Love, Hate, and Facebook

I sort of have a love~hate relationship with Facebook.  Political posts make me crazy.  It doesn't matter if you are far left or far right...it is the word "far" that aggravates.  Reconciling some of my FB friends who are professed Jesus followers and their political posts is pretty much impossible for me.  Perhaps, I lack imagination and that prevents my being able to do that.  Of course, certainly, my FB friends have no obligation to make sure their political posts are palatable to me.  Thank Goodness for the "unfollow" button.  If the same person's posts make me red in the face three days in a row, they are unfollowed because I do not want to allow FB posts to cause me to feel badly toward someone.  I'm sure they survive that unfollowing without missing a beat.  I do have two or three friends who post political commentary that do it thoughtfully and, in my mind, consistently with their beliefs.  These I read and appreciate even if I don't agree.

I really dislike Fakebook. Personally, I think this is a bigger problem (I hope) for young people than for adults.  I certainly hope no adults are looking at other people's posts and feeling intimidated and/or jealous.  We are not in junior high school.  But, for those who haven't matured enough to realize that those posts are the "highlight reels" (thanks to Josh Graves for that term) not real life, they can be extremely damaging.  For me to feel jealous of someone's job, car, multiple homes, trips etc...is sort of like taking the gift of my own messy, mixed-up, sometimes sad, sometimes foul, wonderful, beautiful life and throwing it back in the face of the One who gave it to me.  Twice in my life, I have had someone reject the gift I had given them.  Once it was actually thrown down with the exclamation, "ewwwww, give it to a boy!"  The recipient was a girly girl, and so in hindsight, perhaps, a pirate ship was not the best choice.  That day I learned a lesson; don't give a gift that YOU want, but rather know your audience and find something special that they would want.  The other time, I had handknitted a scarf for someone I loved dearly and who loved me dearly.  I was taken aback when the gift was opened and they stated, "that's nice, but I'll never wear it."  I learned a good lesson that day too; you still love people dearly after they have made what could be a hurtful statement and being "hurt" is a choice. Having said all that, I do not want to be guilty of thinking my life is not enough because of what someone posts on FB, or for any other reason for that matter.

I really do not like Vaguebook.  You know the posts ~ "I can't believe that just happened!"  This is only appropriate if a national sporting event is on TV and everyone is watching and something like the Music City Miracle just happened...in my humble opinion.  Or ~ " oh, no!"  What oh no?  Stop, just stop.  Or a post from someone who hasn't posted in three years and they put, "here we go again."  No, no, no.  Or the "virtue signaling" as someone close to me calls it.  If you've done something mighty fine, just say it if you need it told.  Please don't beat around the bush or passively-aggressively try to manipulate the rest of us into telling about your righteousness. Either keep it to yourself in your heart or boast about it from the highest mountain, just choose.  You get what I mean.  I don't mean the "will you pray for my friend" with no explanation.  I don't need explanations to offer prayers on behalf of someone.

But, there are things about FB that I really love.  I love seeing the pictures of your children, grandchildren, weddings, anniversaries, animals in your yard, Pinterest fails and successes, trips (I have enjoyed many a vicarious trip thanks to FB), birthdays, friend gatherings, etc.  I love seeing all that.  I have connected with many people, some of whom I would have no idea where they are or what their lives have been without FB. For a committed introvert, it is a wonderful way to stay in touch.  

I have especially enjoyed the month of June on FB.  I'm a little sad that today is the last day of our June photo challenge. 8 or 9 of us have pretty consistently (6 of us haven't missed a day) posted a daily prompted picture.  The pictures are great and they have also been a window into the lives of those of us who have posted.  Two of the other 5 I grew up with in church.  They are brothers.  Because of FB, we have reconnected.  I have had lunch with them here in Nashville.  They both have been on my walking tour at different times.  They are fine men, husbands, fathers, and grandfathers.  They are adventurers, and have afforded me, through FB, to see many beautiful places.  It just gives my heart a little bubble of happiness to be reconnected with them and, indirectly, with their families. Thank you Bobby and Tommy (you'll never be Bob and Tom to me) for allowing me to know you and those you love so well.  Oh, and thanks for teaching me about earthquake bolts.  I never knew.

