Five Minutes of Grateful

Linking up with Five Minute Friday today, and here's the deal-

Tell your inner critic to hush, then write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. Then hop over to the party hosted by Lisa Jo Baker, and add your link to the list. Be sure and leave a comment for the writer who linked before you, because that's the neighborly thing to do.

Today's prompt-grateful

I was thinking this morning about the mothers in my family. About how grateful I am for knowing them.  How each one brings something into my life that makes me want to be a better woman-mother-sister-daughter-friend. 

My mom. The person who has always been right there. In the kitchen. Sitting on the side of my bed. At the other end of the phone. In my head. There is something to be said about a mother who is always there. The sureness of her seeps into my soul and cements itself there. I feel safe.  

My mother-in-law. She'll send me a card this week telling me I'm wonderful, because that's how she rolls. She encourages me. Makes me believe I'm the person she says I am. A mom who appreciates the way I've mothered my daughters, and who says so. I feel invincible.

My big sister. A heart as wide as two arms can stretch. Then stretch a little wider. Open and loving. Funny. Easy. The one I can tell what's in the deepest part of my heart and know she won't judge. With her I'm me. I feel real.

My little sister. Juggling approximately 100 balls. Smart. Accomplished. My partner in crime when I was small, a tiny treasure that remains permanently lodged in my heart. She came to motherhood late in life, and helps me remember all the crazy joy that fills the growing years. I feel wonder.

Hubs sister. My sister in law. Calm and thoughtful. Funny. We are both thinkers, readers, writers in our own way. She's intentional, deliberate in the raising of her sons. I feel kinship.

Hubs brother's wife. My sister in law. A mother who has walked through the fire. Who with grace and quiet strength, faced what no parent dares allow even a momentary stay in the furthest reaches of their consciousness. A mother whose faith has been tested in the deep, yet who remains afloat. Who in spite of, sometimes even because of, that fire can still say God is good. I feel peace. 

"No language can express the power, beauty, heroism, and majesty of a mother's love." Edwin Chapin

Happy Mother's Day to the women who have added so much to my life. 

And to all mothers everywhere. 

Mansions In May

Yesterday was beautiful. Spring. Sunshine and a light breeze. 

The perfect day to tour a country home. 

Blairsden House is open to the public this year, for the very first time. This spectacular home is the centerpiece of a fundraiser dubbed 'Mansions in May', organized and run by a nearby hospital's women's association.

The house was built at the turn of the 20th century and was originally the country home of NY financier C. Ledyard Blair. It is a gorgeous piece of property and architecture.

More than 50 well known designers from the NY-NJ area had a hand in making the home show-worthy, both inside and out.

Wouldn't that little alcove be the perfect spot for a nap?

Or really anywhere on this magnificent patio?

The original owner (Mr. Blair) lived in the house from 1903 until he died in 1949.  I'm glad he was able to enjoy his vision because it seems so often these big homes were built and then the owners lived in them about three minutes.

Originally the estate was 500 acres, but it was sold and broken up after his death. In 2002 the property went back into private ownership, and it was sold again more recently with the new owner planning to live there and restore it.

Indoor herb garden anyone?

I love big old houses. I love the glimpse into a different time and another way of life. I like to imagine how they manage heating bills and house cleaning.

Mostly though I love imagining what in the world I'd do with all that property and space.

I'm sure I could think of something.

Mother May I Answer the Hodgepodge?

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! It feels good to be responsible for just one post today, as opposed to the two I was writing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the April A-Z Blog Challenge.  Add your link (Hodgepodge posts only please!) at the end of my post, and then hop over and visit some of the other participants.   

Here we go-

1. Share something you appreciate (or something you appreciated as you were growing up) about your mother.

I appreciated, and still appreciate, the way my mom listens to my worries and finds a way to make me feel better about whatever is on my mind. She never tells me I'm being ridiculous. 

2. A quote most commonly ascribed to Plato reads-"Necessity is the mother of invention." When did this last play out in your own experience?

