Just Drive ..... Nothing Else

    Last year, on October 29, 2012 I was involved in a wreck.  I had a lot of photos of my poor car saved on my laptop ~ the laptop that latter crashed.  Did I have photos saved anywhere else you say? NO, even though I have told everyone else to back up their photos because some day their computer will crash and they will lose those pictures.  Well, crum! Guess this will be a post without a photo. 
         On that evening I was minding my own business, driving home from my daughter's apartment.  We had spent the day together and had a good time.  I needed to get home before dark because my little schnauzer, Gracie, is afraid of the dark.   It was in the evening, around 7 pm, I'm guessing, and I was thinking about stopping at McDonalds and getting a hamburger and fries.  I had just seen a billboard for a Big Mac a couple of miles back. It looked good.  I was driving through a street light, a green street light, when out of no where came these headlights on my left.  The next thing I knew all I could see was white and my head hurt really bad.    
     An 18 year old girl was looking down at her GPS while driving really fast when she ran the red light.  She didn't see the light or me until she knew she was going to hit me.  As I approached the green light I could see down the block but I did not see her coming.  Did not see her car anywhere. The light was green before I approached it. I was probably going 30 mph because this is a downtown street. Thank goodness she told the police officers that she momentarily saw the red light only as she drove through it, she knew she ran a red light.  I don't think she even had a chance to try to brake. 
      I was ok.  My car was totaled. I had some broken bones in my dominant hand and wrist. Lots of bruises. A concussion. My spine rearranged.  Some problems from the concussion that took months and months to get over.  My brain did not appreciate being slammed first on one side of my skull and then the other side. I was alive so it was ok.  I didn't see the girl at the ER so I guess she was ok.  While the officers investigated I spoke with her out in the street.  She was really sorry.  I took her face in my hands and told her she was beautiful, and it was all going to be ok because those two piles of metal and fiberglass that use to be our cars --- they could be replaced but she couldn't...and that she didn't even have a scratch on that beautiful face.  Her momma would not have to get a terrible phone call.  It was all ok.  Her two passengers were ok.  Thank God for seatbelts and airbags.
     Just this summer, in the past few months, 3 people have died right there in separate wrecks.  It could have been me.  Now, I really notice how many car accidents occur in the town where I live. A horrible amount.  Just way too many.  Every time I hear a siren I think oh no, someone's life is going to change in an instant, maybe while they are driving fairly slow and thinking about having a hamburger for dinner.

Dinner With The Smileys

If you go to Betsy's Book Bag you can see the titles I read in October.  Most of them are cozy mysteries ~ my go to for escaping life.  My favorite cozy this month was The Sleeping Salesman Enquiry but really, I liked them all.  Well, except for that one I listed that I started and did not finish.  Diane Mott Davidson's The Whole Enchilada was really good too. Best Book Of The Month was Dinner With The Smileys.   This mom came up with a great idea.  While her husband was deployed for 13 months she and her 3 sons invited someone to come to dinner to fill his empty chair once a week. Truthfully, and please don't throw rocks at me, but I had to remind myself I raised boys, my boys did not always act appropriately, and boys are not adults, but I was a little disturbed when the youngest mooned, yes, mooned the Governor of Maine, and over how the oldest acted at a children's hospital.  A time or two I thought she was a little whiney/needy but that is probably because I have been on my own so long and used to having to deal with everything by myself.  I have to hand it to this woman though.  She wrote it as it really happened.   She kept it real.  I really liked her idea that they would not do anything out of the ordinary.....as far as hiding the lived in look of her house, or trying to cook elaborate meals.  Mrs. Smiley writes honestly, frankly and surely made me feel like a fly on the wall.  All in all, I really enjoyed this book and thought she had a fabulous idea.

      The runner up Best Book was The Wednesday Sisters.  This book is one of the most well written books I have read in a long time.  The story is about 5 women who meet in the park and the friendship that develops. The support and encouragement  they give each other through illnesses, racism, bumps in marriages, rejection letters, as well as the good times made me ache for friends such as these. Great book, really well written.   This book should have been my Best Book pick except for those tugging of the heartstrings in Dinner With the Smileys.

I Believe In Miracles

Me holding my 4 hour old grandson.

You KNOW I Love a Bargain!!!!!!!

