Unconditional Mothering

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us when adversity takes the place of prosperity when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."--Washington Irving

September 23rd (today) is my beautiful, amazing, loving mom's birthday. There just aren't enough adjectives to describe her. She is spending her birthday in Biloxi, Mississippi. I look forward to being with her every year on her birthday, this year I will have to wait until she gets home. I wanted to make it a surprise and treat her to a pedicure (at a local salon, I wasn't going to attempt to do it myself). I don't think she has ever had a pedicure, she doesn't know what she is missing. I talked to her earlier today, she said Ray was going to take her to a nice dinner (which she will most likely on eat a salad, maybe she will splurge on pasta...that's usually all she ever eats--when she actually eats, it's no wonder she's teeny tiny). She's probably hitting the penny slots up at the casino as I type this...talk about some luck, she has it! I could never imagine winning (or sitting long enough) to win the amount of loot she has won off the penny/nickel slots!

My mom deserves a million kinds of happiness. She is the most giving person I will ever know. She won't let me pay for anything when we are together and when I try she always finds a way to pay me back at the end of the day. She is so strong, although she is reluctant to admit it (she can also be hard-headed at times, but aren't we all?). I love to hear her laugh, that true giggle and smile I have heard for so many years. She is beautiful, creative and wise. It seems like everything she touches turns out just right, including some of the most delicious meals you could ever imagine. My mom has given me so much, even when I don't deserve it. The most important of these is the love she has shown me during a lifetime.

I could go on forever about my marvelous mom. I hope she is having an awesome birthday. I thank god for her every single day, I'm truly blessed! She has a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!! (btw, Bill and Cacy say, "Happy Birthday too!")

"To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power."-- Maya Angelou

Prepare to be annoyed

From an early age, I can vividly remember certain things "getting on my nerves." Those things have evolved from my nerves getting frazzled to a full blown list of pet peeves.

My brother would crack his knuckles growing up, something that still bothers me today, regardless of the person doing the cracking. It's worse than running your nails down a chalkboard to me. I will shot someone a death stare upon the first sign of knuckle cracking. My friend, Kadie, cracks her knuckles all the dang time. She knows it bothers me (especially when I wince), only to say she can't help it, her hands hurt if she doesn't.

Another pet peeve of mine is when people crunch ice. First of all, it sounds like you are chewing rocks and second, it can't be good for your teeth to endure so much hard trauma. My mom is an avid ice cruncher. Once again, she knows the effect it has on me. She has been very good in the last several decades of trying not to chomp down full throttle on an ice cube. This in turn drives me more insane because I see she has it in her mouth trying not to make noise...just get it over with already. But again, a look of mine is on the way at the first sign of a cup of ice close to a mouth.

I could go on and on about table manners. Our parents would have a fit if we acted like we were eating out of a trough for dinner. "Chew with your mouth closed." "Elbow off the table." "For crying out loud, hold your fork right."...just a few examples of the memories around the dinner table. Therefore, if you eat like you are completely uncivilized, smacking your way through the lovely dinner prepared for you, another stare of mine will ebb its way to your vicinity. And please, don't blow your nose at the table with the napkin you are using to wipe your mouth (especially if it is cloth).

So, I may sound like a rough person to be around from the above statements. If I told you the other small, but important, pet peeves I have you probably would not want to be friends with me. I'm really not that bad, just a little neurotic at times.

But here's the biggie...bad grammar (written or oral). Heaven forbid, I make a mistake. There are some out there who are watching my every move to report my use of a dangling participle. I've really upset some people (uh, rephrase that to family) by reporting to them the way they misspelled a word and misused their/there/they're. You know, if I really wanted to get technical about it I would freely inform them about capitalization, punctuation, and overall sentence structure (please stop ending sentences with prepositions). I blame this pet peeve on being a teacher. But seriously...is it that hard to proofread what you write? Oral communication is different, there are some things that fly out of our mouths unedited. Guilty as charged (although I try to conjugate my verbs very carefully before speaking). My accent always throws people for a loop, so I don't want to give anyone the ammunition to accuse me of being an uneducated hillbilly. By the way, A LOT is two words. Bad grammar use will jump off a piece of literary print before I even read the sentence. I even have a hard time texting abbreviations because they are not grammatically correct. And, I would save a lot of text lines if I didn't feel the need to put two spaces behind a period.

