Once I heard an old time preacher man say that he had never took an "airplane ride" but that some day he was going to take a "plain air ride." With somewhat of a sense of humor, of course, but the whole entire congregation knew exactly what he was talking about.
I thought about that this past weekend when Don and I took our very first airplane ride ever to our daughters' wedding in Florida. Excited would be an understatement of all the emotions I was feeling. Finally the day came, and filled with anticipation I scurried unto the plane with only one thought in my mind..."I have to get a window seat or I am going to cry right here in front of all these people." It was a wasted worry, there were plenty of window seats, as my daughter, the travel agent, assured me there would be. As we left the ground and started the lift off, I could actually feel my heart flutter inside my chest. The stewardess on the intercom informed us that we were headed for a height of about 37,000 feet.. that is about 7 1/2 miles high..Oh, My!
As, I looked out the window at the clouds floating along below me, I was overwhelmed with the awesomeness of just how big and powerful God really is. I have always heard that we were like grains of sand...but being 7 miles high and looking down just kind of put that all in perspective. We are truly grains of sand in this ginormous world.
Looking out the tiny window, the clouds looked as if they were giant balls of cotton and I was sure that if the need arose, I could jump on one and it would catch me and hold me in its pillowy softness. I imagined how fun it would be just to jump from one cloud to the next. Or just lay there and bask in the bright sunshine for a while. I felt as if I were a child again experiencing awesomeness for the very first time.
While focusing on those beautiful white orbs, I thought about and old Hoppers song. Goes like this:
"Steppin' on the clouds, we'll see Jesus, rise to meet him in the air,
Steppin' on the clouds, he will greet us, oh, the joy together we'll share.
I'm gonna leave this world behind me, goin' where the devil can not find me
I'm goin higher, higher, higher, Steppin' on the clouds.
I realize also that this little piece of what was pure delightment to me, is also what a lot of people take for granted. Their jobs require or demand that they fly often, so I am supposing they just get used to it, like riding in a car, or on a bus. To most, it is not a big deal. But as I looked around me and saw the girl next to us was napping, my thought was "how on earth can you nap?" The man across the isle was working on his computer..."are you kidding me?" With clouds like this beneath us?" Do they not realize that they are missing God's handiwork that is right here in their midst? I seriously think that a lot times we miss out on blessings by just not taking a moment to see, smell, hear, and touch the mighty works of God. We just need to (as the old saying goes) stop and smell the roses.
I had these same emotions as I stood on the nearly pure white sand of Santa Rosa Beach. The gulf stretched out in front of me with waves lapping at my feet..such total power and awesomeness...Just had to take a moment and take a deep breath and thank God for all the beauty and magnificence that he created. Once again, I am sure those that live there or go there often take it for granted too. Maybe it is only us Inland people that really appreciate that kind of awesome beauty, or maybe not.
I don't know if I will ever get the chance to fly any where else in this life time. Or even to stand on the snow white beaches, I hope that I do at some point. I always told everyone that flying in a plane was in the number one spot on my bucket list. Well, I can cross that baby off now. The image of those clouds are forever etched in my mind. If I were an artist, I would paint a picture of it. Although I am sure that a painting would never compare to seeing it all in real life. If I never get to fly again, one thing that I know for sure is that when this life is over, and God calls me home, I will indeed take a "Plain air ride" just like that ole preacher man did several years ago.
The ole preacher man was none other than Brother Sydney Razor..Assembly of God minister. My pastor, and mentor when I was a kid. Don and I attended his church the first few years of our marriage, and he preached my dad's funeral. A very special man of God that I loved dearly. Many years ago he did indeed take his "Plain Air Ride". I have no doubt he is now enjoying all of the breathtaking beauty of Heaven itself.
A big thank you to both of our girls..April and Marissa for making this dream come true for Dad and me. The wedding was simple, elegant, and beautiful. But the bride was even more so. Just the icing and whip cream to this piece of cake. Love you both and really do appreciate all that you do for Dad and I.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Sunday, April 13, 2014
This Bleeding Heart
Each day I check, "are you still alive"?
Searching the ground for one tiny sprout,
on hands and knees, I crawl about.
Then one day the searching ends,
"There you are" all new again.
Tender, fragile, all clothed in green
I gaze at your beauty, so serene.
Spring rains come, the heavens part,
bringing forth to you one tiny heart.
Bleeding drops of different hues,
I look at this flower, I think of you.
From Heaven above, to this special place,
a sweet gentle kiss upon my face.
Each year we will visit, we will never part,
as I wait the arrival of This Bleeding Heart.
written by: Debbi Hendrix
Once again, this little Bleeding Heart flower breaks forth from the ground. It is always the first thing I look for in the spring. This very flower belonged to my mom. She had it in front of her apartment for several years..When she got sick and could no longer live by herself, she asked me to dig her Bleeding Heart up and take it to my house..I did without hesitation.
