Tuesday, May 22, 2007

-punk-

Punk music playing loudly, spinning on vinyl, baby dancing, orders to listen to this line -

because it's his day off. :)

Melissa at 2:53 PM

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Friday, May 18, 2007

dating

This September 22, my husband John and I will have been married for six years. Six years. Gasp. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by, how the years have blended together into so much excitement, newness, obstacles, and triumphs. I still haven't grasped how those six years of junior high and high school seemed like such an eternity, and how a period of the same time (even without those summer vacations), can seem so...short. So fast. Time needs to slow. down.

Yesterday, although a stressful day, my family and I made time to stop off at a park, founded in 1887. Next to the river, there were banks of greyish sand, soft grass, a little on the long side, and massive trees that reached up to the blue sky. As John sat in the car making an important phone call, Johnna and I walked down by the river, where we saw a young couple walking, holding hands. It made me remember the early years with John. Erm...The early MONTHS with John....and, well, he was my first and only boyfriend. Do you ever MISS those early months of dating your soul mate? Do you remember what they were like? The excitement, the newness, the nervousness, the excitement?

I do. I mean, currently I am far beyond happy in life, for the most part. But there is something about knowing I will never again experience those days, those feelings, of our early relationship, that makes sad. I am SO thankful for memory. I have been blessed with a wild, sharp memory.

Our first date. It was at a coffee shop. It was the last jazz band practice of the year - before our big three day tour - and John had stopped me by the door to the rehearsal theatre. I had suspisions he liked me...honking at me with his bari sax, hugging me, a special handshake, always unpacking and packing up his instrument next to mine...so when he asked me...I was thrilled and kind of half expecting it, someday. Maybe.

Jazz band rehearsal was one hour. 4:30-5:30. When the clock hit 5:00, I began to get SO NERVOUS! But all was well as we walked side by side to his DORM (!) room. (He needed to get his wallet). I saw our reflections in the glass door. A girl, myself. Short brown hair, no bangs. Brown pants, black sandles, a blue shirt with a "space baby" imprinted on it. A boy. A boy!!! Slightly taller, wearing baggy pants with holes and tears around the knees and below. And a shirt. I don't recall what shirt, but his hair was long. almost like it is now, but longer. There was something different about it. And he had a beard. A great beard, and smaller wire-rimmed glasses. He was 21. I was 18. There was just so much magic. I was venturing into some place I had never gone before. Going from a girl who is hopelessly devoted to her trumpet and music ONLY, who had to work up every grain of sand to talk to a boy (don't know why I chose "grain of sand," it just popped into my head just then)....but anyway, here I was, alone with him, alone with a COLLEGE GUY (A SOPHOMORE!) and I was a senior in high school...alone with him and we were going somewhere and he WAS SO CUTE! I could go on and on and on and on....about this one day in time.

Other dates followed. Of course we went on the jazz band tour together. We sat next to one another on the bus (everyone else had their own seats!). We held hands!!!!!!! (First time EVER!), we shared headphones and snacks. He would smile at me and hold my hand and rub it sort of. And sometimes when he'd let go for awhile, I would feel sad and put my hand on his leg, and he would soon put his hand down and transfer our hands to my lap. The band director, sitting a few seats ahead, would turn around and look...suprised but yet not suprised (he was a really cool guy).

No kisses, just hanging out all the time! We shopped together (went to a record store in Chicago,to a park, road on the subway together...first times for many things! No kissing yet!) So innocent!

When it came time to head home, he asked for my phone number, and gave me his, and he had me draw him a map of how to get to my house. For some reason, I didn't believe he would ever call or ever stop by....but to my suprise!

A few days later, he was over, and we were going for walks and watching TV late at night and...KISSED! My first ever kiss...I remember his eyes looking so dark, and him pushing his hair to the side and leaning in to kiss me. I was so shocked....but it is almost like one of those moments frozen in my memory. Beautiful. Afterward, he said, referring to a video: "I think it's done rewinding." And he would never want to leave. He would sit on my parents' couch and put his head down on my shoulder and just not want to go. (It was a 40 minute drive back to the college).

