This old gal…
Made Myrna’s casserole for lunch…a throw back to the 80s…and those crazy…beloved…college days.. Music major me found the perfect accompanist…for required voice lessons…such a gifted pianist and organist…willing to support singer me…in her musical endeavors… We became best of friends…lived together…laughed together…shared a love of all things music…and all things…revolving…around food…Taco Bell…Hardee’s…homemade buttermilk pancakes…pounds of bacon…mini chocolate brownies…and the best of the best…homemade peanut butter cups... Loved recipes and cookbooks…and gifted college me with her favorite cookbook…which houses the best ever…coffee cake recipe… Took me home one weekend…met her family…her mom…Myrna…whipping up a casserole…she cooked in the microwave…that recipe…a treasured gift…on a little card…pops up now and again…switching on those memories…of life as a college girl… And so it is in life…the gift of friends…who you know…if you saw them today…even after 40 years…you could pick up like it was still…1985… That talented friend…so cute…so spunky…so full of life…would brighten any room she entered…with her smile…and that delightful laugh of hers…that always rang out… Like a melody… And anyone who knows her…would agree…
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This husband and I…
Were not created equally…this man of mine…has been a painting maniac…since move in day…a paintiac…. This old gal…more into cleaning…a cleaning maniac…a cleaniac…considers painting a down the road kind of job… Heard the comments seeing Little Cottage for the first time…of basement needs paint…garage needs paint…figured it’ll get done…in a year or two… But nope…busy beaver paintiac…has both jobs done…started working on window sills…cleaniac didn’t mind the woodwork nicks…thinks it adds character…but felt the need to assist… Realized one thing…this old gal…is no longer agile…can maneuver into criss cross applesauce…crawl into tight corners…but that’s where the body stays…locked in position… Got stuck too close to a floor vent…discovered it could use a good scrub…pulled it out asked my Mr. to clean it…after close examination…he agreed…and then followed it with… We could paint it… Cleaniac declined…the nicks and chips give it character…the painting…can be done…sometime…down the road… And this husband of mine…agreed… This husband and I…
Had an in depth…intellectual conversation…on why restaurants no longer serve…whole catfish…he finds it baffling…as he remembers those days…where catfish were the thing…and honestly…this old gal has to agree…back in the day little me fished for catfish…learned to skin catfish…and went to catfish fries… Remember one time in the 1960s…attended a neighborhood fry with that mother of mine…picnic tables all around…fish smells filling the air… Suddenly there was a commotion…and a shout of…Chuck has swallowed a fish bone…wide eyed little me watched…as white t-shirted Chuck…turned blue in the face…trying to fight that bone… Several old grannies…donned in granny dresses…aprons around their waist…began barking orders…have him eat a piece of bread…someone get a piece of bread…HE NEEDS TO EAT…A PIECE…OF BREAD… And so it was…this husband of mine declaring he was hungry for whole catfish…again…and would fry his own…his willing bride…joining in the feast…only to find on first bite…a bone…so cleverly hidden… And suddenly she knew…why no restaurant…would want to serve whole catfish… But of course…if this old gal just happened to be…in that catfish serving eatery…she could pull a Doogie Howser…and save the day…with a shout of…a fish bone…get some bread…he needs to eat…some bread… And Chuck…whoever he was…would agree… This old gal…
Was intrigued by something she read…about New Town…during the purchase of Little Cottage…remember the realtor saying…it’s not on a flood plain…but there is a creek…that runs under your street… A creek…running under the street…this old gal…was baffled…at how that could work…until history lesson 101…popped up online…175 years ago…two creeks ran through downtown…Mad Creek and Papoose Creek…in 1896 Papoose Creek was concealed…under a street…in underground tunnels… Due to the unusually low Mississippi…these tunnels…which are usually covered by water…are currently visible… Feeling an adventure calling…this old gal dragged that husband of hers…down to see the mystery…that lies beneath…Little Cottage… And there it was…the Papoose Creek tunnel…sturdy and strong…big and bold…happy to see the light of day… Life is like that sometimes…you just never know what goes on…beneath the surface…fear…anxiety…apprehension… Or in a case like this…a big old secret tunnel housing a creek…and who knows what else…for over a hundred years… And this husband of mine…agrees… This husband and I…
Noticed a sign for a chicken and noodle church fundraiser…hadn’t seen one of those in years…back in the day…one of my high school besties…let teenage me tag along to such a church dinner…her mom was the queen of yummy homemade noodles… Those besties of mine…didn’t know it…but sharing family activities…with teenage me…instilled early set goals…for the grown up…teenage me…longed to be… Noodle Queen mom…always shared a smile…and a laugh…and fun family meals…another bestie’s dad…funny…kind…hardworking…patient…enjoyed years of church choir fun with him…and that daughter of his…Middle School bestie’s parents…a loving Christian couple…dedicated to each other…their family…and their faith… Little pieces of a puzzle…these besties…their people…their love for each other…their kindness to young me… Caring adults…not realizing their impact…but nonetheless being those few important pieces…when placed in a work in progress…create a colorful finished product… That was destined to be… And this husband of mine…agrees… This hideous old man chair…
