The Iditarod And The Mother Child Relationship....

“The mother-child relationship is paradoxical and, in a sense, tragic. It requires the most intense love on the mother's side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother, and to become fully independent.” Erich Fromm

We raise our kids and give them wings, then when they do fly, the relationship changes and it leaves a Mom with a heavy heart.

I've spoken of my son on other posts but this story must be told. How many get to go watch the mushers come in at the finish line of such a famous race?

From an early age tom's wings have been flapping and has always wanted to be where the action is. I have had to tie those wings on several occasions to keep him on the ground.

He made that dream happen 20 years ago when he joined the Coast Guard.  His dream was to be near and in the thick of Ice, Snow and Mountains. 

He has jumped out of helios, sliding down on a rope to rescue someone in distress. Climbed Ice and gone down into the crevices to pull a hiker out.  Dunked in the oceans to pull a stranded boater to safety. Climbed a mountain to reach a downed plane only to retrieve several who did not make it.

In the first phase of the mother child relationship I could have told him, "No" you can't do that, you might get hurt!  Now, in this new relationship we have, all I can do is sit home and pray for his safety.

 "T" will be spending his time in the next few weeks teaching the Alaskans in a tiny town in Nome, boat safety.

On his way to Nome,Tom was able to complete one item on his bucket list.  To see the Iditarod.  (I know he would have rather been at the helm of that sled but just being there, will do)

  

Here he is with a friend, standing on the frozen Bering Sea waiting for the mushers at the end of the journey across the ice and snow, as they come in on the last stretch of  the  Iditarod  Race.

 

 

(toms words)

Siren went off and I rushed to the Bering Sea to see this musher come in. 9:15 PM, sun setting made for a great photo. These dogs were fairly excited and ready to stop for the evening. -10F degrees out...

#48 from Haliburton, Ontario, finisher of the 2012 Iditarod!! Welcome to Nome!! Such happy dogs when they came in. The blurry little girl to the left is his daughter.

 

#48 Itidarod finisher from Haliburton, Ontario

 Seconds after arriving into Nome... and having just completed 1049 miles of running…. these amazing dogs were tired and done!! Good day!!

The 'twinkle' in Tom's eyes tell me,  "He is living his dream"

 Now on to the town of  Little Diomede, the Western most US village sitting on the International Dateline. 

"Fly High my Son"

Fair Winds and Following Seas, Tommy

"What more could a Mom ask for"

*****

 I'm adding a few more photos,  T has been sending them as they happen, to me. He landed on the ice runway in the tiny town in Alaska, all of 1.2 miles from Russia.

( the view from the stairs of the plane)

(his words)

The view from Little Diomede! That is Big Diomede in Russia. 23 hours ahead of us! Gorgeous day, hope for Polar Bear traffic soon!

Trekking on the Bering Sea here in Diomede, Alaska

I just can't imagine any place looks this frozen. I'm here in Florida celebrating this 'first day of spring'.

I spoke with my daughter-in-law last night and she said, "Don't worry Mom, T has his survival back pack filled with all that he needs in case his survival is in order.  Freeze dried food, little cook stove/heater, ice picks and other things to keep him going in case of a problem. 

"Sometimes I forget, this is the guy to call when you need saving"

My new adult relationship with my son leads me to believe,

 "Tommy" is in his glory"

(burrrrr!) 

****

March 20 was the day for tom to leave the little Island town, but the weather was so bad they could not fly out (high winds).. Stuck? No, they sent a taxi to take him to "Wales", to catch another flight. Looks like a snow mobile to me.

We made it off of Diomede Island and arrived in Wales, Alaska. We even had a taxi waiting for us to take us into the village. March 22

 

I'm linking up to

White Wednesday 

Wow Us Wednesday 

Jenny Matlocks, Alphabet Thursday, Letter R 

x0x0x

 

Corsican Mint

 Today was a beautiful Saturday, garage sale day, and my area had many.  While driving around the neighborhoods I came upon a really sweet garden shop and I know I said, "No more plants this season", I could not help myself when I came upon the sweetest little pot of "Corsican Mint"

Mentha Requienii

 "Powerfully fragrant microscopic mint, useful for carpeting dampish places.  The diminutive mint has long been used as flavoring for crème de menthe liqueur. The best part of this plant is the minty fragrance, released when you step on it. Some say it has the scent of pennyroyal. On a warm summer day, sitting in the shade is cooling, but placing your bare feet and wiggling your toes over the tiny, cool-to-the-touch mint while breathing in the released fragrance is both cooling and as refreshing as the liqueur made from it and poured on the rocks.

