Yep, found some more…right here in Dothan.

I got up this morning and went to Michael’s, and hurried across town to get my hair cut. Suzanne called and said she’d go with me to get some plants and go to Belk and whatever else we wanted to do. So, she came and we did all of the above, and then she left to complete her errands. I had all intentions of going home. I had bought some plants…so I was in a hurry to get them out of the car before they died dead in the 97 degree heat! But, I had promised Alex that I would get a watch battery for him. And, I was looking for a bottle brush, too. I thought I could just run into Wal-Mart real quickly and get back to the car before it turned into an oven on wheels!

Into Wal-Mart, after I had to park 45 miles away…and dodge all the nuts who do not know that those diagonal lines in front of the door mean that you should stop and let the pedestrians cross. There are also STOP signs and cones out. What part of that is hard to understand? UGH!!!

Inside, it is much cooler. I head to the refrigerated box and got me a cold DDP. OK…I could go on. I needed the brush and I needed the battery, so I planned my strategy. Go left to the kitchen gadgets, grab a bottle brush, swing around and head over to the jewelry dept., and straight ahead to the 20 items or less quick checkout. Because every Wal-Mart I have ever been in has a line of cash registers for as far as the eye can see, but only 4 of them are actually staffed! I digress, sorry. Ah! Here’s the kitchen gadgets. But there is nary a bottle brush to be found. There are basting brushes. There are corn brushes. There are grill brushes. There are vegetable brushes. They even have a set of wooden chip brushes just like I buy to paint with and in the very same packaging…and they are calling them kitchen brushes for every need! Well…I needed a brush to get inside some antique bottles and clean them. And, they didn’t have them. Wouldn’t you think Wal-Mart would have one?

So, frustrated that I was, I headed over to the jewelry dept. BUT…suddenly, the Lord put a thought into my head. He had to put it there because I was too tired to think it by myself! “There could be a bottle brush in the BABY section.” Good thought, huh? Made a detour, and headed that way. And, ‘OH! look at all these cute baby toys! I need to get something for JT. Poor thing needs something else to play with at my house…or maybe in the pool.’ Got the cutest little fishing net with some funky fish. He’ll love it! There they are …bottle brushes! $6.43? You’ve got to be kidding. Oh there’s another one…$1.97…mucho better! Got it and off to jewelry. And, there they were…just waiting for me to come up and get an ear full!

There was a young man, in overalls and a white sleeveless shirt. And, purple high tops…untied…no sox. There was a older woman standing next to him. I assume it was his mother. She had rollers in her hair…those skinny brush rollers like we used 50 years ago. She had on a pair of flannel pants that she had cut the legs off …somewhere in the vicinity of her knees. Obviously one leg was much longer than the other because the pants legs were. She had on a brown tank top with Fruit Loops Cereal logo on the front…AND a flannel shirt that must have belonged to her son. He was a large man. And there was a girl with them, who looked to be about 15 or 16. She had on a pink terry cloth romper…that had shrunk many sizes, bless her heart. And, she was a girl with quite an ample bosom. Ample enough that she needed a very sturdy under garment to hoist those puppies up. But, she had neglected to remember that piece of her ensemble…along with her shoes. Now I was standing there next to them for at least 10-15 minutes…so I got a good look. The whole time I was there…I kid you not…she N.E.V.E.R. stopped moving side to side, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. N.E.V.E.R.

Overalls was purchasing a set of wedding rings. Pinky couldn’t quite get a grip of the situation. Mama had obviously lost her grip many years before. And, here is the way it ‘went down’…that’s Wal-Mart talk.

Pinky: ” So are y’all married now?”

Overalls: “No, I just bought the rings.”

Pinky: “You gonna give her both of them?”

Overalls: “It’s called a set. It’s a set of rings. One is for her and one is for me. That’s how folks know we’s married…cause our rings match.”

Cashier: ” That’s gonna be $89.95.”

Overalls: (Looking shocked) to Mama.).”.I didn’t know it was going to be that much! All I got is $40.00.”

