Back during the summer, I was doing pretty dang good on my diet. I had actually lost almost 40lbs.

Then hurricane Rita hit!!!

Now I know that shouldn't be an excuse, but it was convenient and an valid one. I ate. I ate the week before she hit, I ate during her visit and I ate the two weeks after she left behind her destructive litter.

Needless to say, I gained the weight back. I was disappointed in myself and at the lost of all that hard work I went through to lose it in the first place. I have tried to get back into the mind-frame again... and it does take a certain mind set before you can successfully lose weight, but just couldn't find it in me.

Well, I have finally found the initiative that I needed to get me started on this endeavor again. I really do want to be healthy again, to feel good, to be able to walk and run and not gasp for breath. I want to quit hurting (especially my feet) and be able to wear nice clothes proudly!!

Monday, I found this green note in my mailbox at work. It was an entry form for our schools BIGGEST LOSER CONTEST. They were forming teams and were encouraging everyone who wanted to lose weight to join.

It cost $5 to sign up and weigh in for the first time. Then they will establish teams and once a week, we will weigh in. The team that loses the most that week gets a free week, all the others have to pay into the kitty (they are not sure how much...$1 or maybe another $5).

Then at the end of the year... the team that has lost the most will get the money pot to spit between its members. Now we aren't talking about 'lots' of money here... but it is a great way to stay on goal. If you gain weight, not only are you hurting yourself, but you will be hurting your team also!!!!

We will be having meetings and get-togethers to discuss our methods and means of losing. We will have walking parties and healthy eating parties where we will share our losses and discuss reasons why we may have gained.

I am excited. I think it is an excellent way to encourage people to get healthy, whether you have 10lbs or 100 lbs to lose.

I will keep you posted as to how my team does!!!!

OK.... I've got to get out and walk Mollie... she needs to lose weight too!! Hmmmmm...wonder if I could talk Tor into going with us..... he could stand to lose a few pounds!!!! hehehe
 

The school I work at is a intermediate school consisting of 5th and 6th grades only. It is a large school that spreads out over the campus in a "H" pattern. One leg of the "H" is the 5th grade hall consisting of 20 classrooms, and a teacher workroom. The other leg is basically the same but for the 6th grade. The short connector hall contains bathroom, counselor offices, our custodial office and a few other miscellaneous rooms. At the end of the 6th grade hall, the building branches off into another section that contains the science wing, band hall, chorus hall, nurses station, caferteria, gym, more counseling offices and all the main offices and reception area.

I am responsible for the 5th grade hall.

This means that I am usually alone, all by myself most of the time. There is one gal that cleans the 6th grade area and the rest of custodians are up towards the main entrance in their areas.

I don't mind being by myself at all. It allows me to concentrate on my area and take care of the necessary repairs and other minor details that need attention.

Occasionally one of the other gals will walk through, but we usually only see each other at breaks.

The other night, I was just about through. It was right around 9pm, and I was wrapping up, doing some spot window cleaning. It was a calm, moonlit night. I could see the shadows of the trees falling across the yard.

As I was walking down my hall, a large noise errupted which startled me for just a second. I don't scare easy, and stood there waiting for the sound to replay itself so I could figure out what was causing it.

I didn't have to wait long. About half a minute later a series of loud bangs cascaded over my head. What amazed me was that there was a rhythm to the sound. BANG...BANG...BANG...BANG....bang,bang,bang, bang. The first four were really loud, loud enough to almost feel the sound. The second four were like echoes of the first.... softer and less intense.

Over and over again: BANG...BANG...BANG...BANG....bang,bang,bang,bang.

Ok, it sounded like it was coming from the end of the hall so I started walking towards the sound. I hadn't walked 20 feet when the direction of the sound changed and was coming from behind me now.

I turned around and started back to where I had just come and sure enought... I took about 10 steps and the sound changed again, coming from behind me.

