.. Thanks for the tip Reuben.. Wednesday we put Dave's huge box back together thus building a shed or storage building.. I mostly watched except for the advice I offered on how to raise the roof.. It looks great and will make Dave a good and sturdy storage shed when he finishes with it.. I offered him an old bed for out there in case he gets in the dog house but he just laughed at me...Thursday he added a door and decided that he will also add windows before covering the whole thing with some aluminum siding.. Today he fetched a broken Lawn mower home to work on.. then we paid bills and bought a truckload of groceries.. Our monthly big buying trip to the store.. Oh never fear I'll go back but not for a load like we had today.. not this month at least.. Plus as always.. we had animals to feed and eggs to gather.. gardening to tend and the regular everyday things that every one has to do.. Wow it sounds like we were busy.. No wonder I am tired..
~~~~

I am Frustrated! ~ Let me apologize for having to much stuff on my blog.. I received an e-mail that said I am putting too much on each posting.. I was advised to have a few blogs instead of just one.. It said that way I could put all the uninteresting stuff somewhere else.... I thought this blog was mine? I was under the impression that I could put what I wanted to on each post.. well with-in reason of course.. If you find that I have to much stuff please feel free to skip over what you aren't interested in... I am interested in many different things and will most likely continue to "litter" ( their word not mine!) this blog.. MY BLOG!.. with many different things! I know I could have a few different ones but I am simply trying new things..some of them I will do again.. some of them I won't.. Maybe I'll begin a rotation of sorts so that I don't have several things on any given day.. If you find my blog to busy I apologize..I will figure out how to rotate the different things that I have been trying.. Maybe I will decide to have another blog as well but It won't be for the un-interesting things.. In fact I don't recall ever putting an uninteresting thing on here.. also to the person who sent that e-mail.. I tried to send you one back.. it came back.. apparently you no longer exist... please don't change your name after you send me a nasty e-mail.. I had something to say in return..you spoke then hid so I couldn't respond.. Now I am frustrated!

and now on to my regular Friday for the Kids post!

1~) Don't try to change others... I know that it is in our nature to try to change others into what we want them to become.. we often think we know what will make them better people.. we fuss and nag and they might even change a little bit on the surface.. Learn to accept people for who they are.. learn to love them for who they are.. or learn to live without them.. a person has to feel that they need to make changes and act on those feelings for themselves before real change can begin... They can dye their hair purple and wear colored contacts and even pad their pants to have a better shaped butt.. But when all that comes off they are still the no butted ..gray haired.. blue eyed person you started out with.. and that's just surface changes.. you don't even want to get me started on inner change!! What gives us the right to decide what others should be? nothing gives me or you that right.. we only have the right to change ourselves.. Be the best that we can be.. maybe if others see a change in us they too will want to become all that they can be??

2~) This is not all there is. And that even when the world tries to convince you that you have to have it all to be anything--God says each of us were worth His life when we were nothing and had nothing... The Bible is not just a book. ..It is a letter written to mankind by God... I want my" Children" to know that it will change them and that just when they think they know what it means it will turn around and blow their minds with some new deeper meaning... But it does have to be read for this to happen.. I want you to know that there is nothing you can do or not do to make God love you more... or less.. He can not love you any more than He does at your very worst... God does not make ugly.... well except for me.. I accidentally saw myself in the mirror once.. I think he maybe made me beautiful on the inside though.. Maybe I am wrong side outwards??.. But Trust me that God does not make mistakes..

3~) You can not like everyone.. everyone can not like you.. if we loved everyone what would we complain about?? well there is of course the price of food and the price of gas and... just take my word for it.. people will dislike you for no reason.. you will dislike some of them for no reason.. I trust my gut.. If my gut doesn't like you.. you're most likely a looser.. I'll figure out why later..then I'll have something new to complain about!

4~)The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence...but if it is, chances are your neighbor is using padooky for fertilizer.. and I bet you a coke that he has more weeds in his yard.Weeds and sand spurs love Padooky! What do you mean you don't know what Padooky is?....Oh I forgot I'm a hick.. Padooky is what is dug out from under the outhouse when it gets full.. Now do you see why their grass is greener? You might want to hop back over here where you started.. on the good side of the fence!

5~) Please don't leave the toilet seat up..Close the toilet lid before flushing...otherwise, when you flush, the germs are tossed up and around the bathroom by the force of the water. And while you're thinking of how nasty and gross that thought is.. you may want to make sure your toothbrush is covered... Just in case me or Dave needs to flush.. or someone from the other side of the fence where the grass is so green..

6~) You are a beautiful and unique person. Even when it seems as though no one else cares, God does. Remember that I love you everyday.. where ever you are..(I bet you are over the fence again.. go ahead step in padooky but don't yell for me when you do!)

I hope all of my "kids" have had a tolerable week.. they can't all be bad.. even if it sometimes feels like they are..they can't all be good..even though we all wish they could and think they should.. Sometimes even tolerable is asking for a lot.. this was a pretty good week for me overall.. there have certainly been moments when I wanted to scream and even slap someone silly.. not someone in particular... anyone would do.. can I call YOU next time I feel that way??? But tonight is Friday and another week passes on it's way.. Have a wonderful weekend! Have a wonderful Night!
Patsy

Yay! Moody Monday!

“In a mood of faith and hope my work goes on. A ream of fresh paper lies on my desk waiting for the next book. I am a writer and I take up my pen to write.” ~ Pearl S. Buck

“Nothing helps a bad mood like spreading it around.” ~ Bill Watterson

"At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good mood ever since." ~ Marilyn vos Savant

Yay?

Moody Monday asks if Yay is a Mood...Yes!.. Yay! is definitely a mood..a Yay mood usually means you got something you wanted or desired.. Or maybe you are happy and excited!..I must say it's a mood I don't see very often.. my moods are usually cranky.. weird.. evil.. Need I go on? I find little children have the best Yay! moods ever.. Yay! a frog.. Yay! a star.. Yay! Mommy is home! Yay!... cookies!... or as in the case of my little nephew ~ Grayson~ in the Picture below.. YAY! a bubble!!!


Yes!~ Awesome! ~ Yahoo!! a Bubble!! YAY!!!

I hope you are having a YAY!!! day .. Happy Labor day.. please be safe..
Patsy

Thinking about the Past!

“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be”~ Marcel Pagnol

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

~Buddha

"There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. " ~Elizabeth Lawrence

"The older I grow the more earnestly I feel that the few joys of childhood are the best that life has to give." ~Ellen Glasgow



It seems to come around this time of year for me. A pining and wishing for the simple life we knew as children. I well remember us running around the yard in front of the the little white house as dusk settled over the yard. The tall pines Mama had wanted planted around the yards edge standing as sentry's guarding over our home. The azalea's Daddy had planted on a Sunday afternoon scenting the evening air. Someone was hiding scrunched down in those flowers. We knew they were there somewhere. But in the faint darkness they were invisible to us. I can feel the tremors of excitement as we skipped along holding tight to each others hands. Singing out loud ~ " Ain't no boogers out tonight; out tonight~ out tonight! Ain't no boogers out tonight! Granddaddy killed them all last night!" And then with a screech the hider would leap up from the flower bed and away we would all run screaming back to the step where Mama and Daddy sat talking quietly together. Sometimes Aunt Lucy or Grandma Black might be sitting with them talking about grown-up things. They might even be shelling peas or butter
beans in the evening shadows. The porch light casting a golden pool around them. I can see them even now as if I am standing out near the pines looking back through years of time.Tingles of fear racing along my spine. Jimmy is hiding and he loves to scare us as much as he can. He will make us walk and sing forever; building the fear in all of us until he will leap from the shadows with a blood curdling yell as we race to the safety of the golden light around Mama and Daddy. He will cause us to scatter in fear, each running for their own life, afraid to hang on to each other. Afraid to look back.

