Turning into our parents

Is it me, or is it odd when a neighbor with 2 grown boys hires a lawn service?

I admit, their yard looks horrible - so first let me say, at least SOMEONE is doing the yard.

I can take out of the equation that the boys have allergies or health problems. One is in college - so let's also take him off the hook until he returns from school. This leads to the younger brother - who can drive - so we know he is at least 16. 

If a kid can drive a car, then can't he use a lawnmower?

I am seeing a pattern where people would rather pay someone else so they don't have to (insert anything manual, tedious here). What are the parents teaching this 16 year old kid? I get that school comes first. But it takes 22 minutes to mow a lawn.

So, I guess it in the short term, it is better to have a lawn mowed, than not. The rest of the lawn needs much attention - as my mom would say "the weeds are taller than the kids"

Again - blame my parents - as I the older I get, the more I am turning into them.

Easter

Easter 1974. Even back then, I was a master egg-dyer AND a diehard Packer fan.


Today is Easter. A big deal to us, Roman Catholics.
I hit the 8:00 am mass this morning & was pretty surprised at how empty the church was. Pretty sure it was a combo of the older parish and the early time.

I admit I wore jeans (very dressy) - but still, I wore jeans to Easter mass (the horror). I also sported an awesome lime green sweater along with my very coolest green flats. I was a bit worried at being under dressed - until I saw a woman in her 30's wearing an old black sweatshirt, black leggings and brown Ugg boots. Her hair was up as if she was going tanning. Nice.

Needless to say, I felt better about my dressy jeans.

I sat behind two grandmas - they typical demographic of this congregation. Both wore their coats the entire mass. And one of them had a white coat with needlepoint/embroidery designs all over the front & on the pockets. I'm pretty sure she made the coat for herself. She kept her tissues in the pockets, but her rosary was put away in her purse when mass started. Her purple pants made me smile, along with too much rouge. She smelled like Avon - old lady perfume. All of this made me think of my mom's mom - my "Garma". I'm sure sported her mary jane brown shoes with her fancy coat that held her tissues decades ago on Easter Sundays.

Easter Sunday memories are mostly of hunting down our baskets. The Easter bunny was a real stinker at our house - he'd hide our baskets in weird places like the dryer. And he'd leave me age-appropriate gifts when I was older - a softball and a bra.

We always dyed our eggs - and I loved putting the colored pill thingies in the water and vinegar. I always would leave my eggs in extra long to get deep colors. To this day, when I smell vinegar, I think of Easter eggs.

Because it was a quiet day, I logged into my Facebook page - as well as my cat, Jake's (he has loads of lady friends). Below are a sample of the Easter greetings either he or I received these past couple of days.



This is what Good Friday means to me. (above)

Since when it is OK to wish anyone "Happy Good Friday"? Seriously, I think the nuns who taught me are rolling in their graves.




The above two images are the messages that I was taught as the meaning of Easter. I'm sure they may be offensive to non-Christians, or even couch Christians, but they still depict the true meaning of Easter and I was glad to see then posted from friends.




The above two messages admittedly made me giggle at first. They look like they should be in a 1st grade religion textbook or carried around as a calling card from a nun. It so happens they were posted by one of Jake's elderly lady friends.


Now let's go to the opposite end of the Easter message spectrum, shall we? As a long time addict of Peeps - I do enjoy the Peep Show and Peepmartini above. Probably getting these images on Good Friday isn't such a good idea, though.


I agree with the above message. This came from (surprise) an animal lover that volunteers at the animal protection league.

And lastly, my cat is Facebook friends with a mule AND a donkey. This is one of the messages from them. I'm not sure if it is the mule or the donkey - but am positive they are humiliated.

sometimes I can't help myself...

Found this while surfing today. Couldn't resist because my Mom raised me to be a lady, but I fail often. As my friend, Denise would say, "Did you just call me lady? I'm no effing lady!"

Cards

I've always been good for sending cards. Having worked at a major greeting card company my entire professional career didn't hurt, either.

I was taught at an early age that a card is a really, big deal. Not sure if this comes from my Mom teaching me manners or that we lived out of state from many card-givers. (mainly Grandmas & Aunts).

The best card givers of all time are Grandmas. But not just any Grandma - MY Garma. She sent me cards with MONEY in them. And often. And they were always on time. (unlike my other Grandma, that would send me her card with my socks in the Christmas package for my January birthday).

My Garma would tape coins to the back of my cards. And she'd send me a thank you card when I sent her a thank you card from my birthday card/$. In college, she'd send a couple of dollars to me monthly and she'd write in the corner, "maybe for a hamburger". Back then, that couple of bucks was a big deal to a poor college student, but an even bigger deal to a widow on a tight budget. But she still sent it. And I still appreciate it even today that she's been gone for years.

