Jennie-O No!!

 Thanksgiving is well in the rearview mirror but I have to speak about this. It's about my Thanksgiving turkey.

I always get a Butterball (if it's on sale) or Shady Brook. They are nice, plump, round, flavorful and juicy. And they were on sale! However, by the time I got to my local supermarket they were all gone. Thankfully, they had a substitute for the same price: Jennie-O. I had heard of Jennie-O poultry so I figured I'd give it a try. I only needed a small turkey and after much frozen digging, I found the smallest one which was 11 pounds. I put it in my shopping cart and went happily on my way.

The problem started when I put it on the shopping belt. It didn't 'stand' flat, but seemed to lean to the side. I propped it up: it leaned again. Well it had to be because it was frozen. (famous last words) So I kept it in the car until I was ready to move it to the refrigerator to thaw. 

Thanksgiving morning I took out my roaster, placed it on the stove, and got thawed Miss Jennie-O out of the fridge and put her in the sink. Started my water, cut her out of her packaging and...stared. Something was odd about this turkey. She was...kind of skinny. The skin seemed...odd and loose, like she'd been dieting and lost alot of weight. I picked up a corner of the skin and there was no fat! Someone had taken all of the delicious, flavorful fat and plumpness away, then laid the skin back down! My turkey looked like it had been doing aerobic training! I looked at the packaging: in essence it said that Jennie-O is low fat, healthy turkey. That isn't what I wanted! I wanted fat, plump turkey! That's why the poor thing was leaning: there was no fat to hold it up! Oh dear. She had a pop-up timer but it was barely holding on because the turkey was so lean. Ugh.

Trying to hold on to some optimism, I stuffed her, seasoned her and put her in the oven: still leaning. I hoped for the best!

Unfortunately, hope did not spring eternal. Once she was done roasting, Miss Jennie looked like an old lady who had spent too much time in the tanning booth. Yet I still sliced her and served her -

And found out that even the dogs didn't like her. We always fix them a Thanksgiving dinner plate, but Vivian refused to touch the turkey and ate around it. Lilly gave it the old college try, but left some on her plate which was a first. I couldn't eat it because leanness = dryness. Even my delicious homemade gravy couldn't save her.  I was going to save the carcass for turkey soup but then I figured why bother? So a day or two later what was left of Miss Jennie was discarded.

Here is my takeaway: don't buy a turkey you're unfamiliar with just because it's on sale. Plan ahead and get your Butterball or Shady Brook early! Otherwise you'll be stuck with the turkey with the gym membership. And after this: we'll be having HAM for Christmas!

My Late Birthday Gift to Myself

 There were times when I thought about discontinuing my blog. Sometimes I get tired, or discouraged, or think what I write isn't important or impressive enough. Yet I keep going because writing is such an ingrained and integral part of my life. Plus I like sharing with people, because you just never know when something you write resonates with someone, or makes an impact on their life. I haven't monetized my blog so you know I'm not writing it to become rich, haha! And I like making people feel good, or think, or laugh out loud.

As I kept writing, I set goals for myself. Before I knew it (re: after 11 years!) I had reached 30,000 reads. Not followers, mind you (wouldn't that be amazing!). But as long as there were readers: they didn't have to follow. Just keep reading!

I was thrilled that it only took a year and a half to reach an additional 10,000 reads, bringing the total to 40,000 on March 18, 2024. That really inspired me. How long would it take to reach 50,000 reads? Could I garner that many in less than 18 months?

YOU BET!! I was secretly hoping by my birthday in November; however, on December 2nd I hit that magic number. I couldn't believe it! It was like a late gift to myself. 10,000 reads in eight and half months. That is a personal best for me; and it's thanks to YOU!

Trust me when I say I am not bragging. It just warms me through and through to know that people are out there reading, and hopefully enjoying my blog. The love I feel from my readers is what keeps me going with the family stories, outrageous happenings and quiet moments. It does not make me want to write more poetry though!

Readers in Hong Kong and Singapore are the ones that put me over the 50,000 mark on December 2nd. A big shout out to those readers! So to all of my friends, known and unknown, near and far: thank you so much for your faithfulness and enjoyment of my stories. And feel free to holla at your girl! 😘

SURPRISE!!!

 November 16th was both Marie and Clancy's birthday. Yes: he's the gift that keeps on giving, haha! Brie said that even though it wasn't a milestone, he should have a party. I knew I wanted to get him a Texas Roadhouse gift card since he had never been there; and he could take his new girlfriend. Brie volunteered to take care of the arrangements, and I was pleased with that. Less for me to do! But to be polite, I did ask her if she needed any help, and she only wanted food recommendations which I was happy to provide. She said that since he was a member of the local Eagles Club, she would see about having it there. It was a go!

She then decided that the party should have a 70's theme, since he was born in the 70's. Okay then! My mind immediately went to disco, but she said just 70's, like hippie stuff. So she and I ordered fringed vests that came with appropriate jewelry like a peace sign necklace, dangly feathered earrings, a headband and bracelets. Groovy baby! Of course Kitty already had this great pair of psychedelic pink bell bottoms in her wardrobe (can't make this up) and headbands and a peace sign necklace. She also decided to bring her stuffed Cheetah Sunni along, and Sunni was appropriately dressed in a denim vest, peace sign necklace and headband. Brie left to finish up last minute things and I said I'd bring Kitty with me and we'd get there in time to yell "Surprise!"

I pulled into the Eagles' parking lot a couple of minutes before 5 and told Kitty to go in. I signed Clancy's card and included the gift card: thinking how he was going to love it! Then I headed inside.

I walked into the decorated room and the people there shouted "Surprise!" I looked around and asked, "Where's Clancy?" to which they replied, "This is YOUR surprise party!" I'm sure my mouth dropped open and then I started laughing. Clancy came up to me and said, "Happy birthday!" I handed him the card and said, "Happy birthday to you since it's actually YOUR birthday!" He had gotten me a beautiful arrangement of red and white carnations. They are absolutely gorgeous! Having a new girlfriend is having a positive effect on him 😊

So the joke was on me that evening. There was so much food, the cake was HUGE; and the room had people there that I hadn't seen in  years, and those that are so special to me. People from State Farm, people from where I work now, and people that are just special to me in their own ways. I have much love for them and am so appreciative of the fact that they thought enough of me to come.

According to Kitty the only downside was there wasn't a mirror ball. But there were balloons, which I really enjoy because I'm a kid at heart. You know I took them home!

It was so nice to socialize as I did table-hopping so I could talk to everybody. I did finally eat, but not as much as I normally would have because I was talking to people and wanted to be sure I had room for the dark chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and buttercream frosting. YUM! Probably the worst part of the evening was trying to pack up everything to take home! But between Brie's car and her friend Mikayla's SUV: we did it. Teamwork makes the dream work 😉

Today is my actual birthday. Here is a picture of the cake, which was delicious and like 8 inches tall. 

