This old gal…

Took a selfie not long ago…was a little shocked at what she saw…the breeze blowing just so…the sun…that angle…there it was…gray hair…

Lots and lots…of gray hair…knew it was there…but for some reason…just never see it…the bathroom lighting maybe…avoiding mirrors maybe…whatever it is…this revelation…was a Debbie Downer…

Browsing a cute decor shop…passed by a mirror…and there it was again…the gray…the obvious gray…the super can’t ignore it any more…gray…

Did the deep sigh…omg my hair is so gray kind of thing…when that husband of mine…makes a declaration…

Gray hair…he says channeling his Native American heritage…I shall deem you…Greywolf…

And just like that…the cloud lifted…Greywolf…like Superman…Greywolf…like Wonder Woman…one of us suddenly seeing things in a whole new light…

She’s not an old gal with gray hair…she’s…Greywolf…because you know what they say…if you act like you own it…you own it…

And Greywolf…is gonna take this thing called aging…gray hair and all…and own it…
​
And this husband of mine…agrees…

That daughter of mine…

Sent a text in the besties chat…the coffee shop…it said…is playing One Direction…I’m sad now and know how you felt the other day…

Mama me…thought about that song playing there at JC Penney’s…Night Changes…the lyrics…hitting home…

*We’re getting older, baby…

Yes…yes…yes we are…one of us really getting older…her babies…certainly not babies any more…

*Does it ever drive you crazy…just how fast the night changes…

Yes…yes…yes it does…if we could turn back time…or just slow it down a bit…mama me would not complain…

*But there’s nothing to be afraid of…it will never change…me and you…

It will never change me and you…

Not time…not distance…not age…can change us…mama me won’t let that happen…years together…a bond unbreakable…family…

Yay family…
​
And those daughters of mine…agree…

There was a song in the air…

In the blue jean section of JC Penney’s…a favorite song…a One Direction song…a favorite One Direction song…

One Direction…the Simon and Garfunkel of those daughters of mine…boy band…loved…adored…dragged that mother of theirs along with them…the four of us…One D super fans…

Knew every word to every song…braved Chicago traffic for a concert…and when in Ireland…took trains and buses hours out of the way…to visit Niall Horan’s hometown…

Those days…those One Direction Days…are what memories are made of…four besties…in that little rental on Elm Street…bonding…growing…navigating life…

One Direction right there for the ride…bringing comfort…bringing joy…

Sent a message to those ladies of mine…I’m in Penney’s…One Direction is playing…I miss you guys…

And so it is…in life…sometimes we miss those days…those One Direction Days…and it’s ok…those days are us…and we…are those days…

Precious times with precious people…surprisingly triggered by a random song…in the middle of JC Penney’s…

Treasure your One Direction Days…these are the most precious days…indeed…
​
And those daughters of mine…agree…

This husband of mine…

Decided to go blue jean shopping after that chicken dinner…have to admit…the I’m hungry for chicken cringe…doesn’t even compare to the…I need blue jeans cringe…

Have created our own little hell…this man and I…a shopping hell…a things we’ve had for 30 years and want to replace them with exactly the same thing…kind of hell…

The same things…that no longer exist…

His jeans…her sports bra…her emery boards…and now her Bath and Body Works white citrus body cream…

Today’s jeans…not skinny enough…stretchy enough…the back pockets too big…the sports bra…no longer cotton…emery boards too floppy…no body cream smells…just like white citrus…

And so it is…in life…things change…times change…sometimes you have to adapt…sometimes…you are forced…to adapt…

And sometimes…the next best thing…will just have to be…good enough…
​
And this husband of mine…agrees…

This husband of mine…

Was up early…eager to head out for the fried chicken adventure…beat the rush…enjoy the sunshine peeking through the clouds…

Walked the brick path to the Gristmill…anticipation high…greeted warmly by the waitstaff…and the fried chicken sign by the door…

Didn’t need to look at the menu…chicken for him…steak sandwich for her…waited patiently…hoping for the best…

And then it came…quite the platter…quite the pieces of chicken…giant pieces of chicken…thought uh oh…steroid pieces of chicken…it’s going to be tough…

But no…delicious…he says…two thumbs up…he says…a 9 out of 10…he says…snarfed one piece down…and saved the other…for later…

And so it is…in life…Sunday dinner with family…fried chicken and biscuits…celebrating the days of old…it doesn’t get any better…than that…
​
And this husband of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Cringes when she hears the words…I’m hungry for chicken…and to be honest…that husband of mine…says those words a lot…

