Green Gumdrops

It was a windy day  in Texas today.  The kind of wind that kiss my cheeks, painting them a rosy residue.  The kind of wind that gently curls the little wisps of hair that refuse to fit into my ponytail.  The kind of wind that passes through my olfactory neurons and swirled up in my cerebrum generously giving me the sweet smell of mint.  I don't smell the  mint often, so when I do, it takes me to a time in my childhood that will forever bring joy to my soul. 
      I was seven years old when I visited my great grandmas house in Ohio.  A small town named after a Revoluntionary War hero.  When I say a small town, I mean one bank, a couple of schools, a grocery store and this little restaruant called Pauls Dine In.  Pauls was one of my favorite places to eat.  They had this sausage cheese burger that made glutony an understatement. 
   My great grandmas name was Golda.  Her hair was a vintage cut, curly like wind blown ivory lillies.  Freckles covered her shoulders, as if someone sprinkled brown sugar on them.  Lips a ruby stain.  She was my grandmothers mother.   
     She lived in a tiny house with a crickity screen door that she would leave open so she could hear me play outside.  I could never get that screen door to shut.  She had this special trick to close it.  The furniture in her house was little.  A little couch.  Two little chairs.  One little TV.  The kitchen table that once sat in her dining room now sits in my mothers house, neatly polished.  She had an old fashioned phone, cream colored that hung on the wall in the dining room.  You know, the kind where you had to put your finger in that little spinner thing and spin each number?  Yeah, that kind.  She had a big back yard, filled with flowers of every color and smell.  Sometimes I would find her planting in her garden, lost in flowery lyrics-her head draped in a red sun hat.   
    There are many memories I have of my great grandmother.  However, one just really seems to stick out the most.
    It was a warm summer morning when I awoke in the back bedroom of her house.  A queen sized rod iron bed that caved in at the middle bid me good morrow as I pulled myself to sit up.  My New Kids on the Block pajamas were wrinkled  from the late night tossing and turning, not too mention they were getting a little too small.  I don't remember going to sleep in that bed.  I must have snuck in during the night.  I remember being scared of going to bed alone in that back bedroom.  I had a little twin size bed that I was tucked into every night but I was haunted by the dark closet with no door.  My mind would play tricks on my eyes and I would sneak in the back bedroom where my grandmother slept.  There was something about snuggling next to Sandra Ann that made everything scary disappear.  Her perfume was my lullaby.
      I planted my feet onto the cold old-fashioned hardwood floors.  I stretched and admired the sun light that was shining in on me.  I breathed in the sweetness that settled in that house.  I could hear faint conversations in the kitchen and dishes being clanked together.  I could smell coffee brewing and the morning paper was being read as the comics were being shuffled around.  I walked down the long hallway and brushed my fingertips over the picture frames of old family members I never knew. 
    A picture of my mother hung slanted.  I loved how I looked like her. 
    I made my way into the livingroom and saw my neighborhood friends playing on their kick and go's outside.  If your not familiar with a kick and go, it's a little scooter with a pump on the back of it.  That is how you built speed.  My kick and go was in the basement.  Scary basement.  Where the washing machine rumbled and shook and where the coat hanger looked like a person looming in the shadows.  My grandma must have heard me shuffling around because she shouted out a " good morning sugar".  I made my way into the kitchen anticipating my morning hugs and kisses.  My greatgrandmother would hold me and rock me to a silly song. 
    I remember going into her kitchen when a minty aroma embraced me.  I loved it.  I didn't know where it was coming from.  It was so fresh, so spicy so... so.. MINTY!!!  My curiosity spilled the beans that I was on the hunt for something sweet.  My grandma opened her cabinet and pulled out a bag of green gumdrops-minty.  They were these little green chewy candies showered with sparkly sugar and awesomeness.  They made her house smell like a minty wonderland.  They became my favorite thing to eat when I would visit.  Perhaps it's because it triggered memories of that morning.  I wanted each visit to be the same.  I sure loved that house.  I sure loved them. 
 I sure do love when the wind blows just right- because I think of something beautiful.