And here's a new picture of me. I'm so thankful that God still has me here for many reasons! I praise His holy name. 💗

Behind the Music: He Hit Me (And it Felt Like a Kiss)

 I was minding my own business, reading an online article in Rolling Stone. It was a list of the 50 best SNL music performances.  Number 29 on the list was a song called 'Violet' by Hole from around 1994. My daughters and sister really liked Courtney Love's music, while I wasn't a fan. Anyway, I'm reading the blurb about the performance and it ends with this sentence: "Ever the provocateur, she capped off Hole's performance of a song about sex and power and violence with a snatch of the Crystals' notorious 1962 single "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)." That stopped me in my tracks.

I knew I was reading it correctly but what the heck kind of song was that? The story behind the song in no way, shape or form endorses or glorifies abusive relationships. It gives you a glimpse into the mind of a young girl. I had to go to YouTube to give a listen (I do not own the rights to this song nor do I profit from it):

He hit me and it felt like a kiss

He hit me but it didn't hurt me

He couldn't stand to hear me say

That I'd been with someone new

And when I told him I had been untrue

He hit me (da da da ah) and it felt like a kiss

He hit me (da da da ah) and I knew he loved me

If he didn't care for me,

I could have never made him mad

But he hit me (da da da ah) and I was glad.

So there's more to this than meets the eye. It appears that she cheated on him which is why he hit her. But she thinks it's a sign of love. He wouldn't have been mad if he didn't care, right?

Yes, he hit me (da da da ah) and it felt like a kiss

He hit me (da da da ah) and I knew I loved him

And then, he took me in his arms

With all the tenderness there is

And when he kissed me (da da da ah), he made me his

(Da da da)

Yikes, right?

This song was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. They wrote it when they found out that their babysitter, Little Eva (Boyd, of 'Locomotion' fame) was being abused by her boyfriend. When they asked her why she put up with that abuse, she said his actions were done out of love.

If you listen to the song (and I hope you do) you will notice that it sounds kind of whimsical and young girlish. This song is about falling in love with the wrong person, being so blinded by infatuation that you submit to their abuse, and thinking that it's done out of love. Yep: the girl in this song is living in a fantasy world where if the guy didn't care about you, they wouldn't be mad and hit you. Sheesh.

It's amazing what you can find out about songs if you dig deep enough. But I'll tell you one thing: in my own situation, that wasn't what it felt like. And as you can imagine: that song did NOT get a lot of radio airplay. Too controversial. I think they made the right choice.

Blanket Bathrobe Sweater

 Two or so years ago I was in Walmart shopping for a couple of things that only Walmart carries. I had some time to kill so I wandered over to the women's department to see if there was anything fun on sale. I was in luck! They had a nice section of clothes on clearance. So I perused a couple of racks and then I saw it: this really nice, long, cozy knit cardigan sweater. Bingo! Checked the size: mine. Checked the price: $5 on clearance. Whoo hoo! I put it in my cart and headed for the checkout.

When I got home I showed Brie. "Look at my $5 cardigan! Isn't it great?" She agreed. "It doesn't have buttons though." "That's okay, for $5 I can just pull it closed. I am a great bargain shopper!"

I started wearing the cardigan the very next day. It was so soft and warm, and it had pockets. 😀 Lots of bang for those five bucks.

After a while though: I started to notice something. It seemed like the sweater was...growing. It seemed...longer. That was weird; but it could have been me! But Brie noticed it too. "Um mom...what's up with that sweater?" "I'm not really sure, but does it look like it's longer to you too?" "It majorly stretched so yeah: a lot longer!"

And over time that sweater grew, and grew, and GREW. Even the sleeves elongated, so I have to roll them up a couple of times to get my hands out. The pockets are now too low for my hands, and the sweater itself is below my knees and I'm 5'10". It's more like a blanket than a sweater; and I can wrap it around me like a bathrobe. So I'm not quite sure what kind of knit they used for it, but it's obviously a stretchable knit! It now looks ridiculous on me but I'm still wearing it. I'm getting every penny out of that $5!

Here I am in my bargain sweater. Don't be jealous over how flattering it looks on me! 🤣

Third Time's the Charm!

An email went out to the employees a couple of weeks ago. Once again, they were offering free headshots to employees.  The last time they did this was in May, and I was rather disappointed in the result of my new photo. Now was my time for redemption! I have a sassy new 'do, I'm feeling good and cannot wait to show the world!

Erin was doing the photos from 10:30 - 12:30, so I figured I'd go over a little early so I wouldn't have to stand in line for almost an hour like last time. Smart move on my part: I was the only one there, and got there before the photographer. I was wearing a new dress, hair looked good and even though I felt a little nervous, I was anticipating this new photo.

Erin came, he set me up and started taking photos. I felt really good. Then he showed me the small shots on the camera and we picked out two that I really liked. Then he sent me happily on my way and I waited patiently for him to send me my copies.

And waited. And waited. I wondered what was the holdup? The last time I had the picture the next day.

Then I began to worry: had he lost them? Did he think they were terrible and was hoping I'd forget about them? I could have sent an email nudge but then figured eh: it was what it was and if they came: good. If not: maybe better. So I went about my merry way.

Monday evening I happened to see that I received an email from Erin. It was my pictures! I eagerly opened the attachments -

And was crushed again. Don't get me wrong: Erin did a GREAT job. But here's what I keep forgetting when it comes to me. First of all: it's hard for me to see myself as others claim to see me. This is because when I was in college, a "friend" of mine told me that the guy I was seeing told her that "I was the most unattractive black girl he had ever met". If I'd had more self-confidence back then, I would have known that she only told me that (it was a lie) because SHE wanted to date him (never happened). So somewhere in the back of my mind, that little thought hangs out to this day. 

Plus: I don't wear facial makeup and never have. My reasoning for this is because that way what you see is what you get and it doesn't get any worse, haha. I knew someone who always wore heavy makeup. One day I went to her house to give her a ride to work and she answered the door without makeup. The contrast was quite jarring, to say the least, so I knew I was making the right choice for me to be bare-faced. But now I'm starting to wonder! And hey: I'm not 30 anymore so...it's all good.

I hemmed and hawed about if I wanted to post the picture. What the heck: it's me and as I used to say: the camera only takes what it sees!

The World Keeps Getting Smaller

 The part of my job that doesn't turn me on is having to call students to return the computers we loan to them. I start out with emailing them, then I call them if I don't hear from them. Once people hear "SUNY Adirondack" they usually hang up because they know they're guilty of absconding with the computers! What they DON'T remember is that they signed a form that says if it isn't returned: they will be charged for it. You'd be amazed at how quickly you hear from them when they get a letter from collections.

But that isn't exactly what this post is about.

I was going through my list a week or so ago, and got to the name Lydia. She has had a laptop since August of 2021. So without a lot of hope, I called her on August 8, but her voicemail was full. I called her again on September 11 and surprise: I was able to leave her a voicemail. But the biggest surprise was she called me back! She said she was sorry and of course would return the laptop. She said it had been a rough year, what with a house fire that had sent her fiancé and son to the hospital.  I commiserated with her for a minute. As we chatted, she mentioned that they lived in South Glens Falls. I said I live in South Glens Falls! Then she said she lived on Spring Street. I used to live on Spring Street! What a coincidence! So she said she would bring in the laptop by Friday.

