Old Age

Some people will age gracefully, some will not. What I am not sure about is how my mind is going to age. It seems after I turned 40 things started to go down hill. I started putting the jelly in the cupboard and the peanut butter in the fridge. I started wondering why I came into a room and what it was I needed. I have found myself in the shower wondering if I have washed my hair. Just yesterday I caught myself trying to use shower gel as shampoo.
I have found its best to write things down as they fall out of my head as soon as I leave a room.
Sometimes I think someone is stealing my stuff. My glasses go missing, my slippers get moved, and someone is constantly moving my stuff to different places in my room. No one in my family will admit to these acts, but I think they are trying to drive me crazy.
The only thing I can think to do is wear a lanyard with a notebook and a pencil attached to it along with a note that has my name, phone number and address on it. If I get lost someone is bound to return me to my rightful owner.

Toddlers v. Teenagers

To all the parents of toddlers who are at their wits end with potty training, tantrums, and sleepless nights, just you wait.

To all the parents of teenagers who are at their wits end with loud music, missed curfews, smart mouths, and know it all attitudes, God help us.

I always thought when my kids were little, that is when I would be needed as a parent the most. Man was I wrong. Teenagers need more guidance, more attention, more love, more patience and more tough love than any toddler I have ever seen.

Letting go of our toddlers hurts like nothing I have ever experienced. When I took my son to preschool the first day, I was crying so hard in the parking lot, I couldn't go in the front door.

When I picked him up on this 17th birthday because he almost got arrested, I was crying so hard I couldn't even look at him. Boy how times change.

Letting go of our teenagers is thank god, less painful and more liberating. I want my kids to go, I want them to experience life, I want them to travel and see things before they get stuck in the "real" world. So when I tell you "I cant wait for you to leave", I mean that in the nicest way possible, just please go somewhere cold so I can come visit.

The Gift

Now don't get me wrong, I have been given some totally awesome gifts in my life, but the quilt you see here was handmade by my friend Kathy. About a year ago, I admitted to myself that I would never be the quilter I wanted to be, but I had seen this quilt on the cover of a magazine and knew it was mine. I asked Kathy if I bought all the fabric would she do me the honor of making it as she is a gifted quilter as you can see for yourself. Throughout the next year I thought little about my quilt (well ok maybe I thought of it a few times!) but never said a word to her about it as I knew when it was done, I would be be told. She finished my quilt in August and even had her sister quilt it for me. I was presented with my quilt and it was love a first sight. I cannot ever say enough thanks to this truly remarkable woman who made this quilt. I get teary eyed whenever I look at it as it is a thing of beauty and was made for me by a woman I love. I wish there were words better than "thank you" that I could say to her to express how much I appreciate all the time and energy Kathy put into this quilt. My last wish is to be buried with my quilt as I want to sit up in heaven wrapped in it and knit for eternity! xxoxoxo my dear friend Kathy.

Sleep Deprivation

So I decide to take a little trip to Chicago with my friend to see her daughter. While sleeping, as most women of my advanced age are doing at 1:00 a.m. in the morning, I hear my phone beeping:

1:00 a.m. text from teenage son "Mom"

Me: "what"


Teenage son: "I have something I need to tell you"

Me: " What's going on?" (please note I typed that response while heart was pounding, blood pressure was off the charts, I had lost all color in my face, and I started sweating profusely)


Son: "Its a long story I will tell you when I get home, didn't know you were gone"

Me: What the f*&%k! ( I thought this, I did not text this) . "Are you in trouble?"

Son: "No"


The rest of the story is very boring, as I told him to go home and we would talk things out when I got back.

Now I am up, I have gotten my friend up and I think I had a mini stroke all in a time span of about 15 minutes.


I am sure son came home, went to bed, and slept like a baby. Me on the other hand, was up for much longer, slept very bad, and am sure I aged another 10 years from 1:00 a.m. to 1:15 a.m.

Thanks honey, mommy loves you!