Taking a Trip (Time Travel)

A few days ago I came across this book titled The Girls From Ames. I bought it and began reading. It's a story about eleven women, a couple of years older than me who grew up together in Ames, Iowa. It chronicles their relationships throughout the years. These girls were attending Ames High at the same time I was. As I've been reading this book, I feel as if I am on a trip back in time. The author acknowledges many of the places I've been to or worked at. Jazz class is talked of and I can recall the feel and purchase of my chocolate brown leg warmers, so desperately needed to be in class. Interestingly, I intensely smell the cafeteria food, as if I am there today. I really hated the smell and I have this keen memory of smelling it as I walked the halls thinking all the while of how I could devise a plan to get back to sunny California.

It's so curious that these girls were living parrallel to me at that time and having such a different life experience in a small town like Ames, Iowa.

As I read on and have colorful and vivid memories of a place so long ago, I've learned it is isn't always necessary to physically take a trip to get the essence of being somewhere else.

Munchausen Syndrome ( I think my # of visits would qualify me)

Well, today Adam and I went on our 19th visit to the Doctor's office this year. The lollipops he ate from the office this year alone will require a dental cleaning appointment.

I'm beginning to feel as if I know all of the pediatric urgent care Doctors personally.

Anyway, Adam has similar symptoms as he did with pneumonia. Today, they didn't think it was pneumonia and I'll keep my fingers crossed it doesn't develop into that.

However, the boy is miserable, coughing every few seconds.

Between coughs he manages to get in a "Thank-you, Mommy" when I bring him a blanket or juice.

I'm taking tomorrow off.

About Angels By Laura E. Richards

"Mother," said the child, "are there really angels?"
The Good Book says so," said the mother
"Yes," said the child. "I have seen the picture. But did you ever see one, Mother?"
"I think I have," said the mother, "but she was not dressed like the picture."
"I am going to find one!" said the child. "I am going to run along the road, miles and miles, and miles, until I find an angel."
"That will be a good plan!" said the mother. "And I will go with you, for you are too little to run so far alone."
"I am not little any more!" said the child. "I have trousers. I am big."
"So you are!" said the mother. "I forgot. But it is a fine day, and I shall like the walk."
"But you walk so slowly with your lame foot."
So they started, the child leaping and running and the mother stepping out so bravely with her lame foot that the child forgot about it.
The child danced on ahead, and presently he saw a chariot coming towards him, drawn by prancing white horses. In the cchariot sat a splendid lady in velvet furs, with white plumes waving above her dark hair. As she moved in her seat, she flashed with jewels and gold, but her eyes were brighter than her diamonds.
"Are you and angel?" asked the child, running up beside the chariot.
The lady made no reply, but stared coldly at the child. Then she spoke a word to her coachman, and he flicked his whip and they were off.
The mother came and wiped the dust left from the carriage from his eyes with her gingham apron.
"That was not an angel!" said the child.
The child danced on again, leaping and running from side to side of the road and the mother followed.
By and by the child met the most beautiful maiden. Her eyes were like blue stars, and the blushes came and went in her face like roses looking through snow.
"I am sure you must be an angel!" cried the child.
The maiden blushed more sweetly than before. The maiden took him up in her arms and kissed him and held him tenderly.
"You are the dearest thing I've ever saw!" she said.
"Oh!" she cried. "There he is coming to meet me!"
She scolded the child for soiling her dress with his muddy shoes and ran off to her lover.
The child lay in the dusty road and sobbed, till his mother came along and picked him up and wiped away his tears with her gingham apron.
"I don't believe that was an angel after all" he said.
"I am tired" said the child. "Will you carry me home, Mother?"
"Why yes!" said the mother. "This is what I came for."
The child put his arms around his mother's neck and she held him tight and trudged along the road, singing the songs he liked best.
Suddenly he looked up in her face.
"Mother," he said, "I don't suppose YOU could be an angel, could you?"
"Who ever heard of an angel in a blue gingham apron?" And she went on singing, and stepped so bravely on her lame foot that no one would ever have known she was lame.

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!!!

Happy 18th Birthday Addie !!!

My goddaugther turns 18 today. It seems as if it were only yesterday when she was born. She's graduating next month and then off to college. Time goes so fast.

This one has always been surrounded with friends. As she dances through the adult life that lies ahead, the people who bump into her along the way will be lucky to know her.

She always has a smile and helpful words of advice.

Happy 18th Birthday Addie Rae!!!!

And Bats...

Adam has been talking of bats for the last two weeks. After a trip to the Auqarium and the San Francisco Zoo, he will say after speaking about what he saw "...and bats". But he never saw bats. Today we lucked out, at the Oakland Zoo wee saw Fruit Bats (very large and cute). They were up close too. Needless to say, during tonite's prayers he thanked God for bats.