He'll Be The First To Tell You

I've known my husband for thirty-seven years.

I've been married to him for thirty-one

of those years.

I've no doubt used lots of words over those years

to describe him.

I have a new word I've been using...

a lot.

Resilient.

You might not think of that as being 

anything special...

to be resilient.

But I do.

You might not even think there's any reason

why I should be telling you 

about his resiliency.

But there is.

I've learned a lot from him this past year and a half -

a year that he unabashedly will tell you

has not been easy.

He would say there were moments he mourned,

short-lived moments when he panicked,

and even a few bad days out of that year and a half,

when he saw that cup as empty.

 But that's about as far as he will go.

More likely he'll tell you how he prefers to 

see the cup as

half full.

Or that there's nothing he can do to change things,

so best to move on..full throttle.

He'll tell you that he believes in Someone

who he knows is in charge of his life

and trusts Him,

through the good and the bad.

 He will still laugh with you, 

laugh at you,

and laugh about you...

all the while bouncing back

minute by minute, day by day.

He will most assuredly prefer to deal with today

and then move on to tomorrow.
For his tomorrow brings hope...

a hope that is attainable and full of promise.

Because he's resilient.
And he's teaching me to be more like him.

God, help me to be more like him.

I love you, Sweetheart.

I am so proud to call you husband.
 

re·sil·ient   adj \ri-ˈzil-yənt

  

1.  springing back; rebounding.

2.  returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched.

3. recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyant.

 

Fifteen Shades of Cool

It's hot here in Oklahoma.

Summer started out that way

and has continued to dish it out...

every day.

Today 

I choose to think about...

snow-skiing,

cool rain showers,

crisp autumn days-

sweater weather,

ice cream,

goose bumps,

swimming pools,

Icees,

frost on the windows,

Christmas,

late-season football,

WInter Olympics,

Old Man Winter,

snow days, 

 lime ices,

and

 whoever invented air-conditioning.

CatDog

Let me tell you a story about Bob,

the cat...

who thinks he's a dog.

Bob, a Manx, showed up at my parents one day

at just the right time.

He may have belonged to someone

because he wasn't skinny or malnourished, 
but I like to think he was just a good hunter.
Or that he didn't like his old home.

They didn't encourage him to hang around.

But they noticed him

each day, returning to their back patio.

And scouting around, like

outdoor cats do.

I say it was just the right time

because even though my dad

likes cats,

he always said he didn't want another one,
after his last cat died.

He's had a few grandcats, 
here and there to play with, 
but not one to call his own.

He needed Bob 

as much as Bob

needed him.

Or so I like to believe.

My mom decided that if that cat 

was going to hang around so much,

he wasn't going to go hungry.

They'd have to feed it.

With no cat food in the pantry,

Dad decided to give Bob the cat 

some sardines.

My Dad loves sardines,

as apparently Bob did too.

I'm pretty sure that was the 

defining moment 

for Bob.

From then on,

Bob showed up day after day,

ready for some food and some special 

attention.

Now, here's where it gets interesting.

Bob isn't just any old ordinary Manx,

tail-less, orange cat.

He thinks he's a dog.

My dad would ring the back porch bell,

and Bob would come running.

Sometimes Dad would whistle instead.

Bob sprung onto the porch each time.

He had no interest in coming inside the house.

I don't think Mom and Dad had any interest in him

coming in either.

They knew that if he came in,

he'd probably become their cat.

Permanently.

They hadn't gone looking for a cat anymore

than Bob was looking for a home.

It just happened.

 We've always teased my dad because he

does weird things with his grandcats.

He talks to them.

Actually he asks them questions.

Like, 

"How are you doing today, kitty?

Huh? How are you?

How you doing kitty?"

I'm pretty sure he knows that cats don't talk.

but couldn't swear to it.

He also pets them hard like a dog.

And they seem to like it.

He sometimes gets his broom

and "brushes" them.

Yes, it seems a little strange.

But they always like it.

When Mom and Dad decided to finally

start opening the back door to see if

he wanted to come in, 

and get out of the cold,
('cause see, they worried about that cat,)

he would come up to the threshold, 

but never over it.

Dad says sometimes he would kind of 

crouch, like maybe he had been

kicked out of the house a few 

times...literally.

As time went by, he'd come in a little further

each time, until he finally

felt safe enough to walk on in.

That's when the mutual love affair 

between a cat and his two people 

truly began.

Bob was an outdoor cat at heart.

He meowed to go out each evening.

Then by morning, he'd

show up at the back door,

ready to come inside and 

eat, sit on my dad's easy chair,

and sleep.

He gradually started lengthening his 

indoor time, until he was 

spending the night indoors most nights.

Remember now,

 Bob the cat

thinks he's a dog.

