And yes, that is a fake cow in the background and no, I was not one of the peeps who "milked" it.
Bonus Edit:
I found this pic of my friends E and DD that the university posted on their social media that shall not be named account. It's priceless!
Friday, May 17, 2013
SAD
Not rain, not heavy cloud cover nor threat of sever thunderstorms could keep this ladybug away from SAD. (Staff Appreciation Day)
And yes, that is a fake cow in the background and no, I was not one of the peeps who "milked" it.
Bonus Edit:
I found this pic of my friends E and DD that the university posted on their social media that shall not be named account. It's priceless!
And yes, that is a fake cow in the background and no, I was not one of the peeps who "milked" it.
Bonus Edit:
I found this pic of my friends E and DD that the university posted on their social media that shall not be named account. It's priceless!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Weekend Review: The Non-Mother's Mother's Day Edition
So where, exactly, is it written that the childless in the family are responsible for "taking care of" all the mothers in the family on Mother's Day? haha
As usual, I hosted Mother's Day lunch at my house. This year M-Day totally snuck up on me and Sis2 and I were last minute "planning" what to do for it. Or, rather, planning the menu. Cooking on Mother's Day is hard because a) I still hafta go to church that morning and b) while Mama is happy (usually) with whatever cooked for her, Daddy is picky. And while technically it's Mama's day, Daddy still has to eat, right? So planning a menu that is Daddy approved and can be prepared fairly quickly after church is a bit of a challenge. A good crock pot recipe would be ideal but there is precious little that Daddy will eat out of a crock pot.
So anyway, we finally decided on the menu, I worked up a game plan on how to get it all cooked in time and prayed. A lot.
Saturday morning I got up with my little list and went grocery shopping. Ya'll, all that extra food is expensive. I used up my entire grocery budget (cash), plus my Sonic breakfast cash PLUS what was left of my Starbuck's cash. And still couldn't/didn't get paper plates, a gallon of tea (or teabags--same price) and a few other things. But I got all the important items. Like hotdogs and cheesepuffs for the kids. haha
So I figured, you know. No big deal. I'll just use my debit card to buy my Sonic Ultimate meat and cheese breakfast burrito. I had enough in the bank, still, to cover it. But...
Got to Sonic and the carhop who usually serves me came over the car before I could even press the little button and said, "Our system is down. I can take your order here. Oh, and by the way, can you pay with cash?"
I had one dollar left in my wallet so I shook my head no. "I have a debit card."
"Can you get cash?"
"No. My bank is in a different town." None of the ATM's in the little hometown will give me cash without charging me a few bucks. Sooooo not worth it just for a $5 breakfast.
So she's all, "Wait here, let me go talk to the manager." I would have just left at that point and gone across the highway to Hardee's for a chicken biscuit but since I see this carhop nearly every Saturday, I didn't want to be rude.
She came back with, "We can go ahead and serve you if you can come back later today with the cash."
I live nearly 25 minutes away from this Sonic. I come to this little town exactly once a week--every Saturday. Which I tell her. She either must really like me or was really desperate not to lose a sale because she want BACK IN to talk to the manager again and came back with, "Okay, he said I can get your name and you can just pay when you come back next week. I told him you're a regular who only comes on Saturday mornings. You want an Ultimate meat and cheese burrito with tots and a large coffee, right?"
How embarrassing is it that she knows my order by heart? But also, how great is it that in this day and age a fast food manager and a carhop trust a person to pay for a $5 breakfast the next time she's in town? So, Sonic=Awesome. :-D
Needless to say, on the way home I said a little prayer thanking God for kind people and once home I immediately went to my emergency kitty and dug out the cash and stuck in my wallet for next week. Put it in an envelope earmarked for Sonic Breakfast so I wouldn't accidentally spend it. Now, I just hope nothing happens between now and Saturday to prevent me for returning to Sonic to repay that debt.
Anyway, after all that I put my expensive groceries away, ate my breakfast burrito and then got busy cleaning.
