Can this be True?

This has been bothering me since I heard the tail end of something on the radio the other day on my way to work. They were giving statistics on how many people actually have read a book since leaving school and I thought I must have misheard. So, I did a little research and here's what I've found. The following Statistics came from the website here.

1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.

42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.

80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.

70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.

57 percent of new books are not read to completion.

70 percent of books published do not earn back their advance.

70 percent of the books published do not make a profit.

Excuse me? You've got to be kidding me. I can't imagine my life without books. I am stunned! I mean I know not everyone is an avid reader but I would have never guessed the numbers were like this.

Passing the Rockin' Girl's Award

Ok, as promised here's my list of blogs that I'd like to give recognition to.

Velvet Sacks
As Velvet lets you in on her life you find out she loves to read, to write, her dogs, and her family. Visit her in Louisiana and you'll fall in love with her words just like I did. As of late she's had a few problems and the posts haven't been as often as her fans would like but don't let that stop you from going back to the beginning , you'll not want to miss one of her posts that are filled with intelligence, humor, and feelings.

A Girl Worth Saving
Kelly's blog is all about getting out of debt,and she is very committed. I love her for a number of reasons, she finds the best most interesting sites on the web and shares them. She always encourages me when she reads my despair in my own blog, and I love her sense of humor which cracks me up at times and I love her intelligence and insight on current affairs that interest her. Pop over and visit her.

Cool, Calm, & Collective
I'm not even sure how it was that I found Mel's blog, but she's captured my heart and she will yours too. Mel is going through a journey that such a young beautiful woman shouldn't have to but she is doing it with such strength and bravery, it totally amazes me. You see, Mel lost her fiancee, in the war. She is 19 and she is a hero herself. Though her story is heartbreaking and she has every right to be resentful, you will find she is not. She is what America is all about. She is what the human spirit is all about. And I'm sure she'd welcome any support as she moves forward.

Last but not least I have to mention my best friend's blog at Too Busy to Blog. She's just getting started and as the name of her blog says, she is busy but she also loves birds and some of her post tell you about the ones she spots in her yard. She has a six year old which she shares stories about, and she shares special Bible verses that give her strength to get through hard times. So pop over and give her a comment or two, it could encourage her to write more often!

Ok, that's my list, you guys can put the award on your sites if you want and name anyone you'd like to. We Rockin' Girl Bloggers have to stick together you know as all of us have something worth saying. And ..........
Happy 4th of July Everybody!

Native American Wisdom

"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you
and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them
you will not know them, and what you do not know
you will fear. What one fears one destroys."

Chief Dan George

Rockin' Robbin

How sweet is this? My friend Aisling over at The Quiet Country House nominated me for this award that is going around. Aisling and I are fairly new blogging buddies, I found her once and then she found me, and I just love her blog. She is such a talented poet and her photography is out of this world and guess what! She actually understands me most of the time and can follow my thoughts as they jump around all over this blog. Her words to describe my blog are dead on it, please go here and read what she wrote. Thank you so much Aisling. It was never my intent for this blog to be interesting to anyone but myself but it's always nice when someone enjoys something you wrote.

The hard part for me is now I'm suppose to nominate some blogger girls that I think are rockin'. I do read a lot of blogs by lots of talented gals but I'm mostly a lurker and sometimes I don't mark them as favorites, I like to jump around. But I have a few ideas and I'll post them later. Right now, I've got some rockin' to do! Cause after all, I'm a Rockin' Blogger Girl, you know!

Tuesday Morning Ramblings

I am up at this ungodly hour of 6 A.M because of conference call and because instead of taking it here from home, I have to be at the store to open so I have to go in early. When I was walking every day, as I should still be doing, I got very used to getting up this early but I've grown out of the habit and though I'm working on a pot of coffee right now, I can't seem to really wake up.
The good thing is I do get off early today, I hope. Depending on how things go at work, sometimes you can't just walk out. We'll see.

Nothing much going on for my July 4th holiday. I am off work but no plans. Haleigh and her mom will be visiting family in Florida and Haleigh will get to play with her little boy cousins which reminds me of my experience as a child with little boy cousins.

