It is a grey morning. No sun shining in the many windows on the east side of the house. A storm is brewing in from the southwest. Spring is here. I sit here wanting to write something. The news comes on to tell about a big storm on its way. They have been breaking in every half hour for the last hour and a half that I have been up. Rain, hail, thunder, and lightning. Oh yeah, don't forget the gusty winds. Yep, sounds like a storm to me.
Living in the Midwest, I swear you can see a storm five days away. No mountains within hundreds of miles. Sounds boring doesn't it? It's not. We are waiting with our umbrellas, weather radios, and a clear path to the basement (you never know). You see, anticipation is what our lives are about. I would add it to the list of things that bring joy.....and peace......and clarity.......and contentment.
Anticipation is what you do before the big change. If you couple anticipation with plan then you really have something good. I try to incorporate a bit of anticipation in all aspects of my life.
Anticipate, according to dictionary dot com, is an expectation....a hope. To foresee, to look forward to, to expect. I like all that. Isn't that what we are supposed to do? I think so. It provides purpose to all actions or our lives. If I were to come up with the opposite of anticipate, I would say dread. Let's not go THERE.
Examples of some of the events we anticipate are:
Vacations and Trips. Holidays. Birthdays. Sporting events. Concerts. Births. Deaths. Homecomings. Taxes. The next meal. Payday. The Amazing Race. Reading a book. Appointments. Pray time. Meditation time. Seasons. The garden. Children. Marriage. Love. Gift giving. Healing. Health.
Simply put, anticipation is what puts the zing into life.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Emails and texts my daughter and I have shared
The Daughter and I share emails frequently. Yes, we live in the same town. Yes, we talk on the phone a lot. And yes, we see each other on a very regular basis. But sometimes, a little story has to be sent right a way. Here are a few actual emails and texts we have shared with each other.
2011 email:
Dear Daughter,
You know your mom, always a kitchen bomb (what I call kitchen mishaps) or something going awry at my house. I really think this stuff does not happen to normal people. You decide.
I keep a laundry basket in the laundry room for the dirty tea towels and such. It takes me a while to get an amount that is load worthy. Anyway, I scooped them up, along with a couple of aprons and tossed the load into the washer. Pushed the magic buttons and went on with life.
Fast forward an hour. I am getting ready to go grocery shopping and decide to throw the stuff into the dryer while I am gone. Does that qualify as multi-tasking? I think it does. So, I set the green bags, my keys, and my purse down and proceed to unload the washer into the dryer.
I noticed a plastic thingy in the washer right as I opened the door. Where did that come from? What the heck is it? Is my beloved trophy of a washer broken? Are my laundry days put on hold? I tossed it in a dish on top of the dryer and decided I'd probably figure it out later. I had groceries to buy. Multi-tasking is not for those of us with older folks ADD. Off on another tangent and I'm trying to go to the grocery store.
So, I grab a handful of laundry to toss into the dryer. Problem is, it ALL came out in one pull, so much so, it plopped on the floor. WTF? You know how much I love my F bombs. There was this brownish/tan hairy stuff wrapped all around EVERYTHING. I know long hair causes problems in the vacuum and all over the house. But, in the washer?
I started looking at the mess. It wasn't hair....it was thread. Yes, thread. Wait a minute, not just thread, but and entire, unraveled spool of thread. Wrapped around every corner, and piece of laundry. Do you have any idea how much thread is (was) on a spool??? It was the large spool. It was measured in yards, not feet. Like, 500 yards of thread. Do the math Algebra Girl, that is over a thousand feed of thread randomly and ever so scarily wrapped and twisted around my tea towels and aprons. shit. Mystery of the plastic thingy solved. Good thing: washer not broken Bad thing: helluva mess to clean up.......I'll never get to the grocery store.
