Did I Ever Tell you the Story About the Snake in our Laundry Room?

Spring is officially here. The one drawback I have about Spring is  with its arrival, out come the snakes.  I could live my whole life and never ever see another snake and I would be fine!

I was talking to Virginia McClure a few minutes ago and the subject of snakes came up.  She hates them as much as I do!!  It made me think of a August day back in the 80's, when Tommy was working for Kingdom Telephone Company.  It was the first day of school for Melodi.  The girls had been teasing me all summer about how lonesome I would be when they all went to school.  I would give it right back to them and say I was going to have a party. There would be singing, dancing and laughing up and down our road. We exchanged barbs all summer long.

When the day finally came, I have to admit I was a little sad. I watched the girls get on the bus. Looking very much like stair steps. First Lisa, leading the way, then Tami followed and Melodi was bringing up the rear. She walked a little slower and I thought her backpack might be to big for her to carry. The dogs followed them to the bus, sitting down in the gravel waiting, as the girls climbed the bus steps and rode away.

I knew we had just started a new phase of our lives.  I had laundry to do that day and everyday for as long as I could remember. I opened the laundry room door just as the phone rang.  It was Mama in Kentucky.  She wanted to know if I was crying and how our morning went.  I told her all about it. As we were talking, I looked at the pile of  clothes in the floor and out crawled a snake!!!  I got off the phone with  my mom as fast as I could and tried to call Tommy.  To say I was scared was to put it mildly.  I was terrified. 

Tommy worked for the phone company. He was out on a call and could not come to the phone. The lady I was talking to could tell by my voice that something was wrong. I told her about the snake and she was completely on my side. She assured me there was a man working not too far from our house and she would send him over.  I thanked her a million times over and waited for a man named Ralph to come to my aid. Ralph was my hero that day!!  No doubt about it.

Ralph arrived about 15 minutes later.  I ran out the door, pouncing on  him as he was getting out of his truck.  He was looking around for a certain tool, in the back of his truck, so he could kill the snake. As he was looking, he told me that he was as scared of snakes as I was. I turned him around and pushed him toward the house telling him that "there was no way he could be as scared as I was!"  And I pushed him again toward the door.!!  Ralph was a little bit taller than me and in no hurry to get in my laundry room.


He opened the laundry room door and I screamed!!!  He slammed the door and said, "Did you see the snake?"  Ahhh "No, I am just nervous and scared" I replied, sweating profusely.  Ralph asked me to be quiet, because I was making him nervous.  I tried.


He opened the door again, to begin his search for the snake, under all our dirty clothes.  Piece by piece, he picked up and moved our dirty clothes to safety.  It did not bother me at all that a stranger was going through my dirty underwear.  All I wanted was the snake found and killed.  I hit something and a box fell. I ran out of the laundry room and slammed the door.  Ralph was right behind me!!!  He was breathless as he opened that door. He pushed me out of the way!  He let me know in no uncertain terms that I was to never, ever shut that door while he was in there.  We agreed and went back in to try this again. 


After about 2 hours Ralph said he thought the snake was gone.  I wasn't buying that at all. Where did it go?  As far as Ralph was concerned, it went back out the hole it came in.  He assured me it was gone and he left. I knew it wasn't! 


I got a drink of water, took a xanax and slowly opened the laundry room door.  There was that damn snake in the middle of the floor!!!  I slammed the door and called the phone company again. I explained what was going on. I could hear laughing in the back ground.  She said Ralph was still on our road and she would send him back.  Thank God.  I was about to puke!!!


Ralph gets there and comes back in the house. He said, "So our little problem is back?"  I just nodded yes.  By now he knows his way around my house and marches to the laundry room and there it was ---just like I said.  This time Ralph slams the door!  He forgot his tool and had to drag ass back out to the truck to fetch it.


As he came in with his pick, he told me not to look and just stay out of his way.  I jumped up in the kitchen chair.  I would have gone higher if there had been any place to go. There wasn't.


I heard Ralph in there banging around.  I asked him if he was ok. He was in the process of killing the snake. He yelled for me to shut my eyes, and stay out of his way. He was bringing the dead snake out. I heard him laugh when he saw me in the chair. I peeped and saw the snake. I screamed again and Ralph ran out of my house with that snake. Threw it in the road and jumped in his truck. I offered him some water, but he declined. He needed something stronger than water and was never going back in my house.  Ok, I understand!


