I WONDER AS I WANDER

As previously announced, we took another road trip this weekend. Spending lots of time on the road gives me time to reflect on life in general. I ponder the big stuff and the small. And I wonder as I wander:

My Harley Stud’s family reunion was in Phenix City, Alabama. We stayed in Columbus, Georgia. The two cities are like sister cities separated only by the Chattahoochee River. Many people work in one of these cities and live in the other. It must feel odd to cross the state line to go to work everyday. I wonder if some people cross national borders in their daily commute?

MHS is the oldest of six children. This was the first time in more than 15 years that all six have been together in one place. It’s terrible how our lives have gotten so busy. It’s almost impossible to coordinate all those schedules for a gathering. I know that there is nothing we could have done for my father in-law for Father’s Day that would have been better than just being there at his family reunion. He beamed with pride all day. Not only were all six kids there but all his grandchildren too. He has five sons and 1 daughter. He has five granddaughters and one grandson. Weird, huh? We took lots of pictures but I didn’t get permission to post them so I’ll hold off for now.

I’m pretty sure I can get away with this one:

I kind of look like I just ate a bug, huh? D1 says I don’t really look like that, thank the Lord! We had the bartender take this one while we were waiting for the rest of the family to go to dinner. We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant where my niece sang karaoke. She has the voice of an angel. Who knows? You might just hear her on the radio one day.

Being with all of MHS’s siblings again was like going back in time. Since we got married at “twelve”, I grew up with his family. No, we’re not cousins as far as I know. The family tree does fork. My brother in-laws are the same rowdy, fun-loving bunch. It was fun to see them together again. I have to wonder what it must be like to marry into a family that you don’t really know and already love.

Shhhhhhh! I couldn’t resist. This is just between you and me, right?

Aren’t they cute!

OH, Geez! I’m in trouble now.

As you can see, they are all very close in age. I remember once when we were dating some idiot made a disparaging remark about the sister. MHS and his brothers had the guy on his knees in the park apologizing to her in front of all his idiot friends. It was great. I wonder if boys still do that sort of thing to defend their sister’s honor?

There’s so much more but I have to wonder if this post isn’t getting too long and you’ve already left me to move on down the line? Are you still there? You, there in the back! Still hanging with me? Here’s one more for you.

D1 dragged invited me walking with her on Saturday morning. We walked about 5 miles. We stumbled upon the historic district in Columbus on our walk. We were thrilled as MHS has instilled in all of us a deep appreciation for architecture. We came upon a Burger King that was set in an old house in the district. We agreed we had to come back with MHS, D2 and a camera. We stopped on our way back from the reunion to get some quick pics and french fries. What? You can’t stop there without getting fries? Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Burger King. You can thank me later.

Have you ever seen a Burger King that looks like this? Each room of the house was made into a different dining area.

This section was open in the morning but closed when we went back in the afternoon. Do you think I would let a few chairs blocking the hallway stop me from getting you the photos that you deserve? I love you way too much for that.

Have you ever seen a fireplace in a BK? And this one had two!

It was right after taking this picture that the BK Police came to tell me that taking pictures wasn’t allowed in this establishment. Seriously? This is an outrage! Is this no longer the land of the free! Do I have to get a permit to take photographs in public like Michel in Sudan? And I hear they are running off Midlife Slices and her camera out in Oklahoma just because she got a little obsessive and stalker-like with Simon Baker and that other cranky celeb who shall remain nameless on this blog. (Although I was quite disappointed as I was always a fan of his acting……………Stupid JERK)

Of course, by this time I already had all that I needed. No jail time was involved.

I hope you appreciate the risks I take for you. *wink*

I have to wonder; does BK think that I was on some fast food black ops mission? Possibly planning to open my own BK lookalike? Smart Mouth Big Buns? Hmmm…..it’s kinda catchy, don’t you think?

I MISS LUCY

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a Lucy post. I can think of no better way to celebrate Mother’s Day here in SMBland than to talk about Lucy, my beloved mother who died a little over 5 years ago. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her more and more. So many things have happened in our lives in the past five years and it breaks my heart that she couldn’t share them with us. I don’t know how this Heaven thing works but I believe there is one and I like to think that Lucy has box seats and is watching over us all.

Lucy was one of a kind. Everyone thought so. Everyone loved her. She was smart, beautiful, funny and took GOOFY to a whole new level. The goofiness is what I loved most about her.