I'm sitting at my desk this afternoon and a woman of color stepped in. "Hi Rita! I'm Lydia and here's your laptop." "Wow, thank you so much Lydia. I see there's no power cord." We both laughed and she apologized, saying she did have it and would bring it to me on Monday. She then asked me if I had lived in this area long. I said I sure have. She said, "Did you know Bill Harris? He usually walked around the area with a leather satchel over his shoulder. Walked everywhere." I racked my brain but couldn't place him. Turns out he was her grandfather. I said, "The only person named Harris that I knew was LaRue Harris." She gasped. "That was my grandmother! I got a chill when you said her name because that's  not a common name. Did you know Stephanie? She's  my mother!"  And yes: I did know Stephanie and her twin brother Stephon. I knew their mother LaRue because she was one of Marie's best friends, and Marie used to do her hair and she'd bring the kids with her. She really was one of my favorite people, right up until she died.  I didn't recognize the name Bill Harris, because I only knew him by the name Harris as LaRue's husband. That's all she ever called him!

The coincidences kept piling up. "Paul Ramsey was my uncle." "He was one of my brother's best friends! (he died in May) His sister Mary used to be one of my good friends back in the day!" It was amazing the number of people we had in common, but our paths had never crossed. The world really is small! By the time we were done, we felt like WE were related! And it all happened because of a missing laptop.

That encounter really lifted my day. I think we were destined to meet so we could share some memories of people that we have / had in common. It never would have happened if my boss didn't have me make those calls. I'll chalk it up to a God thing, and something good happening on this particular Friday. 

Thanks for reading: and have a great day!!

Where's Keith?

 That's a good question. I arrived at work before 8 a.m. Accompanying me is a bucket of KFC that I put in the work refrigerator when I arrived. Why do I have this? I'll give some background and then explain.

Keith is my 2nd oldest brother. He is 3 years older than I am. Seems like I've spent a good amount of time looking for him over the years. It began when he was around 14 years old. He and Carl, the oldest, had a big group of friends and they'd be out and about in the neighborhood. Of course Carl knew when to come home, but not Keith! Marie would ask, "Where's Keith?" and Carl would just shrug. Then Marie would send ME out to look for him, at late elementary school age. And when I would finally find him and tell him mom said to come home, he would cuss at me all the way to the house. What fun for me!

One time when he was still a teen, Marie sent me to look for him. I couldn't find him anywhere. When I went back home without him, she panicked. She told my father to call the police and as he was about to do so, there was a knock on the door. He opened it, and there was Keith being brought home on a stretcher! Marie thought the worst but the EMT just laughed. "He's fine, but one of his friends had taken a bottle of booze from his parents and the group of them got hammered. He's fine, just needs to sleep it off!" Keith was laughing and saying how much fun they'd had, and Marie was threatening him within an inch of his life. Good times!

Fast forward several years. My sister Robin had bought herself a sassy red Nissan sporty car. It was so cool! And on occasion she would let me drive it, IF she was also in it and I was taking her somewhere 😒 Anyhoo, one night I get a call from her. "Ugh, can you go pick up Keith?" I asked, "Where is he?" "I let him borrow my car and he got in an accident. He's at Beakfast" (our nickname for our local convenience store). "Oh brother, I guess so." So I got in my little car and headed to the convenience store where I found him with a police officer. And as always, for some reason he was mad at me. So he cussed at me and told me that he only had one sister, and it wasn't me. Okay: bet. Robin: you can have him!

After that we had very little contact for many years. No skin off my nose, since he only had one sister, right? But after Robin died I guess I became the sister because he needed favors that she would do. So occasionally I would help him out. He would call, I would roll my eyes but I'm a nice person.

Maybe five years ago, Keith called me and said he was leaving town for a while. "Where are you going?" "Don't worry about it," and I didn't. A couple of days later, Clancy called me. "Where's Keith? I can't get ahold of him." I repeated the cryptic message he had given me before he left. "Oh, so where do you think he went? He never goes anywhere." I said, "For some reason I think he went to Texas."  "Not mad at that. Carl can keep him for awhile." A few days later I was proven right when a car with Texas plates showed up in Marie's yard, and Keith and Carl got out. Sheesh, why the secrecy and drama?

Then four years ago I realized I hadn't heard from him in a few days. This was highly unusual. I mentioned this to Brie and she said, "Be thankful for small favors." I called Clancy and asked if he had heard from him. Nope. Finally Keith called me one evening. "Hey, can you do me a favor?" "What?" I said. "Give me a call in the morning." "O-kay, what am I calling you for?" "To make sure I'm still alive." "WTF Keith?" "Don't worry, just call me."

So the next morning I dutifully called him before work. No answer. I tried again. No answer. I texted Clancy to see if he'd heard from him.  'Where's Keith?' and told him about how he told me to call him. Nope, he hadn't heard from him but said he would call him.  I called again, in a panic. Finally he answered. "What is going on? Why didn't you answer?" "Oh sorry, I've been really sick and wanted you to call me to make sure I wasn't dead." SERIOUSLY Keith?? And by the way: he did almost die. It was covid, but we didn't find out until later because no one had heard of covid yet...

Now we'll skip to yesterday. He had asked Brie and I if we could pick him up the Tuesday chicken special and Brie said yes. So after work we go to KFC, get his order and drive to his apartment. I called him from the parking lot. Voicemail. I waited a minute and called again. Voicemail. "Where the heck is he?" Brie asked. I answered "no clue" and called again, leaving a voicemail. Brie said, "I'll give him 2 minutes and then I'm out. He knew we were coming!" It's a locked building so I couldn't even go to his apartment door. I thought about where he could be, then realized he might be at the Eagle's Club, where he is a member. I called there, but the person who answered said he hadn't been there that day. Huh.

Finally we went home, perplexed. We put the chicken away in case we heard from him. I got a text from my youngest brother Clancy. "No luck finding him?" How did he know I was looking for him??? So I texted him back, and he told me that he had stopped by the Eagle's club and someone told him someone called looking for him. 

FINALLY Keith called later that night. "Sorry, I was sleeping." I'm thinking 'that's better than being DEAD' and told him we would drop it off on our way to work the next day. I would call him when we were on our way. Then I let Clancy know he had gotten in touch.

So today Brie and I are on our way to his house and I call him. No answer. We get to his house and call him. No answer! We didn't want to be late for work so Brie said, "Eff it" and we left. I thought he would have called while we were on our way but NOPE! Then I apparently got the short straw and had to take the chicken in with ME because my department has a bigger fridge so I could store that bucket of extra crispy. And that's why I have a bucket of KFC.

By the way: he finally called me this afternoon and said sorry, he was still sleeping. He also promised he'd be home and awake after we got out of work, and to just call him to come down. We did, and were finally able to give him his food. And hey: he tipped us $10 for our troubles. I'll count that as a win!

