What's Up Today?

Today, is my dear Aunt Joan's birthday!  It's one of the decade one's.  I wish I could have been with her and given her a hug today.  I love you Aunt Joan!  When I was a kid, I called my Aunt Joan, Fanny Farkle.  I don't know why.  I called my momma, Lady Fish during the same time period.  They were both good sports.  Forgive me if I've told you that before. 

Today, I found out that my dear friend Catherine became a great-grandmother again (for the second time) yesterday -- on every body's birthday.  I believe she said they named the little girl child Hailey.  Very pretty.  I told her if she ever forgot when the little one's birthday was, I'd be able to help out. 

Today, I helped my dear momma with her yard sale.  It would have been my yard sale too, if I had ever gotten my rear in gear and gathered up some things to sell, but I didn't.  The weather was wonderful for being outdoors!  I took photos of the tree I was sitting under. 

And of a plant that has cool purple berries and chartruse leaves every fall.  I should know the name of it by now, but I don't.  I saw a feral cat who had a heart shaped pattern on her side (I kid you not!), but I couldn't get a shot of it.  I'm taking my camera back tomorrow and hoping that she'll come back while we're selling again. 

At lunch, I found a heart shaped Lay's potato chip.

Later, during a slow period, I took a little walk around momma's yard.  They had had to cut a tree down earlier in the spring.  There were parts of the trunk cut into three large pieces.  As I got closer to it, I could see that it was hollow in the center of the tree.  I had forgotten that.  I went to each end and looked inside.  One end of one piece was heart shaped!  I went around to the other end, it was a different shape on that end. 

As I walked back to the heart shaped end, coming around the side, I noticed that from the side, the heart shape looks like a butterfly.  So, now, I see both at the same time.  Can you see both, or only one?  Which one?

The Mail has been Fun

First there were some postcards from my Postcrossing friends across the globe.  The first one (above) arrived while I was still in Oklahoma.  It's from Michigan.  The second came today from Poland.  

Saturday is when my wonderful, beautiful feather touchstone arrived!  This is where I went to buy the feather touchstone.  Julie has a wonderful blog -- Moments of Perfect Clarity and an etsy shop with lots great photos for sale (at this time).   I first heard of Julie and all of her wonderful artistic talents through the *gift of jewels* exchange on Se'Lah's blog Necessary Room.  So many talented, giving people pass through there.  Be sure to notice her wonderful (moo.com) postcard and moo mini cards too!

Monday brought more fun with "Rock My World" love!  What can I say, Kim is a fast favorite of mine and a very talented artist.  Also discovered on the Necessary Room blog.  Check out her blog Queen of Arts to find her etsy shops, rocks and cards.  Talent abounds!  This photo is really pretty horrible.  The colors are much more vibrant than they show here. 

Last, but not least, was a treasure of my own making that I had ordered for a dear friend and for myself.  Catherine got hers late last week.  I was going nuts waiting on mine.  But it's here and now I'm going to read it and then save it for my grandchildren.  The Blog - part one is the first several months of this blog in book form.  Catherine doesn't have a computer at home and had trouble keeping up with the blog at first.  Actually she still misses quite a bit of my postings now, especially when I get going and post three times in one day, but she does the best she can.  She's such a close friend, that I actually think of her as my heart-sister.  For the most part, I've been very blessed in the sister, sister-in-law, friend department.  Very blessed.

I Really Like to Post

I really like to post on my blog. I mean I really like to do this. I feel like I'm talking to a group of friends, even if I have no idea if anyone is actually reading any of it. My goal is to post every day. I do miss days of posting -- sometimes, many days in a row. Then I'll come back and post three times on one day. I'll get lots of ideas and I don't want to end up with them flying out of my little old head. You'd think I'd keep a book for post ideas. I've thought of that, but there never seems to be one handy when I think of an idea, although I have at least half a dozen blank books around here somewhere. And if you have a peri-menopausal mind like mine, you know that I can hold a thought about like a colander holds water. You young ladies will understand this one day. Don't worry. Your time is coming. Anyway, that forgetfulness is my life at this point.

So, when I was visiting Tracey's blog Quietly Kickin and Screamin yesterday and she mentioned the blog Sunday Scribblings as a place to go for ideas and inspiration for blog postings, I headed on over. They post their new idea on Sundays (just like their name says) and since I looked in for the first time on Friday, I decided to just take a look around and grab an idea that suited me. This is what I'll try to do whenever I want to write and I have no idea of my own in the future. This idea comes from June 12, 2010 -- Superhero(ine).

I have a couple of real life Superheroines and a Superhero. The first is my Momma.

