New Years Eve....

It is New Year's Eve and I am all alone. That is okay. Watching the ball drop and drinking my calypso colada. Just one. Then at midnight if I make it that long off to bed I will go.

Tomorrow I am fixing lunch for 8. The menu is pork chops, mashed potatoes, stove top stuffing, cabbage and black eye peas with rolls. Dessert is cupcakes and brownies.

I done  a little bit of after Christmas shopping today. I went to the mall and to Big Lots and Walgreens, Jo Ann's. Most places had 70% off on Christmas stuff. I buy some every year. It is always nice when I get my Christmas decorations down from the attic every year to see what I bought and forgot about. I found some good bargains. I have always wanted the Nutcrackers. I got one. I always get my Christmas cards on sale and wrapping paper. I will never run out of wrapping paper.

At Wal Mart I got a password book for all my passwords. Coca Cola too. I found a journal that was Coca Cola too. I am going to try and write in it every day. I already did for today.

I hope the year 2016 is  a better year for all of us. Tomorrow I take down my Christmas tree ornaments. Everything else is already put up in the attic. My house is clean for the New Year. I will write my resolutions I never seem to keep. But this might be the year to keep them. One never knows. Happy New Year!

Christmas is Over.....New Year Beginning

Christmas is over once again. I am always sad when it is over on Christmas night. I really don't know why. I guess because of the anticipation of that day. Months of shopping trying to find the perfect gift for each person on your list. So loud that day with excited kids playing with toys. Big dinner. Then I go home and it is so quiet. Just a letdown.

There are a lot of things I can do to get prepared for next year. Seems like I didn't have time to do everything I planned on doing. One sad thing. I sent  a card to a pen pal that I have written too for the last twenty years. We have the same birthday and same age. Her card I sent came back saying deceased on it. I have no way of knowing what happened. She had kids but none knew me.. This happened last year too but the lady had lived with her sister and her sister wrote me back telling me. That is happening way to often.

The last few days I have spent cleaning. Today I deep cleaned my master bath and bedroom. Took me most of the day. Tomorrow it will be the living room and dining and kitchen. I want to get it all cleaned before the new year. I usually cook lunch on New Years for a few of the kids. Got to have black eye peas and sauerkraut.

Maybe on New Years Eve I will have a drink. Just one. The last twenty years I had grape juice. I thought I couldn't drink alcohol. But I do drink a wine cooler now and then. That is the extent of it. But it is kind of relaxing.

So I am working on getting my house in order. Working on New Year resolutions I never keep. Maybe this year I will, Who knows?

I Am Thru Shopping........The Stockings Are Hung

I went shopping tonight with Jana and Kaylee. I got thru .....I am so glad. It wasn't too bad. A lot of shelf's were empty. I wanted a large pecan pie and there were none. I usually make my own but thought I would get  one already made since I have to work tomorrow. I will look again tomorrow and see if they have any but other than that I am done.

I was hunting a basket to put an assortment of stuff in and Jana finally found one behind some stuff. It was really cute. Purple. We went up to the check out and I seen Kaylee didn't have it anymore. About that time we seen a little girl about 3 with a basket of stuff and the basket was in her stuff. Jana told Kaylee she wasn't supposed to give it to her. Kaylee said she didn't so I guess the little girl took it from her. lol The little girls grandma heard us and told her to give it to us. She said, "Did you take that away from the little girl?" It was kind of funny. Reminded me of some of the movies where everyone wants the same thing and everyone is trying to get it.

I had to stop at one more store to find Vasile a gift card. They didn't have very many left at Wal Mart. Walgreen's has a lot of  different ones so I went there. And then I was done.

This is the first time in years I have been done shopping before Christmas Eve. I used too always still be shopping when they were closing the doors. I am real proud of myself for getting thru. I have to work tomorrow so I didn't have a lot of time tomorrow. Just have to see if they have a pecan pie.

I got home and I decided I wanted a wine cooler and relax after all of that. I don't often drink. It was nice and relaxing and now I am off to bed. Santa will be coming tomorrow night. So I hope you all have got all your shopping done.

Bad Week but It Will Get Better.......

I have always thought I wanted to have a room mate and be like the Golden Girls. I tried that but that was not what I wanted at all. A friend once told me if you let a friend move in with you that dissolves your friendship. She was so right. I guess it don't always work that way but this time it did.

I guess I was used to my privacy. I like my alone time. Just not all the time. This person was talking 24-7. I stayed in my room  a lot to get away. Soon as I came out there she was. When I was in my room talking on the phone I would come out and she would have her chair against my bedroom wall. I said this cannot happen. This is my house. I felt bad for her but I just couldn't handle that.

Then the hot water heater went out. Great! We done without hot water for a few days. Made me think back to when I used to stay at my Granny's. She just had cold water. They had to heat water for everything. I would not want to do that. We have so many luxuries now. When I was a child living in Longworth we had a well we had to draw water out of. Imagine how bad that water was for you. Now we all drink bottled water.

Next I had to go to a ENT specialist this week. My ear was so stopped. I can hear lots better now but he hurt me! I have very small ear canals. He had to use small metal instruments I did not like. The first few days after that my own voice sounded so loud. I am finally getting used to it. But I can hear!

Then today I went Christmas shopping. Got most of the presents bought. Shopped a lot on Amazon. That is so much easier than fighting the crowds. I did shop some at Target and Wal Mart. Every aisle I went down someone would be in the middle of the aisle and didn't pay any attention to someone needing by.. Grrrr! I have always said the buggies need a horn.  Thank goodness I am almost thru. I will be done by Thursday. Merry Christmas!

Elf on A shelf.........Julie Lynn

I had always wanted an elf on a shelf. Last year in November in Sweetwater Guy got me one. Things are never as good as they seem. I got it and it didn't move from place to place. I had to move it myself every day. I did name her after my two daughters in heaven, Julie Christine and Paula Lynn. Hence the name Julie Lynn.

I came back to Fort Worth a few weeks after I got it. I brought Julie Lynn with me. I decided to give it to the grandkids. They would love it. It is fun seeing what that elf will do next and I don't have to move it around.

Jana calls it Snickerdoodle. The funniest thing out of the mouth of kids of course is when Jana put it  on the wall with a group of pictures.. She made mustaches and horns on a group of pictures on the wall. She put the Elf on one of the pictures. Kaylee who is 4 got very upset. She started crying when she seen what that silly elf had done. She said , "Bad elf." When I went over she was showing it to me and she would make the weirdest faces at the elf. It was so funny.

The next morning I was reading in the Star Telegram paper that people could send in pictures or videos of the elf in peculiar places and write a 200 word or less story about it. Being the  writer I am I will do that. Seems like that elf on the pictures was just meant to be wrote about.

Rainy Sunday......

Well rain for the last three days at least. Seems like it has been forever. Today I just lay around and read and shopped online  a little for Christmas. That is much better than going out in the rain and the cold. I wanted to go get the Christmas tree but I wasn't about to go out in the weather. I love the real ones. They smell like Christmas.

It is not supposed to rain all this week. I am glad. I know I should not say that . But it is true. We have had enough rain for a little while. It was cold Friday when I had to leave the window down all day while it was raining. Doing my paper job.

Here in White Settlement we didnt get that paper that appears in your yard. I think they didn't throw it. I know I did my job.

All the leftovers are gone now. I made meat loaf tonight. My son devoured most of it. It was a nice change after all that turkey and potato salad. For lunch I went to Taco Bueno and had tamales. They were so good. They only have them in the winter time.

Tomorrow I guess I will go get my tree and try to do all the decorations. I got about 7 tubs to get out. My son got them down from the attic for me. Thank goodness I don't have to do that. I got so much wrapping paper I will not have to buy any of that. I already got some presents. I just have to wrap them.

I am going to get  a lot of my shopping done this week. I hope too anyway. Before more rain comes....

I Am Grateful For So Many Things This Thanksgiving.......

I have a lot of things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. Let me count the ways. One and most important thing is I am alive and healthy. I can still work and do. Not much physically wrong with me. Mentally that might be another story.

My kids are healthy. They are not sick. Thank God for that.

And  my nice house. I have been here twelve years. Longest I ever have lived anywhere. It feels comfortable and feels like home. It is home. I am the only one (besides my kids and exes)who have lived here. I decorated it the way I want it. It feels great!

There may be things I want that I don't get but as far as need I have everything I need. My bills get paid. I always have lots of food. I will never go hungry. I have good transportation. I used to drive old cars that could barely get me where I needed to go. Some had no heat in the winter. Some had no air in summer. But about 10 years ago I bought me a new CRV. My friend Jane loaned me the money for my down payment. I kept that car for eight years. Then I got this Jeep. I have had it for two years. Long as I can drive I will have a good car now.

And lets not forget books. I have lots of books. I had rather have a good book than anything else I know of. I have a stack of about 50 right now that needs to get read in the near future. And there are lots of others I would love to have. One can never have too many books.

So I got a nice warm house, I got a car, lots of food and books, and healthy kids.. What could anyone need besides all of that? I feel so lucky. And I am happy with my life right now.

Harper Lee....A Great Writer

It's strange I had never seen the movie " To Kill A Mockingbird". All of a sudden this year I guess when Harper Lee's book came out "Go Set A Watchman" I took notice of her first book "To Kill A Mockingbird."  I was told to read the older one first. The other one had been written first but was never published. The Mockingbird was published long ago. Anyway I read both of them. She is a great writer. I also bought the movie which was great.

I am now reading a book about her life called "Up Close: Harper Lee By Kerry Madden. She tells about Harper Lee's life and  she really went by the name of Nelle which was her first name. Her life was a lot like the book "To Kill A Mockingbird." She knew Truman Capote back when she was a child. He was probably Dill in the book.

It is very interesting how she wrote. back in that time I guess black folks was not in a class with white people. I have never liked that name "nigger" but it is used so much in that book. It is amazing to me it is that popular. But yet I can see why. It was a very good book. And surprising she never wrote more books . She was going to be a lawyer but then decided to be  a writer and go to New York instead.

