WHAT HAPPENED TO SEPTEMBER?

September is our birthday month. My sister and I are Irish twins; for two days we are the same age. My birthday is very special to me because Mom always made a big deal. Breakfast in bed is how our day started. We got to choose what we wanted for breakfast and dinner. Now isn't that a thoughtful Mommy?

We also had scavenger hunts sometimes for our gift. Get it gift. Today we give too many gifts and too costly of gifts. Simple is often the better way to go; especially homemade gifts taylored to the individual. Mom made us dresses. I remember one dress I really loved. It had puffy sleeves. The sleeves were short and had elastic around the bottom to gather and puff the sleeve. The dress was blue with rick rack for trimming. I wore this dress in 9th grade. I wore it everywhere. Anyway, she made us girls dresses and doll clothes, our curtains, and stuffed animals. I still have the pink large hippopotamus Mom made. It was my "huggable lovey doo" animal from 9th grade to college. I slept with him every night and talked to him about many things during my growing up time.

Anyway back to our birthdays, Hannah"s and mine. We celebrated with a lunch at (oh my what is it called?) It is something like Kung Pou or Ping...it is the restaraunt that has two huge horses out front along Rt. 1 and Rt. 322. How's that. Ding! Well, we sat all day and had a very nice time. Mom would have loved it too. Hannah is an artist; and, artist's always give interesting ''stretching/outside the box" gifts to their sisters. Did you know that? It has been the cause for some laughter and major hilarity. (a story to be told another day on one specific gift many moons ago that could have caused a car accident; we did live through it, just so you know!!)
Above is the picture of the surprise birthday gift, unable to be wrapped because of its unusual shape..ahemm. What is in there? Well, below is a picture of what she gave me. ''For your Library Suzie!" she says.

Now what in the world is that you say? Well, I am always nervous, isn't that silly (?) but true, when opening a gift from Hannah. It can be dangerous. So I take one glance at it after having opened it and I register ''horse." And I think this time it IS A COOL FUN gift.  I can adjust the neck and legs and position the horse anyway I want. Notice he is drinking from a water glass. Well, what a roar! It took me about 5 minutes before I realized it was

A GIRAFFE and NOT A HORSE! Man, ding dong.! We laughed and laughed. I do like it and have it  

now seated on a high piece of furniture with him appearing to be eating from a real plant. Of course there will be days where I will have to change his position and see if anybody notices. No one will notice; that I do know. Oh well. I will, and that is the fun part. Here is a better view of MY GIRAFFE & LUNCH: Now how in the world could I have registered: ''horse?" 

Eating outside is wonderful, isn't?
Well, after much chatter, sharing of tears about the really hard things in our life and just being ''together,'' we hugged and parted. She to New Jersey, me back to my home. So now we are 56 and 57.  ---the end.

PS: just remembered I did not ''reveal'' my gift to Hannah! Well, let me upload it: simple but nice: a fan from Ecuador for the hot days on her back porch at our parents home: (many memories on the porch).

Hannah has the most beautiful green eyes. Mine are a pale washed out blue. Doesn't Hannah look fun? She always wore green and I wore blue.
Sometimes we would pick out the same item from a clothing rack without the other aware of what we were doing, at the same moment. Her choice would be green and mine would be blue.

Al Qeada, radical Shiite clergy, Muslim Brotherhood, ......

Christians United for Israel (CUFI)

CUFI Executive Director David Brog's Blog - Blaming the Ally 

"Israel is not the problem. Israel is, on the contrary, our first line of defense."   On Monday morning we were greeted with the news that the State Department has issued a new advisory on travel to Europe... (read more)....http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Brogs_blog

I don't know if the link will work for you...this article also helped me in sorting out some of the different groups/persons involved in terrorism. Great Blog.

              I have come to cogitate or should I rather ruminate
                              on verses and the rhyme?


            I believe it rather ample that I choose to run and ramble 
                              through verses set in thyme.


                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Set off shall I and ambulate

across the world divide,

savoring and honoring

               

all seen in this my time.

Susie Little Susie 

Susie, little Susie, now what is the news? 

The geese are going barefoot because they've no shoes 

The cobbler has leather but no last has he 

And so he cannot make them their shoes, don't you see 

Susie, little Susie, some pennies I pray 

To buy a little supper of sugar and whey 

I'll sell my nice bed and go sleep on the straw 

Where feathers do not tickle and mice do not crawl 

Susie, little Susie, now what is the news? 

The geese are going barefoot because they've no shoes 

The cobbler has leather but no last has he 

And so he cannot make them their shoes, don't you see 

http://www.bigsmithband.com/susielittlesusielyrics.html

Picture to the Right: Those are Mom's hands on my shoulders.

The story: Mom, as I've mentioned sang all the time. But this

song was especially for me! Well, I forgot all about this song

over the years until the other day when thinking about my

mother I started singing this song. It was a spontaneous 

serendipity occurrence. I stopped dead in my tracks. Johanna

was home so I ran to her and said, "Johanna, you have to

listen to this song!! Mom sang it to me all the time and it just

came back to me!!" So, Johanna kindly humored me and 

listened...then we chatted for a while. It was a very nice

time for me, now as "Mom," to be talking with my daughter. Did you catch the drift? A.K.A: ''talking" not singing!! Ha ha! I cannot sing well like my mother did so, I spared Johanna the complete rendition...ha ha ha! 