I went and got scissors and started to cut thread and save my beloved tea towels. It took quite a bit of time. It gave me plenty of time to think about this mess. Who does this stuff happen to? How did this happen? Is it okay to laugh? What are we having for dinner tonight. Oh yeah, stay on task old person. I got answers to all my questions as I picked, untwisted, cut, and tossed. This stuff happens to me. Who knows what the next "bomb" will be. I'm ready for anything. And, I know how it happened. The sewing machine is located right next to the dryer. Easy access for quick mending and sewing. Handy. When I scooped up the towels, the spool of thread was caught in the load and went into the washer. Normal people do not sew. Normal people do not mend. Normal people get their mending done by me. Laugh, hell yes I laughed. If I cried every time I had a somewhat, self imposed, mini disaster happen, I be a mess. So, laugh it was. Dinner would be rotisserie chicken from the grocery store tonight. All problems solved, mystery solved, the grocery store was still in my immediate future. Life was again good.
When I was done, I looked in the trash can. It looked like a wig was in the trash can. The tea towels were saved and safely tossing in the lovely dryer and I was on my way to the grocery store. Darn, I was going to miss Oprah today!!!!
Love,
your mommy
Her reply:
Too funny!! I am cracking up!!!! If this didn't happen to you, it wouldve happened to me! Oh wait, I dont have a spool of thread on hand.....
Thanks for the laugh!!
August 5, 2012 via text message:
LIZ: Tay just asked if we changed Lindsey's name. She said Linds told her we called her another name when she was a baby and then we changed her name to Lindsey. Get this....the name she said we used to call her was Lady Covington! I'm still cracking up!!
LIZ: Oh yeah.
March 2, 2013 via text message:
LIZ: Happy Birthday to my beautiful mommy! There's Lordy lordy look whose 40, nifty fifty, but nothin for 60! I guess happy 60 hope you're still gettin some dixty. (bow chica wow wow). Anyway, you may be 60 but you'll always by 40 in my eyes! (Which makes me like 20 again, right?!) Happy Birthay and love yo.
LIZ: u!
ME: You are too funny and too sweet! Thank you and I love you.
October 16, 2013 via text message:
LIZ: Read the first lilne! This is Tay's version of "once upon a time" lol!
She sent a photo of Tay's paper and here is what she wrote:
"Owns a pond a time"
Apparently she writes this on every story she writes. Way too cute.
Another text the same day:
LIZ: Not sure if I told u but another case...recently Lindsey was talking about Sean and "grandpa thetto"....we soon figured out she was saying "Grand Theft Auto"! These kids.
2011 email:
Dear Daughter,
You know your mom, always a kitchen bomb (what I call kitchen mishaps) or something going awry at my house. I really think this stuff does not happen to normal people. You decide.
I keep a laundry basket in the laundry room for the dirty tea towels and such. It takes me a while to get an amount that is load worthy. Anyway, I scooped them up, along with a couple of aprons and tossed the load into the washer. Pushed the magic buttons and went on with life.
Fast forward an hour. I am getting ready to go grocery shopping and decide to throw the stuff into the dryer while I am gone. Does that qualify as multi-tasking? I think it does. So, I set the green bags, my keys, and my purse down and proceed to unload the washer into the dryer.
I noticed a plastic thingy in the washer right as I opened the door. Where did that come from? What the heck is it? Is my beloved trophy of a washer broken? Are my laundry days put on hold? I tossed it in a dish on top of the dryer and decided I'd probably figure it out later. I had groceries to buy. Multi-tasking is not for those of us with older folks ADD. Off on another tangent and I'm trying to go to the grocery store.
So, I grab a handful of laundry to toss into the dryer. Problem is, it ALL came out in one pull, so much so, it plopped on the floor. WTF? You know how much I love my F bombs. There was this brownish/tan hairy stuff wrapped all around EVERYTHING. I know long hair causes problems in the vacuum and all over the house. But, in the washer?
