Just What Have I Been Up To These Days

What happened to the Cat Wrangler?  Heck, if I know.  When I first started out on my blogging journey, I wrote, and wrote and wrote some more. Some of it was okay, some needed work, some I published.  I am saying I went on sabbatical.  (Behind my back you can say, she's kind of a slacker.)

The last four years got away from me.  Anna, our littlest granddaughter turned 4 in November.  Those four years sped by at the speed of lightening.  She is a singer, a lover, a dancer, a dreamer.  She calls Trooper "Buddy" and gives us all big hugs.  Her older sisters have left their imprint on her soul.  Just this past week she was talking with Grandma Terry that her baby doll just wasn't acting right.  Dr. Uncle John was there and Grandma suggested Anna take the dolly to him.  "Uncle John can fix hurt," Anna said.  "Uncle John can fix sick. Uncle John can't fix dead."  Why do little kids just hit the nail on the head sometimes?

Knee?  I have been hobbling around on my bad right knee since my first skiing accident in 1975.  Add to that a slip and fall during a food fight circa 2007.....I didn't mean to fall and believe me I was not participating!  Slap on moving boxes from Central High School 1 to Central High School 2 in 2009.  Oh, yeah, and don't forget moving the Weavers in 2012.  The icing on this knee was seeing the biggest snake outside of a zoo in 2020-- I hopped, pivoted, and ran (yes, I know it probably wouldn't bite me) after tossing the weed eater at it. My right knee is a mess. I have had Accupuncture, Physical Therapy, Euflecca shots, ice bags....but I was finally ready for a knee replacement.  My doctor has been with me all the way and said I had tried everything possible.  When?  December 8 was the day that my bone spurs, arthritis and lack of cartilage was ended.  I am following orders by my doctor, my PT, my friends, my research, and my family. This was a life changing moment.  Thanks for all the love and prayers. 

Raggs passed away after a valiant battle with diabetes in 2021. My little pal had his sugar under control when he had a heart attack.  I miss my little buddy.  He was a damn fine dog.  He was a white Maltese that loved getting in the dirt, enjoyed chasing cats, and always had the last bark.  When I would drive up to the house, his little head would always pop up in the nearest window to greet me.  I was so lucky to have that little guy as a sidekick. 

I have been taking an art history course on Study.com.   I do love going to school and art is something that ties the humanities together for me.  It has 278 lessons and I might be finished by next May.  I like that it's on my own time and at my own pace.  I love seeing the art of the world and why it was considered important, how the art fits with the political climate of the day, and how it fits together as a whole.  

I am going to get back on this horse and write more in 2024.  (I love that number. ). Writing helps me put life in perspective.  My life is funny on a good day and hilarious on a bad one.  

Cheers!  Here's to 2024!

Snoop Malloy

 Growing up in State Center, Iowa our family had a little white rat terrier named, Snoop.  Not Snoopie...just Snoop.  Snoop was the type of dog that "got around."  In the days of "tie up the dog", Snoop was a Houdini.  He ran sideways behind our bikes and visited the grocery stores. Occasionally he would walk into church or school when the doors were open to get a breeze in there before the days of air conditioning.  He loved my dad and my dad loved Snoop.  

I started thinking about him because I put on a pair of black jeans this morning and I didn't have to worry about Snoop hair.  Snoop shed little white hairs about 1/2-3/4 inch long....on everything.  I don't have Snoop hairs to worry about.  Many years for Christmas my mom would give me a lint roller as a gift...lint?  No "Snoop hair" roller.  

I bet if I went back to the our house in State Center, I could find still Snoop hair.  Snoop has been dead 50 years.  His legacy continues through my memories. 

I'm of an age when going to the doctor seems to be a social event.....

I laugh whenever I hear the side effects mentioned for some drugs.  No, it is not appropriate nor is it politically correct.  I hate telling on myself but I’m thinking the rest of you are shaking your heads behind closed doors.  I bet you’re laughing, too!

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So, there’s a medicine you can take for reflux but you might get explosive diarrhea.  This takes me back to an Economics class that I took at Iowa State in 1970.  Diminishing returns....so, which do you hate more.....reflux or explosive diarrhea?  Personally,  I would have to weigh those facts carefully before selecting the lesser of two evils.  I pick reflux.

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"If you have an erection lasting more than four hours, call your doctor."   The television pitchman tells all who are watching the evening news this fact almost every night.  I overheard some men talking about this while drinking their morning coffee at a local restaurant. “I don’t know about you, but I’d call the newspaper,” said one of the guys.  The rest of his group giggled.  I quickly stepped away and laughed my head off.

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"This drug could cause death."  Ick!  Think carefully about this one.  But, at least you know that it could be a side effect.

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I don’t want to take medicine.  I want to be a machine of health.  Last night, I was watching the news.  Every commercial was for a different drug focused on the geriatric crowd--ME!  I sat there laughing at what could happen if I decided to take different medicines.  Yes, I know that most of the times the side effects don’t happen....but what if they do?

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I am allergic to demerol.  I KNOW I saw those mice dancing at the end of my bed and I don’t ever want to see them again.  My entire body felt like a big, old hive.  However, I am quick to tell any and everybody that demerol was effective for pain....and for hallucinations.  It made a believer out of me.  I never want to see or hear that drug mentioned again.  One person’s trash is another person’s treasure....but the demerol worked for pain control.  I am glad it’s no longer being used to control pain.

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So, that being said, I am working on my health.  You know, eating to live instead of living to eat.  I wish I could say that the pounds come off magically and that I never back slide.  Ha!  It has taken two months to lose four pounds.  Just think, maybe by 2025......I’ll have the weight off!  Pass the fruits and vegetables.

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So why am I concerned about my "pandemic poundage?"  To quote my physical therapist "for each pound I take off, I take 4 pounds of pressure off my knees".  25 pounds lost = 100 pounds of pressure off my knees.  AND my right knee hasn't been the same since I ran from the snake....(in my defense, it was the biggest snake I had ever seen outside of a zoo....in my lower back yard.....I was weed eating....I disturbed him....instead of stop, drop, and roll.....I jumped, turned and ran.) AND for those of you that love me, you know I don't run.  Ever.  I barely fast walk.  

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I have never stuck with an exercise program like I am sticking with my assigned regime from OrthoGeorgia.  I have completed my exercise routine everyday since Monday, May 2.  Now, for my buff relatives, I know this ain't nothing to brag about.  I have a sheet of exercises that I am to complete daily and I am doing this.  I can feel a difference.  I go to Physical Therapy each week.  I am not cutting class.  

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I don't want praise or condemnation.  It's a fact.  It's my responsibility.  "Make it a great day or not, the choice is mine."

