Just Ramblin' (On)

I just want to catch you all up a bit since my last writing. A lot has been happening in the area of living life, accepting death and all the in-between. Living life involves just enjoying each new day, whether it's cloudy, windy, chilly or warm. I hope I never judge a day as being a good one or a bad one by just the course of normal weather. Of course natural disasters constitute a different way of looking at it, especially in light of the volcanic ash, tornadoes, landslides, etc. I'm very thankful we have not experienced any of those here in Winston Salem, other than very heavy winds of late.

A brother-in-law passed away recently. It was very interesting that everyone who got up and spoke about him talked about what a good cook he was. What a nice way to be remembered...feeding people the things they loved to eat. In honor of him, his grandchildren and I went fishing, along with the eldest's girlfriend. The younger of the two boys and I dug for worms and we actually found just what we needed, along with a plastic tub with holes already punched in the lid and dirt to put them in. It was a blessed day.

I have 3 wonderful sisters and life just seems to be drawing us back to each other more and more. Scarlette and Pam (oldest and youngest) watched from afar as the 3 kids went out in the canoe onto the lake, while Linda and I remained on the dock trying to fish ourselves, but a dog kept jumping in the water and swimming circles around the dock. (The boys' grandmother...my eldest sister...has lived on the lake for many years and this is where their grandfather lovingly taught his grandchildren to fish.) I screamed from the shore, just as they were pushing off, "Bring back 7 fish and I will cook them! But you have to clean them!" I think they usually just caught and released, but this time I wanted them to have a feast and I wanted to do the cooking.

They brought back the fish and I told them how to clean them. Now, I have to admit here...I've rarely fished; never baited a hook; double never ever touched a fish or worm, and certainly never cooked a fish before, but I certainly did a fine job of telling them what to do. (Once a teacher, always a teacher. : ) (I did call Randy just to make sure my steps were correct, and my sister Linda was there for back up and scaling, because she's done it all, but she was not so quick to step in this time. She did a fine job of teaching the girlfriend how to scale, though.) My younger sister Pam made hush puppies and we had other food people had graciously dropped by and we truly had a feast by candlelight. It had to have made their grandfather smile. It sure did me. The fish was delicious, but I wanted so badly to put it on a stick and cook it over an open fire. I taught everyone at the table how Grandpa Harry had taught me to squeeze the fish on both sides, years ago, and everyone was amazed at how quickly the meat pulled away from the bone. So as not to waste a drop, I had my nephew save all the YUCK from his cleaning and bury it in the ground as fertilizer. (I hope my sister doesn't plant over there any time soon.) It was a bittersweet day to say the least.

All the stuff in between is the stuff that feeds your soul (or works to destroy it, but I'm staying away from that) ...like picking roses and arranging them into bouquets that will remind you inside of what awaits you outside...the product of your labor; and the necessary things like cleaning and lawn upkeep that make your life uncluttered, and encouraging others in their time of need.

Randy's co-worker and our friend, Michael came for a night and Randy cooked a spring chicken stew from a recipe he'd found in the paper the week before. It was delicious. Goodness...does it seem as though the theme of this post is cooking? Could be because I'm trying to watch what I eat...swimming pool weather is fast approaching and I do not want to do the winter waddle down to the pool in a few weeks. Well, I guess I'd better go and drink some water to fill up so I don't go foraging for that late night snack I used to eat before bedtime...you know...just to tide me over til morning. Happy eating.

Spring's Just Springing Along

Leah's pink passport has been retired for awhile and I am glad. I loved her being over in Singapore, but I love the "concerned" distance being diminished from all the way over there. Florida just doesn't seem that far away anymore. We drove down to see her the day after she returned, and she did so well with transitioning. It's so funny how people returning from being outside our country always look forward to a food item once they return home. For Leah it was Twistee Treat...a huge cup of vanilla yogurt. She enjoyed every frozen mouthful to the last drop. Aunt Connie & Uncle Larry met us up in Orlando and it was a great reunion for the Easter weekend. We cleaned the condo's windows and screens and the place looked like we were putting it up for sale, which I'm happy to say we weren't.

