Thanksgiving Recap

How can it be?  Thanksgiving is now behind us.  Whaaaa?????  It is the shortest day ever! Especially when the visitors can't stay long because they have teenagers with obligations at home..  been there.  I just hated it when everyone left even though we made a full day of it.

The whole table of guests was hard to photograph, but here are my folks and brother's family.  Always a barrel of laughs.

Older son and darling D.I.L. sitting at the other end of the table... well, not in this picture.

We had a basketball game yesterday, so always repping our team, we dressed the part.

They weren't here, but it was great to see the younger kids, even though we had a bit of trouble with the connection.  I have an idea Gant won't appreciate this shot, but it was the only one I got with anyone recognizable on the screen.

We tried several angles, but it kept cutting in and out.  My guess is that we weren't the only people trying to Face Time yesterday.

Plenty of time for relaxing and catching up.

My totally honest opinion.  These two do not look like they should be old enough to have a daughter that is 50 years old.  I mean really.

Scott's kids are hilarious, and his wife, Gerri, can easily keep up with her quick wit.  They are going to miss this one next year when college calls her away, but Junior will keep things lively.  

The Petty girls have a tradition for going to the movie on Thanksgiving afternoon or evening.  Seeing the crowd at the theater, we aren't the only ones.  We saw "Twelve Years A Slave."  Wow.  I knew it was going to be rough, but I don't recall anything similar to this since "Roots" in the 1970's.  And when you go to a movie like this, that is somewhat biographical and based on a true story -- it was disturbing to think that this happened to a free man and could have happened to anyone with black colored skin in any day.  I am not that many generations away from this.  It's just not how I was raised to think.  The opinion that I have of myself is that I am no better that any other human being.  We are all equal, and even though not everyone feels that way, I will always believe that we are completely and totally equal.  There are lots of parts of history that are upsetting and troubling, but we can't fix those.  We can only improve today and what is in front of us.  Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the lead character, Solomon Northup, and his name will definitely be read as a nominee for Actor in a Leading Role, when the Golden Globe and Academy Award nominees are announced.  He was crazy good.

Thanksgiving Recap

Snow Days

Earlier this week and last weekend we had some snow.  Not just a light dusting, I would call it a full-fledged snow.  People were sledding and tubing.  Maybe 4 inches in some places, maybe more in others.  It's always the most fun at the beginning of the cold part of late fall.

Here is our sweet Clare, playing with the only two toys she could find in the snow.  Part of a tumbleweed and a pumpkin off of the front porch.  It is her first winter on earth, and she is loving the season.  She just runs circles in the back yard, slipping and sliding all around.

But I have a rant.  People.  If you cannot drive in it, please stay home.  Seriously.  I followed a car with California plates for three miles going two miles per hour.  It was not front wheel drive.  It was not four wheel drive.  It was sliding all over the place.  I was cranky.  I may have raised my voice in the car, (to no one in my car,) "get out of the way!" 

Then there are the people who are driving big (or small) four wheel drive vehicles who think that gives them permission to drive like they own the road, and at a normal (or faster) speed, on snow and ice, maniacally down the street.

Here's my plan.  Defense.  Just drive like everyone else is going to hit you.  Be ready.  I have lived in this area of the world for almost all of my life.  I have observed how my parents drive.  Just be slow and cautious.  They are good drivers.  I learned to drive a Jeep CJ-5 with a long stick shift at 15.  I think I have mentioned that my dad is a car buff.  He may have had us experience driving all kinds of things -- I know I tried a super size Dodge tricked out van, I drove a Volkswagen mini bus, I drove Dad's 25th Anniversary Corvette (oh, and I hit a dip in the road -don't ask- and the muffler fell off,)  seems like they had one of those mega enormous Cadillac sedans with four giant doors, but when it was time for me to get my first car, my parents helped me buy that Jeep.  I had saved enough I probably could have had something smoother driving with an air conditioner, but I wanted the sportiness of that Jeep.  It was orange and the black canvas top came off.  I loved that car.

