Time does fly!!!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have last blogged.  No promises but I hope to at least get a weekly post in if only just for myself.   Started my summer vacation off with a short stay at Hamilton Medical Hospital with some kidney issues.  I must admit I was scared.  I just don't like to think about dying.  I still have so much more living to do.  But I am home now thank goodness.  Princess as I still call her has met her Prince Charming and moved to the most southern part of Georgia.  I miss my sassy princess all the time and I think Charming is treating her more as a princess than we did.  But as much as I miss her I cannot deny the happiness I believe she is experiencing in life.  So proud of that girl.  Angel Baby is now our Angel Nurse.  I am so proud of her and what all she has accomplished.  I still think of her as my free spirit and I have no idea what plans God has for her.  She as a side kick with her, let call him Mr. Mysterious.  I don't know if that even suits him but I love that name.  I will get more posted about them soon.  I have made a change in my career and now work with my favorite people in the world, special ed students.  WOW, my life is feeling more complete.  I also am trying to help the homeless animals. That will take a blog post of 2,3 or maybe even 4.  Daddyboy is doing great.  I love that crazy man more everyday just seeing what all he puts up with.  He is my soulmate.  That's about it for my now new post about what now is new going on in the wonderful world of Lippyville.   I am still Queen and Daddyboy is still the Mayor.  I have lots of things to share.  Writing seems to take burdens off my soul.  So hopefully I will be getting my soul burden free soon.  Till the next time remember your southern manners!!!!

Sometimes I just cannot put things on facebook but.......

There are just sometimes I cannot put things on facebook for one reason or another.  So I have decided that I will just put it on my blog.  Not many people read my blog or follow it ( which does not matter to me because I do this really for myself).  Today started out as a bad day.  I was late to work, then due to other people's ignorance (hey it is my blog and if that is what I think then that is what it is).   Bad mood does not even begin to express how I was feeling but then I got the most exciting phone call from my Princess!!!!  We had already planned that it was going to take her 4 1/2 years to graduate from college.  Not to complain because she has maintained the HOPE scholarship the entire time she has been in college and Daddyboy and I are so proud.  BUT today she called to tell me she had just met with her adviser and if she takes 3 classes this summer she will graduate at the end of summer!!!  That means we do not have to sign a 12 month lease for next school year !!!!  YES!!!!   But not only the money issue, I am just so dang proud of her for getting done in just barely over 4 years.  I have decided this one is a keeper!!!  

Getting Old Just Sucks!!!

About a week ago Daddyboy made the statement - "It just sucks getting old"  We were talking about all our aches and pains.  How we no longer could do things we use to think nothing of doing (like your back killing you just from sweeping the kitchen).  But the suckiest part of getting old is the sickness and death.  Just this year during the first month we had to go to the funeral home 3 times.  And all of a sudden it is our friends that dying.  It is really scary.  Don't get me wrong, I know when my time on earth here is over I know I will be greeted at Heaven's pearly gates by all my loved ones that have gone before me (that includes my precious wiener dog Max).  But for the ones that are still here on earth, well we miss our loved ones so much.
Then on Thursday of this week I got a message from my best friend in the entire world that her husband has leukemia.  DivaDoll has been my best friend since 4th grade and we are now approaching 50.  We went out to all the hang outs in our single days.  We both got married in 1989 and were in each other's wedding.  We had our children at the same time.  Our husbands became the best of friends. They developed a love for dirt track racing.  The Princess and DivaDoll's Chica were roommates their freshman year at college, joined the same sorority and are still closest of friends.  This is my friend that kept me sane during those early years with our children. We were both so broke that the only thing we could afford to do was go over to each other's house and our big decision was what kind of coffee we would have.  These are our friends that we chose to be our family.  And now our friend, ADD Man, has leukemia. How can this be?  I know I hear sad stories everyday about OTHER people but not my circle of friends.  DivaDoll told us that this type of leukemia is not curable but it is treatable.  It is one that he should continue to live as long as the medicine continues to work.  So we are all praying the medicine works!  I usually try to find humor when I get to the end of my post but there is no humor to be found in this post.  All I can end this post with is please add my friend's husband and their entire family to your prayer list.

