You Can't Go Forward Without Moving

Life is such an amazing journey. Every day is just another step on a ladder to get us to the top, to our destination. Sometimes I sit on a step and rest, sometimes I'm in such a hurry I skip a step and sometimes I fall. Okay, for those of you who really know me, you know I fall down a lot. But hey, I never stay down and 99% of the time I get up laughing because crying has never once gotten me anywhere.

What I've learned in the past few days is that friends are merely people who are as human and are as vulnerable to human error as I am. Just because they are my friend does not give them immunity to being a total jerk or a complete ass at one time or another. And, sometimes I get caught up in their human frailty. I can either learn from it (as recently pointed out to me) or dwell on it.

If this isn't making sense to you, don't worry. It's not you...it's me. I'm just thinking out loud.

I'm thankful for those who are around to hold my ladder steady when I need some help, and for those who tell me to pick my lazy butt up off that step and keep on climbing. I'm not too proud to tell you, I can't do it alone. Even if I could, I wouldn't want to.

...and thanks for asking.

My heart is making it difficult to blog, because I've had something happen in my life that has upset me and it's hard for me to put into words. Perhaps because if I put it into words, especially here, then it would be impossible for me to ever take back and I'm not sure that's a road I want to take.

So, I will blog about something else that was recently brought up. A friend asked me the other day if I thought that life was worth it. If it had been my choice, knowing what life is like, would I have chosen to be born. I'm paraphrasing my interpretation of the question.
I thought about this question for awhile before answering. What came to my mind were the times I had tried to take my life.
Years before I had met Mark, back when I lived in Indianapolis, it was a very dark time in my life. I wasn't living on the streets, I had a great apartment. I wasn't unemployed, I had two jobs that I both enjoyed and was appreciated at, plus I was making pretty decent money. I wasn't physically lonely, I was surrounded by people who cared about me.
The dark place was in my mind. Some might say that I don't know what hard times are. This isn't true. Years before this 'dark time', I had been living on the streets (I'd hitch'd around the country for over a year before I even turned 20), and I've been unemployed to the point where I didn't know when I'd eat next. I've never, however, been physically lonely and that is a sad state in itself and not for my self proclaimed pg-13 rated blog.
My dark time was a hell that went with me wherever I went, regardless of what I was doing or whom I was with. It was mental, something I couldn't escape and what's worse, something I couldn't see wasn't worth dying for.
For those of you who have been with me for awhile, you've heard tales of my childhood...and I don't feel like going into those details again, not right now. It's enough to say that I had been told, though, from the time I was a child until I was grown, that I was worthless. I was programmed daily to believe that I was unloveable, that I'd never amount to anything and that I was completely worthless. These were some of my moms favorite chants, just like "I love you" and "I'm so proud of you" are mine to my kids.
So, regardless of my accomplishments and what was actually going on around me...in my mind no one loved me, I was ugly, and I was a failure. It got darker and darker, to the point that there wasn't room in my mind for anything good. It was there, but I just couldn't see it, I couldn't feel it. I self medicated, man, did I self medicate. It got to the point to where my dad (thanks Dad) would come by after he got off work late, late, at night just to make sure I'd not hurt myself. Sometimes that would keep me from killing myself that particular night because I couldn't stand the thought of my dad being the one to find me.

Now to my point. When my friend recently asked me if I thought life was actually worth anything...I thought back to those dark times when I honestly didn't believe it was. I believed that life was worthless, that there wasn't any reason for my being and by continuing to "be" was just prolonging the pain I was in daily. What I didn't know then that I do know now, was that it was in my head. Yeah, what a simple thing to say, huh? But it's true. It was in my head. But, unfortunately, it was in my head and so that's what I thought...it was all I thought!
A little over 20 years later I can see that, yes, it was and is worth living. It was worth the pain I felt, the emotional and mental hell (and it was hell) I went through 24/7 for years. Because I have made a difference to this world. I've given the world two phenomenal people in my kids. All those years ago, when I believed getting pregnant was not a possibility for me (and many times I thought it was a blessing), my life having something to contribute like Casey and Charlie wasn't something I could have ever foreseen. And, it's not just my kids. I've made a difference in many areas. I know this without any doubt whatsoever. There are peoples lives I have touched, there are peoples lives I have changed, there are prayers that I've lifted up and walls that I've torn down. I've made a difference.
My point, in case you missed it, is that 20 some years ago, I'd never been able to imagine that my life would matter to anyone since it mattered so little to me. None of us can know what will be in our future. And, when everything feels so hopeless it's nearly impossilbe to understand that nothing is hopeless.

