Now that I'm reconnecting with many of my former classmates via Facebook, I'm finding one common thread. Most of us like to talk about our grandchildren. Before I joined this most elite group I had been told by friends who had already attained this status that I was in for the time of my life. Boy, were they ever right on! Are you aware that there is so much emphasis on grandparents nowadays that they've even created the holiday "Grandparent's Day" to celebrate this most elite group of people? Okay, let's get real.....we know it was a ploy of Hallmark to sell more cards, but now that I am one....I'm going to celebrate it!
I can't help but think of my own grandparents and what wonderful memories I have of the time I got to spend with them. I remember as a child how I dreaded going to visit my daddy's parents who lived "way out in the country." We had to travel over those rickety old bridges that looked as though they were going to cave in the minute your vehicle crossed over that first board. Once we were there, I started looking forward to lunch or dinner as they called the noon meal. Since the men got to eat first, then the women, and finally the children, you were lucky if you got one of the homemade biscuits. Even cold, they were worth the wait. I've never quite understood why the men ate first even though I was told it had something to do with the fact that they had to work out in the tobacco field. Can you imagine these days making the children wait 'til everyone else had finished? I learned to love vegetables there, but who wouldn't? They put sugar in the beans, etc. It was like eating candy. Now, could it be that somehow that had something to do with the fact that my daddy's entire family was not only obese, but all of them developed diabetes and heart disease?
Another novelty for me on those trips was drinking well water from a dipper. Of course, at that age I didn't think about all the germs we were sharing. I do recall not drinking too much because that would certainly mean a trip to the outhouse, and being a city girl that was not something I enjoyed. I not only learned very early in life that the Sears catalog had other purposes than just an order book, but also that wasps like to make their nests right under the seat....OUCH!!!
My "Granny," with whom I share some physical features, lived with my aunt in the city so I got to see her a little more often. I remember watching her read her Bible with a magnifying glass because her eyesight was so poor. Granny was one of those people that if you knew her, you loved her.
I suppose most all of us have unique recollections of our grandparents, but now we're the ones living the stories that our grandchildren will tell someday. I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with my grandchildren, Luke and Lauren. Someday Lauren will tell her children about singing songs with Nana, Pop pulling her up the street in the wagon, hours of making things out of play dough, even more hours playing school, and all those books we read and movies we watched at bedtime when she would spend the night. Luke will have his own memories of countless puzzles, building things out of Lincoln logs, playing ball outside, and winning at air hockey. And yes, he'd better win. He has the most competitive nature; where do you suppose he got that? Hmmm....I'm not telling.
Although I find it most difficult to put into words what being a grandparent is like, I feel privileged to have that title. So, when the first Sunday after Labor Day rolls around and Hallmark reminds us that it's Grandparent's Day, I'll not only be remembering my grandparents, but I'll also be celebrating the fact that I am so blessed to be one.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
My Favorite Teachers
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have enjoyed Facebook for several reasons. One of the benefits of Facebook is seeing pictures of friends with whom you went to school. Some classes are even using Facebook as a tool for locating classmates for reunions. As I look at some of the pictures people have posted of my classes, especially my first grade class, my thoughts turned to some of the teachers who had such an impact on my life. I started out by brilliantly skipping kindergarten and going straight to the first grade. My first teacher, Mrs. Fowlkes, was just about the sweetest person ever known, but she did seem rather old. Now, she probably wasn't, but I was only six so most everyone seemed old to me.
Naturally, I gathered from my first grade experience that all teachers would be sweet and nice. Then came the second grade and well, I suppose that teacher should remain nameless. I remember vividly the day we came in from recess (now, that's a word from the past, but play period didn't seem to be the right word either) and before we got seated in our assigned seats, our teacher informed us that she had a surprise for us. She told all the boys that she wanted them to line up in front of the class. At this point she proceeded to paddle each boy in that line. I don't remember what terrible sin they must have committed, but I thought the girls might be next. She did paddle two girls during that year as I recall, and no, I wasn't one of them. I was very much the sweet innocent little girl back then....excuse me, did I hear someone clearing their throat? One of those unfortunate girls is a dear friend and I imagine she remembers that day quite well. By the way as far as we knew, that teacher ended her career with our class....and I don't think it was her choice.
