Thursday, April 30, 2009

PARENT

Job Description


POSITION TITLE:
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Dad, Daddy, Dada

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work
variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and
endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat
in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets
and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be a willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:

None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills,
so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you
.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:

None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:

Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more, but the reason for this is by this time you're in total denial and are demented.

BENEFITS:

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered;
this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.



** AND A FOOTNOTE: THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!! * *

Monday, April 27, 2009

Jose`, Take Me Away!


MeriKate was sick Thursday and Friday with a tummy virus. Beans had it too but she only had the diarrhea part of it. It hit Alexis on Saturday. Zach came home sick today. This stuff is bouncing around like crazy around here. I'm wiping everything down with Clorox wipes, washing my hands over and over, and bleaching the toilet, because I don't want the bug; I don't need the bug! And noone else wants or needs the bug either!

Now I'm worried that most of the 6th grade has been exposed to the bug.

TV is filled with news of the Swine Flu virus that's moving all over the world, I sure hope all this cholorine bleach will keep that bug away. I hope all of you will take precautions to keep that nasty bug at bay too! It's mighty scary.

***

Now, a Beans story.

We were all outdoors the other day playing and Beans went up to Jerri and kept asking her something about "cycle". Jerri kept asking her, " what did she mean, what did she want?" Our patient little Beans (not) finally said, in a calm voice, "Ok." Then she got right in Jerri's face and yelled, "CYCLE!!!" Jerri still didn't know what she was trying to tell her but started laughing over the expression of exasperation that Beans had on her face. I was sitting on the porch steps and Beans marched over to me, held up an almost fully eaten pear, asked me, " where do you cycle", and started to throw it next to the porch.

Then it hit me. She wanted to "RECYCLE" her left-over pear.

I let her take it over to one of the rose bushes and put it underneath.

I reckon we need to see about starting a "compoat" (that's what she calls compost) pile around here so this child can do her "cycling".

***

We have 2 elementary graduations in May! Alexis is graduating from Kindergarten, top of her class, and Zach graduating from 6th grade. He'll be in Jr. High next year! I felt pretty old when my youngest child graduated from highschool; I wonder what I'll be feeling in 6 years when my oldest grandchild graduates?

Dear Lord, I'm not ready for this.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Photo Challenge - Anything Metal

A big thank you to Miz Jan over at Murrieta365 for giving us our prompt of "Anything Metal" for our photo challenge this time and don't forget to click over to our Photo Challenge Blog and click on each of the links in the comments to see what all the other wonderful challenger's photos.

Each of my pictures for this challenge came from the The National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis. I visited the museum last weekend after I found out that it was only a short distance from where James was working on President's Island and thought it would be a perfect place to take pictures for this challenge.

They wouldn't allow pictures to be taken inside the museum but did allow them to be taken of the sculptures and displays located outdoors.

So I did.

I took this inside Schering-Plough Smithy area. I thought it was an amazing metal cast of a child's hand.

This sculpture was titled "Gnaw Bones". I looked it over and had to come to the conclusion that I'm fairly certain I wouldn't want to be inside the artist's head,,,nope,,,not for any reason.

Here is a closer look at old bones up there.

This funky bird sculpture was much more appealing to me. I love the colors and fun of it. I'm not very good at interpreting art work that isn't blatantly self-explanatory.

This display was sort of peaceful and serene once you got past the half of a head peeking out of the top and the metal alligator hanging around at the bottom.

I so much fun doing this challenge and I look forward each time to the new prompts and to seeing how everyone interprets the prompts.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Photo Challenge Tomorrow!!

Miz Jan over at Murrieta365 is our hostess for this challenge round and she chose "Anything Metal" as our challenge prompt. Y'all don't forget to go over to the Photo Challenge Blog and leave a comment saying you want to join us for this round.

I'm sure glad Zach told me today was Friday and it was the 24th of April, (I hadn't even noticed the day or date when I posted earlier today) or I'd have been late.

I can't wait to see everyone's pictures!!

Roses and Talents



I guess the fact that it's been in the 80's here for the past couple of days means the threat of frost is done. Every bush is blossoming except for the climbing red in the back yard.

I snapped a picture of the reddish orange blooms above to share my astonishment about this little climber. The photo in my previous post with the lighter orange rose is from the same bush!
Isn't it strange to have such a variety of colors from one plant? I don't know if it's grafted to be like this or if that evil farmer <-----over there has gotten chemicals on it already this year. I really should keep up with the varieties but I really don't have it altogether enough for all that.


This morning, while all the kiddies were reclining all around my living room as they waited for the school bus, we had a conversation about talents. Jerri and Alexis were talking about softball and how each team member had a talent. Jerri told Alexis that Calaeb's talent was catching and Alexis could stop the ball good so that was her talent. Alexis caught on and said, "Oh yeah! Everyone has a talent! Abby's is pooting!" She went through everyone naming their talent (notice one of Jillian's talents above). No one said anything for a minute or so, then Jillian came over, climbed into my lap and said, "And you're a good Nanaw."

I don't care what happens for the rest of the day, that was the highpoint!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

First Rose Blooms and The Chick Plays Ball

I've been waiting and waiting for a rose to bloom and finally the buds on some of the bushes started opening a couple of days ago. This orange beauty is a climber but I've forgotten the name.
I've forgotten the name of this one too, but I love the old fashioned look of it.

This rose looks so delicate but is really a hardy bloomer. All of my bushes are loaded with buds so the first bloom will be a riot of color. I noticed the pink bush and the Peace have just opened their first buds today so I'll get a shot of them tomorrow and check the red climber out back too.