The above description of this teeny mint makes me want to buy more and put it between the stepping stones at the bottom of my deck stairs.  But for now, I re-potted the little plant in a terracotta pot and hung it from one of the hickory trees off the deck.

I chose this spot because it gets about 4 hours of sun each day and it's hanging in a secure basket, to keep the critters from knocking it over.  Also the stones placed around the top of the pot will keep the squirrels from digging in the dirt. (they do a lot of damage on my deck)

 From what I've read about this mint after each season it can be divided and re-planted, so long as I don't kill it before the end of summer.  The best part, the 2" plastic pot was all of $1.25 so I may just go get 10 more  and put it between a few stepping stones and see how well it grows....

As for the garage sales, the pickins were slim and I did not find much.  Oh well, there is always next week.

"Happy Spring"

I'll be linking up to

Tickled Pink 

Tuesdays Garden Party 

I've Always Had "The Luck of The Irish".....

On several occasions over the years, I've been told 

"Your full of Blarney"

Well, it could be because in my teens I did kiss the Blarney Stone at the Blarney Castle.  If there is one thing I have, that would be the "Gift of Gab"  Sometimes you just can't shut me up.

My Mother has deep roots in Ireland and wanted us to know where her Father and Mother came from before they migrated to America.  My grandparents were both in their teens when they crossed the pond, and by some stroke of luck met in New York.

My grandfather, his name tells the story of his heritage

"Thomas Patrick Murray" 

My Irish Blood may be mixed with Italian but during St. Patricks Day I'm very Irish, and want to boast it to the world. 

When Irish eyes are smiling, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.

When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling, they steal your heart away. 

"May the luck of the Irish go with you"

((huggss)

Welcome Is Such a Beautiful Word....

My Niece gave me a sweet front door hanging for Valentines day and her little girl, JoJo helped me hang it.  The Welcome hanging has been there for weeks now and I did not want to put it away for next year because it has such special memories for me.

 So rather than take it down I decided to paint it in colors of the country... browns, greens and creams.

My basket of craft paint has just about every color and I mixed a few to give them each a country hue.

There, first coat is on and now to hang it on the blank wall, that I keep a nail in for just such things, to dry for the night.

Then it's time to give it a bit of pizzaz.... Which is nothing more than a few dots of cream craft paint and a bit of contrasting smudges.

Now with it's new paint, my door hanging can stand the test of time and all seasons.

Thank you, Mona and JoJo.

I just love it because it reminds me of our special time together.

I did leave the cupcake, to remind me of the day JoJo and I made those special little treats.

I've always found it so hard to put away such gifts.  Redoing it in another fashion is ok when the main part of the gift is held intact. 

 Welcome is just a wonderful word to have on your front door.

It tells all your family and friends to come on in.

"Have a great weekend everyone"

I'm linking up to

Potpourri Friday 

 Thrifty Things Friday

Tickled Pink 

Saturday Night Special 

Metamorphosis Monday 

Power of Paint 

xoxox

.

I'm Quite Happy To See Spring Blooming All Around Me....

 It was quite a nice day to take a stroll around my yard and I found so many flowers blooming... We have been very dry so the sprinkler has been on every day this week.  Could be why all the flowers are coming up faster than normal. 
 I'm happy to say all the new grass seeds I put in last month are now a beautiful green carpet, about 6" tall.  You would all laugh to see me out there with my scissors cutting the new grass.. I will not let the garden guy cut it with his horrible lawn mower... not until it's established anyway....

African Iris

Of all the perennials in my yard, the Black Eyed Susan is the one that comes back from seeds.  I'm finding it in so many different spots.  Usually I dig up the little seedlings and transplant to another location.  Some are growing in the grass right now and I hope to get to them soon.  This might be my favorite flower because their no work at all.

This Purple Shamrock, was given to me by a dear friend who died from a horrible cancer  a few years ago.   I'm quite happy to say it is still thriving.   The little tubers lay dormant under the soil all winter. It's little pink flowers came out just the other day.

The potted plant below, I have no idea the name, but many of you Northern gardeners have it as a house plant.  It's been in my front yard for years and I've made cuttings for so many friends.  It's hard to kill this plant.

( Kalanchoe, thanks to several of my bloggie friends who gave me the name of this plant. Your all the best)

I have a Bleeding Heart from last season  that trailed down from a hanging basket. I was quite surprised to see it survived and is coming back to life. 