I started looking at the mess. It wasn't hair....it was thread. Yes, thread. Wait a minute, not just thread, but and entire, unraveled spool of thread. Wrapped around every corner, and piece of laundry. Do you have any idea how much thread is (was) on a spool??? It was the large spool. It was measured in yards, not feet. Like, 500 yards of thread. Do the math Algebra Girl, that is over a thousand feed of thread randomly and ever so scarily wrapped and twisted around my tea towels and aprons. shit. Mystery of the plastic thingy solved. Good thing: washer not broken Bad thing: helluva mess to clean up.......I'll never get to the grocery store.
I went and got scissors and started to cut thread and save my beloved tea towels. It took quite a bit of time. It gave me plenty of time to think about this mess. Who does this stuff happen to? How did this happen? Is it okay to laugh? What are we having for dinner tonight. Oh yeah, stay on task old person. I got answers to all my questions as I picked, untwisted, cut, and tossed. This stuff happens to me. Who knows what the next "bomb" will be. I'm ready for anything. And, I know how it happened. The sewing machine is located right next to the dryer. Easy access for quick mending and sewing. Handy. When I scooped up the towels, the spool of thread was caught in the load and went into the washer. Normal people do not sew. Normal people do not mend. Normal people get their mending done by me. Laugh, hell yes I laughed. If I cried every time I had a somewhat, self imposed, mini disaster happen, I be a mess. So, laugh it was. Dinner would be rotisserie chicken from the grocery store tonight. All problems solved, mystery solved, the grocery store was still in my immediate future. Life was again good.
When I was done, I looked in the trash can. It looked like a wig was in the trash can. The tea towels were saved and safely tossing in the lovely dryer and I was on my way to the grocery store. Darn, I was going to miss Oprah today!!!!
Love,
your mommy
Her reply:
Too funny!! I am cracking up!!!! If this didn't happen to you, it wouldve happened to me! Oh wait, I dont have a spool of thread on hand.....
Thanks for the laugh!!
August 5, 2012 via text message:
LIZ: Tay just asked if we changed Lindsey's name. She said Linds told her we called her another name when she was a baby and then we changed her name to Lindsey. Get this....the name she said we used to call her was Lady Covington! I'm still cracking up!!
ME: Omg, I'm home alone, laughing so hard.
ME: I just remembered something...grandma used to call Linds, Queen, because she had a hard time remembering her name.
LIZ: Oh yeah.
March 2, 2013 via text message:
LIZ: Happy Birthday to my beautiful mommy! There's Lordy lordy look whose 40, nifty fifty, but nothin for 60! I guess happy 60 hope you're still gettin some dixty. (bow chica wow wow). Anyway, you may be 60 but you'll always by 40 in my eyes! (Which makes me like 20 again, right?!) Happy Birthay and love yo.
LIZ: u!
ME: You are too funny and too sweet! Thank you and I love you.
October 16, 2013 via text message:
LIZ: Read the first lilne! This is Tay's version of "once upon a time" lol!
She sent a photo of Tay's paper and here is what she wrote:
"Owns a pond a time"
Apparently she writes this on every story she writes. Way too cute.
Another text the same day:
LIZ: Not sure if I told u but another case...recently Lindsey was talking about Sean and "grandpa thetto"....we soon figured out she was saying "Grand Theft Auto"! These kids.
When are you going to stop laughing?
After the country funeral, the sister-in-law rounded us all up to meet at a favorite country restaurant on the highway for a quick dinner before we all go our separate ways homeward. We did the car shuffle. I went with the daughter and grand daughters, the dad and grandson went with my husband, and the mom went with her daughter-in-law and grand daughters. I'm detecting a theme here.
We followed the lead car, since they were from that part of the country, and the Mister was following us. The daughter and I began talking immediately. Updates on extended family, school goings on, and other life happenings that just never make it to the phone calls we have. Laughter was the key component in our conversation.
