A Birthday, A Root Canal, And A Cancelled Trip…

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve blogged here.  In fact, it’s been so long, the site actually made me sign in with my username and password!  But here I am, and the title of this post could easily sum up the past three weeks of my life!

Yes, I had another birthday.  My sixty-fourth, to be exact.  Way back in the days when I listened to the old Beatles song, When I’m Sixty-Four, I didn’t think much about ever being sixty-four, but here I am.  How did that happen?!

Although I hadn’t felt well for several days prior to my “sixty-fourth”, I actually felt pretty good on my birthday.  Early that morning, Ed and I threw our lawn chairs in the back of the van and headed for St. Simon’s Island!  All I really wanted was to spend the day lounging in the shade of my favorite oak tree, while enjoying the view.  God blessed me by giving me a “good day” and Ed made sure I got my birthday wish!

my birthday view

The day was as close to perfect as it could be.  A gentle breeze blew, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and there were no annoying people around.  In fact, there were very few people around at all!  When we got home, that evening, I even found a freshly baked pound cake waiting on my kitchen counter–courtesy of my daughter-in-law, Jennifer.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect day!

Two weeks after my birthday, I celebrated again with family.  Yes, I said, two weeks after.  That’s how long it took our family to coordinate schedules to celebrate mine and daughter-in-law, Jennifer’s, birthdays. (Her birthday is two days before mine, so we celebrate together) 

 

We celebrated our birthdays at the new home of our oldest son.  (This was their first ‘official’ get-together since moving in.)  We all celebrated with bar-b-que spare ribs and all the trimmings, plus cake/ice cream, and lots of gifts.  It was a nice evening, and we all had a big laugh when Jennifer opened one of her gifts–a witches broom!  Being the good sport she is, she immediately hopped on it and galloped around the room 🙂  (There’s a story behind this gift, but I won’t take time to explain today.)

Just a week after my official birthday, and a week before the family celebration, I experienced my first root canal.  Happy sixty-fourth to me!

 

I’d been dealing with this ‘bothersome’ tooth, since my last checkup, six months ago.  I’d mentioned this tooth to my dentist during that visit, but he suggested we leave it alone for as long as possible. When I went back for my regular cleaning,  x-rays finally showed trouble was brewing, and the dentist said it was time for a root canal.  Fun times!  The procedure was not fun, but wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d thought it would be.  In fact, the most painful part was paying the bill!!!

You see, way back in June, on a whim, I signed [Ed and me] up to take a bus trip to Key West during the first week of November.  If you’ve read my blog, you’ll know that visiting Key West is on my bucket list.  In fact, it’s the only thing on my bucket list!

 

So, I’ve faithfully saved money for the past three months, in anticipation of our upcoming trip.  Little did I know I was saving up for a root canal, instead!!!  I was actually planning to mail the large final payment for the trip on the day I found out I had to have the root canal and crown.  Cost of the root canal and crown?  The same price as the trip to Key West!  Long story made short, I tearfully cancelled our trip, three days later.

Yes, I could have put the root canal or the trip on our credit card, or even taken the money out of our savings, but I didn’t feel like either of those things was the right thing to do, at this time, because six birthdays are coming, plus Christmas, and yearly taxes will soon be due, as well.  Also, for some unknown reason, I’d already been having second thoughts about this trip, so I took the ‘unplanned expense’ as a ‘sign’ that maybe I should just cancel.

Perhaps there will be another travel opportunity sometime in the future.  Who knows?  In the meantime, I’ll keep dreaming of Key West–while wearing a new crown on a very old tooth!  Year sixty-four has certainly started out with a bang!

 

The First October Hodgepodge…

October is always a busy month for our family, and things are already underway!  One birthday celebration down, two more to go.  Of course, there’s always time for The Hodgepodge, so here I am.  As always, thanks so much to our gracious hostess, Joyce.

1. Have you ever spent time on a farm?  Yes, I’ve spent a lot of time on a farm.  In fact, we live on [ part of] what used to be Ed’s family’s farm.

