Never Enough

100 Years by Five For Fighting

I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars

15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind

I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life

15 there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star

15 I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

Half time goes by
Suddenly you're wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...

I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you're on your way
Every day's a new day...

15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

I share these song lyrics with my sophomores.  We talk about the fact that at age 15 (their age) it doesn't get any better.  They have their whole lives ahead of them, waiting for the choices and the decisions that they are going to make.  Of course, they spend a lot of their time wishing they were older: old enough to drive, to go to college, to buy beer legally.  

This song has been running through my head for the last few days.  A student from last year is going through some pretty serious chemo treatments for an aggressive cancer.  The Mr. lost  a friend from childhood, a coaching buddy, to pneumonia at the end of last week; and his 92 year old aunt is dying. 

A hundred years.  Most of us won't see that age, but even if we did-- it would never be enough.  It is hard to imagine anything better than what we have right now-- blue skies, a change of seasons, a full moon, a cool breeze, a hand to hold, a baby to cuddle, an old friend to hug.  

"There's never a wish better than this, when you've only got a hundred years to live." 

The View, Callouses, and Dragon Tattoos

Just random bits--

1.  My fingernails...acrylic so I can't bite them.  (I'd gnaw them down to the quick if I could.)

2.  Exercise?  Three days a week:  swim 1/2 mile.  Two or three days a week:  jog 1 mile.  Five days a week: walk for 50 minutes.  Yeah, and I still have to watch calorie intake.  *sigh*

3. Least favorite show on TV?  The View.  They talk over each other, interrupt, and could be a model for poor communication skills and bad manners.

4. Favorite book of the summer?  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  Some readers said it took them a hundred pages to get into it.  Not me.  I loved it.  The journalist in trouble with the law sucked me in from the first.  It was almost a nail biter. See #1.

5. Best song of late?  I love Zac Brown Band's "Knee Deep."  ("Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair?")  Best song I've heard in the past few years is going on the bottom of this post!

6.  Looking forward to?  A weekend escape with the Mr. in August and the arrival of the Lady Bug in later August.

7.  Working?  Only two days a week for two more weeks at the RV pool, and then... Back to School!

8.  Dealing with?  Callouses on the palms of my hand and on the bottoms of my feet.  I know the dog walking is responsible for my hands, but as for my feet...I have no idea!  I walk on them all the time, so it can't be that.  Who knows??

9.  Needing...?  I could use the AC working in my room at school, so I could work at school.

 10.  Wishing...our federal government would get it together.  They are playing with our lives, and I resent it. And I'm tired of them saying that they are only doing what their voter's want--when every poll says otherwise.  If we had a one-term-and-out rule, a politician would never have to worry about re-election--and that might be better for everyone.

On a happier note... this is just the best song.  K shared it with me.  It is a lullaby called "The Blessing" by Celtic Woman.  I think all Moms will love this song.  (I love songs that say exactly what I would, if I were a lyricist.)
 


In the morning when you rise
I bless the sun, I bless the skies
I bless your lips, I bless your eyes
My blessing goes with you

In the nighttime when you sleep
Oh I bless you while a watch I keep
As you lie in slumber deep
My blessing goes with you

This is my prayer for you
There for you, ever true
Each, every day for you
In everything you do

And when you come to me
And hold me close to you
I bless you
And you bless me, too

When your weary heart is tired
If the world would leave you uninspired
When nothing more of love's desired
My blessing goes with you

When the storms of life are strong
When you're wounded, when you don't belong
When you no longer hear my song
My blessing goes with you

This is my prayer for you
There for you, ever true
Each, every day for you
In everything you do

And when you come to me
And hold me close to you
I bless you
And you bless me, too

I bless you
And you bless me, too

Eucharisteo List

One of my favorite bloggers has started a new weekly project:  to list ten things she is thankful for each week until she hits 1,000.  You should visit her blog if you love vintage photos and loveliness.  I have decided to join Ragamuffin Girl.  What a pleasant way to end a week. 

So here are 10 things I'm particularly thankful for this week.

*  The way 16 year old boys rally around a friend who is facing a scary health crisis.  They aren't ashamed to show they are worried about him and that they care.  I sometimes forget with all the horsing around they do, that they really do love each other--even if they have strange ways of showing it sometimes.

*You see those eyes?  Mr. B loves to jump up on my lap, lay his head on my chest, and look me in the eye.  That is the best part of my day:  snuggle time with Baxter.  There is something so relaxing about petting a dog.

