School children

Since we were school children our grand parents and parents taught us to be in touch with our emotions. They never failed to ask "What did you learn in school today? Was your teacher wearing a pretty dress? Would you like to speak in front of lots of people and teach them things when you grow up?"
In their ignorant ways they thought us to observe everything and stimulate our fantasy about what we would like to do as grown people. They thought us to do our home work right after we got back from school "Because your brain is now in the learning gear" they used to say.
After the home work was done we were free to go out an play until dinner time. We were never told "Do this because I tell you to".
We were always approached by mother and grand mother in a nice way like "Could you help me do this?" and we were always willing to help. Father was the only forceful imposer and would never be much part of our lives. After so many years in the military he thought he should treat us as he treated his soldiers. He used to point his index finger at us and growl "I told you . . ."
Because of father's behavior, up to this day, I cannot stand anyone to point his finger at me.
It is amazing how little words or gestures can influence the rest of a child's life.

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Old lores

I started to narrate and describe part of the world I lived in after WWII distructed my town in Italy. The book is posted on my site "tinahasit.com" kept up by my friend Mario Malaguti in Italy. The book title is "Face of Life". it can be accessed by clicking on my image and followwed chapter by chapter clicking on next. Hope the viewer will enjoy my story and see how the world has changed within the last two generation. My lore will stimulate the memory of the elderly and probably be ridiculed by the young ones who may read it. I have fun talking about it and hope others will enjoy reading it.

Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a wonderful hopping game that can be played on a bare patch of ground or on a floor indoors.

We used a stick to draw a hopscotch pattern on the ground or used strings of yarn on a floor. Created a diagram with 7 sections and number them. Each section represented a day of the week. We started drawing a big square topped by a semi arch, then we divided the big square into six smaller squares. Each square was a day of the week. On the left squares we hade Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On the right squares we had Saturday, Friday and Thursday. The top arch was Sunday. We could only put both feet down on Sunday. Each player has a marker such as a flat stone or bottle cap.

The first player stands behind the starting line to toss her or his marker in square 1, had to prod the flat stone with the tip of the toe from square to square, counting the squares and naming the day of the week as we hopped square 1 to square 2 and then continue hopping to square 7, put both feet down, turn around, and hop back again. Pause in square 2 to pick up the marker, hop in square 1, and out. Then continue by tossing the stone in square 2. All hopping is done on one foot unless the hopscotch design is such that two squares are side-by-side. Then two feet can be placed down with one in each square. A player must always hop over any square where a maker has been placed.

A player is out if the marker fails to land in the proper square, the hopper steps on a line, the hopper looses balance when bending over to pick up the marker and puts a second hand or foot down, the hopper goes into a square where a marker is, or if a player puts two feet down in a single box. The player puts the marker in the square where he or she will resume playing on the next turn, and the next player begins.

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The face of life by Tina C. Hartley

Young, strong . . .

The face of life - I was young, strong, full of dreams and ambitions. After years of work I finally realized my materialistic dream of owning a mansion, a Mercedes, jewelry, furs and trendy clothes. I was concentrating entirely on my career. I wanted to build more and more.

I loved to see things grow around me. I mingled with all social classes from the lowest to the highest. My life was a non ending learning journey. I had become to comfortable in my life and over confident. Bang! in one second my security was shattered. I was hit from behind from a distracted driver. As time went on my strength start fading. Had to stop working unable to control my body motions. Pain set in. All my ambitions ebbed away slowly. The whole meaning of my life changed. My face marred forever by the right eye removal. I had to fight my emotions to accept my NEW self. I fought it with all my might. I adopted a large pair of glasses to cover my disfiguration. I realized my family had a very hard time accepting the NEW ME.

Daffodils

The snow put a fresh breath of life to the awakening spring. It is still February and my daffodils little trompets already lace us the yard with their bright, yellow smiles. The new buds on bushes and trees are ready to open to welcome the upcoming season. The snow filtered the air and colors are much brighter and chattier.

I wish nature could filter people's hearts as it did the air. The world would be so much brighter with a smile on everyone's face. We need to get closer to nature, like our ancestors, to regain our full potentials and live in harmony, peace, acceptance and understanding of each
other as individuals, not as branded herds.span>

Bearded trees

The beautiful, ancient trees show their age in the winter.

Their sagging branches covered with snow bear the weight of nature.

There is silence in the sagging, white bearded branches now.

All the happy chearping and all the new life abandoned the white topped trees.

We are part of nature.



Just as the trees become abandoned so do the elderly when their hair turn white and their strength ebbs.
It is a fascinating, never ending cycle.
From seed to bud, from bud to bloom, from bloom to strong, healthy, colorful flowers which slowly fade, sag back towards the ground.
It is the justice of nature that no one live thing, no matter how beautiful or powerful will escape.

And now Millbrook (AL), where to go and adjacent areas, by Tina's website.

Snowfall and Palm tree.

The big Palm tree that grows in the middle of the downstairs back patio became miraculously white. Palm is a tropical evergreen tree of the family of the palmaceae characteristically having unbranched trunk with a crown of large pinnate or palmate leaves.
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves all year round. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose all their foliage for part of the year.
A leaf or frond of a palm was carried as an emblem of victory, success or joy. It was indeed a frantic joy to see the long leaves of my palm tree covered with snow. Snow in Millbrook, Elmore County, Alabama can be considered a miracle of nature.
It was so nice to swim in the enclosed, warm water swimming pool and watch the fluffy snow flakes fall all around us through the glass doors, as it covered the ground and whiten the trees and shrubs. It was like living a spectacular dream.