Wordless Wednesday ~ just a drive by!

It's been a while and I probably have a lot to say!!  But for now... it's a drive by Wordless Wednesday...

Single?  Taken?  At the gym with Batman!  

He's coming right for us!

Today and tomorrow is going to be a day of sitting around watching the weather thanks to Crystobal.  Everything around town had just re-opened and now a bunch of places are closed again due to this tropical system!

I don't expect much more than a little wind and lots of rain.  It's been raining off and on since yesterday, and the wind is starting to pick up as I type.  I'll probably spend part of the day sitting on my porch reading and enjoying the breeze!  Thankfully we are not in a flood zone, so I don't have to worry about rising water.  My main concern is losing power.  The power company can't send out a crew until the weather passes, so if it goes out, it might be out for a while. 

It really is coming right for us though.  The yellow line is the current projected path.  The red dot is my house!

Is The Change TMI?

Well it appears the change is here.

Ladies, you know what I'm referring to.  THAT change.  (Maybe TMI for this blog??  But most of us are ladies... so.... )

There have been times in the past few months years when I've felt like I'm just radiating heat. Just burning up.  I don't sweat much (never have) so that probably doesn't help the situation.  Sleep?  Ha. Broken sleep.  Awake for hours.  Hot.  Cold.  Hot. Cold.  Just awake for hours for no particular reason.  Then I feel so annoyed and aggravated for little to no reason at all. Tired, so tired.  Can't function tired or can't think tired.  And other issues that are TMI that I won't mention here.  I've been saying for months  years  that my hormones must be very out of whack.  Turns out I'm not crazy after all.

I had my yearly lady doctor visit this past week and she ran labs which say that I'm past the point of no return.  I was a little irked because at my appointment, she tried to blame it on my thyroid or perhaps a cyst (??) because I'm "only 47."   A couple of years ago (I was 44/45) at my yearly visit, we had a talk about my symptoms and I thought IT was coming and she implied I was too young because the average age for menopause was 51. "You're not quite there yet."  In April 2019 we had the same talk and the same doc told me come back if symptoms got to where I couldn't stand it.  She did not run any labs, so I've been just riding this out for a while now.  It was really bad (to the point that I couldn't stand it) earlier this year during the lock down.  The more I think about it, I'm kinda peeved that she just let it go rather than investigating it further back when I was 44/45. I think back to all the times I have felt unwell/off and now I wonder if this was why.  It should have been simple lab work done along with the other well visit labs so nothing more than another vial of blood.  Did she really totally miss that I've been in perimenopause for the past 3-4 years??  Not that it would have changed the outcome but it would have been nice to know what was really going on with me. 

While I expected the news my hormones weren't up to par, I didn't expect to be told I am in total menopause and I didn't expect to feel this sad about it.  TMI I just had a cycle after skipping several months and the exact words from the nurse were that should not happen anymore. (?)  So confused. It's not like I planned on having any more babies.  I guess it's just a big realization I'm getting older and feeling sad that part of my life is behind me.  I don't know if that makes any sense or not. Or if again, it's just the hormones.

The China Cabinet

My sweet blogging friend Sherri over at Red Rose Ally mentioned her china cabinet in a post not long ago.  It inspired me to write about ours.

This was Clint's Mother's china cabinet and before that it was her mom's.  We figured it dates back to the early 1900s.  Around 2005-2006 we had it re-finished.  The guy who did it said it still had the original glass.  I've always been paranoid that someone will back a dining table chair into it and shatter it.

Inside it is filled with all sorts of treasures, some would probably say too many as it is quite cluttered. A few things were my grandmother's.  Most of these things belonged to my Mom and are things I remember seeing my entire life.

This is our wedding cake topper and champagne glasses from when we got married in 2003. 

My parent's cake topper sits inside as well.  June 1970.

When I was a little kid of 3-4 years old, I'd get to drink out these rooster glasses for Christmas.  I'd get 7-Up and a splash of cherry juice with a cherry in it.  I LOVED these glasses and my special drink.  I didn't know where they disappeared to, but I discovered them packed away in a box when we cleaned out my parents' house.  It was one of the few things that made me cry.  I couldn't believe she'd kept the glasses.

Ponchatrain Beach was an amusement park in New Orleans.  It's long gone and  I don't think I ever went there.  This was a souvenir that my Mom had for decades. Why a toilet?  I don't know.  It sat on the bookshelf in our living room and I used to play with it and pretend it was a toilet for my dolls!  The lid used to open but at some point the hinge cracked and we glued it shut. 

1984 World's Fair was held in New Orleans.  We almost didn't get to go!!  They gave students free tickets in hopes that adult ticket sales would make up for it.  I finally convinced my Mom to let me skip school one day and we went.  The pelican was the mascot and there was a contest to choose his name.  The winner was "Seymore D. Fair"  (see more the fair.) 

My grandmother's milk glass.  She kept those icky sugary orange slices candy in this.  We'd go visit and she'd tell me "Cher (sha) go look over there and they got something for ya."  And I'd go grab a candy.  I didn't like them much but it was candy!

My Mom always worked the parties when I was in elementary school.  In 6th grade, we had voted our mascot to be a unicorn and our class color was red.  She made one of these ornaments for every student in my class for our Christmas gift.  Sacred Heart School, 1983.