We had our jokes about the casino being so fortunate as a 1/2 way point, or otherwise we'd fall asleep. Oh yes. I did my share of going to HIS place, too. I am sure this made my parents very nervous.

ESPECIALLY that time I spent the night! Haha! Although it was all very innocent. I slept in my pants and one of his shirts, he in some shorts, but we did sleep in his twin bed. And I remember him having to get up early to go to class, having to shower. He came back to his room, his hair long and wet. I sat on his bed watching him comb is hair. He was just too...how could this be REAL?

We had gone to a coffee house concert, quite a drive away, 2 hours one way maybe, got back, watched some of a reggae festival on the mall, then went back to his room. It was near midnight, and, although only a 40 minute drive home, I did NOT want to leave. NO NO NO NO NO. Hanging out with him, hanging out at the coolest campus in the WORLD! (hippies!) oh my, it was a dream come true. Not to mention I just felt so safe with him, like I mattered in the world, as long as I mattered to him! So he would give me til certain minutes on the clock, and I would have to say if I wanted to go or stay. I didn't want to invite myself, so I decided to not say a word. I ended up staying.

I remember my mom vacuuming upon my return. My dad might have either been on the computer or not home at all. They gave me these concerned looks...like...er...is our daughter not the same daughter? What exactly happened. She spent the night?! But honestly, nothing was different, nothing had happened.

John. John. John. John. we did SO MUCH. We went hiking, on ferries to islands, rode bikes, watched movies late at night while eating frozen pizza at his place (by now he was living in a house with 3 other girls and a cat). I even came down here to meet his parents and stay at his parents house for a weekend. (Scary!)

He would come out to my great-aunt's cottage and play croquet and mingle with my family. I'll never forget our many walks by Lake Superior, going for a picnic when it was way to windy and cold and that dreaded question he would ask me: what are you thinking about right now?

Because it was, of course, him, and how happy I was, in my Glory...but when you are 18 and have just only dated a guy for a week, you are very hesitant to tell him THAT!

And there was that time, where he had me sit down on a bench to tell me something....and it was that he had never felt this way about any other girl before.....he couldn't finish because was too embarassed...but he didn't have to (although I would have LOVED to hear it).

I LOVED just going for walks, even to run errands, like buy toothpaste or peanut butter from the food co-op. I loved meeting his friends and driving around in his little maroon baretta.

And when I was without him? I felt as if he was still there with me. My mom and I would go for walks, and we'd discuss John and me and our relationship...and even though we had only been dating for a short while, even though we had just only met, I KNEW with much confidence, we would be together for a long, long time.

Still in high school, I took up riding my bike to school (hehe), I'd take my headphones and HIS CDs, mainly Morphine - Cure for Pain (GREAT CD!!!) and during open campus lunch, I would listen to HIS music and ride my bike all over the country side. He had already changed me. He had already taken over part of who I was. And that was a good thing.

I will miss those days dearly, but, because they happened to ME and because they will never leave me, they will never be gone.

How did you first meet your significant other? What were some of your first dates together? How were you feeling? Blog or comment! Either way, I'd love to hear!

Melissa at 11:32 AM

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Tuesday, May 15, 2007

A claim.

And the Cutest Baby Award goes to..........

Melissa at 5:57 PM

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Sunday, May 13, 2007

Mother's Day

I had an absolutely perfect Mother's Day! Johnna woke up at 6:45 or so, but we took her into our bed -- John had the day off! And tomorrow, too! -- and snuggled as a family. We all ended up falling back asleep until 8:30 or so. I woke up with Johnna and let John sleep in. We two had breakfast, then called for Daddy.

We all got ready and decided to go over to the Food Co-op for lunch. I had John take some pictures of Johnna and I outside before we left.





We had such a perfect day! Lunch and thrifting and going to the craft store to buy me some mother's day presents - supplies for embroidering!

My thrift store finds: heart tablecloth, homemade bibs for Johnna, and embroidery hoops --



And the craft store finds: more floss, a kick ass book, and some other trinkets --



When we got home just before dinner, I decided to clean out that desk that's been stored in various garages for three years. Icky! It was a gross thing to do: think of a hotel for spiders, dead and alive, adults and babies! Eeew, eeew, eeew! But it's clean now and old and in the house.