I haven't finished all of the book telling about her life so I don't know yet how long she stayed in New York. I am just at the part where she goes there. Not knowing a soul there except her childhood friend. Truman Capote. His first book " Other Rooms, Other Voices" is a must read for me too. It had some of the people in it from Monroeville, Alabama. where Harper Lee was born and lived.

So readers out there if you haven't read these two books, please do. You wont regret it.

A Year Ago Today Was Rough.....

A year ago today I left Sweetwater. I miss the town but not the situation I was in. I had been in bed for weeks with the  stent   from the kidney stone. It hurt so bad every time I walked or anything so I just tried to stay in bed most of the time sleeping. Of course that didn't help make the little pieces go away. My daughter Darla kept telling me I needed to walk around. But dang it hurt to move.

Anyway on this day I decided I needed to come back around family. Helping my son John pack up everything and go that day made it get better I think. It hurt to move but I had to help him. He had a friend of his drive me to Fort Worth.

After they left I was alone but I love my house and I just lay around and thinking about my situation. I had an appointment in a few days with a urologist . I got my next door neighbor to drive me there. They done X Rays and he said they were all gone. I was over joyed. It was very traumatic when they took it out and I had nausea for two weeks but I got over it.

It has been hard this year adjusting to being alone. Guy and I went back together a few times but it just didn't work out. We have a love/hate relationship I think. I never had one like that before. We still text. It seems like we miss each other when we are not talking.

I have learned to go places alone. Do my shopping alone. I even eat out alone sometimes. I guess you adjust to whatever life you have. Sometimes it takes awhile.

I spend a lot of time with my grandkids. I eat dinner with Jana and her family a lot. I do hate eating alone. I have my job I do every Wednesday and Thursday. Seven hours of driving is not easy. I take  a break at lunchtime and usually go to Burger King. That helps a lot after sitting in the car all that time. I get home after all of that and glad to be here.

There are some good things about living alone. You can watch what you want on TV. You can go where you want too. If you don't want to cook you don't  have too. But it can be really boring doing everything alone. With the holidays coming up and no one to share it with is not good either. But like everything else I have done this year. I will adjust!

Arlin Walker Williams........My Uncle

This being Veterans Day got me to thinking about the uncle I never met. He was my Daddy's only brother. He was in World War ll and died  in 1943 and he never made it home except in a box. He was only 24 years old. And he didn't make it home for burial until 1949. He was five years younger than my Dad. My Dad couldn't go because of a bad back.

My Uncles name was Arlin Walker Williams. He was married to a lady we called Cat. They had one son Bobby Joe Williams. He used to come down summers to my Granny's house. I don't remember the last time we seen him. I don't know if he is still alive.

On my Granny's wall there was a big picture of Bob( that is what everyone called him). I don't know where that name came from since his name was Arlin Walker. The picture was of Bob in uniform. His hat looked like a sailor hat. I am not sure what he was. I hadn't really thought of it all my life. I knew he died before I was born but never got all the details. Now I can't. They are all gone. My brother who was named after him knows more than I do so I ask him a few things about it.

There are two Arlin's in the family besides him. I don't think I know anyone else named that. My brother was named Arlin Wayne. Then my nephew (my sisters son) was named Arlin Eugene. I would like to know where my Granny and Grandpa got the two boys name. Arlin Walker was not  a common name back then I don't think. Then my Dad's name was Alton Sealy. These are not common names either. I don't know anyone named Alton except my other brother and his nickname was Butch.

I have been thinking all day about how so many men lost there life's fighting for their country. It is a very sad thing that they had to lose their families. And die so young. He is buried in Coleman. Thinking about all of this today makes me want to find out more about Bob's life and his son Bobby Joe. What happened to him? Is he still alive? I intend to find out.

Halloween Night....Christmas Movies

I love Halloween. I still dress up. I am completely different from my Mother. She didn't really do much on holidays. I go all out. Maybe that is why. Because I never got to do much as a child. I don't remember a lot but I don't remember dressing up on Halloween as a child. We used to have a party on Halloween but didn't this year. Last year I had surgery that day so we didn't then either. But before that we did. It's just way to stressful and too expensive.

I watched most of the Halloween movies yesterday and today. They really are not scary .First Halloween movie was made in 1979.  I don't watch real scary movies anymore.  Movies have certainly improved. Lots more scary. You would think on Halloween it would only be scary movies. Christmas movies started today. Couldn't they wait until Halloween gets over?

I seen a lady at Wal Mart buying Christmas wrapping paper today. I get mine after Christmas when it is all on sale. I don't think about buying anything Christmasy until after Thanksgiving. Seems like at stores they hurry it along too much. Before one thing is over another has already started. I do buy presents early. Nothing else though.

Tomorrow I will be taking all my Halloween decorations down. I really don't have many for Thanksgiving. My Mom sometimes did not even have a big dinner that day. We always have a big dinner on Thanksgiving. On Christmas my Dad used to go  find a tree in the country. It wasn't very pretty. Not much more than a big bush. That was like  a tradition with him.

Anyway this is Halloween night. Fixing to go to bed. All the monsters have went home. Hopefully....

Got The High Dosage Flu Shot.....I UsedTo Not Even Get One.

I used to be afraid of the flu shot. You hear so many rumors. You will get the flu when you take it .... Well that year when it was a different strain. Maybe the Swine Flu? I don't remember exactly but people were dying from the flu so I decided to take it. What did I have to lose? I lived over it and nothing happened. Every year after that I have taken it. I didn't get sick and didn't get the flu.

This year I was really brave and decided to get the higher dose for over 65. I suggested it when I went to CVS to get my shot. I ask the guy that gave me the shot what was in it. H e said the same as the other one, just a little more stronger. He did good too. I didn't even feel it when he gave it to me. I told him he was a very good shot giver. He thanked me.

Tonight I am not so sure though. My arm hurts where I got the shot. I have a feeling it will really be sore tomorrow. I have a headache. Just not feeling up to par. I read online to see what it says about this stronger shot. I usually do that before I do something. It said your symptoms might be a little worse like arm hurting or tender or headache but mild stuff. It usually just lasts a couple of days.

So tonight I am in bed early with a bunch of magazines and my book I am currently reading ,"To Kill A Mockingbird". I got plenty to do. And my friend Vicki is texting me telling me I need to have my phone by me .Be sure and let my son know I got the shot. She worries about me more than my family does.

I think when I wake up in the morning I will be lots better. And I don't have to worry about getting my flu shot. It is done! So don't forget to get yours! If I can do it and be brave so can you! Where shots are pills are concerned I am the worst sissy you will ever see!

Falling Down is Not good.....But tonight is Peacefull

I was trying to get ready to go do my job this morning. Rushing around. My son had put my stagecoach that goes in the yard for Halloween right in my utility room doorway. Why didn't I move it out of the way? I thought about it. Stepped over it a few times. Tried stepping over again and felt myself falling. That is a terrible feeling to know your falling and cant stop. I landed on my knee and just sat there  crying. I couldn't hardly get up. Finally by hanging on to the sofa I managed to get up. My knee was black and blue and green. Thought it was broken at first but guess not.

I know in the morning it will be very sore. It did cure my hiccups though. I just been lying around this night taking it easy. Listening to the rain. So peaceful.

I did get my job done even with a sore knee. Went over to Jana's tonight and had pizza for dinner. Kids were all carving pumpkins. I watched them awhile and then went home where I could rest. Been having chills all day. I hope I am not coming down with something. Tomorrow will tell me more. I do have a headache. If all is well tomorrow I will go get my flu shot. I used to never get that shot but now I do. I sure do not need the flu.

Meanwhile it is nice here all alone just doing what I want to do. Texting a little. Watching TV a   little. Reading my new People magazine. Life is good even though sometimes it is not what we expect. And we never know what tomorrow might bring. But it is something to look forward too.

Busy Weekend......Got A Lot Done

This weekend went fast. I am going to top it off watching a movie that sounds good called "Jessee Stone: Lost in Paradise" that Tom Selleck is in. That comes on at 8 pm so I better hurry and write this.

Yesterday I went to the festival here at Veteran's Park. There was an Elvis impersonator. He was very good. I really enjoyed that. When it was almost over he said a little speech and the tears started. Why am I so emotional lately. He said his Dad before him had been an Elvis impersonator until he died. He had been one himself for the last 34 years and would be until he died. . He said he hoped he made people happy for a little while although he could never be Elvis. I cried. Jana came over where I was as she had been with cub scouts all afternoon . I seen Connor. I ask her where Colton was. She said he was right behind her. About that time I seen him a distance away crying his eyes out because he couldn't find his Mom. There was a crowd so I know that was a scary thing for him. I felt like crying again seeing he was crying. lol

We went and seen the car show too. They had some beautiful cars. The insides of the cars was amazing. All chrome with nice cd players. One older pickup had a shotgun for the gear shift. People put in a lot of work on those cars. I have a brother, Wayne who buys cars that are shells and he redoes them completely.

That night I went over Jana's and ate with them. Hot dogs for me and kids, steak for them. I don't  eat much meat. Kaylee wanted to come home with me until the boys got back from the skating party. They came by to get her later and Connor wanted to spend the night. He didn't wake up until 11 this morning .I slept until 9. That was late for me. I had been planning on going to church but since Connor wasn't up I didn't.

After I took Connor home I went to Kroger to get a few things. Then to Target to get a few more things. I got Autmn mix candy for the candy dishes. Fort Worth, Texas magazine which I love to read. After that I planned on going to the car wash but it was coned off. I did vacuum my car out. Got all the old papers out of it.

I went home, had my nap. Cooked dinner. I made these mini meat loafs I had seen . Twice baked potatoes, green beans and rolls. Good dinner I made for a change.

Now it is movie time. Hope yall had nice of a weekend as I did.

Life Keeps Happeng......