As long as I drove slow and steady, no sudden movements, I never had a bit of trouble going anywhere I wanted to go in that Jeep.  In fact, I recall several "friends" wanting to go "climb that hill over there."  (These would be those of the male gender, because girls don't want to climb hills generally when they are relatively new drivers and only own one vehicle.)  I recall one particular evening when I had to be at a required play practice at school or something, and it was snowing so hard, it may have been considered a blizzard.  Seems like this one friend had a big Buick Regal -- clearly not a car you would get out in a snowstorm, so I provided the ride.  We made a full evening of it just puttering around and watching the flakes get bigger and bigger.  I think I had a sweet stereo, maybe of the new cassette variety.  Needless to say, this was before cell phones, so my folks weren't probably too worried where I was or when I would get home.  I was kind of a rule follower.  Just a vivid fun memory of my teenage years.

And to this day, it takes a lot of weather to keep me in the house.  I don't necessarily do highway road trips on snow and ice, but in town, meh...  nothing to it.

Snow Days

Thanksgiving Week

It is here!  Thanksgiving week, 2013.  Ready or not, here come the holidays.  

To be honest, #notquiteready.

I don't mean that in a "not-looking-forward-to-it" way, I mean it in a "it-is-sneaking-up-on-me" kind of way.  Grocery shopping, nope.  Pies and prep work, not done.  List of expected guests, check.  Menu, check.  Grocery list made, check.  Heck, I can pull it off.  I have had lots of volunteers for help.  We'll make it happen.  

So, I am going to put my feet up and write a blog post.

After making 8 lists a day for the last 6 weeks, I am still doing it.  If you know us, you know we have a pretty wild winter schedule coming up.  Making lists make me feel like I am preparing, but execution of the lists -- not happening so quickly.

Hope the weather is good.  We are expecting some family from out of town.  This guy could be the mayor of his city.  He is such a politically correct individual, and his family provides all the entertainment for the length of their visit.  Who am I fooling?  You know it's my brother.  He is the funny dude I want to be.  Not gonna happen, but it's my dream.  Undoubtedly, they will provide blog-worthy stories for future posts.  And yes, I will document with plenty of photos. 

Thanksgiving Week

Wordless Weekend - Sunday

Mike is famous for wearing shorts year round, as well as to any event.

I almost made it wordless for the whole weekend...

Wordless Weekend - Sunday

Wordless Weekend - Saturday

Wordless Weekend - Saturday

Here Is What I Like

After my rambling list of dislikes yesterday, I thought it only reasonable that I give my list of likes today.

I Like...

1)      A fire in the fireplace.  Or any controlled place, for that matter.  (Outdoor ones are fun.)

Not many things cozier than that.  Guess I'm not the only one that likes fires.

2)      Lip balm.  I can't live without it.  It is in every purse, car cup holder, coat pocket, on every coffee table that I sit near, a drawer in every desk, my nightstand....

3)      I LOVE it when someone calls me by my real first name.  And if they can spell it correctly, bonus points.  Ask me if you don't know....   :)

4)      A large Mr. Burger Coke.  Full on Coca Cola, none of that diet business.  My treat in my town.

5)      Magazines.  I am weak.  I fall for the words or picture on the outside cover and am frequently disappointed.  But it's paper, you can hold it in your hands, and you can finish it in one sitting.

6)      Travel.  Life is short.  I want to see as much of this world as I can before it is time to go.

7)      Beth Moore Bible studies and books.  I would just love to be friends with her and possibly learn from her by osmosis.  There are lots of other good Bible study writers, but I really like Beth.

8)      Comfort things.  Sweats, stretchy pants, soft socks -- I even have an adult size of a Little Giraffe blanket (originally made for babies), which was such a big hit at my house that everyone else got their own for Christmas one year.  Mine is not baby blue, but flax colored - a light cocoa brown.

9)      Flying.  I already said travel, but this is more specific to being in the sky.  It is a very weird thing, because I used to have an extreme fear of flying.  I now attribute that to not being able to see my kids grow up.  About the time they both had shown me that they were practically grown up, I must have figured that as parents, we had done all we could do.  So even though they hadn't completely left the house, I knew that they knew right from wrong. Knowing that I am an adult capable of messing up, I knew that they didn't "need" me like they might have while growing up.  They are going to be fine, mistakes included; therefore, I might as well live on the edge and fly in a totally safe commercial jet, small plane, helicopter, or anything else that leaves the ground.  Surely you recall my A-39 Fighter Jet flight experience.

