The Crab Chronicles

Sunday update

Not much to report, but Mike is clearly having fun in Indiana, which is wonderful.

I watched a chick flick last night [The Divine Secrets of the Yaya Sisterhood] and thoroughly enjoyed it. When Mike is around we do not watch Chick Flicks... LOL

Will signing this afternoon.

Beautiful day - temps in the 60's.

Skiing and Dill Pickles

Happy to see this shot this morning. Michael is in Indiana, and today my friend Jim took him skiing to a place called Paoli Peaks.

Mike is genuinely smiling there - I know his fake smile and that's not it. He was obviously having fun. Yay!

I was a nervous wreck all yesterday afternoon, until I heard he had gotten to Indiana, and Jim had found him in the airport.

Lola is totally puzzled. She didn't sleep in Michael's room last night. I moved her bed and her water bowl into my room. She stayed in her bed until about 4:30, then got in bed with me. I was too groggy to argue about it. As long as she stays on her side, and doesn't hog the covers, we are OK.

She had her second training class today. She is learning how to walk nicely on the leash. That alone was an entire class. Our afternoon walk took a loooooong time because every time she pulled, I stopped. Took 15 minutes just to walk from here to the corner!

I had my Book Group this afternoon, and when I came home, Lola had pilfered a package of 6 small boxes of yogurt-covered raisins, and eaten the entire thing. I had one box this morning. She ate the other 5. Just out of curiosity, I gave her a lettuce leaf last night, and she ate it.

The only thing we've found that she won't eat? Dill pickles.

I'm very glad Michael seems to be having fun on his trip, but man it is too quiet around here without our boy...

Goodnight from Lola

Lola asked me to send out this to all of you out there -

relaxez - vous!

New Adventures

Snow Day #3 - awakening to the sound of gunfire - excuse me, not gunfire but awfully similar - the sound of my neighbor backing out of his driveway over crunchy snow - sounds really scary.

Took Lola out this morning and went crunch crunch on the front yard. Thank goodness it's supposed to go up into the 50's today.

Michael is off of school again today, which is great because he is going on an adventure. He is going to Indiana for the long weekend, to stay with a friend of mine and his adopted son. My friend Jim and I have been trying to arrange this for a long time, and I finally just decided to stop dithering and arrange it. Jim has a lower limb difference and his son does, too. We have gotten together before, when Jim came through town on his way to Florida.

 

Now Michael is off to spend a few days in Indiana, and hopefully tomorrow he will learn to snow ski. He already knows how to water ski. The last time Michael was on an airplane was 7 years ago, when I brought him home form Kazakhstan. Now he is a big guy, and able to travel alone, but I will be ancy until he gets to his destination safely.

I am very blessed to have wonderful friends. I published a poem about love today over at The Word Ocean.

Happy Valentine's Day!

UPDATE:

Michael is in Indiana, where it's snowing! Hope he stays warm. He didn't want to even take a heavy coat. He texted me from the gate. I was so relieved. He had to go thru security alone and find his gate alone. He did fine. I look at him and see my tiny boy, and I forget he's almost a man!

So hoping he has fun this weekend.

Snowed Out

I am sitting here watching icicles dripping. YAY!. I have not left my house in two days. I am SICK OF SNOW. This morning, more snow, over yesterday's ice.

Needless to say, Michael is not in school. He is out running around the neighborhood, looking at the snow. It's supposed to go up to 40 today and melt all this crap. Hallalujah, I say.

Yesterday was just weird, with sleet falling most of the day, over a puny layer of snow. Overnight, we got more, and below are some shots I took this morning.

I was ancy all day yesterday, fearing a power loss.

after lunch, I noticed Michael and Lola both flaked out.

Below, some shots made around 7 this morning when I took Lola out.

Ice Storm in Atlanta

Yesterday was so weird because Michael was out of school, and it was just cold and rainy. No big "weather event" - but the authorities are all in a dither over the Ice Storm that we are now seeing.