Closing my eyes I can remember the smell of Daddy's cigar and can almost hear the whisper of Mama's laugh at something he said just loud enough for her to hear. We children would run and play until darkness was full upon the yard, then settle on the steps to watch in wonder as the fireflies flashed around over the same flower beds that had only moments before held boogers. Children don't play like that now. Dusk finds them on-line or playing video games or maybe just watching television. They miss so many wonderful things that happen in those moments between daylight and darkness. Nothing in life is simple now. Even small children have cell phones and I-pods and hand held games. I am so thankful for my childhood. I have tried very hard to give my own children a sense of the goodness of living simply. I know that they and their friends have laughed at my fondness for the simple life. I hope that one day, as they stand and look back through time, They too will remember the good times~ the fun~ the sew it up game~ the fireflies over the field~ the railroad hills~ me and my chickens~ The simple life.


Tonight I am going to share with you a story from the past. A story that tells of my love for some more of our childhood things. If there are children in your life, try to see that they enjoy some of the simple things. Maybe share with them a sunrise or a sunset. They may not appear to enjoy it but the time you spend on them will matter. I hope you enjoy the story and I hope you have a wonderful day.
Patsy

A Poor Man's Vacation

Mountain Climbing, river rafting, flying and exploring...we did it all when we were kids! We were sure our plane could fly higher and faster than any other plane ever invented. Made from an old hog chute at an uncle's hog farm and fueled by imagination, that old flying machine could take it's passengers almost anywhere. We would fly over Paris one minute and land in the Australian outback in the next. Sometimes we would fly over to Tibet and climb our own version of Mt. Everest.
Mountain climbing could take us all day once we got started because somehow it was always just as much fun to slide down the clay hills on flattened boxes as it was to climb to the top. Of course we also had to take time out to discuss where the passing trains were going and who might be on board.
After several hours of climbing we would wander along the river bank to the clearing where the Indians lived in their snowy white tepees. These Indians were very friendly. They showed us how to make chicken feather headbands and how to climb the tall scaly pine trees. Sometimes our friends would invite us to share their supper of buffalo dogs. When we cooked them over a small fire and added some ketchup or mustard they were almost like the franks mom would fix. The river was a great place for rafting and exploring. The currents would swirl our craft around and around as we dizzily hung on and rode the rapids. After a while David's arms would tire and we'd drift into the still waters. After a tiring ride down river we'd wander around in the great forest searching the well trodden paths for bits of glass or colored stones that we called treasure.
We really looked forward to going on an adventure with the Big Chief. We would load up in his red windblower and go deep into the forest. behind the river, where we would track down and capture such dreaded enemies as the sworded wild rose and the dangerous dogwoods. The chief would chop around their feet until they couldn't move. He'd hoist them up on his broad shoulders and we'd tie a burlap bag around their long trailing toes so they couldn't crawl away. We would load them into our windblower and haul them back to camp. The Chief would bury their feet and tie them to poles so they couldn't sneak away after dark!
I guess with every day being an adventure I was pretty near half grown before I realized that most people took some sort of vacation each year. I thought they were luxuries reserved only for the rich. I'll never forget the day I sat in class and stared with open-mouthed disbelief as Mrs. Davenport gave her best English teacher smile and the command to write an essay on our summer vacations. I couldn't tell my friends about our family outings. Even our camping trips and trips to the seashore didn't seem good enough. It was hard for me to understand why my parents couldn't take their eight kids on vacations like my friends went on. It took a lot of travel brochures and a lot of imagination to get me through those years.
Now that those Years are passed away and I have children of my own I often feel a longing to visit the places of my youth. The railroad bank mountains aren't nearly so high or hard to climb anymore and the creek river doesn't seem quite as deep. The old flying machine is only a rotting hog chute and the red windblower has long since been traded in on a Ford Escort. The dreaded enemies captured in the forest have become beautiful plants in my parents yard and the bed sheet tepees are long gone.
Now as I stand back and watch my children and the children of my brothers and sisters scramble to the top of the mountain only to come sliding down on red seated britches or cross the river on fallen tree bridges to claim as treasures the pretty colored stones, I feel a sudden urge to join them in the priceless pleasures of a poor man's vacation.

Written By: Patricia Sawyer
1989
Published: Southern Sensations Magazine
October-November 1989!

I Love Sesame Street!

"Me do anything for cookie!" ~ Cookie Monster

"This is Sesame Street. A place where people, birds, monsters all live in perfect harmony."
~ Phil Donahue

"It's not easy being green." ~Kermit the Frog

"Sesame Street has been brought to you today by the letters W, S and E, and by the numbers 2 and 3." ~Mr. Hooper


On this day, November tenth, in 1969, the very first episode of Sesame Street was aired on public television. I was almost ten years old, but I loved it. It came on at 5 o'clock in the afternoon back then. We watched it on channel 14, the public television station. I had never seen anything like this new show with people and giant fuzzy things called Muppets. I would learn a lot through the years from those crazy creatures. I had found myself a new favorite television show. Apparently a lot of other children loved it too. Sesame Street has become the longest running children's program on American television. The show is now produced in the United States by the non-profit organization Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), founded by Joan Ganz Cooney and Ralph Rogers.


Because of its positive influence, Sesame Street has become one of the most highly regarded educational shows for children in the world. No other children's show has matched its level of international success. The original series has been televised in more than 120 countries, and 25 independent versions have been produced. It is the most viewed children's program in the world. Sesame Street uses combinations of animation, puppets, and live actors to stimulate young children's minds, improve their letter and word recognition, basic math , shapes, simple problem solving, and socialization by showing children or people in their daily lives. Since the shows beginning, they have also added basic life skills, such as how to cross the street safely, proper hygiene, healthy eating habits, and social skills.


The show displays a subtle sense of humor that has appealed to older viewers since it first began ; this was devised as a means to encourage parents and older siblings to watch the series with younger children, and becoming involved in the learning process, rather than having Sesame Street act as a babysitter. A 1996 survey found that 95% of American preschoolers have watched the show by the time they are three years old. I loved the show myself and all of my children watched it. Anthony and I especially loved Oscar the grouch. Cooper always loved Cookie monster the "very best". Emily , David , and Jennifer all loved Kermit the frog. In honor of today being a birthday of sorts for one of our Favorite shows, I will share with you some fast facts about Sesame Street!


1.) ~Big Bird is 8'2" tall.

2.) ~Barkley was originally called Woof-Woof.

3.) ~The Count was born on 9 October 1,830,653 B.C.- ( I love the count too!)

4.) ~ Oscar the Grouch was inspired by two people. His attitude comes from a nasty waiter that served Jim Henson and former director Jon Stone at a restaurant called Oscar's Tavern in Manhattan. The voice was inspired by a cab-driver that used to drive 'Carroll Spinney' to the set every day during the first season.

5.) ~In 2004, Cookie Monster revealed that, before trying cookies for the first time, his name was Sid. ( Mason and I watched that show. Along with other children I was babysitting at the time. Who would have ever guessed his name was Sid?)