Well, I linked to it, in case you missed it.  

(This was my first time in a helicopter.  Wow!  Loved it.)

10)    Electronics.  I do not want to be left in the dust.  If there is a way to communicate with others, I need to learn about it and understand it.  Things are constantly changing, and this is a bit of a challenge for my growing-older brain.  My folks make a big effort to use electronics, they upgrade their phones regularly, and I am very impressed with their savvyness (is that a word?) of keeping up or missing out.  They understand that their kids, and our kids, all communicate this way, so I am proud that they got on board.  In fact, the other night, my dad texted me after 9:00 PM.  This was a bit of a surprise, and here is why --

   A)     my dad doesn't text very often,

   B)     I thought it was past his bedtime because he gets up before the chickens,

   C)     turns out he was watching a sporting event, and he was happy about the results,

   D)     he typically isn't very chatty on electronic devices, and he had a lot to say.

11)     Fridays.  This makes no sense.  I have a flexible work schedule, and Friday is kind of like any other day, but for some reason, I look forward to Friday.  It's like I can sleep in on Saturday, but invariably, I wake up earlier on Saturdays than any other day.  I'm a mess.

There are lots of things I like, so don't be surprised if this list gets a makeover on another day.

Here Is What I Like

Dislike

I love me a good list.  My problem is that sometimes I forget to consult the list.  For instance, the grocery list is in my purse, but I forget to look at it while I am there in the store.  I have a wonderful calendar on my phone, but sometimes, I forget to check it prior to 3 pm to see what I may or may not have had scheduled.  

Today, I thought it would be funny to tell you some things that I dislike.  

I try not to be a hater, and I am not sure how long this list will be, but here we go.

I Dislike....

1)     Pecans.  To this day, my parents try to convince me that they are really good, and that I should try them again, but from time to time I get a cookie or some other treat, and with an accidental one bite of a piece of a pecan, that thing is going to the trash or a friend.  Ick.

2)     Cashmere.  It is soft and beautiful, but after about 30 seconds, I am itching everywhere it touches me.

3)     Walking around barefoot.  There is one exception to this, and it involves sand.  At the beach, there is no problem.  But in my house, especially on hard floors, I must wear socks or houseshoes.

4)      Being hot.  Again, the only exception involves the beach.  But if I am in the house cleaning, or outside in the yard, I have about zero tolerance.  I hate sweat, but it's life.  Just saying, I don't like it.

5)       Being patronized.  C'mon, give a girl some credit.  That drives me crazy.  Don't explain the details of taking out the trash, or try to give me information that has been on the news for the last 5 months.

6)       Toilet tissue touching.  I think I have mentioned this before, but when I am in a hotel room and someone feels the need to fold back the edges of the tissue to form a neat and tidy triangle, all I can think of is, "why would I want to use something like that on private parts when it has been touched by human hands?"

7)       Mean Teachers.  Do you know any?  I recall a couple from back in my day.  Evil.  No reason.  I recall few from my kids' school days -- and I think it is so funny that they have no idea I know who they are and what happened.  And I wasn't one of those parents who said, "My kid?  No way!"  We always listened to the adults as well as asking our kids and others present what happened. Remember, I am good at forgiveness, but I don't have to forget.  Sometimes they were wrong.

8)       Selfish and self-centered people.  It doesn't hurt me.  It hurts others.  Once again forgiveness comes into play.  But I only wish others would consider their actions and how they affect others.

9)       Eminem.  Needs no explanation.  My guess is that since he has kids, karma will take care of him.

10)     Talking about politics.  Enough said.

11)     Sales calls on the phone.  Oh, this is bad.  We have had years of opportunities to mess with these people.  I am harsh.  I mean, I can be downright rude.  If they push me too hard on the wrong day, let's just say that a video camera would have put me on you tube more than once.

** I reserve the right to add to or subtract from this list at any time. **

Dislike

Gift Ideas

Christmas sneaks up on me every single year.  I have tried every method known to man to get organized and ready AHEAD of time.  I don't like wrapping gifts late the night before Christmas.  I don't like giving a gift that wasn't precisely selected for the person -- I mean, I don't want to give a gift that I know I bought thinking, "oh, that will work."  This year I need to be more ahead of the game than usual.  But so far, I have ended up buying several things in my shopping excursions as of late, and I really don't even know where I stand, or where I am deficient in my buying.  At the moment, it is not the fire at the top of the list.