I Wish I Could

Dear angry parent,

 I can't part the rolling tides of the ocean.
                             I wish I could.
I can't hang the moon slightly more to the left.
                                I wish I could.
I can't tell the sun to chill out.
                                I wish I could.
I can't give each star that shines a name.
                                I wish I could.
I can't find the end of a rainbow
                               I wish I could.
I can't make the wind speak each time it blows.
                                I wish I could.
I can't spin planet earth on my finger tips to pass the time, when time gets tough.
                                  I wish I could
I can't make the rain wash your sorrows away.
                                 I wish I could.
I can't drive into the sunset.. literally.
                                 I wish I could.
I can't find the cow that jumped over the moon.
                                I wish I could.
I can't see through rose colored glasses.
                               I wish I could
I can't make the sound of silence .. be silent.
                               I wish I could.
I can't help not to giggle when you lie so bad you start to shake.
                              I wish I could.
I can teach and I can love.
But I can't change the world.

                                I wish I could.


The truth and a cupcake will set you free :)

And the World Turned

He was her almost lover.

 

Girl stood on the rocks with the water at her feet
the sun on her skin and a tear on her cheek
With her hand on her chest and the wind in her hair
Underneath her breath like a beggar's prayer ..

she said

I miss you, come back to me
I wish you'd come back to me

But nobody heard
And the world turned and the world turned and the world turned

And thats when the girl reached in her pocket
pulled out a silver heart-shaped locket
Opened it up and stared for a while at her faded boy
with a lazy smile

I miss you, come back to me
I wish you'd come back to me

But nobody heard
And the world turned and the world turned and the world turned

 she tossed the locket
In the cool, blue, water

That night in her bed, she let herself weep
She let herself cry herself to sleep
And there in a dream somewhere in the night
Saw the boy and the locket by the riverside, saying

I miss you, come back to me
I wish you'd come back to me

But nobody heard
And the world turned and the world turned and the world turned

- Gabe Dixon Band

Howl at the Moon

  Except.... there was no moon.

   I have finally potty trained my dog.  After one year, three hundred potty pads and four bottles of carpet cleaners, I have my dog on a scheduled bathroom routine.  First walk begins at 6:00am.  It took me a whole year to fight the temptations of my snuggly bed to get my lazy ass up and walk my dog before work.  Even my dog would rather settle for the potty pad instead of having to stretch her way from the warm abiss of my comfortor.  This is the time she chooses to take the longest to do her business.  She gets so distracted by smells and different noises.  Right when she is about to assume the potty position, a leaf will fall from a tree or a bird will chirp and there she goes chasing after it. Ugh.
  
   The day had finished and it was about 7:45pm.  The sun had just finished bestowing it's pink and purple colors on the rolling hills of where I live.  I took my dog to the usual spot where she likes to roam and run free.  After being in the house all day, I imagine wanting to do the same thing.  It was dark.  I stood there, in my snuggly PJ's and flip flops in hopes of a successful potty routine but instead I found myself frozen, unable to move and fearing for... my dogs life. 

 Usually my dog isn't quiet during our walks or potty breaks.  She likes to dig, scratch at the grass and yelp with joy. I happened to have my eyes fixed on this woman who was smoking three cigarettes at one time on her patio.  I wasn't paying attention to my dog because I was in total shock of how this woman was relieving her stress.  Three cigs? Really?  I snapped out of my disgust when I realized I couldn't hear my dog.  I turned to see her sitting at the bottom of the hill, sitting up strait, ears up and tail wagging.  She was faintly growling and slightly wining.  I thought maybe she had seen a rabbit or some kind of bug until my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I felt my heart drop to my toes.  Sweat flooded my hands.  There stood a black coyote.  Its tail was low and it had slowly lowered its body in the pounce position.  I could see the green in its eyes from the reflections. It wasn't looking at me.  It was looking at my dog.

