Honey House

I said to her, after I was recuperating from almost dying.  "See those little jars over there, fill them with honey so the guests at my funeral can have a party favor!"

That was the day that Melida and I worked as a team to extract honey.  That was the day, I almost left my children orphans because if I was going down...so was the other parent!

It all started with typical preparation for honey extraction.  The room was set up with all the stations and the electric extractor was center stage.  It was a very impressive room and I was proud that my daughter wanted to help.  Heck, she came from Texas to experience this.

Tom was in charge of bringing the frames from the bee hives. ( a frame is what the bees build honey comb on and store the honey on)  We did this several months earlier and all went smoothly.  In fact, it was so enjoyable that I figured we could do it with Harper and Hope around.  Things started to go south when the bees decided to follow him to the HONEY house. After all, that honey and honey comb was theirs!!  Since we were planning on several hundreds of pounds of honey, this became a dangerous situation. Bees aren't anything like a dog or cat or butterfly for that matter.  Bees, when on a mission to retrieve their stash...are aggressive and mean.  Sort of like a kid throwing a temper tantrum but instead they all had little stingers instead of voices! The more frames that came to the honey house the more bees that followed.  Tom was outside wanting to bring the frames in and the bees wouldn't let it happen.  Eventually, he made it through the doors leaving some behind but the ones who came in...WHOOWEE!!!  The honey house became full of bees with nowhere to go.

We had already extracted quite a bit of honey.  We wear gloves and cover every surface with plastic so floors, tables and anything else doesn't get sticky from honey. The honey leaves the extractor and goes into a big bucket that is topped with a mesh filter.  We were just watching the honey come out of the extractor when Tom tried to bring in the next batch of frames through the door along with the bees.   They landed on  the frames that were already scraped, they buzzed to the extruder where the liquid gold was pouring out.  There was a west facing window that they finally landed on, realizing that this place was possibly a grave yard for bees.  They were frantically trying to get out the window through the screen.  Ya, screens don't budge. And we had never ever tried to open these windows prior to this day.

How do you open these windows? Hell if we knew.  I didn't care if we broke them just to get the bees out.  One thing we knew was to turn off the lights and let the light of the sun direct them toward the windows. We fooled them into thinking it was night and they needed to leave!  But, we still didn't know how to open the window.  As we where thinking, some bees started swarming around my face, I tried to brush them away when Melida decided to help.  She took her gloved hand, laden with honey, and brushed my hair out of my face.  Oh My God...there was food on my head for the bees. The bees and I danced for what seemed eternity until I got to the sink to wash it out of my hair. After I settled, I braved the attempt to just open the window  any way  that I could using a hammer and screw driver.   With one blow of the the hammer, my right hand slipped and palm side up, I sliced my  hand with a pitch fork.  Yes, there was a pitchfork face up next to the window that for some reason I did not see!  My blood squirted toward the ceiling and I knew I was facing death.  Believe me, when I say this...Melida applied pressure on it with her gloved hand still laden with honey and it stopped bleeding.  The first miracle of honey performed!

The windows were eventually torn open and some of the bees left.  It  was tolerable to continue with our extraction.

As we went about our business, we realized that Harper and Hope were alone in the cabin.  This in itself could spell disaster.  I could only imagine how many diet cokes and chips Hope consumed and what kind of coloring and art mess Harper had made.  Since there were still swarms of bees outside, we had to come up with a plan for me to get out of the honey house so I could check on the girls.

The plan seemed to be sound.  I would put on a bee suit and run out the door.  Sounds simple enough but I tripped and hit my head on the door and landed face first smack damb next to the angry bees.  Have you ever seen an overweight middle aged woman dressed in a bee suit run like hell?  I'm sure it wasn't a pretty sight, consideringmy hand started to spurt and leave a trail as I ran to the cabin.  Of course, I thought it was my head bleeding and I knew I was a goner!

Here comes the part where if I was going down so was the other parent.  NONE of this would have happened if we didn't have those damn angry bees.  Or any sort of bees.  My life flashed before my eyes and I remembered every bad thing that had happened to me...EVER!

If you are a believer, like me, I'm sure you are thinking...HUM doesn't sound like the account of dying that is more recognized.(you know the ones where you see relatives and there is a light and a tunnel).  I guess what I saw was a sure indication that I was indeed going to live, and I was probably going to hold a few grudges about my current situation of hurting and blood spurting.  Melida finally came to the cabin and saw that Harper and Hope were just fine but she got and earful about my demise.  "See those jars over there, make sure you fill them with honey so the guests at my funeral have a party favor to take home.  And....I'm sorry you will be an orphan, Dad's going down too!"

As the day went on, I didn't die and the honey was processed.  But those BEE'S!!!! A bee can only sting once and it is dead.  They better start thinking about that!  I'm so glad I'm not a bee!

I'm back with Intention!

 Tom 4 inches taller...me...hadn't lost 27 at this point

Hey everyone....haven't heard from me in a while...been sort of busy!  Busy watching my husband grow 4 inches.  Busy watching my weight come off...now at 27lbs lost.  Busy taking Hope to school and not being called to pick her up because she was naughty.  People say that being busy is not good.  Hell to the NO....It is good in my case.

Tom was under the knife for 9 hours with a back fusion that made him 4 inches taller and in less pain.  He is recovering well and wishes he would have done it sooner.  Hind sight is your best friend or enemy!

One thing that I have learned from my friends...the experts on anesthesia... is that for every hour you are under, it takes one month to regain your wits.   Wits....in this case is  long and short term memory.   I never thought that someone as intelligent as Tom would succumb to such nonsense of losing his wits due to anesthesia.  Duh....I was stupid.   I should have known the first time his physical Therapist came and asked him questions.  I scratched my head and decided that I needed to take the wheel on his care.  A month later, he admitted that he had no idea what happened in October!  His surgery was at the end of September.

Being busy has been good for me.  That means I am no longer a couch potato binge watching Hulu and Netflix.  In fact, I deactivated Netflix!  Yes, deactivated it like as in a sorority...quit.  But, unlike a sorority, I activated it again when I was told in December about the the great Christmas shows.  Did you see them?  Sorry, I can't remember the names.  Now that it is January, they are no longer available to look them up....HUMMMM who has the long and short term memory loss now????

Being busy is fun.  I find myself getting up from the couch to get a snack instead of hauling them all at once by my recliner.  Being too busy to remember to eat them is fun too.  Who forgets to eat????

I have decided to walk on a daily bases.  We all walk.  But I am walking with intention.   Let's say that I come downstairs and realize that I didn't lock my bedroom door.  That is 13 step up and 13 steps down.  The old me would just forget about going up, have a snack and then realize that Hope was in my room terrorizing the drawers, the closet and the vanity.  The old me would have another snack after the realization.  But the new me sees this as an opportunity.  The new me, who walks with intention would stride up the stairs, grab some laundry, vacuum the hall and clean the bathroom before locking the bedroom door.  Walking is a good thing!

I joined a facebook page for accountability on my walking.  I plan to do 1000 miles in one year.  Let's say I do more....YAY ME! 

Before I even knew about this group, I set out to get 3.1 miles on the first day of 2019.  I did achieve my goal!  As I walked a new route, I thought about my dad.  He was always picking up money when he would see it on the street.  I now call money found, "Penny's from Heaven".  I decided that this year, I would put all the money I found in a jar or box and see if I would have 365 cents.  If I find more...YAY ME!

