Untitled (because I can)

By: Theresa C. Richardson

 

somebody

somewhere

a long time ago

taught me this is the way a poem should go

AA BB

now one two three

rhythm and rhyme

all by the end of the line

but now

when a word won’t fit

sometimes i use it anyway

its all about creativity

and me

Last year I wrote a poem about Memorial Day; this year I put my words into actions. 

               

I gathered with my nephew’s Boy Scout Troop and others from the Nashville area to put flags on the 35,000 graves at the Nashville National Cemetery. 

                

Medal of Honor Winner

 

I was very impressed with the Boy Scout’s opening ceremony and great organization for the service project.

        

It was very emotional and personal for me because my paternal grandparents are buried there, as well as my uncle.

      

I was able to put the flag on my uncle’s grave and I wish I had brought something to clean it up with. 

          

By the time I got to my grandparent’s grave the flag was already there.  I took it out and re-adjusted it just to satisfy some internal need I can’t explain. 

          

 

I hope you didn’t forget today.

Summer vacation is here! Thursday was the last day of school for my children.  It was a half-day.  There were no tears or sadness from any of my children.  They felt nothing but relief! It was a busy week that we all were relived to be through with.  Field day at one school and two class picnics at the other.  A Volunteer Luncheon at one and awards days at both (at the same time no less)! There were also a few end of year PTA things to wrap up.

We also purchased a “new” (used) vehicle this week.  We had to have something as Hubby’s 1982 truck had become unreliable leaving him stranded several times in his most busy time of the year.  I had to get the kids out of bed at 11pm on Monday night to rescue him. The truck had to eventually be towed home by a kind friend of ours.

Although school is officially out, I do have one last school story to write.  It was during one of these many events this past week that Bubba’s P.E. teacher got me aside.  She was concerned over his confusion on a survey he had completed for P.E.  He had taken an unusually long time to complete the top information portion of the form and she checked on him to try to discover the problem.

The question was to check your race – White, Black, Hispanic, or Other.  Bubba didn’t know which one to check. She told me she thought it was good that kids did not focus on skin color like they used to, but she didn’t know why it was so hard for Bubba because he was obviously white.  I am happy with my children’s seemingly oblivion to skin color as an important factor.  Because after all, to quote Frederick Douglas,  “The mind does not take its complexion from the skin.”

I talked to Bubba when he got home to try to ascertain what the confusion might be.  He said, “Daddy has always told me I am a melting pot, so I didn’t know if I should check ‘White’ or ‘Other’”.  It is true.  We are a melting pot.  My family and Hubby’s family have both done extensive genealogy research.  We are mutts, err… I mean melting pots.  I love that I know my heritage and my Hubby knows his.  We are proud, like so many Americans of the countries we came from and the Americans we are.  I have a recording of my Great Grandmother telling the story of how she came over from the “old county” on a boat and I love to listen to it.

I, at times, fed up with the categories have checked “Other” and written in whatever nationality best suites my personality that day.  Sometimes fighting Irish or barbaric Hun (both my Grandmothers would be proud).   I told Bubba, that he too could check and write whatever part of his heritage he wanted to embrace that day or just leave it blank.  It just frustrates me sometimes to work so hard to break down walls and categories only to have them built back up again.  To have someone divide the the kids and remind them that they might be different from an educational perspective because of their skin color seems to serve no purpose.

I do somewhat grasp that these categories can be important in making sure that different groups of the populace are being educated equally and these catories can help to make sure we are not being discriminatory, but honestly it requires a lot of circular reasoning on my part to arrive at this conclusion. And I have to wonder if it does more harm than good in a 3rd grader’s mind. What seeds does it plant?

 At the crack of dawn Wednesday morning, I met other half-sleep Moms, Dads, teachers and children for a field trip.  We had chartered four buses from Gaylord Opryland in order to drive to Pigeon Forge, Tn.  The destination – Wonderworks – the upside down building!

         

       

The field trip was for 5th through 8th graders who are involved in our local county wide gifted program.  There are 5 students from Sissy’s school in the program and she was the only one from her school who had their parent’s permission to go.  I went as a chaperon, but it was weird for us both not knowing any of the students or parents from the other schools.  Soon we both made friends and ended up having a great time. 

