To be or not to be....Present

One of our faculty will be retiring in about a week, so my co-workers decided to throw her a retirement party and I was asked to send out a mass e-mail in my department only telling the peeps about the party. The e-mail specifically said NOT to bring any sweets because a big cake was ordered and the person who will be throwing the party didn't want excessive amounts of food left. The e-mail also said DO NOT respond if you can't attend, only respond if you can attend, that way the person will know about how much food to get. I must include one important factor about this party.... a co-worker decided that the party should be at her house.

So she gave me specifics about what to put in the e-mail and I did just that. She said, "Now please make sure you tell them they DO NOT need to say they can't make it or why they can't make it and if anyone had any questions, to see her. I did just what she asked and do you know a message comes through my inbox saying, "I will not be able to attend this party because of...." Didn't I just tell this idiot  man that he didn't have to send me any regrets. I just hit the delete button and kept working. (There's a message from you) - This is what my computer says when yet another e-mail comes through at work and the message was yet from someone else saying they will not be attending the party. I had to go and read what I sent just to make sure it had DO NOT RESPOND IF YOU CAN NOT MAKE IT TO THE PARTY. Yep, that's exactly what it said.

Well wouldn't you know that the guy who sent the first message comes down to my office and ask me if I got his e-mail. I told him I did. He went on to say, "Well I won't be there because I will be out of town." I said to him that I didn't need to know that because Ms. Paula only needs a count of who will be there to know how much food to get. He goes on and says, "Yeah I read the e-mail, but I just thought I would tell you anyway."  Now I see why their students can't follow simple directions. And to think I work with these nincompoops!!

Lovingly yours,

Breakfast in bed

Hubby brought me breakfast in bed on this cloudy Saturday morning. It wasn't my birthday. It wasn't our anniversary. It wasn't Valentine's Day. It wasn't Mother's Day. It wasn't Easter. It wasn't throw your wife in the river day. Ok, that was a bit extreme, but there was no special occasion. It was just because. Days like this, you wish you could bottle him up and savor the moment. But the breakfast was enjoyable. I had an omelet gooing with cheese, bellpeppers and onions, a biscuit and smoked sausage with a small cup of juice to the side. That was nice of him. Sorry you single ladies, he does not have a brother.

Lovingly yours,

What's wrong with this picture?

I was in the bathroom about to take a nice relaxing shower when a bang came at the door like it was somebody coming over to borrow sugar. I yelled from the door, "WHAT" because I knew it was one of the children. It was our 16 year old daughter saying we had a problem. I inquired of her to tell me what the problem was. She was speaking and said, "Mom, our internet is down." Ok I understood what she said, but I know she didn't nearly tear down my down in my calm and relaxing moment to tell me the internet was down. Yes, that's exactly what she said.

I said, "Child, if you don't go somewhere and leave me alone...." What happened before there was internet? In our home, we were just thankful the day my dad walked into our house with a typewriter. We thought we had struck gold. We get so reliant on our modern technology world that our children would just go ballistic if they had to survivie without a few things. Here in FL, we experience hurricanes and just imagine that when the lights go out, our kids wouldn't even think to pull out any candles. They'd be like, "oh no the lights are out, what are we gonna do now?" I wonder if they even know where the candles are.

I wish my cousin Pam would jump on over to my blog so she can relate that when we would go and visit our grandparents in Philadelphia, MS, especially in the summer, there was no AC. We had to go and take our tails and go under a shade tree with that glass jar of ice water that once held mayonnaise or jelly. Your other choice was to sit in the swing on the porch and look out the screens, just so the bugs wouldn't eat you alive. When we ate watermelon, forget sitting at the table. They ran every grandchild out the door under the shade tree. And at night, we slept with the windows up, listening to crickets chirp and eventually sleep just crept upon you. I even remember when they had an out-house before . That was like the worst thing ever to go outside at 1:00 in the dog-gone morning at a freezing temperature, and for your behind to get on this ice cold toilet just for a little pee.

I remember the Dewey Decimal System just as plain as day. Children today would be like, "The what? Who is Dewey?" Geez! The cell phone was not an option. We actually mailed letters to people and put a stamp on it. Back at my grandparents house, you could put the letter in the mailbox, place the change for the amount of the stamp in the box, put the flag up and the postman would come by and put the stamp on the letter and mail it. I wish I would do that now. The postman will take the change alright, and then put on your mail: "RETURN TO SENDER" or "INSUFFIECIENT POSTAGE."