This morning I went shopping.......I know I should have went to church instead. Is this God's way of punishing me by my AC going out?  I figure he punishes us later on. Are maybe we don't get punished at all.

Anyway this morning I found some bargains. I went to JoAnn's and got a wreath just plain black. I had bought a pumpkin last night to go in the middle. I couldn't find one just like I wanted so I will make my own. I had a 25% off coupon that was supposed to be up yesterday. But they made  a misprint in the paper I guess. It said 1st,2nd and 3rd but it said Fri. . Sat. and Sun also. I showed it to them so they let me have it for that. I do love a bargain.

Next I went to Big Lots and it said 20 % off on your whole purchase today. A desk chair I had been wanting that was $39.99 was now $23.99. Glad I waited. I got  a table runner that was Halloween. I got a stake of a pumpkin to put in the yard. It just makes you feel much better to do some shopping .It does me!

After I got home I went to Jana's Mom in law's birthday party. It was nice. Jana had made stuffed shells with three kinds of cheese and three kinds of meat. Garlic bread and salad with it. Yummy! Then ice cream birthday cake.

I got home and took a nap which I do if I possibly can. By then it was getting warm and I turned on the air. I looked at the thermostat a little later and it said 82. It was not getting cooler. We had been having a few problems with it but usually would start working. Not today. I am sitting here tonight and it is 84 in here and outside it is 75. I may have to sleep outside.

Anyway I am watching the Cowboys play. With ceiling fans it is not too bad. And anyone that knows me knows I don't  ever use ceiling fans. Tonight I am.

Tomorrow my son in law is sending some guys out to see what is wrong from where he works. I hope it is nothing serious and costly. Please dear God let it be something little......

Getting Older Gets Harder......

I have always been very active. Having seven kids made that easier I guess. And I have  a lot of grandkids too. Thinking back now I don't know how I ever managed with 7 kids. I know I used to dread summers. And when that day everyone was back in school I had such a sigh of  relief.

This weekend I had a yard sale. Of course as usual I waited until the last minute to get everything ready. Then I had to rush around like crazy. Pricing things. Carrying stuff out. At least I had the good sense to put in the paper it didn't start until 9 am. That gave me a little time getting up at 7 am. It was still hard and my daughter, Jana came by and helped me some or I never would have got thru in time.

Today it was time to put what I didn't sell  back up. My son Charles helped me with that. He took some stuff to Goodwill. I kept some stuff that was good. I might put on Ebay later on. Packing it all back up. Putting in the attic. This was hard work. Made me know I am not as young as I think I am.

I was pretty tired tonight but I went to Joann's and Wal Mart with Jana. That girl can walk your legs off too. When I got home my legs would barely move. So very tired and fixing to go to bed. Maybe I will be lots better tomorrow. Tomorrow I got to shampoo carpets. That is not an easy task either.

Come tomorrow night I will probably be just as tired as I am tonight. But my closets are lighter and my house will be cleaner!

Vitamins and More vitamins

Well I had blood work done. I knew something was wrong. I was getting very dizzy. It's not like I haven't been anemic all my life. I took iron pills one time for three years. But that was thirty years ago. In my blood work it always showed I was anemic but not this much where it affected my standing.

After blood work was done I found out the only one that was real good was my WBC. I don't know that much about blood but there are four more that wasn't so good. RBC, HGB and HCT were low. MCV was high one point. I don't know what that means. Alkaline Phos was low. Cholesterol was just a notch over what it should be. Anyway iron pills for me. What really surprises me is my calcium is normal. I don't drink milk. They say I am getting osteoporosis. That is why I got vitamin K. Someone says K makes the calcium go to the right places.

I went to the store to look at iron pills. They sure have changed things since I last got some. They have liquid. I got this liquid that has vitamin C in it too. Then I got vitamin D and K. Vitamins come in mints and gummies. Any thing your heart desires. That is great since I can't swallow a pill. The only other pill I take besides vitamins is half of a 10 mg anxiety pill.

Today I started on all these vitamins and iron. I hope it helps. I don't eat a lot and never have. I never weighed over 95 lbs. until I reached 50. Then I gained up to 125. I didn't stay there long. I got  a sinus infection and went down again. Right now I am at 105. At least I don't have to worry about being too big. I can eat anything I want. I try my best to gain  a little but that very seldom happens.

Taking these vitamins and iron may make me have a better appetite anyway. I can hope cant I?Amd a word to the wise. If you haven't done blood work lately you might want to request it. I did. it had been awhile since I had it done. Sometimes the doctor forgets.

I Made It Thru Today....

I have had a sinus headache all summer I think along with strep throat twice. Every morning I wake up with a headache. I kept thinking it would run it's course and I would get better. I just don't think that is happening. Of course the day I decided to see the doctor I had to work which was yesterday and today. No one can do my job but me so I just had to make my appointment for tomorrow. I said I will get through those days. And did!

It wasn't easy getting papers ready that I throw yesterday. I have been kind of dizzy. I always take the business ones on Wednesday night so I did. I let someone go with me that I shouldn't have but it was just in case I got too dizzy. That was a big mistake and I knew that before I was half thru. It takes about three hours that day. I was ready to slap him silly but I held back and said, "This too shall pass." And it did.

This morning I got up determined I can do it. And I did. I have about 1800 I throw. This is like one after the other, constant. First few times I did it I thought I couldn't handle that by myself. The lady at the paper tells you when you start it takes two people. But I am  a strong person and I can do it. First few times it wore me out just putting 30 bundles of 100 in car. Then you take them out of the car at home. You roll them. You put them back in the car. Then you go throw one after another. This job is not for sissies. lol First time I did it my back hurt. My neck hurt. My arm hurt from using it so much. When I got home I was exhausted for two days. Which makes my heart skip beats.

Today my heart has not skipped. Nothing hurts from using my body. All that exercise will probably help my osteoporosis. It sure is not easy as writing at a computer. But I really think it is good for me .And it gives me incentive to work harder at writing. So much easier!!

I like My Life Right Now........

I can honestly say I like my life. I am older and I am alone but I have really gotten to where I like my alone time. It gets lonely sometimes. And sometimes I look back on my life when I had a house full and I do miss that. We all have to go thru that. We all have to adjust. It is harder for some than others. I have always been able to adjust to what I have too.  Except when I moved to Sweetwater. It was hard for me to adjust to small town life after living in the big city. But I am a small town girl and I know before I am done I will one day be back.

Right now I am just living in the moment . I love my house here. It is only 12 years old and this is the longest I have lived in a house . My Dad moved around a lot. Mostly from Sweetwater to Brownwood but sometimes we were in Longworth and Hamlin and other places. I miss that sometimes but again it is nice to be in the same place for a long time.

It is nice to live close to some of my grandkids and kids. It is nice to get up every morning and sit around. Get online. Read the morning paper. Just do what I want to do. My family room is so nice. I have three sets of patio doors . I sit out there and look outside. Enjoy the view and think.

If I get too lonely I can bring some of my grandkids over. I really don't think I need a man in my life anymore. I know there are some good men out there but I guess I didn't have one of them. After that last one I believe I will just live alone.

At least I do what I want too. If I decide to go somewhere I go. I do miss having someone to go to movies with or out to eat. I got friends but most of them don't live very close. I just started talking to one of my friends I had lost contact with. She lives in Wyoming right now. I have known her since she was in her late twenties and I was in my early 40's. Now I am 70 and she is 55. That is amazing we are that old now! But I am just glad I made it this long. So many of my friends didn't. I treasure and enjoy every day .

Back when I was forty after the fire happened and I was pregnant and just discovered I had Mitral Valve Prolapse I often wondered if I would live to see Jana grow up. Now she is 31 and I am still here. I think I got my Dad's genes and he lived to be 92. I am enjoying my life....

September 7,1957-2 Girls Killed by Lightening

It's hard to believe it has been 58 years since I was in Junior High at Sweetwater , Texas . I was only 12 years old. I will never, ever forget that day though. I had to walk home and it was raining and lightening really bad. I was hoping my Mom or Dad would come get me but they didn't. I was walking under the underpass on Lamar Street and had to go way over on West Broadway. My Dad had a mechanic shop over by the overpass on West Broadway . I was going under that underpass when a bolt of lightening hit something hard. I will never forget that sound it made.

I later found out two girls were killed when the lightening hit a tree where they were waiting for a bus . There were 12 injured. The ones killed were Robbie Mitchell and Glenda Sue Condray. I was in the 6th grade. I think they were a grade ahead of me in the 7th grade.

That was such a sad thing to happen to these girls and something so unexpecting. Sweetwater is a small town of 12,000 and not many tragedy's  occur there. I know ever since then I am deathly afraid when I see lightening. When you are only 12 something like that can scar you for life.

This guy in Sweetwater has a group that I belong too and he put that on today about it. I wouldn't have remembered the date. A lot of people put posts on there about it. Some were there. Some seen it all happen. One girl said she had to go to the hospital and identify the body of one of the girls. That would be a hard thing to do at such a young age.

One lady said it best though. She said," I wonder what the other girls that survived are doing now and how they feel after all this time?" That got me to thinking. I can't remember now if I knew any of them. I didn't see anyone put up a post saying they were one of them. Some people did say they were kin to someone that got hurt.

I just wonder if anyone read some of this that was hurt that day.....

OMG.....It Is Hard Working At My Age

I didn't realize it would be so hard to do a few papers by myself. A few? 3000 is more than a few. I am pretty tough. I haven't found too many things I cant do. Even at 70 years old. I think I just found one though. Guy had been helping me every week. But we went our separate ways so I had it to do myself. 5 hours of rolling. 7 hours of throwing. I managed but my MVP was really acting up by the time I got through. After I got through today I just been resting. I have realized anything I do that I don't normally do makes me sore all over. My neck hurts. My back hurts. And my legs hurt.

At least it is only for Wednesday and Thursday. I am already dreading next week. Maybe that will make me get busy to try and find an easier job. I have to do something to supplement my income. I don't have a house payment thanks to my son. But by the time you figure my car payment, insurance, satellite, cell phone, water and electric, gas and food and a few credit card bills that comes to quite a bit. I don't know how people make it with big house payment. Guess the income is better than mine.