Tell us a little bit about it.  When I was a child, my maternal grandfather was a farmer, and I lived with my grandparents for quite a while.  Grandaddy grew cotton, tobacco, and pecans for the market, plus he grew vegetables for eating and canning.  He also raised cows, hogs, and chickens.  I loved farm life, except when it came time to send the animals to market.  That part of farming made me sad!  I’ve picked some cotton, and taken cured tobacco off the sticks, after it had been removed from the barn.  I always wanted to string green tobacco, for curing, but wasn’t old enough, at the time.  By the way, picking cotton, by hand, is hard, back-breaking, work that’s also tough on your hands.

When I met Ed, my future husband, I discovered his parents lived on a farm, too.  Ed’s daddy raised goats, cows, and, occasionally, chickens.  He still grew vegetables for eating/canning, but, by then, he’d begun to lease out the bulk of his farm land to a neighbor.  The neighbor farmer grew corn, soybeans, or cotton on the family farm until Ed’s mama passed away about four years ago.  Ed and I grow a garden every year.

Me, in the last field of cotton grown on the farm

Have you ever grown your own pumpkin?  Ed and I have tried to grow pumpkins in our garden on a couple of different occasions.  We weren’t successful.  The vines grew, but the pumpkins did not!

Been on a hayride?  Yes, a few times, usually with a grandchild. Driven a tractor?  Yes, a few times.  (I have a very old picture of myself on my father-in-law’s tractor, but it hasn’t been scanned to the computer yet.) Milked a cow? I tried, but wasn’t successful.

2. What’s something younger you would like about you now?  I think she’d like the fact that I’ve been able to live the life she used to dream about while growing up.  That dream was all about becoming a good wife and mother, having a stable, uncomplicated family life, and always being able to keep the bills paid on time.  Thanks to the good Lord and a good husband, my dream came true!

3. What are three things you’d like to do more often? Three things you’d like to do less often?  I’d like to be able travel a little more often, visit with friends/family more often, and have the energy to deep clean my house.  I wish I’d get sick/tired less often, have to go to the dentist/doctor less often, and I wish I’d get hungry a little less often!

4. What’s on your nachos?

Sometimes, only cheese.  Other times, I’ll make a taco salad on top of them or cover them with taco soup.

5. What’s the most random thing in your purse or wallet?   The most random thing in my purse is probably a miniature screwdriver.

Does it need to stay there?  Yes, it does need to stay there in case one of the legs of my glasses gets loose or falls off.

Random:

I’m trying to rest and get over a very busy weekend.  Ed and I went to play Bingo  on Friday night, along with some of our family.

 3 generations, playing Bingo together

Then on Saturday morning we helped with our church’s “Feed the Sheep” ministry, went on a brief out-of-time shopping trip, afterward, then celebrated our daughter’s 39th birthday with family, on Saturday evening.

our birthday girl  

Sunday morning we went back to church for a fellowship breakfast before the morning worship service, and back to church on Sunday night for evening services.

On Monday we went out-of-town, again, to visit our long-time friends, Herman and Diane.  Herman will be having the second of two neck surgeries, this morning.  The recovery process of the first surgery has been very difficult for him.  I’m praying this second one will be easier.

Good-bye October, Hello Hodgepodge…

Can you believe it’s already the last Wednesday of October?  Me either!  Welcome to The Wednesday Hodgepodge, the mid-week meme, hosted by Joyce FromThisSideOfThePond.  The Hodgepodge is a little of this and a little of that, but it’s always a lot of fun!  Here are this week’s questions, along with my answers:

1. My hubs spent last weekend pheasant hunting. Are there hunters in your family? If so, what do they hunt? Which of the following have you tasted-pheasant, rabbit, venison, duck, goose? Which of those would you most like to taste, or be most willing to taste?

Ed used to do a little bit of hunting, when he was a teenager, but that was long before we met, and he didn’t hunt much.  Our son-in-law, Clint, used to hunt, too, but not since he’s been in our family.  At this time, there are currently no hunters in our family, but if meat prices continue to soar at the grocery store, that could possibly change!  Around here, most people hunt for deer, birds, or wild turkeys.

