Bragging Rights !!

Got an email today from my cousin in Rabun Gap , Georgia.

He is a retired dentist (YES, I actually have an intelligent lineage from which surprisingly I come).

He has a son and daughter that have always been extremely intelligent and real go getter's.

His grand kids have picked up where their parents left off.

One is the number one flautist in her age group in the country, the other is a rising vocalist that hopefully will send me free tickets to her Broadway debut.

Me, with my funny little self sent him back an email... after he brought me up to speed on his grand kid's latest and greatest accolades.

I informed him that my youngest son held the world record for the longest stint on a video game (nine hours...not to brag too much) and that my daughter was very popular in every class...especially her after school math tutoring (her FAVORITE social club).

My oldest son has postponed his college degree in his sophomore year to move to LA to pursue his dream of being either an actor or a model. (I wish he had a little more self esteem) JK !!

KIDS!!! What can you do but love them for who they are and pray every night that they FINALLY see the light?

I know that they are a product of having a mother that works too much and one that is WAY too easy on them. Hopefully what I instilled in them on the "fly by" will kick in one day. Don't get me wrong, they are GREAT kids...just not living up to their potential.

Sometimes... no...ALL the time, I think it is my fault they are so lackluster in their studies, and I am most probably right.

But I have a deep and sincere belief that ONE day...ONE DAY...they will wake up and not only realize, but use and put forth the potential that they all three have inside of them.

I truly believe in "KARMA".

My kids may be wearing me and my husband out now, but hopefully it is to make it all the sweeter when they realize what they can do with themselves, when they actually apply themselves and strive for a goal.

They are all three SO much smarter than me, I just haven't pushed them enough.

But when "Push comes to shove" I am sure that they will all at least land on their feet and not only make me proud, but themselves as well.

HEY!! At least they have some really smart cousins they can call on!!

JUST kidding.

My kids will be fine( I hope and pray)... they are just stumbling, not quiting.

I will be here every step and mis- step of the way.

When my cousin's grand daughter has an LA premier...We will all stay at TJ's mansion for free and it will all have come full circle...don't ya think?

Til next time...an optimistic COTTON

Kids Can knock Ya Down A Notch....

I went into work today at 10:00 AM.

Worked until 4:30 came home, went to Walmart to buy new rugs for my kids bathroom, a new weight scale (my oldest son took ours when he left).

I guess he wanted to see how much weight he lost when he left our house so as to have a barometer to measure when he actually "needed" to move back home or die of starvation.

I came back home, and my sixteen year old wanted me to take him to Blockbuster for a new video game.

Of course I complied, and on the way home, my thirteen year old daughter having arrived back at home after going to a lake house with her friend...who she brought back home with her for a sleep over called me.
They wanted me to stop at Wendy's for two burgers... two minutes later I got a text that they needed fries as well.

Of course I sucked up to all their wishes as they demanded.

My son , in the car with me said "She always wants something from you".

I reminded him that we were on the way home from Blockbuster.... a trip ONLY for him.

Once home the saga got even deeper. I changed the air filter in the attic for the furnace, folded the laundry, fed and watered the dogs and cleaned the bathrooms.

Once on my own time, I decided to light my tea light candles that I have burners for..I can select my own favorite scent, put them in the Yankee Candle burners and make my house smell cleaner than it actually is.

Not that my house is a pig sty... but with me working six days a week and having three big dogs... it is nice to have a clean scent wafting throughout the house.

My sixteen year old son seems to consider himself a "Scent" connoisseur. He hates some of the scents that I burn, so I asked him to smell the one that I had selected to help me feel relaxed. I thought that I had made a wise choice "Clean Cotton".

He sniffed the cube of wax that I was posing to put in a burner, and he told me that it smelled "pretty good"... in fact, it reminded him of the bathroom at the McDonalds... or maybe it was Wendy's?

What a blow !!!

Either they have stepped up their quality control immensely, or I am a pretty bad house keeper.

I know he meant it as a compliment, but it took me down several notches.

At least now I know what standards are expected of me at home by my kids...

If these are THEIR measures... I am so far ahead of the game that I may not vacuum or dust for two weeks...Hell, I might quit scrubbing toilets and doing the laundry too!

The next time they ask me for lunch money, I'll just ask "Do you want fries with that"?

Living the Dream...Even Though it Can Sometimes Be a Nightmare

I have been emailing my Mother's best friend for a few months on a semi regular basis.

My Mother died when I was seventeen...It still can devastate me at any given moment in my life...She was THAT great of a person.

Her best friend is another great person. (My Mom knew how to pick them). I know that I shouldn't capitalize the word "mother"...but in MY book, she is definitely an ALL CAPS TYPE OF WOMAN!!