This flower has had many homes since then...She was first in my front yard at Bell City..when our house caught fire and we moved, I dug it up and put it in a pot..We lived in an apartment for a while, so she lived in a pot...then we bought a house in Dexter and she was once again planted in the ground and thrived very abundantly. When we sold that house and moved to the city, we were once again in an apartment, and she lived in a pot again, then I took her to my daughters house and she lived in her back yard for a couple years. When we bought this house that we live in now, she was dug up once again and placed where she is now...here she will stay. (unless we ever move again, of course)...She is one tough, sturdy, dependable flower, which would also describe my mom!
When I see those first small cracks in the ground in the early spring, and a few little green twigs waving up at me, I have a joy unspeakable down deep in my soul. It is like an angel kiss that is sweet and tender. A smile from Heaven. In a couple of weeks she will have little pinkish red hearts hanging all over her...It is like my mom saying to me, "I am still here, I am still close to you, and here is my heart." Just like with Sally (the vine) I love this little flower so very much. Each time I look at it I think of my mom, and it seems to bring a little piece of her back to me. I will forever and ever cherish This Bleeding Heart, and just as with Sally, I will do everything within my power to keep them both alive and thriving. Can't wait to see it bloom again this year. Kisses from heaven just to me.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Just An Old Pair Of Shoes
I stood there in the middle of the isle looking at all of the different kinds and sizes, searching for this one specific kind, in which there were none. Again! It wasn't the first time that I had looked for this one certain style. But unfortunately, the day had finally come, I had put it off just as long as I could. I had no choice...it was time to buy another pair of black flat shoes.
While my husband stood at the end of the isle and patiently waited for me to try on at least a half dozen pair, he made a few comments as to which ones he liked best. I didn't know that it would be this hard. As I looked down at my feet, I couldn't help the tears that began to form in my eyes...trying hard to hold back all of the emotions that was connected to this old ragged pair of shoes that I had worn into the store. I SO wish they were new again... I wish that I could buy them all over again just like it was the day I actually came upon them..nearly 18 years ago.
It was another typical Saturday afternoon when my mom called as she so often did, and wanted to go to Walmarts (yes, with an 's'). She wanted to buy her another pair of black shoes because hers' was 'just about to wear out.' As we enter the store she proceeds straight to the shoe area and locates her favorite shoes. I am sure she told me at least a dozen times just how comfortable those black shoes were that she had on her feet, and that she was going to buy her another pair just like them. Actually this would be her third pair. Same color. Same style. Same size. She insisted that I try a pair on too, and so to make her happy, I did. Surprisingly they were actually pretty comfortable.. She says to me, "just put them in the cart, I'm gonna buy you a pair too." Well, we argued over this idea, because there was no way I was gonna let her buy me a pair of shoes.. cheap or not!.. I told her, "No, you put yours in the cart and I will buy you a pair." ... I won! I would not have thought it at the time, but those cheap ole Walmart (s) shoes quickly became my favorite pair... I wore them to church, to work, to shop, everywhere I went. Yes, my mother was right again... those were the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. I can honestly say that I got way more than my money's worth on that buy!
So here I stood, looking down at the old, dirty, worn out shoes on my feet, thinking about the twinkle in my mother's eyes at the thought of getting herself a new pair, and the feisty little attitude she had at wanting to buy some for me. I was so overcome with emotion.. thinking to myself, "this is silly, they are just an old pair of shoes," but I couldn't shake it... in the check out line I finally got myself together enough to share with my husband that those old shoes were special to me because I had gotten them on one of the many shopping sprees with my mom and she picked them out.
Even though I have looked at Walmart (s) several times in the last year or so to see if they still had those same shoes, I have never been able to find any. I guess they are out of style these days. And yes, like my mom, I would have bought another pair just like them. Same color. Same style. Same size.
I like my new shoes well enough I guess, although they really are not as comfortable as these old ones. I will continue to wear my old black fake leather shoes here around the house and out in the yard until they no longer have a sole. Even though these old shoes took me to church, and to the nursing home to visit my mother years later, and to all the special places that I have visited with my family and friends, to me they still have soul. They will serve me a couple more years as I plant my flowers and tend to my little garden, for those are the places that I find to be more surreal these days. There is just something about when they are on my feet that brings a bit of my mother back to me. To most people they are Just An Old Pair of Shoes, but to me they are so much more....they are a very precious memory embedded in my heart....and as all the other memories... I will cherish them forever ....................
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
I Turn Around
Jumping rope, and riding bikes,
hide-n- go seek
and taking long hikes.
Climbing rocks and London
bridges falling down,
and then it seems,
I turn around.
Driving cars, music and friends
knowing these days,
could never end.
Carefree and reckless and
infinity bound, and then
you see,
I turn around.
