ART is in My HEART

 

 

*Note:  this post is actually just a page for my journal, but you are welcome to read if you care to😊

 

Sometimes in life you get to experience moments that are so fulfilling that you can almost feel your heart swell with emotion.  I had an experience like that today, and I am so very thankful for it.

(Background info)  Years ago my granddaughter (now 14 and very artistic) would often say to me, “Cheri, I wish we had ART in school.”  We had had a wonderful ART program at one time, but it was cut years and years ago when the government cut back on school funding.  I guess this sweet girl “planted a seed” because about two years ago I began (finally) on a quest to try and get a Visual ARTS program put back into our high school and middle school.  I won’t go into all the details, but let’s just say I really put in a lot of hours with research and gathering support.  My final leg was to present my findings to the Board of Education.  And, long story short, my granddaughter’s wish came true! 

So now, let me tell you about my day.  We have an awesome ART teacher who asked me if I would come to the high school today and meet with some various groups of students to help them complete a performance standard.  Each group shared about their upcoming project; and although I really know zilch about ART, I was even able to give some of them suggestions that they really latched onto.  (Made me happy!)

As I looked around the classroom I was able to see their artwork, and it was absolutely amazing!  .  I knew there had to be a lot of talent among our student body, but I had no idea just how much talent there really was.  I very much enjoyed seeing so many wonderful finished products, but even more so I enjoyed the conversations I was able to participate in.

As I sat and talked with the students and listened to them, I actually had to hold back the tears.  Each and every one of them told me how thrilled they were to have this class, and how much they LOVED it!  One of the things that really touched me the most was that several of the students told me that they had discovered within themselves talents and creativity they had no idea was there.  This class and the wonderful teacher helped them find that talent, and now they are developing it.  I couldn’t help but think, “Look at the talent that would have been lost had not this ART class and their loving teacher shown them just what they were capable of.”

(Granddaughter & 2 of her besties in Art Class)

As much as I cherished every single comment, there was one that really got me!  One of the students was a young man with long hair that hung over his glasses; I could just tell from our conversation that he was a rather shy kid and that he was just a creative soul with ideas that were not your run-of-the-mill, usual teenage ideas.  I asked him if he liked the class and he told me very emphatically that he loved it.  Then I asked him what was the best thing about the class and he replied, “It lets me be me.”  That’s when I really had to bite my tongue to keep from crying because this is what I had hoped for.   

Many have told me “thank you” for all that I did to help get this program up and running, but I give all the glory to God because I prayed that He would guide me each step of the way and that He would help me find a way.  And I also give much thanks to our high school principal who could have shut me down when I first approached him.  He could have told me there just wasn’t enough money, or there wasn’t space, or there wasn’t a place in the curriculum for ART; but he didn’t shut the door.  He not only listened; he also supported me and my efforts.  I also have to say thanks to a friend and fellow retired teacher, Nancy, who was willing to help with some of the leg work and who gave me the encouragement I needed.

          (Granddaughter's first landscape)

 

Phylicia Rashad once said:  “Before a child talks, they sing.  Before they write, they draw.  As soon as they stand, they dance.  ART is fundamental to human expression.”      

I am so very thankful that now many of our students (including my precious granddaughter who started it all) are being given the opportunity to express themselves and find within themselves the love and joy of creativity.

 

 

 

 

GRANDMOTHER CENTRAL: INSTALLMENT #1

As a teacher who worked mostly with primary students and their parents, I wore many hats….educator, instructor, nurse, referee, counselor, lesson plan builder, mentor, role model, surrogate parent, event planner, therapist, etc., etc., etc.  Although I loved being a teacher with so many different roles to play, my most fun gig in life has been…..a GRANDMOTHER. 

I am blessed with only two grands, R. is 16 and M. is 13, but they both sure are grand.

They are my son’s children, and they live only about two blocks from us.  Although they both were in daycare for awhile when they were very young, most of their after-school afternoons, summers, and school holidays have been spent with me.  (So add to my other long list of hats:  sitter, playmate, chauffeur, entertainer-extraordinaire, cleaner-upper of messes, and expert child spoiler….I’m really good at that last one!)

