Another Birthday

Alright I will admit that I am now 40 years old, where the 30's went I am not sure.  Every year I try and do something fun for my birthday.  I will go to chucke cheeses with the boys, go on a hike, or go to Canada.  This year I went to two places, work and the football field.  I was a mom this year, don't get me wrong I am not complaining.  Actually it was a very nice birthday and I spent it doing what I like most, just being a mom.  My travels may take me from here to there, but ultimately I do so love and enjoy just being a mom and spending time with my boys. 

I received a dozen yellow roses at work from Jeff.  For those of you that are not acquainted with my favorites, these are them.  They smell very yummy still four days later.  I also had a nice surprise waiting for me on my front porch in between running from work and the football field.  Jenn Runge made me the most yummy and beautiful Mickey Mouse cake.

I will admit that it took me two days to cut into it.  Pathetic yes, but it was so pretty that I just did not know where to start.  Which after two days we decided that we would start with the feet.  And then Jack decided that he needed to try some as well, so Jack took care of that awkward place at the top of the legs. 
Now I did make a birthday wish.  And that wish would be, I wish to be blessed by the enjoyment of my two boys for many years to come and may all my birthdays be filled with joy and love forever.  I don't need things to make me happy, just my two boys being with me is enough for this old girl. 
By the way by the time I turn 50, I will not only have another mickey mouse cake, but I will also enjoy it while I am working in Disney World.  And if I am lucky Mickey Mouse will have a piece of cake with me. :) 

The End of a Trip

All this week I have been listening to a variety of books on CD while I travel throughout NY State.  My favorite was  Story Tellers Daughter by   Saira Shah.  What a courageous woman she is and she helped me to understand better what is going on over in Afghanistan.  This book was not what I expected and I am very glad our wonderful library purchased it and had it available before I left.  Put it on your list of books to read, I promise you won't be disappointed. 
But another book I listened to that really fit in with the scenes was The Hobbit.  Listening to it while I look out to the far mountain, which is Whiteface, and listening to how they are trying to break into the mountain; I found myself telling them to reach to the right don't they see the change in the rock.  I could see it right there in front of me, silly hobbits.  Also as they moved through the book and mentioned vast valleys I was situated at a lake that is an exclusive resort and this is what I saw:

 

Can't you just imagine the hobbits moving through this mountain range?  I know I could and it added to the enjoyment of the book.  Thank you Cindy for finding me that particular copy, because it really made the book come to life.  I also had the joy of going back to the site where the giants are playing a game of marbles, lets see if you can pick their next play.

But today I did see something that was incredible and yet very sad; but at the same time it made me appreciate what I have waiting for me at home.  I was on my way to another trap and as I passed a cemetery, which if you know me I do love cemeteries; and a stone caught my eye.  As I was passing it looked like a statue of satan with his big wings enveloping the stone.  I went to the next trap but I turned right around and had to get a closer view.  It was not a statue of satan, but a beautiful statue of a dragon.  It was so wonderfully done that it was a true piece of art.

The sad thing was the part for whom this stone was in memorial, it was for a 11 year old boy.  Close enough to the same age as Mathew, my heart went out to the mom of this precious little boy who had to make the choice on how to remember her own son.  I immediately went to my phone and tried calling my boy so I could let him know just how much he is loved by his mom.  Unfortunately I had just missed him because he was on his way to bible school with grandpa and his brother.  But I made sure that when I talked with him for bed time I told him how much I do love him.  So for tomorrow night we have a date where alot of cuddling will take place and lots of loving. 
Overall this trip has taken its toll, nine days on the road where I have drove approximately 2200 miles throughout NY.  I have listened to eight different books, read one book, wrote three times in the blog, met lots of people along the way but the worst part is missing the boys, my dog and my bed.   Although I do love traveling everywhere, I can not wait to crash at home and have my boys on either side of me and my dog at my feet.  But I can't get too comfortable because we leave the next day for a mini vacation.  Next week I will enjoy my bed.