"I do" I said, with a blush
on my face. Nervous and shy
and full of grace.
Beginning a new life,
both feet on the ground,
then again,
I turn around.
Blessed, sweetness,
from heaven above, heart
over flowing, full of love.
Two baby girls, abundantly bound
once again,
I turn around.
Grand babies now,
oh what joys, two sweet girls,
and three little boys. The sixth
tiny Angel, made no sound, and
sadly, once more,
I turn around.
Lines and wrinkles
now cover my face, I have been
blessed, I've had a good race.
Gray hair, arthritis, spots of brown
and yes, again
I turn around.
Think of me
with laughter and smiles,
patience please, in my last miles.
Jesus, heaven,
a shiny new crown,
Sending hugs and love,
as I last turn around.
Written by: Debbi Hendrix
Written on Christmas Day 2012. Dedicated to my husband, children, and grand children.
hide-n- go seek
and taking long hikes.
Climbing rocks and London
bridges falling down,
and then it seems,
I turn around.
Driving cars, music and friends
knowing these days,
could never end.
Carefree and reckless and
infinity bound, and then
you see,
I turn around.
"I do" I said, with a blush
on my face. Nervous and shy
and full of grace.
Beginning a new life,
both feet on the ground,
then again,
I turn around.
Blessed, sweetness,
from heaven above, heart
over flowing, full of love.
Two baby girls, abundantly bound
once again,
I turn around.
Grand babies now,
oh what joys, two sweet girls,
and three little boys. The sixth
tiny Angel, made no sound, and
sadly, once more,
I turn around.
Lines and wrinkles
now cover my face, I have been
blessed, I've had a good race.
Gray hair, arthritis, spots of brown
and yes, again
I turn around.
Think of me
with laughter and smiles,
patience please, in my last miles.
Jesus, heaven,
a shiny new crown,
Sending hugs and love,
as I last turn around.
Written by: Debbi Hendrix
Written on Christmas Day 2012. Dedicated to my husband, children, and grand children.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Just 'Ole' Friends, Me and Facebook
I sit here at the computer reminiscing about days gone by, as I so often do these days. Thinking back to my childhood. Hot lazy summer days mixed in with a game of baseball, riding bikes, climbing the rocks, or a blanket under a tree. Radio blaring for all the neighbors to hear. An ice cold Mountain Dew......
The thought never crossed my mind that someday we would all go our separate ways and all of these friends and cousins, would no longer be in my everyday life. After all we were inseparable...we were alive and living life to its fullest..and one day at a time.
And then like a vapor...we are all grown..leaving home..starting families of our own. Moving to different cities and towns, and states and countries. Some going to college..some swearing in to Uncle Sam...and life goes on. We work, we make new friends, we have children watch them grow into adults and begin having children of their own...and then before you know what happened..... AAAAHHHH how sweet! THE GOLDEN YEARS!!! Bah Humbug! That's all I got to say about that!
Then all of a sudden out of the 'blue clear sky' (Forest Gump)..We are introduced to this new computer thing called Facebook. Probably been around for quite a while, I am just not real computer literate..so I am a little slow in catching on to these new fangled ways.
But once I got the hang of it, my search was on....and for the first time in many years, I felt like a kid again. I found cousins...1st, 2nd, and 3rd, cousins... cousins of cousins, and cousins that think they are my cousins... and friends...and more friends, old friends, new friends..People that I haven't seen nor heard from in 40 to 50 years...sad to say. I was and am in a sort of a Heaven. I can read what all of these people do on a daily basis.. I love hearing about their children and grandchildren. I love reading what people had for dinner. I love reading about the weather in whatever city or state you live in. I love seeing pictures of what they all look like now, and what they look like in my memory. Above all it is one of the best prayer chains I have ever seen... If you or someone you love needs prayer.. just post it on Facebook! Even though I know that some people give Facebook/computer a lot of slack.. I have to say that I Thank the Good Lord for such an invention. I love hearing from all of my friends and family. I am so thankful that I am able to keep in contact with those that are dear to my heart.
This past week I have been blessed by finding two 'ole' friends that I played with and hung around with when I was a kid through out my teenage years. Gloria Combs ....and Patricia Huffman. Gloria's father was a minister at the Assembly of God church and lived next door to my mom and dad. We used to hang out together a lot after school and in the summer months...ran all over that little small southeast Missouri town. She was a christian girl, and probably helped to keep me on the straight and narrow in those young years. I will forever be grateful to her for her influence on me. Gloria and I played a lot of baseball with the neighborhood kids. Went to a lot of youth rallies at church.. and we like to camp out in her back yard. HA! Another quilt over the clothesline story. Only her brother scared the begebeeis out of us one night and I don't know if we ever camped out again after that.. a very precious memory!