The best part of the day, or course?!




Being with my family, my bestest man and my bestest girl!

Melissa at 11:19 PM

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#2

I have been making it a point to use pencils more often.

Melissa at 11:21 AM

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Saturday, May 12, 2007

a quick hello

Yesterday I learned how to embroider! It really isn't that hard - I am super excited to start some real projects. I practiced on a pink bandana yesterday, and came up with this kitten:



Very exciting! I had my mom tell my Grandma, and my mom told me Grandma got very happy. She put her hands together and said something like: "I was *wondering* who in the family would be the one to carry on the embroidery. It's funny because once I finished the kitty, I ran my figers over its Braile-like texture and got a clear memory of the turqoise pillowcase my Grandma had stitched for me when i was a baby. It has the outline of my hand on it. Along with the date and some other fixtures. My mom said Grandma told her she has a bunch of books I can have. In some ways, I wish I could spend a few days with Grandma, hearing her stories and learning her tricks. I know her mother made handmade doilies. So I am probably right to assume Grandma learned a lot of her crafting from her mother. I feel honored to be "the one" who continues on with the tradition.

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Johnna is busy getting a fifth tooth. Last night she woke up crying. Nothing we could do would calm her (except bouncing her on the matress). I felt so bad for John because he had to work at the bakery a hour or so after she woke up. He really didn't get any sleep. I was just thankful she calmed down after awhile so I could get some sleep. Believe it or not, mamas get sleepy, too. I'm so excited to see what this next little tooth will look like.

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Along with these feelings of excitement, I am also a little sad. Tomorrow is Mother's Day and, once again, I won't be with my mom. It is so unfair that we have to live so far away. My mom and I are so close. I am her only child, so I know she is feeling empty as well. Johnna and I will be going to Michigan on the 29th (maybe earlier - hehe!) because my family is having a suprise birthday party for my Grandma on the 30th. It will be her 80th birthday. I am soooo excited because every single one of my cousins will be there. And their children! I haven't met most of their kids! My cousins and I have been designated the decorators, so it will be GREAT to be involved in something together and have those moments to once again laugh and reminice.

I don't think John is able to get off from work, which will be so sad, because my cousin who lives in England will even be flying in. As well as the cousins who live in Tennessee! So...he will more than likely be the only one who is not there. And Grandma adores John. I'm sure everyone will understand. It will be good to be centered my roots, and spending some quality time with Johnna, surrounded by those of her (our) lineage.

Speaking of which, today was a suprise party for John's mom - her 60th birthday. I didn't dare tell my mom...I just have this feeling she would be very sad that his parents live so close and she lives far away. It is SO.HARD. I hope some day we can live closer together.

In the meantime, biggest and bestest Mother's Day wishes to all of you!

Melissa at 3:01 PM

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Thursday, May 10, 2007

skirts and summer

Today was a marvelous day! I knew it was going to be a warm one, so I decided to take Johnna outside first thing after breakfast. I showered and decided to wear a skirt and blue baby-doll styled tank top. I felt so feminine and wonderful! I did feel a little self-concious...just because I really haven't been keeping up with the running (argh - night times are SO busy with getting a tiny one to sleep and then picking up around the house!) I'd love to stick with it because I am just a little...unhappy with my body image. I think if I at least knew I was trying, I'd feel a lot better.

But regardless, it was nice to just embrace the fact that I am, in fact, a girl. So I dressed like one and felt even more so like one...in addition to being someone's mother, someone's pretty mother. I felt pretty. It was nice for a change!

Around 10:00, I took Johnna over to the shady park. Just as we were walking up the path, John came up the hill and around the corner in the car. He went home, changed, and came over to the park as well. It was so nice to doing something like that as a whole family, under the shady canopy of looming old trees...and the hovering old sun.

When we got home, John showered, and then I made lunch. The baby and her daddy took naps in their beds - nice two hour naps. I wrote out bills (argh, but ahhh.......) and then we headed off to do some shopping. Johnna needed a new sunhat, I needed facial cleanser and mouthwash, and we needed groceries. But dinner had to fit in there as well, so we went out for pizza. Oh! And John and Johnna let me pick out a book from Barnes and Noble for mother's day. I found a book on stitching, so I went for that one.

