Shane

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.

Others stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts

and we are never the same.

- anonymous

Shane Harrison

1971 - 1990

Twenty-one years ago this morning, my family lost my sister's son to an automobile accident. He was much loved and well known for his infectious smile and the easy nature of his friendship. Though time smooths the sharp edge of grief, there remains a void which can never be filled.

Remembering you on this day, Shanie Boy.

Blast from the Past

John-Heath circa 2006. Makeup courtesy of big sis Ren.

Firty-one,

Firty-two,

Firty-free,

Firty-four,

Firty-five,

Firty-six.

Firty-seven,

Firty-eight,

Firty-nine,

Forty...

One of these days I will miss hearing my little boy count.

Bieber Fever? I Think Not.

Image via

This afternoon as I was blow drying John-Heath's hair in preparation to attend our boys' high school district basketball game, which, unfortunately, didn't turn out so well. The guys looked very tired, drained even. Ooohhh, how I can emphathize. Sorry. I digress. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Blow drying my little boy's hair.

Anyway, he hates to have his hair brushed. This kid has one sensitive scalp and always complains of it hurting when I brush it while it's wet. I thought I would brush his sides toward his face a la Justin Bieber (or at least Justin Bieber's old style. Did you hear? He has changed his coiffure). I think John-Heath looks good with his hair styled this way - until his bangs become a lot longer than his sides and come to a point in the middle of his forehead. Then he looks a little like Eddie Munster.

Not one to ever stay in the same spot for very long I implored with him to remain still while I finished. "Pleeease, John-Heath. Just one more minute. Mommy's fixing your hair like Justin Bieber's." To this he replied, "Awww, mom. I hate Justin Beaver."

P.S. Upon further investigation I have found that John-Heath thinks Justin Bieber is not real and that he's just a cartoon animal. I love my little boy.

Birthday Wishes

Today, I want to send out birthday wishes to my favorite niece. Megan is now 23. I was a senior in high school the year she was born and I remember my nephew Shane, her brother, running down the hallway at school to tell me, “Momma had her baby!”

Until I had children of my own she was my child. And, of course, she was none too happy to relinquish that role when Ren was born seven years later. I remember when Ren was only a few weeks old being at my sister’s house where everyone was oohing and ahhing over her - everyone except Megan, who shouted “all ya’ll care about is that dumb baby” and took leave to her room where she packed her bags intent on running away. Moments later, she re-entered the living room and interrupted the newborn baby worship with this announcement, “I’ve got my phone and some clean panties and I’m going to the building.” Evidently, she didn’t want to run too far, as the building was just off the back patio.

Happy birthday, Meg-Peg! I’m sorry you were disappointed in not retaining your role as my beneficiary, but you are still my favorite niece ;)

Thank Heavens...

image via

Boy! I am so glad it’s Friday. On one hand it seems as if this has been a long week but, then again, it has been a busy one, what with tending to the sick ones in the house, so it seems to have gone by kinda quick, too. Did that even make any sense?

As you know, Ren has had the flu - a bad case of it, I might add - and missed the entire week of school. She was feeling much, much better today but I decided, since it was Friday, to let her stay home and work on all the make-up work that’s been sent home. Plus, even though the worst is over she is still weak from not having had a lot to eat these past few days.

About mid-week I think I developed a case of the same flu bug, but since I was able to immediately start on the Tamiflu mine has been very mild. I was off yesterday and I’m still pretty achy today but decided to come on in to work. I had a book vendor that had scheduled an appointment with me earlier in the week for 9 this morning so I drug myself in for that. Of course, the vendor never showed. Take a wild guess at how much business I’ll do with this person.

Anyway, John-Heath is still healthy but today I asked our local doctor to prescribe a liquid form of Tamiflu for him just in case it hits him tonight or over the weekend. There’s nothing more awful than getting sick on a weekend. The worst case of strep I ever had in my life was once when I knew my throat was becoming more and more sore but I didn’t decide to go to the doctor until about one o’clock on a Friday, only to find out his office closed at noon on Fridays. By Sunday, I thought I was dying.

Well, friends, that’s about all we’ve been up to this week. I hope you all have a wonderful, flu-free weekend.

