This So Called Blog

I've been writing since I was young.  I love to put my thoughts down on paper.  I feel like I'm much more articulate in the written word.  Lately however, writing has been difficult.  I have struggled to figure out why one of my favorite past times became such an inconvenience and then I realized, its the kids' fault.  All day long I have lots of great thoughts run through my head.  I'll meet someone interesting and think I'm going to share that story once I can get to a computer.  And then I pick the kids up from school.  From that point on my brain is a jumble of "what's for dinner?",  "I need help with homework", "SpongeBob Square Pants", "You be the dog catcher and I'll be a wild German Shepherd" "Can I sign up for Skype? I promise I'll only talk to A,B, and C".   Its constant.  My husband works late a lot so its me and the girls and my thoughts simply aren't my own.  Yes, at some point the kids go to sleep but by then my brain is mush.  I go to sleep and all the great thoughts I had that day become odd factors in my dreams.  Oh if only I could publish some of my dreams.  Ya'll would lock me away in the looney bin.  Or at least get a good laugh.   So now as G says "are you done thinking yet?" as she shoots the balls out of her Pig Popper, I must post this before my thoughts are once again not my own. 

Turn Around

So the Hallmark ornaments went out last Saturday and this year we have a Michael Oher ornament.   He is from Memphis so we are hoping the ornament will be a big seller for our store.  In conjunction with that the Tuohy family's foundation Making It Happen  spent a few hours at our store on Saturday promoting what they do and selling their t-shirts, bracelets, and the Tuohy's book, In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, autographed by Leigh Anne.    The bracelets say simply "Turn Around" for that is what Leigh Anne and Sean did the first time they saw Michael.  They turned the car around and their lives changed forever. 

When is the last night you followed that gut instinct to turn around and go say hello to someone?  When is the last time you helped someone load their groceries into their car?  When is the last time you checked on an elderly neighbor or offered to babysit for a couple who has a newborn and just need a couple of hours of peace?  Life is all about the little things.   One small gesture really can change someone else's hour, day, or maybe even their life.  Sure maybe passing on a smile is just that, a simple smile.  But what if that person passes it on to the next person they see and so on and so on until that one person that really really needed a friendly face gets the smile and it helps them believe in the good of humanity again?  Ok, I realize I'm a bit of a Pollyanna but even so, what's it going to hurt to take a moment out of your day and say hello to a stranger?  Tell the cashier to have a nice day, even if you don't feel like they deserve the sentiment.    Pay for the person behind you at the coffee shop or at McDonald's.     How many times have you thought about doing something like that but didn't follow through?  Next time, turn around and do it.  Its that easy.  Just Turn Around.

My Boyfriend's Back

This is my friend Randy.  We have been friends for half my life, before both of us were married, before we both had kids.  He started out as my co-worker and quickly became my best friend, dancing partner, protector, and yes, boyfriend.  Its a term we've used for 20 years and neither of our spouses care so it doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks.  We've been through weddings, births, and even a couple of funerals together.  He goes months without calling but when we see each other again its as if no time has passed.  We've never been single at the same time but his mom swears if we ever were we'd end up together.  I beg to differ... I'm not as strong willed and stubborn as his beautiful wife Melissa and that's the kind of woman he needs.  However, I do love him unconditionally (even when he teaches my kids some choice words I'd rather they not know) and he feels the same about me.  We have had many adventures together and I hope we have at least another 30 years to make new memories.  I hate that the miles separate us but love that we make the most of our time together.

41

Hey Hey its my Birthday!!  I have to say 41 was sort of anticlimactic after 40 and all the fun that went along with it.  However, I spent last night with several dear friends enjoying another dear friend play at a local club.  I miss birthday cards (especially since I make a living selling them!!) and real phone calls but my Facebook page sure was lit up.  I don't know... the Facebook attention is nice but I still prefer a card.  What am I supposed to put in my hat boxes if everyone stops sending cards??

Here's me and the hubby at midnight - self portrait of course

Oh I wish I were...

I've waited my whole life for this and finally it happened....

What I Know Now

I'm reading a book by women who are writing letters to their younger selves. So far this is my favorite quote - "When juggling as much as you are, remember some balls are glass, some are rubber. You can't drop the glass balls. Also, learn to put blinders on about certain things. Laundry will wait very patiently." - Nora Roberts. What would YOU tell your younger self?

First and foremost I think I would tell myself that it doesn't matter if you don't fit into a certain group.  Cliques are overrated.  Make friends with everyone because one day you will still be friends with everyone.

That D you got in Algebra doesn't really matter in the long run.

Live on your own before you live with someone else.  And for goodness sake make sure that person lives on their own too!

Don't let anyone ever tell you that you're stupid or inferior or that your feelings don't matter.  Stand up for yourself and know that you deserve so much better.   Find the guy that will be your partner, not your dictator.

Don't ever regret what happens in life, good or bad.  Every moment will shape your thoughts, your emotions, your relationships.   You will end up wise and confident.

Be spontaneous.  Spontaneity will take you on great adventures and help you meet great people!

Don't stress too much about motherhood.  Love your children the way you've always loved everyone in your life and they will turn out ok.  You'll have your battles, especially with your oldest but keep in mind that her spunk will help her be a strong independent woman one day.

Most of all, be kind to yourself.   Take time for fun.  Take pictures.  Write.  Do the things you love.  Laundry really will wait for you.  

N'awlins

I ran away from home this weekend.  Actually my sister needed me.  She asked me to come and I went.  My friend Mary came along and we spent the weekend eating our way through New Orleans.  The people watching there is sublime, especially at Jazz Fest where we also watched The Eagles.  We savored beignets at Cafe DuMonde, we ate crawfish, we shopped the French Market and we tried on hats... lots of hats.  It was a whirlwind but a great escape and the memories will live on.

