Remember When Double-Dog dare ya’s and water balloons were the ultimate weapon?
Remember When?
July 24, 2013
He watched her as she approached the stage. He was so proud of her, his daughter, his first born. Today was her birthday, she was fourteen years old and tonight she was graduating from the eight grade. She was growing up so fast. The cliche, ‘it seems like only yesterday’, fit the way he was feeling tonight.
She was fourth in the procession, girls in white caps and gowns and the boys in green. Their faces were solemn as they marched, though some were having trouble holding that expression as they spotted their families sitting in the audience.
As the program continued, he watched her and thought of how much she looked like her mother.
The graduation ceremony was held outside on the lawn. Folding chairs were set up in rows for family and friends. Flash bulbs were flashing constantly as the awards were given to the students for outstanding and special activities during the years. Small children, who couldn’t be expected to sit quietly, were running and playing with each other on the perimeters, all dressed in their Sunday best.
The Color Guard was announced and the audience stood as they paraded up the aisle proudly supporting the colors of the red, white and blue. When they reached the front, the National Anthem was sung by a student named Kari. Her voice was beautiful; full, strong and she sang with confidence. The Pledge of Allegiance was then recited by everyone, proudly and loud, with no hesitation at the point of ‘under God’.
When at last her name was called, he watched her stand and walk with her head held high to receive her diploma. He noticed her nervousness in the tightening of the muscles. He saw it, but to others she appeared calm. She was wearing her first pair of heels and she really hadn’t practiced walking in them, but she seemed fine. He held his breath as she slightly wobbled, trying to get through the closely packed row of seated youngsters, with no room to move their legs and feet. They should have left more room, he thought, concerned, as he watched her.
Suddenly it was over. The girls were crying, the boys were laughing, but they were each aware their childhood was ending. In four years they would all be on their own, either going off to college, or entering the working world. Not wanting to think on that just yet, he stood as she walked toward him and they smiled, then grinned, then laughed aloud.
He was so proud of her.
Sunshine & Shadow
July 18, 2013
Sunny Sunshine rose and smiled,
as she peeked into the tree.
She said, “Good morning, Shadow,
would you stay and play with me?”
Shadow just ran to and fro,
as a cloud came tumbling by.
A dark, small frown crossed Sunny’s face,
“He’s hiding, I wonder why?”
“Shadow, won’t you stay and play?
I promise, I won’t cheat.”
Shadow laughed and said, “okay,
let’s play hide and seek.”
Sunny searched all day long,
never finding where he hid.
“Safe!” he laughed, rushing out,
as over the hill she slid.
Aa – First letter of the alphabet.
A is for Apple, Annie, An, And A. Amanda, Allen, Allan, Alan. Angry Anthony, An Acre of Artful Ants, Angels Also Abide. Are Any About Alone?
Auntie Actually Asked All Again. Amanda’s Address is Arkansas, America. Add April Alphabet.
Bb – Second letter.
B is for Ball, Bill & Bob. Baskets, Birds, Bees. Babies, Boys, Bottles and Batman. Bulls and Bullies Belong Behind Bars, But Belts Better Be in Britches. Brandon’s Bat, Bike, and Books are Blue. Beautiful Babies, Baseball, and Burgers.
Cc – 3rd letter
C is for Casey Collects Cats. Children Can Choose Cake or Cookies. Cook Candy or Catch Christmas in a Cup? Chrissy Can. Chocolate Cafes Can’t Count Calories. Caterpillars Certainly Crawl in California, but Could Call Cody’s Cab Company. Count Cash Carefully. Change Channel and Clothes.
Dd -4th letter
D is for Dogs Dig Ditches. Don’t Dare Drive Dad’s Dynamic Directly Down Driveway, Dummy! David Doesn’t. Do Decide Dear, Doctor Done?
Ee- 5th letter
E is for Everything Ebony Enjoys. Everyone’s Endless Energy. Eric? Easter, Eating, Eggs. Even Empty Envelopes! Elizabeth’s Eyes. Evenings End. Eggos.
Ff- 6th letter
F is For Funny Films, Figures, Football Fanatics. First-graders. Fourth, Fifth-grades are Fabulous! Families Figure Fathers, Fridays, February and Friends Fantastic. Find Fido Fast – Fix Fence!
Gg – 7th letter
G is for Good Grandmas Give Great, Gooey Cookies. Grandpas Guess Grandkids Grow. God. Gopher snakes. Girls! Golly! Going Great G-man!
