Don't be fooled...

by that pout! 

You can't leave her and/or her brother alone for a moment because they're into mischief...here's the latest...

First off, let me tellyuns, I have a lot of antiques in my house.  My bedside tables are from the 40s, kidney shaped with blue glass tops...and my bedside lamp is amethyst glass (looks black but its not) and the veined green shade unique, one of a kind.  My two livingroom lamps are ivory colored star-scalloped glass, even the base is shaped like the lamps, and finding lampshades proved to be an expensive venture.  Can you believe the price of lampshades? and this was back 3 years ago.

The only thing I came across in this horse town was to custom order lampshades, with scalloped edges which accentuated the shape the lamps, 16 inches in height to accommodate the base size, both shades white.  Today I happen to notice that my custom lampshades were decorated with ink pen! *Gasp*

OhMyFrickin' Gawd!!!! You are kidding me?

BellaRose was sitting on the couch and I guess from my discovery and shocked jaw open look that she immediately knew her butt was in some major trouble when I said, "How long did you think it would take me to notice this Missy?" I am never one to sit in there and lounge as a usual thing, but I was appalled to find not one, but both my lampshades decorated in ink, and one of lamps with red ink scratches on it.  OMG...butts are gonna burn over this!

At first she said, Wyatt did it.  I figured as much, I know his scribbling; however I informed her that Wyatt could not make letters or spell entire words!...yes, they marked on EVERY pane of these scalloped lampshades.  Ohh...I was so pissed off...a $100 bucks would not replace these shades...and what on God's earth is going to take ink off that material??  I am going to try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and see what happens.  If this doesn't work, somebody is going to replace my lampshades before the kids are allowed to come back to stay overnight.  If I thought I could trust BellaRose to clean them without damaging the material in them, or her mother, I would let the two clean them. 

Its a good think MIL (mother in law) came to pick these two up.  She assumed BellaRose was going to spend the rest of the weekend.  I told her that no, she couldn't come back this weekend because she needs to learn a lesson about respect and property, and at 7 years old, this would give her time to think about it. 

When did this devious act happen? I am always mostly right in birds eye view of them both.  I know how they are.  Both of them were here on Monday and Tuesday evening; that's when BellaRose said they did it.  I had a couple of phone calls, I suppose distracting me.  They both need discipline and house rules because they are used to having none.  I haven't had a problem up until this incident.  According to MIL (mother in law) they throw stuff and get into stuff all the time out there, ruining walls, etc., and obviously they are not being corrected or punished or made to pick things up, as MIL stated she was going to have to make them start...START?...pickin up their messes? ya think? What about their parents? Well, lets not go there shall we? I'm too busy pouting over my lampshades. Damnit...

Nothing is sacred anymore.

Friday Nite Date...

Here are the two little people demanding attention in my life currently, my daughter's two children, Wyatt and BellaRose, who are both asleep up in my kingsize bed! every weekend, like clockwork here lately, my house is the place to be on Friday night. Tonight was pizza and fruit punch? ick! I don't know why they like that stuff (the fruit punch junk).

me? I prefer orange juice! and of course a little vodka spiking! shhhhh its okay they're in bed! Its been a long week on the work front, I hardly get a moment's peace, between the kids and work, but I'm up for a raise, more than likely going to salary instead of hourly, so we'll see. I can tell you the responsibility is quite a bit more ... overseeing the entire workload and QA people, satisfying the clients and reps...oooh what have I gotten myself into? Everyday brings its own new issues, and just when you think you've got a handle on things, the handle breaks and all goes to hell! Give me strength, and where in the heck did I sit my drink down?! Yep, there's power in vodka! ha!

if I get too bored...after a few, I could make a few prank calls and breathe heavy!ha!

By the way, who remembers these rotary phones, and this popular vintage 70ish model.  I loved a lot of things about the 70s! It was a great time for music, love, young adulthood!

Hope you guys are having a good evening.

Here's a few jokes for yuns...

~A Perfect Couple~

Next door to me, a young man lives above his elderly landlady. 

He has his share of wild parties and she goes to bed early, 

but they get along just fine.

I asked him how they make it work.

"I take out her garbage in the morning," he said, "and she takes out her hearing aids at night."

.......

Little 5-year-old Johnny is learning to read.