Thirty minutes later the lady from the phone company calls and wants to know how I am doing.  Then she starts laughing and telling me what all had been going on at her end of the work day.  She put us all on speaker phone and every one who worked for KTIS had kept up with our day, including Tommy!!!  I really didn't know what to say. So I thanked her for letting Ralph help out all day.  She started laughing again, evidently Ralph had already asked for the next day off.  He was not feeling very well. I know exactly how he felt!!!!

What a Great Weekend!!!

This past weekend was really a fun time. I didn't do one thing I did not want to do.  That is how I decide if my days are great or just normal. On normal days, I do things I need to do, have to do or should do. On great days, I only do what I want to do and absolutely nothing else. I had to wait 60 years to get to that place.  It was worth the wait!!

Yesterday, Tommy was gone until about 3 p.m.  I had control of the remote, AND the C.D.'s  I was in heaven.  I listened to Janis Joplin and Juice Newton for hours while I wallpapered part of my living room. The music was loud and proud!!!!

When I got tired of wallpapering, I took a break to watch Kentucky kick some serious butt in basketball!!!  I do believe they are gonna win it all!!!

After that, I made a mad dash to spray paint an old claw foot bathtub Tommy found for me. I am turning it into a flower bed in my ole hippy part of the yard. It is gonna look really cute, especially with the red boat.  All filled with flowers and hostas, and ferns!!! Wind chimes, a bird bath and blackberry bushes are there also.


When Tommy got home he said, "Hey babe, get cleaned up I am taking you out to dinner"  Whooo Hooo no cooking tonight!!!


Thirty minutes later we are in the car and headed to town.  We ate at a new Mexican restaurant. We really liked the place. I have had much better food at El Maguay's but the beer was over the top!!! Literally!!!  They bought us out 2 beers, each  about a foot tall in ice chilled glasses.  The mugs were about 6 inches around. Enough beer for both of us to get a buzz---and then we went shopping!!


I needed to go to Walmart to talk to someone about Wi-Fi. I hate to say this, but I had no clue what to do with my Kindle. I had downloaded some books from Amazon.  My Kindle would not let me have them until it got in touch with a Wi-Fi!!!! I called Tami and she tried to tell me what to do. I couldn't wrap my mind around what she was saying.  Bless her heart!!!  She keeps me updated on all sorts of gadgets, that I really like, but can seldom work for very long without some help.


So if I can't understand it, and Tami can't fix it,  and Joey is out of pocket, I figure Walmart can fix me right up.  Especially, after that huge beer and my buzz---I had a plan!


I take my Kindle in the store, turn it on and head for the electronics department. I cornered a little girl who worked there and asked if I could use their WiFi. She backed up and informed me that  "Walmart did not have WiFi"  I was shocked!!  Sooo, I handed her my Kindle,  told her about what all was going on with it and my book order. She was nice by then. We talked for about 15 minutes.  She tells me to go sit in McDonald's parking  lot and I can down load my books. That sounded kind of strange. She assured me it would work.


Just the word "McDonald's" sent shivers down my spine. I was with Tommy and he HATES McDonald's!!  Fat chance of getting that done. Tommy is 100% pro gun and McDonald's isn't. He refuses to ever under any conditions to eat there. Since we weren't eating there, I had a slight chance he would pull in their parking lot. Very slight!!!


Tommy still had his buzz because he took me to McDonald's parking lot for about 2 minutes. It worked--sort of. I found all sorts of connections but I needed a password.....so I made up one.  Evidently I needed their password.  No way was I going in and ask them anything.  We sped out of the parking lot and headed home.  But I have another plan----the library!!!  I bet they have WiFi and the ladies who work there know me.  I bet I get my books tomorrow.


It was a good weekend from beginning to end.  Tommy's gone fishing today with Ben and Matthew.  Juice Newton is just a click away and I have a plan:)  Life is good---so very, very good!!

Joe Neal Remembered.......

Joe Neal, Tommy's younger brother, died 39 years ago yesterday.  He and a friend were fishing in the backwater. The boat turned over, his friend made it to the bank but Joe Neal didn't. It was a horrible accident. I remember the day it happened as if it were yesterday.

Tommy, Lisa and I were living in Marietta, Georgia. It had been a beautiful day in the South. We had cooked out and had just finished eating when the phone rang. Tommy answered. He was quiet and mostly said, "yes", "no", and I will tell her.  Then he said, "Are you sure he drowned?"

