Quick Update!

Just received a call from son in jail and he had his arraingment and bond was reduced from $2889. to $750., so his boss is going to get him out. Hopefully he has learned this time that paying child support is mandatory!! Maybe he'll start to grow up someday real soon!!

I hope and pray!!

Trying to accept what I cannot change....

and not doing it very well, I might add.

One of my sons is in jail for back child support. It's his own fault! Still, as a mother it is hard! No mother ever says when she's watching her child grow up "Gee, I hope he goes to jail some day", the way she might say "I hope he's a doctor or a police officer or whatever"!

He's also back with the mother of his two youngest children. I can't change that either! I really don't like this woman and the feeling is mutual on her part! I have trouble just tolerating her so I don't invite them to my house and I don't visit them at theirs. It's a sad state of affairs and I wish it were different. But it isn't nor can I foresee it being any different in the near or distant future.

So, as Mother's Day approaches, even though I don't have any thing to feel guilty for, that mother guilt hangs on and torments me with "could I have done something different with this child" or "what did I do wrong with this one". I don't love him less because of all the trials he has given me....I love him the same as when he was a baby just like all the others.

Tough love aint' easy!!

Traveling back in time ~ October, 1968

This was a time when I was pregnant with my first child and well into my last month.

Hubby and I drove a black 1964 Corvette at the time. We had been looking at "family cars" but hadn't made the decision to trade the 'vette in yet. We couldn't agree on what to get. My girlfriends at the time thought it was really "cool" to drive a 'vette around. And I guess it would have been if I hadn't been pregnant and barely fit between the seat and steering wheel.

On this particular evening, I decided that I needed to go to the local Seven/Eleven. Gosh, I don't even remember for what anymore, but went I did.

I was near the refrigerator/cooler where they keep the milk and soft drinks and water when it happened. I hadn't been in the store very long, but the need to "pee" was overtaking my ability to walk. Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows the feeling! When the baby is so large and pushing on your bladder, you need to find a bathroom.....FAST! Back then the rest rooms in the Seven/Eleven were for "employees only". You guessed it. I wet my pants right there on the floor in front of the refrigerator. The store was almost empty thank goodness. The only other customer was at the counter checking out at the time. I had to do something and quick. But what could I do? I didn't want to go to the cashier and tell him that I wet all over the floor.

So I did the only thing that a respectable, pregnant lady could do! I reached into the refrigerator, pulled out a water, opened it and poured half of it on the floor. I then proceeded to the counter and told the cashier that the bottle must have had a leak in it while I was standing there deciding what I needed. And then......I left. I just walked out that door! I got in the car and headed for home.

But that's not the end of the story. The store was about 2 miles from where I lived and while driving home I saw police lights flashing behind me. Well, I had been taught in drivers training that you have to pull to the side and let the emergency vehicles past, so of course that's what I did. And the cop pulled over behind me and promptly got out of his cruiser and came to talk to me. My mind is racing and I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong. They can't arrest you for having a peeing accident on the floor of a Seven/Eleven, can they?

The officer asks to see my registration and proof of insurance for the vehicle. I reach for the glove box and freeze. My husband has a concealed weapons permit, I do not! There is a .22 pistol in the locked glove box. All I can think of is that the officer will arrest me for carrying a concealed weapon without the proper permit and my baby will be born in jail. I look at the officer and my eyes well up with tears and I tell him that I only have the key to start the car. The key to the glove box is home with my husband and if he would like to follow me there, I will be more than happy to produce the requested registration and proof of insurance.

He tells me he will follow me home and the reason he pulled me over in the first place was because they had a report of a stolen Corvette that matched the description of the one I was driving. Great! A stolen vehicle matching the description of the one I am driving and I can't produce the registration and proof of insurance. Looking a little fishy, right? I'm thinking that he took pity on me in my advanced state of pregnancy and figured no pregnant lady in her right mind would try and steal a car, let alone a Corvette, and get away with it.

Anyway, he followed me home and Hubby came out and when I explained to him what was going on, he produced his own glove box key and opened the glove box retrieving the registration and proof of insurance without once disturbing the .22 pistol. The officer was never aware that the glove box even contained a gun.

