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!

Julie Would Have Been 41 Today-Forever 9

It is so hard for me to imagine Julie at 41. I guess because the last time I seen her she was 9. That is what she will stay at. She was a very shy child. Her teachers loved her. After she died several teachers wrote me and told me how much they loved Julie. One teacher Cheryl Crowe died a few years after Julie. She wrote me a letter telling me how Julie would come talk to her and she was such a sweet girl.

I didn't get to spend the last few days of Julie's life with her. That is because her brother Dustin was sick with the croup and he was under an oxygen tent at the hospital for three days. He would only stay under the  tent if I did too. He was only 3 years old. I was three months pregnant and sick a lot and then to spend 3 days at the hospital with him I was pretty tired.

We got home late in the afternoon of the 29th of December. I was tired so I lay down early. I vaguely remember Julie coming into my room telling me the other kids wouldn't let her watch what she wanted too on TV. I told them to let her watch the program she wanted too. I don't even remember now what it was. I am just so glad she got to see whatever it was she wanted to see.

If you knew something bad was going to happen to one of your kids you would pay lots more attention to them. I had seven kids and pregnant and tired so no I really didn't that night. The next morning I woke up to Dustin telling me the house was on fire. He was only 3 but he was the only one awake. He was watching TV in a living room that was full of smoke. The sofa was blazing. When he woke me smoke was thick halfway down from the ceiling. It had not reached my bed yet.

I jumped up and got the kids awake. Julie was upstairs and we couldn't get her down. I will not go into detail about all of that. Just the firemen came and they couldn't get to her.

Losing a child is one of the worst things that can ever happen to you. It has been 31 years and I think of it and tears run down my face. That is something you never get over. I have went to therapy and it helped some. Now I am in a group called Grieving Mothers From Around the World and it is for people that have lost a child at any age . It helps to talk about it with other people that know what you are going through. Until you have walked in my shoes you have no idea....

Pay it Forward

Last night I took Guy out to eat at El Fenix for his birthday. (For the people that don't know me that is my finace'). We had a nice lady for a waitress. Guy ordered a margarita and he was telling her it was his birthday. After we finished eating dinner some Spanish guys all surrounded the table dancing around and singing Happy Birthday to Guy. I thought that was very nice. They gave him a dessert of soapillas with cool whip and strawberries.

We sat there awhile longer as he was finishing his drink. I noticed a lady alone in the next booth having wine with her meal. We got a to go box as I can never finish all my meal. The waitress told us we got no ticket as someone had paid for our meal already. OMG! I was in shock. I had heard of this at fast food places when your driving thru but never at a restaurant. Our bill was probably $30 or more.

We went up to the cashier and told her. She said yes a lady paid for our dinner and wished Guy a very Happy Birthday! That was so very nice. Wish we knew who it was so we could thank her. I think it was that lady who was sitting in the booth next to us but have no way to know for sure.

For someone to do that for you just leaves you with a good feeling. I cant describe it and no one knows that feeling unless it happens to you. We were pretty happy the rest of the night.

It made me stop and think. A little kindness goes a long ways. There are some good people in this world. I want to repay that lady back by paying it forward!

70 Years Young- 70 Red Roses

Yesterday was my 70th birthday. Lord I never thought I would make it to be that old. I think I got my Daddy's genes though which is  a good thing. He lived to be 92 and if he hadn't got liver problems he didn't have much else wrong with him but arthritis and ear problems. I have both of those.

Anyway my daughter Jana gives me  a party every year on my birthday. This year she said she forgot which I thought was weird because turning 70 is a major change for me and if I ever needed a party it was now. After I got up I was feeling kind of down so I just went back to bed and back to sleep. Jana called and ask me if I would go pick up two of her boys since she was at Urgent Care with the other two. So I did.

I had just gotten back from getting them at school  when a lady came walking up to the door with a vase of roses . I went to the door and she said she had another vase too. Altogether there were 70 roses. Oh my goodness! I had never had 70 roses before. If I had to turn 70 at least getting 70 roses was nice!

When Jana came to pick up the boys she said she would take me to a birthday lunch. We went to Spring creek. I love the hot rolls there.

When I got back home Guy took me to see "Still Alice" which was a very good movie but sad. Julianne Moore was in it. After the movie we went to Golden Corral to eat dinner. Then home to watch another movie on Hallmark and I had a glass of wine. Pretty good birthday.

But it wasn't over. I didn't know that. Jana had said she forgot about my birthday so she didn't have time to plan a party. She calls me around 1 pm and says she has some papers done for me. Come get them. I was watching a movie so I said later. She says, "You need to come now." That let me know there was something going on.

I got over there and Allen and Darla(my kids) were there . Surprise party! Later Jana's in laws showed up and my son Dustin and his wife Lana. We had hamburgers and hotdogs. Along with chips and dips. Beautiful 70's decorations and a gorgeous cake.

I opened presents and Kaylee helped me. I had a certificate to get a mani and pedi. Two vases of flowers. $30 gift card from Half Price Books. Everyone knows how much I love books. A lounge chair, outside flags, a movie, a scratch off.....

I had a great 70's birthday! And 70 roses ???? And Guy gave me a $70 gift card. So maybe this 70 stuff is not so bad after all.