I'm a mess. I admit it. I'm by no means perfect. Please excuse me in advance if I correct your grammar or give you "the look." It isn't anything personal, I promise. Feel free to correct my grammar at anytime.

The List

Ok, so here's my problem. The last two blog entries I wrote are about things in the past. I'm not talking anything negative, but memories that I truly want to remember. I've saved them unpublished. I'm beginning to think the whole "blog" idea is to share stories and events about the present. I have my memories stored deep inside of me. That's where they belong, no need to force everyone to hear/read the same stories they have heard so many times (I'm a story teller by nature...so if you are reading this entry there is a 85% chance you have heard the previous unpublished entries that I wrote).

Don't you hate it when you have great ideas and nothing to jot them down on so you won't forget. Well, that's what just happened.

(5 minute pause, seriously...I really need to get a small notebook to carry around)...

And now I remember. I'm going to start a bucket list. There are so many things I want to learn, do and be. Here are three items that have been on my list for many years:

1) Learn to play the guitar- I can't sing, but I can sure as heck read the notes on a page of music. I love the sound of someone strumming the strings of a guitar (you have to be aware my infatuation with Dave Matthews if you are reading this, Sheryl Crow...you rock, too!). I learned to play the violin in first grade continuing on until I graduated High School. I can play the piano as well, although it has been years since I "tickled the ivorys". It's like a bike, right?

2) Learn sign language- I read the local newspaper on occasion, mostly the sale ads and comic section, but I have also been known to check out the listings for community classes. I have always wanted to participate in the sign language classes held at some of the local hospitals. Why I haven't done so before is beyond me. I will have to learn a second language when I begin work on my doctorate. Russian: out. Spanish: no hablo espanol. German: too hard (not that I'm not up for a challenge) and I'm not fond of their beer. Latin: does anyone really speak Latin? Not only is sign language the obvious choice for my profession, but how much fun would it be to avoid talking to people you haven't met by simply acting like you can sign...skip the acting part, I want to learn how to sign properly. Genius. No offense of course to those who rely on sign language as a means of communication. I just wish I understood what your hands were saying. Now, I will.

3) Learn how to change the oil in my car- Grease monkeys beware, you will no longer get my money if I learn this skilled trade. How hard can it be to put my car up on blocks and get my hands a little dirty??? Not only would this be a money saving option in our household, but it could lead to a little bit of self-worth for a job completed. Sign me up.

There you have it, three of the many things listed on my bucket list. By the way...Mom, (if you're reading this) I would really, really, really like a guitar for my birthday or Christmas. I can't start my list without it.

Hope everyone is healthy, happy and enjoying life!

Gunk

So, here's my life in a nutshell:

Sept. 1st: Sick (sore throat, runny nose, etc.). Treated by the doctor for sinus problems with an antiobiotic. No problem, should get better in a couple days...

Sept. 4th: No improvement, actually worse. Another trip to the doctor and another co-pay. Thank goodness for my wonderful medical insurance. Continue with antibiotics, add steroid for seven (7) days. No problem, should be better after the weekend...

Sept. 9th: It's bad, people. Can't breathe, lungs are full of "stuff" that refuses to come up, and I'm a swollen "hot mess" from the steroids. What to do? Head back to my favorite doctor and deliver another wonderful co-pay (thank goodness we have met our deductible for the year). One breathing treatment and two (2) x-rays later, the conclusion is no pneumonia, good. But what the heck is this that ails me so?? Acute Bronchitis they say....oh yea, can you please fix me or put me out of my misery??? No problem, just take this top of the line antibiotic (which by the way would cost $400 if I didn't have a prescription card).

I'm now on a medication called Levaquin. Yes, that's right, it is the medication used to treat Anthrax. In addition to the above, I am on another round of steroids and an inhaler...let the fun times begin. Food tastes exotic, so yummy and I can't get enough of it. My face has already puffed up and I can't stop eating like a fifth grader.

When I get sick, I don't hold back. Bring it, I'm ready for the next round. I'm ready for Anthrax if it comes my way.

Hope everyone is happy, healthy and enjoying life!

