If it wasn't for the song

I just returned from the rights of passage. Whose you might ask? Well truly it was for my son - he's off to college. The extra long mattress pad and accompanying comforter were in place. The extra storage bins filled to the brim with Ramen noodles, peanut butter and Star Bursts... the shower caddy - check, towels - check, a mad-money bill slipped to him at just the right moment - check,
my heart - check!

He and I were sitting in a college bistro having that last meal... some of you know that meal... it's the one where it's time for the parent to exit and you want this child you've nourished and taken care for 18 years to have one really good meal before they sub exist on soda and crackers, coffee and doughnuts for the next four years.

He had noodles and really didn't eat them. I knew it was time, and he went. I picked up the tab and when I got in my car to leave... I was fine if it hadn't been for
that damn song...
you know the one... by Lee Ann Womack.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance

And for my dancing...
well after all these years I hope I can remember how.

Fall has found me!

Wow! It's officially FALL! YEA! Love the cool weather (that's mid-80s in Texas)! My dogs are jumping around like they are teenagers and they are not spring chickens... not in dog years!



My teenager is jumping around because he's always jumping around... and even my husband has a spring in his step.



Even though it's still not cool weather - there is a feeling of FALL.. It's when you hear about a cool front... and the wind that accompanies it is ACTUALLY cool. It's when the sun is bright, and the shade is deep... when my fall tomatoes start to bloom (didn't have time to plant any this year)... when your Friday night dance card is full with high school football... and if you are a mom like me, you've volunteered for concession stand duty on the other nights!



FALL is a time to gear up for the winter. That means shopping for new fall clothes or dragging out the old wardrobe to see what might survive one more season! Maybe a new do... or correcting the summer frizzies.



For Texans, FALL means the State Fair of Texas - which opened last weekend ... Hey if you go be sure and visit the Food and Fiber Pavilion and taste some awesome pickles provided by in a pickle foods. They are a new client of mine and I tell you those pickles are INCREDIBLE... a little bit sweet and incredibly spicy... kinda like FALL.



Ahh... there's homecoming and Halloween and the Cowboys in the new stadium... and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Texas Rangers... WOW - FALL has found me.



So bring on the cooler nights, the cooler mornings - the deep shade, the bright days -and let autumn begin!

The Social Web's We Weave

Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In: it's crazy out there in the world wide web. Just when I think I've got one form of mass communication down, another pops up. I'll have to admit that I'm a FB and LI customer but have been a hold out on Twitter. I can't possibly understand why anyone would want to know what I'm doing all the time. Likewise, I can't possibly understand why I would want to follow anyone around on Twitter - maybe my teenage son, but I'm not sure I want to know his every move… I'm too young for a heart attack!

Not long ago I was speaking with my cousin who is an accomplished woman enjoying retirement. She thought it would be fun to join Facebook. Her initial impression was good - but she was confused - for her there were way too many privacy concerns. She was not willing to set up her account to lock out this or that, to her it was way too much trouble.

I'm really surprised at the apathy of some of my friends to hop on the whirlwind web social sensation - but hey everyone to their own thing… some of the major complaints I've heard were privacy issues, some can't understand why every Tom, Dick and Harry from years passed are wanting to be their "friend", many don't like the idea of hanging out on a social site 24-7, and some really can't stand the whole technology thing. I think they appreciate it, but would rather not really be apart of the web world.

For me the web is such a reality. I do most of my work online, I get a lot of my news online, and email is one of my favorite ways to communicate!

AND then there's texting… I thank my children for forcing me to learn texting, because if I didn't text they would probably never answer their phones - thus I learned to text, love to text, can get so much more done when I text…

But not everyone is like that… my husband doesn't text, could care less if he texts, and half the time doesn't even check his messages - I can't imagine!

Then there's my 80-something auntie. She email's, she's a digital whiz sending photos of her great grand-daughters across the web…
She would be a great candidate for FB, in fact I think I'll set her up soon. :)

What did I learn this summer?

The dog days of summer are upon us! I couldn’t help but notice today whilst suffocating in the hot, sultry sun. Yep, I’m back at work (today it was teleprompting in an arena at Clinton Anderson’s DownUnder ranch) after a long month of cool days up North. Cooler than I would have ordered but I don’t think I’m in charge of the world’s thermostat, in fact I feel less and less in charge of quite frankly: anything. Life is a funny thing, just when we think we have it figured out it throws us a curve ball.

I attended my husband’s friend and co-worker’s funeral this summer. It was a sudden death, very untimely, and unexpected. It was a sad affair. A curve ball indeed, one of those sneaky pitches that have you wondering after the strike. Why him? A soul with so much more to give.

My friend’s mother passed away. It was expected but how can you ever really prepare for emptiness, for the curve balls that you think will never come across the plate?

