This is Maggie helping me decorate the pizzas. That's what she called it. "Mer. When are we going to decorate the pizzas?"
She also helped roll out and shape the dough for her own personal pizza. Frankly, I thought both pizzas came out great.
There were no complaints.
Here we have Maggie and Ratty.
Ratty is probably the most played-with toy in this house. All of the children have loved him. Now it's only Maggie and Gibson who spend time with him but he's had his fun with all five. Here, he's making the Jack in the Box work. He is a clever little rat. I discovered that, according to Maggie, Ratty has a peanut allergy so no more peanuts for Ratty.
I'm telling you- the girl has a wicked good imagination.
Of course she and I had to discuss religion last night. She brought it up and I can't remember how. As I've said, her other grandmother is a big believer in White Jesus and the kids go to church with her and their dad almost every Sunday. Gibson and Maggie have been well-indoctrinated. Owen not so much. But I've got my work cut out for me. Maggie's still so young that she doesn't give any of the bizarre and illogical tenets of the church a second thought. She just goes along with them. Of course Jesus died so we can go to heaven. Of course there's a heaven. Of course there's a god.
Etc.
I'm not sure what the kids think when I tell them that I don't think there is a god nor do I believe that there really was a Jesus although there might have been someone like him. I mean, they know I'm not an evil person and that I'm not a stupid person and they love me and know I love them so...what does it mean that I think church is ridiculous?
Of course she and I had to discuss religion last night. She brought it up and I can't remember how. As I've said, her other grandmother is a big believer in White Jesus and the kids go to church with her and their dad almost every Sunday. Gibson and Maggie have been well-indoctrinated. Owen not so much. But I've got my work cut out for me. Maggie's still so young that she doesn't give any of the bizarre and illogical tenets of the church a second thought. She just goes along with them. Of course Jesus died so we can go to heaven. Of course there's a heaven. Of course there's a god.
Etc.
I'm not sure what the kids think when I tell them that I don't think there is a god nor do I believe that there really was a Jesus although there might have been someone like him. I mean, they know I'm not an evil person and that I'm not a stupid person and they love me and know I love them so...what does it mean that I think church is ridiculous?
I am so glad that I saw a Neil deGrasse Tyson video with him asking a believer in the possibility of a heavenly afterlife, "Where were you before you were born?"
The guy of course was like, "I have no idea."
"Does that concern you?" asks Neil.
"I haven't ever really thought about it," says the guy.
"Then why are you so concerned about where you go when you die?"
I've asked this question of both Gibson and Maggie, and Gibson said, "Whoa! You are changing my world here!"
And Maggie, last night, looked at me with an expression that was both stunned and stymied.
Thanks, Neil!
The guy of course was like, "I have no idea."
"Does that concern you?" asks Neil.
"I haven't ever really thought about it," says the guy.
"Then why are you so concerned about where you go when you die?"
I've asked this question of both Gibson and Maggie, and Gibson said, "Whoa! You are changing my world here!"
And Maggie, last night, looked at me with an expression that was both stunned and stymied.
Thanks, Neil!
But you know, little steps. They are both quite young and eventually they'll figure it out.
Here's another thing Maggie said last night. We were discusing what she wants to do when she's older.
"First thing, I want to be fifteen," she said.
Oh my god. I told her it would probably happen. I wonder if she said that because Owen is fifteen. Possibly.
After that, she's thinking she wants to make a movie. She'll be acting and singing in it, of course. She does have a nice voice. And last night, after I read one of her old favorites, "The Chicken of the Family" to her, she wanted to read "Are You My Mother?" to me.
And she did and she read it beautifully with a great deal of expression and emotion. I was so proud of her! So maybe she's an actress in the making.
Here's another thing Maggie said last night. We were discusing what she wants to do when she's older.
"First thing, I want to be fifteen," she said.
Oh my god. I told her it would probably happen. I wonder if she said that because Owen is fifteen. Possibly.
After that, she's thinking she wants to make a movie. She'll be acting and singing in it, of course. She does have a nice voice. And last night, after I read one of her old favorites, "The Chicken of the Family" to her, she wanted to read "Are You My Mother?" to me.
And she did and she read it beautifully with a great deal of expression and emotion. I was so proud of her! So maybe she's an actress in the making.
And then off to sleep she went, having had her bath and putting on her nightgown and snuggling down under all the covers. She told me this morning that I had woken her up with my snoring. I have no doubt this is true.
"But my eyes were so sleepy that I just went back to sleep," she said.
"Maybe it was your ears that were so sleepy," I told her.