Patricia, (aka Patty now) I have wondered for years where she was, and what she was doing. If she was well and happy, and hoping and praying that someday our paths would cross again. Pat used to live 2 doors down from my oldest sister, in another small Missouri town. Anytime I went to visit my sister, whether it was for and hour or a week, I would always head over to Pat's house.. my brother in law would sometimes load all of us kids up in the car and take us swimming to a creek outside of town. Probably about 10 kids, no seat belts, no life jackets, no sunscreen! Just plain ole summer fun. The one real memory I have of Pat and me is laying on a blanket under a tree in her front yard. Radio blaring to the tune of 'Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I Got Love in my Tummy". Talking about what young fellow we thought was cute and who we wanted to marry someday. I am so very thankful to finally find her again. The irony in it is that she now lives right outside of my home town. The world is so large, yet so small. I am thinking a reunion will be in the near future!
From the very first day I became a Facebook member I began my search for these two women. Literally several times a month I would type in their names and hope I would get a lead... it finally came.. through other peoples pages... that led me to them... I know that some may think I am too nostalgic, too sentimental, too emotional, but I don't care. I will forever be grateful that I have reconnected with these two and so many others. I just wish I could have a huge reunion and have all of my 'friends' show up! Wouldn't that be a hoot!
I know this is not really a story.. but just my thoughts.. but something I just wanted to share.. so to all that read this.. family, friends, old and new... I love you and I am glad that we are friends!
The thought never crossed my mind that someday we would all go our separate ways and all of these friends and cousins, would no longer be in my everyday life. After all we were inseparable...we were alive and living life to its fullest..and one day at a time.
And then like a vapor...we are all grown..leaving home..starting families of our own. Moving to different cities and towns, and states and countries. Some going to college..some swearing in to Uncle Sam...and life goes on. We work, we make new friends, we have children watch them grow into adults and begin having children of their own...and then before you know what happened..... AAAAHHHH how sweet! THE GOLDEN YEARS!!! Bah Humbug! That's all I got to say about that!
Then all of a sudden out of the 'blue clear sky' (Forest Gump)..We are introduced to this new computer thing called Facebook. Probably been around for quite a while, I am just not real computer literate..so I am a little slow in catching on to these new fangled ways.
But once I got the hang of it, my search was on....and for the first time in many years, I felt like a kid again. I found cousins...1st, 2nd, and 3rd, cousins... cousins of cousins, and cousins that think they are my cousins... and friends...and more friends, old friends, new friends..People that I haven't seen nor heard from in 40 to 50 years...sad to say. I was and am in a sort of a Heaven. I can read what all of these people do on a daily basis.. I love hearing about their children and grandchildren. I love reading what people had for dinner. I love reading about the weather in whatever city or state you live in. I love seeing pictures of what they all look like now, and what they look like in my memory. Above all it is one of the best prayer chains I have ever seen... If you or someone you love needs prayer.. just post it on Facebook! Even though I know that some people give Facebook/computer a lot of slack.. I have to say that I Thank the Good Lord for such an invention. I love hearing from all of my friends and family. I am so thankful that I am able to keep in contact with those that are dear to my heart.
This past week I have been blessed by finding two 'ole' friends that I played with and hung around with when I was a kid through out my teenage years. Gloria Combs ....and Patricia Huffman. Gloria's father was a minister at the Assembly of God church and lived next door to my mom and dad. We used to hang out together a lot after school and in the summer months...ran all over that little small southeast Missouri town. She was a christian girl, and probably helped to keep me on the straight and narrow in those young years. I will forever be grateful to her for her influence on me. Gloria and I played a lot of baseball with the neighborhood kids. Went to a lot of youth rallies at church.. and we like to camp out in her back yard. HA! Another quilt over the clothesline story. Only her brother scared the begebeeis out of us one night and I don't know if we ever camped out again after that.. a very precious memory!
Patricia, (aka Patty now) I have wondered for years where she was, and what she was doing. If she was well and happy, and hoping and praying that someday our paths would cross again. Pat used to live 2 doors down from my oldest sister, in another small Missouri town. Anytime I went to visit my sister, whether it was for and hour or a week, I would always head over to Pat's house.. my brother in law would sometimes load all of us kids up in the car and take us swimming to a creek outside of town. Probably about 10 kids, no seat belts, no life jackets, no sunscreen! Just plain ole summer fun. The one real memory I have of Pat and me is laying on a blanket under a tree in her front yard. Radio blaring to the tune of 'Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I Got Love in my Tummy". Talking about what young fellow we thought was cute and who we wanted to marry someday. I am so very thankful to finally find her again. The irony in it is that she now lives right outside of my home town. The world is so large, yet so small. I am thinking a reunion will be in the near future!
From the very first day I became a Facebook member I began my search for these two women. Literally several times a month I would type in their names and hope I would get a lead... it finally came.. through other peoples pages... that led me to them... I know that some may think I am too nostalgic, too sentimental, too emotional, but I don't care. I will forever be grateful that I have reconnected with these two and so many others. I just wish I could have a huge reunion and have all of my 'friends' show up! Wouldn't that be a hoot!
