This old gal…

Scrolled through an ad on social media…for a shop in a city nearby…a gallery of sorts…hosting rooms and rooms of vendor products…

When something caught the eye…nestled beneath the dogs…next to the bulbous glass head…a swung glass vase…a purple…swung glass vase…

Heard the call…would have heeded the call…but this day…this scrolling day…was the day…last year…before leaving…for Texas…

Told the lavender beauty to wait…vintage glass lover me would be back…and if it was meant to be…it…would be…

This favorite of mine…the love of vintage glass…began with three depression glass pieces…bought at an auction…in 1982…

Treasured them…all these years…but life happened…kids happened…vintage glass collecting…stopped there…

And now…a hobby…the search for pretties for pocket change…a favorite pass time…for two old folks…

It’s the beauty of the glass…that draws one in…the sun shining through…the colors…a rainbow…each one unique…each one…special…

Just like…you…are special…just like…you…are unique…turn your face to the sun…let your beauty glow…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

This husband and I…

Were talking about money…and subbing…and money…and Texas…teacher me getting in the classroom…for the most part…to help finance that trip south…

One of us…got a little sentimental…not the one with all the hormone fluctuations…it was…the other one…

You know…he says…I mentioned wanting to winter in Texas…but I never expected to go…and you…just made it happen…

Something about that…hit the heart…hadn’t realized it was an option…hadn’t realized the effort was noticed…hadn’t realized…it was…appreciated…

Because go getter me did…research…plan…budget…schedule…and did…make it happen…
And she’s glad…she did…

Because…you can’t put a price…on making someone happy…you can’t put a price…on making someone’s dream come true…

Forever friendships…camp cats…HEB…and Buc-ee’s…what a grand adventure Texas turned out to be…and even tho one of us hates change…she’s eager to see…what this year…has in store…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Is drawn to books…like a magnet…doesn’t matter where…or when…or how many are waiting for their turn at home…the pull…is always there…

Menards…again for the win…the display…a masterpiece…wanted to soak it in…run a hand…over the colorful spines…

Moved on…ignoring the pull…and there it was…an oddity…standing out…not fitting in…the cover green…unique fabric…the title stark…

Cabin…was spectacular…its simplicity…its boldness…made book lover me want to buy it…read it…and heck yea…escape to the woods…and live…off nature…

Came back to reality…at a thrift shop later….completing instead…that Harry Potter collection…the search starting a year ago…at the behest…of those daughters of mine…

And so it is…during each chapter in life…there will be days…to stand out in a crowd…draw attention…be unique…and there will be others…when success will be found…by working together…being part of a team…

Sometimes you just have to read between the lines…to find which way…is best…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

This old gal…

Is a bagaholic…loves bags…all kinds of bags…but is obsessed…with the school bag…and if we’re being picky here…the Vera Bradley…school bag…

Love Vera Bradley…the bags are versatile…light…bold in color…those colors…ready to brighten any outfit…classroom…doorknob…or storage nook…

Fits right in…with the Mary Engelbreit obsession…another old gal favorite…her calendar a must have for every school year…

Had ME posters…bulletin boards…notecards…note pads…pin cushion…reading books…and again…it’s all…about the color…the pop…the hey there notice me…vibe…

Loved walking into the classroom…seeing all that color…it was happy…invigorating…made a statement…

And so it is…in life…fill it…with color…all kinds of color…the color of joy…the color of peace…the color of courage…the color of love…color in those pages…feel…the vibe…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Didn’t have stuffed animals as a kid…a blankie…yes…some Barbies…uhhuh…two favorite baby dolls…
Tippy Toes and Miss Peep…loved those babies…Miss Peep…named her Amy Ann…still have her…upstairs…with the lovable llamas…

But stuffed animals…it just…wasn’t a thing…which is why…one of us would be remiss…in not mentioning…that favorite of all favorites…

The Squishaboo…

Adore them…still…drawn to them in stores…always…so versatile…lean on them…prop them…pet them…rest on them…they are just…so perfect…

Which brings us to the fact…the Squishaboo family has had to grow…to replace those…that have seemingly disappeared…to the other side of the bed…

He…who shall remain unnamed…who pshawed at his wife…for Squishie loving…for Squishie petting…has suddenly discovered…the magic…of the Squishaboo prop pillow…

Ankles…backs…elbows…knees…computers…paper plates with a sandwich…you name it…it…will prop it…

And so…of all the seemingly useless doo dads…this old gal has acquired…we lift up the Squishaboo for surprising us…by being more…than just…a pretty…squishie…face…
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And that husband of mine…agrees…