Mama: ” Well, you know I ain’t got none.”

Pinky: “I ain’t got none neither.”

Cashier: ” When are you getting married?”

Overalls: “At Christmas. Around then.”

Cashier: “Then why don’t you put it on lay-away?”

Overalls: “Don’t know what that is.”

Cashier: “That means I’ll keep the rings, and you will pay some on them every month. Then when you pay all the money…I’ll give the rings to you.”

Overalls: ” What if someone else buys them?”

Cashier: “No, they won’t. I’ll take them and put them away. And I promise I’ll have them when you come to pick them up.”

Mama: “You think you can trust these people, then go on. I ain’t saying. This is your doings.”

All this time Pinky is still moving back and forth…side to side…one foot…other foot. I’m getting seasick!

Overalls: to Pinky…”Will you be still?”

Pinky: “Can’t….do….it….got…to….keep…..going”

Overall: (to cashier) ” OK…I’ll do it. But, you jest be sure to put it up good, cause, these is the rings I’m wantin’.”

THEN…she had to void the sale, THEN ring it again for lay away. And, Pinky is still moving.

Cashier: “Now, here is the receipt. You need to keep this with you and bring it every time you come in to pay.”

Mama…”He’s gonna lose it…he can’t even remember to pull his britches up and put on sox.”

Then Mama looked at ME: “You got boys?”

Tonja: ” Yes, I have 4 boys.”

Mama: ” For sure? You got 4?”

Tonja: ” Well, actually one of them is my husband, but he acts like one of the boys.”

Mama: “I know that’s right. Got one of them myself. Your boys wear theys pants like ‘iss ?”(pointin to Overalls)

I didn’t even bother telling her that my boys were grown, and that I had no control over what they wore or didn’t wear. She probably thought I looked so young I couldn’t possibly have grown children. Yes, I’m sure that’s what she thought.

Tonja: ” No, ma’am, they wear the pants on their hips and wear belts.”

Mama: ” Well, they’s nice boys then.”

Tonja: “Most of the time.”

Pinky: ” Well, I**can keep**it for**you. And**I won’t**lose it**I promise**”(She said in rhythm as she moved from one foot to the other.)

Overalls: “Where you gonna keep it?”

Pinky: ” I got**a good**place to** hide stuff**”

Overalls: “Allright, then. Be careful with it.” He handed them to Pinky.

And, y’all, she took them and folded them into the tiniest possible rectangle, and reached down into the top of that pink romper and stowed it safely somewhere in there….I can’t even think about where. But, I heard barking… I’m just saying…

Mama: “Well, come on, then. Let’s get outta here. My feets are hurting and I got to get ready for church. Pull up them pants, boy. Just like a hoodlum, you are. And, girly if you don’t be still, I’m gonna send you on into next week.”

Pinky: “Can’t do**it, Mama J**Can’t stop**feets just** gotta move**”

Mama: ” Well, I shore hope you can get to the car like that, or I’s leaving your (substitute bottom) here. Let’s go…and get behind me so I don’t got to see you! You, too, Boy!”

And, with that, they left….single file…Mama in her rollers and flannel cut offs, Pinky having a little trouble figuring how to keep up her rhythmic movements while moving in a forward direction…along with holding on to the reciept so it doesn’t fall out, and Overalls, lumbering after them…holding up his pants with both hands and trying to keep from walking right out of the purple high tops.

Bless their hearts. What a sweet little family.

The cashier looked ready to scream. I felt seasick. I felt tired. I felt like if I didn’t get my stuff and get out of there, I was going to scream, too.

Tonja: ” I need a watch battery.”

Cashier: “Do you have your watch?”

Tonja: “No, Ma’am. It is not for a watch.”

Cashier: “Then you don’t want a watch bttery. The other batteries are next to the checkout.”

Tonja: “Yes, Ma’am, I do want a watch battery. It’s for a pill box.”

Cashier: “Why do you need a battery for a pill box?”