When I was a small child since my mother worked I spent a lot of time at my grandmother’s house, but sadly it was not one bit of fun.  My grandmother had very bad arthritis (and perhaps tended to be a little bit of a hypochondriac) and was a shut-in who never left her house except to go to the doctor.  There was absolutely nothing for me to do there once morning cartoons and Captain Kangaroo were off the air, and so I was very lonely and bored.  I remember deciding during that time that if I ever had grandchildren, they would NEVER be bored when they came to visit me….and I think I have pretty much stuck to that!

I believe that when R & M grow up, they will look back and have fond memories of the many things that we did together.  We played games, cooked, went on scavenger hunts, built forts, and much, much more.  Sooooo…I have decided that I am going to share some of the fun things we did together in hopes it might give some other grandmothers (or mothers of young children) some ideas of how they can make their own special memories with their kids.  I have shared many of these ideas with grandmother friends and some have suggested I even write a book about them….hmmm, maybe one day???  I can’t take credit for most of this stuff though because I searched and searched online and in books to keep the fun going.

I am going to post one or two activities from time to time and have decided to call them GRANDMOTHER CENTRAL.  For those of you whose kids or grandkids have gotten passed these days, maybe you can share the ideas with friends or family….or just overlook these posts and find something more interesting to read😊

And away we go….   (from 2013)

I don’t know a kid who doesn’t love blowing bubbles and there are all sorts of recipes to make your own bubbles and ideas for making various types of wands, but this was a new way for us and so much fun.  In fact, my granddaughter had a friend over recently and she decided she wanted to do this again!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

          *a plastic water or soda bottle with bottom cut off (for each child)

          *an old sock (for each child)

          *rubber band

          *bubble solution (homemade or store-bought)

          *small dish or bowl to hold the solution

Simply pull the sock onto the bottom of the bottle; be sure to pull it up until a portion of the sock is flush against the bottle’s bottom…you can see that in this picture.  

Then have your child dip this bottom end into the solution and blow on the opposite/mouth end of the bottle.  If the child is small, BE SURE to explain to them to BLOW OUT, not BREATHE IN!!!!!! 

As you can see, the bubbles come out in a stream of connected bubbles.  My two (always being competitive with each other) would see who could make the longest stream.  And, of course, if you leave the kids to it, they will come up with their own ideas.

This really was a lot of fun, so easy to prep, cost little to no money, and also taught my kiddos that you can reuse/recycle things that would be trash into something useful and/or fun!  That’s always a good lesson to be learned!!!

Yep, this grandmother CHERI (that’s what they call me) was a sure-fire hit that day!  Lots of fun and good memories made…also great for a photo-op!!!

Of all the things that babies love

To help them in their troubles

There’s nothing in the world, they think,

So nice as blowing bubbles.

To dip the pipe among the suds

And then to gravely blow

To watch the lovely colors change,

As fast the bubbles grow.

To throw them softly in the air

And see them sail away,

Is fun enough, for girl or boy,

To fill the longest day.

Sweet children of our tender love,

May all life’s bubbles be

As bright with tints of rosy hope

As these which now we see.

---Author Unknown

MY NECK of the WOODS

I’ve been going 90-to-nothing lately…makes me wonder how I ever had time to work!!!  

Since April 17^th I’ve been going to the gym and “sweating” my heart out!  I decided it was time to slim down and shape up a little.  I started out by going to SILVER SNEAKERS classes (which were taught by some great trainers and attended by some very sweet ladies). However, I could see right away these classes (although very good for you) were not going to help me meet my goals, so…..I upped my daily walks (3 ½ to 4 miles per day) and started working out on the machines.  AND….I am happy to say I’m down several pounds and several inches, but still a work-in-progress!  

By the way, some health insurance, including mine, will pay for you to go to Silver Sneakers classes or join the gym and workout!!!  Just one of the perks of getting older😊

It’s the time of year when hubby and I put up fresh vegetables in the freezer, which is not a hard task but not exactly easy and very time consuming.  So last week he and I put up 4 bushes of peas and butterbeans and this week I put up 4 more bushels all by my lonesome.  Some of these were for my son and his family.   It’s not cheap to put up your own vegetables but they sure are better than those you buy in a can at the supermarket!