After suffering through that most traumatic year, I was relieved when I started the third year with a teacher whose name was Barbara Williams. Of course, I thought she had the most beautiful first name and since my boyfriend's last name was Williams I figured this must be some sort of omen, although I didn't have a clue what an omen was, but it did seem to be fate for me to have this teacher. Even more special than her name was the fact that she really must have liked me. During rest period (nap time) she would give me money, then send me across the street to the little family-owned candy shop to buy her some homemade candy. I was always rewarded for my efforts with a piece of stick candy.
Fourth grade proved to be another banner year. My teacher was Pat Randolph. Not only was she young and pretty, she was a tremendous teacher. I was also fortunate to have Ms. Randolph later on as my Girl Scout leader. I feel for anyone who didn't have the opportunity to be in one of her classes; she was truly amazing and I understand is still among the favorites of so many who were blessed to have her as their teacher.
Junior High brought only one favorite teacher who was Mary Louise Arnold...my PE teacher. She too was young and probably right out of college. I don't think she cared much for discipline although she did threaten it on occasions. I liked to push her buttons just to see how far I could go before being punished. I think I presented quite a challenge for her.
High School was the time when most of my interests involved band and band trips. I liked to sit in study hall and read medical books about surgeries, etc., but other than that I wasn't too interested in History and the other subjects. My parents placed practically no emphasis on grades as long as I passed so I lived up to their expectations and PASSED! I guess that's why when I went back to college I felt it very important to have a 4.0 average. I needed to prove that I was smart enough if I just applied myself. But, I digress....back to high school....I had two teachers who made quite an impression on my life. Margaret Shelton taught me how to type, and as much as I hated those horrible timed tests, I am a pretty good typist to this day because of them.....you're looking for the errors now, aren't you? Edyth Worthy was my PE teacher and there aren't enough adjectives in the English language to describe her dedication to her profession and her students. She was indeed one of a kind.
So, to all of you teachers both past and present, I salute you! Thank you for your devotion and commitment to molding the lives of so many students.
Naturally, I gathered from my first grade experience that all teachers would be sweet and nice. Then came the second grade and well, I suppose that teacher should remain nameless. I remember vividly the day we came in from recess (now, that's a word from the past, but play period didn't seem to be the right word either) and before we got seated in our assigned seats, our teacher informed us that she had a surprise for us. She told all the boys that she wanted them to line up in front of the class. At this point she proceeded to paddle each boy in that line. I don't remember what terrible sin they must have committed, but I thought the girls might be next. She did paddle two girls during that year as I recall, and no, I wasn't one of them. I was very much the sweet innocent little girl back then....excuse me, did I hear someone clearing their throat? One of those unfortunate girls is a dear friend and I imagine she remembers that day quite well. By the way as far as we knew, that teacher ended her career with our class....and I don't think it was her choice.
After suffering through that most traumatic year, I was relieved when I started the third year with a teacher whose name was Barbara Williams. Of course, I thought she had the most beautiful first name and since my boyfriend's last name was Williams I figured this must be some sort of omen, although I didn't have a clue what an omen was, but it did seem to be fate for me to have this teacher. Even more special than her name was the fact that she really must have liked me. During rest period (nap time) she would give me money, then send me across the street to the little family-owned candy shop to buy her some homemade candy. I was always rewarded for my efforts with a piece of stick candy.
Fourth grade proved to be another banner year. My teacher was Pat Randolph. Not only was she young and pretty, she was a tremendous teacher. I was also fortunate to have Ms. Randolph later on as my Girl Scout leader. I feel for anyone who didn't have the opportunity to be in one of her classes; she was truly amazing and I understand is still among the favorites of so many who were blessed to have her as their teacher.
Junior High brought only one favorite teacher who was Mary Louise Arnold...my PE teacher. She too was young and probably right out of college. I don't think she cared much for discipline although she did threaten it on occasions. I liked to push her buttons just to see how far I could go before being punished. I think I presented quite a challenge for her.
High School was the time when most of my interests involved band and band trips. I liked to sit in study hall and read medical books about surgeries, etc., but other than that I wasn't too interested in History and the other subjects. My parents placed practically no emphasis on grades as long as I passed so I lived up to their expectations and PASSED! I guess that's why when I went back to college I felt it very important to have a 4.0 average. I needed to prove that I was smart enough if I just applied myself. But, I digress....back to high school....I had two teachers who made quite an impression on my life. Margaret Shelton taught me how to type, and as much as I hated those horrible timed tests, I am a pretty good typist to this day because of them.....you're looking for the errors now, aren't you? Edyth Worthy was my PE teacher and there aren't enough adjectives in the English language to describe her dedication to her profession and her students. She was indeed one of a kind.
