Simplicity in living

My 16 year old daughter wanted to know if I would be going to the after Christmas sales. I inquired that I would not because I didn't need anything. She said, "who said anything about needing something, what about something you want." I didn't want anything either and so she said that maybe she wanted something. So I said to her that she can't want anything either because Christmas just left and she ain't getting nothing. (Yeah I know I used ain't.) When church let out on Sunday, I went by CVS just to get some bread and there we saw a 50% off on all Christmas stuff. It didn't phase me so I kept walking to find what I went in the store for. I saw my daughter looking at this gingerbread house that was $5.00 and she said to me how she has always wanted to put up a gingerbread house. I'm thinking this girl is crazy. How could she ask for anything two days after Christmas!

I saw her kept looking at this gingerbread house and thought that if I did buy it, that she and her 13 year old brother would have to do it together. She said that the two of them would really delight in me buying it and they would put it up together and clean up any mess. I mean, how could I refuse such an offer. The two of them kept looking at this gingerbread house all the way home and was in such an itch to get home to put it together. The minute we walked in the house, the two of them was about to start on it. I said, "Hey you two, why don't you get out of your church clothes first and then go at it." Sure enough they did and I tell you, if I had known they would be interested in this at their ages, then I probably would have done this a long time ago.


They worked together and laughed together. They each had a job of who was to put the icing on and who would put the walls up and who would do this or that. They didn't argue and they didn't say this is my part, no, this is your part. I pulled out the camera and I sat and just watched them enjoy a simple gingerbread house and I heard them say, "This is so much fun." My daughter came up and hugged my neck for getting it and all the while I'm thinking, "Five dollars sure went a long way. It was well worth it." Now this is the simple life. Ahhhhhh.

Lovingly yours,

Kids say the darndest things!

Yes, even kids that are my children ages come up with stuff that will still leave my mouth open. I really don't know where they get this stuff from. My hubby had some white pain pills that was in a clear packet and he had sat the pills on the arm of the couch. When I told our 16 year old to straighten up the living room and fluff the pillows on the couch, she saw hubby pain pills but didn't know they were his. She turns to me and said, "Mom, are these your birth control pills?" I was watching television and almost choked on my spit when she asked me that. I thought she was just playing so I calmly said no they were not. I didn't know that she didn't know they were pain pills so I just left it at that. The question wasn't as shocking as to what she asked next. She then turned to hubby and said, "well if they not mom's birth control, are they yours?" My eyes got so big that I was really at a loss for words. I just didn't expect that. I told her that men don't take birth control pills and that the pills were hubby's pain pills. She said, "oh okay."

So as we were just sitting there talking about this and that, 16 year old tells hubby that just because she is 16 doesn't mean that she doesn't like doing kid stuff. She said that she wants to remember being this age because she knows it won't last long. She said pretty soon she'll be up doing her own thing and paying bills and that she is just not ready for that to happen. I don't really have a clue as to where this conversation is going so I'm just listening. She then tells hubby that she would like to string up some popcorn and put it on the Christmas tree. String popcorn? What? She tells hubby that she has done that and would like that to be part of her childhood. Even though they have done it before when they were younger, they just don't remember it. So she goes over to pop some popcorn and while she is stringing it, she calls her brother in the room as well. The quicker that she gets it strung, the more he is eating off the string. They are having fun and she says, "You are such a munchkin but I will remember this forever." Where do they get this stuff from!!!

Lovingly yours,

The 12 days of Christmas, revisited

I found something that was rather interesting to share. It came from www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html. I have read the copyright use and can't post it here but I can send you to their website. It's a different version of the 12 days of Christmas that I think you will enjoy. Scroll down until you see the part where it says on the first.....



Lovingly yours,

Dude, where's my car?

I don't know why the school would have weightlifting practice while we are off for the Christmas break but they do, so our daughter had practice this morning at 10:00 a.m. and I was going to the gym for a little workout time. Hubby said that he could drop me off at the gym, take daughter to practice, then swing back and pick me up. I didn't have a problem with that....at first. I got in, did my little work out for about an hour and then I was ready to go. Duh, it hit me. I don't have my car. I felt stranded even though I knew I would be picked up later. I looked outside the big windows and I didn't see that blue Ford Expedition. I worked out for another fifteen minutes and I'm so ready to go.

My usual time of working out is usually an hour, so now I've been working out for an hour and 30 minutes. I'm tired now. I look back out the big window and I'm saying to myself, "dude, where's my car?" Come on already. How long is practice suppose to last anyway? I could just start walking but then I would have to hear the dangers seen and unseen from hubby and I would never hear the end of it. I take a seat on the bench in the gym and the time is now 11:15. I thought to myself, "I won't be here long, they should be coming to get me real soon." I mean I have been there since 9:45. I see so many cars pass by but not my car. Hubby can go wherever he wants to go, just come and get me and take me home.

Finally, 12:05 I see my car pull in. I got all excited like a kid in a candy store. I walked outside and got in my car. I told hubby that when daughter has to go to practice again, that I will be driving myself and leave him at home. I'd rather just go and pick her up when I'm done. I like having my own ride and jumping in the car when I'm ready to go.