Everyone Has Time to be a Mule

 I was driving up Highway 42 when I saw two big old mules hanging out with their cows.  They aren't new mules.  They are there to protect "their" cows.  I see them on a regular basis, but the sun was hitting their coats just right and it looked like they were glowing that afternoon. The mules had an aura.  You might say those mules are the guardian angels of their herd.  

Coyotes don't care for mules and mules don't care for coyotes.  It is a mutual dislike and the mules are used as big "watch dogs" for their herds.  Those mules look mean.  I don't want to cast generalizations towards mules....but those two radiate a "don't screw with me vibe." Those cows look like they don't have a care in the world.  

My point in this blog is simple.  We all need to help others at times.  Be a friend.  Be some goodness in this world.  Sometimes, we are the cow.  But, sometimes, we must be the mule.  

Matthew 25:40

New King James Version

40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

This, That, and the Other

Why do people speed in parking lots?  They are far more trusting than I am.  Are they planning to get to a parking space quicker than anyone else?  I don't mean go a little fast...I saw someone going through the Walmart parking lot like she was on the hunt for a Cabbage Patch Doll in 1983.  SMH

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I do like social media....it's an efficient way to 1.  find out what's happening 2.  eavesdrop on mankind. 3.  share too much. 4.  laugh at the crazy memes people post.  I read Facebook, I look at Instagram and I just plain wonder about Twitter.  However, each time I open my phone, I am so thankful that I am not a principal-- all I can think about is how much havoc could be created by one awful post.  Reading the posts of others can be like looking through someone else's underwear drawer.  You don't know what you might find.  But, people keep looking.  

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Hugh Daniel Malloy

Fall of 1930 

16 years old

It's my Dad's 108 birthday today.  Hugh Daniel Malloy, the 14th child of Jim and Jane Malloy, was born in State Center, Iowa February 27, 1914.  He lived through the Spanish Flu, WWI, WWII (he left State Center in 1941 and returned in 1946), the Korean War, the Cold War, and part of the Viet Nam War leaving this earth on November 9, 1970.  Happy Heavenly Birthday, Dad!  For dessert tonight, I am serving apple pie with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese in his honor.  I remember the day he got me to try that combination....."E, try it.  You won't believe how the flavors go together."  I did and I still love it.   Dad would probably like it better if I served tall-necked Budweisers with cheese and crackers.  

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The daffodils and crocus are really looking terrific this spring.  My camellias are gorgeous.  The buds are on the trees.  The forsythia bushes are ready to pop.  Spring is in the air....but spring can be very fickle in the south.  (I know of what I speak-- Iowa is the birthplace of fickle weather.  When I was student teaching in the fall of 1972, I went to work in a short sleeved dress.  There was a snowstorm that afternoon, there was 8 inches of snow before dismissal and the school secretary took me to her house because I couldn't drive the 15 miles back to Mom's).   I remember sitting on the bleachers watching Little League games wrapped up in a blanket.  

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Sometimes I live my life according to those "Success" posters.  You know-- "There's no I in team."  "Your gratitude affects your attitude." "Roll up your sleeves and get to work.  You won't have time to wring your hands." 

"Beauty is only skin deep.  But ugliness can go clear to the bone." 

I have collected thousands of posters. memes, sayings, truths, lies, and other visuals.  I just love the humor of the Internet.  Lordy, I can sit and read that craziness and laugh and laugh.

Now, I am not high brow....I have told you that my funny bone is about as mature as a fourteen year old boy.  I like the quips, the one-liners, the silly, the double entendres....

My laugh for the day:

DOING CRUNCHES TWICE A DAY NOW,

CAPTAIN IN THE MORNING

NESTLE IN THE AFTERNOON.

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As Dr. Dennard Scoggins said every time he was on  CHS-TV, "Make it a great day or not.  The choice is yours."

Fit Bit? Nah, Bit Fat.

I love seeing people wearing their Fit Bits. However, I am a fit bit drop out.  I couldn't get my syncing right.  I screwed up my charging....I killed one of those cute little bracelets.  I lost my charging cord. 

I do like the idea of Big Brother watching my every step though.   I'm a sitter.  He'd get bored.  Haha!  Someone needs be the bottom of the pack.  I'll volunteer.  

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I have two athletic brothers.  I have an immediate family of "Let's hike the mountain." "Let's work up a sweat."  "Let's challenge ourselves!"  "I can climb a wall."  "I can roller blade."  "I do cross-fit." "Let's run the rim of the Grand Canyon." "Let's play golf."  "Shall we ride our bikes across Iowa?"  

Me? "Hey, y'all.  You wanna try these new cookies I baked?"  

The sloth might be my mascot on a good day.  

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My family has embraced their Apple watches.  They talk to each other.  They read e-mails and texts.  They are reminded to move by the watch.  

Frankly, my eyes can't read agate type without a magnifying glass.  I guess I could carry one in my back pocket, but I'd have to stop everything I was doing to see what is happening.  

I am a hold-out for paper and pencils.  One time in graduate school a statistician asked me what stat program I used.  I held up a piece of paper and a pencil.  (Nah, I really could use the Stat program....I was just playing with her.) She looked at me funny and said, "Really?"  I looked back and said, "Really."  (This was a moment like in a Texas Hold'em Tournament  when I knew I shouldn't break eye contact and keep on bluffing.....she nodded and kept working.)

I like technology.  I like writing letters.  I like balance.  A good postage stamp is terrific.   Podcasts are amazing.  Sometimes, I feel like the world of technology is taking over.  Is this bad?  Is it good?  Is it progress?  

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We all have strengths and weaknesses.  My strengths are a sassy sense of humor and a bizarre case of the X-ray vision in seeing the irony in everyday life.  My weaknesses are my love of Kerrygold butter and worrying about humankind.  

BUT

Maybe my weaknesses are my sassy sense of humor and bizarre case of seeing the irony in everyday life and my strengths are my love of Kerrygold Butter and worrying about humankind.  

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I have a secret.  Not only do I do five crosswords per day (NO, they aren't the ones in the New York Times) I have done some form of exercise everyday of 2022.  For example, I have walked, rode a stationary bicycle, done yoga, completed an exercise lesson, and generally moved my sedentary body.  I am trying to improve my health.  

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Balance, people.  Life is about balance.  

Pass the Kerrygold, please.  

Thanks for the Memories, Mr. Dunn

I lost one of my oldest and dearest friends to a variety of ailments on Saturday morning, February 6, 2021.  We had said our good-byes, laughed, cried, and laughed some more.   It was time for him to leave....I just wasn't ready to see him go.  