So, to all of you teachers both past and present, I salute you! Thank you for your devotion and commitment to molding the lives of so many students.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
25 Random Things About Me
This was originally posted as a note on Facebook in January, 2009. Thought it needed to be on my Blog. It gives a little more insight into who I am.
1. I have been married 43 years to the most wonderful husband in the world. We dated for three months, got engaged and got married three months later.
2. I have a beautiful daughter named Kim who outside of her three rather major wrecks never gave us cause to worry.
3. I have a son-in-law named Richie who is a wonderful husband to my daughter and a great father to my grandchildren.
4. I have the most brilliant, beautiful, and talented grandchildren in the world, Lauren who is 12 and Luke who is 9.
5. I love singing with my daughter, but we're pretty traditional so we don't get the opportunity to sing together much anymore.
6. I've had some interesting jobs including positions with Nintendo, Hersheys, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
7. I have been on the opposite side of the country.....Pattaya, Thailand.
8. I was once kissed by Duncan Renaldo, who was better known as The Cisco Kid.
9. I had to be on crutches for the first time in my life at age 60....not fun!
10. I loved playing softball, but played so hard that I was a frequent ER visitor. And, I still have a dent in my shin put there by Ann Pollard when she hit a line drive that found its way to my leg. And, it found it in a hurry. That was one of my visits to the ER.....thought my leg was broken.
11. I love to read, but don't care much for fiction.
12. I can't sew a lick.
13. I am blessed with wonderful friends.
14. I have an "older" sister (she hates for me to say that) and a younger brother.
15. When it comes to driving, I tend to have a lead foot, but only one speeding ticket in my life. And I'm not a very patient driver.
16. I once punched a very tall man in the kidney at Disney World.
17. As a child, I set a whole lot of yards on fire when I walked to the store carrying some new sparklers....guess it was the dry season. When I was on my way home, people were out in their yards wondering how the fires started.
18. My mother died when I was a year old so I never knew her, but her pictures were beautiful. And, it would appear I may have some of her personality.
19. Growing up I spent every weekend with my mother's first cousin and she was a very important part of my life along with her daughter Joan.
20. My favorite vacation spots are Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Disney World.
21. My favorite movie is The Sound of Music. I saw it 17 times while it was still in the theaters. Every time I had a new date I told him I had heard it was good so we went to see it. Kim and I can pretty much quote the whole movie verbatim.
22. I love to dance, but don't tell anyone 'cause I'm Baptist, you know.
23. I love public speaking....go figure!
24. I played clarinet in the band.
25. My best friend calls me "Doody" which is short for Doodyhead.
1. I have been married 43 years to the most wonderful husband in the world. We dated for three months, got engaged and got married three months later.
2. I have a beautiful daughter named Kim who outside of her three rather major wrecks never gave us cause to worry.
3. I have a son-in-law named Richie who is a wonderful husband to my daughter and a great father to my grandchildren.
4. I have the most brilliant, beautiful, and talented grandchildren in the world, Lauren who is 12 and Luke who is 9.
5. I love singing with my daughter, but we're pretty traditional so we don't get the opportunity to sing together much anymore.
6. I've had some interesting jobs including positions with Nintendo, Hersheys, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
7. I have been on the opposite side of the country.....Pattaya, Thailand.
8. I was once kissed by Duncan Renaldo, who was better known as The Cisco Kid.
9. I had to be on crutches for the first time in my life at age 60....not fun!
10. I loved playing softball, but played so hard that I was a frequent ER visitor. And, I still have a dent in my shin put there by Ann Pollard when she hit a line drive that found its way to my leg. And, it found it in a hurry. That was one of my visits to the ER.....thought my leg was broken.
11. I love to read, but don't care much for fiction.
12. I can't sew a lick.
13. I am blessed with wonderful friends.
14. I have an "older" sister (she hates for me to say that) and a younger brother.
15. When it comes to driving, I tend to have a lead foot, but only one speeding ticket in my life. And I'm not a very patient driver.
16. I once punched a very tall man in the kidney at Disney World.
17. As a child, I set a whole lot of yards on fire when I walked to the store carrying some new sparklers....guess it was the dry season. When I was on my way home, people were out in their yards wondering how the fires started.
