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Well, since I am in Louisiana I had to try some French....maybe I should look up some cajun words.
We have gotten in supplies. We now have water bottles stacked in a corner of the dining room. We have poptarts, cookies, spam, tuna, baby meals and of course the universal hurricane food, potted meat. I admit to being the only one here who will eat it, so I only got four cans. I used to say that potted meat is the poor man's pate' (sp). I grew up eating that with crackers on trips, out in service and of course after hurricanes. Potted meat and vienna sausages. I don't like viennas.....that is how you ask for them down here........viennas (said with a long I)....vIeennas. I was in my early twenties before I realized the right way to pronounce that. Now I cringe to think of the many times I asked for it the wrong way and how people must have thought I was totally a redneck. Oh well.
We are waiting on Katrina now. I am afraid that New Orleans has not missed this bullett and the rest of the coast and even inland counties are going to see some major damage. I was joking around with my daughter earlier and said that I was going to start designing my new house. The one I will build when Katrina blows this one away. We were laughing and talking about it, when I got a sick feeling in my stomach. There is going to be so much damage and destruction that I don't feel right joking about it.
Pray for the people in Katrina's path.
Ok, so now we have Katrina coming at us. Today I went to get some supplies in case we do lose power. The roads were crowded, but the drivers, for the most part, were surprisingly nice.......especially for Baton Rouge folks. There were a couple of muscle trucks that try to intimidate their way into traffic, but most people were taking their time.
This courtesy stopped when I got to Wal-Mart. Tell me, anyone, please, why do some people park their carts on one side of the aisle and then walk to the other side of the aisle to look for something? Do they care that they are blocking the aisle? Apparently not. And, they also apparently do not know what 'excuse me, I need to get by' means. I finally stopped saying that and just pushed through. I got the same looks either way. But, I survived the shopping trip and made it back home.
My son and son-in-law were in Biloxi for their man weekend. It usually takes about two and a half hours to drive there. Or home from there. Tonight it took them six hours because of the contra-flow and the traffic and the slow speed. They knew it was going to take a long time to get home, but they wanted to be here for the storm.
My house sits about a mile from the Gulf in Gulfport. I have never had serious damage from any of the hurricanes. We always joke that we need a new roof or would like to remodel anyway......
Nothing much is happening. I am hoping the hurricane turns and goes in at a unpopulated area. I doubt this will happen though. We will just wait and see. Actually, the hurricane itself does not bother me. It is the days of no electricity and no A/C afterwards. Days of no hot meals. And, no ice.
It's been a long time since I have written here. I wish I could say that it is because I have been busy writing, but, no, I haven't been. I am staying a few weeks with my youngest daughter. Her son is seventeen months old and I am trying my best to spoil him. It isn't hard to do, he is so sweet. I am going to miss them when I go back to Michigan. I am praying that soon both my daughters will be living closer to me and to each other.
My daughter's husband, Jamie, is gone for his 'man weekend'. He and my youngest son and several of my son-in-law's friends have a fantasy football league. Each year they meet for the 'draft' and to just be silly.
So, since it is just my daughter, her son and me here for a few days, we have been talking and reading and watching movies. Last night and tonight we watched Gone With The Wind for the umpteenth time. And, I have started re-reading the Little House books. I was thinking this morning that I tend to read these simpler books whenever the stress level in my life rises. I read To Kill A Mockingbird a week or so ago, and then started the Little House books day before yesterday. It's funny how these simple books calm me.
I also finished an afghan that I have been making for a friend. Now I just need to get it to the UPs store and get it on the way to Australia. Today I picked up some thread and a couple of patterns. I will make a couple of things for Christmas. I have joined a crocheting club where patterns are exchanged. Sounds old-maidish, I know, but I enjoy it.
Remember 'Happenings"? FYI, Happenings were just spontaneous parties that would pop up anywhere. In a park, on the beach, anywhere. All you needed was some people who wanted to have fun. Sad that we can no longer do anything like that.
I have been saying that I need to get out and walk more. I need to get in shape for that. My knees are horrible, they hurt when I have walked a lot. I decided that I need to get out each day and walk for about thirty minutes. Of course, I haven't done that yet.
