Life is a Handful of Short Stories, Pretending to be a Novel

I love the quote, that is the above title of this blog. I wish I could recall where I heard it or saw it in print. Oh well, I'm going to use it up!!! April is coming to a close, and I want to let you know what I have read this month. My kindle reads have been:
1.Reading My Father-by Styron
2.The Brain That Changes It-by Doidge
3.Jesus of Nazareth-by Ratzinger
4.Heart of the Matter-by Griffin
5.Georgia Bottoms-by Childress
6.House of Prayer-by Richard
7.Swamplandia-by Russell
And finishing up, All that is Bitter and Sweet-by Judd
To a great degree, you can tell much about a person by what they read.
My reading is all over the place, scattered and skirting around the box.
My personal blog is just that, about me. Narcissistic as it seems, therapeutic it is. What began as a tool to explore my grief, has grown into a personal journey for me. So I end this month with my reading log. My ideas or opinions are just that, mine, but they also may inspire you, or entertain you?? This site gets about 100 hits a day, so somebody is clicking the "on" button. A few have entered whatever is required to be a follower, which is neat. (Truthfully, I don't know what that means? Follower??) ( But thanks, I think) I hope my communication has been clear, and sometimes shady. (not sure how to spell irreverent ??) (don't trust spellcheck) ( Is spellcheck a real word)( see what I mean, all over the place!!!)
May will find me, god willing, blogging my prose, thoughts and crazy antics. Celebrating life and its unpredictable behavior!!!

Royal Rumpus

Where are my pearls? I have some elbow length gloves somewhere, our boy is getting married!
Diana's little prince, will say "I do" this very special Friday.
I will certainly pull out my "Sunday Best" dress and watch the royal rumpus.
It's history and a whole "lot-a" hoopla going down in dreary old England.
Thrilling, jolly time coming early in the morning.
Tea and crumpets will not be on my menu, but coffee in my grandmother's best china cup will. Pomp and majesty, my desires fulfilled, and the crown jewels! All young and old, little girls want to be a princess. Watching someone become one, works.
My father detests "The Royals", I know he has been squirming. You turn on the television, and news crews are busy, giving us details!!! I can hear him now, "Who do "these" people think they are?" " Will someone tell me, what is royal blood?" He makes me laugh, his first born daughter eats this up!!!! Romance and mayhem fascinates me, "these people" are not much different then all other dysfunctional families. Aren't we all regal, and members of nobility? I wish Diana were around to see her boy, I think she probably is.
My best wishes to any new couple, taking the plunge. Especially to the new bride, those crown jewels can get heavy, put on your big girl pants and wear them well!!!!!! We are all watching.

No Farting in The Easter Parade Movie!!!

The Easter Parade was on yesterday, still fresh and beautiful. Fred Astaire, light on his feet, and not a fart in the air. Judy Garland, did not use the "F" word or belch like a beluga. Lovely and enchanted entertainment, count me in.
As of late, bodily functions, are front and center. Television, commercials, and movies reek with potty humor. While watching, Dancing with the Stars, Hines Ward let out a big "boom" during practice with his partner. Edit that, I don't want to hear farts on a dancing show. There are entire movies about tons of sh_t!! Loads of diarrhea, hence the title of the movie, JACK-ASS. Yes, I have seen it, and knew what I was in for, I expected gross things. Its the random stuff, that is out of place.
Curse words have become common, and I hate that. No one loves good "Naughty" words, more than I, but every other word is F_ _K!!!!It takes the kick out of it, and then its worthless. People have overused my favorite words, what is a person to do?
An example, Water for Elephants, this past weekend, was better than the book. Then "F" this and "F" that, while shoveling circus shi_!! I was anticipating the elephant to scream, "Leave me the fu_k alone!!" as she pooped all over the wide screen, with surround sound. Sometimes my imagination needs to work.
Last night while feeling safe in my home, a commercial with Sasquatch farting on a campfire, caught my eye. Are you kidding me? Then we were catching up on taped Fringe episode, and a character "passed gas" in a chemical hazard uniform. Why can't people keep farting at home, among their family members? Why all the bad words? Bring back Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, a little more courteous, gracious, respectful, tactful, civil, polite, well mannered feasts for my eyes and ears. No F's and F's allowed, or at least....put a cork in it, both orifices!!!!

Any run on sentences or grammar errors are on purpose!!!

Holy Week, Easter Love

Easter week stirs up something in people. The flock returns to church with priests and preachers, getting busy. The colors of spring all about, and Jesus not hanging on the cross. Religion at its glory, and you know I like all the fuss. Some people need to be reminded. I love all the love, Easter love!!!
There is love, and love-love, then there is LOVE, LOVE LOVE.
Degrees of loving.
Easter brings back memories.
I should have known, when the person on the other end of the phone, said, "This is a blast from your past!" Oh Lord, was my thought, and then I listened.
One of my loves from my youth, church loves, wanted to meet me for lunch. Sure, that would be great, then I hung up the phone. Thirty years had gone by, maybe more, what does he want???
We had dated , off and on, from my 7th grade to 10th grade, at church!! All dates were in and about church activities. He knew I had school boyfriends too! It made sense to me. There was just one big difference, he thought I was "the one." What is the world is this lunch going to be about? Age surely has mellowed both of us, and he is now a minister, he has to not hold a grudge!!! He was the preacher's son, he was making plans for me to be a minister's wife, in middle school!! Maybe it's just lunch?? It's never just lunch!!!
We hugged, and sat to eat, trying to catch up in between bites. I held his hand, and told him, I realized that this was hard for him, and to just say whatever he wanted to say. He asked me if I could ever have been a preacher's wife? "Really?" me, organized religion, you made the right choice . He smiled. Then he asked me if I ever loved him??? "Are you asking me to marry you, now?" we laughed, but I knew his heart hurt. Of course I loved you, and still love you, and will always love you. He then said, " What degree was, is that?" I took a big swig of wine, and yelled JESUS in my brain, "Well, not Easter love, but love, love." This precious, sweet moment for me, was different for this friend of mine. Some closure was needed, maybe for both of us. We were both so grateful for having been in each others lives, and proud of who we had become. We hugged for a long time, and then he said," Do you remember when you put a picnic basket between us driving home from the beach?" NO I don't!!! and let's not dredge up anything bad. We both smiled, and I think understood.

