Tales of the Ordinary Days

Having three boys guarantees one thing on fall weekends...lots of football. This weekend was clearly one of those; mirroring many weekends from years past. Although I have officially graduated one son from flag football and a college son from participation sports, we still live back-to-back football from Friday through Monday on any given October weekend. New to the mix are young adult sons who are also eager participants in fantasy football with nonstop NFL coverage. This past weekend has proven to be a solid example of this. On Friday night Ben's high school team, less an injured Ben, won their first round of playoffs. Saturday morning resulted in a game loss, but Grant's junior high team taking 2nd place in their league play. Immediately following this game and on to game #3; Ben, Grant and I bundled up and headed to Lincoln to meet my college son and 85,000 of our closest Husker friends and fellow fans for the Nebraska/Michigan standoff. The experience of Memorial St...

Mom would ride all over town with the three of us in tow, curlers and all (1970) Every week I receive a card in the mail from my mom. Yep, a good old fashioned handwritten note. She typically inquires on the goings on in my life, then updates me on the local weather in Arizona, and the feel of their daily life. She always uses colorful cards and explains the history of the card of choice. I love to get her cards. I love to hear about her ordinary days. And I love to read Mom's neat cursive handwriting. I picture her writing the card at her desk as I read the delivered treasure in my own hands. I asked Mom for permission to publish a recent note she wrote to me. It made me smile and I have since kept the card on my bed stand. It serves as a daily reminder of the gift of a caring mom and how the small things in life really bring us the greatest joy. And, yes, memories are a wonderful thing... Sept. 28, 2012 Dear Sandy, (Paragraph asking about my personal life, updatin...

Birthdays are certainly not ordinary. But after 45 of them, they do seem to blur into each other a bit. I am a month (to the day!) late in posting the Chronicles of my 45th b-day, but better late than never... The picture above was taken on my 11th birthday. On back of the picture in my childish cursive handwriting is scripted "Sandy Wagner at 11th birthday. Sept. 13, 1978". Of note are my school uniform, boy haircut (tomboy stage?), and favorite butterfly necklace. What I really want to point out is the exquisite decorating flair of my mother.  Note the ornate China lady to my left. My mom made that eloquent conversation piece; big-haired China lady stood proudly on our huge wooden family stereo unit. The bird cage to my right was spray painted gold, filled with fake greens and a fake perched bird. My brothers loved to place that bird in interesting positions. My birthdays of past included a homemade cake, birthday family dinner of my cho...