Sundays: simple moments of joy

The photo heading this blog was taken by my sister. She has an incredible talent of catching spectacular moments of emotion, especially with children. This is one of my current favorites. It reminds me of innocent childhoods filled with simple moments of joy.

Since today is Sunday (for most folks reading this), I thought I'd share what my Sundays that brought me simple moments of joy as a child growing up were:

• Tim would drop my sister and I off back at my mother's before 8am so we could get ready for Sunday School followed by church. While procrastinating I'd lay in the sun rays entering in from the open front door with our cat, Motormouth.


• Every once in a while my mother would pass us a note during church service saying: Cheese attack at Paradiso? (A local Mexican restaurant were we'd overload on cheese such as: nachos and main dishes.) Which would instantly put smiles on our faces.


• Wiggling in my seat & flapping my arms listening to the Chicken Dance on the AM Radio while traveling to gma's for our weekly visit.


• Making homemade Play-Doh with gma.


• Collecting Lilacs from outside and putting them in water filled mason jars.


• Swinging on the swings at a park nearby gma's or sliding down the metal slide (that would usually burn our butts on a hot summer day).


• Playing a game of UNO or Trouble after dinner with my sister & mother.

Now my Sunday simple moments of joy consist of sleeping in and allowing myself to be lazy enough to re energize for the upcoming week. I hope however you wish to spend your Sunday is bringing you some simple moments of joy as well. :)

Get Ready, Get Set, GO!

My first bicycle was pink with a white banana seat that had pink & purple daisies on it. It also had a wicker basket that hung off the high rise handle bars. I very vividly remember the day the training wheels came off although I must have only been 4 or 5 years old? I felt like most kids getting their training wheels off their "big bike".... excitably-terrified. On one hand that meant I was a big girl that could balance on two wheels on the other I could seriously wipe out!

Michelson Trail - Black Hills, SD

I moved up to a Huffy ten speed bike with curved handle bars that was shared between my sister and I as teenagers, then a mountain bike from Walmart as an adult. It wasn't until about 5 years ago when I splurged and purchased a TREK3700. She is cherry red with front shocks, and now that I know the difference between a average joe bike and a bike with shocks, I will never go back.



2010


I don't participate in the local bicycle clubs because I would have to purchase a road bike to keep up to their pace given mountain bikes are considerably heavier. That and they ride on the side of highways and I have seen those bike lanes, there is barely enough space to fit your bike and both legs on each side. A car gets too close; goodbye kneecap hello road rash. But I do try to keep up on charity bicycle runs and I ride the sand trails nearby and at the park from time to time.


May is National Bike Month. For more information visit the League of American Bicyclists here.

Are your tires aired up?

LADY

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others. " ~ Audrey Hepburn

This blog entry is dedicated to all those whom are having a difficult week such as I. Keep the faith. :)

FRIDAY, APRIL 23RD 2010

Today I:

• Wore my hair like this to work. You may recognize the hair pins from the photo in the blog below. A little dressy for scrubs but somedays I just feel like jazzing things up.
• My messy do caused me a lot of trouble at Target and the gas station. One fella followed me around (you know the kind. they keep trying to make eye contact hoping you will open a conversation, all the while you are just walking around in circles hoping he gets the hint to get lost.) as I looked for a watch battery (which I never found) and the other gave me one of those unnerving stare downs as I pumped my gas across from his pump that stopped about the same time mine started yet he never got in his car to leave until I did.
• Paid $3.48 for a small Diet Coke. Two dollars were graciously ate by the mall vending machine, the remainder paid for a fountain soda at a pretzel stand. Fountain soda gives me a headache and today was no exception, but I needed caffeine to get me through the afternoon so I took the risk.
• Was nearly ran over by a white Cadillac as I walked back to work from getting the soda that gave me the headache.
• Disappointed that my Johnny Cash tee didn't come in the mail yet today either.
• Listening to Mr. Cash right now.
• Caught up on reading all my fellow blogger's blogs. I came across this hilarious commerical posted at Handbags & Handguns
  
  
  
  

P.S. I still haven't figured out how to fix the lack of spacing between paragraphs since I switched back to Windows from Firefox. I mean, I put spaces between the paragraphs, they just don't show up when I publish the blog. This happened to me way in the beginning of starting at blogspot, so I will figue it out at some point. Just so you know it irriates me just as much as it probably irriates ya'll.

YOU'VE GOT MAIL

Ever since I first moved away from my hometown in 1993 my mother and sister have periodically sent me "goodie boxes" and vice versa. In these boxes were magazines, newspaper articles, photos, spices, candles, soaps, and/or other small gifts. I have enjoyed all my "goodies" over the years, but todays box in the mail was especially awesome, that was because my ma was sending me things from her trunk. The items in the photo above were her Aunt Millie's and she is passing them onto me because of my love of vintage items that thus far has only included things I have found at thrift stores, consignment shops, or given to me by friends.

Isn't it nice to get something in the mail besides bills & catalogs every once in a while? A goodie box isn't neccessary, just send a friend/family member a card or a handwritten letter, bet you will make them smile.

TEACHER

Mama B's little Dylan

"A great teacher never strives to explain his vision - he simply invites you to stand beside him and see for yourself." ~ R. Inman

HAPPY EASTER

Photo: L3 ~ Gpa ~ sister

What are your memories of Easter Sunday growing up?

Mine:

• Easter dresses that usually matched my older sister's in some fashion (see above photo)
• Easter bonnets/hats
• Running around looking for little plastic colored eggs filled with candy, gum, or quarters
• Coloring/decorating Easter eggs
• Easter morning church service
• Traveling to visit family and enjoying a big meal

We all know the Christian reason for celebrating Easter, however, I have wondered where the Easter "egg" concept came from. I intended to research & write a blog about the meaning behind the Easter "egg", but Miss Jayne beat me too it. Read about it here. I love learning something new, don't you? :)

HAPPY EASTER!