Sunday, May 30, 2010

Things I remember - part 2..

1. I remember riding the bus from Shreveport Louisiana to Bastrop Louisiana to see my grandparents.

2. I remember sleeping with my mama and brothers in a full size bed at my grandparents' house.

3. My grandparents lived in a wood frame house, and in the winter, we only used the heater in the room where we watched TV, or in the bathroom when we took a bath. We did not use heaters at night while sleeping. We slept under handmade quilts.. several of them. It was still F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G!! We depended on each other's body heat, a lot!

4. In the summertime, we had window fans and attic fans to keep us cool. My grandparents house looked like a duplex with two front doors. The door on the left walked into the living room and from the living room you went into the kitchen, and then you walked into what was at one time a porch, but my grandpa turned it into a bedroom. The front door on the right walked directly into a bedroom, and from that bedroom, you walked into another bedroom, and then a very small hall with a bathroom on the right and a door into the kitchen on the left. If you kept walking straight through the hall, there was another bedroom, and through that bedroom was another bedroom. The house was not big, but it had 5 bedrooms. Most were only big enough for a bed and only two of the bedrooms had closets. Very small closets. Not big enough to hold the collection of blue jeans I currently own. In the summertime, we closed off the left side of the house and turned on the attic fan so we would be comfortable while we slept. I remember sleeping very well during our summertime visits back then.

5. My grandparents grew almost everything they ate. They had Goldie the cow for milk, butter and cream, and chickens for eggs, and for frying. We didn't name the chickens. They were never around long enough. The only thing I ever remember them buying from the grocery store was stuff like flour, sugar, tea and lard. Not cooking oil, but lard. That white stuff in a can. And they used it over and over again. I am not sure how they determined it was time to throw it away. During the summer we spent a lot of time at my grandparents sitting on the front porch shelling peas, butter beans, snapping green beans, and canning and freezing all this stuff for use during the winter. My grandpa sold some of the stuff to make extra money. They were definitely poor, but they were never without something good to eat.

6. I remember Christmas time at my grandparents. They had twelve kids... Seven boys and five girls. And they raised one of their granddaughters as their own child. Can you imagine having thirteen kids to feed and clothe??? I think the age difference between the oldest child, who is still living, and the youngest, who died from cancer a few years ago, was about 27 years. My grandmother was having babies for 27 years, and if I remember correctly, she miscarried a couple of times. My grandparents had grandchildren that were older than their youngest child. But, Christmas at my grandparents was always fun. Everyone came to their house. Twelve kids, their spouses, if they were married, and their children's children. Christmas was not about presents back then. It was about spending time with family, eating, fireworks and hoping Santa would come. My grandmother made an effort to buy each family a gift every year. I don't know how she did it, but she did. I remember she gave my mom a non-stick pot one year and mama never liked that pot. She couldn't use her metal spoons in it because it would scratch the non-stick surface. Seriously... Now all she wants is non-stick pots.

More exciting stuff to come...

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Things I remember..

One of my earliest childhood memories is of my family living in Shreveport, Louisiana in a 4 room duplex. There was a living room, one bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen. I believe I was between 3 and 4 years old. My youngest brother had not made his way into the world yet. My dad was in barber school and we lived there for whatever length of time he was in school. We did not have a car. We rode the bus or walked wherever we needed to go. I remember my mama telling my daddy she had a headache one night. Being the helpful person that I am, I volunteered to get her an aspirin. To my knowledge, aspirin was the only headache remedy that existed back then. I ran to the kitchen, climbed up in a chair, and then climbed on the counter, grabbed the bottle of aspirin, removed the top (no such thing as child proof tops back then) and then I dropped the bottle and aspirin went everywhere. In my effort to cover up this incident, I started eating the aspirin. And then mama walked in. She wanted to know what I was doing and I told her I was getting her an aspirin for her headache. I don't think it took her long to realize what I had done. I don't remember how I got to the hospital, to get my stomach pumped, but I do remember being there and waking up in a semi-private room with another girl who was older then me, and who had a giant stuffed bear sitting by her bed. I remember eating cornflakes for breakfast. I didn't like cornflakes either. I am pretty sure I only spent one night in the hospital since we didn't have health insurance. I have no idea what that incident cost my parents, or if it cost them anything at all. But, I did learn a lesson from this experience. Don't eat what you drop on the floor. It might make you sick.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Life goes on...