6.) ~Snuffy's baby sister is named Alice.

7.) ~ Elmo's goldfish is named Dorothy. ( Mason loves Elmo and he once named a goldfish here Dorothy after Elmo's fish.)

8.) ~Ernie originally had his own bedroom instead of sharing a bedroom with Bert. ( I remember that actually.. I wonder why they changed it?)

9.) ~ After the death of Jim Henson in 1990, the show stopped producing new sketches featuring Kermit the Frog. Kermit appeared only in reruns of old sketches until 1998, when he popped up to do a Sesame Street News Flash when Oscar the Grouch's pet worm Slimy went into space. He appeared again in 2001, reporting on a hurricane with Al Roker. Kermit is now voiced by Steve Whitmire, who has also assumed the role of Ernie since Henson's passing. ( didn't Y'all wonder what had happened to Kermit.. I did!)

10.) ~ To answer the immortal question, here is how to get to Sesame Street: Take the "R" or "V" train to Steinway Street. Stay on back of train. Walk west on 34th Avenue, three blocks to 36th Street. Turn left on 36th Street. The entrance to Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens is mid-block (between 34th & 35th Avenues). And there you shall find Sesame Street! ( or at least the sets where it is filmed!)


I hope you have enjoyed our visit to Sesame Street today. I watched it with my children and we would count and spell and learn together. We would sing and laugh together at the muppets and at each other. Mason still watches it when he is here and sits down long enough to watch Television. Sometimes I just turn it on and enjoy it all by myself. You can laugh at me if you want to. I won't care. I'll be too busy laughing at all the funny creatures That enjoy a good life together down On Sesame Street. If you have small children or any children, I invite you to watch TV with them. If you truly hate Sesame Street~ ( yes, I have met people who do!)~ then choose something else. But sit and relax and simply enjoy the show just for a little while. Give them just a small amount of your time. You might even enjoy it. I promise you that you will build memories and a special bond with your children by sharing fun time with them. Have a wonderful Day and as Cookie monster always says ~ Cowabunga!
Patsy

Happy Halloween!

"Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night." ~Steve Almond



"One need not be a chamber to be haunted; One need not be a house; The brain has corridors surpassing Material place." ~Emily Dickinson



"Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. " ~ William Shakespeare



Today is Halloween. I have always loved Halloween. I have always had someone to dress up in a costume . When I was young I dressed Reuben and Martha up in all kinds of crazy things. My Favorite for them was a fat man for Reuben and a little old woman for Martha. I did dress her as a fat man too every once in a while. Reuben just flat refused though when I wanted him to be the old woman.. Go figure?! If you have a small child and no costume you will never go wrong with a fat midget. I promise you that everyone will love it.. You might win a prize even. Plus you will laugh yourself silly. And think of the pictures you can show to the kids later. Every one of my kids have been fat man/midget. Even the girls. My boys all said no to the old woman thing too.. Go figure again!? A few times I dressed a few of My own up as Fat men and we looked like the circus had come to town.

One Halloween in particular I remember that Martha wanted to be a cat. I already had her fixed up in leotards and had made a tail and pinned to the back of her black body shirt. I had already sneaked Mary's eye liner and drawn her whiskers. She was perfect. I had tried to get Reuben to be grandma and wear her bonnet.. he said "NO!" I had tried to get him to be a pirate.. ... He said "NO!" So I went into Daddy's closet and found his blue plaid walking shorts. and a green striped shirt and grabbed a couple of pillows. I found a straw hat in the laundry room and got a neck tie from behind Daddy's bathroom door. In just a few minutes I had created a perfectly round smiling fat midget man. The first of his kind.. And what do you Know, Reuben said " YES!"

Miss Sylvia across the street screamed with laughter till she finally said she had to go change her clothes. Mr Olin gave us a dollar for making her wet her pants. I of course took care of all the money as usual. Mrs. Hutto dragged him for her husband to see and they filled our sacks with candy. Aunt Lucy just shook her head and tried not to smile. " Y'all gonna get a whipping messing around with your Daddy's clothes." she said. I saw the twinkle in her eye though. Mr Harold made Miss Guida give us two popcorn balls each. Everywhere we trick er treated that night they herded Reuben inside so someone who either couldn't or wouldn't come outside, could get a look at him. We all made a great haul of candy that night. And if I had a small child this year I would be walking down the street with a fat /midget man and a sack full of candy. Have fun with your children today. Even if you don't celebrate Halloween you can still just spend time with the kids. Play dress up with them sometimes. Let the kid inside of you be free just for a short time. Enjoy yourself..
Have a great day!
Patsy

Spooky Night

Oh me Oh My a ghost
no ship but I see coming a pirate
their breath the scent of candy
away they scramble with frightening cries
Look across the moon flies a witch
and dangled from it's web a spider!

a huge black and spotted spider
watch as it wiggles towards the ghost
swatted now by the broom of the littlest witch
gobbled down by the skinny pirate
way down in the swamp an animal cries
here all the cries are for candy

bowls and cauldrons filled with candy
webs hanging low woven by a fat plastic spider.
oh No a pink clad princess cries
to a hangman and a green ghost
Run away screams the pirate
as from the darkness flies a blond witch

she's skinny for a witch
we should stuff her with candy
we could sell her to the pirate
or feed her to the spider
give her to me moans the ghost
we laugh at her cries

we cackle at the echo of her cries
we admire the warted nose of the witch
what a pitiful ghost
begging for more candy
trembling before the huge spider
holding tight to the hand of his sister pirate

Pirate after treasure less Pirate
all afraid of the haunting cries
squatting low under the web tangled spider
keeping their eye on the witch
clutching their sacks and buckets of candy
daringly unafraid of the ghost

This years best was a Pirate, the scariest was a witch
our ears ached with the cries for more and more candy
Till the only spooks beneath the spider on our porch, was our own little ghost.

~a sestina~
written by: Patricia Sawyer
10-12-2008

Wednesday Again!?!

"To have great poets there must be great audiences too." ~Walt Whitman~

"Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history." ~Plato~

"A poem begins with a lump in the throat." ~Robert Frost~

"Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance. " ~Carl Sandburg~



I hope you enjoy today's poem. Please feel free to comment on my blog.
I promise I don't bite! (Much!)



Shadow Dance

Did you ever see a shadow
walking on your heels?

Did you ever turn around
and try to chase him down?

Did you offer him your hand
ask him to dance?

Share with him your heart..
are you scared to take the chance?

Did you hide inside your head
all the things you wished to say?

Did you ask the Lord in Prayer
can I have another day?

If you had another day
would you let your body sway?

Would you open up your heart
to let others see a part.

Would you share with him a smile
as you walk another mile?

Would you freely take a chance?
would you let your shadow dance?

Would you laugh.. would you share..
would you cry.. would you dare?

To live.. to love..
to soar.. to cry..
just try!

Let it fly!
Love; Live
Take the chance!
Let your shadow dance!


By: Patricia Sawyer
written:2-23-1999


When I was a little girl I used to love to see my shadow on the ground. I would make it dance and jump and run. For some reason it always brought me great pleasure to let my shadow dance.It was like I was happy inside and out. The next time you see your shadow~ on the ground or on another surface ~ hop or skip or jump.. do something to let the child inside know you are aware of them.. Let your shadow dance and enjoy a few steps with them.. Hopefully it will leave you feeling refreshed and happy~ But, if nothing else it will give any watchers a smile.. Have a wonderful Day!
