Bits and Pieces

I have some housekeeping issues to take care of so bear with me.  Read the whole thing through. This is filled with bits and pieces for several groups of people.


Open statement to fellow bloggers-
I wanted to let anyone that got a notice that I unsubscribed from your Facebook blog page that I moved you over to my email or RSS. I was finding that I couldn't keep track of them.  I also left some unsubscribed-not because I didn't enjoy your blog, but when I first discovered that blogs existed, I kind of went overboard and subscribed to everything under the sun. If it was mom related then it was for me. I have slowly realized that I don't fit the demographic of most of them. I gave my daughter the names of some and  I have let most go.


I need to trim things up so that I am reading for inspiration, help with writing and help with the knitty- gritty of how a blog works and all the little stuff you have to figure out.


I also was spending too much time reading other blogs and not writing. There is so much material out there to help, I finally have figured that I need to absorb what I have and not keep searching for more.


Post Easter- Wow, did Pastor Phil do a great job Sunday talking. It was powerful and amazing. And Mark Dusseau- the music in the second service just rocked. Everyone was getting moved and clapping.  It was great. What a celebration!

Renovations

I have been struggling with an issue for a while about this whole “blog” thing. I have called it Unaccounted For, So Far for a reason. I feel I should have accomplished more with my life by this point, that I still have things to do.

Yes, I am a mother, and I worked hard at raising my kids to be adults who have good values and I am very proud of them. I have worked hard to be a wife that is loving and supportive to my husband. I was a good daughter who helped my parents with the unexpected crises and struggles that came during their declining years. I helped them to remain independent for as long as they safely could. I helped them ease into their final days with sensitivity and love so that they would meet God and join each other and their other loved ones again. I am not saying that I was perfect at any of these, but I tried hard.

Every Book Is A Children's Book If The Kid Can Read-Mitch Hedberg

Every book is a Children’s book if the kid can read! - Mitch Headberg

One of my earliest memories was walking to the library in Lapeer. From my house to the library was ten blocks and it also meant crossing Nepessing Street, which was the main street in downtown Lapeer.  It had a lot of traffic and there was not light anywhere along the stretch to the library that was convenient to a little kid. I am probably talking about eight or nine years old when I first started going to the library without an adult. Of course, I usually had my sister (two years younger) to haul along with me. Sometimes I would have the wagon so we could haul our books home in it. However, my sister usually would want to ride in it and I did not want to pull my sister. I just wanted to go to the library. Almost every time we went, she would tell me that she was going to run away if she didn't get her way and I would have to chase after her or bribe her with a promise of candy from the North End Store; or I would threaten her with something awful like the fact that I would hide her doll, Flossie (named after "Big Grandma" as opposed to "Little Grandma", but that is another story). I could also threaten to hide her “blankie”.  My sister carried a “blankie” for much too long.  It was really just a rag of the original blanket.  On the way there and on the way back to our house, we had special spots that we tried to always s stop at.

My First Love Affair Part 1

This is one of my memories told in my own rambling way.  It isn't the end of the story, but it is the beginning. I hope you enjoy it.


We had a piano.  It was one of those giant old upright pianos. It started out living in our dining room before my dad built cabinets along the south wall of the room for china and all manner of other stuff.  I don't remember it not being in our house so, it probably was there before I was.  At some point my mother told my dad to paint it.  So he did.  He used a couple of colors (or several, I am not sure).  Anyways, the piano turned out looking like a beige faux marble art project.  And it was clear that he was in a hurry because there were drips that hadn't been smoothed out, spots that were thicker than other areas and it just didn't look good.  Of course, by the time he had painted it, the piano no longer lived in the  dining room.  It had been relegated to the "back room". You will just have to trust me that I will tell you about the "back room" at another time.  The main thing that you need to know is that it was not even close to being in tune, ivory was missing off several of the keys and it was in a cold room.

Things You Might Not Know About Me

I have been unfaithful to my promise to blog on a regular basis. Please forgive me and I hope you will give me another try.  I have excuses but I am not going to blame them.  In spite of life and also embracing life, I am just going to start back up.  This is a list of things that you might not know about me.

1. I once played keyboard in the opening act,Taffetas,for a Blood, Sweat & Tears concert.


2. I was a child model. (Anyone remember Wendy Wards)? Hey, it counts.

3. I had an imaginary friend when I  was little.

4. In high school, I used to decorate the heads of straight pins with faces and sayings.

5. Pepper, Peaches and Cream, Smokey, Blue Boy, Marmaduke, Einstein, Watson, Nandi, Velvet Passion, Blueberry-the names of cats past and present that I have lived with.

Exodus and Kindergarten

Today I am going to share a memory from my childhood.  My past has a lot to do with who I am today, so I will be sharing stories off and on.  Today is one of those days.

Exodus-When I was in kindergarten, we had a bible story read to us everyday.  However, it only happened when we went to Miss Kitley's classroom.  Mrs. Ainsworth didn't read bible stories.  At least I don't remember her reading them to us.  It could be that we always went to Miss Kitley for bible story time.  Two Kindergarten classes, two very different teachers.  Miss Kitley was happy and bubbly and fun.  Mrs. Ainsworth was large, gruff and a disciplinarian.

So Exodus.  Both classes, sitting on the floor and Miss Kitley was reading from the Illustrated Bible Story Books that you could get sent to your house every few weeks.  Boy, did I want those books!  Too expensive according to my Mama.  I know that Mrs. Fleming, next door had them.  They were a Catholic family and maybe my Mama thought it was just for Catholic families.  I don't know.  She had some rigid ideas about religion. Dr. Doty, our family doctor, had them in his office too. I don't remember what church he went to. Anyways, I digress- still bitter about not getting the books.