Now at first I assumed that it was just exspansion of either the heating/cooling system, or water pipes banging. But it was extremely loud, much louder than what would be expected from these causes. Then I remembered that all rooms had their own AC/Heating units sitting outside each room, and that all water ran through the outside walls.

The noise continued, the large BANGS reverberating through the air with the followup echoing bangs following close behind.

Well, I thought that maybe I should go get the person in charge of the afternoon shift so they could figure out where this noise was coming from. I started walking up towards the 6th grade hall and then thought.... Thats way to far to walk, I've got things to do and I don't have time. If I smell smoke, or see water flooding the floors, I will go find someone then.

I returned to my hall and the noise had stopped.

I stood there for quite a while, but all was quiet.

Later, when we all were gathered in the custodial room waiting to clock out, I told Dawn, the person in charge what had happened. She hung back and told me to wait just a minute while everyone else clocked out and headed home.

Then she proceded to tell me that there were rumors that the school was haunted. She had a few experiences herself when working alone in the school on the weekends. She said that she was walking down my hall one night getting ready to leave when the ceiling tiles started lifting up in front of her. As she walked, the tiles would lift just a bit and then fall back in place. Nothing dramatic, just an inch.. but definitly noticible.

She said that she has also heard doors slam shut, when she knew for a fact that there was no one else in the building.

Apparently, these so called 'ghost' like to play tricks and just scare people. No one has been hurt, but others have also experienced their pranks, when working alone.

I haven't heard the noise since that night, and nothing else weird has happened...yet!!

Now, if I could just train them to do my work for me, I would have it made!!!!
 

I am sort of cheating today.... I read this in our little local paper and thought I would share it. I'm not sure where they got the info, but it is cute....

Kids Talk About Marriage:

How do you decide whome to marry?

1. You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming....Alan, age 10

2. No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with....Kristen, age 10

What is the right age to get married?

1. Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then....Camille, age 10

2. No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married....Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?

1. You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids....Derrick, age 8

What do you think your mom and dad have in common?

1. Both don't want any more kids!!...Lori, age 8

What do most people do on a date?

1. Date are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough....Lynnette, age 8

2. On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date...Martin, age 10

What would you do on a first date that was turning sour?

1. I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns...Craig, age 9

When is it okay to kiss someone?

1. When they're rich.....Pam, age 7

2. The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that... Curt, age 7

3. The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the only right thing to do...Howard, age 8

Is it better to be single or married?

1. I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have to sleep with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out....Theodore, age 8

2. It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them....Anita, age 9 (Bless you child!!)

And the #1 favorite:

How would you make a marriage work?

1. Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck...Ricky, age 10
 

Ok, maybe I should start out with trying to do at least one blog a week..... then I can work up from there!!!

These hours I am working suck!! I love working afternoons, but this is a mid-afternoon shift and it just seems like I don't have time for anything. The few hours I have in the morning fly by and by the time I get home and eat... it's time for bed. But I do manage to read the blogs which I wouldn't give up for anything.

I have tried to get my hours changed... you see, I start at 1:00 and get off at 9:30. But the problem is that school does not get out until 3:00. There is not much that I can do from 1:00 to 3:00 but sit there and wait. Once the kids leave the building, then I am rushed the rest of the night trying to get the area done in the hours left. I have told my supervisor that this is a waste of time and I would much rather work from 3:00 till 11:30. This would give me more time to dedicate to the area I am responsible for. But he said they can't change the hours. Oh well...

**********************************************

Um, regarding Tor's blog entry yesterday.... let me give you my story, ok?

You men have it so dang easy, you don't have to worry about the little side effects that a good roll in the hay can create.... well, not in the way us women have to worry at least.

Now I am a healthy 53 year old woman! I started going through this bastardly thing called menopause... gawd, it seems like 10 years ago. Well, maybe it was about 6 years ago, but just the same, the hot flashes, the night sweats and mood swings just seem like a normal part of life to me now.

I was on birth control, but asked my doctor two years ago how I would know when I was through with this menopausal monster that I was battling. You see, I was still having the monthly visits from hell and thought that it was about time for them to stop!!