Patsy

A Refreshing Run!

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" ~Peter Maher ~ Canadian marathon runner~

"Tough times don't last but tough people do." ~A.C. Green~

In Monday's post about the importance of recreation. I was debating with myself the fact that I was kinda maybe wondering if My older Brother Jim was trying to be helpful when we were young by making Reuben and I run from him as he attempted to lasso us. He really was quiet good with his rope and we often had rope burns on some part of our body where he would rope us as we ran away. He would chase behind yelling "Yah Bull Yah!" Reuben seemed to be Jimmy's favorite bull. And so with that refreshing recreation in mind I offer for your amusement this little Poem. Have a great Wednesday! I thank all my brothers for making my life "special"! Have a great day. Try to find something special in life every day!
Patsy.



A Refreshing Run!

"Run run as fast as you can."
"Everybody knows you can't outrun Jimmy!"
"Under the house! Quick! he won't follow you under there!"
~BAM! "Reuben ~ duck! You can't just run up under the house!"
"Eventually he will give up and go away. Then you come out!"
"Now Reuben! Come out Now.. But run for the house!"


"Curve and weave and he'll miss But don't you stop."


"Bet ya money he could lasso a bull."
"Lot's of practice make a bad boy good at what he does."
"Actually he ain't all bad. He gave me some of his candy once."
"Candy he dropped in the dirt I betcha! Or worse."
"Keep your eyes open. He ain't gone far! Run! Run! here he comes again!"


"Just let me lasso you one more time and I'll quit!"
"Ah shucks! I didn't hurt ya! why ya wanna cry for?"
"Mama better not hear about this!"
"Ever think you might grow up to be a Bull? You need practice!
"Someday when yall grown and learn about recreation ya gonna thank me!"

"Everybody knows recreation is good for ya! Even a dummy knows that.

"Babies cry and girls. Patsy's crying cause she's an old ugly girl."
"Let her cry by herself.. Hush that up! Ya better RUN!
"Alright, I won't rope yall no more today. Just one last time!"
"Come on, eat this candy; It taste like dirt; But ya will like it."
"Keep yall refreshed is all I'm trying to do.. It's just recreation.. It's good for yall.

National Recreation Month

"Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning.” ~ Thomas Jefferson ~

"If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play at it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf." ~Bob Hope~


"The bow cannot always stand bent, nor can human frailty subsist without some lawful recreation". ~Miguel de Cervantes ~



July is Know as National Recreation Month. The Dictionary says that recreation is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind. It goes on to add that while leisure is more likely a form of entertainment or rest, recreation is active for the participant but in a refreshing and diverting manner. Wow that could cover a lot of stuff. I mean I have been doing a whole lot of recreation without ever knowing it.



Cycling, Dancing, Eating and drinking, Partying, Hunting and fishing, All are listed as recreation. Hobbies, Computer games, Reading a book, Shopping, Kite flying, Listening to music, Sports and exercise also all have a place on the list. Travel and tourism, Martial arts, Yoga, Using the Internet, Visiting an amusement park, Singing, Video games, and Watching movies are all also known as recreations. I am guilty of quiet a few of them. I have a few Hobbies like crocheting doll clothes and knitting hats or dish rags.. Recreation!! I love to read and normally read at least one book a week. Recreation again! I sing in the shower so I'm killing two birds with one stone there.. recreation and just plain bathing. That's gotta be multi- Tasking; right? Man I am getting good! And to think that years ago when I was a party goer I was doing something considered good for you..(well yea I know better but I thought...) I guess the Internet and the video Games would be the two recreations I do the most of. And so from now on when someone says to me that I stay on-line too much I will just smile and say that recreation is good for you!



I would like to add some recreations from Our childhood to my list. Hill sliding on the railroad hills. That was refreshing to both the body and the mind. Especially if you didn't hit a tree. I still love it today even though I'm grown. And I haven't hit a tree in years and years. Tunnel digging was always fun too. We would dig out rooms under the ground and furnish them with block chairs and lots of food from Mama's pantry. The jello we ate from the box there was surely refreshing to our sweet tooth.



Tree climbing and tree house building were always great fun too. We had lots of those. We had lots of woods for our recreation time. I guess you could say that we, as kids, had lots of recreation time. Daddy swore Hoeing the garden was fun and it was refreshing to finish.. I'm even going to stretch way, way out there and say that the times Jim looked at Me or Reuben and said "RUN" he was just helping us have some recreation. In Fact it was recreation for all of us as he tried his best to get the lasso around our necks and we tried our very best for him not to. Man all those years I thought he wanted to choke us and come to find out it was something else all together.. Recreation!!! I wonder if he knew that? I bet he will say he did! I guess we owe Jim a thanks!

In recent years, more 'exciting' forms of recreation have received more attention in the public eye, such as: skiing, snowboarding, bungee jumping, sky diving, hang gliding, paintball, rock climbing, backpacking, canyoning, caving, base jumping, and motor sport. These would be called extreme sports. Or if I was naming them I would say extremely foolish sports. But then again they are Recreation! The only one of these I can claim would be the rock climbing and that was only to climb up the side of a water fall in New Mexico. It would hardly classify as rock climbing but to me and Mason it was scary. My sons snow-board. My oldest son's family all snow-board. I have a board here in my house.. I don't like the way it looks. I'd much rather come down the mountain on a cardboard box.. Flat on my butt.. Most of the others I would be petrified to even try. But I guess that the best part about recreation is that we all get to choose to do what we like.. what we enjoy.


Recreation- any activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates. That definition leaves room for a lot of things doesn't it. Now that I think of it I may tear that definition out of my dictionary.. Otherwise, all the things my kids got in trouble for will now be known as recreation. Choose your recreation wisely. But do choose to do something fun every day. All work and no play really does make a dull life. Try to have fun a little bit every day. Laugh as much as you can and if you are ever in my neck of the woods I'll take you rail road hill sliding. My all time favorite recreation! Have a great day!
Patsy

Tag I'm It! A different kind of Chase!

“If you feel the urge, don't be afraid to go on a wild goose chase. What do you think wild geese are for anyway?” ~ Will Rogers~





Wow!! I didn't know that we could play Tag on our blogs. I used to love to play tag with My Family. We would make up all kinds of chasing and Tagging games. Running around ans squatting down yelling Pepsi Cola... Dr. Pepper!




Oh wait that would be a fact and I should be saving those for the game.. I guess y'all got that one free. ~ I have been Memed ~7 things!~ is the game of tag that I have been tagged for; by Theresa Komor over at her blog . http://bumpypath.blogspot.com/



I am supposed to now follow these rules and share with everyone some facts about myself. I can do this.. And here we go!


Here's the rules:

1. List these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.




Now for my Seven amazing or maybe just plain facts about me.

Fact #1~ My Middle Name is Roberta. Or Maybe it's not the middle name any more. But it's for sure in there some where. I scared a teacher last year by telling her my "whole" Name. Well that and she said she had never met a divorced person before. And No I won't tell you country we got her from.. She is a good teacher.. Just a little easily frightened by country Girls like me!

Fact #2~ I have a slew of siblings. 3 sisters~ Trudy; Mary; and Martha ~
and 4 Brothers~ David; Franklin; Jim; and Reuben~ I could tell you a secret fact about each of them too But I want to live a few more years... If you read my blog often you'll learn all their secrets eventually anyway!

