Blogging Again

It's Working

I think most Americans are finding ways to cut back these days. And I'm certainly no exception. In fact, I'm proudly announcing today that my efforts are paying off. Our power bill this month was about $80 less than last month's. Praise the Lord! I'll give part of the credit to the cooler days now that it's fall, but I also believe it's because I'm constantly walking through the house turning off lights in empty rooms. Empty rooms have no need for burning light bulbs. I'm trying to get that through to our son. I told him last night that I was going to start charging him a quarter everytime he walks out of his room and leaves the light on. His response? "Are you going to start charging Dad if he leaves a light on in a room, too?" To which my husband replied, "I'M the one who PAYS the light bill." A minor detail my son seemed to have forgotten.

My grocery money is going farther, too. We're eating take-out a lot less than we used to do, which is not only healthier for us but cost-saving as well.

I truly believe that eventually the economy will naturally get back on course, but I plan on continuing my cost-saving plan. Money is much too hard to earn for it to be wasted.

Family Time

Thanks to some unknown incident on a local highway I was traveling on my way home from work yesterday, I got home about thirty minutes later than usual. I call it an "unknown incident" because I never actually saw the reason for the traffic jam. Oh well, I already had my dinner cooked (left over roast beef from the night before), so I didn't let the delay get to me. I walked in the door, and my son said, "Mom, the power's been out . . . it just came back on." It wasn't storming or windy so again another unknown incident. Knowing that a delicious meal was only a microwave moment away, I non-chalantly took my roast out of the refrigerator and put some rolls in the oven. What a smart woman I was (I thought to myself) to have cooked this big roast the night before. As I was patting myself on the back, it happened . . . complete darkenss and silence. The power was out again. And there on the counter sat my beautifully sliced, COLD roast beef. I waited for a few minutes, hoping that the power would come back on . . . but it didn't. So, since my oven was still warm, I decided to put the roast beef in the oven . . . that would at least take off the chill. My rolls were fully cooked, at least, and I did have some potatoes that I had baked in the microwave. So, there we were, my husband, my son, and me - feasting on semi-warm roast beef in the dark.

After dinner, the power was still out (according to the power company, it should be on by 10:30). That meant that we had three hours to keep ourselves entertained with only one flashlight! It's a good thing we're a close family and enjoy each other's company. We played charades, then I made finger puppets on the wall (I make a pretty good finger bunny rabbit). After all of that fun, we decided to take a walk. We could see the power trucks going up and down the dirt road behind our house. So they were working on the problem (whatever the problem was).

The evening continued with our son playing his guitar as we sang some old hymns. And then we talked . . . we talked about school, work, politics and we talked about the September 11 events (since this is the 7th anniversary week).

The power came back on a little after 10:00. I had dirty dishes and clothes that all needed washing, but it was too late for all of that. Even though the evening chores didn't get done, we all enjoyed our family time together.

Talking Politics

Like many Americans, I watched Governor Palin's amazing speech last night. It was one of the best political speeches I've heard throughout my lifetime. One thing that impresses me so much about Governor Palin is the way in which she articulates her thoughts. I noticed that from the very first time I heard her speak when Senator McCain introduced her as his running mate. And like so many Americans, I'm becoming more impressed with her as time passes. My husband and son are both impressed with Governor Palin as well. My son's reasons for liking her so much are not only because of her political views, but because he think's she's "hot". I'll have to agree that she is a very pretty woman.

So, I'm excited and proud to be a McCain/Palin supporter. I'm looking forward to helping make this team the next President and Vice-President of our wonderful country!

God Bless America!

The Flip Flop Witness

Over a year ago, my 71 year old mom was mugged and robbed by a worthless thug! After months of investigating, a suspect was apprehended. The loser has been in jail for the past few months. Yesterday my mom had to appear before a grand jury regarding her case. Now my mom has always prided herself as being a fashionable woman. So she arrived at the courthouse dressed in her, as she described to me, "cute, pink capris pants, matching t-shirt, and flip-flops". Present in the courtroom were the presiding judge, an assistant district attorney, and the panel of 16 jurors. My mom said that she was somewhat nervous but composed as she answered the questions from the judge and prosecutor. When the hearing was finished, my mom left the courthouse and met a friend for some shopping.

