One Part Inspiration...

When Father's Day rolls around, I take the opportunity to design my groups around the theme.  I find songs that highlight men, or we listen to music from famous men singers or composers.  I read stories or poems about Dads. We discuss various topics that are theme-related.  This year, the topic focused on "Dadisms" - things that Dads say a lot.   What was interesting is that many of the 'Dadisms' were random - not so much wise advice, but comments on everyday life.  "Where are we going Daddy?"  "There and back to see how far it is." "Were you born in a barn?  Close the door!" "That's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick." "What does that have to do with the price of tea in China." "See you round like a donut." "Just because the rat's in the cookie jar, doesn't make the rat a cookie." What was even more poignant, is that for many of the members of my group,...

We did it!  We made it through another school year.  PHEW!  Now there's only those pesky exams left.  Exams schmams.  We are all relieved.  We want to revel in our accomplishments before we have to dig in to studying. We have made it a tradition to celebrate the end of school by taking the student(s) out for dinner.  That's what we did last night.  His choice.  And he drove.  During dinner, he suggested that we go to a movie. Normally on a Fried-ay  Friday night, we are in our jammies at 6:23 pm and settling in for a relaxing night at home, but we were having a great time celebrating the accomplishment of finishing the scholastic challenges and so we all went out to the movie. Friday night movies ain't what they used to be. Theaters are no longer the place to be on a Friday night.   There were only two other people in the theater.  It was like having a living room in another building.   I even took a blanket in ...

I think everyone should be required to attend at least one graduation ceremony every year.  It is a wonderful opportunity to take stock of life - to look forward, to look backwards, and ruminate on the deeper meanings of life. [It's also a fun place to people-watch.] In this particular graduation there were about 135 grads.  I knew approximately 3.7% of them.  They all had matching gowns and hats - and no distinguishing features except for the occasional red high-heel shoes.  And yet, when each of them crossed the stage, a little party went on.  They had each reached a significant milestone of life.  And they were about to cross a bridge into adulthood which would take them each in a different direction. I sat in the upper levels, wondering where their life paths would lead them.  Some will probably live, what some would term 'uneventful' lives - maybe never moving away from their home towns, settling down with someone and having 1....

This is a little belated, but it was still delightful.  For Mother's Day, my daughter cooked up this gift.  On the card, she said she had found all the sleep I had lost over the years.  And it was in this jar.  Every single item in the jar (most of them looked like Scrabble pieces) was labelled with a "Z".  I loved it! But I am still tired.