I went to Christmas play practice tonight and one of the young men there, Ethan, asked me how Ben was. As conversations always do one topic led to another and we found ourselves talking about Ben’s tattoos. Ethan said he was going soon to get his first tattoo. It will be a cross and in the middle will be the dates his grandmother was born and died. I thought if a young man is going to get a tattoo how sweet that he wanted to get one in memory of his grandmother.
Some who know me might find it a little surprising to learn that I am a secret fan of tattoos. Not getting them, but looking at them on others. My kids have tattoos, as does Randy. When they gather at the house you can bet that sometime during the visit one of them will try and convince me to get one. So far I’ve held out.
I think tattoos are fine as long as you are old enough to get one. I don’t think 16 years old is old enough, or 18 for that matter or really your early 20’s unless it is tasteful, in the proper place and for the right reason.
Tasteful is subjective so I won’t comment on that except to say I have an aversion to skulls and vampires though dragons are good (Go Pickens !!). The proper place is where it cannot be seen while you are interviewing for a job or working on a job unless the folks you plan to work with are more covered with tattoos than you are. Some of the right reasons to get a tattoo in my opinion are to honor something that is meaningful to you, like your branch of the military or your heritage, or in memory of someone who was very special. These are things that don’t change and are a part of you forever as opposed to a girl or boy friend you dated for a while or the fad symbol of the moment.
I like it when someone works with the tattoo artist to come up with an original design. Those are so much more interesting. When our niece’s son passed away Randy and Ben wanted to honor his memory. Little Charles was a one of a kind kid who had a double portion of musical talent packed into his little 3-year-old body. To honor his memory they had the artist draw up snowflakes because his pre-school teacher used to call him a little snowflake. It was tasteful and for the right reason (though I would not have put it on the back of my leg like they did).
Can you really see me getting a tattoo? I’m 52 now, but one day I’ll be 83. My mother is 83 and can you imagine little Doris Fouts with a tattoo? It’s the silliest thing ever. And what would it be??? Randy has the kids so I wouldn’t want to do that. I could get a rose in honor of Daddy because he loved his rose bushes but I really don’t want a rose tattoo and well John Deere just isn’t gonna make it on me. So what to do????
WITHOUT !!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Yesterday was a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly. The bad and the ugly was that most folks I spoke with had bad days.
My co-worker was late because they had to put her father-in-law in the hospital. My best friend called in tears because her cousin’s child has a dangerous tumor on her arm and they have to do surgery Wednesday. Randy’s day at work was not good. Our church play director's day was not good (not sure if it was work or a bad practice – maybe both). And on top of my day at work being exhausting and still not getting done all I needed to get done I received all the above news.
After work I had to run by the vet’s and then do that chore I really dislike – buying groceries. Though it could have been worse. It could have been raining. By the time I got home I was ill as a hornet and snapped Randy’s head off (sorry Sweetie). It was just really one of THOSE days. But then that was the bad and the ugly. There was also some good.
I did get a little joy out of my trip to the grocery store. You see just about every variety of folks there. My Grandma Fouts was a people watcher and she would have had a field day if she had been with me yesterday.
There were those folks who stand around outside the grocery store chatting, catching up on all the gossip while their ice cream melts. Inside was the lady in the motorized chair. Bless her heart she accidentally knocked over a bag of radishes onto the floor but if she hadn’t been speeding it wouldn’t have happened. I picked up the bag for her and headed around the corner.
Going down the pasta aisle I met a woman with a child in the cart seat who threw up his snack just as he got past me. Poor baby – poor mama. Watching the whole thing with us sympathetic mothers was a single guy, older man – handsome actually. How do I know he was single??? Because later, at the frozen food case, someone he knew asked him over for supper. He declined and said he was going to have a light supper tonight. Does that sound like a married man to you????
There were also the usual suspects. The giggly girls who run into you, act embarrassed, then talk about how funny it was. The rough looking teenage guys buying snacks. Don’t want to know what they will be doing later. The sweet little older couple. The friend on Facebook you hardly ever see in person. The former co-worker. You know how it goes. So while I hate buying groceries I do have to say the trip was interesting.
And here is the icing on the cake. My nephew, who has been out of work for 17 months, finally got a job. An answered prayer - what a great way to end the day.
Later.....
My co-worker was late because they had to put her father-in-law in the hospital. My best friend called in tears because her cousin’s child has a dangerous tumor on her arm and they have to do surgery Wednesday. Randy’s day at work was not good. Our church play director's day was not good (not sure if it was work or a bad practice – maybe both). And on top of my day at work being exhausting and still not getting done all I needed to get done I received all the above news.
After work I had to run by the vet’s and then do that chore I really dislike – buying groceries. Though it could have been worse. It could have been raining. By the time I got home I was ill as a hornet and snapped Randy’s head off (sorry Sweetie). It was just really one of THOSE days. But then that was the bad and the ugly. There was also some good.
I did get a little joy out of my trip to the grocery store. You see just about every variety of folks there. My Grandma Fouts was a people watcher and she would have had a field day if she had been with me yesterday.
