Rachel - May 2018

Rachel is pictured here in Helena, Arkansas, doing one of the things she likes best - hiking a trail.  Arkansas has many scenic and strenuous trails.  Rachel has always been one for adventure.  Let's see what's over that hill; let's go down this trail - or repelling, or camping, or kayaking.   She's all about it.

Rachel was just excited to discover that there's a sign language class she can take at our church, so she'll be headed to class now on Tuesdays.  She is still dating on and off, but, as a single working girl living the independent life, she's concentrating on making rent and her car payment.  We will get to see her in June, and maybe in July.  Yay!

Splash - May 2018

The May 2018 Splash is the first splash with only four of our five BallTeam.  That's sad, but, I choose to be happy for Rachel out there on her own.  Meanwhile, with baseball season in full swing (hahahaha), we thought this backdrop very fitting.  We spend plenty of time at ballfields now.  JMichael is up to bat (I am in the imaginary pitcher), Samantha is the catcher, Charlotte is calling an out and Josephine is cheering for all of us.  Go BallTeam!

Tea Party 1774 - 2018

In our little town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, we are surrounded by history.  Battlefields, colleges, buildings that were erected more than three hundred years ago.  Part of the history is kept alive by re-enactments and events which celebrate the people and ideas that birthed a nation.
In May, 1774, the citizens of Chestertown, Maryland were enraged by the tax on their tea from England, and like the Boston citizenry in December of 1773, they angrily boarded a ship, loaded with tea, and threw it overboard in protest.  In contrast to our more fiery northern compatriots, the people of Chestertown passed the Resolves:

1st – RESOLVED, that we acknowledge his majesty George III, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, to be our rightful and lawful sovereign to whom we owe and promise all dutiful allegiance and submission.

2nd – RESOLVED, that no duties or taxes can constitutionally be imposed on us, but by our own consent, given personally, or by our representatives.

3rd – RESOLVED, that the act of the British parliament of the 7th of George III, chapter 46, subjecting the colonies to the payment of a duty on tea, for the purpose of raising a revenue in America, is unconstitutional, oppressive and calculated to enslave the Americans.

4th – RESOLVED, therefore, that whoever shall import, or in any way aid or assist in importing, or introducing from any part of Great Britain, or any other place whatsoever, into this town or country, any tea subject to the payment of a duty imposed by the aforesaid act of Parliament. Or, whoever shall wilfully and knowingly sell, buy or consume, or in any way assist in the sale, purchase, or consumption of any tea imported as aforesaid subject to a duty, he, or they, shall be stigmatized as enemies to the liberties of America.

5th – RESOLVED, that we will not only steadily adhere to the foregoing resolves, but will endeavor to excite our worthy neighbors to a like patriotic conduct, and whoever, amongst us, shall refuse his concurrence, or after complying, shall desert the cause, and knowingly deviate from the true spirit and meaning of these our resolutions, we will mark him out as inimical to the liberties of America, an unworthy member of the community, and a person not deserving our notice or regard.

6th – RESOLVED, that the foregoing resolves be printed, that our brethren in this and the other colonies, may know our sentiments as they are therein contained.

Signed by order of the Committee, W. Wright, Clerk

(Wikipeadia)

The Resolves don't make a lot of sense to my mind - first they acknowledge the sovereign who upsets them, next, they incite rebellion against him.  Perilous times, indeed.

Perilous times are now celebrated with parades and re-enactments.  A few photos from our day:

The British are coming!

And the Minutemen are already here!

This picture sums up the Shore - history, tractors and boats.

My soldiers - Josephine and JMichael.

Panda Express

We live in a corn field, or a bean field, or a hay field, depending on the season.  It takes twenty minutes to get anywhere.  That kind of separation is great on the one hand and hard on the other.  One way it's hard is in food options.  About forty minutes from our patch of domesticity in the farmland is a "metropolis" called Middletown.  In a place like Middletown (in DE) you can find such things as WalMart, Home Depot, Buffalo Wild Wings and Panda Express.  There's even a movie theater and mini golf.

JMichael saw the Panda Express and was instantly excited to go.  He loves pandas - it's the only stuffed animal he has - and he likes Chinese food.  He decided he needed to try it.  We have lived here a year now - almost - and it's high time we go.  The other day I drove the forty minutes to take Josephine to see a movie with a friend.  While she enjoyed a movie, my plan was to go to WalMart.  JMichael decided to come along - he usually stays home and plays video games with Dad.  Charlotte and Samantha decided to stay home - they usually come along to get out of the house and remind themselves what "civilization" looks like.

Since it was just JMichael and I braving the "city", we decided now is the time.  We had just eaten supper, so we weren't hungry, but, you have to take your opportunities as they come.  We split a small orange chicken and sat out on the patio to enjoy the evening air.  He was super excited to get to go to Panda Express and he (and I) thought it was delicious.  His fortune is spot on, too.  

JMichael, ten years old.

Ma, 2018

My Mom (Juanita Marie Anson Brumbley) is the cutie on the top right.  This picture was taken about 1966, before she became a young bride.  From the top left we have my grandfather, Paul Anson, holding Robert.  Next to him is my grandmother, Thelma Lorraine Patton Anson, pregnant with Lonnie.  Then Mom, about age 16.  Holding the dog in the front row is Kenneth, then left to right are Paul, Jr. and Tammie.  

This is more recent picture of Ma (2016) - With me behind her and my brothers - David, in the glasses - and Eric.  I love this picture.  It's so genuine.

Most recently - Ma and me - Shake Shacking.  We were actually out this year on the Saturday before Mother's Day because we had an errand to run and no one in my house was up on a Saturday morning in enough time to go with us.  That turned out just fine; we had a Mother's Day lunch early.

Ma is always ready to step in.  She also knows when to hang back.  She taught me to be kind and respectful.  She taught me to solve the problem and be resourceful.  She taught me to do the right thing and to always be an example to those around me.  She taught me to be a good person, a friend, and a mom.  She also taught me to cross stitch and to create and to imagine.  I work to make her proud.  Isn't she still so cute?

Thrashing her grades!

Josephine loves school.  She loves it because she's good at it.  Period.  She's in the STEM program - accelerated classes in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  Still, she gets straight A's.  Last term when she got straight A's we signed her up for violin lessons.  That's not going so well, because she really wants to take piano, but, she presses on.  This time, we decided a little road trip was in order and we headed to the beach for a treat - Thrasher's.  We left in the late afternoon and it was freezing cold when we got there - maybe 40 degrees - tops.  So everyone else waited in the car while Josephine and her friend Aurora (pictured) and I got in line.  We were next - mouths watering and shivering simultaneously - when we heard the unthinkable from the dude behind the counter - "That's it, folks; last order; all out for today."

We had just driven an hour across the Shore to get a treat for our brilliant daughter, and WHAT?  Josephine and I just looked at each other in disbelief.  Could it be true?

Then, the heavens opened and a light shone through the darkness.  Thrasher's dude called to me and said, "hey, Ma'am.  We can do one more.  What can I get you?"  {choirs singing}

I said, whatever you have left is fantastic, thank you.  And they were.  Yum.

Sidenote, this photo was originally taken with the Live feature on my iPhone.  It doesn't work here once it's transferred to the blog, but, on the Live feature, the photo moves for the second before and after you capture it.  On my phone, you can see the silver door closing on Thrasher's behind Josephine and Aurora.  Saved the best for last!