Thursday, June 29, 2006
Happy Birthday Mom!
If my Mom were still with us, she'd be turning 65 today.
This is the only digitized picture I have of her. It was sent to me by family friends who wanted to point out how much my sister looks like Mom. Mom went through a period of not coloring her hair and it wasn't the most flattering look for her, but I like this picture for the expression on her face. (By the way, this is my sister on her wedding day. Doesn't she look beautiful?)
Love you and miss you Mom!
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Thursday, June 22, 2006
Random Memory Out of Nowhere
When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to spend the majority of my growing up years in a small town - Granbury, Texas. I feel very fortunate to have been able to grow up where everyone knew my name, knew my parents and would have no issue whatsoever reporting any wrongdoings I might be doing. However I was, for the most part, a good kid and rarely did my parents hear anything but glowing reports about me. However, that doesn't mean I was an angel. I was just good at being sneaky - most of the time.
At this time we lived in a single wide mobile home that was within walking or biking distance of NOWHERE. I had to find my fun within the confines of a neighborhood, that for all intents and purposes, was as "White Trash" as it gets.
Andi had come to stay with me for the weekend and we were listening to records and reading "Seventeen" magazine in my wee little room when I heard a light knocking on the window. I looked out and it was a boy that I thought was extremely cute and extremely gross at the same time. The gross part came from the fact that he dipped snuff and seemed to never brush his teeth. The look of a boy with a bulge under his lower lip just really creeped me out and then when they spoke or smiled or worse - SPIT - it just made me want to throw up.
However the boy was cute when he didn't speak or smile or spit, so I rolled out the window. We whispered quietly to each other teasingly - him speaking and smiling and spitting, and me trying not to gag, but being all excited about the attention at the same time.
Finally, I presented a proposal to the boy: "If you spit out your snuff and go home and brush your teeth, I will kiss you!" He thought about it for a split second, turned on his heel and jogged down the road toward his trailer. 10 or 15 minutes later I heard him whisper through my already open window, "I'm back!"
I went to the window and he smiled broadly at me. Although his teeth were not perfect, they were so much nicer when they were clean and minty fresh! I finished rolling out the window as far as it would go, stuck my head through the window and kept my promise.
I was enjoying making out with this boy a little too much and Andi was giving color commentary on our technique, or I probably would have heard my Dad walk out the front door and walk the few steps to the front of the trailer. There he witnessed his only daughter with her head stuck out the roll out window making out with some random boy from the neighborhood.
"WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!"
I turned my head to see my Dad with fire in his eyes watching as the boy who had brushed his teeth just to kiss me ran off into the night.
"Get your damn head in the house, roll in the window and get in the living room - NOW!" I whispered a faint, "Yes, sir." and did as I was told.
I came out of my room to hear Dad explaining to Mom what had just transpired. I looked at my feet. I raised my eyes off of my feet just long enough to see that they were both trying so hard not to laugh. Dad caught me looking and pulled it together enough to say, "You are grounded. Andi is going home tomorrow. Go to bed." I whispered another, "Yes, sir" and slinked back to my room.
Andi, who is never one to keep her displeasure to herself, greeted me with, "I have to go home because you kissed that gross guy? Was it worth it?" I just looked at her, put on another record and started reading "Seventeen" again. A few minutes later, she was beside me on the floor and we were taking turns singing verses of "Barracuda" until Mom shouted, "Your Father said go to bed, Joan!!"
We rolled our eyes at each other as I yelled, "Yes, ma'am!" Andi kissed her picture of Donny Osmond goodnight and I kissed my picture of David Cassidy good night and we turned out the light.
I turned over and smiled to myself as I replayed in my head the kiss with the cute/gross boy. "Yes," I thought to myself, "it was worth it!"
:-)
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At this time we lived in a single wide mobile home that was within walking or biking distance of NOWHERE. I had to find my fun within the confines of a neighborhood, that for all intents and purposes, was as "White Trash" as it gets.
Andi had come to stay with me for the weekend and we were listening to records and reading "Seventeen" magazine in my wee little room when I heard a light knocking on the window. I looked out and it was a boy that I thought was extremely cute and extremely gross at the same time. The gross part came from the fact that he dipped snuff and seemed to never brush his teeth. The look of a boy with a bulge under his lower lip just really creeped me out and then when they spoke or smiled or worse - SPIT - it just made me want to throw up.
However the boy was cute when he didn't speak or smile or spit, so I rolled out the window. We whispered quietly to each other teasingly - him speaking and smiling and spitting, and me trying not to gag, but being all excited about the attention at the same time.
Finally, I presented a proposal to the boy: "If you spit out your snuff and go home and brush your teeth, I will kiss you!" He thought about it for a split second, turned on his heel and jogged down the road toward his trailer. 10 or 15 minutes later I heard him whisper through my already open window, "I'm back!"
I went to the window and he smiled broadly at me. Although his teeth were not perfect, they were so much nicer when they were clean and minty fresh! I finished rolling out the window as far as it would go, stuck my head through the window and kept my promise.
I was enjoying making out with this boy a little too much and Andi was giving color commentary on our technique, or I probably would have heard my Dad walk out the front door and walk the few steps to the front of the trailer. There he witnessed his only daughter with her head stuck out the roll out window making out with some random boy from the neighborhood.
"WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!"
I turned my head to see my Dad with fire in his eyes watching as the boy who had brushed his teeth just to kiss me ran off into the night.
"Get your damn head in the house, roll in the window and get in the living room - NOW!" I whispered a faint, "Yes, sir." and did as I was told.
I came out of my room to hear Dad explaining to Mom what had just transpired. I looked at my feet. I raised my eyes off of my feet just long enough to see that they were both trying so hard not to laugh. Dad caught me looking and pulled it together enough to say, "You are grounded. Andi is going home tomorrow. Go to bed." I whispered another, "Yes, sir" and slinked back to my room.
Andi, who is never one to keep her displeasure to herself, greeted me with, "I have to go home because you kissed that gross guy? Was it worth it?" I just looked at her, put on another record and started reading "Seventeen" again. A few minutes later, she was beside me on the floor and we were taking turns singing verses of "Barracuda" until Mom shouted, "Your Father said go to bed, Joan!!"
We rolled our eyes at each other as I yelled, "Yes, ma'am!" Andi kissed her picture of Donny Osmond goodnight and I kissed my picture of David Cassidy good night and we turned out the light.
I turned over and smiled to myself as I replayed in my head the kiss with the cute/gross boy. "Yes," I thought to myself, "it was worth it!"
:-)
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