18. My mother died when I was a year old so I never knew her, but her pictures were beautiful. And, it would appear I may have some of her personality.
19. Growing up I spent every weekend with my mother's first cousin and she was a very important part of my life along with her daughter Joan.
20. My favorite vacation spots are Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Disney World.
21. My favorite movie is The Sound of Music. I saw it 17 times while it was still in the theaters. Every time I had a new date I told him I had heard it was good so we went to see it. Kim and I can pretty much quote the whole movie verbatim.
22. I love to dance, but don't tell anyone 'cause I'm Baptist, you know.
23. I love public speaking....go figure!
24. I played clarinet in the band.
25. My best friend calls me "Doody" which is short for Doodyhead.
Daylight Saving Time
You know someone is going to write about it so it might as well be me. In doing my research to find out more about this subject I read an interesting quote, and I wish I knew who wrote it, but I don't. They said, "Just as sunflowers turn their heads to catch every sunbeam, so too have we discovered a simple way to get more from our sun." I thought that was a pretty interesting observation by someone, and since my friend loves sunflowers I wanted to include it.
How many of you have already thought I misspelled the second word? Ever since we've known anything about this horrible day in which we lose time, I have called it Daylight Savings Time, which I recently learned is incorrect. There is no "s" on Saving. It is a verbal adjective (participle) which actually modifies time. So, what we are trying to say in using this term is that we are saving time, which is totally ridiculous. How do you save time when you lose it? What we are doing is adjusting time or as some would say shifting it. Many have said it makes more sense to say we're shifting time from morning to afternoon, so why not call it Daylight Shifting Time? We could use the same initials DST, therefore being more correct in what we're actually doing.
So, who came up with this brilliant idea to mess around with our daylight time? There's all kinds of history on the subject, but frankly, I never did care much for history so I don't intend to read it. I do know that Ben Franklin's name is thrown around as having been the one who originally conceived the idea to "save time." Good 'ole Ben had some great ideas throughout his lifetime, but I'm not so sure this was one of them. I mean, really now, does anyone like losing a precious hour, and usually an hour that is used for rest or sleep?
And, don't we like to blame the addition of Daylight Saving Time on everything that happens from now 'til we change back in the Fall? Tomorrow when I'm at work and I yawn for whatever reason, I can assure you I'll blame it on DST. When I'm tired at the end of the day, I'll again blame it on losing that one hour. If I eat a larger than normal lunch tomorrow, of course I'll say it's because of DST. Get the picture........no matter what you do or don't do for weeks to come, we can blame it all on losing that hour one Saturday night in March.
So, whatever comes up tomorrow or the days following that appear a little out of the norm, be sure and blame it on DST; I certainly plan on doing just that. Whew, I am so sleepy right now....must be that lost hour!
How many of you have already thought I misspelled the second word? Ever since we've known anything about this horrible day in which we lose time, I have called it Daylight Savings Time, which I recently learned is incorrect. There is no "s" on Saving. It is a verbal adjective (participle) which actually modifies time. So, what we are trying to say in using this term is that we are saving time, which is totally ridiculous. How do you save time when you lose it? What we are doing is adjusting time or as some would say shifting it. Many have said it makes more sense to say we're shifting time from morning to afternoon, so why not call it Daylight Shifting Time? We could use the same initials DST, therefore being more correct in what we're actually doing.
So, who came up with this brilliant idea to mess around with our daylight time? There's all kinds of history on the subject, but frankly, I never did care much for history so I don't intend to read it. I do know that Ben Franklin's name is thrown around as having been the one who originally conceived the idea to "save time." Good 'ole Ben had some great ideas throughout his lifetime, but I'm not so sure this was one of them. I mean, really now, does anyone like losing a precious hour, and usually an hour that is used for rest or sleep?
And, don't we like to blame the addition of Daylight Saving Time on everything that happens from now 'til we change back in the Fall? Tomorrow when I'm at work and I yawn for whatever reason, I can assure you I'll blame it on DST. When I'm tired at the end of the day, I'll again blame it on losing that one hour. If I eat a larger than normal lunch tomorrow, of course I'll say it's because of DST. Get the picture........no matter what you do or don't do for weeks to come, we can blame it all on losing that hour one Saturday night in March.
