My Youth

Not much to tell , I spent most my time with my brother Bumper over at Clarks, our neighbors. I was not a pretty child[being honest] and looked somewhat unkept and was very small for my age. Speaking of small I was the shortest in my family. I spent many a day wishing I looked like my sisters and old enough to go out with them. I would always cry when my mom would leave to go someplace and not take me with her. Every Sat. I cleaned the house for my mom and she would buy me something nice downtown or give me money for a movie or buy me a grilled cheese sandwich with chips at the local drug store downtown. I thought this so special. Guess it was her way of saying she cared.
Being totally honest I would have to say I was a unhappy child. I disliked school and had my reasons but won't go into that right now. As a youth I didn't care for most people and yet during my later years I find that I really am a people person. For sure as a youth I felt left out of everything . My sisters were much older than I and so I wasn't included in their circle. I didn't understand why. I never felt pretty except for one time on my tenth birthday when my brother's wife Merrianne got me a new dress and she did my hair and I was so proud. As a pre-teen I wanted to look like other girls and felt some kids were cruel to me. Not alot of my childhood would I choose to go back and relive.
Did I enjoy anything? of course! the best memories were at my brother Roscoe's home out in the country with corn fields to hide in and grapevines to swing on. It was a kids paradise! Going out to Roscoe's was a real adventure for both Bump and I which we'll always remember as a big part of our growing up years.
Life did get better! I met my husband of near fifty years now, we had seven children which gave me new memories to replace the old ones.
Our children have left the nest and now we have grandchildren, ten to be exact. So now we are making new memories. I miss the days when my children were young, but they are still a big part of our lives, all of them are kind and good to their dad and I. I would like to end here before I start getting teary eyed. The days of my youth are gone never to come back. So I will try hard to make this day a very special memory. love , mama

ON AGING

Been thinking about getting old lately. Why you ask? cause almost there. ha! So when are we there? Well we can try to fool ourselves and say what we want in hopes that it will change things and that it won't happen to us but the truth is we all will get old. Hope thats not too hard to swallow. Its a reality you can't ignore forever no matter how hard you try. Dye our hair , a tuck here and there, put on more make up, work out, few more pounds you can't get rid of, it starts. The signs are evident. For me just lately its the thinning of hair, arthritis in one finger that doesn't want to move sometimes, worry over teeth or whats left of them,. But I say to myself it could be worse! know people my age that take tons of pills everyday, some unable to walk, some have died already.Not something I want to think about . Its came face to face with me this month cause I visited Eldina in a rehab and can see that just in a little while she has deteriorated and may never get to come back to her home. I am not sure if she can live alone again. So old age is inevitable! its a little sad but a real part of the life cycle. We each get our turn on earth. For the most part I have enjoyed the journey. tks. guys.

TWO DAYS WITH JAYDEN

The last couple days I have had the privilege of taking care of my new grandson Jayden.

What a sweetheart he is. Soooo good and smiles at me. I was so worried that I wouldn't get to bond with this little guy but as it worked out his parents weren't happy with the daycare so I got to keep him for a couple days. He is easy! So precious. Here are some pictures that I took while there .

Love this little guy!
Grams

"Remember When" by Alan Jackson

This is a book I read some months ago that I enjoyed alot.
It told of how hard life had gotten for this rich couple and how they almost lost each other and their family in the struggle to have fame and fortune. They return to their early roots where they first met. In a little church in their hometown where they had left everything behind. His wife's journey of finding the Lord again in her life and bringing her husband to that knowledge in her book thats titled "Its All About Him." This will touch your heart!

Song:'Remember When" by her husband Alan Jackson

Remember when I was young and so were you
and time stood still and love was all we knew
You were the first, so was I
We made love and then you cried
Remember when

Remember when we vowed the vows
and walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
Remember when

Remember when old ones died and new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
And broke each other's hearts
Remember when

Remember when the sound of little feet
was the music
We danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we'd never give it up
Remember when

Remember when thirty seemed so old
Now lookn' back it's just a steppin' stone
To where we are,
Where we've been
Said we'd do it all again
Remember when
Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won't be sad, we'll be glad
For all the life we've had

Remember When!
´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Dottie... -:¦:-

Ready , Set , Go!