When my mom arrived home from shopping, she was changing out of her "cute capris" and noticed that she was wearing one green and pink flip-flop, and one red and white flip-flop. Not only had she worn the two different colored flip-flops shopping, but she had worn them at the hearing! When my mom was telling me her story, she told me how embarrassed she was that she appeared in court that way. I told my mom that she shouldn't worry because perhaps the jurors just thought that the entire mugging incident had left her so distraught that she wasn't even able to dress herself appropriately. This may even add a few years to the sentence.

Womanhood

The symptoms are there . . . I'm tense, I look as if I'm three months pregnant, and I feel like my back-side weighs 50 pounds. I know my "monthly time" is nearby. That's okay, though. I'd rather be HAVING it than NOT having it. If I weren't having it, that would mean that I was either pregnant, or post-menopause. And I wouldn't want to experience either of those conditions at this point in my life. So I'm perfectly content in experiencing a little discomfort and inconvenience for a few days each month.

Finding out about entering womanhood is a memory forever etched in my mind. You know how we always remember where we were when we heard about a major event? Like when the space shuttle exploded, I was at work and one of my co-workers who was watching the launch on television came out of his office to tell us about the explosion. And when I found out about John Lennon being shot, I was at my high school. Well, when I found out about womanhood, I was in my bedroom (which was decorated with bright floral drapes and bedspreads - it was the early '70's). I can still remember where I was sitting. My two older sisters had taken it upon themselves to tell me all about growing from a child into a young woman. However, they only told me "part" of the story. These are their exact words, "when your b_ _ bs get bigger, you have to start wearing these" (and they were holding up a maxi pad). It was kind of like "show and tell". That's it. That's all they told me. And I suppose I was in too much of a shock to ask any questions. I don't remember anything else about that fateful afternoon.

Okay, so I then knew that when my breasts got larger, I had to start wearing pads. I'm a fairly smart person so I deducted from my sisters' information that I had to stuff the pads down my shirt. They didn't tell me WHERE I had to start wearing the pads, just that I had to start wearing them. So for the next year or so, waiting for my breasts to grow, I would discreetly look at older girls and women to see if I could tell if they were wearing a pad underneath their shirt. Surprisingly to me, I never could tell which really made me feel better because I was concerned that everyone would be able to see the pads.

As time passed, my sisters never mentioned the subject again (and I certainly didn't ask). So I went until I actually entered womanhood thinking that maxi pads were stuffed down your shirt when your breasts grew larger. Needless to say, when I did enter womanhood, I immediately deduced where the pads went.

Several decades later, my sisters and I still laugh about this. This clearly shows that it's always best to tell the WHOLE truth.

Shopping for School

By now we're all finished with our "school" shopping (supplies, clothes, backpacks). I've discovered that the older my son gets, shopping for the supplies becomes easier. Last weekend, with list in hand, I joined the other moms in the school supply aisle, reaching over small children's heads, and around moms with babies on their hips, grabbing the necessary pens, pencils, notebooks, and binders. I was in and out of the store in just a few minutes. I can remember when my son was younger, school supply shopping took longer because it seems there was always that one item I could never find (like that aqua colored folder with pockets).

Although school supply shopping has become easier, school CLOTHES shopping has become quite an adventure. The jeans HAVE to be that certain brand, from that certain store at the mall. So my teenage son and I headed out to the mall a couple of days ago. As we entered the "store", my first thought was "they need to turn on the lights". Well, then I realized the lights WERE on but they were very dim. I told my son that I was glad his dad wasn't with us, because his response would have been "Son, if I'm going to spend this much money on a pair of jeans, I at least want to see what I'm buying."

So, after "feeling" my way through the "store", we found the jeans. As I'm following my son back to the fitting room, he turns around and gives me this look. "What?", I ask. "Mom, you don't have to go back with me." "Well, of course, I'm not going INSIDE with you", I replied, "I'll just stand out by the door to see how they fit." So this conversation goes back and forth (it seems that I embarrass him . . . I can't imagine why. I mean, when we've gone shopping in the past, I usually just tug at the waste-band a few times, make him show me a front view, side view, rear view, front view again, etc. Now, why would that embarrass him?) So, we ended up compromising this time . . . I stood outside of the dressing area (with the other moms), and then my son just gave me a very quick look once he had on the jeans.

So, we leave the dark dungeon, and head down the mall to another store with much better light. We went through the same routine as before, and finally decided on our purchases. We were standing in line waiting to pay, and there was a display of really cute thongs on a table next to where we were standing. I was so tempted to browse through them for myself, but I could only imagine the horror that my son would have experienced being there with his mom looking at thongs! So, I decided against doing that.

