Olive Green With A Hint Of Pink

   Good Morning Starshine...
   If you know the tune, you know me, sing along..
   And if you don't, download it and hum with me......

   I sit at this computer, this humid (yes I have the doors open) Sunday morning, with a sense of purpose.
   My purpose is to fill out some online forms for, in the future, a colonoscopy.
   However, as you are reading, nothing could be further from my thoughts. ( what do they need to know?)   (give me some meds, run a hose up me, take a picture, and pray I have a granola bar in my purse!) ( two fasting days, too much!) ( this will be a whole different blog in a couple of weeks!)
   Now back to present tense.
   I was so happy to see The Sunday Paper, this morn. We have stopped getting the paper, reading it online, like most people, these days. I did not totally cave, I need to feel the paper! So Sunday begins with a gift! Every Sunday, Lucy is happy, to retrieve the paper and mommy is happy. I want to sniff it, have ink on my hands, flag articles, and  just know it is a constant. I worry about my carbon footprint, but I put it in the bin to recycle. I think I may be Olive Green with a hint of Pink! yes, that is my carbon color ( could be Lily fabric!)
   We have a trash compactor for aluminum! ( I think it uses electricity to crush them??? but I can put more in the bag. Lord, they are in a trash bag, I may need to change that) We recycle glass, plastic and paper. I think we need to be using less of those products, but baby steps. I used cloth diapers for about a week! I made my own baby food, and nursed the kids until they were able to tell me when one side was empty. I have had some good green moments. My horoscope ( yes I read it) said to look beyond what people are doing? I think that includes me?? My door is open, and I am using fans, the air conditioner is turned high. ( Soon, I will feel faint and crank it down!) ( remember the hint of pink!)
  I think, and I hope we all try. I shop the Farmers Market, support local farmers! I plant drought resistant plants, but I love paper towels!!! I must be a work in progress, like all of us.
  I have no plans to cancel the Sunday paper, it brings me a plethora of joy.
  I think in the carbon footprint world, that counts for something.
  Enjoy your Sunday, treat yourself and the earth with love and kindness, and forgiveness.
  Olive Green with a hint of Pink, right now, that is me.

Remember all errors are on purpose, you know that hint of Pink color drives people crazy

35 Shades of Sunscreen

     Growing up in Florida, the beach was our backyard. In the summer we lived there, and in Florida the summer is long and hot.
     I remember telling mom, that it looked like a beach day, so school would be on the back burner that day. I think it was skipping school, but when your mom knows, its not so wrong. All of our grades were good, and all of our teachers knew.
    In the summer, you tried to have a job at night, not during daylight hours.
    The beach rules were 10 to 2, if you had a date, because beach hair needs work. Curlers and bonnet hair dryers took a couple of hours, for the Dippity Doo to set the curl.
    We traveled light, no sunscreen, no towels, maybe a chair, fifty cents if we were lucky. No snacks, no water, just us and a few free hours, with all of our friends.
   My early years were at Jacksonville Beach. I was so lucky to experience young lifeguard love. My cousin Nicky Brown was my ticket in. He was a lifeguard with George and Doug, and so many sweet, cute boys, that allowed me to swoon at the bottom of the lifeguard stand. They were tan and perfect and adorable. They were my heroes, all of them.
    Then came the teenage years, further down the beach. Past Neptune Beach, were the Access beaches. Access 5, was our favorite spot. That is were my surfer boys were. That is where I pretended to desire to learn to surf ( note this was before Jaws came out ). Jeff Owens spent hours with me, saying " You can do it!" ( and that was way before NIKE) I never did get up, but I was very good surf watcher. If I really wanted to watch the boys, we would head to The North Jetties. I recall getting cars stuck at the jetties, riding on the dunes, and sleeping at the Jetties. ( Some of those stories are in the vault, but still bring a smile to my face)
    The Crossroads, Talbot Island, Fernandina Beach, St. Augustine Beach and if a road trip was in order, beaches all around, up and down!
    I tell you all of the above information, for fun and to set up my next thought!
    I got ready to go to the pool yesterday, and you would have thought I was packing for Paris! ( Maybe the south of France) Three towels, ( one to roll up for my head, like a pillow!), thirty-five shades of sunscreen, ( to keep the dermatologist happy), two water battles, two kindles ( don't ask!), cell phone, pad of paper and pen for blogging material, sunglasses, bathing suit, bathing suit cover-up, visor, purse and some magazines ( trashy pool reads). What happened to that young girl at the beach?
   Well, she grew up and found out it takes a village to make her comfortable. She ( me) laughed out loud and knew that, all this stuff was just some added bonus for living a life of love, and service to others.
   SO I spread out all my things, and enjoyed a couple of hours at the pool. All by myself! A sweet time to reflect on my beach memories, I could see everyone's tan sweet face, hear nothing but waves and laughter, smell the ocean, and wipe a tear from my eye.
   I consider myself to be one of the luckiest girls in the world.
   All my beach buddies, know who you are, and I love you to and from Jacksonville Beach to the Jetties.
   Florida....we do things different....and are better people for growing up there...

Let Us Go To, Lake I Wanna Talka.......