When life gets tough, take baby steps!


It’s ok to feel a little uneasy in life, we all do at times.
Just don’t stay there.
Take baby steps.
Reach out to the things you love.
One step at a time. reach out .
Hang on to something if you must and make good decisions.
Make the decisions that bring you one step closer to what you want.
Thats what a child does, they feel uneasy but they reach out and take a few steps and a few steps more and keep moving on, one step at a time till they can let go.
We all do this when life gets tough.
But remember, even if a baby step that’s ok.
As long as you’re moving forward! Yea! you made it! love this picture/just look at that face!

Donna On The Run!

This white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland always reminds me of Aunt Donna [I often refer to her as Aunt Donna because of the kids] anyway, she is always looking at the time. She will drop by the house and its like I'm late I'm late for a very important date, no time to lose no time waste , I'm late I'm late I'm late! and she will be checking her watch to be sure she can get to where she is going on time which is usually Albertsons! I joke and say she jumps in for a spot visit and sometimes stays on her cell phone and then she is out the door, just like the white rabbit. ha.
Remember Donna this saying .
" Live as much as you can without checking the TIME!"
that quote came from Angie and I have always loved it!

Which way to go?

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I'm not really sure"
" Well if you don't know which way to go,
then it doesn't really matter which direction you go ."
(Alice in Wonderland)
Somedays I feel just like Alice in Wonderland! I get up in the morning and think in which direction am I going today? I told dad this morning that I have all these books I want to read, but feel like I don't have time . Need to clean the house, need to visit a friend, want to shop for a top, got to get R.S. social together , need to visit kids, Maggie needs a walk,need to shop for food, but I feel I can't get to them all and don't know which way to go?? So I thought of what the cat said to Alice, if you don't know which way your going and he crosses his arms pointing in both directions , then it doesn't matter which way you go! So ok , I make my list and prioritize and get started! Of course there is time! as the saying goes, ONE DAY AT A TIME!

News Today

I have been watching Regis on T.V. for as long as I can remember and today he announced he will retire and this would be his last year on the air. Well I got to thinking that I've probably beem watching his show off and on for twenty yrs. or so . One day I turned on the tv and Regis and Kathy Lee came into my home to stay. I got hooked and watched the show faithfully till Kathy Lee left the show. Its the one show I can say that I really enjoyed most all my married life. Kathy Lee was funny and had all the characteristics of the kind of person I felt I wanted to be like. She was attractive , charming, honest, had a strong value system and was always loving and kind to Regis! I enjoyed her stories of her family and loved her sense of humor. Today I tune in to the" Today Show" once in awhile just to see her and see if I feel the same about her as I did those yrs. ago. Yes, she has changed some but don't we all.
When Kelly came along to replace her, it was never the same for me. Guess the show was geared to the younger generation with a younger host. So life does bring change in many ways. Some for the better but then, some things can never be replaced. Yes, I miss Regis and Kathy Lee and watching every morning at nine oclock sharp! Funny but I had even dad watching him when he was sick this pass couple weeks and had to stay indoors. He would listen to Regis chit chat and after that he would leave cause he wasn't interested in the rest of the show unless of course they would interview someone he knew at one time or another. I think Regis looks great, think he is eighty, but of course he has lots of help to keep him looking that way. ha. I think Kelly helps keep him on track when he forgets things but thats ok, he is tired and so I will miss him. I also enjoyed it when Joy his wife took over as co host now and then . Joy is pretty charming herself.

Back then, after watching Regis & Kathy Lee, then my mornings officially got started!
" Good By Reg," going to miss you being part of my early morning routine!