So yes, my dear, sweet friend, who asked me if I believed life was really worth it, I do believe life is worth it, I believe it's worth it all...and thanks for asking.

:)

I know I stand alone here, but that's nothing new to me. I love this guy, and the words, the message...and yeah, even the delivery sometimes takes my breath away. I know my taste in music is eclectic, so don't bother telling me my taste sucks. It's just different. :)

Time Flies

It's finals for the boys this week, so they only go half days. Yesterday, Charlie came home with 3 of his buddies and my house was full of laughter as they were all in Charlie's room watching Ringer. It made me smile to hear them. I've known most of Charlies friends since they were in grade school together. I've gone through periods where I've wanted to smack some of them, and then the next thing I know I'm telling them how proud I am of something they've done. I treat all of my kids friends like they're my own, always have. I love them and care about them and sometimes I want to shake them silly and ask them what in the world were they thinking?? Charlie is going to be a sophomore next year and it does actually sadden me to know that I've only got three more years of this. Of course, sometimes it thrills me to know I've only got three more years of this...but those times aren't as frequent as they use to be.

When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to bring anyone to our house. I think my mom missed out on a lot. I'm not talking about a weeks worth of groceries disappearing in an afternoon, or what kind of mess 6 teenagers can make while they they're watching music videos in the living room, or even how it's impossible to keep a clean glass in the house. I'm talking about watching children go from finger painting to young men plowing down 200 lb. opponents on the football field. From telling a neighborhood of kids to stay together as they walk to school to praying that they've remembered to buckle up as you watch them drive off to school.

Next May I'll be watching Casey, along with the kids I'd invited to all of those McDonald birthday parties so many years ago, walk across the stage to receive their high school diploma. Then there'll be new friends coming to my house, I hope. College friends with bigger appetites and louder laughter. It's the circle of life. I want to enjoy every moment of it.

Tomorrow is the last day of school. My summer will start tomorrow at 12:15 p.m.

Silly Test

You Are 16% Vain

You don't have a vain bone in your body - almost as a matter of principal. You demand to be judged on who you are, not what you look like.

How Vain Are You?

I'm actually a bit surprised that I scored as high as a 16%. Seriously.

My Guys

Because Tom has been making a fuss that I don't show enough pictures of my family:

Can You Read This?

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 precnet of plepoe who try, can.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.Wtih the phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

My friend, Abi, sent this to me. I love reading these. Let me know how easy it was for you. :)

I Can't Remember You

I remember how the sound of your voice could make everything right,
but I can't remember the sound of your voice.

I remember how contagious your laughter was,
but I can't remember your laugh.

I remember how your eyes could hold me captive,
but I can't remember the color of your eyes.

I remember how your touch removed me from the rest of the world,
but I can't remember the feel of your touch.

I remember how breathing deeply filled my being with your scent,
but I can't remember the scent that you left on my pillow.

I remember how falling asleep with your arms around me made me feel safe,
but I can't remember the feel of your arms around me.

I remember how natural it felt to love you,
but I can't remember...you.


*This is dedicated to a friend of mine who is throwing away the physical trying to forget the emotional...the heart holds memories of its own.

Charlie's Shoe

This is soooo Charlie :

Nothing But A Thursday

I should give y'all an update on my 'injuries'. I'm really good. Can I express myself or what? :) No, really, I am good. My back is back in place with no pain and my arm feels so good that I'm thinking of canceling my Dr's appt. to review the MRI results. Probably won't, so don't go preaching to me, I just said I'm thinking about it. Anyway, I feel great and back to doing what I want and/or need to. So, thanks for all the prayers and well wishes.

I should also clarify regarding the post I wrote yesterday about my first hubby and his family... I gave as good as I got. Don't forget that this marriage was pre-prozac years and I was a handful. Temper, Lord have mercy, what a temper I'm capable of. Mark can testify to that, lol. Mark had nearly 11 years of life with me pre-prozac himself and has probably earned himself some sort of sainthood for what he went through. So, I had a fierce temper, an addictive personality and was fluent in the language of lying. Just thought I should point this out so that I didn't come off with a 'mightier than Butch' attitude.

Now, on to more important things. My kids are nearly out of school for the summer. I should be working as much as possible the next week for some extra summer cash, but then on the other hand, it's the last week I have of alone time in the house for two months. What shall I do?

