Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue,
No Body's Sweeter,
Than R**** M****!

"Dad, we're JUST friends!"..... Eyeroll.

R and I met at church when I was about 15.  He was cute, had a Texas accent, 16, and was taller and skinnier than me.  I will admit to a crush on him, at the first of our friendship. I will also share that he gave me my first hickey, an experiment that did not involve any kissing, but caused no end of giggling and much speculation by my dad and mom.

We would talk on the phone for hours almost every night, he made me laugh, as he was funny and ironic but some times sad and angry. We shared lots of secrets but this was 1964 an innocent time for me. I got my drivers licence and I got a car when I was 16.5, we would go to the movies, church, youth meetings, etc. His parents loved me, they may have thought we were an item too. However, it was clear to me when I graduated High School, that he was one of my best friends.

My parents finally accepted, probably with relief,  we were just friends, as I started dating others, met Mr BC and got engaged. R and I drifted as we got older and I got wiser.  I actually never saw him again after my wedding. Which saddens me.

Mama Kat's prompt is: Think about your closest male friend in high school…if you had married him (or her) how would your life be different right now? Since this was a relationship, that would not have ended in marriage, it is not hard to speculate that we would be miserable. I do know that R was not always the happy individual, he seemed to be and as I would later discover.

At my 20 year High School Reunion, L, a guy that I had known since 4th grade, was proudly announcing to everyone he spoke to, that he was gay.  This did not come as a surprise to anyone, but in 1985, it was becoming the thing to do. Later in the evening, he sidled up to me, and shared conspiratorially, did I know that he and R had been Lovers for several years before, but were no longer a couple?  He seemed to be expecting shock value from his little announcement; from me. He also indicated , oddly, during the conversation that R was always, talking about me. I was surprised at this, a little, but, I certainly did not give him the reaction for which he seemed to be hoping.

I asked him what R was doing now and told him that if he spoke to him, would he give him my phone number and gave L my business card.,  With the information  L gave me, I did try to find him, but to no avail.  I never heard from either of them again.  This was the 80's and I certainly hope the reason I was unable to locate him was not because of HIV.  I tried looking for him again as I contemplated this prompt, but came up blind alleys again. I certainly hope he has found happiness and contentment in his life. I am greatful for the fun and games he brought to our misspent youth!

The Best of the Silent Monks Chorus

 I found this on Valerie's blog and Laughed till I cried,  Hallelujah and Merry Christmas!

How Christmas has Changed for Us

2009

One thing that changed this Christmas, Лука has become aware of Santa Claus! His first Christmas he was only 10 months old, and enjoyed the lights, and ripping opening packages, but wasn't aware of the reason for the season.

2010

Last year was a blast, he enjoyed everything about Christmas, as you can see from the pictures.

This year the big difference is that he is no longer a baby, he knows that he is going to get presents and that he has to be good. We are going to Skype on Christmas Eve and watch him open our presents, then he is going to fly on Christmas Day to Serbia and see his Baba and Deda for their Christmas on January 7. This is his third trip to Belgrade, he is a well traveled young gentleman. They will fly back to California and await the birth of his new brother in February.


I am going to stay with his mother while they are gone. So this year, the real celebration will be around his and his brother birthdays in February. Grandpa will be there for that occasion. Big Celebrations in 2012!

Don't you feel like this Sometimes?

I heard this on the radio the other night and since I was coming from Christmas Shopping I was nodding my head at the sentiment

Peg o' My Heart

Peg of Square Peg in a Round Hole gave me an award and I thank her. I met her blog through MamaKat's writing meme, another worthy Blog. Peg  is one of of the folks I read almost everyday. I love her 'down home" style and especially her trips she takes with her husband.  If you are not reading Peg, you may want to look her up.

I love award shows and I love it when folks take the time to write comments or Follow me and I like having the opportunity to recognize the blogs I try to read every week. I have several on my side bars and they are my old faithfuls and worthy of a read as well.

