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While typing the “full of hot air” bit on my last post, I immediately thought of my mother. No, she wasn’t full of hot air, nor did she, as far as I know, have a secret desire to go soaring into the skies. Quite the opposite in fact. But a little background first. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it short.
My mom was a woman who didn’t talk a whole heck of a lot by the time all of us girls became the “terrible teenagers”. She probably figured she couldn’t get a word in edgewise when we were all running off at the mouth at the same time. When she got mad at us, for some imagined reason of course, she wouldn’t yell or rant like some mothers I know, (no need to mention names since I know who I am) but she would usually just say a few words then walk away looking disappointed and not talk to you for a while. And believe me that was very effective. There’s nothing like the silent treatment to make you feel totally guilty and ashamed of yourself for whatever it was that you had done. And did she cuss or swear? Never, don’t even think it. On the other side, we didn’t mouth off or yell at her either. At each other, constantly, but not to mom. I remember a neighbor girl who always talked back to her mother. I was totally shocked when I heard some of the things she said. And I’m not being facetious this time, I was actually shocked.
But back to the story. One day my sister Betty said something she shouldn’t have to my mother. And mom got mad. Very mad. I was standing close by, (not too close because there’s no use taking any chances) my mouth agape that Miss Goody Two Shoes would actually have the audacity to mouth off to mom. And doubly surprised that mom didn’t just walk away (my chin had to be on the floor by now). Nope, mom stood right there, looked at Betty (actually raised her voice slightly) and said something I had never heard her say before.
“You’re Full Of ……..Red Ants” Yep, that’s the worst she could come up with.
Now a little advice for some of you moms out there. Looking disappointed but saying nothing and walking away might shame your kids into doing the right thing, whereas saying “you’re full of red ants” will get you nothing but guffaws, snorts, snickers, and outright hysterical laughter.
Of course, I can’t close this out without a picture of my sweet talking mom.
A very funny but very misguided blogger over at The Knitting Nurse has gone and done the unthinkable. She has included me in her list of bloggers to receive the Kreativ Blogger Award. What was she thinking, or not thinking in this case? Hey Rudee, are you on drugs?
As we all know when accepting awards, high fashion, impeccable make up and gorgeous hair-do's are not optional but required, not to mention cleanliness, as in taking a shower first. And since I am still sitting here in my robe, don’t have a Dior (or any other gown or even a dress in my wardrobe), and my hair is a definite hair-don’t, I’m afraid I cannot in good conscience, bad conscience, or any other state of consciousness, accept this honor. And if that isn’t enough, although it certainly should be, I also don’t have, nor can I think of, anything that even comes remotely close to an acceptance speech. So…when I said “You shouldn’t have” I meant that literally and decline I must.
But not to be outdone, I will in turn, give to her the “Full of hot air” award.
I think in this situation it just might fit, but if for some reason you don’t feel that you deserve this, you may of course immediately pass and just ignore it or send it to someone else. And there are no rules to follow for this one, seeing that I just made it up, although it wouldn’t surprise me if there really was one of these awards “floating” around out there somewhere.
For being the shortest month of the year, February certainly seems to drag on forever, doesn’t it?, and it drags total boredom with it. Bored with the winter with everything brown and lifeless outside, and listless and lazy inside. Nothing in my head, my yard, my house or anyplace else to write about, so I’m going to have to pick on one of my kids. Let’s see….eeny, meeny, miney, moe…
You’re it
This is Florida brat or, as she likes to think of herself, FD#3. Don’t let the sweet looks fool you. I admit that although she did start out that way, always smiling and happy and willing to help with anything you needed, somewhere along the way she turned into the sarcastic, snippy, snide, kid that she is to this day. And I have no idea, no idea at all, where she got that from. Must be a bad gene in there somewhere.
Anyhow things were going along fine, school, college, job, marriage, house……. Then one day out of the blue, she said she and the old goat were moving to Florida. Florida, land of hurricanes, roaches the size of large dogs, surrounded by waters filled with alligators, sharks and who knows what else, all kinds of things to bite you, maim you, blow you into kingdom come, and they were leaving in a month. And they did.
Not content to just leave, after they got settled in she constantly had to tell me about all the sun, the warmth, the flowers that bloom all year long, sitting in the lanai, going fishing, and just rubbing it in every chance she got and there were many. But then along came Charley in August of 2004. Roaring up the Gulf Coast and causing big time major damage and mayhem not far from where she and the old goat lived. Fortunately, their area was spared the worst of it, but it did give me a chance to have a little pay back. So I sent her this
Didn’t do any good though. She’s still there, and still tells me about the wonderful life down there. To be honest, she does constantly invite me down, and tries to talk me into it by telling me how much I would love it and all the things we could do and the places we could go, but then in the next sentence she mentions something about taking me gator hunting. Hmmmm……I wonder what they’re planning to use for bait…….. Maybe I’ll just stay up here and be bored for a little while.
My favorite nonessential special day right after Halloween…. for obvious reasons, of course.
And believe it or not, I did not go out and buy a new stash. I have had these for a whopping 12 days now. In fact, right after I finish posting this I am going to contact Ripley’s because I have just broken all of my old records.
Seems like someone did manage to get into them before I could take this picture though. You’d think they could have waited just a few more minutes, wouldn’t you.
Everyone have a good, (and I mean good as in yummy) Valentines Day.
No I did not have a revelation nor have I “seen the light” as this title might suggest. It’s also not about any “light at the end of the tunnel”, a light bulb perched above my head, or anything to do with the electric company because that is the bill I always tend to pay first so I can be on here, doing this.
Anyway, to shed some light on the subject, ha, I’m talking about a Begonia. (A big let-down for ya here?) Scouring through one of my seed catalogues a few weeks ago, I came across this good looking plant. I’ve started various begonias from seed before and usually have fairly decent luck with them, but have never tried this one. I was debating on whether to give it a shot when lo and behold, (how often do you get to say that) Rose from Prairie Rose’s Garden had a post that included this very same plant, although a different color. What a coincidence, and since she said that it was one of her favorite annuals last year, that cinched it for me. I ordered some seeds.
A few days later and I’m all set to plant. There were 25 pelleted seeds in the pack. Pelleted for dummies like me that otherwise can’t tell a tiny seed from a speck of dust on their fingertip and therefore usually end up with nothing. And since those seeds are so small how do they get that coating on each one, and how many of them are really coated dust particles instead? Is that why only half of them germinate?
Ten days later and here they are. Yes, they’re in there although you might need a magnifying glass to see them.
With a lot of luck, a ton of patience, and some TLC, there should be at least some Illumination in my garden this summer.
You all know by now, how this cold, cold, cold, snowy weather affects me. When the temps. don’t manage to climb above freezing but one day out of 10. The only day I’m willing to trudge down to the store. (Walking down the middle of the street because the sidewalks are still impassable and yes, the car’s still stuck)
Bad girl, bad girl
Whatcha gonna do
Whatcha gonna do
When it gets to you