Friday afternoon, February 5, I had received a cryptic text from one of the inner circle stating that Dale Dunn was at the depot and waiting for the train.  The short, sweet text that came Saturday said, "Dale caught the express train this morning. He's on his way to see his Mom and Dad."

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My mom and Dale's folks knew each other growing up.  The Dunns had always been part of our lives.  BUT, I really didn't get to know Dale well until we had study library in high school.  I was a sophomore and Dale was a senior.  We had assigned seats and Dale sat directly across from me.  Study library was supposedly a time to catch up on our work, check out books and magazines to increase our knowledge of the world but, frankly, it was a time for me to visit with Dale and catch up on the news of West Marshall High School.  I never used study library for studying....I used it for silent laughter that hurts from holding it inside.  I used it for finding out the latest information-- Dale was the Internet before the Internet was the Internet.  He was a holding tank for all news.

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Fast forward through college and my first teaching job was Milford Elementary, Nevada Iowa Community Schools-- a converted township school that housed all the 5th and 6th graders in the district.  We were about seven miles out of town....cornfields every direction that we looked.  (Yes, there is a Nevada, Iowa.). AND Shazam, we were together again.  Dale was a 5th grade teacher and I taught 6th....and the visiting began.  Oh, he was great with his students....Dale was one of the best teachers of reading I've ever known.  

That knowledge of reading took him to his next career after 25+ years in the classroom....he became a consultant for Houghton-Mifflin-- yep, he was teaching teachers how to become better teachers.  Dale loved his traveling all over the state of Iowa, then he loved traveling all over the midwest,  and then all he was flying all over the nation teaching teachers how to teach reading.  He loved teaching teachers as much as he loved teaching students.  The traveling was intense but I never heard him complain.  He liked the other consultants and his mentors.  He said he was always learning new things... and he usually passed those tidbits of information on to me.  AND I promise he was always laughing and making others laugh.  AND at the heart of every lesson was the tenet, "How does this really help children be successful in life?"  

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But, the joy that comes with a friendship that old creates a deep pit when one member of the pair leaves this earth.  Dale ALWAYS called me on my birthday.  AND I always called him on his birthday.  Dale and I went out to eat whenever I went back to Iowa.  He called me "Little Erin."  Not with malice, just a fondness between friends that accepted each other for who we were.  We had a history of homegrown hilarity and humility.  

When Mike died, my mom couldn't come to the funeral because an infection in her leg grounded her-- no flying to Georgia for her.  Both of my brothers flew to Georgia immediately to be my family.    Dale offered to go and sit with Mom during the funeral so she wouldn't be alone.  That's the kind of friend he was.  He knew what would comfort mom would comfort me.  

So, yesterday was Dale's 73 birthday....and this one he celebrated in heaven.  It was the first time since 1973 that we didn't talk far too long on the phone and laugh over our families, our friends, our health, society in general....and I know we would have been talking about Betty White and Georgia football.  We would have talked until the all the nieces and nephews had been discussed, the kids, the farm, crops, weather,  football, basketball, the Pantone color of the year, and which flowers we were going to plant in the spring.  

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The thing I miss about Dale, and I miss it on a regular basis, was his unending optimism.  Life was bad....but he always said it could be worse.  Even when he was so sick, Dale was giving me advice and ideas on strengthening my reading instruction.  He would rephrase my questions and make me come up with answers on my own.  He was teaching me how to teach until the last week of his life.  He was also forcing me to face the fact that his cancer was very severe and that his days on earth were numbered.  He told me how nice the Hospice people were.  He told me not to worry.  He told me to use Sweet Potato vines in my flower boxes.  He told me that deep red geraniums were a flower made to go with the American Flag on the 4th of July.  

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Dale and I had plenty of real time adventures....like riding in a car when our friend caught her husband with a hussy.....we thought we might die that day.  Or when we were hunting a friend's front tooth crown in a tomato patch at midnight and laughing so hard that we thought we would wake up the neighbors.....or going out to eat and laughing more than eating...there were no topics that were off limits.... no feelings that couldn't be discussed....no pretenses....no lies....no worries.  

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So take that phone of yours and call a friend today for no reason.  Laugh.  Laugh.  Laugh.  Be supportive.  Be kind.  Be yourself.  AND laugh.  

Happy Birthday, Dale!

                                                            Eating and laughing since 1966!  

I Wanna Be Rip

Yellowstone is like the advent of the pet rock.  Those that get it....get it.  It's okay if you don't get it cause I have NO idea why I have enjoyed this show so much.  

This is a story of a modern day rancher, his family and their land.....yep, these factors are the cornerstone of each episode...the Duttons have a cook, lots of trucks, horses, cows (note-- refer to them as cattle), a helicopter and a a beautiful log cabin situated on the fictional Yellowstone Ranch in Montana....there's a bunk house full of rowdy ranch hands, loyalty,  and a love of the land that is noble.  They also brand (yes, you heard me right--BRAND) those ranch hand "family members" who aren't blood related.  Those family members are related by experience...if you are "Yellowstone"....you are Yellowstone for life.    It's a shoot 'em up, ride hard, put away wet, blow up your neighborhood type of tv series on Paramount.  There are Native Americans, one-liners, cowboys, scenery and one hell of a storyline each week.  The F word is bantied about as casual as the word....the. 

It is crude, rude, and lewd. 

But, I digress.  This tv show has sucked me into its vortex like few others on tv.  Oh, I'm an advocate for old school "Hill Street Blues",  "St. Elsewhere", Stephen Boscow, Aaron Sorkin tv.....but a modern day Western?  This isn't my normal fare.  AND I look forward to Sunday nights to see what might happen next.   

I am trying to analyze why I like it.  It is believable but unbelievable.  Violent.  The f-word is used by everyone involved.  I mean the f-bomb isn't a bomb....it's more like a word that can be used every part of speech.  It's not Longmire for sure.  You commit a sin against the "family"-- you'll be taking a ride to the train station....and this train is that long, dark train to meet your maker.  I kind of like this eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth mentality.  But, I digress.  

My favorite character is Rip.  

Rip listens far more than he talks.  He's an enigma....a tall, dark, sunglass wearing cowboy-- a Shaman who proclaims that he lives to take care of the family.  He is like a wild animal-- he watches everything and is continually on guard.  He reminds me of a wolf, a loner....Rip is always on the periphery....even though he loves the Dutton daughter, Beth, and they are soon to be married.  He might be considered feral.  

NOTE:  Beth and Rip got married in the final episode of Season 4 after she kidnapped a priest....and as John Dutton whispered, "BUT, we aren't Catholic."  She just used a little gun....the priest isn't going to press charges....

