"Are you the one that lives in that house with all the Tiger Lilies in front of it?" I heard that often after I took my new job five years ago. I was the hometown girl, returning to teach in the school of her roots, but I was still a newcomer. Not many of my colleagues knew where I lived. My house is smack dab in the middle of all the schools I travel to each week. It couldn't be in a more perfect location. In July every year, my Tiger Lilies are in full bloom. They line my yard where the road meets it and surround the tube where my creek runs beneath it. They also are placed in strategic areas around my yard and my parents' connecting yard. Many people recognize my house simply from the tiger lilies.
I like the tiger lilies for several reasons. I love them because they are hearty and don't need a lot of fuss. Once you plant them and they take root, they spread like wildfire. Most of the ones on my property are split from the original ones my mother planted in the yard I grew up in. I remember her planting them when I was just a little girl. Their orange color reminds me of my Alma mater--the orange and black school colors of Harbor Creek. My mother has several varieties of them--pretty yellows and reds, too--but I just stuck with the orange. That is just how I am. When I find something I like, I tend to stick with it. I'm loyal like my Labrador Retriever.
The photo story above shows some of the tiger lilies that are in bloom around my house. My camera actually has a "flower" setting on it, making the focus very clear. If you look closely into the center of one of the tiger lilies, you can even see a lady bug inside. Cool.
So, Readers, I'm telling you to look deep into the eye of the tiger, hence the reason for the song posting with the pictures. I did that for a couple of reasons, too. I told my friend whom is pretending to be a South Carolinian, but is a Yankee at heart because she grew up right here in my hometown with me----to find her theme song. I told her I thought everyone had one.
Earlier this year, I chose a good theme song for Natalie, my 13 year old with autism. I picked Butterfly Fly Away by Miley Cyrus. You can read it back in the February posting called Butterflies are Tougher Than Moths. I have one all picked out for my daughter Ellen, but I will post it for all of you in September when she turns 11, so you'll have to check back to see what it is. I picked Eye of the Tiger, the 1982 hit by the band Survivor for my scrappy son, Sam, whom you hear so much about on this blog. The song was used as the theme song for one of the Rocky movies, which I love.
If there is one of my kids that has my ticket right now, it is Sam. He really knows how to push my buttons and it has been a battle of wills over even the slightest thing. I am more stubborn than he is, he just hasn't realized that yet, so I have won nearly every battle that we've fought this summer. I am always running around with my camera and I think he senses that my snapshots mean a lot to me, so he's playing this little game where he's refusing to smile. OK--I'll admit--there are a few situations where a little boy of four may not want to smile, like when the only life jacket that fit him was a pink one, or when he was down with the flu. Also check out is $20 some dollars worth of Cherry Festival prizes. Should I be alarmed that the first prize he picked was a sword? I caught him in the living room the other day trying to butcher that pink pig, which he named cleverly "Pink Piggy" (unlike Ellen, he is missing the creativity gene), which he also won. I have my own list of favorite songs--my top five that will stand for all time, and I will begin posting them in backwards order on this blog tomorrow, so stay tuned. However, there is a difference between "favorite songs" and "theme songs" for you life. See if you can find your "theme song." Since I've told my fake southern belle friend this one she told me it is driving her nuts. She keeps sending me suggestions for her like, "Smokin' in the Boys Room" but I keep turning down her suggestions. Keep listening. See if you can find your theme song. That means you are thinking. Thinking is good. Otherwise you are just existing and just existing is bad. If you have my contact information, send it to me so I can see what you picked, or post a comment on this blog. You have to be a "follower" to do that--if you aren't yet, just create a google account and that function will become available to you.
Look deep into the eye of the tigers on this blog post, both the flowers and my son's eyes. I've been telling everyone not to make direct eye contact with Sam, because you may turn to stone. However, I take that back. Look deep into his baby blues. There's good in there. I can see it. Perhaps this difficult time is just a phase and "this too, shall pass."
Enjoy the full bloom of the summer in PA, Slovenians,
Eloise Balboa (as in the fighter, not the explorer)
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