Overall, our clothes shopping experience went well. We ended our day with lunch at the food court. We had such a fun time, we've decided to have a mall shopping day at least once a month.

Weekend in Review

After an exhausting weekend, I started the work/school week somewhat rested. This weekend was our annual southern gospel concert that my family promotes. This weekend was the culmination of working for over six months on this yearly event. It's always hard work, but it's also fun and exciting! But I'm ready to get back to life NOT working on a concert.

Speaking of concerts, our son saw Journey over the weekend. He had an absolute BLAST!

Last night I watched some of the Olympics. I was able to see the end of the men's relay in swimming. The men's team won the gold! Even though I could live WITHOUT the Olympic games, it was exciting to watch this event and to watch the medal ceremony.

So, that was my weekend.

School Year Prayer

With the beginning of school just around the corner, I have mixed emotions: sadness that the leisurely days and nights of summer are ending, excitement about football season starting, and anticipation of the good things this school year is going to bring for the kids, specifically for my middle school son. He and I have a tradition that we started years ago when he was in kindergarten . . . we have a "morning prayer" in the car on our way to school. We've said our morning prayer together every school day morning since then. The prayer isn't a long one, and it's usually general in nature (Lord, thank you for another day to go to school, bless today, etc.) Some mornings, the prayer is more specific (Lord, please help with today's math test). Prayer is a wonderful thing!

My son and I will continue our "morning prayer" this year. And I want to start the school year off with this prayer:

Dear Lord: Thank you for the fun and safe summer that our family had. Thank you for all of the blessings you continue to give me and my family - they're too numerous to individually name. I come to you this morning asking that you bless this school year. Protect my son physically from any harm. Remind him by your Holy Spirit that You are with him always, at all times. Help him to make the right decisions in all areas of his life. Guide his paths so that he follows Your plan for his life. Thank you for his friends. Bless their school year. Help them to be the best young people that they can be. Help them make wise decisions this year. Thank you for the teachers. Provide them with the wisdom they need to teach their students. And lastly, help me to be the best mom that I can be.

Amen.

Cris's Birthday

On July 29, 1962, my brother, Cris, was born. Cris was my mom and dad's third child, and the first boy. I've heard mother jokingly say more than once that if Cris had been born first, she wouldn't have had any more children - he was quite "adventurous". (Mom did end up having two more children, me and another son.) Cris's full name was Donald Cris Melvin. Donald was our dad's name, and he had some of my dad's characteristics - somewhat of a temper, a good story-teller, and a hard worker. He could also be a little stubborn. An example of his stubbornness is when he was told by the dentist that he couldn't ride his bike when he got home from an appointment because he would be drowsy from some medication he was given. My mom said that all the way home from that appointment, Cris said, "when I get home, I'm gonna ride my bike. When I get home, I'm gonna ride my bike." So when they got home, Cris immediately got out of the car, walked over to his bike and started riding. Well, he ended up wrecking the bike and going over a brick wall.

As he grew up, Cris had so many friends. He was a very likable kind of guy - very popular at school.

Cris married young, became the father of three beautiful children, and established a successful career in construction. At the age of 44, Cris was diagnosed with esophagus cancer. He died at the young age of 45. Cris was a Christian, so he's spending eternity with Jesus. But he died too young. He will always be my brother, though. He's just not living on the earth with us. I loved him and he'll always be a part of our family.

Today would have been his 46th birthday. He died too, too young.

Have you noticed . . . .?

. . . the reduction in packaging of goods lately? I first noticed this a few weeks back when I bought a can of Pringles. They were on sale for .99 cents. Since I'm a price shopper, I knew that was a good buy. The potato chips I normally buy have gone up about .50 a bag. When I opened the can and took my first bite of the chip, I immediately noticed that it was actually a thinner chip. Ah-ha! That's why I can still buy a can of Pringles for .99 - I'm getting a thinner chip! Thinner chips mean less ingredients! And less ingredients, means savings by the Pringles Corporation (or whatever company makes them).

I had read an interview of a local cookie company executive several weeks ago. The executive was explaining how the packaging of his cookie was being reduced due to the higher cost in flour, sugar, etc. So I'm sure other food companies are doing this as well.