Lovingly yours,

Random Thoughts

What kind of person in their right mind gets up at 5:38 in the morning on a day they don't have to go to work? On a rainy morning at that? Ok, that would be me, ole crazy person here. Today is the first day of me being off for Christmas and I'll be home for the next two weeks and do you actually think I could just stay in bed and sleep. Nope. I'm fully awake as if I actually got something to do. This would be the time (at 6:00) that I get up and get ready for work, so I guess my body is just so used to getting up that it has decided to have a mind of its own. I figured I might as well go on and get up because no matter how much I stare at these four walls, nothing is gonna change. It's not like they will be like transformers and magically turn into something I've never seen before. It's raining hot dogs and smoked sausages outside. Anybody got a hot dog bun!!! The kids do have to go to school today. I know what you are thinking, but the answer is no, they kids will not be staying home from school today. They can enjoy sleeping in on Monday....maybe. Depends on if they do what I need for them to do.....if they don't get it done, then I will be like their military nightmare, and get their tails up before the crack of dawn.....and I ain't never been in the military in my life. They know I am not playing. I guess sleep ain't coming back so I'm up now. Did anybody say bagels and cream cheese....I think it's calling my name.

Lovingly yours,

I give you many gifts

The children had put the tree up and that was it. There were no gifts under the tree, mainly because I just hadn't found the time to wrap them. My children came to me on Saturday night and asked if I loved them enough to get them anything for Christmas. I told them that I had gifts for them and that I just needed to wrap them. My 16 year old daughter said that she would just love to wake up and there would be gifts under the tree. I normally just do it the week of Christmas (since I'm off work) and let them hover over them in anticipation. Well Sunday morning, I woke up 40 minutes earlier just so I could get their gifts wrapped so that when they did wake up, there would be gifts under the tree. It was pressure doing this on a Sunday morning and getting up for 8:00 service but I did accomplish my goal. When I woke the children up at 6:30, their joy was shown all over their face.

Children, regardless of their age, still want to feel special by getting something. Even though they know the true story of Jesus' birth, they want something physical to hold in their hands. But what children also fail to realize that all gifts are not physical gifts. When my children cried because they were teething, I gave them time to see if I could comfort their little mouths in order for them to get to playing once again. When they fell, I gave them comfort telling them that everything would be ok. When they thought they couldn't learn their alphabet, I gave them encouragement telling them they could do this. When they thought the monster was under their bed, I gave them security knowing they could sleep better at night. I could go on and on. Even though these may be unknowingly to them, I still gave and is still giving. Not because I am the parent and it's my job but because I care and love them. I've read about parents who just couldn't take it anymore and put their babies in trash cans, drowned them, and left them alone.

My gift doesn't have to come in a big package or even cost an arm or a leg. My time is a gift, my listening and trying to understand is a gift. My concern is a gift. My love is a gift. So when I sat down on that floor at 5 something in the morning to wrap these gifts, it was the smile on their faces that made it worthwhile. I know that when they get older, they will look back and say that they may not have had everything they wanted, but they sure as heck got plenty of love and time. These are the gifts that are worth unwrapping time and time again.

Lovingly yours,

Party over here!

As of today, I have four more working days until I will be off for the Christmas break. Two whole weeks off with a hubby who loves football, two ranting teenagers and a partridge that's stuck in a pear tree. Ok ok on to what I actually came here for. Today was our annual Christmas party at work. It was very nice and enjoyable. Everyone had their sign up sheets as to what everyone would bring and the list looked great before the party even happened, that is.....until I went on down the list and saw that someone was bringing puppy chow.

I declare I did not misspell it. Puppy chow. Now I know how my mind works. It does its own thing and I even ask myself why would my mind think some of the things that it does. I just can't fathom myself eating no puppy chow. It's not what it's made of, it's just the name itself. I know it's like some chex mix with powdered sugar and chocolate and what not, but to have a name of puppy chow just threw me in a loop. I just couldn't do it. So when the party day came, people were just eating it like it was the last supper or something. Good for them, but I didn't touch it. I mean how would you feel if I invited you over for dinner and I tell you that the menu consisted of meow mix, puppy chow, cow dung....heck, you probably wouldn't eat it either. You'd be running to the closest Burger King trying to get one of those one dollar double cheeseburgers, maybe even two.

Lovingly yours,

Insane must be the new word

It has got to be the new word of the day because my 16 year old daughter came to me with an idea that was so insane that I thought she was on something. She said that she had her Christmas list out and wanted to show it to me. I said ok because I already knew in my mind how much I was spending on each child anyway. I'll paint it out for you. I was sitting in the recliner taking a relaxing chill out time, catching bits and pieces of television and listening to her talk. I was enjoying the moment until that child of mine said, "The gift I want cost $300.00" I thought maybe she was talking in some strange language because I know she didn't just ask for something that cost three hundred American dollars. I sat up in the recliner and asked her was she insane. Even though she laughed at my expression, no really, was she insane? I asked her again if she was insane....she claimed she wasn't but the devil is a liar.

