Thursday, January 31, 2008

Stop It!!!!!!

How could today possibly be the 31st of January?  Wasn't yesterday Christmas?  Didn't I just waste away a whole day  watching the Mummers celebrate the new year.  Hey, I am still saying Happy New Year to folks.  This is NOT my fault.  I blame it on those people who are always wishing their life away.  The people who always say "Is it Friday  yet?  How about the ones who say,"I can't wait til Spring!"  Or, "This week seems so long."  They have got to stop rushing things.  Life is already to short  and I am beginning to realize that the  light at the end of the tunnel is old age creeping in with a flashlight.

                                                                          

Saturday, January 26, 2008

What should I do

I grew up with a  best friend.  We were a pair for many years.  Bernadette was her name.  "Bernadette  and Marlene",  it rolled off of peoples lips like "Cake and ice cream."  We did crazy stuff, like stealing bobby Darins towel when he was appearing on Steel Pier in Atlantic City.  We drifted apart  somewhat in our late teens, because Caroline always went for the "badboy" image and that was never for  me.  But we  never lost touch with each other.  Bernadette  died   ten years ago.  She lost both of her sons.....one to the state prison and one  to asthma.  And she later died of a broken heart.  I know thats what killed her.  She mourned those two kids so fiercely.   

Consequently,  I was always close to her mother.  After  Bernadette passed away,  her mother became dependent on Bernadette  husband.  She stayed on with him because she really had no other place to go.  But I never felt comfortable with the arrangement.  I never really cared for him.  Just kind of tolerated him.  Even when Bernadette  was living.       I continued to visit her at his home.  I never forgot her on her birthday or Christmas.

After  his wife died,  he built a house back in the woods where he could have his animals.  And I would have to go back there to visit her.  She began to tell me things that were very uncomfortable.  I laid awake many nights worrying about her.  He could do away with her and no one would be the wiser.  My visits became less and less.  Until I have not been there for 6 years.  I didn't plan it that way, something kept telling me "Stay away."  But I sent her birthday and Christmas Cards every year.  She would be in her late 80's now and I don't even know if she is still living.  I want so bad to pick up the phone and call him and ask if she is still living, if she still remembers me.  Her birthday is coming up in a few days and I just don't know what to do.  I sent her a Christmas card  and got no reply.  You'd think he would let me know.  I just cannot bring myself to call and ask him.  What do I  do?

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Don't Put Purple Cabbage in Cabbage Soup

Hmmmmmm, what  to make for supper?????  Well I have some cabbage in there and some pork ribs.  Probably can find some cannelini  beans in the cabinet.  Hey,  how about a pot of Cabbage Soup.  I haven't made that in a couple of years.  Some carrots and onions and a head of green cabbage and a small head of  (what did I  buy this for?) PURPLE CABBAGE?  So now its in the pot.  And it smells pretty good.  Uh-oh!  Under that lid are some purple beans, purple tomatoes,  purple carrots.......and purple Pork.  I should have known.....but who would have thought......Purple Soup. 

Saturday, January 19, 2008

I got this in an Email and thought is good enough to share:


   

Cleaning Poem  

I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'putering',
And I had to answer "yes."

He told me to get off my fanny
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up ...
The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick ...
I was just admiring my work ...
I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops I found
A real absorbing site
That I got SO way into ...
I was into it all night.<<Sigh>>

Nothing's changed except my mouse
It's very, very shiny.
I guess my house will stay a mess ...
While I sit here on my hiney. 

 

Friday, January 18, 2008

A Blue sky day

I had a really nice Email this morning from Joyce of  My Extremely Simple Life.  She gave me a few pointers on my Journal.  "Thanx Joyce."  And she left a Comment on my Journal.  Woo Hoo!!  Somebody read it!!  I left a comment on Dawns  Journal but I haven't figured out yet how to leave the link to my Journal.  Joyce, let me know how when you get over here.