Is doing his best…to win this old gal over…first…showing his accommodation skills…adjusting to all those Squishaboos…in the attempt to make lounging…more comfy… And now…down on the floor…plugging in a lamp…this old gal looks closely…for the very first time…at the push to recline button…and notices a familiar shape…I know this shape…goes through the old head…that’s a phone charger plug shape…and so it was…in minutes it’s being tried out…and old man chair has won…some major points… All those nights…in Old Pink…this old gal sitting in hideous old man chair…her charging phone miles away on the kitchen counter…Old Man Chair crying out…Old Gal…you don’t have to keep getting up to check your phone…pick me…use me…love me… Old Man Chair…you may not be as hideous as once thought…and perhaps an apology is in order…it’s wrong to judge…before getting to know…all there is to know…about you… And this husband of mine…agrees… This old gal…
Is addicted…to chapstick…have been forever…like 55 years forever…those little tubes hidden every where…drawers…purse…pockets…car…more drawers…dresser…can’t go ten steps without finding one… Back in the day…flavor choices were limited…regular…cherry…grape…the flavor of choice for little chapped lip me…was grape…this cousin of mine and I would giggle…as we lay in our sleeping bags…she slathering her lips with Vicks…little me…grape Chapstick… Then it happened…grape was gone…chapped lip me was devastated…regular was laughable…strawberry hard to find…cherry…was ok…until now…those Chapstick flavor gods…creativity gone wild… And so it was…in Dollar General…this old gal drawn to the Chapstick displays…overwhelmed by the choices…Spa Collection…Ice Cream Collection…Vacation Getaway…Tropical Paradise…it’s like that Calgon Take Me Away commercial…which pack to buy…where does this old gal…want to go… But then it happened…amidst the glory of those fancy flavors…the eyes rest upon a grape…a lone grape in a single pack… Mr. Lone Grape…is this old gal’s new best friend…along with green apple…who came along for the ride…and we can’t forget lemonade…and even… Pumpkin pie… Now that’s something…to be thankful for… And this husband of mine…agrees… This husband and I…
Did a little cleaning…preparing for some family fun…this old gal…was drawn to thoughts of a dear friend…while taking on the task of vacuuming…this friend of mine…gifted us a gift certificate as a wedding gift…with which we purchased the rug…nestled in the corner…getting a cleaning… She was teachergoals…to newbie teacher me…knew her stuff…not afraid to ask questions…but most of all…had such compassion…for kids… Newbie teacher me…vowed to be like her one day…and so it was…ended up with adjoining rooms…became dear friends…teacher me…learned from the best…about teaching…about advocating for youth…about life… About friendship…when this old gal’s life suddenly went to El Diablo…marriage fell apart…life fell apart…strength was gone…this friend…those daughters of mine…and a few others…were the lifeboat for sinking me… For months…every day…she said the right words…it would be ok…it was temporary…I would make it… and sinking me did…make it…buoyed to the top and swam to shore…stronger than ever…more happy than ever… So…thank you…those friends from the past…you know who you are…who’s love was a safety net…that stopped the fall…cuz without you…this old gal would not be here today…feeling blessed…giving thanks…celebrating life…with her beautiful family… And this most amazing…husband of hers… And those daughters of mine…agree This old gal…
Is not a crier…not at weddings…or funerals…or when in pain… Had to go to the Burg the other day…driving in…things felt foreign…funny how quickly that happens…this old gal…felt like an outsider…a visitor…this was someone else’s town… But all that changed…when walking into the Pizza Haus…that brother of mine leaning on the counter…his hollered…MARRRE-EEEE…his arm raised in salute… Him joining his sister for lunch…eating chocolate chip cookies and a half glass of milk…the banter always the same…you won’t believe this…did you hear this…what are your thoughts on this… It’s natural…easy…like we’re cut from the same cloth…like one of those paper dolls…cut from one folded piece of paper…still attached by a joined hand… This old gal…felt fulfilled on the drive home…full of pizza…full of brother time…but then the pang hit…the tears came…this…this is one thing…that’s missed… Forty years of dropping in on that old guy…knowing he’d be there…the comfort of familiarity…family feeling like home… But then…not far off…that husband of mine was waiting…with a greeting of how’d it go…it sure was quiet without you here…and an…I think I’m out of coffee… And just like that…this old gal…was home… And this husband of mine…agrees… This husband of mine…
Is a big WWE wrestling fan…brags about seeing The Rock’s grandpa…Peter Maivia…wrestle live…when he was a youngster…watches matches from decades ago on YouTube…sharing little tidbits of knowledge…about wrestlers of the past…to his ever intrigued bride… Is known to deliver the old fake one-two punch…or the gruesome headlock…to his unsuspecting tag team partner…at the most random of times… And so it was…us finding our way to a bonafide smack down…mask vs gimmick & hair…Latin Thunder vs Corn Boi…Latin Thunder a favorite…seen him wrestle three times…have his book…follow his social media… Known him forever…since he was little…says my Mr…he lived near us back in the day…he was a good kid… My wrestling fan…watches with pride…this kid he knew back when…who worked hard…followed his dream…made the dream happen…a packed house…roaring applause…Latin Thunder lost…had to unmask…in front of the crowd…and while doing so…announced his retirement… The respect…was there…the love…was there…such great entertainment…but also… So much more… And this husband of mine…agrees… |
This Old Gal
Devoted Wife Magical Mom Retired Teacher Embracing life's grand adventures with humor and grace. Archives
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