This was the view outside Michael's window a few minutes ago, the street in front of my house:

we have a little "faux balcony" that you can't walk on -

Michael slept until noon yesterday and then we ran to the hardware store, picked up some burgers for lunch, and came home. The hardware store was a bustling place. We got the last wicks for oil lamps they had in the store.

We came home and made brownies. That was Michael's idea.

I woke up at 5:30 this morning to the sound of ice crackling outside my window. The local news is all over North Georgia, up where they are getting more of a "weather event" but by and large it seems like everyone is staying home today.

I have a cousin who works at a hospital and he posted on Facebook and said he had to go in to work. Praying he makes it OK.

Found this video yesterday and it keeps on making me laugh so I want to share it:

 

Ice and Snow and Family and Poetry... Oh My

Sitting here looking outside, waiting for the nasty weather to begin - so glad my son is in his room asleep, not at school, nor running around.

Michael and I went to Publix yesterday. I posted this on Facebook: Michael Thompson and I braved the crowds and went to Publix on Shallowford. There were no buggies!! OMG Never seen that before. As I walked in, a tall man RAN past me and grabbed a loaf of bread off the bakery aisle. For no good reason, I grabbed a loaf, fear and trepidation building in me: could it be there is NO MORE BREAD?!? Oh, the humanity. We got to the bread aisle. There were many loaves of bread!! There was wine in the wine aisle! Cookies in the cookie aisle! I am ready for the coming apocalypse...

Somebody saked me what a "buggie" is - not a southern person. Down here, we call a shopping cart a "buggy." I never heard "shopping cart" until I was a teenager.

When we got to Publix, I told Michael [who was driving] not to turn into a parking spot because I thought there was broken glass on the ground. Turns out, it was rock salt. Felt silly when I walked in the door and saw all the salt strewn around the entrance.

The cashier who checked us out said they had been doing nonstop business since opening at 8 yesterday morning.

I hope and pray we don't lose power, and Michael doesn't go running around on the ice and fall and hurt himself. Other than that, I am simply resigned to the idea of being inside for the next couple of days.

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I started a Facebook group for those of us who are descendants of James Lewis Henderson and Martha Beall Henderson. If you are a descendant and want to join, shoot me an email. I am having fun reading everyone's stories and seeing photos. This, to me, is a terrific use of Facebook, creating a community of far-flung family members. It's certainly easier than trying to get everyone together at a reunion.

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I published a new poet over at The Word Ocean, my poetry blog, Sharon Poch. I love her poetry and rich imagery. The photo she sent is amazing, and she said she just took it with her phone! Wow.

Under the Weather

Sometimes I marvel at how weird and changeable our weather is here. Yesterday was a beautiful day, with highs in the upper 50's. Didn't need more than a light jacket. Michael got out and played tennis in shorts.

Today the high will be 50.

Wednesday, we are supposed to get hit with an ice storm.

Today, I will go to the grocery store and hope I can find a few necessities, like Oreos. Can't ride out a storm without Oreos.

Atlanta is famous for ice storms. Mother can spend 30 minutes telling ice storm stories. I totaled a car once in an ice storm, about 12 years ago. That's my only story and it's dull. Upside is I didn't like that car and I wasn't sorry to see it go...

Weekend Recap

Every so often I am reminded that before I was a mom and a person with a lot of responsibilities, I used to be able to call a friend and say hey, let's eat dinner and go to a concert/movie.

More often than not, one of these ladies accompanied me.

that's me with my friends Maria and Dana, around 2002

me and Lesleigh, around 2001?

I loved socializing with my friends, and I had a lot of great friends. However, when I went home I was always by myself, and that was very unsatisfying. I wanted a family. I never miss those days, but sometimes I just need a little break, some "me" time.

Yesterday I got a rare treat.

Maria and I met for dinner at Top Spice and had a lovely dinner. Then we went to a concert by the Atlanta Women's Chorus. I don't know when I've enjoyed anything as much. The chorus is wonderful. Very professional.

Michael picked up sandwiches for dinner - which is Mother's fave dinner, BTW. He watched the Olympics all evening. So he was fine.