Tonja: (why should I have to explain my life to this woman?) ” I just want a watch battery…# 20/25.”

FYI…Alex has meds he has to take around the clock, and they must be right on time. Joy gave him a pill box that has an alarm in it, so if he is asleep, it will wake him so he doesn’t miss a dose. Don’t tell the cashier…it’s none of her business!

Cashier: “Well, they’s right there in front of you.”

And, sure enough, in front of the cashier’s station was a display of watch batteries. It started about 4 feet from the ground and went to the floor. So, I backed up and looked. At this point in my day…I did not feel it wise to bend down on my knees. I feared that if I did I would never make it back to a standing position.

Tonja: “Can you please check and see if you have that size.”

Cashier: “I’m sure we do, that’s a popular size.” (She did not offer to come around to the front of the cashier stand)

Tonja: (Because there are only about a hundred sizes hanging there) ” Would you be so kind as to come show me where they may be?”

Cashier: ( SIGHING…LOUDLY. ) ” They’s close to the bottom.” (not moving)

Tonja: (looking again.)..”I’m sorry, I just can’t seem to find them.”

Cashier: ” Well, I knows they’s there cause I put them out yesterday.” (still not moving to help me find them.)

Tonja: (Really, I was hurting so bad that if I got down, I KNEW I would not get back up…with out help…..and Cashier wasn’t helping) So, I did the only thing I could do (with my plants baking in the 120 degree heat in the car) I reached down and picked up the whole rack that the display was on and hauled it up onto the counter. Now it was at eye level.

Cashier: (eyes popping out of head)…”You need to leave that display on the floor, Ma’am. It’s heavy. It’s too heavy to put on this here counter.”

Tonja: ” OOPS! Sorry! But, I could not see it on the floor.”

Cashier: ” Well, that’s why I’s here. To get things for the customer.”

Tonja: ” That’s quite all right. I know you are busy. Look! Here’s what I need. 20/25…right where you said it would be…on the very bottom!” Bless her sweet bones!

And, with that I took my battery and my bottle brush and toys for JT and my DDP and what was left of my sanity to the ’20 items or Less’ checkout. And, I checked out! Oh, and I grabbed a Snickers Bar in an attempt to calm myself for the drive home.

And, that’s a true story of what went on in the Northside Wal-mart on the day I had to spend 48 minutes in the store. I will never look at a pink romper the same.

In June of 2007, Joy, Mom and I took a trip together…for shopping…and eating….and laughing. We went to Birmingham first and had lunch with Ian, shopped, and spent the night there, and travelled on to Atlanta the next day. While there we visited the Market in the morning and then did some more shopping in Roswell in the afternoon. There are some great shops there, and we quickly found much that suited our fancy. We went in one shop…and I saw a beautiful hand mirror, next thing I know, Mom had bought it for me! It is one of my most favorite things. While shopping in this beautiful store, which, by the way, had a very cute baby section, Mom found a little brown rocking bunny. It really caught her eye. It had an antique look about it. She was sold! I asked her who she was buying it for…and she said she’d explain it later. Across the street, in another shop, Joy found a most beautiful theorem stencil painting. If you are not sure what that is…just know it is a very, very old and complicated way of doing stencil work. The painting was, of all things, a red bird. So, Mom bought that for Joy.

When we got to the motel and changed clothes…we brought out all our goodies! Such fun! We put on all the jewelry we had bought at Market. And, we again admired my mirror, Joy’s painting, and the bunny. Here, Joy is looking at her painting…

I showed off my jewelry and my mirror…Yes, the mirror does say ‘Queen’…..and, yes, those are crowns and scepters on my night shirt. I can’t imagine you’d think it would be anything less! 🙂 Why, even Mama knew it! 🙂

Then Mom pulled out the bunny…

Now even though this antique style bunny and chick was very cute…it really was not Mom’s style. But, she was captivated by it. And, then she told us why she bought it. “This,” she said, “is for Tara’s first baby. I am going to put it up and keep it until then.” “Awwwww,” Joy and I said. And we never thought about it again.

