Riley ...Our Love Bug

 

We've never had a dog with arms before, but now we do. She hangs both of them over the side of the chair or sofa like she's listening to a story or better yet some juicy gossip when we're in the room. She definitely pays attention to us. Especially if there is any type of food involved or within sniffing distance. 

Whenever any one of us leaves the house, she settles in on top of the back of the sofa and watches from the living room window. She watches us leave and will stay in that spot for over thirty minutes until she's sure it wasn't just a quick trip to the neighbor's house and we actually left the neighborhood.

 If I'm out in the yards with her and one of the kids leave either walking or on their scooter, she waits by the fence and patiently sits awaiting their return. When they come back ten or fifteen minutes later she goes crazy as if they have been gone for two years.

The girl just makes you feel good...every time you see her. She's a pretty sharp pup as well. We have a motion sensor light under our carport so we are alerted when someone enters our driveway or carport. Massey has it linked to my cell phone since I am the one pretty much always here and a lot of times alone, with everyone still working except me. It makes a slight two note chime to alert outside movement and didn't take long for Riley to figure it out. I can be at the back of our house with her in our bedroom, which is on the total other side of our property, and if the tone goes off, she's off like a rocket to the back of the couch in the front living room to see who's here. Every. Time.  Amazon, FedEx, UPS, USPS or solicitors can't sneak up on us. The girl's a barker, that's for sure.

We've always had dogs, and had three when we first moved to Orlando. 

Ham, Ziggy and Charlie...left to right. This was taken back in Georgia when we first got Ziggy as a pup.

Charlie the English bulldog lived to be thirteen,very long life for his breed. Ham lived to be fourteen, blind since he was just six but was the greatest gentle giant ever. Zachary was closest to Charlie and Ham was Massey's baby. Ziggy was a horrible puppy when we got him, took three years to get him house trained and was constantly jumping the back fence and disappearing for hours at a time. We weren't in a really good position when we got him but he needed a home and we wanted the little stinker. I was working seven days a week and we simply never had time to spend on training him properly...but I loved that Lil Houdini. I called him that because a six foot privacy fence was nothing to him. He found way after way out of that yard, we even rolled hog wire across the back of our property in the woods. You'd let him out and watch him wander the yard. The minute he would head to the back, we'd yank open the kitchen door and yell his name. He'd run straight to the back fence, turn around and look at us and promptly hop the fence like it was a baby gate. Early one morning he was gone for about four hours and I was frantic. This was when Massey was a freshman in college. She happened to call and I told her he was gone. She called me back twenty minutes later and said she had found his picture posted on a Lost and Missing Dogs in Coweta County FB page. This is the picture.

The school nurses at an elementary school almost a mile from our house had him in their office. He was playing with all the kids who were at recess on the playground. We had him neutered the next day, which helped a bit but he ended up having to be left on a run in the back yard when we left him out to do his business. We eventually got a new fence put up across the back and kept him contained and the little escaper turned out to be a really great dog! He was my Baby Boy, and that's what I called him. 

After Charlie, then Ham died, Ziggy lived to be almost twelve. When he was almost eleven we found Riley through a post where someone was trying to get him rescued/ re homed. Ziggy wasn't real crazy about Riley at first, probably because Riley is crazy, but they ended up bonding and Riley was Ziggy's biggest fan (besides me).

When Ziggy died, it broke my heart...literally. I felt a little a distance come between myself and Riley, no fault of Riley's, just my deep love and allegiance to my dear sweet Baby Boy. I probably cried every day for a month if not longer. Riley hadn't been the best puppy since we'd adopted her, accidents in the house, pestering Ziggy and chewing up about five or six remote controls and a $200 headset of Zachary's.

But after Ziggy died, and I mean almost immediately, Riley simply stopped all her bad habits and turned into a perfect house mate. No more accidents and after a few stern finger wags in her face, quit all her bad habits just like that.

Now I call her Baby Girl. She's a delight to be around and you can't help but smile when you see her little face with one wacky eyeball and that long tail swatting back and forth like a fur whip. We've never had a dog with a tail before but hers is full of personality and suits her perfectly.