Fact #3~ I can move very fast when Mad. (and Pregnant!) Just ask my nieces and nephews... .. they will also tell you that I do believe in a spanking sometimes... (a Lot!) .. rarely then?!.... . On the other hand they all Love me even if I was known in the Trailer park as "Miss Meany!" And you would be mean too if you lived in that Trailer park. Mean was the way to survive!

Fact #4~ I once watched my Cousin get his Butt whipped with a smile as he was blamed for setting free the Opossum Daddy had caged in a plan to cook for Thanksgiving... I was NOT eating My friend Butch... and The Cousin needed a whipping anyway because he was mean to his mama. I did confess to My Daddy right before he died and he and I shared a laugh over it.. Turns out he knew all along I turned the Possum loose. He said he would Never have cooked it anyway. I guess I should be ashamed that I smiled while my cousin got my whipping.. But ~ well~ I am still NOT ashamed..

Fact #5~ When I was in High School I used to do homework for others and sell it to them.. I'd meet them in the library and sell them homework. Can I help it I was smart? And they were lazy? OK.. I am a little sorry for doing that But hey they all turned out OK anyway.. They all have good jobs... I reckon they do at least. Or they married well one or the other.. Isn't it a fact that all is well that ends well? At the very least that's MY story and I'm sticking to it.

Fact #6~ Me and My cousin used to go everywhere our parents told us not to. They said stay away from the railroad tracks because hobo's would get us. We set up a camp sight and left notes for the hobo's just in case. We were hurrying home through the woods to her house once when she fell off the bike's handle bars and rolled onto the tracks as a train was coming from a ways off.. . I cried all the way to her house and all the time I was climbing the tree and all the while I was telling her Daddy that she was in the bathroom. I didn't quit till she finally made it home; Limping; all bruised and Briar- scratched an hour later. Sorry Sheron! I should have waited to see if the train Hit you. You were and still are my best Cuz!

Fact #7~ I can be a real ass when I am crossed. I can throw a red brick through your windshield and not bat an eye. I will lay on the ground and wait for you to bring your stupid self into my yard and then I will Jump Up and run at you with My brick drawn back and BAM! Right in the front seat with you. I will have a stack there if I need them. But I won't miss. I won't care if you cry. In fact if you cry I'll throw another at you because you are not only stupid but also a sissy.. I have no sense when you mess with my family or my kids. So Don't make me act stupid please.. I'm getting too old to learn new things and Jail is a place I haven't learned yet! .. But I will if I have too.

~~ I have shared facts with you today that I hope will bring a smile to your face. I love to help make folks smile. Everything I have said here is true.. even the one about the brick Yes I have done that too. I am of course a lot older and More settled now than I was then..( OK I'm still a crazy thing and I am even making me sick by telling y'all that I'm calm.. ) OK Now on to the last part of the rules!~

~ The list of those who I am tagging. I have enjoyed all of these blogs and really hope they join in for the tagging fun. Also I ask everyone who reads my blog to go to theirs and check them out. See if you agree that they are great bloggers!





1:) Lora Mortier at ~http://lora.mortier.org/



2:) Jamie at ~ http://suburbqueen.blogspot.com/



3:) a really funny Chick at ~ http://confessionsofarandomchick.blogspot.com/
(Maybe one of her facts will be a clue as to her name huh? or NOT!)



4:) Christine at ~ http://www.watchmenowatchme.com/



5:) Bless at~ http://blessconfessionsofanarmywife.blogspot.com/



6:) Amy at ~ http://www.youareaflyonmywall.blogspot.com/



7:) Catherine Hughes at~ http://aweekinthelifeofaredhead.com/


I chose folks who I enjoy reading their blogs daily. I get something different from each of them. But I get a smile from all Of them! I Hope they will each Play along with this game.. Have a great day today! Share a laugh with someone special..
Patsy

Award For me? Cool!

I was very excited to be given this award by My new friend Polly From Random Ramblings Blog ( http://entrecard.com/t/oc/8776 ). I am quiet Happy to find that Polly enjoys my blog as I do hers. I visit her blog Daily to see what new photo she has posted or what new tidbit of wonder she might be talking about. She and I share a common love of Plants and animals!

This award was created and to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creativity and their talents, also for contributing to the blogging world in whatever medium. When you receive this award it is considered a "special honor". Once you have received this award, you are to pass it on to 5 others."What a wonderful way to show some love and appreciation to your fellow bloggers!!!

The rules for passing this honor on are..
1) Pick 5 blogs that you would like to award this honor to. (This is the hard part--there are just so many good ones around it is very difficult to choose just five.)

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award. http://arteypico.blogspot.com/.

Here are my five recipients:

1) Liza at Moms check NYO (http://mlizcochico.blogspot.com/) I love this sight. A work at home Mom Liza has interesting tidbits daily. She also shares my love of Coffee

2) Theresa At A Bumpy Path (http://bumpypath.blogspot.com/) I really enjoy this sight. A blog about the journey's we travel in life and how we rarely have a smooth path. But we can use those bumps to catapult us into the air and Fly!

3) Tina at The Zoo Crew (http://ruralurbandweller.blogspot.com/ ) A wonderful sight. Tina shares her thoughts on Grand-parenting, Writing, Living simply; Gardening and cooking fresh foods from her garden.

4) Nodin's Nest (http://nodinsnest.blogspot.com/ ) I love this blog as well.. I haven't laughed so hard since I myself cut my own son's hair. Check this one out for every day smiles and the treasure of being a Mom!

5) Brady at Hunting the Muse (http://www.huntingthemuse.com/ ) I greatly enjoy every post of his that I have read. He seems to have a great way with words. I wish him a great future as a free-lance writer. I KNOW he will make it!

Camping My Family style!

Camping is a great pass time. I enjoyed it when I had only one child.. I enjoyed it when I had three and then five; even more. The little ones are lots of fun when camping. But can you imagine going camping and taking along eight kids. Eight of your own kids. MY parents did it all the time. They loved it as much as we did. Daddy would catch so many fish.. We would fry fish and there would be a crowd of people around by the time they were done. Nearby campers would come and comment on the smell of Daddy's fish frying in the cast iron Pan. Mama would be steady crocheting. Us kids would be at one of the tables playing checkers or reading. Sometimes we could walk around the first loop of clay road nearest to where we were camped. But we didn't cause no trouble.That would have been trouble for us.


This is Camping week. I would really love to be camping at the beach Or at Some of the places we camped as children. Camping is very relaxing to me.. Quiet: near water and hopefully in the woods.. Peaceful time to me. I could tell so many great stories about camping. So many funny things and a couple of frightening things that we saw as a family while camping. I have so many that I couldn't choose just one for this posting. So instead I wrote an Anagram Poem
called Camping The Black's Family Style. I hope you enjoy it.. And to any sibling of mine who might accidentally read this.. I hope your memories of our camping are as great as mine! From Bell's Winter Park to the State Parks I loved every single camping trip! Get back to nature.. Take a camping trip.. Relax .. Rest.. smile at the stranger on the other side of the woods. ( Well, you don't have to smile at the stranger.. But I would!) Have a great Day!!
Patsy



Camping The Black's Family Style!!