Mom sang as she did her work around the house, outside 

whether she was going about duties or just walking with us,

walking out to the horse barn, on picnics and so on. Music was a big part of her life; a part of her and now a major

part of mine. Mom gave me the love for the out of doors; most of my time was spent outside because of Mom and being on the farm. Anyway, it all fits together nicely; music, nature.........

There is also a poem that my brother had to recite about his little sister Suzie. Maybe I will find the words to it and put it here next time. 

NO AIR CONDITIONING HERE!!!

I am thankful for the breezes that flow through all the windows when I come
home and open them up. No air-conditioning here.

The air is so wonderful. Almost as wonderful as being on water, by water.
To have both is a marvel.

I now remember my mother saying almost the same thing:
"Suzie, just feel that breeze! Isn't it heavenly?" Her exact words.
Her smile.  I remember her smile and motions when she would say those words.
She seemed to gain some peace and joy in her ''nature moments." Many times Mom
would raise her head just a little, breathing in, savoring the scents and scenery. And boy
were there scents! Cows, horses, manure, bugs, cool mud after a rain and flowers to name
a few.
I am thankful for my mother.


I am thankful for the tons of birds that sing all day; for the lone raven in the poplar tree
and the cackling, territorial American Crows that keep the Vultures at bay....for the birds
nests I've come upon.

Cool breeze come waft
by this place,
Caress my cheek with balm. 


Gird me up on graceful wings,
Steel me,
for this hour.
                                       -suzie july 22, 2010

A YEAR

A year gone by;

CAT SCRATCH, DOG BITE, COOL BREEZE......

Now is that an interesting title or what? Actually it is part of a ditty used to
cause someone to ''get the chills'' as you recite a number of verses while doing things to a
person's back using one hand and in the end they really do "get the chills." Kids love it.

NOW WHY DID THAT TITLE COME TO ME? 

For six days my left arm has been badly infected, I believe, from a cat scratch. Now it could
have been a spider bite; who knows! So I am on my second antibiotic and the infection is still spreading.  [forgot to mention yesterday: the first day of the ''scratch/bite" about 3-5pm,  I happened to see in the tender area where your elbow bends a bite; it looked like nothing. I woke the next morning, Saturday, with red stripes going up my arm. Now how could I forget to leave that out; kinda significant huh?  That afternoon while I was attending an outdoor wedding, approx. 2:30pm, the stripes began to ''grow" and my arm feel weird, So ding! Time to go to the Lancaster Clinic. Yeah, just wanted to add the ''stripes'' to my story. That's all] 
Now here is the catch; two catches actually. One, I am allergic to a medicine they would prefer to put me on since the first one didn't effect a change! Ding! Catch two: the doctor says, "don't use your arm much and elevate it alot." Yeah right! It's June in the Northeast and I'm not supposed to use my arm; like who can do that!
Ah! There is a Catch three: today (day 6, June 2nd) the doctor realized it ''is'' getting worse! ahh! and he was not certain what antibiotic to use next. He had two other doctors come in and together the three
came up with three choices not knowing which is best so the original doctor was left
to choose on his own. Now that is comforting. I think intravenous wouldn't be a bad idea
but he doesn't want to do that just yet.  Imagine, you go into the hospital for several days
of IV's because of a cat scratch..ding dong. Oh well,  just as long as I keep the arm I guess
I would have to go.......................... BUT IT'S JUNE IN THE NORTHEAST!

ALSO I WROTE THAT TITLE BECAUSE:

I wanted to publish a picture of MY KITTY CAT,,aka the emphasis on ''my"!!!! When I was a little girl in South Jersey I had 3 little kitties at 3 different times. They were all completely black. Each kitty I named "Inkie." Yeah, don't laugh; I have never held any talent with naming animals!!! My one son took after me I realized immediately when he proudly announced the name for his first rabbit, ''Bun Bun." Oh wow, the poor kid. Fortunately he did not inherit the inability to see imaginative things in the clouds.!!!!

All the kids can do that; imagine clouds to be objects or animals.  Why? Because I lied. Yep, I lied to my children.!!! I decided one day, when I had 2 or 3 kids at the time, to start a lie. We were driving somewhere in the car and I said, "you know, when Nana (my mother) and us kids would ride in the car or lie on the ground and look up we would imagine what a cloud looked like. If it looked like an elephant or dolphin; things like that." My kids of course got all excited and started saying what they saw and if they asked me I made up something, lieing, as I still could not ''see'' or imagine what the cloud(s) looked like. When they said, "Mom, it does not look like that." I always would say, "ohhh yes it does,,,,look!!!" So I finally revealed to them that I could never imagine a cloud to look like anything and lied to them just so they would develop a great imagination.

Well,  back to my kitties ''Inkie" and my new kitty. I have allowed the four children to have all sorts of pets in size and shape and so on.  Let's see, that would include cats, a dog, guinea pigs, hamsters, goats, rabbits and chickens. Is that all? Not sure. But anyway, I allowed the girls to breed one of the mother cats one more time before having her neutered. Maggie gave birth to 4 cute kitties  mid-March. Well, all of sudden when it came time to give them away (8 weeks old) I thought, "you know, maybe I can have my own kitty, why can't I have a kitty for just me." The past year has been...well let me just say..not easy to move through. With that all inside of me I was also churning the thoughts that, ''they say,'' that an animal is sooo therapeutic for a person. So that is why I thought, I want to have one of these be ''my kitty, I need a kitty to love and hug and be with me........and when things are hard,,, and so on."