The only other female in our group I did not think I knew at all.  She is friends of the brothers and a wonderful photographer, wife, mom, grandmother to lots of grandchildren...just a really nice person.  Talking with a friend who attended the same high school as this new FB friend, I asked if she knew her.  She said, "yes, she was in my wedding!"  So was I in that wedding.  Obviously, Debbie and I had met before ~ 46 years ago.  When she and I were on FB messenger talking about this, she told me that her husband was in my split 5th grade class at Dalewood Elementary School.  What a small, small world!  Thank you, Debbie, for sharing parts of your life with me through this photo challenge.  I have loved getting to know you this way, and look forward to the day that we meet face to face....again.  And, thank you for your encouragement of the photos I have shared and of my grandparenting adventures.

Two of the men in our little crew, I have never met and possibly will never meet.  They are also friends of the brothers mentioned above.  One of these new friends lives in California and one in Arkansas.  Both, again, are loving husbands, dads, and granddads.  They both have had some grand adventures that I have enjoyed witnessing through their photography.  They are creative and encouraging and so very kind.  They enjoy and appreciate their lives. Thank you Gene and Byard for participating in the photo challenge.  I count it pure joy to have had my life touched by yours in this way.  Perhaps, someday, this whole little group will meet at Tommy and Janet's farm and go eat hot dogs.

None of this would have happened without this thing called Facebook.   Moments matter.  I have enjoyed the moments of our photo challenge.  A group of six very different people with different lives, a fact made obvious by our different takes on the photo prompts.  That has been fun too.  On the 29th, the challenge was "someplace colorful."  Posted were, ribbons on a Navy Command Master Chief's chest, a drawer of little girl dresses, a beautiful backyard, a donut shop, a rainbow over some amazing scenery, a field of California poppies, and a bird.  I'm a firm believer that part of our divine spark is displayed in our creativity.  So, again, Tommy, Bobby, Debbie, Gene, Byard and also, Ginger and Tom, thank you, and thank you Facebook!  Until the next time, be well, and keep taking those pictures!

Plans Change

Week 2, Last day.

Our plans had included Crockett Park, Pizza, making cards and going to Post Office to mail them.  Pretty much the pizza is the only part of our plan that did not change.

The weather was yucky so Crockett Park was not a good option. We went to the movie instead to see The Incredibles.  I confess, I slept through part of it.  Those recliner chairs are VERY comfortable.  Everyone agreed that was a fun thing to do on a rainy camp day.  Crockett Park would have been a whole lot cheaper.

We had morning work too, where they wrote invitations for their parents and Fizzy because they are cooking dinner for them on July 10.  We have our menu set, so grocery shopping, setting the table and cooking with probably take a good part of that day....or not, so I will have additional plans.  They did a math sheet, a "would you rather" sheet where Simmy put down the shortest answers, regardless of what he'd rather.  That is not a conclusion I drew, it's what he said.  Funny guy.  They made pictures using stencils that I did not even know I had.

Last, but not least, we made crystals on sea shells.  They turned out really well, except Mellie went a little crazy with the Borax so our shells looked less like sparkly shells and more like geodes, but either way, they were just lovely.

A quiet, slow, pretty peaceful day.  It is uncanny when the boys get crosswise with each other, I tell them to "meet me at the river."  They know the river is the sofa in the living room, and there we hold hands and I pray while they pay very little attention.  Now, in case you think I am praying some fire and brimstone prayer, I am not.  I simply ask that we all act like Jesus to one another, to only look in our cousin's "yard" to be sure he has enough and to give Mellie patience.  They scoff, but it surely seems to help.

So, now I'm down to 6 days of camp this summer.  It is true that I am pretty tired by the time they go home, but I would not trade getting to spend these days with these boys for anything.  I am extremely fortunate that their parents allow me these opportunities.

Young and Old

Week 2, Day 1

 My mother thinks I'm young.  She's almost 94.  I understand from her vantage point that 65 looks young.  Make no mistake, I am not feeling young at the moment.  Week 2, Day 1 has been a great day.  It has been a busy day.  It seems at the moment that 2 of us are still going strong and one of us, not so much.  

