Countdown!

I have the telly on a lot -- I like the sound. But I don't WATCH much. "Masterpiece." History stuff. Food Network.

But for weeks, my Mondays and Tuesdays have been appointment viewing.

Tonight's the finale!

I'm on the fence -- Gilles or Melissa... I'll know soon!

Spring Bounty at the Market!

I couldn't resist. Physical therapy was over by 3:30 and it was a gorgeous day. Knowing I'd be working most of the weekend at the art festival, I decided to play hooky!

There is nothing that pleases me more than going to the city market in the spring. Color overloads my senses, and even late in the afternoon, vendors were still offering their foodstuffs, pots of scarlet geraniums and hot pink impatiens. I'm not allowed to dig for awhile, so I refrained from purchases -- but I'll be back!

My primary reason for choosing this particular market was the outstanding cheese vendor. This weekend is another wine tasting and my food assignment is bringing the bread/cheese plate!

It will be fabulous! (Check in later next week for our favorites from the "Wines of Australia" tasting!)

Of course, I can't resist one of my favorite stops -- Wild Rose/Hickory Corners.

As always, their gift booth reminds me of peace, beauty and loveliness!

Oh, and lest you think I've been doing nothing creative these days, here are a couple of recipe tag books I finished -- these are just desserts!

Hope you are having a lovely weekend! Don't forget, comments this month are entered in a drawing for a lovely crystal similar to the ones on this post related to "The Crystal Project." Check it out!

Pink in Rick's Yard

As part of Pink Saturday (visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for more Pink Posts), I take you to Rick's yard to see his beautiful tree before the last of the flowers drop!

Oh, how I'll miss this lovely tree!

I'm having a drawing for comments to this month's posts -- the winner will receive a crystal similar to one of these from my the post related to "The Crystal Project." Check it out!

Spring!

You were kind enough to join me on my walk to work during the barren and early part of spring.

Here are a few photos to show you what our campus is looking like now!

These are the older dormitories in the oldest part of campus. Gorgeous flowering trees.

Spring is MSU's prettiest time (although autumn is a close second!). I loved this redbud.

Red buds -- my favorite.

It's in front of this building -- the one of the campus' earlier buildings. (We were founded in 1855; this is 1881). It's the original library/museum. Who knew when they built this that one day I would be asked to be on the museum board?

Beaumont Tower is one of our landmarks. The carillon is wonderful, with summer concerts. But it never looks as lovely as now.

Apple trees everywhere! I love 'em!

The gardens are beginning to bloom. MSU started as an agricultural college and the program is still strong. The poppies are especially beautiful...

And there were still some daffs and narcissus. So many varieties...

I suspect the flowering trees will lose their flowers after this weekend's heavy rains.

And, as a fond farewell, here's a plaque from one of our older buildings where the home ec (as it was called then) classes took place. I love this sign. Unfortunately, the building is due for demolition over the next year, which both saddens and angers me.

Thanks for walking along!

Fun for a Good Cause

This past weekend I participated in a bowl-a-thon fundraiser for the Michigan Disabilities Coalition.

Participate is not an accurate word. I may be slingless, but I'm not allowed to lift that much, even with the good arm. So, I was team cheerleader! Here are Jane, Kip and Sharon watching a good score!

Our intrepid team, The Joyworkers, featured my pals John, Kip and Dick in the back row and organizer Sharon, Jane, Kate and me (rah!) Judy was sick, but we thought of her often!

John's wife Sharon organized the teams and played with The Booth Group! They are Judy, Mike, Sharon, Cathie and Meegan.

The event made more than $8,000 for the coalition and our group (Sharon's efforts at sponsorships) brought in about $1,500! We didn't win any prizes, but we had a great time!

A reminder that you can win a crystal similar to this one by commenting on this post and others this month. For more about the Crystal Project done by my friend Richard to help support the Greater Lansing Food Bank, see this post. It's a terrific way to help teach elementary children about giving back.