It was amazing how many engagements we heard about, and babies, while down there. I guess those are some of the contents of this new chapter we find ourselves in, along with where our children's friend's younger brothers and sisters will be going off to college. Speaking of college, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you our good news about Matthew and his newest appointment. He will be sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Judicial Branch of SGA at University of Central Florida, in early May. Yes, he does get to wear a robe and use a gavel, as Gail asked him jokingly. They take care of all peer mediations, etc. at the school. It's a huge responsibility, so he will not be coming to NC for the summer to study for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) that most law schools require. He'll do his preparation down at UCF now, and that is fine with us. We just go with the flow and stand back and watch God work our children's future out to His glory.

We brought Leah and my dear friend, Gail, back up with us and they just returned on Saturday. Randy is so smart. He took me straight over to the Farmer's Market in Greensboro and bought me some of their delicious kettle korn, which I munched on while I looked at plants and picked out the ones we would plant that afternoon to keep my mind off of their departure. We bought more azaleas, verbena, petunias and some herbs. I LOVE going to the Farmer's Market. It's like going to an art gallery for plants. You'd be hard-pressed to walk out of there empty-handed.

Randy and I enjoyed seeing old friends and revisiting our familiar past while down in Florida. I volunteered to greet at our traditional Easter Sunrise Service at Lake Down in Windermere, and sweet Johnnie Neal, who wears many hats and took over my job when I left, had a bag of presents for me: an Easter basket filled with chocolates, a shirt, a box of chocolates from my friend, Carol Vereb, AND A GREETER NAMETAG with my name and "Greeter Emeritus" underneath it. So I guess I can greet whenever I want now. I asked him if I could have a parking spot with my name on it next. Still haven't heard anything on that one, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are having the sign made even as I type. We didn't make it to either of the church campuses, but we did get to see a lot of people we had not seen in years.

We arrived home to the tulips bursting out in all their beautiful regalia. The irises are next, and then I guess it will be time for the summer flowers, since the bulbs are coming and going quickly. BTW, you may remember the story of the "wild irises" that I saved from the bulldozer 2 years ago...well they really weren't irises, if you recall, but tiger lilies. They have multiplied like bunnies this year, so I am giving them away to good homes...a little piece of Brookberry beauty. Someone dug up the last of the daffodils over on the empty lot and that makes me so happy. I saw a couple looking at the lot a few weeks ago, so that land may be cleared before you know it. I would hate to think those daffodils that Mrs. Beroth, the caretaker's wife of Brookberry Farm, planted all those years ago, would be destroyed, never to be enjoyed again.

The housing market is definitely looking up here at BBF. Many of the real estate signs are boasting "SOLD" perched at the top, and resales are saying, "Under Contract." The newest part of the neighborhood is under major construction. I just walk Mollie by and say, "Thank You, Lord, " for every house being built. We can no longer say which family lives in each house as we used to be able to do.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful rest of Spring and that whatever is springing up in your garden makes you happy. Hope to be back more often now that things are settling down. Happy planting! Do your best not to get pollinated!

Spring is Springing Every Day

I wonder what in the world I did to deserve living here in North Carolina. I just finished a study on David. If you remember your Bible history, you know David took King Saul's place after the Israelites wanted a king like other tribes, and Saul's heart was hardened. For all his sinning, and he did a LOT mind you, God still likened David as a man after His own heart. Wow, what an example of unconditional love. There is a verse when God blesses him, that he says to God, "Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me this far?" 2 Samuel 7:18. That sums up how I feel about living here.

The Beav has, for the present, left my trees alone and stopped eating my azaleas; the fish are jumping once again, the turtles are turtling, and I saw two HUGE female deer tearing across our backyard a few days ago as I stood on the balcony. Mollie, our dog, never even saw them they flew so fast, but she knew something was up because their feet pounding on the ground was close to thunderous. It was so neat. The beautiful blue heron, who lives with her two teenagers at the edge of the pond, was out enjoying the sights two days ago and I just about wanted to cry.