Alexis, aka, the Chick, swinging away during her time at bat this evening. She's does a fine job on the ball field. We have 7 granddaughters and so far Jordan, Jaylen, and Alexis have shown an interest in playing ball.

Well, I'm pooped. Time for bed and my book. Hope everyone had a great day!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Farming in Memphis

A friendly snake sunning on the farm.

Wild turkeys

A tug on the channel coming from the Mississippi River.

Farm Owner


A view of Memphis across one of the fields on the island. Click to enlarge and you can see the bridge, the pyramid, and some of the tall buildings downtown.

Zoomed in shot of the same view as above.

Zach's watching the soybean bean seeds unload.

I arrived home around 11:30 Saturday morning but was just too tired to sit down and look through all of the photos to get a post ready. I spent most of the day on Friday being James' farm gofer. I went to pick up lunches and went to pick up supper, stuff like that. I did get away for over a hour to visit the Metal Museum but they only allowed me to take pictures of the outside displays. But, that was ok, I got some pretty good shots for the "Anything Metal" Challenge I think.

Being on President's Island is a total contrast to the rest of Memphis for sure. I went from pavement, to potholes and gravel, to dirt turn rows in just a matter of minutes after crossing the old I55 bridge.

It was raining when we woke up on Saturday morning (Zach and I slept in while James went back to work), but it didn't rain enough to keep them out of the fields until much later in the day. Zach stayed all day with James and I came home!

I think he said he'll be through planting up there in a day and a half if he can get back in the fields by Wednesday.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Overnight Trip

James left early yesterday to spend a couple days and nights in Memphis to plant soybeans on Presidents Island and I was supposed to go up today to take Zach to spend the day and night with him. He called just a few minutes ago and asked me if I wanted to stay overnight with them. The conversation went,

James: You could stay too.

Me: What on earth for? What would I do all day while you're in the field, I don't want to be in the field all day. And I don't want to spend all day in a motel room.

James: Brenda. You'd be in Memphis. I think you'd find something to do.

Brenda: Oh yeah....(brain wakes up a bit and thoughts of shopping, museums, bookstores,,,taking my camera,,,there's a METAL Museum not too far from the farm,,,) Oh, Ok. I may be able to find something to do for the day.

So, we're out of here for the day and the night. And if it rains I may be able to wrangle James into visiting a museum or two with us tomorrow before we come home. See y'all when we get back!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

I've Got a List and I'm Gonna USE It!


Easter was a disaster.

I've spent the past few days mulling it over and over and although my first instinct was to disown my two youngest offspring, I guess I will keep their names on the family tree for a little while longer if they will just get their SHI* together!

I gave Odie away last week. To Abby; She spent the night on Thursday night and asked if she could have him. He'd been Squawking and making my life miserable every time I tried to settle in to watch a Life Time movie so I had had enough of him by then so I said, " YES, YES, Take HIM, but you might ought to call and ask your Momma first." Zach came in and was angry with me for giving Odie away so I told him that I was getting rid of all of my aggravations so he'd best tread lightly or he'd be next on the list!

Things better improve around here or I'm gonna keep adding to that list and I'm gonna start checking stuff, and people, and animals, off.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Photo Challenge - Your Favorite Color

I thought and thought and thought some more about this challenge and finally came to the conclusion that I don't have a favorite color, I love them all! Right now my favorite color is Spring in all it's tinted and glorious dressings, tomorrow it might be blue,,,or purple,,,or salmon,,,or peach,,, or SUMMER.


I love the delicate purple of the wisteria vine in my front yard. It hides that horrible utility post fairly well. Last week when it was in full bloom, before the winds and rain wrecked havoc, it smelled so wonderful.

I love the deep, cool, greens of Spring, and what a beautiful background it makes for even the tiniest of blooms. You wouldn't know by looking that this tiny white and yellow bitterweed bloom has a really unpleasant scent.

I even love the carnival colors of the corn seed in the planter hoppers.

I love the contrasting colors in this shot. The Bermuda grass hasn't turned green yet but the clover has greened up nicely. Browns can be just as relaxing as greens to me.

JD Green is a favorite color here in my part of Arkansas. These are important colors in my life because they generate our livelihood by way of a job for my husband so that we can eat and have a roof over our heads. I'm thankful that the farmer he works for likes JD green. :-)

I love the deep orange color of Miz Ladybug crawling on my yellowish orange shirt; another dot of Spring color when the ladybugs come out.

Miz Donna was kind enough to be our challenge hostess for this round and she chose Your Favorite Color for us. Don't forget to take a look at all the other challengers by going to the Brenda Photo Challenge Blog and clicking the comment links for each one.

Friday, April 10, 2009

I'm Back!

7 days down and it wasn't even my modem, good thing they sent a new power supply cable with the new modem cause that was the problem. HUGHES NET and their customer service and tech support, that's located WAY over there in the far east, or wherethehelleverelse those folks with limited English abide, don't do a very good job at much of,,,well,,,anything, if the truth be known. OH Wait, they do a fine job of billing every month, gotta give em that.

Anyway, here I am, back in the nick of time for the next photo challenge being hosted by the delightful Miz Donna this time. Her choice for the challenge is for us to do shots showing our favorite color so I hope everyone got busy snapping up all kinds of colorful stuff.

I'll get busy in a bit sorting through my challenge photos and try to clear my muddled brain so I can recall some of the events of the past week. I'll also be working hard to catch up with what all of my blog buddies have been up to.