   

The bed of nails was my second favorite part (the art work was my favorite part). Look close at the shadow below.

    

This exhibit below, gave you a chance to see how long you could hold your hand in waters the same temperature of the water the night the Titanic sank.  It made me realize as never before just how cold the water was. And I just can’t imagine all the other factors…

The other girls in my group all went to the same school and had known each other for several years.  They were very sweet girls.

 

Sissy got a chance to play Mindball.  She lost.  That is her in the far chair.  The picture of the other girl turned out better.

 

            

We also ate at the Hoot n’ Holler Dinner Theater before heading back home.  The children were so well behaved and polite – I was absolutely amazed.  I am so thankful to God that I have the time and the resources to go along with my children on school functions like this.

My dryer has been broken for sometime now.  I’m not sure how long anymore, but it has been months.  I have always loved hanging my clothes on the line outside even when my dryer was working so at first it was really no big deal for me.  We made a half hearted attempt to find one in March, but decided we would wait for a good deal.  I told my Hubby I was content with hanging the clothes on the line and the weather was getting just warm enough and just sunny enough this time of year. So I have been hanging ALL my laundry out to dry, not just an occasional load here and there.

It has been so pleasant and the clothes have smelled so good.  I noticed that our electric bill went down some, so when I did get tired of going in and out and in and out; I just reminded myself how much money I was saving.  I actually enjoyed the slower pace and enjoyed the time spent outside hanging the clothes on the line and taking them down. One day I laid in the hammock and watched a load dry. The sun was hot and the wind was blowing and they were dry in 30 minutes (actually quicker than the dryer that day).

But lately, I must admit, it has been miserable.  It has rained here so much that I can’t seem to get any clothes done much less the laundry all caught up. I think it has rained for two weeks straight.  One day Hubby hung a line under the carport for me, but the outside air was so damp that it took one load all day to dry.  I have hung clothes up inside to dry as well, but the same thing – pretty much all day to dry.  I have been getting up earlier than usual to get a load of laundry started in order to make the most of the sunlight.

The short spurts of sunshine we have had seem to fall on days that I am not at home.  I have been pulling my hair out running home between commitments and errands to hang a load of laundry! Some days I made it home too late, only to have the load rained on.  That’s just an extra rinse cycle right???  I told my Mom I don’t know how women made it before the invention of the dryer.  They had to stay home during the day because you sure can’t hang clothes at night.  In fact, just last week a teacher from the boy’s school called me.  She asked me if I was outside enjoying the pretty day.  I said I was.  I was enjoying it by hanging my laundry on the line.  She laughed and said she didn’t know anyone did that anymore.

Anyway, about the time I was ready to throw in the towel on ever having clean clothes again, we got a dryer!  My Hubby’s cousin came through with a great deal for us.  He works at a well known nationwide store and is constantly getting good deals on discontinued or seasonal items.  I have been doing laundry for two days straight trying to get all caught up. A Hubby with two jobs and 3 kids with school uniforms go through a lot of clothes.

For the past two days, I have been lovingly folding each item of clothes.  Touching them and caressing them.  I forgot clothes could be so soft.  I forgot you could wash and dry clothes at night. My last load is in the dryer right now and then I will be caught up. Tonight when I lay my head down on my SOFT pillowcase, I will push away the nagging thoughts of other things I take for granted and sleep peacefully.

My brother is passing through town.  He is currently stationed in Washington State and I have not seen him in several years.  Mom fixed a wonderful dinner tonight and we had a great visit.  I am proud of his service to our country in both the USMC and the Army.

 

 

My Baby Sister, Me and My Big Brother

   Back Porch Light

By: Theresa Richardson

Sometimes when I can't

sleep

I grab my blankets in a

heap

and move to the couch.

I flip the back switch

and use the porch

light

to write.

It shines in the

door

while all the house

snores.

In its soft

glow

I let the pen

flow

and my eyes start to close -

slow.

The cool breeze blows

in

and gives wings to my

pen

and soon I will be sleeping.

When my head is

clear

I settle in without

fear

for it is written in

ink

and I'm free to catch a

wink.