Big news...Randy had no sooner put up a new birdhouse yesterday, when one of our little neighborhood birds flew in and declared squatter's rights. I love it. All the other houses have activity except the bluebird house and that's my most favorite to watch of all. I hope it's not too late for them to start nesting there. We have had to chicken wire stuff every single opening into this house for vents, etc., because the birds are plentiful here and will choose any safe place to make a home. I heard birds fluttering over my head all last spring and into summer, until Randy and Larry finally cleaned out all of our vents. Hence the houses.

I'll be putting up our porch baskets filled with geraniums next week...there just isn't a basket selection here yet, so I will patiently wait. So far I have geraniums from last year that wintered in the garage, and impatiens. I've already pre-planted squash, cucumbers, zinnias, snapdragons, beans and cilantro, which is the hardest stuff in the world to grow. Will keep you posted on that one.

Leah's finally home from Singapore and I am happy. Thank you all for your prayers and kind words of encouragement while she was gone those quick four months. I hope you have the most wonderful Easter and take time to thank God for all you have and are.

Boy, am I getting old

Today is Leah's 26th birthday. It seems like yesterday that I was watching "Magnum PI," and the missing Lamaze instructions miraculously appeared on the floor as I stayed home from a San Diego indoor soccer tournament that I insisted Randy and our friend Bruce attend, because I was tired of them hovering over me. I had 11 days to go and assured them that I wasn't about to have our baby that early, especially after eating the huge plate of chili spaghetti I had consumed at dinner time before they left me for the game. I don't know if it was the excitement of Magnum PI or that huge plate of chili, and I guess we'll never know, because I had just enough time to read those breathing instructions at the end of the show and the next thing I knew, I was going into labor. I called my friend Jan, the nurse from across the street, and off we started back across the street to her car, when I remembered we were to notify our next door neighbors; so we threw rocks at their upstairs window as I had promised, and that's the picture Randy and Bruce saw as they slowly drove up the street. Randy rolled down the window and asked what was going on. To this day, I wonder what in the world he thought I was doing with a suitcase in my hand and a boom box, (so I could play classical music during labor) and talking to the neighbors as they hung out the upstairs windows. In fact, I just remembered him saying, "Aren't you taking this a little too far?" [See, I've always been this way.]

The boys were in shock, so Jan drove me to the hospital and they joined me after they pulled themselves together. Three hours later, we had our precious Leah Donae McCann, born the day before St. Patrick's Day. With my maiden name being Murphy, we figured her birthdate sufficed for the Irish connection, so we gave her the Americanized version of the French word "to give" for her middle name. Now here she is in Singapore, and here is her blog for today, taken from all different philosophies and adopted as her own:

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010

26 things I've learned in 26 years

Promptness shows respect.

You can’t avoid offending people from time to time. When you don’t mean it, apologize. When you do mean it, accept the consequences.

The most valuable thing to have is a good reputation, and it’s neither hard nor expensive to acquire one: Be fair. Be honest. Be trustworthy. Be generous. Respect others.

In everyday life, most “talent” is simply hard work in disguise.

Most folk remedies are a joke.

Laundry day is much easier when all your socks are the same and you don’t have to sort them.

Goals that you keep to yourself are just dreams. If you’re determined to achieve something, tell people about it and ask them to help you stick with it.

All the stuff you have lying around that you’ll never want, need, wear or look at again? It just makes it harder to find what you do want, need or intend to wear. File it, donate it, or throw it.

Nobody is perfect. They all have their skeletons in the closet.

You control your attitude or it controls you.

High quality is worth any quantity, in possessions, friends and experiences.

Worrying solves nothing.

It is a hundred times more difficult to burn calories than to refrain from consuming them in the first place.

A good outfit can change your attitude in seconds.

Yelling always makes things worse.