I started crying, I didn't know who Tommy was talking to but I knew Daddy had just bought a new boat.  My mind started jumping to conclusions and I thought Daddy had drowned.  When Tommy turned around to me. his tan was gone. He looked gray and shaken. He gave me the phone and sat down at the kitchen table. 

 Daddy was on the phone when I said hello. When I heard Daddy's voice I remember saying, "My God Daddy, I thought it was you"  He couldn't talk and he gave Mama the phone. Through tears she told me as best she  could what had happened.

Tommy and I couldn't believe it. Joe was so young, handsome and funny.  He adored Lisa, and all his nieces and nephews. He had a way with kids.  He carried a photo of  Tommy and me in his wallet. The snapshot Linda had made at our wedding. Mimi showed us his wallet when we got home. He made it through Vietnam......this couldn't possibly happen to him. He had just started living.

But it did. Some young woman somewhere missed loving Joe Neal. His life was cut short. The missed opportunities are almost too much to think about.

Joe Neal had a good, kind heart.  We all loved and missed him.....we still do.

                                                            


                                                        

Yesterday was Just This Side of Crazy!

Today feels like the day after Christmas to me.  I usually wake up on December the 26th feeling like a washcloth that is wrung out and pitched in the laundry basket.  All the anticipation of the holidays are over.  The gifts have been opened...all the secrets of the holidays have been shared. The food has been devoured and returned to the fridge to eat again for the next few days. It always leaves me with a non alcoholic induced hangover.

This is what I have today, a "non alcoholic induced hangover".  I have completely crashed.  There is no energy. My head hurts.  I am very much in need of sleep, if only my mind would shut up and settle down. This is not going to happen any time soon. I can tell because here I sit writing when I really want to be under the covers, sound asleep.

Yesterday was what I call, "one of a kind" days. It veered so far from normal that it seldom felt real.  It started off as a normal kind of day. Tommy and I had coffee, checked the news and weather. I got on the computer to see what I missed last night.  Tommy went to see Ben and then to Calwood to fill up the car.  While he was at Calwood, he bought 2 lottery tickets. Usually I scrape off one and he does the other.  I seldom win so I have decided that I am a jinx at this and now Tommy does the honors.

Very calmly he scrapes off one ticket.  I am not all that curious because we seldom win. I think spending $5.00 on a ticket that you know you aren't going to win on is silly.

He smiles, hands me the ticket and says, "check this out". I am reading a really good book, not wanting to be disturbed I begrudgingly take the ticket.

I look over the numbers and I see Tommy has won $50.00.  I get all excited and start to hand the ticket back to Tommy. Now I am all smiles. He says, "You better look again".  I do and see it is $500.00 instead of $50.  Now I am really excited!!!  I hand the ticket back to Tommy and he says AGAIN, "you better look again".  I shake my head because I really don't see the point. He had already won, there couldn't be more on the card, I thought that was against the rules. 

Man, when I am wrong, I am soooo wrong!!  I take the card again and look. There is the same number on the card at the beginning of the line as it was at the end of the line.  He had just won a$1,000.  We look at each other and laugh and yell, like two little kids who just found the  Mother load  under their Christmas tree!!!


He tells me to get ready, we are going to cash the ticket in.  He also won $15.00 on the second ticket. Good thing he did, because that paid for all the gas we used trying to find the Lotto in Jefferson City.


I spend a lot of free time with Carol and Punky in Jeff. City.  However, we go to the same places over and over.  I know how to get to those places, but have no clue about where the Lotto Building is located.  Neither does Tommy.  We ask the first of 6 people how to get there.  All of them knew how to get there from their homes. Only problem was, we weren't at their home, we were lost in the middle of BFE!! We follow every one's advice.  In the process we visit "Wardsville, Taos and Loose Creek. Pretty little towns but not a one had the Lotto Building. The only thing I can say for sure is when the weatherman gives tornado warnings for that area, I will know what he is talking about!  We have been there....several times....in one day!!


Finally after several hours of total insanity we find the place. Ironically, it is close to the restaurant, where Carol, Punky and I eat breakfast at least twice a month. Go figure!!!


We walk in and give the lady our winning card.  Tommy tells her our story and she laughs and says, "My goodness, why didn't you call the number on the back of your ticket, I know where we are" Well, just slap me up beside the head!!!!  Neither one of us thought of that.  Worse still the card was on the dashboard the whole time....right above my cell phone!!!


