One Of God's Beautiful Places

When my youngest son was about ten or eleven, we had an opportunity to buy a house on a lake in South Dakota.

The house was just a few steps from the lake. It had two stories. The lower level had a big picture window that overlooked the lake and had a living room and kitchen and bathroom and a screened in porch for gazing and people watching.

The second level had two bedrooms and really big living room,  a cedar bathroom that smelled heavenly, a fireplace and a deck where you could see practically the whole lake.

We had more company than we had ever had before. Almost every week-end there were several couples to swim and eat. I cooked and cooked and barbequed and we all had a wonderful time. People brought their boats, and knee boards, and flotation devices. We had rowboats that we tied up to the dock so the kids  I didn’t float off to never never land.

In that house, we had a wedding shower for my daughter, and my oldest son had an outside wedding. I have such wonderful memories of that house/home. It was about seventy miles from our home so it was an easy trip for the week-end or for a week’s vacation.

The next few posts will be about this little house and some of the fun things that happened there.

The scenery was absolutely fascinating to my youngest son. He spent a lot of time taking pictures. We would go out on the boat at sundown and he would take snap after snap of not only the sunset, but the birds that loved to follow us. See you soon!

It Isn't Easy Being A Mom

God gave moms the most difficult job in the world. That’s because it sets the precedent for the future. I had three children, but just two of them that were close in age.

My oldest child was a girl and was very literal. When I told her something she thought that the rules were black and white; there usually was no gray area as far as she was concerned.

One of the things that really bugged me was that she was a tattle tale. She was about four years old when she got to be the epitome of tattling. It seemed to me that her little brother could not even breathe without her running to me to tell me about it. Sooooo, I told her that I would not stand for any more of it. Like I said, she was a very good little girl and took me very seriously because she didn’t like to get into trouble.

One day she came running to me and said, “Mama Mama would it be tattling if I told you that my little brother is out in the middle of the highway in his lawn chair?” I went tearing outside to rescue the dear child. He was sitting there in his little chair waving to the cars as they drove by. Of course, I had a screaming meme   calm visit. I guess it worked because he didn’t do it again. I did watch my little ones, I was a good mother, but when he was little he was like mercury. He would just slip out of sight in an instant.

Footnote: He grew up to be a man and my daughter grew out of her tattling, but that day I was very very grateful, Not only for her message, but that he was okay.

A Special Place

My kids’ dad used to say, “if you want to see Lu happy just hand her a can of Pledge and a dusting rag. She will sing and hum and just be a happy little camper.”

Before I had a baby I used to spend a lot of time tossing throw pillows for just the right look.

After I had a baby I spent a lot of time picking up the sofa pillows and mumbling under my breath. I can remember calling my mother telling her how frustrated I was because my eight or nine month old had pulled Kleenex out of the box and scattered them all over the floor. My mother laughed at me and told me that someday that day would seem so silly. Well of course, it does.

Then I had two babies. Oh, what a difference that makes in housekeeping duties. I would pick up after one and the other one would make a mess.

Then I had three babies. My only saving grace was that the first baby was about eleven or twelve and helped me “pick up” after the little one.

After three little ones, my furniture was lucky to get dusted once a month. My sofa pillows were thrown away stiff with spills of juice and spit up and on and on.

I had hard wood floors when my little one was about a year old. I was still in the polishing mode. We used cloth diapers then. I saved the old ones for polishing cloths. I would put those on my oldest little guy with several layers of diapers. Then I would pour some liquid wax on the floor. He would giggle because he knew what was coming. I would grab his hands and away we would go! His little bottom made an absolutely wonderful “buffer.” What fun we had. I just loved being a mama.

Well, now forty years later, I could care less about dusting. Here is a cute quote from Fran. I was dusting the piano and he said, “Who is coming?” And of course, I said, “Hey I dust in-between visitors." He is so laid back and easy going he could care less. I wish he cared a little bit more then he could do the dusting. You know it is bad around here because I lost my Swiffer so of course, I could not dust. Ahem! We both looked and looked so I bought another one. I do throw away things  that I shouldn’t. About two or three days later I found the old one. They both have a very special place in my pantry. I just have to put the scheduled day to use them on my calendar. Not!

What Day Were You Born?

I started working for Sears in 1974. I became floor manager of hard goods like calculators and cameras etc. about three years later.

Calculators that we sold were made by Texas Instruments. They were huge! They were about fourteen inches long and ten inches wide. In this day and age we would call them a fancy adding machine. I can remember perfectly that they sold for seventy four dollars. For every three I sold, I got one back. They had some problems with them. As time went by they got smaller and better.

My mother was a whiz with numbers. She went to college for accounting when she was sixty eight years old and got an A+. For some reason one day I asked her what day I asked her what day of the week I was born. (She was in her seventies) She quickly answered Wednesday. Until today I never questioned her. I started thinking about my own children and what day they were born on. I remembered my daughter’s day, hours of labor and the depression that followed two days later. It was because all my company had gone home and nobody cared, or so I thought. Lol

I always remember my oldest son’s day because he ruined my Thanksgiving that year and had a forty five minute labor. Yippee! Also I never ever remember my youngest son’s birthday and sometimes not how old he is. Poor guy, In the month of his birth I put a card on the table with some money in it and pretend I remember his birthday. He has gotten so used to this trick he just teases me about it and grabs the money and gives me a hug.