Journey's End by J. R. R. Tolkien

In western lands beneath the Sun
The flowers may rise in Spring,
The trees may bud, the waters run,
The merry finches sing.
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night,
And swaying branches bear
The Elven-stars as jewels white
Amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey's end I lie
In darkness buried deep,
Beyond all towers strong and high,
Beyond all mountains steep,
Above all shadows rides the Sun
And Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell.

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I would add the following line:

Because soon we shall be back again 

Memories of Summer

It has been a hot few days during this last travel week.  Very Hot.  I have been working in Saratoga and Washington County for the past two days.  The area reminds me so much of home, lots of farm fields and lots of friendly people.  My favorite people are those that have either allowed me to use their dumpsters or have directed me to a transfer station.  It seems a little pathetic when one of the highlights  of my day is when I can find an area to throw out my garbage.  
But truly I have taken the time this trip to really look for the small farmstands and the mom and pop places along the path.  Yesterday I got some really yummy strawberries, banana split trail mix and a yummy cantaloupe.  They did have some really good sounding sandwiches, but the line was huge and the prices were a little too high.  So I passed on the sandwiches.
Today I found another small farmstand that does not appear from the outside as anything grand, but let me tell you it was very grand.  I had the most delicious Tomales, stuffed grape leaves and a tomato and mozzarella salad.  They made a wonderful dinner.   But the one thing they did have that I did not try was homemade bread.  It smelled wonderful but at the time I did not want any, big mistake.  Now I wish I had some of that bread.

Earlier today though I did have that cantaloupe from the farmstand the day before.  As I was driving around checking the traps and sweating like crazy I enjoyed that sweet juicy cantaloupe.  But part of me was not all there, part of me was going back in time to my grandmothers kitchen.  I started to remember how during the summer we would have lunch at grandmas and she always seemed to have cantaloupe.  Not that I am complaining, I do love cantaloupe.  But I also started remembering many other things that happened during the summer at grandmas, such as the day she would not let me into her house until I was hosed off outside.  I had gone for a walk in the swamp, and lets just say I did not return looking like I was going to the royal ball. The water from the hose may have been cold, but she did not scold me, I believe she actually laughed with me.  My favorite treat though was either  the Rhubarb in the spring to chew on raw  or the sour apples in the fall as we walked back home.  Come to think of it maybe this is why I still love sour candies and food.  I don't remember a summer where my legs did not have cut grass marks all over them, the swamp was full of that grass and somehow I always managed to get cut by it.

At the time many of our small  life events  don't seem significant, but later in life we can look back and say those are the experiences that made us who we are today.  Grandma taught me many things, but the  lessons of the summer were, to eat healthy, and if you get dirty don't even think about tracking that mud into her house.  But truly I did learn that it is okay to get dirty and to play hard, and then to take the time to clean up and still look like a lady.....I am still working on that part. 
 I still eat cantaloupe and think fondly of my grandmothers kitchen.  I still get dirty and  sometimes wait to see if I will be allowed inside or if I have to wait for the mud to dry first.   Grandma always had the radio on during lunch and we would listen to Paul Harvey.   And as I finished the last bit of cantaloupe today I think I heard  Paul Harvey say...'Good day'. 

