Birthdays

Tomorrow my brother Mark is turning 50! Mark is kind of a quiet guy...he keeps to himself...so no big party plans for him. (unless he's having one and I'm not invited!) haha Anyway, we had to do something....so we are going to play a little joke on him. Back in Jr high when the school pictures came out several girls were asking my brothers for their pictures. I think it was David who came up with the idea to sell the pictures to the girls. If they wanted one, they'd have to give him a quarter. (might as well make a little money) Anyway he and Mark both sold their pictures. (no packets full of pictures of thoses two lying around gathering dust) (haha) I was telling Al & Misty this story a while back and Al told me to bring in one of Mark's pictures. He was going to tell Mark he had bought it on E-Bay ,for a quarter, from some girl that went to Hoover Jr. High. Well we never did that...but we all decided Mark's 50th birthday was a perfect time to bring out copies of his 7th? or 8th/ grade photo (from my photo album) along with a current photo , put one of each on the tables at LongDoggers with a caption that says 25c (Jr high side) or Free! (current photo). We'll see how long it takes Mark to realize his photos are on display. Al is going toput Happy Birthday up on the marquee too.( ME, I went for the big party on my 50th.........)
Anyway...other birthdays this week , (or close enough)are my friend's son, Eric, my brother-in-law Rob (6?),other brother-in-law Tony (5?), Kiena (the dog) (9), John's goddaughter Jordan.
Too bad none of them are having a party! (We need to dance!)
Like Dave Matthews says in one verse of his song
TWO STEP
Celebrate we will
because life is short but sweet for certain
We're climbing two by two
to be sure these days continue
These things we cannot change

Southern Living Dinners

I meet with a group of women friends once a month for dinner. I joined the group about 7(?) years ago...hard to believe...but it's true. We all pick a recipe from the current issue of SL and we have one person who coordinates the menu so we get a nice mix. It's a great way to try new recipes and things that I for one would never have thought about making. It's kind of fun to get the magazine and start thinking about my to 2-3 choices. One week before we meet we call in our top choices and and if Ellen (in charge) or Kathy doesn't call back...you know you got your first choice. I never used to try any recipes...or very few...until I joined the group. Now I know what I was missing all those years that I got the magazine and read it and forgot about it. Ha!
We go to a different house each month, the hostess provides drinks, and tableware of course. It can be anything from paper plates to fine china...whatever the hostess wants to do...which also makes it fun. After we eat we have a ballot and we rate the recipes (not the cook). 5 for the best, definitely would make it again,down to 1. Incidentally, one poor gal made some Blue cheese roll-up things one time (her first ever time coming) and they got pretty much all 1's. Fortunately we all have a good sense of humor and she understood it wasn't her we were rating...and she came back! we have plenty of duds and lots of tasty surprises...it's a lot of fun. One group meets during the day (while the kids are in school) usually 11:30-2:00. Those of us who returned to work started a new evening group...we meet on Sat evening once a month. It's "girls" only...no kids...no husbands (some exceptions) and it really has been a lot of fun. Last Saturday we had a fine time as usual lots and lots of laughs and good food.
Speaking of food...we went to LongDoggers last night and since they were a little slow, Al agreed to have the cook sear up some of our tuna. All the guys who caught the fish were there , reveling in the moment and as usual we saw many other friends already there, or they arrived during the 2 1/2 hrs (not 21!)we were there.Lots of fish stories and photos going around. A good time and lots of tuna was had by all. Everyone got some.... It was funny when a group of 6 older people came in and heard us talking about seared tuna...and our friend/waitress Misty brought out a heaping platter of tuna...one of the women looked over and said 'Wow, is that the tuna appetizer?!" I nicely told her that Al was doing us a favor by cooking our tuna...but they did indeed have a nice tuna appetizer on the menu...just not quite as big or Fresh as ours.
Needless to say...no one around here is going hungry!

And last but not least......because I can...here's my poem for the day

A Prayer for Spring

by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

all simply in the springing of the year.

Oh give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day, like ghosts at night;

and make us happy in the happy bees,

The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,

The which is reserved for God above

To sanctify to what far ends he will,

But which it only needs that we fulfill.

Have a great Monday!

Quite a Catch

John says yesterday was his best day ever fishing. Upon further review...... most of the tuna were actually in the 50lb range (you know fisherman...it's always bigger when you tell the story)

But they were all pretty big and the was at least one 60lbs. Mark, Ron and John spent 5 hours cleaning them all and then everyone went homw with a LARGE cooler full of tuna steaks, (When you sear a filet and dip it in soy sauce it really does taste like filet mignon!).Here are a couple of photos.

On the next post I will tell you about the Southern Living dinner I went to last night. We meet once a month and each person chooses a recipe from the current magazine. More later...right now we have to go torment Al at LongDoggers (he and my brother Mark have an on-going competition over who is the best fisherman). LongDoggers is a restaurant that is kind of the the local bar in Cheers (TV show) (all the locals...you always know someone there...if not mostly everyone)and if we are lucky we will get the cooks to sear up some fresh tuna for us! (we always make sure all the cooks,waitresses get some too...so it's not hard to convince them!)

More Tuna!

