Blast from the past

Me (on the right) and my little sis

Me as a little baby

My mom and me and my mother in law at my wedding shower

Monday I'll turn 48!  I thought I'd just tell y'all a few memories from my childhood..because you know that's what old people do-talk about the past 🤣🤣🤣🤣

One time my sister and I heard the snow cone truck coming down our street.  We ran out and got our snow cones and we were walking back to the house just salivating on that yummy snow cone when all of a sudden the newspaper guy drove by and threw a paper in our direction.  It hit my sister square on the head (he must have been aiming!) and her snow cone fell in the grass! She was so sad!

I was a straight laced, nerdy, bookworm kid in school.  In second grade, we had bathrooms in our classroom.  They had a big problem with people writing on the walls in the bathroom.  Well, I went in there one day and suddenly realized I had taken my pencil in there with me!  I didn't want to get in trouble so bad!  So I tried to hide my pencil on the side of my leg as I was walking out but got caught!  I think I had to go to the principal's office and write sentences.  First and only time that ever happened!

I can remember when I was about 5, we lived in a trailer home.  The whole park was owned by circus performers!  The had a big practice tent in the back of the lot and we'd go back there and watch the trapeze artists, the horse acrobats, see the tigers and elephants!  It was so cool!

Some of my greatest memories are going to my grandparent's house. We would go at least one weekend a month, 2 weeks at Christmas break, and at least 2 weeks during the summer. My grandpa (we called him Pop) would save up all his dimes all year and put them in a big big jar.  The first thing we did when we got there for summer break was pour out that jar and roll every single dime!  Whatever we rolled and counted was our spending money for the time we were there!  We went to Braums, bought Barbie stuff, and splurged at Walmart!  It was so much fun!  My grandparents were self employed and didn't have a lot, but that little bit was just perfect for us!

My grandparents and me and my sister. We called them mamaw and pop.

Our dachshund had pups!

me and my sister getting all dolled up for church

I used to keep my bedroom door like a huge scrapbook.  I taped it with paper and put all kinds of momentos on it!  

My bedroom door as a teen.

My grandma was an amazing gardner.  She had at least 3 big vegetable gardens.  And the landscaping around her house was so beautiful!  She planted a tree one time and tied two branches together at the top and bottom to make a circle in the middle.  As that tree grew, we used to climb through that hole so many times!  We went and saw it a few years ago and it was completely grown together into one big trunk. 

My grandma made a circle in a tree!

my dad and me

my sister and me

my mom and me and sister standing on a frozen Lake Ray Hubbard!

Well, time keeps on ticking.  I hope you've enjoyed these little blasts from the past.  I'm making new memories now with my grown kids and now grandkids!  

Here's to another 48 years!

🎂🎂🎂🎂💓😉🙏🎈🎉🌈🌞

Make the world a better place

In today's world, we comment, delete, unfriend, spout criticisms rather flippantly.  We are used to a short blurb, scroll, troll, and move on. We've forgotten some of the niceties.

Niceties- just taking that little bit of extra time to be nice.  To say you care.  To be civil to someone.

I think in today's world we could use a little more nice.

Looking someone in the eye.  It's difficult to have conversations now without looking at the top of someone's head.  Seems like everyone is looking down at their phones.  Believe me, I'm guilty of this too.  You are trying to talk to someone and answer a text or just check something real quick on your phone.  Or-something I've noticed a lot- is that people are talking to each other--but it's about what's on their phones! They are literally showing their phone to each other while they are talking.  Whatever happened to eye contact.  Yes, it's somewhat uncomfortable and vulnerable but there's a whole other level of communication that happens when we look each other in the eye. Putting the phone AWAY-- and not just putting it down-- will open up a lot more communication with people.

Mentioning someone's name.  When we talk to each other, we like to hear our own names.  Just say someone's name.  It makes a connection.

Writing a thank you note (or at least a text). Thanking someone for that word of encouragement, for doing something for ya.  Goes a long long way. A handwritten note takes just a couple minutes but what fun getting a note in the MAILBOX!!

Asking someone about their day. Yes it's nice to vent and dump out all your feelings on someone.  But have we considered turning the focus off ourselves and turning it onto the other person?  Asking about THEIR day? their interests? their stuff?  and then we don't need to interject our own stuff...just listen to them.

Checking in on someone.  Whether by text, or call or whatever- just asking someone "How's your day going?"

Taking criticism.  This may not seem like a nicety.  But if someone says something to me that I may not like--it's not always rude and terrible.  They might have said it in a negative way but if I receive it in a good spirit it could be very helpful!  Constructive criticism can actually help if I have a humble enough spirit to take it to heart.

So make the world a better place!  Stop and be a nice to someone today. It makes a difference.💓😉