I have a lot and a little on my mind, this month is quickly winding to an end and I am happy to see February on the horizon. First up, Elizabeth Anne’s birthday then mine, both milestones this year. Elizabeth Anne hits the quarter century mark and I hit the half-century mark. And for the first time she is half my age, this happens rarely and I believe it is a good sign, not that I really believe in signs or luck or anything else of that nature.
Still enjoys this rare occurrence, I shall, fully.
We are still enjoying the new abode, the house is wonderful, I am loving having carpet only in the bedrooms. I know the electric bills in the summer are going to be much less than being in the apartment. So many great things about living in a house as opposed to the apartment. Number one is no one is stomping on my head that was so completely annoying.
I know I haven’t written in a while, so let me get you all caught up. Last week Tessa’s mothers called me on Tuesday and said Tess was out of school Friday and could I pick her up and have her spend the night. Let me tell you I was all over that, put in for the afternoon off on Thursday and it was a Tess and Gigi day.
A pancake for breakfast, a quick run to Bed, Bath and Beyond for a special brush that is supposed to get tangles out easer then off to Kid Mania.
Fun was had by both Tess and Gigi, then her dad came and got both her and Russ as he was staying with us for a week.
The next day was museum day, I had promised Tess a trip to the museum and Jeffrey said let’s make a day of it. So we took her and the Irishman’s two girls to the DMA (Dallas Museum of Art) where we did indeed see a couple of mummies. One was a not royal person so their sarcophagus was not constructed as wonderfully as a Pharaoh’s would be so the feet were exposed. She could see what an actual mummy looked like. She was a little shocked, she thought they would be all wrapped in pristine linen, when I explained that the mummy was thousands of years old and that’s what they look like her jaw dropped. Totally worth the time and effort to get her there.
This weekend was uneventful, cleaning, laundry oh wait, no I lied! I got to see Elizabeth Anne for a few moments Friday evening and Saturday was lunch with Alex, very nice indeed. So see not so boring after all, today is back to work where I am sure I will be helping a ton of people keep their connection to the world. It’s always a good feeling to help someone keep connected.
Have a great Monday!
Stormie News and Other Stuff
Well here we are, Tuesday again, Wednesday for me, very happy about that. This Friday is a Tess day, incredibly happy about that. I have something very fun planned, I hope she likes it.
I am thinking about bringing back does that make my dog crazy as Stormie is crazy, I mean seriously crazy. Well not all the time, just sometimes.
Our favorite game to play with her is to ignore her until she swats us with her paw, it is the funniest thing, she will stand there waiting for us to love on her. If you just sit there she will take her paw and swat you with it, letting you know she wants some loving.
She is this big, lovable furball, she loves to give kisses and loves her belly rubs and has learned to jump on the bed. Finally, it makes me less sad to have her sleep with us, I know that makes me crazy, but I still miss Nocona so much and she used to sleep with us.
Well, another day, another dollar, off to work I go, to make the money to buy Stormie chew toys so she will stop chewing on the office chair, oh and my shoes.
I foresee me having to go shoe shopping to replace a pair or two, look how sad I am at the prospect of shoe shopping.
Another Monday
The weekend is over and I survived the weekend without Nocona, it was hard, it’s hard coming into my home, I sit in the car not wanting to come in because she is not here to greet me. It is hard going to bed because she is not at the end of it or right next to me. It is hard waking up because she is not there to wake up with me, eat eggs with me and have coffee with me. I just miss her so much.
Stormie won’t sleep with me, I tried putting her on the bed, I had to wrestle with her to pick her up and then she just looked at me like I was crazy and jumped off the bed. Oh well, maybe tonight.
I do really like waking up at a normal hour, 7am is so much better than 4am, coffee, funnies, Dear Abby and a few Bejeweled Blitz and I am good. This week is going to be easier, I know it, maybe I’ll go back to store on Thursday night, see if I can get hit on again. Maybe not, unless I actually have to go.
Having Tess here Friday and Saturday was good, she is a breath of fresh air, so full of energy and life, I love having that little girl with me. She is bright, funny, smart and so very pretty, she is a true credit to both of her parents.