My mom has made Mary-Ellen and I pose like this since we were little.  Its the "We're Pals" pose and we just do it automatically now.  Note to self - gather all those pics and make a photo book.

Please, no pictures!

My mom hates to have her picture taken.  I mean hate with a capital H.  I have a ton of pictures of her giving a pained smile or of her holding her hands in front of her face.  I keep telling her that her pictures at her memorial one day are going to be nothing but those shots.  She always says she prefers candids but she sneers in those too.  On Sunday my oldest daughter was confirmed and we went out for a celebratory lunch where I took this shot.   I think its going to be the one that gets blown up poster size at that aforementioned memorial (hopefully not for another 30 years).

Its What's for Dinner

Roasted Red Peppers - I used to think I didn't like red pepper but thanks to my friend Shirley Ann I changed my mind pretty quickly after trying her Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna.  My husband now uses them all the time in our spaghetti sauce and we finally decided to try Stuffed Peppers for dinner.  They are filled with a tomato, onion, rice, beef mix and topped with cheddar.  Mmmmmmm

BFF's

I am wary of posting pictures of other people's kids without permission but I love this pic and I'm pretty sure it doesn't give away any identity unless you happen to know these girls.  The redhead is mine.  This to me is what friendship is all about.  We were walking to the movie theater on a school field trip to see The Lorax.  I couldn't help but snap the pic.   The best part about this picture is that the girls get to be in the same class again this year.  My best friend in first grade moved away the next year but we were close like this.  Our teacher used to call us the Bobsey Twins.  I'd give anything to find her again.  I know people change over time but I have the feeling that as close as we were, we'd still get along famously.

Amateur

I did it.  I finally bought a DSLR.  Once again, I need to learn how to use the darn thing but for now I can play with it on Auto and take some pretty good shots.  Its the bottom of the line with only one lens but lenses will come with time.  This is good enough for me for now.   First shot out of the box - still standing in the
Target parking lot. 

Its a Boy!

"A Baby is God's Way of saying the world should go on."

I was witness to a beautiful event tonight.  Well, not the actual birth part but the labor and the afterglow of welcoming a new member into the family.  I met her at the hospital just to get checked out because she wasn't sure it was really time yet.  Oh, it was time!  I sat with her while she labored and just as she was going through the worst of it and wanting the dad, the hospital room door swung open and there he was, just like in the movies.   Her parents and older daughter came up to wait along with the daddy's family and I sat with them, all of us anxiously checking our watches every five minutes. They didn't know beforehand if it was a boy or a girl and that made the waiting room excitement all that more, well, exciting!  Finally the moment arrived and the big double doors opened to a beaming Daddy who said "Its a Boy!"  My sweet best friend gave birth to a beautiful, perfect baby boy.  His name is Eric which means Peaceful Ruler. 

 Oh how I adore baby feet. 

Teenage Daughters

I absolutely HATE being the mom of a teenage daughter.  I thought it would be loads of fun but really???  Every time I drive her to school I manage to piss her off and then she gets out of the car all mad and I worry the rest of the day about her.  UGH.   As a disclaimer, I was the perfect child.  Seriously.  I didn't smoke, drink, do drugs, or even swear.  I respected my parents and did my homework.  I had a busy social life but I didn't even know there were parties going on... seriously!   I don't expect Kayla to be perfect.  I don't expect for her to be me by any means.  I just don't know how to handle the rebellion.  It nothing really.... she just has a couple of friends I don't like and she plays on her phone / itouch at times that she shouldn't.   And she disappears after school and we don't see her until she comes out to say goodnight.  I'm doing my damnedest to stop that habit.   And I know its normal.  She's 14.  She needs space and privacy and all of that.  But how much is too much and when do I speak up?  When do I worry?  I just want for her to make it though high school alive and with a good head on her shoulders.  Its hard work raising a kid.  Really hard.   I remember holding her when she was a baby and thinking of all the things I was going to have to teach her and wondering how the hell I was supposed to do that.  And now she's 14 and there is still so much to teach her.   Its terrifying really.

Teenage Daughters - Martina McBride

I ain’t complainin’
But I’m tired, so I’m just sayin’
What I think
And if we’re being honest
Than honestly I think I need a drink
My baby’s growin’ up
She think’s she’s fallin’ all in love
And that I hate her
At seventeen, she’s just like me when I was seventeen
So I don’t blame her
[Bridge]
Do do do do
Do do do do
What are we gonna do?
Do do do do
Do do do do
What are we gonna do about it?
[Chorus]
Remember when we use to be
Everything they ever need
We had them believing we were cool
It’s like it happened over night
We’re always wrong, their always right
We use to be the one’s breakin’ the rules
Now we’re just mothers, we’re just fathers of
Teenage Daughters

She rolls her eye’s when I’m funny
But she’s sweet when she wants money and her freedom
Oh my god, she’s got a car
Swears they wont go far
And I wish I believed ‘em
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
Their beautiful, wild and free
Everything we wish we could be
But their still crazy
Oh you know, the make us crazy
[Chorus]
Yeah Teenage Daughters
I ain’t complainin’
But I’m just tired, so I’m sayin’
What I think
If we’re being honest
Than honestly, I think I need a drink
Martina McBride – Teenage Daughters Lyrics

New Year, New Plan

Happy 2012!!  Hope everyone had a great night and that this year is filled with lots of promise of love and laughter.   I thought I'd try adding some more pictures to this blog... it might help when I have writer's block.  Its easier to comment on a picture than write a post out of the blue - not that I plan to stop doing that.  But maybe I'll post more regularly this way.  I love pictures.  LOVE.  I want photography to be part of my career one day.  I need to learn all of the technical stuff but I think I have a pretty good eye in general and I'm a master at self portraits.