Rest in Peace Ruby Ester Rock Robicheaux

My little 95 year old grandmother was laid to rest this Tuesday. She's finally with the people she loved the most--the Lord, her husband, my mother who was her only child, and her two brothers. My mom died eight months ago and she just wasn't the same after that.


Her funeral wasn't attended by many because let's face it, most of the people she knew were already dead. The guy who use to cut her grass came with his wife. This man is a saint. He would stay at her house for hours after cutting her grass because he knew my grandma was lonely. He knew her life story and he didn't mind listening. His family even took her with them when she had to evacuate during hurricane Katrina. He told us stories about her and how he met her in WalMart one day. It made me smile.


Good memories. She will be missed. 

Movie to see: Waiting for Superman

Just saw this trailer for an upcoming movie. It's probably more of a documentary, but it addresses some problems with our education system. It looks really good. Here's the link so you can take a look.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/waitingforsuperman

Fin as in End

I've mentioned before that my mom died in September of last year of lung cancer. This is my first Mother's Day without her. She wasn't the "bestest" mom, but she was my mom. Even though it's been eight months since she died, I've still thought at least five times that I need to go and buy her a card and wondered if I should pick her up something else for Mother's Day. I'm still getting use to the fact I can't pick up the phone to call her and tell her the things that no one else in this world is interested in hearing but a mom. I just keep those ideas to myself now. Also I'm hoping one day soon tears will stop welling up in my eyes each time someone brings her up in conversation.

 Ruby, my 96 year-old grandmother is still alive. She is my mom's mom. My mom was her only child and my grandmother helped raise me through the years when my mother wasn't sure she wanted to be a mom. Ruby is laying in a hospital bed right now, ten hours away from me, and these are probably some of her last few days, possibly hours. She has been sad since her daughter has stopped visiting her and she can't really understand why. She just knows she misses her. Ruby also knows she has outlived almost everyone she's ever known. Her husband has been dead for 35 years, her brothers even longer than that. She's went to the funerals of all her friends, visiting some in the the nursing home as they took their last breaths.

The hardest part about living is the ending. There are many endings. Our childhood eventually ends. Our free young adult lives end when we have children. AND then moms this is the cruelest part, those same children that needed us for so long will grow up and leave us and not need us anymore. Try not worrying about them after 18 years of it being your sole duty to keep them safe and warm and you'll find it's not so easy. Everything has an end. Some ends lead to new beginnings here on this earth and other ends are more final.

This all leaves me to wonder what end is next and I'm anxious about it. Then with my next thought I realize I can't live my life anticipating the end because I'll miss what comes in between the beginning and the end. I'll miss the living. "Don't miss the now," I hear whispered to me.

                                                                           FIN 

Moon Over UHAUL

Tulsa has some weird architectural spots. This UHAUL truck on top of a building is one and the moon just happened to be out on a beautiful afternoon to add to the "weirdity' of it all.

Sweatpants: The New Birth Control

Recently I heard about an author who wrote how the ONE pair of sweatpants she bought led to the downfall of her sex life.  After being married for a couple of years she went out and bought a pair of sweatpants because she felt like now that she was married she could relax. Her butt needed a hug. First of all, I can't believe she didn't own a pair of sweatpants before. Didn't she exercise or ever go for a brisk walk in the cool morning air? Oh, I know. Sweats have a bad reputation. Who says you have to wear them all the time? The preferred Stepford Wife outfit in my neck of the woods is the sweet, but short tennis skirt. It's a far cry from the ugly grey sweat pants. I still wouldn't be caught dead in that skirt! What are these gals running around hoping to catch a pick up game of tennis somewhere? Anyhoo, I digress...back to the sweats. So this gal buys the sweats for comfort and before you know it her and the hubs aren't having sex anymore. Now was it really the sweatpants' fault? I think not. If it were that easy to discourage your man from the goods, well let's just say we'd all own at least 5 or 6 pairs. AND forget about taking birth control. We could just slip on a pair of sweats and call it a done deal. Our teenage daughters wouldn't own anything else. We'd fix their wagons! Whoa! Hold on here...it's not that simple. The sweats are getting a bad rap from a woman who was apparently tired or bored. We are each responsible for keeping our intimate lives exciting and inviting. Somebody in that relationship dropped the ball. Maybe they both did. But seriously, you can't blame the sweatpants.

Reading new author Gail Carriger

The newest author I'm reading is Gail Carriger. I don't just stick to one particular genre of novel. I love to read. Why else would I be a professor of English unless I enjoyed reading? This novel, Soulless, is self described as a novel of "vampires, werewolves, and parasols." It follows the doings and undoings of character Alexia Tarabotti. Carriger describes Alexia with a snappy Brit wit and builds a strong plot. The story begins with Alexia being attacked by a vampire. Now this Victorian spinster is not without her soulless ways and parasol for protection. The vampire quickly finds himself dead and Alexia finds herself in the midst of sinister plan--not to mention a romance that may also be in the works for her as well. I like humor with my writing and Carriger delivers. So if you enjoy tales about vampires, werewolves, and a quick witted gals this may be a novel for you. I'm currently reading her second novel Changeless. I'll let you know more about it once I'm done.

Spring has sprung

I know it's like the old saying goes Spring has sprung because I've a planted a few flowers and they are looking nice. When we lived in Iowa we didn't plant anything until after Mother's Day because there was always a chance of freeze until around that time and being from the deeeeep way down south this was torture for me. So here I get to plant a little earlier. Just wait until it's frying outside and these petunias won't be looking too great then!