After my Mother died in August of 1977, I fell into a fog that grew thick around me for about twenty years (at least it seemed that long).

But in December of that same year, my Mom's friend came to take me to see the "Nutcracker" at the fabulous FOX Theatre in Atlanta. It was a wonderful night and when taking me back home,we sat in her car for at least an hour talking, crying and hugging ....and most importantly leaving me with the feeling that my Mom had left me in quite capable hands.

We spoke rarely after that, only at get-togethers, weddings and unfortunately funerals.

Sometimes I felt jealous that this woman still had all three of her girls and a husband to boot. Why couldn't I be SO lucky?

In the past few months of emails and a marvelous visit to her house one Sunday, I realized what she had on what I considered her "Silver Platter." Her husband ...her sweetheart...her soul mate, was fading away from her...she had gone from girlfriend to wife to mother, a grand mother...and back to a mother. She is the primary care giver to her husband. He has suffered a heart attack, Diabetes, memory loss, and the ability to drive a car.

She coddles him and corrects him...she is the total reason that he can live in the comfort of their home and enjoy what little peace he can sometimes find and can always have at his disposal whenever it will come to his welcome mind.

Growing old isn't easy...I can attest to that fact only being in my late forties. But the total immense feeling of love and most definite admiration for this woman absolutely bowl me over.

She still looks amazing, dresses to the nines and has a better memory than mine (and I pride myself on my memory). She is as sharp as a tack...and has even let me call her "MOM" in my emails to her.

Maybe that is why God took my Mom so early...so I wouldn't have to watch any demise of the GRAND vision that I had of her. Maybe that is why God took my Dad so quickly...he knew that my Mother wasn't there to take care of him. Maybe that is why my Mother's best friend is here...fully aware, full of life...able to take care of her husband and to take care of me.

She has been handed quite a load and has handled it most magnificently. Her husband will most probably last many more years (If my prayers do ANY good)...but even if he doesn't...thanks to her it has been a dignified, happy and content life... and one that he wouldn't change one bit.

She is a saint in my eyes and a MOTHER in my heart. Like I said before...my Mom could "Pick"Em".

So I have lost both of my parents; that IS a tragedy... but this family is helping their Dad have the best love care and devotion that a family can provide. I can see the love in his eyes...I can see the ole "GLINT" in his eye when he talks to me.

What I will always see is a family that is more my own that they would probably like. They are my back up, they are my saving grace on this Earth.

The memories and recollections are too vast and numerous...they flood my mind like a a bitter sweet swollen river...let the waters of my time with them always wash over me like a cool refreshing memory of childhood and my lifetime of knowing and loving these special people in my life.

You never know what the next year may bring...advancement in technology, miraculous improvements or just the smiling face of GOD telling us it will be OK...or not.

But you know what? We will deal whatever hand we are dealt. Do we really have a choice?

This woman, this friend of mine...is an inspiration to me. She is up for the battle and she is there for the fight. I hope...no I KNOW , that her husband knows that he is the luckiest man on Earth. I feel fortunate to come in right behind him, his daughters and the grandkids. Right now it feels like one lucky place to be... IN HER HEART! My gracious thanks go out to her...and to my Mom for knowing where to leave me. Till next time....COTTON

The "Weaker" Sex ??? Are You Kidding?!!!