I'm so excited to try! Tomorrow I hope to finally get out to the garage and clean up that old desk! I think I know of a great place to put it.

Oh yeah, one quick thing. I wore my skirt and tank top out shopping, and, as we were leaving the pizza place, some icky younger bar men were sitting outside and whistled at me. (Gross!) I suspected they whistled at me, but then they said: "oh check out that sweet car!"

I just didn't even bother turning around. But they were staring and laughing as I put Johnna into her carseat. Soon afterward, as we were driving away, John said to me: "Did you hear those guys whistle at you?"

I played dumb. "Did they whistle at me?"

"Yeah, until they saw me! Then they made up something about a car. But I didn't see any cool cars around. So I turned around and gave them a mean look. Then one of them mumbled 'Oh shit!'"

Although kind of flattering (that sort of thing never happens or has happened to me, it was still icky! I was, afterall, holding my little girl AND walking with my husband! I only want affection from those two!

Melissa at 12:08 AM

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Wednesday, May 9, 2007

O Happy Relief!

Today John met with the magazine boss. He returned his key and contact info in exchange for......a paycheck. A sweet, delightful paycheck. "It's not much...it will only be several hundred dollars," his boss had told him.

But Mr. Magazine Boss.......several hundred dollars can mean night and day for those of us who live, paycheck to paycheck. It might come as a suprise (not really), but when you live paycheck to paycheck, and you do not SEE paychecks...well, regular, predictable paychecks are a very good thing.

And now that we have this check...I can't help but wonder how much they really DO help and if not getting this glorious saving paycheck some of the time will acually bring further doom to us. But I don't think so. I think I might become more proactive about finding a part time job myself.

But anyway. This means so many things. Like being able to send off late bills. And go GROCERY SHOPPING, and...yes....spend $30 on a replacement charger for the camera.

O happy day! I have missed my camera!

Before I post some first-time-ever pictures on my new blog, I thought it would be fun to catch up on what Johnna is doing - mainly for my records!

&hearts Walking. Well, kind of. She takes anywhere for 3-11 steps, then plops down and crawls the rest of the way. Crawling is faster. However, this evening, she walked the length of the area rug by our couch! I was fascinated. I think she was, too.

&hearts Talking. Johnna can say: mama, dada, (although at this point, anyone friendly - including Daddy - is called "Mama." I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not!), tha"T" (big accent on the T), moo, woof, "GaGAW" (all gone), Uh-uh, Oh-Oh...and that might be all, for now! She really does understand a lot more than she can actually say.

&hearts Today, she did something SO CUTE! We were home alone this afternoon/evening/night, so we did our normal routine of watching some TV at 7. We played at the same time. Johnna has a little pink basket of books. She found with a puppy on it, went "Woof, woof, woof!" quietly to herself, and then carried the book a distace. She sat up and looked at me and went "mm! mm! mm!" in a high pitched little squeak.

"Do you want me to read that to you?" I asked. She threw the book at me (oh yes, very good at throwing these days), and crawled up and sat on my lap! Oh...it was so sweet! I think it was a major breakthru for her to pick out a toy and connect it with: "Mama will play/read this with me!"

Ohhh...how can it be 11 already? I swear, writing here, I could go on forever. But I will post a few pictures and quietly exit for now. That's the one good thing about having a blog. It is yours and you can always come back, any time you want to!

Here's a cute picture of Johnna eating the ever-so-messy couscous...I think I'll wait to serve this one again when she can somewhat use a spoon! It wasn't so much Johnna that was the messy thing about it, it was just tiny, sticky couscous matter all over the tray, the seat, and the floor - and yes, in between tiny fingers as well!



The rest of the pictures are from the day Johnna helped me bake oatmeal raison cookies (Monday). She loved banging and playing with the measuring cups and spoons...and also found that raisons taste pretty good, too. I had my back turned for one second, and when I turned around, I saw raisons dumped all over the table and floor! "Johnna!" I laughed. And that's when I had to get the camera and take a few pictures...just in time because the camera went dead soon after!