​That grandmother of mine…

Sat in front of the TV…doing crossword puzzles…eating buttered crackers…Wordscapes player me…was amused to find herself…doing the same thing…and there it was…

I’m turning into my grandma…

That dear sweet lady…coffee always brewing…rye bread in the drawer…cut up celery in the fridge…floating in water in a shallow silver dish…

Granddaughter me…snacking on rye toast…cutting up celery…not long after the morning coffee stopped and there it was…

I’m turning into…my grandma…

Lived with her for three years…a wonderful time to bond…got to know her…for her…sat around the card table…chatting…doing puzzles…

Love the puzzle…the jigsaw puzzle…bought a table specifically for them…bought a house with a nook…specifically for…that puzzle table…

So many favorites…coffee…saltines…crossword puzzles…jigsaw puzzles…rye toast…handed down…from someone who is…so dearly missed…

Can’t imagine being more proud…to be able to say…

I’m turning into…my grandma…
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And that aunt of mine…would agree…

It’s no surprise…that this old gal…

Loves cats…but this…has not always been the case…current cat loving me…has really…only been…a dog lover…

A tiny dog lover…toy poodles for the most part…Cubby…black…teeny…no nonsense…a child for fourteen years…

Bruiser…tiny…brown…part of the family…for twelve…named by those little ladies of mine…after that chihuahua in Legally Blonde…

Then came Oliver…the cutest puppy ever…growing up just about the time…one of us got married…to a man who just so happens…to be afraid of dogs…

Even teeny tiny lap dogs…so with Oliver happy in a new home…dog lover me…had to have…a paradigm shift…

Not gonna say it wasn’t hard…not gonna say…it wasn’t sad…but Someone Somewhere heard the pleas of that lonely heart…and sent her kitties…who needed some cuddles…

Because isn’t that what we all need…to love…and be loved…doesn’t matter what…doesn’t matter who…

Cuz love…it does a body good…
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And cat lover me…agrees…

This old gal…

Has been touched recently…by thoughtful gestures…gestures that say…I see you…I hear you…I get you…

That Texas Iowa friend of mine…sees the love of cats…the need for organization…the delight in color and cuteness…

That new neighbor…dog lover…walking friend…hears stories from mama me…recognizing that mother daughter bond…with some SpongeBob sticker fun…

And that Ramblings friend…going way back to high school…gets this old gal’s humor…rescuing weeks and weeks of Sunday paper puzzles…sending hours of fun…for those relaxing Texas days…

Was complaining…in that Besties chat…hadn’t felt very well…the reply…hit home…really hit home…

Complain away…that daughter of mine said…this…is a safe space…

And isn’t that what friendship is all about…a safe space…to be accepted…for who you truly are…

Thank you…to each of you…for being a friend…and making Retirement Ramblings…a safe space…for all…

You…are the best…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

This old gal…

Is a snob…a pizza snob…used to eat it once a week…heck twice a week…now maybe…every couple months…that pizza making brother of mine…his tasty fare…has ruined it…for all the rest…

Forty some years ago…he bought that place on the corner…watched him make changes…smart changes…shredding fresh mozzarella…trying different dough recipes…

Adding sandwiches…turkey and swiss…ham and cheese…pepperoni and swiss…buns made from scratch…and the cheese…the real stuff…a cheese lover’s dream…

Creating his versions of taco pizza…combo…veggie…the Norm…baking homemade cookies…cinnamon and caramel rolls…fresh salads for the salad bar…

The Pizza Haus…has to be this old gal’s favorite place…of all time…the food…the people…the cheese…

But mostly…because of that brother of mine…and his beautiful wife…they are the reason…that pizza place…will always…feel like home…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

This old gal…

Ran into a friend…hadn’t seen in a million years…grew up in Old Town…lived somewhere else most of her life…

Got to chatting…catching up…and then she says four words…with a twinkle in the eye…those girls of yours…

Those girls of yours…she’d seen them recently…at the funeral…of that grandmother of theirs…and mama me…knew exactly what she meant…

Those girls of mine…unique…sassy…intelligent…quick witted…kind…compassionate…beat…to their own drum…

Get them together…funeral…wedding…holiday…party…they morph…into an impossible to explain…being of their own…

And this old gal’s most favorite thing in the whole wide world…is…and always will be…those girls of mine…

Miss everything about the days…we were us…but appreciate what we have today…

Those girls of mine…best friends…confidants…trustworthy…safe…will be there in an instant…if needed…

An old gal…blessed to get to be the mother…she always wanted to be…can’t ask for anything more than that…from her beautiful legacy…those girls…of hers…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…