Teacher me…
Had the cutest ABC dot to dot puzzles…used them with beginning readers…a fun way to practice the alphabet…but not as easy a task…as one would think… Learned early on…to work on the puzzle as a teacher student team…otherwise overzealous dot finders…would forgo the use of the alphabet…and try to finish the puzzle by eye…which often…resulted in connected dots…that made no sense… And so it is…this old gal…trying to connect those dots…for that daughter of hers…ruled out the most concerning…but still don’t have answers… Taking steps…moving forward…but the progress seems so slow…Mama me…wants the whole picture…wants that sweet gal of hers…to feel like herself again… Was blabbing away…working on that aching back of mine…that PT suddenly abuzz…she had similar symptoms…similar testing…shared the steps experts follow…the way a diagnosis is made… And so it is…in life…when you feel that pull…to share your story…maybe…just maybe…the one there to listen…holds the key…to coloring in…the whole picture… And that daughter of mine…agrees…
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A while back…this old gal…
Decided to try her brother’s version…of Tator Tot Casserole…according to his daughter…he uses tomato soup…instead of the beloved…cream of mushroom…have to admit…this old gal…was not a fan…to her…it’s the mushroom soup that makes it…but it did trigger a memory…and long boring story…told to that ever eager listener of mine… About a casserole…in elementary school…with hamburger…noodles…and tomato sauce…topped with buttered bread crumbs…little me loved it…older me…could never…recreate it…ended the story with…I sure wish I had that recipe…and what to my wondering eyes should appear…the very…next…day…in the…if you’ve ever lived in…chat of Old Town… That recipe…shared by a former Old Towner…who loved that casserole as much as little me…enough so…to ask the cooks how to make it…way back when… Coincidence…no way…Someone…Somewhere…heard Old Gal…Someone Somewhere…said let’s grant Old Gal…a little wish today… And Someone…Somewhere…apparently has a sense of humor…cuz that recipe…is laden with things…high cholesterol me…should not eat…but that’s probably why…it’s so delightfully…delicious… And that recipe loving friend…would agree… This old gal…
Saw her life…flash before her eyes…flipping through the cable stations…coming across a show from the past…a beloved show from the past… Young and the Restless…50 seasons it’s had…and 13 year old me…was there from the git go…watched it all through college…and some recorded after on vhs…but then…idk… Got busy…life happened…kids happened…hadn’t seen the show in over 30 years…but there they were…those restless rabble rousers of mine…restless as ever…but omg…no longer young… And it hit home…how fast…this life has gone…how the effects of time…seem much more noticeable looking at those characters on the screen…than in that mirror every morning… Watched a few episodes…amused at how those old folks…were still behaving as idiotically as they did…in their 30s…much like…dare it be said…someone else…we all know… And those daughters of mine…would agree… This old gal…
Thanks to that faulty turbo charger…was blessed with unexpected time…with that daughter of hers… Found us relaxing…binge watching Bones…doing crafts…deciding on next steps in her health journey… Found us…sorting recyclables…shredding paper…cleaning cupboards…catching up on laundry… Found us…contemplating life…her life…her future…after learning the program she works in…is being dissolved…in three weeks… And sometimes…that’s all you need…is time…time to reset…time to recharge…time to job hunt…apply for grad school…decide which path to take… Time to bounce off ideas…with someone who supports you…cares about you…only wants the best for you… Time to just be…until it’s time…to say good-bye… And this daughter of mine…agrees… This daughter and I…
Got test results back about the same time…Meineke sending a message…turbo is shot…can have it fixed next week…gonna cost…lots… The medical procedures…another yahoo for Wahoo experience…hospital professionals…all kind…all supportive…just top notch… She’s normal…they told her…and when it comes to normal…in regards to medical testing…this…is a good thing…but what wasn’t normal…they went on… Was her behavior…her perky…cheerful…chattery self…bringing light and positivity…throughout the entire somber event… And so…as relieved mother and daughter walk the halls to exit…thank yous are called out…from here and there…thanking that daughter of mine… For being different…being unique…making their day…and with that good-bye…the next patient was called…apparently for the same procedure… Couldn’t help but hear a…how are you today…followed by a groan…a grumble…and an…I feel like sh*t… And fortunately this daughter of mine…ray of sunshine that she is…pretended not…to agree… This daughter and I…