She's with me every single day, with everyone else working and I have quickly spoiled her rotten. It's hard not to, she's such a little hoot and love bug. I sit at the kitchen table and have lunch every day while everyone's at work and she pops up onto the bench beside me and sits about ten inches from my face. She never tries to eat my food or take anything from my plate but she doesn't miss one crumb which may happen to fall, no matter how minuscule. She's nimble as a cat.  Our kitchen table is an antique butterfly table my mother in law gave me and one of my neighbors built me two picnic benches that I painted and use on either side. Maybe a foot across from the front to the back , but she sits up like a princess and can even step around me from one side to the other when she wants to look out the window when people walk down the street outside. When I sit at our table on the lanai, where I spend most of my day, going in and out of the yards and cool off under the two ceiling fans on the lanai, she scooches in behind me in the chair. She can even manage to curl up and lay down if she wants to.

I can feel her little whiskers on the back of my neck and it always makes me smile. She's got more stray whiskers than a catfish. That, along with her nimbleness got her another pet name from me, "Little Kitty Catfish".  

We've never had a dog who likes to play fetch but we've got one now. Holy Moly. She would chase a ball all day long if we'd keep throwing it. I bought her a soccer ball with straps on it to carry it by and she'll chase it until she's about to have a heart attack and we have to take it away from her just to get her to rest and get some water. And squeak toys? Don't even get me started. We don't let her bring her balls and fetch toys inside because they get dirty and muddy. She knows it, and will promptly drop it onto the pergola if she wants in the house. In the living room we have a basket where we keep all her inside toys. Her monkey, sheep, elephant, monster head, little igloo and a rabbit and fake roll of toilet paper. She's (thankfully) torn the squeaker out of most of them and I have to stitch them up on the weekly after she slings them around like a maniac and will chase and play tug of war with you as long as you comply. Riley's momma didn't raise no quitter, that's for sure. She also knows those toys aren't allowed outside and drops them by the door on her way out the door to the porch and yard. She has unbelievable catching abilities and can jump like a spring and snatch a ball you throw before it even hits the ground.

In other words she is a very entertaining companion. And being alone most every week day, she has quickly become my best friend. I'm not sure who loves who more, but I know she helped my heart heal after Ziggy's sudden death and departure...and she loved Ziggy a lot, just like I did.

There's a reason Dog is God spelled backwards. They are both unconditional and constant love and will always have your back.

You should see her when Tim gets home from work. We're usually out in the yard and she goes nuts the minute he pulls into our driveway. He gets home at five and always feeds her her dinner...it's their thing and I think both of them look forward to it. Tim travels a bit around the state for work every few weeks and sometimes even to Georgia and South Carolina. He said sometimes when he's leaving the office wherever he's working to drive back home he'll say he's ready to get home and see his girl. They all say "oh,you mean your wife?" and Tim will say "no, my dog."

I'm okay with that because I understand the hold this little minx has on all of our hearts. Zachary walks her every single morning  around the block after feeding her and she loves it.  I can hear him talking to her when he leaves for work (calling her sweetheart) and explaining to her that he has to leave but will be back soon and he'll play with her then. And he does. 

Massey has even fallen under her spell and Ham was her baby, so it took a little longer with Riley but she's the one who drove to meet the woman from Tampa who was giving her away so it was bound to happen, just took a minute longer.

I don't know how people can live without a dog in their life, they are the biggest blessing a human can have on their side. They never complain, never ask for anything and always, always love you...no matter what. Love is a four legged word.

She listens to my ramblings, rants and even my horrible singing and never tells me to hush. Rather she tends to act like I'm the biggest deal since dog biscuits were invented.

Could she act a little better at the fence when people simply try and walk by our house? Absolutely, but what are you going to do...she's protecting her turf. She doesn't bark when she is outside the fence on walks, it's just a territory thing. She's finally quit barking at the mailman after over two years of constant harassment, much to his relief I am sure, and is all bark. The garbage truck that picks up our cans with the huge mechanical arm terrifies her and she runs to the back yard to get away from it, begging to get in the back door to the lanai. Construction vehicles freak her out too and we have a lot of them with several houses being built on our street the past year or so. So she's really a chicken and that's okay too. Her only aggression issue is trying to shake the stuffing out of her toys.