I know this is not really a story.. but just my thoughts.. but something I just wanted to share.. so to all that read this.. family, friends, old and new... I love you and I am glad that we are friends!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Moody and Me.........."The Hidden Treasure"
In the top chest of drawers in my mom and dad's bedroom lies a hidden treasure. I don't really know how long it has been there, but I am thinking for a very long time. My cousin, Moody, and I discovered it by accident. We were putting away some laundry when we found it. We were not looking for it, or any treasure at all for that matter. But there it was, hidden deep, buried beneath a mountain of underwear, socks, and handkerchiefs. I remember that it was cool to the touch. Not large, not small, kind of skinny and tall, and it sure did peak our curiosity! We HAD to investigate a little farther. We HAD to see what it was!! With my sweaty nervous hands wrapped around the coolness, I brought it up through the maze and it glittered and sparkled like a precious gem in the bright sunlight! The prettiest amber color you have ever seen! Our eyes widened at the sight, as we looked at each other a HUGE smile lit both of our lips. Well, well, well, YEP! this should be fun! Low and behold, we had found my dad's stash!! His golden treasure! His hidden bottle of PEACH BRANDY!!!!!!!
O.k. I feel the need to explain myself here. LOLOLOLOL Any of you that really know me, know that I am not a drinker nor have ever been. But there is just something about being a teenager that just makes one do things that they know they shouldn't....this just happens to be one of those things! Seems like Moody and I were kind of always finding ourselves in this situation. Don't know if I influenced her or she me, which ever it was, we were a pair, joined at the hip in those days, and once again, here we were......
So as the story goes..... Moody and I looked that bottle up and down, and I say,"HUMMMM, You go first"...she did! She was a very good bluff, because she says back to me ..."It's not too bad." O.k. my turn, and I take a big gulp........... HHHoooLLLLyyy CrAAAAp!.... I am thinking now that I probably said worse! LOL But you know how teens are, we couldn't let this golden opportunity pass by, that's when we came up with the idea of mixing it with something to take the 'sting' away! Surely that would be better than drinking it raw from the bottle. So, we open the refrigerator to see what could be a possibility, and the only thing we found was some Wagoner Orange Juice and some Real-O Lemon juice. This was gonna be good!..... We used these little orange juice glasses that mom had, (you know the ones you used to get out of washing powder? Had silvery gray leaves on them?).. They made great shot glasses! LOL 1/2 orange juice, almost 1/2 peach brandy and dab of lemon juice!... OH MY!! Talking about nasty!!! Made the eyes water and the throat burn as well. But I guess it was the excitement of doing it that kept us making them. Don't know how many of these we forced down, but everything was beginning to get really funny! We kept sampling the bottle and acting stupid and feeling very giddy at the thought of just what we were doing, until the bottle was about half gone, maybe a little more...... Then as usual.. it was reality time! What are we gonna do now? We are dead meat when dad finds this! Now that was a VERY sobering thought! See, I was an angel, you know, I would have never done anything like that! HA! The only thought then in my mind was...'Dad is gonna beat me to death.' Well, we couldn't put it back in the drawer less than half full.... so our minds start racing and all of a sudden we come up with a wonderful idea!!............
My brother was living back at home with us for a while. He hadn't been home from Viet Nam very long, and anyone that knew him back then knows that sometimes he would drown his sorrow's in his liquor... WWWEEELLLLLLLLLL Moody and I had the grandest idea, we would just add some water to the bottle and bury it back in the drawer and when dad saw it, he would just think that my brother had been having a drink from it!... Perfect! (we didn't think about the water weakening the brandy, or changing the color of it.)
Fast forward a couple of days.. It is the weekend and dad decides he needs a drink of his peach brandy. He opens his drawer and finds the amber colored bottle and takes him a big gulp! Moody and I are in the bedroom and all of a sudden we hear him going into a cussing fit! Went something like this:
"*****Dammit boy, if you want a drink out of my bottle then just get a drink, you don't have to sneak around and then fill it back up with water".....
My brother- "I didn't drink your damn brandy and I didn't put no water in it"....
Dad- "don't tell me you didn't put water in it, I know what it is suppose to taste like"....
brother- I am telling you I haven't touched your bottle..........
And so it went, back and forth, neither one of them could convince the other that they were both right. Moody and I are laying on the bed and burying our heads in the pillows because we were laughing so hard it hurt! Each time one of them would say something we would laugh a little harder. We finally straightened up enough that we made it out the front door and over to the school ground across the street from my house, and just laid out in the grass and laughed till we cried! IT WORKED!!! Hallelujah it worked!! We made a faithful promise to God Almighty that we would never do that again! Yeah Right! We did......just not to the extreme to where we had to add water to it to hide the evidence.
