tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57817573457069967672024-02-20T14:25:17.921-08:00The sweet ingredient of life - laughter.This blog is a collection of short stories about life and actual things that are going in life. Some funny, some nostalgic. Some are not completely true, others totally factual. I may not mention which is which but all them are based mostly on true life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5781757345706996767.post-50476256847869121522008-06-23T12:28:00.000-07:002008-08-02T11:47:28.531-07:00Friends that make us laugh.I have a friend that I haven't seen in a while. Her name is Jamie and she is one of, if not my funniest friend. I could go into all the ways that she made me laugh but this is the gist of it. While working together if she made a big embarrassing mistake she would immediately come over and say "You'll never guess what I just did." The self deprecating humor she used made us all laugh along with her. Everyone loved her all the more for the way she made herself look even more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ridiculous, m</span>ostly because she was so funny and adorable. She would magnify the usually small incident until she had us all crying and holding our sides. She was my manager at an apartment community and boy did we need her attitude. Not that she couldn't chew you out for something when need be but you could <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">always</span> depend on her to laugh about it later, or make fun of you about it in a teasing way. I learned from her how to make fun of myself. I think I was pretty uptight before that. I am a sensitive person so anything anyone ever said I took to heart. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Heaven</span> help me if I ever did <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">something</span> stupid in front of someone. I was so worried about looking foolish that it kept me from doing so many exciting things in my life. I know that I am not alone and I probably know why I am like this. But I won't go into that now. That may be an issue for the doctors couch.<br />But once I heard Jamie and her take on her own silly abashments, I really started to lighten up. If I do something stupid, I get over the embarrassment by thinking of how that must of looked to another person. Or if not that then I think about embellishing it as Jamie did to make it funny. Once you hear the laughter that your blunder causes you can't help but forget whether your face is red. Also there is comic timing. Wikipedia says "This is the use of rhythm and tempo to enhance comedy and humor. A beat is a pause taken for the purposes of comic timing, often to allow the audience time to recognize the joke and react, or to heighten the suspense before delivery of the expected punch line." If you would like to read more about timing go here. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_timing">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_timing</a>. . You can learn to use timing to make your listeners laugh along with you if you want to get that funny. Jamie definately has a natural talent for this and some people are just naturally funny. I believe I have a gift for laughter but before it certainly was not when I would embarrass myself. Now I recognize doing something stupid is a part of life. Then I make fun of it. Come on, just laugh about it. Now isn't that much better!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5781757345706996767.post-19666038259041236942008-05-30T21:33:00.000-07:002008-06-01T13:10:48.231-07:00Brave girl kicks ass in the sticks.<span style="font-size:130%;color:#000099;">This wasn't funny at the time. The years have changed that.</span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Growing up in the rural south makes you tough, and somewhat fearless. I have a theory about why. If you move through the woods on a regular basis, fearlessly staring down and stepping over small wild creatures and also being aware of the larger wild species also thriving there, it does something to boost your ability to be brave, to take the upper hand if need be. An incident that happened when I was 17 proved that.<br /><br />I was with my best friend, Charlotte, both of us feeling good and heading home after a day at the beach. Charlotte had a gold mustang that was dusty, loud, and with two girls usually in the front seat, boldly obvious. This mustang had been bought from her brother and it was a classic piece of junk. It took awhile to get anywhere because we had to stop about every 15 miles and pour water into the radiator. When we would get close to where we knew a stop sign was coming up I would stretch my neck outside the window to see if anything was coming. If so, Charlotte would start pumping the brakes and blowing the horn. Traffic lights meant Russian roulette. But hey, we had wheels.<br /><br />That summer afternoon we had enjoyed lazing around at our state park and just having a great day talking about boys, friends, boys, clothes, boys and other things.