I have a "rule" that if you don't send me a Christmas card for 3 years, you're off my list. And yes, I still have a list of recipients of Christmas cards. And no, I am not 70 years old. I love getting a Christmas card from family & friends - even it it's once a year. Is that too difficult? Apparently, it is, as my list gets smaller and smaller. I keep last year's cards, so I can tell if you sent one to me and also if you broke the cardinal sin - sending me the same one this year. (the horror).

As for birthday cards - I have a list of friends that always get one, even though they never send one to me. For some reason, they are exempt of my 3 year Christmas card rule. An old friend's birthday is this week, and she's at 3 years with no response back on either birthday OR Christmas back to me. Was going to send her one - hoping I'd hear back, but received a note she had moved out of state. After not hearing back for 2 years, and she's been gone for 4 months, I'm still foolish enough to even be thinking of sending her a birthday card.

Obviously, I'm a glutton for punishment. So, I'll send her 1 more card to her new address & hope I hear back a response in the next 2 years. Maybe I should start taping coins to my cards, like my Garma. Then I'd get a response, for sure.

Why I'd make a bad parent # 14

Obviously, I'm not a parent by my title above. That is a choice both my husband and I have made for the past 14 years. We're both happy with our permanent decision to not have kids.

Because we don't have children, we have Furry Babies, instead. They're easy to take care of and you don't have to send them to college.

I've been told cats can be left alone for quite some time and be just fine. Not our cats. They need yummies and laps and someone to admire them every day. Which is where my husband and I come in.

When we travel, we have our neighbors cat-sit. Which means they come over twice a day to scoop & poop & feed. I know they also give the mandatory yummies and tummy rubs. I know 2 of my cats are OK with this arrangement, but our alpha cat, aka, Mama's boy, Jake isn't all too keen on this.

Mama's boy, Jake is very attached to me. And vice versa. Our daily routine is very special and it always includes alone Mommy time. (Yes, I called myself Mommy. Just because I'm not a real mom doesn't mean I'm not maternal & dead inside.

My Jake is one of the reasons I know I'd be a bad parent. The days leading to my traveling I start getting sad that I will be leaving him. Yes, I know, I would never see the beach in January if I couldn't leave him. And yes, I know, he's a cat. But he's my baby and I miss him when I'm gone.

And to make it worse, I've been told he mopes and is sad when I'm gone. There. I said it. I'm sad to leave my cat. And if I'm such a wuss with my furry babies, I can't imagine how I'd be with real kids.

Christmas gifts..

Saw this today on Facebook & had to share...

Black Friday

Today is the Saturday after Black Friday. (Is today called Black Saturday?)

This is the first Black Friday in almost 2 decades, that I did not get up at 4:00 & go running with the crazies. Here's why.

1. It has been a tradition for years to have my sister-in-law as my partner-in-crime. Back in the day, we'd get up & go hunting with our game faces on - and we'd come home around noon. Dead to the world, but with loads of presents & even more stories. But she didn't come here this year.

2. If you go out in the wee hours of the morning - you MUST take a said partner-in-crime. And my husband is a good substitute - but not a happy one.

3. You better have your game on when you go. AKA - you better have your strategy. And without a partner, you are a lamb going into a pack of wolves.

4. The major retailers through us a curve ball this year. Many changed their opening hours from 5:00 am or 6:00 am to MIDNIGHT. This just sucked for me. No more getting up at 4, driving to Kohls for the 5 opening. Grab & go & then sit at Starbucks waiting for Target's 6:00 opening. Grab & go & then sit at the mall for the 7:00 openings. Grab Mom's nightgown at Dillards & then get in line for a freebies at the mall (free hot chocolate, etc.). Breakfast then drive to the outlet mall for deals before the early bird specials that end at 1:00.

5. To have a strategy at all of the above stores in #4, you need a LIST. And I have NO LIST. Seriously - if you are a family member & you are reading this - it is in your best interest to give me a list BEFORE Black Friday.

6. I don't have to buy Barbies & Spiderman anymore. This basically means I don't have to hit the Kohls or Target to grab & go the Barbie campers at 50% off. And what it really means is that my nieces & nephews are getting older & prefer gift cards. And those that still like Barbie & Spiderman don't give me a list.

7. We're not buying for every family member anymore. Our gift purchases have dwindled down to buying only for our parents & our nephews & nieces. Brothers & their wives get fruit, candy or chex-mix or a combo of them. And our parents don't want the door busters of Black Friday.

8. It helps to have $ for Black Friday. I used to get my Christmas Club money out of the Credit Union & take that shopping. Never used credit cards for Christmas - ever. But I'm waiting for payments from July from my freelance - so I'm not exactly loaded. Guess #'s 1-7 are a good thing.

All I bought yesterday was 2 Cokes at the mall - so much for Black Friday. I feel naked. Bah