I really need to get busy every day and see if I can find some kind of freelance work. Maybe writing for a paper like I used too. Anything would be better than this job I have. And this is supposed to be retirement. Not going to happen for me. Not for awhile anyway.

The cleaning I used to do was easier then these papers. Maybe I should do windows inside and out or new construction clean. At least I could afford to hire someone to help me. On what I make doing these papers I don't make enough to pay anyone.

In the morning I am going to sit at my desk and figure out just what I need to do. But I don't see killing myself to do some papers. One has to make money doing something though. I will figure it out I bet. I sure do hope so anyway. Got to be a better way than what I am doing.

Four Kiddos Tonight.......

Tonight I am watching four of my grandkids. Giving the parents a break where they can go to a concert. I never got to do that when I had young kids. I know it's a real treat but I hope they don't get used too it. I don't mind every now and then though.

Some of my grandkids I wasn't around much because they lived in different towns. I just didn't get to know them as well. I don't think that was my fault. It was really nobody's fault. People get busy and don't realize until it's too late. Never too late though really. Not until your gone.

Jana's kids I know the best. They live a few blocks from me. I see them almost every day. I was there when they were born. I watch them when she has stuff she has to do. I don't mind.

School will soon be starting. Then I won't be able to see them as often. Several of my grandkids are off to college this year. Jana will be going to college too. Everyone will be busy. I am going to try and be busy too. I got a course in writing I am trying to finish. Just three more 3,000 word articles too do. Maybe I will be improved then. If I could just learn when to put their or there. I have always had a problem using those words.

Tonight I brought a bunch of books to read while the kids are watching TV, playing computer games and Kaylee is playing with her dolls. Everyone is doing his or her own thing. We are all comfortable doing what we are doing.

Good thing I had seven kids because it really doesn't bother me watching kids. Something I have always done. I know some ladies that can't handle watching kids. It has never bothered me. Sometimes though I need my own time to do what I want too. But usually I have that time too. Plenty of time for everything. I am content and happy with my life.

Girls Are Catty.....Some Women Are Too

My daughter, Jana has always told me girls are catty. I never agreed with her because I have had some really good friends back when I lived in Sweetwater. I really haven't had many (what you would really call a friend) here in Fort Worth even though I have been here for 26 years. Acquaintances but not good friends.

We moved here when Jana was 5 years old so she really don't know about the small town friends. She has had some friends off and on but not really close friends that you might be friends for life. She had more friends with guys than she has with girls. I have a couple of guy friends here and in Sweetwater I guess I didn't have friends that were guys. That is kind of weird now that I think of it.

My best friend that I had since I went to Roby High School in 9th was Jane Denton and she died a few years back. We had kept in contact all these years. That was kind of hard because back when I was a teenager we moved a lot. Then after my first marriage we moved a lot too. Somehow I ended up in San Angelo after my first marriage ended. Jane lived there and we lived together. I had four kids and she had two. I watched all the kids while she worked. Our arrangement was very good at the time. Later I moved to Sweetwater.

In Sweetwater I met a girl after I got remarried. Our husbands worked together. We were just as close as two friends could be. She was there for me when my kids were born. When my house burned down she was there . I thought she always would be. She moved away but we still kept in contact. I moved here and she came down a couple of times to my house here. We talked on facebook and texted on the phone.

One day I noticed after I had went back to Guy she wasn't liking everything I put on facebook like she used too. She wasn't saying anything at all. She would get on my exes timeline though and like everything he said plus comment on it. Congratulating him on everything he did. I would think my friend would be here for me , not my ex. I guess I figured wrong. I would have never done that to her. Doesn't she know there was a reason I broke up with my ex? I unfriended her. That is nice to have that button to push when we want too.

I am inclined to agree with my daughter....Some women are catty.

I Love the Hallmark Channel on the Weekend....

Today I have been watching Hart to Hart. On Hallmark it was on all day and still is. On the other Hallmark channel Cedar Cove was on. I love that show too. That is from Debbie Macomber's books which are great. Even though that show is not a mystery like all the others are I still love it. Love Andie MacDowell. I can't remember that guy's name that is her boyfriend but I have seen him in a lot of shows lately. And of course Bruce Boxleitner. He is grey headed and older now but I still like him.

Tomorrow The Garage Sale Mysteries will be on. A new one tomorrow night. Lori Loughlin is in those. I have loved her since Full House. Candace Cameron Bure is in some mysteries from the books of Charlaine Harris. They are so good too. Another lady from Full House. I can't wait until Fuller House comes on. I think all the same people except maybe the Olsen twins will be on. No mystery there but I still like them.

I guess my loving mysteries started with Nancy Drew and Hardy boys when I was a child. When I got older of course I loved Hart to Hart, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Barnaby Jones, Murder She Wrote and a lot of others. I absolutely could not live without the Hallmark and Lifetimes channels. So many mysteries!

Here in Fort Worth I have met a couple of authors and of course I read their books. Their stories are on the streets that I know so well and that is doubly exciting to me. I read these books soon as they come out. Right now I am waiting on one from Judy and Laurie. I know I wont be disappointed because so far all the books I have read from them has been fantastic. Wish they would make a mystery movie from some of their books! In Fort Worth! Wouldn't that be great? Let me be in it would be even better........

One of The Lucky Ones.....

I guess I am one of the lucky ones..... Are is it unlucky because they have all went to a better place and I am still here plodding along ?  No one really knows which place is better since we haven't experienced what happens after one passes.

Seems like lately I have heard of lots of people my age that have died. Today I got news that my friend, Rosie Tilley had passed. I had known her in Junior High. I moved later to Brownwood so I hadn't seen her since until I came down to Sweetwater a couple of years ago. I stayed a month at a friends house. She rents out rooms. When I walked in Rosie was there and she knew me not seeing me since 7th grade. She said, "Your Elaine aren't you?" 

I said, "Who are you?"  She told me Rosie. She had gained a little weight. Wrinkles maybe. But she was Rosie. That month I was there we went shopping in Abilene and out to eat a lot. Got to know her real well. When I left she gave me a picture of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. I still have that picture on my bedroom wall. So sad to think about Rosie gone.

About ten years ago my best friend since 9th grade in Roby passed away. Her name was Jane. We had kept in touch all these years somehow. She was in a car accident and was paralyzed from the waist down.

A few years before that my brothers first wife had went to get a biopsy of her lungs. She never came home. One never knows what will happen the next day. I guess we need to be prepared for what ever comes our way.

And just feel lucky that we wake up every morning. We have so much to be grateful for......Every day that we are alive. My Dad outlived all of his friends. He lived to be 92. I think I have his genes. When we do pass we are going on to better things......But for now I am just grateful that I am pretty healthy.

I love Jason's Deli....

The first time I ate at Jason's Deli had to be about 20 years ago or maybe even longer. The guy I moved to Fort Worth with worked as manager at a service station across the street from Jason's on Camp Bowie. Now a Well's Fargo is in the place of that station.

He went over to Jason's during his lunch break and ate. He brought me one of those huge baked potatoes home and I been going back every since at least once a month. They last me about three meals. You can get BBQ on them or Brisket or you can just have a Plain Jane. If it's not  a baked potato you want they also have chili pie which I am fixing to try tonight. All kinds of soups and salad too and sandwiches. They have a salad bar with good gingerbread and garlic bread. After dinner you can have a ice cream cone.

If your not full when you leave there I don't know why not. I usually bring mine home in a to go box and eat on it for a few days. I get some garlic bread and gingerbread too and I am set for a few days.

If you like to sit outside they have tables with chairs out there. Or booths inside. They also have delivery if you don't want to go out but don't want to cook either.

I am not  a spokesman for them. I'm really not. It's just I love the place so much I got to tell the world how good it is. And if you haven't eaten at Jason's what you have been missing. You have been missing a lot.

Making myself hungry just talking about it. I better go and get me some chili pie. I will let you know how that taste at a later date. I am sure it is good. Just like everything else is. Go on down to Jason's tonight or tomorrow for lunch. Or have it delivered. Just try it. You won't regret it I promise you.

I Love Books and Magazines and Mrs. Allen's

Everyone knows I have always loved books and they know I love Mrs. Allen's. Anybody that knows me knows this. I have always liked magazines too. At a very young age I would say 13 but don't remember for sure I was reading True Story, True Confessions  and True Love. I found a True Story back in April at  a store and I hadn't seen one of those in ages. I didn't know they still had those. They cost a lot more than they did back then of course.

A few years later I was buying  Sweet Sixteen, Seventeen and Teen. I read all those magazines faithfully as a teenager. Then in my twenties I started reading Good Housekeeping and Redbook. I still read True Story too.

The other day I looked on my ottoman though where I keep all the books I haven't read yet. I got a stack starting in March that I haven't read. Looking thru them I have Redbook, Good housekeeping, Oprah, Woman's Day,HGTV, Mc Call's and several others. Why can't I get to these books I have always loved? I am going to start looking thru at least three a day until I catch up on all of this. This cannot happen.

Tomorrow I plan on taking about five or six with me. We are going on a road trip and going by Sweetwater and eating at Mrs. Allen's . I can't wait! I love Mrs. Allen's famous potato salad. And I will be killing two birds with one stone. Actually three. Read some of my books, eat potato salad and see some friends maybe.

There is going to be an author there too from here and I read all her books. Most people from Sweetwater wont know her and I won't name names. She sent me a message the other day asking about Mrs. Allen's because she had heard of me talking about it. I hope she enjoys it as much as I will. Kind of weird we are going the same day. When she ask me about Mrs. Allen's the other day I had no plans to go. But it happened.....

Summer is Half Over

The days are going fast. What has happened to summer? This is the middle of July. That means six months and Christmas will be here again. How time flies!

