As I watched The Bronx Tail I realized the people then and there wanted to be important. My friends hope their skills will buy them the same.
Our Father considers each of us the biggest, most important being in the universe and unlike a mob boss we are not subject to whims and manipulations, unlike an adoring groupie crowd we have privacy.  nancymauerman.com

My college life drawing teacher, Mr Lincoln, would be so PROUD of my new skirt! I was in an artist slump the semester I took his class; nothing I drew was brilliant or even decent, My performance and out put was lousy, so I experimented and learned.
I worked hard and was the only one in class Mr L.didn’t yell at. When I asked why and he said, “You push yourself; don’t need it.” But he could see my weakness. He interviewed each of us the last week of class, and as I waited my turn, I heard him scream at the two classmates before me. The only thing he quietly told me was,”You don’t finish ideas, buy yourself an expensive piece of clothing!”
I was tight with money, almost terrified of spending, but I knew this was only a symptom of my problem and finally, years later, bought a suit.
I can see now I was afraid of failure: afraid to take a risk,of making a”Bad” product, or a big mess of mistakes.I was more afraid than I was curious and Mr. Lincoln would love my new skirt, I’ll show you a picture Monday.  nancymauerman.com

My first Father in law and I grew to enjoy each others company, but things didn’t start that way. In the beginning as I visited I could have scoped up dislike with a spoon. I had a job in his home, to pay for the food I ate there; washing dishes. The job was easy but I had a hard time doing it. I was glued to the couch trying to disappear through its stuffing into the wall. I was traumatized before I met Dad and even more so with him in the room and forgot important things and couldn’t think straight.  At some point Dad left the room. With him gone I had enough energy to get up and get going.
Poor Dad. he left the room to take a shower but at the same time I was also doing my job! His cold showers never cooled his dislike, of course. His enmity was inflamed and told me about it. I didn’t repeat “our problem” over and over on purpose!  Karma?  nancymauerman.com

Audy Murry, as far as I know, never said, “I risked my life but those guys were jerks; maybe it wasn’t worth it” I personally know someone who risked his life for others in war and only once did I hear him said, “They never said ‘thanks.”” He didn’t say this in anger or disappointment but in wonder. His body language seemed to say, “They’d be better men; live happier lives if they would notice what was given to them.”
We recognize women give love unconditionally to their children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, husbands and friends.
If there’s little to eat, men and children grab it first and fast.So women give. But the plan is that men grab first so they have the stamina to step between their families and a bullet. Stepping between danger and family is giving.  We grow up, at various ages and broaden our selves and learn to fell thankfulness. My husband learns to save me a few cookies and my daughter takes up MMA.
As I grow up I begin to understand I have a Father and older brother who love and give unconditionally and like my friend wonder at man’s ingratitude.  nancymauerman.com

At times I’ve gotten uppity, giving the Lord an opportunity to humbled me, with humor. Once, as I taught a dozen or so teens, I thought I was a leaving them with such a spiritual experience. Then this was confirmed as I ended the lesson and every person sat still, as they’d been stunned into enlightenment. Then the Cluff boy said, “Aren’t we having a closing prayer?” They weren’t soaring into spiritual realms; they were just being patiently waiting.  nancymauerman.com

We’re all children of our Father and were born at different times. I hate driving but didn’t tell my children when they were young, although they could tell I was not exhibiting a natural born talent when we had to start an hour early to make a half hour trip. We used every minuet, often weaving back and forth across the Willamette River on various bridges, me with teeth gritting and grinding and they patient as Saints.
I can remember, being half way across the Hawthorne Bridge, going away from our destination again. Finally what my children had been telling me finally sunk in, “This isn’t bad. Its an adventure!”  nancymauerman.com

My Mom and Girl Scout leader lined up empty string bean and cream style corn cans. There were lines of cans behind each tire and line in front too.  She started the car and drove it backwards and forward over them, inspected her handy work, stacked up the bent cans, lined up a new batch, and did it again.
Most of the cans moved before the tire got them so they came out in a long crunch: not right. Mom needed that straight down squish. The job took a lot more cans than she was led to believe it would.
We girls glued felt eyes and mouths on the bent up things making them look like old  faces. These were FREE to make. They were Christmas ornaments for us to give to our parents.
My Mom, of course was not surprised to open hers. I don’t remember my Dad’s face when he opened his but I do remember the loud conversation he had with Mom when he woke up the day after the Can Smashing  to find our Ford had FOUR FLAT TIRES!
That was one of the very few times I heard raised voices between my parents. Another opportunity for loudness came the same time the next year. Mom steamed my Dad’s set of 75 records over boiling water and bent the edges. Vases. He no longer listened to them anyway. We learned the principles of flower arranging by sticking dried milk weed pods and other weeds in a central clump of clay. Dad had planned to listen to those again some day and I want to know if any parent delighted by unwrapping old faces?  nancymauerman.