On the Kathie Lee and Hoda show this morning they had a guy called the Human Calculator. This is what got me wondering what day I was born. Really what I was doing is checking out my mom. They have a calculator on the computer that calculates the day if you give them your birthday. Mom was right! Of course, I never doubted her. Lol Try it, it is fun.

Say Aww If You Can

First comes the sore throat, then the extremely sore throat, then laryngitis the next day. This little schedule of a cold has been all mine for years. I have tried to change this over and over. Once I almost did it with a four dollar generic medicine I got at a convenience store. I couldn’t believe how good I felt in just two days. Then bingo! I had my sore throat back. My sore throat is not a sore throat, it is a sore larynx. Warm salt water gargles, lots of ibuprofen, cold medicine all to no avail.

The whole problem with this sore throat is that it leads to a chest cold and a head cold; the whole ball of wax. Since I have M.S. my immune system does not do a good job of fighting off all those little bugs that really bug me. Lol

Well last night at supper time I told Fran I thought I was getting a cold. He more or less pooh poohed me. We were just married less than two years ago, so he really doesn’t know me very well.

I went to bed at seven o’clock plied with medicine and conked out until seven o’clock this morning. So I had lots of sleep however, I have a very sore throat.

I have a very bad case of laryngitis which means I cannot speak a word. The reason I am telling you this story is that I have been blessed with two very good husbands, but both of which zone into television when there are shows on that they are interested in. My youngest son is that way too.

The kids’ dad was that way, my Fran is that way and when I have to bang my fists on the table to get their attention, They laugh and think it is so funny. Please hope and pray that I get over this quickly so I can tell Fran and Mike just what I think. At least I can “talk” on the computer all I want to, thanks for visiting with me!

Mama Will Never Know

That is what my little five year old daughter thought one day. That memoraable day was the day that the school was giving TB tests. My little one was terrified of anything that she thought might hurt her. My boys weren’t really friendly with a sharp needle, but both of them were little “men” about getting their shots. Not the little blonde haired, turquoise eyed girl. She figured her skin did not need to be punctured at all! Many a time did I have to deal with her screaming on shot day.

I told her that today was the day that the school nurse would be testing all the kids, not just her, for a disease called tuberculosis. It was just going to be a little stick and would not hurt her. The look she gave me worried me a little bit, but she assured me that she would be a big girl and get the test.

When she got home from school I asked her if the test hurt her. She was grinning from ear to ear and attested to the fact that indeed it did not hurt her at all. She even showed me a little red spot on her arm where she got her test.

I was proud of my little one, thinking maybe the worst was over with the “shot” thing.

We were eating supper that evening when the phone rang. It was my little girl’s teacher. She wanted to know what time she got home. I told her right on time and I wanted to know why she asked. The teacher informed me that my precious little angel ducked out of school to avoid getting a “shot.”

When we were through visiting, all I had to do was look at my little girl to understand that she knew who had been on the phone. I explained to her that all she had done was to delay the inevitable. I would go to school with her the next day to make sure she had been tested.

The next thing we visited about was telling fibs, white lies, regular lies and all of these to mama. That was so intricately done. If my memory serves me right, I think she even mixed in with children on the playground and when school was dismissed she went home.

She and I have talked about that day many times she just thought her mama would never never know.

Our Weekly Shopping Trips

Good morning! I read/follow a lot of blogs that are written by young mothers. The posts take me back to my own experiences of course, but they also make me miss my grown up children. My daughter only lives five hours away which doesn't seem very far to people that can drive easily, but I cannot.

So what my daughter and I are doing now on Saturdays is imaginary grocery shopping together. She will call and say okay mom, get your coat on, I am ready to go. So of course, I get my coat on and after telling me repeatedly to hurry up, we laugh and I get in the car.

The next thing that happens is that I ask her where we are going. She tells me the names of the stores where we are going. Inevitably I tell her they are too expensive she should shop some where else and she tells me to be quiet or she doesn't think so, or she is not going to go to four different stores; she has six children and a husband at home that want her to hurry up. We laugh and laugh and she tells me funny stories about what her kids said or did. It really helps me keep up with her and the children.

We can't forget her husband either. He is funny and says and does funny things. He is an excellent father and takes and participates in activities with the children.

My daughter home schools her children. Yes, she has a doctorate degree, but she says that the degree is not important. There are many parents that home school, men and women that do not have degrees. The kids get the individual help that they need and excell in their studies.

You have no idea how I look forward to our "shopping" trips. Oh, sometimes we squeeze in some clothes shopping too. The other day she bought a top at Walmart along with her groceries. I said, "Oh what will Mark say?" She answered me with a smart alec remark and we both laughed.

Our shopping trips last about an hour and are stimulating for me. I wonder if she realizes how much she helps keep me not only informed, but keeps me physically and mentally refreshed. She is still my little girl and I love her a whole big bunch.