A Giant Toddler

 A couple of weeks ago, I had the misfortune to contract an ear infection for the first time. I was less than pleased, to say the least. Was fine on Saturday, then woke up Sunday morning in pain. A couple of other fun symptoms came with it, so I was treating myself with over the counter meds. Eventually the ear pain went away yet the stabbing headache did not. 

So off to the doctor I went, where I was given an antibiotic. This took care of everything but the lack of hearing in my left ear. I was told that it could take up to two weeks for it to come back. Bummer.

But then, last Tuesday evening, I got up to go to bed and whoa! I was feeling rather lightheaded. I've had dizzy spells before so knew I'd be fine in the morning. Guess again! It was still there in the  morning. I had things to do, so I got up and headed out the door. Well, thought I was heading out the door until I kind of ran into the wall. WTF? Brie asked if I was all right and I said yep: just going to the bathroom. 

Let me tell you a little bit about vertigo: it's like being a giant toddler just learning to walk, careening and crashing through the hall to get where you're going. Vertigo is a sensation of motion or spinning that is often described as dizziness. Vertigo is not the same as being lightheaded. People with vertigo feel as though they are actually spinning or moving, or that the world is spinning around them. That's what I had. Luckily I was able to make it to the bathroom without hurting myself, then I made it back to my room and laid back down, sweating from the effort.

Again, I figured it would go away in a little bit. Brie was concerned as I couldn't go to work but I said I'd be fine after that day. Wrong! Because my ear was still clogged, it did not get better. My equilibrium was messed up. By Friday I was driven to the doctor by one of Brie's friends. The good news was: I had lost eight more pounds so now I am only four pounds away from my weight goal! The bad news was the ear infection was still there so they had to flush out my ear, then pick at it, then flush some more. They called in three new prescriptions for me to start. Seriously??? They promised that these meds would do the trick and give the ear time to totally heal. So I'm on a steroid, something to stop the dizziness and a nasal decongestant. Trying to coordinate the spraying with sniffing and whatnot is for the birds, and you can taste it afterwards. Gross! Thankfully it's only once a day but still...The dizziness is still here but bearable: I'm hoping by the time I'm halfway through the steroid it will clear up. My ear is trying! I'm able to slowly walk with just a hand out in case I head for the wall. But I'm at work today so there's a plus.

It's been quite the year for me, but I'm still standing (albeit a little crooked, haha). This too shall pass. Then I promise the rest of the year will be amazingly good for me! I'm basically a pretty healthy person so this has been a bit of a shock for me. But I have faith and I keep looking up for the blessings to fall. I know they're coming, so stay tuned! 😊

I Miss These Ladies!

 I was cleaning out my email today (yeah, it seems like I do this a lot) and came across a document that my former coworkers Pat and Amy had made for me. We worked in a really tough department, Executive Customer Service, but we managed to suffer through and become close friends. We shared each other's lives and helped each other as only true friends can. My birthday was coming up, and this is what they did for me that year: gave me a birthday week of poems and treats! I only wish that the colors and font had shown up!! I had forgotten all about this, but I'm glad I found it. Patty-Cake and Amy: I still love you 💛💛💖💖 Thanks for the memories.

RITA'S BIRTHDAY

Monday – November 18, 2013

If love and appreciation is what you seek,

We’d like to welcome you to your birthday week!

Instead of a week filled with compromises

We’ve filled your week with fun surprises!

Although each gift may be small and sweet

It has all been designed as a special treat!

No girls needing things, no “hey can you spot me twenty?”

If anyone deserves spoiling, it is you, and plenty!

So sit back and relax, sweet Rita dear,

Through God’s great grace, we celebrate another year!

So what shall we start with? Should we take a lookie?

Whoo-hoo! It is some of your favorite cookies!

Enjoy with love!

Pat & Amy

Tuesday – November 19, 2013

It’s Tuesday my friend and that usually brings tears

Sometimes we need help to battle those fears.

Here’s just the thing to help with the task!

No, it’s not a vacation and it isn’t a flask…

We’re sorry to say that it is not made by the Swiss

It isn’t Godiva…but on our budget: Bliss

We love you the same, and we hope it’s a hit

Your very own bags of some dark chocolate!

Happy Birthday Day Two, and this week is for you!

It couldn’t be one bag…why that just wouldn’t do!

Here is the thing, and we don’t even care

They’re for you to enjoy and you don’t have to share!

Blissfully yours,

Pat & Amy

RITA’S

BIRTHDAY

Wednesday- November 20, 2013

We are half-way through, this week about you

And your birthday is just in one day!

Today’s special treat…big surprise…you can eat!

But it is one of your favorite things!

What is soft and chewy and round…

But not so good for avoiding the pounds?

Through the magic of birthdays, calories don’t count

So enjoy your bagel and don’t you pout!

Not just a bagel…but of course there is more!

Because many a hijinks and hullabaloo is in store!

What is sweet and dark…yet delicious and true?

(Well, of course, besides the obvious…you)

One of your favorites, straight here from Dunks!

A medium dark-chocolate  hot chocolate in your cup!

Enjoy the sweetness our sweet!

Pat & Amy

Thursday – November 21, 2013

Today is the day that we celebrate Rita!

When we think of lovely ladies, no one could be sweeta!

There are so many people you touch with your heart

Couldn’t name them all…wouldn’t know where to start.

Amy’s not here, surely there’ll be no bad prose

But she plans ahead…you should know she’s a pro

Just like an actress, a poet or president

Today’s lunch special honors a State Farm resident

Mark has put together some of your favorite things

Mixed them up in a salad tossed with a zing!

Not everyone gets such great recognition

With that air of authority, you’ve forced our position.

So Rita, sit back and enjoy all the fuss

With this gift certificate, your lunch is on us!

Tastefully Yours,

Pat & Amy

Friday – November 22, 2013

The week has now finally come to an end

We have loved spoiling one of our dearest friends

Whenever you’re sad or blue or just down

Remember this week and toss out that frown

We love you Rita...even your irrational fears

We’ve uncovered a lot of them over the years

We think you are perfect, just as you are

Our team shines brightly…you’re one of our stars!

Some things are harder to find than others

Good honest people and hard-working mothers

You are not only those, but oh-so-much more

We wish you blessings with sweet surprises in store

Here are some last minute things and we hope they’re a hit

Some cherry life-savers and your fave: Alpha-Bits!

Happy Birthday Week! We L-O-V-E you!

Pat & Amy

Rita,

You do such a great job of giving freely from your

heart every day of the year. We both wanted you to

know just how special you are to us, and how much

we really do appreciate and love you. Never

underestimate the value of yourself to us because

you are truly dear to our hearts; it is hard to put into

words.

Wishing you birthday wishes the whole year through.

