L is for Life Gives You Lemons

When life gives you lemons,
Make lemonade.
But what if there were no lemons?

There would be no good
To come out of the bad.
There would be no triumphs
After the challenge.

You wouldn't be the person you are today.
Stronger, wiser, better.

So when life gives you lemons,
Take every chance
To make your life better.
Because when the sour has left,
It's the sweetness that comes at the end.

.

K is for Karaoke

I could not stop thinking about it all day.  We were actually going through with it.  Somehow my best friend, Sarah, had convinced me to enter a karaoke contest with her.  This is crazy I kept telling myself.  It had been years since I even attempted to sing in front of anyone.

Just then I had a flash back of way back when I dated Jerry, the reigning "karaoke king."   I like to think I had a brief stint as the "karaoke queen" back then, but it really didn't translate to anything outside of our karaoke bar.

I met Jerry shortly after college.  I had found myself at a particularly low point in my life.  One night I decided it was time to get out of the house.  I got all dressed up and headed out alone for some fun.  When I walked in the door of the karaoke bar all I could hear was the roar of the crowd.  There was some guy singing on stage, and I was mesmerized at how he grabbed the audience's attention. 

I walked over to a table set up in the corner of the room, grabbed a binder with the song selections, and sat down.  Next thing I know I hear someone yell, "Hey, why don't you get up and sing one next?"

Suddenly all eyes turned toward me, and a microphone appeared out of nowhere.  My mind quickly turned to jelly and my knees went weak.  I thought, "Sure, I could sing along with my favorite songs on the radio, but in front of everyone?"

As I sat there with that deer in the headlight look the guy I had been so mesmerized with when I walked in came over introduced himself and said, "Come on!"  He took my hand and as we walked on stage together a confidence I had never known before took over.  We must have sang at least ten songs together that night.

I was interrupted by a cell phone going off and it brought me out of my daze.  It was Sarah calling to make sure I hadn't changed my mind.

"I don't know, Sarah" I said.  "I don't know if I can do this."

"On no you don't!" Sarah replied.  "You are NOT backing out!  I'll be over at your house in ten minutes." she said, and abruptly hung up.

Ten minutes later Sarah arrived, and I knew there was no backing out...

J is for Junk drawer

Yes, I have one or two.  A drawer where junk accumulates that I don't know what else to do with or is simply absorbed because I'm too lazy to put things where they're supposed to go.  As I was rumbling through my kitchen junk drawer searching through the bazillion pens to find one that still writes, I stopped to take a quick inventory of what it contained.

Amongst the mound of pens and pencils I found the following items: Keys (duplicates and some I have no idea what they open), screws, nails, six screwdrivers of various sizes, 13 pennies, a medal from one of the kid's sports games you wear around your neck, electronic cords that goes to some sort of technology, one tablecloth, progress reports and report cards, a 6 piece Cambridge Demitasse spoon set (never been used), an old cell phone, some pay stubs, and an unused condom.  I probably should explain that last one.  Now, don't get too excited.  It's for the ultrasound probes my husband uses with his ultrasound machines.  Oh, the things you stumble upon in the junk drawer.  

I is for Ice Cream Man

The children call him Mr. Dan.  Mr. Dan is our neighborhood ice cream man.  When I hear the infamous ice cream truck jingle coming through the neighborhood I know it's Mr. Dan armed with an endless supply of frozen treats.  You can hear his truck as it turns onto the street and within a matter of seconds children come out of nowhere.

As soon as Mr. Dan stops his fire engine red ice cream truck a crowd gathers around.  On some days I even slip out and gather around Mr. Dan's ice cream truck with the children.  On the outside of his truck displays a yummy selection of treats.  Bomb pops, fudge bars, ice cream sandwiches, sundae crunch, big dipper, double lemon chill, and even the favorite push up that I loved as a kid are some of our choices.

As I sit here writing about ice cream, I can't help but wish that Mr. Dan would make his appearance.  I would love to have one of those delicious, chocolatey fudgsicles right about now.

  

H is for Humidity

Humidity.  My least favorite word.  You may think you know what humidity is, but until you have lived through it in the South you have no idea.  I'm talking about full blown 100% humidity. 

One reason I despise the humidity here is the way it attacks my hair.  It may be great for the skin, but it's horrid for my hair.  You see, I have thick slightly wavy hair, and all it takes is a hint of moisture and it doubles in size. 

