Full Flower Moon Tonight!

Last year the full moon was earlier in the month of May and I wrote about the flowers in our yard and how my husband sneaks new plants into the ground the way some women sneak new shoes into their closet. The same thing has been going on all month this year.

We have gorgeous dahlias in old stone pots by the front door. There are even more roses than ever, which by the way, love being next to a stone or brick wall. He thinks we needed some blue so I don’t know the names of half the flora that have a new home here.

So there are flowers everywhere just as the Native Americans named this month’s full moon the Full Flower Moon. I walk around the yard to enjoy the sights and smells…for about 10 minutes a day. It has been a crazy past two weeks with work getting busy and sports wrapping up and school about done and me having to step up again and singlehandedly implement Youngest’s school party. But for 10 minutes at night I admire the blooms and point and ask, “Is that new?” and also I have vegetables and herbs to check out daily.

And I took pictures. I wanted to show you the bouquet I made of gardenias that I now have in a ceramic wine glass in our bedroom. Heavenly. Don’t they smell like the tropics? Like memories of south Florida? Like wearing a sundress, sunburned, with a twenty-year old body, while out on a date with someone who admires my Jungle Gardenia perfume ……

I’m back. Anyway, the computer is too slow and needs to be replaced so downloading photos didn’t work out for me this morning. So here is a gardenia bloom from Google images. BTW, I attached a gardenia to a pearl choker necklace I wore on my wedding day. It got pretty wilted.

In about a week I will be on vacation – have I mentioned it will be my first vacation day since 1/1/10? Having some good reading material is numero uno. Don’t you make sure you pack the books before the clothes? I really don’t care that my tankini is from last year and my beach towels are about 5 years old and my favorite khaki skirt from Eddie Bauer is a year old and ditto on the after-beach dresses. I have to have books I have coveted for months in my lap on the beach. Plus, for road trips to Florida I also check out about 15 magazines from the library—something for everyone—and we read while Hubs’ drives. Actually the Oldest listens to his I-Pod but my Middle son is a chip off the old block. Youngest sleeps and watches dvds.

Here are the two books I will be taking.

I couldn’t believe they both had pretty purple in the front (oh yeah, I did get a new purple top). Plus, I can’t believe both authors worked in NY for years and now live with their families here in Atlanta. So many bloggers have written about The Help that I can’t wait to get started. And I am so happy that I paid my dues in the early years teaching the boys to swim (well, OK, it was mostly Hubs)—no water wings for us, and no rest in a lounge chair but boy did it pay off. They will stay in the ocean playing for hours while…I…..can….read my two books that are as pretty as a purple flower. And wave them in for more sunscreen.

Three Letters in Review of Last Week

Dear Baseball-Playing Firstborn Son,

I guess it was only a matter of time before you had to take your first trip to the emergency room after that line drive smacked you on your clavicle Wed night. I feel bad it happened one of the few nights a year that I am out of state due to work. Too bad Dad took you to the regular emergency room where you weren’t too impressed with the doctor, but at least we are going to a specialist tomorrow. But I must admit it is the first time in a while I get to “baby” you by helping you get dressed. And then can you believe that after almost 14 years and 4 homes I still keep “Boo Boo Bunny” in the freezer and you let me put it on you. I feel bad for you that you will not be able to go surfing or boogy boarding when we are in Florida next week for your birthday. You might as well have broken your collar bone since you have to treat it like a break, huh?

Love, Mom

Dear Hubs,

Thanks for taking care of the home front while I was out of town. The boys are in good hands. In fact, flying back on the plane that was bouncing around a bit, I was actually comforted when I thought, “Well, if I go down, they have their Dad.”

I am so ready for this weekend, and next week at the beach--my first vacation day since January 1^st.

Love, Your Woman

Dear Flight Attendant,

Please refrain from speaking to your customers on your subsequent flights as if we are your BFFs, even though it was a small Delta Connection flight. While we are backing away from the gate ready to take off in bad weather, you don’t need to tell us that when you just landed in Mississippi a few minutes ago from Atlanta, that it was the wildest ride in your 12 years of work and that we should have our air nozzle pointed at us on our trip to prevent us from getting sick because you do not want to clean anything up.