I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I love, love, love when I stubble across a great bargain.  I have purchased, counting what I have put back for Christmas, probably 80 board books for my granddaughter.  Why yes, she is just two years old, why do you ask?  For my DIL's baby shower I collected a clear plastic tub full of board books as my gift.  I started reading to my granddaughter when she was about 6 months old, when I started babysitting. Her parents started reading to her before then.  Her aunt, her parents, and I have read to her every day.  Multiple times a day.  The only thing she likes better than books is going to the library to get more books.  Anyway, because I have purchased so many board books for her I know what they cost.  I was at Wal-Mart today... yes, I know I told you I would not be going back to Wal-Mart or anywhere else until after Christmas but I realized I needed a haircut and I get it cut at Wal-Mart.  No one can mess up a short pixie cut....almost.  There is this one woman that I don't want to ever cut my hair again so I wandered over to the book section so I could glance over to the haircut place and see if she was the one working today.  Since I was standing in the book section I couldn't help but see this wonder of all wonders...a box of 8, yes eight, lift the flap Karen Kratz books for ... drumroll please ...$7.97. SEVEN DOLLARS & NINETY SEVEN cents for EIGHT books! If you have not had a toddler in your life in a while this might not be so exciting to you but it is to me!  After I got the box set home I went online and added up what the 8 books would have cost at Amazon prices  ...  $49.42 !!! A savings of over $41!  My granddaughter has just one of Ms. Kratz' books but she loved it so much she wore the flaps out.  My granddaughter is looking forward to a baby brother being born any second now, he is a week late, so this set is for him.  I will put it in the closet and will probably keep them until his first birthday.  If there is a toddler in your life, check your Wal-Mart because this is quite a deal on books toddlers love!

And all those other board books I have purchased for my granddaughter? How could I afford them?  Most of them came from Hastings Books.  If you have a Hastings Book Store near you look for used books.  They have a forest green strip at the bottom of the spine that says "used."  The price will be a fraction of a "new" copy.  I only bought "used" board books that looked like brand new.  That is because they were.  If it were a board book with flaps you could tell the flaps had never been lifted.   I would never buy a board book that has been chewed on or slobbered on, as babies do.  I gather that Hastings buys out other suppliers and then sells them as used, or people sell back books someone gave their child or something. I don't know. What I do know is I worked in a public library for 20 years, almost entirely in the children's department and I know what books kids like. I know what a board book looks like if it has been used.  So, go to Hastings and check out the used books.  Now, they do have used books that are really used but even so, other than for a baby that will put it in it's mouth, there is nothing wrong with a used book in good condition. What a bargain!
 **** Here comes that disclaimer **** ... No one at Wal-Mart or Hastings Books has asked me to do a plug for them, they have not given me anything, they don't know who I am, I am just a loyal customer of both businesses.  While working at the library I have worked for both Wal-Mart and Hastings at night but both part time jobs were years ago.  Trivia... Hastings Books is headquartered in Amarillo TX and has 136 superstores across the country.   At closing time Hastings plays "Happy Trails To You."  There are 4,759 Wal-Marts in the US.  If Wal-Mart ever closes, like at Christmas maybe, I have no idea if they play a song or what it might be. :)

Andy's Baby

As I said in a couple of posts ago, Andy has a baby.  Not a real, live puppy but a baby to him nonetheless.  My favorite store, Kohl's, has $5 stuffed animal toys and books right by the checkout aisles.  100% of the net profits go to children's programs.  Since 2000, 231 million dollars have been donated.  I buy the toys and books as often as I can afford.  **disclaimer** No one at Kohl's knows me, no one there cares that I love their store, or gives me free things, other than the Kohl's cash any customer can get.  Last year one of the books was the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? and of course the toy was a bear.  I brought home both, intending to put them in my "gifts" box in the closet. You know, that gift box I talked about several posts back.  Well, Andy saw that Brown Bear and claimed it as his.  
This is photo is of the baby after he has been well loved for a year or so and has lost his eyes.  Sometimes Andy plays a little rough with him. I assume the baby is a boy and you know how boys like to wrestle.
      That dog, Andy, was in love as soon as he saw Brown Bear sitting on the table, just out of reach.  He wanted that toy soooo bad!  There was no way I could look at those lovesick puppy dog eyes and keep Brown Bear from Andy.  I intended it for my granddaughter but, nope, Andy and Brown Bear connected in some unexplained way. From the moment I let him have it Andy treated that thing like a real live puppy. He carries it around in his mouth and takes it out the doggy door to let it take a nap in the sunshine.  He sometimes holds it up to the window so it can see outside.  He lets it rest on the porch.  He naps on the couch with it.

A couple of times he has propped his baby in the doggy door, half in and half out. I gather the baby needs some fresh air but it is too cold or too hot for him to actually be outside.  Sometimes he races from the bedroom and out the doggy door like oh my gosh, the baby can not hold it one more second, HE HAS GOT TO GO RIGHT NOW! PEOPLE, GET OUT OF THE WAY!  Occasionally  he drops the baby by the dog food bowls ---- obviously the baby is hungry or thirsty.   Andy loves to play in the snow.  Evidently the baby does too as Andy took him out in the snow fairly often last year.  As soon as it starts to get dark Andy gets frantic.  Andy runs around with his baby in his mouth, whining at the same time, because all of a sudden he has remembered his baby needs to go outside to do his business, he needs a bath,  he needs to get in bed, where shall he sleep???  Why he doesn't have one spot for the baby's "bed" I don't know. I have no idea what goes through Andy's little head.  Some nights he carries the baby around, whining all the while, for 30 minutes or more, trying to decide which people bed the baby will sleep in, or on Andy's favorite red blanket on the couch, or just where. Once he chooses a bed then the question is should the baby sleep on top of the comforter, under the sheet, on the pillow. It is such a problem for Andy.  I have no idea why.  One night this week we had our first freeze.  That night Andy made sure the baby was under the sheet and blankets, right next to my leg.  I guess it was too hot under there for Andy since he then curled up on top of the blankets.  When I saw this photo I thought maybe Andy saw Brown Bear's nose and thought to himself "hey, he has MY nose--must be my boy!"