Charlie finally found a pair of shoes he liked yesterday. It was more or less a free day at school, so I picked him up early and we went shopping and had lunch. Now, both my boys are difficult shoe shoppers. Really. For one thing, Casey wears a size 14 / 15 , depending on the shoe, and when he finally finds a shoe he likes, they often don't have it in his size. Charlie is the same way, in that he's choosy about what he'll wear. He's in a size 12, so usually they have what he wants...if he could just find something he wanted. Trouble is, by the time he finds something, his shoes are mere rags hanging onto his feet by some rubber and shoe strings. Charlie has been looking for shoes now for 3 months. Yeah...3 months. So, finally getting some yesterday was pretty great, especially since it was something we could both agree on. They're pretty cool, gotta admit. High tops with black suede over the toe and shoe string area and the rest is red and white in the design of China's rising sun. Pretty cool. They're very...Charlie. God, I love my kids.

Okay, that's all I got. Enjoy your day. Hugs to all.

A Blast From My Past

My friend, Abi, recently sent me a list of the Brand new edition of... "You know you're a redneck when......" and it occurred to me that I've never told any stories about my first marriage. Of course, when I think about writing anything, I always wonder if I should change the names to protect the innocent...and by that I mean to keep myself out of court. But, it's all first hand and true...so hold onto your seats, children.

I met Butch while I was living with another guy. Butch and his two roommates hung out at the pool every day acting like kids playing hooky from school, I was immediately attracted to him. Butch was athletic with long blonde hair and made no attempt to disguise the fact that he was a player. Yeah, we were perfect for each other.
For some reason that I can't remember (if I ever knew), Butch needed to disappear for awhile and, I kid you not, he joined the carnival. My guy...the carne. His roomies and I would travel around to see him occasionally...he lived up to all a carne should be.
Sometime later he got tired of playing Toby Tyler and came home, but by that time, I'd moved into his room of the three bedroom apartment he'd shared with his roommates. Things just progressed from there and he took me home to meet his family. Who'd have guessed that Butch would have been the cream of the crop?
The first visit to his family's home had been to a celebration in honor of his younger brother's release from prison. His second release from prison. I'm not being tacky here, it just bears mentioning. Butch's parents home was gorgeous. Remember I came from a home that gave Ma and Pa Kettle's farm a run for it's money. Their home just blew me away, and it was as beautiful inside as it was out. It was during this visit that his parents took me aside and told me that if I would marry their son, Butch, that they would put a down payment on a home for me. I thought they were kidding, but they weren't.
Butch's parents were from Kentucky. I love Kentucky, so hush. After we were married, his parents took us there so that I could meet the grandparents. They lived in the heart of tobacco country. I remember thinking what a cute little house his grandparents had up on a hill way out in the country. His Grandma looked like she was over a hundred years old, with her lips sucking and smacking against her toothless gums. As we walked up the steps, this frail old lady reached down and picked up a can without a label on it and carried it towards me. I thought it was something for me until right before I reached her, she spit a long string of dark drippings from her lips into it. With a little dribble of the dark spit hanging from her mouth, she put her arms around me and kissed me on the cheek. I know it sounds bad, but it's actually not as bad as it gets, because I threw up and for the rest of the weekend, I spent a lot of time throwing up. His family was sure I was pregnant. Nope, it was merely the spittoon cans sitting all over every room and the smell of meat curing in the back room of the house. I was a vegetarian and everything they fixed was cooked with meat or meat by products. Even the greens or salad would have bacon drippings poured over it. The outhouse began to look good to me by the end of the weekend.
Yeah, good memories. And I don't want to forget about the time that Butch's parents called us around 3 a.m., wanting Butch to break into a guys house and get his sister's stereo back. Apparently, according to them, Butch's sister had owed a man money and the man took her stereo when his sister couldn't pay. They couldn't ask Butch's brother to do it because one more strike against him (this is where the second release from prison fits in) and the '3rd strike you're out' rule they had in Indiana would send him away for life. Which, I actually didn't see a problem with. But anyway, their daughter had called her parents and said she'd seen this man who had her stereo out at a club she was at and so it would be a good time for Butch to break into this guys home and get his sisters stereo back. This was the beginning of where my in-laws and I lost our love for each other, because I threatened to call the police myself if Butch left to do this.
Soon, we began to go our separate ways and I eventually moved out for good, after several attempts of moving out and going back. I think the last time when he actually fired a gun over my head, threatening to kill me if I didn't get back in the house was the straw that broke the camels back...so to speak. Gotta love that camel. I did think about giving him one more chance because he just sounded so sincere when he'd beg and promise to change...but when I went to our house to talk to him, unannounced, and a pregnant girl answered my door...kind of took the wind out of my sails. He still refused to give me a divorce for a long time, telling me the girl had been a mistake. But, once her parents threatened to have him arrested for statutory rape if he didn't marry their daughter (yeah, she was 16), he agreed to the divorce. When people ask if there were any kids in my first marriage I can honestly say yes...just not mine. What a family I divorced out of, huh? And so, with that said, I give you: The Brand New Edition Of...