     What a nice blue sky day today.  And I am off from work.  It is an inservice day for the teachers so we are off and then we are off on Monday for  MLK Day.  So that makes a four day weekend.  I am not going anywhere at all today.  Just been puttering around.  Did some throwing away.   I cleaned out a couple of drawers.  And guess what I threw away.  Girdles!!!!   I forgot I even had them.  And who wears girdles anymore ?I wore them all threw high school.  And remember the old rubber playtex girdles.....what a torture.  Well you can forget that.  In the trash they went.

     And of course Nick was here for the day.  When we are off from work, of course he is off from school, so he spends the day here cuz Mommy has to work.  He kept himself busy on the puter all day.  He finds more stuff to do on the puter.  He just left.  Well, I think I am going to finish a  few little small  jobs and then sit down with a cup of tea and watch Oprah..........................Talkatchalater

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Some stuff about me and the family

Nick was in a little show today at school.  I did not see it but Sal and Melody and  Anthony did.  Sal said he did real good.  Played a tambourine I think.  Nick is my Grandson....and he is handicapped.  Nick, we never called him Nicky.  He was Nickolas for a while and then Anthony came along and shortened it to NICK.  Nick has something called  Apraxia of Speech.  Everything he says comes out garbled.  I used to say that he cannot talk.  But recently, I have realized that he CAN talk,  we just don't understand him.  So maybe its us and not him.  We are the ones who are wrong and he is alright.  This is why I put sad up there where it says Mood.  I get this way sometimes.  I can be watching TV and I can feel the sadness building inside.  That is when I just sit and cry to myself.  Nobody else knows or notices.  I do it at times when I am driving my little school bus.  When you do a lot of miles, you think a lot.  And a lot of my sadness is for Anthony.  He is the second  of my daughters two kids.  Nick is 12 and Anthony is nine.  We tend to think that he doesn't understand a lot about Nicks condition but come'on,  at nine, I wondered about a lot of things in this world.  So he knows what is going on.  But I feel bad for Anthony because he has been robbed of a brother.  Two brothers three years apart.  They should be calling each other names.....they should be discussing ghosts and wrestlers and football players.  They should be laughing at body parts.  Cause they ARE boys.  But I think he does worry.  Today he asked Melody if Nick would live with her and Daddy forever when he gets big?  A nine year old shouldn't have to worry about that but kids do.   So that is a little about 2 of my Grands.  Son has 2 also....and I will tell about them soon.

 

 

This is Anthony.....what a cutie patootie

This is one of my favorites  Nick and Mommy

 

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Tired from a day of cooking

Yup, and Giants are on top 21-17.  I would like  to see them win today.  For some reason I never did like Dallas.  We went to Mass this morning just like every Sunday and then we go to AC Subs for breakfast.  I get tired of the same old same old every Sunday.  I would be just as content to come home and make breakfast.  But Hubby (thats him over there on the couch--->)  likes his big breakfast out.  Oh well!!

Didn't do too much around the house today.  Dominic came in and said what the heck is  going on?  It looks like a tornado came thru the kitchen.  Actually,  it was because I spent most of the day making a pot of  chicken and dumplings.  That is an all day affair!  I started at 2:30 and we sat down to eat at 6:30.  by the time I cooked and pulled apart the chicken then peeled potatoes and celery and  in the end made the dumplings,  its takes a long time.  I am eating my second bowl here at the puter. 

I have been reading Journals from JLand.  I read Sugar's and Dana's.....and now I have been spending time on "My Country Life."   What a way to live.  On a farm with horses and animals.  uh-oh, Romo just got sacked!!   Oops,  trying to watch football and type at the same time.  Oh well,  its too late in life to change it now.  Actually, I wouldn't change my life.  Its not the most exciting but we have it pretty good. 

Phew, we went through rough years back in the  beginning with money.  We were just not making enough and there was never enough to pay the bills.  And you know,  when the kids needed or wanted something, that came first....with me anyway.  And I have always been the one to handle the bills and money.  Catholic school tuition was always a big chunk of money.  But I don't regret it.  (Well, maybe a little).

But now that the kids are grown and have families of their own,  things are easier.  Now I worry about Melody and Dominic and their finances.  I knowit is hard when you are young.  And I thank God that we never lived beyond our means.  We still live in the little house that we bought when we were first married.  We put on a small addition and now tht it is just the two of us and it is adequit.