We always wanted to live by water

Just got 2 1/2 inches of rain in 45 min. A little lake formed out on the golf course, and a creek is coursing down towards the storm drain. It's hard to tell from these pics (always is), but we now live on water (for an hour or so, until it goes down).

Chris' motorcycle mama...

...or is this Paige on the back of Kincade's scooter? (This pic is actually courtesy of Jason and his old girlfriend.)

Happy Birthday, Love Jason

I just got my birthday card from Jason, a nice sentimental card with a loving happy birthday message for a special mom (he did that on purpose because he usually gets me funny ones). But he had written, " Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope Santa gets you a nice Easter basket for your birthday. Love Jason"

I had to laugh, because a few years ago I starting sending him cards a week or so before his June birthday. The first one was a Valentine's card, and I said I know some special day is coming and I hope I've gotten it right, or something along that line. The next card was an Easter card, then a Christmas card, all saying the same thing, a special day is occurring, I hope I've gotten the correct card (or whatever cards I sent, I've forgotten now). Finally his birthday card. At first he just thought I was being cheap and sending the Valentine's card because that was all I had, and then thought I was crazy.

So I got his hidden message in this card. Quite funny.

Dinesh D'souza's movie and book

"Immersed in exotic locales across four continents, best selling author Dinesh D'Souza races against time to find answers to Obama's past and reveal where America will be in 2016."

I have not read D'Souza's book The Roots of Obama's Rage (where he gets the material for the film), but I have read What's So Great About America and have it in my political bookcase, which is only one of his many, many books. He is a talented conservative author, an Indian-American, a Christian. He is a strong voice for conservatives and Christians, having once debated Christopher Hitchens, well known atheist, at the University of Notre Dame in a discussion called The God Debate. I just now listened to a few minutes of it on YouTube. Sounded interesting, but lasted almost 2 hours so I doubt if I get back to it.

Tonight Rick and I are going to see "2016:Obama's America." I have high hopes and wish all conservatives would support this film, if for nothing else than to put some money in D'souza's pocket and show Hollywood that good, conservative films can make money.

Drapes that cause problems

Squirt took this pic of Jasper hiding in the curtains. It reminded her of another time someone hid in the drapes...



...does anyone remember who?

Ride 'em, Cowgirls

This was at the Philadelphia Outlet Mall that Scott found.

When Paige was a little girl, she had a sailor's dress just like these.

Yum Yum Donuts

These are the donuts that Paige calls the best in the world - they must be because Paige and Co hit up Yum Yum's 5 times in their 8 days here.  On Wednesday's Yum Yum's has a Kid's Make Their Own day, which simply means frosting and decorating a donut. Here is Stella and Macy eating their donuts.

I always forget to take pics but this time I did get a few. I bought this wading pool for the girls at Aldi. They had great fun several times.



Yesterday morning I was downstairs when I heard Macy wake up so I went to get her. As we were coming  down the stairs she said, "Papaw, Papaw!" Rick usually is downstairs at the bar on his computer doing work. And she ususally sits with him and they watch "Wheels on the bus" together (many, many, many times), but this time I had to tell her that Papaw was gone to work. I guess that meant the party was officially over. I will miss her yelling "Nano!"

Upstills to Philly

Rick and I arrived home on Sunday (the viewing was Aug 2 and the funeral was Aug 3) late. The next day Rick was off on a trip to Ireland; Paige and family were coming in on Wed evening, or rather Thursday morning at 12:35am and Rick was not getting home until Thurs at 1pm. That left me to pick them up from the airport (which I would have a difficult time doing without a GPS). As I checked their online arrival time, I noted that it had been delayed until 12:55am. I didn't necessarily believe it wouldn't come in until then because I have been on flights that were delayed before and the pilot comes on the PA and says we will make up the time in the air.

But, at any rate, I left at 11:30pm. The whole 55 min drive to the airport I was going back and forth, should I go in and meet them outside security or not? I did not think it safe to be wandering the terminal at 1am by myself. I decided I would wait in the cell phone lot until Paige and Co had collected luggage and called me, and then was thinking I might not be safe, in a car in the middle of an empty lot by myself (really, lots of burglars want me and always have).

I got to the airport and drove to the cell phone lot, which was packed with cars and people, so I could see it was completely safe. I had arrived 25 min early, and I decided to just drive by the pickup terminals (Philly has 6) and scope out where I needed to be. I got to D, then E (their arrival terminal) and saw tons of people walking back and forth. This also felt completely safe, so I parked and walked in.

As I was waiting, I looked out the window at the SEPTA train station and was struck by the energy of large cities, such as Philly and NYC. Altho I don't want to live here forever, certainly not retire here, it has been fun to partake of big, big city life, even on the small level I have.

Their flight arrived; they all looked like vampires with red eyes. The little girls were quite tired, as were Paige and Kincade. We got home at 2am and to bed at 2:30. At 8am I heard a little girl yelling, "Nano!" Way too early to be up!

Will life ever be normal again?

Today is just 1 1/2 weeks since Charles died, a little over 2 weeks since I was notified that he had such a short time left. I guess I just never really, truly believed it. I'm having a hard time believing it now. I was not this upset when my dad died.

I'm reminded of two Robert Frost poems, the first is "Home Burial" and the next is "Death of the Hired Man." Both speak to the existence of man on this earth, and I love them both. In the first a mom is having a difficult time accepting the death of a beloved child, and in the second, a sometime unreliable farm hand returns to the home where he was employed most often, to die.

From all my reading of Life After Death/Near Death experiences and what the church teaches, Charles wouldn't want to return if he could. It is up to us to live so that when we join him, when our earthly life book is closed, we have lived as the Lord wants us to have lived. And so continues life - overcoming the natural man and working on perfection (which can never be achieved here).