A to Z Challenge 2015

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A to Z Challenge, bloggers, verbs

I had such fun doing the A to Z Challenge last April that I couldn’t resist the opportunity to do it again. The Challenge is simple: Starting on April 1, blog on something that begins with the letter “A”, use “B” April 2, and so on. Sundays are “free” days. Bloggers and their visitors are encouraged to visit others who have accepted the challenge, broadening everyone’s horizons.

Last year I chose adjectives for my theme. This year I decided on verbs. In case you wish to pick and choose, or just want fair warning, here are the words I will be using:

April 1 A is for “acquire”
April 2 B is for “barter”
April 3 C is for “comprehend”
April 4 D is for “describe”
April 5 Free day
April 6 E is for “evaluate”
April 7 F is for “fashion”
April 8 G is for “gather”
April 9 H is for “hoard”
April 10 I is for “instigate”
April 11 J is for “journey”
April 12 Free day
April 13 K is for “know”
April 14 L is for “legislate”
April 15 M is for “memorize”
April 16 N is for “negotiate”
April 17 O is for “organize”
April 18 P is for “ponder”
April 19 Free day
April 20 Q is for “question”
April 21 R is for “renew”
April 22 S is for “satisfy”
April 23 T is for “travel”
April 24 U is for “understand”
April 25 V is for “validate”
April 26 Free day
April 27 W is for “wonder”
April 28 X is for “examine”
April 29 Y is for “yell”
April 30 Z is for “zest”

If you are curious, head on over to the A to Z Challenge page to see more.

I’m [mail] from the Government; I’m here to help

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Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Tax refund

When I came home tonight I discovered I had two pieces of mail from the Internal Revenue Service. The first, in a legal sized envelope, was a “Message about your 2012 Form 1040”. In large print it explained, “Your refund check will be sent to you by mail.” The small print explained, “We can’t honor requests for direct deposit of refunds for prior year returns. As a result, you should receive a refund check in the mail in 3-4 weeks.”

The second piece of mail carried a return address heralding the “U.S. Department of the Treasury/Bureau of the Fiscal Service” and a warning, “Forgery of endorsements on Treasury checks is a Federal Crime. Maximum penalty is a $10,000 fine and ten years imprisonment”. Then there was a check-box and a note:

“IF RECIPIENT DECEASED

Check here and drop in mailbox.” It should have been pretty obvious to anyone seeing this envelope that a check of some sort was inside. In my case, it was the tax refund check that the first piece of correspondence had encouraged me to look for in 3-4 weeks. I’m really glad that I’m not a little old lady whose mail is delivered to the unlocked group mailboxes in her apartment building…the envelope just screamed “STEAL ME!”

I am thrilled to receive the money the Feds have been using interest-free for the past two years, even though it rather looks like the right hand doesn’t have any idea what the left hand is doing. Ironically, I mailed my 2013 Federal return off today, also requesting direct deposit, so I guess I can look forward another pair of these documents in a month or so.

Easter vacation

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Easter vacation, Elf on a Shelf, pup tent, spring break, stuffed animals

Last night I turned off my Saturday morning alarm, in anticipation of the first full day of Easter vacation (aka “spring break”). I had every intention of sleeping in, as I had no real responsibilities until time to go to work in the late afternoon. My well-trained self only managed an extra forty minutes before waking up. Still I looked forward to at least an hour or so of peace and quiet before anyone else woke up. I didn’t even make a cup of tea or let the dog out — I was being that quiet. But to no avail.

Ten minutes later, Miss Olivia crept into my room. She had slept in her daddy’s pup tent in the middle of the living room, and she was awake and ready to play — before 8:00 a.m.! Very soon she conned me into getting into the tent with her, and then she decided to fill it with animals. My job was easy: Lie comfortably (??) on the tent floor, ready to be piled with stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes.

Here I am, surrounded by animal friends.

Don’t I look comfy surrounded by Olivia’s animals?

And here is Olivia, happily dressed in her “Elf on a Shelf” jammies from Christmas.

Her arms and legs are carefully disguised in her Elf on a Shelf pajamas.

She eventually filled the entire floor of the tent with animals, then took pity on me and allowed me to escape. I have a feeling that there will be more tent-time in my future. Stay tuned.

Gardening time

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gardening, spring, weeds

Today was our first real gardening time of the spring. Everyone but Lily (who was still at school) pitched in and attacked the overgrown weeds and plants in the front yard. The weed-whacker, rakes, brooms, and clippers were wielded with glee, and Olivia was provided with her very own “little green weeds” to pull. Our first batch of annuals was planted (petunias and verbena), and we talked about putting in a rose-bush in next to the elm tree.

The only down side to our work day was the heat, which was sitting at about 85 degrees while we worked. I absolutely HATE sweating, but I certainly was. And poor Melody was having snow flurries in Ohio. There is no justice. At work tonight I was stiff and creaky, and it took me several hours to realize that it was only my body protesting against weed-pulling and guest seating in the same day. Oh, well…this body needs the exercise to keep it moving!

Happy Spring! Tomorrow is supposed to be a smidgen cooler…I hope!