<br /><br />Charlotte had chosen the back roads most of the way to play it safe with the car. But just after we pulled out onto the main highway she decided to stop and add some water. We both jumped out. Charlotte raised the hood and I grabbed the big plastic jug of water from the back seat floorboard.<br /><br />We were busy with our heads together so we hadn’t noticed a car slowing down, but we did hear the crunch of the rocks underneath the wheels of his car, We thought that he was going to offer us some gentlemanly help.<br /><br />As he walked up behind Charlotte, I heard him say, “Back it up there girl!” Charlotte waved him away saying, “No, we got it thanks!” But that wasn’t what he meant. He continued. “Both of you back it up and get in the car. You, on the driver’s side”. He nodded at Charlotte. Charlotte looks over at me like “What the hell!"<br />Being the more obedient of the two of us I say, “Okay”, and head for the door. Now I would like to say that I wasn’t that eager to get my ass in the car but as a southern girl you are always conflicted as to whether to be “sweet,’ and do as you’re told or to come out fighting. Charlotte gave me a look that said I had lost my mind. I realized that she thought that I was a little too eager to please. “We aren’t getting in the car with you, and I don’t see how you think your going to make us.”<br />The skinny intruder said, “Oh yeah, “There’s a huntin’ rifle in my car, and I got a gun in my boot.” Charlotte shifted her hip and crossed her arms. “Oh sure” she said. But I noticed her voice was a little fainter and she did get behind the wheel. He stood, holding the door open, looking in. Charlotte looked up at him. “It probably won’t start. You didn’t let us get finished working on it. She pointed at the water jug on the roadside. “Oh, it’d better start,” he threatened. The engine roared into action.<br />I, feeling like a coward, still had the passenger seat door open. Mr. Pushy was getting in, moving Charlotte over with his hip. Suddenly, she swiveled her butt, got her foot on my behind and booted me right out of the car into the gravel and weeds.<br /><br />I hit the ground hard. I looked up in time to see Charlotte lean over and pull the door closed. It was my turn to think “what the hell!<br /><br />As that Mustang tore down that country highway all I could think was “Oh shit, there goes my friend alone with some damn redneck murderer.” There was only one thing to do. Get up on that road and put my thumb out. Finally my brain was engaged.<br /><br />Charlotte looked down at her hands. Something didn’t feel right! Her nail! You made me break my nail you stupid son of a bitch! And I painted them!” She went ballistic! She was punching him in his side and making him cringe and grunt. “Stop or I’ll wreck” he said between punches.<br />Charlotte leaned close to this ear, “I don’t care, let me out before I kill you.” At this point he had no doubt that he was about to suffer serious bodily assault. “I didn’t mean to make you break your nail”, he said sheepishly. “But if I let you out now you will be in the middle of nowhere and you might get eaten by a bear or picked up by a bad person”.<br />You are so stupid! Charlotte was roaring “What do you think you are, a good Samaritan”? “Get out and give me my car back.”<br />“Oh no, He said drawing out the words, “Then I could get eaten by a bear.”<br />“Are you serious? Would you rather be eaten by a bear or go to the gas chamber?”<br />“What?” he looked incredulous.<br />Charlotte shouted, “Awe, stupid, didn’t you know that kidnapping meant you went to the gas chamber”?<br />His eyes were popping. “That’s not right. Where’d you hear that? Anyway, I’m not kidnapping you!<br /><br />Then what the hell do you think this is, a smoky mountain rescue? You haven’t stopped this car yet!”<br />“Well now I can’t for sure if you say I’m kidnapping you. What’d you say that for? It was just a joke. I know your brother. I recognized this car. I worked with him and he was telling all of us that you bought his car. And I caught a look at you one day and….<br />“My brother is going to whip your ass. That is if I don’t kill you myself.”<br />Every word was accentuated with a slap and hard punch. Charlotte had even gouged him in the eye with her broken nail.<br />“God----, Stop it, just stop it now”. The car is swerving along the road. “Calm down, I not going to hurt you”, he said with a tickled of blood moving down his cheek. Charlotte’s other nail had jabbed him in the eyebrow and ripped the skin. His finger-poked wounded eye was starting to swell shut.<br /><br />The car rumbled to a stop. “Finally, you’re getting some sense.” Charlotte said as threw up her hands.<br />“No, I’m not, he said, the car is stopping on its own”.<br />“Okay then idiot, just let me out to see what’s wrong!” she starts to open the door but he grabs her arm. “Are you sure you won’t try to run away cause I’m too tired to chase you and I am not going to the gas chamber over this.”<br /><br />“What do you want to do, just sit here?” It’s damned hot and I have on a wet bathing suit. I am not comfortable! And with that she slammed her pointy elbow into his Adam’s apple.<br />“Hey, he grabbed his throat, screeching, “You almost made me throw up.”