So Maggie had 3 girls and one boy; the boy is so sweet and was perfect for me!! Another time I will tell you how he got his name Nabisco. Bisco for short. ''My little Biscuit" for just because!! Here is a picture of me and my kitty who loves me when I need some love.....

The last fun thing I want to tell about my kitty is how he has the neatest hair and is furry. The picture I will post will make you laugh. One day I was upstairs playing with the four kittens and Bisco was across the room from me.
The sun was streaming in filtering through all his extra long hairs and this silhouetted his actual body size. He looked like a skinny little thing instead of little rolly polly
fun cute kitty cat.!!! I had to laugh. So of course, yeah, I have to grab my camera!! right? yes. So here is one of the documentations of Bisco's cuteness of life:

So for now, this is the saga of Bisco, my kitty and the scratch he gave me which I believe caused the infection. I think it's starting to sound like ''here is the house that Jack built. Here is the woman who lives in the house that Jack built. Here is the .....that Jack built....".............

Monday, JUNE 6th 2010:  The continued saga of ''Cat Scratch, Dog Bite, Cool Breeze":
First I want to share baby pictures of my kitty Nabisco and his sisters.   Above is Nabisco at 3-4 weeks.  Below are Bisco's siblings. From Left to Right they are: Lilly, taken by cousin Rosemary and family; BISCO THE BEST KITTY; Lucy, taken by close friends the Riggs; and Pip taken by Michael's good friend Tim.

I really wanted to add this last picture to the right. I know its rather dark but Nabisco misses his sisters very much and so needs extra TLC! I grow catnip in my gardens so I need to make him some toys. He really likes the bell and breathmint I put in an old plastic thermometer case; the rattling drives him coo coo. Bisco has recently begun to wake me in the morning since I have been not well with my arm! He comes and rubs my face and then waits till I wiggle my fingers or toes so he can pounce A LOT! Then, I pretend to be asleep and it starts all over with him rubbing my face. Because I am so sleepy from this escapade I put together some papers and yarn which drive him crazy to play with in bed while I snooze; and he loves my empty Claritin D wrappers; they crinkle. Bisco loves things to crinkle. I wonder what would happen if I crinkled my nose at him?

So, the end of the story on the arm: the new antibiotic kicked in finally and after a little over a week I think my arm is going to recover and NO IV treatment, yeah! I should have taken a picture of my arm. It really did not look pretty...and I am not talking about ''beauty'' here but as in ''nasty." the end.
PS: now its just remembering to take the every 6 hour medicine; forgot once already and the arm started to go backward...oops!

TOO SOON GONE

 DICENTRA SPECTABILIS: Bleeding Heart
(Lady in a Bathtub)


Below, in text and photo, all the flowers and ephemerals that I mention in the poem as well as those blooming early spring to midspring here in eastern PA will be eventually featured.





Too soon gone, the Fairy Bells,                                          

the Shooting Stars of wonder;                                           
Then God sent forth the Trillium,                                      
Jacob's Ladder to climb, to ponder.                         
                                                                                    
                                                                                       
Up popped white Spring Beauty,,,,,,,,,,, 
Virginia Bluebells announced, "It's spring!"                
Primrose blushed across the lawn,
As Iris crested with the Sun.

Now mid-Spring, my Bleeding Heart fights

hard to heal, amid twisted Pachysandra.
Drifts of Daffodils deride, the Crocus calls,
"Join chorus," all you nodding Helebores!

No longer stated the Forget Me Knots,       
Dressed now with faded blues.
Tulips will never get their chance
All hope for them is gone.

My deer made it clear, when,
With one fell swoop he cut them off,
"just, like, that!"
Now, what is this, in it's place?
I've contracted Poison Ivy!  -suzie (she)

picture one (at right): remove a flower from a Bleeding Heart plant and turn upside down. This is known as "lady in a bathtub."

picture two (at right): carefully pull apart the pink petal giving you two bunny rabbits!!  Peel from center of what you have left and voila: Aladdin's slipper's and Cupids Heart! My mother-in-law Rosemary Ensslen taught me this; isn't that cool! Something to pass down from Grandma!!!

note: I've attempted to represent the color of each flower mentioned; when the color would not show up on the page I blocked it in with a contrasting color. Below are those mentioned in the poem as well as other spring ephemerals and flowers blooming  in my gardens this time of year: virginia bluebells, rue anemone, dutchmen's breeches, hepatica, 
phlox, arum,  allium, dogtooth violet, wild ginger, bloodroot,
trout lily, celandine poppy, shootingstar.  Water garden: water hawthorne

1) MERTENSIA virginianica: Virginia Bluebells: also known as cowslip. (ephemeral)  Below: Mertensia with Doronicum orientale (leopard's bane) and Lily of the Valley on the way, Ligularia and White woodland Phlox.








 





2) Sessile Bellwort: Fairy Bells (to right: chose a picture from 2009 that shows the plant not en masse. Later putting up how it has multiplied!!!!






Hellebores (below) (to be continued) Need to show en masse as well. These need to be planted along a stone wall as the flowers nod their heads down and are bettered displayed this way.