When we were in elementary school, maybe first or second grade, my teacher made sure that we knew how to tell time and we had to learn it from an analog clock, not digital...AND...we had to learn our multiplication chart...oh my bad, our times tables. We actually had prayer in school and the pledge of allegiance was definitely a must each morning. We didn't talk to our friends for like 2 days if we got upset with them, nowadays, these fools just bring guns to school and shoot anybody standing in their way.

After I finished showering, I went in and just reset the internet button and our daughter exclaimed, "You can do that!!" They think they know but they don't have no idea.

Lovingly yours,

Age ain't nothing but a number

Most people don't have a problem handing over their keys and their cars to their teenage children. I am one who has a problem. First and foremost, our 16 year old is just not responsible enough to get into my car. Not gonna happen. She wants to drive, but is too lazy to bust a move when we tell her we gonna get up early in the morning on a Saturday and take her. She says she wants to sleep and will do it later. Well, later, I am busy doing something else. How in the black eyed peas she says she can be responsible for a motor vehicle and can't even keep a room clean? Bah! Humbug! So I throw Matthew 25:23 in her face and tell her that if she is faithful over a few things, she will be ruler over many. I asked her how she gonna be able to take care of my stuff that God has placed me to be in charge of when she can't even take care of her own stuff. She says, "Mom, do you have to have a scripture for EVERYTHING!!. OMG!!"

So someone asked me how is our 16 year old suppose to get around to places? My reply was the same way she been getting around: either I or hubby take her and go pick her up. So 16 year old says to me and hubby that she WILL know how to drive by the time she is a senior, which is only a few months away. Learning how to drive is one thing, having my car is another. She said that when she starts her senior year in August that she'll have to drive my car to school because seniors don't ride the bus to school. I will tend to beg the differ right now. I asked her how will I get to work. She said, "Mom, I have this figured out. You see, I get up early, take you to work, then drive to school, then come back and pick you up from work and we go home." I'm sure you would love to hear what my answer was. I said, "The devil is a liar." She is gonna be right on the that big yellow bus. So wave to her if you should see her.

So 16 year old comes to me again and says, "Mom, since I will be 17 next month, I was wondering if I still have to go to Bible Study and church. Can't I just say when I feel like going?" (PAUSE FROM ME). ANSWER FROM ME: Heck to the N....Heck to the O. What in the world!!! And you know the rest....As long as you live in this house.....So the next question was, "Mom, so when is my curfew on a school night?" I asked her where did she want to go. She says, "Oh I just want to know." Yeah right. So I just laid it out on the line for her. I said, "See, since there ain't no reason for teenagers to be out on a school night anyway, and that wherever you and your friends decide to go on a weekend, you can get it all done before 10:00 at night." GASP FROM A TEENAGER! Her reply, "Did you just say 10:00? But Mommmmmmm......" My reply, "Anything that can't be done before 10:00, and don't make me change it to 9:00, don't need to be done. You will have plenty of time to do whatever it is you trying to do when you get out my house."

And I said, "Don't make me find another scripture to go with it." She said yes ma'am and went on in her room. I had to tell her that just because her friends do things doesn't mean she is going to do it. My thing is with this driving situation, when she finds a job she can then pay for her own insurance. I'm not trying to go broke just to satisfy children. I'm not trying to be my children's friend. I am their mother. They will get over it and then live to tell about it too.

Lovingly yours,

One Year Already ~ Bloggervarsary

Somebody tell me this isn't true. Somebody, anybody...what in the world has gone on? I'll tell you what has gone on...a freaking year has passed by and life still went on. I can hardly believe that I've been blogging for a whole year. Isn't that like totally amazing? I am so thrilled. We should throw a party with ribs, shrimp, pasta salad, those cheddar biscuits that are at Red Lobster, some Red Diamond sweet tea. Ok I must stop it, I'm making myself hungry and I only have two dollars on me.