I said to her that she must not know I work things out on a budget and a 300 dollar gift for her was not in my plan. I looked at 13 year old list and he had two things on it and both of his gifts put together were under 50.00 and here it is, this girl whom I thought I knew thinks I'm ballin' like that. I asked her if she thought I was made of money and she actually said yes. She said that we must be doing ok cause our lights are never cut off and we always have food to eat. I told her it's called a blessing and that hubby and I are not even close to being rich. She then said she'd be ok if she didn't get this gift for Christmas but wants to know if I can buy her a car instead for her senior year next year. A car? A car? She has been practicing driving and don't even have a permit and she talking about a car.....INSANE!!!!

I told her that I'm not one of those parents who will be in debt over their children and that when she starts working that she can save up for her a car. She then asked me what if she don't have enough money, I told her that is where she may have to work two jobs. Her reply, "Two jobs??? Oh no. I'll just go to the bank of Mom." Bank of mom??? Ok you can go there if you want to, you gonna get an overdraft notice, heck maybe even an under draft. She did rewrite the list and now her total is under 50 as well. For a brief moment, I did think she was.......(the magic word).

Lovingly yours,

Vacation Adventure - Part III - After my vacation

Well I finally made it to this point. The first day I returned back to work, I expected to hear that everything was ok while I was gone and I didn't expect to do as much work. It turns out that it was just the opposite. Everybody came up to me telling me this and telling me that. They need this and they need that. Excuse me, but where are the "I miss you's" and "Hope you had a good vacation." Instead, it's "whew, boy oh boy are we glad that you are back, I......." and it goes on. My mind is like, "shut up you complaining people, go away and find me some lunch, will ya." Ok, ok, as soon as I walked in the door, my boss says that she needs to talk to me. That doesn't sound good to my ears at 7:30 in the morning....on a Monday morning at that. She begins to tell me how my student worker didn't do this and how she had an attitude all while I was gone. My boss tells me that my student worker came in late one day and didn't call or anything and now my boss feels that after one week of me being gone from work, that she doesn't want my student worker there anymore. Can somebody say, "Another vacation." LOUDER, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

I did know what I was doing when I took off work because I knew that when I got back that I would only have to work three more weeks until I was off again for Christmas break. Yes, I get two weeks off with pay. One week has already passed and now that leaves me with nine working days left. I can do this.

So I wait until my student worker comes in and sit and talk with her to hear her side of the story. True enough, she tells me everything my boss has already told me but of course, she doesn't feel that she had an attitude with my boss. I could go on and on, but I had to get to the bottom of this and not let it linger on. I then told my student worker that my boss feels that she is not office material and doesn't want her to come back to work. She is astonished. I tell her that her last day will be this Friday, Dec. 11 and that she won't be working for us next semester. That was like a kick in the throat.

As the week went on, my student worker did all the work we asked of her to do and didn't hesitate about anything. My boss came to me and said that she has seen a great improvement in her and wants to know if we can consider her to come back next semester. I'm like, she needs to make up her mind. One minute I've told the girl that she can't come back and now boss wants me to tell her that she can stay. What kind of larky crap is that? Boss must be smoking major crack-a-meth. I explained to my boss that's one of the reasons why we have a student worker because they are not used to working in the office, we are to help give them that training so that they will be able to work in offices and we are to help them through the mistakes instead of trying to get rid of them when they do make mistakes. She said she wasn't looking at it like that and was glad I pointed that out to her. Boss then went over to student worker and told her how great of a job she is doing. Now all I need is for Dec. 17 to roll around here and the college will be closed for two weeks. I can do this.

Lovingly yours,
QueenBee (no siggy today) :-)

Vacation Adventure - Part II 1/2 - During my vacation..more

Tues. Nov. 24 - I sat around the house and did nothing. I walked around in my robe and my shrek slippers. I didn't even leave the house. I guess that's why I was still up at 1:47 in the morning. I hadn't done a darn thing all day. I didn't even have a tired bone in my body. Oh well, it was nice.

Wed. Nov. 25 - Getting up to head to MS for Thanksgiving. Everything is packed...we think. We get right at the exit to get on I-10 when something hits me. I ask hubby if he remembered to get his clothes. Next thing we know, we are turning around. He had left his clothes hanging on the door in my office. I was glad that we weren't that far away from the house. Holy Moly!! We we arrive in MS and we are on our way to my sisters...when we see police lights ahead of us. We didn't know if there was an accident or not. Traffic was held up on both sides, so hubby looked ahead and said, "There is no accident, they are checking licenses." He just went on and took his out and we went through like a breeze.

Thur. Nov. 26 - Thanksgiving Day - I was awakened at 2:00 a.m. by what sounded like gun shots. I've seen enough tv to know what a gun shot sounded like. I declare I heard it like 18 times. I went on back to sleep after I just lay there waiting to hear a police siren, and no one came. When I woke up around 6:30, hubby asked me if I heard the gun shots. I told him I did but I thought it was all in my mind. He said that he had heard it but thought I was sleep. My mom had gotten up and fixed breakfast, even though I had asked her not to, but that's mama. We went over to my younger sister's house for dinner and I ate like I was a piglet. Oh my! Today was a good day.

