with a full heart

I'm handicapped on sharing baby pics which is probably a relief to most of y'all because I'd be over the moon with them.  I'm still "not on Facebook" on my phone so when I take pictures I email them to myself and then try to post from there.  That's not working today but whatever.  I can gaze at that face anytime I want to on my badass phone.  

Yesterday was a lot of bonding, grocery shopping and cooking in Jackson.  I took green tomatos with me and fried those up along with some squash.  We didn't even need meat after all that.  Sam got some too because I promised him.  Lauren offered me the bed for the evening so when I got up this morning we traded places and grammaw and Reaves had some quality time for a few hours.  

She's a typical two week old infant, wanting to be held and pacified which we usually do.  She's finding her thumb and feet and quite alert except when milk drunk.  Gripe water is the best thing ever invented and I only wish I had had some back in the day because just about every feeding ends up with hiccups.  She was fussy yesterday, probably because of the intrusion into their little cocoon of a home by grammaw.  Or maybe it was just gas!

None of the headbands she has fit her head ( too big ) so Erica came in with one last night that actually stayed on for a minute.  Too stinking cute.  I had the opportunity to people watch while outside smoking and got tickled at this little boy kicking a soccer ball like a football.  He managed to get it stuck in a tree but got it out.  

I delivered MORE presents which we opened per written color coded instructions.  I sent Claudia a picture of Reaves with the blanket over her.  Kay's diapers and Janie's formula were a proud addition to the household.  As it happened, this was Lane College homecoming weekend so we got treated to a halftime performance being practiced over and OVER again from a couple of streets over.  The whole area was blocked off for the festivities.

Me and Reaves watched CBS Sunday Morning together which is something that I miss.  My parents got me hooked on it years ago.  Today they covered Nate, Tom Petty and Las Vegas in no particular order.  

Ya'll have a great week.  I'm taking it one day at a time~

unwinding

It was a somewhat hairy day for me so I'm happily doing some chair yoga to relax a bit.  I'm off for the weekend and going to see my girls.  They're on a sleep eat and play schedule while she's off.  They will be in the 'burg sometime soon to make the rounds.  I want to personally thank via blog all the wonderful people who have stuck with us through this ordeal.  I can't believe she's two weeks old because I was just rambling around the food court at General, so it seems.  Time warp, most likely.

There's not much news except for Trump so meh.  Somebody in a thread said they saw a t-shirt that said "Free Melania".  I about lost it.  I am my mother's child so I'm working on procrastinating on the thank you notes.  You may get one by Christmas.  Or not!  Mama worried about that more than anything after Daddy died.  Her soul kept me working through the list for notes following her death five months later.  

All of that seems long ago yet it was a very real trainwreck at the time.  We kept Mama and Daddy at home with help as long as we could but the falling and whatnot just wasn't working.  My friend Becky cares for her 91 year old aunt who "doesn't want the help" in her house unless it's the neighbor or Becky herself.  Boy do I know that feeling!!

Anywho...life is good ^j^

hold my beer and watch this

Lord ya'll.  This old girl is worn O.U.T.  But then so is everybody else so there ya' go.  Everybody's all making plans for their next adventure and I'm still in lala land from baby week.  Can't wait to hold her and open presents!

I have a very uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach and I'm not sure what's going on there.  It could be work or life of just all of the above.  It's like I've been in crisis mode too long and all my receptors are burned.  It's a chance to pick up extra hours now and all I care about is getting to Jackson.  That's true love.  412 is my friend after all this time.  It's close to time for Sondra to hit the road past the Safari park and Flamingo car wash toward her honey.  I know where we'll be next spring.

As for the guns, my daddy would say "Janie...it has always been thus and so."  Hatred and violence are recorded all through recorded history and most of it was about greed.  I remember the movie Seven with Brad Pitt about the deadly sins.  That was a doozy.  