In a world full of hateful political unrest and character assassination in a contentious election year, she is calming happiness and makes us smile every time she walks into a room or every time we come home and she her waiting by the door with that long tail wagging behind her like a canine metronome, waving hello to us.

She is everything to us and I'm pretty sure we are everything to her. It's a pretty sweet deal for all involved.

Till next time...COTTON

We Need To Fight For Our Rights

 

I'm not stupid, although I may be a little cray cray (in the good way) but am also smart enough to know most every single politician is in someone's pocket and that the pocket is so deep that it dictates everything they are pushing for or against. And that is sad, for both Dems and Repubs.

What's the harm in giving my gender a shot? To me it certainly beats electing a convicted felon and misogynist. And talk about pockets...his run deep and rich, overseas and often come with unpaid debts.

Unless we can get Jimmy Carter into  a time machine and do the whole Cocoon thing, I'm thinking let's give a woman a shot. Make fun of her all you want, but she's no dummy. Do you really think you rise to attorney general, senator and vice president by being an easy lay? Bet no one would say that about a man moving up through the political system.

Do you really think a woman can't run this country and lead us to a better place?

Think again. We can, she can and hopefully she will.

A Flintstone Trying To Survive 2024

 

I'm about as techno savvy as a sloth. Or a snail. Or maybe a gnat. Lucky for me I have my own personal IT, living in our house. She came with great references and is very affordable as long as you don't mind the occasional eye rolling.

I've written about this before in my blog but it was well over ten years ago and bears repeating. My younger kids were all Littles,  TJ was in high school. Zach and Massey were still going to elementary school, where I picked up a Lunch Lady gig to keep them in the school closest to our house, which was excellent but for some crazy reason we weren't district-ed for. Local politics, go figure.

But a Momma is gonna do what a Momma's got to do. I kept my much more lucrative job at LongHorn and waited tables at night and every Saturday and Sunday, while slinging lima beans and pear salad to the school kids Mon-Fri. I was well into my forties and by far one of the youngest Lunch Ladies. Once a week you'd have your "day" in the dish pit and have to wash all the dishes. Every  Lunch Lady hated to see their day turn up on pizza day. Who wants to scrub pizza pans for 400 kids and staff?

It was just when lap top computers were getting popular. We wouldn't have had one except that I won it off the radio one morning when I was getting Massey and Zach ready for school. I'll never forget it. The song was 'Sweet Dreams' by the Eurythmics. First caller won a lap top.

Crazy enough it was also Zachary's favorite song and video. He loved that cigarette holder Annie Lennox used. Let me remind you, he was probably on his second year in kindergarten. Yes, he liked it so much we let him do it twice.

So TJ comes home from high school one day and says we need to use a wireless mouse. 

WTF??? 

And this was before I even knew the acronym wtf.

Sounded good to me, the dogs, we had two, would get all tangled up in the mouse wire because of course they had to be by our side at all times.

So I went to Circuit City. (there's a blast from the past)

It was only about twenty bucks so I bought one and brought it home. I let TJ install it because of course I had no clue how this thing was going to work.

Worked like a charm. It was amazing!!

All five of us in the house using a new computer with our fancy dancy wireless mouse. Look at us!! We were The Jetsons!!

Less than a year later it quit working, out of the blue. I was livid. I had spent $20.00 on this thing (which was a lot back then)

I was a receipt hoarder. Get audited by the IRS and you will be too. (story for another time)

I marched into Circuit City with our dead mouse with no tail and the receipt and went to the service desk. 

What is most embarrassing is that the woman who waited on me was probably fifteen years older than me. 

I presented my receipt and the piece of crap mouse to her. She asked what was wrong and I told her it had simply quit working after less than a year's usage. 

She asked me if I'd tried changing the batteries. My response was "It has batteries?"

I know at this point  you think I'm making this up and I kind of wish I was, but I'm not.

Here's the real zinger.

She was so kind, so southern, so sweet, but looked at me and simply said "Did you think it worked by magic?" 

OUCH...

I think about that woman every single time I change a battery.

Life is a lesson. Be open to one, or two or a hundred of them.

Live and learn.

COTTON 

Our Girl

 

She came crashing into our life weighing barely four pounds and two months early. I remember Tim telling me after waking up after the ambulance ride to the hospital that Dr. Moore said it was touch and go but besides the blood loss (mine and hers) everything should be okay...and (thankfully)was.

