LIL Sister is in the house

Today I am thrilled to have my very own little sister (and by little I also mean short.  She’s 4’11” on a good day and cuter than a basketful of puppies) as my Guest Blogger.  This is her very first blog post ever and it may just have sparked her interest into starting her own blog.  I know you’re going to be charmed by her.  How could you not?  She is MY little sister, after all.   So without further adieu, I give you my sister Robin.  And please make sure and leave her some love in the Comments section.

 

Take it away LIL Sis!

*******

Lost And Found

At this point in life, in my 50’s, I find myself wanting to express things I lost in my life and things I found. And many questions that never got answered. You too? So I decided to sit down and make a list:

 The Lost

• Four marriages, yes I said four. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine being in four unhappily-ever-after loves.

• My dream career. We were raised in Atlanta close to the airport; as a matter of fact that same airport bought out two of my childhood homes.  So my idea career was to be a stewardess. And I had completely forgotten about it until the new show Pan Am came on.

• My innocence, not just talking sex. Never thought I’d ever be abused and let it keep happening by a man. 

• And myself, yep that’s a really hard one. In my early years, I had a wonderful Dad who taught me fishing, archery, and working on a car. And a big SIS who defended me like a lioness taking care of her young. She also kicked my ass if I acted wimpy.

The Found

• Unhappily-ever-after loves, well I found the greatest love of all when God forgave me and changed my life forever. I can look in the mirror and not feel ugly.

• Dream Career, I ended up having a degree in Early Childhood Education, in my 40’s.  Before then I was a mother, and worked sometimes two jobs to keep my head above water.

• I also learned how to speak publicly. So I am no longer afraid to speak my mind or stand up for my beliefs. Still I think being a stewardess would have been really cool.

• My innocence.  Well I still have my wonderful Dad, we’ve both grown older, but I remember most of the things he taught me. And now I’m passing it on to my grandchildren. My Wonderful Big SIS, no longer kicks my ass, but she is still someone to be reckoned with if anyone tries to hurt me.  She encourages me, laughs with me, loves me and I do the same for her. Oh I forgot to mention, she’s also my favorite Author.

• And I found how to get tough in a big hurry. I am not afraid to stand up for myself or anyone else.

 The Unanswered

• My favorite is why I lose one sock mate every time I wash clothes?

• Why my children grew up so fast?  It’s like I turned my head for a second and they went from my babies to being parents themselves.

• Oh, and why do some people have perfect charmed lives and some of us struggle all the way.

 ******** 

Well I hope with this article you may be encouraged to do your own lost and found. And with the encouragement from my Big SIS I may have just found my new blog.

Using your common senses

When was the last time you heard someone say, Stop and smell the roses ?   It’s a timeless piece of advice, yet just as pertinent now, if not more so, than it ever was.  Most of us, however, have not stopped to smell anything, because according to us, we just don’t have the time.   Perhaps I should be, but I am not ashamed to admit that I do not fit into this busy mold.   I stop.  And I smell those roses.  And quite frankly, had I not been happily sniffing said roses, I may not have made it through the past few years with my sanity intact.   And it is with this personal in-depth, first-hand accounting that I will make my case for using your common senses.  Let us begin, shall we?

Smell.   I have a keen, high-pitched, delicate and sometimes frustrating sense of smell.  I can smell anything, and I abhor stinky feet and farting smells.  In fact, they bother me so much, I have been known to dry-heave at social activities.  It does not pair well with making new friends.  I should have just taken up farting in public and sporting toe jams long ago.  Then maybe I’d be immune and have a few friends.  What’s up with that, anyway?  Is Putrid the new Chanel?   Perhaps I could design a new accessory for the delicate smeller….a diamond-studded clothespin.   Smelling, for me, is a beautiful thing when my head is draped over a simmering pot of spaghetti sauce.  However, it is an ugly thing when I am plowing through the house, frantically trying to locate that mysterious foul odor permeating my very existence.  Smell.  My cross to bear.

Touch.  Ah, one of my personal favorites of the senses.  In the spirit of keeping it clean, however, I will only say that ‘feeling’ something pleasing makes the world go around.  For example, I love my big overstuffed pillow and my soft, furry blankie.  So sue me.  Other lovely things to feel are a baby’s soft skin, a furry kitten, silk, a new book, an old book, a favorite sweater, and the keys on my laptop.  It’s all about the way something makes you feel when you touch it.    Of course,  there’s the other side of touch, the one where you do everything you can Not to touch…things such as door handles and elevator buttons, and all in the interest of staying healthy.  Some people get downright ridiculous with this.  Especially in public restrooms.   I hate germs as much as the next girl,  but most times I would pee all over myself by the time I sprayed everything down with anti-bacterial spray, flushed the toilet with my foot, placed the paper toilet-seat cover, hung up my purse and pulled down my knickers.  My bladder is just not up with the times, people.  Touch. Getting too complicated!

Hearing.  Ah, music to my ears!  A baby’s sigh.  A love song.  A welcome hello.  Praise.  There’s nothing quite like listening to your very favorite music, the kind that inspires and moves you.  Hearing allows us the pleasure of a piano solo, a well-delivered speech or a riveting theater performance.  Hearing opens us up to the arts, and what could be better than that?   And?  I won’t even go into how amazing pillow talk can be.  Hearing is sensual and seductive.  But, I’m not thinking any of those lofty, angelic thoughts when I overhear my downstairs neighbors fighting or doing the nasty, depending on their level of sobriety.  And then there’s the person who always manages to sit behind me at the movies and chomps on his popcorn while slurping his drink at deafening decibels, after which he belches an approving Yee Haw at his accomplishments.   Hearing can be overrated.   But I do love jamming to a little Rolling Stones and trying to dance like Jagger. Hearing.  We should keep it.  It could come in handy.

Taste.   There are so many reasons I love this sense.   Chocolate. Banana splits.  Steak. Lasagna. Coffee.   Red wine.  White wine.  Cheap wine. Wine in a box.  Taste is obviously a personal fave for me.  All you have to do is look at me to know that.  I  ‘loves’ me some good food and drink.  However, there are other tastes that should not go unmentioned  (I swear I am not going there, so don’t get your panties in a wad)  such as the taste of a glass of clear, cold water when it’s 110 degrees and you’re thirsty as the devil.   And the salty taste of the ocean as the spray covers your face.  Wonderful!  However, people?  Don’t be serving me any liver, okra or sweet potatoes.  Those items give Taste a bad name.

Sight.  Last and my favorite of the senses.  Everything we experience has something to do with sight.  Oh the sights that I have seen, many amazing and wondrous things, and there are still so many more I want to see.  Yes, we should all take time to smell the roses, but what about feasting upon said rose with your eyes?  Nothing quite like it, is there? The delicate, intricate natural beauty and color.  Breathtaking.  Do you appreciate the ability to see such wonder?  I do.   I hope I never take my natural gifts for granted, for they are my conduit to the world. Unfortunately, there is much ugliness in the world in the forms of hunger, violence, ignorance, environmental hazards, and natural disasters.  While we’re appreciating the beauty of this glorious planet, we must also recognize the ugliness and put forth our best efforts to work as a global team in eradicating the suffering and establishing world peace.

Do I sound like a beauty pageant contestant?   “Ms Sonoda, if you could have one wish, what would it be?”

“World Peace, of course!”    Big smile. Adjust my  posture. Exit stage right.

Life is funny. 

Life is hard.

Life goes on.

Life is what we make it.

Life is using our common senses, thus making our lives much less common.