Flying: The Agony and the Ecstasy

Wednesday February 23, 2011

It's ludicrous.

We awake before the crack of dawn so we can stand in lines.

We stuff everything we can into one bag, and then we get to pay for its trip, too. After standing in that line, we find the bag is overweight, so we get to pay more. Or maybe we unpack in front of the world and tote flat irons and shoes and books in our already stuffed carry-on.

Then we remove our shoes, our jackets, our belts, our dignity. And we pay big bucks for this.

We strap ourselves into a large tin can and are hurtled through the clouds, enduring ear-popping, unbelievably close quarters, and substandard (if any) snacks. And we pay big bucks for this.

At our destination we wait yet again for the last bag to reach the carousel. (A misnomer, I’ve always thought. Where are the balloons and cotton candy when you need them? You’d think for the big bucks we shell out, there’s at least be a balloon or two near the “carousel.”)

All told, it seems ludicrous.

But then, there’s the payoff. The ecstasy that makes the agony worthwhile.

Forget that part about the big bucks.

This is priceless.

February Blessings: Friday's Fave Five

Friday February 11, 2011

Time for a rundown of my favorite things from this week. Once again, a great time to look back and count your blessings! Thanks to Susanne from Living to Tell the Story for hosting. Visit Susanne and join us.

Here are five of my week’s blessings:

1. Friends I can confide in. I love working with people I love, and several of them are great listeners. We listen to each other, encourage each other, pray for each other. It’s awesome.

2. My Chipper dog. I’m a dog person, and we got Chipper about 16 years ago. He’s slowing down quite a bit, but he’s in pretty good shape for his age. I’m happy to find him waiting at home for me every day. This house is very quiet sometimes, and Chip is a great companion.

3. Pictures of my grandson Aiden. He’s 5 months old now! Look at that smile.

4. A sweet husband who’s helping me tend our garden. You can read about that here.

5. A quote. If you’ve read here for awhile, you know I’m a lover of literature. I came across this quote recently and I loved it.

Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become. (C.S. Lewis)

Literature adds to reality, irrigating our deserts. It’s really true for me. I love a good book and its lessons. I hope you do, too!

Post-Holiday Musings: Friday's Fave Five

Friday January 14, 2011

Thanks to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for hosting Friday’s Fave Five. It’s a great opportunity to share our favorites of the week. If you’d like to join in, just visit Susanne and get the details.

Here are my week's blessings:

1. The desire, the compulsion, to write. After being away for it for awhile (during the holidays), I still feel the desire to write. I'm thankful for that! It pushes me to think, to ponder, to consider so much that I would just let go by if I didn't feel the need to set it down in words.

2. My colleagues. I do love the people I teach with! When things are tough, in the classroom or out, they're there for me. In many ways, we're like a family -- ready to listen, to pray, to admonish sometimes and to laugh.

3. My hard-working hubby. I can't even tell you how hard he works. He juggles and juggles and is committed to excellence in all he does. He has worked so hard since the holidays.

4. The bond my boys share. Yesterday I posted about Simple Moments, and I dug out some pictures of those holiday moments. The first is Aiden with his uncles. Notice one is holding him, one has his foot, and one has his hand.


And this one? Well, they've always loved to take a silly picture. This was but one of the holiday's silly pictures of Aiden and his dad and uncles. (His daddy is second from the left, in gray.)

5. You're waiting for a quote, aren't you? This one is a little longer. Really, it's a verse. But I do love it. I'm feeling so very "family" right now, that this is perfect.

"I'd rather be a mother than anyone on earth
Bringing up a child or two of unpretentious birth...
I'd rather tuck a little child all safe and sound in bed
than twine a chain of diamonds about my [carefree] head.
I'd rather wash a smudgy face with round, bright, baby eyes
Than paint the pageantry of fame or walk among the wise." (Meredith Gray)

Keep warm. Here's wishing you January joy.

Simple Moments

Thursday January 13, 2010

It was a holiday filled with simple moments.

