Two Things...

...I miss from my childhood.

This post could actually be entitled, "One Hundred and Two things..."  I think as adults we miss most things about our childhoods.  I miss not being responsible for the food on the table or the roof over my head.  I miss not knowing what bills were due.  I miss being footloose and fancy free!

But the two things I was thinking of I just had a dream about.  Weird, I know!!

The first thing I miss is my Tinker Toys!  Man, could I build with those things!  I came up with many different creations.  Things that would swing wide and hang low.  I would make things that were so stationary even the dog could not knock them over!  I would make things to crawl through or specifically not to crawl through!  I made Barbie some wonderful houses and Ken a great condo!  I would make things that would stay up for days and others that would come down right away.  I remember sometimes never having enough to finish the things I would imagine.  I also remember a distinct smell -- probably the lead paint!

The second thing I miss is my Spirograph!  Man, could I draw with that thing!  I, of course, had the "Deluxe" set with different shapes, so not all of my wonderful art on the fridge was just in a circle.  I would use two different size rings and make like the best drawing ever created!  Sometimes I would try to make the same thing twice...I don't think I ever did, I don't think I ever could.  I remember there were some really hard ones, the gears just wouldn't line up perfectly and it was a struggle to get around the frame!  Or...that dreadful -- slip! Yikes, nothing looked worse than that ugly pen mark going all willy nilly through what could have been the next Mona Lisa...if only.

Don't get me wrong...I also loved my Lite Brite and my Barbies and my electric football game and my Easy Bake Oven -- but for today, the two things on my mind are Tinker Toys and Spirograph.

I could have been an amazing architect or a famous artist had I only not given it all up for boys!

XOXO

Two Things...

I love about being a mama to my fur babies!

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They are ALWAYS happy to see me.  It doesn't matter if I left for 5 minutes to get the mail or if I was gone all day -- they have missed me and they are soooo glad mama is home!  I am greeted with warm, wet kisses and happy barks of joy and paws up on my legs.  They maybe weren't sure if I was returning, but I did and man, oh, man that gives them complete joy.  I can't think of anything making me happier when I enter the house to see my babies jumping up and down and excited and grateful that I am back.

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They will protect me.  A few weeks back, someone broke into our house.  Before the house alarm went off, Moose gave one bark, an alarm bark.  Being it was 2:30 in the morning and I was sleeping, I told Moosie that it was okay  and to go back to sleep.  He ignored my request and gave yet another one bark alarm.  Two seconds later, the house alarm went off.

Trent grabbed the gun and immediately headed for downstairs.  Normally Moosie and Maggie would be following Daddy downstairs -- I mean, he might be getting something to eat!  But this time, they absolutely did not leave my side.  In fact, when the police came, my babies were still upstairs protecting their mama.  Nothing was going to happen to me -- Trent was downstairs with the gun and my babies were upstairs just waiting.

A few weeks have passed, Moosie is still in full on protect mode.  He has always been a bit clingy and a little anxious when left alone (I hate to think what his life was like before he moved in with his forever family), but lately, he rarely leaves my side.  He is always in my sight -- unless Daddy goes down for food in the middle of the night - I mean Moosie does have priorities!

I have no doubt that Maggie and Moosie would have torn someone up had they came into my house unwelcomed and unannounced.

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BONUS -- third thing.

They cannot lie to me!  When I come home and they have gone through the trash, I know, immediately who is the culprit.  Or at least, who started it.  I will point to the trash on the floor and ask who did this.  Moosie will instantly look at Maggie who will instantly drop her gaze.  She wont even look at me.  I will ask a few times if Maggie did this, and she will refuse to make eye contact.  Then, I will go to Moosie and ask him if he helped her, he immediately will drop his gaze.

I love those two knuckle heads!

XOXO

Velvet

Two Things...

I miss about my dad -- Everything and ....Everything.

Up until six years ago, August 3rd meant nothing to me.  I can't recall ever giving this date a second thought.  Now, I think about this date all of the time.  I have feelings of dread when it is coming close, I have deep sadness when it arrives, and as it passes, I know that in 365 days it will be here again.  I think about this date in May as my birthday approaches, in November as Thanksgiving approaches, in December as Christmas approaches, and in January as a new year starts and a birthday, not forgotten, is here.   I think about this date when good things happen to me and I think about this date when not so good things happen.  I think about this date randomly for no reason.  I think about my life six years ago and my life now and all the wonderful things that have been missed.  I think about my life six years from now and think about all the wonderful things that will be missed.

As I sit here and write this, I am letting myself cry and I am letting myself laugh.  I am thinking about the phone calls asking if we have had an earthquake in Cali.  I am thinking about the times while I was working on the computer and my daddy would send an instant message and I would ignore it because I was too busy.  I am trying to remember how many times I was asked if I had fallen on my head.  I am thinking about missed moments to say I love you.  I am thinking about all the times I did say it.  I am thinking about being tricked because "I can't pinch you without a thumb."  I am remembering explaining to my daddy that sideburns were out and we needed to file them down a bit - hello 1980!  I am remembering our "curfew" banter -- I am remembering my dates looking at me like I was a weirdo with a curfew of 10:23pm.  I am remembering late night pizza runs and root beer floats.  I am remembering Halley's Comet  and all the star gazing in between.  I am remembering the carton of empty "leche" flying across the room.  I am remembering taking off your boots.