Just think about last year this time when hubby had his quadruple by pass surgery. I was one year younger this time last year. People have passed on, others have been born. I am still employed (THANK YOU JESUS) and right before our eyes, nothing stopped. People kept on making it do what it do. It's amazing how one year can change someone's life either for the good or for the bad. Friendships have been torn apart, marriages have been broken up, marriages have been taking place, children have graduated college and high school, children have entered school for the first time in thier life, people have retired, people have gotten their first job, houses have caught on fire, houses have been built, offices have gone green, someone lost weight, others have gained weight and I could go on and on and on about things that have taken place over the span of a year; and yet, I am still here thankful for my blog and my readers and followers, and of course my family, my friends, my hubby, my kids, my church family, my in-laws and the out-laws.

Just a few days, not too long along, I wrote an e-mail to my dear friend, LaVender telling her that I could not get into my blog. It was something I was playing around with and ended up with a new template from another site that would not allow me to write; it would not even allow me to log in. She managed to calm me down with a reply telling me how to go and do something and then do this or that. I was saying to myself, "Is it that serious that I can't blog?" Yes, it was that serious to me because I enjoy writing and this is my way of expression and I enjoy it. I actually enjoy blogging and reading other people's blog as well. (I really need to finish up this book I've called myself writing for the past two years.) So here it is in a nutshell, one year has come and gone and even as I'm writing, time is yet still ticking away. Thank you for your loving support. I'll be available to autograph your things immediately after the show.

Loving yours,

That's the power of pine sol

I told these teenagers last night that the house needed cleaning and I needed their help in getting it done. I would have normally woke them up but I thought I would have a little heart and wait until they got out of bed. My thing is that if you go on and get the job done what needs to be done, they will have the rest of the day to just sit around and do nothing.

So I got out of bed around 8:15 on this beautiful Saturday morning, and thought I would go and just watch a little television until the brats got up; but when I walked out my bedroom, I hear our son already playing some game and then I hear our daughter saying, "Good morning, Mom." I acknowledged their presence on this glorious day. Hubby was gone to enjoy a men's breakfast at church. Since I saw the younguns up, it was time to get to cleaning.

They each knew what they were suppose to do because I gave them their assignment the night before, but our daughter was like, "I don't want to get up, I want to stay in bed. I don't want to get up and clean." Too bad. Time to get up and get to moving. I told them if they come on and get it done, then that will be it for the day but the more they complained about it, the longer it would take them to get it done. Our son just got on up and did what his job was and was done. Once the two of them completed their chores, they said it smelled really good and I said, "That's the power of pine sol, baby."

Lovingly yours,

There is no I in team....unless.....

....unless you are the parent. Our 14 year old son loves sports with a passion. At first it was football, now he's running track and in the fall when he goes to high school, he already has in mind set on playing basketball. Whew, I'm tired already from thinking about it. Well in his very first track meet which was on yesterday, I really don't remember what he ran. All I know is that he had to run around the track one good time after getting the stick from another boy after he ran.

It seemed like it took forever for our son to get up and do his thang. So he had already previously told me that his jersey number was number 1 and that it had his last name on his jersey. There is no way I could miss that, but he just didn't know where I was sitting. FINALLY, one guy is carrying the stick from his team and I can see him coming up the lane and I see jersey number 1 holding out his hand ready to run. I stand up. Yep that's him. YEAH!!! RAH, RAH, RAH!!! I saw him coming around the bend and I got closer and I screamed, "Run, Number 1, Run."

He said he didn't know I was out there but he heard me screaming. At the end of the track meet, the announcer called out the scores and the boys team from our son's school came in 2nd. That was for the team; but our son came in 3rd from whatever the name of the run is called. He was so humble about it and said, "Yeeeaaah, our team came in 2nd." I told him that was great but in blog world, I can brag about it that our son's 3rd place run caused the team to come in 2nd place and he carried that stick so well too, while sweating like he had been abandoned in the desert.

Lovingly yours,

Back in school

When I was in high school, I just didn't have plans of going to college. I didn't think it was for me. I thought I could just hop up with a high school diploma and get a job on my smart wit. But I was determined that I wasn't gonna just sit around the house and do nothing. I had to do something. I have two older sister who are 10 months apart from each other. Yeah, I know, when my mom went for her 6 week check up from having my oldest sister, she was pregnant with my second sister. I'm sure stranger things have happened. (This is another blog.)