And now I have a fully charged camera - there's so much catching up to do picture-wise! Hurray!

P.S. I also want to thank Megan and Jenn for your super nice comments! I'm glad you guys found me here. I'd hate to loose friends like you in the shuffle of things!

Melissa at 11:11 PM

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Tuesday, May 8, 2007

A few things

A few things running through my head right now.

*Cake. John made a carrot cake tonight. We couldn't eat any of it because he is making it for his cake decorating class tomorrow evening. It was twenty-some dollars for the class, another twenty some for supplies, and this is NOT counting the ingredients he needed and will need to buy in order to make the cakes to practice decorating on. As happy I am for him on taking on a new adventure and learning something that interests him, I am also concerned about $$$, too. The classes are held about thirty miles ONE way from our house, so there's mileage to count in there, too. It just kind of makes me nervous. Money has never been this bad before EVER, and I am scared.

*Sewing. Today, I did something I have never done before - learned how to thread and sew on my mom's old sewing machine! She only made a couple things on it (a pair of shorts for me and a barbie dress for my doll), so it is basically in tip-top shape. I had to wait until Johnna was sleeping to run downstairs and find the manual. I had *no* idea where the manual was, but lucky for me, I found it in a bookshelf down in the basement. It took near TWO to THREE hours to figure out how to thread that thing! The Bobbin part was sooooo tricky! But I did it, and now the next step is to actually learn how to wind the bobbin. I tried but couldn't understand it. My mom had a wound-up bobbin stashed in the little storage compartment on the machine, so I just used that one. It was funny because the bobbin thread was black, and the machine thread was red! I never understood how a sewing machine works, but I am kind of learning (or so I hope). I played around with it for awhile, tried to sew Johnna a bear shaped thing, just to practice moving the fabric, BUT, it sort of went all over the place...and looks funny...but then I used the machine to sew felt eyes and a mouth on the thing. And then I cut around my sewed "borders" and it came out looking like a squirrel. It was made out of grey khaki material (John's old pants), and with the red and black thread, I told John: "LOOK! I made something. It is called a Grunge-Power-Squirrel! Johnna even shared her pacifier with the thing. Hahaha!

*Camera. I WANT MY CAMERA charged and running so I can POST AND TAKE pictures!

*an old falling apart desk. There's an old desk in the garage that I am going to clean off and haul inside and convert it into a sewing/craft supply desk.

*Hair. I cut my hair a little bit yesterday, and I am really self-concioius about it. I feel that it looks really chopped and stupid. The ironic thing is that it is basically the same cut I used to do all the time...but it just feels like I have outgrown it, and I just feel....weird. I wish I could grow it out for once.

*money

*money

*money...what do all of our money troubles actually MEAN?

*work. Should I go back to work part time? Why hasn't the lab called me back? That makes me sad. :(

*Work. John quit the magazine, and he and his boss have kind of ended it bitterly. John claims he shouldn't have to keep asking for his money (very true!) and his boss said that John was playing games with him and acting as if he was the one running the show. AHH.

*Gnats. We went to the park today, and it was hot and muggy and a gnat bit Johnna right on her eyelid. She was squealing on the swing, and I was smiling at her. All of a sudden, there was blood running across the lines in her eyelid! Talk about freaking a mommy out! No one hurts my baby, not even bugs...which leads me to my "the world CAN exist without insects" talk, but I will save that for another day.

I am tired and sore, and it is almost midnight. Plus, I think this list could go on forever...

Melissa at 11:37 PM

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old school.

I just realized something. I really miss using pencils.

Melissa at 5:16 PM

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Monday, May 7, 2007

Love Date.

Hi. John and I are out on a love date tonight. It is fun, but kind of strange! We really don't have very much money right now (and no credit cards these days! Our limits have either been drastically reduced or our accounts closed due to late payments). :( I am thinking this is probably a good thing. There is something about buying things and spending money that really isn't ours in the first place - that we know we can not pay back - it just seems wrong! So, this is better anyway.

I have $17 in my checkbook, and I had thoughts of using it to buy some dinner, but John was smart and cooked garlic-basic spaghetti for us before we left. That was nice because we were able to have dinner with Johnna-Bear.

