A time of remembrance..

For you blog stalkers out there, you must know by now that every year, just before Memorial Day, my brother, sister and I go to the cemetery to spruce things up a bit: trim the headstones, plant flowers, etc.   The evening, of course, usually ends with us toasting our parents memories with a beer or two (or three).  

It’s amazing how the memories come flooding back to me.  I remember going down to the cemetery with my mother when I was a child and doing the exact same thing - except in those days we didn’t drink beer!  (ha!)  Mom usually took me for an ice cream cone and a drive around town afterwards.  Sometimes, if Dad was with us, we would go down by the river in the park and have a hamburger that we’d gotten from the café.  

Last night we ended up at the Dally-Up Saloon and had some (more) beers and hamburgers, all the while discussing whatever trials and tribulations the four (my sister-in-law was there also) were going through.   I think that with each beer, the problems got easier to solve!  (ha).

It’s a night for remembrance with laughter, tears, hugs and smiles - all while honoring those who’ve touched our life so deeply.

Miss you Mom and Dad!

March to your own drum

I wasn’t a popular person in high school – in fact, my circle of friends were few.  I didn’t go out a lot on weekends, I didn’t wear the most fashionable clothes, nor was I a stunning beauty.  I was alright with that though.  My father said, “it’s alright, you just do your own thing…march to the beat of your own drum.”  I guess I’ve always been a bit of a loner and resisted going with what was normal or acceptable. I tended to be off by myself and do what made me happy rather than what made everyone else happy.  One might say I was a bit of a geek.  (I know! Hard to imagine, isn’t it??!!)

As childhood gave way to adulthood, I continued to march to my own drum.

Some days I marched a lot faster and with purpose, other days the beat of my drum was a soft echo in the background.  I still marched though; and I still do.  I tend to be the independent one in the corner laughing when someone says “you shouldn’t do that” or the first one to step up to try something different just for the heck of it. More often than not, I’m rewarded in ways I had not even imagined.

I’ve stepped outside my comfort zone more times than I can count and I’ve found that with each step, I grow more confident and experience the joy of being a bit of a rebel.

I don’t act my age because I refuse to be stereotyped – I’ll act my age when my age, body and mind are on the same page!  I’ll continue to wear bold toe nail polish, wear funky hairstyles, change my hair color every six weeks, jam out to rock music and party like a rock star when I want to.  I’ll laugh out loud at jokes that are risqué and maybe even tell a few of my own.  I’m more apt to tell you what I think than to hold back and let you wonder.

I’m that misfit from high school that hasn’t fit in to the mold.  That’s alright….. I’m still marching to the beat of my own drum. J   

I found this quote today, and thought it was amusing and true.  So, I’m sharing it with all of you.   

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Author Unknown - But Greatly Appreciated!

 

 

Somebody Stole My Happy

I got up to the sound of gentle rain against my window.  A soft breeze bellowing the blinds through an open window and the smell of fresh rain.  I had a leisurely cup of coffee, did some yoga – not much, about 20 minutes of sun salutes, then got ready for work. 

The morning was beautiful and calm – just the way you want a morning to be.

The drive in to work was uneventful and calm.  

I arrived at work five minutes early even.  

I was smiling as I walked in the door.

Then…….. somebody stole my Happy!

I was pulled in 20 different directions at once, and of course, everyone wanted something “yesterday.”  I found out I’d been conned by an inmate and I pleaded with the COS to give me 5 minutes along with the little bugger…but I was shot down in a heartbeat.   Spoilsport!

I ate twice my normal amount of calories by 10:00 am, I had a headache cuz I’m trying to cut down on caffeine ( and normally would have consumed a whole pt of coffee by 9am and be working on the 2^nd).  The work I was doing today wasn’t my normal routine;  so of course, I was lost and try to b.s. my way through it to get it done.  On TOP of that, it was raining cats and dogs and my normal “ok hair day” turned in to a really “BAD” hair day in two seconds flat.  

It is 4:24pm and I’m still looking for my Happy! (huge sigh).

 

 

So I'm pretty sure

.. the snake was just as startled as I was....but at least there wasn't any blood involved! ~L~ 

Man do I ever have an aversion to snakes!!  I was mowing grass tonight and reached down to pull some weeds from my rock garden ....and there he was.   Long, slimy, and stealth.....just laying there in the rocks sunning himself as if he owned the place!  So not cool!  I screamed and attempted to run away but my feet wouldn't move....  I was frozen in place.  And the stupid snake didn't even have the common courtesy to slither away!  It just laid there with it's beady little eyes fixed on me!  Course, if it was like me, it was frozen in place also.  All I know is that we stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before I picked up a rock and  threw it at him - then screamed when it started to move.   I'm pretty sure that it was thinking "geeze lady....pipe down and let me get out of here!" ~LOL~

One would think that growing up on a farm and living on a ranch would have me hardened to the sight of snakes, mice, and spiders.  Nope!  I'm one big chicken wussy when it comes to things like that.   Like, I know we have mice in our garage.   So...if I need to go to my vehicle for something, I'll knock on the inside garage door and say "get away little mouse" before actually going in to the garage.  You know, kinda announcing myself and giving THEM plenty of time to scurry to a safe distance away so that I don't see them.   Isn't that nice of me?  ~L~

It gives me the heeby jeebies when I see them first, but it's twice as bad if the sneak up on me by surprise! ~L~  Nope, I'm a chicken wussy and I'm proud of it.   You can bet your last dollar that I'm not going to be doing any more weeding of my rock garden unless I have a huge stick in my hand! ~LOL~