It seems like I don't get done half what I plan on doing every day. I am home most of the day so I don't know what my excuse is. Last year we went to Florida. This year I guess no vacation for us. I don't really know where I would want to go except back to Sweetwater and have some Mrs. Allen's potato salad. That is kind of sad.

My daughter is going to Port Aransas for vacation and San Antonio. My son is going to Rome. I can't think of anywhere but Sweetwater. If I had money, lots of it I am  sure I could find somewhere to go. I have always wanted to see New York. Or Maine or Connecticut. I would love to stay in a bed and breakfast.

A cruise would be nice except I am afraid of water. Other countries are not even an option since you can't get there by car and I am not about to fly. I have always said if I can't get anywhere by car I will just stay home. Just call me fearful Elaine. I am surprised I go by car since the speed limit is getting so high.

Guess I could go to my son's lake house at Possum Kingdom. It is nice. Long as I don't have to ride with him to get there. I rode with him the first time I had ever been and it was at night. Curves and hills and he goes kind of fast so it kind of scared me. He won't let me live that down. Next time I will drive myself in the daytime and I will be fine.

It is nice and peaceful there . Just  bring me lots of books and I will be fine.....

Paula Lynn Carter- Two days old

Today is the day that my daughter, Paula Lynn died fifty years ago. She lived for two days. She weighed three lbs. Back in those days in 1965 premature babies did not live lots of times. In this day they can fix all of that. The doctor said her lungs kept collapsing and he kept trying to fix it but to no avail. He said her lungs and heart were not fully developed . If she had lived there would have been lots of problems. So she is forever 2 days old.

I had been visiting my Mom and Dad in Sweetwater. Paul and I lived in Brownwood at the time. I had to take a bus back to Brownwood. After I got back to Brownwood that night I started having labor pains. I thought they were false ones. But they were getting worse by the minute. We went to the hospital and they sent us home two different times. By that next night they had really intensified. Around 10 pm I  told Paul we had to go back. I had been in labor for 24 hours. We went. The doctor examined me and told me to go back home and rest. We were in the elevator going down and I felt all this bearing down pain. I told Paul he needed to get me back where we were. We went back to the labor room.. They took me to delivery and Paula was born right after 12:00 midnight. Nothing for pain. They put a wash rag over my face where I could not see.

Next morning I thought everything was fine. They didn't bring her in but I thought that was because she was so small. They didn't really tell me anything. Back in that time you had to stay in hospital three or four days. That next morning they came in and told me Paula did not make it. The doctor said he kept blowing air in her lungs but they kept collapsing. I never seen her until the funeral.

We picked out a little pink casket for her . My Mom came for the funeral and she told me I should have the casket closed. She said looking at her might make me start hemmoraging. An old wife's tale I suppose. But no way would I have not looked at her.

I have always wondered why some people have to lose a child and some people never go thru that. It is the worse thing that can ever happen to you in a lifetime. It has happened to me twice. If someone never has to go thru that pain they are lucky. Because once you do your life will never be the same again. There will always be something missing.

I didn't write this for anyone to feel my pain. I wrote this because I don't want to ever forget my daughter. I will always remember her although I cant remember what she looked like. I know she would have been a beautiful girl. All my girls are.

I found a group on facebook that helps me deal with the loss of my two girls. It is called Grieving Mothers From Around the World. The lady Gina on there is one of the nicest ladies I have ever met. If you have lost a child get on that group. You wont regret it.

Nice Fourth of July Weekend

It was a nice 4th of July weekend. I have seen worse. I don't remember a lot of things about my childhood. But I don't remember celebrating this holiday. Of course that don't mean we didn't . I don't remember a lot of things that happened in my childhood or even thirty years ago. I could ask my brother. He seems to remember everything.

Anyway yesterday we all went to my daughter Jana's in laws. Had a nice cookout. I brought potato salad, devilled eggs and ribs. I even remembered to leave some of the potatoes just plain mashed . Jana's husband Vasile doesn't like potato salad. That is one of my favorite foods. That and devilled eggs.

They fixed steaks, and little smokies with BBQ sauce and hot dogs. Baked beans, banana pudding and cookies. Good meal. We were stuffed. Good conversation.

Then I went with Guy out to where he works. I saw the three goats. One was a baby. It wanted me to pet it. There were five horses. One is a miniature. Three Cows. He fed the horses and groomed them.

We came home and watched a movie. I was trying to set up Net Flix to go on my TV from my laptop. Not good with that. My son tried to give me directions over the phone. Still couldn't get it. So we watched it on my laptop. It has a big screen. It was a good movie but don't ask me the name of it. Candace Cameron (the girl from Full House) was in it.

Today I got up and read the Sunday paper as usual. At least there were no attacks on the holiday like they were saying might happen. Had strawberry shortcake for breakfast. I had leftovers later most of the day of potato salad and  devilled eggs. That is a meal to me and a good one.

Now I am watching "Deck the Halls". Got Christmas movies in July  on Hallmark channel. Good ending to this 4th of July holiday.  

Why Are People So Mean On Facebook......

I have been on facebook about five years I guess. I get on my timehop every morning which shows things you have commented every year you have been on facebook  and pictures. I think it is interesting to see what you said last year or other years and if it is interesting I put it on facebook . It is my time line . I should be able to put anything I want too. I feel like if people don't like it they don't have to read it. Or unfriend me if you don't like it.

Not the case sometimes. I put one on the other day because it reminded me of the pain I went thru last year before they ever found the stone I had for months. This particular one said I had went to ER in Fort Worth  last year at this time in considerable pain. They failed to do a Ct Scan. Emergency room doctor told me I had a UTI. I thought it was a stone because the pain was so bad  but after a trip to the bathroom the pain went away.

Four months later that pain came back one night so bad I couldn't sit down and ended up in Sweetwater hospital.  After a scan there they said I had a stone the size of a golf ball. It had been there for months. Ended up having laser surgery but to get back to my story.......

A cousin of mine that I haven't seen in years put on my timeline ,"What? Are you trying to get sympathy again?". Not hardly. It just reminded me of what I went thru last year . It might help someone to know if they had the same symptoms. A friend of mine told her that she had known me for long time and she had never seen me try to get sympathy. People that really know me know this.

One of my daughters that hadn't been on facebook long told me the other day sometimes she liked life before facebook. She said it takes up a lot of time. It is addicting.  People say rude things to you. Hurt your feelings sometimes. All that is very true.

We might have been better off before all these social networks. But we can keep up with the world better. Stay in touch with old friends better. Just have to weed out the bad ones. Which I did the other day.

I Wish I Was a Kid Again At My Grannys For The Summer....

I would give anything I have to be able to go back in time and be at my Granny's for the summer. I can just see her house and see us sitting on that bench at her table eating a pickle loaf sandwich. I still like those sandwiches today.

I didn't think anything of it back then because I was used to it I guess but her bed was in the living room. She slept with about three pillows. I got that habit still. There were two rocking chairs in front of a space heater. On the far wall was a chest of drawers. No sofa, no TV. There was a radio and that is all we had for entertainment .My Grandpa had a bedroom where he slept. I had a bedroom.

When I think about what kids have these days it is so much more than in that day. Of course we didn't know about all that so we didn't miss it. No computers, no cell phones or all the other electronic things. I cant even remember what kept us busy.

My Granny lived across the street from the cemetery. She took care of some lots for people. I used to go with her to the cemetery and we would rake the graves and pull weeds. Make them look nice. She got a check once a month from each one $1.50 a piece.

First of the month she waited to get her check in the mail for social security. No direct deposit then. We rode with neighbors to town or either  took a cab. It was fun though because it is a treat when it is something you don't get to do often. We would go to town and eat lunch at the drug store. Go to a magazine store and pick out movie magazines. Then we would go to grocery store where I got to pick out sodas, lunch meats and anything else I wanted to eat.

We always had nice summers at my Grannys. Memories I will always have.

Strep In Summer Is Bad.....

I wasn't sick all winter except for that kidney stone. Here it is summer though and I get strep throat. This is the first one I have had in years. When I was a teenager about 16 I got strep every time I turned around. Back then they didn't have all the different kinds of antibiotics. I would go to the doctor and get a penicillin shot about three days in a row. I was supposed to get my tonsils out but that never happened.

I still got strep until I was in my mid thirties. Then all of a sudden I just quit getting it. Like a miracle.  I think this is the first time since way back then. I hope this is not  a sign I will start getting them again. Too old now to get my tonsils out. Major surgery when you are older.

They got lots of antibiotics you can take for it anyway. I hope mine helps soon. One side of my throat hurts when I swallow. Nobody wants to be around me either. Afraid they will get it I guess. Its like being quarantined.

I am hoping tomorrow I am  a lot  better. It will be  Saturday. Got lots to do tomorrow if I am up to it. So tonight I will gargle with warm salt water like my Mom always told me to do. It really does help. I took my medicine already. Hopefully when I wake up I will be well again. When things like this happens it makes you appreciate your health..

I hope to wake up, have my orange juice. Read the paper. Go out and water my flowers. Maybe someone will talk to me tomorrow.....

A Boring Saturday for Me....

Today has been super boring for me after all that has happened in the last week. For some reason Saturdays are just boring to me. I guess I should be glad life is back to  normal again.

It was very sad this last week. I went to my first loves funeral in Brownwood. My son Charles went with me. I had met him in 1st or second grade, my brother said. He was at the funeral. He remembers more than me somehow even though he is older.

At funerals you seem to see people you haven't seen in forever. That is a sad time to see them I guess. My brother was there from San Angelo. Been awhile since I seen him. And then a lot of my ex relatives from my ex husband, Paul. A lot of them are my friends on facebook so they knew me from there. This one guy I had known back in my 20's when Paul and I were together. He was in front of my brother, Wayne. Wayne said, "You know who this is?" Larry Petty! OMG I would have never recognize him. He used to be a big guy. Now he shrunk! So nice seeing him again.

