No Small Parts, the sequel

An update on Chelle

2007-03-30T04:17:00.000-05:00

A family member e-mailed me a request for an update on Chelle. After typing it all out, I thought I'd let ya'll know what's going on with her, too.

*To those who may not know (or have forgotten), my little sister, Chelle (she's 37) was diagnosed with ductal breast cancer in October, 2006. Her chemo treatments were delayed a little because of a heart blockage and she finally got started on chemo in late December.

The following is a edited portion of that e-mail:

Chelle is doing "so-so". Physically, it's all taking a toll on her, but emotionally she's doing pretty good.
She just finished one chemo drug and began another, more toxic one. After spending all that time in the hospital taking the adriamycin, she had to go into the hospital for the first dose of the new drug, Taxotere. Because it's plant based, they had to make sure she didn't have an allergy to it. She didn't, but they kept her longer than planned because her white count was all over the map (the chemo drugs mess with the bone marrow's duties).
She went in on Mon. the 19th to begin the new drug and because her white count was so messed up, she didn't get the chemo until Thurs. the 22nd. Her doctor also has been giving her injections of a drug to Nupegen (?) to rev up her bone marrow production. They've discussed testing her bone marrow (yee-ouch!), but they are holding off for now.

Her breast cancer is different than an older (over 50) woman's breast cancer. It's more aggressive and estrogen fed.

So, to put it in understandable terms, she got thrown into instant menopause in order to stop any estrogen production, she's getting massive amounts of toxic drugs that kill the fastest growing cells her body produces and she's getting huge doses of steroids in order to lessen the side-effects of the chemo drugs. Not to mention the various blood tests (at least once a week) and cardio visits, scans or trying to track down a certain medication. Plus, she knows that this is not the last round of chemo that she'll do. We're not sure what's next but at some point she'll have to get some injections in the stomach. Then she'll get some radiation. And after that, maybe he'll do the mastectomy. The doctor hasn't given us a clue as to when that will be. He wants to make sure that her tumor is as small as possible before he cuts into it. AND it IS getting smaller!
She's already told him she's going to have a double mastectomy. That requires yet another doctor.
Most days she feels crummy, but she still gets up, puts on her ball cap and does what has to be done. So far, everything is in Ft. Worth; her doctor, the hospital and the clinic. Her husband can't take off everytime that she has to go to for tests, injections, etc. and on some days I can't go; so she goes by herself. Sometimes she has to pull over and just wait a couple of minutes to feel better, but she goes.

Up until her immune system got so compromised, she actually went to work a couple of days a week. (She's a detention officer, a.k.a. a jailer) Since some of the inmates are walking medical nightmares, her doctor asked her to not subject herself to those various diseases. Not to mention she's been attacked and injured by inmates before, so that was also a factor.
I get her out and about when she feels like going. Yesterday, she had to get an injection and I had a dr.'s appt. in a town not too far from here. So we left at 9:30, went to my appt. first, had lunch in Cleburne, then headed off to Ft. Worth for her injection. We got back in time to pick up Grace from school at 3:00 and then I took her home.

She gets a few "Surprise! Time to find a restroom! NOW! " moments, so we stopped at a little market/bistro type place. She went in and I waited in the car. She came back out to the car just really excited about how cute that place was and that we needed to go back someday and have lunch there.

She's very tough. Most of the time, she's pretty upbeat and I've only see her cry a few times. She used to have a phobia about I.V.'s and shots, but now what she's really dreading is the reconstruction after the mastectomy. Everybody says that part really hurts.

I guess you didn't ask for a novel, but I'm really proud of how she's handling all this. I can't even imagine walking around bald, all the drugs, needles, and what-not...plus all that windshield time! Having cancer is a scheduling nightmare.

Quite a few of the people from my church send her 'thinking of you' cards every week, her co-workers call her often and she knows that they have all given their sick time to her. That helps her a lot.

Her husband is holding up really well, considering. He works quite a lot because this costs quite a lot, but he's been very supportive and goes with her as often has he can. He stayed a lot of nights at the hospital when she was having the adriamycin infusions and then he would drive back to go to work the next morning. When she's home, he will go out and get whatever she wants to eat that she's craving. Kinda like being pregnant, huh?
He's got to be exhausted and stressed, because his dad has also been in and out of the VA hospital during all this.

Don't they say that cancer affects not just the patient, but the whole family? Well, that's the truth if I ever heard it!

Some of the names were been changed to protect the paranoid.

All in all, if I didn't get it across in the e-mail, I'm very proud of her. Knowing where she came from - what her home life was like, I can see that she's turned into a remarkable person. She has overcome a lot of challenges in her life. Dear old mom really short-changed Chelle while she was growing up and Chelle's stepfather was a tyrant. I interceded when I could, but I wasn't always around.

At the time Chelle was born I was a barely teenager and Mom was single, so for a few years it was just the 3 of us: Mom, me and Chelle. Mom worked and really wasn't into mothering much, so I took care of Chelle most of the time. I guess I still feel as if I'm her mom, so I'm going to brag on her a little~

Chelle got married when she was 19. Not too long after, Mom passed away. Just a few days after Mom's funeral, he and Chelle moved away to his hometown. Long story short - he was a abusive jerk, so she called me.

In February 1990, I drove up to Michigan, we packed her stuff and she moved in with me. Since then she has really blossomed into a wonderful woman. She met and married a 'local boy' and they have a great 15 year old son. Her husband is well respected at work and is a volunteer fireman (and has been for as long as I've known him), and their son is looking forward to doing the same. When she got here, I made her go to work. She'd never had a job, so she started as a sacker at a grocery store and worked her way through various careers: a cake decorator, a dept manager at Wal-Mart, a Frito Lay vendor, a vet tech and finally she found her calling as a jailer.
Last year she was named "Officer of the Year" by the sheriff's office.

Chelle has had to let some things go by the way side during all this (even with insurance, cancer is expensive), and her internet connection was one of the items they let go. So if you go to her site, Chelle's Journey, you can see she hasn't updated it. I've got some photos of the Head Shaving Party in my photo album, and if you're curious, we look absolutely nothing alike.
We have different dads and she must look like his side of the family.
It's a running joke. Guess you have to be here.

Oh, the things I babble on and on about...

2006-12-03T15:19:00.000-06:00

Oh, the things I babble on and on about...
I noticed something during my time in Virginia: With the exception of pickup trucks, the most popular type of motor vehicle you see on the roads here in Texas is a SUV.
In Virginia, everyone drives a Mini-van.
I think that some things in life are totally ironic. I really don’t care for SUVs. I think that if you don’t do a lot of off road camping with your family, then you may just be a follower and not a leader. You want to be like the rest of the crowd, so to speak. Well, the other day, I saw an SUV that I thought was absolutely gorgeous. My mouth hung open. I stared and followed it until it turned off the road. It was black, shiny and beautiful. All it said was “Cayenne” on the back of it.
I wanted one of those. I wanted one of them so much that I even told myself that I wanted one. I even said it out loud. So when I got home, I Googled the word “Cayenne”
Sigh. You could actually see my dream go *POOF* as it floated away.

