First day of school...

After many hours of shopping and organizing and deciding what to wear, and two different first days of school, the week is almost done. Much going on and getting use to getting up early and getting back in to the swing of things, has taken most of the week. Good thing, there is an extra day of rest this week. Thank you, Labor Day!

You can feel the crispness of fall in the air. Heard this week that winter is suppose to be mild again this year. Last year was beyond mild. Little snow, the sun was shining most every day, unheard of. Very little snow, I can't believe that it could happen again.

Still, I will take each day as it comes, sunny or not.It means that Christmas will soon be on the shelves, making a little room for Halloween. It means my standard wardrobe for the last few months may have to be supplemented with a few long sleeved things and worst of all, a coat of some sorts will have to be worn.

This year will be different as the man will be home. What that will look like will have to wait, one step at a time. He has learned about Happy Hour, now the First Day of School and next, Christmas shopping. Last night was the first time I forgot, and as I thought about the opening of BSU football, I thought, he won't be home in time...then I stopped and remembered, Oh yes he will.

There will be many opportunities to capture Fall but it starts with the first day of school. The cheesy picture under the tree, here we go...

worth...

It is nonsense to believe that you must agree with someone to treat them with respect. Rick Warren.

We have all done it.

Every single one of us.

No exceptions.

We make instant judgements, every second of every day. It is part of the human experience. I have been guilty of it, my whole life, in one form or another. Sometimes I feel bad about it, sometimes, I don't. A mother who is cruel to her kids in public, you can only imagine what she is like at home. What those kids suffer in silence and not a thing I can do about it.

Easy statement to make, hard to do. Very hard to do. From one who sees the glass as half empty, there comes a whole set of instructions on what is right and wrong. A very strong set of instuctions that I must fight at most every turn. We all have our triggers tripped by different things. It is easier to control once you know your own personal ones, but they never go away. Never.

This goes beyond being polite, this had to do with character. This has to do with being bigger with your triggers, thoughts and ideas. This has to do with moving over into the passengers seat and letting Someone else drive the car. This has to do with giving something up, another thing that does not come naturally and takes a lifetime to learn.

Someone's worth is not up to me or you.
Their value is not ours to determine.
Our only job is treat them with respect, like it or not...

the future....

This is our future...

These guys are going to bring their own game and take over soon. They are running things now, whether you like it or not. Everybody is aiming at them. It is said that President Obama won the election in 2008 because of them and if they don't show up in 2012, it could cost him the election.

Their attention span does not look like ours. Not saying that is good or bad, they don't seem to hold on as tight as we do. There is much more fluid in their lives. The look of the workforce as we know it is changing before our very eyes. Again, not bad- just different.

Their fun looks different than I remember at this age. Our course, we didn't have smartphones and instant most everything. We were at the Food Truck Rally last weekend and a couple of these kids are very near and dear to my heart. Hanging with their friends, I knew I had to shoot them. Later, they asked me to take a photo of them on one of their iPhones. Nikon and Canon better watch out, these kids may document their entire lives on an iPhone. What worked/works for us, may have no value to them.

I am in awe of their laid back attitudes. Nothing much seems to rattle them, make them want to hurry along. I know each generation has its own quirks and points of interest but these guys may be game changers and I for one, will watch and learn. There is always something to learn, always...

the burning house...

If your house was burning, what would you take with you? It's a conflict between what's practical, valuable and sentimental. What you would take reflects your interests, background and priorities. Think of it as an interview condensed into one question.

Name: Zalaine Dille
Age:60
Location: Idaho
Occupation:a simple woman living a simple life
Website: www.everydayrandom.com

List:
4 Memory boxes for my daughter and grandchildren
external HD with all photos
My necklace collection
My digital scrapbooks

This website made me think what would be essential for me to take. AS you read through those who have given their lists, you might scratch your head and go, really? But think about it, as diverse as we all are, the things we cherish are anything but common.

If I had more than a few Moments to gather things, there would be another tier to the List. My iPad, my desktop and my red chair. Things that can all be replaced but why if you don't have to. Make a little pile in the neighbor's yard, forget that you were sleeping in your birthday suit THAT night and just get as much as you can. What would your list included?....

perfect...