Paul's wife Linda was a really nice lady too. She is the one who tamed him I think. She gave me one of the plants from the funeral. So very nice of her. She said she will learn how to text and get on facebook. She don't know how to do any of that yet I guess. I feel so bad for her. I know this will be a big adjustment for her. She was married to Paul for 31 years. I am praying for her.

I am glad all that is over and with time everyone gets better. It takes time though. I know my kids will miss their Dad.

Today is about over. I have  a lot to do but didn't really want to do anything. Maybe I will get to some of that tomorrow.Gosh I am  getting lazy lately.

Not a Good Week.......

This has not been  a good week at all. First part of the week I heard my first ex husband was getting worse. He has lung and bone cancer. I know after Hospice comes in you don't have long. My daughter Darla is on the way down to Brownwood tonight. She said they are not looking for him to live through the night.

Back when he was 19 and I was 18 he was a pretty wild man. I had first met him in the 6th grade. Went to the movies with him then. Met him again when I was 17. He was a good race car driver at one time. I was with him for seven years. We had five kids.

I have forgave him for all of that now. I feel so bad for him having to suffer so much. No one deserves that. It will be  a relief for him and everyone else when he is at peace and an ending to his suffering.

Then today I had took my next door neighbor to work. She works way out on 35. On way back I thought I would stop at the Below Five store. They have good cell phone stuff. When I stopped I seen I had a message on facebook. It was a friend from Sweetwater telling me my grandson Devon had died in a car accident early this morning. I just sat there crying and shaking. He is 21! Such a shock.

When Devon was very young he and his brother Dillon and Mom Christy  and my son Charles lived here with me for awhile. I babysat them while she worked. But then she moved back to Sweetwater. They broke up and she came down one time with her to be husband. She told me I could always see the boys. But I really didn't. They were both on my facebook page. I seen Devon a few years back when I went to my grandson Zacks graduation. That was the last time I seen him.

One never knows how long anyone will be here in this world. It is always a shock when a young person dies. I have been in shock all day. I can only imagine what his Mom and Dad are going through. I know how that feels. I have been there.

I think Lita summed it up when she said, " My heart is crying for you....It should not happen twice in a lifetime for one person...but in the blinking of an eye....

RIP Devon Freeman.

Nice Memorial Day Weekend....

Its been a nice Memorial Day Weekend I guess. It could have been worse. Of course it has been rainy weather but I didn't have to go far. Just right around in my little neighborhood.

I did hate it that I had to miss my grandsons graduation on Friday night. At least all the kids sent me pictures. I just don't drive on those roads like that. It is very scary the way the drivers go faster when it rains .

On Saturday my son Charles came over. He was putting a new pantry door in for me. One of those glass ones that says Pantry on it. Very pretty. I cleaned out a little room I have off the family room that used to be Jeff's office. Making me a craft room out of it. If anyone knows me they know I don't have just plain white walls. I am painting this room four shades of orange. Then I got some unique pictures of Sweetwater I am putting in there. I will have all my scrapbooking materials and pictures as well as sewing machine and Avon stuff.

Saturday night I went over to Jana's. We had hot dogs. Sunday Charles and I worked on the house some more. Sunday night Jana invited me over to have enchiladas. My favorite food! Kaylee and Connor came home and spent the night with me.

Today Jana invited me over for lunch and we had tuna sandwiches. For some reason they remind me of the old days when I was young. I had to call my doctor and get some medicine. Have a UTI. First one in a long time. So glad she called antibiotics in . Then tonight I went over to Jana's Mom and Dad in Law for dinner. Potato salad, beans, pulled pork, rolls, peas, watermelon and cantaloupe. Dessert was banana pudding and cake.

All in all it was a good Memorial Day. Been busy. Tonight I am watching some mystery movies. Just lots of rain the whole weekend.

My Grandson, Rhyne Allen Carter Graduated Tonight

I had made plans all week to go see my grandson, Rhyne Allen Carter graduate tonight at 7 pm at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. He had  attended Prestonwood Christian Academy . I watched the news this afternoon thinking maybe I could go but the more they said the more I knew I couldn't. My son Allen would call me a big sissy. He thinks you shouldn't be scared of anything. Raining and driving on a freeway just scares me. It is bad enough driving on dry land in this big city.

My daughter Darla went though and I ask her to send me pictures. She sent me one when she first got there of the inside of the church. Looked like a big crowd was there.

Rhyne is named after his Dad and he looks like him too so they named him right.  He will be attending Oklahoma State University and studying Business Management and Entrepreneurship. Sounds like he wants to be like his Dad. Allen is a real good businessman. I have a feeling Rhyne will be a good one too.

I think having your own business kind of runs in my family. My Dad had a small business as a mechanic and trading cars. My brothers both had car lots and done very well. I have had a cleaning business and a daycare. I just never liked to work for someone else. Allen started with drycleaners and has a really huge one in downtown Dallas now.

I am real proud of my grandson and I hope he knows that. I was there watching him graduate in my heart. Sad because I wasn't there in person.

My Sister Never Got To See Her Grandkids.....

When I got up this morning and logged on Facebook (like I do every morning) I seen that it was Toby Forbes birthday. He is my sister Janice's grandson. That got me to thinking....  Janice never got to see any of her grandkids. That is just so sad. She was such a nice lady and she loved kids. I  know she would have been such a good grandma. I wonder what they would have called her?Grandma, Grandmother, Granny, Nana or like my grandkids call me Ma?

I know that is an unusual name to be called Ma for a Grandma. That is because my grandchild Tiffany could not say Grandma. She would say Ma and it stuck. Now all the younger grandkids call me that.

I wish Toby could have met his Grandma. She was one of the sweetest ladies I have ever known. She only had two boys. Arlin was 19 and Cliff was 17 when she died. She got colon cancer. She was 38. She was such a tiny little thing. She never weighed over 89 lbs. And talk about cooking. She was a great cook. A great seamstress. She was a painter and loved to draw. She had so many talents. She was great with crafts too. I named my younger daughter after her, Jana. I think she took after her a lot. She is a great cook and can sew and do crafts too.

Arlin and Cliff both took after Janice in being small boned and short. And then there kids kind of did the same thing. I don't think any of them actually took after her husband, Eugene.

I just wish Janice could have been here today to see her grandson. But I know she is in heaven with her two boys. She is smiling down on Toby. I can hear her saying, " That is my grandson and he looks just like his Daddy did .And one day we will meet. "

Elaine of All Trades.....

I think I am Elaine of all trades. I am trying to do an errand service and I already have a cleaning service. I don't do much cleaning  but a few places I have done for a long time. I do a little writing. I do this  blog a few times a week. Trying to get better so I can write that book or at least maybe articles for magazines. Meanwhile since I am a struggling freelancer I still have to make money so that is why I am trying the errand service.

An errand service can mean  a lot of different things. This one does. I have a site on my facebook page that tells more about it and what I do. I will take lunches to people working or residential homes. If someone needs  a ride I can provide that. It is just on the west side of Fort Worth but in certain circumstances I might go further. I will deliver documents for offices or run a number of different kinds of errands for offices.

I have watered flowers while someone is gone on vacation. I will housesit while waiting on utilities or something is expected. I will do shopping or run errands for clients. I will even help pack if you are moving. Anything I can do I will be glad to help you do if you have a need. Just run it by me and we will see if I can do it.

I just need to advertise more to get the word out there I guess. Advertising is hard and it is costly. Word of mouth is  a good way but you got to get that started somehow too. Most of my facebook friends are not from herein Fort Worth so that is a hard way to advertise too. I would like to have  a billboard but cant afford that. Not yet anyway.

I will keep just plugging along and hope it gets better. That is all I can do. Right?

Another Mother's Day Gone......

Mother's Day has changed completely I think  from what it used to be. Back when I was a young Mother I never once missed getting my Mom something for Mother's Day. I still would if she was alive. I don't remember when I started getting my daughter's something but now I always do.

This day was great. My daughter Jana's husband fixed us breakfast. We had biscuits with gravy, bacon, eggs and fried potatoes.They invited me along with his Step Mom for lunch. We had hot dogs, steak , baked potatoes and salad. Dustin(my son) came over also with his wife Lana and daughter Ella.

I got two bouquets of flowers. A gift card form Barnes and Noble. Flowers on a stand for outside. A family birthstone necklace . When I got home my next door neighbor brought me  a single rose. I had a nice time.

Still when you get home from all that excitement and then your all alone it is just  a let down. Not because I have nothing to do either. I got plenty to do. I have to write an article of 3,000 words by tomorrow. I have put it off. I got to really get on that soon as I finish here.

I think having a large family of seven kids ruined me for living alone. When I get home from    visiting family I just feel so lonely sometimes. Then again sometimes I love being alone. I love my private time. Don't get me wrong.

And I cant wait until tomorrow when I take my gift card to Barnes and Noble and purchase some books. I am most happy when I am buying books. I don't know if I will get them all read in my lifetime but I am going to try.

Hope everyone had a great mom's Day.

I Don't Like the Dark......

I like living alone just fine. Until after dark. I don't know why it bothers me so much. I guess because I am a sunshiny person. The first thing I do when I wake up is open all the blinds. Let the sun come in. We made a family room/movie room out of the garage. I have three sets of French doors and two windows. When I get up I open all those blinds and go out and get my paper. I have a glass of orange juice and read the paper. I am busy all day and pretty well content.

And then night time comes. When I close all the blinds I feel like I am closed in. I turn on a lot of lights. When I go to bed I leave the hall light and the bathroom light on. I cannot stand total darkness. I don't know if that is why I keep waking up during the night. My street is kind of a busy street.

I have a security system and that makes me feel  safer. But still not safe enough I guess. Living on a busy street doesn't help matters. I got  a real nice neighbor that looks out for me . She says she is just a holler away. That makes me feel safer.

Now why do I read all the mysteries that I read? Because I love them dearly and couldn't quit if my life depended on it. They don't seem as scary as watching them in a movie. Bates Motel scares me a little. That family is not normal.

Maybe I need a roommate. Unless the roommate is scary. You hear about that too. I guess I just been watching too many scary movies and reading too many scary books. But I am not going to quit.....