On this particular walk, I found a lot of trash.  Since New Years Eve was the night before, I was tripping over fireworks debris, beer bottles, mini wine bottles, mini vodka bottles, a bag of weed and a dime.   Of course, I felt that the trash situation was horrible.  Yes, I did pick up the bag a weed just to confirm my suspicions.  But let me tell you what I took home.  I took home the dime laying next to the bag of weed.  Believe me, my friends had a lot to say about that dime of weed I left on the road.  Some even offered me brownie recipes. But there was no way that was going in my pocket, not while I live in Indiana!  Did I tell you that I was on a 3 day jury this fall for a Marijuana deal gone bad?  I ain't touching that stuff. Let's just say, I don't want to wear a jumpsuit and share a toothbrush with anyone in the state of Indiana!  But that dime....it went into my jar.

I'm so happy you read this to the end....I have missed blogging and maybe sometime I will tell you how I really feel!

Do you ever have that itch???

You know when you have that itch in a place that you can't seem to reach.  It seems like I have my fair share of itching others peoples backs.  Have you ever noticed when you itch someones back, you never quite get the spot.  "No...to the left... now up... not so far... that's too hard...move a little lower...that's it...right there..no stop...it hurts."  And then the itch seems worse???

A few weeks ago, I had an itch.  It was on my butt.  I did not ask anyone to scratch it for me.  I just squirmed and shifted.  I really needed to get there and itch! I'm just keeping it real!

I didn't know why my butt would be itching.  Then I started thinking.  Thinking is very dangerous.  Thinking and Googling is worse. The answer must be pin worms.

As I researched pin worms, I got physically ill about the thought.  It's usually found in nasty little children who hang out with other children and exchange germs and pin worms just happen to love living inside the intestine! The female pin worm comes out at night and lays her eggs in their rectum.   The parents can use a flashlight to spread the sleeping child's butt cheeks and actually see her.  She glows in the dark!

The other way to capture pin worm eggs, is to use cellophane tape around the butt hole and lift them off  the nasty little children after their restless nights sleep. Supposedly with pin worm infestation, you are itchy all night!  I guess you can't see them with your eye but taking the tape strip to a clinic ,a microscopic exam would give you an answer.

I got to thinking, again.  How in the world does a pin worm know to come out at night?  Supposedly they just don't like bright lights.  Isn't your butt always in the dark? If it isn't, shouldn't it be?

 I'm 63 and hang out with nasty little children.  Maybe I could sneak in their bedrooms and shine a flashlight on their butts and tape them up in the morning!!! If the nasty little children don't have pin worms, then I would assume I would be safe from infection.

Yes, there is a treatment for pin worms.  Google it.

I thought and pondered for 2 days about pin worms.  I asked all the nasty little kids if their butts itched.  Of course, Hope said yes, it's her standard answer but the rest said no.

My itch is gone.

I really need to stay away from Google. I wasted 2 days of my life in silent worry!

Honey, What's on your label??

100% HONEY  Oliver Ridge in Perry County, Indiana

Tom has been a beekeeper for a year now.  He and I have attended several "Bee Schools".  He takes the technical classes and I take the fun classes.  Fun as in Cooking, Wax melting,candle making, soap making, flower and garden ideas to attract bees and essential oil basics for bees.   I did take a few technical classes and found them equally as fascinating.  But here is the deal about this Beekeeping business.....I do not touch bees nor do I put on that fancy suit to participate in the technical stuff.  I am the "beekeepers wife" and I serve the beer/wine when all the work is done!

We have not processed any honey.  During the first year, we wanted to establish our colony, so they fed off of their honey during the winter months.  This year, cross our fingers hope to die stick a needle in our eye, we will have honey.

What does that entail for me?  Glad you asked!

Check out the different labels and shapes of bottles. Some plastic, some glass.  There are some that put their labels with the top of the bottle on the bottom.

I am all about the marketing!!!  There is a great deal of "technical stuff" to do before we get honey.  I'm not going to talk about that here, because I really don't know about it.  But Marketing....that excites me!!!!!!!

1. We CANNOT claim a type of honey unless we have it tested in a laboratory.  We cannot sell our honey labeled Clover, Poplar, poison ivy, wild flower, and etc. We would have to pay a lab to test it. NO honey is the same, it just depends on the environment and food source the bee had.
2. We cannot say Organic unless we are Certified Organic.  I don't feel like paying the money...but I bet our honey will be about as organic as it gets....but you didn't hear me say that!
3.  The word HONEY needs to be prominent on the bottle. Saying 100% helps!
4. We must say where our honey comes from.  So our honey will be labeled. Honey from Southern Indiana, Or Perry County, Indiana Honey, or Honey from the USA. We really want to be specific on where it is from.  You cannot just call it Local Honey.  Especially if you want to market it in a different state.  You can say Local Honey from location and state.
5. Beware of any honey that says "Bottled in ........"  It may be bottled in your home town but it may not be from local bees.  There is really nothing wrong with bottling honey from other places in the USA but it is very misleading to the public.   Bottom line  Bottled does not mean Local Honey.
6. The best selling honey is one that has RED on the label.  Go figure.  I have no clue who did this research.  Smart choice of color since it is my favorite!
7. Every one loves to buy their honey in that cute little bear! We are not going to bottle it in that cute little bear!  Sorry!
8. We must put the weight or the fluid ounces on the bottle if we sell it. It weighs more than water.
9.  Most people don't want to see a picture of a bee on their honey bottle.  I guess they don't want to know where the honey comes from.  I kind of like the idea of a cute bee on the bottle. I may or may not abide by this guideline!
10.  Just because it has a cute label doesn't mean the honey tastes good!  So, if you can, taste it! Tom and I will be working the the Kentucky State Fair Bee Exhibit in August and YOU can taste all the honey there before you purchase.  Tom was really impressed with the fair last year, and I am excited to join him this year.
11. I'm sure there are more things about labeling but the above seems simple enough to me.

Here are some pictures of labels from our local Walmart.  I would need to go to a local health food store to find "small time producers" labels. I bet they are awesome!

Cute bear, Large word Honey,USA but has a bee on it!  Would you choose this?

Cute bear, says organic, says raw, says Brazil. Brazil is a good thing.

Beautiful red label, shows a flower, but wait...Sugar free...Imitation Honey...seriously!  .

 I have played around with labels for our honey using  my Granddaughters art.  I keep coming back to putting a picture on the label...I don't know...It will be a while but will keep you all posted on what I do for a label and when we will actually have honey for sale!

Follow us on Facebook at Cinda Sue Originals.

Supper Time

We eat supper as a family.  Well, sometimes Hope eats after we eat.  I don't know what the deal is.  Do you think we chew our food too loud for her?  Or maybe, she likes her food cold.  Or perhaps, she has been secretly snacking all day and isn't hungry.

When I was growing up, we always ate our supper as a family.  Well, unless my dad was working.  So maybe I should say.  We tried to make it a habit to have supper as a family.

When my girls were little, supper time was when they told us about their day.  Major teasing happened at these tables as well.  We would find out about kindergarten crushes or who was obnoxious at the bus stop.   I have two favorite stories.  Want to hear them?  Thought so.

We were eating supper in Ames, Iowa at a table meant for 4.  We were 5 so we squished in.  Bissy was in kindergarten and was eager to tell us what she learned that day.