She turned into the cutest baby and toddler I've ever seen, right from the jump.

 I don't think she said more than ten words before she turned four.

Once she finally started talking, the Kelly in her took right over and she's been chatting ever since. And she's still a beauty, inside and out.

It's been a pleasure raising my "Best Friend Forever."

                    She is turning twenty nine. How on God's Green Earth did that happen so quickly?

She keeps me in line now. She corrects me (a lot) when I say something which isn't socially correct or accepted anymore. She rolls her eyes at me but that's okay, I did the same thing with my own mother.

She's literally dragging me down the cyber highway with all things technology related and I would be either hacked  (again) or completely lost without her eye rolling assistance. In other words, "I adore her."

               Almost thirty years with  her and I still love her more each and every single day. Her heart is deep and wide, and accepting.

I think every single person who knows her would absolutely agree with me. If Massey is on your team, she has your back, is going to show up every single time and be your biggest champion.

This wounded world would be a much better place with more people like Massey in it. I'm just fortunate enough to have her on my team by proxy.

This picture of Massey, my sister and me at the beach all those years ago reminds me every time I see it that women can move mountains too.

I Love You, Massey...and thanks for loving me.

Happy Birthday, Lil' Hurricane

I'm Pretty Much CLUE Less

 

Facebook, or as I've come to call it, Hatebook just isn't my cup of tea these days. Especially in a contentious election year. I prefer the ole TikTocker or Insta. Much easier to navigate the algorithms and only see what I want to see. My Hatebook is full of people I've known my whole life who have apparently lost their minds and sometimes seem almost delusional about certain topics. Sometimes it's better to keep things closer to your chest, especially politics and religion. I have said it many times, it's social media not social studies.

Anyhoo...

I used to really enjoy FB and will continue to post my dog vids and garden/food/craft finds and for now my blog posts. (until I figure out Substack) 

I came across this cool game on the ole TikTok and ordered it. Q-Less. It was less than $15 and right up my alley, a solitary game of Scrabble played with dice with letters printed on every side. I moronically thought the name was a play on the word Clueless.

It arrived and I was immediately obsessed. I got all fancy and used my Yahtzee cup to shake the dice up before I rolled them onto the table.

I literally played it non stop for about five days before I realized why it was called Q-Less. There's no Q on any of the dice.

DUH!! 

It made me feel better when my daughter (who I constantly ask for help from whether it be a game or computer issue) said when she went to bed the other night, she actually thought "What will happen if Mom rolls a Q without a U?"

Kudos to me, that was the night I finally figured out why it was called Q-Less. Let me add, I felt like a total dumb ass. (which doesn't require a Q or U)

You know, at this point in my life I'm just happy to wake up every day and feel extremely grateful when The Big Guy Upstairs lets me do it again the next morning. I'm not sure what's going on in the world, so many people I know dying so young.  So many people who are struggling to make ends meet. 

#beentheredonethat 

 

I was (absolutely) probably the ugliest baby my mother ever had. But they took me home from the hospital and gave me a more than spectacular early life and youth. Guess Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta didn't give refunds. Also I can't even believe they paid money for this picture.

I may be clueless but I get the drift. Be a good person.

It's been so much fun being back on my blog, which at this point in the technology world is probably an outdated way to navigate the cyber highway but one I feel most comfortable with...for now.

Here's my take away from life thus far, and I am sixty four, which is obviously the last leg of my race, any way you look at it. Do good things when you can. When you don't agree with other people, let it go. Left wing, right wing? It's still the same bird, but let's work together to make it fly.

I much prefer laughing over crying and have done both.

 

I didn't get much cuter as I grew up but my Momma sure knew how to sew a fancy shirt!

This ole woman will continue on  as long as she can. I don't want to live a long life, I want to live a wide one.

Peace Out and Be Happy... COTTON

It's Been a Minute

  It's been years since I've written a new post. Literally.

My daughter and my sister, and even my oldest son have all been hounding me about cranking up the ole Blogarooney again, so here we go!

I guess I quit blogging when COVID hit, or around that time. COVID was one of those life changing moments, like JFK being shot, MLK being shot, the Vietnam war, 911 and now the Pandemic.  Not a good track record for Mother Earth, but is what it is.