While we’re on this subject, let me just say that I have a problem with very young children going hunting.  I’ve seen pictures of local children, some as young as five or six, posing with deer they’ve supposedly killed.  This disturbs me–a lot!

As far as what I would eat or what I have eaten, I’ve eaten venison (deer meat) and wild birds (dove & quail), but it’s been quite a while since I’ve done so.  I would be willing to try duck, wild turkey, or goose, but that’s about it.

2. What high spot have you visited that gave you a wonderful ‘bird’s eye view’ of something below?

The last high ‘bird’s eye view’ I had was from top of the light tower, on St. Simon’s Island, and that was probably 25 years ago!  My knees grew weak when I walked out on the ledge, and looked down! I’m afraid of heights, so I usually try to avoid places with a ‘bird’s eye view’.  Besides,  these days, I probably couldn’t hold out to climb all the steps of a lighthouse!

3. Do you have any birds in your home? These could be either real live pets or decorative, as in bird prints, knickknacks, fabric or pottery.

Yes, we have birds!  Up until two weeks ago, we had seven baby chicks living in a box in our pool room.  Thankfully, they’ve moved outside now, to a home of their own, but I still have a green and yellow parakeet named ‘Tweety’, who shares our home.  I don’t know exactly how old ‘Tweety’ is, but he’s lived with us for almost nine years.

4. Tell about a time you ‘killed two birds with one stone’?

How about this past weekend, when we celebrated two different grandchildrens’ birthdays in one weekend? Granddaughter, Madison, turned 8 on September 23.  Grandson, Evan, will turn 1 on October 30.

Evan wasn’t so sure about his ‘smash cake’…

Madison poses with her ‘Frozen’ themed cake

Evan’s party was last Saturday, and Madison’s party was last Sunday!  It was a lot of ‘sweets’, people, and celebrating for one weekend, but, we all survived!

 5. Your favorite song with a bird in its title?

An old song comes to mind:  On the Wings of a Dove by Ferlin Husky.  This [somewhat spiritual] song was popular when I was a child (in 1960), but I still love it today!  I was happy to find the song on YouTube, and decided to share it for those who may have never heard it. (That would probably include my own children, too)

6. What most recently gave you goose bumps?

Watching the new show ‘Stalker’ gives me goose bumps!  What a ‘sit on the edge of your seat’ kind of show!  Last week’s episode, ‘Phobia’,  actually had me squirming and yelling, when a woman woke up to find over thirty snakes in her bedroom–one of which was in her bed!  Snakes definitely qualify as one of my phobias!  (I got goosebumps again, yesterday, when Ed found a HUGE snake’s skin near our back yard!)

7. Halloween is this Friday…any plans? Did you trick or treat as a child? Carve pumpkins? Share your most memorable costume.

Although Halloween isn’t until Friday, our town will have its ‘trick-or-treat night’ on Thursday night–our town is ‘funny’ that way.  They only do ‘trick-or-treat’ on Tuesday or Thursday nights. Go figure!   We have no plans (yet) for Halloween, but our grandchildren will stop by on Thursday night to collect the ‘treats’ that I have waiting for them.

Yes, I did go trick-or-treating, as a child.  Back then, we were  lucky if we got a mask to wear for Halloween. If we weren’t lucky enough to get a mask, from the dime store, we dressed up in old clothes, put smut on our faces, and went trick-or-treating as a hobo. There was also the old standby of wearing a white sheet over our heads, and pretending to be a ghost, too. I think we had more fun, back then, than the children do now!

My most memorable Halloween costume is from just three years ago, when Ed and I dressed up as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, for our last family Halloween Party.

As for carving pumpkins, I never did that when I was a child.  I watched Ed carve a few jack-o-lanterns with our own children, although I’ve never tried it myself.  I’d probably make a mess of the pumpkin!

Random:

With Halloween just around the corner, I’m sharing my Halloween montage again. It’s a collection of some of my favorite Halloween pictures.  I really need to make another one of these, and include some Halloween photos of the two newest ‘grands’.  Enjoy!