Since I was hosting Mother's Day at my house and Granny was coming(!), I decided I needed to do a deep and thorough cleaning. My house is never a dump or anything but it had gotten rather cluttered in spots--recycling that needed to be bagged, items I'd collected to put in the yard sale Mama and Maw-maw are doing later this month, sweaters to put away...that sort of thing. And also, there was a LOT of dust everywhere. Living on a dirt road makes it super difficult to keep up with dusting.
So, I decided that to keep myself from running in circles, I'd start in one room and completely finish it before moving to the next. Usually I'm here, there and yonder all day long making sure everything is in it's rightful place. Instead, I instituted piles for each room that moved with me as I went so that when it came time to move on to the room the items belonged in, I could grab them and deliver them when I went to work on that room. Saved a lot of leg work.
I started in the laundry/mud room. It's just off the carport and is the first room most people see when they come in the house. I don't know about everywhere else, but around here, guests usually do use the carport/garage entry instead of the front door. Anyway, I swept, cleaned off the entry table and wiped it down with a multi surface cleaner, put away the plastic bags that I'd collected for recycling and washed down the surfaces of the washer and dryer. That's something I don't think I've ever really thought to do before. I only ever pay attention to them when I'm doing laundry so it's easy to forget that they get dusty and grimy, too. Not to mention all the lint that can coat everything. And ya'll, I even wiped down the exterior of the garbage can! I was dedicated to this whole deep cleaning thing!
Moved on to the kitchen which involved dishes, of course, but also wiping down cabinet doors, the refrigerator handle, the wall beside the oven and INSIDE the oven.
And so it went, off and on all day long. I'd take a break between each room to sit with Libs and rest my achy legs. I also took about an hour to go up to the folks' house to take Milo out for them. They were out of town for the day so I went at noon to take him outside and give him a cuddle. We snuggled in the recliner together and watched the last hour of Stepmom on Stars. Still love that movie.
Needless to say, at that pace I was around 9:30 Saturday night finishing up in my room. I put the hall bath off until Sunday morning so that the toilet would be super fresh. haha
There was no point in being exhausted when I got up (early) Sunday morning, though, because I still had miles to go. After a quick muffin breakfast and an hour of Food Network, I got up and mopped the floors (another last minute "so it would be fresh" chore), threw some potatoes in the oven, scrubbed the toilet and sink in the hall bathroom and took another break until around 9ish when I got up take the potatoes out of the oven and prep them for twice baked potatoes. Once the tater skins were sufficiently dressed up, stuffed and in the fridge to awate the second baking, I took another break until around 10 when I put the port tenderloins in the oven to roast. That's about the time that Sis2 and the kids arrived to bring the green beans I would fix later and the desserts. We played for about 40 minutes before cutting off the oven and heading to church.
Then AFTER church, I came in like a whirlwind, changed clothes and immediately got to cooking. Got the sweet potato fries in the oven and mixed up the green beans (green beans unbundled--deliciously sweetened green beans with bacon and garlic.) and got THEM in the oven with the sweet potato fries. Then it was slicing and plattering the tenderloins, sliding the twice baked potatoes in the oven, flipping fries, taking the green beans out and putting the garlic bread IN. All while everyone was arriving and the kids were destroying the house.
It was an exhausting thirty or forty minutes but everything got done, nothing burned and if everyone is be believed, everything was delicious. And for once the kids actually sat at the table and ate instead of disappearing to the guest room and calling my name every two minutes! So I got to eat! Before my food got cold! haha
Full Menu: Roasted apple bourbon pork tenderloin, roasted peppercorn pork tenderloin, twice baked potatoes, sweet potato french fries, green beans unbundled, corn salad, garlic cheese toast, hotdogs and cheesepuffs.
Did have one minor mishap, though. Remember that tea I decided I couldn't afford? Well, two peeps requested tea to drink. *sigh* I gave them water and told them to like it. Just kidding. I did give them water but I felt bad about it. Is it my fault they don't drink cokes/sprites/milk/yoohoos?
