Before I get into my regular post for today, I am participating in the “Meet Me On Monday” meme that is hosted by Java at http://www.nevergrowingold.blogspot.com Here are today’s questions and my answers:
1. What is your favorite kind of potato chip? For me, nothing beats plain old Lay’s Potato Chips!
2. Do you make your bed everyday? I am ashamed to admit it, but sometimes I do not! I have gone for as long as a week without making my bed.
3. How often do you go to the hair salon? Every six weeks…just like clockwork!
4. What do you dip your French fries in? Ketchup! I am a lover of ketchup! Heinz is my favorite brand.
5 Do you shop with coupons? I used to use coupons, years ago, then I became too lazy to clip them… but I always use the ones that say “use this coupon now”! (stuck on the product when you purchase it)
just a baby...
I was born on August 30, 1954 in the city of Jacksonville, Florida. I was born at 1:32 in the(I think) morning. I remember my daddy was a salesman and worked “on the road”. I believe that someone had to summon him in from a trip for my birth, but he made it there in time.
early years...
Five short years later I was still at home because I didn’t begin school until first grade. On television, I remember watching Captain Kangaroo, good old Mr. Greenjeans, and of course there was “Bunny Rabbit”–the carrot-stealing puppet! I remember getting a “Tiny Tears” doll for Christmas sometime around age 5 or 6. She was special because she drank her bottle, and cried “real tears”. Now that I collect dolls as a hobby, I am amazed to discover how much “Tiny Tears” is worth these days!!!
sixth grade...
When I turned 10, I was entering the fifth grade. I got the teacher that everybody dreaded getting–Miss Burke. She was an “old maid”, and she had a reputation for being “mean”! She was one of those strict teachers that didn’t tolerate any misbehavior. I was well behaved, so I didn’t have any problems in her class. I only spent six weeks with Miss Burke, when my parents decided to move to another town.
young and in love...
By age 15, I’d been dating for an entire year. I’d had three steady boyfriends, and I felt like “an old pro”. In reality, I was very much still a child, but then I’ve always felt old beyond my years. I’d just met my “future husband”,Ed, and had promised to wait for him while he served his three-year tour of army duty…and wait is what I did, while I completed high school.
life was good...
When I turned 20, I had been married to Ed for just over two years. We were both working in the Radiology department of a large hospital. We had two incomes, no children, we bought a boat and a motorcycle, and we were just enjoying being young and in love. I consider those years the best ones of my life! So young and free…
I'm a mommy...
My 25th birthday found me with nearly a year of motherhood “under my belt”. I’d given birth to a daughter just a month after my twenty-fourth birthday. I loved being a mother, but the baby had been colicky and those first few months had been difficult. I was literally a “stay-at-home-mom because I didn’t have a driver’s license!
By age 30, I had become the mother of two. We’d added a little boy to our family, about three and one-half years after our daughter, Brandy, was born. My life was busy as the mother of a kindergartener and a two-year old! I’d finally gotten around to getting my driver’s license, and a car. It was nice to be able to finally go places, although I was still a stay-at-home mom.
now there are three...
Middle aged, already, I found myself a thirty-five year old mother of three! Who knew? And to think that people thought that Ed and I weren’t going to have any children!!! By then, Brandy was in middle school, Brett was in elementary, and the youngest, Brad, had turned four. Brad was the only one of the children who didn’t attend preschool. I kept him home with me, and taught him myself. It had now been 12 years since I’d worked outside the home.
Age 40 found me with all sorts of changes in my life since age thirty-five! I’d gone back to work after fourteen and one-half years of staying at home. I’d followed my youngest to school, and had become a first grade paraprofessional. I’d also become ill, and had been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. After spending the spring and summer of 1994, practically disabled, I began to go into remission and was finally able to continue working, but with a modified life-style.
many, many birthdays...
Where did the time go? By the time I turned 45, my daughter had finished high school, and was holding down a full-time job. She’d tried college, but found it wasn’t for her! She was involved in the second of her three serious relationships. Our middle child was about to begin his senior year of high school, while the youngest was entering the ninth grade. Those were some of our most turbulent years– being the parents of teenagers! I do not miss those days at all!!!
Oh No!...The Big 50
50 years old seemed like a blessing after what all was going on at age 45! Life was beginning to slow down. Our oldest, Brandy, had gotten married. (Serious relationship # 3 had worked out.) Our oldest son had moved out, for the second time, and was finishing up college and getting his first “real job”. We still had the youngest son living at home, but he was working days, and going to college nights. He was rarely home. By now, I’d had a total hysterectomy, as well as a cervical fusion! The good news is…both surgeries improved my health and quality of life! I was feeling good again!
Age 55 found me in early retirement. Shortly after turning 51, after over 15 years of service, I left my job at the elementary school, due to a very unfortunate, stressfull working environment. Following that, I became the nanny for twin infant girls. For two years I became a “stay-at-their-home nanny”. While taking care of the twins, I became a grandmother for the first time, and saw my oldest son get married. For the first time in my life, I began to really long to be at home, so I came home to “enjoy my new granddaughter, and what’s left of my life.”
celebrating my 55th b'day with grandchildren...
Enjoying my life is exactly what I’ve been doing! My husband and I moved out of our previous family home(of 30 years) next-door, and are now living in the new house that he ( literally) built for us in 2007. It’s been an adventure getting used to a new home after so many years in the other one. If we ever get homesick, we just walk over and visit our daughter, who lives in the “old homeplace” next door!
We now have two precious grandchildren–instead of just one–double the pleasure, double the fun! Both grandchildren live within a “stone’s throw” of us. Our days are never boring when the kiddies are around! It’s so great to be able to love them, then send them back!
Hubby, Ed, is still busy in the working man’s world, but with any luck, he will be joining me in retirement– one of these days. The economy has delayed our plans, unfortunately. Ed has one more year until he reaches age 62, we’ll see what things look like then, and go from there. In the meantime…
These days, I’m blessed to be able to do exactly what I want to, almost every day of my life, and it’s wonderful! My health is holding up pretty well, and I pray that I have a few more good years left. Time will tell. It’s been my experience that five years can bring about a multitude of changes, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the future has in store!
Udate: I hope this isn’t an indicator of my next year, but I am about to spend part of my birthday in the doctor’s office–seeking treatment for a persistant UTI! Not how I planned to spend the day…