Two proud Dads and their KD daughters

Dinner with our best friends before children!

Words can hurt more than we know

I think sometimes I will write on my blog just to release some of my feelings I have inside that both me.  And today I have alot of pinned up anger. Isn't it amazing that there are so many people who think that what is going on in their life is so important that when you try to mention something important with your life they either don't bother to listen and talk over you OR just plain out ignore you and walk off. And they try to pretend they are so concerned about other people yet it is so obvious they could care less. My new goal is to try my best to not be one of those people. My new prayer is going to be for God to help me use my two ears more than my one big mouth and to have a truly concerned heart for others. I hope I am never so busy with myself that I forget to show respect and compassion for others.  I guess this was brought to my attention today when I was so excited to see a picture of my two girls (who are very important to me) on Facebook.  They are currently on a mission trip to Nicaragua and for this entire week I am unable to hear from them.  So seeing this beautiful picture of them with their group made me feel good.  I could see with my own eyes that they are alive and seem to be having a good time.

You know us mamas, we just want to tell everyone about what our angels are doing.  While I had this picture pulled up at work showing it anyone who walked by I called a person over to see it and they told me they had more important things to do than look at my picture.  This is a person who claims to feel like everyone at work is someone special and so important.  Yet they could not take thirty seconds out of their busy day to just glance at this picture.  Why I am surprised I do not know.  There are so many people like this person.  I do not know if they do this to everyone but this person never allows me to complete a sentence.  They either interrupt me or talk all over me.  They always  have smart remarks to make about anything I say or do.  To be honest it really does hurt.  I do try to laugh it off but sometimes it just is not possible.  The worst part is when the person that is treating you this way is a person that you cannot cross or confront.  

I have ADD and I know that one thing that a person with ADD will do is interrupt others.  I find this to be so disrespectful that I made a point to talk to my doctor regarding what I can do to help prevent me from being this way.  I work everyday at trying to listen to what others are saying and allowing them to complete their thoughts.  Lots of times during the conversation I think I know the direction the conversation is going in and want to start talking.  Well to my surprise most of the time I am wrong, it is not going in that direction.  When you interrupt a person what you are telling that person is what you are saying is not important enough for me to take my valuable time to listen.  That is very hurtful and degrading.  Which is exactly how I felt today.  I realize everyone is so busy in the world we live in today and it is a shame that some people feel they are more important than others.  They do not show compassion or empathy for what others are going thru.  The day that I feel that way I hope will never come.  Just like my girls being on a mission trip is important to me, maybe getting your child potty trained is what is important going on in your life, maybe planning your wedding, anticipating the birth of your new baby or perhaps contemplating how you are going to deal with your aging parent or your child that is in trouble.  

My pray for myself tonight is that my Heavenly Father will help me to be the person that will listen and honestly care about others.  Not to just talk the talk but to walk the walk.    

Keeping it Hot in the bedroom

It has just occurred to me to as I lay here in my queen size bed how much things have changed in my marriage regarding the bedroom.  Daddyboy and myself began our marriage sleeping in a double bed.  Did that bother us?  No way because we just wanted to be close to each other.  Now 24 years into our marriage we are in a queen size bed and if our room was large enough we would get a California king so we could never have to touch during the night.  In fact with the Princess off at school there have been nights when one of us slept in her old room.  And enjoyed it !!!!!  When we have to get a hotel room we never request a king size bed but rather 2 double beds!!!! Not to go into too much details but in the early years of our marriage I would get all warm just waiting for the Hunk of a Hubby to come to bed -- now if I get hot before he comes to bed I either have the heating pad on too high or I am suffering a hot flash!!!  And when I think of him rubbing my back it is the thought of him rubbing it with IcyHot.  Never did I go to sleep without him in the bed - now I will let him have it with both barrels  if I have fallen asleep, he comes in to go to bed and wakes me up. Now the only reason one of us wakes up in the middle of the night is because we have to go to the bathroom, certainly not because we want to be romantic.  And good grief the things I wear to bed.  I use to wear cute night shirts and the such.  Now it is what ever clean T-shirt I can find and pray our house does not catch on fire because how embarrassing would that be to have to run out of a blazing house in my fugly T-shirt.  I would blind little children!!!  But the funny thing is I love Daddyboy now far more than in those first years of marriage.  I have watched him become a loving father, I have experienced his love for me during times of loss, I see him bite his tongue several times during the course of a day after I have said something or my father has or one the girls have, I know he has given up his nice car to each of our daughters when they turned 16 and started driving the old clunker again.  He has supported me both financially and emotionally all of these years.  I have never worried he was out bar hopping, blowing our grocery money betting in card games or out having an affair.  When we were married 24 years ago I loved Daddyboy  but today I am in love with Daddyboy.  He is an amazing husband, son, son-in-law and father.  But most of all he is my best friend.  So come on to bed sweetie pie, just be very quiet when you do!!!