You Know You're A Redneck When...

1. You take your dog for a walk and you both use the same tree.

2. You can entertain yourself for more than 15 minutes with a fly swatter.

3. Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years.

4. You burn your yard rather than mow it.

5. You think "The Nutcracker" is something you do off the high dive.

6. The Salvation Army declines your furniture.

7.You offer to give someone the shirt off your back and they don't want it.

8. You have the local taxidermist on speed dial.

9. You come back from the dump with more than you took.

10. You keep a can of Raid on the kitchen table.

11. Your wife can climb a tree faster than your cat.

12. Your grandmother has "ammo" on her Christmas list.

13. You keep flea and tick soap in the shower.

14. You've been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog.

15. You go to the stock car races and don't need a program.

16. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold.

17. You have a rag for a gas cap.

18. Your house doesn't have curtains, but your truck does.

19. You wonder how service stations keep their rest-rooms so clean.

20. You can spit without opening your mouth.

21. You consider your license plate personalized because your father made it.

22. Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand.

23. You have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say "Cool Whip" on the side.

24. The biggest city you've ever been to is Wal-Mart.

25. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV.

26. You've used your ironing board as a buffet table.

27. A tornado hits your neighborhood and does $100,000 worth of improvements.

28. You've used a toilet brush to scratch your back.

29. You missed your 5th grade graduation because you were on jury duty.

30. You think fast food is hitting a deer at 65.

And just in memory of my ex-in-laws, I want to add one more:

31. When the color on your tin foil Christmas tree comes from a rotating color wheel.

Hugs to all.

Lost My Corn

I need to find clothing that comes equipped with airbags. Yeah, go ahead and read it again...clothing with airbags. As a friend recently reminded me, I am such a klutz.
As I posted last time, I had the MRI's on my shoulder and neck on Friday. Though I'm not in anywhere near as much pain as I was a few weeks ago, thanks to the medi pack of steroids I've been taking ( along with the vicodin, thank you very much), I've still been in a bit of discomfort with my right shoulder and anything that uses muscles attached to that shoulder. Notice the lack of posting?
Anyway, Saturday morning the boys and I are going to take in a movie. Mark is working and by 11:30 when the boys roll outta bed, we're already bored and decide to catch 'An American Haunting' at noon. We'd all had just gotten up, so no one had had breakfast and we loaded up at the movies. Loading up for me is a large bottled water and a small popcorn.
Now, my boys like to sit in the first few rows and I like to sit near the back (top, whatever) and in the middle, with no one in front of me so I can put my feet up. That's just me, I'll pay for two seats if I have to, but the seat in front of me is mine too. Do not sit in front of me, trust me, you'll regret it and soon move.
Since I'm not able to do much with my right arm yet, I'm trying to carry my bag and my water with my left hand and my popcorn with my right hand. Casey opens the door leading to the stairs for me and then they take the other door to go to the floor seats. I'm climbing the stairs, all by my lonesome, when someone pulls a step right out from underneath my right foot. Well, that's what it felt like anyway. I don't quite remember how it all went down, only that I went down...hard...and slid. Fell face down, and since my hands were full, I couldn't catch myself. I tried to turn my head cause the only thought I remember having was that I was going to land on my mouth and lose all my teeth. So, I try to turn my head, hit the steps hard with my left shoulder and my right knee with my butt up in the air as I go sliding down about 5 or 6 steps.
Of course, I lost all my corn. I just laid there for 20 minutes, okay, it was 20 seconds probably, but the only reason I forced myself up, because I was hurting, was because I was afraid someone would see me. I'm woman enough to admit that my butt being up in the air on the back stairs to a movie theater would appeal to a very few, and none of them were there, so, I was embarrassed. When I tried to get myself up, I realize that I've pulled the muscles in my back...and that my right knee is skinned and bleeding...and that I'm in a lot of pain. But, I had managed to keep all my teeth in tact. That's always a plus at the end of my day. But that's probably just me.
I'm going to admit this openly here, I cried throughout most of the film. Quietly. I'd hate to have taken anything away from the screamer sitting about 15 seats down my isle... Serioulsy, she's lucky I wasn't on top of my game or I'd been hostile to her, or moved. In my condition, I did neither. But my back was in muscle spasms throughout the film, my knee throbbing and bleeding...and I'd lost all my popcorn!
So, I've been down since Saturday. Was on the heating pad, until said friend told me I should be on ice, most of the weekend. (shhhh, don't tell, but I went back to heat because it feels better than with ice) The doctor gave me some muscle relaxers and between those and the vicodin, I've been able to rest, sleep and stay relaxed. When you pull the muscles in your back, even breathing can be painful...so being relaxed is major.
The boys and Mark did spring cleaning on Sunday. They brought me my Mother Day cards and breakfast to me in bed and they gave me exactly what I'd wanted (which I'm embarrassed to mention here, because it makes me sound so shallow, but the older I get the less I try to hide that fact). And...Mark fixed me popcorn that evening, he's so sweet. I'm not kidding here, the guy is the best sometimes. Well...when I'm rational.
There you have it, I honestly need to have some sort of physical protection around me 24/7, because I am an actual danger to myself. I'm just really glad I didn't waste my money on a larger bag of popcorn.

