Wonder Years

Every summer, when we hit that mid-way point and start to prepare for my kids to go back to school, I think back to my school age years and the summers that went with them. I think back to getting excited about the look of new notebooks and pencils and a chance to get new clothes and shoes. I think back to the summers' nearing end of hackling with my sisters over who had to wash the last of the spoons. I am the middle child, the middle girl. My older sister, Sherry, is two years older and my younger one, Lisa, is five years younger. We spent our summers at home. My mama and daddy both worked and the seemed-to-be, never ending days, were spent with the three of us playing house, romping around outside in the woods and then spending the last hour before Mama came home, flying into our "to do" list. Each day, we were expected to do a handful of chores. They weren't much and if they were spread out over the course of the entire day, they wouldn't have been bad at all- but we just weren't those kind of kids. We were the kind to glance at the clock and see it was 3:25 and Mama would get off work at 4:00 and be home exactly at 4:08 each day. We knew we had precisely 43 minutes to fold the laundry, vacuum and get the dishes done or we were "gonna get it". Well, none of us wanted that. We would count the cups, count the pots, count the plates and even the spoons. We would divide them up by three and Heaven forbid if we overlooked one laying in one of our bedrooms and the last one to take their turn washing had to do an extra. We would literally hide the extra one under a pot holder not to have to do one more than the others did. We would have our knock out, drag out fights where we actually would hit and kick and scratch. I was the hitter, Lisa the kicker and Sherry the scratcher. We would agree to make up for the sake of not getting a spanking when Mama got home. We would come up with some sort of story to how we got our wounds and would try to get it by Mama. We spent our summers eating cans of Ravioli and making up games to play. Since me and Sherry were close to the same age, we would do our share of secret sharing and Lisa would get mad. She was the best at working over Mama to feel bad for her. I was the best at arguing. Sherry tended to be the peace maker. Actually, she tended to get ran over more than any of us. I remember feeling so defensive when it came to her, which is odd being I was younger. She was my sister. My confidant. As mad as she made me and as much as her "smacking" when she ate got on my nerves, I loved her. I literally fought for her- a few times. I would for Lisa too, and did, but she had her ways of taking care of herself too. I remember one time when she gave me a "present". We had gotten into an argument during one of those long summer days. She was talking about some girl and called her a "prince". I of course, had to laugh and point out that girls were "princesses", boys were the princes. She swore she had said princess and got so mad at me for laughing at her. We got into a huge argument about it. About an hour later, she brought me a shoe box with a note attached to the top explaining how she was sorry and wanted to let me know how she felt. A sort of peace offering. Well, I opened the box hoping for her best pair of earrings or something. Guess what my surprise was? A turd. No, really. It was an honest to gosh turd... still steaming. She had boxed up crap to let me know how she really felt about me. Yep. She had such a "touching" way with words. Those years, those summers, listening to the dual tape deck with my sisters, jumping off buckets under the water hose (don't try this at home, just ask Sherry how long she had to wear a cast) and practicing braids on each others hair was some of the best years of my life. I remember Sherry's long, angled finger nails digging into my skin in self defense. I remember Lisa's on going requests to play Barbies with her and us making our Barbie Dreamhouse out of a box with not-so-neatly cut windows. I remember us comparing our new bookbags full of goodies during the week before school started. I remember dragging my six year old sister by the hand to get on the bus by an eleven year old me when she was so nervous for her first day of first grade. I am so thankful for those summers with my sisters. Now that we are grown with kids of our own, I can't help but smile when I see one of my kids carrying a shoe box to one of their siblings rooms and just wondering what may be inside... maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe these are my "wonder years" instead. :)

