Wintertime Blues

                                               
Winter finally found us and the leaves are now all on the ground. Woke up at 6AM to large fluffy snowflakes falling steadily past my window which is a rarity in south Mississippi. It didn't stick of course and over the course of the day has turned into a steady dreary rain. The cats and I have been bed bugs all day. Haven't even gotten out of my PJs.

Can't believe how much time has lapsed since my last post. Today is the first time I've been able to sit down and try to put my thoughts and feelings into some order. In October and early November I was taking an oil painting class with some friends and also a writing class. I was really enjoying it when I developed acute bursitis in my right shoulder and had to drop out. This on the heels of a frozen left shoulder last year. I had an injection of cortisone and went through several PT sessions. Still have some discomfort but that has been the least of my concerns this last month. The end of October my sister came for a visit and we spent two days and nights with our Stepmom. We laughed and looked at old pictures and reminisced. We took a trip to Red Bluff where we used to go as kids. Little did we know that it might be the last "girls weekend" we would have. Three weeks later my 78 year old stepmother fell and hit her head and was hospitalized for evaluation. She can't remember when, where, why or how the fall happened. My sister and her fiance came down and we had Thanksgiving at my house. My emotional state was fragile after dealing with fall after math so my daughter Tara and Mary cooked a delicious meal and we were able to celebrate the day together before Bernie went into Rehab. She obviously had some sort of neurological episode and is now in the convalescent center where they are working with her on mobility and memory. My stress level has been over the top trying to make sure I am doing all I can to take care of her affairs. On top of that, we had to have her little dog put to sleep. I never knew a human being was able to produce as many tears as I have over the past three weeks. I am thankful that I have a wonderful sister so we can support one another through this.

Christmas is around the corner and I cannot rally the old Christmas cheer. I've done no shopping nor have I sent any Christmas cards. For the first time I may not. I was not going to put up a tree but my sister found an antique aluminum tree at an estate sale so I finally decided to put it up. It actually looks cute albeit a little Charlie Brownish. This is the first time EVER that we have not had a live tree. It doesn't feel right....I still may have to get a small one or may I may regret it later.

I am trying to count my blessings instead of my trials praying for a brighter New Year.

Memory Lane

                                                  

                                                            Aunt Emmie's Flowers

Taking a trip down Memory Lane can transport you to a time and place that can bring both happiness and sadness at once. I'm quite sentimental so I don't often let myself travel there unless I'm ready to let the emotions overcome me. I didn't plan on going there on this particular day but I've ended up there anyway. For days I have been trying to clean out and up. Although I already know what's in the boxes, cabinets, picture albums and cards; I have to look inside - just to reassure myself that the evidence of the life I've led and those I love are still there. Knowing full well the emotions will overcome me and make me feel things that are painful and others that are so instense with the joy they evoke. I guess we humans are both blessed and cursed to be able to feel both elation and the abject misery that can be associated with memories. Rummaging through the cards and letters, pictures and some of my journals this week, I've kept the emotions in check just below the surface, although the melancholy has been gnawing away at me. Then tonight I blew it. I turned the tv on and there it was ..."The Trip To Bountiful". I've seen this movie several times and I swore I wouldn't watch it again after the first time...not because I hated it - but because I loved it. It made me feel and remember and appreciate. Yet those feelings and memories are so vivid it's hard for me to process them. In spite of that, I cannot resist watching it every single time. Just like I know what's in the boxes - I know what reaction I will have to the movie. Maybe it's not so much a reaction to the movie as it is to the things the movie symbolizes for me. It is remembering a time gone by and the people and things and places that you've loved and lost ...and perhaps for me - the people and things in my life today and how I appreciate and love them. Because, nothing is forever and we so often take so much for granted. I never knew my paternal or maternal grandparents and have wished so many times that I could have known them and talked to them and shared some of their memories. I spent a lot of time in the house where my father grew up because my Father's brother and his family lived there. It was just the same as it was when my Grandpa and Grandma Reagan lived there...plain plank walls and floors, no air conditioning, a well where we drew cool water up in a bucket and drank it from a dipper. Several years ago I went there and spent the entire day by myself....walking from room to room -remembering...
hearing the sounds, smelling the aromas, replaying the scenes over in my mind. I picked some bright, yellow lazy susans I spotted outside the kitchen window and placed them in an old enamel pitcher I found out back. I photographed them on the window sill as the sun spilled in and the breeze gently blew the curtains and I left feeling both fuller for the remembering and emptier for the loss. I'm so glad I took the time to go that day because one of my cousins who grew up there had the house demolished after that. It broke my heart. I can't understand why she would do that but then we can't always see into the hearts and minds of others. I guess the best we can do is to live each day to the fullest and love those we care about each minute with all we have. If you have never seen "The Trip To Bountiful"... please do. Just be ready to take a trip down your memory lane.

                                                                                      Self Portrait 

 

The Other Woman

      








I know what I said earlier about renewing the upcoming wedding vows ....but I have to confess.....I never thought I would have to contend with "the other woman" in my life. I should have known that like most men, Tony would eventually fall for some sweet, demure, beautiful, adoring female. To make things even worse, they have the audacity to rub my nose in it. I can see why he's become so smitten. Unlike me, she never asks him to take out the garbage or nags him about getting a hair cut or reminds him of the never ending honey do list. Oh nooooo...her sole purpose in life is to constantly fawn over him and be completely non-demanding. What man could resist that. It's been going on for a while. It started about three years ago when Tara moved back home and brought Her. I never saw it coming. At first she acted shy, then she started flirting with him and the next thing I know she's all over him. Sometimes when he thinks I'm not around I overhear him sweet talking her. There are times when she blatantly flaunts her allure over him in my face. It's particularly nauseating to see her look up at him with those big green adoring eyes and reach up and lovingly touch his face! The little trollop. It's not bad enough that I have to watch this display every day but now I have to see it on the weekends too. When we go to the camp She has to come too. Not only that....she has has claimed a place right in the middle of our bed. I guess I can't really blame her for falling hard for him...heck I did the same thing 38 years ago!  Still....I think I am a lucky woman even if I have to share his attention with Her. LUCKY ! - you say. Yep. Anytime a cat falls that hard for a man and visa versa - he has to be a pretty good guy - right?

