Happy 80th Birthday, Mr. Rogers

I am resurrecting this post in honor of what would be Mr. Rogers' 80th birthday.

For some of you, this will be a repeat.

But I think it bears repeating.



It's You I Like
Fred M. Rogers

It's you I like,
It's not the things you wear,
It's not the way you do your hair--
But it's you I like


The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you--
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys--

They're just beside you.

But it's you I like--
Every part of you,
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.

I hope that you'll remember
Even when you're feeling blue
That it's you I like, It's you yourself,
It's you, it's you I like.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I got a great present for my birthday from my husband. Proof positive that this man knows me inside and out. I received an audio book "The World According to Mr. Rogers: Important Things To Remember".

I have never really been all that open about how I felt about Mr. Rogers. Mostly because everyone made fun of him, and because I watched his show years after I was too old to watch, and because the production values were somewhat cheesy. For me, none of that mattered. Fred Rogers soothed my soul.

I read a quote from him that went something like: "The older I get, the more convinced I am that the space between communicating human beings can be hallowed ground.” For most kids, Mr. Rogers was silly, and had very little impact on their lives. If you ever wondered why that show lasted as long as it did, it is because that show was for me, and kids like me.

Even though I enjoyed the puppets, and the trolley, and the entire Land of Make Believe, the real draw for me was the man himself. Fred Rogers provided a window into a life that I had no concept of . . . one where a grown man was kind, and gentle, and loving and understanding.




The early 70s was a very very tough time for my family. I was the last kid, born years after my brothers and sister, and my house was chaotic, to say the least. I learned firsthand what violence was, what drug abuse looked like, what abuse felt like, and how scary being left alone felt. Finances were stretched too thin, and patience was stretched too thin.

I knew every nook and cranny of our house. I knew where to hide when I heard my dad's key in the lock, and I heard the begging cries and earsplitting screams of my brothers and sister when they were beaten by his belt, day after day, when he returned home from another day of debt, and pressure, and pending financial ruin that he could do nothing to stop. He was a bully, and he was crazy, and for some reason, he had some kind of moral objection to beating a baby, but no problems whipping the others. They were older, and they were sacrificed for me, and I could do nothing but run and hide, heart in my throat, and cover my ears and rock and cry until silence signaled that it was over, again. There was nothing that protected me from this horror, nothing except my hiding places and Mr. Rogers.

Mr. Rogers was the voice of calm and reason for me back then. Every day after first grade, I was the first one home to a dark house. There was NO money for daycare, my mom worked all the time, and luckily for all involved, I was a kid that could be trusted to be left alone for hours at a time, and so I was. I remember staying very still and quiet during those hours, wondering if there were monsters in our basement, and wishing that someone, anyone would come home soon, and dreading that at the same time.

I can't tell you how comforting it was to watch Mr. Rogers. Seeing him coming in and singing, smiling at me and telling me that he was glad to see me meant the world to me. Having him explain the world to me through Picture Picture and his gentle, unhurried words was like balm on my scared, tiny soul, and I loved him dearly. I never understood why there were men like my dad, and I never believed there were men any different until I found Mr. Rogers.

After I grew up, I learned a little more about Mr. Rogers. It didn't surprise me to learn that he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his commitment to the well-being of children, that he made over 900 shows or that he had been awarded more than 40 honorary degrees. He was an extraordinary man disguised as a very humble, fragile, quiet person.




Fred Rogers died on February 27, 2003. I was 37, married, with two children of my own, and I cried like a baby. My grandparents had all passed long before I was born, but I can't imagine that losing a grandfather could have been more painful than that was. Explaining my reaction to my husband was nearly impossible, and seeing the look of pain on his face was heartbreaking.

It pleases me to no end that my kids love Mr. Rogers. We watch him together and I am able to experience him all over again through their eyes. Fortunately for them, his kindness is nothing out of the ordinary. And I am proud of that.



I love you, Mr. Rogers.

Channeling the Soul . . . David Soul

So . . . life is funny.

Anyone that has been married for as long as I have (soon to be 13) might be able to relate to this. There comes a time when you re-evaluate things . . . try to see where your priorities are versus your partner's. You try to see if you two are even looking at the same book anymore, nevermind whether or not you are on the same page. You try to figure out if you are both rowing in the same direction, or if your boat is just spinning in the water, or maybe even sinking.

