One Good Reason I can Stand to Live in the Desert

I live in the desert. Let's hear a collective "duh" on that. It's hot and not-so-sweaty. Not-so-sweaty because the heat pretty much evaporates the moisture off your skin the minute you step outside. It's like the sun lives inside the earth's atmosphere. Or rather that the sun rises and sets within the confines of this desert. This time of year the monsoon sweeps in and causes the humidity to rise, so it can get miserable for people who aren't used to the glaring sun plus the humidity. Last year the monsoon didn't come at all. Yeah, no rain last year. This year the rains have made good on their promise to actually show up, and that means clouds. Lovely clouds to block out the relentless sun. Here is something else that the clouds do.



There isn't a place I've seen in this great country that can compare their sunsets to these. I don't know about the rest of the world, but in my mind they don't get better than this.

A "Thank You" to an Engine Driver

A “Thank You” to an Engine Driver

I wake up alone and searching
There’s no movement of the train
I don’t know where I am
All I know is pain

There are gashes in my back
And bleeding from my head
My leg is also broken
I know I’ll soon be dead

My consciousness is fading
I’m back upon the train
It keeps trundling along
A cruel trick upon my brain

I’ve gone to get some water
Lack of sleep upon me
Then blackness pulls me under
No memories to help me

In the desert sun
Train tracks are lying near
I think I must be dreaming
I surely can’t be here

It’s hot and I am thirsty
The trains I’ve flagged won’t slow
I’ll die alone and scared
And nobody will know

I sleep again and dream
My head lies on a stone
I wake to squealing brakes
And then I’m not alone

I lift my blood soaked head
And cry out my feeble plea
One concerned train driver
Has finally noticed me

He has rescued me from death
I might have died in vain
But for a man who cared
Enough to stop a train

-Marjorie Napier-

This poem is dedicated to a man named Bennie Grayson. He saved my brother's life when he found himself alone, thirsty, and bleeding. He was only 14 at the time of his accident. To this day he does not remember how he ended up being thrown from a moving train.

Adventures In Boredom or A Three-year-old Turns Four

The partners in crime are gone for the week. What does that mean exactly? It means less screaming, fewer messes, and less fun. Let's face it, The two of them are not only "Partners in Crime" but also "Fun Engineers".

Roxanne will start an art project and all the other kids will join in. They usually leave a giant mess, but there is something so great about seeing her inspire the other kids to create. She's a child after my own heart. Plus, she's hilarious. She has one of those senses of humor that you just know will develop fantastically as she gets older. She's also what I like to call a "Smart Alec" to her face and a "Smart Ass" in my head. There is a lot less humor and creativity without her here.

Gabriel is the chatterbox, and he invents games for the kids to play all the time. Is there a giant fort in one of the bedrooms with all the kids chattering away inside? Gabriel is the source of the idea and the conversation. There is a lot less talking and building with him gone. Yes, we are bored without our "Fun Engineers".

So now you have the set up for our little adventure. Isabella and Elijah have been forced to entertain themselves which doesn't always turn out as well as Isabella would hope. Let me elaborate.

Last night Elijah had just gotten done "doing his business" in the bathroom. The door was open, and he was washing his hands (such a good boy). Isabella chose this time to sneak up behind him and yell, "BOO!"

"AAAAAA! Ithabella, you thcarwed me!"

Isabella erupted into fits laughter and so did I. I thought it was hilarious, Isabella thought it was hilarious, and Elijah thought it was a crap joke. He slammed the bathroom door and locked it. I didn't notice he had locked it for about 5 minutes. Oops!

When James and I finally got him to open the door he had broken my deodorant to pieces and rubbed shampoo into his dry hair. Apparently, Elijah has finally discovered the fun of making messes in the bathroom, which is something all my other kids discovered when they were three. He picks four. Just when I thought I might escape this particular milestone with him he goes and throws me a curve ball.

I really had no choice but to give him a bath after that. Since he loves taking a bath I guess I ended up rewarding him for making a mess. Oh well, it really was my fault for not noticing he hadn't come out of the bathroom.

I had fun giving him a bath. He really is the sweetest little boy ever, though I still haven't broken him of the you-hurt-my-feelings-so-now-I'm-going-to-scream thing. He sat in there and played and had a good ol' time.

When it came time to rinse his hair he wouldn't look up at the ceiling so the water wouldn't pour into his eyes. I told him I would have to lay him back. For some reason he doesn't trust that I won't let his head fall into the water. So he finally let me rinse his hair while he looked up at the ceiling. It's important that you know this part, because he won't trust me with things like rinsing his hair, but takes my word on most everything else except at mealtimes.

A few minutes later James walked in as the water was draining out of the tub and "reminded" me to make sure he stayed away from the drain (Because of the germs [Don't ask]). I replied to Elijah quite sarcastically, "Yeah be careful Eli the drain will suck you down." Elijah immediately moved away from the drain to the far side of the tub, and I had to assure him that he really wouldn't go down the drain. I'm glad he takes my word on things, but it reminded me that I have to be careful about sarcasm around him.

Today he is four. I hope for his 5th year of life that he:

1. Learns to read

2. Stops screaming every time his feelings get hurt

3. Has lots of fun

4. Loses a few of his speech impediments

5. Retains his sweetness of temper and loving nature

four


three


two


one



infant

My Favorite Holiday

The fourth of July is my favorite holiday. We never had any set traditions growing up. Sometimes we would go to see the fireworks sometimes we would set them off ourselves. Legally of course when we lived in a state that allowed that sort of thing. One thing is for certain there was always patriotic music and most of the time there were fireworks.

You might be asking why Independence Day is my favorite holiday. It wasn't always. Ask any kid what his/her favorite holiday is and they will probably tell you it's one where he/she can gorge on candy or get tons of presents. I was a normal kid, but the 4th of July has always had a special place in my heart. There is nothing negative associated with the holiday for me. I look back and mostly see nothing but hot days, fireworks, music, and fun.

Now there is a deeper significance to it. Something I never took into consideration when I was a kid. Love for my country. So what does being a patriot mean to me? It means not only love for my country but for the people who live here. Love for the constitution written by men with vision, inspiration, and even genius. Love for all the beautiful land that I have seen and the parts that I have yet to see.

Now I'm not going to sit here and boast about America being greater than all other nations. I've come to realize that almost every person in the world loves their home more than any other. To me America is the best place on earth, because it's where I was born. If I was forced to be somewhere else for any amount of time I would literally kiss the ground when I got back. I just love my country that much.

So is there anything that I feel could use improvement in this great country? YES! There are many things that I think would make this country greater. The number one thing is to end the bickering, mudslinging, and flat out hatred. I don't care what side of a debate you are on if you have to stoop to name calling, lies, and character defamation you do not deserve to be in office. This constant war of words is exhausting! This doesn't just go for politicians. I know most people have heard their mothers say, "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all." Listen to your mothers, and respectfully debate an issue. If you can't then SHUT UP! I believe words are power. Use that power wisely.

*clears throat* So I took some pictures tonight. They are just not as good as last year. I tried to use my tripod. I need a better one. It's just too wobbly. Wobble is a photographer's worst enemy. I was waging a war with wobble, and the wobble won. <---- alliteration hee hee! Anywho, here are the pretties.