Blue Eyed Smokus......

This is a cup of fries. Not just any cup o' fries, but a cup of fries at the new Twins stadium. These fries probably cost around, I don't know $10!! (probably not that much however, you know what I mean.) But here is the power of 'FEE'. These were free. Who do you know that can get a cup of fries for free at a stadium?

So I said to Sean, I would love a fry. And that is exactly what I meant ONE FRY. So he asks the woman at the counter if he could have 1 fry slip into his steak sandwich basket. And hocus pocus, blue eyed smokus.....here is my free cup o' fries.

This gift is not only limited to Sean. All the other Fee brothers, and Mother, and Father have this magic. Truly, they could probably sell snow to an Eskimo. There are times when I love it, see above. And then there are times when I think there should be lessons learned that aren't, but I'm probably just jealous, slightly impressed with their charisma (or really impressed).

"Open"

So I have been feeling the need to write about my family, see last entry. Don’t fret, I do not have some terminal illness which is causing me to publicly express my love for my family. I am feeling very stable, for now, and these entries are not my ‘note’ before the big ‘goodbye’. I have just been inspired by a few photos and wanted to share them with you.
Now on to my dad. Keith Lloyd Van De Walker. His birthday was September 29th and he turned a young 69...isn’t 69 the new 49??



Dad and I had a little bit of a rough start, but I’d like to think we have recovered and have a good relationship.
He has been married to my mom, Delores, for close to 50 years…..Wow (Greg is really old!!)! He grew up and still lives in South St. Paul, Minnesota. He has had lots of different jobs over the years - some not so great, but I think he is most satisfied with what he is doing now. He has his own insurance agency and is helping lots of people save money!
Over the years and many bits of advice there are two things that have stayed with me.
1. Always tithe. Before you spend any money, always take out your 10% first. Ever since my first job, working at The Limited in downtown St. Paul, I have taken this advice. I feel the Lord has blessed me richly for being faithful to Him in this area. Thanks Dad for this morsel.
2. Don’t wish your life away babe. Well....this one is a little harder for me. I think I will struggle with this forever, but it has proved a great challenge to me when I hear those words come out of my mouth "I wish I.....".
I’m not sure if those are the ones that he wanted me to take to heart, but those are the ones that have stuck with me thus far.
Besides verbal gems shared with me there were also nonverbal expressions that have impacted me and how I view my home and the things that I own. When I was growing up we had several people come and live with us. It could have been as simple as college students passing through, or friends of my brother taking some time off from school, or something as ‘sticky’ as a divorced man in need of a Christian brother to extend not only a loving hand, but a place to live food to eat and an ear to listen. Our home was always ‘open’. My parents were, and still are offering their place to anyone in need. I love that mindset. I pray that when my children look back on their lives that they can recall all the people that shared their home and food and were considered family.
I love you Dad! Thank you for your generous heart and loving attitude towards others. You have been such a great example to me and pray that I can pass this along to my children.

Nanny

This is Nanny (Nina Pauline Jones). My, on Wednesday, 87 year old grandmother - and she did give me permission to share her age.

She is an amazing woman. She was married at 14 to Marion Franklin Jones. She had Carolyn at 16, Carl at 17, Delores at 19, then ‘took in’ Brenda at 36 (who was later adopted into their family). They lived all over the south moving from state to state, where ever Grandpa Jones’ job took him. At 50 her husband of 36 years died from a brain aneurysm. She has never remarried....or at least not yet.
A few years ago she fell and broke her hip which started a ‘care rotation’ with her children. The 'rotation', or shall I say tour still continues even though she has recovered from her injury. The Nan tour starts in South Carolina with Carolyn from November to February, then to Carl in Seattle from February to May, finally home to Alabama with Brenda for May through August, and to my parents house August to November. I don’t think she likes it very much since she is only truly home for such a brief time. I, however, LOVE IT!!!!!

