eh ...

You know when you're not in a great mood but, you're not in a bad mood ?
Just kinda
....eh ....

That's been me since the Chicago Bears lost on Sunday.
They usually have control of my mood during football season.

They win = WEEEEEEEEEE !
They lose = waaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

This year I promised myself I wouldn't let the games get to me.
I'll control my own moods, thank you very much.
fyi ...it ain't been easy.
I've been riding an 'eh' mood since Sunday.

So I woke up this morning thinking 'hooooo hummmmmmm'.
I'm not happy but, I'm not sad.

Then I remembered my dream.
It was the weirdest.

I was shoveling snow with some kid I saw once on some random tv show.
And it wasn't just snow.
It was literally a mountain of snow.
So this kid and I are happily shoveling.
All of a sudden my mom is there telling me I should stop shoveling and go to McDonalds cause she has this awesome coupon she wants to use.
My Dad, son, sister and brother were there too.
They were playing cards in the corner of the basement.
The song Manic Monday by the Bangles was playing in the background.
Over and over I heard '...when you wish your bed was already made ...'
I kept pleading with Mom.."Don't make me go to McDonalds..I want to shovel snow.'
But, there she was all happy with her coupon.
Next thing I know my brother takes my shovel and starts shoveling.
I started griping and fussing with him to give me my shovel back.
And there's Mom again.
Smiling with her coupon.

I woke up with her beautiful smile in my brain.

Thanks Mom.
Your smile brought me out of my 'eh' mood.
I'm happy happy again !

Maybe I'll even go to McDonalds.

:)

Fess Up Food

I've had stomach issues these last few days.
What I thought was a Chicago Bears /You Guys Are Killing Me nervous stomach turned into more and has stuck around all week.

As I was in the midst of my stomach turmoil I would occasionally think about food.
But the thought of food during stomach issues  =  ick.
So yeah, I decided no food thoughts.
Food thoughts only makes things worse.

Now that I'm back to 'normal' I'm thinking food again.
I'm hungry.
I gotta make up for lost time.

So as I was happily thinking about food I suddenly came to the realization that there are quite a few foods I just don't like.
Food that I guarantee will never ever enter my body.
No. I've never tried them but, I am certain I don't like them.

My Friday Fess Up ...?
I'm pretty positive I'm a food snob
In fact ... here's a short list of things I have never eaten & never plan to eat.

Seafood  -  except for tuna fish sandwiches. 

Eggs  -  I'll eat them if they are mixed in food. Just an egg ...? Yech.

Restaurant Chicken Wings -  I prefer my homemade ones, thank you very much.

White Castle Hamburgers  -  I just can't get past the scent.

Spam  -  I just can't get past the texture.

I will admit ... I have eaten an egg or two in my youth.
I've also had a catfish dinner once because it sounded like a good idea at the time.
It wasn't.

But the other stuff on my list ...?
Nope. Nope. and Nope.
I just can't do it.
I just won't do it.

I've been told many, many times  'You don't know what you're missing...!"
Yep. I know.
I'll still pass.

So there it is.
Another Friday Fess Up is in the books.
& yes ... it is true.

I am a food snob.

:)

Never

Ask my children or any of the children I've babysat to give you a Mom/Jacki quote and they will probably say  ...
"You never hurt another person's body. Ever !"

I said those words quite often through the years.
Physical hurt or hurting by words.
Nope.
No meanies in Jacki's house.
Niceys only.

That was and still is my basic rule.
Be Nice.

Simple words that make life so very pleasant.
Just. Be. Nice.

It really is that easy.

:)

Fess Up Car Wash

It's Friday.

I'm fessin....

Today's fess up  -
I've never driven a car through a car wash.

I've been the passenger on many occasions.
I've never been the driver in charge.
I never plan to be.
Nope.

Yep.
I can say with confidence that I will never be the driver of a car going through a car wash.

The driver has to line the car up on the car wash track thingie.
That's a lot of pressure.
Especially if there are other cars waiting.
and watching.
and judging. 

That's just too much for my head to handle.

Give me a bucket and hose any ol day ...!
Or someone else stepping up to be the driver.

Same deal for oil change or new tire places.
Anything involving a car being put on some sort of track ...
No thanks.
I just don't want the responsibility.

Whew.
I feel released.

These fess up Fridays are cleansing my soul !

:)

Pretzels

My sister is getting married today and all I can think about are pretzels.

She is the baby of our family and no matter how old we grow, she will always be the baby of our family.
I tease my other siblings that, growing up, I was the ONLY one who helped Mom with Baby Sis but,
they know this is false.
We all helped in our own little ways
& one way I especially treasure is church.

Mom would always bring a bag of pretzels to church.
If Sister got wiggly or cranky, Mom would pull out the pretzels and pass them to Brothers, Sisters or me and we'd become The Official Pretzel Passer-Outer.

YaY

The pretzel passer-outer would sit next to our adorable, wiggly toddler and, one by one, hand her pretzels.
(yes. we occasionally nibbled when Mom / Dad wasn't looking)

It worked.
My sister would concentrate on each yummy pretzel and her wiggly crabbies would disappear.

Even better than being the pretzel passer-outer was getting picked as the helper in the Tiny Tot Chapel.
It was awesome.
Especially cranky days meant Mom or Dad would take her cuteness into the 'crying' room.
They would choose one of us olders to come along and help.

JOY.

The noise of those whiny little babies in the Tiny Tot Chapel was like a vacation from church.
It was a very good Sunday indeed.

To this day that little sister of mine still loves her pretzels.
I can recall many a time when a surprise bag has shooed those whines away.

So on this, their Wedding Day, I'd like to send out a special wish to Sis and Bro-in-Law.
Here's to an infinite supply of Love, Luck, Happiness and ... just in case ...
Pretzels.

I love you both.

:)



 

Fess Up Cigarettes

It's Friday.
Time to fess up.

Hmmmm.
Here's one.

I've smoked only two cigarettes in my life.

Yep. Two.

The first was with a friend of mine.
We were in middle school or early high school.
Her brother smoked so she stole a few cigarettes from him.
We thought we were so cool.

We weren't.

I believe it's called a coughing fit.
Uh huh.

After that, I never really thought about smoking until I was 21 or so.
I was in my aunt's bathroom.
She was quite a smoker so she'd never notice one missing. 
She wasn't home.
Why not ...?

Same result.
I'm sure I looked like a goof standing in her bathroom trying to cough ! cough !  look cool.

My fess up today is not so much that I've only smoked two cigarettes in my life.
It's the reason.

I've only smoked two cigarettes because I didn't know how to inhale or exhale or however the heck you smoke a cigarette.
I could never figure it out.

I still don't know how.

Cough. Cough. Cough.

Fess. Fess. Fess.

:)

Tree Heaven

I guess it's no secret ... I love trees.
Some would call it an obsession.
I call it wonderful !

I was in Tree Heaven this weekend.
& I just have to share my joy.

A park, a nature hike and a gully full of old trees.
WoW.

Just WoW....!

Trees, trees and more trees.
It was great.

Beautiful, massive trees.
Incredibly, unbelievably arched trees.
Long ago fallen, fallen trees.

Trees that have stood side by side for years.
Season after season.
Through sunny days and storms.
Connected. 
Friends for life.

Obsessed ?

Oh. Yeah.

:)