In An Eighteenth Century Drawing Room

In the entry prior to this one I mentioned a song my mother played on the piano for us kids; that I would write the words out. There is a rendition of the music you can listen to if you go to Wikipedia and search for Piano Sonata No. 16 (Mozart) or type in google:
"In An Eighteenth Century Drawing Room" and go to Wikipedia from there. 
 listen to the ''allegro'' version!!!

Music and Lyrics by Jack Lawrence and Raymond Scott:

I FOUND AN OLD MUSTY BOOK,

LONG LOST

IN SOME FAR FORGOTTEN NOOK.

IN THE BOOK A FADED PICTURE,

AND THE SCENT OF FAINT PERFUME,

TWO OLD-FASHIONED LOVERS

IN AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY DRAWING ROOM.                         (hope to put a picture here of

                                                                                                        my mini-grand, mom's pic...)

NOTHING IS EVER NEW,

EVER SINCE LOVE BEGAN,

SEE HER TWO EYES OF BLUE,

FLIRTING BEHIND HER FAN.

LOOK AT HIS SILK AND LACE,

ISN'T HE DEBONAIR?

AND THE SMILE ON HIS FACE

TELLS OF THE LOVE THEY SHARE.

HEAR THEIR TWO HEARTS SOFTLY BEAT,

ONE MOMENT MORE

AND THEIR LIPS WILL MEET.

WHAT A SWEET AND CHARMING PICTURE,

LOVE IN GLORY, LOVE IN BLOOM,

DON`T YOU WISH THAT WE WERE

IN AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY DRAWING ROOM.

Man, I can hear Mom singing this as plain as day. It was wonderful and as a young teenager, well, just hopeful and such. Thanks Mom for sharing your love of music with all us kids.

SPRING IS HERE sung by Mom

SPRING IS HERE, NOT A MERE

JANUARY THAW....

BUT A LITTLE ROBIN I SAW,

TOLD ME IT WAS SO.....

AND SO I KNOW THAT....                     

and the song goes on into other verses.  I WISH YOU COULD HEAR THE TUNE!!!!! It is beautiful!!! (the photo to your right is a miniature Iris that blooms now in Honor of Mom. She had 3 super long rows of tall iris or different varieties. Before I was aloud to go to the pool all day I had to ''weed the iris" said Mom. Yuck! I was so mad about that all the time! But weed I did and as fast as I could. Man it was h.o.t! The weeds were ''horse weeds" and I promised I would NEVER!!!!!!!!!! GARDEN. Boy did I get that wrong. Jersey has these horrible horse weeds; Pennsylvania they just pull out with a blink of an eye. Back to the song....

My mother sang all the time or recited verse. She played with us and her idea, like mine, is to ''sweep the house with a glance!" ha ha ha! We were more important than the house and other ''things." So, every spring Mom would sing this song looking forward to spring, the first bud, the trickle coming down off the roof from melting snow. Our laundry room had two windows. The back window facing the cow pasture and red garage had a small roof extending just below the outside sill. Mom always had a bird feeder sitting on the roof and an old kitchen pan she filled with food for her coveted winter birds. For me the melt began there and watching the birds. Of course the cats kept watch as well.
I had three favorites cats that were all mine; they were always black. Why I do not know. The funny thing is, Sarah now chooses all black cats as her favorites and she never knew my choice. I know I told her long ago but she doesn't recall those stories. Mom always told us stories!! My first cat was name ''Inkie." I have never been talented at naming animals. I think it followed suit to my children as well. Our first rabbit was named ''Bun Bun" by Jonathan. Imagine, Bun Bun! Oh my. We have our last batch of kitties right now, four of them. Of course the black ones are Sarah's favorites. Johanna and I love the tiger striped kitty Nabisco. Well, we love them all. How can you not?

So Mom sang several spring songs often this time of year along with her usual songs. She would laugh at me trying to remember the verses. I always have trouble keeping the order of verses and their words straight! But, the idea is still there so isn't that ok? So yeah, the kids laugh at my doing the same with current songs as well.

Another song Mom sang was:

THE COUNTRY SIDE IS GREEN AGAIN

THE WORLD IS SEVENTEEN AGAIN...

MY HEART AWAKES WHEN APRIL SINGS....(and so on...)

that is my favorite..."my heart awakes when April sings...."

Lastly, I want to add another song she would sing because of St. Patrick's Day in March. We have quite a bit of Irish ''Heritage." This is the song I get messed up all the time with order; it is beautiful. I might be giving you the middle of the song or beginning; I really do not know. Will  have to look it up but I just keep on singing it in all sorts of order; its the beauty of the song that's important right? (Aside: Do you know the song ''There's a Bad Moon on the Rise?" Well, not only verse but the words get jumbled for me as well! Ding dong. I thought it was "There's the bathroom on the right." Now is that ridiculous. I guess I was too busy dancing and enjoying the rhythm of the music. I never figured it out till college what it really       said.) Now Mom! Mom wanted to major in music and write music. She was gifted in song, the piano and ''i guess'' to write music. Never experienced that with her. But, she gave all that up to be a dairy farmer's wife. She did teach us some piano and played herself alot when she could get in the time. I still cannot play like mom did; and probably never will. She kept the piano in our living room and I still can see her playing.
Here is the beginning of the song she would sing in spring around St. Patrick's Day:

HAVE YOU EVER CROSSED THE SEAS TO IRELAND

WELL MAYBE AT THE CLOSING OF YOUR DAYS

YOU WILL SIT AND WATCH THE MOON RISE OVER CLETTA

AND SEE THE BAREFOOT GOSSINS (sp?) AT THEIR PLAY (or is it "in the BAY.")...