From, Your Passenger

P.S. It wasn’t that bad and I now have10 more grey hairs for nothing.

Sunday at the Park that is a Cemetery

I had been wanting to get out of the neighborhood on a weekend that held no baseball and no chores and do some exploring. My two youngest boys joined me as we explored Oakland Cemetery, about a mile east of downtown Atlanta. It was a beautiful, breezy day and we were practically alone (except for those buried). This cemetery began in 1850 and contains hundreds of trees and lots of Victorian art. It was meant to be enjoyed by families. There are walkways, a visitors' center, lectures and tours. My oldest son had been here on a filed trip in 3rd grade. I hadn't visited in almost 20 years. This sign describes how the rich, the poor, Jewish, Christian, black and white, Union and Confederate soldiers are buried here.


In the photo above you can see the Georgia capitol building in the background with its roof made of gold mined from a town north of Atlanta called Dahlonega. This mountain town was the site of the first gold rush prior to Out West, and where they had a U.S. Mint before the civil war (the "D" on a coin that now stands for "Denver" used to stand for "Dahlonega" many, many years ago.The boys loved peeking into every mausoleum there. I did too.

Here is where Margaret Mitchell rests with her husband. She wrote Gone With the Wind while living in a boarding house on Peachtree Street she called "The Dump". It is less than 10 miles from here. In her novel, Rhett and Scarlett lived on Peachtree Street when they first married. Ms. Mitchell died from her injuries when she was hit by a car after she stepped into the street on Peachtree Street a few blocks north of where she wrote her novel -- she was 48 years old and going to the movies with her husband.
There are Civil War soldiers buried under lawns like this. In another area, there is a granite statue of a wounded lion (no photo) watching over hundreds of unnamed soldiers. There is history right next to each of the brick walls that surround the cemetery. From its most elevated hill, a Commender once viewed the Battle of Atlanta in the summer of 1864. Around 1900 textile mills opened right next to the cemetery and the Scot-Irish from the Appalachian north part of Georgia came to work there and lived in shotgun homes called Cabbagetown--till 1977.

In 1999 those mills were being renovated. Do you remember on the news years ago where a crane worker was stranded hundreds of feet in the air, the crane was on fire, the mill was on fire and a helicopter lowered a young firefighter to this worker who then clung to the firefighter and was lifted away to safety? That was those lofts right next to Oakland Cemetery. Two years ago a tornado came through downtown Atlanta and tore up those lofts and this cemetery but they are all repaired now.


There are several areas owned by different synagogues, whose Russian immigrant style was to have tombstones right next to each other like a "forest". One read, "Mother and child were hit by lightning". On the other side of the brick wall is a commercial area of town with some restaurants. One is called "Six Feet Under". But its patrons sit on a three-story patio and can look over Oakland Cemetery.

We walked to a different eatery and had tacos and cupcakes. They have Candlelight Tours here on the weekend and I may go back in the fall to learn more about the history surrounding those who are resting here.

On Becoming a Mom, from his perspective

My oldest son was born a few weeks after Mother’s Day, 14 years ago. My husband was inspired to buy a journal after he saw our baby on ultrasound when I was 21 weeks along. The next entry was made in June when our son was 10 days old. My husband never wrote in the journal again, but I read this every year. Here is what he wrote, as if speaking to our first son, about my becoming a mom.

"Okay, you have arrived. I am sitting in my easy chair watching you in your swing. You are 10 days old. The past week has been a real adjustment and a beautiful experience. Let me get you caught up.

At 2:30 a.m. on June 1 your mother heard you knocking. Her water broke. We were not sure if this was the real McCoy or not. We had taken all the classes and read all the books but were in shock that that you were on your way, 11 days before your due date. We didn’t know at this point if you were a boy or a girl. Your mother’s contractions were 10 minutes apart. Very quickly they changed to 5 minutes apart. At 4:30 a.m. I was packing and preparing bags and cleaning house. Preparing for your arrival. Then your mother’s contractions stayed at 5 minutes for a long time. I went back to sleep. Then I went shopping for groceries. Your mother took baths, wrote down her contraction times, breathed deeply with those long yoga exhales, and walked around the neighborhood.