Headed for the hospital bright and early…20 minute drive…check in at 7…mama me behind the wheel of Smidge’s gray Impala… Which felt weird…gas pedal hard to push…mirrors at different angles…seat low…brake funky…and so much city traffic…even…at 6 am… Navigator was great…but with clowns to the left of me…and jokers to the right…driver me…almost missed…a red light… And then…there they were…this old gal…always strong…always brave…wanting to be a rock for that daughter of hers…fighting back tears…of panic… And frustration…when did the world speed up so…and old gal me slow down so…when did simple tasks like driving…cause such horrific panic… Was greeted kindly…by the check in gal…who out of the blue…started talking about age…how she just can’t do what she used to do…how she can’t drive in the city any more…and finished with…but it’s ok…because others…have it so much worse… That daughter of mine…a smile on her face…later saying…OMG Mom…that check in lady…and her random TMI…who was talking there…really talking…cuz those words…were meant for you… And mama me…agrees… This old gal…
Went to help that daughter of hers…hasn’t been feeling well…had medical tests lined up…needed a driver…needed her mother… Car ready to go…just been to the shop…oil changed…some valve replaced…cost a pretty penny…but was worth it to feel safe on the road…toodled along…rain coming down…traffic annoyingly trafficky…when suddenly…something…didn’t feel right… Push the gas pedal…speed doesn’t change…set the cruise at 70…car goes 63…try to make a pass…foot to the floor…gears won’t shift…six hours…busy interstate…frantic calls to that husband at home…driver me in a panic… And so…that reunion…didn’t go as planned…that daughter of mine…scared about the tests…scared about what might show up…mama me exhausted…stressed…about the car…about the cost of fixing it…about those upcoming tests of hers… And so…we cried…that daughter and I…worries and fears…filling the room…cried and cried and cried…until relief set in… Relief in knowing we were ok…knowing answers would come soon…and knowing…whatever it was…we’d face it…together… And that daughter of mine…agrees… This old gal…
Knows she shouldn’t eat hamburger…one of the real big no no’s…for lowering cholesterol…but when it comes to one thing…she’s gonna risk it for the biscuit… Tator Tot casserole…love love love it…could eat it for days…got a recipe once…from a bestie of mine…used corn…chicken soup…cheddar cheese under the tots… Twenty four years later…that recipe…like the friendship…has changed over time…use green beans and mushroom soup instead…but what remains…and will always remain…is the cheese on top… It’s unique…special…just like that friendship was…and like that recipe…the friendship may not be what it used to be…but that doesn’t mean this old gal… Values it…any less… And those daughters of mine…agree… This husband and I…
Were taken aback…by this new Sweetie Toby revelation…thinking he was a she…but in reality…she is a he… Not sure why…maybe cuz Jojo Dog’s mom called him a her…maybe cuz he’s sort of a scared of his shadow kind of cat…or maybe from behind…there is no visual evidence…suggesting otherwise… Tried the name trick..the casual…hey Toby…Toby…Toby…or Luna…come here Luna…but nothing…cool calm collected…nary a head turn…nor twitch of an ear… Pretty much made it clear…that for you…I answer only to Sweetie Pie…for you…I AM…Sweetie Pie… And that’s ok…cuz in life…its not about names…or labels…but about connection…relationships…and letting our Toby Luna Sweetie Pie’s know…no matter what…that they…are loved… And this husband of mine…agrees… That daughter of mine…
Is a cheerleader…not the Pom Pom stand on someone else’s shoulders kind of cheerleader…but more like…the family cheerleader… Little signs of her…getting mama me a little fired up…that greatest mom award…smiling school photos..her adorable little self…clapping her hands…as her sister opens gifts… And so today…we grab that peppy gal from the sidelines…put her center stage…and bring it on…with an… H and an A…and a Double P…Y…Happy… Birthday…Happy…Birthday…Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah… Happiest of Birthday’s to you…spirited daughter of mine…you are the reason your fans smile today…and every day… And may your day…be a winner… And those sisters of yours…agree… |
This Old Gal
Devoted Wife Magical Mom Retired Teacher Embracing life's grand adventures with humor and grace. Archives
July 2024
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