  All my energy had left my body.  I had no voice to call for my dog.  Snippets of scenarios played through my head like a slideshow.  The coyote was concentrating on my dog, carefully studying her.  I could hear it begin to growl.  Usually my dog will see another dog or animal and make a run for it.  She is super friendly and loves attention.  She has no idea what fear is.  I was waiting for her to jump at it as if she wanted to let it know she wanted to play.  Her tail was still wagging.  However, she wasn't moving.  She wouldn't move.  I softly snapped my fingers in hopes to get her attention.  She wouldn't look at me.  They were playing the staring game.  It was almost as if my dog was saying " I dare you" to this hideous creature lurking in the bushes.

 I jingled her leash lightly and it seemed to get her attention.  She looked at me and then stood up.  Then the coyote stood up.  I knew this was it.  It was either going to be my dog, or me.  I stood there in total shock thinking of ways to get rid of this coyote.  I thought about all the shows I have seen about suriving wild animal attacks- pfft yeah, all that went out the window real fast.  Once fear sinks in to your blood, it pretty much takes over.  I was alone out there.  If I screamed, I would only scare it and then we would both be dinner.  All I could do was watch.  I was begging God to get this animal away from us. 

 There was a wrestling in the bushes a few minutes after the stare down.  I thought it was a pack of them, coming to finish us.  Thankfully, it was a small dear coming out for a little salt lick.  My dog saw the deer and made a run for it.  The only thing I could do was scream NO, NO.   I immediately looked over at the coyote and it was gone.  The deer must have scared it away.  Either that or it was coming for the deer later for ruining a perfect dinner.  I ran over to my dog, scooped her up and took her inside.  A phone call to my mother and few glasses of wine later I was feeling better.  What seemed like an hour was only about two minutes.  Fear has no time. I do believe I had my angels there with me that night.  I We were protected and I'm thankful.  Some people aren't so lucky.

Since then, we have found a safe place for us to run wild and free.  I also carry a really big, sharpened stick.  Will I know what to do with it if we are face to face with a wild animal again? Probable not.  You never know.
Words of wisdom- never let a person smoking three cigarettes at one time distract you from a seriously dangerous situation!!!

Out of the Mouths of Babes II

think each week I will post some of my favorite blurbs my students say to me.  Each day I throw myself back and laugh at some of the things that come out of their mouths.  I have one student who just floors me everytime.  I told him that he was going to be responsible for my best seller book of all the funny things he says to me.  He replied, " and I shall be your number one book buyer". 

Enjoy.
" It sure does smell good in here.  I think it's our teacher, always smelling like a cotton candy stand at a candy carnival"
" I watch Fox News, that's how I know it's winter"
" Why does my dad always curse at the gas pump?"
" So, since we are learning about dinosaurs, does that mean your our prey?"
" When I grow up, I want to be one of those people who always show their butt crack".
" I'm the only one in my family that snores.  I think its because I'm black".
" Shhhhh guys, the reason why Miss T is standing there like that with a T-Rex face is because we are wasting her time".
" Miss T, why do you sound like you have plugs up your nose? Are you sick? When my mom is sick, she says she's invisible and we can't see her".
" Not lacing again.  This really creates havoc on my joints"
" Yes!! I love creating patterns.  Miss T, your freckles make patterns"
"My dad ate my ice cream cone yesterday.  He told me it was poisonous".
"Whoa, dinosaur eggs are so big. Thats like... a year of scrambled eggs every morning".
" I need some hand scantipizer"
" Mom was right, I shouldn't have eatin that chili last night".
"When's lunch"
" Are we having spanish again today? If so, can you tell the teacher NOT to speak in tongues this time?"
" I think I just heard someone say shit.  My dad says shit is a grown up word.  Shit, I said it again".
" A dinosaur is a domestic animal in my eyes.  I can take of one. Duh"
" um, is this real meat?"

More to come. Out of the Mouths of Babes. Gotta cherish this.