Sweet Summer Sunshine!

I love summer!

Always have.....

I even like to sweat a bit.....

not from hot flashes,

but from hot summer sunshine.

I love the products of summer,

Sunflowers,

Suntans,

Sunny smiles,

Super Swimming pools,

the smell of suntan lotion (Coppertone)

Silly sassy swimsuits on little girls,

Super Squirt guns in little boys hands,

I love summer!

I went over to our neighborhood pool this morning

and put up all the umbrellas.....

not because it was hot,

but just because I like how it looked.

I love summer!

Being a mom is delicious torture......

Well, maybe torture is a bit strong.

On the one hand, labor, colic, teething,

food problems, sleep deprivation, doctor appointments,

pre-school, mother's morning out, play dates, chicken pox,

homework, birthday parties, stitches, mud, pets,...

did I mention sleep deprivation?....

dates, driver's license exams, re-takes, attitude,

headaches......

fear, loathing, embarrassment.....

loss of privacy, grey hair,

more sleep deprivation......

Then there are those wonderful moments....

Iloveyoumommy.

Hugs, kisses, Mother's day cards.....

Like the one I received this morning.....

"Happy Mother's Day!"

"Mom, thank you for being the best mom in the world, for always being there for me,

and for supporting me in all my decisions.

Love you, Michael"

OK, it was all worth it.....

I mean it.

Even the sleep deprivation

Perspective......

I require perspective.

AND

I simply cannot acquire it in a vacuum.

I have limited ability to see my world in a realistic manner.

I have to go out into the world and see other lives.

See what they deal with....

See how they cope....

See how blessed I am by comparison.

I know that we should not compare ourselves to others...

However, as selfish as this is, it is the only way I can

come to a realization of how fortunate I am.

Yesterday.....

I was given the gift of perspective.

I went about my everyday duties.....

and there it was.

My life ROCKS,

by comparison.

I have no problems,

in reality.

When I sit at home and worry.....

I get a distorted view of my life.

Did I thank you for your kind words?

They helped, thank you.

Time takes time.....

Sometimes,.....I hate that saying.

Well, hate is a pretty strong word, but you know the feeling....

The saying is filled with truth,

but an uncomfortable one...

Being without a job.....

sucks.

Have a ton of experience,

years of loyal service to one company,

that made some very bad business decisions....

sucks.

Watching the one you love struggle thru

job search, interviews, age discrimination....

well, sucks.

I am tired.

I have faith that something will come along.

but I lack patience.

I want so desperately to be positive,

but somedays....it just

sucks.

Sorry for so many sucks.

Happy thoughts....

Well....I am doing my best to have those happy thoughts...

Two miserable days of the "24 hour bug".....

(ie; vomiting)

have left me searching for something to smile about.

No..it's not SWINE FLU!

Every concerned phone caller inquires, so..

I am much better now.

(sounds like a quote from Monty Python)

Really I am.

no more flights to the toilet.

no more dry toast

no more regular Coke

(which I can only stomach when sick, is there a message here?)

Yep, I am just about wellish...

So I dug thru some old photos, so I could either smile

or cry, I am not sure which.

This is an old Polaroid of my son when he was about 2,

sittin on a very beautiful horse at the Colonial Cup

in Camden, SC (1990?).

He was so proud to be up there,

and well, it makes me smile and cry.

Nature or Nurture......

What can I say?

I am nuts about azaleas....

There are dozens around my home.

I am so fortunate that the previous owners loved them too.

This one is huge,

it is about 4 foot tall, and 6-8 feet across...

it must absolutely love where it is planted too,

shaded for most of the day,

protected from the noon day sun....

Hot summer sun only hits it for a couple of hours a day.

Right now, it is in full bloom,

and has 2 different blossoms.......

Cool, huh?

Yep, both of these blossoms are from the same plant,

I think it has something to do with Hybridizing....

Maybe....

What's the buzz...Tell me what's a happenin'....

Jesus Christ Superstar!

What a sensation it produced.

Old people were outraged.....

Young people brought around to the idea of the

Son of God.....

No one was non-committal.

I was a young teen...

I love it all.

I had the LP, album, whatever...

I played over and over.

I knew all the lyrics,

all the inflections of sound.

I loved this music......

To me,

it brought the idea of

Jesus Christ into the 20th century and made

him a real man.

I never saw the movie or the

Broadway production......

but I felt the music

and the joy....

I don't consider myself to be

religious,

I am not....

But I know a soulful noise when I hear it.

and this "moved me".

For those of you old enough to remember,

be grateful.

For those of you too young to have experienced this,

check it out......

Love it!