Freedom of Speech

I am sick of people that feel that some should be able to say what they want to about things and others do not have that freedom.  Now to set the record straight I do not watch Duck Dynasty nor am I a fan.  The biggest reason is I just don't enjoy the show.  That being said if the star of this show has opinions he should be free to state them.  I have many friends that are in same sex relationships, friends that have made a decision to not marry their partners yet they live together.  I love each and everyone of them and value their friendship everyday!!! Whether you agree with their choices or not does not matter.  It is their decision.  Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty made a statement on his opinions.  My first question would be are you really surprised?  This show has never made it a secret of their home values. They have always spoken their minds.  Good grief he is in almost all of the shows already filmed for next season anyway.  So by the time shows are filmed that he is not in this will all have blown over. A great deal of people agree with him.  It might not be me or you but that does not make it wrong for him to express it.  I have found a wonderful knob on my television set that can perform a magical act of turning the channel on my television or even, surprise, even turn it off.  There are people in this world that agree with Phil and it is their right to be able to watch his show.  If the ratings go down and the show has to be canceled for that reason so be it.

  If the only free speech that you support is speech that you agree with, that does not make you a “patriot.” It makes you a hypocrite.    He did not yell anything such as FIRE in a crowded theater.  All that all of this hype is creating is drawing attention to what he said and to the show.  Do I agree with what he said is far from relevant.  I do without question know that I am a Christian and I have opinions, I also have five toes on each foot but does that make a person that has 4 toes on one foot wrong.  No it makes us different.  And the most wonderful thing about our country is we can be different, think different and not be afraid.  I was very offended by the Dixie Chicks and what they said about President Bush.  So I quit listening to their music and buying their Cds.  If Toby Keith offended you by what he has said and done it is your right not to support him.  I feel the same way about Phil on Duck Dynasty.  But to keep him from being on the show -- I think that is stupid.  Let the man work on the show, let the people that enjoy him and his family continue to watch the show.  I don't agree with what lots of actors on TV and movies believe in and if it bothers me enough - well I just don't have to support them.  But if I really don't care what they think I merely want to enjoy their work then so be it.  This too will pass soon enough. And there will be something else everyone will be fired up about.  I have found this out personally!  Soon someone else will do something that will take the spotlight over what ever is a big deal today.  Thanks goodness for that!!!  Because I know that each and everyone of us has said things or done things that has caused us to be the "talk of the town" and not very many people enjoy that!!!  So please leave Phil alone along with his family.  And let's all just enjoy Christmas with our families, each of which is unique in it's on way!!!

By the way I am not looking to pick a fight with anyone -- I am rather trying to just say let's just all get along!!!!  

Happy 25th Anniversary - oh heck is it really just our 24th???