Lucy was married for seventeen years to my siblings’ father before she married my dad. Daddy was eleven years younger than Lucy. The age difference was never noticeable until Lucy was in her 80s and got sick. She was always very young looking and could run circles around women many years her junior including me. She had so much energy.

My mother got a kick out of shocking people. I should mention that Lucy moved to our small town in Indiana when she married my father. I think it’s fair to say that many people just didn’t know what to make of her.

Lucy loved to tell people that when she got married, her husband was only 9 years old. Of course she was talking about when she married her first husband and saying that her second husband was nine. Sometimes she would explain, sometimes, she didn’t bother and would just leave them wondering. She also liked to say, “My husband was eleven years old when I had my first child.” You can imagine the reaction she would get. And she loved it.

God, I miss her.

If you missed my previous Lucy stories and would like to read them, they are linked below.

A Strange Telephone Conversation

I Love Lucy

A Roadtrip with Lucy

Lucyisms – A Language all her own

I’m Fine – Really Just Fine

Lucy – Mother Extraordinaire

Whether you’re celebrating Mother’s Day or you’re not……………….I wish you the very best day ever.

Hugs and kisses,

SMB

LUCKY ME

I thank God every night when I don’t fall into a comatose sleep before saying my prayers for giving me these lovely young women as daughters. They are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. With Mother’s Day approaching, I am even more aware of how fortunate I am to have these girls in my life.

Daughter #2 is home from college for the summer. Daughter #1 will be home once school is out in NC. It’s going to be great having them both home again. MHS will be so glad that he doesn’t have to hold up his end of the conversation at the dinner table for a few months.

I’m happy to say that Daugher #2 finished her freshman year at college on the dean’s list. Noleboy did too. I guess they ARE doing more than just playing kissy face at school. Congratulations to them both for a job well done.

Daughter #1 is about to finish her first year teaching. MHS and I are so proud of her but wish she didn’t have to move so far away to start her career. Letting go has never been one of my strong suites.

D2’s dean's list announcement brought back memories of D1’s last semester at the same university. As she was stressed out busy preparing for final exams, she would call me each day with an update. It would go something like this:

Day 1: “Did you send out the graduation announcements yet? I don’t think I’m going to graduate. I’m never going to pass this class.

Day 2: “I think it’s going to be OK. I’m pretty sure I’ll pass but that’s it.”

Day 3: “Don’t send the announcements! I’m definitely NOT going to graduate!”

Day 4: “I feel better about my finals. I think I’ve got it under control and I’ll graduate.”

Day 5: “Did you send the announcements? Don’t! I’m not graduating.”

And on and on until the day she took her finals. And guess what? She not only graduated (which you already know because she is teaching 6th grade social studies) but she made the dean’s list! I wanted to smack her (right after I hugged her).

Me: “How could you have thought you weren’t even going to pass and then end up on the dean’s list!” Silly girl!

Some days there’s just not enough wine in the world!

Once again, congratulations to Daughter #2 for making the dean’s list! You rock!

A LOVE STORY......The Second Time Around

**Last week I jumped on the Spin Cycle. Sprite's Keeper assigns a weekly prompt and then issues orders to all who are willing to "Have at it!" This week's topic is Change. You can check all the other spins at Sprite's Keeper's site.**

After my mother's death, understandably, Daddy was depressed. After completely dedicating himself to taking care of her during her illness, he didn't seem to know what to do with himself after she was gone. Before Mom's illness, Daddy enjoyed fishing, tinkering with tools, gardening and helping friends with many neighborhood projects. After Mom died, he lost interest in pretty much everything. It was like he was just waiting to die also. We all tried to pull him out of it but he just wasn't the same.

He turned a corner while visiting his brother and sister-in-law in North Carolina. He met a friend of theirs that was visiting from California. They went out to dinner together and Daddy enjoyed himself for the first time in awhile. The lady friend, who we will call Louise, returned to California and Daddy came back home to Florida. They began to talk on the telephone. It was during this time that Daddy starting referring to her as "That Louise". You see, we have a dear family friend with the same name and he would use "That" to clarify about whom he was speaking. I found this quite humorous and began to give "That Louise" updates to my friends. Daddy and I are very close and he was very open with me about his budding friendship. It wasn't long before "That Louise" was making plans to visit Daddy in Florida. She stayed less than a week. He didn't sound very happy during our daily phone chats that week. He called me from the airport after her plane departed and left this message on my voicemail: "Free at last, free at last! Thank God almighty, I'm free at last!"