Mystery Movies.....Love Them

I like nothing better than to curl up on the sofa and watch a good mystery. Hallmark and Lifetime have lots of mystery movies on the weekend. I can't wait until tomorrow night. Joanne Flukes book about Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder will be on. I have read a lot of her books. Just recently I found the Aurora Teagarden mysteries too. I read the first one. There was a movie about the second one that Candace Cameron Bure is in. Watching it right now. It is called, "Bone to Pick :An Aurora Teagarden Mystery."

There are so many mystery books that have been written. Starting out with Nancy Drew as a child and now on to bigger and better mysteries. I love Mary Higgins Clarks books as well as her daughter Carol Higgins Clark. Then Mary Jane Clark who is some kin to them. Two local ones that I read . Judy Alter and Laurie Moore. Their stories relate to this area and I love that when I know the streets or the restaurants.

I have always wanted to write my own mystery but I don't think I have that much imagination. Maybe one day.

I just bought a new book of Mary Higgins Clark the other day called  "Death Wears a Beauty Mask." She actually started it in 1974 but never finished it. She wrote instead "Where Are The Children?" It is only 83 pages long. I can't wait to get started on it. First I got to finish the one I am on. Laurie Moore's" Getting Mama Out of Hell." It is kind of a strange book compared to what Laurie usually writes. But it is a good book . And when Judy's next book comes out on the Kelly O' Connell series I will be reading that one. I feel like Kelly is a close friend.

I have a stack of books yet to read. I may never get thru because authors keep writing more. It takes me about two weeks to read  a book. If I can't get into it that much it takes even longer. But I am always on a book. I will never run out of reading material. And that is a good thing. I am happy when I got a good book to read.

The Rain is Over For A Few Days I Hope

It was nice to see the sun shining today. I know we need the rain but I hate the storms and they usually come with the rain. Cooler weather usually comes with rain too and it was cooler yesterday. It is almost May but cool for this time of the year. Back in the 70's today though. Next few days should gradually get a little warmer. It is bad when you have to use heat of the morning and air of the afternoon. It's Texas though. What can one expect?

At night the temperature will dip into 50's the weather man says for a few days . No rain in site for little while.  That is good for now. I think we have had enough for the time being.

So now it  should be nice sunny days and cool nights. Pretty soon it wont even be cool nights. Guess we should enjoy them while we can. Before long it will be hot nights as well as hot days.

I hope next winter it  is not quiet as cold as this one. It was a little too cold for me. I am really cold natured it seems like the older I get the more cold natured I am.  It made for a real high electric bill. Next winter I hope to have lots of firewood too because I do love a fireplace. So cozy.

I want to get outside and do some yard work in the next few days. They say it is therapy and I know I need that. My anxiety has  been thru the roof lately. It will get better when things calm down a little though.  I got some flowers planted. I would like to plant some more by my driveway. I would like to get  a few roses too. At least the flowers I planted got watered by the rain and they are growing.....

More Storms......

More storms tonight. I know we need the rain but does it have to come storms too? Lately they have been really bad .They said winds 90 to 100 mph. That sounds like a tornado to me.

I had taken a late nap and woke up a few minutes after 6 pm. I went into my family room and looked out the window. It was getting dark and looked gray outside. Then the rain started and it was raining hard. It had such a stream in the road I seen branches going down the road. On TV the guy was saying it was coming to Benbrook and then on to Burleson and then Mansfield. It wasn't supposed to come to White Settlement but we did have a lot of rain and winds.

My satellite went off where I couldn't get weather reports. Then my phone went off saying there was a tornado in the area. All of this is very scary to me since I was in that tornado. I guess that ruins you for life. Anyway when you are all alone it is a lot scarier.

It didn't last long but it was very scary while it lasted. Jana and I were having a yard sale supposedly today which we had to cancel. We set everything up last night. We put plastic down but with the high winds it all came off. Everything is wet. It's a mess.

Tomorrow is supposed to be better. We will be drying off what is salvageable and going on. I am hoping the bad storms are over for awhile. I still have  a tree on top of my storage building. I am just hoping the rest of that tree don't come down. I am sleeping on the sofa tonight. My bedroom is at the back of the house not far from that tree.

ACM 50th Awards-Nice to Get to Go

I never thought I would get to go see the Country Awards. But I did get the chance. I also didn't know it would be so hard to find parking. By the time I got tickets there were no good seats left. Mine was way up high as you can get. There was also no parking.

My son Allen was checking to see if some restaurants shuttle you to the stadium. They were all full up. We just thought we would drive by the stadium and see if anything was around. Oh, yes. All down that street any business that had a parking lot was selling spaces for $20. I ask them if it was too far They said , "Oh , no. Just half a mile. "I thought I could handle that. My son Allen text me and said, "That is quite a ways for you to walk at your age. "That wasn't the hard part ,come to find out.

When we got close to the stadium we just followed the crowd in. It was like in the parking garages where it is uphill all the way. And it was a little ways. As we walked it kept going around and around until I thought we would never get there. Finally we did and then they had all the concession stands and where our seats were it was all the way across the top floor. Finally we came to where ours was. You had to go 24 big steps up and it was at the very top. Did I mention I was in boot heels ? I started up them like the good sport I am. Got about half way and decided no I cannot make it the rest of the way. I went back down . Seen empty seats and just sat down. If they were someone's they would tell us.

Got lucky there I guess. It was great seeing all the stars. A chance of a lifetime. I was still up high and  looking down made me dizzy. But there was a giant TV so you could see them.

After it was over we left and found an elevator to go down. We did not know this. That was a lot easier. It was cold though and that half a mile was hard. My ears were hurting from the cold when I got to the car.

Next morning  Allen text me to ask how it went. I told him a little hard for me. I have to admit I was older and the walking was hard. He said " Nothing worth doing is ever done without a little pain. And that makes it worth doing." Smart man.





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Rainy Night....Peaceful....Not Like a Night Back in March of 2000

It has been cloudy and looked like rain all day. I went to the store and got a Rotisserie lemon chicken and made a salad. After dinner I sat down to watch" Garage Sale Mysteries" on Hallmark. My favorite channel.

Little bit later here the rain started. Thundering and a little bit of lightening. Jana had left at 4 to go to Belton. She is the Cub Scout leader and two of her kids Colton and Connor are in her pack . They had a two day camping trip planned so hopefully it is not raining there.

Then I was texting my son Allen and he was fixing to get on a plane from Atlanta and his flight  had been delayed. He had been in Atlanta for a few days at a cleaners convention and he said it had rained all week.

My daughter Darla and her husband went to Missouri where their daughter Sydney is in college today. She is in track and they went to watch her. She is real good in  sports

Sounds like everyone had somewhere to go today. I am so glad I didn't have to go anywhere tonight. Just stay home and watch the mystery movie. I try not to get out if it looks like a storm.

Back in March of 2000 when that tornado came thru Fort Worth Jana and I were right in the middle of it in our car. We had went to the Sonic that night to get burgers on University. We lived on 7th Street at that time. While we were waiting on the burgers we heard sirens. We left the Sonic and drove down University and turned on 6th Avenue . Wrong thing to do! We were right in the middle of a tornado. We seen dumpsters in the air and all kinds of trash. I pulled up as close as I could get to a building. Another car was there too. All of my windows on my side blew out. Even the  back one came out. Wind so strong on my face I could not get a breath. We sat there with seat belts on until it was over. Then we drove home and all kinds of things were in the road. So very scary. Several people died that night.

Now when  a storm come's up you can bet I will  be at home. Cozy and secure in my house.....

Are Sinus Problems/Allergies Worse here or is it Everywhere.......

Right now I have a really bad sinus/allergy infection. They don't know which. All I know is for a month I thought it would go away but it never did. Finally yesterday I figure I had enough headaches, runny one minute/stopped up nose the next. Sore throat. I had it all. The doctor prescribed me an antibiotic but Wal Mart didn't have it until today. Finally today I got it and started taking it. Hopefully it gets better soon. Sure am glad I went to the  doctor because it was worse today.

I wonder if sinus/allergy problems are worse in big cities. I don't remember having it much when I lived in Sweetwater but it might have came along anyway later in life. I was 45 when I moved here. Seems like I get a bad case of it about once a year. I wasn't sick all winter. No cold or flu. Now this.

I never thought I had allergies before but maybe they grow on you too. I remember my Mom and Dad had sinus problems and they lived in the small town of Coleman. Maybe that is inherited along with some other health issues.

The last two times I had a sinus infection I lost about ten lbs. I hope I don't lose this time. I can't afford too. It takes forever to gain the weight back. So far I have lost about two lbs. It is just as hard to gain weight as it is for some people to lose weight. So don't say you wish you had that problem. I wish I didn't. A couple of years ago I got  down to 93. It took me two years to gain it back.

It is nice in a way being able to eat anything you want and not have to worry about getting big. Plus it is healthier to be small instead of big. I have been this way all my life. My sister was smaller than me. The most she ever weighed was 89.

I wonder if there is any way to prevent these sinus/ allergies from happening. Maybe a cleaner house? Or maybe an air filter? I don't know. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. I am so tired of getting these things. I just want to be healthy....No fun in being sick.

Did The Rain Drown My Flowers?

I got my flowers planted yesterday with my neighbors help just before all the rain this morning when I woke up. I was afraid they would drown. But I don't think they are damaged too bad. I had put flowers in pots on my patio on Saturday and yesterday I planted flowers in the front.

I have always heard doing yard work is therapy and I do need some therapy right now. I am not real good at it. I sure don't have a green thumb. But give me an A for trying. It will also keep me busy.The only thing I hate about yard work is all the little creatures out there. I seen a long worm in the flower bed when I was pulling out grass. And spiders are the scariest things ever.  I cannot stand a spider. I have ants real bad too and wasps nests by the front door. I got spray for the wasps and poison for the ant beds so hopefully that gets rid of them.

