The Trumpet Sound...?

 I love it when a short post writes itself!

I'm at work and it will be lunch time soon. I was invited to lunch by a co-worker and went into the restroom to you know: check out my hair and outfit and stuff. Anyhoo, I'm looking in the mirror and thinking about what might be on the lunch menu at the Silo, believing all is right with the world.

Suddenly, I hear this very weird sound: almost like an elephant deep-trumpeting. What the heck? Then I hear it again, only a little louder.  Is anyone else hearing this, I wonder? Then it sounds a third time and what goes through my mind but: is this the trumpet call of Jesus? If it is then I was in trouble because I was still standing there!

I have been a saved Christian for most of my life. Never had a doubt in my mind that when the Rapture happened I'd be caught up in the twinkling of an eye to see Jesus. But to still be standing in the work restroom made me think real quick. Was there something I hadn't been doing correctly? Had I repented of all my sins? Had I said my prayers last night? I missed church yesterday but that was because I was sick, yet still did church from home...

Yes: these errant thoughts immediately went through my mind. And then I had to chuckle to myself. That couldn't have been the trumpet call, because I'm sure Jesus's trumpet sounds better than an elephant. Besides, prophecy up to the Rapture hasn't been fulfilled as of yet. Whew!

Thankfully I ran into my co-worker Cindy in the hallway, who assured me that the sounds were the workmen finishing up their work in the upstairs café. But as I went to my desk, I still looked around to be sure there weren't any empty clothes lying on the floor!  😉

** If you aren't familiar with the Rapture, read the book of Revelation or reach out to me: I'd be glad to discuss it with you! 

Exactly What You Thought Would Happen

 Not only do kids say the darnedest things: they do the darnedest things too. And yes I'm talking about my kids, specifically Brie this time! I may not have the order of events exactly correct, but the events themselves are correct. I cannot make this stuff up!

We will begin with little Brie deciding that she wanted to go sledding. The only problem was: it wasn't winter and there was no snow. So what seemed logical to her? Fashioning a makeshift sled out of a large Luvs diaper box to slide down the inside staircase. What happened? Exactly what you thought would happen: she lost control, careened down the steps and bounced out of the box onto her bottom. She of course cried, my father couldn't hold in his laughter and Marie picked her up to comfort her and scold her grandfather. 

Brie seemed to have a penchant for the stairs. One day she decided she wanted to be a tightrope walker. How was she going to accomplish this? By carefully putting her feet into the empty spaces of the bannister and carefully walking, moving her feet from space to space. Of course, after a little bit she got cocky and figured she would do a spin. What happened? Exactly what you thought would happen. Her foot slipped and she took a bit of a tumble down the stairs. She cried, my father couldn't hold in his laughter and Marie picked her up to comfort her and scold her grandfather.

I had bought Brie a cute pair of patent leather Mary janes to wear to church. You know: the shiny black ones with a tiny heel that made the appropriate tap-tap-tapping sound when she walked. She loved these shoes!

Marie told her that they were just for church and to not wear them outside because they were slippery. So what did Brie do? Not only did she wear them outside: she decided to jump rope while wearing them. What happened? Exactly what you thought would happen. She jumped, came down, her heel slipped and she landed on her butt. She cried, Marie picked her up to scold and comfort her, yet my father missed out because he was inside.

But the absolute piece de resistance was this:

Robin came over to babysit while I was working an evening shift. I told her no cupcakes for the kids. The girls had on their feetie jammies and Robin was in the living room, probably watching MTV (her favorite thing). She didn't even notice Brie go sneaking into the kitchen; and Brie didn't notice Kitty sneaking in behind her. The cupcakes (the old-fashioned, delicious Freihofer cupcakes with the soft yummy frosting!) were on top of the kitchen cabinets. Enterprising Brie softly moved a chair over by the sink so she could use it to get on the sink edge and reach the cupcake box. She got on the sink's edge, and reached up to grab the forbidden cupcake box. Apparently Kitty saw this, got excited and let out a squeal. Brie, not knowing that her sister was in the room, let out her own squeal as she partially turned, lost her footing and fell, with her butt landing in a big pot of water that I had in the sink soaking. Robin came running to see what the commotion was, and found Brie sitting in the sink crying. Well, just like her father, Robin started laughing and rescued her poor niece. She wasn't hurt, but was upset because she hadn't gotten the cupcake and Robin wouldn't give her one (even though she ate one herself when they went to bed). She was also upset because her bottom was wet and she had to change into a regular pair of pajamas. But she brought that upon herself!

