I am often amazed by the beauty of design and the awesomeness of creation. Nowhere has life ever been found to exist but in the sheltering womb of our planet. No place that I have seen in all the photos of the universe and stars, as wondrous and beautiful as they are, is as beautiful as our planet from space. Our mother is a beautiful lady.
This link was sent to me today by my Dad. He often sends me interesting things in my email. Sit back and watch the show.
Link
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Last Day of My LIfe
It was Christmastime and Mama wanted to go shopping. We got in the car and headed out for the stores. I always loved the time I spent with Mama. We could always find something to talk about or something to laugh about together. I remember that it was a typical south Alabama holiday season - cool and sunny. The day was made of crystal.I can’t remember all the places we went, maybe Penny’s or Sears. I don’t remember exactly what we bought. I just remember the sun shining and the laughter we shared. No doubt she bought presents for everyone she could afford.
I still have a beautiful scarf she bought me that Christmas and an Avon perfume bottle with perfume still in it. I also have the perfume bottle I bought her that Christmas with perfume still in it. The perfume no longer smells sweet. The memories are bittersweet.
One moment is graven into my memory, as if it happened moments ago. We were traveling along River Falls Street on our way to the mall. Traffic was heavy that day for a town of 10,000. Everyone was trying to get their last minute shopping done. We came to a stand still where the railroad tracks crossed the road and ran beside the Alatex shirt factory. At just that point, the road dips down in a small steep hill, maybe three or four feet in elevation. A train track was positioned at the top of the hill and one at the base of it. We were stopped on the bottom tracks waiting for someone ahead to move along. I had never seen a train on those tracks and had no idea why they were still there.
Mama looked both ways and said, “I sure hope a train doesn’t come along while we're here.”
“Mama,” I said in the wisdom of all 17-year-olds, “they don’t use this track anymore.”
The words had hardly left my mouth when to our left we heard a train whistle blow. Mama and I looked down the tracks and then at each other and broke into loud laughter. The traffic moved forward, I moved off the tracks and we continued our shopping day. Nearly 10 years later I would live in a house a block away and within 10 feet of the same tracks with my son. Still later Daddy would die in the same house.
I remember very little else of that day except a brief excursion into a tiny novelty shop just beyond that track. I don’t know why I remember that one scene. Unless it is because it was the last day I can remember that we spent alone together and laughed. It was mid-December 1973. She died January 2, 1974. I have tried to remember other things about that time but I can only remember the dreams I had been several having for weeks before of Mama dying. I wrote them down in letters to my boyfriend.
On Christmas Eve my aunt and uncle and their two sons had arrived from Texas and we opened presents. I watched Mama twirling around in the hall doorway, a smile on her face, showing off the new robe my Aunt Phillis had bought for her. She looked so pretty and she smiled and said the last words I'd ever hear her say, “If Elaine and Earl were here I could die happy.” Moments later she sat down and had a stroke. She never spoke to me or laughed with me again. I remember screaming when the world, as I knew it, ended.
We buried her January 4th. January was so cold. I was alone. I don't remember anything after that. Oh, I miss her so much.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Celebrations
Monday was Labor Day and we had our church picnic but the weather was so hot we couldn't really enjoy it. We stayed until about 3 p.m. and came home.
Yesterday was Sarah's second birthday. She celebrated with her whole family. Both sets of grandparents, both uncles, her great aunt, two friends of her mom, and six other children. We set up three small pools and allowed the children to play in the water while we got the food set up. Sandwiches, chips, sodas all around. Mostly, the adults ate! The kids nibbled.
The cake was a Disney theme - three princesses and one had a skirt that lights up. Very pretty cake. Everyone sang happy birthday and then Sarah opened her presents. For her birthday I bought her some Clifford learn-to-read books. She got a baby boll that sings I'm a Little Teapot and another that she can sit in the bathtub with and bathe. She is a very good little mommy to her baby dolls and stuffed animals. She kisses and hugs everyone when she gets here and tells them they are sweet babies. It is so cute. She got another book from a friend of her mom that has an angel necklace in the cover for when she is a really big girl. She is really growing fast and talking up a storm. You can understand nearly every word she says! Today, she put on a shirt that she got for her birthday and told us it was pink. It is. Now that she knows her alphabet, she is also learning to recognize and read words.
It was a nice little get together and everyone said they had a nice time. I hope to have a copy of photos soon to show you all. I am exhausted and I go back to work on Thursday. Thankfully, it is a short week! I hope you have all had a good one.
Yesterday was Sarah's second birthday. She celebrated with her whole family. Both sets of grandparents, both uncles, her great aunt, two friends of her mom, and six other children. We set up three small pools and allowed the children to play in the water while we got the food set up. Sandwiches, chips, sodas all around. Mostly, the adults ate! The kids nibbled.
