Here's To A Non-Bummer-Summer

Photo Credit:  GatorTodd from morgueFile.com

Tis the season for moms, dads, and grads, no doubt!  You can almost reach out and touch the excitement in the air as students and teachers count down the last few days of this school year.  Children and parents everywhere are wondering just how their summer will be.  Will it be a non-bummer-summer?  Well, that’s up to us.  We choose.  I wrote a poem last May that I want to share again, with just a few tweaks: 

18 SUMMERS

Summertime has come, my friends,

The school year’s done, for here it ends.

What will we do to pass each day?

Some camps, vacation, work, and play?

Maybe a mission trip’s in the plan?

How ‘bout cross-country in a van?

Veg on the couch or hit the gym?

Will we bend our knees in prayer with Him?

Will we practice hoops and football throws?

Or water gardens in perfect rows?

Will we canoe or paint a scene?

Tackle the closets and finally clean?

Do some shopping or stay at home?

Travel nearby?  Go out and roam?

How much or little can we pack,

In that suitcase, bag, or sack?

Plan our days to the hour,

Or take some time to smell that flower?

It’s such a task to balance it all.

Have fun, work some…all before Fall.

We have 18 summers with our kids.

Will we have “should haves,” “could haves,” or “dids?”

From birth to grad day isn’t that long,

Life’s an adventure, a beautiful song.

Grab some fishing or swim at the beach.

Hike in the mountains while eating a peach.

Whatever you do, make it count.

18 summers – that is the amount.

Cuddle the kids, grab hugs and kisses.

Praise 2-point baskets.  Forget the misses.

Turn up the music.  Sing it loud.

Dance alone or in a crowd.

Amidst mosquitos and humid days,

Let’s thank God for morning rays.

Kids might whine that they’re bored,

Let’s try to remember to thank you, Lord,

For each hot day’s a gift from you.

18 summers – what will we do?

Celebrate our days or waste the time?

Spend some cash or not a dime.

Embrace this summer’s number, whatever it happens to be,

Summer 7, 10, 13 – these are the numbers for me.

The kiddos are growing up so fast,

Grab some shades - make memories to last!

Happy Summer, Sunshines!  Over the next few months, I’ll be taking a break from my writing schedule, as I work and spend some time with my family and friends.  I wish you all the best as you embrace your summer…whatever number you’re on.  Enjoy it to the fullest!  Here’s to a non-bummer-summer!

Age Is A Funny Thing

Photo Credit:  sophisticat from morgueFile.com

Today, I want to share a few funnies from my friend, Mikey, in honor of my baby brother’s birthday this past weekend, on May 13^th.  My brother and I love to laugh, so here are some giggles – one joke per decade of your life, big guy!  Ha ha!  It’s hard to believe that my little bro is the BIG FOUR-OH!  We fought incessantly as kids, as my poor Mom and Dad can attest.  However, I could not be more proud of the absolutely amazing man you have become, Aaron!  Seriously.  You don’t even have to pay me a penny (inside joke) to say it, because I mean it!  Truly.  I am blessed to be your sister and friend.  Kisses and Hugs!  After 40 years, surely you’ll share your candy with me now?  Maybe?  Hee hee!

JOKE # 1

Age is a funny thing.

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids?  If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?"  "I'm 4 and a half."  You're never 36 and a half, but you are 4 and a half going on 5!  That's the key.  You get into your teens and now they can't hold you back.  You jump to the next number.  "How old are you?"  "I'm gonna be 16."  You could be 12, but you're GONNA be 16!

And then the greatest day of your life happens: you become 21.  Even the words sound like a ceremony - you BECOME 21.  YES!  But then you turn 30.  Ooohhh, what happened here?  Makes you sound like bad milk.  He TURNED.  We had to throw him out.  There's no fun now.  What's wrong?  What changed?

Then you're PUSHING 40.  Stay over there because it's all slipping away...

You REACH 50.  My dreams are gone...

You MAKE IT to 60.  Whew!  I didn't think I'd make it.

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, you're PUSHING 40, you REACH 50, you MAKE IT to 60, and by then you've built up so much speed, you HIT 70!

After that, it's a day-by-day thing.  You HIT Wednesday.  You get into your 80s.  You HIT lunch.

I mean my grandmother won't even buy green bananas: "Well it's an investment, you know, and maybe a bad one at that."

And it doesn't end there.  When you’re into the 90's, you start going backwards:  I was JUST 92.  Then a strange thing happens if you make it over 100.  You become a little kid again: I'm 100 and a half!

Age is a funny thing.

JOKE # 2

An old geezer who was a retired farmer for a long time became very bored in retirement.  He decided to open a medical clinic.  He put up a sign outside that said: "Dr. Geezer's Clinic. Get your treatment for $500, and if not cured, get back $1,000!"

Dr. Young, who was positive that this old geezer didn't know beans about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to make $1,000.  So, he visited Dr. Geezer's clinic.

Dr. Young: "Dr. Geezer, I've lost all taste in my mouth.  Can you please help me?"

Dr. Geezer: "Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth."

Dr. Young: “Aaagh!! -- This is gasoline!"

Dr. Geezer: "Congratulations!  You've got your taste back.  That will be $500."

Dr. Young gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days of figuring out how to recover his money.

Dr. Young: "I’ve lost my memory.  I can’t remember anything."

Dr. Geezer: "Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth."

Dr. Young: "Oh, no you don't, that’s gasoline!"

Dr. Geezer: "Congratulations!  You've got your memory back!  That will be $500."