*Bright blue skies.  "Blue skies, nothing but blue skies..." 

*Trees budding and green leaves finally making their appearance.

*I know his music is old, but there is something about Jimmy Durante's singing that I love.  "Make Someone Happy,"  "Young at Heart," and "I'll Be Seeing You" are particular favorites.  His voice isn't terrific, but his songs just touch a chord in me.  This album, "As Time Goes By" is a particular favorite.

*Flip flops.  They are cheap, cute, and they just scream "summer."  They also make my toes happy!

*Social networking sites have their share of problems, but I still love facebook.  (I hate the game announcements and the horoscope postings, but the good still outweighs the bad.)

*The smell of smoke in the air from pasture burning is a rite of spring in this area.  The burning is coming to an end, and green pastures are sure to follow after the rains of the last few days.  I'm pretty fond of the guy (Dad) on the four-wheeler, too.

*Peanut butter on toast for breakfast.  I hated breakfast as a kid, but it has become my favorite meal of the day.

*I love walking in the door of my classroom.  It is still a thrill every single morning.  I hope it never gets old.

And what are you thankful for this week?

Christmas Bells Are Ringing

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Thank you, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Bachelorette Party: "That's What Friends Are For"

K's bachelorette party was held this past weekend.  Her little sister and one of her best friends planned it for her.  Friends from Chicago flew in.  K only wanted her friends who knew each other to attend.  She didn't want to have to work the room like a cocktail party. 

This was the original group of friends:  M, J, K, and B.  M and K have been friends since pre-school days.  J joined them in middle school, while B came on the scene in high school.  They went to college together.  They hadn't planned to live together, but extenuating circumstances changed that.  (M's mom was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly after they graduated from high school.)  They needed each other.  The whole group has been there for each other through thick and thin, happy and sad.

Then K added a few additional friends:  her own little sis L, J's little sis who cheered with them in high school, M's big sis who the girls idolized when they were growing up, and E who lived with several of the girls after college and has grown to know them all. 

Oh, and they invited the Mother of the Bride, too.  I was honored to share this day with some of my favorite former students.  I feel fortunate to feel like a friend to these incredible young women.  And just so I wouldn't be the only "oldster,"  K invited her Aunt B who has met some of these girls through the years. Aunt B also happens to be quite devastated that she isn't invited to attend the actual wedding--only the reception.  K thought this might ease her pain.  (Still not sure that worked!)

The girls had such a good time.  There was a brunch and bridal shower.  There were amusing games.  This one involved K chewing a lot of gum.  Every time she missed a question that CT had answered, she had to add another piece of gum.  Obviously, she didn't do that great!  We even decorated koozies for our evening out.

There was a lot of time to catch up, eat snacks, and then they had a lingerie shower.  Everyone had time to cuddle M's six week old baby Sloane, who was attending her first bachelorette party!

A limo picked us up and took us to a seafood dinner. I had never been in a limo before; something all of these girls have done before.  So the oldster was the newbie!

After dinner we went bowling at a place with a live DJ. (M had given everyone crazy socks to wear.) And finally, we ended the evening at a great dueling piano bar.  The limo returned for the ride home.

The planning that went into this day for K was amazing.  L was so organized, and M so gracious that the day was exactly the day and evening K had requested!  It was a relaxing, fun gathering of dear friends:  a nice "Final Fling Before the Ring."

This song is for K and friends.  I have loved it for a long time.  They don't make them like Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder any more.  Actually, I'm not sure many people are lucky enough to have the "girl friendships" that K and these young women share.  We should all be so lucky!

"Keep shining, keep smiling
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure--
That's what friends are for
In good times, in bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
Oh, that's what friends are for..."

Tuesday Tune- Uncle Kracker's "Smile"

The Mr. and I will be celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary on Saturday.  Where does the time go?

I love this song.  And...34 years later I'm still smiling.  (OK.  Frequently laughing!)  Let's hope he is, too!!



He's still "cooler than the flip side of my pillow,"  but this is my favorite line:

I see the best of me inside your eyes
You make me smile

You have to love someone who always sees the best in you.  I'm lucky-- and lucky enough to know it.

Tuesday Tunes: Boys of Fall

This song is for the Mr., the old football coach.  Football season is about a month away.  I heard this song today and it made me miss the old days yet excited for high school football games again. 

Kenny Chesney's "Boys of Fall."



