A Present for Right Back

I-Needa took up painting last summer. She had seen one of the teaching programs on PBS by Jerry Yarnell and loved his work. I found out that he had a workshop fairly close by, so off I-Needa went for a two day workshop. She loved it.

After that, it was paint, paint, paint. We put our hints in for Christmas presents and good old I-Needa picked up on it and painted like crazy. Each of us received a lovely gift of her time and talent. Here is Right Back appreciating his Christmas present.

I-Needa is still working through the Jerry Yarnell learning series and having great fun with it. I believe she will go to another workshop this next summer.

Personally, I think she has talent. I'm really encouraging her to keep up the good work and develop her talent. We need to put our hints in early if we want another round of paintings for this next Christmas. Paint, I-Needa, paint!!

I decided to add another picture of the picture.... a little more up close for your examination. I love this picture! So does Right Back! (Click on the picture and see it bigger!)

Christmas Gift From My Hubby

Mr. and I agreed this year that we wouldn't get each other anything for Christmas. We'd just had a wedding and were leaving shortly on a Caribbean cruise. That seemed enough. We agreed.

Of course, I couldn't stand it, so had picked out some little something for him... Jelly Bellies... a fairly good size box as had seen him buying them once upon a time. I figured that would be okay and he would like them.

He didn't seem to hold with the agreement either as there was a package from him to me under the tree. I wondered what my new husband had picked out for me. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that he'd done a little shopping for me too.

The moment of truth came when the wrapping came off to reveal a lovely new fencing tool. That's right.. a fencing tool. He was so proud. Uh-huh. Proud. He quickly told me what a wonderful tool it was, and that it really was a good one. Impressed? Well... I'm thinking one of us has a lot to learn. Never had I expected a pair of pliers designed to help in assisting my new husband with fences. He is such a thoughtful guy.

I've learned since then that the value of the gift depends on perspective. I have mentioned this gift to others. Men seem to think it is a wonderful gift and that I should really be impressed with it. My women friends just laugh. Me? Well... I'm not so sure. I'm really trying to appreciate the fact that at least it is an excellent quality tool. Have I used it yet? Are you kidding? Am I going to use it? We will see. I'm not betting on that one way or the other yet.

I have had the presence of mind to show Mr. a little respect about this whole gift giving thing. I don't want to inhibit his need to share with me. I tried to give back as was given and have told him that he is really going to like his new kitchen mixer when it comes. Enough said! Tah Dah!

On Closer Inspection

I’ve discovered that Mr. isn’t as concerned with lovely scents as I am. I don’t mean that he doesn’t like things to smell nice, but I don’t think he is at all impressed with my selection of soaps, etc.

I realized the soap pump in the bathroom was running low, but was leaving it there to get the last little bit out of it. Mr. came out with pump in hand asking how to put more soap in it. I explained that he was to throw that one away and select one on the top shelf in the cabinet under the sink.

I listened intently wondering if I’d pushed the pumps back behind other things. That would involve Mr. having to sort and move things. I really didn’t like the thought of that. I heard a few small noises coming from the area. I’d really tried to keep my mouth quiet and assume that Mr. was capable of securing and opening a new soap dispenser. However, my anxious moments and not hearing any success report coming from Mr., I couldn’t stand it another minute. I asked.

Me: ‘Say, have you found anything?’

Mr.: ‘Yes.’

Me: (Wanting a little more information) ‘What flavor did you choose?’

Mr.: ( Making a few comments to himself... like ‘phew... phew...’ The door opens and Mr. emerges to have a face to face with me in answering my question.)

‘Well, I think this is Beef Clementine’.

Me: ‘Beef Clementine?’ ( I knew I’d selected some really nice sounding scents, and for the like of me, I couldn’t imagine a Beef Clementine. Who ever heard of a Beef Clementine scent? I realize he is a cattle rancher, but this is carrying things too far.)

Mr.: (Secures his glasses from the dresser for closer inspection of the label. I think he had his own doubts that anything could be named Beef Clementine.)

‘Oh... it says Deep Cleansing.’

Me: ‘Ha ha ha ha ha ha!’

What more can I say? I think that says it all!

Yep... glasses can be helpful. Tah Dah!

If you feel this is not complete unless you know the true identity of the scent, it was Warm Vanilla Sugar. I doubt anyone every carries a Beef Clementine.

Christmas Vacation

I'm doing a little thinking about this past December. The calendar squares were full of things to do, and the three top items were wedding, Christmas, and cruise.

The dreams of a white Christmas came all too true for our area of the country, and even the Christmas Eve church services had to be canceled due to ice and snow. It was bone chilling cold, and far less romantic that the wistful tune.