Since the onset of the Covid experience, many of us have become a little more like Rip than we care to admit.  We watch where we are, we watch who we associate with, we are careful, cautious and continually on guard.  We protect our families by sanitizing our hands or staying away from dense numbers of people congregated together.  

I've lost too many people who I respect and care about due to illness during 2019-2021 span.  I am cautious.  I will continue to be cautious.  I'm not scared.  I am listening to doctors that I know and trust.  

For those of you that want to chide me about this.  Turn the channel. 

Little Bits of Little Things That No One Probably Cares About

 1.  We have an old plastic dish from a Chick-Fil-A promotion (circa 1990ish) that states "YOU are special."  One of Mike's high school buddies (circa 2001ish) was dancing around our kitchen proclaiming how special he was because he was eating off of the "YOU are special plate."  Mike didn't miss a beat when he said, "You are special because you are eating off the dog dish." That old dish is still used for feeding the pets-- and giving me a wonderful memory whenever I look at it.  That was funny then -- it still is funny now.  

2.  I was out taking pictures of the flowers the other day before the rains.  Flowers, and birds, and butterflies are just like God's little gifts to us.  I am convinced that anything we can do to help our bees, butterflies, insects, and birds enjoy their time on earth is a good thing.  Butterflies are like flying flowers.  

3.  Anna (18 months) talks-- a lot.....I just don't understand her.  "A-ba" is a go to for many things.  She has been calling Mary Michael "Dough-Da" and Sally "Yeah Yeah".  "Mamamamamamammana" is very distinct.  "Dada" is clear and precise.  "Nana" makes my heart melt.  BUT what I really like how she uses sign language.  The funniest one is when she slaps her thigh to get one of us to "come."  That is the universal dog signal that her mom uses for Samson, their gigantic, black rescue dog. Anna doesn't miss a beat.  

4.  I have no problems wearing a mask.  I pretend like I am invisible.  My lipstick use has gone way down.  

5.  I am thinking of writing a book entitled, "Shit that Parents Shouldn't Need to Tell their Kids."  My fact for today is "don't take a dog to a swimming pool or a funeral."  I am not talking about a legit therapy dog.  I am talking about the family pet that might .....well, the Weaver animals aren't the best behaved in the group.  (I know, I know...they have plenty of personality.).  Don't even ask why!  True stories. Thank goodness it wasn't one of my biological kids.  Molly, Dan-- don't take dogs to the swimming pool or to a funeral.   If you have a tidbit of things that society might have forgotten to teach young adults, let me know.  This should be hilarious.  

6. The afternoon rains are terrific in my book.  My plants are enjoying them even more.  God does a great job of watering.  

7.  Because I am trying to be fancy, I put pine straw around my shrubs and  flower beds.  It looks great for about 5 hours.  Then, the pets think that this is a special place to go to the bathroom.  No lie.  There's acres of woods and my animals like the flower beds.  Humble pie is served daily around this place. See number 5 about the Weaver pets.  

8.  I started watching the Waltons last week.  Each weekday afternoon, John Boy and Company are on the tv for two hours.  (I have started recording them. I don't sit like a bump on a log for two hours....okay, most afternoons I don't watch for two hours). The Waltons have a special place in my heart..I watched them every middle of the night for the years between 1986 and 1988.  I am enjoying them the second time around.  

9.  My summer reading program has kind of started.  I am learning how to use audio books and e-books that I check out from the public library.  I have not selected an author yet (for most of my life, I select an author and read all their books from Memorial Day to Labor Day.)  (Yes, sometimes it extends past Labor Day but I have gotten to read lots of great authors.)  Sheryl Wood, the author of the Sweet Magnolia series, is a front runner this year.  So is Elin Hilderbrand....I am reading Golden Girl right now.  Elin Hilderbrand won-- I'm enjoying her stories of Nantucket.  

10.  I look and listen for Mr. Biggles each morning when I come downstairs.  Bigs always greeted me with this MEOW signifying that obviously I had forgotten that he hadn't had any fresh food or water for at least eight hours....and I sure needed to get him fed before I got a cup of coffee or really opened up my eyes. We have had at least one cat since 1975...Bigs was unique.  He was the nicest cat I've ever known.  Each morning I look for him before I'm really awake.  I do miss him.  He was a tuxedo cat with a top hat personality.  

11.  Italy vs. England soccer is on my mind.  I enjoy the spirit of the Europeans.  Go Italy!

The Pets' Heads are Falling Off, but Don't Worry....I've got the Gorilla Glue

Seriously, I write lots of blog posts in my head....I usually do it between 2-3 a.m when I can't sleep.  I am brilliant at that witching hour.  I am witty, urbane, pithy, homespun, a delight, a gem, a regular Erma Bombeck of Bluebird Hill.  Then I get up, grab a cup of coffee and start living the dream....

It's the end of school.  Summer is coming.  This is the first year since 1955 that I have NOT set foot in a school building.  I am still pondering that one.  Life moves on.....and my head is full of .....stuff.  

Pandemics:

Are not for the faint of heart, are they? I thought, and thought, and thought about the entire mess.  I am scared of being an asymptomatic carrier and giving the COVID-19 to someone.  I know myself well enough to know that no way do I want to wind up in an ICU but I would hate to give it to someone else.   I have had too many people I love die this year....and I've been embarrassed my some of the people who I know with their foolish behavior or words when talking about Covid-19.  (Like, have they NOT been washing their hands? YUCK)  I got my vaccination....a woman I don't know told me I had been infected with the DNA of Lucifer after she heard I had been vaccinated.  I told her that Bill said my personality had improved.  The vaccine did nothing to improve my sassy mouth.  

My knee:

Between running from the six foot snake in June of 2020 ( it was a rat snake-- a good snake-- a big BIG GOOD SNAKE) to stepping on the old cat in July of 2020,  I now walk like Chester on Gunsmoke.  Yes, I know I should go to the doctor... but it didn't seem worth it at the time.  Now, I don't know what I'd say to any MD..."Well, ten months ago...." I figured out the other night (that 2-3 a.m. slot is full of fun) that maybe they would amputate my knee.  See how full of crazy my head is at that time?  Not my leg-- amputate my knee! I don't get real het up about doing most things medical....a dear doctor friend told me once when he was drunker than Cooter Brown-..."5% I help, 5% die, 90% get better no matter what I do. " I guess I am not going to win "Best Taker Carer of Themselves" for 2021.

  

Raggs, the Diabetic Dog

At the end of December 2020, Raggs was diagnosed with diabetics.  He has to watch his diet, exercise and take two shots of insulin per day.  Raggs is my little white dog.  He is a Maltese that runs my life.  He's ridden to Iowa with me numerous times and he is just my 'good" boy. He's doing better thanks to Dr. Brandon Pinson, Raggs' vet and all of the wonderful people who have helped him get better.   Raggs is a champ.  