"It's I've got your number,
I've got your back
When your back's against the wall
You mess with one man
You've got us all
The Boys of Fall."

An Explanation and a Tuesday Tune

Besides the Tuesday Tune today, I want to explain why Metropolitan Magic and Country charm are on hiatus.  Alicia (of the Metro Magic) is gone from the city on a three week trip to see family.  We're going to have a marathon posting when she returns.

And a bit of celebrating for Alicia:  she has a new teaching assignment in NYC.  I am quite excited for her.  This sounds like a much better fit.  I was beginning to worry we might lose her as a teacher forever.  Thankfully, she is moving on to a school in Harlem that sounds quite amazing and could ensure that she stays in teaching forever!

For the Tuesday Tune this week, I had to include this song from our matinee over the weekend. The Mr. took me to see "Toy Story 3."  I have to confess that I cried at the end of the movie.  I also spent most of the movie looking at toys my girls had when they were little. 

I've loved all the "Toy Story" movies.  They are clever and funny, but also a bit sentimental.  The title song is one that just makes you smile.

"You've Got A Friend In Me" will always be associated with "Toy Story."  I love this video of Randy Newman, the composer, singing his song.  He was 65 when this video was filmed.  I like seeing older performers who've still got it--and Randy Newman's still got it.



As the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me!

I haven't been much of a friend this past week in blog world.  Today, I am planning to see what all I've been missing!

Tuesday Tune- "Only In America"

This is an old song and an old video by Brooks and Dunn.  (2003)  I like the song and think it is perfect for the 4th of July weekend ahead.

"Only In Amercia-  where we dream as big as we want to!"



I've always identified with the bus driver in the lyrics of the first verse:
Sun coming up over New York City
School bus driver in a traffic jam
Starin' at the faces in her rearview mirror
Looking at the promise of the Promised Land
One kid dreams of fame and fortune
One kid helps pay the rent
One could end up going to prison
One just might be president

Every school year there is one moment toward the end of the year where I sit looking at the faces of my students, wondering what they will end up doing with their lives and praying that life will be good to them and that they each will reach the best of their potential. 

And yes, I've taught students who worked part-time jobs to help their parents pay the rent or the electric bill-- while their classmates were working to pay for clothes, dates, or their car insurance.  I've taught students who have dreamed of fame and fortune-- several are still trying to make a go of it in Hollywood or New York City.  And I just had a student who is probably headed to Nashville in a year or two.

Unfortunately, I've also taught students who have gone to prison.  (In 31 years of teaching--you see it all.) 

I haven't taught a president, though there was a student I used to tell that he needed to keep his nose clean.  When he ran for president, I didn't want to have to tell any embarrassing stories to National Enquirer.  (It's always the sophomore English teacher who gets interviewed!  Well, at least that is what I told him!) 

Every year I feel like I'm looking at the "promise of the Promised Land."  Yep, teaching is a great job!  And I sure like this song--"Only in America."  I'll be humming it for the rest of the day.

A Book and a Tune- Having Faith

I've been humming today's tune ever since I started Mitch Albom's book, Have a Little Faith.  I'm about half through with the book, and I'm really enjoying it.  It's a quick read.  My dad isn't a fan of Albom--thinks his books are a bit maudlin and overly sentimental.  I like them because they always leave me thinking. Come to think of it, most of the books that I've read this summer have given me food for thought--and that isn't always the case!

John Hiatt is today's artist.  His song "Have a Little Faith" has been sung by quite a few artists: Joe Cocker and Bon Jovi to name a couple.  I like Hiatt's piano playing and the 'rawness' of his voice.  I also love the black and white film and the joy of the children in his music video. 



And when your back's against the wall
Just turn around and you, you will see
I will catch you, I will catch your fall
Just have a little faith in me

I don't have to work today.  The women faculty are gathering at our retired secretary's house for a breakfast brunch that she hosts every year.  I love that lady.  She was the glue that held our school together for years.  Who am I kidding?  She's still the glue that holds us all together--her influence is everywhere!

After brunch I am headed to U town to the bookstore.  I miss working there, but I actually have more time to browse and read now!

This is shaping up to be a terrific Tuesday!!  Hope it is for you, too!

Another Book I'll Remember and a Tuesday Tune, Too

After The Help by Kathryn Stockett, the dilemma has been what book to read next.  Another piece of fiction could never live up to that book right now. 