THEN, after Mom died, and Joy and I were going through some of her things…we found the bunny. He was wrapped in tissue paper and safely resting in the bottom drawer of a dresser…right next to 5 brand new packages of Pop’s brand of underwear. She liked to be prepared. Thinking ahead. Always ready.

Joy took it home with her…which was the wrong thing to do. Tara had her baby shower…and Joy could not find the bunny. Tara had sweet JT…and Joy couldn’t find the bunny. Christmas Day rolled around…and Joy couldn’t find the bunny. EASTER!!! EASTER came …AND JOY COULD NOT FIND THE BUNNY. Mother’s Day…and Joy could not find the bunny. I told her not to worry…we’d just give it to JT when he graduated from HIGH SCHOOL!!!

AND, THEN…she found it. We made big plans to present it to her while we were at Pop’s for Father’s Day lunch. I brought the picture, and on the way over, I called Joy to make sure she had the bunny…SHE DID NOT! She had forgotten it. “I’ll get it here,” she said. And, I knew Tommy was going to have to head back to their house to get the bunny. It was not where Joy told him it was…she had to direct him, over the phone, where to look for it. But, he got it…the plan was a go! We gathered everyone, and gave the package to Tara…

Tara opened it, and then I showed her the pic…

And here she is…with tears in her eyes…remembering her Granny, and knowing that her Granny had made plans for her years ago, before she was even thinking of having a baby. Mom knew Tara was pregnant with a boy before she died, but she never saw him…that we know of. Who knows what wonderful things God does for those who choose to live with him after this life?

Mom knew that Tara would like the bunny, but why did she buy that gift, that far in advance and make such a point of letting us know about it? And, why did I pull out the camera that night and make pictures of us in our pajamas!? I think it was all one of those co-incidences….that really aren’t. I prefer to think they are just little winks from God. And, somehow I hope Mom saw how touched Tara was…all of us, actually. Here, Joy is telling Pop the story of the bunny.

And, just “one more thing” said JT…..

“Be sure you show everyone how cute I was that day!”

And, you surely are, sweet boy! One day, I hope you pass this sweet bunny on to your first child. And, tell the story once again of “Granny and the Bunny.”

FYI: The wonderful store in Roswell is called The Chandlery……and there is a great primitive country store across the street called The American Sampler (I think). They are located on Canton Street in the historic downtown area.

This is a post about lingerie. I hope this is not offensive to any of my friends. It shouldn’t be…but you never know. So, just FYI…we are going to talk about under garments here. Very safe lingerie…not the ‘hard core’ stuff!

Do you have any dresses or tops like the ones above and below? ( FYI: I do not wear dresses with cute little bows at the waist…but this was the only pic I came across to illustrate my point. If you wear dresses with cute little bows at the waist…..you are obviously much smaller and younger than I…and I am jealous!) You just can not think about wearing them without something underneath. Else you would be showing off way more than you wanted to. I may have been OK with that when I was 20 or so. But now? Not so much…

And, you may have a top like the one below…not really so low, but if you lean over at all…there is a clear view into areas best left unseen. (When I was still teaching, I leaned over one day in class to pick up something off the floor. One of those cute little kids who never missed anything piped up and said, ” Ms. Owens, I can see yore ‘things’ in there.” “In where?” I said. “Inside yore shirt,” he says. It was only then that I realized I was flashing the 3 year olds. ) Sorry, Bonnie.

The other day, I went into TJM…and then down to the Lifew*y bookstore. In between the two was a C*to store. Do you have one of those in your town? (That second letter there is an ‘a’.) Sometimes I can find some cute shorts or skirts or tops or something there. So, as I was moving from one section of the store to the other…I passed by the lingerie. I didn’t even know they sold lingerie. Not lots of lingerie, but some. You can easily find a black bra with hot pink edging, or a denim bra with neon yellow trim and bikinis to match. Not much in the white or black areas, though. And lots of those thong things with lace and bows. I just don’t get it. Just looking at them made me start twitching!