No fancy ski resort or lavishly decorated home, not even a bedroom for all of those sleeping there. But it was filled with love.

Once you went to bed, you were pretty much landlocked. No getting up and wandering about the house or you’d likely trip on an air mattress or someone’s suitcase. And joy was all over the place.

We gathered everyone at my eighty-five year old mom’s home and decorated for her – a group effort. Simple moments came again as we took it all down and restored her house to normal.

The simplest of my pleasures this holiday was a snapshot in my mind. My four sons, gathered round the eldest’s three-month-old son. Oh, the love that little boy has in store for him! Uncles galore.

I carry that simple moment in my mind and heart. Sometimes simplest moments are simply the best.

Have you had a simple moment that still brings you joy?

Linking up today with Dayle for Simple Pleasures.

Family Blessings: Friday's Fave Five

Friday January 7, 2011


Thanks to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for hosting Friday’s Fave Five. It’s a great opportunity to share our favorites of the week. If you’d like to join in, just visit Susanne and get the details.

Here are my week's blessings:

1. Being here! I'm ever-so-glad to be back. I can't wait to hear from all of you and visit you, too. I wrote about that earlier this week, and things still haven't slowed down enough for me so I can take a leisurely visit with you -- but I'm hoping for some time this weekend.

I really have wondered and thought about and prayed for so many of you. I'd hear on the news what was happening somewhere and think, "That's near my blog friend!"

2. A wonderful family time. This holiday was a little different than we'd planned (you can read about that here), but it was wonderful in its own way. Someone had other plans than mine, and I was reminded that where He guides, He provides.

3. Little Aiden. Oh, the precious times with that little grandson! We got him one of those recordable storybooks and I recorded Grandmom reading to him. He just listened, big-eyed, when I held him and played it. My son and sweet daughter-in-law were so flexible, too, about bedtimes and Grandmom cuddling time and everything. This is where I should insert a picture, but we're a bit technologically challenged right now... I promise to get one up soon.

4. Uncles and brothers. So neat to see the brother bond between my boys. There are great pictures of three of them clustered around their oldest brother who is holding his son Aiden. They'd sit and watch him (and comment on the amount of drool a baby generates), they'd steal him from me or his Grandad from time to time, and they even took some crazy brother / uncle pictures with him. (They look crazy and silly; he looks a little stunned and a lot entertained.)

5. A precious quote. I do love a good quote, and there was no better one in the last few weeks than this one, from my mom. If you read my earlier post, you know she began our visit in the hospital and came home a few days later. She wasn't feeling up to hostessing as she usually does, so guess who took over? Actually, everyone pitched in, from grabbing the phone for her to filling her car up to running to the store for her to wrapping gifts for her...you name it. Our last night there, we all gathered around the big oval table and grabbed hands as we usually do as one of us voices the blessing. At my mom's, we usually alternate and she always tells us who she wants to pray. As we're waiting for her to name someone, my mom just dips her head, so we do, too. That's when we hear her say:

"Father, if I were to count all my blessings tonight, these children would go hungry."

I swallowed past the lump in my throat as I added my own silent thanks for such a mom.

So good to have you here again and I can't wait to hear from you and reciprocate. Here's hoping your last several weeks have been filled with joy.

A Week of Precious Pictures: Friday's Fave Five

Friday October 1, 2010


Happy Friday!

Thanks to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for giving us the opportunity to share our favorites of the week. If you’d like to join in, just visit Susanne and get the details.

And what a week it was! I got to hold my oldest son’s son for the first time. There was a general FFF outcry for pictures last week, so today you’ll see some.

1. A late night meeting. Our flight didn’t get in until about 10:45 PM, but I had to see Aiden as soon as we landed. He was sleepy, but you can see my joy!




2. Time with Grandad. He and his granddad took a nap together, and I couldn’t resist snapping a picture. (This is as much of my husband as you’ll ever see…) They were fast friends.