<br />Charlotte hammers away. Up on her knees she grabs his head and twists it. “I am going to pop your head right off.” And he believed her. For the first time he fought back. He shoved her against the passenger door. They sat for a few minutes looking at each other. Then she opened the door, went around the front and popped open the hood.<br /><br />“You idiot, you left my friend back there and she is probably scared to death”<br />.He looked indignant. “Now, who threw her out of the car, huh?”<br />She glared back. “I thought you were going to try to kill us or something. I was saving her life!”<br />He offered, “We can go back and get her.”<br />She glared,” Where do you think you’re going with this “we” stuff?<br />“You ain’t going nowhere with me. You were stupid enough to pick us up, force us into the car and leave your car sitting on the side of the road so the police will track you right here. You left my friend to be eaten by a bear. And you kidnapped me. Man, you are in big trouble. If you broke my car I am going to kill you with my bare hands.”<br /><br />Back at my situation I was wondering why no cars were coming by. Why no one was coming to the rescue. The only other alternative was to do it myself. I could try and hot- start his car and go after them. So I ran to the car. My dad had shown me how to do this on our car once for kicks and giggles. I wondered if I could remember how.<br /><br />Peeking into the rolled down window, I peered toward the floorboard wondering how I would jam myself under there, and then I spotted the keys, dangling in the ignition!<br />I just stood there for about two seconds not believing my eyes.<br /><br />Jumping in I started that old car and rocketed forward.<br /><br />Charlotte was still doing her part with her constant assault on the soon to be, very worried, probably future death row inmate.<br /><br />It wasn’t long until I saw Charlotte’s car pulled over, sitting there, the hood up and the edges of two people seen occasionally moving on each side of the front end of the car. It looked like stand-up wrestling. Oh my God, he was attacking! I had to do something!<br /><br />I got out and yelled, “Hey”! The activity stopped in the front of her car. For a few seconds it was still and then I saw the guy look around the hood as though he was expecting a ghost, or worse, the police.<br /><br />I was shocked at his appearance. His hair was on end, His t-shirt neck was all stretched out and it looked like his nipple was bleeding. His lip and eye were swollen shut.<br /><br />When he saw it was me he dropped his arms down to his sides, rounded his shoulders and started explaining in a whiny voice, “I did not kidnap her, it was just a big joke. I was going to tell you that!” Charlotte came from the other side. “This fool broke down the car. Even I had to think that was humorous. It would be hard to place that blame on this guy.<br /><br />I had no time to say a word before Charlotte was in his face and all over him. All I could hear from him was “uh, uh, uh”, as the breath was being hammered out of him. He kept peeking at me with his hands up over his face as if I might save him from her.<br />As I was on the way to some serious tears or serious laughter, (seems I was always conflicted) he turned to get away and Charlotte with all her might kicked him right in the seat and knocked him in the middle of the highway.<br />That girl was good with her feet.<br /><br />We saw that it was all over. We stood there staring at each other, grinning. I had come to the rescue but Charlotte had saved the day.<br /><br />When I asked her what all she had done to him she said, “My emotions just took over. He really pissed me off. I would have kicked him right in the jewels if he had been standing still long enough.” So we know he got away easy.<br /><br />We had no post- traumatic syndrome. Only our mother’s did when we relayed our story. Her mother said, from now on she should take her Pekinese to protect her. We laughed about that one. The only thing that dog would do is pop out her eyes from barking too hard. Now that would scare most anybody if you weren’t expecting it.<br /><br />As for the kidnapper, his name was Roy Ray and he was known to be mostly stupid. Charlotte’s brother said we could press charges but he wouldn’t be able to whip is ass then, so Charlotte just gave him the go ahead and forgot about the court system.<br />I think he learned a better lesson the way Charlotte handled it.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5781757345706996767.post-80771445787725155682007-11-01T18:08:00.000-07:002007-11-02T22:18:25.430-07:00A short trip to Shangri-la.Last week Steve and I took a flight across the country to California. We went to the golden state to visit Steve's people in San Francisco. The time we spend there was great. It was Steve's birthday so there was a party and "so good to see <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">you's</span>" all day. We visited the city and various places that brought back memories to Steve. We visited people I didn't know, and shopped in Half Moon Bay and walked on the beach.