As we are waiting for our checks, there is another couple in there who had just won some money. They had already cashed their winnings in and bought more lottery tickets from the vending machines. I watched him buy 3,  $20.00 tickets and loose on all three. My hands got sweaty. I kept wanting to tell the man to stop before he looses it all. I kept my mouth shut and just watched. Finally, he tells his wife they have $80.00 left....enough for a steak and a tank of gas.  We wished each other well and left going our separate ways.


I was quiet for a few minutes. Tommy wanted to know what I was thinking. I told him I didn't want us to be like that other couple. He told me not to worry, since I wasn't lucky at gambling, I had nothing to worry about.!!!  That got him a slug in the arm.  Then he says in his best "Carter" voice, "Let's fill up the car and I will buy you a steak dinner"  Smiling...game on!!!

About Last Night.....

Last night was beautiful!! In fact, yesterday was a gorgeous, sunny day. I raked the yard and flower beds. Made some plans for new flower beds and just generally enjoyed the day outside.

 Spring officially began for me last night. I could not sit at the computer or watch t.v.  I wanted to sit outside and watch the night descend on the Earth. I wanted to see what Spring had in store for us.

 I love the sounds of the night. For the second time this year, I heard the "spring leapers" or young frogs,  singing their amazing song. I absolutely love the sounds they make. Actually, I think the frogs are mating! As I listen to them carrying on, I try really hard not to visualize this act. I tried to get Tommy to come outside with me but he was interested in a movie and opted out.  He told me to go enjoy my "frog sex"!!!  I don't care what the frogs were doing--- he missed some great magic!

It was about 7:30 when I decided to get out of the house.  Darkness had fallen but it wasn't pitch black. I could still see the trees by the pond, on the horizon.  A few stars were already out, more appeared every second. I would look in one direction, by the time I had turned my head,  another star was shining in what had been a vacant spot.  This went on for hours, almost like the stars were playing tag with me.  I never could  catch them. The stars  were much too fast.

Sabella and Sandy came outside with me. They were content to just lay on the ground and sleep. I sat in the swing beside them. About a half mile away coyotes began to yelp.  Ordinarily, this would cause my dogs to go insane. Barking and pacing the yard, protecting what belonged to them, but not last night.  They slept lightly, an ear twitching, a stretch or a yawn. They knew there was no danger.

I sat in the swing for a long time and not once did I see the moon. Eventually, I got up and walked around the yard, taking in the expanse of the sky. Still no moon.  However, I glanced  down at a mud puddle and I saw eight stones lightly glowing in the water. I had thrown the rocks there last fall, while I was in the process of cleaning out the flower garden.  These rocks glow in the dark if they have enough sun during the day.  Yesterday they had enough sun......they looked pretty and completely out of place in that puddle. I am leaving them there. They made a mud hole look pretty----now that took some magic!

                                       

There is Just Something About Men in Tights!!!

Tommy and I moved back to Marietta, Georgia when he received his discharge from the Marines. We were living in Yuma, Arizona at the time. We talked about where we wanted to live for months. It changed all the time. The atlas was our favorite book. We had routes marked and highlighted in so many directions that some places were hard to actually see, much less read.

 Originally, before we got pregnant, we were going to travel from state to state. Find a job, see the sights and move on to another adventure,another state.  We never intended on settling down until we turned 30. We were in our early 20's had a baby daughter, Lisa, and a new stereo. Everything we owned fit in a 5x8 pull type U haul trailer. Most of our possessions were for Lisa's room. Life was fun. We had a million plans. It didn't take much to make us happy.

We finally decided to move back to Georgia. We loved the South and Atlanta in particular. It was 7 hours from home, that was a draw back and a blessing.

Soon we had our first two bedroom apartment with our first "back door". We were so excited over this little bit of nothing. Tommy had a good day job when he started playing in a band. He had a beautiful voice and played  rhythm guitar, finding a band was easy.....staying in one was a different matter completely.  One band would break up and another one would start. Usually the break ups were over women or drunken band members.


Since we were the only married couple, everyone gravitated to our place. Lisa was every one's pride and joy. She was easy to love and everyone really looked out for her.  Some weeks the band would play 4 nights a week on top of every one's day job. We were young and tough, sleep was optional as long as we were having fun!


Then one Thursday night, one of the guys suggested they go see a wrestling match in Marietta. The Assassin and Rock Hunter were wrestling and it was supposed to be an exciting, hard fought, bloody bout. I was invited but declined. That was the last thing I wanted to see.


