friday

Boyfriend and I spent the day out yesterday running errands, doing a little shopping, having dinner out, and visiting my parents.
We went to our favorite steak house for dinner. He had steak, I have had baby back ribs. His steak was too rare. My ribs were great.
Daughter has a party to go to this weekend. She bought a really cute dress for the party..........while out yesterday I found the perfect shoes for her to wear with the dress........and she likes them!
Dad had a new list of jokes last night.
one of my favorites was                        A lawyer, a serial killer, and a pit bull are coming after you in a dark alley. You have a gun and 2 bullets.....who do you shoot..............................................the lawyer, twice!
When he tells it it's funny..............he has a way of telling jokes, and a story. Cracks me up......

I argued last night with my dad about the Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman case........
and then we argued and had a conversation  about what we should and shouldn't be doing for family who are unwilling or unable to be responsible, working, productive adults.
It gets old having the same conversation over and over again. I left their house feeling guilty, a little sad, and frustrated.
I think we should spend more time and energy talking about and celebrating productive family members.....

saturday

Oldest son's birthday is tomorrow.
He was the prettiest baby I'd ever seen..........even to this very day I've never seen a baby as pretty as he was........and he was a good baby, a happy baby....................an easy child to raise.........
I'm having him and his girlfriend over for dinner tomorrow.
My chicken and dumplings are his favorite.........so it's what I'll cook for him..................and he loves cheesecake.......so I'll make that too.
I know it's corny. But I like cooking for my kids.
So any hoo.................................................................middle son is in Gatlinburg with his girlfriend.............daughter is at work....................Mr. Bojangles and We-ping just just went out the back door..........Mr. Bojangles was mad at me I think for leaving town. He was aloof when I got home......now he's over it and being affectionate.

Eight years ago  mom had been diagnosed with colon rectal cancer and was having some pretty serious heart problems...........her oldest daughter was turning 50..................mom didn't think she'd be around to see her other 4 daughters turn 50.........so when she bought oldest sister a pair of diamond earrings for her birthday she also bought 4 other pairs and tucked them in her closet for dad to give to each of us as we turned 50.
She didn't die...........and has been there to give each of four of her daughters the earrings. Next year she will give the last pair to youngest sister.
So I received a beautiful pair of half carat diamond earrings for my 50th! I love them.

thursday part 2

thursday

........went to myrtle beach on a whim ..............wanted to be at the ocean to celebrate my 50th birthday....................it was a wonderful day spent doing some of the things i enjoy.............i walked in the waves, collected sea shells, sun bathed, sifted the sand through my fingers and toes.........swam laps in the pool, soaked in the hot tub, walked the beach with boyfriend, ate crab legs, oysters, and shrimp..........whispered sweet nothings to boyfriend.......watched the sunset, and sunrise....................felt so much gratitude for all of my family.........and for my life in general..............it was my best birthday yet!

thursday

Not filing my taxes yet was keeping me up at night. So I did mine and daughters tonight. Yay! Feels great to have them out of the way!

sunday

Hey Billy.
I'm watching Academy of Country TV Awards.........or something like that...............Lady Antebellum just sang      Lady Antebellum - Dancin' Away With My Heart - YouTube..............................reminded of my senior year prom and the last dance I shared with my high school sweetheart........................and then how he dumped me right before graduation for a woman who had just had a baby.......................and how after graduation he   joined the marines..... called me 6 months later from Hawaii........but my dad didn't give me the call...............so I was sitting here wondering why he called........................and then I thought he probably wanted my sister a year older's phone number because eventually they ended up dating .........AND he cheated on his wife..................so then I was thinking how I was lucky he dumped me................and how when the other guy who asked me to the prom   I said no even though I really wanted to go with him. we had leads together in the class play,    pippin, and he was a good, intelligent,fun, decent person.....I had a crush on him............but I felt like I couldnt go to the prom with him because I'd been dating my high school sweetheart for a couple of years. How could I  break up with him right before prom and graduation and go to the prom with another guy.........that would just be mean....... little did I know.

Do you know who Suze Orman is, Billy.......
Well I was thinking about buying myself this pretty ring  for my 50 th birthday.
I just wanted to do something nice for myself.  You know.....
But I feel guilty spending money..........
Especially on myself..................and especially until daughter graduates from college.
So I was watching the Suze Orman show and thinking about the ring......................and I thought that if she gave me permission to buy the ring, then I could buy it without guilt....................and I knew she would approve the purchase..............I watch her show enough to know that I'd pass her financial evaluation.............so
I emailed her site..............told them what I wanted to buy and why........and left all the info. they requested. They called the next day and invited me to participate on her show.
At first I was excited. Then I had stage fright......and then I thought                        I'm going to be 50. If I want to buy a ring I don't need approval from anyone.......and I certainly don't have to feel guilty.
So I didn't do the show....................... I didn't buy the ring either........because maybe I'd rather spend the day at a day spa ...or take daughter on a shopping spree..........I just don't know yet.

Go U.K! even though I was rooting for Louisville!

text mesages from daughter

daughter.......I can't work here anymore. She's so rude. I want to leave.

me.........Stick it out. Be nice.

Daughter.....I'm not saying anything and all 3 of them are in the back talking about how I think I'm better than them. I'm working the store by myself
I got the job at that phone place. I start this coming Monday or next.

Me......Well hang in there until Monday.