Although it's not officially Spring. You would never know it here.  In fact, I'd say it's Summer where I live because it's been in the 80's all week.  Lovely weather we are having and I have gotten a lot done in my yard. 

I do hope you all can get some gardening done soon.

I'm linking up to

Tuesdays Garden Party 
Out Door Wednesday 
Oh How My Garden Grows 
Show Off Your Stuff 
Alphabet Thursday 
Fertilizer Friday 
Blooming Friday 

The Apron and It's Many Uses.....

 I did a post last year on Aprons and wanted to share a bit more because I love the idea of the apron.  

Today our aprons are made of such pretty and not so durable fabric,  and  we women today, tend to use our apron as a fashion statement.

 I still don't think our kids know what an apron is. 

The Apron is something all women can relate to weather we use one or just have one hanging on a hook in our kitchen.  

(Mine is on a hook and never used)

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. 

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.. 
 The pockets of Grandma's apron were a treasure trove. There at hand was almost everything she could possibly need at a moment's notice: handkerchief, scissors, pencil, measuring spoon, safety pin ... you name it.
And when the weather was cold Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow when bent over the hot wood stove. Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. 

Today most people would go crazy  trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an Apron - but love...

Do you have an apron or two and if you do, what do you use them for?

((huggss))

Pink Slime (Sludge) and Your Childrens Health.....

I know your wondering "What is that"??

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of wondering what to eat and what is safe to eat! ?

This wonderful looking stuff is ground meat!  Really!

It has been fed to our kids over the years. Yes, if you bought Chicken Nuggets, this is what it starts out as! I'm sure you have noticed the new advertising from McDonalds stating their Chicken Nuggets are now made with only the best white meat... they stopped using this Pink sludge a few years ago. (thank you).

The USDA says the “Lean Finely Textured Beef or Chicken” is treated with ammonium hydroxide to kill bacteria. It claims the meat is safe, and has been on the menu in school cafeterias since the 1990’s. Knowing this makes me what to "GAG"!  

The new word is, the government just bought another  $7 million dollars of the stuff for our schools..

 Please, feed it to Congress for "Their" lunch!!

Click here and sign the Petition, Tell Congress to stop using Pink Slime in our schools

But what about the rest of the "Food Chain"?

Food manufacturers think you're stupid. In fact, they’re banking on it. Why else would Hershey’s put a ribbon on the Good & Plenty box that says “A fat-free candy.” Sure, it's true—no fat in the box—but it's also very misleading. The candy is essentially 100 percent sugar and processed carbs. And Hershey knows the average American equates fat-free with being good for you.

Your food can legally contain maggots and rat poop. Sure, the FDA limits the amount of such appetite killers in your food, but that limit isn't zero. Trace amounts won’t make you sick, but the thought of them will.

The leanest cuts of meat may have the highest sodium levels. Leaner cuts by definition are less juicy. To counteract this, some manufacturers "enhance" turkey, chicken, and beef products by pumping them full of a liquid solution that contains water and salt.

Junk food is like a drug. A study in the journal of Nature Neuroscience found that eating junk food doesn’t just satisfy cravings—it creates them. That’s right; junk food is addictive. That's why manufacturers load their foods with sugar, salt, and artificial flavorings, and why you should never forget the golden rule: If your food can go bad, it's good for you. If it can't go bad, it's bad for you.

Calorie counts may be wrong. To ensure you're getting at least as much as you pay for, the FDA is more likely to penalize a food manufacturer for overstating the net weight of a product than understating it. As a result, manufacturers often package more food than the stated net weight or make servings heavier than the stated serving size weight. 

There are more than 3,000 items on the FDA’s list of approved food additives—everything from acesulfame potassium (an artificial sweetner that animal studies have linked to breast cancer) to Yellow #5 (a food coloring linked to learning and concentration disorders in children).

I know the majority of people eat what makes them happy and I'm not preaching here but I went healthy after my heart decided to not work right.  That scared me into eating only healthy foods.  I also can say I never had junk food in my home when the kids were growing up.. no, not even soda.  Today they all eat healthy and feed their kids the same.  So it does work if you don't bring the bad foods home. Your kids will eat what you feed them. My 27yr old daughter has a totally Vegan home and her boys don't even ask for junk at all.

Please take a moment to sign the petition above.  

Although I don't have children in school anymore,  I don't want your kids to eat this sludge either.. it's in your schools,  fast food restaurants and in frozen foods.. think about that!

Now that I made you all go "Ewwww"

Have a great week.

I'm linking up to

 Cheri's Party Time