When Mother's Day Doesn't Seem to Apply...

For a number of years after my mother died, my dad would take me out to dinner on Mother's Day and give me flowers.

I accepted graciously. After all, dinner and flowers are always nice, especially with your dad.

But it always upset me, too. I'm not a mother, and back then I didn't even have Rick's boys on loan. When your biological clock is ticking, that becomes a sticky wicket.

And, I didn't have a mother anymore. The woman whose pearls I tugged on, who cheered my successes, urged me on, help nurse my wounds, wasn't there anymore.

It was a tough day for me. We'd go to a restaurant and see happy families eating out -- sometimes two or three generations. Talk about the double whammy. The two things I didn't have -- kids and mom -- were all around me. And it made me almost impossibly sad. Even now, writing this, my eyes fill with tears as I recall that sadness.

Yet, it meant so much to him. And back then I couldn't figure out why.

I think I know now.

For dad, celebrating Mother's Day with their only child was a way to remember mom. It was a way he could honor her, celebrate her, perhaps speak of her in a different way. After all, our family never met a holiday it didn't like and Mother's Day was her day.

I suspect if I had shared my feelings of sadness, we would have talked about them or perhaps even chosen a less family centered venue. I would have understood that in giving me flowers, he wasn't trying to replace her, but honor her, through her daughter.

We could have done it better -- but I wanted to protect him.

It wasn't until many years after his death, in May, when I was in counseling with a very wise soul named Sylvia and carping about my upcoming Mother's Day apprehension that I began to see.

And one of the places she lives is inside me.

Well, duh.

I still have a hard time in May, but it's a lot better. Greg always remembers and has done so from fairly early on in our life together (un-aided, I might add, which makes it all the more meaningful.)

And while this year I can't send flowers or a card to Mom's sister Iris, who died last summer, I can salute the other moms of the world.

To Rick's Mom, Kitty: You've given me the best gift of them all. There aren't enough words in my heart to express my thanks.

To the moms of my friends: Thanks for sharing our sons or daughters with the world.

To the moms and grandmas I know who manage families, jobs, kid activities and more -- often under great stress and challenge: Thanks for giving to them now, for they will learn how to pass that gift along to others.

To the moms and grandmas I don't know, but do the same as those I do: The world has or will benefit from the contributions of your children.

I send Mother's Day greeting to you all and salute you for all you have brought to our world. Thank you.

Please don't forget your comments on all posts till the end of the month are entered in my "crystal drawing" as first mentioned in this post.

A Puzzle

First of all, thank you all for good wishes for Greg. He's doing very well and the report was good, so the treatment was more precautionary than required. He'll be in isolation for a few days till the radioactivity wears off; a small price to pay. Your good thoughts, prayers and messages have meant a great deal to Rick and me. Thank you.

And now, a puzzle.

How do you make food from these beautiful crystals?

As my friend, Richard. He'll tell you! And it's a wonderful story.

A little bit of background. Many years ago, Richard lost his job at the university. With degrees in geology and public health, he had a great pedigree, but no teaching certificate, so he began substituting in the school district. Along the way, he became a full-time building sub at a local school, and then later -- when other career opportunities evolved -- a volunteer, working with a special education class.

One of the projects he initiated helped children "do good by doing well." He launched the Crystal Project.

Richard purchased several hundred dollars worth of crystals from a mine in Arkansas. When these crystals come out of the ground, they are dirty. No, pretty darned filthy. Nothing anyone without vision would buy.

His kids in the class cleaned the crystals, turning dirty little pieces into beautiful, sparkling bits of beauty.

The crystals were then sold at the holidays, ranging anywhere from a quarter or fifty cents on up to far more for larger pieces that were on a silent auction.

The proceeds from the sale the first year went to the Humane Society and another to a neighborhood Hospice. (The first year, WKAR did a video feature -- at this link, you'd click on Forest View Elementary School in the index).

(The children pick the charity they want to support.)