And that was the last we ever heard of "That Louise."

While Daddy and "That Louise" didn't quite hit it off, her visit did accomplish one thing: It made an announcement to the neighborhood, his family, friends and the community at large that the man was ready to entertain the idea of companionship.

It was about a week later that friends from across the lake came to visit and brought someone with them. I'm told that this couple, the Snowbirds, were coming to visit Daddy and while walking to their boat, they came across Miss Daisy who was doing some gardening. They asked if she would like to come along. They explained that they had a friend they thought she should meet. She politely declined. They persisted. She begged off saying she was dirty from gardening and it would take too long to get ready. The Snowbirds wouldn't quit. They were clearly on a mission. They were about to return to Indiana and couldn't leave without putting their matchmaking skills to the test. They insisted their friend wouldn't care that she wasn't wearing make-up or that she was a bit dirty. She eventually relented but insisted on at least combing her hair. And across the lake they went.

I try to talk to Daddy every day. I called that day during the Snowbirds' and Miss Daisy's visit. There was something in my father's voice when he said Miss Daisy's name that stuck in my head. A few weeks later, he called me. Alert! I call him every day to chat. If he calls me, there's a reason. He quickly dispensed with all the pleasantries and said, "I've been seeing someone."

"Miss Daisy?" I asked?

He was shocked. "How did you know?"

"I don't know, just something about the way you said her name a few weeks ago when she visited with the Snowbirds."

Daddy apparently called my sister and brother to make the announcement too. My brother, Smitty, the family gossip, wasted no time getting on the phone. "Did you talk to Dad? What do you think? Have you met her? Do you think they're having sex?"

At which point, I screeched into the phone, "Geez, Smitty, I don't know! And I don't want to know! Lalalalalalalalalalala Stop it! Not another word!"

The consensus of all the kids was that we were happy if he was happy.

The Snowbirds, as it turns out, have mad matchmaking skills. Miss Daisy and Daddy had so much in common, it was almost creepy. Let me count the ways:

1. Miss Daisy's husband died a little over a month after my mother died.
   
2. Both Mom and Mr. Daisy died from colon cancer.
   
3. They had the same doctor.
   
4. Daddy and Miss Daisy had never met before that visit but Miss Daisy and my mother were in the same women's' club.
   
5. Miss Daisy is from the same county in Indiana and she and Daddy know a lot of the same people.
   
6. Miss Daisy's brother worked with my father in Indiana.
   

Weird, huh?

A few weeks later, we drove up to visit Daddy. We were introduced to Miss Daisy briefly but she wasn't around much during our visit. The funny thing was that every time we couldn't find my father, he was outside on his cell talking to his girlfriend. It was a little strange. But it was clear that he was in much better spirits than he had been for over a year. I actually found it pretty funny. He was acting like a 16 year old boy.

It was a few months after that visit that Daddy and Miss Daisy came to visit us for the weekend at our home. I have to admit it was a little awkward watching my father swapping spit with his girlfriend on my couch. At one point, while walking thru the living room with a laundry basket, I joked, "Get a room!"

I have friends who have admitted that they wouldn't like it if one parent began dating after the other died. But seriously, why would you want your mother or father to be lonely? I would be lying if I said that it didn't feel a little like betraying my mother by accepting Miss Daisy in the beginning. But after getting to know her, I like her, I love her. I love that she makes my father happy. She's funny and warm and as sweet as can be. And she is nothing like my mother. For me, that's a good thing. It would be very weird if they were anything alike.

Daddy and Miss Daisy were married six months later in a quiet ceremony with no friends or relatives. My siblings and I were happy for them but at the same time, we didn't think that we wanted to be there. And we weren't invited they preferred a private ceremony anyway. They came to my house a few days later. MHS and D2 were in Indiana and D1 was away at college. I was their honeymoon entertainment. I'm quite the one man band, you know.

While they were visiting, we ran into a neighbor at the grocery store. I introduced my friend to my father and then stuttered……………….and this is my……………….My what? I barely knew this woman and while I liked her, at forty *cough* hmmm years old, I wasn't about to refer to her as my step-mother. At the same time, "my dad's wife" sounded a little cold. I already had the "my" part out of my mouth and then I followed it with "Daisy". And since then she has been My Daisy. I address cards to her as My Daisy and she signs them that way too.