Another Wednesday Hodgepodge…

I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday again!  Where does the time go?  Wednesday means it’s time to join up with Joyce and friends for a little bit of “Hodgepodge” fun.  After a week of being ‘out of things’, it’s good to be back 🙂  Here are Joyce’s questions, along with my answers:

1. When did you last sing happy birthday to someone? When were you last sung to? Does that embarrass you or do you enjoy being the center of attention on your special day?

I can’t remember who I last sang to, but it was most likely one of our sons.  Brett had a birthday in May, then Brad had one in July.

It’s funny, but I don’t remember anyone singing to me on my birthday, last month, so it’s most likely been a  whole year since anyone sang to me.  I get a little embarrassed when I’m the center of attention anyway!

2. Name a famous or ‘infamous’ person (living or deceased) who shares your birth day and month. Is that someone you’d like to meet in person if it were possible?

I don’t know of any famous person who shares my birthday, but a former classmate and close friend does!  Her name is Holly, and we were friends throughout school, but were especially close during our senior year of high school.  She was one of the servers at mine and Ed’s wedding reception, since we only chose one attendant each at our wedding.

After my daughter was born, Holly hid in the bathroom of my hospital room so she could take pictures of my new baby, when the nurse brought her in for a feeding.  Now that’s a friend!  I still treasure those photographs today.

I haven’t seen Holly in over thirty years, because she moved away, but I’d love to see her again.

3. Someone hands you a box tied up in a lovely bow…what are you hoping to find inside?

Something pretty!  I love all kinds of pretty things–flowers, ‘what-nots’, dolls, dishes, pictures, stuffed animals…

4. What can you guarantee about yourself?

That I will love Ed until I draw my last breath.  I’m a blessed woman.

5. Talking art and beautiful cities here…’The Last Supper’ in the Santa Maria della Grazie Abbey in Milan Italy or ‘The Mona Lisa’ in The Louvre, Paris…which would you most like to see up close and in person? Why?

‘The Last Supper’, for no reason, other than I love the painting.  I wouldn’t care much about visiting Milan since I don’t care much for traveling.

6. Your favorite dessert?

Any kind of cake, but chocolate or caramel cake are particular favorites!

7. This coming weekend marks the official start of autumn (in the Northern hemisphere)…what is something you do to get ready for fall? What is one thing you’re looking forward to on your fall calendar? Spring or fall-which do you prefer?

I love to decorate the inside and outside of my home for fall.  Fall decorations rank high on my list of favorites–right behind my Christmas decorations!

As for one thing I’m looking forward to–I’m especially looking forward to the arrival of our newest grandson, Evan William, who’ll be arriving sometime around Ed’s birthday in November!

While I enjoy fall a lot, I actually prefer spring.

Random:

The past week has gone by in a blur!  I’m so behind on EVERYTHING, including visiting my blog friends.  Please bear with me until I get things a little more organized and under control.  There is still so much to be done.  And while I’m thinking about it, thanks so much to those of you who expressed such kind words of sympathy during the recent loss of Ed’s mom.  I’m blessed to have such a caring group of friends!  Special thanks to Joyce, for continuing to host The Wednesday Hodgepodge.  It’s still the bright spot in the middle of my week 🙂

A Special Day For A Special Lady…

Yesterday I mentioned that May is a busy month for our family due to several birthdays and an anniversary.  One of those birthdays belongs to my mother-in-law, Vivian.  She turned ninety-one on May 5.

Vivian is more than a mother-in-law to me–she’s been like a second mother to me.  I met Ed at the ripe old age of fifteen, and not long after, I met his mom.  While Ed was serving in the army and I was still living at home finishing high school,  I spent many weekends with his parents at their house.  They felt like family to me long before we actually became family.  Their home was like a second home to me, and we’ve celebrated some great times in that house– holidays, birthdays, showers, even a family wedding!