Dr. Young (after losing $1000) leaves angrily and comes back after several more days.

Dr. Young: "My eyesight has become weak --- I can hardly see anything!"

Dr. Geezer: "Well, I don't have any medicine for that so here's your $1000 back," and handed him a $10 bill.

Dr. Young: "But this is only $10!"

Dr. Geezer: "Congratulations!  You got your vision back!  That will be $500."

JOKE # 3

A new business was opening and one of the owner's friends wanted to send flowers for the occasion.  They arrived at the new business site and the owner read the card.  It said, "Rest in Peace."

The owner was angry and called the florist to complain.  After he told the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was, the florist said, "Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry, you should imagine this: somewhere there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying, 'Congratulations on your new location.’”

JOKE # 4

John was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place.  Looking up toward heaven, he said, "Lord, take pity on me.  If you find me a parking place, I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up beer."

Just then, a parking place miraculously appeared!  John looked up again and said, "Never mind.  I found one!"

Have a wonderful week, Sunshines, and Happy 40^th Birthday, Aaron!  I love you!  Bye for now!

M-Day Is Here!

It’s May and M-Day is here!

It’s time for mothers to cheer!

A day to shine and celebrate,

Be pampered a bit and sleep in late.

What does the dash in M-Day mean?

It surely means “others” as I have seen.

The dash is important.  Her gift is serving.

Tell her she’s special - this you’re observing.

Moms give of themselves three-sixty-five,

They sacrifice so their children can thrive.

They launder the clothes, prepare the meals,

Always aware how everyone feels.

Some sleepless nights spent in worry,

Her taxi service is sure in a hurry.

Long to-do lists may not be complete,

But, her love is great – from head to feet!

When a child is sad or lonely and scared,

A mom knows this because she has cared.

When a child is happy and full of joy,

Mom knows this too, about her girl or boy.

There are new moms and moms with quite a few years,

Both of them will experience tears.

Tears of joy and tears of doubt,

Together, we learn.  That’s what it’s about.

We learn from children. They learn from us.

Sometimes we’ll agree.  Sometimes we’ll fuss.

We’ll pray for insight, guidance, and more,

Along the way, with memories galore!

As long as we live, our babies they’ll be,

Our love runs deep and this you’ll see!

Most of “mother” is “other” – it’s true,

So, love your mom, whatever you do!

Tell her you’re thankful for her time,

Draw her a picture.  Write her a rhyme.

Make her dinner with her favorite dessert,

Maybe some flowers or a new shirt?

Or no gift at all and just be good,

Get along without fighting, please, if you could.

God blessed this world with angels we call,

Mother or Mommy – she loves with all!

Happy M-Day, ladies!  I’ll say a prayer,

And thank God for you, for being there!

Have a wonderful week, Sunshines, and Happy Mother’s Day!  Bye for now!

The Greatest of Gifts

Photo Credit:  dhester from morgueFile.com

My 10-year-old daughter has been hard at work on an ancestry project for school.  She chose to research Poland since my mom’s dad was born there.  She’s been interviewing my mom, aunt, and uncle to discover some of the pieces of our Polish puzzle.  She’s learning about foods, customs, games, traditions, jobs, holidays, and the language.

My daughter has investigated which family members still live there and why my grandfather came to America all those years ago.  I have enjoyed listening to her excitement as she relays her findings and shares all the stories with me.  Being a little foodie herself, she has especially loved learning all about the delicious dishes that my grandpa used to prepare.  I know she probably still won’t dive into a heaping bowl of sauerkraut or cabbage rolls, but it’s been a fun learning experience all the same.

One of the areas that I’ve truly appreciated has been the language part.  We found out that “Ja Cie Kocham” is “I love you” and “Czesc” is “Hello.”  “Jak sie masz” is “How are you?” and then we stumbled upon a word that she’ll never forget, I’m sure.  That word is BRAT.  Do you know what it means?  Yep!  It means brother.  She thought that was interestingly funny.  Hee hee!  We all laughed…except her brother, of course.

Anyway, I love languages.  All kinds.  I love to hear families speak to each other in their native language or mother tongue.  It’s fascinating to me.  I wish I could speak many different languages, so I will add that to my bucket list today!

In the meantime, I was inspired to write a poem after working with my daughter on this project.  Here goes:

Do you speak French, Italian, Spanish, too?

Can you say “I love you” and “How do you do?”

Do you get lost when listening to Greek?

Are you confident with language?  Or tongue-in-cheek?

Can you rattle off German and Polish as well?

Do you speak Chinese as clear as a bell?

Is Czech the one that you know best?

Are words so confusing you need to rest?

The great news is, we don’t have to speak…

Everyone’s language to get what we seek.

You see, there is something small that can bring…

Happiness to all.  Hearts will just sing!

It’s free to give and to receive.

It’s the greatest of gifts, I do believe.

You carry it with you wherever you go.

Some keep it hidden.  Some let it show.

The joy is great if you wear it awhile,

Every language gets it.  It’s simply a smile!

I realized that everyone smiles in the same language.  I love it!  I encourage you to share a smile with someone today – a friend, family member, or complete stranger.  You’ll make their day and I dare to say that you’ll make your own day better, too!

It’s the greatest of gifts.  Your smile.  Your Polish-German-Spanish-French-Greek-Chinese-Czech-Italian smile!  Yes, that’s the one.  Share it with your “brat” or sister!  Ha!

Have a wonderful week, Sunshines!  Bye for now.