Bissy, " Did you know that Chicago had a fire?"
Tom looked at her in amazement of knowing about current events.
Me, " Wow, I had no idea." 
Bissy, excitedly went on, " There was a fire in a barn." Tom worked at the Iowa State Veterinary School, and he knew that this kind of fire could be devastating.
Bissy, continued, " There was a lady and a cow in the barn."   All we could think was, thank goodness it wasn't a whole herd.
Bissy, exclaimed, " The cow knocked over her lantern."
And then Bissy stood up and sang, " It's going to be a Hot time in the Old Town tonight!"
Mrs. O Leary, you made our day!


Eating at that table in Ames, Iowa was never quiet.  We would have proclamations from everyone.
Melida, "I will never eat eggs!"
Merideth, "I want a perm!"
Bissy, "I want to play soccer!"
Me, " I just want a nap!"
And for Tom, he made a proclamation that has stayed with us. In the 90's, NOT was used at the end of a sentence.  Example:  "I'm going to the store, NOT!" or " You look really nice, NOT!"  Our girls were in Junior High and NOT became extremely annoying. With his fist slamming on table, shaking the tator tot casserole, he proclaimed," In this house, NOT will not be used at the end of a sentence and furthermore, you cannot say Hate!"

Well, I guess he told us, didn't he, NOT!!

I think being the only male among 4 females had to be difficult.  We all just laughed!  After awhile he would come to the table to just eat!

I hope your family sits together for meals.  You learn the darnest things!

To be a Mermaid, My New Years Resolution

This year everyone seems to be choosing a "word" instead of having a "resolutions". When the tsunami of words started to appear on my face book page, I felt inclined to find a word for 2018.  This year started out sucky and it was getting suckier by the time the middle of January hit.  The snowstorms kept everyone in the house for 10 days...YES 10 days.  If you didn't have the flu as well, you weren't in Vogue!  It was during this time that I picked my word.  It was "Powerwatch"!  This is a new word for the 21st century and it all came about because of DVR, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, ETC.  You "Powerwatch" seasons of shows, or series of movies or about anything that takes up hours of mind numbing time.  My word is "Powerwatch."  It's not a very serious word, so I like it!

In the olden days, we made resolutions.  It seemed like everyone was going to loss weight or gain weight, get organized or not.  Many, many things that usually pertained to self improvement.

As close to being a Mermaid as it gets!

The year I made my most memorable resolution was in 1959.  It was the year that I would  become a mermaid.  Granted, I was 5 years old.  I knew that my folks made resolutions.  I figured I was old enough to give it a try. This was way before Disney had the animated Ariel.  My idea came from the original Hans Christian Anderson Fable. The idea of being a Mermaid became an obsession.

How does one go about becoming a Mermaid?  Glad you asked.  You need a whole lot of penny's and as many wishing well to throw them into.  You see, if you make a wish enough times it will come true.  I had it all figured out because that winter we were going to take a road trip from Iowa to California to see Disney Land.  There would be at least a million wishing wells across the US.

When we entered California, I knew that I had to prepare my parents for the transformation.  They needed to know exactly what to expect.  A mermaid needed to live in the ocean and I would be growing fins. Their job was to get me there and let me swim away.  I remember telling them that one morning I would wake up and my feet would be missing and not to be alarmed.  I didn't think about never seeing them again, I was on mission and that was to BE A MERMAID.  I was prepared to be the best Mermaid ever.  I wish that I knew how to write at age 5.  I would have written a letter to my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Guftason, the reason why I didn't return for the 2nd semester.  I had to count on my brother to tell EVERYONE that I became a Mermaid while we were on vacation. He would have done a great job! Deep down inside, I bet he wanted to be an only child!

I threw my last penny in the wishing well somewhere in Los Angeles, CA.  I remember it was a rainy evening.  I knew my feet would be gone by morning.  Luckily we had planned a trip to the beach the next day.  Such perfect timing!  That morning I awoke to a slight tingle in my ankles and toes.  EXCITED.  This was going to be my last day on the walking earth. I figured my fins growth would accelerate once we got to the beach.  It was a very cold day. We got out of the car and my dream of the wind carrying me to the surf vanished.  The sky was gray, it was misty, damp,cold and it looked pretty darn scary in that ocean.  The beach seemed HUGE and the water seemed so far away.  I more than hesitated  to walk out there. I froze. Secretly, I was ecstatic that I still had feet. Stop fins...don't grow!

What was a "would be Mermaid" to do?? 

 I returned to Iowa a little girl with feet that tingled slightly and told the story about how I didn't become a Mermaid when we went to the Ocean.  I was so close to fulfilling my 1959 Resolution. The next year, I  made the Resolution to create a "Genie" in an Alka Seltzer bottle.  Ya, that didn't work to well either.

I tell my grand daughter this story at least 6 times a year.  When she went to Florida, I asked her if she was going to wish to be a Mermaid.  Her answer was Classic Harper.  With her hand on my shoulder she sighed, " Mumma, that's your idea, not mine!"

The year is still young,  I will "powerwatch" all the old Disney Princess Movies, there has to be a character I can try to become in 2018.  "Cinda rella" perhaps??? I like shoes. 

SELF CARE is a pause button.

SELF CARE is not selfish!  Self Care is important. SELF CARE may throw all those other people in your life into a tissy!  Yes, a tissy!

As a mother, wife and woman, I take SELF CARE seriously. And I take SELF CARE whenever I can get it!

SELF CARE is when you conscientiously take time for your own needs. SELF CARE is a pause.

SELF CARE is an absolute MUST. Especially if you’re a parent or a caretaker. Taking a moment out of your day to relax, let go, and do something that is just for you is absolutely necessary for maintaining your mental health.

What do I do?  Why thank you for asking.  I power watch Netflix.  Right now, I am watching season 2 of Stranger Things.  I have been power watching Netflix for  3 years.  My first was Downtown Abby.   In the 80's when my kids were little, I watched soap operas daily.  ALL OF THEM.  I haven't watched any since the 80's but when I get a glimpse, I see that Sonny is still on General Hospital.  Does he never age?

I could watch Wizard of OZ a million times, pause, rewind, and never fast forward!

I must admit that this sort of SELF CARE( power watching tv) does leave me somewhat lethargic.  I can sit for hours and  the house could colaspe around me. One time, the ADT monitor needed a new battery and screamed out BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. I didn't get up to change it, I just kept watching TV, pretending it was part of the show. The dishes can sit in the sink, dirty.  The toilet can sit unflushed.  The pile of clean laundry can sit next to me unfolded. I can sit, stare, watch or not watch, rewind or pause the shows.  I am taking time for myself by watching mindless dribble. And I am OK with that! Did I forget to mention that there is usually a glass of wine involved?????

I am jolted back to reality when Hope starts whining about needing dessert or some other non-essential thing.  I try to ignore her. She can get very loud and demanding, I remedy it by cranking up the TV volumn to 97.  If she finally pushes the BIG Button that gets me off the couch, I am immediately thrust into my RAGING MANIAC MODE. Lethargic is gone, reality is back.

" WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW???'' I soon find out that she has made a blown out mess in the kitchen with a concoction of ice cream, cereal, syrup, pecans, whip cream and popcorn, pickles and various spices. 

Where is the pause button in the kitchen? Thank goodness for the pause button on the TV.  My show is totally suspended until I return, unlike the mess in the kitchen.   The SELF CARE pause button is off and life is back to LIFE.

Most times, my power watching has to resume a day or two later.  By then, I have to rewind to the beginning of the show.  I love it when I get to sit back down on that couch with the remote in one hand pausing scenes, rewinding scenes,and watching whatever I want.  That is just one way I exercise my SELF CARE.