However, I have started shopping, and I continue to find cool new things online every day.  It really aggravates me when I find a "perfect" gift for someone whom I have already bought a gift.  So those are the gifts that I am going to share here.

You must click on the picture so you can see the inside of this jewelry travel case.  I cannot think of one traveling girl that wouldn't say, "Yes, please!"  Not kidding - most awesome gift EVER!  Kendra Scott has fab jewelry, and her collections keep growing.  Click the picture to order now.

This is a Trish McEvoy limited edition eye, cheek and lip set, all in a sweet little white leather pouch WITH brushes!  Love it!  Click the picture for the direct link to order.

Skreened has a zillion funny t-shirts from baby to 3X Large.  I picked a conservative example for the blog here.  That's kind of how I roll.  But there are tons of hilarious (edgy?) and somewhat raunchy ones.  Depends who you are buying for.....

No one can have enough thumb drives.  I have them in every purse, and I have them in every drawer. It is far and away the best way to carry and move data.  This one is made by Kingston, and they have lots of choices.  My family knows of my fetish for them, and I have a couple with bling on them, and I have tiny, itty bitty ones.  Love them!!!

There is no one on the planet harder to buy gifts for than an adult male.  Period.  I have kind of narrowed it down to buying things they can eat, use, and sometimes wear.  Guys are so hard!

Click on the picture for the Etsy location if you want to buy this.

Okay, I love speakers like this.  It's a bluetooth speaker that can blast your tunes from whatever device you want.  Click on pic for ordering details; this one is from Crate and Barrel.  There are many variations of this.  Beats also has a speaker that I like called the Beats Pill.

I may have to do this again soon.  There are many gifts to be purchased, and these may not be what you are looking for!

Gift Ideas

Life Hacks

Do you know what Life Hacks are?  They are silly shortcuts to make your life easier by using everyday objects for a different purpose than they were intended.  I ran across this article recently, and I was going to try and rewrite it or pick my favorites, but there are too many interesting things here.  So I am going to give you the link, and it is easy to scan, but I guarantee you, you will look at it, and think, "I should have thought of that!"

Life Hacks

   Total credit goes to the www.artfido.com/blog/ website where I found these.

Read up, and share your own life hacks with me!

Life Hacks

Cancer Awareness Still On My Mind

Last month, I wrote a lot about breast cancer awareness.  The feedback was unbelievable, and I was super surprised at how many people said things to me about mammograms like,

     -I've never had one, I need to schedule, I guess.

     -Yeah, I'm a couple of years behind, I better call in.

     -And what age are you supposed to start those?

I wrote about my own familiarity with the procedure, and my goal was to present the yearly event in a way that made people who had never experienced it, to see some of the images of the process.  I also wanted it to appear as no big deal.  It just so turned out that this year, I had a somewhat abnormal reading, one that required a follow up visit.  I wanted to show pictures of my "abnormality" and tell about how it turned out to be only an uneventful hassle.  Not unnecessary, just inconvenient.

Here's what I never expected.  Within minutes of my post going online, I got a text message from my much younger cousin out West.  In a previous post, I referred to her as a friend, because with no real news to tell anyone, she wasn't ready to discuss, and I couldn't have family members calling me asking whom I was talking about.  She was the one who was sobbing as she read the post and didn't know what to do.  About 4-5 weeks earlier, she had found a lump, and she was scared to death.  I immediately bounced back to her, and said, "call your doctor now, and tell them exactly what you told me."  She did that.  They had her in the next day, I think, but the testing and scheduling wasn't exactly speedy, so it took a while to get to where she is today.  She got the undesirable diagnosis.  She has breast cancer.  She is 37.  What I didn’t know was that positive was her middle name.

She has already undergone a partial mastectomy.  Initial testing (mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy), showed the tumor to be of considerable size, between 4 & 5 centimeters, although fully contained and the lymph nodes appeared clear.  Follow up with the oncologist gave a different interpretation.  She later found out that the tumor was more like 9.5 centimeters, and they weren’t able to get it all.  More tests are ordered for Monday, more surgery will be soon following, and the path she is headed on after that is still unclear.  