Today has been a good day --- I might even go as far as to say a great day.  It was this day 24 years ago that I married my Cabana Boy (aka Daddyboy)   I will admit that more people thought we would not live together 6 months but we have beat the odds .   Some might say it is because we are both to lazy to move out or that we are so broke from keeping Princess up at college we could not afford another household.  There may be some truth in both of those statements but I have to say I could not have found a husband that was a better fit for me.  When I married Daddyboy, bless his sweet heart, he was blown out of the water.  This was a man that did not mix and match his clothes (come on, I thought everyone had GRRRanimals) but rather what ever shirt was bought with a pair of pants well so be it.  And he actually had certain outfits for certain days of the week.  Marrying me totally changed that.  He loves everything scheduled - I fly by the set of my pants and hope I just don't bust my butt.  He refuses to take an aspirin for a headache while I think if one is good two is probably better.  I don't think we could be more opposite but hey it works for us.  There is not another person I enjoy being around more than my husband.  He can piss me off royally and I can call him an SOB but he is my SOB and no one else better say that about him.  He is a good provider for this family of wanting girls.  Always has settled for the lesser of everything so his girls could have better.  He always drives the crappy car, always has the most out of date cell phone and hardly ever complains.  And when he does he really just needs us to tell him how much we love him and appreciate all he gives up so that we can have better.  He never goes out drinking at the bars with the boys, instead he spends his time off here in Lippyville, taking care of the pool, our house, the cars, grilling out and so on.  To the best of my knowledge he has always been a faithful husband and I love him dearly for that.  Now he can be argumentative and he never likes to make a decision, example : where do you want to eat tonight --- reply hey what about Wendy's -- nope not there!  I think this is because if we go where I suggest and the meal is bad he can blame me!!!!!
Marrying me changed his whole lifestyle.  He no longer has his matchy outfits but he really just prayers that he has some clean underwear.  And he certainly does not have a certain outfit for a certain day of the week.  He never is certain what plans we have and if he thinks he knows what they are, he never is certain that I won't change my mind.  But he just goes with the flow.
When I mentioned our anniversary was coming up and he better have me a darn good gift for our 25th year he replied I sure will.  I said again -- I mean a darn good one.  He said well since I have a whole year to think about that maybe I can do it.  I was very confused as to why he thought he had another year -- our anniversary, the 25th one, was in three days.  He very calmly turned to me and said I know it feels like an eternity but we have only been married for 24 years this anniversary, dummy!!!  Of course I had to do some quick math in my head and good grief he was right.  And my only reply was well I guess I am a dummy but I am your dummy.  With that said  I just walked away.  Cause I might not have had my math right but I knew that I had married the right man!!!

What a lucky girl I am

Today was the ending of a very emotional time in my life.  Today we buried my dear Uncle Herman.  

I have several uncles but my uncle Herman was so much more than just an uncle to me.  I think of him as my 2nd father.  I think that is why for some it has been hard for them to understand how deep my grief has been.  As many people know I lost my mother 18 years ago to a sudden illness and honestly I was so scared because I had a 2 1/2 year old daughter plus my 10 week old daughter.  I had no idea how I was going to manage bringing up my girls without the help of my mother.  But my Nana Pat and Uncle Herman stepped right up without missing a beat to serve as surrogate grandparents for my girls along with surrogate parents to me.  
I was adopted in November 1966 and was the first grandchild on my mother's side of the family.  The Lord blessed my poor mother by letting my Nana Pat live directly across the street so when I was up crying night after night, Nana Pat was there to help my mother.  My Uncle Herman was off in Vietnam fighting the war so Nana had time to spend with me.  

  I have to admit it probably took 2 sets of parents to raise me.  I think I was quiet a handful.  But as the years went on even when they had their own child, my cousin Krisie, (who is just like a sister to me) I always knew I could depend on Nana and Herman.  My Nana was known around town as the Girl Scout Lady but rest assured Herman was the Girl Scout Man.  
He always backed Pat up on what ever she was under taking - if it was baking 25 coconut cakes to give out at Christmas or feed the entire family every Sunday what seemed like a Thanksgiving meal, he was right there helping out. But he was never a proud or boastful man, never one to want to receive any credit for anything he did.  He did the things he did because he wanted to and certainly not for any recognition. 
He had a job that required him to travel often but he always made sure he talked to my Nana at least twice a day.  When I think of an example of a loving and faithful husband I always think of Uncle Herman.  I hope that one day my children and others will think that way of my marriage although we are somewhat more vocal in our disagreements than either of them were.  
My uncle was the rock or maybe the corner stone of our family.  If I ever needed advice or an opinion on something we should do I always knew I could go to him.  He just played such an important part in my life.  And in so many others.  
Herman was a very educated man but never did he make anyone that was not as educated feel like less of a person.  He was a faithful member of his church and played so many roles in keeping the church going and on track.  He never tried to push his way on others because "it was his way" but rather he was always open to discussion to see if perhaps there were other ways or changes that needed to be made to his suggestions that would make it better.  
He served his country in Vietnam and received the purple heart.  He was faithful and loyal to his country. 

