I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS KAVANAUGH

I want to first say, as I have so many times before,

I don't know much about politics and I rarely

say anything about these types of things but I know quite a bit 

about life and our past actions.

I have so many confusing thoughts on this whole

episode on Kavanaugh's past.

First that gets me... If I and most of us had to be judged

on things we did in high school most of us would be in court

for some type of stupidity we have done .

My first confusion is why is not some judge throwing 

this out, why is so much time being spent on this?

So many coming forward to slam this man who

all the accusations are from when he was in high school and

college. He has been a judge, a man has done lots good since then.

Many of these women have also said,

"They were inebriated, and they are not sure if Brett K. 

was even the one who exposed himself at these parties which 

all were drunk at. What did they do? I am sure there were

some things they all did they were not proud of.

Shoot, I remember one high school party I had at my sisters

house that I made out with a guy I didn't even know well.

Yet, I am not about to hold accusations against him, I am sure

we both kind of liked it, we were teens with lots of

hormones running through our veins.

My biggest complaint is, why do women

(and please realize this is not a woman bashing blog,

I know how hard it is for some abused women to come out)

wait until a President wants to put this man on his payroll

does this come out. Why, since college, only being what

it seems an upstanding citizen, being prosecuted?

Why in the Clinton Era, he could mess around with young

women, knowing EXACTLY what he was doing

in OUR white house, with his "wife" probably in another room,

not be put in jail or taken out of office and yet this man is

being prosecuted for teenage hormones.

If he drugged them, that is wrong, but where is the proof?

Like a friend of mine said, "What happened to innocent until proven guilty?"

What about this man's wife, his children? Clinton was guilty, GUILTY

proven that way and spent not one day in jail.

I don't know why this piece of news has affected me so much

as usually I don't get involved.....

I think it is not about this man,

it is more about women. The poor women who have really

been abused, raped, mentally abused by the husbands,

those types of women who are afraid to come out and speak

of their abuse. These women, especially the one who started it,

Christine Ford, gets to say when she will testify

" I can't go on a Monday"

"I want a female judge"

lada lada lada

We don't have those rights...

When we have to be in court, even for jury duty we are

told when to be there and added if not there we could be arrested.

I just do not understand the unfairness of all of this and

how our Country is allowing it to happen.

I know I may get lots of back lashing over this one,

I know I don't know all the facts but I have always said,

"If you put something in words, you must stand behind it"

It is why I write so much, because things can't be turned around.

Just had to put this one out there as it has been irritating me for

days and after coffee with a few friends yesterday at the

Cottage, I realize this is the feeling of many....

Remember this is my opinions, my feelings,

I am sticking to it!

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

ITS A MUMSIE POST! BEWARE!!!

It's been a while since I have blogged about my 

Grandgirls! This blog is also used as a journaling technique for

me, soo, get ready a MUMSIE BRAGGING POST!

Our sweet girls, I know some may think we spoil them rotten

(we do) and we think they are perfect ( they are, for us)

yet each one of them brings something different to my life

and there is very little I love more than talking about 

these gals! 

First, this photograph, says so  much!

Kd wanted some Mother/daughter pics and this

one lands up being my favorite, as it shows

just how much that big sis love those little sisters

and how much they lean on her, for a lot.

Jilly, Bean to my blog world is 7 now,

7!!! When did that happen?

She is smart, a teachers dream, strong in body and mind

dramatic, like her Mumsie and vocal on her thoughts (like her Mumsie lol)

She has been chosen, by the St. John high school cheerleaders 

to be their mascot, which means, she performs at every game 

and dresses out with them! Amazing how strong this girls

body is with all that cheering and dance and gymnastics.

Of course, we are proud of all her accomplishments but

the story I choose to share about the Bean is one

that took place a few nights ago when I stayed lil later at her 

home so I could spend some one on one time with her.

As we laid in her bed, watching a You Tube video, 

talking about different things, cuddling,

the time finally came that she had to get to sleep 

and I had to get home. As i was saying good bye

(Consisting of many hugs and kisses and don't leaves)

she announces, "Mumsie I have a question"

You just never know where the Bean's questions will go...

"yes"

"For Christmas, can I have some Mumsie lotion?"

for my whole adult life I have worn Clinique Aromatics lotion.

