Make Up Your Mind Already!

What is a person to do? On the very same day I received two pieces of mail. They were conflicted. One was from "The Scooter Store" with a "hook" line on one side: "Feel like yourself again."

Strange, but I think I normally "feel like" myself. I should ask my husband to give me a hug, maybe and see if he thinks I still feel like I usually do. Did. Once did 10, 15, 20, 40 however many years ago. I'm sure he would begin with one of those questioning, brows-knit-together kind of looks. You know the kind I'm talking about.

Then, the second piece of mail was from Gerber Life Insurance Company. Their "hook" was on the front: "Help secure a brighter tomorrow for you child today." As all my children are adults, and each has their own set of issues to deal with in this strange economic, wild, weird political world we live in, I surely would like to "help secure a brighter tomorrow" for each of them, but, HEY! They're adults. It's they're job now, doncha think?

Another thought flashed in my mind!!! Oh, no! Does Gerber Life Insurance Company know something I don't know? Is there a possibility I'm pregnant again? I mean, the other day when I was having x-rays, the tech did ask if there was any possibility of my being pregnant.

What's a woman to do? At my age, with children in their 20s and30s, it COULD be possible. I did meet and visit with a woman who gave birth to only two children--who were 34 years apart . . .

Should I go buy an EPT kit now? Should I wait for Mother Nature to give me some sign? Stranger things have happened, I've been told.

The ad people should just get together and stop trying to make me conflicted. Am I so old I need a scooter to get me from place to place? Or am I so young that I need to consider buying life insurance for a new baby? I don't know what to do!!! Is the sky falling? Would I need a scooter if I had another baby? For me? For the child? For my poor husband who might have a virtual heart attack if I told him we're going to have another baby? (It was weird enough being pregnant at 48, let me tell you. It was a "blighted ovum" so we don't currently have a brand new teenager. I probably would need a scooter or something to get me through each day, if that were the case.)

Should I panic? Have a day at the spa to sort through all this advertisement overload? (Not that I've ever been to a spa, but who's asking?) What would you do? Buy the scooter AND the baby life insurance? Help!

The Hunt Is ON!

Easter afternoon, and the hunt was on!

I see more! (Wonder if I can beat anyone else to these over here?)

You gotta be fast!

(I think I inadvertently bleeped a photo? How did I do that?)
We're making progress!

There are some eggs hiding up here? Really?

Did I find the last one?

Mom's on monitoring duty. Look at my haul!!!

Gotta keep my eyes pealed for any more possible eggs.

We didn't do too bad, now, did we?

Huh? I'm not so sure I got an equal share.

Wild Life Here at Home

Saturday before Easter while some of us were finishing up breakfast, my son noticed this squirrel coming up from behind the gas grill to perch on the rain gauge. I quietly, and slowly turned around, as my back was inches from the patio door that was about 3 to 4 feet from the perched rodent, so as not to startle it.

I called for my husband to grab the camera just to see if he might get a picture or two. We gazed in amazement as this little furry critter sat very still, barely moving for at least 10 minutes while we watched, chuckled (wondering if this was a "potty break"--or what? We never saw any evidence of such.), and wondered how he (or she) could be so calm and unconcerned that three huge humans were in such close proximity. It didn't bolt when it did move, but eventually made its exit into the yard.




Then a day or two later, after moving the garbage cans to the road for pick up, I spotted this bristly critter. I thought it was black, until I inspected it further. It might be primarily black, but at the base of its spines, it appears to be a very dark green in spots. You might not be able to detect that green color from this picture, for which I truly mourn, but I promise they were there! It never moved that I could see, either. I must be sooooooo intimidating. Sorry! I don't think I've ever seen a larger caterpillar in my life! It was so fat and so long. The piece of pine straw at the bottom of the photo is about 3 to 4 inches long.

A Perfect Day

My 2 year-old grandson said so. We had just had a "picnic" outside for lunch. We'd checked out the new spring garden--planted only this past Monday--4 days ago--and counted all the stepping stones between the rows, two or three times, while he hopped from one to another. He allowed me to push the glider/swing thing higher and higher. We'd checked out some of the fabulous array of azaleas, spirea, purple wisteria and other flowering plants spilling their sweet fragrances and lovely colors around the yard. Then he climbed to the top of the slide and sat a few moments in the quiet of the afternoon.

"Grandma?"

"What?"

"It's a perfect day."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Um-hum. It's one perfect day!"

And it was. The air was cool. The sky was blue housing a few light clouds. The trees were showing off their newest variety of spring green wardrobes. The birds flitted here and there. Butterflies floated from spot to spot.

Ahhhhhhhh! I love Spring. I love my grandchildren in particular and children in general.

I had to agree with his astute assessment. It was indeed, one perfect day.

Easter

Easter. Grand. Glorious. Celebration of life. Life after death. Life after death because Jesus, the Son of God, chose to come to earth to redeem us from the Fall.

I'm so grateful for Easter and the Celebration that it is! To know that we will not be conquered by death. To know that God loves each of us so much He sent His Only Begotten Son to show us the way and to be the Last Sacrifice for Sin.

Happy Easter to everyone. There is light and hope even in the midst of the gathering gloom.

A Different Surprise

Well, lo, and behold . . . the temperature has reached 67 degrees at 3 something this afternoon. We be onna rolla-coaster, y'all. Hopes we's all up fer da ride!

It is another BEAUTIFUL day. Glory be.

Whut eva will t'marra bring???

Surprise!

Had a BIG surprise this morning . . . Just after I got the grandchildren on the bus for school this morning, I was minding my own business--trying to press my dear husband's shirt--when the doorbell rang. Awfully early for someone to be ringing the doorbell, I thought, but hey. You never know.

I opened the door and Officer Freeman, of the local constabulary, was standing on the front porch, his associate sitting in the patrol car parked on the street just in front of the house. Shock, I'm sure, covered my face--and deepened when Officer F said, "We're responding to a 911 call from your phone." His companion (another really nice police officer--I'm sorry I forgot his name) got out of the cruiser and waved.

Ahhh. Errrr. Hmmm? And then I remembered: Husband has to do the "over-the-phone-line" heart/pacemaker/defibrillator transmission every so often, and today was the day. I didn't remember that the handy-dandy hook-up is hooked directly into the phone jack. I had connected a corded phone with the jack to replace the cordless one we normally use. I checked for a dial tone, and apparently, without any thought of what I was pushing, dialed "911"! Silly me. The corded phone was new to me and didn't have a "end" button where cordless phones do. The button to click was on the cradle not on the hand-held receiver. Where is my brain???? (If someone finds it, please return it. Okay?)

My dear, beloved husband can't stop laughing at me. Hey! I was just trying to help! Him! Stop laughing! Please?

Okay. I hear you guys out there, too. Who woulda thought?

The upside . . . I know if I ever DO HAVE a real 911 emergency, they'll be johnny-on-the-spot! There is comfort in that.

Honey, will you PLEASE stop laughing at me?

I'm sure that by now he's telling all his friends at work what a wonderful wife he has. Whada ya bet?