Well, I'm a little late in posting about it but week before last, we got to take a much-needed week long vacation and go to lovely Tennessee to visit with my family! Spring is a great time to go there (fall ain't bad either!) because summer is swelteringly hot and humid and winter is sometimes bone-chillingly wet & cold. The dogwoods and azaleas were just awesome! They were blooming profusely everywhere you looked and dang it! if I didn't go off and forget both of my cameras, so no exciting vacation photos to share! :(
We both gained about 10 pounds in that one week (okay, maybe slight exaggeration) but our 'schedule' consisted of "who-are-we-meeting-today-and-where-are-we-eating?' - Monday night Top's BBQ (which I do love, even though some might not AND it's conveniently close when you're clear out in T-county!), Tuesday afternoon Corky's BBQ, Wednesday night Red Lobster, Thursday night BBQ Station, Friday night Erwin's, Saturday night Mazzio's ... get the picture? I'm convinced that part of the reason our society has a weight problem is because so many of us center our social life around FOOD!!!!! And oh, my, I'm not complaining about that because I LOVE that, but I can see where it could definitely contribute to excess pounds! If we kept our "social eating" the same but added in healthy amounts of exercise, like riding our bicycles around town, walking to the store, tending a large garden, etc. then maybe that would help even out some of the calorie intake! But alas, I don't see that becoming a trend anytime soon, do you? I think if we worked just half as hard (physically) as our ancestors did, just even 2 generations ago, we wouldn't have the obesity problems we see nowadays. Imagine if you had to pick you out a 60' x 70' plot of ground out back, till up the soil with some hand-held animal-pulled implement, plant the seed (by hand, not with a tractor!), keep it weeded and watered (and forget the garden hose and running water, get that bucket and head to the creek!), pick the beans, peas, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, etc., take it all inside and wash it up, shell, peel, snap, cut, chop, dice, boil, then can or freeze all of that bounty and place it on your pantry shelves (quite a different scenario than walking up and down the grocery store aisles and plopping things into your shopping cart!), and on top of that having to fetch your water (for cooking, cleaning, bathing, washing, etc.) from either the well, the creek or the pump outside, hauling it in heavy buckets, chopping the wood you need to keep your home heated and your cooking done, sewing all of your clothes (and the clothes for all of your family) by hand ...... I could go on and on, but you get the picture!!! No wonder they weren't as heavy (as a whole) as 'we' are these days!!! Most of us would never make it if we were suddenly dropped back in time to the 1800's or early 1900's, would we?? We sure have a lot to be thankful for that we take for granted just because it's all we've ever known! Yet we hear so many people complain and moan about how "hard" they have it, how "tough" things are for them ..... poor, poor things!!!!
Well, I was SUPPOSED to be talking about my VACATION, not obesity and history!! Back to the good stuff ... we had a great time! Got to see all of the family (except sister #3, who we will see in a week or two) and that was sure nice. Saw nephew & wife's new home - VERY NICE and LOVE THAT BACK YARD!!! - and spend some time with awesome little great-nephew! Sure miss that little fella! Saw niece on that same evening while we enjoyed some mid-town bbq and she is doing well and looking well! We were fortunate to be there on youngest nephew's 16th birthday so got to celebrate that with him AND got to be one of the first to have him drive me somewhere!!! That was fun!! And mind-boggling that he is OLD ENOUGH to be driving me somewhere! My, how time flies! Spent lots of time with mom & dad and had a good time visiting, talking, reminiscing and relaxing (threw in a little cleaning here and there, too!). Of course, I had to sit down at the piano every chance I got and peck out a few songs to the best of my ability (which is not much to speak of!) but I enjoy it! Can't say the same for anyone within ear shot, as it's not exactly 'beautiful music!' :) Got to see #1 sister (& hubby) several times, had homemade ice cream at her house the first night, saw her on-the-job a couple of times and at mom's a few times, once to do some 'sangin' around the piano for awhile! Saw #4 sister (& hubby) a few times, as well, at her house and at birthday dinner - so all in all, we got in a good visit with everyone! The week went by all too quickly but I sure enjoyed the trip!
Two and 1/2 weeks from now, we'll be off on another vacation! Starting with the family reunion (which is part work/part vacation) and ending with week on the lake in Hot Springs - THAT will be fun and relaxing too! Anyone who is able is free to come and join us there!
Gotta run! Talk to you all later!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Saturday, April 05, 2008
The Sound of Silence
There are times when I most definitely like to have a little SILENCE!!! Like after being in my office for 10 hours hearing the incessant hum of 5 continual feed printers running almost non-stop all day! When we turn them off when we get ready to leave, the silence is ...... AMAZING!!!! A welcome relief on the old ears! And brain. Somehow the constant noise just seems to make your brain tired!
