Old Man Wrigley…

Has a best friend…a new best friend…a best friend…this cuddle buddy of his…highly…approves…
Didn’t realize…this backyard of ours…is the kitty cat highway…area felines cut through…getting from here to there…going…who knows where…

The Wriggles…cool and calm…watches the action…some of the cruisers…hiss…others make eye contact…others sneak by…and then…there’s Hot Rod…Hot Rod Roddy Piper…kitty cat extraordinaire…full of life…hot dog…show off…eager to be buddies…with Old Man Wrigley…and his old people friends…

Took time…to win trust…Old Man Wrigley cautious…wary…but Roddy…was diligent…sharing food…lounging close by…giving the occasional bap with the paw…and a bond…was created…so much so…that Old Man Wrigley…shy…loner…scaredy cat…waits patiently…every day…for Hot Rod to appear…

And when he does…those two…do their little kitty cat telepathy thing…and seem to cook up…just a little bit…of feline mischief…

A best friend…a trusted best friend…loyal…fun…with a little bit of spice…is just what…everyone needs…
And Old Man Wrigley…agrees…
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​This husband and I…

Decided to have breakfast…at a fast food place…stood in line…waiting to order…the employee at the register…seemed flustered…frazzled…stressed…a middle aged man…the manager leaning over his shoulder…barking questions…

How much was his bill…she snapped…4.90…came the reply…and how much did he give you…snappy snap snapped again…a twenty…came the reply…followed by apologetic eyes…aimed at the gentleman waiting for change…sorry…said the employee…I’m just not good at math…I know to give you a dime back…but I’m not sure…how much…after that…

The manager says again…hovering…sooooo…how much is his bill…4.90…how much did he pay you…20 dollars…you owe him…16 dollars…and ten cents…change received…included a dollar extra …this old gal…places her order…the defeated employee…ever so polite…ever so kind…working…just so da** hard…

Thank you…fast food working friend…for making it possible…for me to get my muffin egg and cheese…if it weren’t for people like you…willing to stand at the counter…trying to please…old gals like me…and maybe even worse…it would be a sad day…indeed…

And reading teacher me…will let you in…on a little secret…she’s…not good at math either…could never…and still can’t…do math…in her head…

Just like…well…apparently…someone else you know…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

This husband and I…

Stopped at Menards…one went off to grab some paintbrushes…the other…decided to peruse…the romance novels…this old gal…heard her first name called…preceded with a…well hello there…in a deep…low…male voice…

Didn’t turn immediately…knew this guy wasn’t talking to her…because here…in new town…she’s unknown…blends in…is kind of…invisible…turned the head…and made eye contact…with that next door neighbor of mine…that moment…like one of those party crackers…emotions…popping out everywhere…

Shock…that it was a familiar face…humor…in finding out the preconceptions had been wrong…and comfort…in being…recognized…ha…stunned me laughed…I almost didn’t turn because I was sure there was no way anyone would know me…he nodded…and laughing said…well…it’s just beginning…

And so it was…went down the road to get groceries…ran into another neighbor…headed next…to Goodwill…walked in…and was greeted by another…known…friendly face…a wave…a hello…a smile…a cuddle from a furry bestie…community…belonging…being part of something bigger…

Today…it would seem…just might have been the beginning…of the beginning…
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And that heart of this old gal…agrees…

​This old gal…

Jerked awake…in the wee hours of the morning…coming out of deep sleep…panic hit…unexpected…out of the blue…had just said goodbye…to those daughters of mine…the day before…headed out early…eager to see those waiting at Little Cottage…was sent off…with hugs…kisses…Mom’s infamous stand-on-the-curb-obnoxiously-waving-and-blowing-kisses-until-the-loved-one-is-out-of-sight…now reciprocated…by that oldest beauty of mine…

Driving away…bittersweet…but the heart warmed…by the fact that the next morning…those sisters would board a plane…flying together…to spend the next two weeks…with DC gal…and that husband of hers…early morning flight…flying together…all of them…flying…together…

Eyes popped open…what if…came the panic…something happened…to this flight…that one in a million chance…something goes wrong…and those three babies of mine…are there…together…this old gal…not normally a doomsdayer…but there it was…fear…dread…crazy scary thoughts…echoing in the dark…

If I lost my girls…all my girls…all at once…what would I do…how would I survive…who would I be…for this old gal…is mama me…and mama me…is this old gal…those girls of mine…are a big part…of who…I am…and why…I am…

Stayed awake…until the plane landed…fears subsiding…those girls safe and sound…this old gal…so thankful…for ten beautiful days of memories…ten crazy days…of fun…and so blessed…to be given the gift of these three…delightful daughters…

To love so deeply…and be loved as deeply…in return…
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And those ladies of mine…agree…

This husband of mine…

Often uses the phrase…monkeying around…like we were monkeying around with this…or they were monkeying around with that…brings a smile…every time…and so it was…this old gal…became aware…that some little gooberheads…must have been monkeying around…with her phone…

Not sure how…or when…but the evidence is there…and clear…that some tom foolery…albeit fun tom foolery…had occurred…when some old person…wasn’t looking…selfie of one…selfie of the other..random shots…silly shots…shots of each other…up close…and personal…

Can only imagine…the snickering going on…during this fun little photo shoot…chuckling…snorting…chortling…and obviously…some scheming…cuz the secret is out…thanks to tattle tale Google…that book…a collection of those beloved immortalized memories…possibly a gift for that grandma of theirs…

Is ready…to be printed…those little furry pals…couldn’t follow through on the order…cuz they have yet to acquire…a credit card…but never fear…dear favorite furry friends of mine…it’s the thought that counts…and the cover says it all…Best of Spring…2023…or maybe should say…