Even stranger yet, I see more men wearing cowboy hats in NM than I do here. You’d think this is Texas, this is cowboy hat country…right? Not really. I don’t know why.
While I was driving down a very rural country road, I saw an elderly gentleman who was sitting on a horse by the side of the road. He had on an old, very well broken-in cowboy hat, scuffed up knee high boots with his pant legs tucked in – the kind you wear when you’re riding around mesquite bushes – leather vest and spurs. He appeared to be the real cowboy deal and had been for a very long time, at least 65 years.
He was talking on a cell phone.
Looked really strange.

All most everyone in NM and TX (mostly men, but lots of women) wear cowboy boots. When I was growing up, I only wore boots when I was riding, cleaning the barn or (later) when I went dancing. Hubby wore them for the longest time until I talked him into trying Doc Martens. Now, he very seldom wears boots. He’s grown wiser and has found out about other, more comfortable footwear.

It’s a learned art, I think – knowing what to wear with western boots. You have to know what kind of non-blue denim Wrangler pants to wear (like to funerals, weddings, graduations, etc) with boots.

My daughter’s FIL (Mr. Enigma) has a pair of alligator boots. He says they cost about $5000.00. They are a yellowy-greenish color and are unimaginably ugly. He wears them with a billowy, black shirt (think pirate) and some shiny black slacks that are about 2” too short.
But he’s not from around here and I’d guess that we look pretty stupid to the folks where he’s from, too.

Saturday afternoon, we went to a neighboring town for their monthly event aptly named “First Mondays”. There’s lots of food items, vendors, with bunches of new and used stuff at a pretty good price. It was Hubby’s idea and he went out and rented me a wheelchair so I wouldn’t have to walk too much. How sweet. It was brand new, fresh out of the sack and it only rents for $25.00 a week. That’s a lot cheaper than I imagined.
I found a Christmas present for Hubby’s mom (yay! 2 down and only 3,269 more to go) and a very appropriate “Thank You” present for someone.
I also found a giant dog pillow for Lola for $6.00. It all barely fit in the wheel chair.

First Monday’s is also like the biggest puppy store around. Dog breeders bring there wares and any and every breed can be bought there. They have their own area at one end of the strip.
One of the signs on of one of them said:

CERTIFIED USDA PUPPIES SOLD HERE

I don’t even want to know.

When we left and were putting the chair back in the trunk, we noticed it was scratched in a few places. Hubby freaks and will paint it before I return it. I assume they expect a little wear and tear.
And the reason that I had the chair is (for those that don’t know) because I have a torn meniscus (fancy word for cartilage) in my knee and will be undergoing arthroscopy on the 13th to remove it. I’ve had it for a while; wear a knee support thingy and have had a few steroid shots. Finally my doctor said no more shots - go see the orthopedic surgeon! My first appointment with him was back in October - the day before we were leaving to go to Virginia. After reviewing the MRI and x-rays, he recommended surgery. I pleaded for one more steroid shot so I could hold off until after our visit.
So now that I’ve reached my out of pocket expense amount, at my last follow up visit, I asked him to set it up and I needed to get it done before the end of the year. He’s a fairly busy guy, so I was hoping for after Christmas. At that point, it wasn’t really hurting a whole lot. Then early last week, while returning a shopping basket back to the cart corral at Wal-Mart, (another good deed that I always do) something went ‘kaboom’ in my knee. It took me so long to walk back to the car that I was afraid that The Princess would get out and go looking for me. Now I’m very glad that I’ve got the surgery all scheduled and ready to do.

I guess I have "blogitis". While walking through stores, I now look at all the people and have weird thoughts. I think about things like…I wonder if they have a blog…I bet that’s what Nora would look like…now, there’s a Gail look-alike if I ever saw one…I wonder if Meg tells total strangers about her blog while they’re standing in the check out line…Wow, she looks just like Jeannie…. I’ll bet Nana would love this cow figurine…somebody stop me, please!

I went to a funeral on Saturday morning. It was for the daughter of a woman whom I love and admire. She was a member of the church I used to go to. Her health forced her to move to another town. She has great faith, a wonderful testimony, holds such passion for the Lord and is an inspiration to all. I barely knew her daughter.
Her daughter, Mary K. appeared to have nothing in common with her mom. She always appeared surly, gloomy and dour. (Good words, huh?)
Out of respect and love for her mom, Hubby and I went to the funeral and it was held in the church we used to attend. This church, we believe, purposely chose to ‘lose’ us as members. We talked with, and were hugged by the Pastor and Head Deacon of this church, as if we were the best of friends. These two men were the reason the church ‘lost’ us.
Many other church members were present, and they all told us how much they missed us, would we be coming back, etc. But I know deep down inside, they were dying to know why we left, but too embarrassed to ask.
Ok, back to this lady, Mary K. She was 64 and for some unknown reason, for the last few months had been losing the ability to walk. She had become house-bound and spent most of her time in bed. The official cause of death was a stroke.

The Head Deacon told this story during his portion of the eulogy:

One night last week, he and another deacon had gone to Mary K.’s house to deliver some food to her and her husband. Her husband, (being a normal guy) told them to “go on back to the bedroom and say Hi to Mary K. She’d love to see you”.
So Head Deacon opens up her bedroom door without knocking. When he entered the bedroom, he found Mary K sitting on the port-a-potty in her nightgown.
“But,” Head Deacon said, “I didn’t let that bother me one little bit, I just went right over to her and gave her a big old bear hug.”

I think I would have had a stroke, too.

Well, I see by the heaviness of my eyelids, it’s time for my usual Sunday afternoon ritual. Yep, that’s right. Nap time.

But before I lay down, here’s a disclaimer:
If you own a SUV, wear boots with the wrong pants, wear pants are too short, hold a different opinion of boots and/or cowboy hats, don’t mind being hugged by a man while you’re on a toilet, don’t hug scantily dressed women while they are on a toilet
AND
I don’t know you…then don’t get offended because it’s not always about you.

Americans

2006-11-24T21:47:00.000-06:00

I have copied this email that I received (yes, I do have my own original thoughts once in awhile, but this was better than anything I could ever come up with) that explains why I am becoming worried about yours and my grandkid’s futures. You may not get this in your email box, but hopefully you will. And if you care, you should forward it to as many people as you can.
We are losing our very own unique culture, our heritage and our privileges.
Please do not think that I have a problem with any other cultures (that’s not counting the ones that are trying to kill us, though).
What I do have is a problem with is different cultures coming to American and trying to change who and what America is all about:

“Think about this: If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone-----THEN YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM !!!!

Will we still be the Country of Choice and still be America if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries that came to live in America because it is the Country of Choice??????

Think about it!
All we have to say is, "When will they do something about MY RIGHTS?"

I celebrate Christmas...........but because it isn't celebrated by everyone.............we can no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it has to be Season's Greetings.

It's not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing how this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday?

We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards in order to not offend anyone, that I am now the one being offended. But it seems that no one has a problem with that.
This says it all!
This is an editorial written by an American citizen, published in a Tampa, FL Newspaper. He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!