I started The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard.  (Leonard is an NBC Journalist.)  This is the true story of a cross country RV trip that Leonard took with his elderly parents and grown children. He knew his time and his kid's time with his parents was limited, so that was the premise for the trip.

How did I find this book?  Cousin D rode his motorcycle to our 'cousins camp out' and brought the book to me in his saddle bag.  He said it was a great book and that the Mr. and I both needed to read it.  I'm only about four chapters in, and I already know that Cousin D was absolutely right.

Leonard's parents are as funny as some of Janet Evanovich's characters in the Stephanie Plum books.  His commentary on his parents is hilarious. I find myself laughing out loud.  And then there are touching moments that bring tears to my eyes.

I'm so glad Cousin D shared this with me.  This is a book that can hold its own, which after The Help is quite remarkable. 

Since today is a Tuesday Tune day, I was thinking about some other favorite books.  I haven't read it in years, but I loved Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fanny Flagg. 

I loved the movie based on the book, too.  And there was one song in the movie that I knew I'd never forget: Hugh Grayson singing Bob Dylan's lyrics in "I'll Remember You." 



I'll remember you
When I've forgotten all the rest
You to me were true
You to me were the best
When there is no more
You cut to the core
Quicker than anyone I knew
When I'm all alone
In the great unknown
I'll remember you

True of wonderful people in our lives, but it is sometimes true of books, characters, movies, and songs, too.  The good ones become almost like friends.  We return to them again and again.  I like that.  "In the end, my dear sweet friend, I'll remember you."

Tuesday Tunes- "My Wish" for my sophomores (past and present)

Every once in awhile you run across one of those songs that you feel just had to be written by a teacher. This is one of them.  (L uses it every year in the end-of-the-year video that she makes for her 1st graders.) 

I really couldn't wish much more for the students I've just spent an entire year with.  (Yes, I just ended that sentence with a preposition.  Do as I say, not as I do!) The students are so much a part of our lives for that year, and then they are off to new classrooms- new worlds.  A part of me goes with them, but a part of them stays with me, too.  It's a pretty good trade off.

At Trailer High, any student who passed the State Assessment in Math gets to opt out of finals and miss the last two days of school.  That means today is the last day for most of my sophomores. Another class of sophomores is headed out the door of my room for good.  I'm sending good thoughts with them.  And they don't get much better than this classic by Rascal Flatts, "My Wish." 

Tuesday Tunes- "Perhaps Love"

I feel like this song has been on my mind all weekend.  I've been thinking about the fact that my mom loved "Perhaps Love." John Denver wrote it and recorded as a duet with Placido Domingo in 1983.  Such an unlikely duo: country and opera, but it works.  (OK.  I've been thinking about unlikely duos, too!).  Mom was always impressed with how Denver seemed to rise to the occasion of singing with Domingo.

And my favorite line of all-
"And in those times of trouble, when you are most alone,
The memory of love will bring you home."

So here is a favorite.  (There are some Japanese or Chinese subtitles for your viewing pleasure.  Yeah, don't ask!)



"Perhaps Love"

Perhaps love is like a resting place, a shelter from the storm.
It exists to give you comfort, it is there to keep you warm.
And in those times of trouble, when you are most alone,
The memory of love will bring you home.

Perhaps love is like a window, perhaps an open door.
It invites you to come closer, it wants to show you more.
And even if you lose yourself and don't know what to do,
The memory of love will see you through.

Oh love to some is like a cloud, to some as strong as steel.
For some a way of living, for some a way to feel.
And some say love is holding on and some say letting go.
And some say love is everything, some say they don't know.

Perhaps love is like the ocean, full of conflict, full of pain.
Like a fire when it's cold outside, thunder when it rains.
If I should live forever, and all my dreams come true.
My memories of love will be of you.

A Tuesday Tune for Barnes and Noble, The Gap, and Paneras

I'm sharing this Chipmunk version of "Bad Day."  It makes me laugh and it would be a fairly accurate description of yesterday.  Yep, a bad day.

It's a good thing I can laugh about my day off. 

I started at Barnes and Noble where the air conditioning was maxed and freezing me out. I could have stood that, but all the people working on computers and talking on their cell phone made reading a bit difficult.  It may be time for Barnes and Noble to ban cell phones.  I didn't last long there and purchased nothing.

