The Count Down

This is one of my all time favorite pics of Massey. My sister took it when Massey was about four.




Hard to believe she is graduating college a week from tomorrow.

                       She's our only daughter and one of the best friends I've ever made or had.

She's exuberant to the point of exhaustion. The kid never quits. She's determined to change the world.

                                 
                                                    My money's on her doing exactly that!



When Tim and I hit the skids after our twenty year run of constant advancement, she was in high school and all too aware of what had happened.

It was a double edged sword and in hindsight, was the greatest lesson we could could ever teach her.

I wouldn't change the past or what happened to us, even if I could. It is what defines us.

Our oldest went to Georgia State University for a year after graduating high school, then took a year off to make some easy money. He never went back, but has succeeded tremendously after a bit of waffling and doing absolutely great financially.

Our younger son and middle child, Zach never even  wanted to go to high school much less college...although is of the smartest (albeit stubborn) people you'll ever meet.

            I say kudos to him for not wasting money on something you have no interest in doing.


He floundered like a fish on the dock for far too long but after learning the hard way, has made it on his own back in Georgia without us for over a year now. He's doing what he wants to do...cook. He's currently the Sous Chef at a new up and coming  high end restaurant back home where we lived.

                                     Three kids, three different stories. Three different lives.
                         
                                       Who can choose a better life for yourself than you?







Massey has always been driven to get a college degree. She quit all extra curricular activities before her junior year in high school and brought her GPA up to Honor Student status.



We supported her every step of the way, even when we couldn't. I'll never forget that day we helped move her into her freshman dorm. Her room mates' parents were there as well, hauling in a flat screen TV, microwave, little fridge, WiFi router and every other single thing a girl could dream of to have in her first dorm room.


I brought a tunnel fan I'd bought at Walmart a couple of years back. I was totally embarrassed. Kudos to her room mates' parents, who acted like I'd brought a Tesla for them both to drive around campus.

 My brother has been more than instrumental for Massey getting her degree. When Tim and I didn't qualify to help her get a loan, he stepped up to the plate...and has again and again for the past few years.

        My family loves me, with all my many faults. Lucky for me, they also love my daughter.



She's finished her degree here in Orlando on line from Georgia and this next Saturday we will have our very first college graduate.

We're all going back (including my brother) to see her walk with her class at graduation. TJ and his lil' fam are coming from North Carolina. Our Lost Boy, Zach will be there too and having a graduation party at my sisters'.



It's been a tough decade for us, but feels so wonderful for us all to  have survived, flourished and carried on.


My girl. Our girl.


She's got a way about her.

"Dear Massey,

This is your Momma writing to you via the web. Your dad and I are both so proud of you, along with your two brothers and countless family members.

If there is anyone in this world destined to make a difference, it's you.
Go kick life out of the park.

Thank you for loving me with all my faults and thank you for being You."

                                                       You'll aways be my bestie.



Til Next Time..COTTON

Yep, It's LABOR Day Weekend

What a weekend so far. I went into work this morning at eleven for a brunch shift and clocked out around six tonight. I'm not complaining, I mean it in a good way. Came home changed clothes, went to the front of the subdivision and finished the weed eating. Came back home changed clothes again and took Massey to get  a rain jacket. She walks to class every day at Georgia State and the last one I bought her was in elementary school. Swung by Kroger for my daily visit and came home and cooked dinner, if  you  call frying hot dogs in a pan dinner. At least we had chips too.

Between loading mattresses, slinging plates and running a weed eater, this little body is just about worn out. It beats the alternative though, sitting at  home with nothing to do or no job.

Massey leaves tomorrow to go back to school but between yard work and real work got to spend some nice quality time together. She is loving university life and I am loving HER loving university life. Working at  the restaurant again tomorrow and praying for rain. Cancelled cookouts mean going out to eat instead.

Took Ziggy on a walk a few minutes ago. I walked into  two different spider webs and they freaked me out. I hate that feeling...is the spider on me?  Ziggy didn't answer me but at least he  took a dump.

Tim and Massey  got all the laundry caught up this weekend, all the yards are cut and I'm tumbling into bed after eating one more hot dog.