His explanation was that as long as I was on birth control, they wouldn't stop since my body was being tricked into thinking that things were still normal inside there and preparing itself for any incoming little spermies to make an attack.

He did a blood test and told me that, yes I was in the throes of menopause and that my chances of getting pregnant at this time in my life were so slim, that there was no need to continue on with birth control. EASY FOR HIM TO SAY...

Now the problems lies in that the signs of menopause are a lot like the signs of being pregnant!! Missed periods, mood swings....

But this last time, there were a few different signs that just plain had me worried.

I had missed several months... no big deal.... blame menopause.

I was moody.... no big deal.... blame menopause

I had a craving for Big Macs.... no big deal... WAIT... I had cravings for Big Macs when I was pregnant with Richard!!!

My boobs were sore.... SORE.... last time my boobs were sore was when I was pregnant with Richard!!!

I was nauseous a few days.... OH NO... I suffered bad morning sickness when pregnant with Richard!!!

So you see, I started to worry just a tad.

The more I worried, the worse I felt. The worse I felt, the more I worried. Do you see a vicious circle here?

I would lay there at night and calculate: Ok, if Tor and I have a baby, we will be retiring when the poor kid is 10 years old... ok, maybe we won't be retiring!!

How many times will the poor kid have to explain to people that NO, THESE ARE NOT MY GRANDPARENTS???

Then there was the worry of how we would raise the poor kid. Tor and I are at the complete opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to raising kids. In fact, the poor kid would probably never have to worry since Tor and I would be to busy arguing about how to raise him/her!! He/She would end up raising him/her self!!!

So you see, I was a bit concerned.

So I finally made the trek up to Wal-Mart and purchased one of those little kits that you use to find out for sure, whether you are or are not!

After picking out the one I wanted, I made my way to one of the cashiers. They all know me up there and keep me informed of all the mischief that Tor gets into at work. He can't do a dang thing with out me finding out. I hand her the little box that has PREGNANCY TEST printed in LARGE BOLD LETTERS right across the front and she just looks at me and smiles. I just look right back at her, wink, and smile back. hehehe

I am sure that I wasn't gone 3 minutes, than the whole store was buzzing with rumors about Tor!!!

I waited until the next morning and followed the directions to the 'T'. I waited nervously while the litmus paper did its work. YAHOOOOOO....... NOT PREGNANT!!!!! Whew, what a sigh of relief I let out.

I met Tor at the door with a smile on my face that afternoon. He had no idea why my mood had suddenly brightened... until I told him!!!! hehe

And wouldn't you know it, the next day, that monthly monster showed up once again!!

I swear, I am going to bop Tor over the head and have CC work his magic with the sword while he is down and out!!!!
 

How in the world can two people.... just two people..... mess up a house so quickly?

I admitted that I laid around in bed most of the morning yesterday... and I am proud of it!! I very seldom do that and it really felt good. I could see where it could become a habit real quick!! Then I quickly dressed and headed out the door to a friends house.

By the time I walked back in the door, Tor was home from work and reading blogs. I cooked a couple of hamburgers on the grill and after eating, I continued on with my day of relaxation (which means I didn't do a damn thing around the house)!

I knew that everything would be waiting for me this morning when I got up... so why rush into the picking up, cleaning and doing dishes mode after such a peaceful day yesterday.

Well, because for just two people.... Tor and I sure made a mess... thats why!!!!

How do we do that? I woke up this morning to a house that was in total disarray. There were dirty dishes all over the livingroom, the kitchen was a mess, Sunday's newspaper was scattered all over the floor (the cats helped with that one), clothes thrown over chairs and dirty ashtrays reaking (Tor's the culprit there)!!

I woke up this morning and stumbled out into the livingroom and just stared at the mess. How in the world did we do this, in just one day? Mollie's toys were all over the floor, books were left laying about... I mean we are just two people, a dog and four cats... are we that messy?