[pictured left is White Trillium...peaceful...]

One song Mom liked a lot, the name of which won't matter to any of you since you won't recognize it; but, when I tell you the words you will because of my playing part of it on ocassion. Mom had the words all down that someone added much later to the beginning portion of this piece. First I will give you the words:

dah dah dah....(gee can't remember the beginning..will have to ask Hannah,,it is great..) 
well, its about two lovers, old fashioned books, somewhere in time, a drawing room...ever changing hues.......a lovely lilting romantic song....
I wish you could hear the tune...Mom was a romantic!!! -will come back and put the words in soon-

The words were written to the beginning of
MOZART'S :                           SONATA No. 3 in C Major K. 545

So now its time to go out in the garden and get movin' and groovin' and make a dent? ha ha, in all there is that ''could be done''........then piano lessons. My piano teacher, Ori said I could take up this Sonata for my next piece if I wanted to but ..."ahhhhhhh..." it is so difficult! It will take at least  6 months to work up and a few more to perfect. Yeah, Ori is a perfectionist and so am I but, there is joy in that journey of piano and it connects me to my mother and all these years of l.o.v.i.n.g music.

Why did I make this also in Honor of my Dad? (the tall tree picture is symbolic for Daddy: tall, strong, handsome, a rock, security...and not to be corny, but Dad did branch out into many directions in his abilities serving & in giving). Well, he worked so hard, very hard, to provide for us so Mom did not have to work, staying home with us and driving us everywhere!!! She was the ''wind beneath his wings," though. She really was. Well, I could go on and on....the end. (driving me everywhere...another story...out of the 5 kids she had to say no to me since I wanted to do the next activity offered......Hannah loved being at home with books, art & piano; Jack too-a "mr. fix-it engineer" type, content with stuff around home. I wanted to do ballet, .....well, another time......)

Notice the bee in the picture to the right? Well it isn't a great picture but I just have to add him. Played around getting pics of him in and out of the Fairy Bells. Got a good one of his bottom hanging out from the flower but it was not in focus enough to publish, rats!!!
A sign of spring. Flower: Disporum sessile:  Fairy Bells Variegatum

Mom loved Dutchmen's Breeches. Will put a pic of that in next time..they are awesome! And, a pic of Bleeding Heart. Did you know if you take the flower apart you can find two bunny rabbits and Aladdin's slipppers?

AMY'S BIRTHDAY

Today, April 2nd, would be Aunt Amy's 51st birthday. Just want to reminisce and enjoy the neat things that were "Amy." that's all. Maybe I will write about her one day and add it right here. Miss you Aim.

APRIL 16th, 2010

Everybody is gone and I am sitting just thinking about my family and I remembered this little scene about Amy.
I am going to call the story              "FAT A GYOU"
Hannah and I shared a bedroom all the time growing up. When Amy came along Mom gave her a room all to herself. Well, everyone once in a while I would sleep with Amy in her double bed. We would talk and laugh and giggle before falling asleep. Amy was 4 1/2 years younger than me. 
Well, I would read story books to Amy and she learned to read some because of those times. She would watch the words as I read. An aside to this story that I tell is funny. Here I was teaching her how to read and she ended up being so much smarter than me and gifted in areas I was not. She was a brain; brother Jack got brains too. Sometimes I thought it was better not to be so brainy because they seemed to struggle with some areas that I didn't but who cares. That isn't meaningful to this story. So yeah, on with the story. 

I was reading a book to Amy; I don't recall which book. As I was rambling right through a sentence she stopped me and said to go back. ''Go back to what?" I said. 
"That word," said Amy. 
"What word?"
"That's not how you say it," said Amy. 
"What word?"
"That one," she said. And she pointed.


Well, we got to giggling as I said the word for her; the word was ''fatigue." She said very sternly and seriously, ''that isn't how you say it!" And I said ''YES IT IS!" smiling with wit. So on and on it went and we were laughing. She didn't believe me and I tried to convince her and then I said, "well, how would you pronounce it?" And, Amy said, "Fat-eh-gyou." Well, did I crack up; and she got to rolling in laughter...and on and on it went.


Amy and I had tons of fun as little kids. She was so cute and a happy child.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY

Definition of FOOL (Webster's): 1 : a person lacking in judgment or prudence
2 a : a retainer formerly kept in great households to provide casual entertainment and commonly dressed in motley with cap, bells, and bauble b : one who is victimized or made to appear foolish : dupe
3 a : a harmlessly deranged person or one lacking in common powers of understanding b : one with a marked propensity or fondness for something
4 : a cold dessert of pureed fruit mixed with whipped cream or custard

These definitions seem to be across the board; very different from one another. Chapters could be written about each point.

I am told I can act foolhardy (synonym: adventurous and or rash). I would like to think that I am very adventuresome and that I add a tad of rashness to that at times, without even giving it a thought! But to be made to feel that you are a foolish person (be duped) or, be victimized, is not fun, is it? Personally? I would not put those two descriptions of ''fool'' in the same sentence. They mean very different things to me: ''made to appear foolish'' versus ''victimized."  (I remember many times hearing, ''what did you do that for?"..and other things...those times are not fun are they? Or to trust yourself over to someone and they appear to be using you temporarily for their own gain or for whatever reason?)