Well, that’s all I have for now, I hope you all have a great Monday.
Loss
October is an incredibly hard month for me, Michael died this month, my friend Sandi has been gone three years today and now Nocona has left us in the month of October. I am beginning to hate October, my heart is in about a million pieces right now.
I did get to pick up Tess from school Friday, so happy to be able to do that again, she was able to spend the night and we had fun on Saturday. We have discovered a new place to go, thanks to a friend at work.
It is called Kid Mania and it was so much fun we went twice, she loved it, a very physical place where a kid can get out energy and get a ton of physical activity in. I highly recommend this place for everyone.
Yesterday I posted a blurb on how I felt about myself, my looks in particular, I stand by it, it is how I feel about myself, it is how I have always felt about my looks. Melissa, your comments will not be posted and please know the drama you tried to stir up did not work. I spoke to the one you mentioned and she took umbrage with your words, she is trying now to find you to tell you that.
This won’t be long, I am going to run to Costco and the grocery before settling in for a night of television, it is The Walking Dead, Once and Revenge tonight. Very excited for the new season, I love when the new seasons start, it always reminds me of the beginning of school. I don’t think one ever outgrows fall, new shows, new weather and new teachers.
Oh, one more thing, I have a friend who is hysterical in his pain, he has a gift with words, I am trying to convince him to start a blog. Once I am successful with that endeavor I will be mentioning him often and create a link to his blog from here.
Weekend Update
Last weekend was filled with anxiety, worrying about Nocona, I have to tell you, I hardly slept at all. I kept checking her breathing to make sure she was still alive. What a change a week makes, Nocona is very alert, she is eating, drinking, walking somewhat effortlessly and she is back to being feisty.
What a difference 7 days makes, in 6 days the Lord made the earth, in 7 I have a dog that is no longer on the brink of death. I believe in prayer, and I believe all the people who prayed for Nocona made a difference. I am so grateful she is mending beautifully, so grateful I am not one of those people who blindly follow whatever a doctor says.
I saw how wrong doctors could be, first with my grandmother, when she broke her hip, the doctor said she would never walk again, well, she did. Then when Jeffrey was born we were told he would always have breathing problems and never be able to run and play like the other kids. Well he didn’t and he did, he did not have breathing problems and he was able to run and play with the other kids. He also played sports, something the doctor said he would never do, I don’t buy into doctors knowing everything. I don’t believe in fatalistic diagnosis, I believe in the power of prayer and positive thinking.
Sometimes I don’t think doctors take into consideration the human element of their patients, the ability to think positive, to allow God to do His will. There are some things that happen in this world that are inexplicable, some things we should not try to explain. This is one, I’ll take it, I’ll take Nocona getting better, eating, drinking, being feisty, she is well-loved and knows it.
Tomorrow starts my new shift, I will be working 4 days in a row, what on earth will I do! This has not happened in a while, the hours are really new to me, 10 am to 9pm, I have never worked that late in the evening before. I hope I stay awake. I am not even joking about that one, anyone who knows me, knows that I am used to going to sleep by 8pm. This is a whole new adventure, I must say I am looking forward to not waking up at 4AM. That is going to be a treat, I am also way excited to be able to get Tess on Friday after school Jeffrey’s weekends again.
Well, not a lot more new here, status quo as it were, it is a full evening of television viewing for me, first up, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, followed by the Walking Dead, Once Upon A Time and ending with Revenge, sleep, and awake in the morning at an hour that does not make most people flinch.
Monday, Funday
I am so excited, this is my last week on this schedule, I will be Monday through Thursday beginning next week, which means I can get Tess every other Friday! I have missed our outings more than I can say, must plan something special for this upcoming one. I hope this Monday finds everyone is good spirits, sound minds, sound body’s and looking forward to your day.
Nocona continues her road to improvement I am happy to report, she is eating, drinking and last night turned in a circle three times before lying down. Huge improvement, she is clear eyed and alert, she is still having issues walking, but she is trying.
I have a confession, I love reading my horoscope, not because I believe in that hokum, but because it amuses me. I am always on the verge of financial success, ruin or independence, I am always on the verge of meeting an extremely attractive stranger, or breaking up, or I should hide under the covers. That one I like..