So I have spent the morning picking up and cleaning. It really doesn't take very long since our house is small. Within an hours time everything is back to normal, dishes done, books back in place, ashtrays emptied, carpet vacuumed, linoleum swept, doggie toys picked up, bed made.... etc.

Now I can relax. I can't relax if my house is messed up. I feel guilty and can't enjoy myself. Now don't get me wrong... I am not a prude when it comes to my house.... you are very welcome to make yourself at home, put your feet up on the couch and curl up with a good book. My furniture is old and used, the carpet needs to be replaced and the tv is on it's last leg. You can eat in front of the tv and if you spill.... Mollie or one of the cats will clean it up. I use those white plastic lawn chairs you get at Wal-Mart for my dining room chairs (hey they were really cheap and they go with the Bubbaesque decor) but I just can't stand messes.

So now it is almost noon time and I can sit back and enjoy the rest of the day. I have today off from work (poor Tor didn't, he had to go in at 6am this morning) so the house is quiet.

They are forcasting rain (gawd do we need the rain) and the possiblity of some severe storms rolling through later this afternoon or this evening. Let it rain, let it pour... I'm ready for it now. I've got a good book laying on the bed just waiting for the first drop of rain to hit. I love laying in bed reading during a good rain, listening to it fall.

Oh but I probably won't be able to hear it... I forgot, Tor has his new Xbox 360 hooked up to the TV in the bedroom. It has a wireless controller and he lays back and plays his game. The game he is on now is called "GUN". It is a pretty dorky game is you ask me. He is a cowboy and has to accomplish these missions which require him to shoot all the bad guys. He also gets to ride a horse and go on cattle drives and save bar-room hussies from bad Bart or Fred. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time as I have watching him play this game. Tor's poor horse suffers major headaches everytime he gets on it, as he rides it right into buildings or the side of cliffs. He just growls at me as he tries to ride away into the sunset looking for the bad guys.

Oh shoot, I forgot I have to clean the bathroom yet... then I am coming back to read some blogs.

Y'all take care now.


 

Ok, I just commented to a few blogs... but the morning is flying by way to fast. I don't have the time to read all my favorites over their on the left, but will get to the ones I missed either later today or tomorrow.

You see, the problem is..... after Tor left for work this morning at 6am... I climbed back into bed. I snuggled under those cool sheets, sunk my head into my soft pillow, let out a sigh and promply fell back to sleep. A few minutes later I woke up and looked at the clock.... and lo and behold... it was 10 o'clock already..... NO WAY.... seems like I had just been asleep a few minutes. It always amazes me when that happens.

So I jumped out (well, jump might be a bit animated) of bed and took a shower. I threw my housecoat back on and went in to make up the bed... and climbed back in it and watched the Home and Garden channel on TV for another hour!!!! Oh that felt so good!!! I mean... I'm a working gal now... I am entitled to a lazy day spent laying around in bed once in a while.... don't you think???? hehehe

Talk about work..... gawd did I find out how OUT OF SHAPE this 53 year old body was!!! That first week at work was total hell... I never knew that the body contained so many muscles that all could be so sore at the same time. My shoulders ached, my elbows ached, my fingers ached, my back, my legs, even my dang little toe ached!!!! Then after a long hot shower and a rub down my Tor I would climb into bed, relax my head on his shoulder and fall asleep to be rudely awakened four hours later by these same muscles demanding a new 'fix' of tylenol to get them through the rest of the night. Damn demanding little pieces of fiber and sinew that they are, I moaned and groaned all the way to the bathroom to give them their dose of tylenol so they would let me sleep in peace!!

Now I have to get dressed and head out to a co-workers house. She just had her AKC registered German Shepherd Dog bred to a real nice AKC reg male GSD and told me I could have 'pick of the litter' when the puppies are born. Dawn and her husband are in their mid 20's and very social folks. They have been after me to come on over to their little farm and take a look at their horses. She has three mares that she bred to a Jack... so she will have Mule babies due sometime in April. Oh, by the way... she said I could have one of these babies if I wanted....lol....Tor, Honey, Sweetums.... can I have a MULE baby?????? hehehe

In two weeks she will be taking her Shepherd up to the vets to see if the breeding took. Then we will be anxiously awaiting for the puppies to be born.