Loves chicken…fried chicken…a man child who hoards the drumsticks at buffets…but the I’m hungry for chicken…means so much more than…KFC…Chick-fil-A…or even Golden Corral…

I’m hungry for chicken means…I’m hungry for the chicken they made back in the day…in the 1960s…served in every family restaurant…in any little town…

Can’t find it…and yet we keep searching…it’s a thing of the past…and yet we keep searching…each attempt more frustrating than the last…

Too much breading…too much crisp…steroid laden…meat too tough…and yet…we keep searching…

An eatery nearby advertised chicken dinners…served on Sundays…potatoes and gravy on the side…

And so it is…in life…never give up the search for your heart’s desire…the answer you’re looking for…just might be…right around the corner…

And today we shall see…
​
And that chicken lover of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Went to a thing for winter Texans…won two tickets for a theater show…a tribute band…celebrating the music of Paul Simon…

Little me loved Simon and Garfunkel…spent hours in the bedroom singing with their albums…the black disc spinning on the little record player…

Got to the theater early…waited patiently…people watched…admired the surroundings…

And then…the magic started…the band talented…the music powerful…the harmony…the lyrics…taking an old gal back…way way back…

Knew every song…every single song…wanted to grab a glass of wine…dance and sing in the aisles…celebrate the past…the days of youth…

Wanted to sit quietly…cry humbly…remembering the past…the days of youth…mourn silently…the inevitable passing of time…

But it takes going back…to remember what’s important…that song…ten year old me crooning from the bedroom floor with conviction…

If you need a friend…I’m sailing right behind…like a bridge over troubled water…I will lay me down…like a bridge over troubled water…I will ease your mind…

A powerful message…a timeless message…a let your hair down and sing at the top of your lungs kind of message…

Be a friend…show you care…
​
And this husband of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Was never one to get candy on Valentine’s Day…maybe flowers…a balloon…mini boxes from students…but never the big traditional heart box from a not so secret admirer…

Have a thing for Russell Stover’s chocolates…related to him some way some how way way down some line…can’t remember the story…

But his chocolates…have always been a treat…a special treat…the dark chocolate caramel or the coconut clusters this chocolate lover’s fave…

So started a tradition…over 40 years ago…between me and me…the day after the big day…one of us…buys one of us…a big heart shaped box of Russell Stover’s chocolates…on sale…

Forty years…forty Valentines…forty half priced boxes of delicious goodness…the anticipation always keen…

And so it is…in life…sometimes…you gotta show the love…for you yourself and I…because you…like those Russell Stover’s chocolates…are pretty special indeed…
​
And this husband of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Made a new friend today…

Stopped at an antique shop to buy a ring…another ring…a ring just like one bought there two weeks ago…began to babble…like babbly me does…

Read a book…blah blah blah…a great book…an intriguing book…talked about the evil eye…a symbol of protection…had never heard of it…had to Google it…

And then there it was…here in this store…if it hadn’t been for the book…the ring would have had no meaning…reader me loves connections like that…blah blah blah…

New Friend engaged…listened patiently…talked about the House of Colours…Retirement Ramblings…daughters…

Hers works in social services…hers…cares about kids…and for that brief time in that novelty shop…we connected…

Two moms…proud of their girls…

So thank you new friend…for letting an old gal gush…sometimes the greatest gift of all…is taking time to listen…

And 16 dollars and two rings later…mama me left…feeling fulfilled…
​
And any proud parent…would agree…

This daughter of mine…

Has become a knitter…knittress…queen of the intertwining of the yarn…self-taught…accomplished…puppy sweater…neck scarf…baby sweater…Oslo hat…

Items growing in complexity…showing skill and intricate design…it’s not hard really…come her humble words…except for the fact…that I’m…left handed…

And that she is…left-handed from day one…baby spoons switched over…tying shoes…opposite…scissors…impossible…

Now modern day knitting instructions…don’t work…stitches mirrored and backward…have to mentally flip directions…You-tube videos for right handed knitters only…

And there’s her gift…left handed knitting…and you have one too…gardening…baking…gluten free menu planning…whatever it may be…

Share it…teach it…be your own kind of masterclass expert…you deserve it…and the world…deserves to learn…from you…

And this daughter of mine…agrees…
​
What’s YOUR Masterclass skill?