On a Quest

I believe that everyday we receive messages.  Not just on our phones or our emails, but messages from the world around us.  For example I may stub my toe on a chair, well if I had put that chair away I would not have stubbed my toe, thus the message is 'clean up after your self'.  Well this summer I have been receiving alot of messages, and quit honestly I am not sure what the message is or what  I should do about them.
During the first part of my many road trips I came across a small sign of where Joseph Smiths boyhood home was located.  For those of you who do not know who Joseph Smith was, he founded the Mormon Church.  Okay so the first sign was no big deal, but it was really cool to see it.  Did you know that he grew up in a small lowland area, otherwise known as a swamp.  Hmmm, I have something in common with him, very cool, maybe I can start my own church also.  NOT.
The second big road trip, I see Joseph Smiths birthplace and the very large granite stone at the site.  Did you know it is the shiniest  and most polished stone in the world?  Neither did I till I saw it.  So now there are two signs or messages.  My interest is peaked.
Third and current trip, I see where Joseph Smith got married.  Okay now this is getting a little to repetitive.  I think I should start paying more attention. 
But the last one is a real hmmmm thought, Jeff is going off to Utah next month for vacation.  Now wait a minute does this mean that with all this messages and signs and with him going away, are we turning Morman and I do not know it?  Am I on a pilgrimage?  Because if I am, then I am not so sure what I am suppose to learn. So far I have learned that Smith came from humble beginnings and ended with a church that I hear is covered in Gold.  Maybe I could have the same fate?  Wouldn't that be nice.  But probably not and the last I checked we are not converting.  But I am interested in what others think all of these signs are and what they mean.  Because I am completely puzzled.
I do know though that my end result would not be decorated in gold.  It would be decorated in Mickey Ears  and all things Disney :)


I look forward to reading your opinions and thoughts.

Tell me a Story

Ever so often the boys ask me to put down the book from the library and tell them a story.
" A story from your childhood mom.  Not the one of Aunt Miss falling from the Hayloft, or the one of Aunt Miss falling into the Crick.  Something new mom."
What they don't realize is that everyday I share with them a new story or a new adventure.  This weekend was a perfect example.  On Sunday I surprised all of my boys and took them up to Niagara Falls.  We went to Marine Land where I always wanted to go as a kid and never had the chance, but now I share it with my boys.  But I can tell them the stories of how when I first started looking into Colleges, Grandpa and I rode the Goldwing all the way over to Long Island and visited a school so I could grow up to be a Marine Biologist.  Or how my Cousin Sandy showed me the house where the writer of Hair lived, well that was actually a different trip but it all blends together.  By the way we had the privileged to see a 12 hour Beluga Whale Calf, it was adorable.
After Marine Land we went for a little adventure, we were not lost I swear, and drove around the upper area of Niagara Falls.  We eventually parked at the base of the Skylon Tower, it happened to be one of the cheapest places to park.  We walked down through the wood path where as a kid I use to walk with my parents, to avoid the expensive parking.  At the end of the steep path is a beautiful rose garden, you did not even have to bend down to smell them.  The air was rich with their scents and your eyes were overloaded with all of the colors.  It was a little piece of heaven.  We walked along the falls and I shared with them how everytime we came to the falls we always had a picnic and then we purchased some fudge from the main building next to the falls.
After the walk  we did the one thing  I have not done in probably 30 years, wow I am getting old or time really does fly by.  We rode the trolly ride up the hill  to Stanley Ave from the falls.  What a thrill it was for me to still see it operating.  It is located directly across from the Table Rock Welcome Center and it only cost $2.50 per person to ride.  You get a wonderful view of the falls and it is such a relaxing ride compared to hiking back up the mountain.  I shared with the boys how I use to do this once and a while with my parents because not too far away was where you could park for free or really inexpensively.  Times have changed though because now where you could park stands a Casino and many hotels and restaurants.  Not only did this adventure to Niagara Falls provide the boys a new memory, but it reawakened for me many old and happy memory's for me.
What amazed me still is that at the end of the day as I was kissing the boys good night I still heard:
"Mom tell us a story of your childhood."

I have been in deep thought this week about our writing assignment for the Sinclairville Writers Circle.  We had to come up with an analogy similar to Forest Gumps quote of "life is like a box of chocolates...."  Well after some long quiet hours, although not so quiet due to the many books on cd I listen to, I have finally come up with an answer to the assignment.  Here it is world, are you ready?  "Life is like a carousel ride."