To this day, I am convinced that I could not have gotten the registration and proof of insurance out with so much finesse and my first child would most certainly have been born in the local lock-up!

Celebration Time!

We had a lovely anniversary. We ended up going to a local spot for dinner and followed that up with a visit to the high school's talent show. I just found out late today that my oldest grandson was in the show playing in a band so of course I had to go watch him. And you know what? They were pretty good! And I'm not just saying that because I'm his Grandma. They were the last act and they received the most applause. I had him and another band member autograph the program so when they make it big I can show it off and say "I knew them when...."!

While at the local eating establishment an older couple was sitting at the next table. By older I mean in their 80's. Another gentleman came and sat with them and from the sounds of their conversation they were old friends who hadn't seen each other in quite some time. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but couldn't really help it since their advanced age required them to all speak loudly so they could hear what each other was saying.

The gentleman who joined the couple asked how they had been. They replied "pretty well considering we'll both turn 82 in June." They continued to converse and one thing lead to another and soon were remembering their pasts. The lady asked if he remembered the old "41 Chevy coupe they used to have and when he said he did he also asked if they remembered his "40 Chevy coupe! They then spoke of a time when they both had been to a rural neighborhood party of some sort with their dates and on the way home had both parked at a spot they referred to as "Lover's Lane". They continued chatting about people they had known and what had happened to them; when they passed away and from what. They reminisced about their early years of marriage and the raising of their children and what those children were doing now.

One thing lead to another and soon the man reached across the table and took the woman's hand and I heard the couple tell the man that they would be celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary in July of this year. What an accomplishment to have endured that many years together. I sat there envious, because Hubby and I will never see that many anniversaries, and yet I was forced to swallow the lump that had appeared in my throat for the happy times that Hubby and I have had and for the many years of happiness for the couple at the nearby table.

Wedding Anniversary

I can't believe that we will be celebrating our 16th Wedding Anniversary tomorrow the 21st. It is the first time either of us has been married for such a long time. I lost my first husband after 8 years of marriage due to malignant melanoma and he and his first wife were divorced after 7 years.

It hasn't always been easy. Trying to blend families has some very difficult moments to say the least. Especially when some of the children are teenagers at the time. We all know that teenagers can be troublesome on a good day and throw in the added ingredient of a new person in the house with ideas and rules that may differ from what they are used to and you get a Molotov Cocktail waiting to explode! Lucky for us, we have always been able to diffuse the volatile mixture before anyone could set it off.

There were times when I was ready to throw in the towel and call it quits. I'm sure he felt the same way at different stages in the marriage. Heck...I didn't want to divorce him. I finally had gotten him trained the way I wanted and I wasn't about to have someone else reap the rewards of it.

Some blended families have the "yours, mine and ours" thing. The only "ours" we can lay claim to is our 4-legged, 2 foot tall child with fur who sheds constantly!

Did you ever wake up with a feeling that things were not quite right and yet you could not put your finger on what it was?

That's exactly how I felt when I awoke this morning. And it bothers me. Everything is going fairly smooth in my life and the life's of my close family members, so why should I have this strange and unexplained feeling? I'm not prone to premonitions, nor do I have any now.....just this strange feeling.

The weather has finally turned nice, no storms brewing on the horizon, spring is finally here and summer is fast approaching. Why does my mind seem to be brewing up a storm when one doesn't exist! Have I finally lost it...have I gone over the brink...am I crazy? I don't think so, but then maybe if you are you would be the last to know it.

I wish I could put my finger on this unsettled feeling that I have.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

I cooked a lovely dinner for my daughter, naive and Mr. naive and Drew. Her oldest two were with their Dad and his side of the family. They were the only ones who showed up for dinner. Our youngest son and his wife and 5 year old, showed up later to visit with us.

Just as well. I was exhausted from not having slept the night before. I had such terrible back spasms that reduced me to tears and finally forced a trip to the ER. While there I received a shot in the hip and a scrip for some vicadin. Felt a little spacy, but at least I was finally pain free!! Upon arriving back home, I climbed into bed and slept for about 4 hours before I had to get up and start dinner, which by the way, was wonderful.

I kept nodding out sitting up later in the day and must have seemed bored with our youngest son and his wife but I was just so whipped by that time. They said the understood and weren't offended and I'm sure they did understand but still I felt it was rude on my part.