Miss B is part of our extended family.
She is 8 years old.
She has been diagnosed with aplastic anema.

We are praying. For her, her parents, her brother. This is not how life is suppose to be. Children are suppose to be able to run and jump and play, not isolated in a hospital unable to have visitors and to feel awful and scream when anyone with a needle comes close.

We always feel so bad when we hear of someone's child being extremely ill. We also all say the same words to ourselves that we are not proud of, Thank God it isn't my child.

But sometime, it may be you and yours. Then the prayers take on a different meaning, a different urgency. We want to go back to the way things were, before. w ewe do get to sleep at night, we want it to all go away but when we open our eyes, there is it staring us down.

Normal takes on a whole new meaning. Everyone's world goes on, ours spins on a new axel. We are headed in a direction, we didn't ask for and didn't see coming.

Many prayers have gone up for this precious child. Those of desperate parents, of anxious grandparents, of loving family and friends. Some pray for a touch of instant cure, some for strength for parents who have spent countless hours in a hospital and some, to be thankful for the healthy families they have.

I think it is true that God doesn't give you everything you need, until you need it. This very Moment, I pray that Miss B gets everything that God has for her. I pray that her parents feel him hovering over them as they keep watch and I pray that for the rest of us, as we breathe in everything he is...

PSA...

This is a PSA for the experience of a colonoscopy.

Views expressed are strictly those of my experience, Your experience may differ from mine.

That being said, I never would have gotten a colonscopy, just because I should. Never have been fond of anything, just because I should. I am anti-everything, medical. Scared of needles, you name it, I don't like it.

I fought this for many years. The company DH husband worked for sent monthly reminders to go get one. What they didn't tell you was, they were not going to pay for it.

This time, I couldn't get around, tried as I may. Heard that the prep was the worst. That they made you drink gallons of slightly, thick liquid that might make you vomit and if it did, you would have to do it all over again. And, if you lived through the prep, which was highly unlikely, The procedure was painful.

Here is what I experienced. A 32 oz bottle of Gaterade with a bottle of Miralax which is complelely grit- free and tastless, one day and another, the next day. I can throw back a Route 44 Diet Coke without a second thought. The Prep on both days was a piece of cake.

Yes, what comes next is at best, a bit confining but it too, passes.

The day of the procedure, I was given a gown that covered everything and a warm blanket. Soon, my lovely nurse said she was giving me my happy juice...and then I remember waking up with DH by my side.

All those years of worry and fear, for nothing. The polyp can back benign and will have a followup in a couple of weeks. Found Diverticultis, which may have been giving me fits and will have to adjust my diet accordingly which means no more Route 44 Diet Cokes.

So here's the deal, we spend our lives worried about all sorts of things that never happen. Is there a better way? I hope so. I really, hope so...

young at heart...

As we get older, the things that make us laugh, are the same thing that made us laugh when we were 20. Humor is most certainly subjective. DH and I don't share the same humor, mostly. Last night, the back seat of the can which included him and two grandchildren, were crazy with laughter. They all had tears running down their faces and could not get the Story out that had put them in this laugh coma. It didn't extend to the middle and front seats and we were having a hard time understanding what was going on because none of them could stop long enough to tell us.

By this time, the Story almost didn't matter. The laughter that caught on in the middle and front seats was directly in response to theirs. When they finally got the Story out, it wasn't as funny to us as it was to them. They did collect themselves, eventually but those who were not part of the backseat, never caught up.

And, that is ok. It was almost like trying to share a private Moment that wasn't meant to include you. Must admit watching these two generations, in such sync, was aweseome. To be in that Moment was a wonderful Place to dwell for those Moments. The rest of us, even if we didn't get it, will never forget...

10...

Here's to being 10.
Here's to wanting to spend the day at the Mall.
Here's to a family dinner at Rockies where you were the star of the show.

but more than that...

Here's to your big heart.
Here's to doing the right thing when it isn't always easy.
Here's to grabbing your wallet to share.
Here's to making all of us, so proud
Here's to you, who makes us laugh.
Here's to the boy who askes all the questions.

