Grammy brag

Happy face and I have been spending Monday afternoons together. I just can't get enough hugging and kissing. I ask him what the cat says and he says, "Owww." I ask him how Grampy coughs and he goes, "Aheh-heh."

He loves playing peek a boo with me. He hides my eyes with his bare feet, grins and takes them away, and I say, "Peek-a-boo!"  He giggles and giggles and wants to do it again and again.

Liam hit a milestone recently. He's holding his own bottle and using a sippy cup. He's such a chunky little monkey, he can't support his weight in order to crawl. We place him on his tummy; he fusses, whines and then lays his head down and groans. He scoots a couple inches towards a toy, but he is simply too top heavy. My daughter, his grandma, never crawled either, She started pulling up and then walked.

If this little toothless wonder would ever cut a tooth, his mama would be happy. He's a drooling 8 month old baby who gave up the pacifier at 6 weeks but now wants it and gnaws and gnaws on it. He doesn't like teething rings or toys.

You will never guess who tweeted me!

Thank you all for leaving comments and reading my blog. I appreciate the time it takes.


In one week we will be springing forward, and there will be more daylight, which will make me very happy. I know a lot of people complain about Daylight Savings Time. I rejoice.


Several times last evening we saw flock after flock of geese. Returning, I suppose. I hoped.
Early that  morning when we went out the door, Bill's mockingbird appeared after the winter's absence. It flew right to the picnic table and begged for a bit of egg yolk. I tossed it a strawberry and Bill gave it a bit of egg. It made me happy to see that birdie gulping breakfast.


At 4:00 a.m. it is usually the cat waking me, but this morning it was a teeny little tweet. I laid still and listened. Again, tweet, a moment later tweet, and as it continued I thanked God for my blessings, not the least of which is the birds returning.


That little tweet made me so happy until I realized it was the little twerp in my bed. Bill had a nose whistle, so I nudged him awake, but he went right back to sleep. Can't say that I did.

The unexpected gifts

So many people are cursing this winter weather, myself included. My friends in New England have feet of snow, not inches. FEET!

Seventeen years ago I was with my best friend Rose. She was in her final days, dying of cancer, wishing she could survive long enough to celebrate one more Christmas, her favorite time of year.

On a cold, overcast November day, with no chance of any precipitation in the weather forecast, we dunked donuts at her kitchen table. Then she laid down to rest.

I walked around her home gazing at her decorative wall groupings. She'd loved having friends over and hosting Home Interior Parties. As I looked at the displays, I remembered us young. I walked past her Grandfather clock, and as it chimed, I realized how fast time was ticking for Rose...me...US.

I walked to the sofa and sat in reflective prayer, questioning, wondering, pleading. And then, two miracles happened. A ray of sunshine burst through a cloud and shone through her window and refracted off her crystal chandelier, splaying rainbows all around her dining room.

I rushed to wake her. "I have a surprise for you. Come see." I helped her shuffle, step by step to the dining room. It took a few minutes, and I hoped and prayed that sunbeam would stay till she could see the glorious colors. She smiled and laughed weakly as those rainbows bounced all over her nightgown. She tried to capture them in her hands, a smile on her face. Then the cloud cover returned, the rainbows disappeared, and the gloom returned.

I helped Rose inch her way to the couch in the living room dragging fifty feet of oxygen hose behind her. As we sat, lost in our own thoughts, her oxygen tank pumping overtime, I parted the drapes behind the sofa and gazed out the picture window. I could not believe my eyes. Huge, hamster-size snowflakes were drifting to the ground covering the yard in  a blanket of soft white. I helped Rose reposition herself so she could see out, which required major effort on her part. But oh what a reward. Silent tears rolled down our cheeks.

I talked to her about the snowfalls when our kids were young and we were neighbors. I reminisced about sledding, building forts and igloos in the backyard, our dogs romping in the snow. "This is your gift," I told her. We sat in silent reverence for fifteen minutes, then I helped get her back to bed.

Rose did not live to see another Christmas, but together she and I witnessed her last snowfall.

Above those wintry, frustrating snow clouds, I realized as Rose slept, there was hope... hope everlasting.   

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Here in our little section of St. Louis, the streets are passable but slick. The snow was minimal, the ice pellets started hitting our windows about 10:30 p.m. and there are many snow closing on this Saturday morning.


I think once I can ditch these fuzzy socks and lace up shoes, my flip flop eating, my flip flop writing, my flip flop moods will level out when I can slip into my bare feet into my flip flops. Also once my blog allows me to post photos again, I have some cute ones for you.


Anyone know how to fix my blog problem? Thanks. 

Sometimes you just have to enunciate better, and even then, it doesn't help.

 Hubby and I were driving to the store. A tune came on the radio that made me bebop. I looked over at him, touched his hand and said, "Remember when we used to polka, baby?"


His head snapped around. "WHICH one?"


"All of them."


"Impossible. The only two we ever had was Ashley and Kyle. I do remember dropping him on his head, though. Is that what you're talking about?"


He was as confused as I was.


"You never DROPPED him on his head. You placed him in a toy wagon when he was a year old and it tipped backwards when you pulled the handle. It was only a couple inches off the ground. You did NOT drop him on his head."


"Well what are you talking about? Which baby did we poke?"


"POLKA!"


"OH, I thought you said, 'Remember when we poked a baby? ' "


Roll out the barrel...Oom pah-pah, life is a barrel of fun!

