Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Spider's View -- jcarolek

This morning I went out to take a walk with my dog and cats, down the path to the would-be pond, where the would-be pier will soon be (providing the now defunct adjoining association and the new developer of a 178 home subdivision which adjoins the headwaters of the creek that feeds the soon-again-to-be-a-pond, but who actually have no access rights to the pond, do NOT object – part of the joys of owning property in RPA area). On my way out, I came across this spider, industriously building his web.

What struck me about this was the web that hung not one foot

Friday, September 21, 2007

Forever Doomed -- jcarolek

My mother always told me I was a Tuesday’s child. We all knew the little rhyme

Monday’s child is fair of face, Tuesday’s child is full of grace.

Wednesday’s child is full of woe, Thursday’s child has far to go.

Friday’s child is loving and giving, Saturday’s child

Thursday, September 13, 2007

An unfamiliar face -- jcarolek

Well, she arrived at my mother’s house, (her grandmother’s house) an hour or so before we were all due to meet for supper yesterday. She had driven in from DE to MD and thought she’d spend a little “quality time” with Grandmommy, as my mother prefers to be called.

Imagine her surprise when my mother opened the door and had NO IDEA who she was! LOL…

When John and I arrived for supper, we were treated to the story of how a grandmother, not one suffering

Friday, September 7, 2007

Pockets -- jcarolek

I got to thinking about them today. I guess I hadn’t thought too much about them in a very long time, so today was “pocket thinking day.” Anyway, it occurred to me that, as a child we were always required to “fold our hands” when waiting around for this or that, but to never put out hands in our pockets. This was, we were assured, one of the true signs of delinquency.

I remember wondering if it could possibly be true that I was a delinquent if I chose to rest my hands in my pockets, rather than folding them, or letting them hang gently

Stephen and Tigger -- jcarolek

When my son was nine we went to one of my company’s annual picnics. They always went all out for this event, making it a fabulous day for adults and children alike. One of the features of this picnic was the carnival type games for the children (while their parents enjoyed the pub-like games closer to the kegs…but this is not about the adult games!)

My son, always a very quiet and timid child,

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Green or Clean? -- jcarolek

When I was a little girl, I was required to bathe weekly. Yes, you read that correctly. We children were on the Saturday night bath schedule in those early days. I remember not particularly looking forward to the Saturday mandatory scrub-down, but there was little room for discussion on the matter.

At some point, and I cannot for the life of me recall when this happened, I graduated to showers and I also found myself liking them, and even looking forward to them…all very fine, I’m sure, but Dad, noticing his eldest daughters’ affinity

I am nosey by nature -- jcarolek

I want to apologize to Blogville. You see, I cannot help myself. If I see you are asking for help, I will be right there, trying to figure it out. It’s just what I do! I have been trying to control this urge to jump in and help out, but it is so strong that I find myself easily overcome by it (is there a self help group for this affliction?)

So, anyways…I have always been this way. Some consider

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Shutter with the memory --- jcarolek

We could sit still for a few minutes every now and then. I have proof of this fact, as you can see. The six of us “kids” were usually going in all directions, but, when Grandad wanted to take a picture of his family, we lined ourselves up on that sofa and smiled for the camera. Dad and Mom and Granther (and I think a great aunt) stood behind the sofa, Mom supporting the baby, Ray, who was the newest member of our clan.

I was six in this photo, and within six months my grandmother, standing on the far right side of the photo, had passed away of cancer. She was a young woman, being only in her mid-fifties

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Oh, to be ten again -- jcarolek

The few months before I turned ten I spent Saturdays in Washington, DC with Dad, learning to make violins, as we molded, cut, carved, planed, and sanded our way through our first instrument. I can recall no present before or since that made me happier than the violin I received for my tenth birthday. That I had helped make it, somehow made it that much more meaningful to me. That it was my “undivided time with Dad” was also a factor in its importance to me.

I remember the pride I felt when I posed for the first time with the completed instrument. Dad stood behind me and let me take center stage with Mr. Gault, our teacher and friend. Three years later, when I made my own violin,

Sunday, September 2, 2007

When nobody was looking -- jcarolek

My first day on the job as an IT auditor a few years back was an interesting one. I was required to be up in northern VA for a face-to-face with the IT audit staff. One of the new fellows I met was a guy named Ron. There was nothing special about Ron, and I noted his name as I did the others on the team. I had much to learn about them and they about me, but, for the moment I was focused on the “mission” of the team.

That evening, I returned to my hotel and shared with hubby (who had made the trip with me) the day’s events. Since this was pretty boring stuff to anyone not involved