Brutus, The Flying Dingo Turns Eight

It's not often, I suppose, that a dog (especially in our care) turns eight, but our Flying Dingo has made it! Princess Annie informed me that we will be throwing a birthday party for our birthday boy Friday night between the times of 6PM and 8PM. She even made invitations with some suggestions for gifts for the amazing Flying Dingo...an old shoe, tennis ball or even an old sock. He's rather easy to please.

In preparation of the big event, I cut and made ready the side lot. The side lot always is home to our own natural prairie, fire pit and totem pole. Spring and Summer evenings spent around a small tidy fire make way for magical memories and Friday will not disappoint.

I received an email from Mr. Robins informing me that he received some information from the man that runs the Orbison Museum in Nashville. Seems that the curator also has a daughter that writes songs and sings. He sent me a link to a little ditty with a touch of country and a bit of rock. It's lively and upbeat and a real gem.

My Greatest Treasures

Durango posted the cutest blog about Annie BoFannie today, and as I read it, I smiled and chuckled, he has such a way with words. When Annie had read about the Tandy Hills she was immediately taken with the idea of creating her own little prairie. She pleaded with me not to cut the tall grass in our empty lot next to our home, and I complied with her wishes. I cut trails to the fire pit we use for weenie roasts and out to the water well and back to the pet cemetery. We watched the grasses grow tall and fell in love with the golden plume it produced. Little yellow and purple and orange flowers popped up, butterflies abounded; it was truly quite a sight to behold.

Nearing Winter, it was time to do the prairie proper, so Saturday and Sunday the kids and I spent the day cutting grass, picking up trash and weed eating. Annie watched me sullenly from the trampoline in our back yard as I cut the tall grasses. I could tell she was already missing her prairie, but she understood that soon we would till the ground in order to get it ready for the Spring.

It's a strange mix for me, watching one of my kids start driving and dating girls, while the other is still exploring her world and forging her identity. Justin no longer plays with army men in the backyard, but instead plays with big boys on the Grid Iron. He's preparing for his first solo road trip next summer up the West Coast, mapping his route and making some tough decisions about who he'll be taking along for the ride.

Annie is just starting to hang out with friends at the playground, pick out her own clothes and make her own lunches. Tonight as she was packing her lunch, she asked me if she could pack some extra food. Of course I said she could, but then asked why. Seems there's a new girl at school, who didn't have lunch money and the ladies in the cafeteria provided her with a peanut butter sandwich. Annie didn't think the girl liked peanut butter seeing she only ate half the sandwich.

I'll have to tell ya, that my eyes teared up a bit as I observed Annie carefully select foods she thought the little girl would like. Cheese sticks, yogurt, fruit juice, Sun chips, bread and turkey slices were placed in the lunch pail. And what I've always hoped would grow in my children has come to fruition, that when they see a need or something that should be done, that they would take the time to fulfill that need.

Knocking On Heaven's Door To Release The Potential Within

As I drove home from work yesterday, after a grueling weekend of suffering from stomach sickness, as smile reached across my face arcing into the biggest upturned semi-circle one could imagine. That day I chose to accept the principal's offer of working out during my conference period with a class of the boys. I wasn't sure what to expect, but to my surprise they were well mannered, lighthearted, courteous, and completely disarming. I also agreed that the next day, today, I would take them for mile run, and I did.

Driving home yesterday, Knocking On Heaven's Door played on the radio. I turned it up, belted out the words and experienced a complete and utter satisfaction of being in my skin and my world. The song is more suggestive of a dying experience, but for me the song took on another connotation, one of knocking on heaven's door because of the full potential of my life being released.

Sure, I have two broken down lawn mowers and my grass needs cutting. I have accumulated debt that I'm slowly working through. The master's program isn't a reality for me this year. My employment will end next August. My vehicle is fifteen years old and rattles down the highway. But even with the added strife...I'm still singing.

As the lead guitar solo soulfully sings out it's song to me from the bluesy melody, I felt uplifted and alive. As Annie and I begin to clear the ground for the prairie, discarding the unwanted items, it seems to smack of pulling the same out of our lives, finding out what hindered our growth.

Holding onto broken reality, broken things, broken relationships...we're now releasing these fetters and seeking a new reality, new things and new relationships. It's okay to change, adapt and try something new...and that's where we are.

Two Places At Once? I Think Not...

I arrived at work today to remember that I was supposed to be at a work shop in Midland, 55 miles in the opposite direction, for 9AM. The realization didn't occur until 7AM, a substitute didn't arrive until 7:30AM. Once the substitute entered the room and I explained to her what needed to be done today, I went to let Mr. Hennigan know that I was on my way.

The sub didn't last long, she came storming out of the class room, saying she wasn't going to put up with it. Apparently, one of my little darlin's called her a whore. I know the boys didn't mean it, some times they just say things to see if it'll get your goat...and well, they got her goat. I've always been non-confronting in a situation like that, it seems to work. I immediately went into Mr. Hennigan's office and relayed the message. As I was walking towards my vehicle to hurry onto my destination, but not my final one, I looked over my shoulder and observed through the window, that Mr. Hennigan was now teaching my class.

I arrived for training about 10 minutes late, but not late enough to cause any huffiness from the presenter. The work shop I attended today, had to do with the proper administration of the Woodcock-Munoz test, which tests the language proficiency of English language learners whose native language isn't English.

Since arriving home, I've baked about 50 brownies for the football boys' goody bags, helped Annie with her homework, worked with Annie on the prairie project, blogged about the prairie project here, and now I'm getting ready to go run. I love busy days!

Annie Draws Inspiration From The Tandy Hills

That's my daughter Annie, posing in her prairie grass. Last year in her science class she participated in an online prairie restoration game. She excitedly related the story to me and then we played the game at home together. I remembered while reading Durango's blog about a place that he hikes frequently, Tandy Hills. I shared the website with Annie and she was so enamored with the prairie and the pictures and the things Mr. Young wrote about the Tandy Hills that she begged me not to cut the tall grasses down in the empty lot next to our house.

"Clouds of busy dragonflies swim on the heavy, morning air. Sky-slashing, Cooper’s Hawks, keep my senses sharp while a growing population of Cottontail rabbits keep Olive the prairie dog on full alert. Life is good at Tandy Hills Natural Area."

After reading those few lines by Mr. Young, Annie's little eyes lit up and she was hooked. Those words and pictures seemed like magic to my nine year old little darling. She asked, "Can we go to Tandy Hills? Will Olive the prairie dog be there?"

Annie keeps very good track of all her money. She's been saving her Christmas and birthday money for quite some time and has amassed a small fortune of $1200. She couldn't ever decide what she wanted to do with it, but said that one day an idea will come to her. That day has finally arrived.

"My imagination is roaming free in grasslands." Annie

With her $1200, Annie purchased four small city lots on the outside of town. Each lot cost $25 each. She and I then did our research and purchased prairie grass seed as well as wild flower seed. Due to the lack of rainfall in our part of Texas we chose drought resistant varieties:

Big Blue Stem, Canada Wild Rye, Porcupine Grass, Indian Grass, White Prairie Fringed Orchid, Common Spider Wort, Purple Coneflower and Wild Bergamont.

She wanted me to purchase the Western Meadowlark birds, but I assured her that once the grasses and flowers were growing and blooming the birds would come.

Now, we're spending time piling up caliche rocks, pruning Mesquite trees and dreaming of a prairie.