Cot's for each of us
Army style
Made up
Perfectly
Inside of a
Neatly set up
Great big green and white


Tent.
Home to all 10 of us. For the weekend.
Everybody in one tent. Sleeping, Laughing.


Breakfast, eggs and grits on paper plates.
Lunch, cooked on the grill. Mama's Potato salad.
Always people to meet. Most to never see again.
Camping.. I am talking about Camping..
Kids tuckered out and ready for bed before Dark.
Soft. Soothing voices you hear from nearby.


Friends made and enjoyed for a few days.
Always something new to discover.
Mary even danced once in the pavilion.
I wanted to dance too but no body asked me.
Later I did win at Bingo though. Reuben won too.
Yes.. we did all those things deep in the woods. Down a long dirt road.
while we were camping!



Swimming in the lake.
Taking walks around the park. Clay roads. Dark.
Yet exciting to walk around at night. All together.
Listening; Laughing; Loving
Each other for wonderful camping weekends!
!!

Written By: Patricia Sawyer
6-26-2008

Picnicking!

“No, it is not only our fate but our business to lose innocence, and once we have lost that, it is futile to attempt a picnic in Eden."
~Elizabeth Bowen~





“We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics."
~Bill Vaughn~






“If the rain spoils our picnic, but saves a farmer's crop, who are we to say it shouldn't rain?"
~Tom Barrett~






June eighteenth, was Picnic Day! The last few days have been no picnic here. Yesterday was one of those aggravating; never ending; everything that can annoy you, will days. The day before was as well. I know you have had those days. We all do. I don't mind them every so often.. I do mind when I have a week of them all shoved together. What I should have done yesterday was hopped into my car and drove to the beach and sat there and had myself a personal picnic.







I have always loved to go on a Picnic. When we were small children, Daddy and Mama would load all of us kids into Their Falcon and off we would head for a picnic and fun at Hampton Park; In Charleston South Carolina. Many times Our Grandmothers would go along for the fun day as well. We would drive the couple of hours down to Charleston packed into the car and arrive just about time for lunch. Often times Grandma Morris would drive her own car and allow Jimmy and Frank to ride with her. Those times were even better because she aside from giving us more room in Daddy's little car also would bring a fresh Baked Pound cake.





Daddy would pick out a couple of picnic tables. Usually having to carry one; with the boys all on one end and him on the other; a few yards to put two together for all of us to have room. Then Mama and the two Grandma's would put on the table cloths while Daddy and the boys carried the boxes of food and coolers of drink from the cars. My grandma always said a table wasn't set without a cloth. The rest of us would watch the squirrels as they gathered around waiting for someone to offer them a bite of what ever you had. They were so tame that Jimmy a few times could get one to take food from his hand.





Once the tables were set with paper plates and Big cups of Tea or Cool-aid that Daddy had poured from jugs, that had made the trip shoved way down under the ice in the old cooler. We would all find a seat and Bow our heads for the blessing. Daddy would always ask a blessing on the food and thank God for the day that we had been given to enjoy together as a family.





Mama would serve Fried chicken and Big bowls of Potato salad. Bologna sandwiches with Mayo and mustard. Cookies and Potato chips. The food would be warm having made the long trip in the trunk of the car in a big cardboard box. You see, That was before the days when we were told not to eat Mayo or anything with mayo on picnics. But we would all stuff as much as we could hold in.. We would toss the bread crust to the million squirrels and pigeons that would gather around us hoping for a crumb. After we had finished every last bite and all the paper plates were carried to the big green cans nearby, we were ready for a walk over to the Zoo.



I do have to tell y'all that although we thought it was great when we were kids, That was about the most pitiful excuse for a zoo I have ever seen. They had lots and lots of Monkeys. And Not much else. They had a bear that only had three legs. He didn't get around much but he would eat a hot dog bun if you tossed him one. We would also hand them to the monkeys when they would stick their hand out through the Bars as you walked by. Mama almost always had a couple of bags of buns that we could give to the animals. They also had a few big cats but they were honestly too old to even roar. I especially remember a lion that had no teeth. I guess that by the time we discovered that wonderful Picnic spot it was sadly in it's last days. I was still a child when they closed the pitiful zoo. But we always enjoyed picnicking there. We would see the biggest cat fish and Bream as we walked to the zoo over curve backed bridges and we would laugh and laugh as the squirrels followed along chattering at us begging for hand-outs.
Grandma Morris would pose us in front of the fountains and on the bridges to make pictures of us with her old Brownie Hawk eye camera.

We would always end the Charleston day with a trip to the museum. It too was in bad shape and was later moved to become part of the State museum in Columbia. But we loved those days. When all of us along with our parents and Grand-ma's would spend time together.

When my own children were born I carried them on Picnics to the beach or even if times were tight just to the local state park. I would carry all the "Safe" foods packed in ice with no mayo, no eggs. But I always carried plenty of food and plenty of drinks shoved down into ice so that they would be icy to drink. I always bake a pound cake the day before. I still carry a table cloth on my picnics. I still Bless my picnic food in the same way that my Dad did. Thanking God for the time we spend together as family. Asking that we enjoy that day. Last year I even went on a Picnic with my son and his Family in New Mexico. It too was a wonderful day. They had almost all the same things that I had carried when My son was younger on our Picnics. I hope that some of that wonder will remain with him and even with his children as they grow older.

When I couldn't remember the name of the Park where we went as kids I asked My oldest brother.. He couldn't remember either the name but he did remember the park. He remembered things like the cannons and some other Military type things that I had forgotten about until he mentioned them.He remembered what impressed him. I was of course impressed by different things because I'm younger than him and just have different interests. My Mom did know the name of the park. She remembered mostly the beautiful fountains that were there. I remembered those too because even to this day I love the sound of a fountain.


If you get a chance go on a picnic with a child. Choose a place with something that will capture that child's interest and create a memory that will move on with them. Bless that picnic with prayer if that is your way. But just for a time leave the world's worries behind and enjoy a day with family or with a special friend. And remember that a Table cloth adds a special something. Even to a picnic table.
Have a wonderful day!
Patsy

Today is Yo -Yo Day!

“Life is a yo-yo, and mankind ties knots in the string” ~ unknown~


In 1974 President Richard Nixon briefly played with a yo-yo at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.


In 1968, activist Abbie Hoffman was cited for contempt of Congress for, amongst other acts, "walking the dog" during a session of the House Subcommittee on Un-American Activities.


The yo-yo is a toy consisting of two equally sized and weighted disks of plastic, wood, or metal, connected with an axle, with a string tied around it. First becoming popular in the 1920s, "yo-yoing" is still enjoyed by children and adults alike. To use, the player pulls the string through the loop to make a slipknot, puts his/her middle finger through the slipknot at the end of the string and grasps the yo-yo. Generally, the player does not put the slipknot any farther up his/her finger than the first knuckle from the tip. Then the player throws it downwards with a smooth light motion. When it reaches the end of the string, the yo-yo can be made to "sleep," the axle of the yo-yo spinning within a loop of string.


My Brother Frank. always said if you couldn't make a yo yo sleep you wouldn't be able to do anything else with it either. Frank would know. He was the best yoyo-er I ever knew! He could do all the tricks. He could walk the dog and rock the cradle and many more. He simply loved yo yo's. I'd almost bet he still owns at least one. I well remember him saving his money to buy a special Duncan Butterfly yo-yo. They were what ever body else had when we were young. Frank was the best with all the tricks with the one he had but he wanted a new one. He wanted the Butterfly! I also know that he had two lighted yo-yo's too. One red and one green. But I can't remember if they were butterfly yo-yo's or not.


