03-JUN-2006
From the back
Photographers expend an enormous amount of energy in persuading subjects to turn around and show their frontside. Some of the said subjects spend an equivalent amount of energy in staying a way back the invading lens, person.
Difficult day tonight. Back, front. Saturate, monochrome. Health, illness. Family, relation.
To the front tomorrow, tonight. Sometimes the back is okay.
26-MAY-2006
Damn mauve backpack
had to be inside the door and spoil the reflection in this spontaneous picture. I am always fussing at the kids to put the packs in the appropriate after-school location. Most of my days are comprised of putting objects in their appropriate place.
So hoping that this weekend will be one in which I can have the satisfaction of getting done the things I envision to be in their appropriate places.
Crap, that reads so artificial. May I get a nap, may the vacuum pick up all crud, the flowers stand tall with bright colors and the light be just right.
May I not care or notice where any backpacks are (nor may they spoil my pictures) for s e v e n t y - t w o hours.
21-MAY-2006
New garden
Put it in on Sunday. Today I was in muscle and joint agony. Ten tomato plants, several rows of beans, one of cucumbers. Giant sunflowers on the end. Doesn't look like much now, but it will soon.
It is getting harder for me to do this each year. The weeds are stronger than I am. I think of farmers one hundred years ago or more and wonder how they did this when their lives depended upon it.
20-MAY-2006
Fishing Dreams
Neighbor gave him a fishing rod today. He's been asking for one for some weeks time. Don't know if the neighbor heard these fishing wishes but today the rod appeared.
He spun the filament out into the sky and managed to get it caught in the neighbor's budding tree. Lost the old forty-two cent bobber and melted into tears. Neighbor duct taped a rake and broom together and got the bobber down. Showed him how to tie a fisherman's knot, wrap the line five times and bring through this hole into the other.
More excited-ness got the line and bobber onto the telephone line in our yard. Mom rescued this one down.
WHETHER or not this fishing rod and line is put through the old ceilings of our living or bedrooms remains to be seen.
Such a moment. Hope the fish at the local lake are carefully guarding their bold, trusting and unsuspecting young hatcheries tonight.
13-MAY-2006
Raise Your Hand!
Third and most honored son got sent to the principal's office on Thursday.
Seems as how his teacher was having a bad day (and no one was singing that
Daniel Powter song for her).
Son decided to "organize" the students and asked all,
"raise your hand if you want the OLD Mrs. Bolton back??"
He wouldn't stop and after getting all the kids more rowdy than they should
she sent him out.
EVERYone at school was laughing and grinning at me as they walked past me in
the hall.
I chastised all and reminded them that they would have to laugh with me when
he is sixteen and still charming and disarming his enemies down the road of
where we all have to travel.
Wish I had a small fraction of his early morning capabilities as well as his
people smart skills.
12-MAY-2006
Day after tomorrow
is moms day. We drew pictures of our moms, talked about the things we thought were cool about moms. Had a hard time separating what our moms did with what our moms "are". Moms are just supposed to do things for us, right?
I told the kids about how the most I missed was not being able to touch my mom, her skin was so so very soft. AND how I missed hearing her voice. For years whenever I would be upset, I would automatically go to the telephone to attempt to call and hear her voice. Couldn't do that.
Tomorrow is township dump day.
Getting rid of memories.
Sunday we will hit the buffet for fun and more memories.
06-MAY-2006
Split fence
I was going to paint this fence and the deck this summer. I've been putting this job off forever. Looks like now it will need to be replaced, paint won't fix it's woes.
05-MAY-2006
On the bars
Used to be in bars on Saturday night. Still love that dark dusky smell and view of seventies shag carpeting on the wall of the dives.
But tonight the fingernails and shoes are green from the lawn, almost all of the kids are sleeping. Ann Wilson is singing an old Heart saga, cat is on the lap, waiting for food, dogs are spewing hair somewhere.
04-MAY-2006
Why did I have to be in front of her camera?
Wretched wren (or sparrow,who knows?). Well he/she is not wretched, my feelings are such after setting the tripod up in the driveway. Bought all that black sunflower seed and thistle stuff. The cardinals and pretty yellow birds come when I am in the very low zircadian rhythm of the day and the camera is somewhere other than in my hands.
Wally wren needs to perk up and stick out his brown-feathered neck more. He is now on the internet, how many birds can make this claim?
03-MAY-2006
Jump
When I see this picture I hear the guitar opening to Van Halen's Jump and then David Lee Roth's voice.
"When Krissie comes back we get to drive!"
Spirits jump sky high and higher when Krissie is spotted in the driveway, her black Chevy careening off the road. Homework battles cease, melt into not even memory.
Voices rise, choruses of we did this Krissie, we did that Krissie. Krissie, I want to TELL you something.
I still curse my reality of Krissie not letting me sleep through for more than three hours at one time period for the first two plus years of her life. And more blessing the inspiration given from Krissie to do this and that and this and more.
My absolute center of gravity lifts when I see that black Chevy too.
01-MAY-2006
Mornings
Mornings have really been rough for us lately. Her expression illustrates all of our feelings and mindsets. I wish there was someway to "like" this time of day. Yeah you are all shouting, get in bed earlier. Not possible with all there is to do. Give some things up, you now scream. Well like I've already given up on housecleaning, what else?
Hell being a short person in a tall person's world, hell being a night owl in the early bird fishbowl. Thirty more days until summer, I can do this, I can do this.
28-APR-2006
At the Mall in late April
Dollar store is gone, but the Carousel is still going round. The crane machines are crying for quarters. McDonald's keeps churning out french fries. Lindsay Lohan looks so lucious in those high above ads for her new movie. Lawn mower is back-ordered so we actually trekked to two malls in nearby metropolis' today. Found a Dollar tree in Battle Creek to top the day. Riding mower smoked and died. Weed wacker refused to wack. While searching for size 8 husky toughskins, which the kind clerk said are no long made in big boys size, a nice lady presented me with a $5 off coupon for the beauty salon.
Geez, I need a make-over, where the hell is TY and his extreme crew? And I have five kids in tow who would never sit while I am made over.
Coupon is in my back pocket, grass is tall in the backyard, trim mower is in the back of the van, too heavy to get out. Oldest and most honored son is coming to apply muscles tomorrow.
Saturdays are good.