This old gal…

Is puzzled…at how puzzling…some of the most seemingly simple things..can be…bought Laughing Cow Cheese…at the suggestion of this friend of mine…went to prepare a snack…just before bedtime…held the round disc of a container…debating on how to open it…tried to twist it…paper seal didn’t budge…

Used the old drag the fingernail around the seal trick…didn’t make a dent…attempted some knifery…but a sharp point…a thin round cutting area…seemed like an accident waiting to happen…cheese craving me felt foolish…is this old age…lack of common sense…no cheese…should take this long…to access…

Almost gave up…then saw the one liner…apparently there the whole time…pull the red string to open…how this got by old gal me…one will never know…found the string…black…not red…pulled it…and voila…easy peasy lemon squeezy…cute little triangular cheeselets…

But those cheeselets…that red cow…looking at hungry me…that weird red tab at the tip of the triangle…befuddled me thinking…now what…

It would seem…smh…they don’t call it Laughing at me Cow…for nothing…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Believes…in fate…basking in the glory of spring…windows open…cool breeze blowing…the scent…that favorite of all time scent…fills the air…said good-bye to the lilac bushes at Old Pink…loved having a house…blessed with that fragrant flower…made the move…just that much more…bittersweet…

Moved in early August…Little Cottage…just as it says…a little cottage…a little garage…on a little lot…with just a little bit…of simple landscaping…one little bush to it’s name…lady of the house me…taking no notice beyond the fact that an eager plumber…suggested it be pulled out…to avoid root wreaking havoc…down the road…

But Little Bush remained…saying hello at the doorway during fall…hunkering down over winter…there to greet us…as spring beckoned…and so it was…this old heart leaping…doing a little happy dance…when the tiniest of blooms began to pop…it’s a lilac bush…came the wise words of that neighbor of mine…

And indeed it was…a glorious…stunning lilac bush…and it was in that moment…this sweet friend…those silly cats…this beautiful smelly bush…that this old gal knew…for certain…

That she…and Little Cottage…were meant…to be…
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And those kitties who come to visit…agree…

This old gal…

Was given a gift…30 years ago…beautiful…precious…irreplaceable…

That daughter of mine…first born…only child for five years…she and her mama…became best friends…went on adventures…made memories…ate pizza…cheeseballs…glazed donuts …played games…wrote stories…read books…sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star…

And so today…we celebrate that gift…

Her spunk…her wit…her kind and empathetic heart…
Her shine…her pizazz…her beauty…inside and out…
Her wisdom…her generosity…her strength and perseverance…

Happy Birthday…best friend…daughter of mine…awesome sister…wife…puppy dog mom…may you be blessed…with gifts beyond measure…gifts of joy…friendship…good health…

Know that of all the gifts…an old gal could receive…you…my dear…are by far…the most exquisite…the most treasured…the most…loved…
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And those sisters of yours agree…

That favorite teacher of mine…

Ended her sweet message…with…I’m proud of you…reading it…made the eyes well…sharing it…makes the eyes well…funny things those words…

I’m proud of you…
For doing well on the spelling test…playing nicely with others…taking turns…practicing cursive…cleaning your desk…being a good listener…

I’m proud of you…
For following your dreams…being a teacher…loving your daughters…persevering…believing…having compassion…

These words…aren’t said enough…these words…aren’t heard…enough…

I’m proud of you…husband…daughters…friends…readers…of mine…for supporting others…having integrity…being a good person…

I’m proud of you…favorite teacher of mine…for being you…connecting with kids…and using your gifts…to change…little lives…

I’m proud of you…four simple words…with unbelievable…power…I’m proud of you…harness that power…and make a difference…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Got the sweetest message…from her favorite elementary teacher…this teacher…so kind…beautiful smile…infectious laugh…made little me…want to be just like her…reads the Ramblings…she said…and wanted me to know…little student me…was adorable…kind…accepting…warm…

Told that brother of mine about the message…he was in her class…her very first year of teaching…said kind things…also about little him…I remember…he says…when she read Charlotte’s Web to us…there was something about it…the way she sat there…read it aloud…it changed things for me…

It changed things…for me…

It might have been the story…but it was also…so much more…a woman…one kind and caring woman…an excellent teacher…a better person…changed things…for little us…the journey of life…has so much potential…one never knows who’s lives you might touch…just being you…a smile…a laugh…a simple act of kindness…

And who knows…one day…fifty years down the road…someone just might say…you know that friend…that teacher…that boss…that neighbor…

That kind and beautiful soul…he…she…changed things…for me…
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And that brother of mine…would agree…

This daughter of mine…

Gave her mama a card…inside said…thanks for all the years…of adventures…here’s to many many more…don’t know how it got started…young mama me and her tribe…lived several miles out of town…so any kind of errand…took time…and work…