John, my brother Mark, and two friends went fishing again today. They got a 30lb,20lb and 2 10lb mahi and they caught about 15 tuna...10 were over 60lbs. That is a lot of fish! I'll post a picture later...I'm off to dinner...hope they are all cleaned by the time I get home...:) John said it was the best day of fishing he's ever had!

remembering Jenifer

Spring break started here and you've never seen so many kids riding around on their bikes with huge grins . I don't even get a Spring Break and I feel happy!
I have another poem for the day..
.
Pippa's Song
The year's at the spring
and the day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his heaven----
All's right with the world!

Robert Browning

It is a lovely morning and all feels right with the world...but I must confess that I have been feeling a little sad. (more than I expected). Two years ago this time as many of you know, my sister Jenifer was dying. She had been fighting rectal cancer for about 5 years and had reached the point where there was nothing else to be done. The cancer had spread to her brain and there were tumors all up and down her spine. She was in lot of pain and naturally very sad to know the her time was up. All throughout her illness Jenifer was so positive and upbeat that she had almost convinced us all that in spite of the numbers and test results, that somehow she was going to beat the odds. She did manage to beat them for a while...carrying on with work (for as long as possible), parties and celebrations (as many as possible), volunteering at school, etc.
That April...Elizabeth and Ellen were able to be with her when she came home from the hospital and then when they left, I was able to get there along with my (future) sister-in-law(one of these days)Bridget, Bridget is a nurse and she came up and took charge and with a little help from me we took care of Jenifer. (I won't go into the whole story). Once the word got out the outpouring of love, support, sympathy and kindness was almost unbelievable. Friends, neighbors, co-workers (Jen's and Rob's), teachers, classmates, you name it. It was non stop. It was an incredible experience.(As hard as it was...it was also amazing) A few very close friends came and stayed and for the next week or so we shared many laughs, tears, and quiet moments with each other and Jenifer. It is of course, something I will never forget. That is the way it should be.....surrounded by family, friends and lots and lots of love.
Two years has given me time to move on and the heaviness in my heart is not as bad...most of the time...so it is strange to feel this sadness again. Many times I will think of Jenifer, an wish I could share a laugh with her...and it's hard to stop and think...she's gone.
I think writing a blog would've been good during that time...being able to share my thoughts, concerns, worries, etc.
And while I don't dwell on the past,,,there are some things I learned from my experience. I will always be grateful to my co-workers who called me, to tell me to stay as long as I needed to,,,to not worry about work, they would handle anyhting that needed to be done. (I had planned to be gone a week) When it became obvious that this was it...I was a little concerned about asking for more time...and I certainly didn't want to leave.... so for them to call me and put my mind at ease is something I will never forget...it meant so much.
Another thing is that I try very hard to reach out to people who are going through a difficult time. In the past, like many I would say "Let me know if you need anything"...but I know...I never called anyone to ask for something., didn't want to put anyone on the spot...what if they were busy?..That said there were a few times when I would have loved for someone to call
me up and say "How are you today?" So now I try very hard to do the same for others. I do think about them and want them to know it...because sometimes you just don't know what to say and it's not easy...but it's really not that hard to do and it means a lot. I know I was grateful to those who called out of the blue or stopped by at work and asked how things were going. (hope I didn't scare anyone off! I can be a little reserved sometimes...so I might have surprised a few people when I just opened up) It doesn't have to be some grand gesture...just knowing someone else will listen is often enough.( Long walks and hot baths help too! I took lots of those...nothing clears your head like a long walk...listening to the birds, enjoying the breeze, etc.)
So...I am going to enjoy this spring day and try not too be too sad...because I miss Jenifer...but she was such a happy, giving cheerful person...she would not want us moping around...she would say "It is what it is" and then just keep on going and make the best of it. I usually do...but sometimes it's just a little bit harder than others.

It's not raining now...but it might later. We didn't have ANY rain for so long...now it seems we are back on track. Yesterday we had close to 2 inches...lots of flooded streets...but thankfully not too bad. The Weather Channel has been busy keeping up with all the stormy weather...and I always worry about family and friends in places having severe weather. Hoping for the best....

I must say after all the rain last evening...this morning was wonderful... lots of fresh, clean, cool air. Since I love to be outside whenever possible.....it was a treat! Soon it will be so humid that a trip around the block with the dog means you have to change your shirt! I am going to enjoy this brief Spring here in FL!
My poem for the day...by another favorite poet of mine.....

APRIL RAIN SONG by Langston Hughes

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops

Let the rain sing you a lullaby

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk

The rain makes running pools in the gutter

The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night

And I love the rain.

* I do like the rain...but like the poem says it plays a little sleep song...and it doesn't take much to get me sleepy sometimes....so too much rain and I start dragging around. I need the sunshine!

It's April 1st...the first day of National Poetry Month, which means I am going to have to share a poem with whoever is reading this.(ha ha)....I love this little poem:)

KEEP A POEM IN YOUR POCKET
Keep a poem in your pocket
and a picture in your head
and you'll never feel lonely
at night when you're in bed.

The little poem will sing to you
the little picture bring to you
a dozen dreams to dance to you
at night when your in bed.

So---
Keep a picture in your pocket
and a poem in your head
and you'll never feel lonely
at night when you're in bed.
Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

Poems are fun....I can think of a poem or song to fit just about any situation...(and usually do)
may be it's just a little quirk of mine....but I'll take it. It keeps me happy!