Tid Bit Tuesday - Part 2 - My Sister, Jo Ann

When I wrote the first part of Tid Bit Tuesday, my deceased sister Jo Ann was also on my mind, due to a couple of reasons. Obviously when I saw the huge sign on the old Circuit City building that read Jo-Ann's Fabrics, I thought of her. There's various ways to spell Jo Ann, and most of the time they aren't spelled like hers.

The other reason was because she died in the month of June, 1984. I never remember the date of someone's death. I only remember their birth dates. Conscious decision or not? I'm not sure. Anyway, after seeing the Jo-Ann's Fabrics sign, I decided I really needed to know. I needed and wanted to know the date she lost her battle with cancer.

I e-mailed my other sister, my brother and sister-in-law, etc. My sister replied first, that she too didn't know the exact date. (Well, I guess I'm not so weird after all.) After I read her reply, I went downstairs to our basement, walked directly over to a junky dresser where old birthday cards, photographs, kids' school work, etc. are kept and found what I was looking for. After only 5 minutes or less, I uncovered Jo Ann's obituary, in perfect condition. It had been clipped from a newspaper, was folded nicely and obviously quite yellow with age.

I scanned over it quickly.....yes, she was born on such and such a date.....Then there it was, ..."passed away June 8, 1984.."

Oh my gosh! Today! Today is the 8th of June. HOW did I seem to know that? WHY did I become so determined to find out? WHAT or WHO led me to the exact place I must've looked numerous times before?

Y'all know I like to talk about my Twilight Zone moments. This is one for the books, as the saying goes. Help me, though. I'd really like to give a better, more meaningful name to what I've experienced over the past 24 Hours or so.

"My god, you've lost your mother." -- what a therapist said when I told her about my relationship with Jo Ann.
(I was devastated when she died. She was 16 years older than me. She was my sister, my friend, my mother)

** Tid Bit Tuesday **

Since I didn't get around to taking any pictures of my newest tea cup finds, I won't be participating in today's Tea Cup Tuesday. Instead, my title is: Tid Bit Tuesday....because that's exactly what this is.

Have you ever been listening to your car radio, and the time and the station numbers are the same? And for a minute, you click the button a couple of times, thinking something's wrong with it. Then you figure it out! That happened to me again the other day. It's so weird! It was exactly 10:33 and the radio station was 103.3.  Other times, it's been 10:25, and I'm listening to 102.5....Wacky!!

For those of you that live in my area, did you notice that a business is moving into the Circuit City store that was vacated last year....the one next to Best Buy and Mid Rivers Mall?? It's Jo-Ann's Fabrics! I hardly ever think to shop at Jo-Ann's, and I guess I'm not on their mailing list anymore. They usually do have some great bargains in their craft and decor items. That's what I go there for. Unfortunately, I cannot sew, or quilt, or crochet, or knit. (those things all require talent AND counting) I used to enjoy doing the old-fashioned cross stitch...the kind where the X's were stamped onto the fabric. I don't want to have to COUNT to figure out where my next stitches go.....thank you very much! Most of you know I have a problem with COUNTING. Math and I do not get along!

(borrowed from Ms. Sparkle-Farkle)

 

"The greatest unsolved theorem in mathematics is why some people are better at it than others." -- Adrian Mathesis

** This 'n That on a Happy Monday **

Most people probably wouldn't choose a Monday as a particularly happy day. I certainly didn't, during those years I worked at stressful jobs. But now I have the luxury of staying home....and I do mean luxury. I know how very fortunate I am and whenever I'm feeling stressed about all the things I have to do.......sheesh, I remind myself how it used to be, and how it could be, and that usually stops my whining!

I'm happy today for various reasons, which is typical for me. So many things contribute to my happiness: my home, my family, my dog, nature, writing, reading, thinking, observing, creating, helping, etc. And, today, as in most days, I have been, or will do....all of them. Some days, washing the dishes makes me happy! Yeah, I know....I'm a freak!

Okay.....Here's my Monday News:

1) I have declared that it is officially summer (at least on my blog) and that's why I've changed my Play List to summer time songs. Hope you enjoy them. If you have any other favorites to suggest, let me know and maybe I can add them.

2)  Since I'm feeling quite happy today, my favorite songs on this list would be: #22 Life is Wonderful by Jason Mraz, and #24 Oh Happy Day by the Edwin Hawkin Singers.