Today, I took my youngest grandson, Reese, to the Baton Rouge Zoo. Whatever possessed me to go at noon? It was hot and muggy and overcast. And, it got hotter. Reese was fine. He was in his stroller and had his juice in a sippy cup next to him. I was pushing that stroller. He liked the elephants, monkeys and turtles. But, did not care for the parrots, they screeched way too loud. We went through the aquarium and then I sat on a bench for a while to rest up, while Reese looked at the ducks. I was sitting there, trying to get cool and to catch my breath when I started thinking about where this zoo is. Baton Rouge. Near swamps. Close to the Mississippi River. Then, I looked around at all trees and shrubs and the signs saying this is NOT an exhibit area, and wondered just what might come crawling out of those woods. I think I could handle anything but a snake. Not that I would pick something up.......I mean, if an alligator came strolling out, Reese would have gotten the ride of his life.
We had french fries and cokes at the refreshment stand and then walked around a bit more. It was so hot! It started clouding up and sprinkling to rain, and I could not figure out where the exit was. Finally, I found someone who pointed us in the right direction. We stopped in the gift shop, of course, and then made it to the car. I sat there for about ten minutes with the A/C blasting out at me. Reese was asleep again.
This evening, I was on the couch with a coke and Reese was playing. He looked at me and then at the coke and then looked at his daddy and said 'juice'. Jamie got him juice and Reese walked over to where I was and handed it to me with a 'heh'. I took it and he reached for my coke. He was TRADING me his juice for my coke. Smart little bugger. He got all upset when I did not trade with him.
Gumbo freaked when I did not let him go to the zoo with us. He is so pitiful. I am thinking of leaving him with Phil for the winter. But, I don't know for sure yet.
Man! I was writing a short story for a contest, forgot to save it and went to do something. Came back and it was gone. Apparently, one of my daughter's cats walked across the keyboard and deleted it. Oh well, I didn't like the way it was going anyway.
Things are looking better....and again, God is good!...Phil has the offer of a job doing research and other odd jobs with a local lawyer. This is something he has been wanting to do and it makes up for him not returning to Auburn this year......well, almost makes up for it. He is disappointed, but knows that he can finish college and then maybe do his masters at Auburn. He tells me that he is going to go back next year, and maybe he will.
I am telling you, this silly dog of mine is going bonkers. He has totally lost any self-respect, if he ever had any. I suspect that he would be asked to leave any dog union because of the way he reacts to the cats. He has resolved his potty issues, he goes when I take him outside with no problem. Now, he cowers when the cats look at him. He gives the dog look, the one where they look like they are trying to talk to you and if you had any sense you could understand him. When he finally makes it to the couch, Reese pats his head really hard and sometimes Gumbo gives me his wet-eyed crying look. Bless his heart. He will love it when we get back to Michigan.
Speaking of Michigan, I plan to lay down some rules as soon as I get there. Rules for who comes over and when. Each child who does not live at that house will have to go home from school before they come over and they also have to CALL first to see if it is ok for them to be there that day. And, they will have to be gone by 7:30pm. And, I want all their phone numbers and addresses. They thought I was mean last winter, they ain't seen nothing yet.
I came over to Baton Rouge Wednesday. I thought I had packed everything, but, I didn't. I had no books and only some of my clothes. So, I have had to re-read a few books. Right now, I am reading To Kill A Mockingbird again for the umpteenth time. I love this book. Of course it reminds me of when I was a child.
I was such a tomboy. I wanted to wear pants all the time. But, I had to wear the horribly itchy-scratchy dresses my step-grandmother made for me. She was also my mother's father's sister, so she was Aunt Leathy to us. Aunt Leathy made the dresses with a lot of skirt and sashes. My mother then starched the heck out of them. This was when people made the starch. The waists, well, the waist seams, were so scratchy. It was torment. I took every opportunity to destroy those dresses. I guess that I did not realize that Aunt Leathy would just make more. I used to stuff the skirts down into a pair of my brothers pants...........dungarees....and tried to slip past my mother and wear them to school. Never happened.