Once when we were in school; the rough boys wanted Frank's yo-yo. They told him to give it to them and he just kept on yo-yoing. They told him they would beat him up and take it and he kept on still. Finally they backed him into a corner and tried to take it.. He quickly shoved it into his pocket and grinned at them and said.. "Go ahead and try to get it and when I start to yell and holler you can explain why you have your hand rammed down in MY pocket." Needless to say the rough boys decided that maybe, just maybe Frank was not a person to pick on. They walked away and never looked back at him. He returned to his yo-yo-ing as if nothing had ever happened. One of them later told me that they didn't even like to yo-yo. They just hated that they couldn't get a reaction from Frank when they picked at him about anything else. And they figured taking his yo-yo would be easy. Frank is still a little like that. He looks and acts real easy going. He really is real easy going.. But you don't really want to cross him..


The history of Yo-yo's goes a long way back. Back to Before Christ. There have been many different companies to make them. I think Maybe Duncan was the most widely known yo-yo company for many years and still is world known for their yo-yo's.


The International Yo-Yo Open is the largest yo-yo contest in the world. It is held every year in August at South Street Seaport in New York City. This contest is hosted by YoYoNation.com and aims to showcase the best yo-yo players in the world. In the inaugural 2007 contest, there were over 8,500 people in attendance.


The World Yo-Yo Contest is held every year in Florida, USA during early August or late July. This contest takes the winners from national yo-yo contests around the world and pits them against each other. Countries such as the United States, Brazil, Japan and the UK hold competitions at the national and regional levels. In addition, national yo-yo contests, without regionals, are held every year by Mexico, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Hungary, and Australia.

It's amazing to me that a simple toy can be so popular to both children and adults and last for centuries as a popular item. I personally never learned to yo-yo. I can't walk the dog. I can't even make mine sleep. I do still have an old one from way way back. I take it out and try it every once in a while but I haven't learned anything about yo-yoing yet. Except that it's simplicity will fool you. It appears to be a very simple item. But it is actually not as easy to do as it appears. Most of us can toss it down and it will come back but can we make it do other things? I can't. Frank can! Can you? Never assume something that looks simple really is. Never assume that because some one appears easy to pick on that they are. And be sure to Never try and take Frank's yo-yo! Enjoy life! Try to find joy in some simple things. Try to learn to yo-yo. Have a great day!
Patsy

The Worse Date of my life!

"A man on a date wonders if he'll get lucky. The woman already knows."
~ Monica Piper~



"I've been on so many blind dates, I should get a free dog." ~ Wendy Leibman~



The shrilling ring of the phone began as soon as the bedroom door closed behind me. I glanced back at the door thinking that if that phone woke up my babies someone was going to die tonight. Emily was back in her bubble like tent after another bout with Asthma and Cooper had not wanted to sleep without her. He had demanded I sing Cum Ba Ya for at least five hundred verses. He loved that song. He loved the someones working and someones crying verses but he loved the someone is singing verse most of all. He would sing with his small voice for hours when he didn't want to go to sleep. " Some one is singing Lord Cum Ba Ya!" Over and over we had sung till finally he had give up and went to sleep. Now it was after ten o'clock and I was plum wore out. Anthony was gone for the summer to work in watermelons at my sisters so I was handling the little ones all alone. We had been today for a cancer treatment for Emily. Cooper was cranky. We Both were cranky. I snatched the phone off the hook ending the ring and as quietly as I could I said Hello.


"Hey Girl, What ya doing?" It was Tracy, a girl I knew from a store close to where I lived before I moved here. Before the divorce. Before the world started making me mad. She was just a person I knew Not someone I would have expected to call me. "I got your number from your Brother-in-law" she said, "he was just in here a while ago. I tried to call you but you didn't answer." I began to explain that It had been a rough day and I had been getting the kids down.

"Oh I don't care about all that." she said, "I have a guy for you to meet. You need to go right now to Harry's and he is...."
"Hold On" I said. " who is this Guy?" She had the whole thing planned out for me.. He was someone I didn't know But he was right now waiting for me to show up at a local bar. I would know him she said by who he was with. He was with her own Husband right now.. I had to go there right now..He wanted to meet me right now..


There were so many things I felt like I needed to know before I loaded up to go meet a stranger in a bar. Not to mention that now was really not a good time.I was tired. I had just got the babies to sleep and what was I supposed to do with them while I traipsed around to a bar this late at night? She had all that worked out too. I was to load them up and take them to my sisters house. she had already asked Trudy and Trudy had told her she would watch them. I asked how old he was and she swore he was our age. There were really a lot of things that didn't suit me about this date but they talked me into it. They brushed aside all my complaints.Trudy was waiting on the sleeping kids and Tracy was going to come to the Bar just as soon as she could get there.. Hurry they said he is waiting and he's nice and on and on. Giving the bedroom door one more glance and saying a silent prayer that I would not regret this I hurried to the shower. It was by Now eleven pm and I still had to drive the babies to my sisters house, But I wasn't going to meet a man in the clothes I had worn all day.. I still had some pride after all.


I walked into the bar at eleven thirty seven.And looked around for John. He was Tracy's husband and Was supposed to be with the man of my dreams. Well at least Tracy's dreams for me. I spotted John near the back of the bar in a booth and headed that way. I had never been in that bar before and was surprised to see a lot of people I knew. A lot of People I saw had went to High school with me. I was stopped a few times before I reached the table. I had dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top with a white long sleeved shirt open over that. I wasn't vain but I knew I looked pretty good for a woman thirty two years old. I looked pretty good for a Mom of three. I hadn't started dating yet. This would have been my first date. I didn't like the way it had happened but I was still hopeful. I walked up to the table where the two men sat with a little hope in my heart. My instinct had warned me.. But I was here now. I was ready for this date.


John was sitting across from a very nice looking young man. He didn't look my age. He looked much younger than me. John was my age. But John was also much older than Tracy. Maybe she had meant he was her age. They both had their legs stretched out across the bench on the side they were sitting on I stood at the end of the booth and waited for them to offer me a seat. I said Hi and reached to shake his hand saying " You Must be Mike?" He nodded then waved for the waitress to come over. " Yea " he said " I'm Mike" He and John both ordered beer. I wanted a coke but no one offered me a drink. They still hadn't offered me a seat. I was beginning to get a head ache from the loud music and all the smoke. I was also getting angry that not only was he way younger than me But he was rude as well. I wondered what Tracy had been thinking. Where was she any way? I knew the store was already closed. I was about to just walk out when a guy who went to school with me, came over and asked me to dance. His wife was already on the floor and the song was rather slow. I figured I might as well get something for my trouble so I walked away and left the two of them still laughing and talking together. They didn't even appear to miss me when I looked back from the dance floor. I knew this was a bad idea. I told my dance partner. He laughed and asked me where my ex was. He was shocked that I was divorced. I was shocked when he pulled me closer to his body after learning I was single after an eighteen year marriage.