As I have became an adult.. it just baffles me that neither dad, mom, nor my bother ever had the thought that it could have been us girls as the culprits! We were both basically good kids, despite all of these stories I have told you in the past, LOLOL, and I guess it just didn't enter their minds that we would do such a thing.
Moody nor I have ever forgotten about the hidden treasure that we found in my dad's top dresser drawer. Anytime we are together we still, to this day, have a good laugh over it. Such precious memory's! I would do it all over again today if I could. The fun, the laughter, the innocence, the braveness, no worries about life beyond 'what are we gonna do now.'
As I bring the saga of 'Moody and Me' to a close, I know that there are several more stories that I could add. Maybe someday I will. We shared so much together as kids....Barbie dolls, umbrellas, bicycle rides back to the woods, double dates, boyfriends... and the list goes on and on... I think I could write from now till forever and not cover all of the fun times we had together. I wish that all kids could have a special cousin or friend to share their childhood with, as I did. I hope that someday she has a chance to read all of my stories, and that she knows how much she means to me. We don't get to see each other very often anymore, but she still lives very close to my heart. Reminds me of a song I once heard many years ago. The chorus goes something like this:
I owe you so much my dear friend,
for all of those treasured times.
For you've made me a better person,
Thanks, for being in my life!
From my heart to yours!................................................
O.k. I feel the need to explain myself here. LOLOLOLOL Any of you that really know me, know that I am not a drinker nor have ever been. But there is just something about being a teenager that just makes one do things that they know they shouldn't....this just happens to be one of those things! Seems like Moody and I were kind of always finding ourselves in this situation. Don't know if I influenced her or she me, which ever it was, we were a pair, joined at the hip in those days, and once again, here we were......
So as the story goes..... Moody and I looked that bottle up and down, and I say,"HUMMMM, You go first"...she did! She was a very good bluff, because she says back to me ..."It's not too bad." O.k. my turn, and I take a big gulp........... HHHoooLLLLyyy CrAAAAp!.... I am thinking now that I probably said worse! LOL But you know how teens are, we couldn't let this golden opportunity pass by, that's when we came up with the idea of mixing it with something to take the 'sting' away! Surely that would be better than drinking it raw from the bottle. So, we open the refrigerator to see what could be a possibility, and the only thing we found was some Wagoner Orange Juice and some Real-O Lemon juice. This was gonna be good!..... We used these little orange juice glasses that mom had, (you know the ones you used to get out of washing powder? Had silvery gray leaves on them?).. They made great shot glasses! LOL 1/2 orange juice, almost 1/2 peach brandy and dab of lemon juice!... OH MY!! Talking about nasty!!! Made the eyes water and the throat burn as well. But I guess it was the excitement of doing it that kept us making them. Don't know how many of these we forced down, but everything was beginning to get really funny! We kept sampling the bottle and acting stupid and feeling very giddy at the thought of just what we were doing, until the bottle was about half gone, maybe a little more...... Then as usual.. it was reality time! What are we gonna do now? We are dead meat when dad finds this! Now that was a VERY sobering thought! See, I was an angel, you know, I would have never done anything like that! HA! The only thought then in my mind was...'Dad is gonna beat me to death.' Well, we couldn't put it back in the drawer less than half full.... so our minds start racing and all of a sudden we come up with a wonderful idea!!............
My brother was living back at home with us for a while. He hadn't been home from Viet Nam very long, and anyone that knew him back then knows that sometimes he would drown his sorrow's in his liquor... WWWEEELLLLLLLLLL Moody and I had the grandest idea, we would just add some water to the bottle and bury it back in the drawer and when dad saw it, he would just think that my brother had been having a drink from it!... Perfect! (we didn't think about the water weakening the brandy, or changing the color of it.)
Fast forward a couple of days.. It is the weekend and dad decides he needs a drink of his peach brandy. He opens his drawer and finds the amber colored bottle and takes him a big gulp! Moody and I are in the bedroom and all of a sudden we hear him going into a cussing fit! Went something like this:
"*****Dammit boy, if you want a drink out of my bottle then just get a drink, you don't have to sneak around and then fill it back up with water".....
My brother- "I didn't drink your damn brandy and I didn't put no water in it"....
Dad- "don't tell me you didn't put water in it, I know what it is suppose to taste like"....
brother- I am telling you I haven't touched your bottle..........
And so it went, back and forth, neither one of them could convince the other that they were both right. Moody and I are laying on the bed and burying our heads in the pillows because we were laughing so hard it hurt! Each time one of them would say something we would laugh a little harder. We finally straightened up enough that we made it out the front door and over to the school ground across the street from my house, and just laid out in the grass and laughed till we cried! IT WORKED!!! Hallelujah it worked!! We made a faithful promise to God Almighty that we would never do that again! Yeah Right! We did......just not to the extreme to where we had to add water to it to hide the evidence.