It was hard for me going from working full time to not working at all. Don't get me wrong, I was all for hanging up my serving tray, just had to get used to not having all the money I wanted, whenever I wanted, for whatever I wanted. I spent all my savings helping us to relocate to Orlando, moving is NOT cheap and saving has never been my forte'. Luckily for me it is Tims'. Being a server can get you really spoiled. If there is something you want or someplace you want to go, just pick up extra shifts until you have that money and if you are a good server it usually doesn't take long. On the upside I turned 62  shortly after the pandemic started to wind down and started drawing my Social Security in 2022. 

After being broke for an entire decade we were very conscientious about money and by the time we moved into our home here, we had it paid off in just over two years, had no credit cards, no debts and all our vehicles were paid off. We flipped our house back in Georgia and did a lot of the work ourselves. Not a whole bunch of fun but paid off handsomely in the long run. Sold the house when the seller market was on fire and with the help of a dear childhood friend who is a realtor, sold our old house in about a week if not less. They offered us 5k over our best offer, all cash, no inspection.

Karma is real.

So now we're sitting pretty with no mortgage and everything we need to be happy and then some. If you would have told me life would end up this way back in 2008, I would have laughed...after I quit crying about how in debt we were. But we had a village, we had family and we had friends, even strangers who helped us limp along and allowed us to eventually set the ship afloat again.

It was a pivotable  time in our lives which changed my perspective on everything...and I mean everything.

I've always tried to be someone who helps others, but when you end up being that person who needs help, it reinforces the Golden Rule.

 A little over six months ago I ran across a picture of this woman on a group page I joined years ago on FB. It was from the neighborhood where I grew up. It was brutally cold temps back in Georgia and neighbors were all worried about a woman who had been living under a bridge in their community for several years. People would stop by and check on her, take her some coffee, water or drop off some food. Ms. Cathy was her name.

Ironically enough a former elementary and high school classmate of mine was also searching for her sister at the same time, who fell off the grid after their mother's death eleven years ago. Someone contacted her and said they thought Ms. Cathy may be her long lost sister.

She was. My old friend found her sister under a bridge in our hometown of East Point. The temperatures were in the single digits, She was using a blue tarp as a blanket. 

It was a battle I felt compelled to join. Eleven years on the streets. Holy Guacamole. She doesn't weigh eighty five pounds soaking wet. East Point is literally ten minutes from the heart of downtown Atlanta. How she survived is still a mystery to me.

The wonderful people of East Point started a GoFundMe to get Cathy off the streets and into a warm motel room. That got expensive, and quick. I began sharing the story at least once a day and just like that, my village came back and helped out Cathy this time. Then others jumped on board, spread the word and literally came to her rescue. The hurdles, red tape and criteria for getting off the streets is absolutely useless to a homeless person with no support system or advocate fighting for them. Cathy's sister drove done from her home in Cleveland, Georgia every weekend when she was off work to check on Cathy and take her to file for food stamps, social security and bring her staples. She was staying in a not so desirable place but at least it had four walls, a roof and a door that sometimes locked. An efficiency lodge for $1350.00 a month. We were just spinning on a hamster wheel and bleeding the GFM dry.

Trial and error. Hear of possible subsidized housing only to be told it would take six months if not more to even apply. Finally, after pulling every string we could and reaching out to every person we knew on the city council and in the city administration we got a hit!! The downside was we were low on funds. My former classmate was hesitant about asking for more donations so I did it for her (with her permission) and in a not so quiet way.

We had a move in date! Brand new build for affordable housing for people fifty five and older. Mostly all females, which was good news as Cathy has suffered abuse several times over the years from men. Rent would be $939 a month and included all utilities. They had a gym, a garden terrace, an office center with computer access and her apartment had a washer/dryer hook up in her own laundry room!

They cancelled the move in date after several snafus and paperwork being submitted wrong (on their end). Then we got another move in date and a welcome letter telling her all about how to go about getting the key. Once again, red tape interfered and we were put on hold again. At the very last minute, literally the eleventh hour, we got the go ahead to move her in.

Our advocate from the city for East Point went to the efficiency lodge in her own car, picked Cathy up and took her to the new apartment building to sign the lease and get her key.