The best part of her story is that from the minute she told me that it was definitely cancer, she was unbelievably upbeat and positive.  I mean, she was more positive at that moment than I am about getting out of bed in the morning.  She feels confident.  Optimistic is an understatement.  She is certain.  I am so proud of her.  Her life spins at about 90 miles per hour.  As far as I can tell, she is keeping her normal chaotic schedule.  Maybe that's how she does it.  Maybe that is her coping mechanism.  

Today, I am truly inspired and encouraged by her bravery and courage.  I don't think she sees any of it as a choice. I believe she is putting one foot in front of the other and allowing God to lead the way.  She told me that the journey this far has been an educational one that she never knew she would need.  She is already a great advocate, and I don’t think she even realizes it.

But this day, I cannot help but continue to remember my close, close friend, who would have been 56 years old today.  Debbie passed away 8 years ago next week, and she left a wonderful legacy of servanthood, fabulous examples of friendship, and her musical talents and beautiful voice are sorely missed.  Her battle was longer than anyone would have liked, but she was so tough, and I learned so much by watching her fight.  She pushed through an extraordinary amount of years, months & days.  She would drag me to social events that she could have easily stayed home and skipped.  I wasn’t even ill, and I didn’t always want to go.  There are empty places in my heart and in my life because she isn't here.  But I often hear her voice in my head; slightly scolding when I need it; reminding me that I don't have to vocalize every thought that pops into my brain; pushing me out of my comfort zone; encouraging me to support someone else because that's what she would have done.  She constantly cared for others in every sense of the word.

No one’s story ends the same.  There are things to be learned at every twist and turn.  You don’t know what tomorrow brings.  I challenge you to live every day as the gift that it is.   Good things happen to people every day. Human beings receive miracles every day.  Look for yours, and always be kind to others.

Cancer Awareness Still On My Mind

12 Things You May Not Know About Me

Lately on Facebook people have been tagging each other with a number, then the other person has to list a specific number of details or things that you might not know about them...  I have read a lot of those lists, and they are really intriguing.

1)     I just found out that my younger sister was going to be named David if she was a boy.                                               Ironically, unknowingly, and coincidentally, we named one of our sons, David, my dad's name.

2)     I truly love stationery and paper products.  There is something to be said for the written word.

3)     I have been known to brag about my ability to parallel park nicely.

4)     Almost anywhere I go, I can find North.  So I know my directions, but that doesn't always get me where I want to go.  :)

5)     I used to be an excellent driver.  Although very cautious, I am not near as good at it as I used to    be.

6)     I gave birth to two sons, and I feel I was tricked by my OB into not receiving an epidural or any other pain meds.  The only things they gave me caused an enormous and very painful rash that lasted for weeks.  Enough said.

7)     I like to make lists.

8)     In an effort to be relatable, I often say things I later regret.

9)     I usually have a camera with me, and I take too many pictures.

10)   I am feeling my best in my sweat pants at home in front of the fire place.

11)   I am most relaxed at the beach, listening to the waves come in. *noted misuse of preposition*

12)   I would rather have a root canal than go to the grocery store.

13)   I am reserving the right to add to this list as I see fit.  

Additionally, I added a Top 5 to that page today.  :)    

12 Things You May Not Know About Me

Hair

Today, I was thinking about hair.  Specifically, my own.  I think no matter how much you think people are looking at details of your appearance, they really aren't.  I suppose if something really stands out, or looks phenomenal, they might comment on it, and that's a positive thing. But I can't think of the last time I saw something someone was wearing or a hairstyle that made me think, "what were they thinking?"

Off topic -- last night at exercise class (I want to come up with a better name for it, because she kicks our butts four nights a week), a friend commented on her workout top sliding up when we were doing a specific move.  She said something about everything falling out and feeling conscious about it.  I could totally relate.  I have many times had the same thing happen, and when you look around a second, you realize that no one else is looking.  We are all just trying to keep our balance, not fall flat on our face and keep breathing without a total collapse.  Point being -- you aren't being constantly critiqued or assessed, no matter what you think.

But back to hair...  probably no one is paying much attention to it, either.

Haircuts are no longer sufficient to make my hair look its best.  Color is involved, and lots of it.  We have tried everything to hide the gray.  We have highlighted to the top of the highlight spectrum, and it is just getting to be too much.  I don't mean this as a complaint, because I am thankful to have hair.  I worry about people who don't and how they stay warm in the winter.