I’ve also spent time keeping the grandkids and taking them here and there.  Grandson R is 15 and since we live in GA he has to complete a course called JOSHUA’s LAW before he can get his driver’s license next year.  It can be taken online, but let me tell you….it is grueling!!!  R comes over to my house to work on it an hour or so here and there so that I can help answer any questions he might have.  I know it’s a good thing but it’s written by someone who (in my opinion) is writing way above the heads of the 15 year olds that have to take it.  It’s 30 hours of difficult reading and includes tests over what has been read.  Sure hope my smart boy can remember all of it for the final quiz, but I’m not sure I could!

Granddaughter M spends about 2 days a week with me and the rest with her teenage sitter.  She is a total mess and can talk the horns off a billy goat, so she keeps me entertained.  She told me recently, “Cheri, I’m trying to be a better Christian.”  My heart went to my throat and I just melted.  She also told me yesterday that she is praying for our little friend ASHLYNN (see the post about her here) every day.  My granddaughter has such a sweet heart!

Today is the 4^th of JULY and we are experiencing some rain showers.  Hope they will be gone by tonight when we will attend our community FIREWORKS SHOW.  We will be grilling steaks and making homemade peach ice cream before we go (recipe below).

I spent some time this a.m. thanking God for all those who serve or have served to enable us to have our freedom, and I also prayed that God will lead our country to a time of peace among our citizens.  Our country is too great to be divided by those who will not accept differences in each other.  Have a blessed day, everyone….and GOD BLESS AMERICA.

HOPE ALL OF YOU ARE HAVING A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY WITH FAMILY AND/OR FRIENDS

This is my husband's grandmother's recipe & has been used in our family hundreds of times...enjoy!

Homemade GA Peach Ice Cream

1.  With mixer, mix together:

                       4 large eggs

                       2-3 cups sugar (depending on sweetness of peaches)

                    *mix until it looks like thickened cake batter, then add

                       1 can sweetened condensed milk

                       2 large cans evaporated milk

                    *mix well

2.  Blend enough peaches to have a blender full of pureed peaches (maybe even a little more)

3.  Add peaches to custard mixture and mix well.

4.  Pour into ice cream churn and process.

5.  Before eating:  forget about how many calories per serving!!!

                                                  

                                                   ENJOY

                   

GRANDS ARE GRAND!!!

I love my grandkids.  Let me rephrase that….I ADORE my grandkids and feel so blessed to have them both.  They are the only two I will ever have, and they fill my heart to overflowing!

R is 15…and DRIVING with his learner’s permit!!!  He is often seen DRIVING MISS CHERI😊  M is 12 and can talk the ears off a billy goat…and enjoy every minute of it.  They live only two blocks over and often drop by in the golf cart or on the 4-wheeler.  They are probably at my house about as much as at theirs since I have always picked them up after school.  Being a retired teacher, I’m the homework guru (much to their chagrin).

Honors Night - All A Honor Roll

This week they have been doing CHORES to earn spending money for Youth Camp.  They leave for Florida next week and both are so excited…especially M since it’s her first time going.

They both did their chores SO WELL….and without even once complaining!!!!  I was super impressed about that.

I taught M to iron and she ironed her Papa’s shirts and shorts and did a great job.

R tidied up on the outside then went to work on the inside.  He has gotten so tall and wiped down the upper cabinets with no problem.  I always have to get the step stool.  Hmmm….wonder if he will agree to do this chore on a regular basis???

And the cherry on top of getting all this work done….they both gave me a big hug and said THANK YOU when I presented them with their $$$$!

I think it is very important for kids to learn some responsibility.  Both R & M take care of their own laundry at home and their parents usually give them a weekly list of chores.  In my opinion a child is never too young to begin helping around the house and learning that hard work pays off.

            

Every single day I pray over my grandchildren and ask God to lead them down the right paths.  And every day I thank Him for sending us two very special young people who bless our lives in so many ways.

As "MY" WORLD TURNS

This post will probably not interest anyone (other than maybe family or a close friend)….so be forewarned!  When I started back writing my blog, I decided I wanted to use it at least partly as a journal so that one day my grandkids, as well as myself, could look back and see the memories we have made.  Therefore, this post will catch up my “journal” with some things that have been going on in our lives here in our neck of the woods.

*Mr. Chatter (my traveling-salesman husband) RETIRED at the end of 2017.  I was somewhat concerned about how I would adjust to his being home every night; after all, there were only a few nights per month when I didn’t have to cook and when I got to have control of the remote!  But we have adjusted!            