Fri., Nov. 27 - We left Moss Point, MS heading to Picayune, MS to see hubby's niece and cousin. We stayed the night there and the room we slept in was so cold. I kept my socks on the entire time and I NEVER sleep in socks. Yes, I even slept in them. Hubby laughed at me. Good golly Miss Molly.

Sat., Nov. 28 - Our goal was to go to the Bayou Classic football game in New Orleans, LA, but our 13 year old son ending up getting sick. We went on to New Orleans anyway since we had a hotel reservation. I asked the kids if they still wanted to go and they both agreed. We just hung out and ate and them them sit around and enjoy. Later that evening, we had 13 year old get a bath, drugged him up with NyQuil and sent him off to bed before he coughed up a lung or something.

Sun., Nov. 29 - Where in the heck did my vacation time go? It's time to leave Louisiana and head back to FL. I actually dread going back to work....Blah...Blah...Blah....well, after we got back to FL, our friends from ATL called (on the same day that we arrive from being gone for 5 days) and said they were on their way to FL. Well I thought it meant like in the weekend...nope, they are about to leave ATL coming our way. Wow! That was a major rush having guest at our home and we haven't even been home. I felt all drained and tired and they didn't leave until Wednesday. Whew! Well I must go and boy oh boy, you just wait for the blog after my vacation. Geez!

Lovingly yours,

Vacation Adventure-Part II- During my vacation

I can't even begin how to describe not having to get up and go to work for the past four days. It has been a great one so far. I'm gonna enjoy the rest of my time because I will have to go back on Monday, Nov. 30. But until then, let's have a little fun. It was Thursday, Nov. 19, the first day of being on vacation. Hubby and I went to Red Lobster for lunch and just as we were seated, he gets a call on his cell phone. It was our daughter calling from school. She said that she wanted us to come and get her from school because she didn't feel well. I'm not easily suckered so I needed to know what exactly was the problem. Hubby gives me the phone so I'm asking her what is wrong. It had better be something like she is bleeding from her eye, her small intestine is falling out or Mike Tyson bit her ear off. She says that her throat is hurting and wants us to come and get her. Not even a legitimate reason for me to check her out of school. She just wanted to be doing what we were doing. Hubby was going to go and get her but I said to him that he can go if he wants to but that he can't go running every time they say something is hurting them. He told me that I just didn't care. I don't even believe he fathomed them words to come out of his mouth.

I sent Ms. 16 year old a text message and told her that we were not coming to get her and to ride the bus home instead of staying after school for her weightlifting practice. She sent a message back saying she wanted to stay for weightlifting. I then told hubby she can't be that sick then if she wanted to stay. She wanted us to stop doing what we were doing, check her out of school so she can hang with us, then drive her back to school to participate in weightlifting?????? She had lost her mind. When I went to pick her up later that day, she was all bouncy and cheerful. I'm glad I listened to my own instinct instead of that Mr. Hubby.

Friday, November 20 - Today was not a day for me to sleep in. I had to take daughter to the dentist for an 8:00 a.m. appointment. It only lasted an hour and then I went to check her behind in school. She was not a happy camper because she said that I could just leave her out of school for her to hang with me and hubby. Sounds sweet - but I went and checked her in school anyway.

Saturday, November 21 - I've waited for this day for so long. Not because it was my birthday and yes I was extremely happy for that. But today, my 16 year old daughter got up and fixed me a birthday breakfast...AND... washed the dishes without me having to ask. Oh boy! I woke up around 6:21 and she was already up waiting on me to get up. That was soooooo punkin because this child getting up that early on a Saturday is strictly forbidden in the real world. She did a pretty good job fixing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen. I had a selfish thought come over me like.....what if everyday was my birthday...I wouldn't worry about the breakfast....but can my kitchen get cleaned everyday without asking!!!

I am actually enjoying being off. And hubby hadn't gotten on my nerves...YET!! As the kids say, "Don't jinx it." I hope to have more to share after I come back from mama nem for Thanksgiving. My bags are packed and I am Mississippi bound.

Lovingly yours,

An expected surprise

Ok, I do know that sounds kind of like an oxymoron. How can it be a surprise if it is expected? (really laughing out loud). Well when I mentioned in my vacation adventure blog about my co-workers having a birthday celebration on the day that I will not be at work, the replies came back saying I should come if there are gifts involved. I was still contemplating about that but today when I came in to work and got settled at my desk, I had to go pee really bad. So off I go prodding to the ladies room to piss a pee like no other. After I came out, I went to the door that leads outside just to see how cool it was outside...weeeeellllllllll, that's when I saw it in the lounge...the cake...the big wrapped gift.....and no one around. I almost went inside but I kept walking back to my office as if I didn't see it. I didn't say a word but it was anticipation swelled all up inside me. Well after everyone had a break from their class, one of the faculty came to me and asked me if I could help him with something. I knew he didn't need help but I had to pretend that I didn't know.