He doesn't use a cat box.

He meows at Mom to go outside,

and waits for her by the door.

He follows my dad around like a dog -

sits and waits for him to come out

of the bathroom,

walks with him to the mailbox.

walks with him to the edge of the yard 

while Dad visits with his neighbor

across the street.  

Bob won't go all the way with him because he's 

not too fond of his nemesis there...

a real dog.

Tonight after being with Bob 
and the family,
I'm feeling a little happy inside.
Happy that Bob, an old stray Manx,
and Dad, my old man...
(I say that lovingly with all my heart)
found a special unexpected
friendship
in each other -
Dad
and the catdog.

Remember that cartoon and song
from Nickelodeon?

photo courtesy of Yahoo

Jerry Maguire Was Right

I didn't know I'd fall so hard,

that day I first walked in.

I met you with a nervousness

and saw your little grins.

You felt the butterflies, like me, 

but bravely took a seat.

It wasn't long before we found 

good ways to meet and greet.

I hadn't been in kindergarten

for 23 long years.

I wondered if we'd be OK,

would there be any tears?

We sang some songs, I read a lot -

Great ways to break the ice.

We ate a snack and played outside,

(this might be very nice.)

As hours passed by, we realized

 that all was going well.

We might just make it through day one,

with good reports to tell.

To think I worried, will it work?

Do I still have the stuff?

Can I make a difference, am I too old,

will it be enough?

But in you came, and welcomed me,

whether I was ready or not.

You grabbed me with your little hands

and tugged right at my heart.

So, here's the thing I want to say

In case you didn't know.

The first day back in school that day -

You had me at hello!

Congratulations to my 

sweet 2011-12 kindergarten graduates.

Thanks for teaching me so much this year.

 I will miss you and always remember

my first year back in kindergarten!

Love,

Mrs. Bowen

©2012tbowenblog

What I Learned in Kindergarten

What  I Learned in Kindergarten This Year

by

Mrs. Bowen

 

I went back to kindergarten this year.

I hadn't been there in 23 years.

No, I'm not a slow learner.

I learned a lot of stuff.

I learned how to call things "stuff"

if you don't know the word for it.

I learned how to perform 

in front of an audience.

It's not every day I get to

use my French accent.

I learned that 

 full moons, especially 

phenomena called super moons,

do the same thing for five-year olds

as they do for second graders.

I learned the b-word,

remember,

b..b..b...bumblebee.

I learned how to 

dodge germs 

while at the same time,

embracing them with all my being.

I learned that 

if you want to make someone really happy...

sing.

I learned that 

I can indeed hear twenty

different things at once,

and still

focus on the task at hand.

I learned that the apple

does not fall far from the tree,

which makes we wonder 

what that says for

my family

tree.

I learned that being called

"teacher" a hundred times a day

can finally 

seem natural.

I learned that if you assume
they can learn all the lyrics to a french song
and how to correctly use "oviparous"
in a sentence
in less than two days,
they  can.

I learned that if you read a storybook

like you really believe it,

all your little friends 

will believe it too.

I learned that grandma-age kindergarten teachers
need naps when they get home
WAY more than
momma-age kindergarten teachers.

I learned that there is a 
direct correlation between how much
learning and fun took place in class that day
with how messy the room looks
when you're finished.

I learned that a piece of candy
still has amazing leverage.
It has magic powers.

I learned that if you tell a kindergartner
they have "one minute" to
get back from the restroom,
they really believe they can
get back in one minute.
Unless...they decide to 
sit in the sink for awhile. 

And finally,
I learned that if you tell your children
over and over all year 
that you're the Mother Duck and
they are your little ducklings,
it will only make it harder 
to send them out into the first-grade
world on the last day of school.

Aahh, (sigh)...
my work here is done.
©2012tbowenblog

I Beg to Differ

So they call it a "Super" moon.

Hmmph.

OK, it's pretty.

It's bright.

It is VERY bright.

But super?

 I have some better adjectives.
I'll keep them to myself.

You may not think I know of which I speak.

Let me assure you, 

I do.

Super moons apparently make children do things...

things they normally wouldn't do...

WEIRD things...

Like trading shoes.

Without me noticing.

Boys and girls.
Boys with girls.

Like tattling...excessive tattling.
Informants... they think

....for humming
and breaking butterfly wings

and breathing too loud.

Like standing in the bathroom...

with two feet

 straddling the top of two urinals?
Super hero
under a Super moon.

Maybe Super moons make teachers

do things they normally wouldn't do too.

WEIRD things...

Sorry, but can't tell you

about that .

I have some Facebook friends 

that are also parents of my darlin's.

I've got a reputation

to keep.

For two more weeks, anyways.

Smile.

©2012tbowenblog