Love Pat & Amy

Marie Memories

 Every so often I have one of those days where I think about her a lot. I'll see something or hear something and she will immediately spring to mind. Following are a few things I think about in regards to her:

• She always packed the exact same lunch for us in elementary school every day: a peanut butter and bacon sandwich, a hard boiled egg, 4 Oreos and a sliced orange. Sometimes when it wasn't the lunch box, it was a small brown lunch bag. I hated buying the school lunch.
• Her love for Tom Jones. When she found out I met him once when I was doing a fashion show, she just about lost her mind!
• She would tell me "a whistling woman is fit for neither God nor the devil". I wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it terrified me. There were no other options! And now I am no longer able to whistle!
• Sometimes she would call and say she made something I really liked, and she would save me some. When I would stop by, she would have it in a container. I always said, "Can you put the container in a paper bag like when we were kids?" She always did, and wrote my name on it. I'm not sure why she always seemed to have some on hand, but it always made me happy. Maybe that's why!
• For our birthdays she would always make the same cake: butter yellow golden with chocolate frosting. No matter who you were or how old you were. Man, I miss those cakes! Sure I could make my own with Duncan Hines like she did, but it's not the same.
• She could NOT make chocolate chip cookies. Thank goodness for Mrs. Dinicola!
• She wasn't the greatest dancer, but she could do the Elephant walk and some weird sideways swimming motion when the music got good to her!
• She wouldn't hesitate to yank down my b-r-a from the back (through my shirt) if she thought the girls weren't "sitting right". Shocked me on more than one occasion, and would do it in public! But it was better than being at her house and her telling me to "lift up my shirt so she could make sure the straps were adjusted correctly". 😦 Yeah...no.
• The only thing I ever wrote that she liked was a story about a Christmas angel. I wrote it in the 7th grade.
• She insisted she wasn't a drinker, but she would always accept one (or 2!) hi-balls if offered. (Like a Tom Collins)
• She made my wedding cake, and it was the best cake ever (unlike the marriage).

Oh Marie: we had our differences, but we also had some good / funny / odd times too. That's what I'll always remember. 

Give Pumpkin a pat on the head for me 😊

One Night At The Club

 The song "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton just started playing on the Sirius channel on my phone. It immediately took me back to one particular night at my favorite club. Not because they played this song that night, but because of something else.

I must have been around 18. It was a Saturday night, and I was waiting for my bestie Vickie to pick me up so we could go to the Golden Grill Disco, which is what we did most Saturday nights. She would also swing by to pick up Denise and Ivy, since they lived on the way to the club. We were all dressed up and were anticipating an evening filled with lots of dances and good-looking men!

We got there, sat at our usual table and let the night unfold. We were laughing, dancing, flirting and having a great time - until the unthinkable happened. I was on the dance floor, looked up: and my parents were walking through the door! Not just them, but my Aunt Elnora, her husband Uncle Tom, and my father's brother Jeff from Baltimore with his wife Catherine.

Don't get me wrong: I loved Jeff and Catherine, Uncle Tom was my favorite uncle and his wife was gorgeous. However: what were they doing encroaching on my territory at their age??? I hustled off the dance floor and went up to them. "What are you doing here???????"

Marie answered, "Well you're always talking about this place, so we wanted to check it out. Especially since Jeff and Catherine are here visiting. Tom and El like to dance so..." Seriously??? 

As you can imagine: this put a serious damper on my evening. The only thing that could have made it worse would have been if Denise and Ivy's parents had been there too! And to add insult to injury: all of them except for my parents got on the dance floor and started dancing! Uncle Tom was close behind Aunt El while she had her arm in the air, waving it like she just didn't care! Jeff and Catherine got up there and did the Baltimore Boogie or some such thing. However, thankfully Marie and Clarence just watched with big smiles on their faces. Oy vey! Vickie was giggling and said, "Wow, look at them go!" I was wishing they would!

So there was no more sexy dancing with hot guys for me: not with family on the watch. After awhile Denise and Ivy didn't care but I invited my parents to our table and pouted like a child. When were they leaving???? Not soon enough.

As I look back on that night so many moons ago, I wish I could go back and enjoy that night with them. I'm sure they didn't really care if I wasn't pleased: the important thing was that they had a good time. They even got home after I did that night! But now: Jeff was the first of the group to pass away: followed by Catherine, my father and then Marie. 💔Only Uncle Tom and Aunt El are left but they don't go out dancing anymore... 😢 Sadly, I can't turn back the clock.

Anyhoo, why does that song remind me of that night? Because it was Uncle Jeff's favorite song, and Catherine said that he would leave her for Candi Staton if she'd let him, ha ha. So I always think of them when I hear that song. 💖 Thanks for playing it, Studio 54 Radio!

Remember Gym Class?

 I do! I was getting ready for work one day last week and a memory came to mind about a game I loved to play in elementary school. It was called Crab-Ball. When it was raining outside or cold in the winter, Mrs. Fitzgerald, the girls' gym teacher, would let us choose what we wanted to play inside. We always voted for Crab-Ball!

It was a simple enough game: two teams would get on the floor in crab position. Mrs. Fitzgerald would throw this giant, canvas-covered ball onto the floor and we would crab-walk hustle to kick the ball over the opposing team's goal line. It was hilarious: especially since some of the girls weren't too coordinated! This probably explains why I had wrist problems as an adult! Scurrying around, having your butt not touch the floor while you were using your hands and feet to get to the ball and kick it: it was work. But so much fun! And of course there was always someone who got flattened by the ball at least once during each game, and the rest of us would laugh and laugh. Way to be supportive!

Another rainy day gym activity was something called "Chicken Fat". This wasn't as popular as Crab-Ball but was still fun. Mrs. Fitzgerald would put on this record, and it was like a drill sergeant giving instructions for calisthenics and stuff, set to music! Jumping jacks, squat thrusts and other kinds of cardio designed for elementary school kids. I will always remember the last line of the record: "Go you chicken fat go away! Go...you...chicken fat...GO! Da da da da da, da da da da da, da da da da da: DISMISSED!" If you think I'm making this up: go to YouTube and search Chicken Fat Go and it will pop up by Robert Preston! 😁What a hoot! That song has been in my mind for more years than I care to admit. Nice to know you can still find it. 

We also did square dancing. Even back then I didn't care what kind of dancing it was: I was down for it! I was pretty good at it too. After all, I was the queen of doing the mashed potatoes dance as a toddler, ha ha. My parents were so proud of that! Thanks for the song, Dee Dee Sharp 😄

Life was so much simpler then, and it was easy to get your exercise in.  Maybe when I'm done with my physical therapy, I'll start exercising to Chicken Fat Go and relive my elementary school glory days!

Karma Came Back

 Several years ago I was working at a job I really enjoyed (at the time). I worked in Safety & Environmental Health, which was Security, Ergonomics and the like. 

One part of my job was making badges for employees. You wouldn't think it, but I got a sense of power about this aspect of my job. I was the one to make you look good, or not so good. By this I mean there were people who didn't like how their first shot looked so they would ask me to take another one. And another one. And another one...

After a while, I would accommodate requests from friends, etc. But if you were on my "list": nah, you were SOL.