So I get up and walk toward his office but he went the other way and I followed him into the lounge and that's when the gang sang happy birthday and gave me a gift. I'm telling you, I should be in acting because the look on my face said surprised, even though I knew I had seen it. I will never tell. Ok, it is now 15 minutes before my vacation starts. I am getting out of here and I will be getting with you all later.

Lovingly yours,

What's new?

Every time I wake up, my hubby is watching the news. When I go to bed, he is watching the news. When I come home from work, the news is on. I can't escape it. How much news is there in a single day? I just believe that when the anchor person goes home, he or she does not watch the news. I mean the same thing is being repeated through out the day and sometimes for more than one day at a time. This has got to be boring. I know for me, just seeing the news when I walk by is depressing. I'm sure if it was some major issue that I really need to know about, then my favorite television program will be interrupted....you know, like when a major storm is coming or something.

So when hubby is sitting around watching the news, which really ain't so new, I have a tendency to go in the other room and watch something that pertains to my liking. He will then ask me why do I have to leave the room....isn't it obvious why.....he will then say that he likes my company and wants me to stay with him. I mean, I don't have a problem with that if he turns the channel to something other than the news. Then it seems like I'm the big bad wolf if I ask him to change the channel and he'll say something like, "what....I can't watch the news?" For goodness sake, who am I to deprive someone from news watching? It's just not my thing, so don't get upset with me if I don't want to sit and watch it with you. I'm off to go and find something new to do.

Lovingly yours,

Vacation Adventure - Part I - Before my vacation

When my dear friend mentioned that I should write a blog before, during and after my vacation, I just wasn't too sure if I would have enough to write about on one particular subject. Well I am jumping in with both feet and going at it anyways. As of today, Friday, November 13, 2009, I have three working days until I am officially on vacation. I will be out of work for one whole week, AND my week runs into Thanksgiving holidays. Sooooooo, not only will I be off for five whole days, I get two extra days. Yippee....or not so yippee. I don't know yet. We will see when I post something during my vacation.

Here is where it gets stranger. I haven't taken annual leave in three years. Yes I said it, three whole years. So my co-workers are walking around here saying they don't know what they are going to do without me being here. I assure them they will be fine. I have done payroll early for the next week and I basically have everything taken care of what needs to be done in the office.....I hope. I remember I was out of the office one day a few years ago and it was crazy....people calling my house asking me where this file is and what they should do about this or that. And that was just one day. I can't even begin to imagine what it's going to be like for a whole week....but I think they can handle it. Life goes on.

Here is where it gets EVEN stranger. The peeps here at work normally do a birthday celebration like every other month or so for our birthday month peeps. Well on next Friday, the 20th, they will be doing a birthday celebration for Oct., Nov., and Dec. birthdays.....Hmmmmm, my birthday is Nov. 21 and guess what....I won't even be here for my birthday.....UNLESS.....I come to work just for the celebration.....but that would be kind of ghetto, huh? Even though they have asked me to come up here, I don't know if I want to be at work on my vacation day off.....should I? Should I not? I don't know yet. Well that's it for now. Until next time....ya'll stay out of trouble now, ya hear!!

Lovingly yours,

Are you afraid of your children?

Some people do have a tendency to be afraid of their kids. I'm not one of those parents who are afraid to tell my children what they need to hear instead of telling them what they want to hear. Here is the scenario. It's Wednesday night and 13 year old son is off with his friends so 16 year old is home with us. We were threatened by a hurricane earlier this week so that left the children home from school for three whole days. When we asked our daughter if she had any homework and she said yes, we told her that it would be a great idea to get it done on Monday since there would not be any school until Thursday, that way she could have it already out of the way.

Well when it was time to get ready for mid-week service, I told her to go ahead and get her stuff ready for church. She says, "I don't see why I have to go to church." That didn't even bother me because as long as they live in my house, they are getting up to go to church. And yes because I said so. So she is sulking around the house because she has to go to church. I pass by her room and I see her trying to get out homework so I back up and ask her how come she didn't get that done on Monday while she was out of school....now here we are about to leave for church and she is getting out homework. I don't feel any kind of remorse because not only did she have the entire weekend to do it but an excess of an extra three days. She must have thought that I would change my mind but I didn't.

When we get to church, she thought she would hide in the bathroom in order not to go and be with the other youth...interesting, I was right at the bathroom door when she walked out and she then asked, "What are you doing here?" No the question is, what are you doing here? I know teens would just love for us to give in to everything they ask or everything they want. Sorry not me. Heck, I'm an adult and don't even get to do everything I want. She is walking with her arms folded but you know what, that doesn't even phase me. I'm not afraid to tell them to do this or do that or my opinion in how they look. There are days when both children look like bums and I will tell them so. I am not afraid if my children grow up disliking me because if I know that I've done what I was suppose to do and do it in love, then I know I've done what I had to do.