Ed and I debated about how to celebrate his mom’s birthday.  She’s been living in an assisted living facility for almost three years.  We’ve noticed that she seems to have gotten more fragile during this past year.  I would have liked to have thrown a party in her honor, but wasn’t sure it would be in her best interest.  Crowds seem to confuse her somewhat.  Ed and I decided to take Vivian out to eat–and to take her to see her house.  It had been quite a long time since Vivian had been inside of her house, and Ed recently had a new roof put on it, which she hadn’t seen.

We decided to celebrate Vivian’s birthday one day early, so she would be available at the living facility, for visitors, on her actual birthday.  We also knew the local restaurants wouldn’t be as crowded on Saturday.  I knew we’d made a good decision to go on Saturday, when we arrived at the restaurant and Vivian commented about how noisy it was!  The Saturday crowd was tiny compared to what Sunday’s would be.

The highlight of the day came when we drove up to Vivian’s house and helped her go inside.  It was like watching a child on Christmas morning!  Although she had to pause and rest in between, she went into every room in her house!  She opened closets, cabinets, drawers, and the refrigerator.  She inspected pictures on the walls.  She tried to play her piano.  It was a sight to behold!  She didn’t seem to notice that the house has become a bit run-down or that Brad and Jennifer still have several boxes of their junk on the kitchen table waiting to be moved.  She only saw home!

We sat and talked, and yes, we even cried a bit.  We talked about the good times we’ve had in that old house, and we talked about how sad it is that she’s no longer able to live there.  Growing old is tough, and there aren’t always easy answers.  We just try to do the best that we can in our given situation.  Although it was bittersweet when we had to leave the house, at the end of the day, Ed and I knew we’d given Vivian the best birthday gift we could possibly have given her–a trip back home, even if it was only for a while.

Thursday’s Thoughts ~ Another Trip Around The Sun…

August 30th is my birthday.  It marks my 58th trip around the sun, so to speak.  That’s a lot of miles, folks!  These days I look at my wrinkling skin, the bags under my eyes, and graying hair, and wonder when all of this happened to me!  When did I collect all of these souvenirs?  Who is this aging woman staring back at me in the mirror?  My brown eyes and shy smile are still the same, but everything else seems to be changing–and it ain’t for the better!

Sometimes life is funny.  It sure doesn’t seem like I’ve been living 58 years!  In my mind, I don’t feel like I should be that old, but my body says otherwise!  I can remember a time when I thought 58 was ancient!  Heck, I can remember a time when I thought 40 was old!  I’d gladly go back and turn 40 again, if I could!

Now that I find myself reaching age 58, suddenly it doesn’t seem all that old–but I know in my heart, it is!  I figure I’m most likely on the home stretch of this journey called “life”, but I’m just gonna’ go ahead and enjoy the ride until it’s done.

Below is one of my favorite birthday songs,  along with a birthday video montage…

Another Trip Around The Sun

Hear ’em singing Happy Birthday
Better think about the wish I made
This year gone by ain’t been a piece of cake
Every day’s a revolution
Pull it together and it comes undone
Just one more candle and a trip around the sun

Chorus:
I’m just hanging on while this old world keeps spinning
And it’s good to know it’s out of my control
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from all this living
Is that it wouldn’t change a thing if I let go

No, you never see it coming
Always wind up wondering where it went
Only time will tell if it was time well spent
It’s another revelation
Celebrating what I should have done
With these souvenirs of my trip around the sun

(Chorus)

Yes, I’ll make a resolution
That I’ll never make another one
Just enjoy this ride on my trip around the sun
Just enjoy this ride …
Until it’s done

Random Tuesday Thoughts…

It’s been three whole days since I turned this computer on!  For me, that’s almost a record.  The truth is, I felt like I needed a break from the computer, so I took one.  Sometimes change is a good thing.

Jennifer and kids blow out candles

We started the three-day weekend off with a family gathering at our daughter, Brandy’s, house on Friday evening.  Jennifer had a birthday last Sunday, and I had one on  Tuesday, so the gathering on Friday evening was a late birthday celebration for the two of us.  Brandy and daughter-in-law, Christina took care of the cooking.  Brandy even baked and decorated a cake for us,  while Christina took care of the birthday decorations.  All we had to do was show up!  Everything was delicious, and I appreciate the hard work that went into preparing the supper for all of us.