One day this group of new employees came to get pictures taken. I'm not sure who this one woman thought she was, but I wasn't having it. It was like she wanted a portfolio to look through before she chose one. I finally told her, "I'm sorry, but the camera only takes what it sees." The other people started laughing and she was spluttering. Yeah, was pretty proud of putting her in her place with that one!

Fast forward to last week.  The Marketing and Communications department sent out an email that they would be taking new headshots if anyone wanted a new one, or hadn't had one taken. I was thrilled to read this because I thought in my original headshot, six years ago, I looked like a toad. So after losing weight, keeping it off and feeling pretty good in spite of a rough couple of years, I was ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille! (yeah that's an old person saying, ha ha)

I excitedly wore a new dress last Thursday and my hair was looking fabulous. Eric, the photographer, helped me set up my best angles and he took probably five or six different shots. Afterwards he showed them to me and we decided on the best one. I couldn't wait until he sent it to me!

I got the email yesterday and excitedly opened it. Let's just say I should have waited. I looked great in the little preview picture, but the real sized one, to me, showed off the strain of the last two years. Ugh! I was so disappointed! I'm not sure how I thought I would look, since I see myself every day, but apparently the camera cannot shave 20 years off of your face! I did NOT look like I was 30! 😢 (for those who know me: stop doing math in your head!)

That was God's way of humbling me. He knew I shouldn't have wielded so much power over people way back then, when they just wanted to look good in their pictures. Now I know how they felt. So yeah: karma is a bitch, and I was too. Pride goeth before a fall; but I've learned my lesson! And I'm starting a new regimen tonight, so the next time I get my picture taken I'll feel confident enough to actually show it to you!

Local News is Awesome!

 This happened maybe five years ago, and it still makes me chuckle when I think of it. It was summer, and for some reason we had the TV on the "local" news channel. Probably because Marie liked to watch the news. It was nighttime. You know that local news runs the same stories over and over, because not much happens locally in upstate New York. Brie and I weren't really paying attention, you know, because it was the news. But then we heard the beginning of a particular story and our ears perked up as we looked at the TV screen.

This reporter was saying that a bobcat had been seen in a small town south of where we lived. They were interviewing a lady, who said she had seen it a few times and left food out for it. However, the story had a sad ending as the bobcat had been killed. 

That wasn't the funny part. The funny part was that when they showed a picture of the animal, they had a black rectangle on the screen covering its face. It was as if they couldn't show its face until the next of kin had been notified. The lady that was being interviewed had set up a small memorial to the bobcat, with a picture and some flowers. 

I really don't have a dark sense of humor, but this struck me as hilarious! Brie and I laughed and laughed: and they ran this story every 15 minutes. We sat there waiting for it: and each time the black rectangle showed up on screen we'd laugh some more. Marie couldn't quite understand why we thought it was so funny, so she just ignored us.

In my heart I did feel bad for the bobcat because I do love animals, but this was such a stretch for a news story that it tickled my funny bone to no end. I realized that perhaps whoever had killed the animal shot it in the head, and they didn't want to traumatize children. But isn't it interesting that they will show a dead person, or a person being killed and not worry about children, but will cover the face of a dead animal. Shows who gets more respect I guess. Sheesh.

R.I.P. bobcat. I'll try not to laugh any more when I think of you.

 

According to Kitty...

...I have an addiction. Let me explain.

Remember during the pandemic when everything skyrocketed in price? And the government was throwing money at us, so we could buy these high-priced items? Well, for all intents and purposes, the pandemic seems to be over. No one is throwing money at us anymore (unless you're working a pole) yet the prices are still much more than we want to spend.

How do I deal with this? Coupons! Particularly E-coupons which you just load onto your phone and there they are when you shop. Brilliant! However, you need to check carefully because some of these offers make you buy multiple items, and the discount isn't that great. For instance, $5 off of Olay Body Wash which is good: but if you have to buy 3 and the price is like $8.99 each it's bad. Not enough of a bargain for me! The other one is "buy one item and get one free"! However, now the original price is twice as much as it was the week before, so no deal here either! So I have to make sure the coupons are going to be to my advantage.

This year I have developed a real fondness for chicken sandwiches and chicken salad. Easy to make and take to work. So I buy either canned chicken, or sometimes the rotisserie chicken from the deli. Delicious! Besides bread: what is an integral necessary ingredient? You guessed it: mayonnaise. Which, of course, is one of the food items where the price seems to keep going up, not down. Who is happy paying up to $7 for a regular jar of mayonnaise? I would buy a jar and then have to use it sparingly to make it last.

Enter in: the E-coupon! For the past three months, my 2 main stores have thankfully been having sales on my favorite Hellmann's mayonnaise. And now they have E-coupons for $2.00 off per jar!

I was sitting in the living room minding my own business when Kitty walks in. "Mom, I have to ask you something." "Okay honey, what is it?" She got very serious. "Are you obsessed with mayonnaise?"

I almost laughed out loud but she looked so serious! "No, why do you ask?" "Because you have bought like 8 jars of mayonnaise in the past few weeks. That's a LOT of mayonnaise." What Kitty hadn't put together is that she likes to have sandwiches for lunch and sometimes dinner, which uses mayo, I like sandwiches and chicken salad so I'm using mayo (and have to make chicken or egg salad for Brie too because I make it the bestest, she says, just so she doesn't have to make it!) and I made a big macaroni salad, by request for dinner on Sunday and that took almost 2/3 of a jar of mayo. With it almost being Memorial Day weekend, and with all of the BBQing and salads that the holiday entails: I'm going to be using even more mayo! "Kitty, I assure you, I am not obsessed with mayonnaise. I try to stock up on it when I have coupons so I get it at a good price. I have $2 off coupons so I use those; and with the mayo on sale I only pay $3.29 for the big jar (30 ounces, remember when it was 32 ounces???). So as long as I have coupons and there's a far enough away expiration date, I'm going to stock up on Hellmann's!" "Okay Mom, as long as you don't have an addiction problem." Then she walked away.

My darling Kitty: thank you for looking out for mom. I promise you: I'm really not addicted. But I do have 2 more E-coupons to use for $2 off, which will bring it down to $3.99 a jar. Then I will have 5 jars of mayonnaise. Whoo hoo!!!

 

The Shape of You

 I had to be at church early this past Sunday to set up for Communion. As I was getting things ready, my really good friend from church came in and asked if I needed any help. I didn't but I love her company so told her she could take care of the "body" while I took care of the "blood". But that isn't what this post is about.

As we were in the kitchen chatting, I mentioned  how Kitty had lost over 70 pounds and kept it off. So we talked about how wonderful it was and how proud we both were of her. Then we transitioned to how we weren't that disciplined and our diet 'fails' over the years. I used to give up all the good stuff for Lent, to jumpstart my diet plan. But Lent is only for 40 days so after that: all bets were off! I liked to do Spin, which got my body into pretty good shape, until knee surgery and the surgeon said I could no long do Spin. But feel free to ride a bike sedately to preserve your knee! That didn't help. So this led me to laughingly tell her my latest ploy to look good. 