So, whatever comes up tomorrow or the days following that appear a little out of the norm, be sure and blame it on DST; I certainly plan on doing just that. Whew, I am so sleepy right now....must be that lost hour!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Drive-In Movies
In the early 1930's, Richard Hollingshead nailed a bed sheet between two trees, put a 1928 movie projector on the hood of his car, and placed a radio behind the screen for sound. Several experiments later, the first drive-in movie debuted in Camden, New Jersey on June 6, 1933. The first movie was "Wife Beware." It wasn't until after the Second World War that drive-ins really spread across the country. By 1950, the patronage of drive-ins exceeded indoor theatres, and peaked in 1958 at 5,000 theatres. Even with a slight resurgence, less than 500 are still in operation today.
Drive-in movies provided a cheap night out for families. Not only did you not have to pay a baby sitter, you could also take the kids in their pajamas so they were ready for bed when you got home. I was quite young when I had my first encounter with a drive-in theatre. My entire family, including my aunt, had gone to the drive-in, but at the conclusion of the movie we discovered that our car would not start. My guess is we left our parking lights on and had a dead battery. I got very upset and cried because I was afraid we would have to stay there all night. I remember my daddy and others pushing the car hoping to get it started. That must have worked because I don't remember them pushing it all the way home.
As traumatic as that first experience was, my best memory of a drive-in movie is that my husband proposed to me at the drive-in theatre in Humboldt, TN. His exact words were, "Do you think we ought to get married?" Now, wasn't that romantic? I was so shocked that I couldn't speak for a few minutes, and by the time I realized what just happened I said a resounding, "Yes!" By that time, he had time to think about what he just said and proceeded to inform me that we shouldn't rush into anything. Well, it was too late for that. Three months later we were married, and have remained married for over 43 years. So you see, I think the drive-in movie was a pretty special place.
Drive-in movies provided a cheap night out for families. Not only did you not have to pay a baby sitter, you could also take the kids in their pajamas so they were ready for bed when you got home. I was quite young when I had my first encounter with a drive-in theatre. My entire family, including my aunt, had gone to the drive-in, but at the conclusion of the movie we discovered that our car would not start. My guess is we left our parking lights on and had a dead battery. I got very upset and cried because I was afraid we would have to stay there all night. I remember my daddy and others pushing the car hoping to get it started. That must have worked because I don't remember them pushing it all the way home.
As traumatic as that first experience was, my best memory of a drive-in movie is that my husband proposed to me at the drive-in theatre in Humboldt, TN. His exact words were, "Do you think we ought to get married?" Now, wasn't that romantic? I was so shocked that I couldn't speak for a few minutes, and by the time I realized what just happened I said a resounding, "Yes!" By that time, he had time to think about what he just said and proceeded to inform me that we shouldn't rush into anything. Well, it was too late for that. Three months later we were married, and have remained married for over 43 years. So you see, I think the drive-in movie was a pretty special place.
Wall Street Grill
In response to so many questions regarding my niece's restaurant in Humboldt, I thought I would add a note about the Wall Street Grill. It's located at 2721 N. Central Avenue, Humboldt, TN right across the highway from the new Walmart. Their phone number is 731-784-1214. The owners are Georgios and Paula Peftoulidis. They bought the Grill 14 years ago which was previously located in a shopping center. In November of 2008, they opened the new freestanding restaurant.
They have great food at good prices. I've never had anything that I didn't like. My grandkids love their spaghetti, my son-in-law is partial to their catfish among other things. Kim had the chef salad last week while I had the grilled salmon. It was the best I've ever had. They use top quality beef so their steaks are the best. Chicken dishes are awesome. They have everything from reuben sandwiches and gyros (George is Greek) to the traditional Southern foods, sandwich melts and full dinners. Fries are Idaho spuds hand-cut and served spiced (and you get large portions of them). Burgers are formed by hand and never have been frozen. The prime rib is slow cooked. Soups, chili and spaghetti sauce are homemade as are several dressings, some of which are low-fat. Desserts are homemade. You've just got to try the Reese's Peanut Butter Explosion. Taffy Apple Pie is a deep pie with caramel bits baked inside and a topping of caramel and chopped peanuts. The key lime pie is great, too. There are so many other items from which to choose so I haven't tried them all yet. And, one more thing, for vegetarians like myself, there's the vegetarian melt....so good.
George and Paula designed the restaurant themselves while Paula and a friend decorated it. They have movie posters, historic Humboldt photos, and even have some family pictures thrown in. But, come to think of it....I don't believe I remember seeing a picture of me!
