Got my eyes set on you!

Our house sits on a main road. The homes behind us are at a lower level than our elevated house and the other ones on our street. Therefore, neighbors cannot see into our back windows. Still, I do not make it a habit of going nude with drapes or blinds open.

I got out of the shower and realized I had forgotten my bra. I covered my chest with my arms, and reasoned, "No one can see in anyway. Just go grab your bra from your lingerie drawer and go back to the bathtroom to finish dressing."

Then my little voice of reason began yapping. "Relax! Neighbors cannot see you. They'd have to be on a ladder gazing in the window, or hanging out in the thirty foot tall tree behind us." 

No sooner a thought, and I glimpsed a neon yellow vested communication technician working on the cable lines, hanging like a monkey gawking in at me! (Only me!)

Charlie is 4, and he saved his own little soul when he got "caught."

He was building with blocks, and when he knocked them over accidentally, he got frustrated and shouted, "JEEEsus!" He looked up at me looking at him and he said softly, "Jesus, I love you!"

Moral of my stories: you never know when someone is watching.

My mom used to use fear tactics: "No matter where you are, who you are with, or what you are doing, someone is always watching, and I WILL hear about it." 

I was a good kid, but always on the look out for mom's friends, our neighbors, or someone who could rat me out. 

 

Support the local arts

St. Louis, Missouri is noted for producing literary, visual and performing artists. 

THREE local writers were recently published in a new release,  Chicken Soup for the Soul, Well THAT Was Funny. My fellow writers and I will be signing books on June 3rd at Barnes and Noble in St. Peters, near St. Charles. Please stop by and say hello. We will be there from 11:00 -2:00.  

                                     

            Everybody needs a laugh. This book should do it for you!
                      Why is my face as large as the frog's?! Ribbit.

As the school year draws to an end

I had a bad reaction to medication from a simple procedure and was in excruciating pain for a week. But all is fine now. That explains my long absence.

Mother's Day brought my son and his children and my daughter to our house. I recieved so many sweet and thoughtful gifts, but this towel spoke volumes.  

I have had such fun this year preparing Alex and Charlie for kindergarten. I was fortunate to find this dry erase white board at the curb down the street. I sure put it to good use. 

As the four year old Pre-K class concludes, the boys can actually see how much they have learned. They recognize numerals 1-20 and letters/sounds, number words 1-10, color words, and basic shapes, days of the week, months of year and how to get along with others unless it's brothers. They do well at the playground, have good social skills, are friendly and outgoing. They have grown so much!

LOOK AT THESE BOYS WAY UP HERE!

Now that they know all letters/phonics sounds, I introduced phonetic spelling, (spell it as they hear it, also called inventive spelling) and so, they 'ordered" McDonald's. can you read it?  No silent e's, therefore Coke looks like it does.

I taught them the last letter sounds/blends CH, TH, SH, and OO. 

MY THEY'VE LEARNED A LOT THIS YEAR!

Older brother Liam was a nervous wreck on Field Day. "I can't run very well. I have never been good at kick ball." He helped bring his team to victory, FIRST PLACE WIN!

See the pride on his face? My wish for all of my great grandsons is a feeling of success, and an I-can-try (and then do it) attitude. Fun summer ahead! Stay tuned.
 

Things that made me go "Hmm"

 A memory popped up on Facebook this morning, and it made me laugh. Charlie is on his way to being five-years-old. When he was barley three, I asked about his boo-boo. He has always been talkative.
"I'm alright, Nana. See, look. I am alive. I 'm not dead."

Yesterday I walked into a big box store and passed the pharmacy. A pharmacy tech spoke loudly on the phone to a customer. "Yes sir that IS actually part of the directions, squat and let it hang like a limp noodle." No idea what he was being treated for, and didn't want to know.

One time we were on a cruise and an obese woman passed by wearing a shirt emblazoned with I BEAT ANOREXIA.