But look at this!  And I realize I have cropped these pretty closely... but you better have a book with you during this appointment, because it is no 45 minute procedure.

I have no idea what is happening back there.  I just asked Lora's assistant to snap a couple of pics.  

But I wanted to throw kudos out to my hair professional, because she is the bomb.  She has done my hair for almost 25 years, and if you think that a person that sees you at least one hour a month, and sometimes three, isn't your friend, you are mistaken.  She knows my hair better than I do.  My challenges with naturally curly hair have been embraced, and sometimes we defeat the curl and do whatever we want.

She is a continuous student of the profession.  Constantly, she attends the latest and greatest hair shows and clinics.  It seems like she is always off to Miami or New York City.  Miami is the home base of Oribe -- of whom she is a strong devotee.

He has products of the widest variety which are the most effective, amazing and the scents are one of a kind.  I am a pushover for great smelling things.  Notice I didn't say anything about cheap.  We just aren't going there.

I don't mind aging, I simply will not throw my hands up and quit trying to look my best.  Best is defined differently than it used to be, but I'm going to go to old age kicking and screaming.

Hair

The South

Here's the deal.  I always thought I lived in "the South."  

Nope.  

This is Little Rock.  This is part of the South.

The Capital Hotel.  True Southern hospitality from every direction.  I kind of didn't want to leave.  Not just in the hotel, but EVERYWHERE we went, people spoke to us.  They spoke genuinely.  They acted truly interested in where we came from and why we were there.  Nearly every conversation ended with a coincidence of some kind.  "Oh, I went to school there, too!"  -or-  "I have cousins that live in 'rural town' 15 miles from there!"  "No way, my brother was Pistol Pete, too!"  

Generally, I am the kind of person who doesn't like chit chat and distractions, but this was different.  At every turn, there were helpful people, there were kind people, there were people with no agenda, I didn't feel judged wearing jeans in a fine restaurant.  It was all in all a lovely long weekend.  

As would be expected in any city with a Presidential Library, we visited the Clinton Presidential Library.  It was the first one I have ever visited, and it was thoroughly interesting.  I won't post all the pictures I took, but the people working there told some of the most intriguing stories.  One of the staff members told of a recent trip to Texas and how they were able to visit all three Presidential libraries in that state.  They spoke very kindly and generously about each individual library, and they mentioned the high points and specifics about each one that made me want to catch the next plane to central Texas and visit all three.

This relatively small blue box was difficult to photograph, maybe you can see the shelving in the reflection, but these boxes hold all of the documents and whatever other records there are relating to the President's time in office.  There are thousands of them, and we saw something like 3% of the total.  We saw them built into every pillar on this floor.  Hard to imagine.

There were lots of handwritten letters to the Clintons.  I saw one from Mother Teresa, some from U.S. celebrities, Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and this one from Queen Noor.  

I am a big Queen Noor fan.

We were allowed to goof around in the Cabinet Meeting Room.  Each chair had a small engraved plate on the back that told which Secretary sat in each chair.  I just wanted to belly up to the table.

After our lovely weekend,  we were headed home, and that is not a direct flight.  So while at the big hub airport, and I am not kidding, we had been on the ground less than 5 minutes, and my "excuse me" and, "oh, I'm sorry," were met with *silence* and some sort of grunt.  Okay.... welcome back to "not the South." 

I have decided to try and act more like I was treated in the South.  It would be nice if I was already treating others that nicely anyway, but I am going to make extra effort -- and if I get kicked in the teeth by rude people, so be it.  

The South

Age isn't just a number

**Disclaimer**
This post could include slight exaggerations.

That's right.  Age is more than just a number.  I didn't really think I was going to start my downhill spiral this soon after turning 50 earlier this year, but it is truly full blown 'old age.' Little things have started happening, and I feel almost completely out of control.