3. Grandmom bliss. Oh, to hold a sleeping baby!




4. Aiden and his great-grandmother. My mom just ate this up. The old soul in little Aiden listened while his great-grandmother talked to him.

5. Parting words from Grandmom. Can’t you see he’s listening closely?

It was great. I only wish we could have stayed longer. And, oh – I just have to add a couple of extra blessings.

We stayed with my college roommate and her family, and that was wonderful. They’re such loving, generous people to open their home like they did. Even when we see each other only once a year, it's always like it was yesterday.

The threat of tropical storm rains caused a school cancellation two days after we returned. Thankfully, it was an empty threat and I got a day to catch my breath and catch up on sleep and grading.

Melinda of Coming Clean: Confessions of an Imperfect Parent ran a Q&A with me and is doing a giveaway for my book. I so appreciate all the support!

My son is posting "100 Days of Aiden" here. Yes, Aiden has a mom and dad even though there are no pictures of them above -- and they're wonderful. Go visit, if you'd like!

Okay, I’m done – for now. I can’t tell you how joyous the week was! Thanks for sharing it with me.

Happy week ahead to you.

Falling for Fall: Friday's Fave Five

Friday September 24, 2010


Happy Friday!

It's time to look back at the blessings of the week.

Thanks to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for hosting Friday's Fave Five. Be sure to visit her if you'd like to join in.

All of you FFF Faithful out there, just know I'll be around late this time. I'll be doing a lot of baby holding during the usual FFF time this weekend!

1. Fall. I heard about the harvest moon on the news tonight and I keep reading about the nip in the air where most of you are ... so Fall must be here. I'll be glad to experience a touch of it this weekend.

2. A book signing. I had my first one last Sunday. It was so nice -- beautiful red roses on the table, books stacked up. I didn't attract the crowds John Grisham does, but I figure if one more mom is encouraged, I'm happy.

3. Daily encouragement. Not a day goes by at school that someone doesn't say, "I bought your book" or "I'm getting your book for my sister." I've had two students bring the book to get it signed! Much of the daily encouragement comes from my dear hubby, and I'm so thankful for him and his support.

4. Baby news. Little Aiden seems to sleeping for longer stretches and giving his mom and dad a break once in a while, which is great. He has gained well this week, and his dad is blogging with a picture a day -- I love it!

5. A Rudyard Kipling quote.

What you do when you don't have to

determines what you will be when you can no longer help it.

"What you do when you don't have to" calls mothers to mind. There is much we do that we are not forced to -- tasks borne out of sheer love. According to Kipling, those of us who operate from a base of love now will ever have it in our lives. I love that thought.

Look for my comments ever-so-late, FFF Faithful. But thanks for stopping by and I wish you a wonderful week ahead.

Leftover Joy: Friday's Fave Five

Friday September 17, 2010

Happy Friday!

Thanks to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for giving us the opportunity to express our favorites of the week. If you’d like to join in, just visit Susanne and get the details.

1. Leftover joy. I just find myself smiling about that little baby boy, born just over a week ago to my oldest son and his sweet wife. I keep receiving things (like a video on my phone of Aiden hiccupping) that just bring joy.

2. Heart-to-hearts with my son. My oldest, the new daddy, has checked in a number of times this week to report on Aiden. Oh, it takes me back! There’s nothing like that first baby. Even though I had three more, I remember vividly both the desperate love and the loving desperation of that first child. Reliving it with my son has been such a blessing. Supporting him and giving him little hints on how to encourage his wife and soothe such a new one made me remember the roller coaster ride.

3. Heartfelt essays. You may be saying, “Essays? Really?” I gave my freshmen a personal essay assignment; they were to write about their hero, explaining his or her qualities. One boy wrote about his mom, and another wrote just as glowingly about his grandmother. How sweet it is! Just warmed my heart.