I had a car wreck about this time last year, had some broken bones and my dominant hand was in a cast.  My son moved home with me for about 6 months to help me. Andy seemed to think my son should share parenting responsibilities with him.  My son often worked until way after dark and Andy would be frantic until my son got home and could help Andy get the baby in my son's bed.  That I would open my son's bedroom door and try to get Andy to put the baby to bed did not matter. He needed my son. As long as my son was here with us Andy let the baby sleep with him.  Andy would sleep with me.  You know, being a single parent is so stressful. Apparently Andy needed my son to take over and give him a break from that baby. When my daughter, who is really Andy's momma, comes over sometimes Andy runs around with the baby then decides my daughter needs to babysit awhile and he drops the baby in her lap.  Andy then takes off to take a nap somewhere else or to play outside. Andy also liked for my son to babysit whenever he was home.  Maybe the baby liked the music my son listened to, I don't know.  Andy loves me, but for some reason he does not want me, my grandkids or the other dogs messing with his baby.  He never brings it to me to babysit.  Andy doesn't snap at us or anything, ever, but if we look like we are going to touch his baby he watches us very carefully and then will get it in his mouth and run all over the house and yard until he figures out where he can safely set him down.  But the weird thing is, other days he will walk past the baby laying in the floor or wherever like he has never seen it before in his life.  I just don't know what Andy thinks.

Caption This ~~ The Furry KIds

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You've Got A Friend In Me

        As an empty nester I depend on my friends for so many things.  Sometimes I need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to talk to.  I used to laugh all day long but the last few years have been kind of hard so I need my friends that make me laugh.  I treasure everyone that I hold in my heart as a friend but I have some special ones. I want to tell you about  three of my BFFs.  Oprah Winfrey said "Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo  but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down."  These three friends, no doubt, would push the bus if need be...if they could.
        The first one is a beautiful, natural blonde ... and a typical blonde.  Lots of things go over her head but she is real good natured about it.  Kinda crazy, up for absolutely anything. She is so funny, always smiling a great big smile.  It is impossible to be sad for very long around her because she is just so gosh-darn happy.  She is very affectionate and loving. I need that.  Whenever she sees me she always lets me know how happy she is to see me.  That feels good. I don't know what I would do without her some days.  She is one of those nonjudgmental type friends everyone needs.  Like me she is a full figured girl because we both love our food!  LOL! When we eat together she always wants to try what I am eating!  We have a real good time together.  I am so glad we are BFFs.
       The second friend came into my life during a very difficult period.  It seemed like left and right, up and down, everything was falling apart or going downhill, fast.  Really a sad, sad time in my life.  I wasn't looking for a new friend when we discovered each other but I am glad we did.  We just ran into each other one day and knew we would be friends. She had been through a terrible, horrible, no good very bad time as well. We understood each other.  We became BFFs immediately, even though I was a little standoffish at first. I wasn't sure I had the energy for a new relationship of any kind but I  wanted to help her.  She turned out to be more clingy than I ever expected. She would not take no for an answer!  She decided we were going to be practically joined at the hip!  She was not going to let me wallow in my depression without her there to try to pull me out of it. Turns out I thought I was helping her but she ended up saving me.  She is a good friend, always there when I need her.  When I talk she just listens with every fiber of her being.  She is a petite little thing but a spitfire!  She can give me a piece of her mind every now and then.  Her heart is good though. She doesn't smile a whole lot but when she does her glaringly white teeth are worthy of a toothpaste ad and light up her entire face. 
     The third BFF I want to tell you about is a guy.  Great big brown eyes. Trim body.  Lots of energy and very playful, kind of a rowdy character.  He can curl his lip just like Elvis.  It is a hoot!  He is All Boy!  He can be a grouchy old man sometimes when he gets tired but all his good qualities make up for that.  His photo is below.  I love that redhead!  He has a baby and some time I will write about how it cracks me up to watch him and the baby.   It is so funny watching their bedtime ritual.  I sure wasn't looking for a guy at the time I met him.  Actually, when we first got together he belonged to someone else but that didn't turn out well as a long term live-in thing.  Andy needed a place to go so I let him move in.  I have never regretted it. Oh, I still share him with that other woman, but he lives with me.  He is my protector, my bed-fellow, my good friend ... and he is extra good to my grandkids.   This is my friend Zoe ...                                                               
 
This is my friend, little Gracie ...

 
and this is the guy in our life, Andy ...