Despite all the work, it was a really nice time. We relaxed and ate slowly and talked about pleasant topics and laughed at the kids' antics. After all the exhaustion it turned out to be a really relaxing day. Until everyone left, that is. THEN I had to put my house back together. Kids are rough on a house! But I don't complain because I'm happy they feel comfortable and safe enough in my home to treat it like they do their own. ;-)
The dishes had to wait until today. No way was I standing at the sink washing dishes when Once Upon a Time was about to come on! :) And yes, everyone stayed THAT LATE. It was great.
As usual, I hosted Mother's Day lunch at my house. This year M-Day totally snuck up on me and Sis2 and I were last minute "planning" what to do for it. Or, rather, planning the menu. Cooking on Mother's Day is hard because a) I still hafta go to church that morning and b) while Mama is happy (usually) with whatever cooked for her, Daddy is picky. And while technically it's Mama's day, Daddy still has to eat, right? So planning a menu that is Daddy approved and can be prepared fairly quickly after church is a bit of a challenge. A good crock pot recipe would be ideal but there is precious little that Daddy will eat out of a crock pot.
So anyway, we finally decided on the menu, I worked up a game plan on how to get it all cooked in time and prayed. A lot.
Saturday morning I got up with my little list and went grocery shopping. Ya'll, all that extra food is expensive. I used up my entire grocery budget (cash), plus my Sonic breakfast cash PLUS what was left of my Starbuck's cash. And still couldn't/didn't get paper plates, a gallon of tea (or teabags--same price) and a few other things. But I got all the important items. Like hotdogs and cheesepuffs for the kids. haha
So I figured, you know. No big deal. I'll just use my debit card to buy my Sonic Ultimate meat and cheese breakfast burrito. I had enough in the bank, still, to cover it. But...
Got to Sonic and the carhop who usually serves me came over the car before I could even press the little button and said, "Our system is down. I can take your order here. Oh, and by the way, can you pay with cash?"
I had one dollar left in my wallet so I shook my head no. "I have a debit card."
"Can you get cash?"
"No. My bank is in a different town." None of the ATM's in the little hometown will give me cash without charging me a few bucks. Sooooo not worth it just for a $5 breakfast.
So she's all, "Wait here, let me go talk to the manager." I would have just left at that point and gone across the highway to Hardee's for a chicken biscuit but since I see this carhop nearly every Saturday, I didn't want to be rude.
She came back with, "We can go ahead and serve you if you can come back later today with the cash."
I live nearly 25 minutes away from this Sonic. I come to this little town exactly once a week--every Saturday. Which I tell her. She either must really like me or was really desperate not to lose a sale because she want BACK IN to talk to the manager again and came back with, "Okay, he said I can get your name and you can just pay when you come back next week. I told him you're a regular who only comes on Saturday mornings. You want an Ultimate meat and cheese burrito with tots and a large coffee, right?"
How embarrassing is it that she knows my order by heart? But also, how great is it that in this day and age a fast food manager and a carhop trust a person to pay for a $5 breakfast the next time she's in town? So, Sonic=Awesome. :-D
Needless to say, on the way home I said a little prayer thanking God for kind people and once home I immediately went to my emergency kitty and dug out the cash and stuck in my wallet for next week. Put it in an envelope earmarked for Sonic Breakfast so I wouldn't accidentally spend it. Now, I just hope nothing happens between now and Saturday to prevent me for returning to Sonic to repay that debt.
Anyway, after all that I put my expensive groceries away, ate my breakfast burrito and then got busy cleaning.
Since I was hosting Mother's Day at my house and Granny was coming(!), I decided I needed to do a deep and thorough cleaning. My house is never a dump or anything but it had gotten rather cluttered in spots--recycling that needed to be bagged, items I'd collected to put in the yard sale Mama and Maw-maw are doing later this month, sweaters to put away...that sort of thing. And also, there was a LOT of dust everywhere. Living on a dirt road makes it super difficult to keep up with dusting.
So, I decided that to keep myself from running in circles, I'd start in one room and completely finish it before moving to the next. Usually I'm here, there and yonder all day long making sure everything is in it's rightful place. Instead, I instituted piles for each room that moved with me as I went so that when it came time to move on to the room the items belonged in, I could grab them and deliver them when I went to work on that room. Saved a lot of leg work.
I started in the laundry/mud room. It's just off the carport and is the first room most people see when they come in the house. I don't know about everywhere else, but around here, guests usually do use the carport/garage entry instead of the front door. Anyway, I swept, cleaned off the entry table and wiped it down with a multi surface cleaner, put away the plastic bags that I'd collected for recycling and washed down the surfaces of the washer and dryer. That's something I don't think I've ever really thought to do before. I only ever pay attention to them when I'm doing laundry so it's easy to forget that they get dusty and grimy, too. Not to mention all the lint that can coat everything. And ya'll, I even wiped down the exterior of the garbage can! I was dedicated to this whole deep cleaning thing!
Moved on to the kitchen which involved dishes, of course, but also wiping down cabinet doors, the refrigerator handle, the wall beside the oven and INSIDE the oven.
And so it went, off and on all day long. I'd take a break between each room to sit with Libs and rest my achy legs. I also took about an hour to go up to the folks' house to take Milo out for them. They were out of town for the day so I went at noon to take him outside and give him a cuddle. We snuggled in the recliner together and watched the last hour of Stepmom on Stars. Still love that movie.
Needless to say, at that pace I was around 9:30 Saturday night finishing up in my room. I put the hall bath off until Sunday morning so that the toilet would be super fresh. haha
There was no point in being exhausted when I got up (early) Sunday morning, though, because I still had miles to go. After a quick muffin breakfast and an hour of Food Network, I got up and mopped the floors (another last minute "so it would be fresh" chore), threw some potatoes in the oven, scrubbed the toilet and sink in the hall bathroom and took another break until around 9ish when I got up take the potatoes out of the oven and prep them for twice baked potatoes. Once the tater skins were sufficiently dressed up, stuffed and in the fridge to awate the second baking, I took another break until around 10 when I put the port tenderloins in the oven to roast. That's about the time that Sis2 and the kids arrived to bring the green beans I would fix later and the desserts. We played for about 40 minutes before cutting off the oven and heading to church.
Then AFTER church, I came in like a whirlwind, changed clothes and immediately got to cooking. Got the sweet potato fries in the oven and mixed up the green beans (green beans unbundled--deliciously sweetened green beans with bacon and garlic.) and got THEM in the oven with the sweet potato fries. Then it was slicing and plattering the tenderloins, sliding the twice baked potatoes in the oven, flipping fries, taking the green beans out and putting the garlic bread IN. All while everyone was arriving and the kids were destroying the house.
 |
| Lyssa put Nana and Efan to work "irning" |
Full Menu: Roasted apple bourbon pork tenderloin, roasted peppercorn pork tenderloin, twice baked potatoes, sweet potato french fries, green beans unbundled, corn salad, garlic cheese toast, hotdogs and cheesepuffs.
Did have one minor mishap, though. Remember that tea I decided I couldn't afford? Well, two peeps requested tea to drink. *sigh* I gave them water and told them to like it. Just kidding. I did give them water but I felt bad about it. Is it my fault they don't drink cokes/sprites/milk/yoohoos?
Despite all the work, it was a really nice time. We relaxed and ate slowly and talked about pleasant topics and laughed at the kids' antics. After all the exhaustion it turned out to be a really relaxing day. Until everyone left, that is. THEN I had to put my house back together. Kids are rough on a house! But I don't complain because I'm happy they feel comfortable and safe enough in my home to treat it like they do their own. ;-)
 |
| Cuddled up in the new (to me) guest bed to watch "Ariel" |
 |
| What awaits me when I get home tonight...or, part of it anyway. |
Friday, May 10, 2013
Ducks and Junk
Sorry I've been so quiet this week. It's mostly because I've been busy but also because I've been lazy and uninspired. And also whiny. And nobody wants to read, THAT. haha
I did have a few interesting dreams I wanted to report about. Sadly, I have forgotten them. I know one was about me being stuck in an elevator with toxic fumes--I held my sweater over my nose because of course that keeps toxic fumes from entering a body's lungs.
Even in my dreams I'm not all that bright.
The other one is just completely gone from my head though I'm fairly certain it probably had something to do with Duck Dynasty since I have become obsessed with it.
Yes. Am am officially in love with some long bearded rich rednecks. I resisted it FOREVER, writing it off as stupid. And I didn't need to watch dumb rednecks because yeah. Rednecks are, like, my life. I mean, hello. This is on the front of Daddy's truck...
This girl who often blathers on and on and on in this blog is half redneck, if you recall. The only difference between me and the Duck Dynasty family is a LOT of facial hair. Oh yeah, and all that money. ;-)
So anyway, yeah. I gave my parents so much grief for watching DD. For realz. Declared my hatred of it and just pretty much judged it by the Honey Boo Standard--you know, as in completely ridiculous proof of human idiocy.
But then...
Well, having sat through a four hour marathon of American Hoggers (thanks to dear ol' Daddy!) I figured Duck Dynasty couldn't be much worse than that so I watched an episode. And then I watched the whole dang marathon. And now I can't stop! It's an addiction! I can't quit you, Duck Dynasty!
It is not ridiculous at all. Don't get me wrong, there are some ridiculous situations but the show and the people themselves are not ridiculous at all. It's entertaining and funny. So funny that I have laughed till my sides hurt and my eyes watered.
Three words: Whipped swamp donkey. (That line--in context of the person it described--had me laughing for hours.)
So yeah. I'm obsessed. So obsessed that I have dreamed about the Robertson family from Duck Dynasty nearly every night this week.
Does it make me completely ridiculous that I also watch the Kardashians? Eep!
I'm not turning into a reality ho, I promise. I don't watch all that other crap on E! or A&E. I do occasionally watch American Pickers and of course I'm in a committed relationship with Ghost Hunters. Oh, and the Duggar Family (the one with all the kids)--I occasionally watch it if I'm bored. But I just say no to Honey BooBoo and the Jonas boy and all those other poor slobs with cameras in their faces all the time.
Anyway, so yeah. I'm a duck girl. *sigh*
I'm not telling my parents, though. Ugh! Can you imagine all the grief THEY'D give ME for all the grief I gave THEM?! Nope. Not telling them. *crosses arms and shakes head*
Oh, but I am a Nashville ho. I bought the soundtrack CD's. *facepalm*
Somebody stop me!
I did have a few interesting dreams I wanted to report about. Sadly, I have forgotten them. I know one was about me being stuck in an elevator with toxic fumes--I held my sweater over my nose because of course that keeps toxic fumes from entering a body's lungs.
Even in my dreams I'm not all that bright.
The other one is just completely gone from my head though I'm fairly certain it probably had something to do with Duck Dynasty since I have become obsessed with it.
Yes. Am am officially in love with some long bearded rich rednecks. I resisted it FOREVER, writing it off as stupid. And I didn't need to watch dumb rednecks because yeah. Rednecks are, like, my life. I mean, hello. This is on the front of Daddy's truck...
This girl who often blathers on and on and on in this blog is half redneck, if you recall. The only difference between me and the Duck Dynasty family is a LOT of facial hair. Oh yeah, and all that money. ;-)
So anyway, yeah. I gave my parents so much grief for watching DD. For realz. Declared my hatred of it and just pretty much judged it by the Honey Boo Standard--you know, as in completely ridiculous proof of human idiocy.
But then...
Well, having sat through a four hour marathon of American Hoggers (thanks to dear ol' Daddy!) I figured Duck Dynasty couldn't be much worse than that so I watched an episode. And then I watched the whole dang marathon. And now I can't stop! It's an addiction! I can't quit you, Duck Dynasty!
It is not ridiculous at all. Don't get me wrong, there are some ridiculous situations but the show and the people themselves are not ridiculous at all. It's entertaining and funny. So funny that I have laughed till my sides hurt and my eyes watered.
Three words: Whipped swamp donkey. (That line--in context of the person it described--had me laughing for hours.)
So yeah. I'm obsessed. So obsessed that I have dreamed about the Robertson family from Duck Dynasty nearly every night this week.
Does it make me completely ridiculous that I also watch the Kardashians? Eep!
I'm not turning into a reality ho, I promise. I don't watch all that other crap on E! or A&E. I do occasionally watch American Pickers and of course I'm in a committed relationship with Ghost Hunters. Oh, and the Duggar Family (the one with all the kids)--I occasionally watch it if I'm bored. But I just say no to Honey BooBoo and the Jonas boy and all those other poor slobs with cameras in their faces all the time.
Anyway, so yeah. I'm a duck girl. *sigh*
I'm not telling my parents, though. Ugh! Can you imagine all the grief THEY'D give ME for all the grief I gave THEM?! Nope. Not telling them. *crosses arms and shakes head*
Oh, but I am a Nashville ho. I bought the soundtrack CD's. *facepalm*
Somebody stop me!
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Throwback Thursday
So. Apparently "Throwback Thursday" is a thing. I've seen it on both of the social media networks I frequent. And since I'm nothing if not a lemming...
This is another of the photos I scanned last week. This, too, was taken at Grandma's house in the Delta probably around 1982 or '83. I totally dig those bell bottoms I'm wearing. Note: I still wear "flared leg" pants to this day. They're flattering on big girls. Even if you're, like, three. Or thirty-four.
This is another of the photos I scanned last week. This, too, was taken at Grandma's house in the Delta probably around 1982 or '83. I totally dig those bell bottoms I'm wearing. Note: I still wear "flared leg" pants to this day. They're flattering on big girls. Even if you're, like, three. Or thirty-four.
Friday, May 03, 2013
Gangsta Photo Friday
So I was, like, the only one who didn't get the whole "make a gangsta face" memo? Or something? I'm blissfully all, "Oh, they're takin' our picture! Smile!" haha
We do look like a bunch of jean jacket gangsta's or something tho, right? Weird. But since this was '90 or '91 (judging strictly by our hair--we weren't allowed to get bangs until we were 12--Sis2 has bangs and I don't.) I suppose maybe we were "in style"?
Anyway I'm scanning some pics for the scrapbook Sis1 is allegedly doing for Mama's 60th b-day and came across this and it speaks to me. Just--all that denim! Sis2's pose! The stone wash!
It was taken one Thanksgiving (I assume) at my great-grandmother's in the Delta. I don't even remember posing for it, or the holiday it documents. Honestly, they all ran together since us kids usually all disappeared once we got there. There was a park around the corner from Grandma's house that we'd run off too (this was back when kids could do that) so I mostly just remember swings and monkey bars and trying to "out cool" my cousins. After Grandma died (back in '02? I think?) we all went through her photo albums and this was in there. Naturally, I grabbed it.
I think it needs to be enlarged and framed. hehehe
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Till I See You Again
I light of yesterday's dream, I thought it rather fortuitous that I stumbled across this song...
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Wish it Weren't a Dream
I had the most wonderful dream last night. It was the kind of dream that you're actually disappointed when you wake up. Ever had one of those? It's rare for me but last night's was...well....
I dreamed that Paw-Paw Joe was back with us.
We were all crowded in this big banquet hall (that I'd never seen before) and were having some sort of family reunion. I was standing around talking with my sisters, gathering things from the kitchen--you know, busy work--when all of a sudden there he was, just standing in front of me wearing a pale violet button down and khakis. (Don't know where either of those items came from because he'd never worn either in his life. He was a white or blue button down with black slacks kindda guy.) I turned to him and when I realized who it was my heart just swelled up to bursting and I reached for him and hugged him so hard that he laughed and teased me about it. I cried all over him and when he tried to pull away I just pulled him back and held on harder. Told him I wasn't ready to let go just yet. He didn't understand why I was crying. It was as though he didn't realize that he'd been gone all this time. He didn't know that I'd missed him these past three and a half years. But I just sobbed and held on and inhaled his scent and told him how much I loved him and how happy I was to see him.