3)  There's a mistake on song #47 Summertime. That is definitely NOT Aretha Franklin singing with Louis Armstrong. I'm not sure WHO it is, but it isn't Ms. Franklin! (anybody can add songs to the main play list, and I run into mistakes fairly often.)

4)  I am thrilled to say that my followers have now reached 61. When the number reaches 100, I will have a Big-Give-Away-Contest! Woo-Hoo!

5)  I hope to be participating in Tea Cup Tuesday tomorrow. I have a couple of new goodies to show off, recently purchased at a nearby Antique Mall, for fabulous prices!

6)  One more thing. Somewhere in Blog Land, I came across a site that is all about coupons and freebies. Talk about spending a lot of time on the old computer! I had to get away from that one really fast, or I would've been there for hours. I do have one really cool thing to share. Vista Prints is giving away FREE return address labels! If you click on the link I've provided, it will take you right there. You can get 140 labels FREE and just pay the shipping. I went ahead and doubled mine because the price for another 140 is only $1.49, plus shipping. So, I ordered a total of 280 lables and paid $6.14, including shipping! They're not just plain labels, either. There are 100's to choose from. I got mine with a stack of books on them Hhhmmm, wonder why?! (I think this is a Limited Time Offer, so get thee over to their site.)

Even if you don't snail-mail many things anymore, they can be used for all types of things. You could use them in your books, in your kids' books, DVD's, for identifying purposes, etc.

**And NO, I'm not getting paid anything, from anybody, for sharing this information. **

And thanks to a friend who started off my Happy Monday with a sweet and thoughtful gift. We had coffee and conversation, both vowing to "get some work done today".  (so far, I haven't crossed off a single thing on my Things To Do List! Eeek!)

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Happiness pulses with every beat of my heart. ~ Terri Guillemets

There are some days when I think I'm going to die from an overdose of satisfaction. ~ Salvador Dali
 (and just because I'm so happy today, I'm leaving you with THREE....count 'em.....THREE quotes!)

* Saturday Centus Week 5 *

Welcome to the fifth week of Saturday Centus. (This is my 2nd time to participate.)

This is a themed writing meme. Come on and join the fun!!

Each Saturday Jenny Matlock will be giving a new "prompt" for the week and you have the entire week to link your work to the meme and you can link more than one story if you like.

Each linked essay must be 100 words or less, not including the "prompt" words. No pictures should be used. No profanity. The prompt words can be used in any place within your story but must be left intact.

Please display link button or just a hyper-link back to Saturday Centus. Be careful to link your SC URL to the Linky and not just link to your main blog.

Jenny would suggest that since these are so short, if you can't think of a title just use your blog name as the title in the Linky.

Jenny also says it would be great if you would try and visit the rest of the links. Actually, it will be fun for you because they were wonderful last week for sure!

This link will be live until next Saturday morning around 7 am. And please, remember to link to your SC URL...not your main blog.

Here's mine for this week's prompt.....(coming in at exactly 100 words) Prompt is in italics.

I settled into the comfortable movie theater seat with awkward 3D glasses perched on my nose, a small tub of popcorn on my lap, and a bottle of water lodged into the seat holder. Then anxiety kicked in. Why did I come here? Being alone in a theater always makes you look…lonely. Oh well. I can't help that.


A few people strolled in and sat down. Another thing I didn't like….a bunch of empty seats, especially during a comedy. My laughter would echo as if in a cave!

I snorted, cackled, and hooted, all through the movie, and seemed to be the only one doing so.

As the lights came up, I realized why no one else appreciated the hilarious movie. Those few people were members of the PWNSOH Club. Ah, that explained it!

** Time To Be Realistic **

Time is flying by......and I'm having a heck of a time holding on! Thus, the title of this post. I've decided to be realistic in terms of my book deadline. It was a self-imposed one, anyway, and I was kind of worried from the beginning that I wouldn't pay much attention to it! I hoped, though, by posting the Countdown Gadget on my blog, it would motivate me and scare away the old Writer's Sabotage. Hmmm...that didn't seem to work.

So, I have removed that bad old clock that ticked away and made me nervous and stressed, therefore causing more writer's block and angst!

My decision was based on the fact that I want my book to be FABULOUS, rather than mediocre!  Duh!