It's been an adjustment for all of us, most certainly for Daddy and for My Daisy. But even their friends have slipped and called My Daisy by my mother's name. But life goes on. Things change. During my mother's illness, my father and I had a mantra: "The only thing we know for sure………….is that we don't know anything for sure."

Change is inevitable. It's the only thing that endures. Someone said that once and if it wasn't almost midnight, MHS wasn't harassing me to go to bed and I didn't have to get up for work tomorrow, I'd look it up but instead I'll leave that to you if you're interested.

And just to let you know that I'm not a complete slacker, I did look up this quote for you:

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

A GREAT WEEKEND

I'm watching the Superbowl as I write this. I'm not really for either team. I love football. I love college football. I love high school football. NFL has never really been my thing. I do love the Colts. Once they were out, so was I. And even after living here for 28 years, I still haven't become a Dolphins fan. So here I sit cheering for both when they do something right and cursing them when they do something wrong. It's a win-win situation.

And then there are the commercials. We just saw a commercial for a local sports bar which is like our Cheers. D2 used to work there and like the song says, "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name." Anyway, I'm thinking that we are paying way too much for our burgers and beer if they can afford a Superbowl commercial.

The second half has just started. Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen performed during halftime. I've always liked his music. I can't say I am a huge fan because I don't even own a single piece of music that he released. But still, I do really like him. I never realized how much until tonight. As I sat here, I was mesmerized. The music took me back. Way back. It reached deep into my soul and as I sat here and listened I felt like the young SMB again, newly married, listening in our small apartment while we ate dinner or entertained friends. Isn't it funny how music can do that to you. Good music can.

It was a great weekend. D2 came home from school. She has been feeling a little under the weather and I wasn't happy about her driving the entire six hour trip by herself without a break. Fortunately for her, Daddy lives in between. She stopped there for refreshments and a little break from driving. Daddy's two older brothers and their wives were visiting from out of state. She was happy to see them and they her. The six of them were playing Mexican Train Dominos and if you know my family at all, you know we LOVE games. This was a new one to D2 but after watching a few rounds she was happy to sit in for someone who took a break. Soon she was back on the road home but now she was a woman on a mission.

The next day, we had to go to the store to purchase the Domino game so we could play. Several calls were made to Daisy to make sure we were selecting the correct game. Then later in the evening while playing, more calls were placed to question rules. It's a fun game for ages 8 and up. Even if I didn't win. *pout*

By Saturday, D2 was feeling better and was in the mood to bake. She is the baker in the family. She has a plan for an upcoming occasion at school and wanted to try out a new recipe. She made red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing. They were so moist and light. Absolutely yummy. And not on my diet. *sigh*

Before we knew it, the time had flown and we had to pack her up to return to school. *pout again*

Of course she brought her dirty laundry home for me to wash.

They grow up too fast.

THE HOLIDAYS IN A NUTSHELL (or is that a nut house?)

This is just one of my favorite Christmas decorations. It's how I would have to start any letter to Santa.

I've been a bad, bad blogger. I have taken a very long break and now that I've mustered the energy and found the will and the time to put my fingers back on the keyboard and return to bloggyville, I've got nothing. I read somewhere (and I apologize that I've forgotten who said it) in one of the many blogs I've read trying to catch up, that the first post of the year should be something clever, interesting and worthy of the first post of the year. Geesh! Talk about pressure. After giving the matter a great deal of consideration and still coming up with zip, zero, nada: I decided to let my camera do the talking. The following is a photographic diary of my holiday season. While you're looking at my holiday pictures, I'll be trying to think of something clever, witty and interesting for my next post. Wish me luck!

Making these n0-sew blankets for D1, D2, Nole Boy and the Officer and a Gentleman was the cause of my severe lack of sleep and very large bags under my eyes during the pre-holiday season. It was during this time that a neighbor kid who works in produce at the grocery said to me, "Hey, Ms. Smart Mouth, you look really tired." I punched him right in the face.
OK, I didn't but I really wanted to. I'm gonna have a talk with his mother about the things a man should never say to a woman.

Pixie shows her appreciation of D2's arrival home for the holidays.

We did make it to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and D2 and CinDEEerella wasted no time making a beeline for the candy store to get their all-day suckers. I may post more about this later.....if I remember.