The Grand Girls:

Mary Michael is ten, Sally is eight and Baby Cakes (Anna) is one.  They are terrific.  Mary is a rubrics cube solver, wall-climber, outdoor girl; Sally is a tiara-wearing, mermaid loving, unicorn riding girl, and Anna.... well, she's my cat-loving, sign-language speaking, dumpling (FYI:  Anna says NANA perfectly).  Molly and Brad have had their house full of virtual school, Truist Bank, one year old world, Sampson (the new, huge black neurotic rescue dog), doll houses, climbing shoes, Minecraft, knitting, guitars and bicycles.  

My buddy, Lynn, asked me if I was going to write anymore Cat Wranglings....I told her I was thinking....I need to just publish this and start fresh.  Life is good.  The hundreds of blog ideas I've got running through my head and heart need to be written so I better start getting them done. (Winners make commitments and losers make excuses.)  I've got the Gorilla Glue (to glue my seat to a chair) and as Alice Cooper wailed, "School's Out for Summer." Time to "get 'er done.  

Home, Home Near the Range

BLT-- the sandwich of the summer!

Great bacon, Homegrown tomatoes (thanks, John Bodo), Dukes' mayonaisse, and a nice whole wheat bread-- I "forgot" to add the lettuce!

I am still staying close to the house. I am not seeing many people other than my children. I am like a stealth bomber (with cleaning wipes AND a mask) with my list in hand when I go to the grocery store. AND I have been cooking!

Cooking is something that I never really had time to do when I ramped up my working after the kids went to college. Oh, we ate, but I was really good at stopping by Subway, Jeannines, or any fast food joint that was in my path. BUT, friends, I love to cook.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,

I want to know your favorite recipes of foods that you really cook and really eat! I am not looking for your fanciest meals (unless you are a fancy cook all the time)....I am looking for those favorites that you "go to" when you cook. Yep, I'm talking comfort food, I'm talking about the food that makes you grin. I'm talking the "Hurrah, we're having (fill-in the blank) for supper" food. I am looking for the recipe that you can make from the heart!

For example, I get a pound of good ground beef, brown it the beef in an old, old, old cast iron Dutch oven, throw in two boxes of sliced mushrooms and then cook until the mushrooms are softened. I add a big jar of Prego Spaghetti Sauce with mushrooms. Heat it all up. Serve over pasta--angel hair pasta. (My family likes the angel hair pasta.) A loaf of Cole's Garlic bread and a salad rounds out this meal. My kids would have eaten this four nights out of five.  I could eat this seven nights out of seven.

OH, if you are going to tell me there are tons of additives and preservatives in my fast food I will just agree, nod my head and keep going. I am sick of the polite police....those of you who want to tell me how I should be living, what I should be wearing, why my politics are wrong, wah, wah, wah,-- save your breath....I am not paying you any attention.

I swear, those additives and presevatives kept me going on many a bad day. I do try to eat healthy. I do try to eat a balanced diet. I do not drink a pot of coffee EVERY DAY like I used to-- this is my stab at being healthy this year. And I love hummus....a vegan I am not.

I adore cooking what my friends and family REALLY eat. My sister-in-law, Jody, makes the best ham balls in the universe. My other sister-in-law, Kim, makes cinnamon rolls that I would drive to Colorado to eat. My sister-in-law, Janie, makes a Curried Chicken Casserole that is superb (son Dan always asks for it). Nancy, Bill's other sister, made a dilly casserole bread in 1975 that I still make!

So, tell me, what do you really cook and then eat? Yep, I want the recipe and how it came into your life.

Smoke and Mirrors-- No, I'm not talking about the virus, I'm talking about teaching!

E-learning, packets, literature for reading, platforms, downloading, log-ins, passwords, plans, matrixes-- welcome to the world of school in the comfort of your own home 2020!

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Homeschooling never appealed to me.  Don't get me wrong-- I loved my kids; I loved my profession. I just didn't see the two of them meshing into a successful relationship for me.  FRANKLY, studying their spelling words each week about drove me around the bend.  I taught in an elementary classrooms for ten years.  I taught teachers at Georgia College from 1986 until 2004.  I loved it both experiences....and I think I can help those of you new to this profession feel great about this endeavor.

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I remember my Georgia College early childhood education students observing a brilliant second grade teacher in the Bibb County Schools.  She was marvelous.  I loved watching her, too.  She made every moment count with her class.

"She makes it look so easy."  That was the universal comment from anyone who watched her teach.

Yep, those twenty years of experience helped that teacher construct her "bag of tricks" for the orderly instruction of her students and flow of the day.  She knew the pitfalls that her students COULD fall in and she headed them off at the pass before they were in the ditch.  In other words, she set her kids up for success and answered the questions they "might" have in her instruction. Remember, she had been doing this job a mighty long time.  Teaching is not for the faint at heart!  Practice will make you better.


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You are on a journey.  Enjoy the journey.  Sometimes you are on the Interstate.  Sometimes you are on a back road.  Sometimes you just run out of gas.  Sometimes you go in the ditch.  Sometime the students get where they are supposed to go and you have no idea how in the heck they read the map.  Jesus take the wheel!


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I have a few tips for those of you treading into these muddy waters -- TEACHING YOUR OWN CHILDREN.

There are four domains that embedded throughout your teaching day-- you will see all of these each day: 

1.  Social (Learning to get along with others, take turns, help, listen, respect of themselves and others), ex:  "Betty, could you please pass out paper to your brothers?  Thank you."

2.  Emotional (reacting in an appropriate way to challenges, opportunities, and experiences), ex:  "Johnny, Your time on the iPad is finished.  Thank you for closing your program and handing it to your sister, Jasmine."

3.  Intellectual (Learning-- this goes from the known to the unknown....the concrete  to the abstract. Think about handing a child a rock to reading the word rock, ex: Any of the instruction is the reading, writing, math, science, social studies, art, music, etc.

4.  Physical (play, movement, exercise, activities). ex:  Any type of physical activity-- large muscles, small muscles, sports, games, climbing, jumping, exercises.  (Do you remember teachers saying, "Go outside and run off that energy?"  It is true and remains true today. )

THESE FOUR DOMAINS ARE IMBEDDED IN THE ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR CHILDREN DO.

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One fall weekend back in 1973,  I spent an inordinate amount of time creating a wonderful interactive lesson for my sixth grade Language Arts students at Milford Township School in the Nevada, Iowa Community.  It was superb.  The hour lesson was a masterpiece.  I was a first year teacher and I wanted those kids to excel.