But you know what? It's not just the food manufacturers reducing the packaging of food we buy at the store. Clothing manufacturers are reducing our clothes! No, really, I'm serious! I went shopping this afternoon for a pair of pants. Almost every pair of pants I tried on were too tight across the bottom! Manufacturers are putting less fabric in our clothes. Now surely my bottom isn't expanding! I mean, I've been drinking a diet drink (instead of the real thing) every morning with my honeybun? And I try to drink a bottle of water everyday when I have my mid-afternoon snack. And I did go walking a couple of weeks ago. And surely . . just because I'm a 44 year old woman whose metabolism has decided to go on strike, surely that doesn't mean that I'm getting as broad as my refrigerator!

As I was walking through the department store, feeling so frustrated, this sweet young woman asked if she could help me find something. I came very close to saying, "yes, I'm looking for the wide bottom pants!" After becoming more and more frustrated, I just decided to buy something that didn't have to stretch across my backside - a cute little necklace.

Now I know what you're thinking. . . is she just going to accept her bottom expansion and not do anything about it? And my answer to that question is "NO". This shopping experience has been a wake-up call. I'm going to continue drinking my morning diet Mt. Dew but only WITHOUT my honeybun. And I will continue to drink my bottle of water, but WITHOUT my afternoon snack. My water WILL be my afternoon snack. And I will not continue blaming clothing manufacturers for my problem. I'm accepting that I do have a problem. So I've taken the first step - admitting my problem. Yes, I am 44 years old but I don't have to live mid-life with a "wide-load". I'm going to walk more and eat less. My metabolism may have slowed but my motivation is in high gear!

I'll keep everyone posted on my progress!

Mistaken Identity

(Some of the names in the following paragraph have been changed to protect . . . well, not necessarily to protect but to . . . well they have just been changed.)

I can talk to a wall. Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you that I'm not a bit shy. No matter where I am, and especially if I'm by myself, a lot of time I feel compelled to strike up a conversation with someone. Even if that "someone" is a total stranger. Or as in the case last night, someone who isn't a "total" stranger, but someone who I apparently thought I knew but, in fact, only "sort-a-kind-a" knew. Here's the scene: I'm at the grocery store about to get in the check-out line, and this lady is just ahead of me in the same line. She looks at me, smiles, and says "hey". I say "hey" back. I knew she was "someone's" mom, but I couldn't quite remember whose mom she was. So since I knew she had a child in school with mine, I felt bold enough to continue my hello with, "summer's creaping by, isn't it." "Sure is", was her reply. Okay, I should have left it at that. But, nooooo, Miss Have to Talk to Everyone just HAD to continue taking chances and continue my idle chit-chat. "Will "Suzi" be in the 8th or 9th grade this year", I asked. The "mom" looks up and says, "tommy - I'm "tommy's" mom. And "tommy" will be in the 9th." Okay, I made a complete fool of myself. . . I tried to explain, without coming across as too ditsy, that I thought she was "Suzi's" mom. She said she understood, but what else was she going to say, right? Here she is saying hello to me because she actually KNOWS me, and I'm SURE she actually KNOWS who my child is and then here I am PRETENDING to know her and her child.

I've learned my lesson: when in doubt, keep my mouth shut (do I actually believe I'll do that. . . probably not, but at least I'll try to keep the conversation on a non-personal level unless I'm sure of who I'm speaking with.)

FCC Lost

I heard on yesterday's news that an appeals court overruled the large fine the FCC charged CBS regarding the "wardrobe malfunction" incident which occurred during the 2004 Super Bowl half-time show. I'm extremely disappointed in the court's decision. I truly believe that this overruling will now help fuel even more indecency on television. This is not only a victory for CBS but a victory for any other network wanting to "push the button" when it comes to airing what they may feel is entertainment but what those of us with moral values consider vulgar. I was watching that Super Bowl show at the time of the "malfunction", and I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. I specifically remember how shocked I was by the occurence, and also how outraged I was when it happened. In my opinion, it was not a malfunction but a planned action on the part of the performers. There is a battle going on in America between the individuals with morals and those without morals. Yesterday's ruling was a victory for those without.

The Invasion

They're EVERYWHERE! In my carpets, in my car, in my washing machine, in my dryer, and I even found one in one of my candles! What are "they"? Rubber bands . . . tiny, little rubber bands. The tiny little bands that my son is now wearing 24/7 in his mouth. My son has been so good about making sure he wears them, and I'm so proud of him for doing so.

