My mom and step-dad lived a nice life on a small lake in Michigan, and because of that, they both drove many miles to work everyday. Mom had to dress for the office in those days in suits and dresses and high heels and so she drove to work in high heels, and walked around town to do banking and other business in those high heels. Some women paid the price for that with all kinds of foot problems and mom was one of them.
One night my mom awoke with a cramp in her foot. She got up, walked around and finally the cramp subsided and she returned to bed.
Later that night, she awoke again and this time she had cramps in both her feet! She rubbed her feet and legs, she walked around the house and finally put on her high heels and that seemed to give her relief. Back to bed she went.
Once again, she awoke with cramps in both her feet, so she got up, put her high heels on again, walked around and quickly the cramps went away. This time she got back in bed with her shoes on but since she didn't want to dirty the sheets, she left her feet sticking out from the covers. That seemed to take care of the problem and she went back to sleep.
When Bob awoke to get up for work, he was shocked to see mom lying there with her high heels sticking out from the covers. He thought she had been sleep walking and had gotten ready for work and went back to bed. Needless to say, they had a great laugh over that. The rest of the family did as well.
Mom and her high heels caused another great family story.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Friday, May 15, 2009
New Mattress
The other day I was thinking about how best laid plans just don't manage to work out very well. Back sometime in the 80's, my ex and I rearranged the bedrooms for the kids and found we needed another twin mattress. And my mom just happened to have one in her basement that was in pretty good shape. Great!
That was our first mistake. We borrowed a pickup truck from a local tavern owner who we knew quite well. We chose a nice Saturday afternoon and drove out in the country with two of our children to my mom and step-dad's house for the retrieval.
My step-dad was watching his favorite team-UCLA on TV when we arrived. I said hello to mom and we proceeded to check out the mattress in the basement. While we were down there, my ex and my step-dad started arguing about basketball and being the trouble maker my ex was and the volatile person my step-dad was, it was inevitable that threats would be thrown. When my step-dad said he would hit my ex with the fireplace poker, my mom stepped in and put a stop to all of it.
We left with the mattress and bad blood all around. If only that would have been the end of the story, but no--there's more!
The second mistake. The mattress was placed in the bed of the pickup and an old orange blanket was thrown over it for protection. As we were driving along, I looked in the rearview mirror and thought the blanket was floating around. But that wasn't it--it was flames I was seeing. I had thrown a cigarette out the window and it landed on the blanket and you can guess the rest. I pulled over screaming, "The truck's on fire!" My ex jumped out and while he was trying to get the mattress off the truck, I was running to a nearby house so they could call the fire department. It just so happened the man who answered the door was a volunteer firefighter who had an extinguisher. He geared up, came out and put out the fire.
Then we had to pick up the burned mattress, go to the dump, pay to dump it there, go with hat in hand to the friend to tell him what happened and apologize. He said forget it, it was worth it for the best laugh he'd had in a long time. Then we had to go shopping for a new mattress.
The only mistake we didn't make was that we never told my mom and step-dad what happened after we left with the mattress.
Until next time---
That was our first mistake. We borrowed a pickup truck from a local tavern owner who we knew quite well. We chose a nice Saturday afternoon and drove out in the country with two of our children to my mom and step-dad's house for the retrieval.
My step-dad was watching his favorite team-UCLA on TV when we arrived. I said hello to mom and we proceeded to check out the mattress in the basement. While we were down there, my ex and my step-dad started arguing about basketball and being the trouble maker my ex was and the volatile person my step-dad was, it was inevitable that threats would be thrown. When my step-dad said he would hit my ex with the fireplace poker, my mom stepped in and put a stop to all of it.
We left with the mattress and bad blood all around. If only that would have been the end of the story, but no--there's more!