This was a little doll that my Aunt Vivian gave to me.  I don't remember exactly when but I was probably a pre-teen, so early 80s or late 70s.  I'm not sure why she gave it to me and don't think she ever gave me anything else.  It sat on my dresser almost my entire life.  She used to have a bonnet but I don't know where that went.

Gold leaf glasses seem to be pretty popular as I see them for sale in thrift/antique shops from time to time. 

My Mom's tea set.  Funny thing is Clint's Mom had the exact same tea set!!  I also see these for sale quite often in the junk shops around town.  

I also have various glassware, cake plates, ice cream dishes, and my wedding china stored inside.  

Underneath the china cabinet sits this small chest of silver.  My Mom bought this from a door-to-door salesman in the 1950s?  Maybe 60s.  She never used any of it -- except for the teeny tiny spoon that she fed me with.  So I guess  I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth!  Ha!  The chest sat in my bedroom closet untouched.  Christmas 2007 she wrapped it up and gave it to me for Christmas.  Eight months later she died, so it was the last thing she ever gave me.  We used a few pieces once for Christmas or Thanksgiving. The rest is still wrapped in plastic.  I just can't stand the idea of it tarnishing, so we don't use it either.  

As a bonus gift when she purchased the chest, she got the tea service set.  Once she polished up the platter and used it for my birthday cake.  

There's a few other nick-nacks and random things in there.  These were some of the things that stand out as special to me.  Hope you enjoyed reading about my china cabinet collection of stuff! 

Random and that time we were mask shamed

It was past time for a little change...

This is about as brave as I'll get for now.  It's a little shorter than I wanted so I'm not sure if I like it yet.  I've been toying with the idea of chopping it all off, but even this feels a little too short for me.  I have dozens of short hairstyle pics saved.  I just don't have the nerve though. I've only had it super short twice - when I was 8 and in my 20s someone butchered my hair and I had no choice.   I think how nice and cool it would be and how easy to style it would be.  But then there's no more pony tails and I'd almost have to fix my hair every day or constantly look like I just rolled out of bed.

This happened:

Valerie got her Temporary Instructional Permit and enrolled in Driver's Ed!!!  Yikes.  I'm not entirely sure she's ready to take on driving.  (Or if I'm ready for her to drive.) I've given her a few brief lessons and she was pretty anxious and said it was scary.  While I'm not trying to force her behind the wheel, if she didn't take Driver's Ed now, no telling when she'd be able to.  Band is about to kick off summer practices.  Then if (IF) there is marching band, she'll be tied up with that through November.  She wants to do indoor percussion in the spring also....  At that rate, she would be 17 + before she got a license. It takes so FREAKING LONG to get a driver's license??  When did all of this change??  I was 16, walked into the DMV, took the written test, went for a short drive, and walked out with a license.  Now, you must get a letter from school, go to the DMV to get an Instructional Permit, pay $400 to take a 38hr driving class, go back to the DMV to get a learner's permit, get a minimum of 50 hours / 6 months of driving experience, THEN take the actual driving test back at the driving school, and return to the DMV to get a beginners license......   Three trips to the DMV!  And about $480 in fees??  WHAT IS ALL THAT?!?

While at the DMV we were mask shamed. They are only letting one person in the building at a time and thankfully there were only three people in line when we got there!!  Hit the jackpot!!  The woman guarding the door asked us why we were there and asked if we wanted masks.  I politely declined and she said ok but you have to tell the lady you rejected a mask.  Um ok.  She then followed us in and announced rather loudly "They rejected a mask!!  Both of them!!"  I swear they wrote our names on a list also.  They wrote us down for something.  Valerie probably turned 5 shades of red.  The funny thing - every single employee had their mask on like THIS:

Actual picture!!  Now I'm not mask shaming them, well maybe I am just a little.  I know wearing a mask all day long has got to be the worst, but don't shame me for not wearing one when you have one on just for show!

 Clint's been studying away at his online realtor's license school.  There's been no job leads but honesty we aren't really looking.  He's hoping to finish school and take the state licensing test in June.  It's been a month since he was let go from Halliburton and would you believe we still do not have his severance payment???  Good thing we are fine without it, but still...

Things are starting to open back up here in Louisiana.  Restaurant seating is open at 25% capacity.  The mall is half open.  Veronica was able to go to the orthodontist.  Some gyms are open.  Not Planet Fitness though.  The movies is still closed and we are wondering if our theater will return at all.  We are hearing band practice will be limited to groups of 25, so they will have to work with that.  For some reason, All-State Honor Choir in October was cancelled.  5 months away!  Veronica cried for hours when she heard the news.  Seems like a rash decision at this point.  I'm hoping things will gradually return to normal, but if events months away are still being cancelled, it doesn't look promising. 

Back from the beach!

We had a lovely week in beautiful Orange Beach / Gulf Shores, Alabama!  It had been several years since we have visited the Gulf Coast and it did not disappoint.  White sugary sands and emerald green water. We weren't the only ones with that idea as it was rather busy.  I guess everyone has had enough of being shut in, the same as us!  I'm glad we went the week we did because they were expecting record breaking crowds over Memorial Day.  We spent lots of time on the beach, ate at a few local restaurants, did some shopping, and did a whole lot of nothing in between!