Rachel - April 2018

Rachel is now firmly entrenched in Arkansas.  We have decided that she will have her own monthly blogblurb.  New word entering the lexicon right here.

In April she has established a new schedule at Tasty Freeze, resumed her role as shift leader and approached her boss about a raise.  She got the raise.  The roommate situation was not working out at the her house, so, some people moved out and some people came on board.  Rachel is currently occupying the living room, now used as her bedroom - pretty large and comfy.  Access is always through the back door anyway.  The roomies (including Grace's cat, Aggie) are sharing the house and chores, adding mowing to their lists now with the kinder weather.  School will begin anew in the summer and life rolls merrily along until graduation.  Paycheck to paycheck, but, scraping by on her own.  Miss Independent.

Rachel had a scare this month - she called 911 for the first time ever.  She used her cell phone of course, who has a landline anymore?  They were very responsive and knew her location immediately.  Amazing.  The night went like this:  it was two in the morning.  She was at home alone - her roommate Grace had taken some friends home.  As she was getting ready for bed, she heard a crash, then Aggie screeched.  Her wild imagination went into overdrive - obviously, there was an intruder in the next room and he had just violently crushed the cat's life in order to clear the path to Rachel.  She panicked and dialed 911.  There she was met with a very understanding lady who talked her through the steps of investigation which lead to a cat who knocked over a mug and vomited all over the floor.  Gross, but, a much better scenario.

Rachel is single again.  She's been on a date or two, with no magic or fireworks.  There are other fish in the sea, it's just a really, really, big sea.  We miss her and I talk to her everyday.  I'm so glad she talks to me too, and her Dad and her sisters.   She watches JMichael play baseball through videos we take.  It's not the same, but, she's never far from our hearts.  

Splash - April 2018

I like the April 2018 splash because as I pose my kids and search for ideas, April Fools Day is on my mind.  This splash has a fooling element to it.  The image of Rachel is from her new home in Arkansas.  The little four are actually standing on the pier in Maryland.  Yes, it's pretty obvious that Rachel is not really with her siblings, but, maybe I'll get better at this.  I can't imagine a splash without her - without all five.

Billy Squier & GE Smith

I have been a Billy Squier fan since I first heard him sing to me in high school.  Solid.  He doesn't tour extensively; he hasn't produced new music in a few years.  I never stopped loving his albums.  My kids know more Billy Squier songs than the average kids their age - it's required.

James and I have a list - which is getting shorter and shorter - of bands we want to see live.  Billy has been at the top of my list for years.  So, it happened - in a small venue just outside of Philadelphia, The Ardmore Music Hall.

Here he is - small, but, real - and he sang to me.  He arranged his songs differently, but, I knew the words anyway.  He was personable, funny and genuine.  Short of paying longer, he was great.  He had a guitarist with him - GE Smith - who played the blues and James loved every bit of it, too.  It was wonderful.

Smile!

I spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in my car waiting on various children.  Today, I discovered that my car is ok with that.  What a smile!

Easter, 2018

For Easter this year, we decided it would be a truly long weekend, since the kids had no school on Friday or Monday.  Mom was cooking Easter dinner on Sunday, so on Saturday, I took the middle ladies up to hang out with their grandmother for the night.  They made some stickers for mugs with mom's newest toy - her Cricut - and watched Jumanji - the new one.  James, JMichael and I joined them on Sunday and stayed for supper - delicious, and the weather was delicious, too - we ate outside.  We had resurrection rolls and the kids hunted for eggs and candy like they were all seven again.  It was great.

This photo of Samantha and Mom in the WalMart parking lot was taken not just to show that Samantha can be pushed around by her grandmother - hahaha - but, also because as we walked out of the WalMart on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, Samantha starting singing, kinda loudly, "I've got sunshine, on a rainy day...."  Well, Charlotte and I started to join in, as a man was walking toward us from his car into the WalMart.  Right on beat, he started with the backbeat - dum, de dum dum, dum, de dum dum.  It was great.  Strangers in the WalMart parking lot, singing and enjoying the beautiful day.  

Three ladies.  Left to right, Josephine, 13; Samantha, 18; and Charlotte, 15.

That's an airhead in Samantha's mouth, and don't worry, Charlotte's nose ring is not a piercing, although she lobbies constantly to have it done.....

Gotta love them.

James and I are legal.

James and I were married on March 28, 1997.  This year on March 28, 2018, we are twenty-one!  I had a surprise in store for him this year.  He had a doctor's appointment in Annapolis, which means we had to cross the Chesapeake Bay and head into city life.  I'm not a fan of the cities, but, they have their good parts - doctors, for one, and secondly, restaurants.  I have a co-worker who told me of a place she and her family like to eat, located at the foot of the Bay Bridge, called Adam's Ribs. 

Shut the front door.  James' and my first date was at Adam's Ribs.  That first date was on December 13, 1996, twenty-one years and three months ago.  Adam's Ribs in Salisbury, Maryland has since gone out of business, so I was excited to hear tell of another.  I told James we are eating out after your appointment.  Don't ask questions.  I know just where we are going. 

James just loves seafood.  The Bay Bridge area is packed with seafood restaurants and he's itching to try every one of them.  As we sped past each of them on the way to the doctor, he said are we going there?  There?  How about there?  I just shook my head.  I'll never tell.  After the doctor, which went well, in case y'all are wondering, I directed him to Adam's Ribs.  He saw the sign as we pulled in the parking lot and smiled wide.  This is perfect, he said.  And it was.  We had ribs, and shrimp and appetizers and Smith Island Cake - his first - for dessert.  We hung out like adults and lingered over supper.  No kids.  No hurry.  It was great.  And just so that the universe could tell us one more time that we are doing things right - the check came in a Ball jar.  How confirming and sweet is that?