Day 287 - Aug 15
Listening to: Me poorly humming Ode to Joy
Thought for the day: Save the cows, eat more ice cream!

Dear Dairy Queen, I, along with everyone else, should probably buy stock in you now. I love me some Blizzard, but the regular size always overworks my sense of guilt. My consumption rate is minimal and has in the past been reserved for special occasions. These small Blizzes change the whole game. The proportion is perfect! While basking in the afterglow, I did not feel like I had swallowed a cow nor did I vow to start a diet tomorrow. My choice of Blizzard? SNICKERS!!! Sllllllllurp

Love my childhood memories of going to Dairy Queen or Kay's Ice Cream every Sunday afternoon!

Day 289 - Aug 13
Listening to: Morning Talk
Thought for the day: If you don’t move, they’ll paint ya. ~Tom

Happy Friday the 13th!!!! I’m doing something spontaneous today.......... which is like rare steak..........dangerous, but good. Since it’s so early and I don’t have a story to tell yet, I thought I would sling up a serving of my poetry.

The wind caresses my face
marking my time in this place
I'm somewhere and nowhere
under the warm Summer glare
fighting to make my way
on any particular day
touched by an angel just now
wind swept hair across my brow
a constant reminder of devotion
and the endless loving emotion
angels never give up on me
breath in the wind and each tree
a reminder to never let go
let my soul freely grow.

Day 290 - Aug 12
Listening to: Pseudio
Thought for the day: Hello, my name is Kris and I could use a chunk of divine intervention.

This is my neighbor, Tom. He is 78 and has no clue what the internet is or anything about digital photos, so I covertly took this photo of him with my cell phone. He is a dog man………calls his house, “The Kennel.” He has two ex-wives who he claims put him in “the Kennel.” His favorite saying is, “if you don’t move, they’ll paint ya,” and boy, does he move. If you need advice, Tom has it, and he is blunt.

Tom is a trial bird dog trainer. He wheels and deals in dogs like a seasoned Donald Trump slinging land. One day he called me and said, “I have me a black woman.” I giggled a little and waited for what was next. You never know with Tom. Long story short, the “black woman” was none other than THE black Fab Lab, aka Pearlzizzle, that is now my constant companion. A dog breeder owed Tom a bird dog but had gone out of the bird dog business and into breeding Labs. Reluctantly, Tom took a black Lab instead thinking he could train her to respond like his bird dogs. She never did. That’s when he offered her to me! I am furever in debt to him.

Day 292, August 10
Listening to: Don’t You Forget About Me
Thought for the day: I find it interesting that radio plays “Don’t You Forget About Me” as much today as they did in 1985.

Behold! This is the spooky, yet useful, McGavock Band attic. I love this place. There is crap stored here from my days in band. This is also where old trophies go to retire. The more prestigious trophies get to live in the high-rent district, also known as the band room. If you’re a reeeeaaaalllly special trophy, you get to collect dust in the director’s office. Truth is, there’s no where to display so many awards. I’m sure we’re not the only band facing this dilemma. We are a trophy CRAZY society. These days, bands get trophies just for showing up to a competition. It’s too bad that something more useful, like scholarship money, isn’t given as awards versus a chunk of plastic made to look gold.

This photo doesn’t do the trophy graveyard justice. There are over 100 trophies with some dating back to my dinosaur days. If you’re reading this diatribe and you are a Mc-alumni what do you think? Should we leave them in peace for the next generation, auction them off to alumni, or find a way to display more of them? At least no one chunked them!

Day 293, Aug 9
Listening to: Bohemian Rhapsody
Thought for the day: What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps one in a continual state of inelegance. ~Jane Austen

Today, I stumbled upon the following article. Prepare for a KB rant-a-thon.

“Study finds women find men in red more appealing.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100805/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_attraction_red

Errr………Ummm………’scuse me, but I’d like to know what the men looked like that the scientists were dressing in red. If the scientists wanted to skew their results and make me pick red, blue, green, or yellow all they would have to is show me Mr. Darcy in their chosen color. I'd even choose Mr. Darcy wearing a puffy shirt (ala Seinfeld and the featured photo). There are just some men that are universally good looking. I give no credence to this study without seeing the men dressed in red. What if they showed a man in green with no teeth vs. a Mr. Darcy in red? Duh! I'd pick Mr. Darcy! Every ding dang dong time. I’m sorry, but this study is flawed. Color doesn't have a thing to do with attraction!

Exiting my soap box………..

Day 294 - Aug 8
Listening to: In My Life
Thought for the day: I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. ~Mother Teresa

This is a section of my hedge row from hell. It is about seven-feet tall, 40-feet long, and most likely would survive a nuclear blast. Yesterday, I was cursing at the bombastic bush because it needs trimming again. I just trimmed it a month ago. Trimming it takes Herculean strength.

Today I walked outside and glanced over at my hedge row foe and low and behold this flower was growing in the middle of the hedges’ expanse of green. In the 10 years that I have lived in my house, no flower has ever made an appearance………… until today. I decided that this rogue flower had to be some kind of sign applicable to my current problems. After much thought, I decided that God is trying to tell me that unexplained and beautiful things can emerge unexpectedly in the midst of total chaos. With the problems that plague me right now, I definitely need this to be the message!

Day 296 - August 6
Listening to: 1812 Overture
Thought For the Day: I survived band camp with my brain in tact and no nerves severed!

Day 6 and Final Day of My Bandcation!

There is a wonderful young girl in the band who went to daycare with Christian as a toddler (they are the same age). The child’s mother (I will call her Ms. S) was a teacher at the daycare. Ms. S was the only person that could calm Christian down when it was time for me to leave each morning. Ms. S kept me from dying of guilt for not being a stay-at-home mom. She was a God send for me.

When Ms. S’s daughter showed up for band their freshman year, I kept thinking I’d see Ms. S at band-related events. I never did. I finally got up the nerve this week to ask her daughter if Ms. S ever came to watch. I may need to have my foot surgically removed from my mouth. It turns out Ms. S passed away some time ago.

Today, I said a little prayer to Ms. S to tell her that her daughter has grown into a wonderful young woman. I have no doubt Ms. S would be proud of her daughter as well as Christian. Ms. S will be in my thoughts a lot this coming year.

I’m so grateful I get to watch Christian experience this last chapter of her teen years. Despite the fact we don’t always see eye to eye, I am very proud of her.



Day 299 – August 2
Listening to: Summmaaah Time and the Livin’ is Easssssseeeeeeeeeee
Thought for the day: Nothin' like a heapin', helpin' dose of gratitude on a hot, sunny day.

Day 2 of my Band Camp Vacation

Day 299 – August 2
Listening to: Summmaaah Time and the Livin’ is Easssssseeeeeeeeeee
Thought for the day: gratitude never goes out of style

This photo is my official “Facebook Feet on Vacation” pic. Isn’t that the norm around here? Why do people take pics of their feet at the beach? I tried to pretend I was at the beach, but alas duty called. Just as soon as I snapped this pic, I was asked to go run errands. Other than lunch and dinner, I don’t think I sat down for more than 10 minutes total today. Despite the diligence of it all, I had an enjoyable day. I believe the kid’s parents all fed them an extra dose of gratitude pills this morning. My thank-you cup runneth over.