So growing up, I would often times hear my mom telling my older sisters that they gonna have to find something to do after graduation. I didn't want my mom to have to tell me I had to leave, so I thought that if I just went away to Job Corps, I would be OK. Well, little did I know that Job Corps was for people who were looking to get a GED; so they let me work there at the switchboard for a little while. Time flew and after I became older, I put myself through Junior College and graduated with an Associate of Arts degree. That was like the best thing ever. Me? College student? Wow! Hubby was ecstatic and excited at the same time. It took some hard work, and plenty of nights sleeping with those books on my chest.

Well I am at it again. I am a student again. This time I am going for my Bachelors in Criminal Justice. When I went to get registered yesterday, my advisor told me that she had one class I needed to take and that it was being offered in the summer. The thing with that is that there was only one spot left. So I asked her if she could register me while I was there because if I had to drive home and register, I knew it would be gone. So she did. Thank you Lord for small favors. So I will be taking two summer classes beginning in June. (Keep me in your prayers. Heck, I'm praying now) One of the classes is a weekend class. WHAT!!! Give up my weekends? When I realized it would only be for 3 weekends and then I'll be done with one class, I thought to myself that I could do this with God's help.

This weekend class will meet on Fridays from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. but my Saturday and Sunday classes will meet from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the evening. I had to make sure I read that right. I looked at the paper, then I looked at my advisor. I looked back at the paper and looked back at my advisor and I said, "Saturday, not a problem...but a Sunday class?" Okkkk. So to my church family who are reading this, when you don't see me three Sundays in a row, don't think I am MIA, I'm just making it do what it do. So once that class will be ending, I will then start on my Tuesday and Thursday night class from 5:00 - 9:00 in the evening for six weeks. I can do this. Help me say it, I can do this!! I don't think God has brought me this far to leave me and I've come this far to turn back now.And those classes were not cheap either, so if you all want to donate to my studies, just let me know and I will send you my address.

It's a whole different ballgame trying to go back to school when you have kids, hubby, work, church, and extra things going on, (ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT) but I don't want to feel like I'm out there alone on this thing. Throw me an encouraging word every now and then, come and do my homework for me or pretend you are my twin and sit in class for me if you like, but if you should see me and it looks like I'm half sleep, the chances are that I probably am. Now if only I can find some cheap books. Tally-ho!

Lovingly yours,

It's not bounty, but it's still a quicker picker upper.

When you are down to nothing, God is always up to something. I can't explain it but the days when I just feel like hiding under a pile of dirt, something or someone comes along and brightens my day. Now it ain't too rare that I get the blues, but with me being somewhat human, and not totally immortal, I do get them.

One of my instructors who is just as bubbly as I am came into the office with a sullen face. She had the look as if something was heavy on her mind. I feel that when people want to tell me what is bothering them, then they have the right to do so at their on time. I don't try to pressure it out of them. But this one particular instructor just didn't seem her joyful, spiritual self. I said to her, "You wanna talk about it?" She sighed, "No." And then wanted to know how did I know something was wrong. I could see it on her face.

So she said, "Well tell me something positive, fast." The very first thing I could think of that came out of my mouth was, "And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." And she continued by saying, "Romans 8:38." She smiled. I smiled. She said that she really needed that and I didn't know how much I had helped her. I didn't ask her what the problem was or anything. Good ole' Bible to the rescue.

I paused for a moment after she left and reflected on how our pastor had wanted the church to learn this scripture at one time. I didn't know I would be using it to help someone from whatever their down point was. It's truly amazing how one little word or one smile can lift up someones day, but when you are down, upset, angry, sad.....the Bible is still the quicker picker upper. Dust it off, you'll be amazed what you find in there.

Lovingly yours,

That's it?

Hubby had to take me to work one day because he needed to use the truck, so we came up on a railroad track with a bump in the middle of the track. As we approached the railroad track, hubby put on brakes and gently went over the bump. So he asked me that when I am driving to work, do I just fly over the bump or slow down. I said, "Well, it depends on how much of a hurry I am in."

Silence....

He began, "So".....Paused.

"I"....Paused "did not...." Paused......."expect that."

I asked him what did he expect me to say and he said he expected me to say no.

I said, "Well you asked and I told you." So I asked him if there was anything else he wanted to ask, and I guess just by me saying that, it put him in total shock. He said, "Nope, that's it.

I said, "That's it? That's all you wanted to know?" He said, "Yeah". I'm sure he must have thought I was now somewhat kin to the Dukes of Hazard." Then he laughed. He said he didn't think I had it in me to jump that bump. Well I did and that's it. End of story.