I miss her SO MUCH! But, anyway, we really didn't have any plans for tonight. Just to use it as a night to go out and hang out at places. I was kind of sad at first. I was really spoiled last time when John had won those tickets to the movie theater as well as a free pizza coupon! But, we did go to the library. I found two neat books. We only had 20 minutes to browse, and I hit the good section JUST when they were going around kicking people out. Anyway, the two books I found were: Needlecrafts for Dummies and a book on making homemade toys for infants and toddlers.

After the library, we came over here, to the coffee shop. John ordered a cup of the dark roast, and I splurged and ordered a chai tea. Mmm...spice!

So guess what. Our camera is on the fritz! Well...the power adapter was left amuck....and a tiny baby got into it and chewed off ONE TINY little piece that just so happens to be a piece from the part that plugs into the camera. The result: a camera with no battery life that has no way of being charged. We went to Best Buy the other night, but they tried to sell us a huge pack of adaptor things (a 'universal adaptor') for $35. Sadly, we couldn't afford that. We did find online, a place that sells them for $18. I'm not sure what to do.

Because I did manage to get some really adorable pictures of Johnna helping me make oatmeal raison cookies today. She was SO CUTE and a GREAT little helper. I made the cookies in the dining room, on the table, and stood Johnna up on a chair. She held the measuring cups and spoons. She would get mad when I would borrow one to use. But I handed it back to her after measuring out the vanilla, and she put the spoon in her mouth. She was oblivious to the fact that the spoon had vanilla on it, but, after tasting it, she said: "MMM!" So cute!!! She also attacked the bag of organic raisons! I had my back turned for a split second, and when I turned around, there was a cute little girl holding a bag of raisons, half emptied, with raisons scattered all over the table and the floor. SO CUTE! And I have pictures of this, but...until we get our camera situation under control...I hope soon!!!

There's not too much going on otherwise. Just the continuation of dreaming of the future...and hoping some aspects of my life improve and one day we can say:

We used to have a mortgage we couldn't pay. And an expensive Subaru Forester. And credit card payments. And satellite tv contracts. But one day, we lost it all. At first, we thought it was the end of our world. However, if we had not made those mistakes early on in life, we would have not been forced to live as minimally and simply as possible. And that is where we have found True Life. And where we want to continue to be and what we would like to pass down to our little ones.

Labels: baking, dating, dreams

Melissa at 9:06 PM

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Sunday, May 6, 2007

it is settled.

So I think I have settled here, at 'panda shirt.' I left diary-land once before, came to blogger under a blog by the name of 'tiger shirt,' but had to leave after a few months due to morning sickness and the blog template making me ill!

So here I am again. I am still tweaking the layout a bit. That's only thing with blogger. There aren't many to choose from. I just had an idea. I'll be right back. Ok. Looks like this option is the best one. I'll still play with colors here and there (after all hex. color codes ARE one of my interests) :D I kind of like the orange and pink but not sure about the purply color.

My three favorite color combinations in the whole world are: light pink, light orange, and white. In fact, my aunt is making me an afgan in those colors.

I think I am going to like being back at blogger. Diary-land was really acting up for me the last couple of weeks. And, the truth is, being at ONE diary spot too long (for me, anyway), can become uninspiring. I suppose for most it is quite the opposite. Seeing months upon months upon years of archives is inspiring to them. I am the opposite.

Moving on and fresh clean starts - organizing life into chapers - that is how they seem to unfold for me anyway, into chapters. I don't always like how it does that...but maybe that's one explanation as to why I feel the need to move on after awhile.

Perhaps the only reason I stayed with lower case g was because it was my pregnancy diary. I did not want to abandon my life as a pregnant woman because I had dreamed to be pregnant for so many YEARS prior!

Anyway, all reasonings aside, this is my new home.

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I have to make this first post quick, as Johnna is sitting in her high chair in the other room snacking on cereal and mucho diluted 100% white grape juice. I always feel guily leaving her alone in there. She loves to look out the window from her chair, so I don't know how much she actually minds. Usually, she lets me know when she is absolutely done!