Here's to you, Gage. We love you to infinity and beyond...love nana

7 days a week...

What do I do 7 days a week? Religiously, yet not religious. What in my life is important enough for me to do it, every day?

It is a great question and I imagine that for each of us, there would be more differences than similarities.

My short list would include my family, my faith and my gratitude. There is a part of me that insist that most things should not be done 7 days a weeks. I am anti 365, whether it comes to taking photos or exercise or even, ice cream or most anything else. IMHO, those types of external events need to be put in perspective and perspective to me, doesn't include them being done every day.

The everyday is sacred. Ask anyone who has lost someone in an instant. We only have the here and now. Sometimes we get distracted and think we more. More of this and more of that. Maybe what we really need more of, is less. Maybe we need to refocus our everyday. I am talking to myself here, and not sure where this is headed for me but I am most certainly, open...

411 vs 911...

Do you know the differences between 411 and 911 in your life?

Maybe it sounds silly but if you get these two mixed up, how does it affect your life?

I can tell you how if affects mine, it messes with mental well-being. It makes things seem important that aren't. It belittles the true tragedies of life. It gets me all mixed up and when I get mixed up and make choices with that mind set, they get mixed up too.

I walked myself through a stressful time last week, asking myself with each step, Is this a 411 or a 911? As I took each step, I realized that they were all 411 steps. I would have not seen that because when I looked at it as a whole, there appeared to be some very 911 Moments. Funny, how if you pace it out, the clearer it becomes.

Moments to learn and Moments to panic, seems like a 411 Moment to me. Think I will save the 911 for later...

faith over fear...

It occured to me this week that not like a fraction, faith has to be over fear.

When I look back on my life and it was fear over faith, it was utter chaos. Not just a sense of being a bit off but a sense that was riddled with being over thought, and downright dangerous.

Fear makes you throw out everything you know to be true and head like Alice, Down the rabbit hole. No more making sense, the journey takes one down a whole new, not so good path. There is a Time and place for fear, good fear but letting it lead, is never, ever the answer.

Faith isn't sticking your head in the sand. Faith tells you that no matter what, you are loved. No matter the outcome, someone was there. Faith reminds you there is more than one way to be healed. Faith says, look at it from this angle.

Never one to be good at fractions, I see a mental picture of faith on top and fear on the bottom. There are 365 mentions of Do Not Fear in the bible. Sometimes that is easy to remember, sometimes not. That is where living straight up with faith comes in. If you are upside down, if fear is driving - make a change. Do youself a favor and make that change...

food for thought...

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.

It's time to wipe the slate clean.

I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.

In the midst of winter, I found there was witin me, an invincible summer.

Here's to the kids who memorize lyrics faster than vocabulary words.

Never lose your sense of wonder.

Fall seven time, stand up eight.

Take it day by day.

You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you, suddenly thrill you.

Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you.

Sometimes, we just have to let things go.

We are crooked souls, trying to stay up straight.

Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the main reason I have trust issues.

Breathe deeply and appreciate the Moment.

Let it go...

clothes...

Here we are again, school is starting here is less than 2 weeks. Still time for a little vacation and a week to practice getting up in the morning. The quest for school clothes has been going on for almost a month, not done yet but who wants to try on jeans in 100 degree weather?

I don't remember it being so hot starting school as a kid. Global warming or whatever you want to call it, it seems like the going back to school wardrobe only requires shorts and a tank top, bypassing what Sears and JC Penney would have you believe.

This year, uniforms have been added to the mix for one of the kids. Makes it easier to shop, I guess but isn't part of the fun of going back to school wearing that 1st day, special outfit that makes you feel very girly or very manly. Guess he will have to save that for a different occasion.

In the mornings, the heat is cooling down. No longer 90 degrees at 630am, fall is in the air. The days are still blistering hot and will be for a while, but change is in the air. There may be hope for those long pants yet...

so there...

Either you have been there, or you are experiencing it as a parent.