When Dr. B. told him he was going to have to wear rubber bands as part of his orthodontic treatment, I imagined a tug of war between me and my son on a daily basis. It seems like I have to remind him to do everything else he's supposed to do (clean your room, take your allergy medicine, take out the trash, finish your homework, etc.) but he always remembers to wear his bands. So good for him. He looks like a vampire when he talks because they're attached to both his top and bottom teeth. I'm sure it's difficult to talk with them in. And it surprises me that they don't pop everytime he opens his mouth. They're strong little suckers. But I do think they're taking over our house. I find them in my son's pockets, under his bed, and on his bed. They're on his desk, dresser, and entertainment center. They're in our living room, bathroom, and kitchen. And yes, last night when I was lighting a candle that was sitting on the living room table, there sat a lone little rubber band. I don't know how it ended up in there, but I lit the candle anyway (leaving the band in there). That's now just one less band I have to throw away.

Weekend in Review

I had a great weekend! Friday night was Family Night at church. This night concluded the week of VBS. Our 13 year old son helped at VBS in the music department, teaching the cute songs to the kids. On Saturday I was in an "HGTV" kind of mood (i.e., what can I do to change up the house. So I painted our computer desk. I painted it a bright red . . . I've always wanted a piece of red furniture in our house. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I was still scraping red paint from my hands and finger nails on Sunday morning. Sunday morning we had a wonderful church service with a great crowd! I then had a leisurely Sunday afternoon with my husband and son.

Life is good!!

Generation Gap

I consider myself pretty "hip" (is that word used anymore?) You know, I try to be the "cool" mom, without losing the authoritative control I try to always maintain as a mom. It's hard sometimes succeeding at both. For instance, I recently ordered concert tickets online for my teenage son. As a bonus for placing my order with the ticket outlet, I was given two free "itune" downloads. Cool, right? I was so excited because I just knew my 13 year old would be excited about that. So, this morning I said to my son, "hey, when I ordered those tickets I received two free "itune" downloads." There was a pause in our conversation. "And I should be excited about this because . . . ", was my son's response. My thoughts: What? Of course you should be excited about that! I'm excited about it, and I'm the mom! Then my son continued his response, "Mom, I don't have an Ipod." Oh, so that's what the "i" in "itune" means. Ohhhhhhh. I get it now. Hmmmmm. I'm trying to be the "hip" mom, but apparently I still have things to learn.

Thus, the generation gap lives on.

Favorite smells

My favorite smells:


Fresh cut grass

Cinnamon toast

Peaches

My son's and husband's cologne

Summer rain

and my all time, favorite: coffee!!!!!!!

(I'm heading for the pot right now!)

Economy

If I weren't such an upbeat gal, this could be a depressing day. Gas prices rose again today, a large bank has been taken over by the government, it's payday and my creditors are all waiting to receive their share, AND, oh yeah, there's still a war going on in the middle east. But since I am an upbeat kind of person, I won't let the gloom and doom of July 15, 2008 get me down.

In all honesty, I truly don't remember a more unstable economic time during my adult years (the years when groceries, power, mortgage payment, etc. have been partly MY responsibility). But the generations before me have experienced economic turmoil and recovered, and I'm sure that "this too shall pass." I believe during this time that it's important to stay focused, i.e. focused on maintaining our day to day lives as best as possible. Life goes on, right? I have to admit that it would be a bit scary if I were just now starting out - that is, if I were a younger woman, let's say in my early 20's, and possibly even expecting my first child. But, I'm a woman who has been a part of this wonderful working society for over two decades, and I know I can live creatively (like planning my errand routes so as not to backtrack, preparing meals economically, looking for ways to trim the household expenses). I'm not going to allow the state of the economy to change my outlook on life: life is a blessing from God, one to be enjoyed. I am a blessed human being. I choose to live life abundantly (but being frugal while doing so)!

Suds

If you're a female baby boomer, like I am, I'm sure you can relate to this discussion. I grew up on SOAPS (or, as the older generation calls them, "stories"). I don't remember a time before SOAPS. During my childhood (60's and 70's) there were only three major networks, and my mother watched the stories which ran on ABC. I continued watching those same SOAPS during my young adult years and then stopped watching them during my 30's (never had enough time). Well, now thanks to cable t.v., I'm back watching them again because one cable station allows me to watch the stories I enjoy most at a time other than the middle of a weekday afternoon when I'm at work. Sure, soaps aren't realistic and sure most all of the characters live their lives in a way which is total opposite of my moral beliefs, but they're entertaining to me. And they also keep me connected to the earlier part of my life since some of the characters have been around since my childhood.

Oh, got to go. . . . one of my favorite stories is about to come on.