IMMIGRANTS, NOT AMERICANS, MUST ADAPT.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Americans. However...... the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct" crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.

I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to America. Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some who were born here, need to understand.

This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity.
We are AMERICANS.
And as Americans...... we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!

"In God We Trust" is our National motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women.......with Christian principles............. founded this nation..... and this is clearly documented.
It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home........because God is part of our culture.

If Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from.
This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle.
Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so! But once you are done complaining...... whining..... and griping....... about our flag....... our pledge.... our national motto........or our way of life, I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other Great American Freedom......

THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

It is Time for Americans to Speak up

If you agree -- pass this along; if you don't agree -- delete it - You are in the WRONG Country!

AMEN

I figure if we all keep passing this to our friends (and enemies) it will also, sooner or later get back to the complainers, lets all try, please.”

My own personal addition to this would be to eliminate the prefacing word of one’s ancestral ethnicity that’s being commonly used. The one that describes what kind of American you are…as in Latin American, African American, Italian American, Irish American, Mexican American, etc. The word that unites you with another culture.

Your ancestors may have come to America from different countries, but here, in America…if you are born here or if you arrived later in life and then applied for and gained your legal citizenship… then you are an AMERICAN citizen. That means THIS is your country, culture, your legacy, now.

My ancestors came from different places and I’m very proud of that fact. I have much information concerning my ancestor’s roots. My heritage is Irish, Dutch, Cherokee and Nez Perce.

But I am not Irish American, nor German American or Native American. I am an American.

If you’re not a citizen of America and are just here on vacation, visiting our great country, that’s fine. We’ll listen to what you think and then you can go on back home.

But, if you’re an American and you have a problem with certain rights that belong to me or other Americans…the same rights that America was built upon, then all I can say is:
Ta-ta and toodles, dearie. I hear France needs more cynical whiners.

Why do we have no problem with wishing people “Happy Thanksgiving” when it’s the celebration of the very reason we are able to be AMERICANS?

2006-11-19T21:47:00.000-06:00

Mammie wants to know "WHY?"
I want to to do a post on some of the Why’s that I'm curiuos about in life. It’s going to be a 101 eventually, and maybe you can help me out and make it a “tag” of some sorta thing. Maybe it won’t have that many Why’s, maybe more. Add a few, if you want!
But I promise you that some might be thought provoking and some (hopefully) amusing. And I warn you… be prepared for some touchy subjects.
I would love to read the comments based on your reactions to them.
I promise, I will not comment or email you back with “Man, you’re a stupid *&(^#@ and I don’t know how you’ve lived this to be this age” as the main subject.
OK?
Why do I want to know all this?
I’m just curious.
Ok, maybe morbid. Just wait for the next 101!
And for the record, there’s not a one of them I wouldn’t answer (100% truthfully, too) if I thought anyone was interested. Just ask me. I will tell you anything you want to know – whether it’s something on this entry or just something you want to know.
That’s just the kind of girl I am. You can even ask me anonymously.

1.Why do 99% of the world (mostly men and some women) find the female breast arousing? Or legs? What’s that about?
2.Why do we judge people or consider them successful or not, based on money and items?
3.Why is one bodily function - output (defecation, urination, farting…etc) considered a personal and totally undiscussable subject; while input actions (eating, drinking, sipping, etc) are even included as a portion of celebrations – weddings, birthdays? (and I ask you…have you seen some people eat?
4. Why don’t people believe the WHOLE bible? Why do they choose and pick which parts of the bible they believe in and how do they figure out which is which?
5. Why do people care what celebrities think, care how they vote, covet what they wear, admire what they think and how they act?
6. Who first thought to eat puffer fish? And why?
7.What one thing really scares you and why?
8. What one trait do you most admire in people? Why?
9. What’s the most horrible, shameful thing you have ever done? Would you ever tell anyone?
13. If you’re a Christian - when you think about eternity, the hereafter - what do you think it’ll be like?
14. If you’re NOT a Chrisitan, when you think about dying, what do you think about it?
15. Do you see the love of your spouse, the love of your children or your dedication to your faith as being successful?
16. Why do you think we have 10 fingers and 10 toes, but only 2 arms? And only 1 of other things?
17. Why do men have nipples?
18. Do you think our traits (i.e. generosity, compassion, distaste) are learned or are they genetic?
19. Do you believe the Bible is the totally the infallible word of God?
20. If you could have named yourself, what would you have it be?
20. If you died tonight, would you go to Heaven?
21. How many people do you really think have had an affair during their current marriage?
22. What’s the biggest obstacle that keeps you from God?
23. Did you really think you would not turn into your parent?
24 How did blue eyeshadow EVER make it into anyone’s makeup kit?
25. WHO keeps electing Teddy Kennedy? Is this proof of alien infiltration in the US?
26. If evolution is the real deal, then why do we are we still apes? AND why are there still only a male and female each of every species?
27. If the USA is such an evil and immoral country, why do we have so many illegal aliens? Shouldn’t the exodus equal to the influx?

I’m going to say this is all - at this time. I'm tired and I ran out of my current thinkable supply of Why's.
Next time I’ll do one that’ll have ya’ll talking for years to come. Ha.
So consider this a time to comment or a tag for everyone out there. Even if you don’t
answer me, it should get ya’ll thinking a little bit, anyway, right?????

Love ya’ll

Heros

2006-11-17T22:25:00.000-06:00

Everyday Heros - now there's an oxymoron

Last week, John Kerry said,
"You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well, and if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq"

So one soldier wrote the senator a letter. He is currently deployed to Iraq, and in defense of this recent comment, he says:
I am a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. I am currently on my second tour in Iraq, a tour in which I volunteered for. I speak Arabic and Spanish and I plan to tackle Persian Farsi soon. I have a Bachelors and Associates Degree and in between deployments, I am pursuing an M.B.A.
In college, I was a member of several academic honor societies, including the Golden KeyHonor Society. I am not unique among the enlisted troops. Many of my enlisted colleagues include lawyers, teachers, mechanics, engineers, musicians and artists just to name a few. You say that your comments were directed towards the President and not us.
If we were stupid Senator Kerry, we might have believed you.
I am not a victim of President Bush. I proudly serve him because he is my Commander and Chief. If you were President, I would serve you justsas faithfully.
I serve America, Senator Kerry, and I am also providing asservice to the good people of Iraq. I have not terrorized them in the middlesof the night, raped them or murdered them as you have accused me of before. I am doing my part to help them rebuild.
My role is a simple one, but important. You see Senator Kerry, like it or not, we came here and removed a tyrant (who has terrorized Iraqis in the middle of the night, and raped them and murdered them). And we have a responsibility to see to it that another onesdoesn't take his place.
The people of Iraq are recovering from an abusive relationship with a terrible government and it's going to take some time to help them recover from that. We can't treat this conflict like a microwave dinner and throw a temper tantrum because we feel like it's taking too long.
Senator Kerry, you don't have to agree with this war. You don't have to say nice things about those of us who choose to make sacrifices for the rights of every American rather than sit back and simply feel entitled to it.
But, please Senator Kerry, if you're going to call me a stupid, murdering rapist, stick by what you say. Don't tell me that I misunderstood or that you would never insult a veteran because you were one too. Having been there and done that does not give you a free pass to insult me.
My suggestion for you, Senator Kerry, is to remember that your speeches are recorded, and broadcast to us simpletons over here. You may want to write down what you want to say before you say it, maybe have somebody look at it before you say it and tell you what others might hear. Remember that we can't read your mind, if there are any misinterpretations in what you say, it's because you didn't communicate clearly.
Good luck to you, Senator Kerry.
If nothing else, it's always entertaining towatch you try and climb out of the holes that you constantly dig foryourself.
Sincerely,
Somebody who is watching his daughter grow up in photographs so that you can have the right to say whatever you want about him