She went to work in the early 60's when most women were still stay-at-home moms. At least most of the moms I knew were. Then when I was 8, our dad went to work overseas and she basically became a single parent. When he returned, they divorced, and she became a real single parent. She raised my sister and myself with patience and grace. She made sure we had the things we truly needed and enough of the things we wanted to feel special and for life to feel magical at times. But she also made sure we didn't get everything we wanted. I think that is a gift, in and of, itself. Momma didn't drive back then, so it wasn't easy for her to get things done for us, but she did. She always found a way. Even if it meant riding three different buses in each direction to do it. She is the most patient person I know and she has the ability to stay out of arguments that my sister and I would have. That ability irritated me during the arguments (because I wanted her to side with me!) and I admire it greatly now. Momma and I have always had a good relationship. I'm grateful for that. She is my biggest Superheroine!

My other Superheroine is my friend Catherine. She is without a doubt the most honest person I have ever known. She will not give her opinion unless she is asked for it, but baby if you ask for it, you better put your big girl panties on and be ready the real, honest answer because that is what you are going to get. She never answers in a rude or cruel way, but she does answer truthfully and completely. I love that about her. Lots of folks can't handle it. Like some of the people she has worked with over the years. She doesn't play office politics. She's honest. There are many, many other things I love about Catherine. Things that I admire, but her honesty is the thing that makes her one of my Superheroines.

My Superhero is my son.

He got married very young. Right out of high school. A couple of weeks after graduation I think. He went into the Air Force just a couple of weeks after the wedding as a way to continue his education and to provide for his young bride and himself. He became a father after about a year and a half of marriage. Before long, two more kiddos came along. He reenlisted in the military, knowing it was the best option for his family. He plans to make it a career at this point. He is a good provider for his family. He is a recent widower and he is making sure his kids are OK. He is taking care of things. He knows he can call on us, but he wants to do it himself. He is a good man. A kind man. A good father. I cannot begin to tell you how proud of him that I am without dissolving into tears. My son is my pride and joy and it's because he's done it all himself. I'm happy to help him in any way I can. I want to help him. I hope that I can take some of the pressures off of his back at times. I wish for him joy and happiness, peace and love. He is my Superhero.

Good Girlfriends

I'm missing Marianne so much. Yesterday, I cried for about 10 minutes when the reality of never getting email from her again hit me. I know in my heart she's gone, but my head is having a hard time accepting it. And yet, I'm very fortunate. I have several very good female friends. I know other ladies who are not that lucky.


I would have never had the opportunity to meet Charmaine or get to know her if she wasn't my sister-in-law. We met under horrible circumstances. My mother-in-law had just had a massive heart attack and she came out from west TX to drive to Mississippi with us. We had hoped to get there in time for Ma's surgery, but she didn't survive long enough to get to surgery. We knew she was gone before we left. Hard circumstances to meet family for the first time. Charmaine is 5 foot nothing and a little fire cracker of determination, grit, energy and fun. She's one of those people you want fighting for you in your corner. I could talk to her and I enjoyed her. I wanted her to stay forever. Thankfully, she did move to the central part of TX, so I do see her much more often, but still not nearly enough. She's mellowed over the last 30 or so years, but not so much as to take away all the fun! She's a person I truly respect and find inspiring. I do wish she wasn't quite such a home body though so we could see each other more often.

I met my friend Catherine when my son and her youngest son were in kindergarten together. Well, we had actually briefly met before, but we didn't become friends until then. The boys are 28/27 now, so that's about 20 years ago, I guess. She was one of those people I was just drawn to like a moth to a flame. I've been lucky enough to meet a few people in my life that I felt an instant connection with, but she was the first (and one of the few) who let me into her life. She knows everything about me and where the bodies are buried. The boys are still friends too. Her son got married this month and my son drove from CA to CO to be there. I was so happy that he was able to. I'm sure that they'll still be friends in 20 more years too. Did I mention that she moved out of state? She was the first to leave me in such a way. It took me years to get over her not being in TX. Thank you Lord for phones! I can't call Catherine a best friend, because to me she's literally a sister. For many years, she was closer to me than my flesh and blood sister. We even look a little a like.

I met Marianne next at the quilt guild and we both worked at the quilt shop together too. I treasure our times together and the memories we made. We didn't become super close until after Beth moved to TN.

Beth is another friend I made at the quilt shop and another person I was instantly drawn to. Thankfully, she let me into her life also. I've tried to remember how long we've known each other, but for the life of me, I can't remember. We talked about it fairly recently. I think Beth figured it out and told me, but it's one of those things I didn't retain. I miss her being here on a daily basis. She was my touchstone. She kept me level and honest with myself. She's really good at knowing what direction we're headed in too. I, on the other hand, am directionally challenged. We do use the phone and we visit as often as possible, every one or two years, but it's definitely not the same. I miss just spending a day sewing or scrapbooking with her. I miss just sitting and talking. I just miss her.

I miss all of these ladies. Even Charmaine who is in the same state as I am and is only a couple of hours away.