Maxine, Momma, and Biscuits

I'm a sucker for funny sayings, especially ones that match particular family members and/or friends. I once bought a Maxine soap dispenser for my mom that said "Cleanliness is next to crabbiness". She is quite the neat freak and stresses over it at times. I thought it fit. She probably agreed, though I don't remember if she thought it was very funny at the time I gave it to her.

One that my husband probably feels fits me to a tee is "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". Well, I can't be the only one because I know he didn't invent that saying so there has to be at least one other mood-altering mother in the world.

I saw another great one yesterday over at my friend Farmchick's place. She has it written on a clever little message board from Pottery Barn that hangs in her kitchen. I told her I wanted to get one just like it for my office. It says, "I ain't a biscuit so don't try and butter me up." I love it!

Well, this non-biscuit is turning in for the night. I think my germy, flu-infected little girl has shared the love with me, if you get my drift. Nighty-night, friends. And if you don't hear from me for a day or two you'll know I'm high on some Tamiflu.

Candy-Filled Hearts

Happy Valentine's Day, gals (&/or guys)! I'm afraid to say this hasn't been the most celebrated v-day we've had, as Ren is sick with a bad case of the flu. It began Saturday morning with complaints of leg aches, and by that evening she was complaining that even her hair hurt. I knew then she had most likely been struck by the dreaded flu. I'm just hoping John-Heath doesn't get sick or my elderly parents (though they, my mom and dad, have had their shots).

Needless to say my little girl is miserable. She is achy all over, has a terrible sore throat, and can barely talk. Plus, her doctor said she was somewhat dehydrated. And, of course, this hits at the end of bball season so she will be missing the district games. You know how high-schoolers like to keep up with their social agenda. She doesn't play but she loves to go and cheer on the team from the stands. I always wished she had played more. She's 5'10. You'd think she could have been useful under the goal. Anyway, that's another story. She will also be missing school all week - according to her doc- and is worried she'll get behind. Plus, her principal announced at school today that this was his last day. He is having to step down due to some health issues. She hated that she wasn't there to see him on his final day. She really thinks a lot of both the administrators and the teachers at her school (well, most of them anyway. You know, she is a teen and there's always someone they don't fancy). Mr. Oldham, better known as Big O, was my principal and is pretty much an icon in our local schools. I know Ren is really going to miss him.

Well, enough of our affliction account. I wanted to show you what John-Heath and I made to use as gift sacks for Valentine's Day. I had seen the idea on the Martha Stewart site and thought it would be a nice way to deliver sweets to our sweets. For step by step instructions be sure to pay Martha a visit.

You can see below all the items needed to make these neat little heart shaped bags. Of course, a paper trimmer is not required. Scissors will work just fine. The hearts I made were created from paper ranging from 8" squares to 12" squares. The polka dotted one in the picture below was the smallest (at 8"). I also glued mine together a little.


We made these for John-Heath's teacher and her classroom assistants and for a few relatives.

The ones being sent to his school were each transported in a store-bought gift sack. If I had not put them in the sacks I can personally guarantee that NO candy would have made it to its recipient.

Each bag was filled with Hershey's kisses and hearts and a few of our homemade glass magnets.

XOXOXO, ya'll!

Linking up to...

Nest of Posies BIG Valentine's Party.

http://www.atthepicketfence.com/2012/01/welcome-to-inspiration-friday-no-49.html

DIY Glass Magnets Make Great Teacher Gifts

Did you know that teachers are some of the most highly skilled kleptomaniacs around? It's true. We are well know for our thievery - mostly of ideas and the occasional stapler from the lounge, that is. We are taught early on in our education courses that when we see a great idea we should use it!

Well, here is my attempt at another stolen idea. Michaels has these for sale and I have seen some blog posts on them, as well. In need of a quick, easy idea of something to make to give John-Heath's teachers for Valentine's Day I decided to try my hand at these glass magnets. Simple and cheap inexpensive. Two of my favorite words when crafting.

Supplies needed:

flat, glass marbles

(I found mine at the Dollar Tree. They were a larger size, which I thought would work out better)

glue (I used my Mod Podge)

Magnets (Mine came from Wal-Mart)

Decorative card stock or scrapbooking paper.