Finally the dance was over and I had just walked away from the second man in one night. I felt as if this must be some crazy nightmare. I even for a second thought maybe I was asleep on the bed beside Cooper having sung myself to sleep right along with him and Em.I pinched myself to make sure. I really was in a bar in the middle of the night and My kids really were with Trudy. I felt stupid. I went to the bar and asked if they had coffee. The female bartender laughed at me and said I could get a cup at the store next door. I thanked her and was about to leave when John waved me over again and shouted my name. I went over again and this time I asked if I could sit down. Mike moved his legs and allowed me to sit by him. He was extremely tall and had the greenest eyes I believe I had even seen. He truly was very nice looking. But I was mad now. I had no intention of being nice at this point. He was way to young. He hadn't bought me a coke. I was way to tired for this whole thing.


"Look, I have to go." I said as I reached for a napkin. I asked John to borrow the pen I could see in his shirt pocket and wrote my number on the napkin. " "Mike, I'm not sure we should date, But call me tomorrow if you still want to go out and we will set something up between us." I said handing John his pen and Mike the folded napkin. I was going home. My head was pounding and my heart was not. I had made a mistake. " Hey Patsy" he said as I started to walk away, " how old is your baby?" I stopped and looked at him wondering if he had really said Baby. Not children or even Kids. He said Baby as if I only had one lone child. I was going to kill Tracy if I even saw her again. I explained that I had three children. He nodded when I said Emily was two years old. He even nodded when I said Cooper was four years old. I have to give the young man credit that he didn't faint when I said that Anthony was fourteen years old. But what he said scared me to death. He said. " Wow, he's only six years younger than me. I bet me and him will be friends." I tried to smile but couldn't I was suddenly feeling sick. I ran from the bar and all the way to my car. I got in and locked the door then sat there and cried. I wasn't supposed to be at a bar meeting a man who was twelve years younger than me. I wasn't supposed to be out in the middle of the night with my kids at my sisters house. I wasn't supposed to be a single mom at all. Then I heard the knocking on my window.


I didn't know the man outside the glass. He was standing there holding a steaming cup of coffee and smiling at me as if we were old friends. I rolled the window down and he handed me the coffee.. "Here" he said, "I see you are new at this dating thing." I nodded as I tried to wipe the tears away. He assured me it got better and that I would find a lot had changed since I had been out there in the world. He reminded me to be careful. Then he laughed and said I shouldn't accept drinks, even coffee from strangers. I felt better as I drove to My sister's house and got my kids.


Emily never knew she had been on a midnight ride that turned into the worse date of my life. Cooper woke up as I carried him back to his bed and demanded that I sing again. I was glad to sing him a few verses as he fought to stay awake for only a few minutes before he gave a great sigh and curled into a sleeping ball. I closed their door for the second time and headed off to bed myself. I was glad I had gone even though it hadn't been a good idea. I had learned something tonight. I had learned that people mean well but that I might better hunt my own dates from now on. I also learned that I would be treated different since I was a divorced woman. I also decided that I was worthy of the best life had to offer and that I wouldn't settle for less than the best.


I never saw the coffee bearing stranger again. I asked about him in the bar but no one could remember having ever seen him. I did see Mike one more time when he came by my house one night UN-invited and drunk, hoping for, as he called it, a little older woman fun. I explained to him that he was way too young for me and that he needed a girl his age. I forgave him for being not what I was looking for. He was just a kid compared to me. I hope life is treating him good now. Tracy and John divorced a few years after that. I think life is treating her good. He's still being himself. Still hanging in the same bar. I never did date anyone from the bar. I only dated two men after the divorce. The second one was my prince charming. He and I have been married what seems like a life time. I didn't settle. I got the best.


Never trust someone Else's word when it comes to a date with a stranger. If something feels wrong it most likely is. And remember that Our age only works if you and she are really the same age! Laugh at me.. I know you are. I am too. I wouldn't change my life but God knows I wouldn't live it over.. especially that date! The worse date of my life! Have a great day!
Patsy

Under the Quilt

Love if you have it you don't need anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter what else you have. ~ J.M. Barrie~

While we may be of different faiths, we have a strong sense of faith, family, community. We hold the values of freedom and human rights very high and I think that those are all a part of a very strong quilt that binds us together. ~Robert Menendez~


My first memory of My Grandma is of her legs and feet. We would go to her big old house every Saturday night just before it got dark outside.Daddy and the Uncles would be outside doing things around the place. I was never quiet clear on the mysteries of what they did. I know they had pigeons out there because we could see them fly sometimes. I also know they had hunting dogs in big pens. Us kids weren't allowed to befriend the hunting dogs. Uncle Neal said it would mess them up. My Mom and Grandma and the aunts would gather around in the hot, wood heated, Kitchen and soon they would lower the frames from the ceiling and they would quilt. They Made a few quilts every year each of them sewing dainty little stitches as they sat and talked. No one in Our Family would be cold.

Us little kids would all be sent to play on the floor beneath the quilt where they could know where we were. There was no room for us to play anywhere else. Sometimes My cousins would be there and we might play Barbies or sometimes Go fish cards. Sheron even had a checker board and some drink bottle caps that we could play with when she was there. The Older children always gathered on the back porch. There were cousins of all ages too But you had to be what was considered a big kid to get out from under the watchful eyes of the women. By the time I was a big kid the gatherings had stopped but I'll always remember those wonderful days. The days when I was sent to play under the quilt!

I loved my cousins a lot. Sheron was my favorite. She still is in a lot of ways. She is just a tiny bit older than me. Not quiet a year But she was a lot of fun. I loved Playing under the quilt with Sheron. But Most of all I loved it when the cousins didn't come.

When The cousins didn't come I would lay quietly under the quilt tent by myself and listen to the grown ups talk. I couldn't see their mouths but I could see their feet. My Grandma would pat her foot up and down as she told some tidbit of rumor to my Mom. Sometimes if she was trying to make a strong argument for something she would even stomp her foot up and down. My Mom didn't move her feet too much. She mostly kept her feet crossed and still. But Every once in a while she would uncross her feet and slide them back and forth over the hardwood floors or raise and wiggle her toes. Aunt Rose had pink painted toe nails. Aunt Lucy always wore white socks. Aunt Frankie didn't quilt. She wore loafers and stood propped by the counter sometimes. But most of the time she would go outside with Her husband Emmett. Or on the porch and look at a magazine.


Grandma always wore the same thing on her feet. Plain brown slip-on shoes, over stockings that came just above her knee. She wore plain brown garters around those to hold them in the exact spot that she wanted them. I would watch her feet and listen to her tell the most wonderful stories. Sometimes I would imagine her feet dancing or running although I never saw her do either. She loved to walk and I walked with her many times. I would have liked to see her run though.

I learned so many things laying under the quilt surrounded by feet. I learned that the preachers widow was courting the school teacher when I was too little to care about courting. I learned that Babies take forty full moons to come long before I knew what a full moon was or where babies were coming from. I learned that homing pigeons could be trained to bring and carry important messages or secrets. And that wearing red to a wedding or a funeral meant bad luck to the wearer. I learned recipes for foods that I have never cooked and I learned that Women who love each other share a special bond. A bond that brings them to share their thoughts and opinions with each other without fear of shame or censure. Their words to each other have a flow that becomes over time almost poetic. And that their feet often keep time to the music that only their hearts can hear! Let your heart music Move your feet. If you have family or friends in your life share with them in a relaxed place. Be open with them. If you have children, let them learn form seeing you interact with your family and friends. Let them learn about what moves your feet and your heart.
Love Many! Trust a few! Harm None!
Have a great Day!
Patsy