So, when you're hungry for a great meal and don't want to drive to Memphis or Nashville, hop on over to the Wall Street Grill in Humboldt.....be sure to tell them Aunt Barbara sent you!
NOTE: The above is something I wrote in February, 2009 as a note on my Facebook page. Since that time the Wall Street Grill has added so many more items to their already wonderful menu. They now have pizza, stromboli, and baked ziti all made with homemade dough. They've also added a good many more dessert dishes. If you haven't been there yet, make a trip to the Grill a priority; you won't be sorry you did.
They have great food at good prices. I've never had anything that I didn't like. My grandkids love their spaghetti, my son-in-law is partial to their catfish among other things. Kim had the chef salad last week while I had the grilled salmon. It was the best I've ever had. They use top quality beef so their steaks are the best. Chicken dishes are awesome. They have everything from reuben sandwiches and gyros (George is Greek) to the traditional Southern foods, sandwich melts and full dinners. Fries are Idaho spuds hand-cut and served spiced (and you get large portions of them). Burgers are formed by hand and never have been frozen. The prime rib is slow cooked. Soups, chili and spaghetti sauce are homemade as are several dressings, some of which are low-fat. Desserts are homemade. You've just got to try the Reese's Peanut Butter Explosion. Taffy Apple Pie is a deep pie with caramel bits baked inside and a topping of caramel and chopped peanuts. The key lime pie is great, too. There are so many other items from which to choose so I haven't tried them all yet. And, one more thing, for vegetarians like myself, there's the vegetarian melt....so good.
George and Paula designed the restaurant themselves while Paula and a friend decorated it. They have movie posters, historic Humboldt photos, and even have some family pictures thrown in. But, come to think of it....I don't believe I remember seeing a picture of me!
So, when you're hungry for a great meal and don't want to drive to Memphis or Nashville, hop on over to the Wall Street Grill in Humboldt.....be sure to tell them Aunt Barbara sent you!
NOTE: The above is something I wrote in February, 2009 as a note on my Facebook page. Since that time the Wall Street Grill has added so many more items to their already wonderful menu. They now have pizza, stromboli, and baked ziti all made with homemade dough. They've also added a good many more dessert dishes. If you haven't been there yet, make a trip to the Grill a priority; you won't be sorry you did.
Color of Music Contest
Aeneas Internet-Telephone recently sponsored a Color of Music contest. The Color of Music is an education project presented by the Jackson Symphony. The contest is open to students in grades K-8 in the Jackson-Madison, McNairy, Crockett, Haywood, Weakley, and Gibson/Trenton SSD school systems. The entries are the students' own artistic interpretations of selected classical music pieces. All of the paintings will be on display at our local mall, the Civic Center, and West Jackson Baptist Church.
I mention this contest for a very simple reason. Our grandson Luke's picture was selected to represent his school, Nova Elementary. Luke is in kindergarten at Nova. Luke loves to draw, but usually draws baseball stadiums with great detail. So, when I saw this picture I was surprised to see a more abstract side of his art. The title of his painting is Person on Drums. To see the other pictures entered in the contest follow this link: http://www.aeneas.com/colorofmusic/10
Friday, March 12, 2010
What am I doing?
What in the world am I doing setting up a blog? I mean, let’s face it now…..what do I have to write about? I’m reminded of the old Seinfeld show when they were writing a television pilot. It was to be a show about “nothing.” And, I suppose that’s exactly what this blog will be about…..nothing, or at least nothing in particular.
I will be the very first to admit that I am nowhere near being a writer or even posing as one; however, I find it quite comforting to put my thoughts on paper. It seems rather therapeutic and I’m not really sure why that is, but for whatever reason it works for me.
Perhaps I just wanted to see if I could actually set up a blog. It appears that other people do it with great success, so why not me? My intent is not that I'll write something for others to see, but simply to entertain myself and maybe down the road, my grandchildren. You see, I'm about to turn 62 this year and as hard as that is for me to believe, it is a fact. I have reached the age of social security eligibility. I'm not sure how that happened since I don't feel 62, more like 42. Besides that, my Wii Fit age is 41. I know, I didn't believe that either but my grandchildren can attest to that because they actually saw it. Trust me, I'm not that fit anymore. Okay, I think you might as well see this first off......I tend to ramble and get off the subject somewhat, chase rabbits or whatever you want to call it. Now back to my original point, I have decided to amuse myself by writing about past experiences. Let me try to explain what led to this decision.