Pancakes, bacon, and eggs again this morning. She did not like the pancakes though. I had put blueberries in them AFTER ASKING HER AT LEAST TWICE IF SHE WANTED BLUEBERRIES IN THEM!
Oh well. She ate her eggs and bacon.
Eventually we packed her things and I drove her to Costco where we met her mama and Lauren who were doing a shopping too.
It was horrible.
Not only was it a Saturday, it was also the day that everyone obviously had run out of all of the supplies they'd gotten before it snowed. It was packed with people. The second I walked in I knew it was a very bad idea to be there. I disassociated so intensely that I barely knew where I was. And wanted to cry.
We did finally get out of there and I went to Publix as is my custom. That took me another forty-eight hours for no discernible reason and by the time I got home it was 3:30 and I was exhausted.
Not only was it a Saturday, it was also the day that everyone obviously had run out of all of the supplies they'd gotten before it snowed. It was packed with people. The second I walked in I knew it was a very bad idea to be there. I disassociated so intensely that I barely knew where I was. And wanted to cry.
We did finally get out of there and I went to Publix as is my custom. That took me another forty-eight hours for no discernible reason and by the time I got home it was 3:30 and I was exhausted.
I unloaded everything and put it all away and then took the trash to the dump because my trashcans overfloweth which Mr. Moon never seems to notice and then I came home and took out the compost and checked out my garden.
Y'all! It doesn't look much the worse for being covered in snow!
Y'all! It doesn't look much the worse for being covered in snow!
I am so happy. Can you believe that? And as you can see, there is still a little snow on the ground in there. Here's the backyard.
Getting thinner every day but not gone entirely. I noticed on my drive today that there are still roofs with snow on them and yards too.
Mr. Moon's been working on a project involving a door for Owen's room. Here's another project waiting for his attention.
One of the legs on my table has broken. I have had that table since 1980 and I got it from an antique store so it surely was not new then. I cannot even begin to tell you how many meals we've eaten off of it, how many things I've used it for from a sewing table, to a gluing of glitter on madonna night lights table, to an art projects for kids table. My best friends and I in nursing school sat around that table to study for all the years we were in school and it still holds a special place in all our hearts for that.
We'll see if Glen can fix it. The leg that broke has obviously been broken and repaired before. I suppose if anyone can, he can.
I'm tired, y'all. I think tomorrow will be mostly a rest day.
Let us hope that Orangeola takes the day off, seeing how it's Sunday, and doesn't try to shut down any more federal projects and programs that the people of our country depend on.
Let us pray. Which will do no good at all and he will do whatever he wants because he is a big poopy kid who has to have his way all the time.
Let us hope that Orangeola takes the day off, seeing how it's Sunday, and doesn't try to shut down any more federal projects and programs that the people of our country depend on.
Let us pray. Which will do no good at all and he will do whatever he wants because he is a big poopy kid who has to have his way all the time.
Love...Ms. Moon
The pizzas are beautifully decorated.
ReplyDeleteI have three grandchildren that are being raised Catholic. Sadly, I don't get to spend enough time with them to have "those" conversations but trust me, when I do, I shall do my best to challenge the brainwashing.
I keep waiting for Mr PooPoo Head to crash and burn.
And many of us here have been waiting for that for many years.
DeleteSigh.
...and Ratty chased Orangeola all over the town. He finally cornered him at the pizza shack, sinking his sharp yellow front teeth into Orangeola's neck. All the time Orangeola yelled, "That's very nasty and I don't like you!" But Ratty didn't listen and soon Orangeola collapsed upon the ground, never to rise up again. And they all lived happily ever after.
ReplyDeleteTHE END
The perfectly perfect ending to a horrible story.
DeleteI have always been a BIG fan of Ratty, the brains of the operation in Wind in the Willows. The organizer, the director, the practical operator I suppose you have read that to all your grands.
ReplyDeleteThe grands have never let me read them a chapter book. I have tried to get them interested but they have no interest in it. Hank has read it and loves it to this day and May, too, I think. I have my original copy.
DeleteI made pizzas myself last night! but I used store bought pizza bases, a new type I had not tried before and they were like chewy cardboard. So I just ate the toppings I had put on along with several slices of garlic bread and put the rest of the pizzas in the freezer, to eat the toppings off at some later date. I like Ratty, he seems a very wise and comforting rat. Your garden is looking good. That table is fixable.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. Pizza with inedible crust? That sounds horrible.
DeleteGlen is attempting to glue the leg back together.
No wonder the kids love ratty! He's got character.
ReplyDeleteYes, and he grab things with his little paws and talk and kiss people and hug them too. He is a very good ratty.
