Eva Marie, a Gr-Animal Story

We have a “Gr-Animal”. Our daughter Genette, and her husband Abe have adopted a dog. Her name is Eva Marie. Eva ended up with a middle name because Genette got annoyed with her one day and when she called her inside “Eva Marie” just slipped out. So now Eva has a middle name. Eva is a rescue and a mutt, sweet as can be, and is now being taught to come when called.  

Genette and Abe live in Virginia and when they come to visit they, of course, stay for a couple of days. Abe asked me if they could bring Eva with them when they came to visit. I told them it was fine but she would need to be kept on a leash when outside. We live in Charlotte and there is not only a leash law but the roads are quite busy here. Abe remembered that our backyard is fenced in on 3 sides, so he asked if it would be ok to fence in the 4th side so Eva could run around in the backyard. I told him that was fine but I wasn’t sure that we had much in the budget for that right now. He then offered a thought of building one out of recycled wood pallets. Well, I love to recycle and reuse so that was a perfect suggestion. Steven and I began to collect wood pallets.

This past weekend Genette, Abe, and Eva all came to the house and the building began. Under the fine direction of our son-in-law, a stack of wood pallets, some recycled hinges, a latch from a friend’s backyard, and less than $100 for additional supplies and tools; a fence with a double gate has been added to our landscape. I like it!! 

Sometime this Fall they will all be back and the second half of the fence, on the other side of the house will be built. One day I might even put it all together into a stage story!

Live Out Loud

Summer reading this year is a music theme, titled Libraries Rock. So I wrote a program called Rhythm & Rhyme and Note-able Narratives. I've been doing shows at several libraries this summer and it has been fun. I've included some puppets and instruments from different countries and continents. I introduce the instruments to the audience, then tell a story from that country; a thumb drum from Africa, rainstick from Equador, dulcimer guitar from North America, and a couple of others. I have also made a bunch of homemade instruments, so everyone in the audience gets to play something. 

My favorite part of the program is showing everyone how to whistle on an acorn top or turn pine cones into a musical instrument. I learned those little techniques by living on a farm, but there is music all around us. You can hear it when the wind rustles the leaves on the trees, the ding of an elevator door, the cadence of a walk. Even my washer and dryer play tunes when they are finished. 

Learning a new instrument is enjoyable for me. In the past, I haven't played my instruments for audiences; I really am not very good. But then I took to heart one of my mantras — LIVE OUT LOUD. We should make a little noise now and then. Now, I am not saying that we should whistle in the middle of a movie or sing in a waiting room; what I am saying is that we should enjoy our lives.

Make music, ask questions, try something new. No matter your age or gender, you don't have to be good at something to enjoy it. Live Out Loud!

Look Up, And See Where You Are Going

My husband, Steven, and I walked around Freedom Park this past weekend. It was a beautiful day, and not too hot, perfect to get outside and enjoy a walk. When we arrived at the park, we noticed a fairly large amount of people, many were in small groups and were all staring at their phones. We soon discovered that they were not the only ones staring at their phones. Screen watchers were all over the park. It seemed they might be playing some kind of game. As Steven and I walked along the walkway, we found ourselves having to dodge some of the screen watchers. We became quite agile at weaving around them, but finally, we left the walkway and strolled along in the grass. 

We took a couple of pictures and started a short conversation with a gentleman named King, who was sitting on a blanket reading a book. He was a very interesting man; he emigrated from China when he was very young and spoke with a New York City accent. I so enjoyed learning his story. We also shared some of our story with him. We said our goodbyes and began to dodge the screen watchers again as we made our way back to the car. 

Steven and I were quiet as we climbed into our van and started the air conditioning. As we sat waiting for the cool air to come, we began to comment to each other on our park adventure. Together we decided that it was a commentary on today’s society. A beautiful day in the park, but it seemed that 85% of the people there hardly looked up to see where they were going. Although Steven and I made a very conscious effort to keep our smartphones in our pockets, I admit I checked mine once for the time and once to see how many steps my Fitbit was registering (I have a daily step goal, and I wanted to meet it before we left the park).  I took this experience to heart. Technology is amazing and in today’s world necessary, but for myself, I am going to make even more of a conscious effort to look up and see where I am going. I don’t want to miss seeing something beautiful, meeting a new friend, or hearing a really great story. 

Happy Freedom

Last week was July 4th, the day we celebrate freedom. I enjoy history; mostly I enjoy the trivia that is in history. The little tidbits make it real to me. So I thought I would share a couple of historical tidbits with you. 

• You probably do not know the name Richard Henry Lee, but he is important to American History. He is the guy who made the motion for the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. That was on July 2, 1776. It was on July 4, 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was formally accepted.
• The Revolutionary War did not end on July 4th, 1776.  It started on April 19, 1775 and ended on September 3, 1785. The war lasted for 20 years. Declaration is just the beginning. If you really mean it, you have to take a stand for it. 

So  there you have it, a couple of thoughts concerning the War of Independence. Oh and here is one more interesting tidbit.

• John Adams felt that acknowledging the Declaration should happen on July 2nd, so when he was invited to attend a July 4th engagement, he declined.

Now you have it, a little bit of our nation’s story. Happy freedom to you!!

Dreaming About Tomatoes

I was dreaming about ripe tomatoes growing in my back yard last night. It really is not so far-fetched, because I have tomato plants growing in my raised beds. The beds are unique because I made them out of an old travel car topper. I disconnected the top from the bottom, drilled some big holes for drainage and to give the worms access (don't cringe, you need the worms), filled it with dirt from the "giant's grave" (you'll have to go back to my earlier blog post about that), and my tomatoes are thriving.

Last year, my tomatoes did great but something got at them before I had a chance to harvest them. This year, my daughter's in-laws gave me four plants for an Illinois tomato (thanks Diane and Chuck) . The plants are growing well in my raised bed and have produced several green tomatoes. One day this week I am going to put some chicken wire around them in an effort to protect them from the birds and creatures that want to keep them for themselves.

The tomatoes I planted last year were heirlooms (Cherokee purple, yellow tomatoes, beefsteak) and some of the half-eaten fruit fell back into the bed and left seeds which have now started to germinate. I have loads and loads of baby tomato plants now, but I don't know what kind they are. I have to wait for them to grow and produce fruit before I know... but I do know for sure they are tomatoes.

That is how my stories work, too — there are all sorts of seeds of thought that I write down on paper and I have to wait for those seeds to germinate and grow to know what I've got. Sometimes I know what I have, but I still have to let it grow and produce fruit before it is ready to go on stage and be shared. Once the story is shared, there is potential for others to grab some of the seeds and they can grow their own stories.

I dreamed about tomatoes last night. What seeds of story are you growing?