As a side note to this, here's my commentary of this entry:
I'd never really thought about it, but the Armed services does consider a major portion of the male poulation to be disposable. They were called the infantry and most WWII movies are all about them.
But I'm not sure it's the same now, because the enlisted men and women are all volunteers now.
Once upon a time, during the days of the mandatory draft, if you didn't join before your 'number' came up, then you did become one of the potentially disposables - usually a foot soldier.
My Hubby joined just out of HS, before he would be a 'number', he joined the Navy. He served on aircraft carriers and also did shore patrol. Both potentially dangerous jobs.
My Daughter, after 4 years of college joined the Navy in the hopes that she would be awarded a scholarship and after spending her time in college, she was a assigned to an aircraft carrier that was stationed in the Persian Gulf for many months at a time. She spent a number of months stuck on a ship and then another eight months outside of Dubai and off the coast of Iraq.

Not too dangerous you say? Remember the U.S.S. Cole.

My son-in-law, after his 4 years of college, also joined the Navy (for the second time) in the hopes he, too, would also receive a scholarship. He spent the majority of his time as the ship's surgeon living day to day on a transport ship, training on equipment, dispensing medicines and transporting troups - Marines, soldiers and other 'infantry men' headed to Iraq to rebuild a country. He is still in the Navy and will be sent to Iraq or somewhere else in that region at some point in the future.
Since there is no mandatory enlistment service program currently for men or women, they have all join based on their own decisions. Our armed services, while servincg in them is indeed dangerous, it can provide a future that many of our young people could only dream about. Many, many people spend their whole working their whole life serving our country.
While I agree with the Senator to not waste the educational opportunities offerred to people by American schools; but don't bust a vein watching our young soldiers being handed guns, keep in mind that the vast majority of these young people are voluntarily serving in the armed forces because they felt it necessary to defend the USA and what it stands for.
What I disagree with concerning Kerry's remarks, is the fact that he indicates that only morons or 'nobodys' get caught up in an ongoing war that seems to the majority of Americans to serve no purpose.

Many of my friends and my church member's family have loved ones in that area and they all write home complaining about the poor image the media paints of this situation. All say the Iraquis are so excited to see the assistance of the world's greatest countries helping them out. They see each and every soldier as the epitomy of the American citizen.

The #1 complaint our Soldiers have is that it appeears that the people back home seem to have forgotten them and that the government contiunally cuts back on guns and ammo. The things they need in order to survive. We can't back out now, just because the Democrats are in power for the moment.

I wonder, just who does Senator John Kerry think has been defending HIS America for he last 200+ years?

A Mammie Ramble

2006-11-05T23:09:00.000-06:00

I have stupid, random thoughts on occasion. When I start to tell Hubby more than 2 or 3 at a time, he gets a look on his face that says, “Oh no, not getting theoretical again, are you?”
So I’ll make ya’ll read them instead.

Pretty people – why are 90% of the people that are on TV gorgeous, when in real life it’s like maybe 26%?

And where’s all these obese people I keep hearing about? Are none of them actors?

On most of the new crime/drama/forensic science shows, most of the characters look like they are in their late 20’s. Would they even be out of school or have an ‘expert in their field’ rating? You never see any older people (over 40) with the exception of Mandy Patinkin on Criminal Minds; William Peterson on CSI and a few on the Law&Order's spinoffs.

Doesn't it look like that Dr. Phil has gotten new teeth?

In this day in age, with the exception of the WB channel and a few others, why are there no minorities in mainstream TV? Usually, there is the occasional ‘older’ woman. Very seldom is she in a sexy role.

All of the current TV drama shows plots that have been “ripped from the headlines’ - what a crock. I think the writers are just getting lazy. Sure, real life is probably way more interesting, but come on…change a few more details. Don’t plagiarize real life.

Why do hardly any of the soap actors ever have dull jobs? They are all doctors, nurses, policemen, CEO’s or lawyers. NO one works at regular places like JCPenneys, Walgreens, UPS or Taco Bell. And nobody ever does their laundry or dishes.

Who gives soap characters their names? In a few more years, no one will ask when our birthday is. Just as soon as they hear our name, they’ll know what year we were born and what soap operas our parents watched.

Are those new shoes, ‘Crocs’ really comfortable? They just don’t look like they are.

I don’t know why, but find short, confident men to be extremely sexy. Right now, I have the hots for Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer. Before him, it was Jeffery De Munn and François Truffaut.
For the record Hubby is the big, strappin' kind of guy. I find him sexy, too.

How hard is it to get on ABC's ExtremeHome Makeover show? How much do you think the show spends per episode? I wonder how many people can afford to pay for the stuff that comes along with these homes – property taxes, utility bills, landscape upkeep. Do they sell them and buy another home?

Why do some people have the crappiest handshake? Don't they ever read a how-to magazine? I wonder what they think when I shake hands with them. I don’t do it hard, but do try to make more than a 2-finger contact.

Why would anyone agree to meet someone they'd just met online who was claiming to be 13? With the intention of having sex? I guess they don’t watch NBC Investigations. Parents need to be so much more vigilant.

It's a good thing some of the perverted creeps are so dumb.

I’m getting sick of the way political ads are being run. It’s all about what their opponent did wrong. Evidently they did nothing worth bragging about.

Ok, enough for now...
The Princess went to the NASCAR race today. It’s her second time. Her dad took her. He’s also a big fan (along with the hunting thing). Her favorite driver is Dale Ernhart, Jr. So for the next few days, she’ll be telling the rest of the town about him - anybody who'll listen. The other half of town heard about it this time last year.

Tomorrow, it’s going to be all about laundry, dishes, folding clothes….yadda, yadda, yadda.

Oh, how I wish I had been domesticated.

