This husband and I…
Did a hot dog taste test…of the top five dogs…ranked in a news article..found the five…tried them all…compared…contrasted…complained…too salty…too chewy…too big…too artificial…the dogs of today…just aren’t the same…as those at Busch Stadium in the 70s…or the Oscar Mayer little me stuck on a stick…and roasted over a fire… Then hot dog fan me…was drawn to something online…a post by Road Dogs NB…a food truck…specializing in deep fried hot dogs…the posts cute…and clever…the photos of the dogs…mouthwatering…this old gal vowing…in 8 months…when back in home away from home…she’s going to have herself…a Road Dog dog… And so she did…this husband and I…treated like hot dog royalty…beautiful Kaitlin in the window…asking about our travels…our holiday plans…ensuring that we could be… Food Truck Friends…Forever… Going with the Texas Dog…chili…cheese…chips…jalapeños…Mr. hot dog critic wasting no time…head nodding…affirmative mmmmmmsss interrupting the chewing…his lunch date…concurring…it was a hot dog…but better than a hot dog…it had a bun…but better than a plain old bun… There’s no question why…Road Dog NB…has been voted best hot dog…so many years running… Road Dog friends…thank you for a yummy lunch…this old gal…is thrilled to finally ketchup with you… And this munching husband of mine…agrees…
0 Comments
This husband and I…
Were greeted by friends…when we pulled up to our home away from home… Best Friend…came a running…worried he wouldn’t remember us…after working so hard to break through his Grinchiness…and be let into the…I’ll Let You Pet Me Club…but never fear…our furry buddy…greeted us with cuddles…and filled us in with meowing details of the past year…while we unpacked the car… Got busy…making tiny place…feel like home…decorated tiny tree…set out tiny squishies…said hello to the tiniest of tiny little llamas…a housewarming gift…from that husband of mine… A small little place in the heart…a tiny bit sad…leaving Little Cottage behind…after just getting settled…saying good-bye to new friends…new town…Old Man Wrigley… But this old gal’s heart…that small place of regret…growing three sizes for sure…with gratitude…for a year of good health…for friends and family far and near… For the excitement of making new traditions…and the ability to Zoom…to bring Christmas Day cheer… And this husband of mine…agrees… This old gal…
Has decided…that that drive to her winter home away from home…some 1,040.2 miles….is akin…to childbirth…painful…exhausting…bite-your-tongue-before-you-snap-at-your-partner…kind of experience… GPS blue line made it look easy…a nice back road drive…supposedly 16 hours long…we can do this…says that husband of mine…in two days… This old gal…excited to get there…the relaxing…peaceful outcome…of the grueling trek…somehow softened the memories of the drives…that had come before… That 16 hour GPS blue line eventually becoming an old people…25 hour…GPS blue line…never quit me…only two hours away…threw in the towel…pulled the plug…made Comfort Inn and Suites…our next destination... The memories of rush hour…at night…during rain…flooding back…loud and clear… So next year…dear friends and family…when this old gal and her mister foolishly think they are driving super heros…you are given permission…to grab these old lady shoulders…do the double fake slap to the cheek thing and say…get a grip old broad…remember last time… And this exhausted husband of mine…agrees… These daughters of mine…
Get me…humor me…know what makes…their mama tick… And so it was…Little Ginger home for the holiday…coming in…bearing gifts…a mystery squad capsule…so tiny and sweet…hidden inside…a mini squashmallow treat… New to the family…a squishie so itty…a little brown sea cow…so aptly named Bittie… Then calling that husband of mine to join in…presents him with Festivus coffee…a treat for the win… After hugs and kisses…waves of good-bye…this old mama…trying to fight off a cry…finds the note nestled…always a surprise… Knowing just what was needed…those girls are so wise… And those daughters of mine…agree… Those daughters of mine…
Loved dance and baton…took lessons for years…was one of those things…that kept this old gal and her chicks…busy…super busy…crAzy super busy… Lessons…competitions…recitals…performances at ballgames…shuttling…waiting…driving…watching…that house of ours…filled with never ending movement…tapping…twirling…stretching…leaping…those little ladies constantly doing their thing…around tables…chairs…couches…toys… And then it happened…that daughter of mine…takes position in Little Cottage…in the small kitchen space…and nails it…after a try or two… A beautiful…pirouette… And that’s when it hit…it’s been five years…five blink of the eye but super long…years…since those dancers of mine…stopped dancing… In their mama’s kitchen…while she’s doing dishes…or wiping counters… In the laundry room…while she’s folding clothes… In the bedroom…while she’s making the bed… Funny thing…this old gal hadn’t realized it was missing…until it was suddenly there again…those crAzy hectic times…those exhAusting hectic times…those experiences…making those daughters of mine…who they are today… And those memories…filling the void…when the house…is quiet… And those dancers of mine…would agree… This old gal…