Kathy and kids blow out candlesJennifer and kids blow out candles

Following the supper at Brandy’s house, Ed and I actually spent the rest of the three-day weekend at home…doing absolutely nothing.  Sometimes that’s the best kind of holiday.  We were both still somewhat tired from our adventures at the beach last week, so we used our long weekend to rest and relax.  At least I rested and relaxed–Ed seems to have a problem doing that!  He spent his time mowing the ditch, cleaning out his “man shed”, and raking the yard.  Those types of things are Ed’s idea of relaxation!  I took long naps, watched a movie, and read a book!

I finally decided to vacuum and mop a little on Monday.  That’s when Ed moved the washer/dryer to clean under them, and in the process,  discovered a leaking water hose behind the washing machine!  We just can’t seem to catch a break from water leaks this summer!  You know, we just got the leak fixed from the A/C unit, which is located in our hall closet.  In fact, I just mailed off the check for the final $436.00 repair bill!  That was for labor only since the leaking condenser coil was still covered under the warranty.  Thank goodness for small favors…I find myself thinking, what next? 

We were finally the recipients of two inches of much-needed rain on Sunday night!  We desperately needed it.  Lately, our water faucets have occasionally been spitting and sputtering.  Sputtering is not a good thing when you get your water supply from a shallow well!  We’ve been holding our breath that our well won’t run dry…Hopefully, those two inches of rain will buy us more time until we get more rainfall.

After the evening rain, I found myself thinking about all of those Labor Day campers.  I used to hate it when we went camping and it rained!  There is nothing worse than packing up wet camping gear–except for sleeping on the cold, hard, wet ground in a tent that leaks!  I’m happy that those days are in the past.

Speaking of days in the past…this morning brought an official end to summer for our granddaughter, Madison.  She officially began her school year at “Busy Beavers Preschool”.

Brandy and Madison outside of the school

I got up early, and went over to Maddie’s house because I wanted to be a part of her new adventure.  Madison was all dressed and ready to go!  In fact, she was a lot more ready to go than her mama was ready to let her go.  I took a few pictures, then rode with Brandy to take Madison to her first day of preschool.  Madison didn’t shed any tears…I can’t say that is true for the rest of us!  Where does the time go???

Six Word Saturday…November 13

My six words for this Saturday are:

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!

Many years ago, on November 13,  a child was born.  His mother says that she had very few labor pains, and her baby boy weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds!  He was a sickly child.  His older brother and his younger brother both passed away from sickness (probable cystic fibrosis) during his early childhood.  His mother recalls her middle son asking, “Mama, am I going to die, too?”

as a boy, with his mother

  I can only imagine how he must have felt, what he must have thought, losing his brothers at such a tender, young age.  I’ve often wondered how his mother endured giving up two of her children.  Fortunately, the middle son didn’t die, and eventually grew up to be a healthy young man, with two younger brothers.

This healthy young man, tried college, but didn’t like it.  He eventually joined the military, where he learned how to take x-rays,  and care for sick people–just like his mother, an office nurse,  had done for so many years.  He’s been taking care of sick people for over 40 years–and he’s very good at it.  I should know, he takes care of me when I am sick, which happens more often than I would like.

So on your very special day, I want to say thank you, honey, for all that you do–for me and for others as well.  Relax, enjoy your special day, and I wish you many more happy birthdays in the future!!!  I love you so much more than you’ll ever know…and I hope you enjoy your German Chocolate birthday cake!

getting ready to cut his cake, 4 years ago

Meet Me On Monday…I Was Born…56 Years Ago Today!

Before I get into my regular post for today, I am participating in the “Meet Me On Monday” meme that is hosted by Java at http://www.nevergrowingold.blogspot.com   Here are today’s questions and my answers:

1. What is your favorite kind of potato chip?  For me, nothing beats plain old Lay’s Potato Chips!
2. Do you make your bed everyday?  I am ashamed to admit it, but sometimes I do not!  I have gone for as long as a week without making my bed.
3. How often do you go to the hair salon?  Every six weeks…just like clockwork!
4. What do you dip your French fries in?  Ketchup!  I am a lover of ketchup!  Heinz is my favorite brand.
5 Do you shop with coupons?  I used to use coupons, years ago,  then I became too lazy to clip them… but I always use the ones that say “use this coupon now”! (stuck on the  product when you purchase it)

just a baby...