However, thanks to that wonderful Mr. of mine, we left in ice and snow and spent the week following Christmas cruising the Caribbean. It almost makes me envious of myself! There was food! Oh, my... the food! It was wonderful and always available. It was warm, mostly. I'd packed both for a little cooler weather and some warmer days. I didn't wear a coat! No coat!

We left from Galveston and visited Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Of course, I have a ton of pictures and will share. While in port, I finally got far enough away from the ship to get the picture above. What a floating city! It was the first cruise I'd taken, and a very nice experience. (Yes, I got the motion sickness patches and never had a problem.) Coming back to more ice and snow emphasized the nice little respite I'd had from the winter winds and icy chill. I loved it. Bless that Mr.!

What Not to Say When Buying a Wedding Ring

I’ve told this little story in person to some of my friends in the presence of Mr., whom I may refer to here as ‘The Offender’. The results are an instant visible separation drawn firmly along the lines of gender. Read it, and select your own response.

We had traveled to Nearby City to pick up wedding rings. We’d picked them out and left them to be engraved. I have to admit feeling a little strange, and things were even beginning to feel a little final. Having a concrete reminder in my hand that I was really going to say ‘I do’ for the rest of my life was in some aspects a tad overwhelming. However, I collected my thoughts, and decided to focus on this with a romantic eye.

The lady clerk at the jewelry store brought out our rings. I discretely paid for Mr.’s gold band. Then I tried to edge away a bit and let him alone while he paid for mine. I thought that was the thing to do. That is when I heard what he said to the lady as he started to pay his bill.

I distinctly heard him say, (Here is where he turns into The Offender), and I quote, ‘I’m tax exempt.’ With that he retrieved his billfold from his pocket, flipped it open, and nicely presented a card to the lady behind the counter. She smiled and replied, ‘I’m sorry sir, but that isn’t honored here. That’s for agriculture.’

This man, The Offender, smiled and said.... (Are you ready for this.. brace yourself!) ....I really heard him say, ‘Well, she is going to be part of my herd.’

It was at this moment that the very air seemed to be sucked from the jewelry store and the gender line was drawn. A woman in the store came charging over to him and gave him a small piece of her mind. I’m sure she had more that she could have said, but she did make a statement. The Offender called out for the jeweler to come save him, but being smarter than that, the jeweler stayed hidden from sight.

I know The Offender has a sense of humor. He does. I was wondering if this wasn’t stretching it a bit. I wasn’t at all sure I liked this less than romantic theme of being part of a herd. Too bad I’d paid for his ring, I thought. Trust me, he has heard about the herd from me.

Yes, I’ve told this story to friends. The reaction largely depends on gender, and is best told in mixed gender settings. There is the loud instant laugh. Guess which gender laughs. The other is eye rolling and an open mouth. I’ll bet you can guess that too.

I’m not sure if The Offender has secured his place in history with this comment or not. I’m thinking there is something about it that is classic. He may just win an award for it, but I’m not sure exactly what kind of award it would be.

At any rate, I think the votes are in that this isn’t what you should say when buying a wedding ring.

Major Changes

You might say that I’ve been away for awhile... around six months. It couldn’t be helped. Well.... perhaps it could have been helped, but life got too busy and things too hectic. I just had to sit back awhile and remain silent. I did get a bit of criticism from friends who didn’t like me leaving on a note of Bad, Bad, Bad. That wasn’t positive at all.

To make a long story short... New Man (Ranch Man) and I continued that dating stuff, and now are married. Yep.... married. I may now just call him 'Mr'. I just couldn’t bring myself to write a continuing saga of dating. However, married life is another thing, and I’ve found new blog fodder in everyday life. Yep... Mr. has rolled his eyes and thinks I should stay away from blogging. I think he suspects that he might be a topic of conversation. Imagine that! I, on the other hand, am seeing things from an entirely different prospective.

Perhaps I need to reintroduce myself since I’ve been away for so long. I’m a gal who has lived a happy fulfilled life in small town America. I love small towns. There is something quaint about them. Togetherness is a given. Everyone knows your business. Seriously... almost everyone. While that may seem restricting to some, it also provides a strong sense of community. People are there, and they care.

I guess I have to admit that I’m a senior citizen. I don’t always admit it, but have been known to whip out my Senior Discount card on Mondays for a 15% discount at Alco, and again on Wednesdays at our local grocery store. The rest of the days I’ll not admit my age. I just like to think of myself as timeless... ageless... just beginning.