At 2:30 p.m. she called the midwife and said now it was time to go to the hospital. The contractions were 2+ minutes and 3 minutes. You would have never known this by looking at your mother. She was very calm and focused. When we walked into the hospital, no one who worked there thought your mother was ready to have a baby. She looked beautiful and calm. But in fact your mother was much further along than they had thought.

In the birthing room they put a heart monitor on your mother’s belly and we heard your heart calmly beating away. You were fine, your mother was fine and me, well other than some soreness from carrying the bags and AV equipment, I was fine. Your mother was preparing for birth and I set up the video. You can tell from watching it your birthday was calm and peaceful.

In telling you about your birthday I can’t help but tell you how wonderful your mom was. She was determined to birth you naturally with no medication. And she did. She wanted to be fully alert to welcome you into our world. Your mother did everything she could possibly do to be sure you arrived healthy and safe. She loves you more than you will ever know. As I look back at the video and see the love and concern and determination in your mother, I can’t help but think how lucky you are to have such a beautiful and caring mother. She is a very strong and gutsy woman and from your first day in the world you have had a guardian angel. Your mother."

To every woman who reads this, have a wonderful Mother’s Day, and hope it is filled with much love and happiness.

Which is Your Side of the Bed?

About a month ago I realized that for more than half of my life I have been sleeping on a certain side of our bed since day one. I could be romantic and post about how I have loved the same person for more than half of my life but I’ll save that one for another day.

When you stand at the foot of the bed and look at the bed, I am on the right. And because of this role that I have had for around 25 years, and because of my favorite sleep position, this means that my left side of my face is all scrunched up in the morning and more wrinkly permanently than my right side of my face. And it’s starting to make me mad.

So then I tried to figure out how it got started that I sleep on my particular side of the bed and why Hubs sleeps on his side of the bed. And has it always been this way every year? So I pictured every bed in which we’ve slept together, including guest beds, hotel beds, and even in a tent in a double sized sleeping bag. Yep, each and every time, no matter what the bed, those are our sides.

I think it got started because our first bed was an old queen sized bed that Hubs brought to the union and our bedroom was small so the bed had to be situated against the wall on one side of the bedroom. Hubs didn’t want to be on the side against the wall, and I didn’t mind, and plus I liked him being closest to the door.

So why do I sleep on my left side, therefore squishing the left side of my face on my pillow? We all have our favorite falling asleep position, right? I just remembered that during my pregnancies it was all about what felt best for the belly and/or back. With one pregnancy I slept a lot on my right side because it was more comfortable. Other than that time of my life (that ended almost ten years ago) I start out on my back. I think about a few things. I then have complete control to not think about anything too tense or bothersome. I have a pretty color of green I picture. And then a few minutes later, when it is time to assume my sleep position, I turn on my left side and fall asleep. And then in the morning when it is time to wake up I am on my left side usually, with my left cheekbone area all mashed into my left eye area.

And my legs are drawn up somewhat and being on my left side gives me more room. You'd think that since we have a king-size bed now that there would be plenty of room for me to sleep on either of my sides, but apparently my Hubs' favorite position is smack in the middle of the bed (despite plenty of room in a king) so there I am giving my knees room when turned on my left side.

Lately I have asked my Hubs why he thinks we have our designated sides and he agrees on how it got started all those years ago. He says he is totally open to changing the sides of the bed. Maybe I will give it a try. (Of course we will have to change everything on our respective nightstands and move the alarm clock to my new side because for some reason only I know how to set the alarm correctly and make sure it is turned on).

So, is a designated side of the bed the way it works for everyone year after year? Are you on the right side (from viewing at the foot of the bed) and why is it your side? Who knew it would end up being a lifetime decision!