DeleteThat was a fun time with the girl. The Jesus thing is just so silly but when the kids ' brains get sorted as they age and question everything they will be glad that you did not tell them lies. You are the truth hero. RESPECT!
ReplyDeleteYeah. No way am I going to let that crap pass for truth in my house.
DeleteI like that.....decorating pizzas! Ratty is so cute and I can see doing a lot of role playing and fantasies with him. Does Magnolia have a 'voice' for him? If Ratty gets any free time....ask him to bite the Orange Anus...in the anus! Your garden really doesn't look any worse for the wear...everything looks green and healthy....and many goodies forthcoming!
ReplyDeleteParanormal John
All the kids have had voices for Ratty. He is so personable that he needs one. Maybe a rat in one of Trump's nasty golf hotels will come out at night and bite him in the ass when he's sleeping.
DeleteI am so happy about the garden.
She's really getting to be a big girl and yes, Kids will eventually figure out Life and what they want to Believe. Decorating Pizzas did look like some quality time together. Do you usually get Snow? I know the South was hit hard by a freakish Blizzard, even Louisiana had their first one ever... Climate Change is Real.
ReplyDeleteWe almost NEVER get snow and there has been no time in anyone's memory that we have had a snow like that.
DeleteThe snow is actually quite beneficial to the garden and soil in general. It provides insulation from the cold temperatures and releases nitrogen into the soil that it captures from the atmosphere as it falls.
ReplyDeleteDon, I did not know that! Thank you for telling me!
DeleteThis girl will go far.
ReplyDeleteMy in-laws were very committed catholics and yet, never stopped accepting that we were not. They took the grandchild to mass from time to time but she saw it as simply their thing, like their way of serving lunch, playing games, baking xmas pudding and so on. I know deep down it bothered them but their graceful acceptance was the bigger lesson for all of us.
I loved this Sabine. 'Graceful acceptance'. The world could use your grandparents right now.
DeleteYes. Your in-laws were indeed unusually accepting. There is nothing wrong with going to a church now and then to see what it's all about but with some of these Southern churches here, the message gets ground in over and over. Rock bands and videos and blah, blah, blah, happy Jesus. Tears are shed. Emotion is high.
DeleteRatty has a peanut allergy. What an imagination. Thank whomever those kids have you to balance their education and offer enlightenment — and especially to them the opportunity to actually think and reason. I’ll bet your garden will thrive after that brief blanket of snow.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine being a rat with a peanut allergy? Maggie was very happy to tell me that she has NO allergies. Not to anything. She is proud of that.
DeleteYes. If there is one thing I want to be able to do for my grandchildren it is to teach them to use their own brilliant minds to figure things out on their own.
I have hopes for the garden!
I do get angry about all of the stuff I was taught as I went to Catholic schools from elementary through college. It was when my kids were grown that I just couldn't keep believing. None of my kids are Catholics anymore either. Churches really bother me now.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand churches anymore.
DeleteGreens are pretty hardy.
ReplyDeleteOwen doesn't have a door on his room?
Maggie as an actor? Probably or a writer with her imagination or recording books for people to listen to. She has many talents.
We have a trip to Costco planned for on the way home from my TEE Monday as we'll pass right by it on the same side of the road.
He has a curtain at this point.
DeleteI will be excited to see what Maggie achieves after first achieving the ripe old age of fifteen.
I love Costco even more as they are fighting to retain DEI programs despite government orders not to. Can you imagine?
Keep talking to your babies. Dogma, not applying reasoned thought, will do none of us any good, especially in these times when we have dyed in the wool evangelicals being the most hateful people of all. You know I do believe in God—the God I believe in is love, and that force lives inside all of us, and when we pray, as I see it anyway, we are asking the forces of love to expand in the world, and these days, I guess that also means the forces of protection from harm. I am glad those babies have you in their ear, because you, my darling Mary, are a true force of love. Also, Maggie is a shining light.
ReplyDeleteLily calls Maggie her precious feral child and in a way, she really can be but when she's here, she is of course on her best behavior and I love that she shows us such a loving and shining side of herself. She is so much like her mother was as a child.
DeleteI agree with you so much about dogma. Why do humans get trapped in it?
I read this post earlier and I could have sworn I commented on it. But maybe I didn't?! Let's see...what would I have said...
ReplyDeleteWell, for one thing, I'm glad Ratty is still a fave. And I hope Mr. Moon can fix the table. And thank goodness the garden survived!
When I was a child I was terrified of the idea of death, mostly because I didn't want to be separated from my stuffed animals. I don't know if thinking about where I'd been before birth would have helped!