My mom used to read her horoscope, she used to call them the horriblescopes, and she would read it at the end of the day. I asked her why she did that, her answer was so my mom, she said she wanted to see what she had missed.
She would read it, sit for a minute, and say, well I didn’t miss much, put the paper down and walk off whistling a happy tune. Some days I miss her more than others, but I relish the happy memories. October is a hard month, it is the month I lost Michael and the month I lost Sandi. However, I think of them and think of all of the good times, the laughter, the lessons I learned from each and it makes my heart lighter.
What really makes my heart lighter is the knowledge I will see everyone again someday, when it is my turn to go home, I know that wont be anytime soon. My people live a long time, I have a good 75 years left, but for them it will be nothing but the blink of an eye.
I am going to sign off now, off to work I go, must earn money to buy new shoes, Stormie is determined to eat mine.
Sad Realization
It’s official, there are certain things I am too old for, Cosmopolitan magazine, Glamour magazine, sparkle eyeshadow and the VMA’s. watching Miley Cyrus twerk, grind and gyrate her way into the night left me shocked and saddened.
The upside was the shot of the shocked looks on Will Smith and his children. Apparently I was not the only one left in stunned disbelief.
I found myself more interested in the offerings of the discovery channel. Sad but true. I am getting old and it is obvious to, well, me.
This weekend was a busy one, I took Tessa to Samantha’s birthday celebration. It was a hit, Sweet and Sassy treated those girls to a makeover and runway extravaganza. So much fun to watch all of those little girls giggling, singing and dancing. Glitter was the theme of the day, the girls were sparkly and adorable. After we left Tess spied the indoor playground in the mall and of course we had to stop. Then she spied the toy store, I am such a pushover.
Then it was date night with the Irishman, we went to see The Worlds End. Loved it, a must see for Simon Pegg fans. If you have never seen Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz I highly recommend them. See those movies then see this one.
It’s Monday, must drink the rest of my coffee.
Weekend Ponderings
Friday night we had a Ladies that Lunch gathering, only instead of lunch it was evening snack things. I like when we do these things on a Friday night because some women that cannot come on Saturday afternoons get to come to the Friday evening ones.
Of course I had to do a blatant self promotion and remind everyone about Conversations with Shanon J and Angie B. A couple of the women didn’t know about it, so I gave the website to listen to past shows and gave them the station call letters to listen life. In case you missed it, http://www.convosate.com to listen to past shows, and KHVN 970 AM for local listeners in the Dallas/FW area.
So, when everyone was leaving I had the opportunity to speak with one of the ladies I don’t get to see that often. We were catching up and she asked me how I came to have the opportunity to be on the radio. I gave her the brief story of how Shanon and I had been friends for years and she is the one that had enough faith in me to actually let me speak on the radio.
In the course of the conversation I mentioned the one we did on men and women and friendship, she asked me if I thought that men and women could be friends after having had a dating relationship. My answer, is no, after a person has had a romantic relationship with someone, whether it has been physical or not, it was romantic in nature. I do not believe that men and women can have a friendship after that. Let me tell you why, it will always get in the way, it will always be awkward, you can never introduce anyone to them because they will know.
I find this particularly troublesome, because it is easy to fall back into those kinds of relationships and it is inappropriate. No one needs that kind of stress in a relationship, so there you have it, I do not believe that once you have been in a romantic relationship you can go backwards and have a friendship.
That was my Friday night in a nutshell. Saturday was much quieter, laundry and a movie with the Irishman, we saw Gerard Butler, he totally rocks.
Sunday, Dinner/Lunch with Elizabeth Anne, the work on Monday morning, this week I shall have a 3 day work week, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. I get to have Tess Thursday night and Friday, so excited! I don’t know what we will do but it will be an adventure!
More Funeral Songs
Well here we are, my first Friday of the week, yes, I have two Fridays in the week, I work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. I know what you are thinking, when is Starbucks day. Well it will be on the real Friday of the week. I will be getting Passion tea for now.