The List

"Are you going to leave me a list tomorrow?" That was the question my 13 year old son asked me last night. I've borrowed a wonderful idea (not an original one though, but just one I haven't ever tried) from a friend of mine who leaves her children lists of chores to do. My list isn't an everyday occurrence nor is it a long list. But once every couple of days, I leave a list with numbered items (mostly 1 through 5). Clean your room, wash the dishes, etc. The first day I left the list, I wanted to make certain that I put it in a place where it could definately be found. I just imagined leaving the list, and then my son saying, "well, I didn't get my chores done because I didn't see the list." So, I found that the perfect place to leave the list is taped to the t.v. screen. A 13 year old in the summertime will DEFINATELY find the list left THERE!

The list is a success!

21st Wedding Anniversy

Today is mine and my husband's 21st wedding anniversary! Congratulations to us! I was 23 when we married, and he was 24. The weather on that June day in 1987 was absolutely perfect! I still remember how blue the sky was, and we exchanged vows under that beautiful sky.

My husband and I are still deeply in love with each other, and we're each other's best friend. To celebate, we have 6:45 dinner reservations for tonight.

So happy anniversary to me and my handsome husband!

Too Sweet Not to Share

It was a weekday morning during the school year. My son was in the first grade, and it was the day he was going to the book fair. He already knew which book he was going to buy because his class had visited the fair a day or so earlier just so the children could browse the selections with their teacher. My little blonde haired, blue eyed reader had told me that his book would cost $4.00. As I was giving him those four one-dollar bills, he said, "It's $4.00, but you can pay $5.00." I stopped and looked at him, "Well, is it $4 or $5?", I patiently asked. "It's $4.00, but you can pay $5.00." I thought he may have not remembered whether or not it was $4.00 or $5.00, so I was reaching in my purse for another dollar. As I was giving him the money, I said, "Here's $5.00." Our confusing conversation continued, "well, it's $4.00, but you can pay $5.00", he said. By this time, I was getting a little frustrated. I had to finish getting ready for work and time was getting away from us. I said, "If it's $4.00, don't give the lady $5.00, okay?" My seven year old's reply? "Well, on the back it says $4.00 CAN $5.00." I immediately started laughing and told him that I would explain that on our way to school. I hopped in the shower and finished my morning routine. By the time we walked out the door, I had forgotten that I needed to explain what the "CAN" $5.00 meant. Later that day while at work, I suddenly remembered what I had forgotten to do. All I could think of was that precious baby being confused as to why he's going to pay $4.00 for a book when he could be paying $5.00.

My once confused first-grader is now in middle school. He and I still enjoy laughing about the CAN story.

A Nip Here, a Tuck There

I was talking on the phone a few days ago with one of my sisters. I'm blessed to have two. They are both older than me, one being six years my senior and the other four. We grew up together in the '60's and '70's, and during that time we shared a bedroom. Even though we moved a few times, the size of our bedroom was always pretty much the same, i.e. just your basic 12' x 12'. We each had a twin bed. Now if you've got our room pictured in your mind as looking like Marcia's, Jan's and Cindy's, think again. Since the Brady girls' room was considerably larger than ours, they were able to be a little more creative in their furniture placement. We just had our twins lined up in a row, with not much walking room in between. (During those years, I discovered why God made little toes.)

I've been trying to remember whose bed was in the center. I think it was mine, since my headboard was slightly different than theirs. My sister who is closer to my age was always the "motherly" one. At night, she would tuck in our covers under our feet before she would crawl under the covers herself. If our feet became "untucked" before she would drift off to sleep, all we had to do was to ask, "will you tuck me in?" She would then get out of her bed, and repeat the tucking process. Thinking back on her doing that (and on us asking her to do so) cracks me up. But at the time, it was a normal nighttime ritual for us girls. Didn't all sisters do that?

I still remember what our beds looked like. They were painted an off-white and trimmed in gold. I guess mine was a little different because it was purchased at a different time than the other two. As each of us girls married and moved away from home, we were given our bed to take with us. I kept mine for several years, and then gave it away. (Don't tell my mother because I would get the "I can't believe you did that" speech.)

Tonight when I lay my weary head down on my pillow, and if my feet become untucked, I'll be thinking about my sisters (and I guess I'll just have to tuck them back in myself.

My new "thing"

Blogging is my new "thing". And I'm so excited about my new adventure as a blogger. This is something so foreign to me, but it's something I want to do. So, I'm now not only a wife, mother, and secretary. I'm also now a blogger. Hurray for me!