Thanks so much for your prayers and thoughts, but please don’t forget Chelle, now. And please, any advice that will make this journey easier, please, please send it to me texasmammie@yahoo.com

I confess, I blatently stole this blog entry from Maria’s at Single Mom's Insanity and emailed to my friends. It is so appealing to me that I couldn’t help it. I hope you enjoy and that she doesn’t get mad. She seems like a nice person.
Xoxo~

November 3, 2006

2006-11-03T21:01:00.000-06:00

Sorry my posting is so erratic. We’ve been so busy that sometimes I have trouble even remembering what day it is.
This week, Chelle had OP surgery to install a central IV line; a bone scan and a full body CT scan. The doctors will start her treatment off with chemotherapy and then do a mastectomy. Chelle has decided to have a double mastectomy in order to reduce the chances of recurrence and to have a better chance of having her boobies match when it’s reconstruction time.
An amazing thing happened on Sunday. Those of us who were there and knew about my sis’s condition got to witness a miracle as it unfolded.
This was the first time that Chelle had gone to church with me. I’ve invited her several times, but this time she came. The preacher changed up his routine a little bit and instead of the usual sermon, a husband and wife gave their testimony.
It was about breast cancer, their struggle with it and how God works things out.
It was completely amazing. When the lady began her story with, “One day I felt a lump in my breast and was diagnosed with breast cancer”, Chelle’s jaw dropped and she looked at me like I had planned the whole thing out.
Like I have that kind of clout.
This was not the first time that I’ve seen God in action, it’s just usually I don’t get to see the miracle while it’s unfolding.

I have to share this with you, too. If anyone wants to have their house smelling like a candle shop…go to Bath and Body Works. They have this new scent collection (oils, candles and outlet diffusers) by Elton John that is absolutely delicious. I think it’s called Fireside.
In three days time, I do believe that I wound up buying everything they had.
I first got some oil, and then I went back the next day and got more oil and 2 diffusers. Then I went back again the day after that and got even more diffusers and some candles. Now, I’ll have to go online to buy more or wait for the next shipment. I’m hooked on this stuff. It’s the Chik-Fil-A of the candle world - it’s addictive.
I also use candle warmers and they double the intensity of any candle.
You see, inside my small house, I have a variety of….umm…..how do I say it nicely…unwanted aromatics?
For instance:
A hard-working man who loves chili and beans (sweaty and gassy),
A beautiful, but messy 4-year-old (spilled food and drink),
A gorgeous 10-month-old puppy (who used to be a not-so-housebroken puppy),
Then add in several cats (and you all know that smell).
They spend all their time milling around like little worker ants, making and leaving unwanted smells everywhere.

Plus, I have a keen sense of smell and all this indoor ‘pollution’ drives me nuts. Especially in the cooler months when there’s not as much air circulating.
I’ll tell you, I cannot say enough good things about this Elton John stuff. It smells yummy.
Bath and Body Works also slips a coupon or two into your bag.
No, I don’t get a commission from them. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything from there before.
The Princess got a new dog -another schnauzer that she’s named Angel. It’s a blondish color. I’ve never seen that color on a schnauzer before. She looks like Benji with a schnauzer haircut.
Has anyone ever gotten a virus from brand new software? My keyboard and mouse kept screwing up, so I went to Wal-Mart and bought a Logitech cordless keyboard and mouse. While I was installing them, (using the CD that came with it), my virus protection program detected a virus. I wound up having to get rid of 3 separate Trojan infections. I returned the stuff to WM and told them why, but the clerk looked at me like I had an extra ear. I think she thought I was trying to scam her.
I finally wound up reinstalling (or updating, can’t remember which) my display drivers and now my keyboard and mouse work just fine.
I don’t get computers anymore. Well, wait…I understand the concept, I just don’t get the mechanics. A long, long time ago, I used to be a ‘key-punch operator/data entry processor’. Back in the days when computers were huge and it would ‘read’ the holes in a card. No screens, no menus…we really had to work when we worked on a computer.
I’ll be getting my first mammie-o-gram (heh heh) on Tuesday. I’ll let you know the results when I get them.
Today -Friday- was supposed to be the first day of my little sis's chemotherapy treatment. She had some stomach pains, got shuffled from doctor to doctor, had her second CT scan of the week and the conclusion is that she has a kidney stone. So we'll begin the chemo next week.
She has started her own journal (forced into it by family and friends) and could use all the support ya'll are willing to give.

Chelle's journey

thanks to everyone~
Dana

Countdown to Jack's B-Day

2006-10-15T18:40:00.000-05:00

10/15/2006
Countdown to Jack's B-Day
Looks like Jack has discovered the ability to run. Also looks as if he’s found his inner karate self, as well.
Grace is sitting in her dad’s deer blind. He’s an avid hunter. He’s specially into bow and arrow hunting. So far this year, he’s not had any ‘luck’. I know, I know, the herds need to be thinned; overpopulation is a major issue in some places and yada, yada, yada.
Of course I root for the deer.
I’ve been very lax in updating my blog lately. And it’s not because I’ve not been sitting by the computer either, because I have. It’s just that I don’t have any good stuff to write about. I’ve had times in my life when my days and nights were filled with one dramatic moment after another and then I’ve had times when nothing overly exciting happens. The past couple of weeks have been the fairy unremarkable type.
The reason that I’ve been sitting around a lot lately is due to some as-of-yet undiagnosed knee problem. Unfortunately, sitting around has irritated my sciatic nerve as well. Not to mention adding inches to various body parts. But the knee hurts more than the other stuff bothers me, so that’s what I’m babying.
I’ve had an MRI done, plus X-rays were taken and tomorrow I go see an orthopedic doctor. Because my knee hurts in different areas and has various pain sensations, I’m betting its old age and arthritis. My other knee is the same age, so why doesn’t it hurt, too? Hmmm…
Our excitement will start soon, though. We’re going to visit Baby Jack this week. We leave Wednesday, the 18th and will return on the 23rd. Even though the fare prices went down, I do believe this is the most money that I’ve spent for a birthday present. It’s a good thing that I don’t believe in luck or karma and stuff. I bought the plane tickets on 9/11.
The Princess is very excited about the trip as well. When she asked how many more days until we leave, she informed me that she just LOVES to fly. Lately her conversations have been loaded with superlatives and phrases like ‘this is the most’ or ‘that was the best’ or ‘it’s really, really’ whatever. And when she likes something, she ‘just LOVES’ it. She loves to swing at her daycare school. When I picked her up last Thursday, I asked how school was. She said, “I swang really, really high. The highest ever in the world.” She also invents words to suit the situation.
She’ll be 5 in January and she has a very good vocabulary. But she tends to use literal words for descriptions.
She was showing me some wavy lines on her umbrella and called them ‘shivers’.

One day we were looking for a dress for her and she kept saying that she wanted one that had a ‘stick’ neck. I had no idea what she meant until she found one.

It’s too bad I can’t harness that imagination and keep it for her when she’s older. She’s growing up way too fast.

Jack and The Princess

2006-10-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

What silly-billys...

Have you heard about this?

2006-10-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

Click here to find out more!

It's all about Jack

2006-10-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

Time marches on, as they say.
In 20 days, Jack will be 1 year old.
Here's some videos of his 'firsts' that we've missed:

Jack sitting by himself.

Jack crawling.

Jack standing up.

Jack 'walking'.

Jack drinking out of...what is that, a bulldog?

I think I got them all labeled correctly and the links are slow (at least for me) but he's so cute....

Back to Jack - his PawPaw and I will be certainly be attendees at this 'first'. We are going to visit for just for his birthday party. The Princess and her mom will also be at the shindig.

Do you have any idea of how long it took me to get all these videos transferred? I had them all on my computer, so that helped. But uploading them to the web hosting site took forever! Plus, for some unknown reason, my computer doesn't open up pages in a new window automatically. So I had to work back and forth. All the while remembering to 'save'.