It's 8:00...just got dinner on the table. Thank goodness it is Spring Break for my kids. It just seems that sometimes life just falls apart at the seams at the most inopportune times. It may not seem like a big deal to anyone else...but I have a 15 year old "video" game freak. We bought him an X-BOX 360. I highly DO NOT recommend the purchase of one. We had to take it back after three days.. got a new one, brought it home; and now it has broken once again. Unbelievably, I still had my receipt, warranty , and even my canceled check. After standing in the line at the Walmart service counter, I was informed that I had to call the number on my warranty from Walmart. After calling them , I was told their warranty didn't start until my Microsoft warranty expired. After calling Microsoft... and having the delight of talking to "ACHMED" for several minutes... most of which were asking him to repeat himself in a language or dialect that I could understand; was told that I would have to send my game system back to Microsoft for repairs. THERE GOES SPRING BREAK FOR MY SON!!! It seems to me that Bill Gates has a heck of a lot more money than me, and should know better than to produce a shoddy product that will have mothers all over the world in my same position. And isn't he married? Does he NOT know what type of wrath a woman can spew on the nearest recipient or victim? I paid $485.00 for the system and "WARRANTY" (which is essentially useless for this Spring Break period) . I have to pack up this hunk of junk, mail it back, have them let ACHMED look at it, determine what is wrong, try to fix it, and ship it back to me. What in the heck was my warranty EVEN for?...FREE SHIPPING? I just feel as a consumer, that if I have all of my paper work in order, all of my receipts and a canceled check... BILL GATES owes not only me...but my son. I am so extremely ticked off at the system they are putting me through... jumping through hoops for the richest man on the planet, because I was stupid enough to buy a game system that is so obviously full of defects, that Ray Charles could have seen them. I had asked my husband to take the system back on Saturday, but he didn't have the "TIME." Well, I found the time... and found that it was the most unproductive two hours I have ever spent. I WILL NOT STOP AT THIS BLOG!!! I intend to pursue this to the bitter end. If my company gives out thousands of dollars to people JUST because their steaks aren't cooked right... I want more satisfaction than having to wait 4 to 6 weeks for a repair on an already faulty game system. If Microsoft thinks that women are the weaker sex... They have a HUGE shock coming. I feel like the guy in the movie NETWORK. " I am MAD AS HELL, AM I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE"!!! (HEY! It worked for him) . I don't know who designated women to be the "weaker" sex ... but obviously they were not of a right mind... or they were just a bully. I fight my battles like they were an ultimate fighting contest... and never think about the consequences, because I know that when I am RIGHT... you couldn't stop me with a bulldozer... "Just go ahead and TRY"!!! Weaker sex? PLEEAASEEEEE!!!!!!

"Robyn's" Little Eggs

If you read my blog, you know that my twelve year old daughter is running a babysitting enterprise out of my house. Two of our latest additions are Emma and Gracie, five and three..respectively. Although I think that Gracie, may in fact be a thirty year old woman reincarnated into the body of a three year old. Emma is as sensitive as Gracie is strong. They are two of the most well behaved, intelligent and respectful children that I have ever met. Their MOM is a single mom.... one of the toughest jobs on the planet, but one that she has mastered quite well and should be extremely proud of. These two girls are always clean, dressed to the nines, and happy EVERY time that I see them (KUDOS to you Mom... and I can say that with the experience of having raised three, and enjoying your two!) They never hesitate to tell you EXACTLY what is on their mind at any given moment, or telling you want they need most in that exact second of their little lives. In some ways I miss those times; in others, I am glad that I have lived through them. Girls are so totally different from boys...and I have two boys... that were later pestered with a sister. (THANK GOD IN HEAVEN). When you have boys, you just throw them into a room, give them some Legos or a controller to a video game, and tell them to call you when they are hungry. With girls... they HAVE to be in the middle of whatever you are doing, constantly wanting to help, assist or know "WHY"? are you doing "THAT"? It is like that they know one day they are going to have to do it all themselves, and if we could just give them a little "heads up"... they may end up with a few less gray hairs or frown lines than us... and may figure out some shortcut that us "OLE" farts forgot to tell them about. These two girls are "SO" on top of their game, so smart, cute and well raised... it is only a matter of time that they meet a man that is "DOOMED" to be a victim of their beauty and poise; and will begin his slippery slide down the slope that they couldn't claw their way out of with acrylic nails.They will just say "YES", they will nod blindly ; and they will be two of the luckiest men on the planet. It has been a sincere pleasure to meet these two little "WOMEN", and will be a "hoot" to one day meet the men that they will entrap so gracefully. I enjoy it every time I see them, and they are always so loving to me that I sometimes wonder if their mother pays them for their compliments to, and about me! Us women are a hearty stock of humanity... and "Robyn" has raised two of the best eggs in the nest! I wish that my daughter had a sister... (although that Christmas present that I gave my husband several years back...a vasectomy) HEY!!.. at least I paid the co pay, AND bought him a bag of frozen peas... probably struck that from life's agenda. I try to not only to be her mother, but her sister and her best friend. So far, it has worked out famously... my daughter is my saving salvation in a house of males that would die of starvation or stupidity without us. I say that last comment in jest (KINDA)... the more you do for them, the more they TOTALLY rely on you. So what I am living with is a product of my own over achievement as a wife and mother. I need to prepare her for her future though, because I don't see the women of the next generation (Gracie and Emma) doing what I have unfortunately done and created. If the men of the future knew what kind of strong willed, self sufficient women "Robyn" has STORMING towards them down the path of life... It would be a whole new ballgame... and one that I would want a "side line" seat for!! Till next time, unless my husband happens to read this post and throttles me...(then who would do the laundry, cook and clean?) ....GUESS I'LL STILL BE HERE!!!! COTTON .... P.S. I love my husband dearly, but men JUST do not know HOW MUCH women do, or how much would NOT get done without us. Sometimes that is all we want... JUST a THANK YOU!!