June is Here!
14
06, 2023
12
06, 2023
Father’s Day
We will honor our father figures the third weekend of June. For some that father figure might be a birth father. For others, it’s a stepfather or a relative or friend that serves the father’s role.
Me, I’ve been blessed with three men who share their father’s love with me.
My father.
Daddy taught me how to fish, how to hunt, and how to dress out my bounty. He taught me how to build things, fix things, grow things, and cook things around a campfire. He taught me raunchy songs and words, then reminded me to always be a lady.
My beloved uncle—a Marine on Iwo Jimo when I was born—was a second father to me.
Uncle Dub taught me to shoot straight, with a firearm and with my words. He taught me the fun of antique auctions and the beauty of old things. He showed unconditional love in through my tough times and tough love when needed. He was a wise counselor.
I inherited my third father when I married his only son.
Rev. L. O., my preacher father-in-love shared his Bible wisdom and whetted my appetite for Bible study. And, best of all he raised his only son to be the best husband ever and a godly father.
I’m so thankful for having his son by my side as we raised our three children and now love and enjoy eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He’s been a vital force in all their lives.
My three daddies are gone now, which makes Father’s Day a bit sad for me.
I miss them but remembering all of them on their special day brings back fond memories and makes me smile.
9
06, 2023
Back in the Flock
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
Brian sent me the following text last week.
He had extracted the “Templeton” eggs that the wayward chicken had laid under the shed. She had indeed been sitting on the eggs but none of them were fertile. They were just stinky.
He was also able to extract the chicken as well and put her back in with the rest of the flock. He told her resistance was futile. She would be assimilated.
For those who are not Star Trek fans, that is a reference to the Borg – the biggest enemy of the Enterprise crew.
She seems perfectly content to be back with the flock. I kind of miss having her follow me around the yard. But it is nice not to have hazardous eggs under the shed.
7
06, 2023
Revising – Thayer
SOURCE: www.writerswrite.co.za
5
06, 2023
What’s a Meet-Cute?
You may recognize the phrase meet cute from reviews for movies, television shows, and books.
Romance readers know it as a major part of the Rom-Com subcategory.
Recently the word was the Merriam-Webster word of the day.
That surprised me. I think of meet-cute as a specific vocabulary term limited to use by romance and scriptwriters or reviewers of those books and films.
Turns out it’s been around since 1952 when the two words, meet and cute, were paired in a The New York Times Book Review to describe the story of a ghost-writer who falls in love with a ghost. Today the linked words are used frequently to reference books, movies, and television.
Officially, the definition is “a cute, charming, or amusing first encounter between romantic partners. A meet-cute can be such an encounter as shown in a movie or television show, or one that happens in real life.”
Meet Cute is a popular fiction writing troupe. FYI: Troupe is another writer’s vocabulary word meaning a plot device for crafting a story. Read more about troupes here.
Romance authors use meet-cutes by creating situations where characters clash in personality, set up an embarrassing situation where two eventual romantic partners meet, or have a misunderstanding between characters that may or may not lead to reconciliation in the end.
Meet cute isn’t often found in everyday usage, but people do share their first meet-cutes in conversation and many married couples return to the location where they first met to take pictures on the anniversary of their first encounter.
If you’re a romance rom-com writer or reader, it’s a vocabulary must. If you’re not, now you know the meaning.
2
06, 2023
Hazard Pay
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
The turkey has decided he does not like me. In fact, he puts his head down and charges me every time I am in the chicken yard. He has even flown at me a couple of times.
I now carry a stick to shoo him away. He has never followed me into the chicken coop – yet.
Last week I was cleaning out the nest boxes in the chicken coop. Of course, the grumpy chicken was sitting in one and kept pecking at me as I shoveled the mess out.
The turkey was standing just outside the door watching as I threw the dirty shavings out of the coop. He took that as a personal attack and flew at the door.
It was most disconcerting.
I threw some clean shavings at him and he backed away.
With my heart still racing, I picked up the grumpy chicken and threw her out of the coop.
I was ready for her to charge back in and attack my legs but she went around the corner. The turkey followed her.
I am afraid they are conspiring against me.
I think I need hazard pay.
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05, 2023
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05, 2023
Recognizing the Roots of Memorial Day
For most, Memorial Day signals the start of summer where burgers and cakes iced with American flags are the order of the day.
But Memorial Day began as a way to honor scores of dead from the Civil War called “Decoration Day.”
In 1971, the name changed but the day remained a time to visit and spruce up final resting places of all who lost their lives in service to this country. Read how Decoration Day became Memorial Day here
Such tradition might seem macabre or morbid.
At the same time, the Memorial Day tradition serves as a gentle means of passing history from generation to generation.
Here are three ways to recognize the roots of Memorial Day along with all the burgers and fun.
Pause for A Moment of Silence
In 2000 the House and Senate passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act to “remember and renew the legacy of Memorial Day, which was established in 1868 to pay tribute to individuals who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States and their families.”
According to that law at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, we should stop eating, chatting, and swimming, for one full minute to remember those who didn’t make it home to celebrate.
Display the American Flag Properly
Memorial Day has specific rules for where and when the American flag is raised and lowered. It’s the only day that observes both positions on the flagpole.
The Stars and Stripes should be raised briskly first thing in the morning and then lowered to half-staff.
At noon, the flag should be returned to full staff until it’s taken down at sunset.
Don’t have a flagpole? If you fly a flag from your porch and can’t lower it, simply attach a black mourning streamer to the top for when it’s supposed to be lowered.
Remember It’s Not Veterans Day
A lot of people will confuse the days of military recognition.
Most veterans don’t expect to be thanked for their service. This is especially true on Memorial Day.
While vets will accept the extra attention on Veterans Day, such thanks are not appropriate on Memorial Day. To them, it’s a somber day of remembering those who didn’t come home with them.
If we recognize the roots of Memorial Day, we can keep the day from being just another holiday with an extra day off.
26
05, 2023
More than A Teacher
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
One of the fifth-grade boys in my class asked me if I could fix his backpack. His friend had grabbed the strap and pulled it completely out.
I figured one of his classmates had referred him to me. I had reattached the arm to her stuffed monkey earlier this year. I’m not sure how I ended up with that task.
Before I agreed to make the repair, I asked several questions. First, was there anything in his backpack that he needed? He assured me he had no homework to do. Since the next day was Field Day and a Friday, I figured he was being honest.
Then I asked if he had any food in there. I did not want anything to spill or spoil while it was in my possession. He assured me there was no food in his backpack.
Finally, I asked if there was anything living in his backpack. I once had a fifth-grade boy of my own who may or may not have brought living things home from school. He told me there was a duck in there but it was a toy duck. I told him that was good because I already had several ducks and did not want any more.
Once all those questions were answered, I agreed to fix his backpack.
It was a quick, simple job. It reminded me, though, that I am more than just a music teacher to some of these kids. That is ok. They are more than just students to me.
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05, 2023