The Best Spring Ever…2023…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

This old gal…

Likes to think she’s still hip…trendy…in the know…up on the latest thing…until…she hangs out…with those GenZennials of hers…and realizes…she might as well be wearing loincloth…living in a cave…grunting for communication…cuz that’s how out of touch…she has become…

Those ladies of mine…taking pity…holding the old lady hand…guiding her…carefully…patiently…through new never had before…experiences…pickleball…Thai food…doing the online New York Times crossword…in the car…while waiting…for sushi to go…sushi with crab meat…sushi with raw fish…

Jimmy John’s box lunch…cranberry mango…sparkling water…makeup never heard of…shampoos…never seen before…realizing the fanny pack is once again all the rage…but now called a hip pack…and worn…over the shoulder…can’t even go there…with the complicated cold coffee ordering thing…

This old gal…embraces…the obvious…she’s out of touch…teetering on nerd…dated…old person…but as some things change…others…stay the same…that Eggo Waffle for breakfast…the late night…foot rub…the mid day naps with a pet…on the couch…and the way…even after a year…

These ladies of mine…and their mama…can fall…right back into sync…like no time has passed at all…
It doesn’t get…any groovier…than that…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

This old gal…

Has yet…to get the Wordle with the first word…when the game first became popular…those daughters and I…would start the day…a million miles apart…seeing who could master the puzzle…fastest…an entertaining way to connect…say good morning…start the day with a smile…but life happens…people get busy…the morning Wordle bonding…fizzled…away…

But regained momentum…during the ladies getaway heyday…chatter centering around Wordle strategy…do you…begin with the same starting word each day…use words to eliminate letters…or in the case…of reading teacher me…dissect each word…phonetically…this old gal…starts each day…with a new word…picks one…that’s fits the mood…has meaning…reflects her life…

And so it was…relaxing with that daughter of mine…Smidge…Midge…Midge the Beast…gut says…go with beast…in honor…of that little lady…but fingers paused…no…came the thought…no way it would be beast…it was the word…not too long ago…

Inner battle ensued…gut…beast…head…feast…beast feast…beast feast…thumbs…poised…waiting…eventually…head won out…feast was entered…that little x tapped…and what do you know…deep sigh…face palm…a laugh…and a shake of the head…

And so it is…in life and Wordle…that gut…below the belt…heartburn inducing old guy…is often smarter…than that matter between the ears…and this old gal has to admit…her gut…churny old blobby thing that it is…has never…led her…astray…

Cuz you know what they say…when in doubt…trust the gut…go…with the gut…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

This daughter of mine…

Has a tiny little apartment…with a tiny little bedroom…tiny bed…tiny night stand…with tiny little doodads…sitting on top…a tiny frame…tiny planter…tiny glamor shot picture sticker of that mother of hers…and the teeniest of tiny…inspirational…daily reminder…little tidbit of a thing…saved after a delightful cup of tea…tucked into the corner…near that loving family of hers…

Live righteously and love everyone...you will build up around you an aura of light and love...

Teeny words…on a teeny card…speaking volumes…the potential…to make impact…of ginormous…proportion…imagine…if those that loved…glowed…like fireflies…and others…were drawn to the light…how beautiful…would the darkness be…how hopeful…might the despondent…feel…

Live righteously…love…everyone…it’s as simple as that…live righteously…love everyone…
And let…your light…shine…

And that daughter of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Lived in a farmhouse…the previous residents…planted a bed of lily of the valley…and a hollyhock plant…just outside…the kitchen window…the blanket of little lilies…were adorable…fragrant…delightful…the hollyhock…a conundrum…big…tall…proud…bloomed lovely pink flowers…

But the plant flopped here…and there…so out of control…compared to the bed of lilies…farm girl me…could never quite grasp…an appreciate for Ms. Holly Hocks…until…a stroll with those ladies of mine…near the University where DC gal used to work…and what to my wondering eyes should appear…but a garden of sorts…bold…beautiful…stunning…abundantly filled…with hollyhocks…

Multitudes of regal tallness…colors blending…octopus arm branches flipping flopping…reaching out…something in the old mind clicked…this is it…this is what…kitchen window Holly needed all those years…she needed…friends…hollyhock friends…friends…to flop with…meld into…

And so it is in life…we…are not an island…or one lone hollyhock beneath the kitchen window…the beauty in life…lies…in finding our people…people…who love…support…accept…let their colors shine…while accentuating those of yours…people…who when life brings them together…make the world a better place…by creating a beautiful…breathtaking…exquisite…masterpiece…called…love…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

This daughter of mine…

Is a superhero…not faster than a speeding bullet…or more powerful than a locomotive…not able…to leap tall buildings…in a single bound…can’t shapeshift…teleport…become invisible…or read your mind…unless you are a junior high student…in her classroom…trying…to pull a fast one…

Has lots of gifts…lots of talents…witty…caring…kind…thoughtful…dedicated…determined…hard working…best sister…friend…daughter…teacher…cat mom…support system…always driving to be…the best version…of herself…but her true power…the magic which she beholds…lies…in the kitchen…

Flour Power…a gift…unmatched…early morning…mid afternoon…late night…texts come in…just decided to whip up…a batch of cookies…cinnamon rolls…homemade jelly…macarons…sourdough bread…includes photos…mama me impressed…proud…now…a little bit hungry…wishing we lived closer…lots closer…like across the street closer…

Cuz this old gal…and her eager sidekick…would use the invisibility trick…and make those masterpieces…disappear…and so it is…holy celebration Batman…Flour Girl…has a birthday today…and Magicalmom sends wishes for an amazing…fantastic…extra…Super Duper…day…

Cuz…this beautiful super hero of mine…is pretty…darn…special…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…