I know there's a little box somewhere that I can put a checkmark in to make it do that, I just didn't need to before. But I will definitely be fixin' that.

Some days I don't know if I should get a new computer or just get on with it and move completely over to the blogspot space. It doesn't offer as many bells and whistles as Spaces does, though. Decisions, decisions.

Ok, let's lighten up here. Here's the tip of the day, from an e-mail I received from a friend:

Good Housekeeping Tip
Always keep several get well cards on the mantel.....
so if unexpected guests show up, they'll think you've been too sick to clean!

Family

2006-10-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

And the people spoke...

2006-09-27T02:12:00.000-05:00

I know some of you have lost entries…just ‘poof’ and it’s gone? Well, I lost a long list of nifty topics. It was not much, just a lot of rambles, but they were my rambles.
I’ll get to the jury duty details in a minute. I’ve got other, more boring stuff for you to wade through first.
One of my entries on my other blog back in November of last year was about my daughter’s and Hubby’s birthday. They share the same day, as does Dr. G, the doctor who delivered her and her older sister. In that entry, I added a little “Happy Birthday” shout-out to him as well. I mentioned him by name.
Fast forward to last month - a colleague of his did a google search of Dr. G’s name and he came across that blog. So he passed the info onto the doctor and the Dr. G emailed me! It’s been about 30 years since he moved away. We exchanged a few howdy’s and whatcha’s. He’s in his 70’s now and living in Virginia. For the record, he was a great guy and the best doctor I’ve ever had.
As some of you have noticed, I’ve been somewhat slow in posting entries. Much of it is due to me not being bored – Hubby’s not working out of town as much, and my keyboard is too loud to type “after-hours”.
Another reason is due to me having to attend to all those boring and mundane everyday activities like dishes, laundry and such; and then sometimes it was because I was either too busy or too lazy.
My daughter asked me to make a wedding gift for a friend of hers (which I did) and it didn’t turn out near as well as I wanted. It was an altered scrapbook album cover. I would give it a B or B- if I were grading it. Of course, I was aiming for an A+. I have this little perfectionist streak in me. I know handmade items will look handmade, that’s the whole point, isn’t it? I just don’t want it to look like a 3 year old did it.
I’m also trying to sort through tons of medical ‘Explanation of Benefits’ forms in order to get reimbursed by our Flex plan. I couldn’t find a couple of claims that I needed, so I asked the insurance company to mail me copies. They mailed me copies of ALL of my medical claims. And since this has been a busy year for me, medically speaking, they were numerous.
Plus, I’m trying to do some “fall” cleaning for an upcoming garage sale and I’m finding it hard to part with my things. I’m a packrat and I know it. And it’s mostly junk, but still…
For instance, I have a sunflower yellow Fiestaware cream pitcher and sugar bowl set. It’s not a reproduction, my mom had it way back when. Do I keep it or sell it? How much? Stuff like that. From my granny, I’ve got paddle-like wool comber thingies, some old butter molds, 1920’s post cards - stuff like that. I keep it because I like it, but I’ve got no place to display it in this small house.
I’ve also got lots of other folk art type items that I’ve picked up over time. Most of it is nothing but junk, junk, junk.
Like this – about 5 years ago, I bought about 20 of these small, stuffed baby dolls (about 4” tall) and they all have different facial expressions. They were so adorable, I had no idea what I was going to do with them; I just thought they were cute. Now they are in a box somewhere. I have extra sheets and tablecloths. I have a ton of extra pots and pans and dishes that I don’t need.
Not to mention jeans. Levis, Wranglers, what have you. I probably have at least 30 pairs, all different sizes. At one time I was going to make a quilt out of denim. Or potholders. Or something.
Nonetheless, out it all goes. I promise.
However, I must say in my defense, I was raised mostly by my grandparents and they had that Great Depression mentality that required you to keep everything…”just in case”, you know?
Anyway, I’m going to use the money that (hopefully) the garage sale brings in to celebrate with Baby Jack, who by the way will be One Year Old next month. We’re going to visit him and be attendees at his birthday party. We leave on the 18th.
It’s so sad not be able to visit with him much. Even worse, they’ll be moving somewhere else next year. I hope the Navy keeps them in the USA.
Isn’t it sad how you see actors doing a guest role on a TV show. They are the same age as you, and they look really, really OLD?
Ok, about this jury duty thing. This was my third time to be summoned for the process.
The case before us was a Felony DUI (driving under the influence). In Texas, having two prior convictions for DUI makes the third one a felony offense.
The defendant was a diabetic, 69 year old man who, on 6/11/04 @ 8:50pm, ran a stop sign and crashed his car into a tree. He then walked to a nearby house and entered the garage.
According to the two witnesses who helped him out of the car, he smelled of alcohol and appeared to be intoxicated. They called 911 and tried to stop the man from walking/stumbling away.
Approximately 15 minutes after the crash, a state trooper found the man crouching in a nearby garage, hiding behind a table. The trooper testified that in his judgment, he believe the man was intoxicated. The man was not given a field sobriety test at the scene because he indicated to the trooper that he was injured. The trooper could not continue and turned the man over to the EMTs for immediate care.
About 40 minutes after the wreck, while at the hospital, the man tested positive for the ‘follow the finger eye test’ (I can’t remember the technical name for it). Because of medical testing that the hospital did (EKG, x-rays, etc.), the man’s blood alcohol level was not tested until approximately 2 hours after the accident. At that time, it showed a concentration of .14% (nearly twice the legal limit).
Could we find him guilty without reasonable doubt? Reasonable doubt...see, that’s where they get you. It's not as easy as you'd think. Some doubt, yes. Reasonable doubt...hard to define.
In Texas, the legal definition of Driving Under the Influence is:
Having consumed a substance that would cause impairment of mental faculties OR;
Having consumed a substance that would cause impairment of physical faculties OR;
Having a blood alcohol level of 0.8%; while operating a motor vehicle.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant was driving while intoxicated, with a suspended driver’s license and was found hiding in a garage after wrecking his car.
The defendant’s story was that he had driven to the store at his wife’s request, lost control of his car on loose gravel, slid into a tree and then walked to a nearby friend’s house in order to call for help. He began to drink the vodka (from a bottle that he had previously stashed in the garage) in order to prevent an anxiety attack.
He testified that it was then that he became intoxicated and not when his car hit the tree.
He did not deny being intoxicated. He denied being intoxicated while he was driving.
His story was possible, right? And you have to remember that all of the physical evidence that the prosecutor entered into the record was acquired after the defendant said he drank the alcohol.
So it all came down to the testimonies. Several people testified against him, but all but two of those encountered him –according to his testimony- after he drank the alcohol. One person, besides the defendant, testified in his defense. His wife. And that was a sad sight.
So we had to decide his guilt or innocence based on the defendant’s testimony and the testimony of those two witnesses who were with him at the accident scene.
Could a 220 pound, self-professed alcoholic walk 200 yards, then find (in the dark) a hidden bottle and consume approximately 16 oz. of vodka? Would he have become intoxicated within 15 minutes? Would he have been able to stand up? To even talk? Why did he not tell anyone this?
It took more than 3 hours to discuss our thoughts and decide. The verdict had to be unanimous. Some of the jurors believed the defendant’s testimony. Some of the others (me being one of them) found some of his testimony to be unbelievable.
Eventually, we believed that he did not have enough time to become intoxicated, based on the timeline of when the car hit the tree and when the trooper found him in the garage.
AND
We believed his physical faculties were impaired when he failed to control his car at an intersection, causing it to crash into a tree.
AND
We believed his mental faculties were impaired when he decided to walk away from the accident and consume alcohol, knowing that law enforcement officials and medical authorities were coming. We also believed his mental faculties were impaired to the point that he did not realize that the consumption of alcohol at that time would damage his credibility.
We had been told earlier that if we found the defendant guilty that after we gave the court our decision, then we would enter into a second phase of the trial concerning punishment. During all the deliberating and discussing, it became apparent to all of us that we felt sorry for the old guy and that he needed help. I believe that we all thought that his sentence should involve some sort of behavior therapy.
After we passed judgment and the judge announced our verdict of guilty, his lawyer stated that the defendant would prefer that the court would decide the punishment and not the jurors.
What a mistake. This judge is not known for his leniency. We would have been far easier on him than the judge, I’m sure. I hope he gets the help he needs. I don’t know what his sentence is, but I’ll let you know when I do.
But you know what? Between all the
"Objection, your Honor"s,
the "Sustained"s,
and
the "Overuled".s,
the scariest part for me was when my cell phone announced a "Message recieved" notice with two very loud beeps during the prosecutor's closing arguments.
Argh....
And by the way - I don’t think all those political, left-wing nuts (like Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry - all those people who don’t understand what ‘ Separation of Church and State’ really means) – I don’t think they realize how centered we are in our spiritual beliefs - we began our deliberation with a prayer.
On a side note of how things work sometimes...I called my little sister, "The Tough Jailer" when it was all over. I told her who the defendant was and she said, "Oh, ya'll didn't convict him, did you? I know he's guilty, but it's sad. He takes 12 medications a day. He's a nice old man."
The moral of the story is Don't drink and drive unless you want to go to prison.