I have had two stupidity incidents recently, both in hotel rooms.
Exhibit A)     Embarrassing.  I just busted it walking across the room in the pitch dark.  I fell on the footboard of the bed, and had an injury to my back which did not require a doctor visit.  It was just very sore and tender for over a week.  Klutz move deluxe.
Exhibit B)     Very embarrassing.  Somehow, late at night, I pinched my finger in the drain of the sink -- don't ask, because there is no explanation, at least none that I can recall.  ;(  There was a lot of pain, and the next day the whole finger was black and blue.  Maybe a broken blood vessel, and a big blood blister at the site of the pain.  Mike came running when that happened, because well, I guess expletives were flying.  Perhaps loudly.

Additionally, lately I have noticed that my driving is worse than usual.  I hate admitting that, but I find myself being 'that driver' that pauses too long after the light turns green, because I am gawking around.  I notice that I pull out of a parking place in a parking lot, then I try to pull over to another place in the parking lot because I want to check my email or phone calls before I pull out onto the road.  I think I am clear and out of the way, but somehow I am blocking someone else from where they want to be.  I am 'that' idiot driver.

Oh, and I am always cold.  Someone, please, remind me that when I leave the house in the morning, or leave town for a few days, I may need a coat and gloves.  Seriously.  It is November.  It is only going to get colder before it gets warmer.  How hard can that be to remember?  Apparently pretty hard.  I have left town three times in the last month, and not once did I bring a coat.  Each trip, I have bought gloves.  Thought that would be cheaper than a new coat every time...  Good grief, what a goober.

Yeah, and this one is good.  I make lists everywhere.  I don't look at them, I lose them. Therefore, I overlook lots of things that I need to get done.  I walk into other rooms and forget why I am there.  But my dad told me the other day....  "Until you don't know what room you are in or where you are, there truly is no problem."  Okay, I'll go with that.

Age isn't just a number

Welcome, November!

Is it really November 1st?  No, I mean, really?  The clock is ticking.  

Well, lots of clocks are ticking.

Did you remember that me and the rancher are going to be grandparents?  Did I tell you how involved the kids are allowing and inviting us to be?  Did I tell you that as fast as time is going, I am afraid it will be a long time until April?  Did I tell you that I feel a bit clueless as to how to be a grandparent?

I have had a lot on my mind.  I don't say that in a "I've got more on my plate than you do" kind-of-way, I mean it more like Plato said, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."  This week has been heavy for me.  Maybe I am a lightweight when it comes to stress, but I know that I am not the only person in this world, this continent, this country, this city -- that has a lot going on.   (Forgive me, my sister the English, literature, and creative writing teacher for ending that sentence with a preposition -- remember, it was you that said I could write in my own voice.)

My friend who was encouraged to get a mammogram because of one of my early October posts, finally got some answers after weeks of testing.  The answers she got were not at all what anyone wanted, but her extreme optimism has been nothing less than unbelievably upbeat and super positive.  What a tough gal.  Her spin on the negative news was that she was glad to finally know something.  She said the not knowing was the worst.  Test after test, doctor after doctor -- no one would give her answers, much less a hint or clue.  We are talking about someone young.  She is no where near the magic age of 40, when you are encouraged to start mammograms.  She is a very active, married, young mother with a busy job that she loves.  She is very far away from me.  I want so badly to be able to help her in some way, and I have assured her that the distance is not a problem.  It is important to me that she knows how much I love her.

There is an enormous numbers project that is looming at my house.  Just a yearly thing I dread.  No big deal, but it makes me want to curl up in a ball and not get out of bed in the morning.

There are other things weighing on me, but in writing this blog, I have always tried not to be Negative Nancy.  Probably so much so, that people say things to me like, "wow, I didn't know you felt that way," or "reading your blog, I never would have guessed that...".  That's kind of part of the deal when you open up your blogging can of whatever.  You can say exactly what you think about every detail of life, or you can sugar coat things, or you can pick and choose.  Guess what I do.  

Whatever I write about or say is usually a direct reflection of that particular day.  The writing reflects my mood, my outlook, my muscle aches and pains, my hair, the weather -- call it hormones, call it what you want, I'm just a girl.  Writing about what's on my mind.  Trying to reassure someone else that they are perfectly normal.  Trying to encourage someone who needs to know their value is great.  Trying to share bits of my walk through life with the reader.  Trying to let you know I am far from perfect.  Trying to let others know that I am there for them.

It is November.  My personal mantra for the month will be thankfulness.  Thanks for reading.  You make me want to keep writing.

Welcome, November!