So much that my kids recognize the smell with me

and the grand girls call it Mumsie lotion.

"Why would you want that for Christmas?"

"Because when you leave here or I leave the cottage,

I can smell you and if I had my own lotion,

I could smell you all the time"

Oh girl, BE STILL MY HEART!

and this is our Bean, tough, dramatic

and yet so very sweet when it counts the most.

(Jilly, cousin Lizzy and JOJO with the wrestling faces on at match)

Then there is our JOJO, oh our sweet, gentle Jo!

It has been a while since I have met a child with

such a gentle spirit, delicate, a dancing queen,

as if there is music, she is dancing.....

She rarely is rude around Mumsie,

which is makes this story I love to share about her

makes it so funny. She is rarely rude.

One day as we are at the cottage,

I tell her to do something and she's says

"Mumsie, you not my boss"

I say "JOJO!" and she says "Mumsie!"

in shock as we both are just that as this is not

JoJO's normal personality.

"I have to sit?"

Which means sitting for the minutes of your age

under the NO WHINING sign at Mumsie's Cottage.

"Yeah, baby, you have to"

She set her timer for 4 minutes and quietly sits

her time out. When her time is up I do what

we are taught to do. I bend down to her eye level,

I look her in the eye, I ask her "Do you know why you

were timed out?" "Yes Ma'am"

"I can't tell grown ups they not the boss, and you are

the boss of this house"

I hug her and tell her I love her and she is such a good little girl.

Then in her JOJO voice, sweet and loving...

"Mumsie?" "Yes jojo?"

"When I grow up, I am going to be mean to you!"

Sweet JOJO 

And then our baby JemJem....

Okay, there is something I have heard all my life,

"She is the baby, and she is spoiled rotten."

I used to overhear this so much

but you  know what, I grew up knowing it was true.

Even now, at 55, let me get sick or need something

and those siblings come a running!

Yet, I still turned out OK, right???

Our JEM JEM, she is the baby.

Maybe we all rocked her a little longer,

gave her what she wanted a little more,

but when it comes to funny, this gal is FUNNY!

She has this raspy, deep voice that in itself,

is funny. Then when she sings, its with

gusto, her eyes close, her little nose wrinkles and

She sings her version of any Disney song or song

her Daddy plays for her. Her words are usually her own

and in that raspy voice, all we can say is,

"Oh JEM JEM that was beautiful!"

And she bows, are says "I'm Jemma"

That is her new thing, no matte`r how many times she sees

us, no matter that we were there the day she was born,

she walks into a home or you walk into hers and she says

proudly, "Hello, I am JEMMA!"

I have been thinking if she does this because people cannot 

seem to get her name right or because her and JOJO,

only 14 months apart and about the same size.

However, while you can blow on JOJO and knock her over,

this little Lady is solid.

She loves her Mommy and Daddy, and her Maw Maw

seems to be her favorite grandparent.

But to see this girl with her Momma is

so sweet, makes you feel like you have to look away

as her love is so full of emotion.

The other day, her Mommy comes to pick her up from the cottage,

she screams, "Mommy! Mommy is here!"

KD walks in and picks her up and as KD and I are talking,

Kd says "Look at this kid?"

The whole time JemJem is staring at her eyes,

hands on each side of her Mom's face, caressing her Mommy's face.

Will not stop staring at her,

That my friends, is pure unconditional love!

These pictures, they are our JemJem.

You will know her when you see her with the Triple J's

(What they call themselves)

While she is not always happy, has a tad of a temper...lol

Always posing for the camera and if that does not give

her identity  a clue for you, she will be the one

screaming, demanding acknowledgement,

"HELLO, I AM JEMMA!"

SEPTEMBER, CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS

Every year, in September, I make some type of post 

or blog on childhood cancer awareness.

Each year I think, "No one wants to hear this story again..."

Then today, I get my St. Jude Calendar in and am reminded

that if we don't talk about it, then donations stop.

So here I go, my yearly pledge to try and end childhood cancer.

1968, No internet, no facebook, no Go Fund Me accounts,

only one little girl, 5 years old born the baby of a large 

family and older parents. 

That day, everyone in my family has a different memory

and of course the stories I have been told through the years.

Five years old with an incurable, rare kidney cancer, Wilms' Tumor.