This went on for about a month. Every Thursday night the band would go to the wrestling matches, if they didn't have a gig.  Tommy really wanted me to go with them. Everyone said I would have fun. Finally I said I would go one time and if I didn't like it, I would never be pressured to go again.  We all agreed.


When we got there, I saw a huge, rowdy crowd. The bleachers were ten rows high.  The auditorium was filled with men and women laughing, talking, flirting and singing. Music was piped in as we waited for the bouts to begin.  Perfume and sweat filled the air.  Young men walked the bleachers and isles selling popcorn and beer. I didn't want a beer at that time.  I was too busy " people watching" to drink.  Soon it was time for the show to begin.

 The crowd started to chant, stomp and roar and out came the most beautiful man I had ever seen!!!  Tracy Rivers!!!!  Model perfect..... much too pretty to be fighting. I instantly became his biggest fan and hollered for the little boy selling beer, to come back, I believe I was ready for a beer!


Tommy grinned and said , "Are you having fun yet?"  Oh yeah I was having fun!!!  Tracy was pretty but he couldn't wrestle at all!  He was tossed around the ring, thrown up and over the ropes and stomped on a few times. I was livid!!!!   "Hey little boy, bring me another beer!!!"  Round 2 was about to begin.


We had a good time that night. The guys were delighted that I enjoyed myself and so it became a weekly night out for all of us. My best friend kept Lisa so it was a fun time for me.  This went on for about 6 weeks. I became familiar with the "villain's" and the "heroes".  I learned some of the holds and moves and enjoyed my share of beer.  I always cheered for Tracy Rivers and was teased unmercifully by the band because of it. Tommy thought it was funny.


Then one night Tracy had to fight the Assassin and I was beside myself with worry!!!!  The Assassin was a dirty fighter and I knew this night was not going to end well. They fought late in the night and I drank more than a few beers waiting for the match to begin. We were all laughing and talking, just generally having fun. I was nervous. The announcer called for the main bout and out came Tracy, all 6 feet four inches of bronze skin and long blond hair.

The crowd went wild, he strolled around the ring and I swear he winked at me!!!   I know he didn't, but that is part of what I remember. Then the Assassin was announced and the boo's were thunderous!  The bleachers rumbled and rocked. People stood and cheered, stomped threw out curses and compliments! It was exciting and I was about half lit!!!  


They dodged each other for awhile, hit, pop, grab, slap and throw down. Each one playing their part. Tracy was body slammed and stomped on. The Ref came in and warned the Assassin, so did I, and I got another beer!  This went on for 3 rounds and then the Assassin picks up Tracy and threw him out of the ring. The Assassin jumped out of the ring, picked up a folding chair and was getting ready to hit Tracy with it.  I jumped up threw my denim jacket on the floor and ran down the steps and around the ring!!!  


Everything went crazy. I ran up to the  Assassin and told him in very unladylike words to "Drop the chair and leave Tracy alone". I was on a roll! The Assassin looked at Tracy, Tracy looked at me. Then we both looked at the Assassin. They were speechless and I couldn't shut up!!!  That is about the time arms start grabbing me! One pair of arms belonged to Tommy.


He grabbed me by my shirt collar and started dragging me away. I was still giving the Assassin instructions. Tommy leaned into my ear and whispered, "If that big son of a bitch hits you---I am gonna have to fight him----he will kill me!!  But if I live I will beat your ass when I get you home!!!  Now shut up and come with me!!!"  Well alrighty then, since you put it that way!


Needless to say it was a quiet ride home.  The band members were dying to crack jokes but Tommy was not in the mood!!!  I was about a half an inch away from throwing up all over everyone!! They put us out at our house and I heard them yelling "Boom", "Boom" "Pow" as they drove off, laughing!  Thanks buddies!!!


After that night we all found something else to do on Thursday nights.  I was informed that under no circumstances would I ever go to another wrestling match.  I did hear through the grapevine that Tracy Rivers quit wrestling and of course the Assassin rocked on to fame.

Now my grandson wrestles in school. Completely different. I get caught up when he is wrestling but I am always afraid he is gonna get hurt---and if he does, well you know the rest of the story.... I may end up grounded again!!  


Good luck Logan, Nonnie and Papaw love you and are very proud of you. And darlin' just be thankful, they do not sell beer at your school:)