Like her, I was an only child and when we'd visit one of my father's brothers who happened to have three sons, all older than me it was terrible. The grown ups would send me out to play with these hellions.

Once they locked me in the chicken pen with a mean rooster. They'd snatch my precious doll that was my constant companion and toss her back and forth with me screaming bloody murder. They'd catch frogs and put them down my shirt. They'd chase me with giant spiders, lizards, and sometimes snakes.

They'd make fun of the way I talked, mocking me. They'd tell me there was a ghost that lived in the shed behind the house and then they'd lock me in there until I was almost crying before they'd let me out. They were mean boys!

But I never told on them or complained, because oh how I loved and adored them and loved to visit, even though I knew what was coming. Go figure!

Now that I think about it.....

...that was a mean and dirty trick to play on me! Bringing in my granddaughter for just a half hour and then taking her away! I MISS her already. (Must share Robbin, must share.)She has lots of other family to visit and she'll be back next week.

One thing is for sure, I must live near her in the very near future. Shouldn't be so far away from someone you love so much and who makes you feel so good and who loves you back so purely and unconditionally. Not fair to me, not fair to her. (Excuse me while I think out loud on my blog.)
Every time I visit it takes me weeks to get over missing her and I guess it works on this end too. Yes, I need to live close to her, to them. I know this to be the truth.

Gifts from My Granddaughter

While traveling Haleigh has entertained herself by drawing and I was honored that she gave me some of her drawings.

Precious Hugs

All warm and fuzzy now and glowing with love from my very excited, did I say VERY excited little granddaughter. Can't wait to be able to see her for a longer period of time.

Almost in Georgia

She is sleeping in Nashville right now but by this afternoon she will be in Georgia and giving me hugs and kisses. But just a short visit from her while I'm at work today. I'll have more time with her next week. I can't wait. Just wish I were going to get to hug her Daddy too but he's still a million miles away from me. I'll just send him hugs and kisses through her to take back to him.

Baby Bracelets Galore

My DIL commissioned me back when I was there in April to make some baby bracelets for a gift. She wanted something unique, so she and I went shopping in a bead store there in Washington.

I sort of got carried away and made a bunch. When she comes through here on her trip she will stop by and pick them up on her way to her hometown. I hope she likes them. If you click on the pic you can see them in more detail.

True, there are plenty of fish in the sea,
but there are only a few mermaids.
Follow them, they will guide your dreams.

Chris Clark

Ok, this is really none of my business.......

....but it is bugging the crap out of me!!

There's a house that I go by everyday on the way to and from work. During Christmas they decorated with red bows. After Christmas there were two bows they left up on the porch. One was on the porch light fixture and the other one was over the door.

Up until February, I figured they'd just somehow kept forgetting to take them down. Not my business anyway, who cares??

Through Easter, the bows stayed. By the end of April, there was a "For Rent" sign up and I noticed they'd packed up and moved but..you guessed it! The bows stayed. Now I kept thinking ah ha! The house owner will take those things down. Wrong. They stayed.


Last week I noticed the "For Rent" sign down and moving trucks there. This week, it looks like the new family is all moved in. They've mowed the lawn, cut the shrubs, everything looks lived in already, and ......the red bows are still there! If I'd rented the house, the first thing I would have done is to remove the red bows!

I've tried to figure this out. Ok, so let's just say the first family really liked the way the bows looked. It's their house, so what? But how much of a chance would it be that the new family liked the way Red Christmas bows look in June? Maybe they are put up in a way that nobody can get them down. Highly unlikely. Maybe these new people are planning to have a "Christmas in July" celebration and decided to leave them up for now. Who knows, maybe Christmas lights and a tree are coming next. I don't know but it is driving me crazy!

Perhaps they've decided to leave them up for just one reason, to drive people like me nuts! And if that is the case, they've succeeded.

"Merry Christmas neighbors, welcome to the neighborhood." (Maybe I should take them a fruitcake or something.)

The Pine Tree

Greeting me this morn,

Sending to me sunshine sparks

Through its wet needles.

by: Robbin

A lesson on Stars

Little Robbin: Aunt Robbin, if you wish on a star, will your wish really come true?