As I have became an adult.. it just baffles me that neither dad, mom, nor my bother ever had the thought that it could have been us girls as the culprits! We were both basically good kids, despite all of these stories I have told you in the past, LOLOL, and I guess it just didn't enter their minds that we would do such a thing.
Moody nor I have ever forgotten about the hidden treasure that we found in my dad's top dresser drawer. Anytime we are together we still, to this day, have a good laugh over it. Such precious memory's! I would do it all over again today if I could. The fun, the laughter, the innocence, the braveness, no worries about life beyond 'what are we gonna do now.'
As I bring the saga of 'Moody and Me' to a close, I know that there are several more stories that I could add. Maybe someday I will. We shared so much together as kids....Barbie dolls, umbrellas, bicycle rides back to the woods, double dates, boyfriends... and the list goes on and on... I think I could write from now till forever and not cover all of the fun times we had together. I wish that all kids could have a special cousin or friend to share their childhood with, as I did. I hope that someday she has a chance to read all of my stories, and that she knows how much she means to me. We don't get to see each other very often anymore, but she still lives very close to my heart. Reminds me of a song I once heard many years ago. The chorus goes something like this:
I owe you so much my dear friend,
for all of those treasured times.
For you've made me a better person,
Thanks, for being in my life!
From my heart to yours!................................................
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Moody and Me.........Cake on the Ceiling
As always, something I say, do, hear, or see, triggers a precious memory of my childhood. A couple weeks ago my grand children came to spend the night with us and this time it was my grandson, Aidan, acting silly,(in which he is famous for) when he said..."I want cake! I want cake! Lets bake a cake!" I was in the middle of making taco's for supper, and immediately my mind hurled back once again to a hot summer day in the late 1960's.
If you have read any of my previous stories in the 'Moody and Me' saga, then you know how we always spent those precious summer months at each others house. This particular time it was her turn to be at my house.
Mom and dad were at work so that left two teenage girls, unsupervised, with way too much time on their hands. My mom worked a swing shift at the local nursing home, and this was her week to work 'mornings'. It was also house cleaning day for Moody and me. It was my job in the summer months to keep the house clean while Mom worked.....Sooooo with the old box radio tuned in to KDEX, and 'Joy to the World' blaring as loud as possible we started our daily housecleaning chores. Now with music like that playing, making beds, sweeping, dusting, and mopping the floors was a breeze. We soon had the whole house gleaming and smelling like Pine Sol and lemon wax. We had worked really hard and Mom was going to be proud of our efforts for sure...
With the house work behind us, it was time to laze around for a couple hours, as most teens do. I suppose a hunger pain struck when one of us made mention of "sure wish we had something sweet to eat". When the other says.."I know, lets bake a cake!" (Since this was like 45 years ago, I am assuming that we were making a homemade cake, and NOT a cake mix in a box.) Moody might can tell you more of the details than I. I don't remember if it was white,yellow, or chocolate, never the less, we started out with a very serious attempt to bake this cake.
Everything was going great in our cake making adventure, until.........wheather it was a flick of the wrist with a batter drenched spatula, or one of us brought the mixer beaters up to fast, but all of a sudden we were both sprayed with cake batter.............and.........THE FIGHT WAS ON!!!!!!!!!! Not a real fight of course, but a cake batter fight! We started out flicking it at each other and before long we were throwing that stuff with spoons, spatulas, mixer beaters, and handfuls. Jumping, running, dodging and not giving a second thought as to just where it all was landing. Laughing and screaming like two real idiots, chasing each other throughout the house and even out the front door, all while the radio was still blaring as loud as possible. I am sure that anyone that happened to be walking down the sidewalk in front of the house, thought that we had lost our minds.
After we had demolished the whole bowl of batter, and our laughter began to subside somewhat, reality then set in...............I will never forget the first words out of her mouth..........'HHHOOOLLLYYY SSS*****TTTT'..........Still makes me laugh today to remember the look on her face and the colorful obscenities!! MY first thought of course was, 'Mom is gonna kill us both'. We both looked at each other, did a very quick 360, and then at the clock at the exact same time. Our minds racing trying to figure out just how much time we had to clean the mess up before Mom walked in the door. I don't remember the exact amount, but lets just say that we had to work like two speed demons to get it all cleaned up with not a minute to spare.
In walks my Mom, all hot, tired and red faced from a hard days work, and here we sat like two little precious angels with the house smelling from the stench of pine sol (AGAIN) so fresh and potent, and swet dripping from our brow. She sang our praise for what a wonderful job we had done with the house cleaning and how very much she appreciated our efforts. All the while we were trying our darnedest to keep straight faces. Then one of us looked up! Huge eyeballs! Big gulp! There on the ceiling of the kitchen was a big glob of cake batter. Getting ready to make its debut! And that wasn't counting all of the little splats we seen! WE LOST IT AGAIN, Laughter overwhelmed us! Out the front door we went in a hysterical fit. Mom just thought we were two very silly teenage girls. We had to catch mom in the bathroom or outside before we could hop up in a chair and clean the ceiling off, before she seen it too!
