Kites fly up
Helicopters spin down
Wind chimes ring
To signal spring
I spy a four leaf clover
The early bird got the worm
Picnics in the sunshine
Relaxed and warm
Buttercups give your chin a tickle
Do you see the glow?
Rain starts to sprinkle
Look for the rainbow
Clip a bunch of lilacs for the table vase
Egg hunting time…it’s a race!
Let’s go camping for spring break
Practice skipping stones across the lake
The school year is coming to an end
Field day…time to play!
Spring forward!
High school prom is in May
Decorations, corsages, anticipation
Can you believe what’s next?
Our high school graduation!
Blow the dandelion seeds into the wind
What is my wish?
For Father Time to go to bed
And let time stand still instead
Nostalgic
But Did You Live?
I catered an event last night that was out in the middle of Nowhere, NC. When I pulled in, the owner met me on his UTV, and told me to follow him through the hayfield to the backside of the venue, and that’s where I could park. Going in was no problem. After the event and a massive downpour, in the dark with no escort, I started to think twice about driving through a field. And in that moment, I thanked God for being so dumb in high school.
Where I grew up, we got pretty creative with our party spots in order to keep them out of the police spotlight. Woods, cornfields, creeks, sandpits, the quarry, mountain tops, the end of an airstrip… Been there, done that. We also had to be pretty adventurous to be willing to try to get there, mindful of all possible exits in case we had to flee in a pinch, and imaginative with our excuses of how that mud got all over the tires and that dent got in the fender. It actually takes a lot of brain power to be dumb.
Thinking back on all the risks I took, it’s a wonder I’m not dead. I get a kick out of that line from Hangover when Chow asks, “But did you die?” Sitting in that field last night, I was grateful for my near-death experiences. I’m a lot less dumb at my current age, but more importantly, I know I can say “yes” when asked, “But did you live?”
Dandy Lion Wishes
Blow away the seeds of a dandelion and wish that a dream come true returns to you. How many dandelions can you find, and how many wishes can you make? What would you wish for? To see someone again? To gain something new? To have more of something you already have? To get back something you lost? Would you make a wish for someone else?
As a child, every so often, my dad would quietly wake me up early on a Saturday morning and tell me to get dressed and meet him at the car. We’d take the old, green Oldsmobile to breakfast at the Dandy Lion diner, just me and him. I probably ordered pancakes. I don’t actually remember. I don’t remember the conversations either. And I don’t remember much about what the place looked like, or even what town it was in. What I do remember is being there with my dad. Just me and him.
Early this past Saturday morning, my daughter and I were able to drive down to scoop up my dad on his 84th birthday and take him to a local diner for breakfast.
My Dandy Lion wishes came true.
Juvenescent Junkets 