The second mistake. The mattress was placed in the bed of the pickup and an old orange blanket was thrown over it for protection. As we were driving along, I looked in the rearview mirror and thought the blanket was floating around. But that wasn't it--it was flames I was seeing. I had thrown a cigarette out the window and it landed on the blanket and you can guess the rest. I pulled over screaming, "The truck's on fire!" My ex jumped out and while he was trying to get the mattress off the truck, I was running to a nearby house so they could call the fire department. It just so happened the man who answered the door was a volunteer firefighter who had an extinguisher. He geared up, came out and put out the fire.
Then we had to pick up the burned mattress, go to the dump, pay to dump it there, go with hat in hand to the friend to tell him what happened and apologize. He said forget it, it was worth it for the best laugh he'd had in a long time. Then we had to go shopping for a new mattress.
The only mistake we didn't make was that we never told my mom and step-dad what happened after we left with the mattress.
Until next time---
Saturday, November 29, 2008
A Bus Trip in the South
In 1959, a friend and I decided to move to Miami, Fl for the winter. We boarded a Greyhound bus in Indianapolis, IN. My friend's sister told us that if we wanted to drink, watch for service men sitting at the back of the bus. We saw two sailors go to the back of the bus and so did we!
It didn't take us long to become friendly, share their bottle and pair up. A boy named Chuck on his way home to Georgia with two weeks' leave sat with me and by dark we were cuddling and getting to know each other. A little later our privacy was interrupted by a "colored" man squatting down next to us even though there was a seat available in front of us next to an older "white" woman. We two couples had taken up seats in the back and he wasn't allowed up front. I asked the woman in front of us would it be alright with her if he sat next to her and she said it was fine with her. I'm sure she must have been a northerner or she would not have agreed.
What happened later shocked me to the core! At about daylight, the bus pulled into the next bus stop and the driver walked through the bus counting heads. When he saw the "colored" man sitting next to the "white" woman, he ran the man off the bus, shouting. "You know better than that, nigger, now, get off this bus!" I was outraged! After all, the man had paid the same fare as the rest of us and now he would have to pay again and get on another bus to make it to wherever he was going. Partly that, but mostly the inhumanity of the treatment he received.
So I do understand the tears shed at the Obama celebration election night. What a validation for all people of color that in the USA we have finally gotten past race, at least for one day.
I still don't like Obama's politics, but we'll see. By the way, that boy Chuck and I married 7 days later and had two daughters before divorcing. Until next time----
It didn't take us long to become friendly, share their bottle and pair up. A boy named Chuck on his way home to Georgia with two weeks' leave sat with me and by dark we were cuddling and getting to know each other. A little later our privacy was interrupted by a "colored" man squatting down next to us even though there was a seat available in front of us next to an older "white" woman. We two couples had taken up seats in the back and he wasn't allowed up front. I asked the woman in front of us would it be alright with her if he sat next to her and she said it was fine with her. I'm sure she must have been a northerner or she would not have agreed.
What happened later shocked me to the core! At about daylight, the bus pulled into the next bus stop and the driver walked through the bus counting heads. When he saw the "colored" man sitting next to the "white" woman, he ran the man off the bus, shouting. "You know better than that, nigger, now, get off this bus!" I was outraged! After all, the man had paid the same fare as the rest of us and now he would have to pay again and get on another bus to make it to wherever he was going. Partly that, but mostly the inhumanity of the treatment he received.
So I do understand the tears shed at the Obama celebration election night. What a validation for all people of color that in the USA we have finally gotten past race, at least for one day.
I still don't like Obama's politics, but we'll see. By the way, that boy Chuck and I married 7 days later and had two daughters before divorcing. Until next time----
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Patriotism
A piece on CBS News This Morning started me thinking about how I feel about patriotism. Part of it is being proud of my country. The liberals would have you believe that the USA is a terrible country, it's not! We Americans care more for people all over the world than all the other countries put together.
The liberals would have you think that pride of country is a bad thing and that we shouldn't put ourselves and our country first above all others. Why not? This is the country that people all over the world are striving to come to and when they become citizens they are proud to wear a flag pin, recite the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag and sing the National Anthem. They are not worried that they might hurt some other country's feelings if they are patriotic to the USA. They are living their dream.