Walked into the kitchen…and stepped on a pebble…but what felt like a pebble…was actually…a perler bead…you know…those tiny colored plastic beads…when put together and ironed…create a delightful…piece of art… Picked it up…headed to the trash…but stopped…this guy…tiny Mr. Perler Bead…isn’t a plastic bead at all…but a portal…a magic portal…that when held…can transport this old gal…back in time… To the holiday…Little Cottage welcoming kids and grandkids…food devoured…Thanksgiving Bingo game played…whacky prizes won…that daughter of mine claiming the perler bead prize…but not just any perler bead prize…a Harry Potter perler bead prize…her two favorite things of all time…blended into one… Bingo Prize shopper me…knew she would love it…and so she did…those daughters of mine and their mama…spending precious holiday time…exploring New Town…working on a puzzle…laughing…chatting…reminiscing…making new memories…while walking down perler bead memory lane… So stay there…tiny Mr. Perler Bead…take me back…in one glance…to those precious times spent…with those people… This old gal loves…so very very much… And those perler bead artists of mine…would agree… That mother of mine…
Made cut out cookies…every Christmas…thin…crispy…with orange zest in the batter…little me had fun cutting them out…sprinkling the sprinkles…but didn’t really like the flavor…was not a big fan…of the cut out cookie… Then it happened…cookies on a tray…at a school meeting…soft…sweet…absolutely scrumptious…had to have the recipe…had to find the baker…asked this person…that person…another person…tracked down the baker…christening that recipe with the name…The Best Sugar Cookies…because they are… Christmas memories galore…little girls in the kitchen…flour on the floor…sprinkles on the counter…the best cookies ever…our family tradition… And so it was…this old gal…breaking in Little Cottage kitchen…keeping one tradition alive…hearts for those that are loved…stars that guide us…llama for the llama lady…and a few stupid squirrels… To stir the pot… And this husband of mine…agrees… What are your favorite holiday traditions? Share with us! This husband of mine…
Made his beautiful wife breakfast one morning…not breakfast in bed…with the tray…and the flower in the bud vase…but more like…I’m going to fry me an egg…do you want one…kind of breakfast… His fried eggs…always take this old gal back…about 50 years…to the fried eggs of days gone by…he fries them…just like that mother of mine…lots of hot oil…the eggs popping all over…grease splatters galore…every wife’s nightmare…but they come out…soft in the center…with crispy brown edges…all around… As a kid…it was the small things…the chips on top of the tuna casserole…finding a bone…we considered a treasure…in the creamed salmon…and the fried egg crispies…when it came to foods…that mother of mine…was rigid…meatloaf could only be served with baked potato…pizza….always Canadian bacon…and Sunday supper….popcorn and apples… High School me…made chili for supper…to her dismay…that mother of mine refused to eat it…apparently…hated chili powder…so next time…the batch was split…a little spice for the brothers…none for her…still refused to eat it…cuz…apparently…she’s never really LIKED chili… So when a friend fried eggs…in butter…an epiphany was had…it’s ok…to fry in butter…eat pepperoni pizza…spice up the chili…mix it up…break the cycle… So Mr. Crispy Egg…made for me with love…I forgive you those greasy blobs covering the stove…and thank you for showing me how far I’ve come…in 50 years… And proving to me…that the fight to break the cycle…is worth it... And this husband of mine…agrees. This husband and I…
Took our daily trek to Menards…him walking a little ahead…his beautiful wife slightly behind with the cart…suddenly veers off the chosen path…have a habit of doing that…the two of us walking along…browsing and chatting…when suddenly my Mr. realizes…he is talking to the air… And so it was…this old gal…suddenly drawn to a display…of mini ceramic trees…the box aptly labeled…nostalgic trees…and were they ever…nostalgic…tugged at the heart strings more than expected…little me…made one of these…in Girl Scouts… Every Christmas…it sat proudly on the north chest…according to the sticker…until that mother of mine was gone…her Christmas…was no more…and now…look at that…it’s trendy again…Old Gal wondered…if she had it…in one of her many boxes…of holiday marvels… Little girl me…hoped she did… Old Gal went back and forth…is she really going to dig into the back of the storage space…go through all of those boxes…just to see if little ceramic tree…was still there… Little Girl me…knew she would… And so it was…nestled in a shoe box…with other special treasures…evoking special memories…of Chirstmases…long ago… Nostalgic indeed… And this husband of mine…agrees… This husband and I…
Ran some errands…coincidentally…around lunchtime…we did the usual…where do you want to eat…I don’t care…what sounds good to you…anything…it doesn’t matter to me…routine…it ends with his…you pick…I always have to pick…you decide this time… And it’s true…this old gal does usually encourage him to choose…he has his thoughts about meals…knows what he likes…where to get it…is usually hungry for something specific… His wife…not so much…most of the time it really doesn’t matter…there’s something on every menu that would hit the spot…this seemed serious though…important this time to let the lady choose…ok…I say…how about Pizza Ranch…cactus bread sounds good… Eyes squint…the nose wrinkles…the lips purse…how about Chinese…was his reply… And so it was…Chinese…something for each of us…a good dessert spread…and in the end… We both got to pick… 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
July 2024
Categories |