A therapist told me years ago that Michael had "anxious attachment." It worried me. But... he is 17 years old now. Attachment is fine. No problem.

I had not seen Maria in a long time, and it was fun to just catch up. I have known her since 1999. She has been a good source of parenting advice. Also, we "talk shop" - both being paralegals. I was home by 10.

Today, I have taken it easy. I am going to the doctor tomorrow, because this virus, or whatever it is that's making me feel crappy, has gone on long enough, and I need to know what's up. I hate not feeling good.

Beautiful weather here today - sunny and 60. Tuesday we are expecting sleet and snow and another big mess. Ack. Bring on spring...

 

Training Dogs and Children

Lola had her first training class this morning at PetSmart. She did really well. She is learning how to behave and Michael and I are learning how to control her. I highly recommend the courses at PetSmart, so far.

We came home and Michael and I went to the grocery store. When we came back, Lola had torn up two paper packets of shredded wheat - the big packets, not the mini wheats. Apparently she didn't like them, though, because she didn't eat them. Michael loves shredded wheat, but only with a lot of sugar. He needs the fiber.

Lola apparently thought she must have been mistaken, and stumbled upon a dead plant instead of food. LOL

We have all been anxiously observing Lola since she ate an entire package of raw bacon yesterday. The floors are not fun to clean. With Lola, it's sort of like having a short, hairy toddler in the house. "Did she poop? Pee? Should she go out? Was she behaving herself?"

"LOLA! no you can't walk on the table!" is also heard a lot.

I doubt most toddlers can be trained with a clicker and a handful of treats, also. Then again, maybe it would work...

I think I have an idea for a new book.

Of course, when I was a toddler things were simple. If I misbehaved I was re-directed, up until Mom and Dad figured they could tell me "No" and I would understand it. Then I got verbal warnings and, if my behavior was bad enough, my butt got popped.

And you know what? I am fine; well, not a serial killer or a hoarder or anything wacko.

Now, I have never hit my kids and I don't really advocate corporal punishment. It irritates the stew out of me, though, to see parents who allow their kids to misbehave in public and the behavior isn't corrected. Standing there yelling "No!" while the kid keeps annoying everyone in the store is obviously not effective.

Yes, I speak from experience. [Yes, Mom and Dad need a clicker and a fanny pack full of treats...]

I had a friend a few years ago who let his small son talk and talk during dinner [a dinner including Granny, me, and Michael] and the child was never told to be quiet. He dominated the conversation and had a grand time. At some point my mother just stared at the child and said "Now it's time for you to HUSH." The kid was so startled he shut up immediately.

He went back to talking, though.

The dad later said to me [not apologetically, just matter-of-factly] "I think it's so important for Junior [not his real name] to express himself verbally and feel confident that his opinions are important. I was never allowed to express myself as a child, and I felt very excluded, like nothing I said mattered."

I had been friends with the dad a long time. He knew that my mom is old school when it comes to manners. S0... I said "But he ruined all dinner conversation for everyone at the table."

The dad just shrugged and smiled.

Needless to say, the dad and son have never again been invited to eat dinner at my house.

Now, I understand the dad's point of view. He didn't want his son to feel like his opinion didn't matter or he wasn't allowed to talk. I get that. I was the youngest, and I often felt totally left out of gatherings. My dad liked to say "Children are to be SEEN and NOT HEARD." He wasn't kidding.

OTOH, grownups at a dinner table should be able to talk in peace. It's good manners to shut up and let others talk, not just dominate the entire table - and that goes for everyone from 7 to 90.

How did I get from dog training to kid training in less than 300 words?!? Oh well.

Training is important for anyone in a civilized society, anyone who lives with someone else and wants to keep living with them, at any rate.

If you want to see a cute video and hear a song that will make you want to jump up and dance, give this a look:

 

Train a child in the way he should go,and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/c/children_quotes.html#fWEuZ7TeKzTI557b.99

Train a child in the way he should go,and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/c/children_quotes.html#fWEuZ7TeKzTI557b.99