I was born on August 30, 1954 in the city of Jacksonville, Florida.  I was born at 1:32 in the(I think) morning.  I remember my daddy was a salesman and worked “on the road”.  I believe that someone had to summon him in from a trip for my birth, but he made it there in time.

early years...

Five short years later I was still at home because I didn’t begin school until first grade.  On television, I remember watching Captain Kangaroo, good old Mr. Greenjeans, and of course there was “Bunny Rabbit”–the carrot-stealing puppet!  I remember getting a “Tiny Tears” doll for Christmas sometime around age 5 or 6.  She was special because she drank her bottle, and cried “real tears”.  Now that I collect dolls as a hobby, I am amazed to discover how much “Tiny Tears” is worth these days!!!

sixth grade...

When I turned 10, I was entering the fifth grade.  I got the teacher that everybody dreaded getting–Miss Burke.  She was an “old maid”, and she had a reputation for being “mean”!  She was one of those strict teachers that didn’t tolerate any misbehavior.  I was well behaved, so I didn’t have any problems in her class.  I only spent six weeks with Miss Burke, when my parents decided to move to another town. 

young and in love...

By age 15, I’d been dating for an entire year.  I’d had three steady boyfriends, and  I felt like “an old pro”.  In reality, I was very much still a child, but then I’ve always felt old beyond my years.  I’d just met my “future husband”,Ed, and had promised to wait for him while he served his three-year tour of army duty…and wait is what I did, while I completed high school.

life was good...

When I turned 20, I had been married to Ed for just over two years.  We were both working in the Radiology department of a large hospital.  We had two incomes, no children, we bought a boat and a motorcycle, and we were just enjoying being young and in love.  I consider those years the best ones of my life!  So young and free…

I'm a mommy...

My 25th birthday found me with nearly a year of motherhood “under my belt”.  I’d given birth to a daughter just a month after my twenty-fourth birthday.  I loved being a mother, but the baby had been colicky and those first few months had been difficult.  I was literally a “stay-at-home-mom because I didn’t have a driver’s license!

By age 30, I had become the mother of two.  We’d added a little boy to our family, about three and one-half years after our daughter, Brandy, was born.  My life was busy as the mother of a kindergartener and a two-year old!  I’d finally gotten around to getting my driver’s license, and a car.  It was nice to be able to finally go places, although I was still a stay-at-home mom.

now there are three...

Middle aged, already, I found myself a thirty-five year old mother of three!  Who knew?  And to think that people thought that Ed and I weren’t going to have any children!!!  By then, Brandy was in middle school, Brett was in elementary, and the youngest, Brad, had turned four.  Brad was the only one of the children who didn’t attend preschool.  I kept him home with me, and taught him myself.  It had now been 12 years since I’d worked outside the home.

Age 40 found me with all sorts of changes in my life since age thirty-five!  I’d gone back to work after fourteen and one-half years of staying at home.  I’d followed my youngest to school, and had become a first grade paraprofessional.  I’d also become ill, and had been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia.  After spending the spring and summer of 1994, practically disabled, I began to go into remission and was finally able to continue working, but with a modified life-style.

many, many birthdays...

Where did the time go?  By the time I turned 45, my daughter had finished high school, and was holding down a full-time job.  She’d tried college, but found it wasn’t for her!  She was involved in the second of her three serious relationships.  Our middle child was about to begin his senior year of high school, while the youngest was entering the ninth grade.  Those were some of our most turbulent years– being the parents of  teenagers!  I do not miss those days at all!!!