I used to be and would like to be once again, a ''dancing fool''; that is to say, actually dancing often for expression of joy and life and laughter. But where is there to dance anymore but ones own home? I used to dance all the time or just move to music, choreograph my own dances, listen to music, play the flute, put on records (oops that gives away my age; records were 45's; and, I have now found a whole small suitcase besides the medium stack of 45's I knew I had!!!) Got to one day in the summer put those on and my daughter's and I will wear out the deck with foot stomping fun.
My prudent decision to take piano and take it seriously has been extraordinary!

I am not a fool for candy but chocolate, dark chocolate is rather nice! And food? Well, I just am a fool for all kinds of food! 

I am fool for gardening, gardens, nature walks, hot air balloon rides, driving down an unknown road to be surprised by what will be there. So many things outdoors but I won't bore you. A fool for water and ''a cool breeze blowing through my hair like a peppermint patty!!" (remember those commercials?) A fool for watching animals (safari's) and sometimes certain birds. A fool for color and curiosity....and so on and so on......

I do not know what that dessert is that Webster's defines as ''Fool: a cold dessert of pureed fruit mixed with whipped cream or custard," but will check that out later and report back tomorrow, APRIL FOOL'S DAY, if I am able.


Be a fool for someone else and have a lot of fun bringing joy into their life focusing not on yourself but the other person; help them learn to laugh and love and enjoy one day at a time......suzzie

April 2, 2010

I looked up the dessert ''Fool." This is what I found. Thought it best to just copy and paste the information for those of you who want to know more about this dessert.

Fool or Foole  http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART_II/British_Food/British_desserts.html

"The mind races through the numerous allusions made to fools, from the fool that accompanied King Lear on his howling journey across the moors to the more modern blunderer plaintively asking "What Kind of Fool Am I." But the name of this gossamer dessert comes from the French word foulé meaning pressed or crushed, and refers to the combination of crushed fruits and thick cream. It is a dish that is sublime in its simplicity.
The British countryside is a paradise for berry lovers. It offers gooseberries, red currants, strawberries, raspberries. One can even sing "here we go round the mulberry tree" while plucking the small, blackberry-like fruit. Any of these fruits might have been used to make fools.
This simple dish, so refreshing on a summer's day, might find its modern equivalent in popularity to the omnipresent 'yogurt with fruit on bottom,' though no artificially sweetened yogurt can compare to fresh crushed fruit and cream. The fool is also the beginning of ice cream, a dish that required refrigeration to arrive at the status it holds today as summer's favorite dessert."

So basically Fruit fool is a classic British dessert, dated as early back as the 16th century. It is a mixture of sweetened fruit puree, whipped cream and whipped egg whites. It is usually enjoyed when fresh fruits are in seasons.
Bon appetit !
 

MARCH 8, 2010

MARCH 8, 2010 our first grandchild is born; a boy of course. Ensslen's produce heirs; and we had two girls? Isaac was 8lbs. 5ozs. and 20 inches long; his daddy, Michael,  was 9lbs. and 21 inches long. Both babies were breech; web says if one child is breech chances are his children may be breech; interesting.

                                                         ISAAC MICHAEL ENSSLEN
                                                                 March 8, 2010
                                                        (due: 13th: C-section/complications)

Man this website is not cooperating; doesn't let me move things where I want them today. And where did this underlining feature come from; can't get rid of it?

ISAAC says, "Hi, this is MY DADDY (Michael) and over here to the right? That is MY MOMMY(Heather).

This next picture is ME of course. I am resting before I 

WOW everyone with my wiggles and giggles. As you can 

see, Nana, my grandmommy on Daddy's side made the 

monkey announcing my entrance into this world! Notice

she didn't get to finish making my name in dark letters 

because I was impatient and wanted to nurse. My needs

are top priority you know; food, yummmmmmy. "

Now let me tell you why I arrived on the 8th of March. I was rather stubborn and stayed breech through and through. The doctors told Mommy and Daddy to choose  a day within a week of my due date, the 13th of March! Well, I think they picked Monday the 8th because that is Nana's favorite number; Nana and Aunt Sarah's favorite number is 8 actually.  Nana told me that a friend of hers in her 5th grade class, her teacher was Mrs. Gambril (I wonder who my teacher will be?), lived in a house with the number 8 so that became her favorite number signed, sealed and delivered forever, and,  forever. So I was born in the morning at 9:26 on March 8th.

"So what do you think of this picture of MY DADDY AND ME taking a nap together; we fit like a hand in a glove; WE do! Daddy thinks he's a big man; well just you wait DADDY, I am going to be bigger than 6 foot 4'',,,you just wait Henry Higgins...you just wait!!! I look cute don't you think?"
There is one more picture of me smiling but Nana can't seem to upload it. It says it is in Jpeg format but she doesn't know how to use the computer very well. I will have to teach her another day about computers and uploading. Then you will get to see my smile that will WOW you as well." 

"So, I am home now in Strasburg and a very happy baby. I love my doggie Bailey; she wants to lick me and save Mommy and Daddy from bathtime but they won't let that happen; this disappoints me. Just think, my first disappointment in life! 

