Smell-o-meter....

Usually, this guy is my best-est friend

along 'bout 4 pm...

I go searching for him...

in his squat roundness....

as he brews up the water for my coffee or tea...

but...

Have you ever been so stuffed up, clogged up...

congested...

that you couldn't smell or taste a thing?

Well, that has been my world for the last few days...

Normally, I have the smelling ability of a bloodhound, really,

I was told that by a man from the "gas" company 2 decades ago.

I had called them, having smelled gas, and he was at my door in minutes.

He pulled out a special "smellometer" and started walking around my kitchen...

nope, I says, its in the hallway. He just smirked. I gritted my teeth.

Finally, when no alarms went off in the kitchen, he strolled past our hallway,

BEEP!

"Lady, you got a nose like a bloodhound".

I took that as a compliment,

having been the proud mother of 2 basset hounds at the time.

(and one 2 yr old)

So...

The last few have been tough.

My sweetie has made wonderful meals,

brought me my hot coffee,

and tea,

and cookies,

and ice cream....

not one smell.

and thus,

not much taste.

It stinks....opps,

no it sucks.

smiles.

Being a mom is delicious torture......

Well, maybe torture is a bit strong.

On the one hand, labor, colic, teething,

food problems, sleep deprivation, doctor appointments,

pre-school, mother's morning out, play dates, chicken pox,

homework, birthday parties, stitches, mud, pets,...

did I mention sleep deprivation?....

dates, driver's license exams, re-takes, attitude,

headaches......

fear, loathing, embarrassment.....

loss of privacy, grey hair,

more sleep deprivation......

Then there are those wonderful moments....

Iloveyoumommy.

Hugs, kisses, Mother's day cards.....

Like the one I received this morning.....

"Happy Mother's Day!"

"Mom, thank you for being the best mom in the world, for always being there for me,

and for supporting me in all my decisions.

Love you, Michael"

OK, it was all worth it.....

I mean it.

Even the sleep deprivation

Prayers......

These are the clay hands praying that my son made when he was about 4 years old. He is now 19. They were made at the "mother's morning out" program at the church. They helped him trace his hands in clay and then cut them out, and prop them up in this praying position.
This is one of my most prized possesions.
It reminds me how little I really know.
I pray for one thing, and am given another.
"Now, what's that all about" says I.
And then,
later,
sometimes a very long time later,
I find out why I didn't get what I wanted.
I don't know what is best for me.
God does though.
And when I will pray for his will,
things get better quickly.
I wish that I thought of this sooner....
Maybe I am just a slow learner.
Thank goodness those teachers in
MMO knew I would need these....

Dinner with family....

This weekend we are celebrating my mother's 75th birthday. She is so cute, and it is very hard for me to believe that she is anywhere near her seventies. Of course this photo is a little dated. My son, father and David will all be here for dinner. What a wonderful tradition, to celebrate the day that a loved one was born. I know that everyone feels that their mother is the BEST, but my mother really is.....She stayed at home, cooked, cleaned, made us snacks after school, made Kool-Aid on hot summer days, allowed us to use her quilts and bedspreads to make "forts" in the backyard, led Girl Scout troops, camped, sewed, cut the grass, taught us how to ride a bike, made sure that I woke up to see the moon landing on TV, got me up in the middle of the night to see a meteor shower, tolerated my fashion sense, and allowed me to drive her car. She is my idol. She is the mother that I wish I could have been. She is now my best friend. We don't talk everyday, we are both pretty busy. But we know how to get in touch if we need to....
My mom's family call her "Bink". She never looked like a "Bink" to me. But they all love her and I assume this is a term of endearment. My dad is one lucky guy, and fortunately he knows it.