My other blog? http://texasmammie.spaces.live.com Ya'll come visit, ya' hear?

Happy Birthday - again

2006-09-06T18:31:00.000-05:00

Once, when I was in standing in line, I noticed a woman in front of me who was close to my, um...time line. While I was standing there, I began meditating about some of the curveballs I've been thrown over the years.
Let’s begin with just a few... I've had some very questionable haircuts, I’ve recently acquired a another hitch in my get-along, I’ve got an extra droop here or there, and oh, yeah, some slight weight gain…you get the picture.

That's when it dawned on me. Our minds grow at a different rate that our physical bodies. Isn’t that amazing? And ironic?

So I began to ponder, just how many of us really understand the worldwide phenomena officially known as
“The Ohlman Laperectorization Defluxapating - Capacititable Ostracalculator Obstreperating Teterazition Syndrome” (O.L.D. C.O.O.T.)?
Well, not many, I would hazard a guess.
In layman's terms, it means that after a certain age, we experience a type of reverse mind/body connection. While the mind still ages, it does so at an incredibly decreased rate, and at the same time the body's physical aging process is accelerated.

For example, when you're born, your mind is new. When you're 4, you think you have the mind of a 6 year old. This process continues as you grow - your mind races ahead to be a 16 year old while your body is still barely 13. When your physical self is 16, well, your mind may think of itself as 18, 20 or even 22. Before you know it, you can wind up with a 23-year-old mind in a 17 year old body.

Then one day, out of the blue, KINDALIKABOOM! you have a Distinct Mind/Body Connection. You think like a 25 year old AND you are 25 years old.

But then (and this is the part you need to pay attention to), your mind undergoes what is known as the Stop, Drop, and Rollback experience. It goes into a reversal mode. Your mind may stay at 25, but your body goes on aging year after year, until one day you realize your body is now 32.

For the record, let me state that some minds actually begin to regress as the body ages, but that characteristic is usually only seen in males. To help clarify "The Ohlman Laperectorization Defluxapating - Capacititable Ostracalculator Obstreperating Teterazition Syndrome" (O.L.D-C.O.O.T.) and the "Stop Drop and Rollback" processes, we will discuss only normal people.

OK, are you still with me? Mind's age- 25, body's age- 32. Now, when your mind is 32, your body is actually approaching middle age or beyond.

Over the years, professionals, idiots, and professional idiots alike have all pondered the same age-old question, "Does your mind ever think it is Middle-Aged?". A mind that's 50 years old? I would imagine that when and if your mind even thinks it's anywhere near 50 years old, then someone, somewhere is already planning your funeral.

Were you to ask me, "What about your mind"? I would reply that's yet another story entirely, but for the purposes of this entry, I would only say that my mind is still intact (as far as I can tell).

My youngest daughter (who will be 31 in a couple of months and has been to college, so I know she knows what's what) perked me up by saying I was probably in the top 2 % of women who have the "It" factor in women/girls of my age group. Somehow, even though I didn't believe it (actually, I didn't even understand it), it clicked something, somewhere deep within me.

So, I cut my hair 1" shorter, added a burgundy sheen to it and I got hooked up with a guy who really knows his hair gels. Throw in some bronze eye shadow, big hoop earrings and Mammie's got a brand new look.

Ooops, I'm digressing, again.

My biggest fear is not growing older - (in fact, it's not even the opposite) - it’s growing older and no longer having a zest for life.
I fear looking like my mom. I fear wearing pink polyester pants that are too short. The fear of - gasp - wearing socks with sandals, of being seen in stirrup pants, of wearing that indestructible mutant housedress, commonly called a “muumuu” (add knee hi's to the outfit at this point).

I fear growing older and not wanting to sleep naked anymore. I want to put my Christmas tree up the day before Thanksgiving - even if I'm going to someone else's house for the holidays that year. I want to sip Dom Perignon any time I want too, not just on New Year's Eve. I want to keep a big box of decadent chocolates on my nightstand (in addition to the one in the kitchen) - just because.

I don't want to think it's too much trouble to make love in the afternoon. I want to be able to get in the car and just drive and drive and drive until I am ready to go home.

As I grow older, I want to still want.

I fear growing older and fading. I fear growing older and thinking that life has passed my by.

I fear falling for the hype about those low-fat, tasteless, easy to chew, fiber-packed, all-you-can-eat Early Bird Dinner Specials at 4:30 pm. I don't want to eat that early.
I fear growing old and wanting to stay home at night because it's too dark to drive. It's nighttime, it's supposed to be dark.
I fear not wanting to dance when I hear good music…I fear wanting things that don’t fit the stereotype…I fear not wanting to indulge in life.

I fear I’ll begin to follow the rules. The old people rules.

I don’t want to be defined by age or by shoulds or should nots:

I want to

be / do / wear / have / sing / feel / drink / allow / explore /keep / think /wish / love / keep / give/ watch / pursue / own / write / want

at whatever age I am.