<br /><br />I noticed it's true what you hear about life there, so laid back. I know that the air is fresh and the weather is beautiful, the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">plant life</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">plentiful</span> and glorious. There doesn't seem to be any mosquitoes or flies and they leave their doors open without screen doors. No need for screen!<br /><br /><br />But how could they be so laid back with everything, especially real estate, being so very expensive? Stressful? You'd think. But I didn't really notice that anything except homes were more expensive than here. Target prices looked the same to me. The only time I "had a fit" so my sister-in-law said, was when she tried to convince me that the price of $7.00 for a plain hot dog is normal. I have to tell you I didn't throw a fit but I know that $7.00 is not normal. I checked. This particular hot dog was in a museum restaurant and my so-called fit worked. My sister-in-law bought us a cheeseburger ($9.00) and a hot dog and made us share her Caesar salad. (I am my father's daughter!)<br /><br />It seems that the corporate world dominates over most everything in the city by the bay. I know that it was the dawning of the computer age that boosted the high prices of real estate. Just driving the interstate will give you a glimpse of the opulence of the big guys, Google, Oracle, etc. And aren't these guys considered young on the silicone highway?<br />I come from a long line of carpenters, blue collar workers, proud farmers and office assistants.<br />Steve left California for Oregon right after the rise began. So we really only know what we see and hear. I have to assume that there are many that are under the stress of their corporate jobs. I didn't see it myself. All my sisters have high priority jobs in well known companies but they don't seem to show too much stress. My sister-in-laws Pitt bull is more nervous than she is.<br /><br />I guess what I am saying is that I think it is true that California is a peaceful, laid back place.<br /><br />Am I buying into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">shangri</span>-la? Okay, maybe I was overwhelmed by the beauty and warm hospitality, or because the weather was about 72 degrees the whole time and not a single drop of rain. Or it could be that I had no responsibilities the whole time I was there, yes, the whole "5" days.<br /><br />Because I dislike travel by air, I was hesitant to go. The ride was what I expected, boring, tight and all day long. This is where we spent most of our money. No, really, the airports.<br /><br />I never liked take off or landing and now there's the extra security. Of course I must have packed wrong or something, they went through my luggage. I know they probably have to do these things, but it is one more reason that I don't enjoy flying. I thought about this as I was going out that I'd have to think about the long trip back. But I didn't think of it once. I was thinking on my way home, when can we do this again?<br /><br />I think California and my in-laws worked the magic. I came back ready to move. But reality is back. My girls are here. My home is here. My overloaded back yard and garden are here. How in the world would I get 3 dogs and 5 cats to California?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5781757345706996767.post-22339476910094586932007-10-10T20:52:00.000-07:002008-05-31T18:19:59.275-07:00Bug's birthdayYesterday was the big day for little Bug, the pretty princess in our lives. She was four and feeling every bit of it. It's always a great day when family can get together, and even though ours is small, we make it seem like a hundred people. I, of course decorated my living room like a cinderella ball with balloons strewn from the ceiling. Bug walked into the room as we all sang happy birthday. Her eyes were wide and twinkling and a huge smile. She had mushroom pizza, her favorite, and then happy to get to the presents. She got many fun toys and some neat clothes. She got a little electric keyboard, several dolls, tea sets, and mom also gave her a big bags of assorted things such as candy poprocks. We all had to laugh when Bug tried the pop rocks. She ducked her head and put her hand over her mouth. She just wanted to get rid of it, same thing with the big red rose blob from the top of her cake.<br />It took about 20 minutes to tear through the gifts. Afterward I suggested taking the pups for a walk while Bug rode her bike that pawpaw found for her.<br />What an ordeal. The big girls had brought their two dogs so all together we had 5 dogs and a child on a bike. None of the dogs know how to behave except Pootie so it was chaotic. It sounded like a big disruptive party at first. Then we calmed down to a stroll,sort of. Bug rode her bike all the way to the end of street and back. She was so proud and did so well. She told her mom, "I need you because I love you." Which almost brought us to tears. Then she took a little tumble to the ground. She cried a little then brushed off her tears and got back on that bike. What a trooper.<br /><br />This little story will bore the life out of most. I just wanted to make note of a wonderful afternoon on an important birthday for bug. I hope that we have many more just like this one.