I Want My Own MRI At Home

So I'm freaky, who knew? Yeah, I know, you all did. I had my MRI's yesterday, and it was like a mini vacation.
My friend, Terri, insisted on going with me, which I thought was just silly. But she said that's what friends do and since I'm not an expert on what friends do, I let her tag along. I'm not a people person and would just as soon be alone as to have someone around I felt like I owed conversation to, but it was okay.
It was a closed MRI, and the guy before me had to be sedated because he was freaking out. Nice act to follow.
Other than wearing next to nothing (who knew that if I'd worn undies and clothing without metal, that I'd been able to keep all my clothes on...but I didn't, so I couldn't, and the gowns were ridiculous) it wasn't bad at all. The table was a little hard, but it shook so it was kind of like a mini massage. It got a little warm, but it reminded me of when I use to go to the tanning beds, a LONG time ago when I was under the impression that tanned fat looked better than white fat, and it just felt good to me. There was the loud thudding sound, but somehow I found a rhythm to it and I nodded.
The first one was for my neck/spine, and every time I'd start to nod, I'd hear someone ask me if I'm still doing okay. So, when the first one was over, and they got me ready for the second one (for my right shoulder) they told me that it would be twice as long as the first one and asked if I thought I'd be okay. I told them I'd be a lot better if they'd stop talking to me while it's going on so I could sleep. They told me that's the first they'd heard of anyone sleeping through it. Well, they apparently don't have a lot of moms with teenage sons who play rock on their guitars with the amp turned up full blast. So, the second MRI went really quick, because, yes, I did sleep all the way through it. I came out with a bit of a headache that I'm still trying to get rid of, but other than that, it was all good.
The cool thing is that they give you a disk with your MRI on it that you can watch on your computer at home. Pretty cool watching it. I don't know if it looks great or not, but it's cool seeing your 'innards', :)
The boys and I are off to see 'An American Haunting', so gotta run. Hugs to all.

Getting To Know Me

I got this from Leesa's blog, be sure to check hers out too.


I AM: a human mass of contradictions eating a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream at midnight.
I WANT: more pets than I have room for.
I WISH: that both of my boys have their dreams come true.
I HATE: hatred.
I MISS: my mom every single day.
I FEAR: I refuse to give fear any place in my life.
I HEAR: the dryer running.
I WONDER: what my mom may have been like with proper medication.
I REGRET: shooting the maintenance man when I forgot he was scheduled to be in my apartment. Kidding. I regret nothing.
I AM NOT: a people person.
I DANCE: in the kitchen with my husband whether there is music playing or not.
I SING: no matter how many times I'm begged not to.
I CRY: quietly when I'm depressed.
I AM NOT ALWAYS: happy to have my family around me.
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: fantasies come true. :)
I WRITE: what's in my heart and on my mind.
I CONFUSE: directions, world time, names and punctuation marks.
I NEED: forgiveness daily.
I SHOULD: LIVE every day of my life.
I START: a lot of books and a lot of projects.
I FINISH: a lot of books...
I TAG: every single person who reads this...LOL, kidding. No one, but would love to read it if you do it, so let me know.