"Well, so life begins for me with these two amazing parents who have hugged me till I can't be hugged anymore; squeezed me like an orange for juice and kissed like no one has ever been kissed.!! I am going to take my nap now and will Wow you another day with more news. Goodnight" love, Isaac Michael

Things Are Not Always As They Seem

This photo was taken in 2008 or 09'. Which photo
is the orginal; that is, which is right-side up? Is the scene of sky or water? Manipulate the photo vertical as well. How do you look and observe what is around you?

Are things always as they seem? Sometimes we see clearly and other times but a dim reflection. Sometimes we see as face to face and other times, never at all.                            

In the 90's I had the wonderful opportunity to go on a long African safari in Tanzania, Kenya and Zimbabwe with my mother, two sisters and a neice. I got to the point where I could spot a leopard and cheetah before our private guide; it was wonderful. No longer do I look at the ground when walking. Once in a ''blue moon" I realize I'm looking down at the ground and immediately catch myself; it is too beautiful to miss what is around me no matter the season.Watch other people as you are walking and notice how many people just look at the ground when walking [(smiley face :) ]. We are creatures of habit. Spring is ''springing up'' and that means all kinds of ephemerals will be popping their little heads up from the ground. The birds are already making tons of chatter and the peepers are up for the first time. Here in Glenmoore, ''they say", you know those people who know everything (ha ha ha) ''they say," "that the third time the peepers come up and chatter that spring is finally here." Well, right now the peepers are so loud from the pond you can hear them through the windows!! Just a few more weeks.!!!

So next I will have to publish the song my mother always sang to us in the spring! She was always singing.

QUOTES: "...the obstacles which have been overcome..."

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that
one has reached in life as by the obstacles which have been 
overcome while trying to succeed.
                                                                            - Booker T. Washington
                       To overcome: 'one' of the legacies of my Father.

          
I just read this quote the other day and boy did it hit a chord; it was serendipitous! Could Daddy
have known how I would need his words and example? Not really, but his love for me desired to
prepare me, as best he could, for my future. God knew; he provided for me through Daddy. 

(this quote hit me with regard to overcoming personal, spiritual, relational struggles, etc. not job...and so forth)

Daddy always said to me ''semper paratus," ''run the race," ''fight

the good fight," ''don't let things knock you down." He wrote me very few letters 
when I was away. However, when he found out from Mom that I was not doing so well he would write. The letters held wisdom and great encouragement. (another favorite was ''Veni, Vidi, Vici!"-I love that one!) Dad always got right to the point.


I remember one year, while living up in Maine, a letter he sent.  Now Daddy was not an artist by 
any means even though he did illustrate many principles via sketch. He drew a picture at the top 
of the yellow-lined page.  Black clouds and one white with a big sun bursting through the dark

cloud, a smiley face on the sun and rays extending outward.  He said, ''horsey keep your tail up,'' 
''in every dark cloud there is a silver lining," ''you will overcome." I always knew he would be there for me; mom too.

One main thing he would say now and then as I would go into his office for counsel or, help with 
math (ha ha ha), he said looking me straight in the eyes, "now, you just be little Suzzie* 
and ............"  As a child I had many concerns and struggles.  Certain concerns I seemed to veer toward my Dad and others my Mother. (* I never knew why Daddy chose to spell my name like that on every sheet of paper I ever saw. I love it, it is endearing to me) 

So, now when things get rather catywompus I hear Daddy saying, ''now, YOU JUST BE LITTLE SUZZIE...." and it brings some comfort to me. I love(d) my Daddy very much. He passed away June 22, 2003 at the age of 80. Had he not smoked he would have made it well into his 90's; the Heritage family is like that.


Daddy had tons of sayings. Many came from the book of Proverbs actually. He just made them 
into ''Skeet's tongue." I hope that at the end of my life I can say, as he lived, "I have 
fought the good fight, I have run the race for which God has called me 
heavenward." I need a letter from him now.   And I have one: his legacy! (sometime I will write how Daddy got the nickname of 'Skeets')

The last thing I will say about Daddy for now which should really be mentioned  earlier in this

entry:

In the morning when we were all a little groggy and just coming downstairs or sitting at the table 

eating our breakfast, in walked Daddy from outside** with the biggest smile and lifted spirit, he'd

say,  "toe heel toe kick toe; toe heel toe kick toe." All the while he performed this shuffle kick step; just like that, two times. More words followed which exhorted us to get moving, think positive thoughts, charge into our day, "tackle" (he was a very good football player at Rutgers Univ.) whatever the day would throw at you. Man, I have never been one to jump out of bed; I am a night person. 

Obviously Daddy was a type A personality; so am I. It has its upsides and down. I'm so glad 

I am like Daddy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     --''suzzie''

**(Daddy got up every morning by 5AM or earlier: next I will tell how he pulled me out of bed 

upside-down to get me off to school on time; oh brother!!! But I loved it too; that was him)

WONDER to WANDER or is it WANDERING WONDER

Who dares, stand glancing way out to Yonder
to the future with wandering wonder?
Warm sets the sun its beauty ablaze
filling soul with wonder to wander!

