My poor mama had some malignant skin cancers removed from her scalp a few weeks ago, and they had to cut her hair from the top of her head to do so. I'm not thankful for that, but when we were on the way to her follow up appointment, she was wearing a hat I got her, plus a goofy pair of sunglasses that were in the glove box, and when I looked at her in the mirror, I realized I was driving with Maxine in the car. Thankful for the big laughs we all got out of that!
My dad currently does not have a driver's license. He had cataract surgery right before his license expired on his 80th birthday in December, meaning he couldn't see well enough to take the vision test and renew the license. That is not a thankful. But until he is able to renew the license, I am now the designated driver when they go to Kansas City for these dermatologist appointments for my mom, and it has been a lot of fun with just the three of us hanging out together (my dad, me and Maxine...). I'm thankful to have this time with them.
While we were in Kansas City, I drove us all around the area where we used to live. It is not the same place I grew up; the neighborhoods have become very run down and have a high crime rate. Not thankful about that, because it makes me sad, but parts of it have perked up a bit, and it didn't look as bad as the last time I saw it several years ago. And it's not a place where I feel threatened, although I wouldn't hang out in parts of it on a warm, summer night, because you might as well not ask for it....
I have a cold. I'm not thankful for that, but I AM thankful that it's the first one I've had all school year. When you consider that I work among a group of little petri dishes, then it makes this much more impressive.
There is a big ol' pile of dog poop in my front yard (I don't own a dog), right by the driveway. I'm not thankful for that, but I didn't step in it, narrowly missing it instead. That makes me thankful.
I did a huge pile of laundry, including a bunch of sheets, which I hate to do, because I hate to fold them afterwards. (If you can fold fitted sheets into a neat little bundle, then you are some kind of sorceress, and I'm a little bit afraid of you.) I AM thankful that I didn't forget any of the laundry while it was still in the washer, leaving it to sour and having to rewash it all.
I'm still suffering from a bit of a writer's slump, and I'm not thankful about that, but my sweet friend Lisa at The Meaning of Me nominated me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, which made me write a post that wasn't a TToT and just may have given my slump a kick in the pants. Thankful for that!
My baby girl turned 16 this week, and I realize I only have her at home for a little more than two years. I'm not thankful about that, but I am thankful that she is on her way to great things when she graduates from high school and leaves home. And that she has said she will pay for my nursing home some day....
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| Hand on her phone, even when she's blowing out her candles. |
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| She passed! |
Ruby got very interested in Emma's ice cream cake and tried to get up on the table. I'm not thankful that she has complete disregard for all cat rules in the house, but I AM thankful that she doesn't have opposable thumbs (see picture, below).
Were you able to turn lemons into lemonade? Give it a try, link up below.
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Yay, you've turned some shit (ha! literally) around! Good for you! I am NOT a sorceress, but let me tell you, my mother is because she can do that to fitted sheets. It's magic; it's just magic.
ReplyDeleteTurned it around, but didn't step in it!
DeleteSee? Complete sorcery! I've watched it done, do the same thing, and I get a big wad of sheet.
I've been wondering since I saw that Emma got her license...Did she skip school to take the test??
ReplyDeleteYour mom in the rear view mirror is cracking me up! She does look like Maxine! Hopefully she's a little less cranky. :)
That is impressive that this is your first cold for the year. After all of these years in a room with petri dishes, your immune system must be made of steel.
"Skipping" school is a rather harsh term.... When I called to say she would be late to school, I said she wasn't feeling well, which was true; she nearly threw up three times, THREE TIMES, in the license office before she took the driver's test.
DeleteIsn't that picture hilarious?! At least she has a good humor about it and saw it in herself!
I don't know how I can be around that much snot and not be sick all the time, unless I have built up quite an immune system! The steel barrier was breached, though. I'm glad it was over the weekend.
:D a beautiful post you have there!!
ReplyDeleteI loved the way you turned all your lemons into lemonade :D
A precious lesson for me to learn from that!!
Thank you :)
And yeah, you have a really pretty daughter! :)
Thank you! I'm always trying to look on the bright side!
DeleteAnd thank you for the compliment for Emma! That was so kind of you!
Mom must just LOVE you for that comparison! Congrats to Emma and Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteMurderous kitty...hmmmmmm.....You seem to have it down pat about the when life gives you lemons make lemonade but when it gives you crap don't make anything with that.
She took the comparison very well! And thank you from Emma.
DeleteYou KNOW Ruby wanted to pick up that knife.
When life gives me crap, I feed it a dog biscuit.
Your post has made me smile several times. "Maxine" and the "sorceress" are especially funny. :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on Emma's driver's license.
I'm glad this made you smile, Romi! That makes me happy! And thank you - it will be very handy to have her able to drive herself places.