I am who I am...Who am I?

I often describe myself as "carefree" and one that "flies by the seat of my pants". As I get older (ahem, I mean wiser), I begin to wonder if this is a good quality or trait to have in life.

By profession, I am a planner taking all the necessary time and consideration to be well organized for the children in my classroom. I have spent countless hours making lesson plans, doing research and using all of my accessible resources to enrich the lives of those around me.

In reality, I am not so organized. I wait as long as possible to do laundry, resulting in 8-10 loads and no clean underwear (never fear, there are always some of my husbands boxer shorts around to wear...I swear he has more "drawers" than any girl I have ever met, and they are quite comfy). The spare bedroom of our house looks more like a storage room than does our actual storage room. I don't like to plan what I am going to do tomorrow, the next day, or even the week after next. It just doesn't suit me. My mom is the planner. She will ask me what we are doing for Thanksgiving in September. She will continue to ask what our plans are up until the week of, my response "Mom, it's Monday and Thanksgiving isn't until Thursday, geez...you're asking me so early." On a recent trip with a friend, I wouldn't commit to anything including where we would go for our outing. My suggestion was to do "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and drive somewhere...anywhere. Let's just go, see where we end up. All in all, it was the best trip ever. My pal was a little leary but it all worked out just great. Actually, beyond great. See, my thought process of how to do things isn't so bad.

Is it possible to be completely organized in one aspect of your life and absurdly unpredictable in another? OR, am I just being arrogant as described by Dr. Phil?

Regardless of the above, it's time to clean the spare bedroom. You never know, I might find something new that I completely forgot existed in that mess.

New Addition

My cousin, Kristen and her husband Bob welcomed their first child into the world on Monday, September 7th. I might just be in love with the newest little nugget of our family. Mommy and baby are doing terrific. I chatted with my cousin on Monday and Tuesday to see how they were coming along...Kristen said, "I think she looks like Bob, her face is all squished up." I found this rather funny because Bob's nickname through pictures is "Squints," needless to say his eyes close together really tight after a long or short night of drinking.


I love you, Kristen and Bob.


Amelia Maureen Staab...welcome to the world!

The Simple Life

This summer has really taken a toll on my vigorous schedule and daily routines. As the other person in my household put it, "It's like you're on a never ending vacation." True, but not by choice. My weeks have been filled with getting up no earlier than 11:00 am, chilling on the couch watching Beverly Hills 90210 reruns, running a few short errands, walking the dog, going to the pool, hanging out at Kings Island and taking lots of naps. For the record, I do work part-time at a small, upscale tanning salon, it's not as if I am a total bum.

So, a couple weeks ago I came up with a plan. It's a plan with phases and so far I am right on track. Phase One: no naps during the day, with the exclusion of Saturday and Sunday. Everyone should be allowed this luxury. Check. Phase Two: wake up at the same time during the week, this does not mean 10:00 am or 11:00 am. For the last week, I have woke up prior to 8:30 am without having to depend on the alarm. Check. Phase Three: do something (anything) productive each and every day. This can be anything from doing a load of laundry (which I am not doing so well at lately, washed a load of clothes 3 times because I forgot to put them in the dryer) to painting a ceiling in the house or cleaning out a closet. I've managed to have some success on Phase Three with only some minor slip-ups...but who's counting?

I'm feeling pretty darn good about myself right now. It doesn't take much. I live by three simple rules: 1) Must have shelter over my head to keep my warm and safe. 2) Need food to keep me nourished and alive, and 3) Surround myself with people who love me unconditionally and allow me to love them back to my fullest.

Any suggestions on Phase Four and Five are welcomed by all. Hope everyone is loving life!

Thirty-Something

There is officially one month until my next birthday. I dread birthdays and try to be as low-key as possible. Sometimes, I have to stop myself and think really hard when someone asks my age. Scary, right? That seems to only happen as people get "up there" in age, but not for me. Often times, I forget that I am NOT in my late 20's or even my very early 30's. I took a "What's your true age?" a year or so ago, the results stated I was 6 years old. I'm a kid at heart, what can I say (maybe my choice of "The Lion King" as a movie preference tainted the answer).

Time sure does fly by...sometimes all you have to do is blink and it's gone.