The annual Christmas Eve open house went off without a hitch. The meatballs were a success again. That is my niece, SMB in Training in the striped top.
(Yes, that is MHS in a Santa tie)

We did finally get the tree decorated. Those two big ornaments in front are my favorites. *wink*

Daddy and Daisy were with us for Christmas.

Santa brought Daddy a new Seminole shirt.

An Officer and a Gentleman was home on leave. He had to leave to return to San Diego on the 26th but we were so glad to have him with us for Christmas.

Nole Boy and D2 were happy to celebrate the season together.

The Biker Nazi and The Saint arrived the day after Christmas with their two boys and a girlfriend. We took a little day trip on the bikes and explored this historic lighthouse in Jupiter.

The view from the lighthouse is beautiful. This inlet is one of my favorite places in the world. The lighthouse is actually on a military base. The white houses below are Coast Guard housing.

The gang is all ready for their night out on New Years Eve. The boys belong to the Biker Nazi and The Saint. D2 left earlier for a party with Nole Boy. They all met up later and rang in the New Year together.


D1 is all decked out in her Fancy Nancy attire for her birthday on New Years Day. Twenty-four or four? I'm not sure. *wink*

We were truly blessed with a very happy holiday season. Now everyone has left and it's just MHS and I again. .......oh.... and the Biker Nazi who decided to stay on for awhile. Stay tuned as I'm sure there will be some real blog material in the days ahead.

I’M IN A PUDDLE AGAIN

***Note to family members***

You may want to walk away right now and come back later. If you choose to stay, get a box of tissues and settle in. Don't say I didn't warn you.***

Recently I spoke of Thistle's challenge to us all to remember to give back, lend a helping hand this holiday season. I loved this idea. While every year I have good intentions of doing something special, the reality is that I usually get so bogged down with my Christmas to do list caught
up in the excitement that I never seem to find the time to accomplish that particular goal.

It's been almost five years now since my beloved mother, Lucy, passed. I miss her more everyday and even after five years will find myself in a puddle at the most inopportune times because of something said that brings back a cherished memory or just a thought that goes through my befuddled head. This tends to leave grocery cashiers, business colleagues, even family members staring at me with the bewilderment and a "What did I do?" look on their face. My Harley Stud has become accustomed to these episodes. While he still initially gets that dear in the headlights look worried that he's in trouble for something again, after a second the lightbulb goes on in his head and he just nods and gives me a hug. This sometimes results in tears in his eyes too. (But don't ever tell him that I told you that because I'll just lie and say I didn't.)

There are so many things I want to say but let's face it, neither you nor I have a lot of extra time right now and the last thing we all want to see is a really long, rambling blog post. Sorry, just sayin'…….. So, I will try to keep this brief. I have been putting off writing this post because even now as I write, the tears are flowing. But today is my birthday. And I can think of no better way to celebrate the anniversary of my birth than to honor the woman who made it all possible. Well, I'm pretty sure Daddy had something to do with it too. *wink*

Lucy died from colon cancer. It was a long battle. But that's not what I want to talk about today. Or any day. There came a time when Lucy's pain became so unbearable it was not possible to manage her care at home. She had the good fortune to be admitted to the Hospice Care Center in North Florida. The care given at this facility was so far and away above anything I have come to expect in the medical field that it would be impossible for me to convey just how much I think of this facility and its staff. Let it suffice to say for now that the people who choose to work for Hospice are a special kind of people and they are the cream of the crop. It is not an easy job that they do and yet they perform their duties in the most efficient, professional and compassionate way imaginable.

I have wanted to find a way to express my gratitude to Hospice since we lost Lucy. The problem has been that I just didn't think I could follow through without falling apart. And since the idea is to give back to them and not to have them comforting me in my puddle, I just keep letting it go. So when Thistle put her challenge out to bloggersville showing that together we can make a difference on a much larger scale, I knew just what I wanted to do.

The Plan:

The plan has two parts:

The first part is pretty easy. I feel confident that I can accomplish this task with little or dare I be optimistic and say no tears. I've been posting recipes of my traditional Christmas treats that I give out every year. I am going to make and take trays of treats to the local Hospice Care Center for the staff to enjoy. Our local center is not the one where Lucy stayed but they do great work there. And I have a plan in the works to visit the center in North Florida during the coming year as well.