The cake was a Disney theme - three princesses and one had a skirt that lights up. Very pretty cake. Everyone sang happy birthday and then Sarah opened her presents. For her birthday I bought her some Clifford learn-to-read books. She got a baby boll that sings I'm a Little Teapot and another that she can sit in the bathtub with and bathe. She is a very good little mommy to her baby dolls and stuffed animals. She kisses and hugs everyone when she gets here and tells them they are sweet babies. It is so cute. She got another book from a friend of her mom that has an angel necklace in the cover for when she is a really big girl. She is really growing fast and talking up a storm. You can understand nearly every word she says! Today, she put on a shirt that she got for her birthday and told us it was pink. It is. Now that she knows her alphabet, she is also learning to recognize and read words.
It was a nice little get together and everyone said they had a nice time. I hope to have a copy of photos soon to show you all. I am exhausted and I go back to work on Thursday. Thankfully, it is a short week! I hope you have all had a good one.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Twenty-two Things NOT to Wear to an Interview
Here is my list of things not to wear for an interview, regardless of what you will wear to do the job. I once worked as an office manager and twice I had to hire an assistant. When I tell you these are no-no's, believe me they are. The office I worked in had 8 males in it. The best compliment they ever gave me was I had hired some of the best office assistance they'd ever had.
So, if you're looking for a job, search this list for possible glitches. I promise, it won't hurt.
These are the first 21 Interview NO-NO's.
1. Open toed shoes, particularly if you don’t scrub your toes. UGH! Best to wear a nice low heeled pump.
2. Sneakers, track, running, or walking shoes.
3. Spandex. I don’t care how good your figure is, you look cheap and tacky. So help me, I had a woman come for an interview in spandex top and pants. She was apple shaped. I wrote her off before she got into the building.
4. Large Floral prints or huge quantities of floras (particularly if it is spandex). This should be obvious. You aren’t a sofa. The spandex on the woman in #3 was floral.
5. Ruffles and bows. This too should be obvious. You aren’t a gift either.
6. Mixed patterns. Plaids and stripes are nice but not together and not unless paired with a solid.
7. Peek-a-boo blouses. Sheer fabric is not appropriate for daywear, I don’t care how hot it is. If you’re applying for a stripper job, maybe.
8. Tight fitting knits that show every crease. Even skinny people have creases or bony protuberances.
9. A dress with a split to your thigh. Ditch the split until Saturday night. YOU may think that the interviewer will dig your pretty legs or think you’re sexy. A woman interviewer will not. A male may not want a vamp since his wife or girlfriend may drop into the office on occasion.
10. Shorts, regardless of how dressy they are.
11. Pancake. Those of you in theater know what this is. Understated makeup makes you look real. When it is over-done, you look tired and old. Let me just say that Cleopatra is dead and you aren’t a clown. Tar around the eyes is not attractive and plaster on the face isn’t either. Go for a natural look.
12. Unbrushed teeth. PLEASE look in the mirror! If they have never had a professional cleaning, get thee to a dentist. If you can’t afford that, get a box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and start using it twice at day to brush your teeth. It will eventually whiten them and it is good for your gums.
13. Too much jewelry. That tacky thing is easy to do. A ring on every finger is not attractive. Nor is five rings on one finger. Twelve necklaces aren’t either. Earrings that hang to your shoulder are not pretty. The long earlobes and gaping holes that they have caused are truly ugly. Lose the clanking bracelets. Less is more is the rule to follow.
14. Stiletto heals. Give me a break. They are not looking for liabilities.
15. Nothing purple, particularly if you are a BBW or BBM.
16. Goth. Yes, I’ve heard it is cool. . . from 16 year-olds. You’re over 21. Get over it.
17. Tattoos. No everyone is turned on by Tats and great art is best view on a wall. If you must get them, heaven forbid, please be discreet. Cover them for interviews and work. I know several professionals who have tattoos, but not because I saw them. The naked dancer on your forearm should be shared with your most intimate friends only. That pretty rose should be in a bouquet and is gift for getting the job and be in a vase where you can smell it and enjoy your accomplishment.
18. Obviously dyed black hair. See #11.
19. Weird colored lipstick and/or eye shadow. Do people still wear that electric blue eye shadow? Yep. See #11.
20. Ear phones or cell phones. Remove them from your ear, put them away and turn them off.
21. Chewing gum. You’re not a cow. Toss the cud before you enter the building.
22. Cigarettes or chewing tobacco. Neither at least an hour before. Not after you have bathed. Not while wearing your interview clothes. And try to quit. You stink to the vast majority of people, even when you aren't smoking. Besides, it cause wrinkles.
Have you seen the commercial advertising a spot remover? A guy is being interviewed for a job and is unaware of the spot on his shirt. But the spot is screaming to the interviewer so loudly that he can't hear what the guy is saying. This is what any one of these things will do for you. It draws attention away from you. You want your overall appearance to impress, not detract from what you are saying.