Love Always

My heart is heavy today. I hurt for a friend of mine that I love. I'm confused as to why people take pleasure in offending one another. Does it make them feel superior? Probably. Does it make them superior? No.
I've made some great friends in blogland. I look over my favorites list and see very few that I haven't exchanged personal correspondence with. Am I like minded with them, no, not many. A few maybe. Do I love them, definitely.
I don't understand the need to offend. When I go to read some of my favorites, sometimes (depending on the subject matter) I have to pass. There are places I don't want to go in my head. There are thoughts I don't want to entertain. There are pictures posted sometimes that I don't need to see. That is my choice. I don't feel the need to come against them, to hurl insults at them...or to offend them. No one in this world is the same as I am and I don't expect them to be.
We all have our contributions to make. I appreciate those contributions of others. I appreciate the love expressed, the humor expressed and the subjects written about that make me think. Clay is (and has been since I started blogging) one of my favorite people. He's an intelligent and open human being. He's also a young, black, gay New Yorker. I have little in common with Clay, my being an older, white, straight Texan. Regardless, I love Clay. He's an amazing writer, he challenges me as a human being and he has educated me. Do I feel the need to turn him into me? No, of course not. The world already has a Kathi McIntire Bratcher, it doesn't need two. It needs its Clay's of the world. I am grateful for our differences. How interesting would a puzzle be if it were a solid color with no distinction between the pieces? How interesting would music be if every song had the same melody?

On another note and completely separate topic, please visit Anne today and help support her cause. I love you all.

My Little Rocker

Self Portraits by Charlie ~





























*Charlie injured his neck in wrestling and is wearing a heat patch.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATY

Today is my best friends birthday. I can't tell you how much I love and trust this woman. She and I met when Charlie began 2nd grade and I wanted to work at his school, but not full time, so I became one of the legendary lunch ladies. Oh yeah, hair nets, aprons, gloves...the whole bit. With a twist. I was blessed to hire on with two other ladies, Katy and Carol, that had never worked as lunch ladies either. This was probably one of the best years of my life. We became instant friends, with like personalities and humor. Fortunately, the lady over the cafeteria, Rose, was a patient woman and indulged us our craziness.
Kids, still today, talk about that one year the three of us were lunch ladies. We sang, we danced, we joked, we would go out into the cafeteria and entertain the kids. We had a ball.
Katy, Carol and I were like sisters...well, not like my sister, sisters that loved one another, regardless of....well, me. The thing is, I was prissy. Yeah, big time. I wouldn't touch meat, or dirty stuff (not much has changed). They worked around me and basically, most of the time, I was just the mascot of lunch ladies. Good times. Most women would have complained about me, but they loved me and let me pick up whatever slack was left. Yeah, good times. We were always there for each other during work and even more so after work.
We all had kids in the same age groups, between the three of us we had 6 kids, so we all hung out with all our kids in tow. When we'd take them to the movies, they'd sit rows in front of us while we'd throw popcorn at them. As much as we embarrassed them, I'm pretty sure they enjoyed it. We were one big happy family.
A few years ago Carol's husband took a better job in Minnesota, and a year after that Katy's husband took a better job in Ohio. I miss them both so much.
Katy and I have gotten together over the years with my going to her house in Ohio and she coming to stay with me when I went home to visit in Indiana. We talk on the phone and laugh for hours. Other than the distance between us, nothing has changed since we met eight years ago. Except that I love her, trust her, respect and honor her more with every year I know her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATY

No Worries

Not to worry, I'm good. Thanks to everyone that has been concerned, appreciate it. Just did a bit of damage to my right arm and taking it easy.
I'm going to slightly annoy two birds with one stone (I'm such a PETA candidate) with this post.

MTM (My Thankful Monday)

I'm thankful for this excellent site, Wild Shots. One of the best photo sites I've come across on the web, it has it all. It's set to a slide show where you can set the timing and plays to Ray Charles 'It's a Wonderful World', which has always been one of my favorites and is a perfect match for the pictures shown. This site is definitely going on my favorites as soon...as soon as I get to it. :)

Hugs to all, enjoy your day.