There were those folks who stand around outside the grocery store chatting, catching up on all the gossip while their ice cream melts. Inside was the lady in the motorized chair. Bless her heart she accidentally knocked over a bag of radishes onto the floor but if she hadn’t been speeding it wouldn’t have happened. I picked up the bag for her and headed around the corner.
Going down the pasta aisle I met a woman with a child in the cart seat who threw up his snack just as he got past me. Poor baby – poor mama. Watching the whole thing with us sympathetic mothers was a single guy, older man – handsome actually. How do I know he was single??? Because later, at the frozen food case, someone he knew asked him over for supper. He declined and said he was going to have a light supper tonight. Does that sound like a married man to you????
There were also the usual suspects. The giggly girls who run into you, act embarrassed, then talk about how funny it was. The rough looking teenage guys buying snacks. Don’t want to know what they will be doing later. The sweet little older couple. The friend on Facebook you hardly ever see in person. The former co-worker. You know how it goes. So while I hate buying groceries I do have to say the trip was interesting.
And here is the icing on the cake. My nephew, who has been out of work for 17 months, finally got a job. An answered prayer - what a great way to end the day.
Later.....
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thanksgiving
It is almost Thanksgiving and I am getting that mixture of dread and excitement I always get. Dread for the amount of work that goes into it and excitement that everyone is coming over once again.
Our house has become the gathering place for a multitude of occasions. While Mom’s is still the place to go for Christmas and some birthdays the other occasions are usually here. That was planned when we built the house. Though of course if I had to do it all over again I would make some changes. I’d take down a wall and expand the living room. But even without that everyone seems to have a good time when they come over.
Thursday we will gather again. The usual suspects will be here; parents, siblings and their families, children. One of the highlights of the day for me is the other guests that come. I have always enjoyed it when folks bring their friends over. And I usually don’t know till the last minute who it will be. While Ben was in college it was whoever couldn’t go home for the holiday. Some of them, like Michael and Toniya Stinnett, kept coming and are now part of our family.
You can bet there will be loads of food. There always is: turkey and ham without question and Mom’s sweet potato soufflé, my pumpkin pie. The fun part for me is what everyone else brings. I love seeing what my sister comes up with (though this year she is doing the turkey and helping Mom with the sweet potatoes (thanks !!). Wanda’s casseroles and desserts are legendary. My newest sister-in-law Brenda is doing the dressing this year. I’m glad. It takes it off Mom’s plate. Yum, it’s making me hungry just thinking about it.
The big unknown is the weather. If it’s pretty there is porch sitting and walk taking. If it’s yucky we will be stuck in the house but I have something up my sleeve for that.
The reason we get together this time of year for me is not so much to celebrate the Pilgrims (look what they did to the folks who were here already) but to remember what I am thankful for. All this month I, and other folks on Facebook, have been posting on a daily basis what we are thankful for. Some of it is the big stuff: our salvation, our families. Some of it is the small stuff: a child napping, a warm day.
That is what “Thanksgiving” is. Being thankful every day that you woke up, you have health to some degree, that you can still find a way to be useful, that you can be with folks you love and who love you. There are a million things every day to be thankful for. It’s just on Thursday we get the added enjoyment of a great meal when we say ‘Thank you Lord”.
Our house has become the gathering place for a multitude of occasions. While Mom’s is still the place to go for Christmas and some birthdays the other occasions are usually here. That was planned when we built the house. Though of course if I had to do it all over again I would make some changes. I’d take down a wall and expand the living room. But even without that everyone seems to have a good time when they come over.
Thursday we will gather again. The usual suspects will be here; parents, siblings and their families, children. One of the highlights of the day for me is the other guests that come. I have always enjoyed it when folks bring their friends over. And I usually don’t know till the last minute who it will be. While Ben was in college it was whoever couldn’t go home for the holiday. Some of them, like Michael and Toniya Stinnett, kept coming and are now part of our family.
You can bet there will be loads of food. There always is: turkey and ham without question and Mom’s sweet potato soufflé, my pumpkin pie. The fun part for me is what everyone else brings. I love seeing what my sister comes up with (though this year she is doing the turkey and helping Mom with the sweet potatoes (thanks !!). Wanda’s casseroles and desserts are legendary. My newest sister-in-law Brenda is doing the dressing this year. I’m glad. It takes it off Mom’s plate. Yum, it’s making me hungry just thinking about it.
The big unknown is the weather. If it’s pretty there is porch sitting and walk taking. If it’s yucky we will be stuck in the house but I have something up my sleeve for that.
The reason we get together this time of year for me is not so much to celebrate the Pilgrims (look what they did to the folks who were here already) but to remember what I am thankful for. All this month I, and other folks on Facebook, have been posting on a daily basis what we are thankful for. Some of it is the big stuff: our salvation, our families. Some of it is the small stuff: a child napping, a warm day.
That is what “Thanksgiving” is. Being thankful every day that you woke up, you have health to some degree, that you can still find a way to be useful, that you can be with folks you love and who love you. There are a million things every day to be thankful for. It’s just on Thursday we get the added enjoyment of a great meal when we say ‘Thank you Lord”.
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