Catching up

Hello all- Well, let's give this a try... I haven't written anything in three years. Yes, three long years ago is the last time I submitted any writings to my column. Today, I was at work- a fairly new job- where I am getting to know everyone and they are getting to know me. I work with a lady named June. She is really sweet and I open up to her fairly easily. We, were slow this afternoon so I was telling June about my past working at a newspaper and loving to my core, writing my column. All this lead me to google myself (the search engine recognizes my name... imagine that lol), anyway, my blog popped up. I have spent the past hour, now that I am home, reading my past entries. Wow. I can't believe how much my life has changed in the three years since my last entry. I am going to do a quick run down to try and catch everyone up. In my last few entries, I mentioned my oldest daughter, Chelsea, was pregnant with my first grand child. Well, Lexy is now going on three years old. She is so incredibly beautiful. She has the brightest, most beautiful eyes that I swear you can see the light of God in every time she giggles. She has long, blonde hair that curls up at the ends and the sweetest smile in the world. She is "Mimi's girl". Yes, I went with "Mimi". Not only has God blessed us with Lexy, but Chelsea had another child 8 months ago. On November 1, 2012, we welcomed Triston Lane into our lives as well. He is just as perfect as his sister. I love them both to heaven and back. On top of welcoming Lexy and Triston into our lives, my step son and his wife also had a baby. Liam was born this past June. He visited us tonight and of course fell asleep with me rocking him. I never imagined being a grandparent before I ever hit 40- but I am. I knew my daughter would be a good mom. What I didn't know was that she would be such a great mom. Now, my little "Chatty Cathy" daughter that I wrote about is just weeks away from 14 and is entering her freshman year of high school. My only son is an upcoming senior. My middle daughter, Whitley, continues to make me proud by working her way bit by bit, on into the nursing field. While continuing her education, she works her hinny off day in and day out as a CNA. I am so proud of her work ethic and good heart. Now, that is a run down of my family over the past few years- now on to me... I will be turning 40 in a couple of months. I now work in retail at a long time establishment and the ladies I work with tell me daily how young and energetic I am so naturally, I adore them. :) I miss writing. I think there is a big part of me that has avoided taking to my keyboard and thoughts for the purpose of not digging up bones. I know there are no opportunities where we live that offer me any sort of career writing anymore. Printed newspapers are a dying field. People rely on on-line sources for their news and entertainment. It is very hard for a small weekly paper to compete with that. I miss when something really funny, sad or exciting happens in my life, thinking, "I can't wait to tell my readers this one!" I miss having people grab up a paper and flipping to my column and I miss knowing that an entire community of readers are counting on me to get the latest story out. In a way, it is nice to have an ordinary job. It is nice to go to work and be able to leave work there. It is nice to come home and focus on my family and nice to not read about myself on "topix" every other night. Right now, ordinary is just where I think I need to be. Thanks for taking the time to catch up with me. Thanks for taking the time to getting to know the people in my life through my words and thanks for being patient with me while I develop a somewhat "normal" routine to my chaotic, crazy, incredible life. Until next time, sending all my love. Becky

Just a Thought... no more Procrastination!

Okay... so I have gotten a lot of requests from my friends (possibly enemies too that enjoy reading about my not so great days) to keep Just a Thought going. I logged into my account and saw that my last post was made on March 2nd! Wow! If this had been a Webkinz that needed fed- well, mine would have been long gone!

So much has happened in my life over the last few months. As you can see by my last few entries, I started a newspaper. Sadly, now it is closed.

This was so hard for me to accept. The reason it was so hard for me is because I know what my paper could have been a year from now if I could have held on. The reader support and small business support I got was beyond belief. The problem was, I couldn't get the "big money" advertisers to go with me. Why? I don't know. I do know that banks I have banked with since I was eighteen years old and that my family has used for generations, wouldn't give my endeavors the time of day. This was a major issue being that it costs about $2000 per week to keep a paper in business and I was only taking in about $500 per week, the last few weeks.

Well, enough about that. Now on to since then.

I am currently at home. My oldest daughter is expecting the first baby to come into our home in more than a decade. A little girl. She is expected the first week in August. I am so excited. At first, it was hard admitting that I was going to be a Nana, Mimzi or whatever she calls me, at the ripe old age of 36, but I have learned to love the idea. I think it will be neat to take her out places and others will never suspect me of being a granny. She will have an eleven year old aunt. How cool will that be? Not to mention, my sisters will be great aunts while in their thirties. When I think of Great Aunts, I think of my Aunt Roberta. Trust me, my sisters aren't anything like Aunt Roberta. They don't bag up pennies in sandwich bags tied tight with rubber bands or anything.

I think Just a Thought may just continue after all. I mean, if it weren't for this form of therapy, I might just end up paying for the real thing. Love to you all and I will keep you posted regularly.
Love and Blessings,
Becky : )

My fading color

Okay...so I have neglected my blog lately...terribly. I mean, if it were a goldfish, it would have been down the toilet a week ago.

So much has been going on. First off, the first two issues of my paper, Towns Tribune, have been published. Like a happy Mama Bear, I am proud.

Even beyond the craziness of starting a new business, I have faced the death of my grandfather and then a "stomach virus" or whatever you want to call it. I call it, "The Hurt so much you want to scream" virus.

Tonight, it is nearly 12:30 a.m.; well past what should be my bed time. I have been losing lots of beauty sleep lately and apparently you can see it all over my face. I have never gotten so many, "You need to rest" or "You look tired(s)" in all my life. All of which, leads me to tomorrow.

Tomorrow I am going to get my hair done. Really, that shouldn't be a big deal but for me, during this time, it is.

See, the kids will probably once again be out of school tomorrow, which means my phone will ring at least 3 times during my hour long appointment. The kids can't go over fifteen minutes without a blow out arguement when they are home all day, on yet another snow day. Secondly, my phone will probably ring 2 more times besides their calls. Those will be from the office. Someone needing something or needs a question answered. I think I might just cut the phone off during that time. I mean, really- there isn't a whole lot I could do short of running out of the salon with foils sticking out all over my head, right?

Anyway, I am sure all will go well. Worst case, all my hair falls out during the color treatment due to stress, right? (Okay, so I really hope this is an exaggeration.)

Until the next time I catch a minute to write.. pray for me. Pray that I can maintain the strength to keep up with my rambunctious children; do well at my new business, get supper prepared every night and keep at least two towels clean at all times. (One for drying and one for my hair- the rest of them can drip dry). Lastly, pray that I keep my sanity... lots of days I feel it fading faster than my hair color.