My mama is selling her house. I never thought I would see the day she would do this without being forced to do so. She has lived in this house for 28 years, and for 26 of those years, she has lived there alone. My dad died about 2 years after they moved there. The house is not big, but it sits on three acres, and it all has to be mowed and maintained weekly. She is almost 72 and mowing 3 acres every week has started to take a toll on her. And, she still works 3 days a week at a local grocery store, and she is ready to retire from doing that as well. There is a Pentecostal Church behind her house that has wanted her house and property for quite some time. The Pastor told her if she ever got ready to sell to let him know. She met with him yesterday and they will be getting an appraisal, hopefully agree on a price, and conclude the sale by the end of June. She is leaving the town she has lived in for over 46 years and moving 20 miles down the road to another town, which is where she spends a lot of time anyway. She has friends there, she shops there, she socializes there, and it only makes sense to live there. She found an apartment in an area that only allows senior citizens over 60 to reside. She has friends that already live in that community and they love it. Although she is excited about moving somewhere new, she is very sad to be leaving her home. I am sad for her, but at the same time, I am excited about a fresh start for her.

I will head over there tomorrow to help begin the process of getting rid of things she won't be taking with her. Although her house is small, the apartment is smaller and she won't be able to use everything she has accumulated over the years. She is not one to keep things she doesn't need, so it should not be a difficult move.

I believe the move will be good for her. The road in front of her house will soon be a four lane highway, which means the highway be a lot closer to her house, and the sound of the 18 wheelers coming through will be even louder. I believe it is time for her to move on to a smaller place, with no maintenance, and lots of friends close by. I believe she will be happier, feel safer, and hopefully enjoy being a retiree. I believe fresh starts are a good thing. I believe life goes on...

Monday, May 24, 2010

At some point in time...

I will have to take a break from the new home and stop working so hard every single minute I am there, and just simply enjoy being there. I think I might be obsessed with keeping it perfect ALL THE TIME, and it is wearing me out.. I am sure with time, this will pass, but for now, I am constantly mopping, dusting, straightening, etc. I did actually sit on the back porch for a little while yesterday morning and watch the birds eat all the bird seed I have been steadily plying them with since we moved in. But, even that was short lived because I needed to water all the plants I planted and go to the grocery store since my husband expects to eat a couple of times a day on weekends, and it is MY job to make sure he gets fed well.

I actually thought I was going to have a couple of guests late yesterday afternoon, but when it got close to dark-thirty, I assumed it was not happening. Shortly thereafter, I received a text confirming it wasn't going to happen.. All I can say is, things might not be so tidy next time!

I did order custom window treatments for my bedroom on Saturday. That was a first for me. We usually don't have "window treatments" in our house, and if we do, they are called "curtains" and they are purchased "ready made" from places like Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond, and do not costs as much as a week long trip to the beach, but we splurged this one time and I think it will be worth it. I plan to put "curtains" in several rooms, but I will either make them myself, or buy something I like that is ready made and make any adjustments to them that I think are necessary.. I did buy curtains from Pier One for the downstairs guestroom, and added a piece of contrasting fabric to the bottom and they look fantastic. It took about three hours to measure, cut, sew, iron, install rods and hang, but it was well worth it. They look fantastic!

I also finally got the remainder of my clothes moved from the guest room, where our old bedroom furniture is now located, to the chest in the master bedroom. I also mopped, dusted and vacuumed inside, and rearranged the back porch to make it more user friendly. We hung a TV on the back porch, so I had to rearrange some of the furniture around the TV. The grandkids will be delighted when they realize they can play outside and watch Spongebob!!!

Now I am back at work.. and resting.. at least for now...

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Randomness of my life...

I saw these questions on another blog and decided who I am not to let you know this mundane stuff about me that is of zero importance to anyone, other than me of course.

1. What is the really fast, know-by-heart "go-to" meal to fix in a pinch?

Grilled chicken, grilled squash, and salad. My grilled chicken is awesome if I do say so myself.. Now let me pause a moment to give myself a pat on the back.. PAT! PAT! PAT!!

2. What is one item you won't leave home without (Purse and license do not count).

For some people it is phones.. not me.. I absolutely will not leave home without lipstick. If I do, I will stop at the nearest CVS, Walgreen's, Walmart, etc. to buy some.

3. Where is one place you never tire of visiting? The beach.. I NEVER, EVER get tired of going there..

4. Share one factoid of your family's history.... My great-grandfather was the sheriff of some town in Louisiana when Bonnie & Clyde came through and robbed a bank.. that's what my mama told me..

5. If you could win a one year's supply of anything, what would it be? Without any hesitation whatsoever.. Michelob Ultra.

6. Complete this sentence: "Once upon a time I....I was going to be a nun.. Seriously.. Stop laughing!!!!

7. One quirky thing you may not know about me is.... Hmmmm.. Do I have a quirk?

8. You have one dollar in your pocket. What will you buy? I would go to Sonic during happy hour and buy a large Dr. Pepper.

9. One thing that always makes me laugh is....my grandchildren.. and Rules of Engagement.. I love that show!

10. What is one thing you could do today to help yourself reach a personal goal? Actually put the DVD of Jillian Michael's Shred in the player and do what they are doing!

