The Varmint in the Shell

Yesterday, my mom commented on my blog and asked me to write her a poem about "the varmint coming out of her shell".  Well, I think I need to clarify what this means.  :)

For Thanksgiving, Mom, Dad, Jim and I were in Biloxi, MS together.  We walked on the beach and found a lot of shells and some of them had hermit crabs living in them.  We only took a few of the empty shells with us, leaving the live crabs on the beach where they belong.  Or so we thought.  Mom and Dad went back to LA for another week or two, then drove home to TN with their shells from the beach.  After they got home, they realized, as one of the shells moved across the counter, that they had brought a hermit crab home accidentally.  I have NO earthly idea HOW this little critter lived for a week or 2 without saltwater or food. 
So, here goes on the poem for Mom:

The shell looked empty
on the shore
It stayed quiet in the truck,
riding from LA to TN
then took a walk
across the kitchen

Or maybe a limerick:

She picked up a shell from the beach
And left it in the truck within reach
It quietly rode
To their humble abode
And then crawled, making my mother SCREECH

Well, that's all I have for today.  Not my best work on such short notice, but I'm sure it's entertaining!

Thunder, Ocean Waves, and Poetry

Early this morning, we were treated to some thunderstorms.  Lightning flashed, thunder rolled, rain fell and it would have been really wonderful to enjoy the storms if the timing had been right.  However, storms rolling in between 1:30 and 4:30 sort of mess up my sleep patterns.  Especially if there is the KABOOM of thunder that rocks the house and makes me nearly JUMP out of the bed.  I tried to enjoy the rolling thunder...you know, the type that starts off in the distance, gently getting louder and then envelops the house, gently shaking it and it lasts for many seconds while it completes its journey.  Yes, I enjoy that type of thunder.  It remindes me of ocean waves, starting off in the distance, you can see them swell larger and larger as they approach the shore; crashing into the beach with a flourish and a spray.  I had an assignment in 8th grade English class to write a poem in the style of a favorite poem or author.  I chose "Fog", by Carl Sandburg.  Here's my version:

The Ocean comes on large waves
It carries rocks and shells onto the shore
Then goes back to get some more

Not bad for an 8th grader, I suppose.  ;)  Maybe I should write about thunder...

The thunder rolls across the hills
Louder and louder as it closes in
Then rattles the house until its gone

Well, not THAT bad for a "spur of the moment" poem, huh? 

Remembering

Yesterday we had a memorial service for my Mother-in-Law, Jo Ann.  She passed away on Saturday, February 12th early in the morning.  While it was not totally unexpected, it was still a shock and, of course, sad. 

Yesterday, I helped Jim put together a photo album of pictures; many of Jo Ann, and then more of all of his family.  It was really nice to look over old photos and remember times gone by for Jim and his family.   During the visitation, we were speaking with people who knew her and it seemed everyone had the same wonderful thing to say about Jo Ann.  "Jo Ann LOVED her children and family!"  What a wonderful legacy to leave behind.  She really loved her children and grandchildren and that was her focus in life.  The truly wonderful thing is that not only did others know this firsthand, but her children and grandchildren also "really know" this about her.  They felt her love all their lives and were so blessed to have her as a mother and grandmother.  What a great way to remember a wonderful woman.  Rest easy, Jo Ann.

Pretty Snow

Okay, I'm writing about snow again.  I just think it is so pretty and exciting down here in TN.  I also find it interesting that last night, it was snowing at work in Franklin, but nothing was sticking to the ground. On the drive home, we could see it sticking to rooftops and a little on the grass, but all in all, it was just wet on the highways. 

Even on HWY 41 up to Ridgetop was just wet...UNTIL we got about 1/2 mile from the house. Then, the center lane had about 1 - 1 1/2 inches of snow in it and the landscape was SO pretty covered in white. As I got to the top of the hill and began to turn on my side road, I was stunned at all the snow on the road and grass and everything! It's amazing how the weather pattern seems to draw a line and you can go from "nothing" to beautiful in a matter of yards! Enjoy the pictures!

Our backyard morning of 2/8/11

Pucker up!  Mistletoe in one of the trees in our back yard!