Let Go & Let God..... Thoughts....

This phrase has come to mind for various reasons off and on over the years.  Yes; we do need to believe in a higher power and let our God be in charge...  Let Go & Let God....  Some things are just out of our control.  The well known Serenity Prayer also kind of ties into that statement...  God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  :)  But; what does the scripture actually say?  Now; don't get me started on that.  I mean you ask ten people the same question about anything and you will get ten different interpretations each one individual adamantly declaring their version is right!  :)

So this brings me to my current concern.  There are so many out there leaving God in charge of the family planning.  OK that is great.  I don't have a problem with that at all.  But; at what point should our God given brains kick in?  Firstoff coming to mind is a certain lady who most of us have heard of.  She is expecting her 19th child, bless her soul.  But; honestly, to me she looks tired and her body has to be wearing out!  She is letting God plan her family?  Would he want Michelle Duggar to wear herself into the ground?  What happens to these children if something happens to the parents?  And; those older girls.  When were they children?  Will they want to raise their own children after raising their siblings for so many years?  Don't get me wrong, I think it is wonderful to see a large family all getting on well and self-sufficiently without costing the taxpayers.  But; when is enough enough?  What does God have to do to communicate "STOP"!  I guess he would have to render a couple infertile, which could happen...  But; isn't enough enough at some point?

I don't know.  Not making much sense I guess...  Trying to work it out here.  If you have input...please share!

Melody

PS:  Next writing may be on Obama-Nation an Abomination?  Hmmmmmm.....

"Rainbow Connection" - Grammie Style...

Have you ever pondered "connections" and wondered what it was all about?  When would the ultimate connection in your life happen?  Well; I have been through alot.  Most of us go through alot of one form or another in our lives before we are done.  Some is good, some is bad.  But; like I always say, the things we live today make us who we are tomorrow and I like to think that is all in the end for the better.  Being who we are is ok.  Hopefully; by the time we are grandparents we are getting a handle on who we are and therefore have earned the title "Grand" parent.  After raising five sons, having twin grandsons, and yet another baby boy grandson who I never get to see, now nearly two (MATTHEW & TOMIE'S son STERLING)...I like to think that perhaps Iris is my ultimate reward.  I never had a daughte.r  I don't feel I ever really got to be a "little" girl excepting when "I" was with my grandmother (the favorite relationship of all time in my life).  I like to feel that such as I am I am that person, making that relationship with Ms. Iris.  I like to feel we have a connection.  That delightful little girl (film at eleven) is such an inspiration to me.  She can be a handful.  She can be "spoiled" which I have made her.  But; she can also be thoughtful, caring, tender, and sweet.  She is my built in reminder sometimes helping to keep me straight and again, my inspiration.  She loves to do all the things I always wanted to do and hopefully she will get to do them.  She is artistic, creative, coordinate and bright.  As she skips out the door to school in her "Little Hippie Girl" outfit she makes me smile.  I have never honestly seen a child happier to go to school.  All smiles and all energy away she goes to spend time with her idol Mrs. Adams.  She adores her teacher not unlike many early school age children.  Mrs. Adams is awesome and she can do no wrong in Iris's book...just as it should be for a good teacher. 

All that said, I like to think that I am facilitating the "connection"...and that it is a "Rainbow" connection.  All things good, beautiful, and wonderful that our God can provide.  No her life is not perfect.  She has problems in her little life that I would take completely away would I could....  But; as it is, she spends 95% of her little life outside of school with her grandparents who keep her well stocked and provided with the tools of the trade for a delightful four-year-old (or nearly five she likes to remind us).  The paper, pens, pencils, crayons, paints, glitter, glue, scissors, sewing machines, paint brushes, and all the fixings of creativity keep coming.  The music flows, the devices to play it on provided.  Yes; hopefully I am making that Rainbow Connection with this little girl.  Hopefully; she will keep going with all her creativity and I can be a part of it through her.  She is afterall the most beautiful granddaughter in Norwich!

More from Mel (Lilhippiema) later....

Regarding Men on a Mission.... Mormon Missionaries

I guess as we all know, throughout life, there are some things we notice more than others.  Mine is "boys".  Not in the traditional sense either.  But; I spent so many years of my life raising my five, hosting their friends and watching them do all those things that boys do...that I can't help but notice to this day the attributes of a growing young man. 

So all that said, today again I was awakened early by a knock at the door.  Now everyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a morning person. I am up til the wee hours of the night and sleep mornings.  Just how things fall into place (or not) for me.  The dogs got me out of bed and I made it to the door at about 9 a.m. just in time to see the backs of several suited young men gleefully running through yards and around back down to the main road. I knew who they were, or of what they were.  There were about five  young men all dressed pretty much the same going door to door for our Mormon friends.  :)  But; they reminded me of a bunch of just cut loose Butterflies heading for the prettiest flower on the property.  Just dancing away and going through all those athletic wannabe contortions that young men do...   You know, like when they can't go through a doorway without making sure they still can or can't jump up and touch it?  Or having jumping contests to see if any of them YET can touch the ceiling.  Those were the days.  The days I miss. 

In spite of all that I have to say to our Mormon friends that I don't bite!  :)  I am not Mormon but I do tolerate.  I remember the crew I had way back...about ten years ago. They would come by and we would chat for a while and drink some lemonade or water or something, usually in the yard, and they would be on their way. The nicest bunch I ever had.  :)  This Summer is the first Summer I have had a group knock on my door since.  This being their second attempt that I know of, I have to say, they should try later in the day!  :)  Perhaps with a little more purpose and intent and give folks a chance to answer the door, and maybe not act as if noone was watching them flee down the hill dancing all the way!

Did anyone ever visit that heavily advertised chat thing they have going on?  I tried to one night just to check it out.  Never got a response from them by email or in the chat program.  Perhaps they should be a little more vigilant in their followups!  :)

Yep, that was my morning starter...  OK wannabe starter.  I went back to bed.  It was afterall not "TIME" for me to get up.

Hope to hear from some of you soon!
Melody

Aren't You Sorry You Did Now?

I was before and I definnitely am now.  Almost time for our new CEO of Everything's speech...  More socialism abounds for us all.  Saw the tendencies before he started and definitely see more of it now.  I fear that next he will make a state religion with him as CEO of that too.  Guess we all know who HIM is.....  More later!  Almost time for HIS hour.

Mel

Kindergarten Was Never Like This For Me!

My Iris started Kindergarten this year.  She will be five the end of the month.  She has now made it through about five days of school.  :)  The stories she tells make me well aware that school is just not what it used to be!  I find myself regaled(?) with tales of "purple girls" who never do anything good, girls with hair like this and girls with hair like that....none of the poor things apparently have any names.  Also; there seems to be a strange deficiency of boy presences.  Apparently; lunch is totally different than it was in my day.  Lunch is delivered to HER in her classroom by "her servants" who do whatever she wants!  Today's lunch was chocolate brownies.  Everyone just ate chocolate brownies.  Seems a high price to pay $2.50 for a lunch of JUST brownies!  However; she did mention telling them how to make a peanut butter and butter sandwich so perhaps lunch tomorrow will be better.  There is hope! With the exception of the "purple girl" who apparently is from another planet school is declared to be "awesome" in every respect! 

I suppose I could call and get more details on the $2.50 brownie lunch delivered by servants and the "purple girl" but I hate to shatter the images playing in my mind that make me laugh so much.  :)  I mean the reality might not be nearly as pretty!  :)  So I stick to the Iris version of school.  Wishing mine had been like that.....

Loving Grammie Mel

PS:  I have encouraged creativity and imagination in this child from the beginning.  I wonder if that has something to do with her portrayal and descriptions of her class?

Mel's Chinese Connection ....

OK...just a brief history of the how's and why's!  Long long ago in a land far away, but still kept in the memories, Melody got married and moved with her active duty Navy Sub Sailor spouse to Hawaii.  There my first and best friend was to be Tessie (MeClaughlin).  Tessie was fresh from the Phillipines and spoke Tagalog and very little if any English when she initially joined her Navy Sub Sailor Spouse in Hawaii.  Well; food is afterall a "universal" language.  :)  We communicated initially through food.  She made some wonderful foods which I learned to make through my repertoire of skills and experience, watching her.  These things included my later "personalized" method of making Pork Fried Rice, Pancit, and Lumpia.  :)  All of these are great!  I don't make these things nearly as often as I did while my family was growing up but I do still make them periodically.  Never met anyone who did not like my fried rice!  :)

Well fast forward to more in the present land of time.  :)  Nowadays; my first son born in Hawaii, is with his SO a native born and raised Chinese lady.  :)  She too speaks very little language.  My granddaughter (rerun for most of you) is therefore Chinese American.  Her mom does traditional ethnic type Chinese cooking the likes of which is never seen to my knowledge in the myriad Chinese restaurants out there.  :)

Anyhow; this nutshell version is brought to you all because I have had a request from someone not only about my common userid "Tofugrammie" but asking as an "oh by the way" if I had a recipe for good fried rice.  She alas did not know me at all or any of my history!  Hi Clouddancer!  LOL  So later today, hopefully, will post my time tested, boy tested, crowd tested Pork Fried Rice recipe (substitutions will be allowed).

Hope you all have a great day!
Melody

More Good Ol' Norwich, CT -

BTW:  Just an addendum also in local news here today...  A certain judge with a history of totally going after Deadbeat Dads unmercifully irregardless of circumstances, chose to allow a sentence of only 7 years from another Dad who murdered his two-year-old son with the help of other adults.  Some city huh!  Lucky we live downtown Norwich!

Mel (feeling chatty and inspired today)

In the News......Schools

Well it is no secret.  I homeschooled two of my sons for quite a few years.  I tried it all, public, private, parochial with the five of them and ultimately after years as a PTO President, I pulled the last two out of the system and taught them at home.  Now it is time for grandchild #3 to go to school.  Well ultimately I put her in Parochial Kindergarten, at St. Joseph's School in this city.  They have an AWESOME Kindergarten program.  They have three rooms designated for their use, two teachers fulltime, and about 25 kids at this time.  The head teacher is a mega veteran teacher having taught kindergarten since at least my fourth son was in Kindergarten.  Before that she taught second grade for several years.  I know she has been doing kindergarten at least 21 plus years based on when my little "Chrissy" had her and loved her as a teacher.  She did a great job then, Mrs. Adams, and now with her veteran assistant Mrs. Christenson(?), I am sure they have done nothing but improve on perfection!  :) 

Reading articles from the last few days in the local newspaper (The Norwich Bulletin), my decision to place her there was reinforced in triplicate...  The failure rate of meeting state requirements in this city's schools is horrific.  Sorry to sound dramatic but there are no other words.  Out of 11 elementary and Middle schools, eight of them failed.  How badly they failed I don't know but the information states that they did not meet adequate "progress" even.  Reading was noted as particularly "bad".  This among other reasons is why Iris is not in public school.  Yes; I could have homeschooled her but the Princess needs other children.  And I know this is a good Kindergarten program. 

So all that said, my extra boy will be here any minute.  Ms. Iris and her Dad will be here at any time too.  So we will leave you with these thoughts and impressions for now.  BTW:  Another thought I have to make schools more accountable is set up a system where the state pays each school per child registered and let parents choose where to enroll them.  Maybe if the schools have to be accountable to the parents to get paid (ie:  parents CHOOSE them) then perhaps the standards would come up.  Something has to be done.  The little boy I take care of is going into second grade in Public School and can't read and do math as well as four-year-old Iris.  Just the facts.

Later!  Hugs!
Melody

Long Time No Chat.... So Much...

Well I am here.  Still kicking.  So much going on.  The life of mine just keeps spinning.  :)  Still hoping to see all my boys together for something..sometime soon.  Just miss that.

Ms. Iris...seems such a short time ago she was born!  I took care of her in the hospital and ever since.  Soon she will be five.  Started Kindergarten yesterday.  The night before she informed her Dad that she could not go to school the next day because "she did not want a fat teacher".  I laughed so when he told me that.  Then; after school the next day, she told him "I love my fat teacher".  :)  Her teacher has taught kindergarten for like 26 years give or take a year.  My son Christopher had her for kindergarten and he is now 26 years old.  Speaking of Christopher, one of my all time favorite songs is "Rainbow Connection".  Everytime I hear that song I think of Christopher perhaps because he always loved the Muppets and does such an interesting Kermit imitation.  :)  Been that way today.  Lots of thoughts about my kids.  Concerned for Ms. Iris as her folks don't get along.  She depends on me so much.  Her folks love her I guess but are in their own worlds too much for my taste.  Today after school, for her, both her parents were home.  Mom was in PJ's sitting on the couch (when I got there).  Dad was on the computer.  Ms. Iris had called me and told me on the phone (all by her self she does this) that "Dad had lost the truck and would I PLEASE just come get her".  Mind you she had been home from school probably about 20 minutes.  Neither of them taking time to talk to my granddaughter and spend time with her after her second day of school.  She had to call her Grammie to come get her and cuddle her and talk to her.  Then we went to Joann's!  :)  Well we had to do something right?  Anyhow; if you like Rainbow Connection, there are several versions in my Playlist containing lots of my favorite music.  Take a listen!  :)

I hope to get some soap and some bread made this next week as "Dad" is off work and I should get a free block of time.  I have so much to do though and never seem to get it done.  I now am caring for a seven-year-old boy on weekends while his single mom works second shift.  He is "hyper" by current labeling.  Ol' Mel is not a fan of that.  I get such a kick out of him and he and Iris are good for each other.  He has alot of issues due to his parental situation, Dad in jail, house burned down two months ago, and it goes on and on.  But; he loves it here and he loves Iris.  The dogs love them both!

Well that is enough catching up for now.  I hope to hear from some of you soon.  Sorry to be gone so long.  When I get the soap and bread made you can send me  your orders!  LOL  Meanwhile I am crocheting and adding Plastic Canvas projects to my repertoire.

Bye for now!

Melody