You Gotta Have Friends!!!!

Even as a little girl, I had best friends, Nancy Gamble and Mitchell. We were all of two and three. Then there were church friends, Paula, Wally, Debbie Moulton, and more. Friends for life. Elementary school friends, into Junior High, and High School, people I adore. Work friends, and having babies together friends, neighbor friends, so many more. These people who have come in and out my life, are the very threads that weave through my heart. Every age that I have ever been, a friend has shared it with me. Friends know EVERYTHING about you, and that is what they love. At a moments notice, with years in between, they are at your front door. Time stops, and you so freely continue to love each other. E-mail, a phone call, a card here and there, precious memories, new and old flood my brain. Susan and Melinda, Dianne, Lynn and Kay, Gemma and Purwin, some of you I saw today. Malia and Jamie, a phone call away, we need a visit, an adventure, soon, we say that anyway.
Some days you just feel so lucky, and that is today. Could be the sunny warm weather???? or my sweet message from Doug, or that tomorrow is Friday??? Right now I'm believing its the friends in my life, who touch me to my very soul. You know who you are, no lists or names are needed, each and every day, I love you all, with all that is me. PS...I'm not ruling out the weather for my mood!!!!

We Are Different, You and I

I wake up every morning for the past 45 months, knowing my child is somewhere else. The universe, heaven, ashes to ashes, just not physically here. My feet dangle over the bed, and I want this to not be true, and it is. Yet I continue to pray, for what? That is the great mystery. I remain a parent in grief, and that makes us very different.

I go to bed every night, pleading or praying, sometimes they merge, to see my son in my dreams. Laughing, young or 25, he often comes in the night, ever so briefly, but I see him. Forever can be a long time.

Mary at the foot of the cross, let's me know that maybe I am not so different after all.

Spring Hazard

The Masters Golf Tourney is on the tube, and even if you don't care about golf, the course is magnificent. Spring in Atlanta and surrounding areas, is the masters work. Hence the title of the tournament!!??? You never know?? or you do know?? White and Pink dogwood, azaleas deep into the woods, bulbs and birds, beware the hazard of me driving a car. I tend to be in la-la Spring land, and have been known to stop, at the beauty that is all around me. You have to stop, the wisteria reaching out to grab all passing cars. Layers of colors, how do these golfers concentrate? I have trouble going a block. Yes, the pollen is horrible, they have drugs for that. I will inhale deeply, and still go outside. Leave the windows open, and suffer through this glorious weather. It is so worth it.
I may not have an ocean near by, but I have yellow pollen, inches deep and flowers blooming all about, AND The Masters on the tube. Heaven, now let me check out, the Benadryl is kicking in!!

Being Nice Counts

Daily I'm reminded that people who work the front desks, around the world, have issues. In fact, many people, who work with people, are not nice.
Today was my doctor's appointment, and the front office, is scary. Bitter souls, spitting out information, and me still in a cast!!! Who are these people's parents??? I want them to lean over the counter, and call me "Honey." Maybe just a smile, and can I help you?? I was sure their heads were about to spin!! When cute Jeff, the nurse called me back. He was tanned and remembered I had trained him from my last visit!!! He took my purse!!! I had to teach him this bit of niceness!! So this visit he was ever so personal. Also, the x-ray technician, was so sweet. She had a tweedy bird voice, and I did not even fault her for that, she was kind. Then the long wait, reading bad magazines, that I'm sure had been sneezed on!!! When my bone man, smiled his way into the room. Telling me that I'm an A+ girl, YES he said girl!!! Looking at my foot with wonderment and joy!! He was working the room, and I was happy. It is not too much to ask!!! He also told me, that I could do therapy at home(He knew I would not go anyway!!) and he asked me what else could he do for me?
I thought long and hard.....hmmmmm......Nothing doctor, you have done it all, being nice counts!!!

Give Me An Inch, and I Will Take Route 66 To California

Nothing I do is ordinary, good or bad. Go big, or stay home, fits me to a tee. The only thing that saves me, is I'm PARTICULAR!!! and getting older. My spring break is this week, and already I have done too much. My inch was bypassed on Saturday. The weather was nice, and we were expecting company, so my body went into motion. Still in my albatross of a cast, I wanted to clean, make sure guest rooms were beautiful, pantry was packed, and look forward to my company.
Tulips were out, daffodils too, and I need to rest. Martha Stewart has left my building and is not coming back.
We had a couple of days, of talking and more talking, and then some more. We ate, and laughed and held back some tears. Deep friendship does not require a lot. It's comfortable, and relaxed.
I begin Monday with many things to do, an inch at a time!!!
This weekend reminded me, to take pause, and fold the map away.
Route 66 will have to wait.