I attended a friend’s second wedding this summer. It was quite a fairytale affair! The wedding took place on the quaint island of Mackinac where cars are not allowed only bicycles and carriages. The princess had tried on the glass slipper before and thought it fit, yet to her dismay the glass shattered and left her barefoot and forlorn … HOWEVER her REAL prince charming arrived in stately fashion and swept her off her bare feet. What did she get out of the deal? New Jimmy Choo’s, and a great husband! Yep, my friend was at a full count when she hit a homerun!

So what did I learn this summer? In this game of life, sometimes there’s scoring runs and sometimes there’s strikes. But I think we would all agree that we want to step up to the plate.

Bay View Breezes At Last

Ahhh… it’s June and time for the summer cottage experience. Soon my family will pack half of what we own, gear up for a two-day drive and take off for northern Michigan and the Great Lakes. If you’ve never been you should go, if you’ve been you KNOW about the breathtaking sunsets, the icy water, the cold nights, Mackinac Island fudge, the northern lights, and the absolutely incredible summer days… but camping at Perch Lake has to be the best, it is so awe-inspiring – I penned a poem entitled:

Up North
Stolen Moments In The North Woods

The still of the night comes near.
The robber waits, his plan unknown...
The moon provides an easy entrance.

Darkness in the North Country…

Water -- still like glass.
Moon -- a glean of silver
Nature’s curtain is drawn… all is still
And silent… those who belong wait.

The early morning – at first the silence...
Twinkling stars threaten,
their brilliance will bring a call
to the silent dawn.
The stillness falls...
and beckons as a welcome sign to the NORTH WOODS
and all its inhabitants….

A whippoorwill’s cry; an a cappela choir;
They greet the warmth of sun on still calm waters.
The robber scampers down a tree hungrily in search of nearby loot.
Waves rhythmically slap the shore

And, then...
a faint announcement of morning
comes close, dips, and lands as momma and ducklings
enjoy the first moments of dawn.

The sun explodes as all nature expects…
And a new day is born.


AHHH… The delicious delights of summer... here we come!

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BE CAREFUL OUT THERE

A scary thing happened to me yesterday! I had been grocery shopping, and when I headed to my car, I noticed my van door was open. At quick glance, I thought perhaps it wasn’t my van, and then when I saw the baseball dings from way too many baseball games… I knew I had the right van. My driver’s door and side door were flung open and a man was sitting in the driver’s seat.

Now here is where I must caution you… DO NOT approach your car, the car you think you have locked, and proceed to tell the perpetrator to “Get out of YOUR car!” I worked in television news and covered way too many horror stories… for way too many years NOT to know that this isn’t the brightest of ideas! He could have a gun, he could have a taser, he could just be big and mean… DO NOT approach – just call 9-1-1. Of course, that is NOT what I did. I pushed my little buggy right up to my car and said, “GET OUT OF MY CAR!” The guy seemed disoriented; he seemed confused and began to argue with me about the van being his. After several more loud orders for him to get out of my car, he stood up and began to back off. That is when I found the wine bottles in the front of my van… case in point… if you find a drunk, stoned or whatever person in YOUR CAR… call 9-1-1, but me… NO… I started handing him his wine that he left on my front seat and continued to yell for him to get away! He then asked if he could help me with my groceries… CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I still wasn’t frightened (I don’t know why), and began to put my groceries in my van. NEXT WRONG MOVE??? I turned away from him, and that is when he shoved me toward my seat and said, “GET IN!”

Okay, at that point… the point of the shove, I became scared and ran into the parking lot (remember it was broad daylight) screaming for someone to help me. As the perpetrator sauntered through the complex, a Good Samaritan kept an eye on where the perp was going, and I rushed into the grocery store for help. That was when 9-1-1 was called… REMEMBER, IF THIS EVER HAPPENS TO YOU… DO IT EARLIER… DON’T TAKE ANY CHANCES… The cops caught the guy but not before he robbed a restaurant nearby. The perpetrator I was told is an habitual criminal and has served time in prison.

MORAL OF THE STORY (besides my stupidity)… Be aware of your surroundings and don’t hesitate to call for help. I was very lucky, not even a bruise … but I’m pretty upset that the idiot trashed my car, helped himself to my granola bars and wasabi almonds… and what was I thinking handing him the wine… I should have kept it!

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Tiny Mom With Big Heart

Mother’s Day has been extra special for me this year. I have been blessed to peek in on a fiercely protective mother give birth to three little ones, feed them, nurture them and protect them from harm’s way. She probably won’t get Mom-Of-The-Year, but she has incredible stamina, energy, and love… and I got to watch all of it transpire underneath the eves of my front porch.

Here’s to the Mom’s out there – truly inspiring, always caring, and full of nurturing love.