This morning...was a disaster! We had a playdate, and Johnna and I were both ready by 9:30. We had our jackets on (it was raining and fiercely blowing!), bags packed. We were all set! Until I reached into the caveman bowl for my keys! And they were not there! I ran around frantic for fifteen minutes before I gave up and told Johnna we were staying home. I was so upset I could have cried! I was really looking forward to playing with Johnna and the other babies.

I called John, and he told me he was on his way home from work and would give me his keys to use. However, ten minutes later he called and said TREES were down and blocking the highway. So, he took the back roads and would drive us there. By this point, it was almost 10:30, and they only play til about 11-11:30 anyway. So I thought it would just be a hassle for John to drive us out there and then have to come back and get us in a matter of less than an hour. Also - which I had thought of before as well - maybe trees down and loosing keys was all a sign that we were not meant to venture out that morning. Maybe something back would have happened.

So, we stayed home. Had lunch. Johnna and John napped. And here we are! Oh - we also got a call from John's folks. The wind caused a lot of damage in the neighboring town and blew off most of my inlaws' roof! WOW!

Labels: blogging, playdate, weather

Melissa at 3:43 PM

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Saturday, May 5, 2007

a new friend.

In the two years of living here in town, we have not made friends with any of our neighbors, including the old woman who lives in the house behind us.


She lives alone, with a white cat. The whole time we have lived here, John and I wonder: is the cat a boy or a girl? What is his/her name? And then our imagination goes wild...and...not so nice.

I have always felt bad about teasing the old woman (behind her back - oops, not saying I wouldn't feel bad if we did it to her face). My mom once went for a walk with my baby daughter and spotted the old woman putting flowers on a gravesite down the road. She told us our neighbor was a very nice lady.

Today, the old woman was outside picking apple blossoms off of her apple tree. The apple tree comes very close to our fence, where our dog Sammie, freely romps and plays. Sammie loves attention and getting pets, so needless to say, with the old woman being so nearby, Sammie put her paws on the fence and licked the old woman, sometimes pawing her on the back and in the hair.

I could never tell if the old woman cared for Sammie or if the dog might even scare her. So, out of my comfort zone, I slid the sliding door out of the way and said: "Sammie, be nice!"

The old lady said: "oh - you have a really nice dog here!" And then, we talked for some time. She asked what my baby girl's name was. I answered "Johnna," and then asked what her kitty was named.

"Millie," she said happily. She went onto telling me about her ideas on what happened to Millie's eye (it is covered with a natural eye patch - icky!) She figured someone threw Millie out of a car (the old woman lived on a farm, on a gravel road, before having moved to town). She took Millie to the vet, and, when deciding to move to town, also decided to take Millie with her.

"She looks so happy! We see her out playing and have always wondered what her name is!"

Our conversation was short, but friendly...and nice, and now I feel that I should become friends with the old woman. Like go to her house for tea...or if I see her outside, just stick my head out of the door and say "hi" to her.

The old woman has a past. Everyone has a past. Everyone's past deserves to be heard. People's pasts are interesting, but not enough people care enough to listen. And the old woman's time will soon be up, here on Earth. And no one - mainly John and I - would have known that the naughty little white kitty who has taunted Sammie for two years...has a girly little name like Millie. Or that the old lady was caring and friendly enough to have rescued Millie one day...only to have carried on with her into their town setting. One might have assumed (like myself) that the old woman had always lived there, letting Millie out to play each day, and, one day, after a careless fight with a tom, the kitten returned with a messed up eye.

But that is not how the story goes.

The old woman's television is on practically all night. Is she lonely? Scared? Does she need a friend? I need a friend. No one can have too many friends.

My Grandma lives alone, with a kitten named Butterscotch. And her TV is often on, as well.

Sometimes the old woman wears manly looking windbreakers...and I wonder if they were her husbands. And she probably thinks of him dearly as she refills her birdfeeders with birdseed, Millie happily following behind.

Labels: cat, elderly, neighbors

Melissa at 1:03 PM

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Friday, May 4, 2007

Things I want to learn:

1. Embroidery
2. How to use my sewing machine
3. Essencial Oils
4. How to make homemade soap
5. Gardening

To be continued...

Labels: dreams, goals, hopes, learning

Melissa at 2:21 PM

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