11. What is one thing you could do today to bless someone else? Smile and say hello.. Sometimes that is all someone needs to make them have a better day.

12. What is one thing you are looking forward to soon? Going to the beach with the grandest kids of all in less than three weeks!!! I don't know who is more excited.. me or them...

And there you have it..

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Her life was over way too soon....

One of my daughter's friends died last night. Julie was 34 years old and had a six year old daughter. She had not seen her daughter in a couple of weeks because she had been so sick and didn't want her daughter to see her in the condition she was in. Julie had medical problems that at the age of 19, she needed a mechanical valve to make her heart work properly. Because of this, she had been on blood thinners for approximately 15 years. She has had some health problems along the way, but she always recovered, although sometimes it was a slow recovery. Recently, she became ill, and it was really tough on her. Her kidneys were failing her, and then she developed a staph infection that got into her blood, which for her was very serious. She almost didn't recover from the staph infection, but then finally made a comeback and was almost ready to go home this past Sunday and be reunited with her daughter. She woke up during the early morning hours Sunday to go to the bathroom. When she came out, she mentioned to her cousin who was staying with her that she felt like she was having a stroke. Julie had worked in the ER and on an ambulance for years and knew the signs and symptoms of a stroke. Almost as quickly as she announced she felt like she was having a stroke, she did. She was immediately taken in for a CT scan and it was discovered she had a blood clot that had moved to her brain and ruptured a vessel, which caused a severe bleed. She was rushed to surgery, but the damage was done. They removed the clot, but the bleed continued to get worse. Her brain was swelling and whatever doctors normally do when the brain swells was not working on her. Julie once told my daughter that if she ever got really sick, she would most likely not survive it. This time she was really sick, and she did not survive it. For people who are on blood thinners, coming off of them for any length of time can be fatal.

Julie knew there was a good chance that someday someone might have to make a decision about whether or not to take her off of life support, and because of that, she had given a doctor friend her medical power of attorney. She didn't want to live as a vegetable, and if she couldn't live her life at least as it was before she was sick, then she wanted to be let go. At approximately 10:00 P.M. last night, she took her last breath on her on. I am sad for my daughter in that she has lost a friend, but I really sad for a little girl who will grow up without her mother.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

What's been going on at G's House...

I will number what has been going on at G's House...

1. We have moved! And .... every single box has been unpacked!! Everything is in its place, at least for now. Pictures are hung, kitchen is organized (thanks to my Mother-in-law who is OCD about organizing stuff), garage is emptier than it has ever been at any house we have lived in, attic is organized, storage room is organized, plants have been planted, and everything works!

2. Two weeks ago today, the movers were delivering our furniture to our new house, along with a couple of furniture store deliveries. Everything went smoothly, even though it was a lot of hard work.. A LOT OF HARD WORK!!!

3. Here we are two weeks later, and I can actually sit and watch TV if I want too. I don't, but I can. I personally prefer to sit out on the back porch, or front porch and listen to the birds, while sipping on an adult beverage.

4. I have been digging up rose bushes, which I don't like dealing with, and planting new stuff in their place. Digging up rose bushes sucks. I was attacked by a couple of them, and they did leave a few marks, but I won in the end. They are now laying by the street waiting on the garbage men.

5. I had my family and mother-in-law over for Mother's Day, which was 10 days after I moved in, and I think it went well. I did all the cooking, except for a really good dessert prepared by my sister-in-law. But, I kept the meal easy.. Tenderloin on the grill, Paula Dean's Wild Rice and Shrimp Casserole, corn on the cob, salad, french bread and carrot cake. Good stuff, even if I do say so myself.

6. And then, when my family left, I took a nap.. a much needed nap. The first nap in a long, long time. It wasn't a long nap, but it did the job.

7. Yesterday I went and got a much needed pedicure and manicure. It was good stuff. Ms. Judy gives an awesome pedicure.

8. I haven't seen my grandchildren since Sunday. I am having huge withdrawals. I may keep them all weekend long!!! Night and Day...

9. A company my firm deals with gave me two tickets to see the Mississippi Braves on Sunday, and I had already planned to take the grandkids to that game, and now I have two free tickets! WooHoo!!

10. I am having a cookout Friday night for my niece who just graduated from nursing school!! Congratulations Lene!

11. I ordered Brownies by David from HSN and they have arrived!!! They are to die for!!!

12. I also ordered a Carribean Chiller from HSN and it has arrived!!! Pina Coladas are in my future!

12. I bought three REALLY CUTE t-shirts at The Loft at lunch for less than $30.00.. They were regularly 29.99 each and 34.99 each.. Woohoo! They can be dressed up or down.

And that, is what is going on with me these days...