 He was faithful and loyal to his wife.  He was faithful and loyal to his daughter Krisie, granddaughter Lindsay and grandson Brandon.   He was also faithful and loyal to my sister and me.  We were merely his wife's sister's adopted children but at no time  did he ever make us feel any less a part of the family.  When my precious sister Susan fought her courageous battle with breast cancer I do not know what we would have done without my aunt and uncle.  They helped us in far too many ways for me to ever thank them for.  They were preparing for her to come live her last days in their home.  Although it never came to that,  my nana was right their in Houston holding her hand when she went to her heavenly home.  
I have never once doubted that if I ever needed a place to live or anything else I could ask either of them and it would have been offered to me with no strings attached.  

As I sat in the service today celebrating this remarkable man's life so many different things ran through my head.  He was such a remarkable man who could be serious one minute and then making us laugh so hard the next.  He was someone I could depend on and someone I held in very high respect.   I respected his love for his God that I do not think anyone ever questioned, his love for his family, his commitment to his job and to his church.  
I just could not seem to keep my emotions in check today.  I had witnessed this strong man have to fight a battle with cancer and all of the horrible ways it took a toll on his body. All I could think of was why?  This was so unfair for this wonderful, loving man to have to suffer the way he did.  But my Uncle Herman left this world with all the dignity he had earned.  I never once heard him ask God "Why me?", although I have ask that question and I still am asking that question but rather he wanted to continue with experimental treatment as long as he could on the off chance that something could be learned that would help other people.  
I do rejoice in the fact that when he left this earth for the Heavenly Home our God has waiting for us that he was greeted by all of our loved ones that have gone before us.   And although right now it is hard for me to think about him no longer being in this world with us sitting at the head of the table for Sunday dinner chomping on those hot peppers, not here on Christmas to read the Christmas Story to us as he always has but rather he is rejoicing with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I know when my time comes to join my Heavenly Father this special, special uncle of mine will be there to greet me with open arms into my heavenly family just like he welcomed me with open arms when I was a 4 month old orphan and  I became a member of his family.  Wow, what a lucky girl I am.