I'm not sure what the others are but I reckon I've been all of them at some poing but I'm forgiven because I didn't know better at the time.  A person with a conscience will not let an opportunity pass by to reach out to somebody else in friendship, no questions asked.  And now I'm listening to Linkin Park.  Do ya'll think I'm having a midlife crisis???  Nah...too late for that.

Peace and love to you and yours ~

walking the walk

There are so many people who talk a good show but never follow up.  After 40 years in the workforce I've come across them in every conceivable situation.  They are the ones who leave the spirit stick to their minions and expect them to manage up.  Sometimes that approach works, when the workforce has a team spirit.  Employees that are valued for their dedication and loyalty will be good sales people for your business, especially in the communnity.  It's as simple as that.

Reaves is at the doctor today with her poor tired mama.  I can hear the fatigue in her voice as she battles not just having a baby but every little complication that can possibly go along with it.  I'm so glad I was there for the worst part.  

I watched some body cam video of the Mandalay Bay slaughter and just could not wrap my mind around the arsenal that this man had built in a week.  Trial run????  What a nut job.  If I was a betting gal I'd say he's playing poker with the devil right about now.  

Justice ~

love you....bye

I always say it now when I end a conversation.  It's like a simple way of having faith that things will work out and we're all in it together.  My friend Lorna had a miracle handed to her yesterday and I'm in awe of how the universe works.  

Lauren still isn't done with the pregnancy because she's bleeding again and on a 24 hour treatment with cytotek meaning more labor to pass the clots.  If that doesn't work it's D and C time.  Lerd, girl.  I believe that this has been your test of strength and courage.  And you know what?  You're tough as nails.  Love ya....mean it.

I've avoided the news today except to gaze at the profiles of the dead people from Vegas and a gun count from the hotel room.  This is freakin' beyond ridiculous and if somebody doesn't get off the NRAs tit, you could be the next victim.  The scary thing is that it's so random.  Automatic weapons in the hand of a mentally ill person is not okay.  It's the monkeys running the circus.

I am blessed in life and I have a profound reverance for the cycle of seeing a new generation born as other lives pass away.  Becoming a grammaw changed me and challenged me all at the same time.  Like MHS used to say "we know what a miracle you are."

^j^

the smoking gun

I won't dwell on the details of Las Vegas except to say that it's time for a change.  Each and every time a horrific incident like this happens everybody gets all up in arms about the situation yet the Congress fails to take any sort of action to prevent what is happening.  This man bought these guns legally, modified them for maximum kill power and played a real live game of shoot to kill from a sniper's position in a luxury hotel.  If these concert goers, many of whom were children, had guns it wouldn't have mattered.  They were an easy target from his location and he was obviously deranged.  Mental health is a sneaky one when it comes to guns.  These kinds of folks simmer under the radar, quietly building arsenals with no proof that they are mentally capable of owning and using them responsibily.  The gun lobby is so powerful that we are helpless as citizens to change anything.  Only the government can do that.  Yet the word from the White House is that it's "too soon" to have that conversation.  Bullshit.  

Reaves and Lauren are doing well and receiving visitors daily.  I won't make it back there until the weekend but have a day off tomorrow to try and get this place in shape for a visit.  I'm shopping for a vacuum as we speak...Mama's old Electrolux just doesn't cut it anymore.

Love thy neighbor ~

social detox

Anybody who has ever entered mental health treatment will tell you that the phone is the first thing to go.  Use the house phone if you wanna' talk to your family.  There is normally a week of detaching from drug and other addictions before admission to a residential facility.  Anonymous meetings are required for anyone to visit a client.  I met some of the strangest folks ever at the local NA meeting at Here's Hope.  Hey....it's drug court umkay?

Work was pleasant today and I accept that message from the universe to keep the faith.  Mamye came by after and lord y'all....yesterday I had a house full.  Don't ask me what day it is 'cuz I'll be off the mark.  I think it's Sunday.  The Lord's day ^j^