To make, simply cut out pieces of paper to the correct size needed and glue on the back of the glass marbles. When this dries, glue on a magnet. When this is dry take a paper towel and a little Windex to really make that marble shine. Voila! A quick, simple, and budget-friendly gift for anyone, especially teachers, teacher aides, grandparents, and/or anyone who likes to display papers on a fridge or filing cabinet.

You can see I messed up on the first one just a bit - cut the paper too small. Practice makes perfect, though. John-Heath loves it when we craft. He helped out by putting some of the magnets in place and by cutting a few pieces of paper into about a gazillion smaller pieces of paper.

Linking to some great parties.

Linking up to...

Nest of Posies Big Valentine's Party.

Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence

Valentine Time

John-Heath is excited about Valentine's Day. Yesterday, we got the cards for his classmates all ready to go. In kindergarten, it's requested that the cards simply be signed but not addressed to specific children. This way, the students will have an easier time passing out their cards. In kindergarten, not everyone can read well enough to recognize the names of all their classmates.

I fudged a little and signed his name for him, except on his teacher card. I would have allowed him to write his own name (goodness knows he needs all the handwriting practice he can get) but the spot on the card was just too small. He would have barely managed to get two letters down before running out of room. The teacher card was a little different and gave more room for a signature.

He did contribute to the process, though. He wanted to be the one to attach the included suckers (after eating one, of course). The holes for the sucker sticks were pre-punched but still attached so he liked popping them out the rest of the way. I tell ya, it doesn't take much to entertain a 5-year-old.

We also worked on some little gifts for his teachers. More on that later.

Have a great Friday. We still have snow on the ground and slick spots on the roads, but the sun is out, the temp is rising, and we've been told we're in for warmer days ahead. Hallelujah!

Samuel L. Clemens once said,

"I was born excited."

I know another little boy who was, as well. And I wouldn't have him any other way....most of the time ;)

Has the Mason-Dixon Line Moved?

video by RookiexLee

Gee whiz, people. The last time I checked Tennessee was still considered a southern state. Well, it sure doesn't feel very southern today. I was going to take a picture to post - it's so snowy and gray and cold-looking - but, as luck would have it, my camera battery needed recharging.

So, I guess we'll hunker down again tonight and enjoy an evening of movies, popcorn and cookies. My children have grown up to believe you cannot watch a movie without popcorn and John-Heath has now added cookies to the movie-watching menu, though there are times he just can't have his way on this one. I mean, seriously, he can't be eating a plate of cookies 3 or 4 nights a week. Well, he could - but he shouldn't.

I remember a time when Ren was little and I took her to the movies. I asked what she wanted to see and she replied, "Toy Story 2." I reminded her that her daddy had already taken her to see this particular movie only a week or so earlier. To this she said, "Yeah, but he wouldn't buy any popcorn."

And just what's showing tonight at the Tire Swings Theater? Well, we plan on watching Rocky 3 on AMC at 7:00 (Ren is a new Rocky covert) and may follow that up with Scary Movie - the first one. I've never seen any of these and Ren is trying to convert me.

Stay safe and warm, friends.

P.S. 10:01 p.m. Okay, I'm not a prude. In fact, I have a healthy sense of humor, but Scary Movie just isn't going to happen. I made it to about the 4 minute mark and already felt as if I had fewer brain cells, not to mention several moral objections. Nope. Just not gonna happen.

Look Away, Ms. Wilma.

It is very possible that I will face persecution for what I am about to reveal and that all three of my former librarians - Ms. Wilma, Ms. Gail, and Ms. Akins (who, incidentally, is still going strong after 47 years in the public school system) - will forever blot my name from their memory.

I, Tyla, a lifelong lover of the written word, yea, a librarian these past eight years, have succumbed to temptation. Envious of mantels and vignettes on blogs near and far, I have ripped the covers off books for decorative purposes. In my effort to fit in, be a part of the group, go along with the gang, and keep up with the Joneses, I have defiled the very thing I have sworn to defend. Okay, so maybe defile is too harsh a word.

What I actually did was take a few old books that had seen better days and were recently weeded from my library’s collection and gently remove the pieces of tape which had long ago been added to hold together their covers. Of course, before doing this, I did check just to make sure none of the books were first editions. You never know. Many schools have some very dated collections.