Today, we bought flowers for Nunny and delivered them.  You would think that her lift chair (don't tell her that I said she had one) was a ride at an amusement park.  They took turns dumping each other out, until, I felt it was time to go.  

Off we went to visit Fizzy at his office.  His office is filled with crafts done by the grandchildren and pictures of our family.  He also has a favorite Mark Twain quote: "always do right.  it will gratify some and astonish the rest."  There is also beautiful black and white shot of the doors at the old Otter Creek building taken by the brilliant Jerry Atnip with a description entitled "Doors with a Patina" written by the wonderful Sandra Collins.  I am blessed to know so many wonderful people, but I digress.  We took pictures in a courtroom of an unnamed judge and pretended we were presiding over a trial.

Next, came lunch at Swett's.  Lots of debate between Fizzy and me as to where we should go for lunch.  We both were pretty sure that Chick-fil-a would be a better choice, but I am not eating at fast food restaurants this year, so Swett's it was.  Both boys ate like champs, and even after one said in the car that he "would not eat no fried chicken (followed by a grammar lesson in double negatives," he proceeded to devour his friend chicken, mac and cheese, and fruit.  The other ate beef tips, corn on the cob and at least 1/2 pound of butter on one roll.  Sim eats a little slower, because he is pretty much constantly talking, so Max laid down to take a little rest.  We rain would deter us from our other planned activity, but it did not so...…

They changed clothes in the car into bathing suits.  Why do some people find being naked an invitation to a dance party?  I don't know, but I was hurrying them to please get dressed and to quit exposing themselves out the car window so as not to have me picked up by DCS.  Finally, they were dressed and off to the fountains at the Bicentennial Mall we went.  

They had so much fun, in spite of two pesky (bratty) little boys that were a torment.  Not to my delight at all, but Max and one of them accidentally ran into each other in a full out run and the little one fell and begged to go home.  He was not seriously injured and we were not disappointed to see him go.  I have to say here, however, that I was so proud of my boys for sharing and being kind to smaller and bigger kids there. That prayer we had to start the day, asking The Lord to help us be more like Jesus, seemed to have an impact even if they giggled through the whole thing and told me they felt awkward.  The greatest activity was watching the balls we took being kept in the air by the fountains.  Let that suffice as a science exhibit in Mellie's Summer Camp of Excellence.  Also, reading was introduced as I encouraged them to read the inscriptions on the wall at the fountains.  That activity was met with not much enthusiasm.

At least we headed home, had strawberries and yogurt, and then did string art for the journals.  That was so much fun and they turned out excellently.  I am supposed to be somewhere tonight, but, frankly, I am not sure I am going to make it, but it was been a most marvelous day.    

Camp Lessons

Lessons learned today....in no particular order.

1.  Tie Dye does not wash off hands very well
2.  Chocolate cups are not as easy to make as Pinterest would have you think.
3.  Multiple stabs at balloon forms for chocolate cups will make said cups collapse.
4.  Six year old boys will not spend more than 4 seconds shaking up a bag of ice to make ice cream in a bag.  Their hands get cold.
5.  Ice cream in a bag makes soft serve look like a brick.
6.  It is really hot today.
7.  Sticks and rocks make very nice "stencils" for tie dye shirts.
8.  A floor covered in plastic eggs is tempting for 6 year old boys to kick eggs as far as possible.
9.  Security guards are not pleased with kicked eggs.
10. Why would there be an exhibit of fish hanging from the ceiling and not expect 6 year old boys to swing them about and bump them into each other?
11. Security guards do not care for swinging fish.
12. Mellie and the boys look quite official in our Mellie Camp shirts.
13. 6 year old boys have about a 12% success rate in snapping non-fuzzy photos.
14. Children love splashing in water of any sort.
15. 6 year old boys can only go 12 1/2 minutes without a snack.
16. 6 year old boys don't care for writing in journals, but when someone insists, they do a better-than-adequate job.
17. 6 year boys will climb on anything...as high as they can go.
18. Great pleasure is found describing in detail the delicate places where chigger bites can be found.
19. If an adult leaves the room, 6 year old boys will just take their shirts off at the dining room table while eating lunch.
20. We have some work to do on our table manners before dining at The Hermitage Hotel.
21. I am very lucky to spend days in the presence of 6 year old boys.