The entire HOUR lesson took about 7 minutes for those first block of 28 children to learn and master.  That was one of the days that I learned a lot about myself and those smart boys and girls.  I had five sections of Language Arts students that day....by the fifth section that day, I was doing better, asking better questions and the kids were actively engaged in their own learning.  I am still scraping that egg off my face 47 years later.  They might not have learned much that day but I sure did.

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1.  Plan your work and work your plan. (This is your lesson plan so that your day goes by and you actually get something done.) Read over the materials or the instructions your school has given you for your child.  Your schools have communicated their plans...use them.  You can always elaborate.

2.  Read what your kids are reading (if you can).

3.  Reading/listening for pleasure is fun.  There are lots of books for free on-line.

4.  Have frequent breaks for the kids and yourself.

5.  Monitor what your students are doing.

6.  Check their work periodically for accuracy or that they are actually doing some work.

7.  Children are like adults.  They have different learning styles.  Some kids like to listen, some like to talk, some want a quiet environment, some like to discuss what they are doing.  Respect that there are different ways to do a task.

8.  Children are like adults.  They waste time.  They visit.  They go to the bathroom and play with the water in the sink (well, maybe that's only me! :-).  KIDS ALSO LIKE TO HEAR WHAT THEY ARE DOING CORRECTLY.  "I love how you get right to work, (child's name).  Thank you!"  Remember, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

9.  When in doubt, do what my granddaughter, Sally at age 4 taught me, "YouTuber, Nana."  That was Sally's response for almost anything, and frankly, it works.  God Bless You Tube.

10.  Enjoy the time with your kids. Don't sweat the small stuff.  Do your best.  This is uncharted territory for all of us....take care of yourselves and know that I care about all of you.

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This might have made me laugh a little too much.

The Doo-Wah is Hitting the Fan or Boils and Locusts

So, the past week I have watched and read a variety of news: The news/press conferences, the breaking news, the local news, the banter on Facebook and all of my many newspapers.  What I decided is that -- I am excellent at practicing social distancing!  Now, you all know I like people.  But, I also like being by myself.  It makes perfectly good sense not to overwhelm hospitals and the medical infrastructure by all of us NOT getting sick simultaneously.  I can wash my hands and stay away from people.  I also promise not to lick any handrails.

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The news gives me the creeps though.   I am fully aware that I am creeping toward being in the elderly category....butI DON'T FEEL elderly deep down inside.  I sometimes catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I think, "That's my mom." But upon further observation, it's me.  When did that happen?  Creepy.  I told you the news was creepy....just like my neck is creepy.  Be careful out there!  Ah, good old Sergeant Phil Esterhaus.

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I also DO NOT want to be responsible for giving this "super bug" to a medically fragile person.  I spent a career with germs.  (Funny story--- a pre-k teacher had a mark on her skirt at about mid-thigh.   I innocently asked what it was.  She nonchalantly called it the "snot line".  AND IT WAS!   Pre-K teachers taught this old high school principal quite a bit.).  I will wash my hands, stay away from people, work in the yard, play with the pets, and enjoy trying to stay healthy.  I promise to stay the heck away from humankind as much as possible.  Hey, have you watched TIK TOC?  I love the animal videos.

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Mary Michael (4th) and Sally (1st) are out of school for an indefinite period of time.  I get to share my deep love of reading with Mary Michael and she'll share her deep love of reading with me.   I taught fourth grade and I LOVED it! What a wonderful reason to reread the Newbery Award winning children's literature books and engage some standards' based instruction with my oldest grand girl.  The kids (Lordy, they are old enough to retire) that I taught in Nevada, Iowa and Centerville, Iowa will attest to the fact that I love literature and a great book can make a good reader a great reader.  We are starting off with Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien, and New Kid by Jerry Craft.  I know she's going to have me read some of the graphic young adult children novels.  We'll use FaceTime and some on-line journaling to start our book studies.  I am really excited to get to know Mary Michael in another dimension.  We'll have a terrific time!

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Sally and I are going "to get" together virtually using some Pinkalicious books.  I never taught first grade-- yikes.  Sally is excited about reading and I'm excited about keeping her moving in the right direction at this pivotal period of her reading development.   Pinkalicious reminds me of my sweet unicorn-loving, tu-tu wearing, "gee I love my red cowboy boots", little 7 year old.  It will be an adventure for the both of us.  The more I know, the more I know I don't know.  Wish me luck!

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Anna got a tooth this week.  It's one on the bottom.  She's quite a champ, if I do say so myself.  No formal school for her but she's going to get some nursery rhyme time from me.

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I am going to make lemonade out of the lemons that our society has been handed.  Frankly, I might make a margarita out of my lemons.  Heck, I might just do shots.  That's what a little age does for a person-- pass my lost shaker of salt.

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One day I was bemoaning the fact that everything was going to hell in a hand basket.  I asked rhetorically, "What else could happen?"  Mack Bullard, one of the assistant superintendents in Bibb County at the time,  looked me square in the eye and said, "Boils and locusts."  Since that wake up call,  I think I'm pretty good at putting things in perspective.  Look, this isn't how I envisioned 2020, but it could be lots worse.

Friends and family, let's pull together (metaphorically without touching), follow the guidelines for staying healthy, and just get through this!  WASH YOUR HANDS!

Michael Conrad, "Let's be careful out there"

Meow....Hey, 2020! I'm BACK!

The cat wrangler has been wrangling stuff other than the computer for the last three months.  Today is just a start of trying to get back in the groove of writing and laughing and seeing the sun shine.

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The best thing about Lent?  Easy--the cod sandwich at Wendy's. I'm not being sacrilegious...I am being truthful.

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Drought-- the past month has certainly helped Northern Monroe County!  Last summer our creek was down to a trickle.  It never was completely dry but it sure wasn't the raging river we saw last week.
It's so good to hear the water flowing over the rocks.

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AND finally, why I haven't done squat.

The Cliff Notes of Molly's Third Birth:

We have a new member of the family.  Anna Malloy Patterson entered the world on November 16, 2019.  She's a champ.  Perfect in every way.  Anna was in the hospital a few days and then went home and left her mommy in the hospital.

Molly had quite a time though.  I have tried writing about it; however, words couldn't express the terror, joy, hope, fear and love that I experienced as my sweet daughter and son-in-law faced the following events.  This is what happened to Molly:

1.   Admitted to the hospital 5 days before Anna is born (November 12)
2.   Emergency C-section (November 16)
3.   Placenta Abrupta
4.   ICU (November 16 to November 25)
5.   23 units of blood (That is not a typo).
6.   D.I. C. (Think high blood pressure after delivery) (Think Molly's blood is not clotting properly)
7.   Kidneys don't work
8.   Dialysis 5 days.  40 pounds of liquid removed.  (That is not a typo).
9.   H.E.L.L.P  (Think nothing is working right)
10.  Heart Failure
11.  Moved to a cardiac floor (November 25)
12.  Dismissed with a LifeVest (think a wearable external defibrillator)
13.  Home on December 2 at about 8 p.m.