He points at a picture in a zoo book and says,
"Look Mama! It's a frickin' elephant!"

Deep breath ... Come again? ... "What did you call it?"

"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"

and so it does ...

"A f r i c a n Elephant"

Hooked on phonics!!! Ain't it wonderful?

.....

A boy asked his mother the following question:

"Mom, why are wedding dresses white?"

His mom looked at her son and replied:

"Son, this shows your friends and relatives that your bride is pure."

The son, not quite sure of his mother's answer, goes off to double check this with his father.

He asks him: Dad, why are wedding dresses white?"

The father looks at his son in surprise, and says:

"Son, all household appliances come in white."

    

Have a great day, bloggers!

Body Wreck...

Last night after my little granddaughter's dance recital, we were leaving and walking back to the car. Her little brother, my grandson took off semi-running, there was traffic everywhere, and in my attempt to catch him, he fell, which ultimately resulted in my tripping over him.  He wasn't hurt but I sure bit the blacktop, and I've got the skid marks to prove it.

My elbow looks like something out of a horror movie.  Of course both kids decided they wanted to spend the night with me.  I probably needed medical attention and x-rays, but I managed to drive home.  Both of them were sympathetic and wanted to be "mamaw's nursemaid."  I peroxided all my wounds, applied ice (which didn't help much), popped a few ibuprofen, and who knows if I can actually move tomorrow...I actually just went to the doctor earlier today for my aching back! Now my back pain has got some company. 

Also injured was my left knee (and tore a hole in my favorite pants), my side, and my left wrist and hand, all of which were skinned off during the blacktop skid.  Yes I managed to tear skin off my upper left extremity through 2 layers of clothing, not pretty, and it knocked the wind out of me, I hit that hard.  Tomorrow I'll go buy me a ClimaCare warmer wraps one for my knee, the other for my elbow, (pictured) as both will act as a discreet therapist, helping to soothe pain with warmth and the softness of fluffy angora wool! ahh....that'll feel good. Other than my pride, I don't think I broke anything but ask me tomorrow.

Say goodnight Gracie.

an Email giggle I got today!

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess

He asked if I'd been 'computering',

And I had to answer 'yes.'

He told me to get off my fanny,

And tidy up the house.

And so I started cleaning up...

The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.

That really did the trick...

I was just admiring my good work..

I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops - I found

A real absorbing site

That I got sooo into it -

I was into it all night.

Nothing's changed except my mouse.

It's very, very shiny.

I guess my house will stay a mess....

While I sit here on my hiney.

Stupid Me..

Have you ever put something up thinking you were going to remember where you put it?

yeah...

stupid ... don't it just piss ya off?

So...

on lunch break, I was going to write out a few bills to mail, when I realized my checkbook is missing?!

OMGod...flashback of people you can't trust who steal off you? yeah..

so I freak out looking for my checkbook realizing that there is indeed a possibility that it could have been squandered by needy family members...

*Gasp*

after about 5 minutes of hair-raising explicatives and countless papers being thrown here and there, off my desk, and a search of all my familiar hiding places...I came to a realization.

I do believe I put that checkbook under my curved computer keyboard. 

Yes! success!

...all that spent energy, wasted.

but all is good here in appalachia, my bank account is intact, checkbook safe, and my car is still running!

Glory Be!

Happy V-Day bloggers.

I didn't get a dozen roses, not that I wanted any per se, but I did get my mortgage paid this month! and I got a big fat check from Uncle Sam, as I filed my taxes already!

I was never a big fan of Valentine's Day per se.  For some, its a reminder that they are perhaps alone.  I was always of the mind that if I wasn't special every day, more than likely their butt would have already been kicked to the curb...so why all the hub-bub?...and why waste money on foolishness? ... flowers? are you kidding me?  candy? I can buy my own darn candy!

but I guess if they're hellbent on spending money, I'd rather they bought tires for my car, changed the oil, be practical and buy me some much needed tools or a giftcard from the local hardware store...LOL...

Yep, Ms. Romantical I'm not...

but I love a guy who tries!

Hope your Valentine's Day is all you want it to be.

Go Ahead, YAWN!

I don't know about ya'll but some days even the coffee don't perk me up.  I'm dead at my desk here this afternoon, and I had planned on trying to work over to make up a few hours due to the issues we had with our latest system upgrade here first thing Monday morning. 