Now we're talking!!

Next was the big move in day. My sister, who is an Angel herself had contacted people in her church who donated furniture...tons of it. She also has a painting business and many of her clients offered furnishings as well. My brother donated an antique solid oak queen size bed with a new mattress and box springs and all the bedding. He even had it shipped from Orlando to Atlanta via the freight company he works for. I drove up from Orlando and spent the night before the move with my sister. Some wine was consumed and many laughs were had. The next morning we headed out early to pick up the rental truck. We were originally going to use her husband's truck and flatbed trailer but recently a woman who she painted for also offered us an almost new Speed Queen washer and dryer so we needed more room, plus rain was in the forecast. I put out a post asking for help with the move and of course one of my own village from years ago was the first (and only) to sign up. Our biggest problem was all this was basically orchestrated by several women, the youngest being me at sixty four and the oldest being in their mid seventies. Not exactly muscle material. My friend who signed up showed up that morning with his daughter, I'm guessing fourteen, and off we went! The UHaul got less than a mile down the road before the Low Oil Pressure and Stop Engine light came on. We had to put five quarts of oil in it to even show anything on the dip stick but at least we were back on the road. (an email has been sent to UHaul asking for a refund of $36.00 we spent on oil and a refund of the $15.00 insurance I signed up for in case of damage to the truck, since we did incur a problem but fixed it ourselves.)

Our last stop was for the furniture my brother had shipped up for us to his freight company's Atlanta terminal. The employees were so incredibly helpful and after learning about Ms. Cathy wished us well and said they were honored to help in some small way with her journey.

Arley Cuero, the operations manager who has so far twice battled and beat cancer is the one with the mask, along with the fork lift driver,  Claudio Paredes somehow someway made everything fit in an already jam packed truck. Yes, it takes a village. These Forward Air employees are both getting letters sent to their headquarters about their efforts helping us in Cathy's cause.

Once again, our village showed up.

I told my sister as we finally wound our way to Cathy's new apartment, that God had His hand in this journey today...no doubt.

A wonderful man from the Facebook group showed up to help us unload the truck. He didn't know any of us from Adam but simply said he just wanted to help Cathy.

I've never been so thrilled to see someone with side burns. He and my friend, Dean had everything unloaded and in her apartment in under thirty minutes. I carried a rug, and end table and held the door open several times.

We unloaded and had the truck back to UHaul ten minutes before the return time. This was three o'clock. I dropped off Dean and his daughter (who is amazing) and took my sister back to her house about twenty five minutes away. Loaded up my bag from her spare bedroom and hit the road for Orlando by four thirty. 

The drive from Atlanta to Orlando (MouseTown) is always brutal and often harrowing. My ride home was nothing but easy breezy the entire way. Not one traffic jam or slow down. No wrecks or crazy drivers encountered. I put it on cruise control and rolled into my driveway before eleven PM, and I stopped twice. I usually only stop once.

I think Ole Willie nailed this one on the head, because it has sure been truer than true for me. I was so exhausted that I slept until after noon the next day but thought it was about 9:30 when I woke up. It was a good tired though.

Imagine how Cathy felt waking up under a bridge for eleven years, with nowhere to go...for a bath, a meal or even to relieve herself. 

Of course this has taken a toll on her mental well being (I can't even imagine) but we will continue to assist her to get some help and counseling through local advocacy programs available. 

Cathy needs to realize she is worthy. She needs to realize she matters, she needs to realize we are all here for her, for the long run, no matter how long that may take. It's a lot for her to wrap her head around after eleven years on the lean mean streets.

In the words of Elton John "Someone saved my life tonight."

I really didn't do squat except do the fund raising asks. All my many friends and family and once again even strangers rallied to the call, just like they did for my own family over ten years ago. 

Cathy's sister said she was going to call me the "Facilitator."

I will wear that badge with honor. "You never know unless you ask and all they can say is No" is my mantra.

Say a prayer or just send up some good vibes for Cathy as she navigates going from being  a basically feral person to part of society again.

Because let me tell you a truer than true fact. There but by the Grace of God goes any one of us.

I even received another check for Cathy today, on my birthday in a note from a dear high school friend.

My faith in humanity has been bolstered by this journey and reinforced by the outcome and out pouring of love and compassion for a person in need.

I have decided to start writing and blogging again. Facebook helped me get the word out and help for Cathy, but I simply can't take the misinformation, divisiveness and derogatory comments and memes currently bombarding the site, especially concerning women, immigrants  and race. I liked FB because I am old and knew how to navigate it as compared to IG, Substack and the ole Tickity Tock.

The level of hate and division in this country and around the world is truly too much for me and literally has me in a psychological funk. Sometimes I find myself turning off the television at night (I rarely ever watch during the day) my cell or iPad and simply staring at a wall in the dark, hoping sleep takes over soon. 

Yes, I need to work on my own sanity sometimes and I am not ashamed to admit it.

 The thing I can't get out of my head is blatant misogyny, racism and non inclusion. Hello, United States, we are ALL immigrants unless you are a Native American. You know, the ones we raped, pillaged and shoved onto tiny reservations after we took their land and hauled in slaves to do our dirty work. Am I the only one who paid attention in US History in high school?

Anyhoo, I think my thoughts just aren't suited to the FB Nation anymore and not sure I want to be there anyway. It will take me a minute or two to figure out Substack or talk my daughter into doing a Podcast with me but I will bounce back here and let you all know where to find my written drivel.

Thank You one and all for helping Ms. Cathy. And Thank You for loving me. I love you right back!

Earth angels are real

My Earth Angels. They are so real and they are so spectacular.

 I am so thankful they continue and allow me to be their friend and witness their greatness, especially after all they have done for me and countless others. If the end of time comes and we all go at once, I'm hitching a ride Upstairs with them and hoping I get in the Pearly Gates by proxy.  

My retired life is amazingly enough filled with nothing but spare time, no rules or regulations or time clocks to punch.

Has it been a journey to get to this point? Absolutely.

Would I change that journey if I could? Absolutely not.

Not always, but generally what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

At least that's been my experience (thus far) and I'm sixty four.

Of course some people experience the Kennedy syndrome. Hit after hit and catastrophe, one after another. At least they had money.

 I tend to think about the millions upon millions upon millions who hit the skids, get a bum deal, make a bad decision, have a run of bad luck or get that dreaded medical diagnosis with no insurance or means to pay.

Anyone who follows me or knows me, knows what a hippie (peace, love and rock and roll) and total believer I am in coexistence and an equal playing field.

If some circumstance seems weird or wrong to you; maybe it's because you have never been in that person's situation or ever walked a mile in their shoes.

Why don't people think of life that way more often?

Or always?

I'm with the old hippy. (see above)

I have so much spare time that I totally took it upon myself to barge into another person's story and start steam rolling.

It took well over six months for me after getting involved, took  well over a decade and then some for her sister to even find her...but we got a homeless woman off the streets.

I cannot even fathom or begin to think what mental toll it has taken on Cathy to live on the streets and under bridges for eleven years. Especially as a woman who is tinier than me and has been abused by men. (and I ain't big)

But I can tell you this. 

She has a village now. And it is a village of warriors behind her, for what is right, and for what she deserves.

A home.

 I simply feel lucky that I am a good "Friend Picker."

On move in day we couldn't hook up the donated washer and dryer because we were missing the water hoses and the dryer needed a different cord. (three prong vs four prong)

Today one of my Earth Angels drove up from twenty five miles south to Cathy's new digs, bought and brought the new hoses and cords needed to hook up the washer and dryer so  Cathy doesn't have to wash her clothes in the wash tub anymore and hang them to air dry.

He (by himself) moved about almost a thousand pounds of furniture while about five of us old women cheered him on and held a hand truck for him from slipping. (Go Us) .

There have been so many others. It has been an abundance of blessings. Family, friends. Friends of friends and even strangers.

Look beyond your own self. Look beyond your own story.

It's called the Golden Rule for a reason.

I inserted myself into this story. I didn't do it for credit. I did it because it  felt like it was the right thing to do. And it was.

Lucky for me, my family and friends felt the same way...even people I didn't even know felt the same way too.

In this world of hate, in this country of division...we gotta move on. We have to do better.

Wouldn't you rather be a part of the solution than a part of the problem?

Peace out and Love each other... COTTON