The Scampering Horse

Summer as a kid was awesome. Well, kind of boring, but mostly awesome.  I would weed the garden and play with my kittens. I was outside jumping on the trampoline for hours. Basketball. Lots of basketball. Another awesome part was that I was usually able to go on a parent-free trip, staying with my Grandma in Arizona. I would get to play with my cousins, Valerie, Cherie, and LaDawn. It was awesome. They had chickens sometimes and we would hike up the hill, and swim at the public pool in St. David, AZ. One year I went to Mexico for a month with friends living in Colonial Juarez. I still dream of that white cheese, and mango liquados, and limon palletas. Yummy. Guys, I am a mom now. Summer is terrifying. Don't let her fool you. She asks for things all day. All four brilliant, active, creative children with me all day every day. They ask for stuff all day. All of them. Usually at the same time. "I'm hungry." "I'm bored." "What can I do?" ...

I’ve been thinking about Eva Hassell. She died about a year ago. I met her when I was a girl. I don’t even remember meeting her, she was just always there. She was one of the women who would smile at me on Sundays at church. She had one very attractive teenage son. Even as a little girl, I noticed. He had blond hair, an adorable laugh, and piercing blue eyes. His eyes were like his mother’s. Aqua blue. No. That’s not quite right. Not blue like an ink pen. Maybe like the Carribean Sea. I don’t know because I haven’t been there, but they were blue like heaven.   So pure, and so bright I really felt like they were windows to her soul,   and she didn’t even mind you looking right in there and see it. She tried to teach me piano when I was about 10 or so. I wasn’t really into it. I may have lasted four lessons. Fun fact about Eva, she taught herself how to plan piano as an adult. Then when I was in high school she was the freshman sophomore early morning seminary teach...

I got paid to go to yoga.  But, only because I took three teenage boys with me. They didn't want to take their shoes off, it was precious. Remember how I started going to a  yoga class ? Well, I am still going. I have also started a new job. My dream job, excpet maybe for taking care of baby pandas in China. I saw this picture and thought maybe I would like this job better. Nevertheless, there aren't panda conservations in Nebraska, so I am going with my other dream job. I am teaching life skills classes and offering family support to teenagers who need it. Most of the teenagers are boys. So here is my job. I teach life skills classes. Some of the classes are improving self-esteem, critical thinking skills, nutrition and exercise, and sexual health.  If I am not teaching I am going to a class. Creative Expression. One day we painted pictures. One day we wrote haikus. Guys, I love these classes. Then, if I'm not doing that, I am supervising the cooking of dinner....