Funny as now this type of cancer is 90% curable but there

are still those who die from it.

I remember that something was wrong, and I was afraid

as I had never seen my Daddy cry, I remember

being told that instead of staying in Raceland we

were going to go to a bigger hospital in New Orleans.

I remember my Daddy tying a white handkerchief

to the antenna of the car, which was emergency protocol

back then. I was sick, I knew in my body I was very sick,

but my thought are only that of a 5 year old.

I remember thinking maybe I would die as my grandmother

had died just weeks before and I had recently learned

"you go away and you don't come back"

I can't remember pain, only fear.

Fear of the unknown remains my worst one.

WE  got to the big hospital of Touro and my Dad's sister

was there, Aunt GAGald, who lived in Chalmette.

Lots of chaos ensued until this one man walked

into my life. Dr. Fisherman.... What a doctor, what a man...

I was told later, as a teen that he had told my parents 

he had seen 10 cases of this type of cancer before and  none had

survived the 5 year survival mark.

My parents had not much, the hospital did not accept the 

Champus insurance my Dad had from the Military

but this man said, "Sign her over to me and I will never send you

a bill" They signed that paper and he never billed them.

In1968, there were no laws on how much radiation or chemo.

you could receive, this smart doctor had been following

procedures being done in other parts of the world that showed

more promise than the US treatment. I thank the Big Man

often for the fact that I was not diagnosed in 1969, when

the US banned how much radiation that could be used.

I may not be here today had it turned that way.

Dr. Fisherman tried radiation prior to and after surgery

and I and my family all believe that was the reason

I survived this cancer.

Yet, let me take myself and my readers back to the day

of surgery...

After 6 weeks of radiation where a 5 year old child was

told, do not move, not an inch, your Mom or dad will be

looking through that little glass window. I kept my

eyes focused on that little window and one of them were 

always there.

Then the day of surgery, I remember the baby bed being

wheeled to the big doors but I was not in it, I was

crying in my Mothers arms. I was a little thing, only

35 pounds at 5. I was screaming, my Mom was crying

and so was all the entourage that followed us to the

surgery suite that I called my family.

Finally it was time, time to let go of my Mother....

I had to be pried off of her, I don't know who was

holding on more, me or my Momma.

But I remember the words of this very kind surgical nurse,

she told my Momma, 

"I promise you, I will not put her down until she is asleep"

I looked into my mom's face who was staring at this nurse,

tears streaming down her face, nodding her head yes as 

she handed me over and I remember becoming calm then.

I remember the surgery suite and things that were being said

around me. I had a high fever and someone said

"we cannot put her to sleep like that"

I remained in the arms of that same nurse as she sat

on the surgery bed holding me.

Someone said to her,

"You have to put her down so we can prepare her"

and this nurse, wisely said,

"I promised her Mother I would not put her down until she

was asleep and I will not"

Then I remember the mask of ether ( I can still taste that stuff)

and I was out. 

I awakened to more strangers and pain and Dr. Fisherman.

Soon my family was around me and all was right in my world.

I could go on and on with so many things that happened in my

childhood related to this cancer. I keep saying I am working 

on my book, I know there is a book of my life that needs to be

written. Yet this is a blog and it has gone on long enough.

My story is one of so many other children past and present,

alive and passed, some similar some so very different.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness.

We have access to so much social media...

Donate in the name of a child who suffers from cancer,

donate in the name of my miracle,

Just don't forget that no matter how advanced treatment becomes

children and adults still die from cancer daily.

Thanks for reading a small part of my very long life.

Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for this life.

THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW!

This blog is late in coming, but it is one of those that

when it happens it overwhelms you a bit and take time

to process it. This beautiful woman here,

a dear friend, closer now than ever, from school.

We went to Elementary through High school together.

We were never extremely close but I always thought

she was someone I could be friends with....

but I was a tad afraid of her back then.....

So, to begin the story.

A few weeks ago, she wanted to buy the piece,

Mother and child from me for a Momma who

had lost a child and was waiting for a "rainbow baby"  

(those lil babies that follow the one you lost).

That led to some text messages back and forth,

brought us to talking a little intimately

about our past and present.

This blog is about that, preceived notions we have of

someone and then we learn truths about the other.