Here is my reasoning, I thought of child on the carousel, everytime they go around they always act surprised and happy to see the parent still standing in the same place.  Isn't life like a carousel ride for adults as well?  No matter what we do, what new seat we decide to take it all comes full circle, and yet we are always surprised at the ending.  For example, this year I have a new car, a new route for the eab trapping; and yet I keep seeing the same areas over again.  I am always surprised to see them, but the funny thing is they have not moved, but I have.  A few weeks ago I was in deep thought about the "what ifs" in life, you know what if I did.... or i did not do.....  Now I wonder, would it all have wound up the same way?  A different seat on the carousel, and yet the same outcome.  Maybe I would have gone a little bit higher on another seat or adventure but in the long run it would have all resulted at the same end.  I could have got off in a different location, but if I got back on I would have still ended up surprised that it still goes in a circle and I will see the same result.  Hmmmm, makes you wonder doesn't it?  I spend way too much time alone in the car.

Speaking of the car, a funny thing happened today.  Here I am going along minding my business somewhere in Schoharie County and up ahead I see a large black animal walking along the side of the road.  Now this is a remote area keep in mind.  So my first thought is, damn that is a big black bear, hmmm what are you suppose to do when you are in your car and you see a bear?  I need to get to my next trap, so I am going to keep going, I am bigger so it needs to worr,y not me.  Besides my car needs a new paint job anyhow.  As I get closer though I realize it is not a bear, .........it is a cow.  Just a small wee little cow, but a cow just the same.  So I cautiously pull up next to it, I can see it now, I worry that the cow will get scared and it runs into the car and causes alot of damage.  It happens to my mom with deer, it could happen with me with a cow, right?  Now here is the funny thing, the cow just turns around and keeps following me, it ran right next to the car.  Apparently in Schoharie County they don't just have black labs that run next to your car, they have cows that run next to your car.  I sat there and just kept driving and I started to laugh my head off.  Of course the camera was in a box in the backseat, so I don't have a picture so you will have to just believe me.

The scary animal encounter though of the day, was also in the backwoods of Schoharie County.  After drinking alot of water and tea and being alone, I decided to ....well you know.   Just as I was getting ready, under my feet the grass started to slither.  Yup, there was a snake right under my boot and it was not happy.  Needless to say I crossed the road to take care of business and from now on, I will always look twice on the side of the road before I drop my drawers.

I hope you have enjoyed my adventures and deep thoughts of the week.  By the way Rebecca was an excellent book and I would highly recommend it along with All quiet on the western front.  But Main street by Sinclair, not so much.  Till next week, where we will be touring the mohawk valley and west to syracuse.


Toodles.

Good bye Vermont, hello New York.  It is now day nine on the road and I must say that I do believe I am going crazier.  Yesterday while working in the high peaks I found on top of a small peak a playground for giants.  There is no other explanation for what I saw, which I do apologize I did not take any pictures of due to the fog and rain.  But right there on top of the hill were piles of boulders systematically spaced in a circle in a large field.  The first thing that came to mind was that they must be playing a marbles game and I had interrupted them mid game.  Now this will give you an idea as to how tired I am, I honestly had to pull over and figure out what the next logical move would be for the giants.  I kid you not. 
Now on another note I was so happy to find a natural food store outside of Stowe the other day.  It was just north of Wilmington and south of Stowe, sorry I don't remember the name of that little town.  But this store had so many really cool items.  I picked up goji berries, hemp milk, hemp seed, Mocha Stout beer, and Kombucha.  I was the happiest over getting the Kombucha, I had read about it in the raw cookbooks and I was not able to find it anywhere around home.  I decided to save it for my breakfast for the next day, I figured it would be a great way to start the day full of energy.  Boy was I wrong.  I took one sip of the drink and I just about threw it up right away.  It has to be the most awful thing in the world, why do people drink this?  The only thing it gave me energy for was to run really fast to the bathroom.  Ugghhh, so three donuts, a glass of cider, and two muffins later I think my system has absorbed enough other stuff to flush the Kombucha out of my system. 
So after a day filled with excitement I guess the message of the day is, learn how to play  marbles with the giants and stay away from Kombucha.  By the way, the next player has to hit the third pile from the right and that will break up two of the other players and he will get the most marbles.