Chance Literary Explorations
Two Cherubs Reading, Detail from Madonna and Child with Saints by Rosso Fiorentino (Battista di Jacopo)
Can anyone tell me, who are “Munner Murray” and “Jophus?”
Well, I can tell you who they are; they are true life characters who my little Chance grandbaby reads about with me in his little book, I Learn to Read about Jesus. This is a wonderful little book which was mine as a child, given to me by my mother. Sadly our original was lost when our home burned but blessedly my mother happened across another copy of it and was able to procure it for me to read to the grandbabies. And, boy, do my 3 grand boys love to read!
It has been so much fun to introduce the love of reading to the boys. At this point in time our little Chance is wide eyed with enthusiasm as the literary world unfolds before his eyes and his imagination. He loves his books and I just really feel a desire to record here his favorites and the things he says about them.
His very first favorite book was Good Night, Gorilla, and he was quite taken with the main character, Gorilla, who he called Mawntee (Monkey), and the elephant who he called El-e-phawn-tay. One night he was playing with his baby brother, Thorne, and suddenly his eyes lit up and I could just see a light dawning in his little understanding. Transfixed, I drew nearer to him, studying him, knowing that some realization had hit him about his tiny sibling. Amazed he pointed to his brother and screamed, “Mawntee!” We quickly informed him that Thorne was not a ‘mawntee,’ but he just looked at us like we were crazy and said, while pointing at Thorne, “Mawntee, Mawntee, Mawntee!” Mawntee it is…I only hope the nickname doesn’t follow poor Thorne past his babyhood…
My little “Chance Pance” also loves The Little Engine That Could and for some reason when he was VERY small he noted in the illustrations an obscure little Humpty Dumpty amongst the toys going to the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. “Dumpy Dumpy!” he cries when he sees the book and all the way through it until we get to “Dumpy Dumpy’s” page.
How precious it is to see a child’s mind unfolding and growing like a blossom in the spring. As I watch and enjoy I am often reminded of a conversation I had while walking our first grandson, “Micah Man,” at the park one day. There were two older gentlemen and one commented on Micah and I stopped for a bit of grandmotherly show-off time. The other of the two men began telling me how when his grandchildren began coming he and his wife ‘escaped’ to another part of the country to live. I was saddend over that statement and all it represented; it haunts me to this day.
Thank God I am able to live so near and see my little heritage and have them often in my home. What a blessing to know their expressions and their dimples and their personalities in such an intimate way because they are a part of my everyday life as well as a part of my heart.
What are some of the cute things your youngsters say/said? Feel free to share; I’d love to hear.
Blessed is the Grand Maw who has a quiver full, y’all!
Ode to Cheap Scissors
Grooming Scissors by Charlene Audrey
Have you ever walked into a dollar store and seen those cheap scissors in a bin?
One day, after years of walking by them, I remembered being at a neighbor’s apartment when I was just a child and seeing her cut pizza with a pair of scissors. This gave me pause even as I ran through the kitchen playing with her girls. In answer to my startled expression she laughingly told me that scissors are a great tool in the kitchen and that she used them for many things. “Just cheap little ol’ scissors,” she said.
On impulse I grabbed a couple of scissors for a buck each and toted them home a few years ago. I’ll tell you that dear lady was right as rain about this whole scissors deal, y’all. I use them for everything…cutting pizza, snipping/chopping herbs, cutting dough, (I also use pizza cutters for cutting rolled dough) cutting crusts off of bread for little ones, cutting toast and sandwiches in little squares for little ones, opening packages, cutting raw bacon, mail, plastic wrap, and at least a dozen other things. Then, because they’re cheap, into the dishwasher they go!
I keep at least 3 or 4 pair running in my kitchen all the time. They easily last a year or two just fine and maybe even longer. They are kept, along with my whisks, in a clay flower pot on my counter.
My son-in-law, Jay, really teased me at first about my scissor fetish but yesterday he came toting me a pair he’d picked up for me at Dollar Tree (as he picked up yet another pair for my daughter). Sweet boy! 
Thank you, Jay! My mother tried it and wound up buying her friends each a ‘starter pair’ as a little just-because gift. Of course she grabbed herself another pair or two when she purchased theirs.
Give a pair a try and see if you don’t start grabbing you another pair soon.
And a Cheery, Chilly Good Mornin’ to Y’all!
Well, Cafe Expression is a viable bizness now. I’ve not been able to look up from my web and graphics work for a while so I decided to hop on down to my local city hall and grab a business license so that I can at least look productive instead of just obsessed with computer pretties. So Cafe Expression Web and Graphic Design has been birthed. Now I really must budget my time and I think that it’ll actually make it easier for me get to some other things ’cause I’ll schedule ‘em! Like blogging on my lil’ cozy space on th’ Web.
My grandbabies are growing and, with my children, they are ever a source of joy. My friend Jean Stockdale has a great blog for Moms, by the way. Since this blog is a shortie you might want to jump over to visit her at her blog. I saw that she posted a great monkey bread recipe and I have a savory one which I think I’ll try to get on here later today.
I’ve got so many stories waiting to be told and, by the grace of God, I will get on here and tell ‘em soon! Have a blessed day.
Later taters!