Angel Baby's Birthday

I have had a hard time sleeping tonight so I decided to just getup at 3:00 am to begin my day.  This is VERY unusual for me because as many of my friends know I am not an early riser but today is different.  It was 17 years ago around this time that I instructed Daddyboy we needed to head to the hospital.  Princess was already at her grandparents house spending the night because we kind of felt like it was going to be a middle of the night trip. And a princess needs her undisturbed beauty sleep.  I know I was so scared.  Not really scared of the labor I knew I was about to go thru but just the fact that God had given us the gift of another precious life .  And how were we going to do?  The first curve ball came when we found out our private insurance policy would not cover anything unless the baby arrived 3 weeks late because that is when our maternity coverage would begin.  Daddyboy and I could not even begin to figure out how we were going to cover that.  Well we did get the Doctor's bill paid before we had to go to the hospital by some miracle and we still feed the princess and ourselves.  But we discussed that $500 epidural.  I must have been out of my mind or something because I agreed with Daddyboy that was one way to save money, I could be tough and do with out it.  Let me say, not a wish decision.  By the time that we arrived at the hospital I wanted my drugs!!! They got me into the labor and delivery room, settled in a rocker and wanted me to try the whirlpool tub for the pains.  I said no thank you, please give me the epidural.  The sweet midwife held my hand, stroked my back and said you can do this without the epidural.  I maintained my cool and said no, I really want that epidural, PLEASE, (see I was still remembering the manners my southern mama taught me)  Then Daddyboy came bouncing in.  He said Now honey, remember we talked about this and agreed that was one way to save $500.  Remember sweetheart?  All of this said with a big goofy grin on his face.  That was it!!!  I pulled him down into my face (hey I know I had horrible smelling breath at that point) and I think my face split open.  The devil being in me came out and said I WANT THAT EPIDURAL NOW, AND I DO NOT GIVE A DAMN HOW YOU PAY FOR IT, YOU CAN CUT OFF YOUR RIGHT BALL FOR ALL I CARE!!!!  I think Daddyboy believed me, far more than that midwife did because he rushed right out in the hall to get this request rolling down the line.  Within 5 minutes the Doc was in there administering it to me.  RELIEF!!!!  After about 6 hours, The Price is Right was coming on the midwife said I think it is time to push, by the way I have a student midwife here, would it be alright for her to help deliver the baby.   Well what a fine time to ask.  I would have let about anyone.  4 pushes and our Angel Baby arrived.  All red and screaming and BLONDE!!!  I did a double take, BLONDE was not even on my radar.    The Princess had arrived with dark hair, dark eyes and a bit jaundice, I really thought she had alittle sun tan.  Angel Baby looked so different to me.  I had always said I wanted a blonde, blue eyed baby but my mother in law always said that my dark colors would dominate.  Blonde and blue eyed not going to happen according to her.  Well let's just say what I have always said to Daddyboy, Yo mama don't know everything!!!  So here was our beautiful baby girl weighing in at 9 pounds 7 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long.  She was a whopper of a baby.  I walked down to see her in the nursery and thought she was so beautiful.  Then a toothless monger standing next to me looked at my angel baby and said, "I tell you one damn thang, if you had squirted that big ole out you would not be standing here."  It was then that the mother lion came out in me and I said That dear lady is my baby and as you can see I am standing very well.  And I am still standing very well today as we get ready to celebrate her 17th birthday.  Angel Baby is so different than Princess.  Princess always has liked a big party to celebrate birthdays and Angel Baby just likes doing something with a few close friends.  So tonight Daddyboy and I are taking her along with her boyfriend, more commonly referred to as That Boy (said with love) and her Grandy to the smartest Italian restaurant in the world for dinner.  Now why you might ask do I say it is the smartest, well the big deal about this place is if it is your birthday you eat FREE.  But only you.  And how many people do you know that will come to the restaurant by themselves.  In fact because you are celebrating a birthday you probably bring more people than normal.  So that free birthday dinner table usually ends up with a check for around 70.00.  Smart Restaurant.
Daddyboy and I grow closer each day to having this babies raised the best we can.  We have made so many mistakes.  But that the good Lord above He has watched out for us and so far we have 2 precious girls!  Happy Birthday Angel Baby - you were our biggest surprise and one of greatest gifts from our heavenly Father! Sometimes we don't know what we need but Jesus does and he knew life would not be complete without Angel Baby.

Settling in to a new way of life -- BROKE!!!

DaddyBoy and I are trying to get use to having no extra money.  Not that we had much before but since we have sent Princess of to college we are now about ready to go on food stamps!!!  While Princess is living it at college, we are stuck here at home eating beans and rice!!  Angel Baby is suffering at home with us too.  She is trying to help me start couponing!!  Bless her sweet heart.  We started working on my coupon book today.  Not so sure how this will go, only time will tell.  Now that I have found the most wonderful place in the internet world, Pinterest, I am going to try my best to find new and interesting recipes for the family.  I am going to try to use better organizational skills so I know what I really have and what I don't have.  And I am just going to have to find my entertainment on the web!!!  DaddyBoy is not really that entertaining.  Maybe this will be a bonding time for us - who knows?  I kind of doubt it because I really like the finer things in life, you know like Charmin toilet paper instead of the No name brand.  It is Saturday night here in Lippyville and we are getting ready to settle in for dinner.  Please feel free to share any money saving tips you might have that I might could use.