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5781757345706996767.post-36105574581777896582007-09-29T19:26:00.000-07:002007-09-29T19:49:23.729-07:00Three significant men<em>A tired mother of ten tried to make her home warm and cozy, but an overwhelming tension hung in the air.<br />After chores were done in the early morning hours , this family gathers in the warm kitchen for breakfast. If father is absent on that morning the feeling of joviality and love rises in the room. Otherwise the room is quiet and the only sound heard might be the dropping of a spoon from a nervous hand.</em><br /><br />Pap ruled that family with the infamous iron fist. Add alcohol, there was no question that the man was dangerous to anyone that might cross his path and with ten children, sometimes they did. Many times one of the children had to lie there until the chance of a knotted fist or a rough boot was gone. Mother would also freeze knowing full well that rescue came in the form of standing back because rushing to the injured made Pap all the more furious. <br /><br />Pap must have come from a hateful family. At least that is what we have to think of him.<br />I was speaking to a friend that was concerned that her son wanted to reach out to a dad that had not been there for him for many years. While I would never give advice on an issue so personal, I have formed a few opinions myself about men and their fathers. Her fear of him becoming like his dad might be unfounded.<br /><br />The psychology of men and their fathers is not something that I studied in school. But it is something that I have had the opportunity to observe. I have had three significant men in my life. Out of those three men not a one of them had a decent father figure. All of these men showed their resentment throughout adulthood in one form or another. <br /><br />Even though their lives were different there are some notable similarities.<br />None of them attended their fathers funeral.<br />In each case the mother was also abused and when the children were adults, took her out of the home and set her up somewhere else. <br />One tried to reach out to his dad when he was older and was rebuffed.<br />Two had fathers that tried to reach out and were rebuffed. <br />Alcohol was key in the violence that surrounded them but it only played a part.<br /><br />None of the issues were resolved in this life. <br /><br /><em>It was believed that he would not live past his 18Th birthday. A toxic diagnosis came which would cause him to worry about dying most of his young life. The old doctor had made a diagnosis based on ignorance rather that knowledge. This question of health caused strife where there should have been none. Of course he did live and is still living</em>. <br /><br /><em>His father contributed to his strife by letting the little guy be the one that was safe from the beatings that he inflicted on his four siblings because he did’t want to be responsible for the boy’s death. But striking him was the only thing he held back. He had no problem sweeping the table clean with his arms if it wasn’t perfectly placed so the man of the house could have his dinner, or screaming and shouting while everyone scattered. Late afternoons, the children would have that deep feeling of dread. Upon arrival he usually lived up to their worst expectations.<br />Their beloved mother was not immune from his cruelty, and several times after being thrown out of the house into the cold, she ran to the church for shelter. <br />This is how they lived their lives</em>.<br /><br />And so it would seem that fathers that abuse would have grown children that would abuse. I have these three men with which to form an opinion and I find that this, in my case at least, has not happened at all. These men found, somewhere in themselves, that well of kindness and wealth of knowledge to be good fathers. Oh, I am sure that the abuse and unholy tension that they were exposed to had much to do with some wanton reactions in their lives. But of the three not one has ever lifted a hand toward children or women in anger. <br />Since one of them is the father of my children, I can say that he has passed that test where I have failed. I have not been able to hold back the hand when the cheek deserved the slap. And I came from one of those abused men that hardly ever gave me a hard look and never a strike of any kind.<br /><br /><br /><em>It was a tiny sidewalk, grown over with grass and weeds and an occasional wild guinea pig running through. The boy had a ball. The rule was to be followed and that was to make sure the ball did not roll off that sidewalk into the prize weeds. Of course this was a rule set up to fail. A fourteen year old could not keep that ball on the sidewalk, this boy is four. It probably didn’t take very long. The first bounce of the ball. Out of the house came the one man that should have been the defender, the protector. The kick was swift. The cries went on and on, until it was decided something must be done. A taxi trip to the hospital revealed that this boy had a ruptured kidney. This was the beginning of a long life of abuse, a little boy sitting at the school desk, after the bell, not wanting to go home.