I'm also remembering last summer when I decided to start running.  Why I chose dead in the middle of summer to begin running is beyond me.  I think the heat and humidity must have fried the part of my brain that caused me to think straight.  If I didn't get out and run before 7:00 a.m. then it was night runs for me.  Of course, it didn't really matter humidity wise except that it was a lot more bearable to run in 80 degree weather with 100% humidity as opposed to 100 degree temps and 100% humidity.

It's springtime, and I've been enjoying my weekly runs outside.  Today was especially nice with 71 degree temperature, a light breeze, and no humidity.  I live for these days.  If I could find a place like this year round it would be heaven on Earth.  So, I'll enjoy these few and far between days for now, and thank goodness I joined a gym while I still had some sense. 

 

G is for Giving

Today at Mass the priest told a thought provoking story about Giving.


He came from a family of eleven children.  If you have children at all then you know the sacrifice and money it takes to raise a small family.  I can only imagine what it's like to raise eleven children.  Anyway, I would like to tell his story.

Growing up in a household of eleven children there was always a competition of some sort with each other.  Whenever the phone or doorbell rang there was always a race to see who could get to it first.  One day the doorbell rang and he was the first to get to the door.  When he opened the door there stood a grubby looking man wearing a baseball cap, tattered shirt and unwashed jeans with holes in the knees.

Nervously, the young boy asked, "May I help you?"  The grubby looking man answered, "Is the man of the house home?"  The boy replied, "No."  The man asked, "Is the woman of the house home?"  The boy replied, "Yes, just a moment."

He left the man at the door and ran to find his mother.  He found her in the kitchen cleaning up from lunch and said, "Mother, there's a bum at the door!"  Curiously mother went to the door.  She asked the man how could she help him.  He replied, "Do you happen to have anything I can eat?"  Mother looked at him and said, "Wait right here."

She went back to the kitchen and the boy saw his mother open up the refrigerator and take out the last two meatballs that she had saved for him.  Carefully, she unfolded the meatballs from the paper towel and proceeded to cut them in half.  She placed them in between slices of bread and made two meatball sandwiches.  Next, she grabbed his last soda.  It had been in the fridge all day getting nice and cold.  Mother placed the sandwiches in a brown paper bag.  She then reached into the cookie jar and pulled out a handful of the delicious chocolate chip cookies she had baked.  She placed the cookies in the bag along with a juicy, red apple.

Mother returned to the door and gave the man the brown paper bag lunch along with the soda.  She said, "This is for you.  You are welcome to stay and eat here if you want."  The man said, "No, I have a train to catch, but thank you so much for your kindness."  Then he turned and walked away down the road.

When she closed the door the boy asked his mother, "Mother, why did you give that man my two meatballs and my last soda I had been saving?"  She turned and said, "Because that was Jesus."  "Jesus?"  the boy said.  He opened up the door and looked down the road, but the man had disappeared.  "What do you mean that was Jesus?"

His mother looked down at him and replied, "Jesus said when you feed the poor you are feeding me, so we fed Jesus today."

After church was over I drove home and asked my son Caleb what he thought the lesson from Mass had been today.  He said, "I think he was telling us we need to share."  I agree.  Such a wonderful message.

   

F is for Field of Dreams

Every spring kids from ages 4 to 22 years old with all disabilities come together to play ball.  The challenger baseball field is located at the Field of Dreams park in Bossier City, LA and is handicap accessible.  The Challenger League of Bossier City allows boys and girls with physical and mental challenges to enjoy the game of baseball like millions of others children who play this sport.

My son Nicholas is 17 years old and has been playing in the Challenger League since he was six.  Nicholas has Down Syndrome and is unable to play in a team sport like other kids his age.  Had this program not been organized in my area he may never had the opportunity to play.  I am very appreciative of this wonderful opportunity.

For my son and our family this is not just about him playing t-ball or baseball.  It's a wonderful time for us to spend time together as a family and make friends with other families.  Everyone is able to get involved.  I especially like being one of the "buddies" out on the field cheering and helping anyone who needs assistance.  Nicholas looks forward to going each time and having the chance to socialize and enjoy himself.

The picture below shows Nicholas with his friend Jessica.  If you go to a challenger league baseball game this is what you will see.  Friends saying hi and giving each other hugs and high fives.  I am so proud of each and everyone of them.  We look forward to participating as long as we can.  Until then, let's PLAY BALL!