Next, I headed to the mall to warm up.  I thought I'd look for some summer T's.  Seven stores later I decided that clothing manufacturers could stand to get the message that a T-shirt cut so low that you have to wear another shirt under it, kind of defeats the purpose.  And this is why I see so much cleavage at Trailer High.  No sale. No money spent.  (Did I mention that I spent 15 minutes at The Gap and not one sales person so much as said hello?  Weird. There's irony for you.  All the talking was going on at Barnes and Noble, where I would have liked the quiet.)

As disastrous as things were going, I was looking forward to a bowl of soup at Panera.  I waited fifteen minutes for my order.  Ten minutes of that, my bowl of soup sat cooling on their delivery bar.  Luke warm soup.  Oh yum.

The highlight of my day was cinnamon popcorn.  Sad, I know.

Oh, and it was so cold outside yesterday.  The wind gusting made 55 degrees feel a lot colder.

Eighteen school days left in this year.  I guess I can handle a less than spectacular day off.  I consider it resting up for the howling that is about to ensue from the returning of the research papers.  Let the fun begin!

Tuesday Tunes- "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me"

I was flipping through the television channels on Saturday and this music video caught my eye.  There are lots of written quotes that keep popping up during the course of the video.  I love quotes.  My other blog is nothing but quotes and photos.  (Quoth She)

Since Saturday, I've listened to the song several times.  I like the message of it.  Maybe it is more of a "young" person's song, but I feel the same way--even at my age.  Aging doesn't bother me.  ("Age ain't nothing but a number.") There are always things to anticipate.  Good things are out there.  I plan to still feel this way when I'm 100.  I know-- we'll talk then!

So... another country tune.  This is Danny Gokey who was on American Idol.  I don't remember him, but I sure like his song.  Look for all the quotes scattered through this video.  Oh, and there's about a 10 second commercial for Kenny Chesney on the front end. It couldn't be avoided.

"My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" by Danny Gokey.

"I've got sunsets to witness

dreams to dance with

beaches to walk on

and lovers to kiss

there's a whole lot of world out there

that I can't wait to see

My best days are ahead of me

My best days are ahead of me"

Tuesday's Tune- "I Was Here"

K and L are always introducing me to new songs and new artists.  L usually plays me a favorite on her Ipod in the car.  I let K program my Ipod shuffle. That means sometimes I'm discovering new songs in the midst of a morning run.

I run at 5:00 in the morning on the dark streets of Tiny Town.  Sometimes I have to laugh out loud at the songs.  I'm pretty sure I never would have listened to "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Peas on my own.  (I am, after all, over 50. And I don't usually discuss my humps or lumps.)

Sometimes I am flat out stunned by the brilliance of the lyrics.  Actually, I'm frequently wondering who in the world gets paid to write this stuff?  "This is why I'm hot.  This is why I'm hot.  This is why, this is why, this is why I'm hot."  And where can I find a job that pays me to write such complicated lyrics?! 

Most of the time though, the girls are good at finding or suggesting songs that not only have a good beat for running but also lyrics that take my mind off of my feet, legs, and lungs.  This one caught my attention last week.  Great song.

"And I know that I,

 I will do more than just pass through this life

I'll leave nothing less

than something that says I was here.

I was here."

Lady Antebellum

Saturday's List- 4 years later

Four years ago today I had a stroke.  (That statement is still a shock to me.)  I wrote about it here.  Facing my mortality at age 48 taught me a lot. 

Here is what I learned:
*Our time here is too short.  I learned to say "no" and to avoid the negative and tedious.  My time is a precious commodity. 

*The Mr. meant it when he agreed to "In Sickness and In Health and Til Death Do Us Part." I don't think he slept for weeks. Worrying became his hobby. No one was taken care of better than I was. (And still am for that matter!)

*People are incredibly good.  My colleagues and friends delivered meals for about 3 weeks. Cards arrived daily.  I had phone calls and visits from family, friends, and students past and present.

*Recovery requires work.  Four years later I am still challenging myself.  (Next up:  getting back on a boat.) 

*There is nothing like a near death experience to make you want to "get your house in order," so to speak.

These are some things I never will forget:
*Our little white cocker spaniel, Kiley, parking herself outside the door of my room.  She was "taking care" of me.

*The girls taking a call from a 1990 graduate who had heard about my stroke and wanted to make sure that the Coach and Mrs. E were OK.

*They took another call came from a friend who had divorced and moved away when the girls were little. She said she called to check on me. She'd been gone from my life for so long, I often wondered if she wanted to wipe the dust of Tiny Town off of her forever.