</em><br /><br />This man battled the strong army of alcoholism and drug abuse for years. Despite this being a family inheritance he left it behind and became a strong and dependable man. A gentle man that saw abuse as something he would never be a part of. He has knocked out the teeth of an opponent in the ring, but he can’t stand to see a child and parent in confrontation. He is a shelter in the storm to me and to his step children. He has physical problems but can be as strong as a warrior. <br /><br />Obviously, these men are, well… real men. We talk of real men in a joking way and I feel and fear that this is because maybe it isn‘t easy to find a “real man.” One that has walked through the fire. One that stood up against all the odds, in spite of what his young life was like, regardless of what he could have been.<br />I am grateful that I knew them. All three had a part in making me who I am. Ironically, all three of these men had only daughters, and we know what good they could have done their sons. But it will have to be that it’s enough to know, those daughters just couldn’t possibly love their fathers more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5781757345706996767.post-37408243749089327492007-09-07T20:08:00.000-07:002007-09-07T21:31:00.217-07:00The little girl on the street just grew up.Having four dogs, it is my responsibility to take them for a walk. Because it is so hot and humid here, I wait until it gets cool outside before I venture away from the house. Tonight was one of those nights. As I was walking Heidi, I had time to reflect on the neighbor across the street from our house.<br /> <br />The homeowner is a neighbor that has made it pretty clear that he is not crazy about us. It could be the fact that I yelled at them one night plenty years ago because it was about 3AM and I couldn't stand to hear one more blast of their fireworks. <br /> <br />But, living in that house with her dad is a very nice young lady that holds no such grudge against us. I met her the first week that we moved into our house because she came over and said hi. She was the only neighbor that welcomed us.<br /><br /> I noticed over the years that she was a pied piper of children and would be outside with a group of kids of all ages around her. She would swing them around, carry them, chase them and come to their rescue when they were hurt or insulted. She loved animals and would pet and walk your dog happily. She would come around with her box of candy bars for us to buy for her school fundraisers.<br /><br /> As time moved on I would see her walking to her friends house or have a crowd of teens in her yard listening and dancing to music on the front porch. She never failed to wave and say hi when we passed. I would see her mowing the grass, taking out the trash and helping her dad. Once I heard a young girlfriend running from her parent's car excitedly screaming "We're going to see Brittany!, We're going to see Brittany!" <br /><br /> My little neighbor was always happy it seemed. She came and borrowed some peroxide once and said she wanted to try something on her hair. I was worried but whatever she did spurred her to plan to go to hair school because she proudly told us so.<br /><br /> I remember seeing her out in the front yard twirling a big flag. I guess she was in band. It didn't last long. I would see her outside less and less but she could still be seen walking around the corner of her house heading off to a friends house.<br /><br />One day when I was outside I saw her driving. I was stunned. Driving! She could not be old enough. I did the math. I have lived here eight years this January. That makes her 16!!! I would see her in different cars driving around and thought .. another milestone for her. Not long afterward, I saw her in a beautiful bright red dress. I shouted across the street. "How beautiful! What's the occasion?" "My prom", she said beaming! Once again I added it up. Yup, possible. <br /><br />A few months later seeing her outside, she excitedly told me "look, dad bought me a car for graduation, a Mustang!" I mumbled something like, that is so great, congratulations." but I was thinking, Where does time go, and why a mustang!!!<br /><br /> So tonight, as I am walking Heidi, I am suddenly feeling sad. I really can't say I know this girl that well. Really, not at all. But as I look in her driveway and notice her car is not at home and there is no high spirited chatter on her front porch, I realize that I miss her. I don't see her walking with her friends anymore. and she has moved on to adult things. A rite of passage that I also went through. Once the car appeared, my bike Flighty went to the basement.<br /><br /> I have planted a little tree and watched it grow big. I have taken many holiday decorations up and down. But what is the most unsettling surprise to me is that I would feel so bittersweet about the growing up of a little neighborhood girl from across the street. She was just eight. Now she is an adult. Good luck to you, my grown-up friend.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5781757345706996767.post-34332336473050240262007-08-31T18:24:00.000-07:002007-09-08T13:17:57.603-07:00Hard rain welcomed.Out of the many good things about Florida living is the nice hard tropical rains that we get. Today was one of those days. It began as a dark cloud and then developed into a loud thunder and flashy light show. The best part about it is you don't have to put up with overcast all day to get a storm in the afternoon. Earlier today was a beautiful day.