Now we will have to come up with a neat name... both a registered name and a call name... for a male German Shepherd Dog. Got any ideas?????

OK..... the clock is still ticking and I am running out of time here. It is 12:30 and I still need to get dressed (blush) and call Dawn and head on out the door.

See y'all!!
 

Just a quick entry as I am "off to work"!! After a year of unemployment, it is nice to be going back into the workforce. This job is also nice in that I don't have to dress up ... just casual clothing like jeans and a nice blouse or pull-over top. Oh, another plus about this job is that most of the time I will be working afternoons, so I won't be rudely awakened by an alarm clock every morning. I can sleep in!! The only time we work days is when there is no school... then we go in early.

My family was never a big "New Year" family. My mother always said; "January 1st is just another day, so what's the big deal?" But she did stress that every morning when you wake up was the beginning of the rest of your life. This is what I have lived by. Don't worry about yesterday, that is done and gone.... but right this minute, right now... is the very beginning of the rest of my life.... and I plan to do the best that I can with it.

Y'all take care, and I am hoping to be around more so I can comment in your blogs.... believe me, I do read them every day!!!!

God Bless and have fun in life!
 

Once in awhile, right in the middle of an oridnary life, love gives us a fairy tale!

My wish in life is that everyone could find their fairy tale before they leave this world. It is like taking a peek at Heaven, feeling the happiness, the contentment that life can offer. Only love let's us see normal things in an extraordinary way. Love allows us to open our eyes and see the world in a whole different perspective.

When I met David, the first page of my fairy tale was turned and the pages are being filled with wonderment every day of our lives. I never knew what Love really was until I married David!

There is a place I can go now, to calm my fears and to release my apprehensions. David's arms are a source of strength for me. When he holds me, I feel secure and safe: The world ceases to exist for me.

*************************

I started my new job on Tuesday. I am working as a custodian for the school district here. Personally, I like being in a physically active job. I would much rather come home physically tired instead of mentally tired. The last job I worked was extremely stressful as I worked with numbers all day long. I had to balance the numbers on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. If we were off .25 (out of approximately $3,000,000) I had to find it before I could close the books. I would come home mentally exhausted.

This job allows me the freedom to move around, set up my own methods and meet different people all the time.

The schools are still on vacation, so we are doing things that can't be done on a normal school day. Tuesday was spent climbing up and down an 8 foot ladder changing ceiling tile, florescent lights and filters. I was one sore puppy when I finished the day at 3:30pm.

I had told David that I would stop by Wal-Mart and let him know how my first day went. I made a swing through the parking lot and found a place fairly close to the doors. I walked in and found out that David had called in sick. This not only surprised me, but scared me a bit as David hates taking a day off. He has to be half dead before he will call in, and then I have to be standing over him with a baseball bat threatening him with his life.

So I hurried back out to the car and sped home to see what was wrong with him. I turned into our driveway and noticed that there was a note hanging on the door. Fear closed in around me. My first thoughts were that the paramedics probably left it as they hauled David's butt off to the hospital.

I jumped out of my car and raced up to the door and snatched the note up and this is what it said:

HELLO BABY. I HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD DAY AT WORK. IT WAS SO HARD TO SIT HERE WITHOUT YOU TODAY AND I ALMOST CALLED IN SICK JUST SO I COULD BE HERE WHEN YOU GOT HOME....YOU KNOW WHAT....HELL, I THINK THAT'S JUST WHAT I'M GOING TO DO!

SO, NOW THAT YOU'VE READ THIS....COME ON BACK TO THE BEDROOM AND LAY DOWN WITH ME AND TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAY.