For a moment, I was saddened of all the times

we probably could have enjoyed the company of 

the other but I was afraid of her. Then I find

her true story. 

You see, bullying existed way back when, even before

social media gave it a name. Our parent told us it was

teasing so we figured, "Hey part of growing up"

and we went on in our lives.

Polly was a bus-in from Grand Isle.

Which means each day she and the other GI kids took a bus

at whatever unGodly hour they had to, to get to

 school in Golden Meadow schools.

There was a childhood stigma around those children.

It was not right but honestly, it was there.

I was a happy- go-lucky child, I didn't think much of

what their lives consisted of, yet I knew most of them.

There were the two cute boys, a few others I didn't know

and their was Holly and Polly Pearson.

Polly and I were the same age and had classes together.

I admired her toughness, thought I could use some of that

being "teased/bullied" over being bald then having massive

curly hair. Where I found out in texting, Polly's ways was 

to be tough, I just laughed at it until I got home.

Not having social media, no one knew what my daily 

struggles were nor did they know Polly's.

Through my art, Polly and I have reconnected past just

being Facebook friends. As we texted about the "Mother and Child"

piece. The beauty in the blog is all in the texts we shared,

changed my outlook on things I believed as a child,

and just how off the mark is our assumptions.

Polly's texts are in Blue, mine in red:

...LOL I LOVE YOU POLLY!

BELIEVE IT OR NOT I AM A GOOD, SOFT HEARTED

PERSON. AND I KNOW WE COULD BE HANGING OUT BUDDIES...

THANKS MY LOVE, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAW 

THAT IN YOU...

MOST PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND ME THEY THINK

I AM DISTANT OR COLD.

AT WORK THEY THINK I AM A BITCH HAHAHA

CAUSE I WANT IT DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME LOL.

YOU KNOW I THINK WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP,

SO MANY OF US WERE WHAT TODAY WOULD BE

CALLED BULLYING. I KNOW I WAS.

WE HAD TO BE TOUGH. I THINK THAT MOLDED US TO

BE STRONG. BUT I THINK YOU, LIKE ME, FIRST TIME

YOU HELD YOUR BABY, LIFE CHANGED.

OH WE WOULD SO GET ALONG FINE. I ALWAYS SAY

"IF EVERYONE DID IT MY WAY, IT WOULD BE A PERFECT WORLD."

HAHAHAHHAHA

LIVING IN GRAND ISLE BUT GOING TO SCHOOL ON THE

BAYOU I NEVER HAD A PLACE TO FIT IN. I GOT 

PICKED ON FROM BOTH SIDES. I DON'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS

FROM LAFOURCHE PARISH SCHOOLS.

I WAS KIND OF A BULLY FOR SELF- PRESERVATION.

YOU HAVE ME! NOW LOL.

EVEN THOUGH I LIKED YOU, I THOUGHT YOU WERE TOUGH

BUT I UNDERSTOOD IT. BECAUSE I WAS ALWAYS 

TEASED. I JUST LAUGHED WITH THEM.

BOTH OF WERE SURVIVAL MECHANISMS.

I REMEMBER COMING HOME AND CRYING 

AND THANK GOODNESS I HAD A STRONG DAD

WHO WOULD REMIND ME EACH TIME,

"LIL IT DON'T MATTER WHAT THE WORLD THINKS OF YOU,

WHEN YOU COME THROUGH THIS DOOR YOU ARE LOVED"

I TRULY THINK THAT IS WHAT GAVE ME MY SELF-CONFIDENCE.

HI LILLY, I AM POLLY SO NICE TO MEET YOU AGAIN.

BEING A CANCER SURVIVOR AT 5 NO ONE KNEW WHAT

I WAS GOING THROUGH WITH TREATMENT.

NO FACEBOOK OR GO FUND ME ACCOUNT. 

SO I WAS BALD AND TEASED THEN GREW BACK CURLY

AND I WAS TEASED FOR THAT.

...SO VERY NICE TO BE FRIENDS NOW! SEE YA TOMORROW, MUAH!

I JUST REMEMBER THE CURLY HAIR AND ALL THE

FRIENDS I THOUGHT YOU HAD.

MY HEART IS HAPPY TODAY BECAUSE OF YOU.