Its still screwed up, resulting in our QA query not getting our regular work quota, and since the QA workload is messed up now for the last two days, I have been typing more instead of my usual QA duties; that always wears me out. 

Not to mention, I was still typing my last report, when my two grandkids descended upon me yesterday, brought by the MIL (mother-in-law) for nearly 4 1/2 hours so she could get her peace and quiet after having them all day long, and I was worn out from entertaining them. They were hooty wild.  

Whatever the combination, to include all this boring white stuff that's been flying around and accumulating all day and the cold temps, even in this drafty house...I am retiring to my bed early, turning off the phone ringer, and dying wrapped up in my blankie.

Spring...

I was informed by my little granddaughter, BellaRose that the groundhog saw his shadow and there are six more weeks of wintry weather. Really? Seems to me that there would be about six more regardless of the groundhog thing!

Groundhog Day...

I remember my second marriage on this day to John, in the town I grew up in back in 2003, which is only 30 miles west of where I live now. It seems like its another whole lifetime past. John died of cancer in 2006. Ours was a nine-year relationship, and I have to say he was the best friend I ever had. The marriage didn't last, but the friendship did, even after the divorce. He loved my girls, made them his girls, and he loved me unconditionally. If there was a song to commemorate his love for me it would have to be..."I'm everything I am because you loved me...."

The day we got married, Groundhog Day, it was unseasonably warm, about 67 degrees outside. I had a velour floor-length two piece ensemble and I was sweating! He loved me more than I ever deserved looking back; it still tears me up. Dying by cancer is ugly. Watching him wither away for months was worse. He was diagnosed in January with non small cell lung cancer in the late stage.

Spring came that year, he was renewed with hope that he could somehow beat the cancer. He didn't want to leave us, yet unwilling to talk about his feelings, and what he would want should he not survive it. He often came and lounged here at my house because this is where he felt the most comfortable, and he would only have a few short months. I sat with him often even towards the end. I hope I never have to witness that ugliness again. He was gone by August.

So much for a post that started out with spring, died, and is now awaiting a renewal. Yes, a renewal will be a godsend.

the winter dead...

Today I happen to notice that it stayed daylight a little longer. I also heard that snow is expected here again tomorrow, but my mind is on the green of Spring, not the dead white of winter. I seek the promise of renewal that comes with Spring.

I guess with all the drama I've been through lately, to include the teen shenanigans over the last year, and now my grown daughter and her husband's struggle with drug addiction and legal issues this year, as well as Social Services involvement now and losing custody of their children temporarily, I am entitled to be a little dog-tired and stressed out with worry, not to mention adding in new responsibilities at work. It seems no sooner I can see the daylight with one daughter that darkness or hard times befalls the other. I do know that the good Lord never gives us more than we can handle, and he knows I got broad shoulders and a loving heart. I do have faith things will turn around for my daughter, hubby, and the kids. I just try to reassure my family, especially my two grandchildren, that things will work out.

bring on the green of Spring! I'm ready.

seamless...

these days and nights it seems are too long and far away from love...

Long shadows of afternoon
have fallen from the day
your eyes closed twitch slightly
delicate moving lid skin away
from these last streams of light

You shift in respiring shimmery mass
and I curl close to that warmth
proven to melt my glacial years
we flow together against encroaching
night will pass as all things must

When you open your eyes turn
with that look that undoes me
searching for something small
but locked some seamless safety
you find in mine.

haha Mondays!

On  a bitterly cold winter morning a husband and wife in Glasgow were listening to

the radio during breakfast.

They heard the announcer say, "We are going to have 8 to 10 inches of snow

today. You must park your car on the even-numbered side of the street, so the

Snowplows can get through."

"So the good wife went out and moved her car.

A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the radio announcer said,

"We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today.

You must park your car on the odd-numbered side of the street, so the snowplows can get through."

The good wife went out and moved her car again.

The next week they are again having breakfast, when the radio announcer says,

"We are expecting 12 to 14 inches of snow today. You must park....."

Then the electric power went out. The good wife was very upset, and with

a worried look on her face she said, "I don't know what to do. Which side

of the street do I need to park on so the snowplows can get through?"

Then with the love and understanding in his voice that all men who are married to blondes' exhibit, the husband replied, "Why don't you just leave the car in the garage this time.honey."