I LOVE YOU BABY...
DAVID

My heart melted..... this man is unbelievable!! He is so dang caring and considerate... so thoughtful and loving.

I walked into the living room, put my things down and made my way back to the bedroom. There he lay reading a book. I crawled into his outstretched arms and lay there, curled up with my head on his chest, and told him of my first day at work.

My shoulders and necked ached from 8 hours of reaching up over my head, so David gave me a shoulder rub, ran a hot bath for me and then after I dried off, he rubbed absorbine all over my sore, but now relaxed muscles. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh that felt so good!!!!

I wish everyone could have a "David" in their lives. He has to be one of the most caring, kindest, smartest, handsomest and sexiest man a girl could ask for!! I have never met anyone who loves like David does. He loves with his whole heart and soul!! Sometimes I wonder how I deserved such a man!!

He is my Prince in this fairy tale that I have been blessed with. I love him with my whole being. He may be only one person in the world to others, but to me... he is my world!!!

I LOVE YOU, DAVID MCCLAIN

As Oliver Wendell Holmes said: "Love is the master key that opens the gates to happiness."




 

I really want to apologize for not commenting to all my favorite bloggers out there... I do read them everyday, but with the Christmas rush coming to a head, I just haven't had time to sit down and respond.

My mother is heading home the day after Christmas, and I should be able to get back to my routine and start commenting to all these wonderful entries from my friends then!!

We found out that David's son and his girlfriend are coming over on Saturday along with David's daughter, her boyfriend and his daughter. So we will have our Christmas dinner then. I had to go out and stock up my cubboards since I will be cooking everything. I have a 15lb Turkey sitting in my fridge thawing. I have the makings for pumpkin pie and banana pudding (David's two favorite desserts) and also stuffage to make some delicious candy.

I found a new fudge recipe I want to try. I love trying new recipes, but am really disappointed when they don't turn out like I expected them to. This one is for a Blueberry Cheesecake fudge. I have never heard of this type of fudge before and have always made the traditional chocolate and/or peanutbutter fudge and vanilla fudge. I am going to try this and see if it as good as it sounds and looks.

Along with the turkey we will have the good old southern cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, sweet potato casserole, fruit salad and some fried corn.

I am also going to make my own sweet dinner rolls this year. Usually I buy those already made in a package and all you have to do is stick them in the oven and warm them up. But I love a good sweet dinner roll and found a recipe I want to try. The first phase of mixing and letting rise can be done in my bread machine with will make it somewhat easier to do.

If any of you have a tried and true recipe for a really good sweet dinner roll, let me know in case this one doesn't pan out.

Ok, my mom is in the kitchen trying to make chicken and dumplings. She is a good cook and can set a mean table full of southern delights (she is from Missouri). She can also cook some of the more northern dishes like corned beef and boiled potatoes or saurkraut and polish sausage (learned from my fathers mother). But I need to go in and help her out a bit, her arms get tired from stirring and lifting bowls and pots. lol... and I finely chopped up some celery leaves and parsley and put in the broth. My mom is trying to dip them all out, she thinks they are the brown stuff that comes out of the chicken bones.

Ever since she arrived she has been wanting to cook David a pot of chicken and dumplings, so tonight she got her wish!!

I did go out and buy a Christmas tree and put it up yesterday. My mom and I had it all decorated by the time David got home. It's been a battle with the cats though.... especially lil' shit..... that's how she got her name... she is always getting herself in trouble. This morning I had about a half a dozen ornaments scattered all over the livingroom floor. The lights were dragging the floor and candycanes were knocked off - and who was under the tree with this wicked look in her eyes.... lil'shit!!

My mom also bought David and I our Christmas present today while we were out shopping. I told her not to get us anything, but she insisted. David hasn't seen it yet, and he will be jumping for joy when he does find it. I am going to go ahead and give it to him now, so he can have it all hooked up when his kids come for dinner on Saturday. He will have to tell you what it is in his blog!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and that all your Holiday wishes come true for you. Y'all be safe in your travels. God Bless and take care!