The attitude, the face that comes behind your back that you may or may not,see. The thing is we adults do the same thing but are way less guarded. At this age, somewhere deep inside, this seems like a cool thing to do and maybe it is, unless you get caught. Is it worth getting in trouble for? I would imagine that his answer would be yes. His Down The Road, is just beginning. Lots of things look like a good idea, even if you gave him a chance at a do-over.

As we mature, we learn what is approperiate and what will get us in trouble. If normal maturity prevails, we learn to curb those feelings and keep it inside. There are plenty of examples where maturity goes wrong and it never happens. Where people don't learn and grow. Their family suffers and your world suffers too. It's ok to disagree, or refuse to go with the standard norm. There is a right way and a wrong way but if you never learn that, for whatever reason, that so there mentality turns toxic.

This boy has the kindest heart I have ever seen. He shares his money, his time and always bows to keep peace but even the best kid has to live through the terrible teens. I can almost see him as an adult. This picture and a few more, will remind him of his wild and crazy days and I venture to guess, it will not be his shining Moment. That he will shrug it off and glad he has come through to the other side. We all have So There Moments and hopefully, they are fleeting no matter what Season of life, they come...

you and me...

The older I get, the more I understand that sharing with each other, is a delicate balance.

Oversharing as well as no sharing are not where we want to find ourselves. Both are telling, both show a lack of balance. TMI, too much information can wear a person out. Never sharing and holding on to everything by yourself, is equally damning.

I have been guilty of dipping a toe in each camp. The details don't maater but over the years, I swing wildly between the two and have not had as much balance as I wish I could confess to.

Do we know when we are out of balance?
Do we know when to share and when to shut up?
Is it possible to live in balance when it comes to sharing?

All I can tell you is that a few weeks ago, I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was to share Something with someone. I had no intention of doing so but when the small, quiet voice is made loud, I knew it was the thing to do.

I also know when I have gone to far in the other direction. We need to share our joys, hurts and understand that people are not our personal problem-solvers. They are sharers of the Journey. They may have advice to offer and they may not. We don't share equally with everyone. Personal issues are held tight by those closest to us. Those who we have shared and have history with. I imagine we all have Stories about sharing going horribly wrong, where we imagine we will never share again. It is part of Life, accept it. This side of heaven, that is what this Journey looks like, is like.

We get a chance to do better every day.
We also know about 2 steps forward, and 3 back.
Do better than the day before...

you...

Sometimes, it is all about you.It may not come in the shape or form of your choice. Sometimes, you have no choice. It may not be pretty or flashy. It will be not of your own choosing but it will most definitely, be about you.

No answers and still lots of questions. Hope to get down to the heart of the problem soon. Until then, it is wait and hold on to what you know. That...

today is a gift.
no one is promised anything.
plan but be ready to be, derailed.

And in everything, give thanks. No matter what, you take your faith with you. You wear it like a blanket and let it comfort you. This isn't about whether you believe or not, it is about making the decision and standing by it, no matter what. I lived 26 years trying to do it all on my own, didn't work so well. Faith seems to fit me, just fine...

the male species...

Women are nowhere near prepared to know what men are thinking at any given time. Or doing. The way they react with each other, is no help. They stand together and can look at the sky, forever.

Every day, I appreciate the male species even more. Even if, I don't have a clue. It is even fun to watch them interact. Let them go and stand back and watch. They certainly don't act like women. They are slow and methodic. They bulid up to a pace, we women just dive in. That is why when we ask them what they talked about with So and So, they don't know. It isn't that they don't want to tell us, they may never have got there.

All of our friends are 10 years young so it makes DH, the old man. Not to be bothered by that, he keeps up with the best of him. A semi pro visitor, he can and does talk to anyone. He once talked to a street vendor for an hour, we thought it was a long lost friend...he had never met him, complete stranger.

I love my friend's husbands. One saved me the other night when I got a bit light headed. He found me a seat and went and got Stevie. Think I got a bit overhearted but the kindness shown to me couldn't have been more appreciated. Men, got to love them...

happy groom...

Without exception, everytime you get that photo that makes you smile, involutarily - it is pure giddyness.