 

Old Broad Learns New tricks

  

Well I am trying to learn more about how to BLOG and unfortunately when I do get it right I can't remember what I did to get it right! I would say that's a sign of age but I've always been that way so age is not my excuse. Most bloggers can probably accomplish twice as much as I can in the same amount of time. At least I'm trying....I'm persistant if nothing else. Tony got a new Blackberry and I tried texting for the very first time today. I obviously don't know the texting lingo YET - I sent Tara a text and she replied that I must be using the (I think) her term was jeuvenile texting. I'll show her though...soon I'll be so good at a it that my texting will put her to shame. My plan is to learn everything there is to know about the Blackberry bidness just like Bubbu knew everything there is to know about the shrimpin bidness. That way, when Santa brings me one for Christmas I'll already be savvy you see. Also, Christy told me how to insert pictures into the blog so that you can click on the picture and enlarge it ...I'm going to try it right now.   WOW...worked like magic. Click on the picture of the two bathing beauties (Tara and Christy) to enlarge it. Now I just have to learn how to move the picture to where I want it to be in the text. I'll ask Christy..... See, an old broad can learn new tricks!




Nora - the piano playing cat 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ860P4iTaM 



more Nora.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmdnA2LbRo0&feature=channel

Gusty Gustov

                                                                                                                  
                                                 Tony wading down our street

Well, it's been exactly 1 month since I set up this blog and as you see, I haven't been very disciplined in keeping it up to date. I get distracted...things to do...places to go...people to see - time just gets away.

We had our second annual celebration at Camp Getaway on August 9th and many of our friends and family came down to enjoy the day with us.


Little did we know that less than a month later we would be glued to the tv ... nervously waiting to see in what direction hurricaine Gustov would unleash his fury. We sighed in relief when we had some assurance that we would not bear the full brunt as we did on August 29th three years ago when Katrina unleashed her still unfathomable fury on us.

This past weekend was spent cleaning up after Mr Gustov left his nasty footprints on the beautiful face of Bay St. Louis. We sweated it for a while, not knowing exactly what damage we'd find at Camp Getaway. When we saw the inch layer of mud left in the downstairs we almost cried with joy!  Compared to Katrina it was a cakewalk to get it cleaned up. We spent all day Tuesday shoveling, squeegeeing, hosing and washing down everything...including two tiny mud covered frogs. We didn't squeegee them but did wash them gently with the hose and place them in the flower bed. I also rescued a quarter sized hermit crab that I spotted struggling to climb out of the neighbors' outside sink. He obviously pegged me as a foe because he immediatey went into the fighting mode and was determined to pinch me with those miniature claws. I guess he saw himself as being much larger than he really was. I did finally manage to snag him in the minnow net and release his ungrateful little behind into the water. At the end of the day we were whipped but felt a real sense of accomplishment that we were basically "back to normal" in one day compared to the almost three years that we toiled to rebuild post that bitch Katrina.


I am taking two classes at USM in the fall .... one is a practicum in writing your life story and the other is faux painting. Should be a lot of fun.


About a year ago, my friend Sue invited me to join a bookclub called "Reading Between the Wines". The name should have been a clue. It includes a very interesting and diverse group of about 16 women. We've read some good books and some not so good books and sometimes we don't read the book at all. I learned quite early that the "reading" is not the key goal for this group. It is mostly about the wine and socializing and if we get around to discussing the book ... fine...if not...fine.


It's almost surreal to think that I've been retired for two years. I can't tell you where the time has gone or how I've filled the days. I can only tell you that they have flown by. My house is dirtier than ever and I can't seem to muster up enough concern to do anything about it. Oh, it's not a complete pig sty but my standards are far below what they once were. I just seem to find more interesting things to fill my time with. I'm focusing again on my photography and am enjoying playing with the Adobe Photoshop program that Tony got me. I'm still not very good but I'm having fun.


Speaking of time flying by....on September 29th, Tony and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. I'm still as gah gah over him as I was when we were 18 and as far as I can tell he's still pretty fond of me too. Back in May he planned a complete surprise vacation and didn't tell me where we were going until we were on our way to the airport. We went to the San Juan Islands in Washington and had a wonderful, romantic, relaxing week.

I think I'll renew the vows...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0xRrtS-_Wk

Getting my feet wet....

             



Hi....I am Martha Stuart (nooooo ...not that one) - I'm muuuuch more attractive. Although my life may not be played out in the public eye - this Martha has a lot going on. Come along and see what adventures we'll have.  Blogging is new to me so I don't know exactly how this is going to work. I have a lot of things rattling around in my head so I guess it will come together as I go along. Or not.

Don't expect it to make sense most the time because it won't. Don't expect it to follow any logical sequence because it won't. Don't expect it to always be interesting or funny because it won't. But sometimes it will.

By the way...my friends just call me Marti, so if you are reading this blog I assume you already know that.

By the way-now that we are friends, please call me Marti.

Here we go.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ikm3o5hDks