<br /><br />I lived 7 years of my life in Beaverton, Oregon. This is a beautiful town just outside of Portland. I should say gorgeous because there are so many things that stand out. Mount Hood is one hundred miles away. When I first learned this I was stunned because when you are moving down Sunset highway it looks like it is right there. One hundred miles! I loved seeing that gorgeous hunk! Also the folks in Oregon are very enviromentally conscious. This means that things shine and they realize the importance of having trees and letting nature do it's thing. I am happy for them that they love the color green brought on by all that drizzle. Because the one issue that I personally had with that area is rain! Not a nice solid blanket of water falling to moisten the Earth. No. Just a constant dripping in a weepy atmosphere destined to last for days and days. The last spring that I spent there I swore to leave. Even the beauty of the summer that followed did nothing to shake my decision.<br /><br />I would look at the stunning rainbows that occur there and say "These, I will miss.", but I knew my Oregon days were numbered. I could not bear the drizzle and overcast days anymore.<br /><br />Other things ended up being the determining factor for leaving Oregon. And I was sad. I did love the friendliness of the people. I knew I would miss their smart ideas about the environment. Familarity breeds contentment and I was happy with the places that I knew. My girls did alot of growing up there and I was leaving behind memories. But I was happy to be returning to a sunny place.<br /><br />I never really thought about rain. Being from Kentucky we do have those heavy half a day or half an hour downpours, complete with the loudest and scariest thunder and lighting .<br /><br />But one day after I had returned to my moms in Kentucky and we were all standing on my cousin Garlands farmhouse porch, looking at the coming rain, Steve said. "Man, I have only seen rains like this one other time in my life.' He thought it was incredible. When I saw it that way I thought Yeah, it really is. It is rare to see this type of storm in Beaverton.<br /><br />I have to say that I do love the storms here in Florida. I do not want to see the toronado warning on my television screen though.<br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKxbCR8n4myBboCqC3_u8dK_FC-zOBm1z_2JOPkUQsZsNmtvKnitM_Bio85yl_frbOZ8pR_n_fstPEt1_ghuikv8PBvHRY45mYAguyAc6mJbCbwOVtGeriz_3B8NM5L2zMeXe1TugCIuH/s1600-h/DSCN0218.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106464101090724946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKxbCR8n4myBboCqC3_u8dK_FC-zOBm1z_2JOPkUQsZsNmtvKnitM_Bio85yl_frbOZ8pR_n_fstPEt1_ghuikv8PBvHRY45mYAguyAc6mJbCbwOVtGeriz_3B8NM5L2zMeXe1TugCIuH/s320/DSCN0218.JPG" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5781757345706996767.post-20746782686225065922007-08-26T20:36:00.000-07:002007-09-08T13:21:36.578-07:00Another great day...<span style="font-family:arial;">Each weekend Steve and I decide to take action on some part of our home for improvement. Actually, I guess it's really me that makes that decison, but he usually agrees, sometimes enthusiastically but mostly grudgingly. I know that he only gets 2 days off and he works in the heat but dammit I NEED HELP! Anyway, this is how it usually goes. We wake up. (He always brings me coffee, every morning, without fail) We get into some depressing discussion usually about our kids about some stupid thing that they have done lately. (I am only being honest here, girls)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Then we realize that we are going over the same crap so we say, " Lets go eat." This is where the projects go up in smoke. It never fails that once we leave the house there is no telling when we will come back. Our dogs know this. When we get ready to leave, they are trying to block our way. They have tears in their eyes. They are saying , "Hey, when are you going to spend some quality time here with us, your children?"</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Anyway, we could end up anywhere. But today we got some really good stuff just because we decided to take a little drive and ended up in one of our favorite areas here, Riverside. This area to those of you not familiar to Jacksonville neighborhoods is full of beautiful old renovated homes that are just gorgeous and make your eyes water just to look at them. It is an area rich in history and it's easy to imagine how it was when people owned these huge homes years ago. Check out this link if your interested. <a href="http://www.jaxhistory.com/Jacksonville%20Story/Tracing%20the%20History%20of%20Buildings.htm">http:/www.jaxhistory.com/Jacksonville%20Story/Tracing%20the%20History%20of%20Buildings.htm</a>. When we go we sometimes visit the the Cummer museum, sometimes we go to see the River, or to visit the different little shops. But today .... tada we just found treasure. As we were driving down a tiny little interesting alley, we spotted (how should I put this) a load of good castoffs. Defination, other peoples trash. I found a great old vintage outdoor metal chair. I mean it is great. It is alittle bit rusted but that is NO problem. I can't wait to have it painted in one of those dreamy parfait colors from the fifties. We also found some huge concrete planters with rocks and glass embedded in them. Lovely. Some nifty little bamboo nets that Ayla will love. And a beautiful huge gas grill in great shape. Jeeze, good thing we brought the truck. And good thing Steve has muscles! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">We are very happy with our little treasures. All we need is a barn. Yes, someday.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Unfortunately, our projects must wait til next weekend. Yes, we'll make a list!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5781757345706996767.post-51410315976974001922007-08-25T22:28:00.000-07:002007-08-25T22:29:21.801-07:00Hi, I know you're thinking that I am about to brag on the fact that I live in Florida and that is why I am writing this blog. But nay. That is not the reason. I just thought the title sounded good and of course a lot of people do think this is paradise. Especially those that don't live here and come for a few days or weeks out of the year. I will agree there are times when it is very paradisesque. As when my husband and i walk the beach together being silly and enjoying the beautiful beaches. When we are hunting for shark teeth under the most beautiful blue sky and find treasures of full shells, bottle glass or yes, teeth. Just sitting at the beach seeing where sky meets ocean is like taking a deep cleansing breath. Those little seagulls are always present with the little sea-sea song that is so familiar. And sometime the dolphins will be playing out there.I will go on about the beach I am sure many times as I continue with this blog because it is so much part of the reason I am here.But, to be fair there are some things that are almost unbearable here. Let me start with the immensely hot hot weather. It is so miserably hot that it almost takes the fun out of summer. Even being near the water on those very hot days is not pleasant.I love to grow flowers. I hesitate to call it gardening because I am not so organized. My back yard is an assortment of things that I have bought, found and dragged from the last place that I lived. Both Steve and I are pack rats so I seem to always be cleaning up the yard. Sometimes I just stack everything and then I might pass the pile that's going to the trash and say huuummm, maybe I could use that. Believe me if you could see some of the junk that I have. But I do try to maintain a few flowers and vines among the yard art.Anyway, back to the hot weather. Forget about having a nice garden unless you have help. A partner that wants to have a garden too. Because that sun is so darned hot that unless you have two people that really want this and can share the load...well trust me, it's really hard. The humidity turns you into something like a hot dog just off the grill, all greasy and hot and panting to draw some oxygen into your lungs. The only time I was gung-ho about working in the yard on a hot day was when I accidentally overdosed on 2 diet pills and was buzzing around like I was an ant on acid. So the heat has to be a big negative feature of Florida living. Oh, I know that it has been hotter than hell all across America these days. But we have this every summer! Another thing is the mosquitoes. Poor Steve cannot even enjoy the outside. This California born and raised man has attracted more mosquitoes than the man that deliberately puts his hand in that mosquito box. I swear he should be tested for that mosquito disease . What is it? Malaria?When we go outside in the yard to maybe get a break from the four walls, we actually bring a box fan out there and turn it on full blast and aim it right at us. This works for two reasons, cools us a little and blows away those pesky mosquitoes, a little.Now, with all that said I will add one more thing tonight. Jacksonville people are totally nuts when it comes to cutting down trees. You would think that they would know that trees are good, right? You would think that they would know that trees clean the air and shade our homes and bodies. Not only that, they are beautiful. They are living things. Some folks here park under their beautiful trees. They cut the wrong limbs, tie wire around the trunk and leave it forever which damages the trees. And sometimes after all that, the tree lives to be beautiful. But don't be too admiring, because chances are some tree butcher will be swinging up the street knocking on doors to help you get rid of that dangerous tree. Hopefully one will visit me soon. I would love to accidentally open my door a little too wide and let my dogs slip out for a teeth baring greeting. oh, sorry!<br />draft<br />by Janet Ledesma<br />9:15:00 PM<br /><a class="link" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-delete.g?blogID=5781757345706996767&postID=7542074518915777152">Delete </a><br />1 – 1 of 1Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2