Daughter......I want to leave mom.

me.......U can't.

Daughter.....so i'm supposed to let them gang up on me 3 to 1.

me.....yes

daughter.....will you drop a few dollars off so i can get some lunch.


I only have 2 readers Billy! lol.

thursday

my least favorite jelly bean.............purple.

more notes from dad.....and one from mom

Mom and dad are back from their trip.
They're both tan, rested, and happy to be home.
We celebrated dads 75th birthday.
He's healthy. He's active......................and I think he's who keeps mom going.

sunday

Hi Billy.

sunday

ran a million errands this morning.
celebrated boyfriends birthday this late afternoon.
mammogram results negative!
grateful for my job but wish i didn't have to work tomorrow.

my man of the hour

Norah Jones - Man Of The Hour ( Live Good Morning America 11/16/2009 ) - YouTu

I play this everyday on my way home from work. By that time I'm usually missing Mr. Bojangles. It's my song to him!

sunday

Daughter asked if I'd get her one of these, a Savannah cat, after she graduates from college. She showed me some u-tube videos of these cats and now I want one. They're so cute, and playful.
I told her I'd get her one after she graduates.

When I left the grocery store Friday a mammogram bus was in the parking lot. I've been diligent about getting a mammogram since I was 38 or 39 years old.........................but the last time I had one it hurt. I mean it really hurt .I joke that the lady giving me the test fractured my left breast. So I've put it off for 2 years. I've worried about not having it done. So when i saw the van I thought just get it out of the way...........had nothing else pressing to do..........it's a free service..........and maybe it was a sign seeing the van, or some sort of devine intervention..........so i went in........&......I was hopeful it wouldn't hurt like last time.......but..........it killed my left breast again.

I have a patient who sings Gospel songs to me while I care for her diabetic foot. She has a beautiful singing voice......and I tell her she does.  I love when she sings to me. It makes me feel calm and happy. Singing makes her happy.

monday

I took the day off work today for a bad back. Sitting or lying in bed all day doesn't help. Walking helps a little. Not a 12 hour shift of lifting patients, and bending over them to do treatments. Just a little walking and stretching. So boyfriend and I went out to walk the 3.89 acres for sale that interests me.

When I see the property I think of family sitting under the stars at a bon fire.  I see a huge, wonderful, fruit and veggie garden. I see long walks and picnics in the woods with boyfriend.....watching deer from the front porch,.....sons coming out to frog gig..........and cozy nights in front of the fire place with boyfriend and the kitties.

The house on the property needs to be removed. I could have a home built on site, or maybe get a prefabricated\modular home.............I put up a picture of one below. It's simple, small, and cute I think. it just needs a firplace.

wed

Mom and dad are out of town for awhile so I've spent the last two days cleaning their house. When I cleaned their house for Christmas it was apparent to me that they can't keep up with that big house anymore. At that time I only had time to do some basic cleaning but knew I'd need to come back and really get my hands dirty.
At one point yesterday I was sitting on mom's bedroom floor dusting books and a table that sits next to mom's bed. Tucked in one of the books were letters from the dean from the university where mom graduated. She had a 4.0 GPA all through school and was on the deans list. I never knew. I also found a book with some of the poems mom wrote tucked between the pages. They made me cry they were so good. On the other hand I found a rejection letter from a magazine mom had sent one of her poems to for publication. It made me angry because I knew the rejection had to  hurt my mom.......and I don't like her hurting.........and then I wondered if she gave up or if she continued to try to get published..............................and I wondered why she never shared any of this with me........................and then I felt a little guilty for reading her stuff. So I put it away. As I was sitting on moms bedroom floor thinking of her I heard noises down the hallway and in the living room, or maybe the noise was coming from outside. I cautiously walked down the hallway half expecting to see an intruder. I looked down the steps and through the glass at the sides of the front door. Two cop cruisers were out front.
I went outside. No cop around. So I yelled out.....HELLO! HELLO! and from the back yard came the police.
Dad signs up to have the police do property inspection while he is out of town. I guess the police actually do check things out.........so,
They called in to whoever they call and checked to make sure it was okay for me to be in mom and dads house. I was a little scared that maybe dad forgot to put me on the list, and I briefly saw myself being handcuffed and taken away. Of course things worked out and the police went on their way.....

When mom gets home I'm going to ask her about the letter from the publisher...........if she tried again......if she still writes.............ask her to hang her letters from the Dean so that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren can see them...................I also want them t o know that she was the very first woman to complete each and every course offered in the Women's Studies program  at the university she attended.............
Mom and dads house is now sparkling clean. All that's left to do is take a quilt out of the dryer and fold it........and  put a vase full of flowers on the breakfast bar a day before they're due home. It felt good doing for them.......

thursday

Went for a drive today. I thought this little place was kinda cool looking. It has two signs in the window. One said.......cold beer. The other one said........open. It's empty. But I suppose it used to be a little country bar.

This little guy is cute so I snapped his picture.

This sign was out front of what used to be the little country bar. It says......cold beer, and coca cola.

I found a house that interests me. It's on two acres, in the country........but only 15 miles from where I live so it's still close to the city.

It has a shack of a house on it...........and since there was a no trespassing sign, I couldn't get a really good look at the land.

I'm thinking I could knock down the shack, and put a little house, like a little house on the prairie house, on the property.

I've exchanged an email with the realtor. He's going to give me a call tomorrow.