Butterfly...

This one posed for me on one of our butterfly bushes... Isn't he purty?

You are listening...

to Ian Parker - my new obsession. Step back Tim Holtz, My Hawt UPS guy and Sam Elliot. We saw Ian last year at RiverFest in Knowlton, and I just fell in LOVE. He was back again this year and let me tell ya - this guy is HAWT. And talented.

Last year I got a slip of paper from him because he had sold out of his cd's at the Fest - and I'm hanging on to that piece of paper like my life depended on it.

I swear I'm not licking it. Honest.

RiverFest was excellent again this year - Ian was my favorite, the other bands were ok - it was a gorgeous day, until a migraine (my first!!) hit and we had to leave early. Missed the last two bands. But it was a fun day and here are some pics!

My Jessica.

So My Jessica deserves a post... SO much!!

I've told this story on the Dawg, but I'm telling it again here. Maybe it will explain things to the people that look at the two of us like we're crazy!

This dates back to ECC1. Intercourse, PA. First crop. It must be at least 3-1/2 years ago now - right?

I hadn't met anyone except Niki. And Niki and I drove together to meet up with a dozen girls from ScrapLove. I was ascared to DEATH.

From the minute we were all together, it was a family. And it has stayed true to that to this day. We are all still together.

And I saw Jess for the first time. Gorgeous girl. She was so friendly, and funny and welcoming and she made me not ascared. I got a little girlie crush on her. :-)

The next morning I got up early and had coffee with Donna (the start of "morning coffee") and one by one the girls started drifting in...

I was in the kitchen doing something when Jess woke up and came down. As I entered the "scraproom/dining room" she was sitting at her table... in her jammies... hair tousled... no makeup... glasses. She looked up at me and smiled.

I was done. That is all. The start of the scraples bo.

As much as we joke around, there is true love and respect and joy in our friendship. She is a huge part of my life and I treasure our talks, pm's, texts and emails. Especially tata emails.

Here is my LO of her...

Dirty secret...

So my 3rd and last question was from My Princess, Carrielyn. She wanted to know my current dirty little secret.

I'm probably going to shock people with my answer here - I'm not going for funny or TIC. I'm going with a real secret... one that NOBODY knows. NO ONE. Not the Cell, not hoopy, not My Jessica, not MaryKay.. not even HB. I'm the only one.

And once I write about it - it will be out in the open. No taking it back.

Must go refill the wine glass. brb.

HB brought up this subject a few months ago. He says I have NEVER dealt with my mother's death.

He's right. I don't think I'm strong enough. Lexapro be damned. Even Lexapro, xanax and red wine won't get me through it.

I'm damaged enough - I have enough fears and phobias to feed the nation. I need to add this to my menu?

Sometimes I crack the surface of it. I let a snippet of heartbreak to seep in. And then I slam the door. I don't want to cry. I don't want to deal with it. I hate crying. I hate the feeling. Why deal with it? Oh, because it damages me MORE? I know. I'm not STUPID. I'm just ascared.

I have never dealt with my father's death. That happened 44 years ago. Silly people. They think I'm going to deal with my mother's death.

I'll share some of those snippets that haunt me... and maybe you'll understand why I can't wrap my mind around them without going insane...

Having to tell my mother she was dying. My mom had the ultimate optimistic attitude - and the ultimate Floyd way of burying her head in the sand when she didn't want to deal with something. We all do it. It's the Floyd way. My wonderful SIL Barbara, and I were packing up my mom's house to move her up by us. I knew I had to tell her the news. The doctor had told me there was no hope, and she had less than a year. My mom started talking about transferring money into the kid's names because of tax laws... but she knew there was a 5 year statute. I had to look my mother in the face and say - it's too many years, ma.. the doctor doesn't think you'll make it that long.

She put her head down... cried a little, than looked up and said "OK. Then let's get packing!"

And when she was up here... and in her little assisted living apartment that my rich brother was able to push and wangle and make happen, thank GOD, and she started going downhill within 3 weeks...

And I stayed overnight... because she couldn't be left alone and needed pain meds every 4 hours.

And I called every home nursing agency... and every option available... even hospice (who had been called in at that point) and one by one every agency said they had nobody available at such short notice... and I remember sobbing on the phone with one woman who was SO nice to me... just felt so helpless. GOD DAMN IT I'M CRYING.

And finally I was able to convince the hospice nurse that she needed to be admitted to the hospice care at the local hospital...

and for 2 weeks she was there. And we had ups and downs. We knew it was soon, but she kept rallying - once to the point where the hospice people said they might have to release her to a nursing home... that's my mom - always a surprise!!