A wedding comes with so many emotions. All the time, money, attention to detail, comes to an end. It is Crunch Time. Ready or not, here we go. With the ceremony first, everything you have worried about and practiced for, is over. There may be a few gliches but really, it just adds to the charm. As you participate by witnessing a new union, you are reminded of your own wedding. You remember standing in their shoes, hopes and dreams, firmly held in your hands. You are your most idealistic time of your life. Never will you think the Impossible isn't totally doable than this time of your life. It is a wonderful Place to be, for a while.

Then comes food, speeches and then the first dance. Then the dance with parents. Then the party really begins. Now it is time to get down and get funky. To celebrate what the day is really about. Can't imagine doing it any other way...

Criminal Minds, no more...

I use to watch those Nancy Grace shows. Not proud of it but, it's true.

There is never anything good, redeeming or uplifting. It is always the Worst crime of the day and all the terrible stuff that goes with it. That all goes into your mind for use, Down The Road. The news is scary, no doubt and I have never been one to sugarcoat our culture, always looking it straight in the face.

The theatre shooting in Colorado spooked me. Haven't been to a movie in long time and not sure when I will. Not even sure I want to rent the movie when it comes out on video. Just not sure.

My crime program of choice has always been Criminal Minds. DH likes NCIS and there is always the Mother of all Crime shows, Law and Order. I loved the way CM would take a horrific Story and the killer is always caught by the end of the show. I haven't watched a single episode since that Thursday night. I just can't go there, ever again.

I need to focus on cute boots.
I need to see the good that is around us.
I need to refocus

Dog days...

Not sure of the official start of the dog days of summer, but with the Back To School yearly push in full bloom, it is on the horizon.

There are still plenty of sno cone days left and we will take advantage of every one we can. Birthday Cake and coconut, who knew?

Having one eye on the 2012-2013 season, new teachers and a few other new things. It is all good, hopefully even better than good. Time will tell. As everyone moves up to the next grade, there is a Sense of a new thing. Teachers, expectations, and new ways.

Have always said, that the school year is my real, New Year. Fall renews me. Still buy new underwear every year at this time. It is a part of my DNA. Just bought a planner that starts on August 1. You guys can have Jan 1, as the start of your new year. It is usually cold and snowy, I like my fall NY, so much better. It is a beautiful time of the year that reminds me, of being renewed and that while winter is coming, it is not here yet. It is the Time of year where color abounds. The harvest is ready. The weather is still warm, the days long enough and most everything is right with the world.

But until then, the sno cone shack is still open for a few weeks. Still time for lazy days and just hanging out. Enjoy every moment of it...

Have you killed him yet?

The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life and elevating them to an art. -William Morris

I have been asked this question more than once the last five weeks. And the answer is no.

There has been Something that I can only explain as a sweetness between us. Whether it is the recognition that this is the last stage of life and we will share it together, from here on, is the only explanation I can come up with. There is a mutual concern for each other that is stronger than the pre-retirement days. We are in this together until we are not. We hope for many years together, to enjoy our family and the life of the Everyday.

Don't get me wrong, we have had a few spats but the fire of those times seems to be gone. We understand that we are better together, then divided. We are learning a whole new way and the facial hair is growing. Our job is to grow too and finish strong. If you are grateful for the everyday, there is more than enough to keep you busy and that, keeps the kill factor - at bay...

young love...

There is nothing quite young Love.

To watch it, takes you back to when you thought you knew everything about Love. It takes many years to distinguish Real Love from Real Lust. When you are young, those two look like identical twins. With some perspective, you start to see they look, nothing alike. They are as diffeent as night and day.

It shouldn't be but Love is quite tricky. We don't seem to see it when it is staring us in the face yet, will jump through all sorts of hoops to grab what we percieve as Love even though it looks nothing like it. Maybe there are too many different kinds of Love for us to fathom. Try to explaining couple love, the love of a woman for her child and the Love of God. Similiar maybe, but hard to sort out when you have questions.

We are a simple people who complicate Love at every opportunity. We are either holding on too tight , or sharing it in ways that just aren't right. We give, hoping we will get back and that never turns out well. Love doesn't have to be big, we miss so much when we think it does. A little, good Love goes a long way and that kind of Love will make us better...