Loving yours,

Only a vessel

On Saturday evening, hubby and I took both children to the mall to let them find something just because. It wasn't their birthdays, and it wasn't a Christmas gift either. They had been doing really well around the house and in school and we just wanted them to get something because we love them. I am not a mall person, but I know they would probably want to go. So I pulled out the Belk credit card and told them their limit was $25.00 each. I know it doesn't sound like much but it was an appreciation from us to them. Our 13 year old son was determined that he would find something no matter what it was. He said even if he had to buy a pack of underwear, he was gonna get it because we didn't have to do it. I was like, "Thank you Jesus for such an humble young man."

However, that 16 year old daughter of ours had a different attitude. She saw some jeans she wanted and I told her to go ahead and get them. She was very indecisive and walked around Belk for quite some time until she brought me to a pair of shoes. I looked at the shoes and thought to myself, "She has lost her everlasting rabbit mind, cause no rabbit in his right mind would have even tried me like that." These shoes cost $80.00 American dollars! Had she been on something? She must have been cause I specifically said $25.00. So I asked her how did she get 25 from 80....she said that she just FIGURED I loved her that much to do it for her. I'm like Tina Turner, "what's love got to do with it." I told her that she was not getting them shoes and that she could go back around the corner and get them jeans she saw. Well, she decides that if she can't have the shoes, she didn't want anything.

Hubby tried to talk to her and I wasn't gonna talk to anybody. I looked at son who had found him a nice shirt and I looked at hubby and I said, "Is everybody ready to go?" Hubby was hesitant and said to daughter, "You sure you don't want to look for anything?" Her music was in her ear and her arms were folded. She shook her head no and looked the other way. I made my way to the counter and I didn't give it a second thought. When we got home, Ms. 16 year old went to her room sulking...and I'm like, what the heck for because she knew the deal was 25.00 and that was it. Later that evening, her head starts hurting and I started thinking of how God says that vengeance was his. I started thinking about just how exactly does God deal with vengeance. I thought: Now we took the kids to the mall and the 16 year old was really showing some ungratefulness...could this be vengeance? I don't know.

Our way is not God's way. I am not here to understand God's purpose or His plan. If he wanted me to know it all, then I don't think I would have been made just a little lower than the angels. I think I would have been his right hand man giving him the peace sign and my "power to the people" fist. My point is this: I don't understand why we have to endure certain things, such as ungrateful children, nagging co-workers, selfish people here and there, headaches, pain., etc......could this be God's vengeance upon us for something we have done in our lives? I am only a vessel that will be used in many ways, bent and shaped and molded, Only a vessel where I will withstand harshness and many cracks. I am only a vessel that has so much to take in and so much to put out. I am only a vessel.

Lovingly yours,

Let the church say AMEN!!

When I got home from work on Wednesday, we sat down to eat and hubby asks me if I mind if our next door neighbor goes to mid-week service with us. I don't mind but he knows not to just spring stuff on me at the last minute either. So it was time to go and our neighbor comes hopping across the lawn. I say good evening and the conversation between he and hubby took off from there. Hubby said, "let me see what kind of Bible you got". I am already embarrassed just HOW he said it. I have told him over and over again that it's not merely WHAT you say, but HOW you say it. So Mr. Neighbor shows hubby the Bible and it says New American Bible...hubby says, "Oh no, you can't use this Bible, you need a New King James Version for our church." I was flabbergasted. No, seriously, my mouth flew open. I mumbled out the side of my mouth, "There is nothing wrong with his Bible."

So hubby and Mr. Neighbor got in this debate about the word of God. Mr. Neighbor asked hubby was it a sin to drink. Hubby said that the sin ain't drinking but the sin is getting drunk. They went on to talk about how Jesus turned water into wine and Mr. Neighbor wanted to know if Jesus tasted or sipped on any of it. In my mind I'm thinking just read the word for yourself. We are driving and I can hardly wait to get to the church because the two of them are getting on my nerves. Hubby then says to Mr. Neighbor, "Do you ever open up your Bible at all because it seems mighty new." In the name of Jesus, please let me just see the steeple of the church and I don't need to wait for him to park, I'm gonna just jump out and walk the rest of the way.

Finally, we arrive at the church (THEY ARE STILL TALKING) The car was barely in park good when I jumped out and hurried away. Whew....Now can the church please say AMEN!!

Lovingly yours,

The "F" words

This isn't even what you think it will be. Not even close. What I am talking about is Family, Food and a Funeral. Ok, so we went to Picayune, MS to attend my sister-in-law funeral. Is it ok to say it was a nice funeral? Or is that like an oxymoron? Anyway, it was nice. It took us three hours to drive there but on the way there, hubby wanted to listen to his jazz cd so I thought I could make that happen. I had to first eject one of my cd's out of the cd changer for his to go in; but when I went to eject cd#6, the darn thing got stuck and didn't want to come out. So I trying to fidget with it and at the same time, hubby tries to lean over and get it out. I tell him to just focus on driving and I got this. He's yapping about why is it stuck, why won't it come out, has it ever done this before and all I can say is: "SHUT UP AND DRIVE!!!"