Donna

This entry is about a person who has been a strong influence in my life for a very long time. That person would be my sister Donna. We were born thirteen months apart. It seems strange but I don't recall seeing her around very much in my younger days. I remember her spending time with my other sister Sarah and she was into the dating scene and so Donna grew up fast. As I recall she started dating young and I was always a little jealous of her cause she was so pretty and could get any boy she wanted. She even had her eye on the boy across the st. and thats who I had a crush on. His name was Tony. As it went, he liked her too. Donna could always get any boy she wanted. Seriously!
The one thing I do remember most about Donna growing up was how she carried on about her hair. I remember how obsessed with her hair she was. if one hair was out of place we would not leave the house until it was just right and at times she would even cry over it.
Donna looked older for her age and I was the little runt of the bunch. because of other problems I had low self esteem and felt I was not pretty like my sisters. Donna ran around with my older sister Sarah and another girl named Sharon Shaffer and started dating young while I hung out with my brother Bumper. Bump and I did everything and went everywhere together.
Donna married young and moved away and I didn't see her for a very long time. she lived here and there and then low and behold years later we ended up living just a few miles from each other. Guess that was the beginning of us being real sisters! I remember she and her boys traveled to see us when we lived in Georgia and then
Sanford Fl., and Melbourn Fl. and then we moved to Orlando and she and I would get together on weekends with our kids to have Garage sells, or celebrate Birthdays, Holidays and more. Today we live just blocks from each other. So its been like a big circle coming around and connecting . Now it seems like we have never been apart and always been in each others lives . She and I tend to think alike and often the same answer will pop out our mouths at the same time. We laugh at this and find the same things amusing.
Once someone in the park here in Eustis thought I was Donna. I said no thats my sister . They said I knew there was something about you? I found it odd but they knew.
What I find most intriguing about Donna is that she finds a way to make everything in life a fun adventure! She enjoys traveling to see her grandkids , she loves to go to the beach and watch the sun come up, she loves to work{all the time} and has been working at Albertsons forever!
Donna has many friends and always looks out for the underdog as they say. She has a great empathy for the downtrodden and those who have less and sometimes it comes back to bite her. For sure she makes friends easily and once she is your friend she is your friend for life! I tell her when she goes to that resting place in the sky, the whole town of Eustis will show up to pay their respects! She knows no stranger!!
On another side of the coin, Donna works at making her own happiness. That is something we all do sometimes to stay upbeat but with Donna it goes farther, to a commitment to a forever marriage and like the good hearted and sympathetic person she is , she will give her all to the end! Love you Donna , my forever sister and friend!

I Remember Nothing!

i


"I Remember Nothing" is a book I been reading by Nora Ephron. She also wrote" I Feel Bad About My Neck." this last one is my favorite. It is a lighthearted way of looking at those senior moments and not taking yourself or things too seriously. Some of her stuff has nothing to do with how we live but how she lives as a New Yorker moving up the social ladder and how funny it can be as we start to age and that kind of thing. She tells about a time when she was trying hard for a position in the upper class society and getting herself out there to be reckonized as a good journalist . New Yorkers go at a fast pace , your feel that from her stories. she wanted that position in society where one fits into a certain class of people. Still it is funny to hear her talk about everything, mainly herself and how it is when you reach that certain age and remember nothing! Very funny indeed!

Free Agency

Tonight dad and I been watching Columbo again. tks. Jen and Randy.
It was the first one I saw that made me kind of sad for two boys that had to pay for their crime.
Two young college kids plan the death of a professor cause they were in trouble about their test and he intended to tell their parents and kick them out of this prestige college. All they would have had to do is except the consequence of their action and they might have even worked it out. but they were cocky and made a wrong decision! Because of their choice they would spend a life in prison. Anyway I mentioned to dad how sad it was and that the teenage yrs. can be scary! They have to make choices and some don't think about the consequences. Well they were quite cocky about themselves and really thought they had outsmarted Columbo and actually they almost did! But anyway I was kind of sad at the end because they were young college boys who could have had a whole life ahead of them. Even in real life it can be scary because kids want this FREE AGENCY! if not used properly it can be a dangerous thing and yet it can be a wonderful thing if used right! but for sure we all wouldn't want it any other way!! mama

Dad's Love of Music

I told dad he should have played the piano because of his great love of music.
He said "No, I am content to just listen."
Content he is!! He will set and listen for hours at a time. Here will be a list of some of his favorite music and if you were near by you might just see a tear fall. mama
I Believe by Richard Tucker
The Lord's Prayer by the Tabernacle Choir The Sweetest Sound by ?
Finlandia by Jean Sibelcus

many more coming - got to round them up. He has a wide range of different music he loves.
I really like most of his choices myself.

Family/My Children

Wow, here we are the whole gang!

How do you divide your love among so many? I don't divide it, I multiply it!!