Take a look -- are these as clear as glass? I think so. A row of them on my windowsill in the sun almost takes my breath away. Really, they are quite remarkable.

"But creating food?" you might ask. Well, then came the food bank.

The first year the kids donated their crystals to the food bank, they made $1,000 and found a spot on the local news. (Here's the transcript of the video segment.)

With this success, Richard managed to secure a grant from the Accident Fund of Michigan, allowing him to purchase the crystals and chemicals needed. This thousand dollar grant last year brought the Greater Lansing Food Bank about $2000 in dollars.

The Accident Fund, recognizing good value for their grant, repeated it this year. The kids have been busy at work this spring, and that will continue when school resumes in the fall.

What started out as a class project has now engaged the entire elementary school, and Richard has the kids fill out "applications" with references, many of which, he says, are endearing. This year, crystals are available around Mother's Day, so the kids can make an inexpensive purchase for mom.

And, while learning about where crystals come from, the kids also have the opportunity to talk with Richard while working. From him, they learn about the skills they'll need to be good participants in society -- responsibility, caring, honesty and integrity. The children in this lower-income school have parents who rely on the food bank. In giving, they are receiving.

And they'll come to Mr. Lassin to share the first books they have learned to read or something special happening that day. It's something he finds special -- and the kids do too.

Wanting to extend the crystal project beyond the Christmas holiday season, he has also placed them in several area coffee shops and physicians offices. And, they can be purchased on craigslist.com under the Lansing section.

It's a win-win situation for everyone. For the kids, it's learning the discipline to do a project, and to learn that their efforts can help benefit the food bank (something many of their families must use). For Richard, there's a joy in seeing these kids grow and being part of that process.

As for the food bank, they benefit with a cash donation with which they can purchase the necessary items not likely to be donated in collection boxes.

For more about the food bank project, you can e-mail Richard here.

In honor of Richard's efforts, I am having a crystal giveaway. Any comments on this post or others continuing through May 31 will be entered in a drawing to win one of the crystals the children have cleaned and prepared for the food bank.

An Intrepid Warrior

Our intrepid warrior begins his next iodine treatment for thyroid cancer this week.

We are very positive about the end-game. The prognosis for his type of thyroid cancer is excellent and we have no reason to feel otherwise.

But the next few days will not be all that fun. So, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. We're looking forward to seeing that smile return to his face!

No Craft Supplies Allowed? Oh No!

A woman of my acquaintance is a particularly skilled knitter. (No, the yarn and items pictured here are not her things.) Recently was called for jury duty. When she arrived at the courthouse, they wouldn't allow her to bring in her knitting, even during the long wait of jury selection.

While she was sent home that day, she wasn't certain that she wouldn't have to return.

With the wizardry that makes her a dynamite knitter, she figured out a way to remove the insert of a ballpoint pen and insert in its place the metal tips of her circular needles.

"Once I got started thinking about it, my mind went wild!" she said.

These were a couple of her methods.

Slip one needle each in a drinking straw in your bag (she recommends 7-11 for large straws in plastic wrap.) This system works best with straight needles or modular circulars that can be broken down to cable and short needles.

Or, try tucking a plastic or wooden tip up under your bra.

"What is this suspicion/hatred of knitting needles all about?" she asked. "One possibility," she suggested might be "fear of the unwanted hand-knit gift!"

She wasn't called back in for jury duty. Nonetheless, the ideas will probably come into good use sooner or later!

Here's my suggestion to add to the list. Come wearing a shawl like the one above, but clasped at the front with a pair of doublepointed needles. (Sock-size would be best!). Yarn is safely tucked into your purse. Or, if you need points, rubber point protectors can also be stashed away.

Any other ideas we can add to the list?! What's the sneakiest thing you've tried to do with art supplies!

An Influential Woman

Bree recently posted a book review of Andy Andrews "The Noticer." Andrews has done a couple of PBS specials and is an engaging speaker. According to Bree, the book is pretty good, too.