We saw the sign that said Bolivar, our destination. So, we turned. Right after turning, Daughter saw the lead car had not turned. Oh well, we would all get to the destination. Mister was right behind us. We began to laugh. We had come to the realization that we were four females in a car, had no cell service, we were the only car with no GPS, and we didn't have a map. But, we can read signs!
We drove on a curvy, hilly two lane road. Beautiful country of woods and farms. Still laughing like crazy. The phone rang, it was the Mister. He wanted to know why we weren't following the lead car. We were laughing so hard we finally got it out that we had just turned at the sign and only after turning did we see the lead car had not turned. He, who is used to his wife and daughter laughing uncontrollably at times, said okay and hung up.
After our round of laughter subsided, the little grand daughter in the back seat piped up "When are you going to stop laughing?". We both started to laugh again and said "Never!" at the same time.
We made it to our destination and the daughter and I were not allowed to sit next to each other.
We followed the lead car, since they were from that part of the country, and the Mister was following us. The daughter and I began talking immediately. Updates on extended family, school goings on, and other life happenings that just never make it to the phone calls we have. Laughter was the key component in our conversation.
We saw the sign that said Bolivar, our destination. So, we turned. Right after turning, Daughter saw the lead car had not turned. Oh well, we would all get to the destination. Mister was right behind us. We began to laugh. We had come to the realization that we were four females in a car, had no cell service, we were the only car with no GPS, and we didn't have a map. But, we can read signs!
We drove on a curvy, hilly two lane road. Beautiful country of woods and farms. Still laughing like crazy. The phone rang, it was the Mister. He wanted to know why we weren't following the lead car. We were laughing so hard we finally got it out that we had just turned at the sign and only after turning did we see the lead car had not turned. He, who is used to his wife and daughter laughing uncontrollably at times, said okay and hung up.
After our round of laughter subsided, the little grand daughter in the back seat piped up "When are you going to stop laughing?". We both started to laugh again and said "Never!" at the same time.
We made it to our destination and the daughter and I were not allowed to sit next to each other.
What's been poured from the bucket
Tahiti...New York City...Las Vegas...Rode in a hot air balloon...Flew an airplane...
Snow ski...Water ski...Backpacked in the mountains...Hiked in the mountains...
Worked up in the mountains at a camp...Saw a president in person...Met an astronaut...Seattle...Stayed in a five star hotel...Rode in a limousine...Went canoeing...Explored in caves...Played on softball teams...
Can play poker...Horseback riding...body surfing...surfing...snorkeling...The Bahamas...Chicago...
Drove a Corvette...Owned the original VW Bug...Owned the New Bug...Had a baby...Bora Bora...
Watched the birth of my grandchildren...Married the love of my life...Niagara Falls...Eaten alligator...
Had a house built...Rome...Started a medical device company...Marched in a parade...
Have seen the Blue Angels...Los Angeles...Have mooned people...Saw a UFO...
Volunteered with the Red Cross...worked at a homeless shelter...Puerto Vallarta...
Made a souffle...Watched whales and their babies jumping in the ocean...
Saw dolphins swimming together in the bay...
Snow ski...Water ski...Backpacked in the mountains...Hiked in the mountains...
Worked up in the mountains at a camp...Saw a president in person...Met an astronaut...Seattle...Stayed in a five star hotel...Rode in a limousine...Went canoeing...Explored in caves...Played on softball teams...
Can play poker...Horseback riding...body surfing...surfing...snorkeling...The Bahamas...Chicago...
Drove a Corvette...Owned the original VW Bug...Owned the New Bug...Had a baby...Bora Bora...
Watched the birth of my grandchildren...Married the love of my life...Niagara Falls...Eaten alligator...
Had a house built...Rome...Started a medical device company...Marched in a parade...
Have seen the Blue Angels...Los Angeles...Have mooned people...Saw a UFO...
Volunteered with the Red Cross...worked at a homeless shelter...Puerto Vallarta...
Made a souffle...Watched whales and their babies jumping in the ocean...
Saw dolphins swimming together in the bay...
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