Ahhhhh....Freedom! I felt better the moment the clock was gone.

This also gives me permission to blog more, enter more contests, send more submissions, keep in better touch with my friends......and basically keep my sanity.

I have a feeling I'll get a lot accomplished this weekend.....in all the areas of my home and life that need to be worked on!

“Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!”-- Amanda Bradley

** You've Got a Friend **

Hey Everyone! Thank you all SO much for all your wonderful comments!

Gosh, You Like Me! You Really, Really Like Me!   << said in my best Sally Field voice!!

I'll be back later today.......but just know that all is well!! I'm not wearing myself out, etc!


"Nothing is worth more than this day". -- Goethe

* It Can't Be Almost Wednesday Already *

My apologies to friends I owe e-mails to.....

To friends I owe comments to....

My day began around 4:30am and hasn't stopped yet......no time wasting, and no nap, either!

And it appears the rest of the week will be very similar.

But it's all good. No problems. Just Busy!

I'm sure I'll be back to post something tomorrow. You know I can't stay away!

Somewhere during those precious 24 Hours I'm given each and every new day.....I must get going on the June birthday cards, and devote much more time to my book!! Please send me good vibes, good karma, cosmic encouragement, well wishes, whatever!

I cut this headline out of the newspaper some time ago. Although I think the situation in the Gulf is very tragic and sad, I couldn't help but use this for my blog.

See. I'm BP. Get it?? And I really need to be urged to work harder on those cards and on my book!

"I am definitely going to take a course on time management...just as soon as I can work it into my schedule" -- Louis E. Boone

* Memorial Day - Vox Magazine - Math Skills? *

Due to the very unorganized way I've been handling things lately, I have not been able to find the photos I wanted to post today. (They weren't taken on a digital camera, and are soundly sleeping in one of my many photo boxes.) Maybe by the 4th of July, I will have located them and can share them then. Until then, I just wanted to say that every Memorial Day I honestly remember why we celebrate this day, which used to be known as Decoration Day, back in The Old Days.

"Why do we kill people who are killing people to show that killing people is wrong?" -- Holly Near
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While going through my various little piles of papers, notes, doodles, etc....looking for photos.... something pretty cool did happen. I came across my note about Vox Magazine, which interviewed me by telephone a few months ago. I had written "sometime in mid June" on my note, but thought What the heck, I'll go online and see what I can find out. WELL, the interview is posted right there, dated May 27th!

Taken directly from their website: "Vox Magazine is published by the Columbia Missourian and produced by magazine students at the world's oldest (and we'd like to think best) journalism school." (that school is the University of Missouri, in Columbia, Missouri.....best known as "Mizzou".)

The article can be found here. It will also be in the print edition, which I intend to get a "few" of!
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My math skills....or lack there of. Anyone who's known me very long, knows that I joke about my math abilities. My dad was a brilliant man with "The Math Brain". I am NOT brilliant, nor do I have "The Math Brain". I have "The Literary Brain". I can do basic math, of course. (I'm reminded of Jethro Bodine from The Beverly Hillbillies. He could cipher up a storm!)

ANYWAY....I was looking over my list of birthday cards I need to make for the months of June and July. I didn't have a calculator handy, but I knew I could add up a few little numbers without the help of a machine!

Well, I added them up two times, just to make sure of the total. The first time I came up with 95 cards. The second time I came up with 74 cards. Now I ask you....HOW THE HECK DID THAT HAPPEN?!

So, I got out my trusty calculator and the correct answer is: 72 cards! Ta-Dahhhhh!

I may have to round up some helpers to get all these babies made! They have to be at the location by the 3rd Wednesday of each month, which means I have about 2 weeks to make and send 29 cards...that's how many there are for June. (Most months have been 10 or less cards.)

If you haven't been a follower very long, you are probably scratching your head, saying, "What cards? And who are they for?" Long story short: I found out about some St. Louis inner city kids that sometimes do not receive a birthday card at home, due to financial or other reasons.

I know the phrase "it is so rewarding" can be overused sometimes or seem pretentious....but that's how I truly feel.

I just do some "fancy" printing and use birthday stickers, plus some motivational sayings. I've heard the kids love receiving them, from the youngest to the oldest teens. I have a stamper for the backs of all the cards I make. On theirs, instead of saying it was made by Becky, I write: Made by Someone Who Cares.
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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain