Aw Shuck, It’s Corn

One thing about living in the south is the ability to shop at our local fresh produce stand several times a week.  They stock all the fresh fruits and vegetables you could want.  We love being able to get items here in Florida that aren’t available until July in the Midwest.  During my latest trip, memories of summers in Kansas came upon me as I put sweet corn on the cob in my basket.

It was late July or early August and I had to be all of ten years old when my folks brought home several dozen ears of corn that they planned to freeze.  There was a neighbor boy my age that had come over to play and my parents put us all to work shucking the corn.  As we sat in a circle of lawn chairs in the back yard with a huge trash bag in the center, we all got busy.  We were each a few ears in when we noticed that Ralph was having difficulty.  He was trying to shuck his ear upside down!  As he had already fallen behind, we immediately set him straight!  There was no slacking allowed in this family!

Freezing corn was something my family did every summer.  Another fond memory of mine was stopping to pick up corn on our way to a Kansas City Royals game one summer Saturday afternoon a few years later.  We lived an hour out of town so after the game, we had a long drive home.  Instead of waiting until Sunday to begin the freezing, we unloaded the car and got to work as soon as we arrived home.  My parents, brother and I were running around the kitchen, shucking, blanching, cooling, cutting (some but not all), stuffing and placing bags in the big deep freezer in the garage.  At five o’clock in the morning, we were gathered around the kitchen table eating buttered corn on the cob with silly smiles and laughter.  Although we were exhausted, it was a great family moment.

I hope that you all have fond memories of precious family moments.  I am blessed as I have many.  I wish you all the fresh, shucked, sweet corn your life can handle.  I’m still filling my freezer. 

The Little Things

On Tuesday’s, my husband and I have what we call our Date Day.  It involves lunch followed by a movie at the mall.  Yesterday while dining on lobster bisque and sharing a plate of popcorn shrimp, the table next to us became occupied by three youngsters, two teachers, and a parent from a local elementary school.  There was animated chatter as they were seated and one of the teachers carried in a large plaque.  We couldn’t help but get caught up in their excitement. 

Because of the proximity of our tables, my husband and I couldn’t help but overhear their conversations, one of which was a teacher trying to control the cost of their meals.  It was obvious to us that they were on a strict budget and were hoping to have enough left over to grab a treat at the Dairy Queen before heading back to their classrooms.  I immediately reached into my wallet and withdrew a twenty dollar bill, handing to my husband.  He nodded his head and smiled as he offered the money to the teacher sitting just to his right, telling her that we would like to cover their Dairy Queen bill. 

The group was stunned to say the least and debated over whether to accept our offering.  After finally doing so, we learned that one of the students had written a speech which he had given at an awards ceremony that morning and had won second place.  The other two students had also won awards.  We congratulated them all on their successes and continued with our lunch. 

The group thanked us again as we were leaving the restaurant.  As we walked away, we wondered if we had planted a seed in those young lives.  We hoped so.  Love in action can move mountains.  If you ever find an opportunity like this available to you, please take it.  Not only will it make you feel good as a person, but you’ll be repaid for the kindness in ways you can’t even imagine.  The little things really can make a big impact.

This is Where I Leave You - A Book Review

My first Jonathan Tropper experience was with his book titled “How to Talk to a Widower.”  It was funny and edgy and I became an instant fan.  His book “This is Where I Leave You” does not disappoint. 
 
This story follows the currently erractic life of Judd Foxman who learns on page one that his father has passed away, leaving behind a dying request for the rest of his family to sit shiva.  It's not a particularly good time in Judd's life for such a request.  Not only is the Foxman family totally dysfunctional, his life specifically moves dysfunction onto a distant planet all its own.  His heart has recently been ripped out of his chest when he discovers that wife is having an affair with his boss.  You would think that hearing the news would be bad enough, but he walks in on a sexual tryst in his own house – in his own bed to be more precise.  After coming home early to surprise Jen on her birthday and carrying a cake, candles already ablaze, with him, he is more than surprised when he opens the bedroom door.  Needless to say, Judd makes certain the cake doesn't go to waste.
 