I just got to remember to water the flowers. I usually forget. That was hard work getting all the grass out of the flower bed. So I cant kill them! At least everything was on sale at Home Depot. I got bags of dirt that was on sale and then mulch and the flowers were $1.00 for six together. That was all a good price. I guess I done it at the right time. I would like to get a couple of rose bushes to put in the flower bed.

I want to get a deck for the back yard. I don't know if I can afford that but I want to try. I would like to have a little pond and a patch of wildflowers close to it and just have grass on one side of the yard. I know exactly what I want but getting the money to fix it like I want is another story.

On the deck I would like to have lots of pots of flowers and some lounge chairs . A table with umbrella would be nice. Some windchimes and a few hanging baskets. That is my dream and it doesn't hurt to dream. Right?

Can Money Buy Happiness?

I was just thinking about this because my son always told me money can't buy happiness. And I know you are supposed to make your own happiness. And you are supposed to be content with what God has provided for you. But sometimes it is just not enough. Think about the kids in other countries that are starving and some even here are going hungry. If they had the means to get food they would be so much happier.

Myself I have gotten a windfall now and then and I was on top of the world. So nice to wake up in the morning and know you got money in the bank if you need something and all the bills are paid. I have been in the position where I couldn't pay my rent. I have gotten my electricity cut off before. I was raising my daughter alone and it was hard. And if some extra money comes your way yes you are happy. And money is not evil if it is used right.

I ask on Facebook today if money could buy happiness. Most said it couldn't. A few said it could. One lady said it best I think. She said and I quote, "If you think money doesn't buy happiness, consider this. You have hungry children, no food, no money to buy food, no one to give you food, no way to earn the money to buy food. Would money make you happy?' Yes it would. I think it is according to how you have lived all your life. If you were poor when you get money you are happy about it. If you already have it you don't think about it. Unless you suddenly went broke and didn't have it.

Another lady said,"If anyone thinks money is the root of all evil, send yours to me ! PO Box 0000."

There are all different ways to look at it. I got a lot of different opinions. Different people feel different ways. I know a lot of people don't agree with me. But if you have money everything just goes better. I am not talking about filthy rich. Just enough to do what you need to do. That doesn't hurt a thing. And it makes for lots of happiness. Granted you can get it other ways too but you got to have money to do anything.

I read this in a Redbook magazine today. 'The people who say money can't buy happiness are using their money wrong."

Easter is Over....What is Next?

Easter is over for another year. I am sure everyone had a great time with fantastic dinners and kids hunting eggs. Everyone dressed up in the finest new clothes they could find. Even I got a new turquoise sweater. I did wear my white skirt I wore to my grand daughter Kelci's wedding last June. That was the only time I had ever worn it.

This year we had the dinner at my daughter, Jana's. Usually it is at my house. So much easier. I took green bean casserole and sweet potatoes. She has turned into a great cook. She made yeast rolls and every year she makes  a bunny cake. Her Mom and Dad in law came also and my son Dustin and his wife Lana and daughter, Ella. Everyone brought a dish so that was a lot easier.

Sometimes Easter is in March. Sometimes in April. But somehow it is always chilly. This Easter was no exception. Tomorrow is supposed to be back to warm again. My friend Nancy who lives in Michigan said it was 73 today. How could that be when here it stayed in the 50's all day. It is usually a lot colder there then here.

After we ate dinner and the Easter egg hunt for the kids I went home. To me that is always a let down after all the excitement and noise. I come home and it is so quiet. Maybe I should have stayed longer. I took a nap. Got up and had leftovers and just sat around texting three people at once and watching the Hart to Hart marathon. I do love mysteries.

Now it is bedtime. Easter is over. Now it is spring. I need to work in my yard and get it looking nice with hanging baskets, windchimes and flowers planted.

Judy Green.....My New Best Friend

This picture as you can see of me makes me look at least 20 years younger. No wrinkles and more make up then I usually wear. I was just so excited when I seen this picture. Judy sent me a message with this picture. I had no idea she was going to do it. I had just separated from my fiancé and she thought this would make me feel better. I was beyond excited about it. So yeah it helped me a lot.

When she started Around Sweetwater I thought her pictures were amazing. She was taking pictures of everything in Sweetwater. So I ask her to take a picture of the house I used to live in when I was about ten. She did.Then she sent me a link I could go to and buy it if I wanted too. I had no idea she done that too. I ordered one and then just found out today that she can enhance these pictures and make them look new. She is going to do that to my house. I can't wait to see it. With pansies and sunflowers in the yard. I am just so excited about this.

I am sure all of you would like to see yourself younger. She can do it . She just charges $24. Unless you need a lot done and then it is a little more. Then if you have a house you want her to take a picture of in Sweetwater she can do that. You can buy it from her. She has different sizes to choose from. And if you want that house to look newer she can do that too. She is just amazing!

You can contact her at AroundSweetwater@ yahoo.com. Tell her what you want. She can do it . I am so glad I found her!

Two of The Grandkids Are Here Tonight...No Rest For The Weary

It has been pretty quiet with just me in this house. Adjusting to being alone. I think I am much happier this way. I just get bored at night. Daytimes go fast.

Today Jana and I went shopping some. She had to go to the Scouts store. She is the leader now for Connor's and Colton's Cub Scouts.   We met her husband, Vasile at Hooters for lunch. I don't know how those girls can dress like that with half there rear ends showing. They had good food though.

After lunch we went to the Party Store where I get my candy. I love the orange slices. Then we went to the Pet Store to get litter. I have an electronic cat box for my Puff. Then to Sam's. We just made the rounds.

I came home and Charles my oldest son had been to Sweetwater. He brought me some of that famous potato salad from Mrs. Allen's. That makes a meal for me. I have two quarts.

Tonight I watched the season finale and the last ever of "Hart of Dixie". I hate to see that show go. Why is it every show I get interested in quits. Just like " Dallas" and "Desperate Housewife's".

After that was over I went and got two of my grandkids. Kaiden and Kaylee wanted to stay the night. I had gotten a trundle bed for the extra bedroom which I am making it into there rooms. Kaylee was climbing around on the bed and fell and made a knot on her forehead. That made some tears. Then Kaiden gave her something that was too hot for her. Some strips of something. Tears again. I hope it is time for bed now.

I am tired. Makes you appreciate being alone when you are. But nice to have company too. ow I just want to lie down in my comfy bed and read and then off to sleep.

Single Again.....And Apt To Stay That Way

Well folks this girl is single again. I been thinking about it for awhile. I wasn't married yet. But I was engaged. Guy was living with me. He wanted me to get on his cell phone plan. So I did. He put the home phone and internet on. The rest of the bills were in my name thank God. It just means if you break up more to change.

I had lived alone for two years after Jeff and I broke up. And then I met Guy. It was okay at first . He was working in the oil field and was gone for 30 days at a time. I missed him. Back in September of last year he got fired. He started drawing unemployment. He was off work just sitting underfoot and that was when the problems started.

He hadn't been very truthful saying he didn't watch TV. He wasn't lazy. Off work all he wanted to do was watch TV or get on his cell phone and get on face book. No yard work. He didn't even go out the front door. It is hard on anyone being around someone 24-7. What happens when they retire?

That got me to thinking. I was engaged to him. When we were in Sweetwater I had to have the laser surgery for the kidney stone. Then I had a stent. most painful thing I ever had in my life. I was so sick I could hardly eat and I lay in bed for three weeks losing weight I didn't need to lose. He did  try to bring me something to eat. Most of the time he sat out in his Jeep in the garage talking on the phone and drinking.

I took the cowards way out and I left one day while he was gone to Abilene. I couldn't take no more. My son helped me to move back to Fort Worth. It sure wasn't easy with the stent. After I got back I went to a urologist and finally got the stent out.

To make  a long story short I ended up letting him come back. I like my privacy though. I would be in my office and he would come up behind me wondering what I was doing. A bright cheery "Good Morning" which I didn't want to hear.

I like to go out to my family room alone of the morning. Get my paper and my orange juice .I got three sets of French doors and two windows. I love the sunshine. Guy was just the opposite. At night he wanted to be in total darkness. We just didn't agree on anything.

It took me awhile but finally I decided it was enough. I told him he had to leave. I stayed at Jana's the first night where he could get his stuff and go. I didn't want any confrontations. That was two days ago. So many texts. He didn't take no for an answer. Finally tonight he got it that I wasn't going back. He went ballistic.

He had my cell phone and home phone cut off. That is okay. I can do without them tonight. I will go get me one of both tomorrow. How could someone you think you know treat you like that?His true colors came out.

Shopping At Kohls

This morning Jana text me telling me to be ready by 8:30 if I wanted to go to Kohl's with her. Yes I did. Everyone that knows me knows I am a shopper. I needed a new comforter for my bed and Kohl's usually has everything on sale and good brands so I needed to look .

Jana showed up about 9 so off we went to Lake Worth to Kohl's. I was wanting an Easter dress so I looked at them too. I guess the style this year is short above the knee. Little too short for me. One dress was very pretty but short and had leggings with it. It was on a mannequin. Looked very nice but I don't think it would look that great on me. I didn't find anything that I thought would be suitable.

I looked at purses and wallets and then down to the night clothes. I didn't find a thing. So unlike me. Then I ran into Jana and she ask me if I seen the black and white polka dot comforter. No I didn't. That would go perfectly with my pink and black with white room. She showed it to me. Perfect! I have a queen size bed but it is a tall one and the queen size comforter was too short. I got a King. It had pink polka dot sheets and the shams and skirt was black. Very nice! I was so excited to find a good buy and just what I wanted. The regular price was $179 and after taxes and everything it was $70.

After I got home I washed everything. I had to iron the skirt and that took awhile. Jana came by with Kaylee and I got her to help me put the skirt under the mattress. It was just the right length. When I got the comforter on it was just right too. Of course the  sheets are a little big but I will just tuck them under and pillow shams need a bigger pillow but that is okay.

There is nothing I like better than finding a great bargain!