You know how you get those emails that you don't remember signing up for? Well I had received an email from the women's friend: Shapermint! I perused their products and found one that I knew would do the trick! I was sure it would suck stuff in and then I'd have my hourglass figure. I'd seen the commercials! So I ordered one and waited for its arrival.

A week later: it was here! I had a particular ribbed dress I wanted to wear but didn't have the chutzpah to wear it. But with my new Shapermint: I was ready! The next morning I put on my lovely dress and then slid on the Shapermint garment underneath it. 

Wait a minute: something wasn't right. I looked at the package, then looked at myself. Hey...this didn't suck anything in! All it did was make sure nothing jiggled. There was no hourglass figure. I'd been bamboozled!

I went and showed Brie. "Look! Nothing is sucked in!" "Well of course not! It's a firmer, not a 'make-it-disappear-er'!" "But how come the ladies in the commercials are all skinny after putting it on?" "Because it's TV." Ugh!

My friend was giggling. "I'm sorry Rita. It must have been so disappointing." I assured her it was, but I showed that Shapermint a thing or 2 and wore it anyway! Yes I was still the same size, but I felt better about life knowing that I looked firm, as Brie said.

And this reminded me of the time I had an evening wedding to go to, and wanted to look all seductive in the dress I was going to wear. So I asked my best friend at the time if I could borrow her Spanx, which she wore frequently and swore by. Thankfully she said yes! I took it home, and the day of the wedding I put on my lovely dress and then stepped into the Spanx.

That thing was tight. After a struggle, I got it up to my knees. It then refused to go up any further. I tugged and tugged. "Brie!" I yelled. She entered the room. "What are you doing?" "I can't get this stupid Spanx up any further." "Seriously mother?" She came over to assist, and suffice it to say in that tug of war: the Spanx won. I couldn't get that thing up any further than just over my knees. So we hauled it back off and I collapsed into a chair. "How in the world was she able to get this thing on?" I wondered. She was shorter than me, her legs were a little bigger (as were other things) yet she was able to wear it. So I just chalked it up to God wanting me to embrace my chocolatey goodness and went to the wedding without it!

We were now done with the setup and just laughed at my exploits. The things we women do to try to be svelte! At my age, I have learned to be thankful that I'm at least mostly healthy. Any flaw that anyone might think they see in me, I have earned through a life well-lived. As long as God sees me as beautiful: other opinions don't matter! Moral of the story: there are no shortcuts (at least to me) to getting the body you want. You have to put in the work. Which is why I'm at the gym 3 times a week 😏

So Embarrassing

As some of you know, I was in a car accident in January. Besides the bad concussion, I have some other injuries that I'm healing from. So I'm still a relatively hurting unit: takes me a bit to get in and out of the car, that kind of thing.

Yesterday morning Brie and I stopped at our favorite Dunkies before work, as we usually do. Since my car was totaled in the accident, I was in the passenger seat. I had on a really nice dress, slit up both sides because I had an interview I was conducting that morning with a few others for a vacancy at the school. I wanted to look my best!

Anyhoo, Brie parked in the Dunkies parking lot and I went to get out. Due to my hurting stuff, this consisted of me opening the door, putting out my right foot, scooching around on the seat until I could get my left foot out and then hanging on to the door as I pulled myself up. No problem, right? 

Not until I noticed a truck had parked next to us. A very good-looking older gentleman was standing there, apparently waiting for me to unwind from my Quasi-modo position and get moving. As I replayed my actions in my head, I just hoped I hadn't flashed him when I was getting out, since the truck wasn't there when I started my exit. But sadly there was a chance that he could have been exposed to more than a bit of leg. Ugh!

However, he was a gentleman and waited for me to close the car door. Then he followed me to the entrance, and opened the door for me while smiling. He had really nice teeth, by the way. Then, since I was still embarrassed and didn't know what else to say, as we entered the vestibule I said, "Now you've spoiled me and can open this other door for me too." Thankfully he laughed as he did so, I said thank you, and he went to get his call-ahead order. He smiled again as he left and I wished him a good day.

By this time Brie was inside. The absurdity of the situation hit me, and I started laughing as I told her about our exchange. She said, "Well maybe he was smiling because he was looking at your ass while he was behind you." "No he wasn't!" "Oh yes he was!" Well he probably got a shot of the front so why not the back too???? Good grief!

I'm telling you: the ortho and PT had better get me back into pain-free health soon! Either that or it's going to be pants from now on 😐

 

For Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month. Yesterday, the school had a program to commemorate this. I was asked to be a speaker. I hadn't done a "speech" since I left State Farm and Toastmasters six years ago but I figured why not? I'd give it a shot. I decided to speak about Maya Angelou as a woman I admired. Here is what I said, in its entirety:

When I think about Women’s History Month, I think of women who are overcomers. Women who have experienced a bad upbringing, problems and trauma: yet managed to rise above to become the women they want to be in spite of life trying to rob them of their dreams.

One woman who did all of this was Maya Angelou. She was born on April 4, 1928 and passed on May 28, 2014. She was an American memoirist, poet and civil rights activist. She published several autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and dozens of honorary degrees. As a writer, she is a writer that I truly admire.

 

5 Quick Facts About Maya Angelou 

1. She was mute for almost six years

As a young child, Angelou spent five years in silence after her rapist, who was her mother's boyfriend, was murdered by her uncle. She believed her confession of the trauma was responsible for his death. When she finally started speaking again, it began with reciting poetry. Years later, in times of stress, Angelou would often retreat into mutism referring to it as “addictive”. 

2. As a teen, she worked as a sex worker

For a brief period in her teens, Angelou worked as a sex worker to provide for her young son. She has chronicled this experience in her 1974 autobiography "Gather Together in my Name".

 

3. She drank sherry while she wrote

Angelou’s writing ritual consisted of booking a hotel room, stripping the art from the walls and writing 10-12 pages a day on a yellow legal pad with only a bottle of sherry and a pack of cards for company. In the evening she would edit her work down to 3-4 pages, repeating this every day until she was finished. I wish I had that kind of dedication!

 

4. Martin Luther King Jr. died on her 40th birthday

Angelou was a civil rights activist in America working alongside Dr. King as the northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. According to Maya, Dr. King reminded her of her brother Bailey with his “small, beautiful speaking voice”. King was assassinated on April 4 1968, Angelou’s 40th Birthday.

 

5. She won 3 Grammy Awards

Angelou won 3 Grammy Awards, not for singing, but for her spoken word albums. She won her first Grammy for the poem On the Pulse of The Morning, which she wrote for Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. Her other Grammy wins were for the poem Phenomenal Woman, and the audio book version of her autobiography, A Song Flung up to Heaven. To close, I’d like to read for you her Grammy-winning poem.

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,

They say they still can't see.

I say,

It's in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile, 

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

The palm of my hand,

The need for my care.

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Thank you.

The Little Blog That Could

I started my blog on November 14, 2010 with no clear destination in sight. I probably hadn't read any blogs prior to this, and then a work friend introduced me to the blog of Allie Brosh. She was amazing! She was so funny, creative and honest. I don't think her blog is still active (Hyperbole and a Half) but she does have two books out. However, I digress.