SELF CARE is my pause button.

Have you paused today?

Hope is on a Billboard

Hope loves to dance and dress up, sing and be goofy.  The photographer caught her in her prime at our Special Prom Night in February 2017.  She lasted a whole 45 minutes at the dance, but this billboard is a reminder for the entire month of October that she did enjoy the prom, even for 45 minutes.

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

For the past 16 years we as a family have participated in a "walk" for awareness.  Our local group is called SMILE and we went to the very first Buddy Walk when Hope was 3.  Held at the 4-H Fair grounds on a very cold October Saturday, I arrived somewhat late.....as usual.  When I drove up to the area where other families were gathered, I was overcome....NO...OVERWHELMED!  I could not believe how many people were there.  They were there to support my little 3 year old.  WOW.  I cried!

Hope loves clowns!

Now in our 16th year, we have grown.  Grown incredibly! We no longer have 150 people celebrating our kids, we have thousands!  Our walk is now called the SMILE MILE.  It's just a mile....come on...let's walk it!

I say Let's walk it, but I can count on one hand how many times we have actually walked it.  When she was little in the stroller....yes.   As a grown kid....not so much.  Do you know how long a mile is??? Ya, a long way from the Hot Dogs, the clowns, the stickers, the train rides, the ponies, the silent auction, and the bathroom.   I can't remember when I walked the Mile with HOPE!  Walking verses hanging out in the "building" scoping out all the silent auction items is Hopes idea of the SMILE MILE!  One year, we bid on so many items and WON them, that it looked like a Christmas Sleigh Ride to Grannies in our trunk going home!

Dressed in Christmas theme

The SMILE MILE has a talent show after the walk, usually at 11. This year her dance troupe will perform first thing.   Hope tend to last 45 minutes at all of her events.  She may come late to the party, so that participating in the talent show will be pleasant!  Pleasant for me that is.  I'm hoping to avoid the Silent Auction all together,  if she sees that, she will have a hard time leaving that area to dance.  She will think someone else will take the stuff she wants.....and believe me....she will want stuff.   So wish me luck on working this all out!! 

Hope at the Talent Show, singing and dancing

October is a great time for Down Syndrome Awareness.  It is my favorite month of the year.  And Hope is my favorite teenager who just happens to have Down syndrome.

Cinda and Hope prom night

The Women at the Fire Hydrant

Every morning I fall out of bed, reach for my glasses, stumble down the steps, and head for the mailbox.  The trip to the mailbox sometimes involves putting shoes on or tossing an old coat over my jammies.  Every morning, I go outside and "get" the newspaper.

It is nice to feel the newspaper and scan through the articles , rereading a paragraph by touching the words.  I always get my chuckles from Family Circus, Dennis the Menace and Real Life Adventures because they remind me of my family.  Especially Real Life Adventures, today was...Wife," Where's your Wedding Ring?  Are you fooling around?"  Husband, " Um, I've gained weight and my my finger is too fat to put it on.  But I like your Theory.  It sounds way more...exotic."

This week, the USA section had a huge picture with the caption, "Residents of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, line up Saturday to siphon drinking water from a fire hydrant hose."  The photo had 3 women holding milk jugs waiting a turn to fill them with water.  This struck me in a place in my heart that began to hurt.  The article told of the hurricane, the lack of water, power and news.  I couldn't take my eyes off the photo of those women, by the hydrant.  They morphed in my mind into the Biblical women by the WELL. Women dressed in clothing that covered they bodies, carrying heavy clay jugs, and filling them at  the well for their daily needs.  The image hung with me all day, all week, and today as I blog.

I googled Women at the Well.

I wanted a story about a bunch of women by the well.  I came up with more hits about the Woman at the Well.  She was the Samaritan women that Jesus spoke to.  He was a Jew, and well known that Jews did not speak to Samaritans.  And to be alone at a well with a woman, a Samaritan woman at that. Jesus spoke to her anyway.

As they talked, she noticed he had no vessel for water.  He told her that if she knew who He was, she would ask Him for the Living Water.  She liked the idea of Living Water.  She thought it was an endless water supply and she would no longer have the drudgery of  hauling a jug to the well each day.  She asked Jesus for the Living Water.  We, as Christians, now know that the Living Water is Divine Grace.
If you know the story, she is found out to be adulterous and had other problems that were frowned upon in that time period.   Jesus knew all about her and told her what he knew.  The women eventually went to town and told all the towns folks about Jesus at the Well and they all came to see him.  He stayed in that town for 2 days preaching to the people.  He taught lessons on doing the will of God.  After they heard him speak, they said to the woman," We now believe, not for thy saying for we ourselves have heard him, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world."

The women in Puerto Rico have milk jugs in their arms.  How far did they walk to fill them?  With whom were they sharing the water? What were their thoughts about the devastation they just witnesses on their tiny island?  Do they believe in God?  Do they believe in Jesus?

Jesus is at that fire hydrant in Puerto Rico,  his arms are wide open and loving them.  He is there with the Living Water.  He is there with them in Divine Grace.  And, WE, need to be Christ to the women at the fire hydrant.

“Christ has no body now but yours.

 No hands, no feet on earth but yours. 

Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. 

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. 

Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. 

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.

 Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” 

Terese of Avila 

Have you been Christ to someone today?

It sucks to get old!

 This is a journal on my adventure with a medical problem. I will not alter it, and I will date the entries.  I have never done this, so I hope and pray that the problem is really just old age and I can get over it!

6/6/17
It all began with my 3 month recheck for type 2 diabetes.  I have controlled it very well with one little pill and a constant reminder to "NOT EAT THAT SUGARY BLAH BLAH BLAH"  It is a real struggle but I am keeping my A1C at 5.8.   And that is good!  Normal A1C is 5.  If you are lucky enough to have 5, my hat goes out to you!

Back to the first paragraph...It all began with my 3 month recheck....  Anna, my nurse practitioner, listened to my heart, felt my pulse, chit chatted with me about life and while she was feeling my neck, she said, "  Your Thyroid is enlarged!"  REALLY!!!????  After going through some of the reasoning, she suggested having my T levels checked and wanted me to have an ultra sound done on my thyroid.

Back on December 31, I was scheduled for and MRI on my neck due to pain in my left arm.  I told my friend Dee about it and she reassured me that it was piece of cake and I could have headphones to listen to any music I wanted.  I was ready, I had my genre chosen and when I finally entered the MRI room and received all the instructions, I said, "Wait, My friend said that I could listen to music."  And the techs reply was, " Not when we are scanning the upper body."  They put me in the tube, gave me the panic button to push and I PUSHED THE HELL OUT OF IT!  Not doing this!  As I left, I told the tech that I would be back ONLY if I had cancer. That was a dumb thing to say.

I have been fretting about my reaction since.  And I felt that I was miraculously cured of any neck, arm or  minor pain, until Anna said that I had an enlarged Thyroid.  We discussed how I reacted to the MRI.  Today, I hope to heck I will not have one after I have the Ultrasound.

6/7/17
My T3 and T4 test came back normal.  As well as my cholesterol, A1C and other tests.   The fret is getting real.  And thank goodness, or NOT, for Google.   I'm not finding much and I am putting in other ailments to see if they pertain to an enlarged thyroid.  One of the symptoms that I had 3 months ago, at the last check up, was dehydration.  Believe it or not, I never sweat and I was tasting very salty when I licked my lips.  It got to the point that I even licked my arm just to see.  And it was salty too.  If I were flexible I would have even licked my toes! At that check up, I was told to drink more water.  Did you know that coffee, tea or wine doesn't count as water???? Three months later, I'm still dehydrated!

6/14/17
I talked to my friend Lori and she told me to quit googling!  So, I won't!

6/15/17
Had my ultrasound at 9 AM. Life with  a retiree volunteer husband and a teen with Down syndrome created some time schedule juggling.  Hope went to Wesselman's Woods with Tom where he volunteers at the front desk and I asked my mom to accompany me at my appointment.   Hope had summer school to attend but we decided that she was better off with Tom just in case the school would call for someone to get her.  I ALWAYS get called for SOMETHING when I am at the doctor.  It is almost a given.  Seriously, when I was at the doctor  at the 6/6/17 appointment, the school called to let me know that I HAD to come get her, she had diarrhea and wouldn't get off the toilet.  I was 15 miles away and in the waiting area for blood work.  By the time I got there, she was sitting at a table with a tablet watching those stupid Play Dough Videos.  I guess she got off the toilet! And as far as diarrhea, that is just the way she poops!

My ultra sound lasted about 13 minutes and I should have the results on MY CHART by tomorrow morning.  The tech told me before we started that most people have something in their thyroid.  I told her that I sure hope that the ultrasound of my thyroid didn't show a baby girl.  I'm totally over having kids!!!   Now to wait!

6/15/17
I got a call from my Doctors office at 5:15. WOW....that was fast results.  I have two nodules on my thyroid and I am being referred to an endocrinologist.  So, I have determined that I am having twins! Keeping it real.

Well, I just read MY CHART at 9 pm and it said there were 4 nodules.  I guess I will have more babies than I thought!
6/16/17
I have an appointment with my endocrinologist in September.  We will play the wait game!
9/6/17
Wow, who would have thought that I would meet with a Orthopedic surgeon before I even had my thyroid looked at.  This will be interesting.  I have a carpal tunnel release surgery scheduled for October 9th.  In the meantime....I wonder what my thyroid is up too!!!
9/14/17
I finally saw the endocrinologist!  Anti Climatic discovery!  I don't have relatives that have had Thyroid Cancer so that leaves me in good shape as far as these blasted nodules.  I saw them, they look like little empty sacs of nothing!  We will continue to watch them and I have an ultrasound and an appointment scheduled for next year.  Whew!   

It really does SUCK to  get old.  All these body parts that need to sync up so our WHOLE person runs like fine oiled machine!

Like the kids song goes;
My knee bones connected to my ankle bone. ETC
We can add....my new knee is working just fine...it's time to get the other one replaced.

So far, knock on wood, I'm not singing about by knees and hips....but wait...I am having Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery in October. 
My wrist bones connected to my elbow bone.....  It Sucks to get old!  Not really...I'm Happy to be alive!!!!

Hate is a dirty word!

When I was growing up, HATE, was a dirty word.  "You never say HATE." said my parents. And I didn't.  I listened to my mom and dad.  Well, to the best of my knowledge, my brother and I were perfect kids.  After all our last name was Nelson.  And Ozzie and Harriet were the perfect parents with the perfect kids.  All Nelson's were good and hate was a dirty word.  You could taste a bar of soap by just muttering the word.

What happened to that "dirty word"?  It is so common place in my household, I feel like it is used as a revolving door.  Hope hates me.  Then she hates Dad, Gramma, and Feezlee the cat.  In about 15 minutes she loves us just as much.

I will either ignore her or fly of the wall.  I believe it is called passive aggressive.  The struggle is real.

Raising a child, like Hope, is a real challenge.  And our challenges are getting bigger as she ages.  Some friends say, " Oh she is just acting like a teenager."  Maybe so.  She does have the attitude, and the flip of the hair, and the shrug of the shoulder thing down.  But then comes the HATE.

There is a little rhyme that my mom taught me.

There was a little girl,
Who had a little Curl.
When she was Good,
She was very very good.
When she was bad,
She was Horrible.

A poem written many years ago by a very wise person. Hope is defiant, self centered, hateful, mean and nasty when she isn't sweet, charming and delightful.

I was called to pick her up from school this week.  My hair stylist was just getting ready to add my color to the developer.  I had to leave and it took me 30 minutes to get to her school. As a mom who was really needing gray roots covered up, I was not in a very pleasant frame of mind.  The scenario's that went through my head on that 30 minute drive would probably shock you!  Seriously, I came up with many ways to discipline her.   Some of the ways involved me going to jail where I would consider it a vacation.  By the time I arrived, she was done with whatever pissed her off in the first place. She broke her glasses and wasn't nice to anyone.  Her mantra is..." I want attention and I want it now!" 

Today Hope hated Mr. Smith.

 Hope told him," I hate you and I hate Bosse High School. I'm done with you and I want out of here!"  He replied perfectly, " Well Hope, I don't hate you, but I don't care how you are acting right now, when you come to school you need to work and learn." ( why can't I be that nice??) He and I talked for 15 minutes and really didn't solve any problems.  Before we left, he said that she could come back the next day.  And then he ended it with, tomorrow will be another day. 

Of course, Hope was remorseful all the way home and didn't even ask for her Ipad, a coke or a trip to the Dollar Tree.  She knew she was wrong. And she told me that she loved me.  So much for all my the  imaginary scenario's that sent me to jail!

Hate!  It is just a word to her.  It causes a rise.  So, let's all just take a breath and repeat," I don't hate you, I love you no matter what."  And breathe!!!

WHEN THE HATE IS DONE...WAIT FOR IT...LOVE!

I.Traveled. All.By. Myself.

I went away this past weekend on a Jet Plane.  All. By. Myself.  I know what you are thinking, Big DEAL!!!  Yes, it was a big deal.  Leaving alone meant Tom was in charge of Hope.  Friday morning, I woke her up as usual and she went to the bathroom as usual.  She told me her tummy hurt and we found out why.   She fondly refers to her "monthly visitor" as  "I got My Pyramid".   I was still going to fly away on that Jet Plane.  No Dang Pyramid was going to stop me. Nor should it.

Being Hope's mom is a full time job.  It is my job to help her care for her hygiene as well.  If you are a male reading this, I think you can possibly appreciate that.  What would you do if, someone left you in charge of this task?  Beg that the care giver stay home? Make the care giver give up a weekend away because of someones hygiene problem?  Privately vomit at the thought of the task at hand?????

I texted Bissy and said, "No matter what dad says, tell him that you will take her for the weekend.  And I will pay you big time when I get home!" 

All went well while I was gone.  I even took this Girls Weekend on my husbands birthday.
Who does that????? My mom and aunt bought him a red velvet cake.  Not that he likes it or they like it. They bought Red Velvet because the grocery store was out of Carrot Cake.  They may or may not have sang Happy Birthday......I. Wasn't. There.

Since I played the cheap card about parking at the airport, I was given a ride to and from the airport. Tom picked me up on Sunday evening.  This is not a normal experience for him.  He really doesn't know MY rules about airport pickup.  Here they are.
1. You park out in front of the terminal by the baggage claim and wait for me.
2. You do not bring children.
3. If you bring Children, you do not take them into the terminal.

You may think that this is trite and I shouldn't have rules.  But I know what happens when one adult is in charge of Hope and any number of grandchildren ( Harper this time)
1. No one listens to you.
2. They run around.
3. They want to buy everything in the gift shop.

My flight was 15 minutes early.  I called Tom, no answer.  I always take carry on because I like to just get to where I need to get!  I went to my designated pickup spot and waited and waited and waited.  With 1% power left on my phone, I called him again, no answer.  I called Bissy.  She said that he was at the airport with Harper and Hope. Good Lord!!! What about my Rules!!!

Before going back into the airport, I peered down the front parking area.  At our small airport you can actually park in front.  I saw my car WAAAAAYYYY down there.  First rule broken.

Then I saw Harper and Hope bolting out of the Delta entrance door with Tom at a slow clip behind.
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!"   It is fun to have a greeting like that!  Harper was all about wanting a present, and Hope was just plain happy to see me.

I stood there for a moment, with my  broken rules flashing through my head.  They are just rules.  No one died.  Yes it was stressful for Tom when he was trying to get the girls off of the Jungle Gym that is set up in the airport and neither would listen.  Hope was wearing MY dress, which meant she was showing her underwear while on it and remember the whole pyramid thang.  Wearing my Dress was another Broken Rule.  That is a house rule...stay out of my closet.  She even had my purse.  She looked darling.   Hope did run to the gift shop and Tom got her out before she saw the purses and hats. He was glad I was home. His first question, " Did you have a good time?"  Sweet, and Yes.

This trip was very impromtu.  I have joined a company called Color Street.  I sell, finger nail polish strips.  Crazy easy to put on.  It is a product that is afforable and all women love to have beautiful nails.  Check it out  click here Cinda's Color Street Website

I would love to send you a sample or get together with you.  I promise, I have no rules for this!

I traveled to Detroit, MI for the first Color Street Conference

Summertime with HOPE

Hangery?  Hungry and Angry at the same time.  Nope....that's not my problem.  My problem stems from 3 Tablets that are at 0% charged.  This causes anger and frustration with Hope  and ME.

Addiction?  Yes, there is an addiction to these tablets.  My fault and now I am trying to figure out how to get it under control.  I have been to enough self help and anonymous  meetings and read plenty of how to books that I should really be an expert.  But I am NOT!  I'm just your classic Co-dependent.

Summer is hard on both of us.  During the month of June, Hope had 4 weeks with 3 days of summer school so it kept her in a routine.  July came and wow.... she and I are totally out of control!  It's too hot to spend time outdoors because she over heats.  I put a plea out for friends with pools to let us swim and I haven't taken any of them up on their offers.  I. AM. OUT.OF. CONTROL.

Hope has the attention span of a Nat.  BUT when it comes to an Ipad, a Cell phone or a Tablet, she can spend hours staring at the screen.  She considers the characters on the screen her best friends.  And if I don't have 2 tablets charging so when the one she is using dies.....all hell can break loose!  And it is not pretty. On the other hand, when she has these electronics, she is perfectly happy.  THUS....The ADDICTION.

Routine,  that goes completely out the window in the summer.  It is going to be hard when school starts.  My main concern for her teachers after this summer break is how is she going to handle routine again.  She seems to have an increased impatience level.  It is a demanding presence and not easy to cope with.  Last night, I was trying hard to teach patience.  We use, First this, Then that.  It's hard....real hard.  And I use this technique all the time.

What is First this, Then that?   I'm glad you asked!!

When she gets a hair in her butt about wanting to do something or eat something or wear something and it also requires my assistance, I stall the activity with  First this, Then That.

Example 1:
She wanted dessert, and we weren't even done eating.  I say, "First we finish supper and  I clean up the dishes, then we will have dessert." Sounds reasonable doesn't it.  It's not!  The struggle to get the dishes done sometimes last longer than if I would have just given in. She will add more demands to the list and the the idea of dessert if over and she is demanding a new demand!  Patience, please.....where are you!  Once things are settled and I am exhausted from sticking to my guns, she is usually off with the electronic device and forgotten about the blasted dessert.  Dessert is usually ice cream.  Not just Ice Cream...It has to have this and that on it.  I have a rule, don't buy fancy Ice Cream for Hope, she just loads it up with nuts, and chocolate, and whipped cream and fruit and cereal and and and.....Oh and she eats it with a fork!!!

Example 2:
And it is happening right now as I type.   She wants to go in my room and get some clothes.  Background, she already has a pile of clothes that she put in her room 15 minutes ago, I have locked my room so she can't get in but she WANTS more.   I am suppose to say, "First I finish typing then we will get some clothes."   However, I don't say that...I get a TONE..." HUMMM you already have clothes, STAY OUT of here, I'm Blogging!" That gets you nowhere...then the whining and the name calling and the slamming of doors occurs.  And I just sit here blogging away, talking to you....I hope you are listening!

This room does not need any more clothes on the floor!

The ranting is done, I never left the computer and I hear her humming in her room.  Unpredictable.  And I used a TONE!  Go figure!

What I'm trying to communicate  with you is, there are times when I feel like I really SUCK as a parent to a child with special needs.   And when she finally gets her way, she loves me again and I hear it over and over...." I love you, mom. You're so Pretty!"  The struggle is real!

 Well bye for now. I have to see that the tablets are fully charged to alleviate a future meltdown. And, she is probably sitting in the car in the hot garage thinking that I will be there to drive to the Dollar Tree!  Not happening!  Great motto for this ALL of this First Things First, after all I am a co-dependent!

Secrets to successful 40 year marriage

It is really funny how I am now considered a professional in marriage.  It's my own doing, I guess, I just love telling people that we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary this weekend.  It is a big deal, considering that couples younger than us have already broken up.  We made it because we compromise well.  If you can't compromise....WELL then, things just don't work!  Amen end of sentence.

The other day, while at the bank, I told the young teller that we were going on 40 years.  She just got married and asked me to tell her ONE bit of advice.  Here is what I told her.
Make sure he know how to run the vacuum cleaner.  I'm not saying that he should be the one to clean the house from top to bottom, but he needs to know that most vacuum cleaners don't suck up spilled milk.   And once he knows how to run the vacuum and not suck up spilled milk, you need to teach him how to change the bag ( if your vacuum has one)  There is nothing worse than milk inside a bag, on the beaters and in the tube.  Just say'n.  And there is really a problem when nothing is said about vacuuming up milk with the BRAND NEW vacuum that you got as a wedding gift.

I have more advice.  Make sure that your new home is stocked with OLD towels and rags.  As gifts you received the matching sets for your bath and some great towels for your kitchen.  Guys just don't get that those towels are not for changing oil on a car, or mopping up spilled milk on a floor if the vacuuming didn't get it all.

I love being a professional at marriage.  Forty years!  YIKES!  I have lived longer with my husband than any other relationship I have had.

Advice on having kids.  Well, that was a no brainer.  If you do the math, our oldest turned 39 before we celebrated our 40th anniversary.  We didn't have time to discuss, argue or complain about getting pregnant.  There was no compromise either.  I was either pregnant or not.  No saying "I'm  kind of pregnant."  Just pregnant. SHOCKED, YES! Ten months after our wedding, we were parents.  I really have no advice.  I didn't have enough time to form an opinion.  Bing Bang Bong...PREGO!

Advice on choosing a home. In our first 5 years of marriage, we moved 6 times.  In the last 30 years we moved 3 times.  We have been in our present home 21 years.  We lived in 4 states and in one state twice!  I can tell you right now, I wouldn't change a thing about the moves. We made lasting friendships at each stop.  Tom's career evolved into something he never imagined.  And we added more little girls to our family!  I always abide by the saying, " No matter where you go, there you are!"  Ain't that the truth?????

Advice on decision making.  Tom and I can make decisions and live with them.  That is not always an easy feat.  If you spend too much time contemplating, then maybe the decision is to change course.
We don't dwell on things.  For this advice, the slogan is "Get 'er Done!"  I do need to add, that we don't make flippant decisions.  We research everything.  In fact, Consumer Report is Tom's favorite go too.  Always has a subscription to it.  Do we abide by their recommendations? Not always, but we consider the feedback.  And thank goodness for GOOGLE....where would any of us be?????

Here we are, senior citizens, married 40 years, starting a BEE RANCH, driving a RAM truck and watching the sunrise from a cabin porch.  Who would of thought forty years ago that two 22 year old college kids with $2000 in savings  and still paying college tuition would share so much?  Compromise.  Compromise, trust and love.

On our 38th anniversary in Fairhope, Al.

Hungry Enough!

I am really trying to shake up the meal prep around here.  Last week, I purchased 3 kinds of fish at my new favorite grocery store, Meijer's...Halibut, tuna and Copper Creek salmon.  Ever since we tasted the Halibut steaks that Tom's dad brought back from Alaska, I knew that I could like fish.  I just don't like the price of the fish that I like.  Take for instance, catfish.  I hate it and it is cheap!  Perch, I hate it and I don't care how much it costs. Halibut, I love it, it cost the same as gold, so I must savor it!

In the last century around the 60's and 70's our summers were spent going camping at Spirit Lake, Iowa.  Sometimes we would venture up to  one of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota  The lakes seemed to have muddy bottoms, a floating system was always a must. My brother and I would sunburn to a crisp while floating around on our inter tubes.  Yes, the kind that came out of a car.  After we were flaming red and hot to the touch, we would head back to the tent, load up in the sedan and head to the fishing area.  Sunscreen wasn't invented, we would just put a t-shirt on to keep the sun off while fishing.  With bamboo poles and slimy worms on hooks, we would swing and plop the line in the water.  Where we fished, you could just say the word FISH and the bullheads would jump on the hook.  Bullheads were my introduction to the culinary world of eating fish. My dad would say after they were cleaned and ready to fry up...."If you are hungry enough, you will eat it!"

If you are hungry enough, you will eat it!

Why in the world would God create a Bullhead?  He surely had a sense of humor.  That fish is black and slimy with tentacles that barb you.  My dad would use a pliers to skin it with bleeding hands from touching the "whiskers".  As an observer, I did not lick my lips and shout," Oh goody, let's eat Bullheads!"

There was something about frying them in beer batter over the camp stove that made it tolerable.  I was hungry enough, I ate it.  We even ate them for breakfast!

Halibut.  Now that is a great tasting fish.  I wouldn't even think of cooking it in beer batter.  Oh, and let's pair it with a fantastic Pinot Grigio.  I can't wait until I can go fishing in Alaska. I promise to wear sunscreen and a hat.  I hope I do get to blog about a trip to Alaska, however, it would be hard to be away from Hope for 10 days.  Stay tuned!!!

Do you like fish????

Bee's are here

The bee's are here.  Here, as in at the cabin.  Tom spend 4 months in preparation for the Bee Day.  He joined two Bee clubs and watched countless YouTube videos, as well as participating in endless hours  of video-conferences.  Just by being present within earshot of his computer speakers, I heard more about bee's than the common man knows.  Heck, if I remembered everything I absorbed, I could possibly answer Bee Categories on Jeopardy.

 Their front door. I need a little "welcome" sign made.

I feel that our fashion statements during our introductions to more than 40,000 bees says it all.  Tom was dressed in a white, hooded, zippered jacket with duct tape securing every nuke and cranny on his pant legs and gloves.  And me,with my bee motif boots sitting as far away within ear shot of the bees and Tom with epipen ready and making a fire to create the calming smoke. ( that almost sounds illegal in Indiana!)

This outfit is way to claustrophobic for me!

My job was keeper of the "smoke" maker and Epipen.

I believe that bee-keeping is artsy, sciencey and earth huggy.  I don't know if we will get a table spoon of honey out of this deal, but I sure know that we spent a chunk of change to have an adventure. Stay tuned!

Looking for a Unicorn????

  I always liked Unicorns, Pegasuses, Fairies and Mermaids.  It is the magical dreamy side of my personality.  They just seem all pink and purple, light blue and rainbowy.  Oh ya, I like rainbows too.

Unicorns used to just be that....A UNICORN.  You know the rare horse with the horn and fluffy tail that would graze in a perfect field on a perfect planet by just being the perfect Unicorn with no purpose but being a Unicorn.  ZIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP  fast forward to now! Our Unicorn has become a commercialized icon no longer a rarity.  That poor thing is known for pooping rainbows and crying rainbow tears.  Just this week, a Nationally know coffee shop capitalized on the tears by making a drink called Unicorn Tears.  No one liked it, everyone bought it and that coffee company laughed all the way to the bank.

I heard someone say, " I'm looking for a Unicorn."  My answer was, " Good luck with that!"  Come to find out, saying  ' I'm looking for a Unicorn' actually means, 'I'm looking for something rare.'  Who would of thought.  There is a clothing company that is using that saying for finding a particular print of fabric for their fashion leggings.  Sometimes, the print of the fabric is actually a unicorn print.  Please, please, give our Unicorn a day off!

Pegasuses are horses with wings.  Sometimes the artists rendition puts a horn on it.  That is so confusing, but then again poodles are mated with Cocker Spaniels to become Cockapoos so why not Unipegacorns.

I always thought it would be fun to fly on a Pegasus.  I would love to soar through the night sky passing up flying carpets with my hair blowing and flowing in the wind.  I would wave to people at the top of the Empire State Building and blow kisses to the faces on Mt Rushmore! The dissent would be gentle.We would land in the perfect field, on the perfect planet, next to the rare Unicorn who would be pooping rainbows!

Fairies are just miniature people who happen to have wings.  They are way too small to ride on a Pegasus like me, but I am sure that they could snuggle into the mane and save their Itty Bitty wings the trouble of flying a great distance.  I always thought that fairies were cute until the modern Peter Pan Movies changed them into slightly creepy creatures with glowing eyes and sharp teeth! When did Cute become over rated?

Mermaids are my absolute favorite. A Mermaid is half human and half fish.  The female mermaids are the most beautiful women in the universe with long flowing hair and fish fins.  Can you imagine if the top half was a fish head and the bottom half human legs?  That would be one ugly Mermaid!! I wanted to be a Mermaid when I was 5.  My family took a vacation to California and I knew that it was my chance to have my dream come true.  I threw pennies in every wishing well from Sioux City, Iowa to San Francisco, California wishing to become a Mermaid once I set foot in the ocean. It was cold and rainy the day we visited the ocean.  We didn't get out of the car.  There went my dream.  It was a good thing that I didn't become a Mermaid.  I didn't know how to swim.  Years later, Tom and I took a trip to San Francisco.  I wonder how long a wish lasts?  I didn't take my chances and kept my feet dry!  Wouldn't that be something if I DID turn into a mermaid 50 years later!!!

Rainbows are every color on this earth.  We often times refer to something gawdy as, " it was the color of the Rainbow."  When we got married, in the last century, I chose the color of the rainbow for our wedding colors.  Now when I think about it, I was the  Rainbow Color Bridezilla.  I had to have every color of napkin.  I had to have every color of flowers.  I had to have every color of frosting on the cake.  It drove the cake decorator nuts.  My bridesmaids had to have tie dye fabric dresses.  I had to have HAD TO HAVE!!!! And then, I had to have butterflies!

I  love rainbows!  In 2001, I pulled into the daycare parking lot next to Rachel's mom's van.  I told Rachel's mom that I loved her Rainbow bumper sticker and would like to know where she purchased it.  I was educated that day.  I still would like that bumper sticker. I love rainbows that much!

Ride a Pegasus, turn into a Mermaid, find your Unicorn and Sprinkle some Pixie dust on your loved ones.  Being dreamy and magical is never out of fashion!

The Easter Bunny

2007

I love the Easter Season.  I love Spring.  I love spring flowers. And I love the Easter Bunny.  As creepy as he is depicted in the the shopping malls where he doesn't say a word to the kids, I still love him or her.

When I was young, there were no Easter Bunnies in suits to scare the dickens out of kids.  The Easter Bunny was imaginary, but somehow he left kids baskets on Easter morning!  We didn't have Easter egg hunts either.  Was I deprived?  NO....There wasn't pinterest, internet, fake news or massive advertising about what to put in a basket.  It just happened!  Our parents figured it out on their own.  And they did a great job.

Hope met the Easter Bunny one spring in a NC mall.  Melida lived in Chapel Hill and we took a jet plane to see her.  Melida is a planner, so meeting the Easter Bunny was on the list.  This Bunny danced around it's own gazebo in the middle of the mall.  There were no children around, like you see when you visit Santa. The mall was dead and  Hope had Bunny's full attention.  This bunny did not talk.  I figured that was a good thing.  What are you suppose to do with the Mall Easter Bunny, tell it what you want in your basket?  That just doesn't seem right!

Hope started out timid and then she warmed up to the bunny.  She was 3 at the time, walking, running and hitting was part of her skill set.  She never needed sugar to get her to the escalated excitement level, she could get there with whirling, twirling and squealing! When she was at the height of twirling and dancing on the gazebo with the bunny, some other children approached out of nowhere. They were there to see the bunny.    At this point, Hope owned the Bunny.  No one else was going to have access to the bunny.  This short and skinny child had the strength of Goliath, she was shoving kids off the gazebo and I was trying to be the mother who was in control. This was not my first episode with my non-sugar crazed child nor would it be the last.

I don't like the idea of being in control when havoc breaks out, especially when it involve Hope.  I just want to hide sometimes.  But this time, I stepped up, grabbed the 25lb wiggle worm from behind and pulled her off the bunny's leg with her kicking and screaming, " My Bunny!"  And at the same time apologized to kids, parents, grandparents, police officers and the poor Bunny.  By the time we got to the car, I don't know who was crying more.  If it would have been 2017, the whole ordeal would have gone viral thanks to cell phones.

Bissy was young and horrified.  Melida just laughed because she thinks everything is funny. I just sat there thinking, " Do I go back in and pay for damages?"  We left,never to return!

This incident didn't stop us from getting in contact with another Easter Bunny.  No siree, we put ourselves through the horror again and again.  Year after Year.  She still owns the BUNNY!  Now, she will shop at Dollar Tree for plastic eggs and hide them in the yard, for herself!  Then she finds them. 

She loves the Easter Bunny, the eggs, the baskets and the chocolate.  She loves them 24/7 365.  She loves them as much as she loves Christmas, Valentines and Birthdays. 

Hope Goes To Court!!!

Yeah! I am now going to hang with my MOM and DAD forever!!!

Our grand dog wanted to come home with me.  Poor Ruby wanted to be with Papa!  I explained to the dog, within the earshot of Harper Rose, " You can't stay the night because Papa and I are going to court tomorrow.  We are filing for Guardianship of Hope.  And in the afternoon, Hope has a doctor appointment and a blood test!" Ruby, the smart miniature poodle, understood and retreated to the house.  Harper, on the other hand, listened intently and filed it in her inquisitive brain. And probably dreamt about it!

Harper's teacher was concerned about Hope's health. Harper told her teacher that she was worried about Hope.  She told her, " Mumma and Papa had to go to court because there is something wrong with Hope's head and they need to get a guardian!"

Harper knows that Hope has Down syndrome and knows that she needs us to take care of her.  Bless Harper's heart in putting this all together!  Bissy straightened it all out at preschool.

Guardianship is a real thing.  We feel it is an important step in keeping Hope safe for the rest of her life.  I have an author friend that wrote about her daughter who has Autism.  There were some very scary things that happened and my friend could do nothing about it because she did not have guardianship at the time.  The book is called Not Different Enough by Gloria Doty. She has other great books too.
Check out my friends website.

What is Legal Guardianship?  Well, Hope turned 18, became an adult and had the right to do ANYTHING without our permission, knowledge, blessing, or control.  Pretty scary for a kid who once drove a car in the forest! With Tom and I as her legal guardian, we now are able to speak to the doctors about her ailments, control how she spends her money and demand to know where she is after 5pm every evening!  Without legal guardianship,we are shit out of luck and she could be in a shit load of trouble. Can you imagine the financial fiasco of letting her shop at Dollar Tree and Goodwill alone!  Can you imagine the amount a crap that would enter her apartment that she could legally rent if she had money!

How do you obtain Legal Guardianship?  Get a lawyer and let him do it!  It took exactly 3 months.
It involves medical documentation that Hope, in deed, needed legal guardians.  This cost $15 and took 1 and 1/2 months for the doctor to request records from their legal department and then back to the doctor to sign, then back to the lawyer and then back to us! ONE AND A HALF MONTHS!!!! Excuse me, look at her...she has Down syndrome!!!!!!The doctors office is 3/4 miles from my home!  I could have ridden a bike and delivered everything in a week. But, I was not in charge!!!! The medical records were impressive.  It said, Hope's diagnosis is Down syndrome with borderline intellectual function, maladaptive behavior and gastroesophageal reflux disease. And it said that she belonged either with her family or a group home with close supervision.  BINGO...that was the golden ticket for Legal Guardianship.

Since she was already 18, the process also required Hope to receive a certified letter stating that we are seeking guardianship and in this letter the court date was set as April 6, 2017.  The date was set but we had one more hurdle to jump.  She had a state appointed guardian that had to visit our home and write a report. This was called Guardian Ad Litem Report-Adult. That was the last part of the three month wait. 

You can imagine how I felt about someone coming to my home to deem us worthy of being her guardian, after we had already raised her for 18 years.  It wasn't stressful. It wasn't invasive.  It was just a plain weird feeling.  It was like, ok, we did this for 18 years what if we don't pass the test.  It wasn't a test, thank goodness!  It was a 45 minute visit and she wrote a glowing report that cost $225.

What is like going to court for Legal Guardianship? We aren't real court savvy.  I reported to jury duty once and figured that all court rooms were located in the same area.  NOT!  We were waiting in the wrong building with some pretty scary folks.  According to the creepy man yelling at the lady next to him, she was staring at people and she better stop.  Add your own profanity.   I finally asked a passing attorney where the Guardianship courts were, and we got the hell out of Dodge!

So there you have it.  We don't have the final bill, but I believe the entire process is $1000 and some change.  It is the price that you pay for peace of mind when it comes to our loved ones with special needs.  Please encourage anyone who has a child turning into adult real soon to seek the help of an attorney in filing for legal guardianship.  I will sleep better tonight knowing that Hope won't be at the Dollar Tree spending all her money, driving her souped up car and taking it back to her fancy apartment!