That has been happening here.

As you might imagine, this led to many long talks, some civil, some not-so-civil. Everything was on the table: divorce, trial separation, sharing living space as parenting partners only, counseling and staying together. About as fun as a broken back.

Funny enough, just about the time we were reaching some pretty final agreements, my sugar went through the roof (no idea why) and my back went out. And when I say it "went out", I mean WAY out.

Picture this: After my shower last Wednesday morning, I was stepping into my PANTIES, for God's sake, and a lightning bolt seared through my spine, taking me immediately to the ground, breathless with pain. For the next 2 hours, I crawled, naked, through my house, dragging my useless lower half with me in a vain search for a telephone I could reach.

By the time Hub came hustling in the door, I had been on the floor for 3 hours, 3 dogs nervously sitting around me. He calmly assessed the situation, dressed me, and called 911. He then sat with me through the following days of bedrest, hospitalization, pain, transport home, and aftercare. He even bit his tongue as I slept, drugged, through his ENTIRE birthday.

As I sit typing this, I am resting here at home, waiting for my very very dicey, bulgy lower back disc to calm down enough to attempt therapy.

This morning, it sort of seems like the worst of the back issue is behind me (ha ha). After being off work for so many days, Hub has returned to work. Today is the first day since last Wednesday I have been able to get out of bed and bathe and dress myself completely. I wisely decided to sit on a bench before attempting the high wire act known as "putting on my panties". Yea, me!

So, as I was sudsing up this morning, I ruefully decided that life had shown me really quickly that maybe I need my partner way more than I thought I did. Maybe there was more left here than we thought there was. Maybe one more chance is warranted. Maybe this had happened for a reason, to give us both a chance to slow down and reconsider things.

As often happens, music started running through my head as I lathered up my hair.

Forgive me, David Soul.

Don't give up on us, baby
Lord knows we've come this far
Can't we stay the way we are?
The angel and the dreamer
Who sometimes plays a fool
Don't give up on us, I know
We can still come through . . .

(followed, of course, by my NEW verse)
Wash my ass with that loofah
Because I can't reach there
I can't put on my own underwear
I'm pretty much a slug now
and I depend on you . . .
But don't give up on us, I think
I can still blow you . . . .

Romantic, huh?

Editorial note: After reading this, Hub commented that he thought I was glad he was still here just because I was hurt, and as soon as I was better, I would be unhappy again.

Hmm. Fair enough.

50 Questions: A Sex MeMe

A friend that is MUCH cooler than me gave me this challenge. OK, Coolio . . . THIS'll teach you to forward racy bulletins to crazy old women!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


Here you go, a survey that is meant to draw you out into the open where all of your friends can see you. If this survey gets you laid, then good for you. Sex is fun and nothing to be ashamed of. Great sex is even better. Opening up can lead to better sex..........be brave, be proud and think beautiful thoughts.............go!!!!!!

50. Have you ever had a threesome?
Three words: Me, Hostess, Twinkies.

49. Was it fun?
It was absolutely delicious

48. When did it happen?
Usually while I am watching my "stories"

47. Was it planned or was it spontaneous?
I hardly think I can declare "spontaneous" when I drove to the Kroger and paid with a check.

46. Describe your perfect threesome?
I think I did.

45. What is the freakiest thing you've ever been a part of?
Well, one time, I switched it up with some really dark Ho Hos.

44. If you've never had a threesome and you'd like to, what kind would it be?
Please refer to Question 1.

43. Have you ever been filmed while having sex?
Yes, but who knew that the Monster Plantation at Six Flags had hidden cameras? Certainly not me . . . or Uuter, the foreign exchange student.

42. Would you want to be?
Actually, I would probably refuse on the grounds that it would steal my soul, but really, I just wouldn't want to see a wide angle high definition shot of my ass.

41. What are you the most skilled at in bed?
Sleeping through puking kids and barking dogs

40. What do you suck at? No pun intended!!!
Sticking to salads.

39. Do you swallow?
Ever met a fat girl that didn't?

38. What about anal?
Well, I mean, I am partial to certain brands (cough cough Hostess), but I wouldn't call it ANAL. Obsessive, maybe.

