It is a day for alliteration. None of my topics today have anything in common except summer and the letter S. Let's start with my favorite salad this time of year: Strawberry Spinach Salad with strawberries purchased at a local farm stand and fresh spinach from our garden. It's the homemade dressing that really makes this taste so good.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Whisk together 2 Tablespoons chia seeds, 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 Tablespoon dried onion. Cover and chill for about an hour in the refrigerator.
In a salad bowl, combine a bunch of torn spinach leaves with about 1/2 quart of sliced strawberries. You can also add some slivered almonds. Pour dressing over the salad and toss. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
I just finished reading Queen Bees & Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman in hopes that I can help our 14 year old daughter understand and navigate her way through high school Girl World. This book really explained why girls play the roles they do in their social cliques, and it touches on boys as well. The one thing I have yet to learn, though, is what makes a girl a queen bee/mean girl in the first place. Is it just her personality that she was born with? Is it because of how she was raised or the behavior she saw in her own mother? Is it from the media that she's been exposed to? Does it have to do with how she was treated by her own peers at one time? I'd really like to know how these narcissistic girls become the powerful, controlling heads of their social environments. As difficult as it is to watch any of my children be excluded, snubbed, or laughed at, I think it would be even harder as a mother to see your own child be the mean one who ridicules and harasses others. I am seriously hoping that the private Catholic college prep high school we are sending our daughter to will not have nearly as many scary issues as the ones presented in this book. However, if I'm wrong, this book has shown me ways to deal with these potential problems. I wish I had read it fifteen years ago when our older daughters were becoming adolescents.
After two full weeks of uncovering the pool, scooping out debris, vacuuming, dumping in pounds of chlorine and stabilizer, and fishing out toads and their eggs, our swimming pool is finally ready for humans to swim in. Our children spent hours in it the past few days. Just look at that blue sky yesterday afternoon. We haven't had many days like this all year. It was glorious!
As for me, I sat in my lawn chair with my SPF 70 sunblock, big sunhat, and polarized lens prescription sunglasses to try to make up for those foolish teen years of covering myself in baby oil while sunbathing for hours a day.
Finally, my teenagers have managed to pull me away from NPR, Fox News, and Joel Osteen on our Sirius XM radio in our SUV to introduce me to The Blend. When I heard Humble & Kind, I ran home to see the music video and share it with my husband since this is the message we're always trying to leave with our own children. I'll close today by leaving with you the lyrics of this song by Tim McGraw.
Humble & Kind
You know there's a light that glows by the front door
Don't forget the key's under the mat
Childhood stars shine, always stay humble and kind
Go to church 'cause your momma says to
Visit grandpa every chance that you can
It won't be wasted time
Always stay humble and kind
Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind
Don't expect a free ride from no one
Don't hold a grudge or a chip and here's why
Bitterness keeps you from flyin'
Always stay humble and kind
Know the difference between sleeping with someone
And sleeping with someone you love
"I love you" ain't no pick up line so
Always stay humble and kind
Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When those dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind
When it's hot, eat a root beer popsicle
Shut off the AC and roll the windows down
Let that summer sun shine
Always stay humble and kind
Don't take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you're goin
Don't forget turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind
Don't forget the key's under the mat
Childhood stars shine, always stay humble and kind
Go to church 'cause your momma says to
Visit grandpa every chance that you can
It won't be wasted time
Always stay humble and kind
Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind
Don't expect a free ride from no one
Don't hold a grudge or a chip and here's why
Bitterness keeps you from flyin'
Always stay humble and kind
Know the difference between sleeping with someone
And sleeping with someone you love
"I love you" ain't no pick up line so
Always stay humble and kind
Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When those dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind
When it's hot, eat a root beer popsicle
Shut off the AC and roll the windows down
Let that summer sun shine
Always stay humble and kind
Don't take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you're goin
Don't forget turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind
Lyrics and song can be found here:
