Too Much In Common

I'm off on Monday's now. The recession has reached me and it's such a great thing to have more time for me. I love "me time."

I hit the gym this morning and did a sweet thing for a friend. Came home. Got my easel upstairs and the paints out. All my playthings ready to go.

The phone rings. It's my aunt. My other aunt's at her house and they both want me to come over. I'm in my painting clothes. A t-shirt, sweatpants and a fleece sweatshirt. Tacky. But I'm just running over for a little visit.

I get there and all of the neighborhood ladies are coming over for lunch. What a blast we had! Talking about their old days. The men that courted them and only wanted in their pants! How the things in my crackers in the kitchen are pantry moths. How we don't take shit anymore!

I called my friend to check in with her and told her what a great time I had.

Me: We laughed and talked and who knew old ladies would be so much fun?

Her: Well, you have a lot more in common with them now!

I'm only forty-four!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday Really Felt Like Thanksgiving

My Love has been working on replacing our light switches and outlets. Last week....there was a noise and no more electricity in the living room and my upstairs bedroom. Something happened.

I called my cousin, an electrician, who I know...but I don't really KNOW know him.

He's about 15 years older than I am, so we missed each other's teenage years. Never played together. But his parents, I knew really well. They would stop by our office and talk for hours. I loved them dearly. My uncle, his dad, died a few years ago and his mother is now mentally gone. I miss them so much.

Yesterday, he arrived around 9:45am. And we started talking. We talked and talked and talked some mroe. Told stories about every one of my uncles. Some of the aunts. Talked religion.

I heard stories that I never had heard before about my family. I heard the whole story of my cousin that killed himself at my grandmother's house when I was ten. I was left in the car that night in front of her house and was too young to know what went on.

We talked about my Daddy and his and how they used to have to sneak off to drink a beer when they'd all go camping and fishing.

My Love came home. She sat in and listened. My mother came over. We all talked some more. Around 4pm, he finished with what should have been about a 30 minute job. I offered to pay him and he said, "Merry Christmas and I love you!"

That was the final message from his Dad on his deathbed. That we need to tell each other we love each other. And so I say to you, tell the people that you love that you love them. It's important.

My Mother

I have two dogs that live IN the house. I wasn't raised that way. I was raised to be "clean." And dogs in the house, to my mother signifies "dirty."

Although, I do a pretty good job keeping up with the fur. For me, that's the biggest issue.

There's been a rash of robberies in our area. We live in the country, but now they've build a mall within 5 miles of us. Sitting on my front porch, you'd think podunk. But I can be at a Starbucks, Target or Theatre within minutes.

Me: Maybe you could get a small dog for inside the house. You know, having a dog in the house is the biggest detterent against thieves.

Her: I couldn't possibly have a dog in the house. They're dirty. They pee. They poop. They throw up. I just couldn't do it.

Me: Thanks for letting me stay in the house when I was a baby.

Pass The Turkey

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with women cooking in bras and aprons!!!!

P.S. I'd bet my mashed potatoes that Jay just drooled.

I Love It When That Works

I'm sitting here at the computer as she's getting undressed behind me. I turn around,

"Flash me your boobs!"

::pulls shirt up and smiles::

And that's just one of the reasons that I'm thankful this holiday season!

Something To Think About

"To love or not, in this we stand or fall."

John Milton