About a year and a half ago I listened to some of my family members talk about this very fun thing to do on the internet called Facebook. They were trying to talk my son-in-law into signing up. They never asked me, perhaps again because of my advanced age. But, my curiosity got the best of me and I found myself searching for this Facebook thing they had talked about so much. Just as a fluke, I decided to sign up for a Facebook account. Almost immediately someone requested to be my friend, and with that initial confirmation I was hooked. Shortly I began receiving requests from friends I had long forgotten or had lost contact with along the way. Many were as far back as my earliest childhood memories, while others had gone to church with me or worked alongside me in some capacity. So many memories came flooding back and I found myself thinking of all the fun times, crazy antics, and tender moments I had experienced along the way. So many of my previous experiences have long been forgotten, but I still can relive some happy times, along with some sadness along the way.
I don't know if my grandkids will ever enjoy reading about the things their Nana did or perhaps didn't do. But, I think I will write them down and let them decide if it's worth reading. So you see, this is why I'm creating a blog; I want to be able to remember the good times while appreciating the lessons I learned from the bad times. Maybe I'll finally see why I'm who I am. Now, that brings up one final thought.
I suppose I should explain the title of my blog......Doody's Dialogue. My best friend calls me Doody, which is short for doodyhead. I'm not real sure what a doodyhead is, but I don't know that it's a compliment. But then, my real name is Barbara and that name means "strange" or "stranger." So, maybe Doody isn't so bad after all. I might also mention that as I was growing up my favorite Saturday morning program was the Howdy Doody Show.....not that the show had anything to do with my nickname; I just thought I'd throw in that little tidbit of information.
So, there you have it.....my first entry into the world of blogging. Wonder what will be next!
I will be the very first to admit that I am nowhere near being a writer or even posing as one; however, I find it quite comforting to put my thoughts on paper. It seems rather therapeutic and I’m not really sure why that is, but for whatever reason it works for me.
Perhaps I just wanted to see if I could actually set up a blog. It appears that other people do it with great success, so why not me? My intent is not that I'll write something for others to see, but simply to entertain myself and maybe down the road, my grandchildren. You see, I'm about to turn 62 this year and as hard as that is for me to believe, it is a fact. I have reached the age of social security eligibility. I'm not sure how that happened since I don't feel 62, more like 42. Besides that, my Wii Fit age is 41. I know, I didn't believe that either but my grandchildren can attest to that because they actually saw it. Trust me, I'm not that fit anymore. Okay, I think you might as well see this first off......I tend to ramble and get off the subject somewhat, chase rabbits or whatever you want to call it. Now back to my original point, I have decided to amuse myself by writing about past experiences. Let me try to explain what led to this decision.
About a year and a half ago I listened to some of my family members talk about this very fun thing to do on the internet called Facebook. They were trying to talk my son-in-law into signing up. They never asked me, perhaps again because of my advanced age. But, my curiosity got the best of me and I found myself searching for this Facebook thing they had talked about so much. Just as a fluke, I decided to sign up for a Facebook account. Almost immediately someone requested to be my friend, and with that initial confirmation I was hooked. Shortly I began receiving requests from friends I had long forgotten or had lost contact with along the way. Many were as far back as my earliest childhood memories, while others had gone to church with me or worked alongside me in some capacity. So many memories came flooding back and I found myself thinking of all the fun times, crazy antics, and tender moments I had experienced along the way. So many of my previous experiences have long been forgotten, but I still can relive some happy times, along with some sadness along the way.
I don't know if my grandkids will ever enjoy reading about the things their Nana did or perhaps didn't do. But, I think I will write them down and let them decide if it's worth reading. So you see, this is why I'm creating a blog; I want to be able to remember the good times while appreciating the lessons I learned from the bad times. Maybe I'll finally see why I'm who I am. Now, that brings up one final thought.
I suppose I should explain the title of my blog......Doody's Dialogue. My best friend calls me Doody, which is short for doodyhead. I'm not real sure what a doodyhead is, but I don't know that it's a compliment. But then, my real name is Barbara and that name means "strange" or "stranger." So, maybe Doody isn't so bad after all. I might also mention that as I was growing up my favorite Saturday morning program was the Howdy Doody Show.....not that the show had anything to do with my nickname; I just thought I'd throw in that little tidbit of information.
So, there you have it.....my first entry into the world of blogging. Wonder what will be next!
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