The truth is that I retired from teaching in the public school system almost six years ago. It was at the end of 2004. I’d spent thirty-seven years of my life with elementary age children, and I’d enjoyed those years. I’d thought I’d see forty years of teaching, but one day I looked in the mirror and gave myself permission to start another phase of my life: retirement. I must say that I’ve really loved that phase. I have a theory that each phase of life has something unique to offer, and we might as well enjoy each one to the fullest.

I have a daughter, whom I call I-Needa on my blog. Of course, her name isn’t I-Needa. I picked that name up from the fact that we both have a habit of starting conversations with ‘I need a .......’ We laughed about that a number of times and her Internet name was born. I-Needa has followed in her Mother’s footsteps of teaching. She still loves it.

My son, whom I call Right Back, lives in Small Town. He drops in often to see me and often starts some project for me. Then he sails away with the parting words, ‘I’ll be right back.’ Right. I usually don’t see him for awhile as he is busy elsewhere. I’ve seen it as a pattern and am somewhat suspicious of it.

Mr. is my love interest/ new husband. Mr. and I have known each other for years. Actually, we dated way back when we were both young/ single/ never been married. (Ah, how sweet!) Mr. hasn’t retired. (Thankfully!) He is fully involved in his passion, ranching. I like a busy husband as he is off and away during the day and I have my own personal space. Perhaps that doesn’t sound good, but it sure feels good. I think everyone needs some space to do their own thing, and I’ve been doing my own thing for too many years to count. I can’t just give that up and be ready for a husband to be hanging around the house 24/7. That just wouldn’t make my life complete. I’m fairly sure that he wouldn’t like it either.

Ranching is a new thing for me. It is a way of life. That should probably be in capital letters... emphasized... drawn out... W-A-Y O-F L-I-F-E. It is new to me, although I’ve lived in cattle country all my life. So, here is a senior citizen woman suddenly thrust into the W-A-Y O-F L-I-F-E of ranching. It is an understatement to say that I’m receiving more than my share of comments from the People of Small Town about ranching. The men seem most interested in my adaptation. I’m starting to recognize the glint of mischief in their eyes as they formulate some timely advice to give me on my new role as rancher’s wife. Example: While in the grocery store last week (not on a discount day), a local man grinned and told me to be sure to feed the cattle early on Thursday morning so I’d make it to the retired teachers’ meeting on time. ( Chuckle, chuckle.) I ran into him again on aisle 7 with his wife. He chuckled again and told his wife what he’d said to me on aisle 3. Gotta love it. Really...

Somehow turning me from a senior citizen school teacher retired person into an active ranch wife is going to be something of a transformation. I’m not sure how that is going to work, but I think some are going to try.

Wherever this new life takes me, and whatever it brings, it is new. I’m back and enthusiastic. I have new things to say. So....please come back. I'll try to be a better blogger. Really

Bad, Bad, Bad

I realize that I've been bad lately and not posted to my blog. In Blogger Land, that is a sin... I think. The thing is... really... it is sometimes hard to do all that posting. Once in awhile, things happen and the last thing you think about is the blog. Then someone comes up to you and gives you a critical eye. They mention that they've checked every day and seen nothing new. Oh, the shame of it all.

So... for those who are concerned and must get a little update... my faithful readers, whom I really do appreciate, I'll post a little... and I do mean little... update.

This past week I took off to visit Daughter I-Needa. I also managed to get a haircut in her town. It seems silly to drive out of town to get my hair cut, but sometimes a gal has to do what a gal has to do. The end result is worth the means. It is true with my hair. I could be normal or snazzy. I opted for snazzy.

So... I-Needa and I played awhile and did a little shopping. Kohl's is up the street from her place, and there are always sales. SALE is my favorite word... almost. They had them and we took advantage of them. I like how they print out at the bottom of the receipt how much you saved. It gets to the point where you don't look at how much you spent, just how much you saved. Works for me! Tah Dah.

Then there is dancing with Ranch Man. Ah, sweet dancing. I love dancing and Ranch Man is a dancer. Where has he been all my life?! Anyhoo... it has been partying and dancing time. I learned one thing: I need to exercise more and sit at the computer less. Ah, where did the energy of my youth go? My mind is sometimes on the fast track, and my body is dragging behind. I did not say my behind is dragging. I just meant that I'd probably be in better shape and feel better if I'd start getting more exercise and stop bending my elbow to my mouth as often. I'm sure I'm not alone with that one.

Well... there you have it. It is a small and unimportant update to my existence. It is now time to practice a little self discipline (a word I don't like) and clean the house. I have a friend coming for a visit this week, and I need to spiffy things up around here. I plan on cleaning out the science experiments from the refrigerator. That is a joke we have. However, the refrigerator does need cleaning.