Hh – 8th letter
H is for Home, Health and Happy Hearts. How Has He Hunted? Here’s Her House. Hello. Hi. He Had His Horrible Heavy Hat Hiding His Heavenly Hair and Hid His Head. Hurt Hands. Her Heart did Handstands. Happily Humanlike Haunted Houses! Hello Hamster, Hurry!
I -i 9th letter
I Is for I’ve Inside Information; Isn’t It Interesting! Ivory Includes Ivy.
J-j 10th letter
J is for Juice and Jellied Jell-O. Jessica, Jennifer, Joey, Jasmine & Journey! January, June & July. Jugs and Jugglers. Justice. Just Jogging and Jumping Joyfully.
Kk – 11th letter
K is for Kathryn, Kathrine, & Kathy. Kids, Kindergarten Kings, & Kitten Keepers. King Kong’s Knickerbockers Kick!
Ll- 12th letter
L is for Lovely Little Ladies Look, Listen & Learn. Lucky Luke. Line Land Lubbers Lag Lazy. Little Leaguers Love Liquid Lemonade. Little Leapers Like Long Legs & Little Lakes.
Mm- 13th letter
M is for Morning Music Means Much Magic! My Merry Mathematics, Mama. More Mince Meat, Mommy. March Mister! Marvelous Month of May. M&M’s, Mm mm & Melted Marshmallows
Nn- 14th letter.
N is for Nichole, New Next-door Neighbor Needs Nine Nice Neckties. November. Noel. Nuts? No, Not Now. Never!
Oo- 15th letter
O is for Oh! Ow! Owee. Our own Owl Over Ocean Once. Out of One Old Oak came One Odd Orange Orangutan. Only Oodles Of Ooze Over Ohio & Oregon. Often Odorous.
Pp- 16th letter
P is for Patrick. Poppy, Papa, Pop. Popped-corn. Proper Pronouns Please. Pretty Penny Penelope. Produce Proposal, Pony Per Person. Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers. Prepare Paper. Pen, Pin. Print Please.
Qq- 17th letter
Q is for Quiet! Quiz. Quarantining Quaint, Quacky, Quail is a Quicksand, Quagmire Quandary. Quit Questionable Quibbling! Quite Qualified Quack.
Rr-19th letter
R is for Randi,Rockets & Ready Rural Runs. Rich Rewards. Rock & Rollers Run Riot. Rapid Rabbits Race Rain. Remember, Respect Roaring Rivers & Return Right & Ready. Really!
Ss-19 letter
S is for Sunshine! Short, Silly Shows So Safe & Sound. Salty Sand Still Saps Scottie’s Sanity. Set Sail & Swim or Sink. School Sounds, Smell Sour. Sit! Seek Shade, Snack Seven Sharp.Storm! Sun Shines Sometimes. Superman? Star? Spaceship? So Soar!
Tt- 20th letter
T is for Travis Tackling The Table. Tim Too! Take Time To Talk To Tell The Tale Thankfully Together. Twins-Two-Three Times. Trains Toot. Teachers Takes Tests Too. Tame Terrible Tempers, Toddlers Top Teeth. Tit for Tat. This & That. Thunder!
Tornado! Trouble!
Uu-21st letter
U is for United. Use Until Utilization Useless. Up Upon Unobstructed Umbrella Under Undivided Unity.
Vv-22nd letter
V is for Voice, Vocabulary & Vowels. Vicious Verbally. Vital, Versatile, Volunteer Voyages.
Violets &Violins.
Ww -23rd letter
W is for Watermelon! Whoo! Whales Whisper & Whistle While Walking With
Whirlwinds. Wish Well. Watch When Water Waves. What Wonderful Whopping Winds.
Wow! Will Whole Wide World Word With Wondrous Ways, Weegee?
Xx- 24th letter
X is for X-Ray man! Xylem & Xylophone. X marks the spot.
Yy- 25th letter
Y is for Yapping Yaks . You, Yours & Yogurt. Yodeling Young Yoga. Yellow Yucca trees in Yuletide. Yes, Yesterdays Youth Yammer Yarns of Yore.
Zz- 26th letter
Z is for Zany Zebras & Zig Zagging Zinnias. Zooming Zucchini. Zack Zipping
Zestfully & Zoos.
Kitchen Doors
July 17, 2013
Are you a front door or back door person?
I am personally a back door person.
If you don’t know what I mean, you are a front door person.
Are you a living room, sofa type, or a kitchen table type?
I am the kitchen table type.
Again, if you don’t understand what I am talking about, you are the sofa type.
Are you a bottle of beer or champagne drinker?
I am a coffee drinker. If I drank stronger drink, it would be beer, but I don’t dare,
’cause then I would think I could sing.
Bits and Pieces 
Written
on July 19, 2013