When I finally let go, he gave me a serene smile and just shook his head as he got in line at the food table. I could barely take my eyes off of him and I wanted so badly to get my sisters and tell them he was here. But then the crowd rushed into the line and I lost sight of him. But I wasn't sad. I knew he was still around and wasn't going anywhere this time. Not that he'd said as much but in my heart I knew that he was back for good.
Then, of course, there is the weird part. This guy I work with was there and apparently he was there with me--as in, you know, with me. He and Goofus gently teasing me about how silly I'd been and he gave me a one armed hug...you know, the really tender kind meant as a quick offer of affection and comfort and I just felt so relieved that he was there.
What's weird about that is that I don't really like this guy at all in real life. I mean, he's okay, but he's kind of an ass sometimes. He's very strongly opposed to coffee (even the smell of it), chocolate covered almonds and dogs. So yeah. Me being with him is just waaaaaaay out in left field. I guess my mind had to conjure up something silly to get me through the whole well of emotions associated with "seeing" Paw-Paw again?
But ohhhh! I wish it had been real. I wish Paw-paw was back and healthy and happy as though his tumor, illness and death had never happened. I wish our family was all together and celebrating. The only real peace I have with having been woken from this dream is that one day I WILL see him again. Someday my family WILL all be reunited in the Kingdom of Heaven for eternity.
As the song says, What a day, glorious day, that will be!
I dreamed that Paw-Paw Joe was back with us.
We were all crowded in this big banquet hall (that I'd never seen before) and were having some sort of family reunion. I was standing around talking with my sisters, gathering things from the kitchen--you know, busy work--when all of a sudden there he was, just standing in front of me wearing a pale violet button down and khakis. (Don't know where either of those items came from because he'd never worn either in his life. He was a white or blue button down with black slacks kindda guy.) I turned to him and when I realized who it was my heart just swelled up to bursting and I reached for him and hugged him so hard that he laughed and teased me about it. I cried all over him and when he tried to pull away I just pulled him back and held on harder. Told him I wasn't ready to let go just yet. He didn't understand why I was crying. It was as though he didn't realize that he'd been gone all this time. He didn't know that I'd missed him these past three and a half years. But I just sobbed and held on and inhaled his scent and told him how much I loved him and how happy I was to see him.
When I finally let go, he gave me a serene smile and just shook his head as he got in line at the food table. I could barely take my eyes off of him and I wanted so badly to get my sisters and tell them he was here. But then the crowd rushed into the line and I lost sight of him. But I wasn't sad. I knew he was still around and wasn't going anywhere this time. Not that he'd said as much but in my heart I knew that he was back for good.
Then, of course, there is the weird part. This guy I work with was there and apparently he was there with me--as in, you know, with me. He and Goofus gently teasing me about how silly I'd been and he gave me a one armed hug...you know, the really tender kind meant as a quick offer of affection and comfort and I just felt so relieved that he was there.
What's weird about that is that I don't really like this guy at all in real life. I mean, he's okay, but he's kind of an ass sometimes. He's very strongly opposed to coffee (even the smell of it), chocolate covered almonds and dogs. So yeah. Me being with him is just waaaaaaay out in left field. I guess my mind had to conjure up something silly to get me through the whole well of emotions associated with "seeing" Paw-Paw again?
But ohhhh! I wish it had been real. I wish Paw-paw was back and healthy and happy as though his tumor, illness and death had never happened. I wish our family was all together and celebrating. The only real peace I have with having been woken from this dream is that one day I WILL see him again. Someday my family WILL all be reunited in the Kingdom of Heaven for eternity.
As the song says, What a day, glorious day, that will be!
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