 

As a lot of you know, my mother is spending the Christmas Holidays with us. She is a young 87 years old and pretty healthy except for arthritic knees that prevent her from moving real fast. We have spent the last week just sitting around the house and reminencing.... sometimes we reminence the same thing over and over again. But I don't mind at all. I am so glad to still have her with us. I know that her time here on Earth is almost over.... as Tor stated in his blog yesterday, her trip down the river has almost reached the Gulf.... but for now, we will enjoy the time she has left.

My mother was raised on a farm in southern Missouri. The men... her father and brothers... would work hard out in the field all day long while the women folk stayed back and took care of the household. They tended the garden, watched over the chicken coop, made the soap, boiled the laundry to get it white and cooked and cared for the men. Key statement here: cared for the men!!

When she married my father and started having babies, she stayed home to nurture and care for the family while my father trudged off to work every day. They always kissed each other at the door every morning when he left, and every afternoon when he returned. She never wore pants when I was young. She always had on the prettiest flowered dresses. She called them house dresses; form fitted bodices that buttoned with a full collar and with a gathered and flowing skirt that fell below her knee line! It wasn't until the late 70's that we finally convinced her to wear a pant suit.

Now this is where that 'key statement' comes into play. My mother has always doted on the men in her life. Once my father entered the door, my mother was there to take care of him. She waited on him hand and foot. My father was not the only one to be on the recieving end of my mothers 'keeping', but my brother also benefited from the effects!! They had their plates of food fixed for them, their clothes layed out for them, their messes picked up after them.

Oh, she loved us girls also... don't get me wrong!! But we were taught to stand on our own and to take care of ourselves. This never bothered me at all, I enjoyed fixing my own plate and deciding what I was going to wear every day, but my poor sister would get so mad (of course my brother egging her on and making faces at her when my mom would pick up his dirty plate and not hers didn't help the situation at all)!

But that was just the way my mother was.... and she is still like that today. David loves it!!! When I fix dinner, she will sit there and wait for David to fill his plate first, before she helps herself. She wants to make sure that David gets what he wants, and that he has first choice before she helps herself. She does ask me, while I am cooking, if I am going to fix David's plate for him!!

Now don't laugh, but I am a lot like my mother. I do have a tendency to dote on the man in my life. In fact, most of the time I DO fix David's plate for him!!! Then I take it to him and ask him if he wants anything else before I help myself. But I enjoy doing it. This is all done out of love. My mother did it out of love and respect for the men in her life and so do I. But David gets a kick out of it, none-the-less.

My mom gets a chuckle out of David and I. We are always picking on each other, teasing and laughing and my mother enjoys this banter between us. David and I will be sitting there playing X-Box and he will be hollering at me to do something or getting after me because I got him killed in the game, and I will give it right back to him teasing him about his lack of game skills. My mom will sit there and laugh and laugh at us. David and I also do a lot of spontanious hugging and kissing. For no reason at all, one of us will reach out and kiss the other. My mother loves this show of affection!! She thinks it is the greatest thing!!

It is so nice to have her here. I do wish she would move down here with us, but she won't. She lives with my sister in southern Missouri...near where she was born and raised. Her one wish was to be able to move back to Missouri to be close to her family and she got her chance when my sister and her husband decided to buy a small farm there.

I did notice that her short-term memory has gotten real bad. She will ask me the same question over and over again, such as: "How long am I staying with you? or "What time of year is it?" The warmer weather here in Texas has her real confused!! But she can remember the details of when she was a little girl, or back when I was growing up. In fact, sometimes she remembers to much!!!!! hehehe

It is nice to have her here with us for Christmas. I don't know how many more Christmases we will be able to enjoy with her, so I relish every one I can get.

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I just want to let y'all know that I am reading your blogs every day... I just haven't taken the time to comment.. sorry!! I will try to do better... I promise!!!!

Y'all have a Very Merry Christmas.. be safe and have fun!!!