End of February brings March Madness as high school basketball tournament games ultimately determine the state champion. It truly screams, “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” Every team loses, at some point, except for one.
A loss ceases the opportunity for advancement and thus ends the season for some and an era for others. Juniors on down have next year to look forward to and work towards.
Seniors, on the other hand… well, this is the end of the road for most of you. I have a tender spot in my heart for those hard working seniors that would love these moments in life to just keep on going. It’s tough to be done…
As a spectator, the excitement of a close game is nerve wracking, at best, but always adds a deeper layer of empathy, encouragement and community pride. You love ’em when they’re up and you love ’em when they’re down. This is the beauty of a small town high school…
Click on collages for a larger viewing window
Canon 5D Mark 2 ~ 70-200 L lens ~ Collage in Photoshop/Albums DS
I have a weakness for Christmas items on clearance, so the adrenaline rush hit when I discovered a mid-January 90% price reduction sale recently. Whoa… a gingerbread tree kit for less than $2. This would be fun to do with my two-year old granddaughter! Oh, no…Christmas is 11 months away. So what. She is two and we can call it a winter tree.
Curious fingers open the box and pull out the contents.
Hmmm…pretty, but what do I do with them?
It wasn’t too hard to stack the cookies, but the kit frosting wasn’t quite as plentiful as the box portrayed. Cream cheese frosting would have been easier.
Oops! Someone took a bite…
Add the pretty candy balls.
Even winter trees need a (broken) star.
Tah-dahhhh!! Considering that a two-year old tends to have the attention span of a gnat, I’d say lasting one full hour on a project is impressive. On top of that, it held MY full attention for an hour. I did rush the decorative frosting part and pretty much globbed it on. Martha Stewart would have rolled her eyes and tisked.
Even though the results weren’t as perfect as pictured on the box, it looked just fine to me. In this case, I declared the process more important than the results. I doubt that I will be asked to be a contestant on any of the cake decorating reality shows, anyway. That’s O.K., I have enough to do already!
Thank God if you’re smart enough to live in a small town.
~unknown
I saw the above quote the other day and it started the wheels turning in my mind as to the charm of living in a small, rural community. Into the photo archives I go to dig up some images that show a piece of life in a small town. We do know how to entertain ourselves and have some good ol’fun!
This carnival ride at the Yellow Medicine County Fair, in Canby, Minnesota, seems to lend itself as a metaphor to the wild ride this young couple have chosen in life. Since their wedding in July of 2010, this small town couple have added two young children (1 1/2 years and 6 months) to their family, hold down full-time jobs, the bride completed a master’s degree, and both serve our country in the United States National Guard. In fact, the wedding was planned while the engaged couple were both deployed overseas in the Middle East.
Yes, you are on the ride of your small town life. The twists and turns of a carnival ride can become predictable after you get use to patterns of movement. Life is not like that. Bumps and turns can appear out of nowhere and you may even careen completely off of the path.
A small town has a secret weapon that helps us bounce back when the road of life gets rough ~ the people. When the chips are down and we face a struggle, the community members are there to help pull us through. During a crisis the small town rallies its troops to bring out the safety nets to help in whatever way is appropriate to the situation. We may not always agree on our politics, religion or philosophies of life, ( some may not even like each other) but we are there for each other.
Just because we don’t rank at the top of the population charts doesn’t mean we aren’t resilient and destined to make a mark in the world. In spite of the twists and turns…
Just sayin’.
Photo info: Canon 5D Mark 2, Canon 70-200 L lens, Kubota Actions
The pretty lights and excitement of opening brightly wrapped gifts are not the only things that provide joy and delight for children. It’s also about the giving. How many of us remember toiling over a project at school meant to be given as a Christmas gift for our parents? The pride attached to the process, completion of the task, as well as satisfaction when the recipient expressed sincere appreciation:
Oooooh…. an angel made from the Readers’ Digest. It’s perfect and I LOVE it!
Third grade was the year of the Readers’ Digest Angel.
Let’s see… second grade found me tying plastic strips (school received a supply closet full of plastic products donated by 3M that year) onto a coat hangar bent into a circle shape in Mrs. Butzer’s class. We started well before Thanksgiving since we were tying strips the day the announcement came over the loudspeaker that President Kennedy had been shot – November 22, 1963.
Everyone can use a decorative pencil can. This project worked for multiple Christmas seasons.
