Saturday, May 12, 2007

*~* The Maypole Dance *~*









The timeless tune of "The Maypole Dance" once again echoed sweetly across the blacktop at Fox Road Elementary. The occasion was the school's 27th annual May Pole Dance Festival.

Dressed in their Sunday best, numerous Fifth-graders danced around the May Pole at this annual rite, which is practically unique to Hughson this day and age. This event that everyone looks forward to, brought many memories back of all four of my children dancing around this May Pole.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Poetry Reading~



Ode to the Sea
Pablo Neruda

Here
Surrounding the island
There's sea.
But what sea?
It's always overflowing.
Says yes,
Then no,
Then no again,
And no,
Says yes
In blue
In sea spray
Raging,
Says no
And no again.
It can't be still.
It stammers
My name is sea.

It slaps the rocks
And when they aren't
convinced,
Strokes them
And soaks them
And smothers them with
kisses.

With seven green tongues
Of seven green dogs
Or seven green seas,
Beating its chest,
Stammering its name,

Oh Sea,
This is your name.
Oh comrade ocean,
Don't waste time
Or water
Getting so upset
Help us instead.
We are meager fishermen,
Men from the shore
Who are hungry and cold
And you're our foe.

Don't beat so hard,
Don't shout so loud,
Open your green coffers,
Place gifts of silver in our
hands.
Give us this day our daily
fish.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Possibilities


Each person represents
a world in us, a world
possible not born until
they arrive, and it is only
by this meeting that a
new world is born.
ANAIS NIN

Making a
new friend.

Monday, May 7, 2007

The Omaha Old Market place

While visiting with Rob and Vanessa, Rob wanted to show us The Old Market place in Omaha. He explained it to me like it had the feel of Old Sacramento here in California.... I found it to be bigger and a little haunting, caught in a time that is lost but definitely still there. As I was walking down the sidewalks, I thought about the days when this downtown area was full of the hustle and bustle of a growing, expanding city and full of excitement. I could have walked down the same sidewalk, touched the same railing going into a shop, pushed the same door as Fred Astaire, Nick Nolte, Dorothy McGuire, Marlon Brando, Malcom X, Henry Fonda, and Montgomery Clift!

Everywhere you looked you could see the way the buildings were built, carvings everywhere, and faded paint on the bricks of the buildings. One day was not enough to see this town.

There were restaurants, cafes, antiques, galleries, art, old horse-drawn buggies, and boutiques. People were sitting outside, reading the paper or a book, and drinking a beverage of their choice. Beautiful people enjoying the sun and one another. I love watching people and find them so interesting.

Rob wanted to take us to a Thomas D. Mangelsen Gallery. The photos were of his latest book The Natural World. I thoroughly enjoyed this and appreciated his photos. Gorgeous!

We also went to a famous Ice cream shop called Ted & Walley's that only served it homemade style. Yum-O! We also went into several antique shops and saw antiques dating back farther than the 50s or 60s. This is primarily what you see here in California now. It was a good thing we came by plane; Charlie had already picked out a piano among other huge items. I had a door picked out. As we were walking around admiring the antiques and how they were made, Rob and I discovered that Nessa was not all that fond of antiques. Uh-oh! Rob loves antiques. We would go to the flea market when he was little and he would spend his allowance on old marbles, cars, etc. As Charlie and I were walking within a particular antique store, I turned around to find Rob and Nessa engaged in a serious discussion regarding their differences in taste. It was cute! Charlie mentioned all the antiques Rob has stored up in our attic. They will work it out. smile~


This was set up between two old buildings with restaurants and entries to bohemian shops!










This old Book store was calling "Angela... come in here!"


This whole row was lined up with poem books alone!




Omaha's very own "one man orchestra," like Neil on Star's Hollow from Gilmore Girls!












The Buildings do need a good spraying down!


Huge home made Ice cream makers at Ted & Wally's


The Beautiful Nessa~


Robert giving me a smile~

Saturday, May 5, 2007

One day at a time~



A day at a time

One day at a time
is all we need
to take each step
into the uncharted future.
Such space makes room
for all eventualities,
supplies a thread to hold together
the present and the past.
Though shadowed
with uncertainty
we journey on
in the strength of
One who is
unbound by change
yesterday, today,
for ever.

~Robert Dunlop

I know I have been quiet. I know where it stems from... coming back from my visit with my babies. Come to think of it, maybe even before that. It is evident through the poems Rob has been sending me, that he is doing a lot of thinking of good times from the past. I have been posting them with his permission of course. It helps me as well as Rob to see them on the screen. He is going to Kuwait this coming Wednesday A.M. He will be staying 24 miles from the Iraq border in a tent camp.
We have only been separated when he was growing up by the mission trips he would take during the summer. There was danger only once during one of them to Mexico. Yes, we are separated now with states between us. We have also had the luxury of cell phones and computers. This is different.
As I left his home, I held his face in my hands and told him "I loved him." I walked away not really knowing if I would ever see that beautiful face again or the smell of the scent of him. There is no guarantee. I realize we never have guarantees if we will see our loved ones again. That is why we should live each moment as if it were our last. We don't know what is going to happen. It is life. I know this... I also know where he is going. Lets face it... it is in a war zone. I have had a heaviness in my heart. There is a weight on my shoulders. As much as I try to give it to God....
Thanking Him in advance for His protection over Rob (He is protecting him with one of the biggest baddest Angel's ever).
He has Rob in the palm of His hand.
He has Rob covered.
I am trusting him....

I am still only human and a mother. I am scared. My mind does tend to go to the crazy place of what ifs, from time to time.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

At times like these, I cling to Him. I picture myself holding on to Him, as close as I can get. I am tucked under His arm, and He's holding me tight. That is where I am right now. Safe. Protected.
I will do this one day at a time until Rob comes home.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Private Property~



Bobbie and Bennies
By Robert Hilton

Driving down an old road
Almond orchards on both sides
Past the canal bank
My heart beats fast
With mischievous intentions
The night is young
My friend and I park
Getting out of the truck
We grab our tackle and our fishing poles
Slowly making our way to the barbed wire fence
Ignoring the “No Trespassing” sign
Our feet against the dry brush
My friend turns around
Holding his finger to his mouth.
Shhhhhhhhhhh…
We can hear the crickets chirping
Singing the summers heat
We look around
Afraid to be caught
I hold the fence for him
Trying not to cut myself
Rust on my hands
Once we both make it over the fence
We tip-toe our way through the cow pastures and down a dirt trail
Mosquitoes humming at our skin
The night is hot
We can see the gravel pits glistening with the foreshadowing
Dreams and stories
All boys hear when growing up
The fish stories their dads would always tell them

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

For everything else~ there's MasterCard!

Plane tickets: $560.16

Car Rental: $44.00 per day

Wal*Mart Super Center: Coffee maker, B-B-Q and utensil's, groceries, Yahtzee : $84.00

P.F. Chang's China Bistro: $69.02

Economy Parking:$33.00

The warm and fuzzies I feel for Robert and Nessa: PRICELESS!