ME: Well, if you really, really, really, believe it just might!

Little Robbin: Well, I DO! I really, really, really believe!

ME: The best stars to wish on are falling stars, but you have to be fast!

Little Robbin: Some people call those shooting stars.

ME: Yes, you are right, shooting stars.

Little Robbin: But you can call them falling stars, Aunt Robbin, that will be ok.

ME: Well, thank you Robbin, I appreciate that.

Love my New Glasses!

I had a good day at work today. It's always a good day when a certain combination of things come together and that's exactly how today went.

First all the associates, myself included, have to feel good and be in a pleasant frame of mind.

Next the Optometrist has to be BUSY so that he doesn't have too much time on his hands.

The customers have to be pleasant and really nice. (Smiles are contagious, so this happens almost 100% if the associates are smiling and pleasant.) And every single one who picks up their glasses can see and loves their frames.

And then the last ingredient is that we have lots of these happy customers that actually have money and are prepared to pay for the glasses they want.

We pretty much had all those elements today.

It's True....

...I'm still waiting.

Stowe Away

Today my granddaughter and her mother are getting in their car and taking a little road trip. A 3000 mile road trip. I worry. But I'm a mother, that's my job. Although I am glad to get to see my granddaughter, they'll visit a lot of family and friends and I won't get to see her for that long. It's not like me going there and having her all to myself. (Ok, I'm selfish, I admit it.)

But in a wild dream I think of packing a bag and running away back to Washington with them. And never looking back, leaving Georgia in a trail of dust.

It Was a Hot and Steamy Day....

..and much like this year, the farmer's crops were burning up in the ground. I was twenty years old, barely. I was also expecting my first child. The due date was a few weeks away. The night before I'd started having a few twinges in my lower side but I was pretty sure I wasn't in labor. My husband however was nervous and insisted on taking me to my Mama's house where we spent the night.

I didn't sleep much that night but the twinges never got too much worse. Finally about noon the next day we called the Dr.'s office and went in to see him. He sent me to the hospital and in a little over three hours at 3:10 in the afternoon of a day where you could see steam coming from the highway, I held a beautiful little baby.

My labor was mild, the birth easy, and he quietly came into the world. That was the last quite thing that child ever did in his life.

I can't believe he is 30 today. I can't believe I can still remember the day so vividly. And just as I did 30 years ago I wish for his life to be a good one. He's still working on it and I'm still hoping it.

This first son of mine has taught me many lessons in this life. And as he searches for some peace within himself and happiness, I'll always be right there with him, no matter how hard it gets or exhausting. He is my firstborn and I'll never give up on him. He is handsome, artistic, sensitive, and strong. He fights battles that most of us don't have to within himself. But I have faith that this new decade will bring him some relief. It's my birthday wish for him.

Happy Birthday, my son. I love you with all my heart.

I bet...

...I could have peaceful dreams here. Knock if you need me. I think I'll stay the night.

The Race

My calmness from a few days ago seems to have gone away. This morning my mind is jumping from one place to another and I can't seem to concentrate on anything long enough to have a complete thought.

Even though today is my day off, I woke up very early and couldn't go back to sleep my mind racing with thoughts. So I got up and made coffee and popped some toast in the toaster oven and got interested for a little while in the recommended "Summer Reads" on the NPR website. I read a few excerpts from a few books they are highlighting but nothing I read seemed to really register. I scanned them mostly, wanting to read them faster than I actually could, which is sort of the way my mind is going this morning. My mind is racing way ahead of my body.

I have no way of controlling this mind of mine. It roams and wanders looking for a place to settle that makes some sense but like a hummingbird it never lands anyplace. And when I'm like this, I never quite know what to do with myself. If I had to work, my mind would take on "work" thoughts and I'd be ok. But when I'm like this on my day off, it is strange.

So, there is plenty of "work" to do around here and that is what I will do. Just mindless chores, scrubbing the sink, sweeping, dusting. Anything that requires more concentration than that I'm afraid will not happen today.