Hmmm...I'm not clever in the way this quote implies one should be clever. I can't repair a flat with duct tape or jimmy rig some device to work when it won't. I did manage to blog all 26 days of the A-Z last month, and that required a little creativity on my part. I had company, was traveling, was reduced to my Ipad and even Internet-less a portion of that time, and when I ran out of hours in my week I combined the Hodgepodge and my letter of the day into a single post. That felt necessary and a bit inventive. 

Weak answer I know, but like I said, I'm no McGuyver. 
Some of you don't even know what that means, do you? 

3. Share one of the earliest memories you have from childhood.

Maybe not the earliest, but one clearly etched in my brain. I was probably 5 or 6 years old, and family friends had come to visit. I don't remember now who they were, but they had children about the same age as my sister and I.  We were all up in our bedroom listening to records and I accidentally broke a record in half. We'd had these records a long time, and I knew to be extra careful with them, so cracking one in half was distressing to my 5 year old self.

As it happened I had a lifesaver in my mouth, and I gasped when I broke the record causing the lifesaver to lodge in my throat. So I did what any kid would do-went and hid in the closet. Thankfully the lifesaver went down and I did not choke to death in there. I don't know why I panicked? I suppose I thought I'd be in trouble for breaking the record, but I'm sure that was just a child's skewed point of view.  

4. When did you last 'hit the mother lode'? What was it?

Well I'm gaining a pretty great son in law sometime in the next year-does that count? 

photo by: Angelina Photography, Alexandria VA

My daughter's happiness is contagious so yes, I think it counts. 

5. What is/was your favorite dish mom made? Do you make that dish for your family/friends now that you're all grown up?

My mom is a wonderful cook, so it's hard to pick just one favorite, but I'm going to say her enchiladas.  I make them very rarely for my own family, as they are a whole lot of work. My mom doesn't make them too often anymore, but if hubs and I visit around his birthday, she'll make them especially for him. He definitely appreciates it and definitely eats too many! She makes her own hot sauce, which is pretty much his love language. 

6. Mother May I? was at one time a popular children's game. It required no equipment or parts to play. What was your favorite childhood game to play where you could just turn up and play-no gear needed?

We loved freeze tag, TV tag, and statues, none of which required anything in the way of equipment or protective gear. Do kids still play statues?  

7. Which TV mom (past or present) is your favorite, and why?

I don't think you could be a kid in the 1970's and not love Mrs. Brady. More recently I'm a fan of Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights. Pretty sure we'd be friends in real life. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Jack is back. Who's watching? 

Bridging to the Hodgepodge

I realize that in nearly every post I've written in the past month
or four,  I've mentioned the fact that I'm dealing with a very full calendar, and not enough hours in the day. But y'all...it's true. And I'll probably keep talking about it because I cannot believe we're already a week into May. Our weather didn't get the memo, and yes of course I'm also still yammering on about the weather because y'all! It's just barely spring here! And it's May!

Okay, enough shouting...how about a short weekend recap before I post this week's Hodgepodge questions? You can scroll on down to the questions if you must, but why would you?

I was supposed to fly home from South Carolina last Wednesday which would have given me a couple of days to get ready for weekend company, except my flight was cancelled due to-you guessed it-the weather. It was raining buckets here so my brother in law was the lucky duck who got to get up at 4:30 AM on Thursday to take me to the airport. I was home by 10 am, but essentially useless the rest of the day.  Not quite, but almost.

Friends we met in the UK who now live in TX were in the city last week, so on Friday afternoon they trekked out to the NJ countryside to see why the Garden State is called the Garden State.  They still don't know because spring has forgotten us.

We had a wonderful visit anyway. I took them to lunch at our local pub (rather they took me) and hubs ducked out of the office early, so he got to the house about the same time we did. Our friends had been to Eataly the day before so they came bearing Italian deliciousness including cheese, olives, prosciutto, and good bread. Everyone needs friends like these.