He is such a story teller

We are having a bit of a dispute as we celebrate our 21st anniversary. He remembers our first date differently than I do. We agree on one thing. Food was involved.

What I remember is we were slow dancing, and he asked if I would like to grab a bite to eat afterwards. We went to a restaurant and sat across from one another in a booth making small talk— I gracefully nibbling a salad and he gobbling his meal.

He claims that I was boogying in the booth, smiling and bouncing from cheek to cheek, because I was so happy to be with him and enjoying my meal so much. When we got outside, he says I asked if he minded if I unzipped my jeans. He was taken aback by my boldness. Yeah right!


It is true, early in our relationship, he did take me to Lambert's Restaurant, Home of the Throwed Rolls, in Sikeston, MO. It's a country cooking style restaurant (two hours from home) with a Cracker Barrel Restaurant feel and hour long lines. The waiters push carts around with pots and bowls of fried potatoes, okra, and stewed tomatoes which they ladle onto your plate, and they have pans of hot rolls each one bigger than a fat man's fist. They toss those rolls right to (at) you. I ducked and blushed as mine hit the floor. Then I got into the groove, reached for the next one and ate myself silly. I did enjoy my meal as I have never enjoyed another. Possibly, I shifted happily in my seat and smiled frequently. I can see how it appeared I might have been dancing. I did eat so much I MIGHT have asked him if he minded if I unzipped my black jeans.

But it was not our first date.
His time frame is off by half a year.


Ever had a roll tossed at your head? Better put both hands up if you go to Lamberts.

WHAT did you say?!

My honey is a big joker, and every single day we've been together he has made me laugh. Today he was at his desk on his lap top, and I was on the home computer. He started laughing so hard he couldn't talk and pointed to a cartoon on his screen.
An old man and woman sat on a porch swing. The man said to her, "Honey, your teeth look just like pearls in the moonlight."
She replied with a frown on her face, "Who is Pearl, and when were you with her in the moonlight?!"


Once my honey caught his breath and wiped the tears from his eyes, he said, "This is just like US."
I had to agree, and then we were both laughing hysterically.


It's been a fun ride with my big old guy. We've been together 26 years, and on Valentine's Day we will have been hitched 21 years. Something to be said for a relationship with humor as one of the foundation pillars.

What would you do with a stick?

I wish I could post a picture of our 6'5" grandson who made Eagle Scout and had his ceremony yesterday, but Blogger is being difficult. His brother who is four years older is also an Eagle Scout. When asked why he didn't wear his uniform to the ceremony, he replied shyly, "My brother is wearing it." That's love when you accept your brother's Scout uniform. seems only yesterday they were as little as Liam.


With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I want to stress to my preschool students how important it is to show and share love. We'll read about Elephant who was tall and Turtle who was small, but they were best friends, best  of all. Turtle found a heart shaped leaf and asked Rhino passing by if he liked it. "Let me see." He chomped a chunk and said, "YES! I like it." The monkey saw the leaf and said he wanted to hide his banana in it, so he snatched it away. Then Giraffe stuck her head up in the tree and grabbed it from the bird who wanted to cover her eggs, and the giraffe ate it all gone.
Oh you should see the chidrens' expressions. We have a discussion about right/wrong/ snatching things/stealing...and feelings.


I am concerned because of their responses. At the end of the story, Turtle takes a stick to the river bank and draws a heart for Elephant in the sand. I ask the kids what they THINK Turtle is going to do with the stick.


The boys especially responded with such violence: Poke that monkey in the eye. Jab the giraffe. Hit that rhino. SOOOOOOOOOOO, we had another discussion.
Years ago I used to think kids were influenced negatively by some TV shows. Now I know they are.

Turn that frown upside down and smile the sad away

I will put on a happy face today. A former neighbor, the dad of my daughter's best friend died. He was my age. The visitation is today. In  the same mortuary where his wife, my best friend, Rose, was laid out.
The first thought in my mind each morning is which of my cancer stricken, paralyzed or ill friends/family members I should put on the top of my prayer list. One of my former students is hospitalized. The local, national, and international news is filled with horrific images, and this is just one of those days when I wish I could go stick my head in the sand, or at least my toes, but I know in my heart it would only be a temporary fix. I WILL bounce back.



On a positive note, my sweet, wonderful Nicholas turned 13. He is the most decent human being on this earth with a heart as big as the ocean.
George made Eagle Scout and was accepted into Vassar College on academic scholarship. I declared him a genius five minutes after he was born.
That little giggle baby, Liam makes my heart sing and I will babysit him this weekend. I will be fine by then.


For today, I will fake happiness. When I see those smiling preschoolers' faces I will be okay.
Then I will come home and bake a cake for the funeral tomorrow and wonder how the hell to decorate it. Roses will make me cry. A verse? I don't want to make anyone else cry. Maybe I should cry and let some of the sad weep out. No, I'll stuff it and head off to school. Thank you for listening. You don't have to respond to my blah post, but please read on and leave an answer.

What is your take on Harper Lee's upcoming release? Do you think she is being manipulated into releasing the book which has been collecting dust for so long?   

If you can blab on and on, you could be a winner

You know the adage: If it sounds too good to be true...
You decide. I saw this contest on FB


Here is a link to the no fee contest which pays $100 or $50 if you are a winner.

http://www.easystreetmag.com/great-american-sentence/





I saw a FB post early this morning. There was a sign on a front door knob: Ring this doorbell only if you are Publisher's Clearing House or Channing Tatum.


Who would you like to see at your front door? Excluding PCH.