I used to have a terrible temper that was barely under control. I would fight at the first smallest hint of an insult. And, lord help you if you dared do anything to my brother. I hit a kid at school once, I was in the third grade, and bloodied his nose. I can't remember what he had done, but he shouldn't have done it. I used to get into fights at recess. I would get mad, fly off the handle and then hit someone dead on the nose. Then, I would run......just to get them to chase me......and suddenly drop to the ground and roll into a ball. The kid chasing me would trip and go flying. I was a devil. And, I was small of my age. I was very skinny and shorter than most of the other kids. I used that to my advantage.
Usually, one of my older brothers would come to school to get me and walk me home. Well, me and my brother, Wayne. One day my oldest brother came walking towards me down the hall, but, just passed me right on by. I figured he was mad about something.......I tried to terrorize them too at home......so, I just kept walking. All of a sudden, just as I got close to the front door, he grabbed me by the shoulder. I looked at him like he had lost his mind. He looked at me like he wanted to laugh. Finally, he asked me who I had gotten into a fight with that day. I thought he was a mind reader. But, I was admitting to nothing. Then, he told me that he had not recognized me at first. I had on one of those horrible starchy dresses, and had been in another fight and my dress received some damage. One sash had been torn off so I took the other one and wrapped it around my waist and tied it in back. The collar had been ripped off. It was dirty. I was dirty. When we got home my mother looked at me and almost started crying. She said what she always said..........'I waited and waited to have a girl and look at you....'
I went into the bathroom and took off the horrid dress and put on a pair of Wayne' pants, took the torn off sash and used it for a belt and went out to ride my second oldest brother's horse.
Well, all I need to say is, God is good. Yesterday I did not believe that all of these things would be resolved so easily. But, they have been. Phil is set for school and everything else has fallen into place.
Reese Thomas (will not put his last name here) is seventeen months old, weighs 27 lbs and 1/4 oz and is 33 in tall. He is so smart too. He can say about twenty-five words and understands so many more. Tonight he brought over one of his books and sat in my lap for a while and we 'read' it. Then, we went around in circles for a bit....he did a bit longer than I did. Today, my daughter and I took him to the park. He climbed up the big slide and slide down it on his stomach. I held him so that he would slide down sitting on his bum and he loved that. He went down once a little too fast and slid off the end of the sliding board and hit the ground. He was scared for a little while, but he got up and climbed back up and slid down again.
I talked to my boys is Michigan late tonight. Ryan, the youngest, called me to ask how to spell boulevard. He is writing something. He told me that he has grown two inches. He is short and stocky, but is almost twelve and will be going through the growth spurts. Nick, the oldest, sounds so grown up! His voice has gotten so deep. Ryan said that he grew ten inches. I don't think he did but he is taller than his mother now. And, he is just thirteen.
Nick spent this past week with his grandfather on his father's side. Granpa Dutch bought Nick a set of golf clubs and you would think Nick had gotten a million dollars with they way he talked about them. The two of them played golf several times this week and Dutch has entered them in a Grandfather/grandson match for September. Nick is floating he is so excited.
I am looking forward to seeing Nick and Ryan again, but then that means I won't be seeing Reese. I am trying hard to get my older daughter home. She wants to and I think that after she finishes school, she will. My youngest daughter's husband will be able to help her get a job as a legal assistant, maybe even in his firm.
God is so good.
Life was supposed to be a lot simpler when my last child graduated from highschool. Well, it hasn't. It isn't so bad that I cannot deal with it, it is just that different things keep popping up that I need to deal with. Now, it is getting my youngest settled into college, putting my van in the shop so it will make yet another trip to Michigan and now Gumbo is getting neurotic.
You would think that a dog would be happy where ever he is as long as he has food, water and a warm place to sleep. But, no, Gumbo absolutely freaked out at my friend Leslie's house. He did not want to go out into the back yard even during the day. I think it is because the backyard there has a lot of flowers and shrubs and trees, and untold numbers of critters. Gumbo got spooked the night after the hurricane scare and after that he would only go out front. The last night we were there, he walked out onto the patio with me and then just absolutely freaked out. Gumbo is not a barker. But, Tuesday night he was screaming the barks. I got his attention and brought him inside and he calmed down after about twenty minutes or so. He is such a silly twit.
Twit. I like that word. And, despite what the mensa guy said, it is not a vulgar name for a part of the female anatomy. Some people are too smart for words.