So ok we get to MS and everyone is waiting at my husband's niece house for the family car....everyone is not there yet. Why do we have to go through this? Folks know to be there but just dragging and dragging. OMG...get a move on!! Family....you gotta love 'em.

After the funeral, we are in line at the fellowship hall. A sista is hungry like crazy. I look at the food and say to my daughter, "Looks like we gonna be going to Burger King." I mean we were like number 15 in line and there was a smidgen of this, and a hocus pocus bowl full of that...and I was hungry for real. Next time we get on the road, somebody please remind me to take a few snacks in my purse. I did get the CD out while everyone was at the grave site. Whew!! Cause I know I wouldn't have heard the end of that.

Lovingly yours,

Ok, now what?

Amazing. It's 3:00 a.m in the dog-gone morning and it's so odd that I am fully awake. I am just lying here in bed thinking about stuff I shoulda, coulda, woulda. The kids made it home safely from the fair, hubby is next to me sounding like a bear just chased him around a building and then up a tree and me, just here doing nothing. There should be some type of law for people such as myself who are up at 3 something on a Saturday morning. Am I insane? No way am I claiming that. A ham sandwich sounds nice right about now. Why don't I see anyone on messenger of all nights, I meant of all mornings. YAWN!!! Well I will try to close my eyes because daylight will be peeping through pretty soon. Anybody wanna share a bag of popcorn with me with white cheddar??? I really do believe without a shadow of a doubt that hubby has captured the bear and riding him like a horse. The bear doesn't have a chance anymore.

Two teenagers gone...is this reality?

I can hardly believe it. Hubby and I will have both kids out the house tonight, or will we? They are suppose to go to the fair with friends and I just hope they get gone. Ain't no telling what me and hubby will do with the house to ourselves for a few hours. Heck, he might have himself a stripper tonight with heels. Nahhhh...maybe we can make a few prank calls; you know the thing you used to do when you were teenagers BEFORE there was caller ID...Nahhhh. I think we will just settle for a nice movie without any interruptions. Yeah, that does sound nice....but the PERFECT night would be if hubby found somewhere to go and left me alone so I could turn all the lights off, position myself on the couch and watch the movie alone. But since I'm stuck with him, I guess he can stay.

Lovingly yours,

It's all in a name

How in the world did our ancestors get the word period out of menstruation? I mean, I've learned in school that we stop at a period, so why isn't this not applied in life? Why isn't it called comma or semi-colon, since we pause at a certain point in life. I could say, "Girl, yeah I'm on my comma today."

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Are there one fish, then two fish? Are is it two fishes? Doesn't it seem strange that cactus is singular but cacti is plural? I think it should be two cactuses because cacti really sounds like some kind of disease.

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Can somebody, anybody around the world tell me what the heck is gout?

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Who is they? Or should I say, Who are they? I hear it all the time. "They said this, they said that." I just need to know who they are so I can punch them in the lip sometime.

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Who names their precious baby Dick? Is that short for something? I can understand getting Tom out of Thomas, Bill out of William, Dan out of Daniel, Rob out of Robert...but Dick???

Ok I'm done here.

Lovingly yours,

Bad planning on your part

With my department being the largest one on campus, it's bound that both copiers we have will somewhat be busy more times than others. With that being said, one of my instructors has an 8:00 a.m. class and comes in to run copies.......check this out.....at 7:52 in the dog gone morning.

I just looked at him like this when he screams out my name and says that the copier has a jam.

So I'm saying to myself, "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." I am not about to hurry up and stop doing what I'm doing to take care of a copier situation.

First, the bad planning on his part meant that his stuff wasn't gonna be ready in no 8 freaking minutes.....Second, that is why we have an assistant to make copies for them in advance but this is only effective if they leave what they need copied like two days in advance and my assistant can put it in their mailboxes.....Third, he knew last week that he needed these copies for today, so why wait until the last minute.

He then looks at me with this pathetic look and says, "Oh I have to get to class." Ya'll know I almost made his suffer.....but the kindness in me said, "Leave me your stuff and I'll bring it to your classroom".....AND I had to add a BUT in there......"but don't make this no habit." I finished up his copying and took it to his classroom. He let out a sigh of relief with a great THANK YOU! I said, "Maybe you want to get here earlier or copy your stuff in advance." He said he would keep that in mind. The next time, I may not be as nice. I could be having a bad hair day or something.

Lovingly yours,

Update

Well, it's official. It's been 6 months since hubby had quadruple open heart surgery. He is doing good. You wouldn't know this man had surgery unless you were superman and tore off his shirt to see his scar.

Lovingly yours,

The perfect woman, not hardly

We as women do endure alot of things. Some are crappy and some are not. We tend to be the ones who take things that no man could even fathom. When a family decides that they want a baby, we women have that responsibility of caring, nurturing and tending to that baby. The man plays his part but not like we play the part. We pop out babies and the hospital releases us within a day. We are expected to get up in the middle of the night while Mr. Man sleeps his life away all because he has a job to go to. Please. I get up in the middle of the night now when my teenagers start coughing and yet still have a job to go to. We lose blood like it's some kind of sport. Women are team players. We don't think of ourselves until the very end. It's always someone else we think of first.