Six years is 72 months, 312 weeks, 2190 days, 52560 hours.  I just know, anyway you look at it, it is a long time for a daddy's girl to be without her daddy. Even one day is a long time.

I wish you were here, Daddy.  I wish I had one more day with you.  I love you, Daddy and I miss you with every beat of my heart.  You are loved and thought of often.

XOXO

Daddy's Girl

A Light in my Life

Where do I even begin....

My sweet, baby girl, Natalie.... Wow.

A few years ago, my baby came to me and said she wanted to be a police officer. I replied that she could do whatever she wanted.  I wasn't sure if this would be her path in this life or not, but it really didn't matter, she could do whatever she wanted.  She had talked about joining the Air Force first and getting to her dream down that road.  I hated that idea, but I told her that I would support this if she wanted.

She started taking college classes in criminal justice and thought she might like to obtain the degree first and then go the police academy.  That was okay with me, if it made her happy.

She then looked into the POST Academy and decided this was her fate, this is what she would do.  She started filling out paperwork and getting things together. I watched and wondered if she would continue on with this or if something else might interest her and head her in a different way.  She stayed with it.

There were two ways to get into the academy -- be sponsored by a particular agency and have them put you through or go through as an independent.  She felt her best option would be to just put herself through.  I agreed and told her that we would help her in any way she needed us to.  The problem with going in as an independent is that you were not given first choice; if they filled up with sponsored people first, the class would be closed and you would have to wait until the next session.  There were also two sessions; first was the accelerated session which was 6 months or the extended session which is 9 months (I think). The class schedule for the accelerated session was Saturday through Wednesday, 7am to 4pm.  She, of course, wanted the accelerated session.

She applied but it would not be known until the day that the session started whether or not as an independent she would get in or not.  She got in.  She had to quit her job at Starbucks because this school had now become her full-time job. This school had now become her life.

Through the next 6 months, she did shooting tests and written tests and physical tests and driving tests.  She got up every morning, put on her cadet uniform, pulled her hair into a bun, made a lunch, and went to school.  She had bad days with tears.  She had great days with smiles and laughter.  She had days that she wasn't sure she would make it through and other days when she breezed on by. She had days when she questioned if this was path in life and days when she knew this was it.

All during this time, my heart and my head were in turmoil.  I wanted my daughter to succeed in this because it was what she wanted.  Yet, my heart, my heart didn't want her to be placed in danger.  I was torn in wanting what she wanted yet wanting what I wanted for her.   I wasn't sure what it was that I wanted, but I was pretty sure it didn't involve carrying a gun to work.  It was on the bad days that I encouraged her the most and on the great days when I questioned her the most.  I wanted to support her sooo much, yet, I wanted her to give up this dream and do something where she might wear heels to work.

In the end, I have no doubt that this is my baby's calling.  She was born to serve. She was born to make peace.  She was born to carry a gun.  She is the bravest, strongest, most independent woman I know.  She is also, by far, the most beautiful woman I know.  She holds her head high and she walks into a room and commands respect.  She is often the center of attention and has no clue that she is.  She has a smile that lights up every corner of darkness around her.  She has eyes that cannot lie, that twinkle with happiness and perhaps a little danger.  She has words that are never unkind.  She has attitude that radiates calmness and peace.  She has a light within her that shines, that pulls you in.   I have taught her everything I know and now I learn from her.

She is a brightness in my life.  She brings such joy.  She makes me proud.

Now as I watch my sweet girl starting her new journey, my heart swells with pride and joy and admiration.  My heart still worries but I trust her and her training.

My gosh, my sweet Natalie, I couldn't be more proud of you.  You are my hero, my love.

From this baby girl in blue....

To this woman in blue!

XOXO

Mom

Two Things...

you probably don't know about me!  I am not even sure if my family knows these things or not!!!

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I am a terrific dialer of the phone!!

You know, on the radio, if you are caller 10 (or whatever number) you win the prize?  I am that caller a lot of the time.  I am not going to say that I can get it every time, because even I am not that good!  But I do pretty good!  I have won money and CDs and tickets (lots o' tickets) and entries for big prizes.  Sometimes when I am not the exact number caller, I am just a number or two off.  I can't do it on my cell phone, though, it has to be my land line -- so, if I ever lose that, I may have to concede.  Or learn how to dial more precisely on the cell!

But yeah...I am a good dialer!

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I was the voice of the Movie Hotline!

That is correct.  If you called the Movie Hotline in Farmington, NM say in the years 1985 to 1988 - it was me!

Back in those olden times, we used a cassette tape and I think I had like 30 seconds (probably more, but man whatever it was went really fast!!) to tell you what was playing at the theaters and the times!  I would get almost to the end and run out of tape...and start all over again!  I had to wait until like almost midnight on Thursday night to change it for the new week and then I had to change the times for the weekends because there were more showings!  I think the weekend tape was a little longer!

So, if you lived in Farmington, NM in the late 80s and ever called the Movie Hotline 'twas me saying, "Showing at the Cameo Rocking Chair Theater is..."

You are welcome!

XOXO