My shop is going good. I will be adding more designs soon and other products. This is so much fun. I am tickled to death that people tell me what a good artist Wayne...ok DON...was. And, he was.
Well, life does have a way of jumping up and biting you doesn't it? Here I was thinking things were settled and I was on my way to Michigan, but nope. Won't go into detail, but my son may not be going back to Auburn this fall. He has a way of just thinking that things will work out, without doing anything to make sure those things will work out. He could go to another college, but he has his heart set on Auburn. Oh well.And, my oldest son has definitely decided that he does not want my house. This floors me. I gave him this house without any strings....all he has to do is pay off the rest of my loan. I know that he would rather live outside the city, but how many times will he get a deal like this? So, I will most likely be moving back into the house, which means my older daughter will have a more difficult time continuing school. I am praying she does not give up. I don't think she will, because she has come so far and only has this year. It would be so much easier if she lived down here.Of course, I could do what I have been thinking of doing if my older son definitely did not want this house and that is to list it with a realtor and let them deal with it. I may still do this. I will pray about it.I have been spending a lot of time learning how to promote my online store. This is fun and hopefully will produce revenue. We shall see. I have to get my computer moved and setup again, but this time I am going to make sure it is someplace that I am going to stay for long enough to make it worth while to fool with it..........setting up the computer I mean.
Another painting my brother did.
I have been looking at my brother's paintings for three days now and that has brought back memories and regrets. I remember the silly things we did together as the two youngest in the family. How we tormented our brothers. And, scared my mother several times.
And, it has made me think more and more about my family in general. Not the bad times. The fun and odd times. For instance, my father told us that if we stood on our heads that would make our livers turn over and we would die. I wonder now if he really believed that. I mean, my family was weird and my father came from a long line of weird people. Here's and example. One of his sisters had four children, two boys and two girls. When one of the boys received his draft notice he wrote to tell them that he was a JW and would not serve in the military. So, he was given an 'assignment' to work in a hospital for two years. The hospital was maybe fifty miles from where he lived, but his mother moved to that town with him. Said he needed her to take care of him. Another of my father's sisters had three children, two boys and a girl. One of her sons is a hardcore Jw. The other son is a studio musician and still lives with her. He thinks he needs to take care of her. That aunt pioneered after she retired.
My mother's family were not Jws, but had enough weirdness their own selves. My mother believed in omens and portents. She believed that if you are pregnant and raise your hand over your head, then you could strangle the baby. And, that you can mark a baby. When I was pregnant with my oldest son, the local movie theater held an all night horror marathon on Halloween. We went along with some of the people my mother worked with. This was after her first disfellowshipment. She about drove me crazy poking me in the side and telling me to cover my face, or I would mark the baby. I was sore by the time we gave up and went home to bed.
Some of the best times I had with my brother was when we sat around and 'remembered when'. Like the time a neighbor kid got a cap pistol for Christmas. We talked him into putting a firecracker in the gun barrel and lighting it. Peeled that barrel like a banana. I will never forget the look on that kid's face. (And,his name was Francis. Poor kid. What were his parents thinking!!!!) Or the time we both got mumps at the same time. We missed two weeks of school and it was so much fun.
There are so many many more things that I will eventually write here. But, not now. It is hard enough looking at his paintings. He was so good. And, he put so much of himself into each one.
Oh, if anyone is reading this blog who thinks it will be ok to 'take' one of the pictures of his paintings that I post, please don't. I would hate to take the time and trouble to stop you, but I will. Because, it will just be time and trouble, not expensive, because I have free legal help.
Another one of my brother's paintings. Anyone ever see any prints out there by Don Erwin, that's my brother.Well, the OCD kicked in today. I had spent most of the night adding items to my store. Downloading templates and then making the pictures fit and then uploading, etc. So, I felt pretty good with it all. Till this morning. I woke up about 10:30 and the first thing I thought about was the store. Then, I started obsessing on the pictures and how I did them and what if they were not right.......etc. Sooooo, I deleted everything and started over. I only did four designs today. I will add more tomorrow. I also need to figure out how to describe my store and promote it. That will be fun. And, it is soon time to pack up and head back to Michigan.One reason I decided to do an online store is that I can be anywhere and run it.