So, what do you wear for an interview? Hmmm, I guess that is the next post?
So, if you're looking for a job, search this list for possible glitches. I promise, it won't hurt.
These are the first 21 Interview NO-NO's.
1. Open toed shoes, particularly if you don’t scrub your toes. UGH! Best to wear a nice low heeled pump.
2. Sneakers, track, running, or walking shoes.
3. Spandex. I don’t care how good your figure is, you look cheap and tacky. So help me, I had a woman come for an interview in spandex top and pants. She was apple shaped. I wrote her off before she got into the building.
4. Large Floral prints or huge quantities of floras (particularly if it is spandex). This should be obvious. You aren’t a sofa. The spandex on the woman in #3 was floral.
5. Ruffles and bows. This too should be obvious. You aren’t a gift either.
6. Mixed patterns. Plaids and stripes are nice but not together and not unless paired with a solid.
7. Peek-a-boo blouses. Sheer fabric is not appropriate for daywear, I don’t care how hot it is. If you’re applying for a stripper job, maybe.
8. Tight fitting knits that show every crease. Even skinny people have creases or bony protuberances.
9. A dress with a split to your thigh. Ditch the split until Saturday night. YOU may think that the interviewer will dig your pretty legs or think you’re sexy. A woman interviewer will not. A male may not want a vamp since his wife or girlfriend may drop into the office on occasion.
10. Shorts, regardless of how dressy they are.
11. Pancake. Those of you in theater know what this is. Understated makeup makes you look real. When it is over-done, you look tired and old. Let me just say that Cleopatra is dead and you aren’t a clown. Tar around the eyes is not attractive and plaster on the face isn’t either. Go for a natural look.
12. Unbrushed teeth. PLEASE look in the mirror! If they have never had a professional cleaning, get thee to a dentist. If you can’t afford that, get a box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and start using it twice at day to brush your teeth. It will eventually whiten them and it is good for your gums.
13. Too much jewelry. That tacky thing is easy to do. A ring on every finger is not attractive. Nor is five rings on one finger. Twelve necklaces aren’t either. Earrings that hang to your shoulder are not pretty. The long earlobes and gaping holes that they have caused are truly ugly. Lose the clanking bracelets. Less is more is the rule to follow.
14. Stiletto heals. Give me a break. They are not looking for liabilities.
15. Nothing purple, particularly if you are a BBW or BBM.
16. Goth. Yes, I’ve heard it is cool. . . from 16 year-olds. You’re over 21. Get over it.
17. Tattoos. No everyone is turned on by Tats and great art is best view on a wall. If you must get them, heaven forbid, please be discreet. Cover them for interviews and work. I know several professionals who have tattoos, but not because I saw them. The naked dancer on your forearm should be shared with your most intimate friends only. That pretty rose should be in a bouquet and is gift for getting the job and be in a vase where you can smell it and enjoy your accomplishment.
18. Obviously dyed black hair. See #11.
19. Weird colored lipstick and/or eye shadow. Do people still wear that electric blue eye shadow? Yep. See #11.
20. Ear phones or cell phones. Remove them from your ear, put them away and turn them off.
21. Chewing gum. You’re not a cow. Toss the cud before you enter the building.
22. Cigarettes or chewing tobacco. Neither at least an hour before. Not after you have bathed. Not while wearing your interview clothes. And try to quit. You stink to the vast majority of people, even when you aren't smoking. Besides, it cause wrinkles.
Have you seen the commercial advertising a spot remover? A guy is being interviewed for a job and is unaware of the spot on his shirt. But the spot is screaming to the interviewer so loudly that he can't hear what the guy is saying. This is what any one of these things will do for you. It draws attention away from you. You want your overall appearance to impress, not detract from what you are saying.
So, what do you wear for an interview? Hmmm, I guess that is the next post?
Monday, September 1, 2008
Laundry Recipe
Today, I read Jilly's blog about doing laundry. I enjoyed it immensely because it took me way back. Here is the link if you want to read and travel down memory lane. Link
The funny thing is that on Friday, I got an email from my aunt. It follows.
Never thought of a 'washer' in this light before. what a blessing! 'Washing Clothes Recipe' -- imagine having a recipe for this ! ! !
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.
WASHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin' water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
================================================
Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer, also your toilet---
(those two-holers used to get mighty cold!)
For you non-southerners - wrench means rinse.
The funny thing is that on Friday, I got an email from my aunt. It follows.
Never thought of a 'washer' in this light before. what a blessing! 'Washing Clothes Recipe' -- imagine having a recipe for this ! ! !
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.
WASHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin' water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
================================================
Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer, also your toilet---
(those two-holers used to get mighty cold!)
For you non-southerners - wrench means rinse.
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