The (Puppet) Play's the Thing

When I went into the kitchen yesterday to prepare dinner I was surprised to find that a show was in progress. A ticket had been sold and presented, a chair was set up in front of the stage and the sound system consisted of the mp3 player plugged into the amp.

The first play up was a love story between Minnie Mouse and Tigger. It consisted of a lot of them singing about how much they loved each other and a wedding where they promised to feed each other and protect each other from the plague.

I was a little lost on the plot of subsequent productions as the audience and players shifted positions.

For at least an hour last night the kids played with the puppet theater, entertaining each other with delightful plays. The puppet theater is one I made probably close to eight years ago, after seeing a similar one in a catalog. It is suspended in the doorway with a tension curtain rod. When not it use it hangs by two hooks in the sun room, brightening up the white wall. It's not used far more often than it is used, but how delightful when they put it in place and put on a play!

Best Laid Plans and all that

In a futile attempt to be organized I plan my meals a week at a time. I even check the weather forecast. If it's supposed to be really hot - then maybe a make-ahead cold salad would be good. And if it looks like nice weather I plan on using the grill.

Checking yesterday for this week, the only day that didn't have possible thundershowers as part of the forecast was today. Just a happy little sun telling me all was well and that it would be a perfect day to grill some burgers.

So, yeah, it's raining.

Though I see clear sky in the distance, maybe it will dry up by the time I want to cook dinner.

Tuesday's Proverb

The honest man's virtue makes his way straight, but by his wickedness the wicked man falls. (Proverbs 11:5)

Animal Instincts

You know how a cat will sit for hours curled up in front of the hearth and then at seemingly no provocation leap up and run around the house four or five times at top speed before settling back in front of the hearth again?

Well that's what my son's like.

Except for sitting for hours curled up in front of the hearth.

(Though he can spend a bit of time in front of the computer.)

Mystery Flower

This delicate little flower is busy spreading itself through my front flower garden. I don't know what it is. I suspect it might be a weed.

But a weed is just a plant in a place you don't want it. I like this flower and want it in my garden, so I declare it 'not a weed.'

The blossoms only last for a short time. This is what it looks like before the blossom opens. Anyone (Mom?) have any idea what this flower might be called?

Where to Start a Story?

When you can't just say "Once upon a time" a story needs a compelling first sentence. When Mike Kissed Emma went through several before I settled on a keeper. Head on over to Simply Put to see what they were and guess the winner.

Early Attempts at Fiction

Over at Simply Put the countdown to When Mike Kissed Emma continues as I tell about an early story I wrote and the TV shows that influenced it.

Tuesday's Proverb

Wealth is useless on the day of wrath, but virtue saves from death. (Proverbs 11:4)

Why I Never Made it to Broadway

Stop by over at Simply Put to find out why I never made it as a Broadway actress, and what that possibly has to do with When Mike Kissed Emma, which is coming out next month.

Men on the Moon

Forty years ago today man first walked on the moon. Even forty years later it's still a feat to be astonished at - though I suspect that some people figured that by now we'd have colonies up there or something.

Many people can tell you their memories of that day. They remember watching the grainy footage. They remember the first words spoken. They know where they were and what they were thinking as they were watching it.

I'm not one of those people.

I was three years old when the men landed on the moon and something much more important was happening in my life than a moon walk. My little brother had just been born three days earlier.

A second little brother.

That didn't seem fair. I already had a little brother, I needed a sister. I told my father as much when he informed me that I had a new little brother.

I remember sitting on the floor in the kitchen, surrounded by pots and pans that I had removed from the cupboard. My dad handed me a snack bag of potato chips from the hospital - part of my mother's lunch that she didn't eat, I suspect - and told me I had a new baby brother.

And what was my reaction. "Bring him back and get me a sister. And while you're at it, get me more potato chips."

See - it's not that I don't have specific memories of that time - just not of the moon landing.

I'm happy to say my parents did not trade me new little brother in for a sister. He grew on me over the years.
How could he not?

Summer Nights

When I lie awake on a summer night, crisp clean sheets beneath me and a slight breeze rustling the curtains, the fan whirring overhead, it brings me back to overnights at my grandparents house.

I would be on the rollaway bed while my brothers shared the pull-out in the spare room at my grandparent's house. The room that had been our father's when he was a teen. We were too little to appreciate teenager-hood. That was practically a grown-up as far as we were concerned.

We'd be freshly showered, but still sunburned and beach-tired from a day at the ocean. The ocean was one of the highlights of my grandparents' house. Winter or summer we would go down to the beach when we visited. In the summer we would go back to the house and get the sand off at the outside shower at the back of my grandparents' house (how cool is that - an outside shower!)

After dinner we'd watch a little TV while my grandparents' did the dishes. I remember my grandpa drying while grandma washed, aglow in the yellowish light over the sink. I love a kitchen with a cozy yellowish light in it, it gives me a happy feeling inside.

Finally we'd all settle into the guest room. The traffic sounds would be different than at home. The beds were different. I wasn't usually in the same room as my brothers. There was giggling and talking and probably a bit of quibbling. But eventually I'd hear the even breathing that meant sleep had overtaken the boys and I'd lie awake, hoping for that hint of a breeze through the windows. It all had a quintessential summer feeling to it and when I lie awake at night hoping for that hint of a breeze through the window it transports me back to that house with the cozy yellow light.

(the picture is of my brothers and me at the beach by my grandparents - around 1972)

Tuesday's Proverb

The honesty of the upright guides them; the faithless are ruined by their duplicity. (Proverbs 11:3)

Braces

We entered a new phase around here. The phase of orthondontia. Pippi has mixed feelings about getting braces. On the one hand she wanted them on so she could start the process of fixing her overbite (plus, all her friends have them). Now that they're on though she's lamenting the things she won't be able to eat and the extra work involved in brushing them. Besides, 2 and 1/2 years looks like quite a long time when your standing at the beginning of it.

I don't know how well you can tell in the picture, but the bands around the brackets are colorful. She chose blue and green to start with. In two months, when she goes back, she can pick different colors. Her friends have already figured out how they plan to coordinate their bands with the year (red and blue for fourth of July and so forth).

Right now she only has the top set on, she'll get the bottom on in 8 or 9 months.

In the meantime, I think need to sell a lot of books to help pay for all this new hardware.

Tuesday's Proverb

When pride comes, disgrace comes; but with the humble is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)

Happy Fourth of July

We celebrated the Fourth with family - and except for one little ER visit (everyone's okay now) we had a fine time. Tyler really liked his first taste of swimming, I think he wore his daddy out.

The Festival

Yesterday we went to the Kutztown Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Festival. We watched a glass blowing demonstration (fascinating stuff), there were people demonstrating how to thatch a roof and make sauerkraut and make apple butter and candles. And how to make brooms, or weave or work leather. All kind of hand crafts were being made and on sale. We ate funnel cake and kettle corn and hot dogs with sauerkraut. We watched a couple of great shows featuring musically talented families. The weather was beautiful. A great day - but exhausting!

Trailer for When Mike Kissed Emma

The release date for When Mike Kissed Emma is coming up fast (August 19) so I decided it was time to finalize the trailer and get it out here for people to see.

Without further ado - here it is:

Tuesday's Proverb on Wednesday

False scales are an abomination to the LORD, but a full weight is his delight. (Proverbs 11:1)