Now that it's been almost 14 years, I still don't have a clear destination! I write about everything, whether personal, embarrassing, funny or religious. And shockingly: it has grown over the course of the years! I remember when I would only have a few reads per post, but now it has grown and I am so thankful to all of you for reading it and putting up with my nonsense. As of today: I am up to 40,245 reads over the life of the blog! Finding this out today really made my Monday morning 😀. And the best part is: as I have friends in other countries, they are helping to add to my reads. Keep spreading the word! 

When I go back and read some of my earlier posts, I can see how the writing has grown and I am able to tell more of a story. That is what I enjoy the most: telling stories and making people think, or feel, or commiserate, or hopefully laugh out loud. I want to educate and entertain which makes me the happiest.

On October 2022 I had reached 30,000 reads. I am thrilled that it took only a year and a half to reach an additional 10,000 reads. Sending a special shout out to China, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, France, Sweden, Switzerland and of course those of you in the U.S. Here's hoping it takes even less time to reach 50,000! So again: thank you so much for your love and support. Keep reading!

Much love from the Little Blog that not only Could, but did,

Rita 💛💗

That's Not Who I'm Waiting For!

 Over the weekend, I just happened to think of these two incidents and they made me laugh to myself.

Junior, my really good friend, had moved to Texas for business.  I had missed him and was so glad when he announced he was moving back to the area. We made plans to meet up as soon as he returned.

I arrived at the Mikado restaurant before he did, and the hostess led me to a corner table where I could see the door. I told her that I was waiting for a friend to join me momentarily. Maybe three minutes later, she arrives at my table with this young black woman I had never seen before. "Your friend has arrived!" The girl and I looked at each other with matching expressions of confusion. "Um...this isn't who I was waiting for," I said. "Oh, my apologies," the hostess said and hustled the young woman away as I chuckled to myself. And when Junior did arrive, the look on the hostess's face was priceless!

My place of employment hired a new Chief Diversity Officer. I happened to be on this particular search committee, so I had met him over the course of the interviewing/hiring process. Since I am on the Diversity committee, and we are both diverse, he wanted to meet with me to discuss what the former committee had done, familiarize himself with protocol: that sort of thing. So he wanted to do this over a working lunch and I said okay. It would be nice to get off campus for awhile. He volunteered to drive (probably because he had a brand new car to show off) and we were on our way.

We went to a place I hadn't been to in years, but that was fine as I liked the food. He let me out at the door and said he would park and be in shortly. I went in to get a table. I told the hostess that I was waiting for someone who was parking the car, so she put me at a table facing the door.

I was perusing the menu when the hostess came up to me and said, "Your husband is here." I looked up, and there was this guy, probably 6'3", black hair and brown eyes, in great shape wearing a black fitted t-shirt and black joggers, around 40 years old, and he was smiling at me from the hostess station. Now as much as I wanted to claim this guy as my husband, I chuckled and said, "Um...that isn't my husband. I actually don't have a husband." The hostess looked back at him and said, "Are you sure?" I laughed out loud at that. "I'm sure. The person I'm waiting for is much shorter." She laughed too. "Okay I'm sorry for the mistake." I wasn't, ha ha! And when the CDO came in, saw me and joined me, the hostess looked at me like 'you sure the first one wasn't your husband?' and shared a smile with me. To this day I haven't told the CDO about that incident!

Nothing like starting your Monday off with a smile!

I Never Realized That...

 Years ago I was in therapy. Doesn't matter what for, but it was helpful and my therapist was amazing. We built up a great rapport and I trusted her implicitly.

Over the course of our years together, of course we would occasionally discuss my "relationships". I usually had a 2-year limit and then would move on. Apparently I felt that if I wasn't in love, why stick around? That was plenty of time to figure out if it was forever, or temporary.

During one session we were talking about someone that I was in a situation with. Suddenly she said, "Why do you do that?" "Do what?" I asked. "Not call men by their real names." "Of course I call them by name." She studied me for a minute. "No, you actually don't. Take this new guy for instance: you don't call him by name. You call him 'Syracuse'. You call another man 'Jersey'. You called another man 'Pale & Pasty'. And what about 'Yanni Jr' and 'Basle-butt'? Need I go on?"

I was really surprised, as I hadn't even thought about this. But it was true! Even the gentleman who had made it past two years was called Schmoop-Dog, or a derivative of that. 

I was talking to a male friend about this. He confidently said, "You don't do it with all guys. You call me by my name." I had to burst his bubble. "No, I call you Junior." His face fell. "Yeah, that is true."

But getting back to my therapist: she said I did that to keep these people at a distance: even if I was in a relationship with them. Why? Because at the end of the day I subconsciously figured that if certain family members couldn't love me, why would other people? So calling them by their given names would make me feel closer to them. I didn't want that because I figured at some point they wouldn't love me either. Sad but true.

Even though my therapist retired, I still think about her and the conversations we had over those years. And: there are even a couple of guys that I have never given a nickname to. I guess that's progress! So there's a chance that I will let that wall down and actually fall in love someday. Hope springs eternal.

Worse Than Cain and Abel

 Almost everyone knows the story of Cain and Abel. They were the sons of Adam and Eve. Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain tilled the ground. When it came time for the brothers to bring their offerings to God, Abel brought one of the first of his lambs and it was accepted. However, Cain brought his fruit of the ground as his offering, and it wasn't accepted. It wasn't what God had specified, so Cain got angry. "8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:8-9 KJV The rest of the story is how Cain became a fugitive, so to speak, but God put a mark on him so no one would harm him.

But do you know the story of Isaac and Ishmael? They were also two brothers: one of whom was full of animosity towards the other. They had the same father, but different mothers. Their father was Abraham, who was known as the forefather of the Jewish nation. Ishmael was his firstborn from his wife's Egyptian servant, because Abraham and Sarah got impatient waiting for God to make good on his promise to give them a son. God had told Sarah that she would be a "mother of nations" but she didn't believe Him. So...she was 90 when she finally did give birth and Abraham was 100, as God made them wait 25 years for their unbelief.

Unfortunately, Ishmael did not like his young brother and was mean to him. Sarah saw this and said to her husband, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in they sight because of the lad, and because of they bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba." Genesis 21:10-14 KJV. 

Don't feel bad for Ishmael. "And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation." Genesis 21:17-18 KJV.

Until several years ago I had wondered if the two brothers ever reunited. I got my answer when I came across this passage: "Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre." Genesis 25:8-9 KJV. They came together to bury their father. And that's pretty much the last we hear of Ishmael, yet not Isaac. So it isn't as if they reunited because of a familial bond.

You may be asking yourself 'so what makes them worse than Cain and Abel'? Well, remember how each one was going to be the father of a nation? Isaac was the father of the Jewish nation, while Ishmael was the father of Islam. And that kind of sums it up, and explains the animosity between those two nations: even to this day. It's amazing what you can discover when you read the Bible and do some research.

Have a blessed day.