37. Name someone you've never had sex with but would say yes if they asked......................i triple dog dare you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom Jones, baby!

36. Do you shave your pubic hair?
I actually prefer pincurls, but the bobby pins are really ouchy to sleep on!

35. Do you get off easily?
Every time I drive past the Sonic.

34. How old were you when you lost your virginity?
8. I went to Farrell's Ice Cream parlor at Cumberland Mall, and they marched out this huge Ice Cream zoo, with 30 scoops of goodness, and I have been hooked like a smack addict ever since.

33. Do you think musicians are sexy or trouble?
I think they are generally delightful. I also think they secretly are trolls, since several have lived under my house in my basement.

32. Ever made out with someone of the same sex ?
Some girl thought I was putting the moves on her once, but she just had some hot fudge on her lower lip.

31. What is your absolute favorite position?
Next in line at Brusters Ice Cream!

30. Do you think listening to someone have sex is a turn on?
I think listening to someone have LUNCH is a turnon.

29. Describe your most embarrasing sexual moment?
I remember once, my husband came up behind me, bent me over, roughly pulled down my pants and ravaged me. It was hot, but I'm not sure it was worth forfeiting our Golden Corral priviledges over (the manager said I bent the salad bar.)

28. How quick do you decide if you'd sleep with someone?
How long does it take to cover yourself in sanding sugar?

27. Are you glad a survey like this finally presented itself?
Well, sure, but I am not all that certain that everyone ELSE will be, after reading this.

26. What is the oldest person you've ever slept with?
87. My great aunt, Big Edna, shared my room when she came to visit. She would hit EVERYONE with her cane, except me. She gave ME candy.

25. And the youngest?
Newborn . . .as soon as I brought my dumplings home from the hospital, they slept with me.

24. Do you love oral sex?
Eating an oatmeal cream pie IS oral sex.

23. If you could have sex with a movie star tonight, who would it be?
Willy Wonka . . but the Oompa Loompas scare the hell out of me.

22. Do you look at porn on the internet?
Yes. http://www.russelstover.com/

21. What is your favorite kind of porn?
this is getting really predictable, now.

20. Do you incorporate sex toys on a regular basis?
Is a spork considered a toy?

19. Does your lover do something you don't like? cmon, now is the time to tell 'em
Well . . . . he DOES bogart the whipped cream can, sometimes

18. Have you ever sent nude photos to someone?
Yes, on a bet. He lost.

17. If someone offered you money to do a nude photo shoot, would you?
If they are paying in Girl Scout cookies, well . . . maybe, but I'd probably not be able to be a scout leader after that.

16. On the opposite sex, what body part do you give the most attention?
The fingers. They are usually the part holding the cookies

15. Do you bite?
Not if they hold their palms out flat, and just put the cookie there

14. Spanking.....your thoughts?
Sure, whatever . . . they gotta stay busy while I'm finishing up the Do-Si-Does

13. When is the last time you had amazing sex?
Last week. My husband approached me, and I was amazed he wanted to.

12. When is the last time you had horrible sex?
That was back in my dating days . . . some fucktard brought me fat-free Lorna Doones.

11. Define great sex.......
Me and Tom Jones swimming in a vat of Jelly Bellys.

10. Define horrible sex...........
Me and Ghandi having pillow talk over a shared pita.

9. Has any of these things ever come into play in your sex life? A bruise, blood, pee, a twin, rain, spit, tears, a home made implement.
This reads more like a qualifier question to go on Springer.

8. What part of your naked body is completely off limits?
I'd prefer to never be poked in the eye.

7. Does your body make noises when having sex?
My body is a symphony.

6. Have you ever spoked these words during sex "Fuck me harder"
Close. "Pass the jelly"

5. Sexually, what have you never experienced?
Well, that Springer question probably covers most of it.

4. Do you want to?
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. No.

3. Do you want people to read this?
Sure. Everyone needs a chuckle, right?

2. We all masturbate but do you ever watch yourself in a mirror?
Well, I used to, but that snotty prissy prettyboy at the Macy's cosmetics counter said that they were for "customers only".