THE INSIDE LOOKING IN.

AWE, AND MINE TOO.

FUNNY WE BOTH THOUGHT OUR LIVES WERE ONE WAY

AND EACH HAD OUR OWN DEMONS WE WERE FIGHTING.

LOVE YOU MORE NOW!

Then she mentioned me on Facebook, how we had shared the above,

I texted to say she made me cry, happy tears and that I felt a blog coming on.

AWE SO SWEET. IT IS FUNNY HOW WE ALL 

PERCEIVE OTHERS UNTIL WE GET TO TALKING...

And right there a new bond, a closer friendship, one that I want

to nurture and build on, has begun.

We met in Houma the next day, I with her art piece, she with

a small gift. A sunflower  shelf sitter with the cutest face.

I hugged her tight, told her I will see it daily near my coffee pot

and each day, I will smile and say a little prayers for "us".

I think we were both a little choked up right there in the parking

lot of the AMC Houma Palace theater.

The lesson here?

Don't judge people by what you see.

Be kind to all as none of us know the battles others are facing.

Thank you Polly, my friend, for opening my eyes and heart 

to see a wonderful friend who has been there all along!

A long blog, be kind to someone today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TIFFANY!!

I have so many blogs to write, but some just cannot wait, this is 

one of them! My baby niece, my sister, my friend, has a birthday today!

So many thoughts and feelings in my mind over this whole

relationship we have.

In my life, she is the very one whom I can remember always, always

being there. I hope she can say the same about me.

Us being born one month shy of three years apart

(this has always upset us, as we have always believed we were two years apart)

she was always with me.

Can't understand what my life would be without her.

(Tiffy and her baby girl, Tedi years ago, her life, a little girl

who changed her life and made her who she is today)

Our lives have always been "together"

So many awesome childhood memories,

like when we wrote the song

'LEAVING ON A JET PLANE'

only to hear it play on the radio a few days

later and us being upset because someone "stole our song".

We played "Madame's"

We swam in the back yard pool Daddy built us,

we snuck out the house to go and meet Roxie in

the back of the street,

we snuck into GMJH together, and bothered nothing,

just were so excited we got in.

We spent many nights listening to music while 

rubbing each others backs.

We watched, in the winter, our nightgowns making

sparks of electricity under my Hollie Hobby sheets.

WE had many summers spending most days together,

those were not always the best times but 

we laugh about them now.

As we got older, there was going out to the Boat Shed,

parties with our significant others, more time spent together.

When I asked her to be Gypsy Baby's godmother,

she in return asked me to be her Tedi-girls Godmother.

I can say we both believe in the "Village to raise a child"

and we would both agree, we both helped each other raise

both our children.

( These early pictures can show how close we all were in age,

Myself, Tiffy and Celena, l from r)

(Jesi's Baptism)

When younger, she always looked up to me,

to being her supporter, as we got older I felt the same of

her. When she divorced Tedi's Dad, her life was in shambles,

we talked daily, I trying to help her through the worst parts.

I hope i succeeded because years later, going through

my own divorce, she was there for me. If I was having

a bad day she was either on her way to Plaquemine 

or on the phone with me.

When I moved into the Cottage, she spent days with me

unpacking, putting together my studio organization pieces

(thanks, I know they ate your lunch lol)

But more importantly, she was there, cheering me on for

each thing I accomplished on my own after 30 years of

marriage. We are great friends, we can tell each other

what we feel and still love each other.

We know after too much time together, we also need

a break from each other. Such was our vacation

to Tennessee in Willow..... yeah we had a blast and

sometimes drove each other crazy!

But such is our love for each other, we can get angry

with each other, aggravated with each other

and still know our love is unconditional.

She is one of my biggest fans, I am hers.

Lately we have not had enough time together,

we will try and fix that soon as we try to spend some

quality time together for a few nights thanks to

free rooms at LeBerge! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAR NIECE.

I HOPE YOU ALWAYS KNOW AND FEEL MY LOVE FOR 

YOU, NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE YOUR PLACE....

EVEN THOUGH WE CAN DRIVE EACH OTHER CRAZY,

WHEN HARD OR GOOD TIMES COME, YOU ARE THE

FIRST I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH!

Enjoy your day my love,

I sooooo love you!