DeleteThis post left me laughing - from Maxine to the cat with the knife and everything in between. I'm glad you were able to find humor in all the lemons life handed you this week, and I hope you have a great week to come. Congrats to Emma for getting her license!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it, Jen! Hope you're healing and getting that hip ready for summer! And thank you - it's nice to have another licensed driver in the house!
DeletePrayers for mum, Dyanne, and like the rest, I find this refreshing. Love the laughs!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michelle!
DeleteI laughed out loud at Maxine. You are an excellent writer and so much fun to read. I'm sure you'll be back posting regularly soon. Happy Birthday, Emma. When my son got his license he showed up at the preschool to tell me. We were all outside for a fire drill. As he drove away I thought, "he's driving right out of my life." (Thankful that wasn't true). We need lemonade, or the sour lemons make our faces all scrunched up. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Val. It means a lot to me to have you say that.
DeleteAfter her test, Emma drove me home, changed clothes, and drove herself to school. I watched her walk out the door (BOUNCE out the door), but I could not watch her drive away. I hid in the kitchen.
Maxine and petri dishes.Perfect!
ReplyDeleteAlways love making lemons into lemonade.
Some of these though....you took those lemons to a new level....Like you made them into a cocktail!
Thanks, Erin! Who knew Maxine was really my mother?!
Deleteok! so the cat wasn't there to pick up the knife! (one of those instant visuals…)
ReplyDeleteI like the structure (to your post)… hey, you're 23 steps away from total stream of consciousness! (no! wait! don't go… it's just that if your mojo comes back…disguised as your clarklike aspect… well, maybe you'll come to enjoy writing of 'hey… lets see what words come out of my typetrola!)
The cat was there primarily to see if the ice cream cake was something she might like. The knife was secondary. She loves me too much to stab me in my sleep, but one of the other cats might need to sleep with one eye open if she ever figures out how to pick it up.
DeleteMaybe I'll do a Clark meets Finnegan's Wake post one of these days.
Yay! for lemonade. I'm about ready to set up a stand and see if I can make any money off of it. Glad to hear about your Mom and the silly moment. Conversations in the car are my favorite.
ReplyDeleteKids... it is so fun to be a part of their growing up.
The world would end if cats had opposable thumbs.
Thanks, Rebecca! I hope you have success with your lemonade! I mean, if you have to have lemons in the first place.
DeleteFun and scary to see them grow up!
Cats would truly take over, wouldn't they?
I think the comment I left yesterday got eaten somehow. That's bad. But I got to read your post again. That's good. (See how I made a bit of lemonade?) :-)
ReplyDeleteLook at you, making lemonade!
Deleteohh i like your lemonade!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Serins! Icy cold and delicious!
DeleteMostly, they were small lemons. And yes, I need my mojo baaaaack!
ReplyDeleteHooray for sweet friends who help you kick a slump! WOOT WOOT! :D So glad you liked it and that it got you writing. Been there done that and got some good ideas from others, so glad to pay it forward.
ReplyDeleteWow...some real crap in your week, but really none that were horrible, right? And you turned all of them into great things. Especially glad you didn't land in the poo. More glad Ruby (and my Rotten three) do not have opposable thumbs. That makes me feel much safer.
Have a great week!!! And thanks for coming around and catching up on all of mine when I saw all those comments in my spam I got very happy. I left you some answers.
The VERY sweetest! (Thank you, Lisa!). And yes, none of it was that bad. I think missing the poo was the highlight. Well, that and Maxine. I just love that picture! And cats with opposable thumbs would end society as we know it. Thanks for continuing to fish me out of your spam. Why does Wordpress hate me so?
DeleteI loved your lemonaide. So funny and fun all roled into one. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary! All in all, it was a good week.
DeleteThere is usually something to be thankful for, even in the midst of challenges.
ReplyDeleteAnd folding fitted sheets is one of my most despised parts of laundry. Ever.
I can find the thankful in the worst of situations.
DeleteWorst thing to fold EVER. Plus they hide other pieces of laundry within their elastic corners, so when you pull them out of the dryer to wad up, I mean, fold, pillow cases or the occasional sock are hidden in there and roll out, still damp.
She looks SO CUTE in that hat! That is adorable. My cousin just joined her local Red Hat Society chapter and has been posting red hat pics, might have to do a side by side like this and send to her!
ReplyDeleteIt's adorable you think your daughter will be off on her way at 18! hahaha Unless she goes off to college, then she will be off for awhile. I feel like my son will be in and out of this house for decades yet and he turns 20 this summer :)
Isn't it cute? She's only wearing it because they cut what little hair she has off the top of her head. She's usually a weekly-do kind of person.
DeleteOh, I know they keep coming back! My son is a sophomore in college and will be home this weekend. But it isn't the same when he comes back, even though he and his sister fight like he never left.