When we get ready to leave the house, we tend to brush our hair, throw on a little lip gloss, check ourselves just one time in the mirror while our man has gotten up, scratched his balls, and just threw on anything. I bet that if we were walking down the street and broke a heel, we would probably break the other one because we can't second guess ourselves. We would make it look good and besides we ain't got that kind of time to be sitting talking about how much money we spent on them shoes. We make due with what we have because women, especially women with children, know how to improvise. We know how to stretch a dollar even in a recession. We know how to make love to our man that will make him wonder if we are freaks or just being freaky.

But after all is said and done, we hurt too. We want a shoulder to cry on instead of being the shoulder to get cried on. We sometimes don't want to be around our own children at times. My name is not _______ wife. There are days I want to scream and just go on a secluded vacation and do nothing but then this scripture comes to mind: Proverbs 31:28 -Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. We may not be perfect, not even close, but at least we woman strive to be the best that we can be.

Lovingly yours,

Roses really smell like poo poo

If you've ever heard that song "Roses really smell like poo poo" from Outkast - then you will know what I'm talking about. I'm getting ahead of myself here. I was sitting at my desk minding my own business as I do everyday. Some times I can tell by the way a person is walking down the hall, without even seeing them, to know who is walking. Sounds strange, but some of the people I work with have heavy feet, some of them drag their feet and some of them....well I can't tell who the heck is coming. Well one guy was coming down the hall and I couldn't tell from his footsteps who it was but all I know is that he was speed walking.

He had to hurry up and get to the bathroom. I didn't know what he had to do. I didn't care. All I know is that from the sound of his walking, he couldn't get there fast enough. He hurriedly got in the bathroom and I so declare I heard a sigh of relief. Ok that was TMI...my little ears are prone to some stuff. The toilet flushes....wait, it flushes again. In my mind I'm silently saying a selfish prayer, "Please let him wash his hands and please don't let him come into my office and say hello." That poo poo smell sometimes tend to linger on ya and you have to walk it off for a hot minute. I sat at my desk and my heart was going "THUMP, THUMP, THUMP" in fear that he would come in and then I would have to spray my air freshener afterwards.

The door opened from the bathroom, and before he walked out, he let out a WHEW....Ok, in my mind I said UGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! Thankfully he passed by my office and gave me the nod hello. I nodded back. He had a new walk and his step was a whole lot lighter.

Lovingly yours,

A snacker in a recession

What the heck is going on around here at work! Let me paint the scenario for you. One lounge, one refrigerator. Some of us may go and get some lunch to have for another day, so we put it in the freezer and note this: WITH OUR NAMES ON IT IN BIG BLACK LETTERS. And some person has the audacity to go in and just steal our food.

So one day, there was a great special on some crabs across the street and I went to get some on my lunch break. I thought I would just put them in the freezer until it was time for me to go home. When 4:00 p.m. came, my food said, "FIND ME.". I just knew I was being punked and somebody was gonna jump from behind the door and say, "girl I'm just messing with ya, here's your crabs." I think I would have even preferred being punked. And it's not just me, there have been others.

Just ask me for it, instead of taking it and then not admitting it and then walking around like they know nothing. Soooooooo, one of the co-workers who was just entirely fed up with whoever has been doing all the stealing made some brownies and he put ex-lax in the brownies and put them in the fridge with his name on it. (I personally couldn't have gone to that extreme) Sure enough, the one who made the brownies, comes into the office and said, "GUESS WHAT!!" I said, "I bet someone got your brownies" He said yeah. I probably shouldn't have but I laughed so hard. I haven't put anything else in there since my crabs were stolen. We need to find a way to put a hidden camera in there. Any other suggestions?

Lovingly yours,

Even when no one knows

This past Saturday, my 13 year old son and his football team players, had to do a can shake outside of Wal-Mart to help raise money for their team. One of my co-workers knew about it but said that she wouldn't be able to go by and support the team; so she gave me a bag full of coins to drop in their can and I said that I would. The plan was for me to drop son off, then swing back around and walk in and put the money in the can. Before all of that, I showed son all the change that would be dropped in his can and that he should thank my co-worker for graciously supplying an adequate amount of change.

Well son saw the change and said, "WOW, we should just keep it for ourselves." I told him that we were not going to do that and that it was going to be dropped in the can. He said that no one would know. I tried to explain to him that God knows everything and that even if no one sees you, God sees. I told him that the change was meant for him and his team and that is what it is going for. I told him how God likes things to be done decent and in order and we went on and on about this and that. I told him that even if we needed it for something, I would ask for it instead of just keeping it for myself.

When I went to drop him off at Wal-Mart, I then parked the car and my daughter and I walked up to the door and poured all the change out of the bag. The other kids standing at the door was like, "WOW" and then son looked up and said, "Thanks Mom." I didn't know if he meant for the change itself or the lesson. It was a very deserving "You're welcome" and I then went on my way.

Lovingly yours,