The hubby went to bed around 8:30 since he had to get up at 2:30 AM for work and I was going to stay up and watch the news at 10:00. Hubby woke me up at 2:45 and told me to go to bed.....I don't remember the news! Or falling asleep for that matter! Still tired and think I will try and nap. Night!

This is the 11 year old granddaughter that comes to my house almost every weekend. Here she is busy helping to make apple crisp. She actually thinks she is making it by herself and she does pretty good but still requires some supervision. I don't like her getting things out of the oven by herself.....it scares me!

The hubby picked her up at her school Thursday at 3:30. It works out great; he gets out of work at 3:00 and she gets out of school at 3:30. It gives him just enough time to get to her school and go to the office to sign her out. She is only stayed through Friday morning when I took her to her orthodontist appointment. Her Mom originally said she could stay for the whole weekend, but changed her mind because she wants her to be able to celebrate Easter with her other grandparents on Saturday. One of her aunts may be bringing her back to us on Saturday so she can have Easter dinner with our side. I hope so!! Dis-jointed families are very difficult to bring together for any big celebration and someone is always missing from the gathering. I understand that! But sometimes, just once at least, I would like to be able to have EVERYONE together for just one of our get togethers! I might as well wish for a million dollars! But even if everyone won't be here for Easter dinner, I will thoroughly enjoy the ones that will be here and consider myself blessed to be able to have any of them here to enjoy and shower with my love!

Walleye are a favorite fish around here.

This is a picture of one of my sons with the walleye he caught near a local dam a couple weeks ago. They tell me these are some of the tastiest fish but as far as I'm concerned they're still fish and I don't like or eat fish. I think it stems from having an allergy to seafood and not being able to eat that so I have convinced myself that I don't like any fish! Probably crazy on my part but that's just how I am.

I guess he cooked them up on the grill and from what everyone who ate them said they were excellent! And I didn't even know the boy knew how to cook anything!

I think maybe I should make him cook some steak on the grill for me for Easter dinner. Naaaa....that won't work. I can't afford steak for the whole clan. I guess we'll have ham. Maybe he can grill me a steak for Mother's Day! He can even supply the steak and I'll supply everything else. Yeah, sounds like a plan to me....we can celebrate both our birthdays at the same time!!

Well, naive is home and has come and taken Bailey back to his own house! He was really happy to see her! We will miss him! He is a big lovable boy! I'm sure they are happy to see him too. It seems pretty quiet around here now though. The usual granddaughter has also gone home to her house. Her Mom came and picked her up and Hubby is out cutting firewood for next year and I am alone with Prancer, and she is napping. It's been well over a week since I have been alone with Prancer as my only companion and it does seem a little strange.

My oldest son was here yesterday and decided to take a look at my old computer. He took it apart and cleaned the dust out of it, re-assembled it and guess what? It started working when he turned it on! Hubby is flabbergasted that it is up and running and wondering why we spent money on a new one. He seems a little upset by this latest development and I can't say I blame him. No one likes to spend hard earned money if they don't have too. Although he says it's probably a good thing that we updated since ours was getting fairly old as computers go and my son said that he thinks the power pack is going in it and he also thinks it was good to update, I can certainly understand the Hubby being upset. I could have used that money elsewhere....like a plane ticket to Denver to see my little sister in June.

Not much else happening here. The weather has finally decided to act like "Spring" again. It is warmer and sunny today and I hope it stays that way. This week is supposed to be mainly in the mid to upper 60's with some thunderstorms and rain showers....but I'm not complaining. After all, this is Michigan, it could always be snow!

I've been tagged by Blazing Firebird....so here goes!

1. Who was your first Prom date?
I never went to any Proms.

2. Who was your first roommate(s)?
My younger sister!

3. What alcoholic beverage did you drink the first time you got drunk?
The first and only time....Pina Colada!

4. What was your first job?
A billing clerk in a now closed local Department Store called Wurzburgs.

5. What was your first car?
A 1954 Chevrolet that I had to share with my older sister.

6. When did you go to your first funeral?
At the age of 5 when my paternal Grandmother died.

7. How old were you when you first moved away from your home town?
23 when my late husband and I bought our house.

8. Who was your first grade teacher?
Mrs. McKenna

9. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
Denver, Colorado

10. When did you sneak out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
I never snuck out of the house.

11. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends with them?
My big sister and yes, we're still friends.

12. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents house?
In an apartment with my younger sister after my folks died and the house
was sold.

13. Who is the first person you call if you have a bad day?
My oldest daughter.

14. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid/groomsmen?
My older sisters.

15. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Let the dog outside.

16. What is the first concert you ever went to?
The Beach Boys....I guess that ages me, huh?

17. First tattoo or piercing? What age?
I got my ears pierced when I was 30 yrs. old. No tattoos.

18. First Celebrity crush?
I don't think I ever had one.

19. Age of first kiss?
5 years old, a boy named Johnny and I didn't like it so I socked him in the
eye!

20. First crush?
A boy in my sixth grade class.

21. First time you did drugs?
Never did drugs unless you count alcohol and that was at 19.

So, I tag Bainwen and Nelly if they want to participate.

New Computer

and I'm up and running! Well, okay, maybe walking while I learn the ins and outs of this new machine. It is so awesome. It's 4 times faster than my old one which had Windows 98 and this one has Windows XP. I still think we shouldn't have bought a new one just yet, but Hubby says he doesn't want me going crazy without one and it's probably a lot less expensive than paying for therapy! LOL....very funny man, my Hubby! But I am a happy little camper!

I still have Naive's dog here with me. My dog is getting pretty upset with me. I can't leave Bailey in my house if I go away so I have to take him in the car to Naive's house and leave him there. He has terrible separation anxiety and becomes destructive. My dog loves to go for rides in the car, so when she sees me leaving with Bailey she gets her nose bent out of shape not realizing that I take him to his house....all she sees is him leaving with me and me bringing him back. I'm pretty sure she has hurt feelings. So tonight I left Bailey here with the Hubby and took Prancer for a short ride. She wagged her tail the entire trip down the road and back and seemed considerably happier when she arrived back home. Dogs can be very funny and strange...of course so can their owners as you can see by my taking her for a ride to make her feel better!

I have so much to still do on this computer to add all the things that I have lost since I didn't have everything backed up. All of you out there take heed from my mistake and back up the things you don't want to lose! I'll be busy for a long time trying to get everything back and probably never will get it exactly.

Thank goodness I never erased my card from my digital camera so I can at least transfer those back into my albums. I'm so glad I didn't lose them.

Major problems!

Well, I am at naive's house typing on her computer because mine expired sometime during the night Saturday. The tower will not come on at all. I am going to try and get it fixed this week....I should probably just purchase a new one but can't really afford it at this time. I guess I will see if it can be repaired and what that might cost before I make a final decision.

So, this will probably be my last post for quite some time.

I wish you all well and will miss you until I am able to return.

Need tech help....

and my daughter, Naive, has been too busy to come and help me. She was busy packing and getting ready and taking care of things she needed to clean up before she left for vacation. There is something wrong with the software that connects my digital camera to the computer for transferring pictures. I have tried everything I can think of. Uninstalling the software and re-installing it. Nothing works. I guess I will just have to wait for her return.

Naive and her family left for Myrtle Beach Friday afternoon. I would love to go on vacation where it is warm! They didn't invite me to go with them. Of course I couldn't have gone anyway....you see I promised to take care of their dog, Bailey, while they were gone. Yep...they go on vacation and "good ole' mom" stays at home and takes care of the family pet! I don't mind, really! I just thought it would be something to talk about and see how much sympathy I could muster up! Not much, huh? And you know what else? I never even remembered to ask them when they would be back!!

The last few days have been fairly nice here, warmer temps and more sunshine.....except for today! Looks like they got out of here just in time. The temperature has plummeted to the mid 40's and clouds have once again overtaken our view of blue sky and sunshine. I know it can't last forever, but it seems to just keep dragging on and sometimes I wonder if old man winter will release his hold on us so we can enjoy some spring weather before it is time for summer! And according to the newest long-range weather reports they are calling for the return of snow for part of this coming week!

Gotta love Michigan!!!

Little girl....who ME?

