fortunate

Yesterday's 100 degree temperatures invited a ferocious lightening storm later that evening...  

It just so happened that Rissi was staying the night.    

At around nine o'clock the winds howled and lightening struck repeatedly here... then there... then everywhere.  

Trees bowed down, touching the ground...

"Grammy, I'm afraid.."  Rissi said.  She held my hand tightly and Gary gave her a flashlight to hold since the lights were off... then on... then off... then on.

I grabbed Gracie and put her harness and leash on...  Just in case we had to make a run for it.  I was going nowhere without my dog.  So there I was. ..  clutching my dogs leash tightly in my right hand and Rissi's hand held tight to my other one. 

Gary did what men do...  at least all the men I've ever known... he went out in the storm to see what was happening.

"Look at that!" He yelled.  I peeked out the window and the neighborhood was lit up like the fourth of July.  The sub station a few blocks away was hit and we could smell the smoke.

It looked like the end of the world.  Just like in the movies.  

Rissi and I started to pray.  

Then there was a calm...

The internet was down.  But our lights stayed on.  Many others lost electricity.  

Today we thought we'd go to a movie but the mall was closed.  

The traffic lights were down.

All stores were closed.

Tonight, many are still without electricity.   

It was a terrible storm!

And I feel badly for those who were affected by it..  

And fortunate that our home did not receive damage like so many of our surrounding neighbors.  And we have electricity.

Dear Diary,  What a nut house I live in.  Last night, instead of letting me hide under the bed from the booms and bangs, mom decided it was best to take me for a mock walk.  When she put the harness and leash on me I'm like...  "No way woman!  It's doing some crazy stuff out there."  so she just walked me through the house saying something about maybe putting us all in the bathtub since we don't have a basement.  What? No bath for me, thank you.  And I especially don't wish to take a bath with you and the cupcake. Oh.. and Then tonight she  and Dad took me in the Buick so we could drive around the neighborhood and see how many peoples had lights on.  Duh. Is that stupid or what?  Gracie.  

it's what we're up to

since my dear mom is being lazy engrossed in many other projects at this time and continues on her bloggy break, I thought I'd give you heads up on what she's really been up to. 

let's see.  she sprayed lysol on my pile of toys trying to kill the ugliest spider she'd ever seen, then screamed and sucked it up into the noisy animal thingy, then got all worried cause she couldn't find it's remains anywhere.  my problem? i think not.

she went crazy one day and brought home not one... not two... not three... but a half a dozen large carpet remnants and put them throughout the house.  dad says she has a carpet fetish.  i say...  i have a whole lotta new places to poop.  

and speaking of poop...  i've been pooping a lot lately.   the nag mom says she thought she heard someone talking today but nobody was in the room but me... then she came over and put her ear to my belly and said, gracie...  you have issues!!  really?  

she's threatened to bath me, but keeps putting it off.  what did i tell you? lazy, eh?  she says i'm getting groomed next week.  about time!  

mostly though, she's on the phone back and forth with my aunt, working on the book she's getting published soon, and laughing.  she's been laughing a lot lately.  i know.  some strange stuff going on here..    *insert twilight zone theme song here*  

weather here has been awesome. great. fantastic. perfect. gorgeous. to-die-for and we spend a lot of time outside on the swing, savoring each moment, according to mom.

 we are enjoying our summer.  how about you?

Taking a Break...

Taking a Break for a few weeks...  

I MISS YOU DAD!

 I was 15 and it was my first full time job, babysitting the neighbors kids.  Theirs was about 3 houses up the street from where we lived, but the houses were spaced pretty far  apart.  

When 11:30 PM rolled around, 

the little town of Eckhart was fast asleep... 

*yawn*

  ...Well, all except for the ghosts and goblins and resurrected bodies pulling clanging chains that followed me  while I dashed down Cemetery Road with haste 

to get home safely.  

One night I came out from my 8 hour shift, ready to beat the devil home, when I 'just happened' to run into Dad, who 'just happened' to be walking our German Shepherd, and he escorted me home.  

No ghosts or goblins were there that night and all I felt was calm and safe while we walked home and talked 

about our night.  

Dad must have sensed my pre-midnight fears of walking home alone, because he began showing up more and more at that exact same time.  

My gentle, quiet, hard working dad didn't need to say a word.  He didn't have to say he loved me.  

I already knew.

I MISS YOU DAD!

Vintage Bread Box

I love to linger at antique markets.  Sometimes I'll stumble on a thing that looks familiar... and a little girl emerges  recalling the way it was back then...