*The University boy who came by one weekend.  He apologized because he knew I wasn't ready for guests yet, but he just wanted to see me to make sure I was really OK like people said. He was tired of relying on 3rd hand information.

*Pat's (I wrote about her here.) oldest daughter coming to visit.  I confessed I had thought a lot about her mom during this whole nightmare.  (It wasn't lost on me that her mom had died of cancer at this exact same age.) I admitted I had worried that my daughters would be dealing with the same thing she had.  She said, "God wouldn't do that to us twice."  And somehow, I could hear her mom saying that exact same thing.

*The sophomore boy who called one Sunday night while he was working on his English homework for my sub.  (I missed the entire 4th nine weeks of school.)  He confessed that he wasn't calling for any particular reason.  He just missed me at school and needed to hear my voice.  That may have been the nicest thing any student has ever said.

K and L were 25 and 23 when this happened.  My stroke wasn't easy on them. 

K became part caretaker.  Her prinicpal let her leave school every afternoon for the first few weeks so that she could take care of me while the Mr. worked afternoons.  She cleaned, cooked, and helped the Mr. make "mixed" drinks for my out-of-whack tastebuds.  She also helped me wash and dry my hair.  She had to use cups to pour water over my head to rinse my hair in the shower-- much like I had done for her at age two.  Poor thing. 

L was going through a disaster of her own.  She was an hour and a half away, but she came home every weekend. I'm not sure she would have if it hadn't been for my stroke.  Most of the time she just curled up on the bed beside me and slept.  She just needed to be close.  Two recoveries were going on at the same time.

I'm pretty sure I'll never know exactly what the girls went through. (Talk about seeing their mom at her absolute weakest!) I do know that the panic in their faces was all it took for me to find the strength not to give up and the will to keep pushing to attempt the difficult.  I couldn't fail them.  Letting them down was not an option.  It still isn't.  The first time I heard this song after the stroke, I cried like a baby.  It still makes my eyes water.    
 


"In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you'll see
how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes"
Martina McBride Song- Lyrics by James Slater

Somebody Is Having A Birthday

We're having a birthday on Easy Street.  This is the Mr.'s day to celebrate!  Well, I'm celebrating.  He might be crying in his beer. 

Here's what I'm celebrating about the Mr.:
*He cooks, cleans, and does laundry.
*He starts cars on cold mornings for the females in our house.
*He doesn't mind grocery shopping together.  In fact, he is good at carrying and stowing the bags.
*He's a good Dad.
*He knows how to iron.  (He actually presses better than I do--if I keep him in spray starch.)
*You never have to ask if he's mad.  You know it.
*Little kids always talk to him.  They love him, and they have the funniest conversations.
*He doesn't know a stranger.
*He's full of it.
*He's got a vicious sense of humor.
*He's generous by nature.
*He's kind to cashiers and waiters and waitresses.
*He can take any situation and make it fun--or at least funny.

Yep, he's a pretty tough act to follow for the boys the girls date.

The Mr. can make me fairly mad at times, but  I wouldn't last a week without him.  And I wouldn't want to.  So I'll let Frank sing this birthday song for me.

The Mr. and the Mr. B on Easy Street.  Notice the "Boys Rule" scarf on Baxter.  (Well, they think they do now that they outnumber me. We all know better!)
Happy 55th, Mr.!!  And many more!  Love you!

The Pot of Gold- Rainbow #3

I told you I love this song.  I always have.  It is a classic. Thank you, Judy Garland and The Wizard of Oz! Ever since the tornado hit Tiny Town, this song means just a little bit more to me. 

This is the last version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" that I will share with you...maybe! Here is  Eva Cassidy doing her own arrangement of the song and accompanying herself on the acoustic guitar.  She is amazing.  I didn't hear Cassidy sing until after her untimely death from melanoma.  She was a talented, talented musician.

Yes, I'm crying listening to it. The last half of that song always gets to me.  I hope Iz and Eva are somewhere over the rainbow together.  And I hope we all get to join them someday. If they are doing a concert--I'd like a front row seat.

Over the Rainbow #2

My crazy cousin Ree sent me a link to this a couple of years ago.  I absolutely love it.  (Love crazy cousin Ree, too!) 

This is from Britain's got Talent.  There is a bit of an introduction before the actual song, but they let us see some of the backstage moments.  This little one is just terrific!

I never get tired of seeing this!  Happy Tuesday!  Hope this makes your day! And thanks, Ree!