I am sitting here listening to the immortal words of the Bay City Rollers, my very first boy band love; I want at least one of their songs played at my funeral. I can’t decide which; I think Bye Bye Baby will be to cliché. Maybe I’m a Fool to Love You is definitely in the running, along with Dedication, oh, Rock and Roll Love Letter, so many to choose from. Maybe I will choose several; one can never have too many Bay City Roller songs played.
No weapon formed against me shall prosper, I’m more than a conqueror, I love that line in the song Stomp. Another song I’ll have at my funeral, Elizabeth Anne I hope you are taking notes, because I will depend on you to make sure it all is just like I want.
This past weekend was jam packed, a very enjoyable lunch with Alexander on Friday, car wouldn’t start in the parking lot of Target, until Alex touched it and then of course it magically starts. Then downtown for the Mary Kay Career Conference Friday night and Saturday, no sleep was had Friday night. Then Saturday evening I took the Irishman’s girls to play with Tess, pizza and movie night was in store for the girls.
Sunday was spent trying to do everything I normally do in three day, did not get done, I have so much laundry to do, I hate doing laundry, with a passion, however since I am the only one that does it in my house and I can’t afford all new clothes I guess I will have to do it.
I have done something to my right hand, my thumb to be exact, I don’t know what is wrong with it, but it is swollen and hurts. So, I did the only thing I could do, I bought an ace bandage for the thumb, it is actually called a thumb stabilizer. Hopefully this will help it heal, whatever I have done to it, crazy nuts, that’s what it is. I looked it up on WebMD and according to the site I have MS, not a good thing, I hope it’s not that.
This past Saturday was a new episode of Conversations with Shanon J and Angie B, I am incredibly proud of this one. It is about single parent dating, as anyone who knows me, knows this is my irritation in life. Parents, really mothers, behaving badly, remember moms you reap what you sow. A very real thing, if you have not heard the show, you can listen from our website http://www.convosate.com, we have an in studio guest who will either tell me I am way off the mark in my thinking or will actually give me affirmation I have been right all along.
Christmas Memories
Well Christmas is upon us and it is time for me to do a spreadsheet to keep up with Christmas presents for people and my Christmas budget. Yes, I do that, I keep a spreadsheet; it makes life easier to keep track of what I get for people and the amount of money I spend. I don’t charge anything, I spend cash, this way I don’t owe anything after Christmas, makes for a very stress free January.
This time of year is filled with highs and lows for me, while I love Christmas and I love spending it with my children and Tess, I miss so many people this time of year. I really miss my mom; I keep her memory especially close to me this time of year. I make her dressing recipe, I cook things in her cooking pot I have and I have a couple of her ornaments for my tree. She always delighted in Christmas so much, she was truly a blessed person, she loved opening her home and heart to all, she encouraged her children and grandchildren to invite others to partake in the festivities. I remember she used to buy extra gifts, generic ones for boys and for girls. She didn’t want anyone to feel left out if they arrived unexpectedly, they would have a gift to open along with everyone else. There are so many reasons my mom was loved by everyone who came into contact with her, this small gesture is just one of the reasons, when you walked into my mom and dad’s home you knew you were welcomed.
I tend to be more nostalgic this time of year, I know, I am nostalgic all year long, however this time of year it is magnified, so if you have not experienced that with me before, well, welcome to December. I’d like to be able to promise I won’t go overboard, however, I will not lie to you, it is going to happen. I miss the snow, snow and Christmas just go together, I hate that we only have it here every once in a while. We did not have it last year, but the year before we did, it is not looking good this year for snow; however I am keeping hope alive.
In the country, at my mom and dad’s house, when it snowed, it was amazing, magical, beautiful, especially when the moon was high in the sky. The snow covered trees sparkled like they were covered in silver glitter, glistening, making everything amazing and wondrous. To this day, when I am sad, I close my eyes and conjure the images of days past, when it would snow and make even the starkest of landscapes amazingly beautiful.
I hope everyone has a magical Christmas, and an amazing New Years, that is my prayer for all of my friends this time of year. I would love to hear about some of your favorite memories about the holiday season, what you used to do as a child, the things your parents used to do that you now continue with your children.
Angie World 