I was called a little girl today which seems pretty ridiculous since I am only a couple months shy of my 60th birthday! Of course the person calling me "little girl" was a gentlemen in his 80's or 90's.

I better start at the beginning. I had a very busy day planned today so I headed out bright and early to a Wal-Mart. Upon arriving the parking lot seemed quite empty. I ran in and got what I needed and was hurrying to get back to my car for the drive home. A car backed up without looking and hit me! I didn't fall down or anything and the man driving the car was the above mentioned gentlemen. He had what I am supposing was his wife with him and she was hollering at him. And she was crying after he hit me. He was crying too! I felt so sorry for them. He kept saying "I'm so sorry little girl, I'm so sorry. Are you sure you're alright little girl?" I guess when you are in your 80's or 90's someone my age must seem like a "little girl". If my left knee didn't feel as if it were on fire, I might have thought of the referral as a compliment!

After reassuring them both that I was fine, I gave them a wide berth to finish backing out of the parking spot and head for wherever else they might be going......hopefully home to park the car!

Tonight the outside of my knee, well actually just slightly above it where that muscle is, is swollen and is starting to bruise a little.

If the driver and his wife hadn't been so upset by the whole ordeal, I might have actually been a little angry. But, they were really quite nice about the whole thing.

This is, however, why I believe that elderly people should not be given driver's licenses without taking a new road test!

But this "little girl" is now going to head off to bed! Nighty-night!!

A good kind of busy!

I have had a very busy and hectic week so far. I'm glad that it's Thursday night and the week is almost done.

Monday I spent the entire day at the hospital with my cousin. She hadn't been feeling well and scheduled an appointment with her primary care physician who in turn contacted a cardioligist who scheduled a nuclear stress test that didn't come out the way everyone had hoped. As a result, the cardioligist scheduled a heart cath and my cousin requested my presence since I have experienced this myself. This cousin is the daughter of my beloved most recently departed aunt. How could I tell her "No"? The heart cath didn't go well either. They had to transport her via ambulance to a larger Heart Center to have a stent placed in an artery that had a 90% blockage in it. She begged me not to leave her, so I went to the Heart Center with her. The results of the stent placement were excellent. She came through with flying colors and seems to think that my being there made all the difference in the world! I keep telling her that the knowledge of the Doctors with the guidance of GOD are what made the difference, nothing I did or didn't do. She agrees with that assessment, but still thinks somehow I made a difference.......I have given up trying to convince her otherwise.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are filled with watching Drew for M & G. He is a delightful little boy with an infectious smile and a laugh loaded into a body that is perpetually in motion! He can make me tired just watching him move. However, I find it necessary to get on the floor and play with him. Even though it physically exhausts me I find the interaction with him well worth it. I wish everyone could hear him laugh....it starts somewhere in his toes and works its way up and out and I can't help laughing too when I hear it! Since both my parents passed away before they ever saw any of their grandchildren I feel so fortunate to not only have lived to see fourteen of them so far but also that I am in good enough health to still be able to get on the floor and play with them.

I am a very lucky woman!

Keeping fingers crossed....

in the hopes that "blogger" stays up and running so I can post something new today. I have tried to access the site for 2 days now with no luck and even earlier today I was unable to post even though I could get to my blog. It wasn't just mine, there were several of them that were affected by the ongoing problems of "the blog world". Let's hope that the problems are now solved and things can function normally again.

A fellow blogger dedicated his most recent post about his grandmother to me. I feel very honored that he did this and I understand his reasons for doing so. Thank you, Stephen, for knowing that I would understand your feelings.

Friday, my usual granddaughter turned 11 years old. She didn't come to our house this weekend.....busy celebrating her birthday with her girlfriends, but she will probably come next weekend and we will have a small family celebration for her then. She wants to go to the "Build-A-Bear" store for her birthday present so we will most likely take her there and she can build her own bear. One of my other granddaughters did this and had a blast so it should be fun for her too.

In honor of her birthday, I am posting a picture of her with my dog. Many of you have asked what kind of dog I have and I have told you she is a mixed breed with her mother being a pure-bred boxer and her father a "sneaky neighborhood dog" although I stongly suspect he may have been at least part german shepard. She is unique in appearance and is a great companion for the usual granddaughter and her fur is just the right length for soaking up the tears of a young girl when grandma must on occasion say "no"!