Oh No!...The Big 50

50 years old seemed like a blessing after what all was going on at age 45!  Life was beginning to slow down.  Our oldest, Brandy, had gotten married.  (Serious relationship # 3 had worked out.)  Our oldest son had moved out, for the second time, and was finishing up college and getting his first “real job”.  We still had the youngest son living at home, but he was working days, and going to college nights.  He was rarely home.  By now, I’d had a total hysterectomy, as well as a cervical fusion!  The good news is…both surgeries improved my health and quality of life!  I was feeling good again! 

Age 55 found me in early retirement.  Shortly after turning 51, after over 15 years of service, I left my job at the elementary school, due to a very unfortunate, stressfull working environment.  Following that,  I became the nanny for twin infant girls.  For two years I became a “stay-at-their-home nanny”.  While taking care of the twins, I became a grandmother for the first time, and saw my oldest son get married.  For the first time in my life, I began to really long to be at home, so I  came home to “enjoy my new granddaughter, and what’s left of my life.”

celebrating my 55th b'day with grandchildren...

Enjoying my life is exactly what I’ve been doing!  My husband and I  moved out of our previous family home(of 30 years) next-door, and are now living in the new house that he ( literally) built for us in 2007.  It’s been an adventure getting used to a new home after so many years in the other one.  If we ever get homesick, we just walk over and visit our daughter,  who lives in the “old homeplace” next door!

  We now have two precious grandchildren–instead of just one–double the pleasure, double the fun!  Both grandchildren live within a “stone’s throw” of us.  Our days are never boring when the kiddies are around!  It’s so great to be able to love them, then send them back!

Hubby, Ed, is still busy in the working man’s world, but with any luck, he will be joining me in retirement– one of these days.  The economy has delayed our plans, unfortunately.  Ed has one more year until he reaches age 62, we’ll see what things look like then, and go from there.  In the meantime…

These days, I’m blessed to be able to do exactly what I want to, almost every day of my life, and it’s wonderful!  My health is holding up pretty well, and I pray that I  have a few more good years left.  Time will tell.  It’s been my experience that five years can bring about a multitude of changes, so I guess we’ll just  have to wait and see what the future has in store!

Udate:  I hope this isn’t an indicator of my next year, but I am about to spend part of my birthday in the doctor’s office–seeking treatment for a persistant UTI!  Not how I planned to spend the day…

Jenn’s Birthday Party…

I don’t usually post on Sundays, but I wanted to do an update to yesterday’s SWS post about it being Jennifer’s 24th birthday party.  It turned out to be such a special day.

Our family likes to get together and grill out, and that is what we did in honor of Jennifer’s birthday.  (In case you don’t know, Jennifer is our youngest son, Brad’s, girlfriend.)  I furnished all of the side items, while everyone brought their own meat to grill.  We had an assortment of grilled meats–ribs, chicken, steak, and pork chops.  Apparently, everyone was in the mood for something different!

Brad was in charge of ordering the birthday cake, and he did a nice job of ordering his first cake!  He only had to change the order once–after he ordered the wrong type of frosting the first time.  Next time he will know that Jenn prefers buttercream frosting over the whipped kind!

We were thrilled when Jennifer’s dad joined us for her party!  It was his second time, since his wife passed, coming over for one of our cookouts.  I know it meant a lot to her to have him with her.  We have already begun to think of Jenn’s dad as just “another one of the crowd” at our gatherings.  I only wish that we’d gotten together before Jenn’s mom died, but we thought we had plenty of time…

After the meal, we sang happy birthday, while Jenn was a good sport and wore her birthday tiara!  Brad cut the cake and we all “pigged out” on cake and ice cream.  Then we retired to the living room to watch Jennifer open her birthday gifts. 

 The highlight of the evening was when she opened her gift from her daddy.  He had picked it out himself.   He gave Jennifer a beautiful locket with a symbol of mother and child on the front of it– complete with a tiny photograph of her mom inside of it.  Oh my goodness, what a perfect gift!  There wasn’t a dry eye in the house…and so it appeared that even though Jenn’s mom wasn’t able to be with her sweet daughter in a “physical sense” on her birthday, she was very much with her in a “spiritual sense“.  I’m thinking that locket will become one of Jenn’s most prized possessions in the future.  The Lord works in mysterious ways, doesn’t He?