Being booted from both his home and his job, Judd finds himself living in a dark, dank rented basement of a quiet Chinese couple.  Lying around day after day on a musty daybed feeling sorry for himself has now been cut short.  He not only has to be present to bury his father, but is now forced to join his mother and three siblings to sit shiva for seven days.  His mother, Dr. Hillary Foxman, a shrink who wrote a book twenty-five years ago on childrearing – using him and his siblings’ problems as focus chapters - is still on top of her game.  His seriously overwhelmed and lonely sister Wendy is the oldest and married to Barry, a consultant who spends much more time on his blackberry or the road than with his wife and three children, six-year-old Ryan, three-year-old Cole, and six-month-old Serena.  Following Wendy is his brother Paul who took over the family sporting goods business when his father could no longer handle it.  He is married to Alice, Judd’s high school sweetheart.   Not only is there tension between Paul and Alice as they try to conceive, but there is some heavy baggage that exists between Paul and Judd that has kept them apart for years.  Judd came next and not only is he jobless and homeless; he’s just learned that his soon to be ex-wife is pregnant with the baby they were never allowed to have.  Then comes Phillip, the baby of the family and the Foxman playboy who has never grown up or taken responsibility for his actions. He willingly brings Tracy his fiancé who is his much older, much wiser life coach, to round out the crazy mix.   
 
During the eighty-four consecutive hours the group is stuck under one roof meeting with a community of mourners revolving through the open front door, they confront each other with humor, anxiety, anger, grief, longing, and humanity.  They are not your typical American family, but they are, regardless of what they believe, a family in need of each other.
 
“This is Where I Leave You” is an enjoyable read from the first page to the last.  Pick up a copy today.  

The Padded Kneeler

Those of you who are Catholic are intimately familiar with the padded kneeler.  Growing up, my family attended church every Sunday.  At the time, I struggled to get out of mass what I get out of each service today.  In high school, it was a standing rule that anyone spending the night on Saturday night attended mass with us on Sunday morning.  My friends, most of whom were not Catholic, struggled through the sitting, standing, and kneeling of the mass, complaining it was hard to sleep through.   

Life is like that.  You stand tall when things are going well.  You sit when your sails are losing the wind that keeps you in motion, and when things are truly bad, your knees hit the padded kneeler.   At least I would like to think that life is like that for the majority of us.  I know some are habitual complainers and would rather sleep than engage and for whatever reason exists behind the behavior, I pray for them. 

Faith is a daily part of my life.  Because of faith, I strive to be a better person.  I want to always show tolerance toward people and situations that I don’t understand, to be kind in the face of adversity, and to love everyone in this hurting world around us.  I often fail in achieving these things because I get self-centered and momentarily become blind to the big picture.  I pray my spiritual life continues to grow and develop as walk my earthly walk.  My knees hit the padded kneeler often and I feel blessed, no matter the situation.    

If you are lost or hurting or lonely or sick and feel you’ve lost hope, you only need look up.  (The padded kneeler is an option should you want it.)   May you be blessed with God's unyielding love.        

Kids Say… (Day 6)

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1.       On the inside, she’s already perfect.  Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2.      Diet.  You know, her hair.  I’d diet, maybe blue.

 

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1.       She has this weird thing about keeping my room clean.  I’d get rid of that.

2.      I’d make my mom smarter.  Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.

 

I hope you enjoyed the week of chuckles.  Happy Mother’s Day!         

Kids Say… (Day 5)

What’s the difference between moms and dads?

1.       Moms work at work and work at home, and dads just got to work at work.

2.      Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3.      Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real powers cause that’s who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.

 

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1.       Mothers don’t have spare time.

2.      To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

Kids Say… (Day 4)

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1.       My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world.  And my mom eats a lot.

2.      She got too old to do anything else with him.

3.      My grandma says that mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.

 

Who’s the boss at your house?

1.       Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dad’s such a goofball.

2.      Mom.  You can tell by the room inspection.  She sees the stuff under the bed.

3.      I guess  mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.