Good news, though. Apparently, Pottery Barn endorses this type of bibliotherapy. So, now I have my very own set of coverless books held together with a nice piece of twine to adorn my winter mantel. And the best part is I didn't have to shell out $39.

P.S. My day at home ended up not being as productive in some areas as I had hoped but I was able to get Ren in to see her eye doctor for an annual eye exam. This means she won't have to miss any school to have this done later. Sadly (but expected), each eye was just a bit worse and required stronger contacts and it seems her left eye is the weaker of the two. Her doctor is soooo nice and when Ren expressed an interest in her career she offered to let her come back one day and shadow her to see what a typical day is like.

What Shall I Do With Another Day Off?

You guessed it. We have more snow. Not a lot, but the roads, which were very wet, are now very icy. So, it's going to be a toss-up tomorrow between cleaning or crafting and blogging. I feel the latter may win out, especially since I've been behind with my updates. Of course, John would probably say I'm behind in my cleaning.

But, as John-Heath said last night when I told him it was time to go to bed and we didn't have time to rewind the movie to the part he wanted to see again, "we have plenty of time, lots of time. We've got time to kill." So, maybe with all this free time I'll be able to clean, craft, and blog.

Our Unwanted House Guest

Warning: Weak-stomached, easily offended friends should read no further. It's really not that bad, but I thought it would be fair to warn you just the same.

A stomach crud is making its way through my family. First, it started with Ren who came home early Tuesday and was out all day with it Wednesday. I might have thought she was just wanting out of school early, but she left during 4th block Health and Nutrition (an easy peasy class and her last class of the day) so I knew something was up.

Normally, I don't catch what my kids have. I've taught school long enough and been exposed to so many germs that I have built up a pretty good immunity to most things. Apparently, what Ren had was something new because I started to feel not so hot last night myself.

And now, John-Heath is complaining of tummy troubles, which he always refers to as "diarrhea and pain", even when it's not (as the case is now). And it's never just diarrhea. Pain always follows. What's wrong, mommy? You got diarrhea and pain? --Or-- I don't feel good, dad. I think I got diarrhea and pain.

It reminds me of a joke from Bill Cosby's Himself comedy routine in which he tells of how his mother was always saying she was "sick and tired".

Bill Cosby: "And tired" always followed sick. Worst beating I ever got in my life, my mother said, "I am just sick..." And I said, "And tired." I don't remember anything after that.

Everybody Needs a Little

John-Heath and my rather tired looking Christmas wreath. Yep, it's still up.

A few weeks ago I was able to sign up to receive some samples of gelato and sorberro from the Roba Dolce company thanks to Karen at This Old House 2. We here at Tire Swings consider ourselves ice-cream connoisseurs and were eager to jump on the gelato bandwagon.

First, I have to admit something. I had never had gelato before. Well, come to think of it, I do think I was given a spoonful at a women’s show in Nashville a couple years back, but not enough to really matter. At any rate, what difference could there be between it and ice-cream? But, hey. It was free, and free is always a good thing. So, I signed up. I gotta tell you, this blogging thing has its perks.

John-Heath was just sure it was a gift that Santa must have forgotten some weeks earlier.

It arrived on a snowy Thursday evening. I had opened the door to the front porch seeking to take pictures of the falling snow and spotted a bigger box than I was expecting. Honestly, I thought when they said they’d send samples it would be four or five little one-cup servings.

Instead, this is what we received...

Time to dig in.

I promise we didn't eat them all that night. We did devour the chocolate chunk, though. And it was deeeeelicious!

In addition to chocolate, they sent mango, raspberry, pistachio, and coconut gelato and lemon sorbetto, which has an icier texture than the gelato and would be wonderful on those hot summer days. It was pretty good on a cold winter day, too. The pistachio is not a flavor I would have picked but it's really good, so I'm glad they included it.

Roba Dolce's newest fan.

You know I have to say, I was surprised at just how much more smooth and creamy it was than regular ice-cream. You really can tell a difference. And the best part...it has less fat than ice-cream.

Thank you, Karen, for inviting us to participate in this great venture. You have new converts in Tennessee.