Piles of Toys, Church Camp and Fathers

It was a good weekend here on the Porch.
My great niece Evelyn who is 4, came to stay with me.
She is a hoot.
She pulled her nightgown off and had it stuck on her head.
"Look, Aunt Marti, I'm a Muslim!"
Like most little kids, she is up at full tilt in the mornings.
Like most people who have forgotten this because they deal with teens who sleep so long you check then for crib death, I'm kinda foggy till coffee.
She kept, "Aunt Marti I'm hungry, Aunt Marti I'm thirsty, Aunt Marti, gotta poop" till I told her she had worn out my name and she couldn't say it any more until I had waked up a bit. so, she said, "whoever you are...."
We played in the hose, we drug out old toys, we went to the park, we had ice cream.
I hope she had as much fun as Tom and I did.
Caitlin has wanted to go to church camp.
I think some Jesus would do her good,but I have no funds for this trip.
I'm trying to get her into college.
My philosophy with my kids is I will lovingly adn joyfully feed, clothe and shelter them as long as I live, but after 18, recreational activities are their responsibility.
To put it a little more crassly and honestly, after 18 years of eating beans so she could cheer, do gymnastics,leading Girl Scout troops, dance lessons, field trips, if I'm going to send anyone to camp it's gonna be me and Tom!
Plus I'm trying to teach Ms. Sweetandcute to take some responsibility.
So the church sponsers her to go!
I'm real proud of my big-eyed baby.
We went to Mariah's big new house for dinner. She has invented a dreamsicle cake made from scratch that is out of this world. She is really enjoying cooking and taking care of her house. She will show you all the drawers where the dish cloths are neatly stacked and color coded.
Where did this young woman come from?
From our house, where we are redoing our bathroom by peeling off a srip of wallpaper every time we go in there?
Tom and I passed the evening sitting in the velvet darkness on the Porch, tallking of the past and future, living in the now.
I am continually astonished at the miracles that happen each ordinary day.

My Summer Manifesto

This is it!
I had a year from absolute HELL at school.
I am suffering from TOPUWOPS syndrome.
Tired of putting up with other people's shit!
I am going to do exactly as I please this summer!
This is official notice that I am no longer responsible for the emotional well being of the entire Mobile County!
So...
This is what I have done so far on my summer vacation....
got a pedicure (ooh, it's like crack, once you've done it you have to have more)
ordered a Bruce Springsteen Tshirt (this is a big step for me, before my daughter shopped at Puttin on the Ritz, I shopped at Goodwill)
walked the dog
did Yoga
gone to see Paula and Dana in FL
went to a tailgate party Friday
went out to lunch at Ed's Shed Saturday (great seafood overlooking the bay)
went to the beach with Tom and Jack Sunday
went to the beach with Dell Monday
went out on a boat with Gina and Caitlin Danielle and Samantha Tuesday ( I was napping when Caitlin surged in and said"we're going on a boat" and I jumped up and replied, "where's my shoes?")

went to see my nephew Kelley and his band Fat Man Squeeze at the Blue Gill Tuesday night with the top down and the warm salt air in my hair.
Today I am having a pajama day!
I am so lovin it!

Mustang Sally

It was 1983.
Tom and I were in love with each other, life and our daughter Mariah.
Then something else touched my heart.
She was old
rusty
and needed lots of work
but underneath the years of neglect I could see my dream car:
a 65 Mustang.
red, no less.....
It took a while to come to my senses
and realize she required more work than I could have done.
I couldn't even ride my baby daughter in her
no seat belts!
So we found her a better home
kinda like the dog you take to live in the country.
and life went on
My baby grew up.
and gave me her
red
convertible
88 Mustang!
Yep, it pays to raise 'em right!