missing smiles

i don't miss black eyes.

i don't miss getting spit on.

i don't miss endless hours of paperwork.

i don't miss room searches.

i don't miss restraints.

i don't miss working on a wing by myself.

i don't miss the heartbreak when you lose a resident.

i don't miss shitty parents.

i don't miss packing lunches for kids on home visits, knowing it's the only nourishment they will get all weekend.

i don't miss runaways.

i don't miss broken bones.

and what i do miss....

seeing the smiles that are created from the difference you've made in someone's life.

O's friend reminded me of that this weekend as he opened up about his family.

our children are truly blessed!

be blessed

t

that's life

rain. rain. go away.

enjoy the weekend.
it's supposed to rain here.
it might be a long one!
i guess that's life.

be blessed,

t

Jamestown

we live in a community that has an abundance of history.

today i drove to Jamestown.

i have taken the drive once or twice before, but apparently i never complete the Jamestown Island drive.

i discovered that there is a bald eagle trail along the James River.

J sees at least one when he goes into work.

today. i didn't see any.

what i did see though was some amazing nature.

it's an e for emmons.

and this one looks like it has warts on it.

everyone has warts, whether they wear them on the inside or out.
yesterday was an anniversary for my dear friend K.
her mom passed away 5 years ago to cancer.
and although i was sad for her yesterday, i was also very. very. very. happy.
for us.
during that oh so very hard time, we let our warts hang out, and rekindled our friendship.
our sisterhood.
i love you, K.

it almost looks like a bow in the trees hair.

and somewhere in between the first two photos and the last two photos, there must have been a switch in birds.

it quite possibly occured when Ms. Snootie Park Ranger Pants asked me to kindly get back in my car and go park in the turn off about 500 yards up the cobble-stone road. (i was on the other side of the road, and had my hazzards on.)

or....

 it could be quite possible that i do really need to go get my eyes examined.
because at first, i thought the bird was a blue heron.
and then coming from across the bridge, from where i had to go park, it looked like a bald eagle.
but now i view them more closely, it appears to be a cormorant.


i caught this guy, as i slowed to a crawl, being sure i wasn't stopping on the side of the cobble-stone road.

he had a partner in crime.

there is just something about getting out, and doing your thing, that makes your day feel right.

be blessed.

t

two thumbs up

a couple weeks ago i shared the great adventure of O and his friends sleeping out on the trampoline the second week of January. it had been in the 60s that day, and was still a pretty warm Saturday night. what i didn't finish, though, is telling you how O and his buddies really got going on that Sunday morn.

it started with something kind of like this...

adding in a few of these....

 a couple of WHAPS with these...

and to finish it off.... a steamroller

O said it was "the BEST night ever!"

it was totally worth it just as long as the morning got two thumbs up, as well.

be blessed,

t