Some things just make you smile, wince. shake your head...

A cage for our cutie

I am thrilled with my latest purchase. Lately I have been discouraged with the outrageous prices at the Goodwill Stores in our town. I know all about inflation, but who wants to pay $12 for a used, donated blouse because of its brand name? The rest of the blouses/shirts on the rack were about $5.00.

Used books used to cost a dollar, now they are up to $3.00. It makes me want to express my opinion. 

At the register, the clerk asked if I wished to donate my change. I replied, "Not since the prices have increased so much." 

I know it wasn't her fault, but I needed to be heard. And I was. Got a chorus of 

"Uh huhs!" and "That's right!" from others in line. However...

 I did hit the jackpot with this purchase. I saw a small, flat carrying case on a shelf. Unzipped it and knew if I released the folded up cage inside, I would never get it back in. There was an original sales tag on the unused, NEW item for our sweet, Sassy Boy, who loves-loves-loves his "dad."  When Bill goes to the back yard or sits on the patio, this sweet kitty sits at the back door and cries to come out. 

He was one happy cat when we took him outside. He resisted his removal with all of his fifteen pounds when it was time to go inside. I think it is going to be a great summer for all of us. He will be next to his "buddy" and be able to view the backyard birds and bunnies. 

I paid $5.99 for this collapsible Ruff and Rufus cage. Bill researched it on line. Retail price $50.00.

 I'd say that was a bit of good will for Goodwill to sell it at such a discount.

Beloved television teachers

 I have been cleaning out closets and discovered these treasured books from the time of my childhood. I am certain they came from yard sales. I bought them because they were so near and dear to my heart. 

Romper Room was an early childhood television series in the U.S. from 1953-1994. Miss Lois (there were several teachers over the years) who used a magic mirror to "see" her viewers. She called the names of children she "saw" watching her show. She insisted they be good "Do Bees." 

Before Sesame Street, which was released in 1969, (when I was pregnant in Alaska and I had nothing elese to view) there was Romper Room which my kids and grandkids watched. 

Then Barney the big purple dinosaur made his debut. My granddaughter, Ashley, the boys' mom, loved Barney so much Papa Bill took her to the mall and bought her a stuffed Barney. When giant Barney was scheduled to make an appearance at the mall, the crowd was unbelievable; they had traffic cops at all entrances. The line to see Barney wound around the first floor of the mall three times. I took Ashley to get a bite to eat, and happened to see Barney stick his head out a door to take a peek. I grabbed her up and beat a path over. When he exited with his handler, he greeted Ashley first! We headed home and did not have to wait in a three hour line. Leave it to Nana Linda.

Prior to these wonderful early learning shows there was Ding Dong School. The nursery school of my childhood debuted as a morning show in 1952 on NBC. Early childhood educator, Dr. Frances Horwich, was known as beloved Miss Frances. I waited each day for her to ring the bell and start Ding Dong school. These books are
L to R from 1953, 1954, 1935, and 1940. So many little hands must have turned these pages. 

I am certain Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans had an influence on me, too, but not like Miss Frances who reminded me of my grandma. 

I beleieve that in my forty year career as an early childhood educator, I was influenced by these nursery programs. 

Do you remember them?

It wasn't Peter Cotton Tail

While waiting for the Easter Bunny, we had a visit from a turkey. This guy wandered up the block, stopped in our driveway and looked at me, then moseyed on past four more houses. He stopped in his tracks when he saw his reflection in the  neighbor's glass storm door and preened for a while. He let me get very close before turkey trotting on up the block.  

I just love this photo taken by my daughter when the boys visited at her house. 

 I received an acceptance from Guideposts, Angels on Earth for one of my stories to be released in August. I am delighted to break into this publication. Hopefully many more.

Spring has arrived and I have sat on the patio and read five books in two weeks. My leisure activity.

For those of you who may have known prolific writer, Georgia Hubley, sadly she passed away last week.