I am going to write about the power of prayer and the power of love.  I am going to write about those people who just come like beacons of light to share your joy and fears without asking.  I am going to write about Brad being with his wife, his baby, and work-- I have no idea how he kept going but he is one hell of a scheduler.  I'm going to write about those prayer warriors that dug in and kept sweet Molly alive.  I'm going to write about Molly's Godfather Dan Malloy flying from Colorado and staying with Molly's brother, Dan Weaver and those two Dan's doing whatever needing to be done.

Anna went home on November 20th to the loving arms of her daddy;  his parents,Terry and Jim Patterson; and her two big sisters...Mary Michael and Sally.  

                                       Anna Malloy Patterson, Thursday, February 27, 2020

                                            Molly and Anna, Monday, February 24, 2020


Meow, Meow, Y'all!

School Daze

Teaching small folks is not for sissies.

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Humph.......I know, I know.  They just are so cute.  They are so nice.  They are just so little.

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Little people  (those under 6) usually don’t have a hidden agenda.  If they see it and they want it, they take it.

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Mary Michael, when she was six, told her mother that it takes one year to fly a rocket to the moon if you “take the long way.”  I love her.  Her nickname is “Cautious”.  She is going to graduate from school some day and go to Paris.  Just ask her.  She is enamored by crepes, the Eiffel Tower and anything French.

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Sally is much more practical.  She's 6 right now.  Her nickname is “Crash.”  Sally is still all about the Babbies.  Babbies are her baby dolls.  She has elaborate scenarios that are conducted with the babbies.  I personally like it when she assigns me a babby role and I have to be covered with a blanket (dish towel) and wind up sleeping side by side with her dolls as she tends our needs.  (I am very good at being a babby.)  My favorite babby is one named Frozen Babby.....she was found sleeping in the freezer.  (No, I can’t make this stuff up!)

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When she was three,  Sally saw a dead bug....flat on his back, feet straight up in the air.  “Shhhhhh,” she told her mother very dramatically, “I think it is a dead baby hedgehog.”

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For those servants of the Lord that teach our smallest of children, my hat is taken off to you.

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Kindergarten teachers are saints.  Pre-K teachers are angels.  1st grade teachers are lion tamers with no whips....only honey-sweetened words to make those small ferocious beasts follow them blindly down the lane to learning.  Watching primary teachers help small students learn to open milk cartons by themselves should be an event in the Olympics.

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I am in awe of great teaching. Always have been and I always will be.  I was over fifty and an assistant principal the first time I really understood chemistry....I was listening to Traci Wood and Ron Aaron explain the periodic table to their students and thought to myself, “Dang, I wish I had them explain this to me when I was in high school.”  High school teachers see the future of their charges looming so close in time....they are determined to teach as much as they can in a short period of time.

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And middle school teachers.  Middle school teachers are smart, fast, and full of the devil themselves. They enjoy coming to work because they LIKE adventure.  Middle school students are frisky.  On a good day they are wide open and on a bad day.....they....they....they.....make us turn white-haired!

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Mary Michael headed to fourth grade last week.  Sally moved to first grade.  I have been thinking about is their true education.....I hope the girls find joy, and wonder, and friends, and life-long learning.  I want them to read great books, internalize science, and see social studies everywhere they look.  It's time to sing, and play, and create art and enjoy math.  Spanish will be spoken, the pleasures of writing and spelling will be used on a regular basis, and I want them to love a great book fair like their Nana does.   I want them to listen to their teachers, be kind to their classmates and see how it all fits together in the big picture of life.  These are the same things I want for all children.

Leadership Following the Good Book

Frankly, I think that the Bible is probably the best leadership manual ever written.

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It covers lots of different situations.

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Lots of different people.

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Wise, wise, advice.....

1.  To everything there is a season......

Everyone (teachers, students and administrators) should eat lunch at different times.  Eating lunch at 10:30 a.m. is never fun.

No one should always get the last period of the day for planning.  Hey, and what about the idea that all teachers get some planning every day?  

All God’s children get to do duty....be it morning, lunch, after school or parking lot.

2.  And the greatest of these is love......

It is hard not having a date for the Prom.

Breaking up is hard to do.

"I know you don’t want to take four years of (insert least favorite content subject) because you love (most favorite content subject) and you want to take all of the (easiest content class) you can take.”  

No Pig Latin is not an approved second language...good try though. 

No, your "Uncle Hunk" may not sign you out.....good try though. 

The caller ID says you are at Disney World....you might want to revamp the story of why you are not at work.....good try though.    

3.  Jesus loved the little children.....

No lie.  You get more bang for your buck on the front end of education instead of the back side of education.

Primary teachers are saints.  They also like to help everyone. 

Being a teacher of young students reminds me of someone trying to put cats in a sack....it’s fascinating to watch.  

Small children usually have no filters on their thoughts.  

Secondary teacher are saints.  They love to help teenagers grow into productive members of society with some content knowledge to rely on.  

Teenagers usually have no filters on their mouths when they get started on a roll.  It's either fight or flight.  

Middle school students and middle school teachers are indeed the rarest of rare breeds.  God bless them all.  I remember Rosalind Rodrick telling Mike that he didn't have to write so small.  She thought his mother would buy him more paper to get through the year.  My kids have not been in middle school since 1999....twenty years.  When I see their teachers, they always ask about them. That's amazing!  They are saints as well!  Their halos might be a tad askew!


4.  Luke 6:31"Treat others the same way you want them to treat you"

If you, AS A PARENT,  don’t want to do car pool, do you really think our teachers want to work car pool?  

Listen when people talk to you.  Don’t play with your phone, your computer, or your other electronic toys.  This is for every one.  

Everyone is important in a school.  

(Side note: I grew into loving it when people threaten to get me fired.  I always gave them my business card and asked them to spell my name correctly.)  

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It's easy to write this from the comfort of my own home.  Just remember folks-- everyone has a story-- be it the teacher, the student, the parent, the principal, the bus driver, the lunch room lady, the coach, the community!  I hope this school year 2019-2020 is absolutely the best ever.  

Corinthians 13:4-7

Wait your turn! No “sticking” in this line!

Heaven help me.  I went to the grocery store the other week and a bag boy said it best, “It’s like the day before Thanksgiving but these folks are rude.” It has taken me about two weeks to get over it.