1. And last but not least and the one question that most of you will puss out on.................Would you have sex with the person that posted this?
As lovely as she is . . . I would be more inclined to split a cupcake with her.

Weekend Spree

Nope, not a killing spree, unless you count my checkbook. It was a shopping spree . . . a rarity for me, but since the entire house was bare of any semblance of food and my daughter's ankles and belly were beginning to show from her recent growth spurt, it was time to take out all the stops.

I'm not sure when this happened, but my girl, who measured a modest 5'2 in Sept 07, is now nearly 5'8. It's a source of delight for her to take any opportunity to "measure up" to me and giggle, since she is beginning to tower over her mom. That's a pretty cool thing for a 12 year old to be able to do, actually. I usually play it off, telling her that her tennis shoes are taller than my sandals, or that I can always get taller with more hair teasing, but even I have had to relent this past month or so that she is definitely taller than me. I just wonder how tall she WILL be. It will be fun to watch.

With all of this growing, she has become more choosy and aware of her clothing. Never one to want "hoochie" clothing, she shies away from scanty things, but she dearly loves tights and skirts, so that was the order of the day. Like her mom, Miss Rachael loves a bargain, and she and I traipsed into Goodwill and found 6 Papagallo and Liz Claiborne skirts that seemed to have never been worn, in beautiful colors, for $4 each. New (tall) tights, spring skirts, and plenty of flat shoes (in the next size up) were soon in our possession to get her pretty self ready for spring. She was so excited, she actually got up early this morning and dressed up for school. I wish I had had a camera handy. Hell, I wish I had had lucidity handy, for that matter. I do remember, groggily, that she looked lovely.

Once we had her squared away, she and I moved on to the next order of business . . . feeding the creatures.

Now that we have 3 dogs, we have to provide adequate sustenance for them. The little chihuahua girls have a bit of a tough time with dry food, so we found little packets of gravy and soft meat squares (Pedigree Little Champions) that they love very much. Weenie the Wonder Dog loves them, too, so what it boils down to is that we use 2 packets a day (the little girls split one) along with a sprinkle of dry Science Diet. All of that equals expensive . . . the packets are about 79 cents each, and the dry dog food is 10 bucks a bag. Doing some quick math, I figured that we are spending $65 - $70 a month just on their food, not to mention their heartworm meds, and flea drops (and adorable clothing, another requirement).

ANYWAY . . . not much chance of the dry food getting cheaper, it is what it is. BUT . . . I found a deal on the same packets at the local Big Lots; they were nearly half of the petstore price already . . . and for some reason, Big Lots was having a Customer Appreciation sale this weekend that took an additional 20% off whatever you bought . . . . so Miss Rachael and I did some vigilante shopping at 2 locations.

2 hours later, we were driving home a heavily laden car, with enough dog food packets to last my creatures 6 months (that's a lotta packets, considering we use 60 a month). It worked out to about 34 cents each. Not bad. They are all stacked nicely on a storage shelf in my garage, each with expirations late into next year (I checked).

Let's see . . .what else did we get? Just some odds and ends, mostly, some nice new walking collars and leashes for the creatures, some nice snacks for the kids and their friends, who are ALWAYS starving when they get home, and refills on all of the shampoos, soaps, etc.

And one of the BEST deals I found was on Pilot Dr. Grip pens. I use these pens at trivia every week, and when I could find them, they were 8-9 bucks apiece. For no discernible reason, I have been unable to find them anywhere. Good ol Big Lots had them for 3 bucks apiece, and I got one in every color!

I love that damn place.

Makeover

What does one do when the spark is seemingly gone?

Why, get a makeover, of course!

I love this little blog, I swear I do, but I have not been motivated to post much of anything lately. I click on the page now and then, and see that familiar layout, and that same picture, and the same old fonts and the same old lists.

And then I end up posting the same 'ol dumb crap.

Where is the fire? Where is the intensity that we once had, in the early days, when I couldn't wait to create a new post? What happened to that woman that had to limit herself to a post a day?

I'm hoping that by making the blog look different, I'll be more eager to interact with it again, and I'll get the ol' creative juices flowing. Kind of like a bored husband putting a blonde wig and hooker shoes on his old saggy wife, I guess. Hope springs eternal.

You probably didn't need that image, I am guessing.