4. Five sweet bloggers. (I know lots of sweet bloggers, but these five make my FFF this week!) These five ladies offered to do an interview, post, or giveaway on their blogs and featured my book. I appreciate their support SO much – I can’t even tell you. Clicking will take you to these five lovely ladies. These posts are done from a mom’s perspective – Trains, Tutus and Teatimes, Graceful, and Blogging ‘Bout Boys – while this one, Julie Gillies, is from a writer’s perspective and this one, Diane Estrella, is from a reader's perspective. You should visit them. I love them all!

5. The countdown. Yes, in a week I’ll be holding Aiden in my arms. (My husband said, “What are we going to do all that time? I mean, we can’t hold him 24 / 7.” I looked at him and said, “Oh, yes I can.”) I told my son today, he needs to tell his wife to plan to rest. I’m planning to cook and hold a baby for four straight days!

I hope you’ve all had a great week.

The ABC's of Aiden: Friday's Fave Five

September 10, 2010
Happy Friday!

Thanks to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for giving us the opportunity to share the blessings of the week. If you’d like to join in, just visit Susanne and get the details.

This is a very special FFF for me. I have to warn you, my post revolves around the ABC’s of one little person this week.

1. Anticipation. I’ve often thought of my sons being dads, so that anticipation goes way back. When my oldest and his wife told us they were expecting, we were thrilled. This would be our first grandbaby. The happy couple decided to be surprised by the baby’s gender, so we all waited in breathless anticipation to see if this was a boy or a girl.

Aiden Samuel Groves

As you can tell from his name, a boy it is. As I like to say (reminiscent of the old Sonny and Cher song, “The Beat Goes On”), the boys go on. When my son told me on the phone that the baby was a boy, I said, “Of course he is!” I’m not really surprised…I had a hard time imagining that a girl could actually come from this bunch!

The anticipation grew from the first phone call on Tuesday morning until he arrived at 1:35 on Wednesday, his due date. Things were moving quickly on Tuesday morning but, as often happens, they slowed and stalled. By evening we were fighting over the phone and fielding calls from brothers and grandmothers alike: “Any more news?” It was just awful around here. We couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t work, couldn’t sleep! My son texted from the labor and delivery suite and called once in a while to keep us up to date, but then he got rather busy and we were in the dark for awhile. That was hard. When the phone jangled at 1:35 on Wednesday morning and I heard, “Mom? You have a grandson,” joy just flooded in.

2. Brother bond. Two of my sons had the “privilege” of waiting in the waiting room! They’re going to college an hour away and they cut classes in hopes of being there for the baby. They were great support for both moms and dads – the new ones and the grand ones! (It was great to know they were there when we were two days away by car. They checked in and gave us a bit more information, too.)

Their support of the new parents and their wonder about the whole process was fun to behold. They’ve boasted on Facebook about being uncles and shared pictures, too. It’s killing my California son that he can’t be here right now!

3. Constitution – as in health, makeup, disposition. If not for my sweet little daughter-in-law’s strong constitution, I don’t know how Tuesday night / Wednesday morning would have gone. She’s not a big, muscular type, but she more than held her own during labor and delivery. This was not an easy birth, but she and my son were committed to natural childbirth as much as possible, and despite talk of c-section by the doctor, they made it. This little guy is not so little (7 lbs, 15 oz.) for one as petite as Mom is, and my son says she’s somewhat of a legend around the hospital right now!

4. Dads’ reactions - both of them. I’ll never forget my husband’s reaction. I grabbed the phone and he sprinted down the hall. He stood in the doorway and looked at me quizzically as I was listened to our son. I mouthed the words, “It’s a boy” and laughter just rumbled out of him. It was this incredibly natural, completely spontaneous overflow of joy.

Then last night I got to listen to our son’s glowing account of the entire day. His tale of the ups and downs was laced with his own feelings and reactions. He had that sense of wonder that captures most new dads, and that was so much fun to hear.

5. Exhilaration, elation, exultation, euphoria, you name it! So much joy spread around the family this week. In a couple of weeks, we’ll get our hands on the boy and I’m sure you’ll hear more then!

What a week of blessing it has been for us!!