Poetry and prose

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Golden Oak Elementary School - Visalia, poetry competition, Tulare County Office of Education Poetry and Prose

For the second year in a row, Lily and several of her friends took part in the Poetry and Prose competition at their elementary school. And again her group of four girls were among those chosen to represent their school at the competition on the county level. Lily’s group was the first to compete, and Lily led them in introductions, so her voice was the first one heard today. I sat next to her mom and dad in the first row of spectators and beamed with pride as the girls flawlessly presented their poem by Shel Silverstein. We weren’t the least bit surprised by their “Superior” rating.

Her beautiful “Superior” certificate

When we gathered outside afterwards and I asked her what the best part of the day was, she explained it was getting to ride a school bus for the first time from her school to the Office of Education. I’m glad she didn’t let her terrific performance go to her head!

The Three Musketeers after their successful performances (they were on separate teams, but each earned a Superior rating).

Baby carrots

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"Some Bunny" MyAcrylix Stamps, Close To My Heart, Easter

Tomorrow is Olivia’s last day of Preschool before Easter Vacation, so they are having a little party. Olivia’s contribution for everyone is baby carrots, so her mom and I decorated them just a bit.

Baby Carrots for Olivia’s classmates…Close To My Heart “Some Bunny” stamp with chocolate and lagoon inks.

Silent honor

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Danielle Steel, Forever Friends, Girl in Translation, internment, Japanese relocation camps, Jean Kwok, Silent Honor

Well, Danielle Steel has done it again. A couple of nights ago I stayed up and finished Girl in Translation, by Jean Kwok, and then started in on Forever Friends, by Danielle Steel. As is my wont, I finished it in one satisfying sitting. And then this morning after taking the girls to school and visiting my mechanic briefly with my misbehaving Jeep, I opened Silent Honor and was immediately captured.

I have been both outraged and fascinated by the so-called “relocation camps” where the Japanese in America were detained during WWII, and Silent Honor provides such an accurate telling of the privations and small miracles that occurred in those camps. My son’s father, grandparents, and great-grandparents were interned in Arkansas, and although my mother-in-law wouldn’t discuss it, I know the family was very traumatized by the losses they suffered. In typical Danielle Steel fashion, she told a complex story that simply begged to be finished, and the last few pages left me with goose-bumps. This was truly a very good read. (And yes, I finished it this evening. That’s three books in three days. Happiness!)

2015 Reading Goal: 9, 10, 11/50.

Five hundred posts

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anntogether.com, blogging, cdogco.com, happylifeaholic.wordpress.com, SarahBessey.com, Trigger's Horse

According to the elves at WordPress.com, this is post number 500 for me here at Trigger’s Horse. The whole idea that I have written 500 snippets of my thoroughly-lived life and shared them with you here is mind-boggling to me. Since anniversaries of any sort call for a bit of introspection, I have been thinking about what I might have learned along the way. So here goes:

1. The blogosphere is filled with too many good people to attempt to count or categorize. Some, like AnnMarie over at anntogether.com and Deb from C-Dog & Co, have become such good “imaginary friends” that when a day goes by without a comment or post from them, I miss them. Some, like Sarah Bessey at Sarah Bessey.com inspire me by their out-of-the-box thinking and wide independent streaks. There are young ones, like Adi at The Happy Lifeaholic who are from the youthful end of the spectrum, while others (like me) are a bit grey around the edges. And each one of them make my life richer.

2. Blogging every day is possible. On nights when my heart is overflowing with sorrow or joy, I can write. The comments from my readers offer messages of healing, compassion, and hope — plus a healthy amount of “been there, done that”. If ideas are eluding me, I can share a Lily or Olivia story. Even better, I can share a small bit of inspiration from Mom’s journals.

3. I don’t have to be brilliant to blog. Often it is the simplest stories that resonate the deepest with my readers.

4. Blogging is satisfying. Seeing my words in print still pleases me as much with the five hundredth post as it did with the first.

5. You, my readers, bring me joy, and I am grateful.

Library books

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favorite books, reading, Tulare County Library

The girls and I made our every-other-week trip to the Library on Friday and brought home a stack of books nearly as tall as Olivia. Among my finds were not one, but two Danielle Steel novels I don’t remember reading, plus one that looks pretty fascinating called “Words Onscreen: The fate of reading in a digital world,” by Naomi S. Baron. I’m smack in the middle of “Girl In Translation” (have I ever mentioned that I LOVE to read?) I am home and the rest of the house is asleep, so I’m going to say “good night” and jump into my pile of bucks.

Good night.

Little Lambs Crop

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Close To My Heart, friendship, Little Lambs Preschool, scrapbooking

I spent today at the Little Lambs Preschool Crop in Exeter…the fourth annual fundraiser for the preschool. It is always so beautifully planned and executed, with fabulous food, adorable treats, more delicious food, great make-and-takes, and even more food. These sweet goodies showed us where to sit:

The little purse had chocolates inside, the dress held a lip gloss, and the pink stack was filled with peanut butter cups!

And these were our table centerpieces:

Can you believe these were made from paper? Adorable!

And to make life even sweeter, the card I entered won the card-making contest (but I forgot to take a picture of it!).