   Hold onto your britches and try to follow this blog.
   I should be writing at least every other day, and life seems to just suck me into its vortex of busy.
   So I have a mass of random stuff to say, from the shores of Lake I Wanna Talka!!!!
      Last week, leading up to the anniversary of Ward's death, was a beast. Sometimes you just have to hide under the covers of grief, or in my case, keep moving like a maniac! I often feel like if I stop for a minute, my heart will hurt to bad, and I will never recover. Even if I remain still, like in painting a picture, my mind is at Six Flags on the Scream Machine! This seven year of not seeing my boy, was no different. I thought by Sunday that grief had won, my arms and legs, seemed so heavy. So I stayed in the prone position a tad longer, praying for some miracle. AND..expecting a miracle! You cannot just pray, you have to work hard.
The Sunday Morning program, the only news I can stomach came on, and my head was still flat as a pancake on the pillow! My eyes were to heavy to open, when I heard " synchronized fireflies" or as we say in the deep, lightning bugs!! I sat up, and knew that this was my miracle. This beauty in nature, beyond reason. I think it was in Tennessee,  but you have to take into consideration my mental state!! ( You will have to do some research, its good for you)
 People travel from all over to sit in the darkness, in the woods, waiting for this show. I have never seen such beauty in my life, and I have been around the block a time or two. This was heaven, thousand of these bugs with their hind end blinking together. I can not explain this magic, I hope you get a chance to see it. Find it. These beauties of light, gave me hope, on a sad Sunday morning. Joy around every corner, amazing.
   How to harness this happiness on such a sad occasion, was my job. So I got up and going, bought plants to add to the yard. I believe that your surroundings should comfort you. There was soccer on the tube, and I was thankful it was over!! ( I enjoyed it, but enough) ( another miracle)
OMG the computer just crashed for twenty minutes and I thought I lost my mind and the blog!!! found it, but now the train of thought has left the station!!!
  Then I saw a commercial about my real birthday day date, August 1!!! The James Brown movie is coming out and I screamed!! Thank you Jesus for James Brown and for whomever mad this movie.
   I love James Brown.
   I was a very young girl, and must have seen him on the Ed Sullivan show. I told my daddy that I loved James Brown. Now you do remember where I am from, right. It was the early sixties. My parents seemed semi-liberal to me, what did I know? But loving James Brown...was not an option. ( some of this story has to be shelved) ( ugly words will not be spoken or typed by me) There were words used to describe James Brown that I did not understand until much older. I could not buy his record, but I had a transistor radio. ( truly I think if James had been white parents all over the world would have been freaked) He was vulgar, nasty dancing, people had not seen the likes!! and I could not get enough. He was the King of his music, he was James Brown. ( note-my parents said the same things about Mick Jagger!!) ( Times were changing)
I had a long history of love for James Brown, and will be proud to see his story brought to the big screen.
( My brother Benjie can dance just like him! and Mick Jagger!) ( We Blackmans(maiden name) have all kinds of claims to frame!) The south was about to make some big changes, and I lived right in the center of it all. I give my parents credit for teaching me, to love all people. Never to judge a person by the color of their skin, but if their music is bad!! or if they are dancing "nasty" as mom would say, that is another story!
  Love one another, play your music loud, dance like my brother or James Brown! Walk through the bad days, looking for something past or present to cause you to jump for joy! and if you see the synchronized lightning bugs! shout AMEN!

Thank You Hart

   This morning I received a text from number four son, Hartley Baron, we call him Hart. It was an early message, which I like, seeing my children up early and getting ready for work, but....still having time for some research , plus thinking about mom!!

   Let me back up a minute...
   I celebrate my birthday right after July 4th through the end of August. Always have, will continue. My mother started it by giving us presents early, because she could not wait ( we do not believe in delayed anything), then she would feel bad, and get us something on our birthday, she was always a giver. You did not need a reason. I firmly continue this position, and I start with me! You have to take care of yourself, in order to spread the love so easily! Women have a hard time with this concept, not this lady!
 I give out many ideas and lists, and fortunately I am an easy person to buy for. It could be a bag of peaches, a card in the mail, or a text from my boy telling me, that Andre 1000,( or is it 3000?) is playing Jimi Hendrix in a new movie and he sent me me the movie trailer!!! " Come to mama! I love me some Jimi H." and all of this before 7 in the am! Let us celebrate each day!

 Watch trailer

   I must say that also, after July 4th I start to semi-panic that summer is on the down slope, and want to squeeze the life out of each warm day.
   Plus...always buy yourself some gifts, put them in a gift closet or drawer, in case of....well, there is no chance of bad gifts coming my way, but I don't know all your family and friends. I hope you have trained them well.
  Emma ( my only girl) takes notes, about what mama likes. From a tube of lipstick color, to my newest music love. I have a daughter in law, that has the best fashion taste, and a daughter in girlfriend, that loves to shop! I get calls and text from all my children, not daily but often enough! that I feel the love year round.
  Just last night Hart, asked me if I had seen the new ESPN spread of naked athletes in it? I told him, I had seen it on TV, but if he was a good son ( Yes I can be a Jewish mother also!!) that would make a good gift.
 Gifts don't have to cost anything, but its OK if they do.
 I bought pickled string beans at the Farmers Market, last Saturday, and hollered, " Happy Birthday Bon-Bon!" the lady said, " Oh, its your birthday." I smiled, and replied, " Yes, daily!"
 I scheduled my colonoscopy, and whispered, " Happy Birthday, to your health! Bonnie Kay!"
Again last night, Emma (voice of reason) reminded Hart " You know mom celebrates her birthday, all of July and August." Hart barked, " Well I am going to start doing the same thing!"
 I reminded him that he could not take all of my ideas, he had to make his own traditions. So he responded with, " August 21 until Christmas, that is what I will celebrate!"
 We all laughed, another gift!
  I think we should celebrate each day, and be aware of all of our gifts to each other.
 AND if you come up short one day, I have a closet full!!
 Giving and receiving, the best
 Jimi Hendrix, now that is the best best!! Thank you Hart