The Popcorn Chronicles

I was looking back through some things I'd written the other day and found forgotten treasures. When I was in junior high, I started writing things down so that I'd have a way to remember them... remember how they felt... how I felt... later on. For some of those impressions, I used my teddy bear, Popcorn, to get the thought out of my head and onto the paper. A decade after he first became my muse, he was adopted by my eldest. Here are some of "The Popcorn Chronicles: A Bear's Coming of Age and Back Again"

Weather Report

Popcorn knows it will rain
when clouds cover the whole sky
so evenly you can't tell they're clouds.

*March 1980*


Music Lovers

Popcorn likes to listen
to the stereo with me.
He likes the music
that I like to listen to.
I can tell he likes it
by the smile
on his fuzzy white face.
I like to listen with him
because he doesn't interrupt.
He just sits quietly...
and listens with me

*March 1980*

Tree Watching

Popcorn likes the way
some trees blush
before they bare themselves.
Some just go pale
at the thought.
But he feels sorry
for those that simply
wither away
with no show at all...

*November 1983*

Kudzu

Popcorn has noticed,
Much to his amazement,
That kudzu can do to a forest,
In just a few decades,
What it takes water eons to do
To a mountain.

*August 1994*
(recalled from a trip to Vicksburg)


A New Beginning

I look at you now, beloved friend,
Recalling days of wisdom without end.
Once was Popcorn my playmate dear.
Now you're my child's "Mommy Bear."

Will you tell her tales of blushing trees
And the amazing power of kudzu seas?
Will you share the songs she likes to sing
And tell her about the rain that clouds bring?

Will you hear her heart's desire
Or how today she swung on a tire?
Will you listen as she says her prayers,
O, Popcorn mine, O, Mommy Bear?

*July 1998*

Leaving Out the Best Part

I have to take issue with our Sunday School lesson this past Sunday. Not that I disagreed with anything that was written in the lesson. It's just that the writers left out the best part. The lesson was taken from the account of the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau. (Genesis 32 & 33) I realize that when an account takes up 2 whole chapters, you can't possibly cover every verse in the time given for most Sunday Schools. but they left out the BEST part completely.

For 11 verses (Genesis 32:22-32), Jacob is face to face, hand to hand with God! (Can you picture it!) And they just skipped over it. What happens later is SO connected with that encounter, but we barely mentioned it, and that mention was only because it's my favorite part of the story.

Now let's apply that observation: How many times do big things happen to us....sometimes happy things, sometimes sad things, but things that are big markers along our lifeline? We almost always tell people about them, the big things I mean. We share our happiness, our sorrow. But how often do we share the encounter with our Creator that came just before or just after. And if you are a true child of God, that encounter was there. Did you miss it? Or are you afraid of what people will say? One way to pass our legacy on to our children is to let them know what is going on in our relationship with the Creator. Don't miss a literally God-given opportunity.

Busy Weekend

It's been a really busy weekend. The vocabulary parade was wonderful. It was so much more fun than the book projects that they've done in the past. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Phrenology

Congruent

Etiquette

Hypochondria

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (fear of long words!)

Roller Coaster and her friend, Taste BudsAfter all that fun, we still had more to come. We went to the Mobile BayBears game at Hank Aaron Stadium. They played the Mississippi Braves. The Braves won 10-4. We stayed for the fireworks after the game. We had great seats: behind home plate and up high.

Today we cut the grass at our place and across at the Sr.H property (8 acres in all). These are views of there.

L's Favorite Chicken Pie Soup

Last night we had Chicken Pie Soup for dinner. No, there is no pie in it. It got that name because it has almost the exact same ingredients as L's Favorite Chicken Pie:

couple of chicken breasts
can of rotel tomatoes (usually use the lime and cilantro flavor, but last night used chili fixin's flavor)
when the chicken is done, shred it with 2 forks, then add
can of black beans, drained
can of corn, drained
bit of sour cream
spices (chili power, cumin, cilantro)


If you're making pie, grate some cheese in the bottom of the crust before you pour the filling in and again on top before you put the top crust on (rolled Pilsbury crust in a box works great). If you're making soup, add a can or two of chicken stock. It works well in a crock pot or stove top. The soup tastes even better if you add crumbled cornbread or tortilla chips.

RA Races

Last night was RA Race Night in Agricola. There was support from a variety of sources. our GAs made signs to hang along the track.


Young and old turned out to support the guys.










And they had their eyes on the prizes.




These cars are powered by CO2 cartridges placed in the rear.




Then they are put on the track and are lauched by computer.









The fastest car of the night was clocked at over 40 mph, which is pretty fast for something that only weighs a few ounces!













You can tell who the winner is here.





The more weight you can take off the car, the faster it goes. But if you're going to run 2 heats, you better make sure your car doesn't crack up in the first one.
This happened to Logan's car after the 2nd heat.

M's artwork

Yesterday, M was doodling on a clipboard. This was the end result:



Pretty cool, huh. Reminds me of a daydream I once had of a giant running through a meadow catching butterflies with finger cymbals. In this case, the butterfly is a giant. I love this.

Rollercoaster

L finished her vocabulary parade project this afternoon. The popcicle stick model is attached to the poster that has the word and the definition. Here's the finished product.



I love the little car at the top. I wanted to make little people with their arms over their heads and conversation bubbles saying "Wheeeeee!!"
But she said no. What a party pooper!


While I was at it, I thought I'd put up a picture of her fairy house, too. She got bored watching what her dad and I were watching one night and created this house. The next afternoon, she added the cantilevered roof and the swing. We put a fairy she made a few months ago into the swing for the picture. You can't really see the back wall through the door but the wall is papered, or should I say petaled with silk rose petals, yellow of course to match the yellow box shoe box.