I'm proud to be an American, sing the National Anthem and salute the flag. I love my country and I think that's being patriotic. I can't imagine living anywhere else.
Until next time----
The liberals would have you think that pride of country is a bad thing and that we shouldn't put ourselves and our country first above all others. Why not? This is the country that people all over the world are striving to come to and when they become citizens they are proud to wear a flag pin, recite the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag and sing the National Anthem. They are not worried that they might hurt some other country's feelings if they are patriotic to the USA. They are living their dream.
I'm proud to be an American, sing the National Anthem and salute the flag. I love my country and I think that's being patriotic. I can't imagine living anywhere else.
Until next time----
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Palin's Clothes
On Sunday I was watching "CBS News Sunday Morning" and the outspoken Nancy Giles did a piece on how we women love shopping for sales. But the piece somehow only talked about Sara Palin's clothes--the $150,000 that the Republican Party spent to dress Governor Palin and her family. Only she didn't talk about the family only Governor Palin. It turns out that the next day on the CBS early show they interviewed the proprietor of the consignment store in Alaska where Governor Palin does most of her shopping. Consignment! That's not sale shopping?
I have absolutely no problem with the Republican party using my $25.00 donation for Governor Palin's wardrobe. She hasn't been around national politics long enough to have amassed a fortune like the majority of the Washington insiders. I wonder where the Obama's got all their clothes?
Nancy Giles manages to come up with pieces every week or so that knock Republicans, whites, conservatives, and Bush in particular in the guise of something else. Apparently CBS approves of this. I don't!
Until next time...Please forward. I welcome all comments.
I have absolutely no problem with the Republican party using my $25.00 donation for Governor Palin's wardrobe. She hasn't been around national politics long enough to have amassed a fortune like the majority of the Washington insiders. I wonder where the Obama's got all their clothes?
Nancy Giles manages to come up with pieces every week or so that knock Republicans, whites, conservatives, and Bush in particular in the guise of something else. Apparently CBS approves of this. I don't!
Until next time...Please forward. I welcome all comments.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Joe Biden
On Sunday, speaking to a crowd, Joe Biden brought up the scenario that within six months of being elected, Obama would be tested by the international community. He said, "Mark my words it will not be six months before the world tests him." Also, he said, "Watch, we're going to have an international crisis to test the mettle of this guy!" And he begged the crowd to remember what he said and remain standing with Obama when it happens.
Folks, this is scaring me. What's going to happen? A dirty bomb? Russia forcing us to support one of our allies in Europe? Chavez in Venezuela? Cutting off our oil imports? Bombings in this country by terrorists? You fill in the blanks. Is this what we should expect after Obama is elected? Is he going to say, "Oh, please, can't we just sit down and talk it out?" Those are the statements he's made. He'll sit down with our enemies who want to kill us all. It begs the question--where do his loyalties really lie?
Please think long and hard about what is best for this country before you vote. You will be getting CHANGE and it won't be what you expect.
Until next time....
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Grit and Determination
This Tuesday on my way to work, I drove past a neighbor down the street as she pulling weeds in her yard. On Wednesday, I saw her washing clothes in her shed. This neighbor is quite active entertaining her friends for cards, spending time on her computer, tending to her finances and keeping a spotless house and person.
The thing you need to know about this neighbor is that eight years ago she had a devastating stroke that left her paralyzed on her right side. She does all the cleaning, weeding, laundry, cooking, and taking care of her personal habits with the use of her left arm only and sitting in a wheelchair. Other than her daughter and son-in-law helping with shopping and hairdo needs she may have, she does everything by herself.
This woman is my mother and I can't tell you how much I admire her grit and determination to remain independent at the age of 87 and handicapped. Her spirit is ageless and unfettered! Everyone should have a role model like her.
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