The second part could prove to be a LOT little more difficult emotionally. I plan to inquire if there are any patients or patient family members residing in the center who do not receive visitors. And then go visit. I may offer to read to them, just sit and visit, or I could bring my toy microphone and sing Christmas carols. (I kid, I kid, I know that no one wants to hear me sing.) D2 has offered to go with me. That should make things a little easier. D1 won't be home yet at the time we are planning to go.

This particular part of the project is very close to my heart. During the time that Lucy was in the Hospice Care Center, Daddy and I became residents there too. We ate, slept, showered and I worked there (at my job remotely-not for Hospice)from Oct 31^st of that year until late January of the next year. I can't begin to tell you how important visitors were to our sanity. And we were so very blessed to have visitors EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Without them, I would probably still require medication five years later. I mean there is only so much Animal Planet (Lucy's preference for tv watching during that time) you can watch. My parents had neighbors and friends from church and around the lake that would come every day. We had relatives fly in from all over the country. My entire office including my boss came at different times. My in-laws drove four hours to visit with us. I had friends who made the long drive up just to let us know how much we were loved. It is a testament to how great a person Lucy was that so many made it a priority to take the time to be there with us when we needed them so badly. We laughed and carried on like you wouldn't believe. We were embraced with a love that is so big that it is still so hard to put into words.

I know that not every patient and patient family is as fortunate to have the type of support that we had during that very difficult time. For whatever the reason many are left alone for this journey. Daddy has since remarried a wonderful lady who I call Daisy here in my blog. Oddly enough, Daisy was going through the same battle with her husband's colon cancer at the same time just a few miles away from us. Daisy had the support of Hospice care givers but did not have the support system that we were blessed with. It is Daisy's story and the idea that there are many others that haunts me. It is a very small gesture but if I can make even a small difference to one or two or three, it would mean the world to me. And of course more importantly, it will hopefully make a difference to them. I mean who wouldn't want a visit from a Smart Mouth Broad, right? I'm blogging about it because if there is a reader out there who reads this and feels so inclined to join me in my mission or create a mission of your own, I want to encourage you to do so.

These contributions are small, I know. But I hope to be able to continue throughout the year and not just during this Christmas season. I would love to hear about it if you are doing something to give back to your community or globally. Some people prefer to keep their contributions confidential and I respect that. Me, I'm a bit of a blabber mouth but hope that maybe I might be an inspiration to others to do something that is meaningful to them.

Together we can GO MAD. Make A Difference!

***Note***

I know I said I was going to try to keep this brief. Once I got started, I just couldn't shut up. (Big SURPRISE!) Sorry. And thanks for taking the time to read this self-indulging therapy session.

MY WISH FOR YOU

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

MAY YOUR DAY BE BLESSED WITH GOOD FOOD, GOOD FRIENDS, CHERISHED FAMILY MEMBERS AND MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME

LUCYISMS – A LANGUAGE ALL HER OWN

We had a great time in Savannah which by the way I have renamed Santa Vannah in the spirit of Lucy. I have some great pictures of our day on the town including our carriage ride through the historic district that rivaled our dinner at the Lady and Sons for my favorite part of the trip. But those will have to wait until I get home as we are back at the lake now with no wireless connection. And It's just so dang restful here, I can't muster up the energy to go through all the steps it would take to get my pictures from my laptop to Daddy and Daisy's computer.

On the way back from Santa Vannah, we picked up our sister, Snips, from the airport in Jacksonville. This was the second time in Snips life she has been on an airplane and the first time to fly by herself. We were late. We had told her that we might be late because we were booked on a riverboat cruise and weren't sure exactly when we would be able to depart. She doesn't have a cell phone so it was not possible to communicate our estimated time of arrival. Smitty flew like the wind risking our lives getting a speeding ticket and feeling like a Nascar driver. None of us liked the idea of her sitting alone at the airport waiting for us. Once we arrived, we fell all over ourselves apologizing for our tardiness. She was quick to assure us that it was OK and she was fine with it. "No, no, don't worry about it, it's fine." Then she borrowed my cell phone to call her daughter to confirm her safe arrival. And she says, "I'm here. The sons of b*itches were late picking me up but I'm here." Let the games begin!