Most of my life consisted of Nanny living in Alabama and if we wanted to see her we would all load up in the car with our doodle boxes (the 70’s/80’s version of DVD player sans the TV screen and the ability to watch a movie) and drive for 18 hours. So to have her a mile from my house three months of the year is one of the best things about summer. Sitting and sewing together, chatting, drinking coffee and eating cookies, watching cooking shows….these times to me are so precious with her and I will cherish them for all of my life.
Another reason I love that she is here is below:

The time my kids get to spend with her. Here they are talking and getting the green beans from my mom’s garden ready for dinner or supper or whatever one might call the mealtime in the evening. They will actually have first hand experiences and stories to tell their children about Nanny. A relationship with their great grandmother that will be remembered with joy and seen as blessed.

So Nanny, we love you so much. I am tremendously thankful that the Lord has seen fit to have you here so I can spend time talking with you and laughing with you and listening to you share stories and learn how to cook from you, my Nanny is an unbelievable cook!, and sit quietly with you and help you and enjoy you and love you and be able to have my relationship with you grow more intimate as I grow older.

This is really a wish turned reality to have her here. When I was young I frequently would say how much I wished Nanny lived here. And now she does and I love it.

Love you Nan!

Bye

Some of you may have noticed I updated my photos on the side of my blog, well actually I have deleted one.
The picture of Andy, the dog. I am really happy to announce that Andy has been adopted!!! He has moved to Lakeville and is enjoying lots of older kids and a huge yard and people who are able to take him for long walks and play with him all the time and I am completely thrilled.
He is such a good boy and I felt so bad for him living here in this tiny house, tiny yard, tiny kids, tiny amounts of time to be given to an animal.....lots of tiny going on here. He is doing very well in his new home and we all couldn't be happier!
Just thought ya'll should know.

at night......

everyone is in bed. kitchen is clean. table wiped off. if it's a good night floor is swept. dryer running the last load. house is quiet and i have the excited nervous feeling....i can hardly wait.

the air is warm and humid, maybe with a slight breeze. recently it has been cooler. sometimes the smell of a fire is lingering. the moon bright and the stars are out or cloudy and very dark.

turn my ipod on and find my music, no skip this song and the next and the next and the next, oh yes, this is the one. recently there has been no ipod just the sound of me breathing and my feet on the sidewalk or on the street when the sprinklers are running, sometimes on the grass.

people are winding down for the night and watching the news on their big screen tv's. most houses are dark and the streets quiet with a sleepy glow from the street lamps hanging over me every block to light my way....until the bridge. the bridge is very dark with no lights. i like it.

the cares of my day falling to the ground with each step and every drop of sweat. feeling like the only person around for many miles in the middle of the city.

this is why i love to run at night.

It's OK

I have lost a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Fatty was at the table eating it, or should have been eating it. He doesn't smell like peanut butter. There is no evidence on clothes or face that he has consumed any peanut butter. I have checked the table, the floor, the bench and chairs, even my cute brown purse he has be carrying around all morning.
Oh well, I guess I will wait for a few days and follow the line of ants that will lead me to the small colony feasting on the very good PB and J.

I will not smell the dog's breath.

Reason #4 Why I love being a stay at home mom....

4:23 pm Monday:

Screaming and yelling ~ crying. "Cole, Nora come to mom". Explanation.

I love being a stay at home mom because at 4 in the afternoon I can take my 5 year old boy aside, discipline him and explain to him the following:

1. You are a fierce courageous knight.

2. Nora is a fair maiden

3. Knights protect fair maidens.

4. Dragons attack the maidens........you are acting like a dragon.

Then I hear "Nora, do you forgive me for being a dragon (and for those of you who don't know Cole, he can't say the letter 'r'). Nora starts laughing and in her overly dramatic chubby little way says, "Mom (with her head tilted and her pudgy hand on her hip), Cole just said he was a dragon.....he's not a dragon (for those of you who don't know Nora, she has a lisp).