I looked around and saw a “different type” of shopper.  The neophytes were here.  Their carts were piled high with "holiday" food and they were all sporting cases of beer, wine, and junk food.  I am going to guess that they were getting ready for the 4th of July.

Now, here I go out on the thin ice....most of these shoppers were......novices.  Not all the men were rude-- I saw some great shoppers-- but the "beginners" were totally out of their element.  Grocery shopping should be civil.  We are all spending lots of money and yelling at the check out girl that the milk is overpriced is tacky on a good day.

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For those of us who tithe to Kroger, grocery shopping is somewhat of a science.  We know where we are going.  We stay to the right.  We wait our turn at the meat counter.  We use coupons that are 1. not expired 2. for the product we actually bought and 3. we know the rules about double coupling, company brands, fuel points etc.

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Most of the people that I encountered last week had never read Emily Post’s Etiquette at the Grocery Store. They might need to explore the "Click It" app and have their groceries delivered to their car.

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I was angry when the blonde streaked bimbo (hard looking 40) tried to run over the older lady with her shopping cart.  The older woman had a bum foot and was moving slowly but steadily.  (No, it wasn't me.)  I saw that stank eye that you sent to the woman, Blondie.  I saw it.  So, I put the Irish hex on you.  Shazam!

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I had a VIM -- very important man --- try to cut in front of me at the meat counter.  “Whoa,”  I said in my sternest principal voice.  “We wait our turn at the meat counter.  I was here first.  You aren’t even next in line.  The lady behind me is."  I bet he was thanking God he was not married to me.  AND I bet I thought he was an a$$hole. Yes, the meat man was laughing.  That man hadn’t been told much no in his entire life.  The crowd at the meat counter didn’t applaud but I could have been elected to a public office by them.

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We had most of the immediate family here for the 4th with Erin Malloy (niece from Iowa) as an added bonus.  Yes, we went to Lanes, ate peach ice cream, swam, shopped and thoroughly had a delightful time.

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My mouth runs like a bubbling brook...it must be spring fed ‘cause it just doesn’t ever stop.

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Blast from the past recipe:

GORP

A jar of dry roasted, salted peanuts

A box of raisins

A big bag of M & M's

Put all of it in a big Tupperware container.  Mix.  Eat a handful after swimming.  Put it in a little Dixie Cup if you want a childhood memory to magically invade your mind.

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GORP can be eaten with your morning coffee.

It's Been HOW Long?

I blog in my head daily.  I write something on the computer every week.  I get ideas everywhere.  No lie.  I'm always writing....so it was a surprise when I looked at Blogger this morning and saw that I have not published anything formally since DECEMBER of 2017.  I missed 2018?  How the heck did this happen?  Well, chalk that one up to time flies when you're having fun.

There are over 80 blogs written in my draft file.  I guess I'm pure lazy about publishing....well, I'm consistent.  All I have to do is hit two keys and my writing is out there.  My goal in 2012 was to publish once per month.  I am behind...as the lady said to the bill collector, "The check's in the mail."

This is a perfect example of wasting time and energy and getting very little completed.  I think of that crazy hamster on a wheel....running and running and getting absolutely nowhere.  This hamster is getting off the wheel and getting some stuff done.  Push two keys, Erin.  Push the two keys.

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The grand girls continue to make me laugh on a regular basis.  Mary Michael just turned 9.  She is long and lean and likes to go climb up BIG walls.  The Harry Potter series has called to her like the Sirens called to the sailors and she's thrilled that there are lots of books in the series-- Mary recommends books that I need to read. AND I LIKE HER TASTE IN BOOKS.  Sally is solid as a rock.  She enjoys orchestrating play (she assigns me a role and then we have a time of it-- I liked it when she told me I was a big baby that was sick...."be a big, sick baby, Nana." Then she covered me with a tea towel.) Sally loved kindergarten and is ready for first grade.  She's social.  Very social.

There's a new baby coming to the Patterson house in late November. Sally told me by showing me a book that stated she was going to be a big sister.  Son-in-law, Brad, told me that we were far down the list of people to know they were expecting.....Sally had told total strangers at a park that her momma was going to have a baby....I just love that child's enthusiasm.

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Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, STARZ, Showtime, HBO, Showtime, Acorn, - there's a subworld that had been hidden from me.....how does anyone get anything done? (THINK about how much I have not published...I guess I have been watching tv).  It started innocently enough....I watched "Weeds."  Then "Nurse Jackie." Then my head exploded.  Binge watching might be the downfall of the world (or maybe just me).  I hate to admit that I find "Shameless" so darned funny, sad, heart-tugging, hilarious, true, crazy and pathetic in each show-- Frank Gallagher is a man that I have dealt with numerous times in my professional life.  I have loved Mrs. Maizel, Longmire, and Michael Scott.

I have a list of "must watches" that will last me until I turn 105 and the kicker is, more great shows arrive monthly.  After finishing "A Place to Call Home",  I am currently enthralled with "Call the Midwife." It is my soup de jour.  It is wonderful to have great stories to watch and enjoy.  How the heck did I find time to work?

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I've got lots to write about this summer....my 50th class reunion, a trip of a lifetime to Ireland and Scotland where EVERYONE on the tour was sick (visualize barking seals on a tour bus),  decluttering my favorite clutter, belonging to too many book clubs, Jack's (the 23 year old cat) trip across the Rainbow Bridge, attending the Victim's Assistance meeting held by the Pardons and Parole Board in Augusta, Georgia, engagement parties, and my furry friends, and feelings, and hopes, and dreams....my musings continue like the shows that are cranked out for our viewing enjoyment-- varied and unique-- something for everyone.

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Talk About It

Three years ago at age 4.....

MM likes stories.  She likes the stories starring MM and the family.

Talk about it......Nana, talk about it!  The airplane that we spot in the sky......talk about it.

Let's have lasagna for supper? Why?  Talk about it.

We were watching a train go by the Fresh Market Restaurant in Locust Grove.

"That train is carrying coal."

Talk about it.

That train is heading towards Plant Scherer near Macon.

TALK ABOUT IT.

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Yesterday, at age 7......

MM likes listening.

She’s the type that doesn’t miss a trick.

Oh, adults, be aware.  Be cautious.  She’s listening, learning, and enjoying the world of adult talk.

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She took off on her roller blades flying through the park.  Her hair was flying behind her as she deafly maneuvered the curves and wet leaves.  She was her own spirit.  My rock climbing, roller blading, cat cuddling little girl.

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We still talk about it.  But, believe me, she has learned the fine art of eavesdropping while seemingly not paying attention to any of the chatter of the adults that surround her.  I think she could be a school administrator.