Beneath cuts the valley that meandering river,
running far from this place that I stand!
Hold fast sturdy raft, to my side of the shore,
bear me up in that day, wandering wonder!  - suzie  10'

ok, now I know that poem may sound dumb to some of you or all of you (ha ha ha! je je jeje) But, it doesn't to me; it makes a lot of sense. And why do I even need to say anything about it. Guess its that lack of confidence and feeling dumb; so, by saying something it makes it all ok or something like that to put it on here. so yeah. that's it. I'm putting it out there anyway. I like it for what it is.  
PHOTO ADDED: January 24th 4pm 

Just took this yesterday at ''Crow's Nest," Elverson: a Natural Land's Trust Park in PA. Don't you just love water. It is a little blurry blown up this large but for me it makes it more powerful and moving. Go to: www.natlands.org

                        This moment in time, 

                   water swells and  it ripples, 

              surging onward down to the sea. 

          And what does it greet along the way? 

              If I could but ride along and see!!!!!    -suzie

THOUGHTS OF MY MOTHER/journal

January 14th, 2010: Missing my parents: today missing Mom more for some reason. (this is the very first time I have thought of using my blog as a journal ''journal." Will see how it goes for now. [To my adult children, I kinda like this idea so you can read stuff that I may not have yet told you about Nana and PopPop. So I am just going to keep adding to this through the year. So, be sure to click on the ''In Honor of My Mother or Father to the left of the page scrolling down to see future stories. I'll date each new entry to help you keep track (this is more for me than you..ha ha ha..you know me and written material.. ha ha, love, mom)]

Today I was walking around the house getting an asundry of things done when it hit me as I passed my mother's antique corner closet. She always wanted me to have it. She decided early on which antique she wanted each of us (5) to have some day. Well, Mom collected antique plates and some not so antique ones. She has salt cellars, teacups and so on. In the bottom she always stored dip bowls, reuseable snowmen toothpicks, seashells for serving none other than ''seafood," and other items. When I was small I would sneak and turn the key that opened the closet snooping through "the stuff." Besides enjoying looking at the things it was fun thinking I was getting away with something; ha ha ha.

Then one day when I was about 17 or 18 Mom told me she wanted me to have the corner closet. She felt it ''fit me." I didn't know what she meant but she saw me as someone who would really take care of the items and the piece; that I would always cherish it. She saw me as a future great homemaker, driven to detail and conscientious. Someone who would entertain and use a dining room and so on. That's enough on that.

So, I found myself wanting to write in a journal about memories of Mom but thought I would start a section here as my journal on memories of Mom, Dad and our family and see how I use this spot over the coming year, if I do. I think I am ADD. I get distracted from one task to another. I think that is why I forget that I have beautiful linens for end tables and other things here and there that I could use blah blah blah.

Back to Mom.
So I spent some time looking at my mother's plates she collected over the years in the corner closet. I did some rearranging while looking. I wonder why she chose cerain ones. I know she told me some stories but I don't remember any. I have a terrible memory; always have! (that is why I take a lot of photographs; I remember b/c of what I see or remember a photograph and then comes the memory).

One plate says "Palestine" on the back. I know why the farm scens and serene scenes. Mom often had this look on her face when she was outside. A look of awe about the beauty of the sky, birds, trees and definitely scents. She used to take us on picnics and we would sit under pine trees looking up at the sky. Sometimes we would be quiet; other times she would say poetry or tell us a story.

With me Mom would say, "Ohhhh Suzie, look at that sky, would ya?" Or, she would say it and leave out the ''would ya." She'd let out a breath of wonder. Mom loved so many things one of those was us kids: Skeeter, Jackie, Hannah, Suzie and Amy. She would also say to me about you four kids, "Suzie do you know how lucky you are?" She would have these looks of love, wonder and appreciation in her eyes and pride for me. She also said that because I did and do complain about things. She was a good listener when I was down.

Mom was most definitely a thankful person. Always counting her blessings. In winter, I was small maybe 8 or 10; if there was a winter storm with snow blowing she loved to walk down the center of the long farm field that extended down Jessup Road. She told me later it was so peaceful and just gorgeous the snow hitting her face and so on. She also did not mind getting her head wet! I do not like that for some reason. I didn't find this out about Mom till in my twenties. We were going out to the horse barn and it began to rain. Well, I am running to get out of the rain and she is just walking along, almost a saunter. We laughed about it. She'd say, "oh Suzie, you're silly." And we laughed some more. I love water though. Swimming, playing in water...yeah, its great. Usually once I am wet you can't get me out of the water. I do turn purple though, my lips since I was a child. Mom said it was because I didn't have any meat on my bones. Once I was outside and the winter wind was blowing so strong. The driveway was icy. She had just come off the side porch and I yelled, "Mom,
I'm blowing away....!!" And sure enough, the wind pushed me across the ice of the driveway. It was scarey!!

Well, I have said enough for today. I miss Mom a lot particulary today for some reason. I feel like I could cry; like there is something down inside but it doesn't come out. As time goes on I still miss my parents; it never goes away. But it does get easier.

When I picture my mother I see a beautful lit up face with smiling eyes and mouth, someone who loves/loved me and would hug me if I needed or wanted a hug. Mom always had time for us and made time; a giver not a taker.
I love you Mom very much, Suzie

January 16th, 2010: You know, Mom was so interested in everything we kids did and were interested in. She told me more than once how she could have had tons of more kids. One reason why was because we were all so interesting and different; she loved learning, enjoying and watching each of us with our various gifts/talents, etc. that more kids meant more to enjoy! She was a fascinating woman and so nice. People just liked Mom; as I got older and Mom got Altzheimer's other adults would encourage me by sharing the great things they saw in Mom.