But the silence I DON'T like is coming home to an empty house. No one to say "hey honey, I'm home" to. No one to reply "....'bout time! Where ya been all day?" Not to often does hubby go out of town without me, but on a few rare occasions, it happens for a few days. Like today. I scored some FREE tickets to a big NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway for tomorrow, along with parking pass, passes for tour of Roger Staubach's teams garage and pit area and tailgate party/lunch - probably a pretty nifty package for a race fan, but since I'm not a big race fan, I wasn't that hip to the idea of going down there for a quick 24 hour 'there-and-back' trip, so I told DH (dear hubby) to see if one of his sons would like to go with him. Figured they could enjoy a little 'male bonding' down there amongst the noise, cars and smell of fuel. So, off they go. I do hope they have a great time and I'm sure they will. Then he'll go on down toward Houston to visit his mom for a few days. She's getting on up there in age (80 this year) and her husband just passed away in February so he wanted to go visit her. They don't usually see each other but maybe once or twice a year, if that, but I think the older we get, the more he thinks of visiting when he gets the chance. So, I'm glad he's taking this opportunity to spend some time with his side of the family. Lord knows, I do spend time with mine whenever I get the chance so I certainly wouldn't begrudge him to do the same! But I'll sure be feeling lonesome when it comes time for lights out tonight. We don't even usually go to bed at the same time, he usually sits up watching TV until real late (he says it's so I can go to sleep without his loud snoring keeping me awake but I've told him it doesn't bother me - as long as I can fall asleep first!) but since he can sleep in as long as he wants every morning, and I, on the other hand, have to rise and "try to shine" about 5:30 a.m., I do have to hit the sack much earlier than he does. But it's still comforting just knowing he's in the other room watching TV and will be in later. If you're so used to being with your spouse day in and day out, night in and night out, you might unknowingly begin to take their presence for granted. Don't do that! Spending a few days and nights all alone (and that would include no kids in the house, just you, no other living, breathing soul!) will sure make you have a greater empathy and understanding for what it must be like for all of the people who do live alone, widows and widowers, single folks who've never married, ...... wow! I don't know HOW they do it! There's a whole row of little old ladies at our church that always sit together every Sunday and they are so cute, always so happy to see each other, hugging and smiling and laughing together, sharing their little 'candy bag' (little plastic baggy of hard candy that they pass down the row before the sermon gets started!). Sometimes I'll notice one of them has the little tag sticking out the back of her blouse, or her hair might be sticking out a little funny in the back, or the buttons in the back are buttoned cock-eyed, or some little thing like that and I automatically think, 'well, no wonder, there was no one there this morning to help her' ..... no one she could stand proudly in front of and say "honey, how do I look?" as she gives a whirl around, making sure everything is in place. I often wonder how do they manage with no one to help them get their necklace fastened when their fingers don't want to cooperate because of a little arthritis flare up, or because of being a little too shaky that day, how do they get out of their dress when the zipper gets stuck, who buttons up that last button at the top that she just barely can't reach? Bless their hearts ..... the things we take for granted!! Don't ever forget to thank God for your mate!
The sound I'll be looking forward to in a few days ....... "hey honey! I'M HOME!!!!"
But the silence I DON'T like is coming home to an empty house. No one to say "hey honey, I'm home" to. No one to reply "....'bout time! Where ya been all day?" Not to often does hubby go out of town without me, but on a few rare occasions, it happens for a few days. Like today. I scored some FREE tickets to a big NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway for tomorrow, along with parking pass, passes for tour of Roger Staubach's teams garage and pit area and tailgate party/lunch - probably a pretty nifty package for a race fan, but since I'm not a big race fan, I wasn't that hip to the idea of going down there for a quick 24 hour 'there-and-back' trip, so I told DH (dear hubby) to see if one of his sons would like to go with him. Figured they could enjoy a little 'male bonding' down there amongst the noise, cars and smell of fuel. So, off they go. I do hope they have a great time and I'm sure they will. Then he'll go on down toward Houston to visit his mom for a few days. She's getting on up there in age (80 this year) and her husband just passed away in February so he wanted to go visit her. They don't usually see each other but maybe once or twice a year, if that, but I think the older we get, the more he thinks of visiting when he gets the chance. So, I'm glad he's taking this opportunity to spend some time with his side of the family. Lord knows, I do spend time with mine whenever I get the chance so I certainly wouldn't begrudge him to do the same! But I'll sure be feeling lonesome when it comes time for lights out tonight. We don't even usually go to bed at the same time, he usually sits up watching TV until real late (he says it's so I can go to sleep without his loud snoring keeping me awake but I've told him it doesn't bother me - as long as I can fall asleep first!) but since he can sleep in as long as he wants every morning, and I, on the other hand, have to rise and "try to shine" about 5:30 a.m., I do have to hit the sack much earlier than he does. But it's still comforting just knowing he's in the other room watching TV and will be in later. If you're so used to being with your spouse day in and day out, night in and night out, you might unknowingly begin to take their presence for granted. Don't do that! Spending a few days and nights all alone (and that would include no kids in the house, just you, no other living, breathing soul!) will sure make you have a greater empathy and understanding for what it must be like for all of the people who do live alone, widows and widowers, single folks who've never married, ...... wow! I don't know HOW they do it! There's a whole row of little old ladies at our church that always sit together every Sunday and they are so cute, always so happy to see each other, hugging and smiling and laughing together, sharing their little 'candy bag' (little plastic baggy of hard candy that they pass down the row before the sermon gets started!). Sometimes I'll notice one of them has the little tag sticking out the back of her blouse, or her hair might be sticking out a little funny in the back, or the buttons in the back are buttoned cock-eyed, or some little thing like that and I automatically think, 'well, no wonder, there was no one there this morning to help her' ..... no one she could stand proudly in front of and say "honey, how do I look?" as she gives a whirl around, making sure everything is in place. I often wonder how do they manage with no one to help them get their necklace fastened when their fingers don't want to cooperate because of a little arthritis flare up, or because of being a little too shaky that day, how do they get out of their dress when the zipper gets stuck, who buttons up that last button at the top that she just barely can't reach? Bless their hearts ..... the things we take for granted!! Don't ever forget to thank God for your mate!
The sound I'll be looking forward to in a few days ....... "hey honey! I'M HOME!!!!"
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