Tuesday I start my second week at the mattress store. Last Thursday was hotter than blue blazes in there and pretty slow...  first  time they had been open on a Thursday. At  the furniture store I had all kind of recliners, sofas and loveseats  to choose from  to sit and read when business was slow.  Now I have a desk chair and a room full of  beds. I helped load up a queen size mattress and two box springs out the door and came back into  the sauna.  My back was killing me so marched my little self over to a thousand dollar memory  foam mattress by  the open front door, put a box fan on the dresser beside the bed and opened my book. It felt wonderful and  highly recommend the "Opulence" memory  foam king size mattress. It felt so wonderful  and I was so stinking tired. My last day off had been when we moved Massey into her fifth floor dorm room on a hot sweltering Atlanta day, so it wasn't  really even a day off. Closed my eyes and promised myself I would just rest my eyes for one minute. I jolted awake when I heard a man cough. He was just walking past me when patting on  the bed next  to me  said "Try this one out, it's awesome!"

Note to self: Never lay down on the Opulence mattress again with a book.

He ended up spending thirty minutes in the store with me and even worked him up a quote for a queen size mattress and box springs.

Crisis diverted and lesson learned.

I went in the back room and found  small pillow to put under my butt while I sat upright in my office chair.

I have the best of both worlds. I love working at  the restaurant and the peeps I work for. I love having three days of down time and utilizing my selling skills in a different way. It's made my life much more bearable  and feel much more rested.

So if you  ever want the best food south of Atlanta or a good deal on a mattress or bedroom suit, come see me...I promise not to be snoozing!

Til next  time...COTTON

Absolutely Amazing Day!

Was scheduled to work a double shift today. I gave up my lunch shift because my former college room mate's son was graduating in a neighboring county about a hour away. This is the first year we haven't received an invitation from any one from ECHS (my kid's school) so I decided to go and surprise my college "Roomie" by  actually showing up at her son's ceremony. We had gotten the invitation a few weeks ago and having already had two graduate know that most invitations simply mean "Put a check in the mail, please."

Number one: No one wants one of MY checks.
Number two: I had the day shift off and Massey has come to love my college roomie via Facebook and wanted to meet her. Massey met her once a number of years back when at the insane age of 47 my dear college roomie got preggers again when her Marine husband was home from deployment. So she has a senior graduating from high school today and a daughter who just graduated from what we in the south call "Kinnygart'n."

The graduation started at ten this morning so I told Massey we needed to leave before 8:30 AM. She woke me up at 7:45 and even brought me a glass of my daily needed Nestle Quik...with the spoon still in it so I can make it nice and frothy before I down it in one long gulp.  I had worked a double shift on Friday and even though the night shift was slow and I got home by 8:30 I started thinking about all the families on our street who had kids graduating and most probably having parties so I wanted the front entrance to the subdivision to look nice. I wasn't due to cut it til June but I had cut it on Thursday but didn't have time to weed eat. Friday night I pulled into the garage after work, changed into my Daisy Dukes and tank top and went up to the front to weed eat  the culverts on either side.  By  the time I got through I was using the headlights of cars whizzing by to finish my work but at least it looked better.

I woke up sore...cutting grass doesn't bother me but my  buddy Mr. Weed Eater wears this Lil ole gal out! I just wanted thirty more minutes flat on my back.

I started thinking about the march into the stadium, the national anthem and even the opening remarks. I told Massey, "Let's leave at  nine." At nine she came in dressed and ready to go. I had made  progress...flipping over to my other side and decided since my roomie's son wasn't a Valedictorian we could probably skip that speech too. Massey was livid!

At nine thirty I dragged out of bed and washed my face, brushed my teeth and we were out the door ten minutes before the graduation started... a hour away. It's a nice drive over to Paulding county from where we live, thanks to a co worker of mine who lives there. We took long winding back roads through the country side and got to the high school around 10:45. The streets were packed with cars but since we were over a hour late,  some people were already giving in to the heat  obviously having grad's last name starting with "A' or "B" and were making their escape from the ninety degree heat.

We slipped my little Beemer into a spot inside the stadium parking lot and only had a four minute walk to the stands. Two stands full of people...how are we supposed to find my roomie now?

We heard them call a name as grads crossed the stage...they were only on the "D" names. My roomie's last name starts with a "K."

I looked at Massey and although I shouldn't have... said "Can your momma  make some sh*t happen or what?" She smiled at me and replied "You're pretty good."

We walked around the back of the stands to where the stage was and waited for my friend's son to be called to receive his diploma. Massey has never met him but  immediately picked him out of the crowd of lined up grads approaching the stage (and she calls ME a creeper!)