When I was 18 (now, that was 30 good years!), I was fearless and adventurous and life was full of opportunities. Now I'm in my 50's and life is full of wonder and I am fearless and adventurous. And when I'm in my 80's I want to still be fearless, adventurous and full of life.

On my last birthday, I told people - those who were rude enough to ask - that I was 3 years older than I really was.

My birthday is next Sunday.

So next week, if anyone asks, I'm going to add 5 years to my age.
I'll look good for my age.

I'm not old. Not even when I look in the mirror, do I see old. I only see someone who used to be younger. I'll never be old and I hope to never be boring. I want to be vibrant and joyful and fun to be with - right up to the very end.

Right up until they try to explain the bizarre circumstances surrounding my demise and knowing what I'm smiling about.

So for now, I'm 58. Or 63. Doesn't matter, it’s just a number.

Don't forget to visit me at No Small Parts, the original

Goodbye Steve Irwin, you'll be missed.

2006-09-04T15:17:00.000-05:00

Hubby came into wake me up this morning. I slept in. It was drizzly and still sort of dark outside, even at 8:00AM. He sat down on the bed, shook me and said, "Steve Irwin died." My first thought was that he was talking about that nerdy kid, Steve Urkel. Still half asleep, I mumbled, "Urkel? How?" and then Hubby said, "No, The Crocodile Hunter".
I actually thought I might cry. I hardly ever cry about real things.

I began taking care of The Princess when she was 3 months old. One day, when she was about 6 months old, I was flipping through the channels on TV and landed on Steve Irwin’s show. The Princess turned her head and began watching very intently. I think it was his voice and accent that caught her attention, but nonetheless, he certainly captured her attention.

So we began watching him everyday, every time he was on the tube. And during this time, I too became a big fan of his. I cried when he cried over his dog. I flinched when the croc bit his hand. I watched when Bindi was born. I guess I lived vicariously through his adventures. He seemed like a genuine nice guy. I guess if he had to die young, this is the way he would have chosen.

I’m so confused about my decision to leave MSN's Spaces, I feel like I’m leaving my family. It makes me homesick and gives me blogger’s block. I was reading fellow Spacer's way before I began to do this and I’ve enjoyed the fact that they read my junk. One of the reasons I began blogging was to meet the people I read. I didn’t always leave a comment, but be assured that most of them I've read since day one.

On one hand, I’m afraid if I leave, they’ll forget about me. I know some won’t, but I know that some will. Out of sight, out of mind, ya know? On the other hand, visiting Spaces really takes a lot of time and when I try to comment, my computer takes forever and sometimes it even freezes up. I’m talking time-wise - from signing in to commenting – it could be anywhere between 1 and 9 minutes.
And if the space has music? Unless I really liked them, forget it.
Blogspot is sooo much easier.
Decisions, decisions…

On a different note, I got called for jury duty again. This will be the 3rd time since I’ve lived here. I’ve never actually served on a jury, but I still got paid for showing up. What is it, $12.00 a day? Maybe it’s $6.00. I can’t remember. Unless I get picked, it’s another way to waste a day. If I do get picked, I don’t know who’ll watch The Princess after school and on her days out.
Her other grandmother lives closer to her than I do. However, she only wants The Princess when she needs a prop to show off her grandparental devotion.
I did an entry on her and her new husband titled The Enigmas. I’ve never met anyone (other than her sister) like this woman. If I did nothing but post entries about her and her husband, I would have at least one new one every day. It would take me weeks just to explain the backstory.

You know, there are words and acronyms that just get on my nerves. A.k.a is one. Slated is another. And when a person says "irregardless", I have to bite my tongue. It’s not a word. Don’t go using big words if you can’t do it right.

I love going to second hand stores. It’s too bad that other people are catching on to this. Goodwill used to be the best place to find great bargains and unique items at very good prices. Alas, since the general public has caught on, they’ve gone up on their prices.
Yesterday, I bought a brand new Sak purse for $3.00, a watercolor workbook for .50 and an oval cheval mirror (without the stand) for $5.00.
I plan on using it for the mirror over the new bathroom vanity. The ‘new’ vanity is actually a very old oak 3-drawer dresser. I got it at Goodwill about 3 years ago for $8.00. At the time, I didn’t know what I would do with it, but I knew I’d find a place for it. We are still in the process of sanding, staining and all that. Somebody had painted it a yucky, pinky brown. I think sometimes it’s perfectly ok to paint wood. But in this case, I think it was a mistake.

I have many pieces of odds and ends type furniture and other stuff that I’ve collected over the years. Some I’ve used and some still await their marching orders. Hubby just refinished a very small Queen Anne style table (I bought it so long ago that I can’t remember where or when I got it.) that I’m going to place next to the tub. It’ll be a nice place for a candle and other pretties.
Poor Hubby – when he built his workshop/garage/building, he thought it would be for his stuff. It does have his car (a ’66 Chevelle that’s in pieces at the moment) and his tools, but it also has chairs, dressers, tables, china, trunks and anything else I find.
Did I ever mention that I’m a packrat? I know why, I just don’t want to change all that much, I guess.
The guy that gave us Lola also gave us a claw foot bathtub. It’s not one of the slipper types though, darn it. We were going to use it in the remodeling, but the seating/standing area is not really big enough for two people, so someday we will do something else with it.

I mentioned that I washed Hubby’s cell phone, remember? We’ve been with the same phone carrier for more than 10 years and happy with them – but when we went to get Hubby’s new phone, their store wanted $149.99 for the phone for an upgrade w/ a 2-year contract. They did offer an instant $50.00 off and a mail-in rebate of $50.00 making the final price $49.99 - not to mention the upgrade fee and all that. What a rip-off. I think I’ll email them, like I did with Wal-Mart and voice my displeasure. Since Hubby wasn’t sure which phone he wanted, we decided to go eat lunch and think about it.
We stopped in at Wal-Mart and they offered the same phone he was looking at for $0.00 with a 2-year contract. Wal-Mart just keeps racking up points in my book.

Ok, enough boring stuff. Here’s the fun stuff:

An elderly Texas gentleman was stopped by a game warden in East Texas recently with two ice chests full of fish, leaving a river that was well known for its fishing.

The game warden asked the gentleman, "Do you have a license to catch those fish?"

"Naw sir, I ain't got no license. These here are my petfish."
"Pet fish?"
"Yep. Every night I ‘bout sundown, I take dese fish down to the river and let 'em swim 'round for a while. Then I whistle and they jump right back into th’ ice chest and I take 'em home."
"That's a bunch of BS! Fish can't do that!"
The elderly man looked at the game warden for a moment and then said,"Tis the truth. I'll show you."
"Okay, I've GOT to see this!"
The old guy poured the fish into the river and stood and waited.
After several minutes, the game warden turned to him and said,"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"When are you going to call them back?"
"Call who back?"
"The FISH!"
"What fish?"

If you'd like to read more of my rambles, head on over to my MSN Space, No Small Parts.

Moving Day

2006-08-30T15:16:00.000-05:00

This space is currently under construction, so please go HERE to read previous entries.
For your viewing pleasure, I've included a picture of The Princess and Lola.
Thank you for visiting.