The premise of the book asks people everywhere to "notice" the five most influential people in their lives...as private or as public as participants choose." Bree asked readers to join her in noticing those who have made a difference in her life. Here is the first of several people I'll highlight over the coming months who have been influential in my life.

When I was 16, a junior in high school, we had a new drama teacher come to our high school. She was tall, very thin, wore her hair pulled up on her head and glasses. Her name was Mrs. Stone and she was a reasonably new teacher, only a few years out of college.


That fall she held auditions for the class play, "Diary of Anne Frank." I was fortunate enough to be cast as Mrs. Van Daan, the frowsy, brassy mother of Anne's love, Peter. The experience was a powerful one for all of us in the cast, with strong friendships formed.

Mrs. Stone didn't come to Sexton High alone. She brought with her an adjunct crew -- Mr. Stone, her rock...

...and Mr. and Mrs. Kolloff (aka Penny and Fred).

Mr. Stone designed the lights and technical elements of the shows, Fred did the sets, Penny the make-up and we all worked as much on the complicated sets as we did on our parts.

For the next two years, this team was part of my extended family. Somehow -- and I don't know how they did it -- the foursome maintained the adult roles (we never once thought of them as peers and treated them with that respect) while being grand fun.

But they treated us with respect, too. They weren't just "teachers" of theatre. They taught us -- through example -- about life. They showed us how loving, young adults had a relationship. They weren't our parents; they were only a few years older than we were. But we saw (without the obvious -- and in that situation, inappropriate -- public display of affection) how they treated each other. Respectfully, kindly, with humor, never with derision or put downs.


For many of us, it was our first experience at seeing a healthy man-woman relationship with someone not all that much older than we were; certainly not like our old parents!

Somehow, in our inner city high school, Mrs. Stone never lost control of her classroom or her drama productions. And they were good. They were darned good.

And I was fortunate to see them off-school, too -- as babysitter for their only son, Bobby.


Over the two years I was at Sexton, I had lead roles in several programs and worked crew on others. We all spent a lot of time together.

Well, Mrs. Stone went to MSU's theatre department, and so did I. And after I graduated from high school, our roles shifted from student to friend. They became Lin and Larry, wonderful friends of my family. Lin was the big sister I never had. The year I graduated, they moved to Ohio and after getting a masters in English, Lin decided to take another role -- physician.

She attended Ohio State, became a well-known family physician in Columbus and served on the faculty of the Ohio State Medical School -- most recently as Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine/Predoctoral Director. She is a tireless speaker, teacher, advocate and proponent of training medical students to also be human beings in their patient relationships. She has received numerous awards; they are all deserved.

And despite a grueling schedule that would destroy most people, she has maintained relationships in a way I can only envy -- always there to answer a question (we asked more than a few before Greg's cancer surgery, and I've had a few of my own), never forgetting a birthday, and always generously eager for a visitor to Michigan (especially one who likes to go shopping at Morgan House, a wonderful gift shop with a lovely restaurant attached!)

Her favorite role may be as grandma to Bob and Jennifer's two children.

Lin's passion for Christmas makes mine look rinky dink! And in Larry, she's found a grand cohort, who doesn't hesitate to hoist the 14-foot Christmas tree and help with the many others around the house!

She and Larry remain passionately in love, with a caring, gentleness, mutual respect, and affection we can all only envy. "Bobby" became Bob, a respected doctor himself, and now an equally wonderful husband and father.


In instilling and encouraging my passion in theatre; in showing me how healthy adult relationships should be; in always having time for friends; for being upbeat and positive even when life brings bad news, and for knowing how to really do the holidays, Linda Stone inspires me more than I can say.


Influential? You bet!

Linda Stone is retiring in June. Time for the two little munchkins...

And more time to spend with Larry. It's Ohio State's loss. But oh, what a legacy!

Who is influential in your life? Don't forget to visit Bree to check out what sounds like a fabulous book!