*Back in January we actually had a little tiny bit of SNOW!  That is a rare occurrence in our part of the country.

*Also in January we had a nice weekend visit with our niece, her husband, and little baby.  He is absolutely the happiest baby I’ve ever seen…smiles all the time!

*In Feb. Granddaughter M’s class did a WAX MUSEUM  presentation.  She was COCO CHANEL!  I helped her with part of her costume & she did a fabulous job.  This was right up her creative alley!😊

*Grandson R was on the middle school soccer team.

*In March we attended our annual WILD CHICKEN FESTIVAL.  It brings many people to our little town, and this year the weather for it was perfect.  Granddaughter M always likes to do this activity…she loves to tumble!

*Also that same week we attended an Aaron Tippin concert; we weren’t impressed.  I like some of his music but he talked more than he sang!  I didn’t spend that much money on a ticket for a music concert to hear someone talk!

*Granddaughter M had cheerleader tryouts and made it once again for both the football team and for competitive cheer.  I prayed all week!

*But the most important thing in March was that we celebrated Grandson R’s 15^th birthday!  It seems almost impossible that the past 15 years have gone by this quickly! 

 Of course, he got his Learner's License and is enjoying “Driving Miss Cheri” every chance I give him!

*The month of March brought a LOT of wind….it came in like a lion and went out like a….lion!!!  What happened to that lamb???  We have continued to have lots of wind in April as well but it hasn’t kept us from working in the yards and doing our yearly spring planting.  Neither of us are great at gardening but we sure work at it hard!

*During Spring Holidays we took the kids to 

WILD ADVENTURES

amusement park.  Sure glad I wore comfortable shoes that day!

So that’s what’s been going on in your little part of the world.  Time spent with family making memories is the best part of life!

SOUP & MEMORIES

I was never taught to really cook as I was growing up.  Therefore, my poor husband had to live on hot dogs and warmed up canned pork & beans a lot when we were first married!  Bless his heart...he survived and is still with me after 44 years!  After a LOT of trial-and-error, I have turned out to be a decent chef.

One of the things on my BUCKET LIST is to teach my granddaughter to do more than just boil water (which is about all I could do in my early years).   We've done a good bit of cooking together but tonight I let her make her Papa's supper....all by herself...and she did a GREAT job!  Of course, I supervised and gave a few directions, but she mostly did it herself.  She made DUMP SOUP and BLUEBERRY COBBLER. 

                                                                 

While preparing our delicious meal, she wore an apron made by her great-great grandmother complete with hand embroidery.  As we cooked I shared a couple of stories about GRANDMAMA told to me by her greatest fan, her grandson/my husband.  My husband thinks she hung the moon (and the sun and all the stars).  Of course, she didn't....but if God had asked her, she probably could have.  She was a very resourceful lady....and a fabulous cook.  Granddaughter M has already done some embroidery; and now she is learning to cook.  Grandmama, sure wish you were here to give her better instruction than I can.

                                                            

Both the soup and the cobbler turned out great.  She gave it her seal of approval by eating a big bowl of each.  Later, she may not remember the soup  or the dessert, but I do hope she remembers the MEMORIES we made cooking together and hearing stories about her family.

In case you'd like the recipes, here they are:

 

DUMP SOUP

Brown one pound of hamburger meat....or use leftover ham as we did today.

(We also added the ham bone just for a little extra flavor.)

 

"Dump" in:

1 can tomato soup              1 can diced tomatoes

1 can creamed corn              1 can butterbeans (or leftovers)

1 can okra                     1 can Veg-All

1 1/2 - 2 cups water            1/4 cup rice

salt & pepper to taste

Cook on very low for a couple of hours to meld the flavors together.

BLUEBERRY COBBLER

To about 2 cups of peaches or blueberries or blackberries, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it).

In another bowl: combine 1/2 cup self-rising flour

                                      1/2 cup sugar

                                      1/2 cup milk (warmed in microwave about 25 seconds)

In small square casserole:  melt 1/2 stick butter or margarine

Then pour into the butter the flour/sugar mixture.  DO NOT STIR.

To this add the fruit.  DO NOT STIR

Bake @ 350 about 30-45 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.