As he crossed the stage and his name was called a man in front of us yelled and threw up his hands, all the while snapping pictures of Avery King.

Like the creepers we (both) are we followed him. I tapped him on the shoulder and asked how he knew Avery? He said he was his uncle and after introducing myself he led us back to where my roomie was sitting with her Marine husband.

As we approached her, she stared at me for a good ten seconds...we haven't seen each  other in five years and I have lost over fifteen pounds. I remarked "Did you  cry when they called your boy's name?"

Just like that the friendship was solid again. She said "No, but I'm gonna cry NOW!"

Hugs all around..I saw her dad, "Jimbo" who I haven't seen since 1982, her brother and sister and all their kids. I introduced Massey and Kim (my former roomie) and they hugged as Kim told her friends in the stands "This is my college roomie and her daughter...I'm FB friends with Massey!"

It was a great feeling. And in traditional Cotton fashion I handed Kim twenty five bucks and said to  give it to Avery. No card , no note.."YEP...it's  from a COTTON"
The heat was appalling and after many hugs and kisses my job was done.

Make someone know  they are important to you and  mean something in your life.

We left ...with a good feeling of a job plan well thrown together.  Got back into my Lil Beemer putting the top down and went to visit the pups my friend from work has that I desperately want one of. Played with the pups and sadly headed back home without one. Don't worry...I'll be back!

Stopped for a burger, went home and resumed the position for thirty minutes. Flat on my back as to not muss my hair. My oldest son had stopped by  for a visit, much to Massey's delight.

After a not too gentle shove out of the nest when we were at our lowest and could barely afford to feed ourselves, he has landed on his feet and seems to be doing really well. He has a new job and is going back to school in January.

I left to go to work and had an awesome shift. I had a party of five that asked for me and tipped me thirty bucks, a table of ten that tipped me thirty more and a couple more tables that put me near to walking out with a "Ben."

In walked Massey with her oldest brother and they sat at one of my tables. Not many people I work with have met TJ but they were all looking at him and wondering why I let my sixteen year old daughter go out with a handsome 26 year old?  They ate dinner and TJ said he was taking Massey to see The Avengers. I wanted to pay for their meal but knew Verizon and the gas tank of my car were looking  to be paid too. TJ paid the bill and I told him NOT to tip me. I gave Massey a ten for her movie ticket and kissed them both goodbye.

I haven't seen TJ in over a month but we keep in touch via FB and texting and phone calls. I went to clear their table.  He had left me a $100.00 tip and a note that read "Happy Mother's Day."

The owner was in his office doing paperwork and I stuck my head in and showed him the charge slip. He asked who left me  that and I said my oldest son did,  but I didn't know if I should enter it into the credit card machine. His reply was "Hell yeah, I wish one of my kids would start paying ME back."

You know, just when you think you have failed somewhat as a parent...they kick into gear and reaffirm your faith as a good parent.

Last week Zach had a hour long talk with me after he got home from work. Seems he had an Epiphany and told me he was going to start giving us $100.00 a month to help out and that he deeply regretted screwing up not only his own life but inadvertantly ours as well and gave me a hundred dollar bill. It was a good talk. It was one that makes it all worth while, even with the screw ups.

So I had me an AWESOME DAY! I got to see my old college room mate and make her smile...which made me smile too.  I got to meet a pack of the cutest boxer pups I have ever had the pleasure of having my arms chewed up by with their needle sharp teeth and paws and even got to spend some time with my oldest and realize once again..."I didn't do too bad as a momma."

So  what my Mother's Day sucked working ten hours straight...THIS was my Mother's Day and it was freaking fantabulous!

One of my favorite people from the Western Sizzler that fired me... a cook who actually gave me the free dessert for Massey which gave "Them" the go ahead to fire me for theft has recently joined Facebook and  discovered my blog. He has been writing me and saying that he laughs so hard he has a six pack... and has cried as well. This was his last post to me:

"Stomach is getting stronger and stronger.  Think I will start boxing or ultimate fighting .
Don't know what to do about the chin quivering and weeping  (Acting?) No, don't look good enough for that.
I'll just go hug my girls till their small faces turn red from the squeezing. " No daddy is not crying"
I'll chase my wife.
I'll be a little more humble and thankful. I will learn a little more , pay more respect to my own personal truths with my family.
Read some more , and pray even more!"  Dean

This is why I started this blog.


Til next time...COTTON