Lovingly yours,

How much did it cost you?

If you do one thing, and that's all it takes is one thing, people want to know, "well how much did it cost you?" I can see if you want to know how much something cost so that you can say whether you want it or not..so for example, you are at the fair and want a corn dog and you may say, "girl I want a corn dog, how much does it cost?" I would then proceed to let you know how much it cost. When I came back from the cruise, one of my co-workers saw the pictures we had taken, and the question was, "so how much did that set you back?" Now you know I didn't answer because my thing is this, what difference does it matter how much it cost? If it wasn't coming out of their pockets, why would they care? And then what makes him think I was set back? You know, people are always deciphering on how to get in your business.

When I told this co-worker that I wasn't going to discuss prices, he then felt he needed to have the last word and say, "well it must have cost a pretty penny then." So what if it did, so what if it didn't. If hubby and I decide that we gonna gonna go and buy five couches and just stick them in the middle of the floor, that's God's money that he gave us that we have wasted. Not the neighbors, not the co-workers. We might look like a bunch of fools with five couches in the middle of the floor, but I'm sure if we did do that, we are the ones who have to pay for it.

I think people ask those questions regarding how much stuff is just to see if they can see how much money you banking on or not. They want to sit around and say, "I know she can't afford that, I know where she work." What does that have to do with anything? I could be working at Burger King and still drive around in a Mercedes that's paid for. Who is to say? But it does irk me when people are constantly asking me how much stuff is and then say, "can you afford that?" I don't mind on certain occasions that it's asked not out of a need to be nosey but out of a need because they want to get something for somebody or for themselves, but just to be asking because they dipping and dapping, and they be drinking kool-aid and don't even know the flavor, then that's when I am irked. I say stop trying to keep up with my bank account and sweep around your own door.

Lovingly yours,

Insomniac's Mission

I must be on some kind of mission for the insomniacs across the world. It is 2:07 in the darn morning and I'm not sleepy. I'm sitting on the floor of our bedroom looking out the window and see a spectrum of the moon. I'm trying to type as soft as I can not to wake hubby. He is sleeping like he is trying to put out a forest fire. I see my purse from the glimmer of the moon's light and reach for it. I know there is a piece or two, maybe three pieces of white chocolate that I must consume. I am yearning for it. I slowly unzip my purse and it's like an echo from the deep beyond. Why does everything sound louder when you're trying with your best effort to keep it as low as possible? My hand reaches inside the purse....OH NO..I feel the chocolate but it is still inside the bag. I can do this...I can get these three pieces of candy like I have some special degree in white chocolate mastery. Just when I think I'm about to hit a home run, hubby says in his forest ranger voice, "BARBARA"......"What are you doing down there? What is that noise?" I felt like a kid that had been caught doing something I had no business doing, so I kindly whispered back, "Go on back to sleep, I'll be in bed soon." I would feel very shameful saying I'm trying to dig in my purse for some white chocolate. If that would have been the case, I might as well say to Vicky Vale what Batman said, "Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight...LOL".

My solace could have been anywhere in the house but my parents and one of my sisters are visiting from MS and I didn't want to disturb them. I think hubby has another fire or two to put out so I reckon I have completed my mission for now. As far as my snack, it is still buried down in the bottom of the pit for now, but when daylight breaks, that's a whole different story. Goodnight moon, goodnight John Boy.

Lovingly yours,

My trip to Mexico

Whew, I haven't been on here for a week mainly because I been sailing the high seas to Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico. I had the best time. I would have taken all of you but there wasn't enough room in my suitcases to carry each and every one of you. I must say that after going to the Bahamas twice, Mexico is just a tad different. I will not spend a whole day and then some talking about my cruise, but I will say that it was quite an experience. The weather was exceptional every single day and who would have thought that we met about 10 people from Pensacola, FL...small world huh.

This is me and the Fantasy cruise director, Risa. This was at the formal dinner. Spectabulous!

This is me and the wait staff - Gorgeous men!

This is just one of the cute little animals made out of towels we found in our rooms every evening.

This is a dessert that hubby made his way too.

This is the boat we were on.

These are the Mexican dancers as we got off the boat.

And this is Mexico.

Lovingly yours,