The three of us along with Pualani and MHS are staying at Daddy and Daisy's through the weekend. It's the first time we've all been together in over three years. Reminiscing is in high gear. It has been non-stop laughing, story-telling and some crying. But mostly we are just having a great time enjoying each others' company. Smitty and Snips are very funny people. I mean funny – haha, not funny strange. Though they are a bit strange too. I like to think of myself as somewhat humorous but these two really put me to shame. I have had tears of laughter in my eyes for two straight days now. And half the time I don't even know what they are talking about. I believe I've discussed here the fact that I'm a little slow to catch on sometimes (because I'm so pure of heart and all).

Anyway, many of our stories have been about our memories of Lucy, our mom. Lucy had a language all her own. Since we were raised by her we are all fluent in Lucyisms. Lucy's special expressions and words were so much a part of our vocabulary that I have, at times, used them without realizing that the general public wouldn't have any idea what I was saying. You need to understand before I go any further that Lucy was well-educated. Lucy was smart. And as I've mentioned before, Lucy was goofy. She loved mis-pronouncing words and making up her own. However, she wouldn't let us finish a sentence until we corrected our grammar. Even at 40 years old.

I mentioned during our walk down memory lane that I was planning a post that would feature Lucy's special language. Smitty, Snips, Daddy and MHS were quick to share their favorites to provide me with more material. It appears now that Smitty has co-starred in a blog post and is even getting messages here, he is no longer worried about my sanity. By the way, Pseudo, Smitty says hi.

So without further ado, here is a list of Lucyisms (phonetically) and an example of the word/term used in a sentence:

• Pea Pills – You go ahead, I will just sit here on this bench and watch the pea pills.
  
• Long sleeve ed pants – It's so cold today, I had to wear my long sleeve ed pants.
  
• Aminals – Did you remember to feed the aminals? (There have been times in my life that I had to stop to think about which is the correct way to say this word)
  
• Pedistrains – Be careful not to hit the pedistrains when you're driving.
  
• Mergy (merge) – You should get in the right lane because we are about to mergy.
  
• Naked ears (no earrings) – I can't believe I left the house with naked ears.
  
• Toredder algetty (together already) – Are we toredder algetty?
  
• Goomy (to look around aimlessly, as in shopping) – Let's go into Walmart and goomy a little bit.
  
• Ganupse (wolf it down) – I gave the dog a cookie and she ganupsed it right down.
  
• Marble orchard – He was buried in the marble orchard.
  
• Feesakeyatrist – You're acting a little crazy, maybe you should see the feesakeyatrist.
  
• Vitaminiums – Did you remember to take your vitaminiums?
  

And the list goes on. Maybe I will do Lucyisms, Part II another day. Do you have words or expressions that you use in your family that the rest of the world would have a hard time understanding? Or is it just us?

So Grateful Sunday

I am blessed. Truly. And today I would like to take the time to count my blessings. I've declared today SO GRATEFUL SUNDAY. It might appear next week or I might forget all about it. But today I am counting my blessings.

Of course no blessing count would be complete without acknowledging my biggest and most cherished blessings: My Harley Stud, Daughters #1 and #2, my parents, my siblings, My Daisy, my inlaws (all of them), Mayzie and Pixie, my very large extended family and of course last but not least my friends. Those are a given.

While I am always grateful for the afore-mentioned blessings that make my life complete, today I am counting the simple joys in my life that add a little kick and make it interesting. (at least to me)

1. The sound of my coffee maker. It has a built in grinder and sounds like a 747 is landing in the kitchen. I love it.
   
2. The smell of fresh mown grass.
   
3. My convertible. This is the best time of year for a top-down drive. (At least when there is not a hurricane brewing out there)
   
4. The inlet. One of my favorite places to go. MHS knows if he wants to make me happy, he can take me there and all the stress just falls away into the water as I watch the boats come in and go out, count crabs on the rocks, and peer into the fisherman's buckets to see their catch of the day.
   
5. My ipod. Oh, the places it can take me when I completely zone out and tune in.
   
6. Blogging and the new friends it has given me.
   
7. Cooking for friends and family. It's usually good too. But even when it's not, we always have a good time.
   
8. My neighbors' nanny goats. They make me smile.
   
9. Nanny Goats in Panties. She makes me laugh. Even though sometimes I have no idea what she is talking about. (Yeah, I did it. I ended a sentence in a preposition. I'm a rebel like that sometimes. But I'm Hoosier-born. It's in my blood)
   
10. FSU football and the 2-0 stats we have so far this season. GO NOLES!
    

    
    

What are the blessings for which you are grateful today?

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

I would like to thank Thistle, whose post prompted me to create "So Grateful Sunday".