I remember painting her toes... she was SO warm, all the time, and wanted her feet OUT of the blankets. So I painted her toenails all different colors, and then painted happy faces in white on her big toes. SHE loved it.

And then she started to fail. Fell into a "coma" type state. Once, when I was alone with her (I spend about 12 hours a day there) she awoke, cried and said "Oh my God, I think I'm dying" and sobbed. I think her voice, her sobs, her words - they will haunt me forever.

The hospice nurse was there - and we both held her and the nurse said "Annie, the angels are there - there is nothing to be afraid of, and if you are dying, they are there to welcome you."

And Annie calmed down... of course the morphine didn't hurt.

The nurses kept her pumped with it- the pain at that point had to be bad, and we all wanted her pain free.

Sometimes she would sob in her sleep, and I remember running out to the nurses asking for help... "make her stop crying - make her stop I can't handle it.."

The fact that she was sobbing is what tears me apart... she was sad... it wasn't pain sobbing - it was sad sobbing.

GODDAMN IT I'M CRYING STOP IT STOP IT.

and then came the 48 hours of nothing... no response to anything... and we knew it would be soon.

And Chip and Judy came over one Friday evening... and brought me food (because I had quit eating months before) and the call came... Annie was gone.

Annie was gone.

I miss Annie so much... Sometimes I want my mommy more than anyone...

Another question...

came from Karen:

Hi Tigger!!!

Tell us about that great city that you live in in the fun things you do with your hubby and your friends (other than scrappin and drinkin beer LOL).

Karen

Thanks, Karen!

I live in Budd Lake, NJ. NOT much to do here - we're on the fringe of farm country, but we're a pretty big town.

I have a nice mall nearby, within 2 miles, and I have a Michael's there. I spend a lot of $$ in that store.

We have a large lake (hence, Budd Lake) that is usually fairly brown and green in color - I wouldn't swim or eat a fish caught there.

Fun things that I do with friends... hmmm.

I have my Hoopy, 2 houses away - we are very close and we scrap and chat and post online and she is my hairdresser also. It's dangerous having her so close, when I get a "change my hair" bug, she's RIGHT there.

I have my friend, Mary Kay, we've been friends since junior high. Her dh is close to my dh, and the 4 of us are together frequently. We do dinners and lunches and basically just hang together.

We are very blessed to have a lot of friends. We spend at least one night a week with them, especially during the warmer months.

When you don't have children, your friends become a very HUGE part of your life. After all, THEY may be the ones choosing my nursing home someday.

I plan on treating them all VERY well.

Prize winner... Lynette!

And here is her subject:

How about the joys of having good friends at work?

OH Lord. Such a loaded question. Most of you know that I am blessed with a very strange crowd of people at work.

We have:

The Boss - Dr. Dentist. Nice guy - I've been there 19 years, so we can talk about most anything. Has to work with 6 females everyday, so he's a bit... shellshocked.

Garlic Girl - Ah. The famous GG. If you DON'T know the story, GG is a gorgeous woman, former model, tall, blonde... and stuffs garlic up her woowoo when she thinks she has an infection.

DivaMom - my buddy. The other girls get a bit put out when she will only let ME come help her with things. But we've been coworkers for over 10 years and we know how each other works. She's an excellent hygienist (the only one that can touch MY teeth) and my very first black friend. She's taught me a ton of things - and she's got the best giggle anyone has ever heard.

OSHA - the hygienist that is the polar opposite of DM. She's the one that gave me Cox's and ran me over with the shopping cart. There are issues there.

Beth - the new assistant. She's 27, 5'8", gorgeous. Married, 2 kids. LOVE this girl. Good addition to our office. She's pissed that she can't room with DM, bsgirl and I in San Antonio.

JoJo Poopyhead - the boss's wife. She works on Mondays only. Best sense of humor anyone could ever want to meet. She's evil. I love that about her.

My bsgirl - my buddy.. my partner in crime. We clicked from the first moment we met. She is the BEST straight man anyone could ask for. And she's a listener. She's the best listener anyone ever met. She will show interest in ANYTHING you tell her.

"Inga - I had pancakes for breakfast."

"OMG - really? Were they good? Did you put syrup on them?"

Stuff like that. I love that girl SO much. She's one amazing woman.

Thanks Lynette!!!! This was a good subject. We have a cool group and we do a lot of fun things together. And sometimes we hate each other. It's normal. And we know it - and accept it.

This needs an update, and I need a subject.

Help me.

First person to give me a good subject to write about will get a scrapbook goodie from my stash.

Give me something you know I can relate to, have had experience with, and will enjoy writing about.

(now we'll REALLY see who reads my blog. ;-) )