“Liebster is German and translates to the English word dearest. I really touched to be awarded this as it’s meant for up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers so thank ladies for passing it on to me! I hope we all get over 200 soon and can play with the big guns “

Here are the Rules:

Thank the donor and link back to their blog
Publicize your top five picks for the award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
Post the award on your blog.
Encourage the people who receive it to list their five favorites.

There may be some in my list of favorites today, who do not appreciate awards as much as I might:  (I have so few) just know that I love and appreciate your blogs and hope others who come by me today might visit your blog. You don't have to follow the Rules: I think of them as suggestions.

1. Akelamalu: She is from England and we have been reading each other for a few years now.  If I ever get to Great Britain, I would love to meet her.  I would really love to go with her on one of her trips. She does a great guide with pictures.
2. Pumpkin Delight: She is a Delight.  A Southern California gal like me, who teaches 2nd Grade.  I met here through MamaKat's writing meme. She reminds me of CA now that I have left, and has great recipes too!
3. Maddie: She writes from her Enchanted Village in England's Rural Underbelly. I wish her village was my village, she writes of her friends, the village happenings and she goes to the Greek Isles.Another BloggerI would like to travel with too.
4. Comtesse Olympe de la Tour D'Auvergne:  Truely.an accomplished Costumer in Washington D.C. and historian, who also writes a diary of her life in 18th Century France, she has met the King. I love this blog and can't wait for her posts, especially the diary entries. I went all the way back to the beginning on this blog.
5. In Whispers and Shouts: I have just started following this blogger.  I found her through Write on Edge. I  started by reading her writing prompts and gradually started reading her other posts. She is what you might call a Mommy Blogger with more.  She has a lovely family which you see on Funny Face Fridays. 

Now I will spend some time this morning reading some of my 'winners'.

His Office Party

Ok, in 3, 2, 1.”   “ Oh hell, wait, wait!” 

“Ok I’m waiting,"said Suzanne. “Again" she added under her breath.  Checking her watch, “We’ll be late!”

His employees gifts were packed in a Santa sack found at Big Lots, where she also found the matching sweaters, he insisted upon. “It’s an Ugly Christmas Sweater party,” he explained “There will be prizes."

“How Bridget Jones,” she thought. “Forget the dress at Macys!” Last year she underdressed, thanks to Jack. This year she wanted to get it right.

The door opened and he stepped out. “How do I look?" He was wearing a gray cashmere sweater and a Santa hat. 

“What’s that?  You’re not wearing the sweater, the ugly one?” she snapped.

All I Wanted for Christmas....MamaKat's Writers Workshop.

This week’s prompt is: 10 things I Wanted for Christmas as a Kid but Didn’t Get and Still Want.

Every year I could hardly wait for the Sears Christmas catalogue to come.  Then for 2 lovely  months my brother, my cousins and I would go through the toy section hoping and dreaming Santa would bring us our hearts desire. There were lots of things I wanted as a child for Christmas and didn’t get, and I can probably come up with ten, however I am not sure I would still want them as most of them were circa 1950 and 1960 and toys are a whole lot cooler now.. So here goes the list.

1.  A Pony:  What child did not want a pony?  When asked where he would put it in our back yard, My brother went out and started digging a hole for it!




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House Cleaning- Metaphorically Speaking

I have been literally cleaning house for the last several months, while getting ready for our move from California to Missouri. I have been metaphorically cleaning house as well. Mr. BC and I have been married for MANY years and have moved many times, usually every two or three years.  Those moves were relatively easy, as happens, when one is moving every few years.  Our moves were fast and compact.  This move differs, in that we have lived in this house for 27 years and moving to his late mother’s home in Missouri.  We went through many of her things with his sister last year; however the house is still furnished with his memories and much of her stuff.

With so many years in the same house, this move and attendant house cleaning, is more difficult.  We have grown from a house and garage, to a house, garage, attic, and storage unit and many junk drawers.  With the detritus of our life, we have outgrown our surroundings.  We have been brutal. When it comes to the garage, Mr. BC is clearly a hoarder. However, in the house, unless it was his belongings, I sorted through things without much consultation with him.  It is still slow going, what with those pesky memories intruding. We truly pared down and only kept the most important and most used of our possessions.  Salvation Army, recycling, yard sales and the dump  gets the rest of the stuff.