Getting truly organized can vastly improve anyone’s life.

Everyone likes somebody who gets to the point quickly.

Everybody always thinks they are right.

An education is merely self-discipline.

It is a lot easier to react than it is to think about it first.

Children are remarkably honest creatures until we teach them not to be.

Credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

Learning to forgive takes practice.

We don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I'm a McCann. I like Ice Cream.

Maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

Hope you all have a happy her birthday!
Love,
Debbie

I hate being wishy washy, but...

I'm back to having two books. (I've come a long way from having three in the works.) I'm out of the BBF one and putting all that information into the "Meditations from Brookberry Farm" book. I can write from the flow in my head with that book because it is truly life as I see it on the farm. So, I will just stick to the facts and hopefully be able to augment them with beautiful pictures.

I am currently writing the "Christmas at Brookberry Farm" chapter. I hope I can adequately evoke the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and activities of this house full of rambunctious boys as they carry on their Christmas traditions, which always started with Christmas pictures being taken at Roaring Gap on Labor Day weekend. All the cousins (Gordon Gray's boys were included as well.) were dressed in their Sunday best and instructed to take their places seated on the stairs. Each step indicated an age range with the youngest being on the lower step, and obvious age-progression with each new step toward the upper landing. I look at their faces and see nothing but innocence, but I know from the stories that it's just temporary. :)

Well, just wanted to let you know the BBF book is back to coffee-table format. It's almost time for my friend and artist, Susan Steele, to paint the entrance on our side of the farm where there's a gate that separates us from the actual estate. (The place where I determined that I would have to write this book or be forever regretful.) We're waiting for what looks to be a weeping cherry to burst into bloom. I've never seen anything so tranquil in my life as this winding road with a stream to boot, pasture fences and, and a beautiful frame of trees that lead up to the gate with the "No Trespassing" sign. I LOVE IT!

Hope you all have a safe and FUN weekend. Hope it's not raining in your neck of the woods, but if it is...just curl up with a book you've been putting off reading and escape to a happy place.

Eureka, I've Got It!

Yes indeed, this book dilemma has hounded me since I started making and taking notes about a year ago. I know I have mentioned that I have interviewed a few members of the Bowman Gray, Jr. family, along with two of the women who worked at the estate all those years ago. The big question was, how am I going to mesh the fun part in the present with the historical information of the farm? By "fun part" I mean MY PART. I think how this whole thing has unfolded is just so interesting. I've told countless family members and close friends..."It just feels like 3 books...one about the farm; one about the present and how amazingly this has all played out; and all the experiences I have had here that are separate from the book...reflections, if you will.

Our friend and Randy's co-worker, Lonnie, was here this weekend from Virginia, so I mused out loud how I could possibly combine the two. Finally, it hit me as Randy and I walked Mollie yesterday...put my observations and thoughts at the beginning of each chapter of the person interviewed, then devote the rest of the chapter to the actual interview. By golly, I think it will work. Will keep you posted. I've got to go and write!

It's Cold EVERYWHERE!

My my there has been a lot going on with the weather. It seems like it's cold everywhere but Singapore! It's cold in Ft. Lauderdale, and right up through the state. My sister, Linda, just called and it's snowing in Alabama and will follow them right up into the Atlanta area and home. It appears to be missing us here in Winston Salem, but we have remnants of the last snow all over the place. My friend Brenda just sent me pictures of their house in PA...40 inches! AND they're expecting more on Monday!

Needless to say, all this snow is not good for the businesses in these areas, and I think the kids are even getting sick and tired of snow days. (Just think, when they make them up, there will most likely be beautiful weather outside.) So, I hope you are staying warm and doing something you've put off doing for a long while...something you enjoy. You snowbirds in FL...this just serves to make you happy that at least it's NOT SNOWING; you Floridians...turtlenecks and sweaters cover up a lot of body flaws; everyone else above the Florida line...keep your pajamas on all day if you want, until you decide to go out and play in the snow, and keep that hot chocolate coming.