I really don't remember if we ever got that cake baked or not. If we did, we were probably more careful, but one thing I am sure of, we were laughing all the while we made it. ........
OH MY! what a precious memory! I don't bake cakes very often anymore. My husband loves cake but he is a diabetic, and not suppose to eat much sweets. But I can tell you this, that when I do bake one, the thought of 'cake on the ceiling' always crosses my mind and puts a smile on my face. So to my Moody I say, 'It was one of the most fun filled times that we ever had together.' One that is etched in my memory forever.... Soooo Have a piece a cake, and think about me, as I will you, Always!......
If you have read any of my previous stories in the 'Moody and Me' saga, then you know how we always spent those precious summer months at each others house. This particular time it was her turn to be at my house.
Mom and dad were at work so that left two teenage girls, unsupervised, with way too much time on their hands. My mom worked a swing shift at the local nursing home, and this was her week to work 'mornings'. It was also house cleaning day for Moody and me. It was my job in the summer months to keep the house clean while Mom worked.....Sooooo with the old box radio tuned in to KDEX, and 'Joy to the World' blaring as loud as possible we started our daily housecleaning chores. Now with music like that playing, making beds, sweeping, dusting, and mopping the floors was a breeze. We soon had the whole house gleaming and smelling like Pine Sol and lemon wax. We had worked really hard and Mom was going to be proud of our efforts for sure...
With the house work behind us, it was time to laze around for a couple hours, as most teens do. I suppose a hunger pain struck when one of us made mention of "sure wish we had something sweet to eat". When the other says.."I know, lets bake a cake!" (Since this was like 45 years ago, I am assuming that we were making a homemade cake, and NOT a cake mix in a box.) Moody might can tell you more of the details than I. I don't remember if it was white,yellow, or chocolate, never the less, we started out with a very serious attempt to bake this cake.
Everything was going great in our cake making adventure, until.........wheather it was a flick of the wrist with a batter drenched spatula, or one of us brought the mixer beaters up to fast, but all of a sudden we were both sprayed with cake batter.............and.........THE FIGHT WAS ON!!!!!!!!!! Not a real fight of course, but a cake batter fight! We started out flicking it at each other and before long we were throwing that stuff with spoons, spatulas, mixer beaters, and handfuls. Jumping, running, dodging and not giving a second thought as to just where it all was landing. Laughing and screaming like two real idiots, chasing each other throughout the house and even out the front door, all while the radio was still blaring as loud as possible. I am sure that anyone that happened to be walking down the sidewalk in front of the house, thought that we had lost our minds.
After we had demolished the whole bowl of batter, and our laughter began to subside somewhat, reality then set in...............I will never forget the first words out of her mouth..........'HHHOOOLLLYYY SSS*****TTTT'..........Still makes me laugh today to remember the look on her face and the colorful obscenities!! MY first thought of course was, 'Mom is gonna kill us both'. We both looked at each other, did a very quick 360, and then at the clock at the exact same time. Our minds racing trying to figure out just how much time we had to clean the mess up before Mom walked in the door. I don't remember the exact amount, but lets just say that we had to work like two speed demons to get it all cleaned up with not a minute to spare.
In walks my Mom, all hot, tired and red faced from a hard days work, and here we sat like two little precious angels with the house smelling from the stench of pine sol (AGAIN) so fresh and potent, and swet dripping from our brow. She sang our praise for what a wonderful job we had done with the house cleaning and how very much she appreciated our efforts. All the while we were trying our darnedest to keep straight faces. Then one of us looked up! Huge eyeballs! Big gulp! There on the ceiling of the kitchen was a big glob of cake batter. Getting ready to make its debut! And that wasn't counting all of the little splats we seen! WE LOST IT AGAIN, Laughter overwhelmed us! Out the front door we went in a hysterical fit. Mom just thought we were two very silly teenage girls. We had to catch mom in the bathroom or outside before we could hop up in a chair and clean the ceiling off, before she seen it too!
I really don't remember if we ever got that cake baked or not. If we did, we were probably more careful, but one thing I am sure of, we were laughing all the while we made it. ........
OH MY! what a precious memory! I don't bake cakes very often anymore. My husband loves cake but he is a diabetic, and not suppose to eat much sweets. But I can tell you this, that when I do bake one, the thought of 'cake on the ceiling' always crosses my mind and puts a smile on my face. So to my Moody I say, 'It was one of the most fun filled times that we ever had together.' One that is etched in my memory forever.... Soooo Have a piece a cake, and think about me, as I will you, Always!......
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