All of this sorting and moving has been stressful, tempers have flared, muscles have been pulled and feelings have been hurt. We have had a lot of togetherness since retirement and I am now looking towards cleaning my metaphorical house with some alone time after Christmas.  I am flying back to California to spend time with DD1 before the new baby arrives; and to pack the rest of our belongings. We need the time away, both of us need to remember that we are Fun People!  Mr. BC will join me the first of February to await the birth of our grandson and for the last of the literal house cleaning. We got a house to sell and Fun to Have.

RemembeRed

Think of a time that you “cleaned house.” Consider the subtext—we’re not writing about Windex here. We’re writing about relationships. Or feelings. Or a captured moment in time.

Favorite Christmas Ornament

I did not post to Mama Kat's site on Thursday but will today, since I did not have a computer for most of the week, However I loved this prompt:  1.) Have you decorated your Christmas tree? Share a favorite Christmas ornament.

Yes, I have decorated my tree, since I was unable to do anything for Thanksgiving, I was determined to decorate for Christmas.  So my Christmas decorations were well marked for the move and I put them right by the door in the garage so I could get to them when I was ready.  We have a small four foot tree now but when the kids were little we always had a big tree and have collected the decorations for a large tree.  I have to select my favorites.

When the girls were small and we lived in Michigan, I had a regular Avon lady.  I saw these decorations in the catalogue and really liked them as I did not decorate with glass balls, everything on my tree had to be unbreakable. I think these are satin and cardboard. They had Santa and Mrs Claus,  Snowman and Mrs. Snowman and Angels one on each side.  When they arrived I put them all on the tree and when I got to the Angels, I was startled to see they looked just like my daughters, not just that one was a blond and one was a brunette, but they looked just like the girls. I showed everyone including the DD1 and DD2 the amazing likenesses.  Now every time I put them on the tree they remind me of the family we were then. small angels and Mr and Mrs Santa Claus.  I smile every time.

The second favorite decoration was a child's coat hanger that appeared on the tree when I mentioned to Mr BC that I needed hangers for some Christmas ornaments.  2yr old DD1 proudly brought one from her room shouting here's one mama! It went into the decoration box for years until it finally broke.  I was going to glitter it up but never got the chance.  Years later I found a small doll coat hanger decorated, that I eventually gave to DD1.

A Tasty Mistake

Since I retired and moved to Missouri we have sat down to more meals together than we have in a long time. I am beginning to cook again.  I must admit I still go for easy and other than the main course, I don't  usually cook from scratch. Hungry for sweet, I decided to  bake a cake.   I had a Betty Crocker sugar free chocolate cake mix. so being the spontaneous person I am, I opened the box and dumped it in a bowl.  When I use cake mixes I usually substitute apple sauce or tofu instead of the oil which works well for me and I usually have on hand..  Applesauce this time.

When I got to eggs, I went to get the eggbeaters out of the fridge and measured it out.  I looked at the result in the measuring cup and noticed red and green spots. I checked the carton and sure enough it was Southwestern style.  Mr BC had helped with the shopping and put it in the basket. I panicked when I saw it,  and checked the fridge for regular eggbeaters.  I only use real eggs for company cooking or holiday cooking. None to be found.  

It was late afternoon and I was already dressed in my comfy jammie pants so I was not going to go out to get some eggs and everything was already in the bowl, I just dumped the eggs in the bowl and mixed it in.  I am not one for admitting my errors so throwing caution to the wind, I just baked it and hoped for the best. If it was awful, then I would throw it out.

I sliced into it to taste.  It clearly was spicy but not awful, I liked it, it reminded me of a pfferneuse cookie.  I left it on the counter and only told how I made it after they had eaten it.  There were interesting comments after it was discovered, however, it must have been tasty, because look how much was left this morning!