Started to preface trips with…let’s go on an adventure…didn’t matter what came next…to the dentist…for your shots…to buy mom some shoes…if the word adventure was used…those little ladies…were good to go…grab some snacks…put in that Barney CD…morphing into Toby Keith…morphing into One Direction…and off we went…

Anticipation high…laughter and chatter abound…memories ready to be made..it was fun…gloriously fun…and it…is missed…heartbreakingly missed…haven’t been with all The Ladies…in almost a year…but…grab the snacks…download some One D…one of us…is flying in from DC…the rest of the crew…will be there to meet her…

It’s time…for the next adventure…to begin…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

This old gal…

Was toodling around the downtown…in her hometown…a few years back…came to a stop sign..waited for an older gentleman to hobble walk across the street…awww…came the thought…that old guy…reminds me…of that grandpa of mine…a minute passed…realization set in…that old guy…just happened to be…that big brother of mine…

A grandpa now himself…emulates in so many ways…that wonderful man…who nurtured us as kids…soft spoken…hard working…drinks coffee and eats ice cream…master gardener…quick witted…offers wise advice…good listener…bread baker…sauerkraut maker…loyal…honest…same Czech head…same heart of gold…

And today…one year older…we celebrate him…

Brother of mine…so like that grandpa of mine…you make your sister proud…you make your family proud…you’d make…that grandfather of yours…so very…proud…so if you see the Pizza King today…wish him Happy Birthday…tell him…that old gal Czech head sister of his…sent you…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

This old gal…

Went on a mission…to find…shorts that fit…headed to Farm and Fleet…this neighbor of mine…wearing the cutest pair of khakis from there…elastic waistband…good length…on sale…surely blobby me…can’t go wrong…with the elastic drawstring waist…but surely…blobby me…was wrong…

Let’s just say…the blob needs one size…the hips and legs…need another…looked like clown pants…waist comfy…tiny stick legs…emerging from all that extra fabric flopping around…where…complained whiny me to that co-shopper of mine…is an old gal…supposed to find clothes that fit…maybe…came his reply…you should try Goodwill…

And what to my wondering eyes should appear…but three pairs of shorts…just like those that shrunk…but in the next size…vintage shorts…out of style shorts…low rise…comfy…no stick legs…will look great with the colorful ribbed knit tops…shorts…

This old gal…and that husband of hers…breathed…a sigh of relief…for this shopping frenzy…if one is being truly honest…wasn’t about the blob or shrunken shorts…it was about…change…that inevitable change…that hits…with time…that change…that ever so often…nibbles away…at the confidence…of old gal you…looking in the mirror…

But with age…comes wisdom…and with wisdom…comes the freedom…to accept change…find peace…and love old gal you…blob…and all…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Bemoaned…whined…mourned…the loss of her shape…when those favorite shorts of hers…suddenly hugged too tightly…in all the wrong places…but those powers that be…out there in the netherworld…heard the cries…of frustrated…blobby feeling me…

When what to my wondering eyes should appear…an ad…on Instagram…placed there…certainly for these old eyes to see…weep no more my friend…it says…we bring you tidings of great joy…along with these resurrected Old Navy sweat shorts…twins to those OGs in that closet of yours…now…advertised as vintage…

High waisted…sure…but buy a bigger size…stretch that elastic waistband to capacity…this old gal…and these vintage vibes…loved forever drawers…may just be…a match made in Heaven…ok…most likely not made in Heaven but some algorithm or something…but still…a comfortable…non binding…prayers answering…match…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

​This old gal…

Can only remember one time…that mother of hers…said…I love you…it happened to be…two days before she died…she hadn’t felt well for two weeks…thought it was the flu…went with her to the doctor…she was diagnosed with liver cancer…on a Tuesday…

This daughter of hers…sat with her that night…chatting about this and that…the conversation strangely easy…relaxed…seemingly normal…gave her a hug on the way out…I love you…she said…like it was the most natural thing in the world…like it had been said…a million times before…I love you too…she was told…

Sat with her again the next night…again the chatting easy…calm…reflective…talked about nothing really…what is there to say…wrapping things up she says…I wish I hadn’t bought the treadmill…I’m sorry I won’t get to see your girls grow up…and…I’m not going to get my inheritance…

And that was that…the last three things this old gal remembers that mother of hers saying…she died that night of respiratory failure…on the way to the hospital in the ambulance…she was 63…

During funeral planning…it came up how enjoyable she had been to be around…during those last two weeks…as a family we’d talked…we’d teased…we’d laughed…being together had been comfortable…supportive…almost seemingly normal…one of us commented…well…she was too sick…to play the game…

And so it was…the game was over…how do you know who wins…when it ends…and just exactly…what game were we playing all these years…Trouble…Sorry…Crazy 8s…

No…this was Life…this old gal’s life…spin the wheel…and see…where you land…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…