My mouse traps never looked this cute. I recall spray painting them gold, probably before they banned lead in paint. Maybe that explains a few things, huh!
Weaving pot holders kept me busy and was yet another practical item. My mom liked practical items.
Felt, glue and hair clips were the essential materials needed to make handy bookmarks and were given to the piano and Sunday School teachers. Those were the days we all read books that we held in our hands rather than electronic tablets, Kindles, Ipads and the like. Again, mine weren’t this perfect but did include sequins so they sparkled.
These memories from childhood that pop into my head seem trivial, at best, but must have made an impact since they are still there. The feeling of pride from making a gift with my own hands and satisfaction with the process of giving apparently made a lasting impression on me.
Feeling the dirt below your feet
The wind as it blows through your hair
Nature and its noisy chorus at nightfall
Warmth of the sun on your face
Finding the perfect stick
Watching ants
Noisy silence
God sure knew what he was doing when he designed this feature of human nature.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. ~ Psalm 127:3
This Bible passage seems to speak to young people as they look forward to graduation.
Thoughts race through young minds on the cusp of a new world. Which direction should I go? Which school or vocation should I pursue? …and the age old question – What if I fail?
So many opportunities before them in high school and beyond. If one tries, there is an activity or pursuit that will fit their talents, personalities and interests.
I am usually in envy of young people with their whole adult lives ahead of them, but should I be? I am in a transition phase, as well, but I have many years of experiences and efforts behind me. I already know what I can and cannot do so that narrows the field. (Lots of things I use to be able to do that are not options now) I also know what I want to do which is also a plus.
The big question, though, is what SHOULD I do?
O.K., so maybe I’m not so different from these young guys and gals after all! Maybe the Bible passage is a good one for all of us in any of our stages in life. Hmmm…
BLIP…Hurry up and get here. We are having SO much fun!! Ireland is here, the Dr. and his fiance are here, Switzerland is here, Spain is here, drummers are here… (Apparently, everyone but us are there)
We hear the clicks of our walking sticks pick up the pace as we try and catch up to the fun.
We arrived too late for the fun, but did catch some drumming on video. We see evidence on the bar from the previous crowd:
Ireland and Switzerland are still lingering on the steps of the bar enjoying the first consistent rays of sunshine that we have seen in days. Oh, well. Guess Randy and I aren’t having the MOST fun on the trail today. We missed most of the festivities at the bar, including unique stamping techniques, but it is still a wonderful day to be alive! Can’t complain.
Back on the road again.
The sheep munch on the tender, sweet blades of new spring grass.
Some lucky critters will get a treat today!
Yep, tail’s still there.
Alone and together at the same time… That kind of sums up the Camino for most of us, I think. Plenty of time for private reflection, but still try to watch out for one another.
Twenty kilometers to go to fulfill our goal!
What does this say?
Although everyone, Nolle-guamos (tall branching leaves of trees used to shade coffee plants), bodies in souls become oars all.
Is it something to do with the fluid movements of our walking sticks as we flow down the Camino path of life?
May need to phone a friend and use a lifeline on this one.
Clothesline in the old lean-to. Why not?
This garden is way ahead of mine.
We see quite a few gardens with these tall plants. Collard greens?
Tall, tall trees remind me of what I envision of the California Redwoods. I’m guessing these trees would appear dwarfed next to the Redwoods.
It helps to look at things from a different angle, from time to time.
Another one bites the dust… Memorial to an Irish pilgrim. By the grace of God…
E.T., phone home? Not sure what this is, but it may have something to do with the tub at the bottom.
Busy traffic as we near our albergue for the night.
This pilgrim from Chicago has decorated his backpack with the traditional shell, practical umbrella and the common yellow flowers we see along
the way.
We find a nice albergue in Arco do Pino. Large room full of bunk beds, nice hot showers and food/bar across the street.
A-h-h-h-h… a little bit of heaven here on earth.
Only one more day of walking… after laundry and sleep.
Not convinced?
Neither is she.
Racing off with an empty basket, while anticipating wonderful treats.
Where are the eggs?
I found one!
In the bird house? Yes!!
Here’s one on the running board of the pickup.
The Easter Shark continues his surveillance.
Ummm… looks like the flower pots from last fall now contain eggs. Oh, well… 
A successful hunt.
No Easter egg hunt is complete without someone spilling the beans… jelly beans, that is.
Some lucky critters will get a treat today!
RJ Meyer Arts 