Saturday we drove them back into the city, and it was a beautiful day. We stopped at the apartment they were staying in, which coincidentally belongs to another couple we knew in the UK, so that was a fun quick catch up. The other couple had plans with family so they couldn't join us for the afternoon, but the rest of us decided to take advantage of the sunny skies and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

We rode the subway over to the bridge, which isn't as bad as non-New Yorkers imagine, and proceeded across the bridge with a whole lot of other people who had also experienced a little too much winter and not enough Vitamin D.

There is a lot going on as you traverse the bridge. The walking portion of the bridge is above the roadway so you're not dodging traffic, and the bridge itself is a pretty piece of architecture. About midway across you're treated to a nice view of the Statue of Liberty.

There are literally hundreds of locks attached to the bridge, the kind you put on a school locker back in the day. Attaching a lock to the structure is a tradition started on a bridge in Rome, and has now spread to other sites around the globe.

Visitors to the bridge "lock up their heart, and throw away the key'.
Literally into the East River.

Romantic, no?

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge is on my list of 101 in 1001 (see link in sidebar), and along with that I said I wanted to eat pizza at Grimaldi's, which is under the bridge on the Brooklyn side. Apparently I am not the only one with a list because have mercy! the queue to get in was ridunkulous. We scooted on down the sidewalk to another Italian place, and had a lovely meal there instead.

Since we couldn't eat at Grimaldi's we decided to make up for it by visiting another well known spot-The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. Everyone should have an ice cream cone eaten under the Brooklyn Bridge on a sunshiny blue sky New York afternoon. The best part is you have to walk back so in essence you've earned it, right?

Okay, for those of you who made it through my 'short' weekend recap, here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. See you back here tomorrow to share answers!

1. Share something you appreciate (or something you appreciated as you were growing up) about your mother.

2.  A quote most commonly ascribed to Plato reads "Necessity is the mother of invention." When did this last play out in your own experience?

3. Share one of the earliest memories you have from childhood.

4. When did you last 'hit the mother lode'? What was it?

5. What is/was your favorite dish mom made? Do you make that dish for your family/friends now that you're all grown up?

6. Mother May I? was at one time a popular children's game. It required no equipment or parts to play. What was your favorite childhood game where you could just turn up and play-no gear needed?

7. Which TV mom (past or present) is your favorite, and why?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Zee Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge! If you're visiting from the A-Z Blog Challenge, you'll find my Z entry at the end of this post. Where Z belongs.

If you're playing along in the Hodgepodge today, add your link to the party and then go say hi to your neighbors.  Here are my answers-

1.  April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Are you blooming where you're planted as we begin the month of May?

Literally? No. I've been in SC for a few days and it definitely feels like summer is ready to pop down here. Back home our trees are still bare. Spring is showing up here and there in the Garden State, but we sit up high so we're still wearing coats and have the heat running at night.

If you mean figuratively, then yes. I've learned to always bloom where I'm planted.

2.  On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being no big deal, and 10 being full scale panic, rank your fear of spiders.

I'm going with a 6. Unless it's one of the ginormous crunchy kind, in which case I'm  a 10. My daughter2 (who ranks at least a 12) shared this with me the other night-

photo credit- http://themetapicture.com/taking-care-of-spiders/

Pretty much sums up how she feels about spiders.

3. May is National Salad Month (who knew???)...besides lettuce, what are two must have ingredients in your favorite salad?

Cucumbers and black olives. 
It's not a salad without cucumbers.

4.  I mentioned on my  blog last week that my Daughter1 will be moving to Washington State after she is married. Of the following sites in the Northwest, which would you most like to see in person-Crater Lake (Oregon), Seattle (Washington), Vancouver (British Columbia), San Juan Islands (Washington),  Mt Rainier (Washington), Oregon Coast (Oregon), Mt St Helen's ((Washington), or Olympic National Park (Washington)?