Winter Returns!!

Well, I'm glad I got to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather while we had it. Winter has returned here. After temperatures flirting with 60-some degrees and bright sunshine and blue skies the weather is now cold (30 degrees not factoring in the wind chill) and snowy. I can't believe that just yesterday we were under a "tornado watch" and the winds were gusting to 60-70 mph and the night before last we had a terrific thunderstorm. I guess it was ushering in a cold front that has now arrived and is most unwelcome!

I finally have finished our taxes and hubby is pleased that we are getting a refund from both state and federal. I hate gathering all the info together that I need to do the taxes even if I do keep it all in one area....I still have to sort through it and it always stresses me out somewhat. But it's done now and I don't have to worry about it for another year!


I received a sad phone call the other day. A friend and neighbor from a previous neighborhood passed away. She was 57. Way to young. She had stopped by to visit me a couple weeks ago and we drank coffee and visited and laughed and caught up on each others lifes. It was a great visit and it lasted about 3 hours! She leaves behind her husband, one son and two daughters and at least 10 grandchildren. She didn't feel well and went to bed Friday night and had a heart attack in her sleep and passed away. No pain, no suffering....very peaceful. For that we can be grateful. Life is short and we never know what it holds for us or our loved ones. I will miss you my friend!

I AM GOING TO LIVE!

Well, I actually think I am recovering and I will live! I still can't talk much beyond squeaking but some words are audible and understandable. Woohoo!! Progress is wonderful. On the down side of getting well, I found out that naive and hubby and 14-month old Drew, are all sick. Drew has bronchitis like me, and naive and hubby have the flu, according to their doctor. I personally think he is crazy and they have bronchitis too since they sound exactly like Drew and me! But, he has the degree in medicine not me, so who am I to tell him differently.

I am feeling considerably better than I had been feeling and since today was so "springy" I decided to spend some time outdoors. The sun was shining and the temperature was into the low 50's and it was very pleasant. The meteorologists are predicting strong thunderstorms for our area starting sometime tonight and lasting a couple days so I wanted to enjoy the nice spring-like weather while I had the chance.

The trees are beginning to bud. Off to the right outside my back door is a maple tree and the buds on it are very large and red. They almost look like red velvet and I wished I could reach up and touch them to see if they felt as soft as they looked! To the left of my door is an area that contains day lilies and I could see that there were several of them poking up through the soft brown earth relishing in the warmth of the sun like me. It was so nice that I hated to see the day end and am not looking forward to the upcoming storms. But, without the rain we can't have the flowers and without the bad weather we would never truly appreciate the good weather.....so I guess we will take the bad along with the good and hush up about it.

Azithromycin Pak (Super Anti-biotic)

Went to the doctor this afternoon and he was almost positive that I had pneumonia so he did some chest x-rays. NOPE! Not pneumonia......Bronchitis. He said that by all the squeaks he could hear in my lungs he was surprised not find any fluid there. He also said it was a good thing that I came in when I did or it would probably have progressed to pneumonia and he would rather treat bronchitis than pneumonia! This is my primary care physician and it is the first time he has taken a chest x-ray since my bypass surgery almost 4 years ago. He made an attempt to be a comic by saying, and I quote, "look at all that wire in there; it goes right through your sternum. There's more wire in there than in the fence in my backyard!" Very funny doctor (rolling eyes)!

So I took two of these pills this afternoon when I got home and I will only have to take one a day for the next four days and that should take care of it. Hooray!! He said this anti-biotic remains in your system for about 10 days so it keeps on working.

My ribs and muscles are so dang sore from all the coughing that I can hardly move in certain positions......like laying down and getting up hurts! And I am trying really hard to not cough......that's the worst. Even sneezes are a pain. I think that I will sleep half sitting up in the recliner tonight to perhaps stop the coughing as much as possible. Besides, I don't want to keep hubby awake since he has to work tomorrow.

So, I am feeling a little better and I should be fever free tomorrow morning.....woohoo! That will seem nice.....and I might even feel like taking a shower and getting dressed! Maybe I can even see Clew and Naive tomorrow when they return from their overnight scrapping party.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers. They are appreciated! ;) Now I'm heading off to try and get some rest.