A Tribute to an Aunt

After a battle with cancer, my Aunt Shirley Ann passed away surrounded by her three children, her husband and one grandaughter. I know this because I was there until 10 minutes before she died.

Wednesday night after much agony with my own problems, I felt like I needed to go to visit my Aunt one last time. She lived about 2 hours from my home and I had wanted to go for months, but hadn't for various reasons. One of which had to do with my ongoing war with my parents. Hubby and I went the two hours north to find my aunt much worse than I really expected. I sat with her and told her about my children. With her daughter, Cheryl, I recounted the numerous stories and events that made her my Favorite Aunt. She couldn't speak and much to my dismay she had the rattle that I am all too familiar with in my line of work. We sat there for 45 minutes and when I started to get up she raised her arm as if she wanted me to stay. I stayed a while longer until the hospice nurse gave her liquid morphine and she drifted off to sleep.

I visited with my first cousins and hubby got to know a different side of my family. I hate it was under this circumstance. At 4:00 p.m. we decided it was time to leave and say goodbye. I walked up to her bed and took her hand and told her that I loved her and that I was going and for her to be at peace.

As hubby and I left holding hands, I told him that she wasn't going to last long maybe 24 hours or so. He agreed and we drove off in tears. Ten minutes later she went to see her Lord. I know that her heaven is surrounded by rich purple colors, diamonds and gold that shines so bright. She has a large grand piano and a pipe organ that she can play at and sing. Flowers will be fragrant and rich with color.

My memories will consist of the many crazy, loud, happy events like shopping for prom dresses, picking on my father, watching her play the piano and hold her grandchildren and my children. Her amazing laugh and how she entered a room with laughter and much sound. Always wearing purple and colors that made Ma and her siblings grimace. And my absolute favorite memory, wrapping herself in Gold Lame fabric in Misouri Mills and spinning happily around the store, while my mother stood there in horror. I however laughed because it is something that I would also do.

Be at Peace, Aunt Shirley Ann.

40 Things I Hate!

1. I hate ex-husbands and their girlfriends!
2. I hate staples in Onion Soup!
3. I hate the telemarketers!
4. I hate paying taxes!
5. I hate stupid people! Especially if they make more money than me!
6. I hate obnoxious Republicans!
7. I hate obnoxious Right Wing Evangilicals!(Southern Baptists for the most part)
8. I hate the economy!
9. I hate the University of Texas!
10.I hate procrastenators!
11.I hate people that think they are leaders and the are NOT!
12.I hate the gas companies that are sucking us dry!
13.I hate scary movies and their commercials!
14.I hate that the USA can't evolve to Socialized Medicine.
15.I hate people that don't work, but whine they are too busy!
16.I hate mean old people!
17.I hate mice, rats, snakes and gross things that are probably living in my garage!
18.I hate that dying seems like the only way to get ahead in life!
19.I hate that my husband wants sex in the morning and I want sex at night!
20.I hate that I have so much hate in my life!
21.I hate my flower beds at home!
22.I hate that my in-laws will not come see us, but will go to Italy!
23.I hate fair weathered friends!
24.I hate grey!
25.I hate that my dog sheds!
26.I hate that my daughter is in middle school and I can't save her from the drama of being in middle school!
27.I hate being treated as if I don't have an opinion because I don't have a penis!
28.I hate that I make less yearly because I don't have a penis!
29.I hate that my children will grow up in dirty, dangerous world!
30.I hate that freedom of speech has outgrown what our founding fathers really meant!
31.I hate that the NRA is well . . . the NRA. Look at Virginia Tech people!
32.I hate that we judge people by material possessions! We all do it!
33.I hate that my husband hurts everyday from being the first gulf war and no one cares!
34.I hate that my parents can't accept me and my husband because he isn't my first husband!
35.I hate Rush Limbaugh!
36.I hate that cars have to get oil changes and new tires. Shouldn't that just be built in to last for 200,000 miles or so.
37.I hate lucky people!
38.I hate fighting my weight and the life long battle that it has waged on me and continues to win!
39.I hate math!
40.Okay, last but not least. I hate that the Razorback Football team plays in Little Rock!!!!!

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Hubby and Me







The Baseball Women sans Goat







The Baseball Men sans Goat








The Arvest Ball Park Sign

I have a LYS

I knew the day would come and Saturday it did! I found a really nice and welcoming group of knitters. People that didn't make me feel stupid and were helpful right here at KnitWicks! Wow! I love other places, but this felt like home and I bought some beautiful yarn at half price.

And in other Newbie Knitter news . . . I met a fellow blogger. She was there to teach a class. It was Vyvian from Knitting in a Happy Camper. I was a little star struck. She has awesome patterns and it was her blog that led me to KnitWicks. Anyway, I plan to take my knitting friends there soon. So Becky be ready.


Anyway, it was a beautiful day and there were some blessings. Hubby got his truck fixed thanks to our alpha and beta buddies, Dennis and Becky. We owe them so much and they are a true blessing from God. I went to mass tonight and it was Latin night. Interesting. And I made a great dinner. Hubby and I ate by candlelight and listened to jazz music. Now, everyone say it with me mmmmmmmolivegardenmmmmmmm.

The April Fool's Joke That Backfired

Okay, Most of you (I thought) would have immediately guessed that yesterday's post was an April Fool's joke. I was wrong. Real Wrong. I really did this just to try to get my husband's mind on something outside the crisis at hand. Anyway, he bought the entire pregnancy thing hook, line and sinker. When I got home he was drinking wine and smiling ear to ear. He was like the cat that swallowed the canary. And the worst part, he almost told the kids. Instead he called his neice in California and had her look at the blog and that began the phone calls on that end. So the California family bought into it and were waiting for us to call them after the announcement at the potluck.
After some time when I saw that he was so excited and nervous and talking about what furniture we would have to get rid of for the nursery. Then hugging me and crying and just saying this was such a blessing from God and on and on and on. I knew that I had to give and couldn't wait until we got to the potluck. So I held him close and said April Fools in his ear.
I really thought he might get mad, but he didn't. He laughed and was amazed that he fell for it so seriously. He actually was disappointed. His greatest compliment was that no one had ever pulled a joke on him that he had really taken seriously like this. He gave me kuddos. Then he waited to tell me at the potluck that he had called Kelli, his neice, in CA. OMG!!!!! I knew then that it had gone too far. He started calling relatives, and they were none to happy. I ended up calling my sister in law and my mother in law and eating crow. I apologized, because in a million years I would never have guessed that he would have called the family in California. Now, my mother in law did say that Kelli did recognize that it was April 1st and could have been a joke.
Anyway, this will be my LAST April Fool's joke for a few years. I'm done. Secondly, I'm a little scared of all the Italians that I have upset in this ordeal, so if I mysteriously disappear in the next few months . . . notify the police. Think Sopranos.

Big News!

Finally, after months and months and numerous positions and temperatures. We are pregnant with our first child. I haven't told Anthony, yet. However, I am announcing it at our Why Catholic potluck dinner tonight. I will keep all of you posted.