Well I do believe I will get to see all of the above in the next five years, but if I can only pick one I'm going with  Mt Rainier. We love to hike and love the mountains so that's definitely on my list.

5.  This coming weekend marks the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby...when did you last race (literally or figuratively) to cross a finish line?

Yesterday. Reception venue booked. Now we just need to see if the groom can make the date. Ha! You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Planning a wedding with the US Army means you have to kind of put the cart before the horse. Reception venue tentatively, sorta-kinda booked. Maybe.

6. What is something little you love?

pearls

7. Would you say you are more of a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner?

Definitely visual.  I need to see something to understand it. I think I used to be much more of an auditory learner, but the post-50 brain needs pictures to go with all the words. Sad, but true.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Using the random space again this week for my A-Z Challenge post, and since today is the last day of April its also the last day of the challenge. Whoohoo! I'll be the first to admit that this years challenge has been uh, challenging.

Z is for zonked.

I know I should wrap up this month's worth of marriage posts with something deep and profound, but I just can't do it today. I think I'll write a reflection at some point, but that point is not now. It has been a full month in every way, and I want a little time to let it all settle before I add any more words.  

Congrats to all you A-Z ers who made it all the way through the alphabet! Not as easy as it sounds! 

Y is for Yesterday's Grace

So today I want to talk about yesterday which doesn't have a lot to do with my A-Z theme (married with children), but it does begin with the letter y, and I am married, so there's that.

As you may have figured out, this one will be a think and blog as you go kind of post.

I've been waiting all year to make a trip to South Carolina to see my daughter2 teach her classroom full of little darlings, and yesterday was the day. She gets up at the crack of dawn to get to school early, so I got up at the crack of dawn too. Coincidentally I happened to be visiting during teacher appreciation week, and let me tell you her school PTA goes all out for the teachers. They have special breakfasts and lunches planned, along with some fun little treats like cute tote bags for the staff. My daughter loves her school and I'm happy she gets to work in a warm and supportive environment.

Daughter2's students had been told I was coming and they were very excited.  They behaved like the angels they are, and I know their teacher had a little something to do with that.  She has a most excellent class, which is a fabulous way to kick off a teaching career.

I felt a little bit like a celebrity, especially on the playground. I read a story and did a few small tasks, but mostly I just watched my baby girl do what she was most assuredly born to do. She was so organized and calm, and she was cheerful too. Absolutely nothing ruffled her feathers, consequently nothing ruffled her students either. I was so impressed...pretty sure I had a ridiculous grin on my face all day long. Her kids love her, and by default they loved me too. The teachers mother.

Hubs and I always knew Daughter2 would grow up to run something. As a toddler we used to say she was small but mighty-ha! And she was! Always so sure of herself, smart with a kind heart and a strong sense of justice. We hear so much about everything that is wrong with the state of education in our country...
   

...but you should know some things are also very right. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 172

Welcome to the last week of Hodgepodge for the month of April. If you're here visiting from the A-Z Challenge, my post for the letter Y will be up shortly. In the meantime, if you'd like to play along in this fun weekly meme, feel free. Answer the questions on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow (Wednesday) to add your link to the party.  See you there! 

1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Are you blooming where you're planted as we begin the month of May?

2. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being no big deal, and 10 being full scale panic, rank your fear of spiders.

3. May is National Salad Month (who knew???)...besides lettuce, what are two must-have ingredients in your favorite salad?

4. I mentioned on my blog last week that my Daughter1 will be moving to Washington State after she is married. Of the following sites in the Northwest, which would you most like to see in person-Crater Lake (Oregon), Seattle (Washington), Vancouver (British Columbia), San Juan Islands (Washington),  Mt. Rainer (Washington) Oregon Coast (Oregon), Mt. St. Helens (Washington), or Olympic National Park (Washington)

5. This coming weekend marks the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby...when did you last race (literally or figuratively) to cross a finish line?

6. What is something little you love?

7. Would you say you are more of a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner? Elaborate.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.