Of course there were plenty of more incidents, but I only allotted 20 minutes to write this while I'm on a break at work. So thanks for this quick trip down memory lane with me! (and mama loves you Brie!)

Hands to Home

 I have a lot of male friends. Men I've known since elementary school, men I've met through work, and husbands / boyfriends of my good friends. I adore them and they treat me respectfully, and no boundaries are ever crossed. When we meet up we usually hug: especially since during covid no one saw or had any face to face contact with anyone for a year or two.

There are also men that are acquaintances whom I like, but there's no contact. These guys could be my male co-workers, men from church and the like. It's like an unspoken rule that we all know about.

With that being said, let me tell you what happened to me last month, and it still irks the heck out of me.

July 1st, my daughters and I were at our favorite local restaurant having Kitty's birthday dinner. Yes, that isn't her actual birthday but you know we have to start celebrating early! Anyhoo, we were waiting for our food when a guy who is barely an acquaintance comes in with his wife and another woman. He sees me and waves, and I wave back. That was the end of it. I have never met his wife.

His party ended up finishing their meal before we did, and his wife and the other woman went outside or to the car while he went up to the counter to pay. I thought absolutely nothing of this until I suddenly felt someone put their hands on my shoulders from behind and start massaging me. I turned around in horror, and it was this man that had absolutely no business touching me. He starts to make a bit of small talk and Brie was the one who replied, asking him about his kids and grandkids and stuff. I finally got over my shock and moved out of reach. "You all have a good weekend!" he said as he left.

There were many things wrong with this scenario. First of all: I am a domestic violence survivor, so you don't approach me from behind and touch me. Second, never in life has there been any indication from me that you had permission to touch me. Third, how long had this move been brewing around in your head? And fourth: if this had been above-board, why did you wait until your wife left the building? Did you know she wouldn't be pleased with you inappropriately putting your hands on another woman?

Kitty hadn't been paying attention but Brie had. I was mad, but she was mad mad. "WTF?" she said. "I have no idea what that was, my reflexes were slow from shock and it had better not ever happen again," I said. Brie continued, "He owes you a big apology and you had better get one before I start talking to his daughter about his behavior." I knew she would so I said hopefully that was a one-off or else there would be repercussions.

I figured this would never happen again. So imagine my horror when 2 days later he saw me at a venue and did it again! This time I was quick to move and gave him a dirty look. What in the world was wrong with him? 

I thought about this for a couple of days and then decided I needed to talk to someone we both knew, and this way he could talk to the man and get him to cease and desist. Otherwise he was in line to be throat-punched by Brie!

So I spoke to our mutual  person and he was speechless when I told him what happened. He assured me that he would take care of the situation and apologized to me that I had to deal with that inappropriateness. I thanked him and drew a breath of relief.

However, as far as I know, nothing has been said to the encroacher. It's been a month. So I guess my heebie jeebies might have been deemed insignificant, and I just need to wait for the situation to fade away. No harm, no foul.

But there is foul: trust me. I have made sure that I steer clear of the offender. If he approaches me again, I am sure I will say something that will hurt his feelings, and it will be warranted. We were both at a retirement party recently, and he knew by the look on my face when he looked at me, that he needed to avoid me like the plague and he did. Yep: keep your grubby hands to home, like they taught us in elementary school. I no longer consider him an acquaintance. And I have made peace with the fact that the other man didn't say or do anything discernable on my behalf. Maybe it was just too awkward for him, and that's okay. Maybe I just should have confronted the man myself and quashed the situation. But I certainly know who I can and can't trust. Going forward: I will continue to handle things on my own.

So at the end of the day, I just wanted to get this out so I can move forward with no resentment. After all, holding on to anger and resentment isn't going to change anything. As always, I will rise above. And if that means a well-placed throat punch when needed: so be it!