However, one rack caught my eye, mostly because I did not know what it was and what it was doing in the lingerie area…nor on what area of the body it would be worn. So, I went to investigate. Because, inquiring minds and all, you know. Here’s what I saw…

Of course, it was not laying out like this in the store…it was hanging on the rack all pushed together with others of its kind. Friends, this is called a ‘Half-Cami’. And, I think they are great! So great that I bought 2…black and white. They are made of a sort of silky something…but more substantial than slip material. It does not look as if your slip is showing. They are not tight, but stay up with or without the clear straps. The brand name of the one I bought at C*to is Under Cover. I tried to find a picture of them on the Internet, but to no avail. But, I did find this one that looks somewhat similar at Se*rs (pictured below). But, I have only seen it on this laptop.

The ones I bought were $7.99 each. I think these will be wonderful in this H.O.T. weather. Who can stand to add another layer? Not me!

So to sum up this post………

1. C*to……lingerie area….

2. Under Cover….Black or White…

3. $7.99…..sold in dress sizes…

4. Eliminates double layers of clothing

5. Keeps ‘THINGS’ covered !

Today…hot, painful, weary. [It is not today…it was yesterday…but I did not get this post finished…please just work all the details out in your mind…just remember it is yesterday…and today is tomorrow…..and I’m sure it is all as clear as mud. Welcome to my world]

I had a Dr. appointment this morning. I do not mind going to the doctor, but what I do mind is that I always have to have blood drawn. Always. Today was no exception.

Let me just say, that it is not the lab tech’s fault, but it is nigh unto impossible to get any blood out of my arms. They look at my veins and think they see good ones, but they roll and blow, and another stick follows. They always have to get at least 4 vials. …which I think is somewhere close to a half gallon, at least! I refuse to even let them come near me with anything but a ‘butterfly’ type needle…even though the new techs will try to use what they are most comfortable with…to heck with what I am the most comfortable with! “Nope, not gonna happen”, I tell them. There is only a slim chance that they are going to get some with a butterfly….and there is NO chance they are going to get some with a regular needle. And, since I am not into pain…we do it my way. I usually has to come from my hands…and even once from my ankle!

One time there was a tech who thought she knew how to stick me. I gave her my spiel and she said, “Oh, but you’ve never had ME draw your blood before…I get it the first time…everytime.” “Great,” I tell her, “I’ll give you one chance with a regular needle.” “No problem”, she said. She looked again and remarked what wonderful veins I had. HA! I was willing to put up with some extra pain just to prove her wrong. She stuck me…up near the crook of my arm. Sure enough, that vein high-tailed it out of there in a flash. “Well, where did that thing go?” she said. “You need to be still now, you made me lose that vein.” Now, we have already established that I don’t like pain, and I know how hard it is with a butterfly…so if you think I moved when she had a larger needle, you are badly mistaken. She embarked on a ‘search and destroy’ mission…and I gritted my teeth, and silently thought mean thoughts. “OK,” I told her, “that’s it. No more digging. You’ll have to try somewhere else and use a butterfly”. She looked up at me, sweat standing out on her top lip, and said, “IF you’ll cooperate, this will be over in a minute. I have never seen anybody complain like you before.” WRONG THING TO SAY TO ME! The other 2 techs who knew me, and who understood the situation, stood up and came over to my chair. That woman looked over her shoulder and said, “Don’t bother me.” All this time, she has been digging in my arm, and really, I’m about to make some noise that I’m sure would embarrass me later. But, the Lord gave me a coolness, and I looked at the tech standing closest to me, and said, “She may not want you to bother her, and that’s OK…cause I’m getting ready to scream and when I do every doctor in the building is going to come running and if they don’t, I’ll scream until they do.”

This made her very angry. She stood up…and yanked that needle out of my arm…yanked off her gloves….threw them down and left. Blood was pouring out of my arm and running down onto my clothes. The other 2 ladies hurried to help me. I was near passing out by now. They helped me out of the chair and over to a cot to lie down. I told them to go and get my doctor. They did…and obviously told him the whole story before he got there. He was appalled! I told him she could NEVER touch me again. I went home, with out them getting any blood. I came back in the next day for one of the other techs to draw the blood. The ‘tech from a hot place’ was nowhere to be seen, and I never saw her again.

That was years ago, and far away, but the memory lingers still. The ladies in the lab at my doctor’s office here know how hard it is, and they don’t even look at a larger needle. SO…I got 4 vials of blood drawn today. And, they had to get it out of my hand…and the vein blew, so I’ll have a nice blue hand by morning. (EDIT: It’s tomorrow and the hand is blue!)

You know, we are so fortunate to live in a country where there is medical help for any problem we may encounter. Someone can draw my blood today and send it to a lab and study it closely and send a report back to my doctor so that he know all sorts of things about my inner workings. My doctor had just returned from a medical mission trip to Guatemala with a team of doctors from this area. We talked about it for a while today…how we take for granted what we have because we have always had it. We do not know what it is to not be able to get to a doctor when we are sick. Even if we can not afford health care, there are clinics, and hospitals that will treat everyone regardless of their ability to pay. The people who live in other places in our world have to worry whether there is even a doctor nearby, by chance. And, if they can even get to them if there is! Oh, we are blessed. My parents have spent many, many days in Central and South America helping our Southern Baptist Missionaries. They have helped to build churches and homes. Pop helped build and set up a radio station that would serve a group of Kek’chi Indians that had never heard the gospel…or anything else! I can remember Mom telling about the time she had to be the pharmacist when she and one of the missionary wives went to a village to check on some sick. She was the only one available. And either she stepped in and did it…or it would not be done…..and the clinic would not happen that day. God always puts someone in place to do the things He needs done…how sad when those people are unwilling to do what is before them. If God chooses to use you…then He will equip you with whatever you need to get the job done. Those who give their lives in service to those in poor countries are some of the heroes we tend to forget about. The people who live there are as important to God as I am, here in the USA. He loves them just as much as He loves me. But, you and I both know, it is hard to hear anything else a person is telling you, if you are in pain. So, many times, missionaries are not able to witness of God’s love without first tending to the physical needs.

I have several friends who will be travelling to Guatemala in July with a group from another church. They will go and they will do what they can. They will do more than is asked of them. They will sacrifice their own comfort while they are there. And, they will do good, in Jesus’ name. But, they will have to come home. And, the missionaries will continue on by themselves , doing the work before them…and praying for more workers.

“Oh, Lord, make us mindful of the needs around the world. And, make us mindful, as well, of how blessed we really are.” Amen.

Jezebelle: “Hot, hot day! What would any fun-loving furry girl do on a day like this? Why! Head to the pool, of course. Now, tell the truth…am I cute in my new pink polka dot life jacket…or what?!!!

OK. Got to get in the pool. My Mama’s gonna bug me to death until I do. So, here I go…OH, I hope it’s not cold!

That’s enough! That’s enough! I hope you’re happy! Just look at my hair!

Wait a minute! Who is THAT? A boy, coming to my pool? How dare he? Would you look? He’s hogging the big float! No Fair!!!!

MAMA!!!! I want to get on that float! I saw it first! I was here before he was! I’m getting on! I am…..

M-A-M-A!!!!!! He’s not even looking at me!!! He won’t play! Hold me Mama…I’m not happy!

Now, look at him! He’s acting like he owns that float! That’s Aunt’s Tonja’s float!!! No, I’m really not happy!!!

I’m ready to go, Mama. Come on, come on! I’m sad, Mama. That boy messed up everything! Let’s go back to my house, so I can get back on my throne and be the “Prettiest Girl In The Land”. M ‘K Mama?

JT: “Finally! I thought that furry girl would NEVER leave! Peace and Quiet!” Now, they can all concentrate on ME!!!”

And, that’s the way it happened at the pool behind the Creek House yesterday!