******

Six brown lunch bags lined the refrigerators top shelf and I searched for my name then hurried out the door, bag in hand. Sometimes the bus came early and I didn't want to miss it.  I could hear Mom yell at the others telling them they better hurry or they'd miss the bus.

I was hungry already, and couldn't wait to indulge in the tuna sandwich made with soft Stroehman's bread and the fresh chocolate chip cupcakes (two of them) waiting inside the bag.

Morning lasted forever, but finally we were lined up in the cloak room to wash our hands. There was a small basin in there, and hand soap in a dispenser just above.  

There was nothing that smelled sweeter than the clean smell of that hand soap.  It meant that lunchtime had arrived, and my growling stomach would be put to rest.

Summer Says

Pop-pop says I  have Grammy's legs.

That's why Grammy decided to start Weight Watchers again.

She said chubby legs look good on me, 

but when you get older  chubby legs are called fat legs.

If you say so Grammy...  

UNWANTED GUESTS

I do not remember inviting these unwanted guests.

Gary said I should vacuum them up and that will kill them.  I think he was just trying to get out of paying Terminix to take care of the problem.

One of my facebook friends asked me today, can't they get out of the vacuum cleaner?

I had to think about this.

Gary, can they get out?

He shrugged.

What!  You told me they'd die in there.

I hope they can't get out.


Dear Diary,   Every morning mom goes into the back room and turns on that miserable, big loud thing that sucks up my random dog food droppings off the floor, and she's back there with the door shut for a long time.  Today she came running out, yanking off her pajama bottoms, screaming something about having ants in her pants.  I'm still laughing... you gotta admit... that was funny.  Gracie.

LOL!!

Laughing Out Loud

Thank you all for your kind words and comments on my last post.  I truly have some of the most kind-hearted followers and friends that anyone could ever ask for.

We're doing okay.  I haven't been to any of your blogs lately because we've been kind of putting our lives back together and regrouping so-to speak.  I've missed you all and I will be back to visit very soon!

Justin is so excited about his new book.  It was his birthday June 7, so we got him a little cake.    He was banging away on his computer when we got to his apartment (marketing his book.)  Thank you all for the kind thoughts and words on that as well.  AND for those of you who purchased the book..  Bless your hearts!

Honestly...  you bring tears to my eyes.

Dear Diary,  I have to share this or I will burst.  Sometimes I am so entertained by Mom I can't contain myself.  Let me set the scene.  It was getting late and I was a little more tired than usual.  So I decided to head for bed early.  A little later I heard mom (from under the covers where I'd buried myself hoping to be left alone.)  'where's gracie?' she asked.  I could hear her scurrying back and forth through the house... sounding a little frantic if I must say so...  She was unable to find me.  She looked in the usual spots.  I was not under the bed.  My chair was empty.  Not in the back room.  Not here... nor there.  'I can't find her!' she said.  That's when  I could no longer hold back and I had to LOL!  When mom saw my laughing stub of a tail peeking from beneath the covers and moving wildly back and forth she started laughing too.   Gracie.

She's Gone

Remember my post from a few weeks ago, when Gary was reunited with his estranged daughter after one of the worst cases of parental alienation kept them apart for 6 years?

You might remember that 19 year old Athena was spending the summer with us?

Well...  let's see.  

She missed a lot in the past 6 years so there was 

some catching up to do.

The first week went well, 

and she met new family members.

I believe Rissi felt she knew Athena already from all of the old videos and pictures Pop-pop showed her.

They really hit it off.  

And father and daughter began to get to know 

one another again...  

But the past 6 years and the damage that was done somehow found it's way to the surface...  and we were forced to face some demons that had not yet been dealt with.

Then a change took place.  First she bleached her hair out.  Then she colored it bright pink.  The next morning she left a note... and she was gone.

She seemed to be in constant contact with her mom...  so I'm assuming that's where she went...  back home.  

Gary was devastated.  

He had anticipated an entire summer of making up

 for lost time.

And watching their garden grow...

Cupcakes, Cookies and Growing Up

She was my first grand-angel.  

I tell her she'll always be special to me.

 Every couple of Fridays, it's her turn to spend the night.

She'll ask her Mommy, "Is it Friday yet?"

She still jumps up into my lap and asks me

 to sing to her or tell her a story.  

Friday was her last day of pre-k and next year will be kindergarten.  I get teary eyed when I think of how she's growing and I just want to hold her in my arms and 

keep her this little forever!

Dear Diary,  The Cupcake doesn't share cookies with me like she used to...  ever since the nag mom convinced her that too many cookies would be bad for me. She's such a rule follower.  Lucky for me she doesn't always wipe her mouth after she eats.  This dog will get cookies one way or another.  Gracie.