Adventures in Motherhood

While in Louisville several weeks ago, we met up with my daughter Bridget and her boyfriend Scott at Cracker Barrel.

While waiting for a table, we browsed through the cornucopia of stuff they have on display.I immediately found Big Bird, new, yellow and oh so fresh! I hid him behind my back and waited till Bridget was in close proximity. I pulled him out and danced him towards her. She screamed, (like I knew she would) and grabbed him saying " My Big Bird" and began to hug him.

We both said at the same time, "Do you remember Dennis and Big Bird". And we both started laughing.

Long ago and far away in another world, while living in Louisville I was dating a guy named Dennis. Bridget was approximately three years old. She had a stuffed Big Bird that she carried around with her at all times. It was never out of her sight for very long. She had a habit of carrying him by his long neck which elongated it even more.

Dennis comes from a big Catholic family. Their main source of entertainment while growing up was teasing each other relentlessly until tears (or fists...he had many brothers). Dennis never grew out of it.

While he was visiting one day, Bridget was carrying Big Bird around and without much thought left Big Bird within Dennis' reach. In a flap of Big Birds wing span, Dennis had grabbed the disfigured Big Bird and proceeded to stick his head in the door jam and close the door repeatedly back and forth on poor defenseless Big Bird. You would have thought someone was killing Bridget with the blood curdling screams that came out of her mouth.

I was falling down laughing at the time, but Bridget was traumatized. Ever since then it has been known as the Big Bird incident.

I have seen Dennis off and on over the years. When ever I see him he always asks about Bridget. I relay this to her.  No matter how  much older she becomes, the time growing long since it happened, she still squints her eyes and mutters, "Big Bird Killer."

We laughed in Cracker Barrel and said in unison, "Big Bird Killer".

Flipped Switch

It must be the weather.  Or is it the thought that I will be taking a long awaited and much desired trip.  It could be the flowers I planted in the front yard are finally responding to the warmer weather and showing their pretty heads. Maybe I have gotten over the UK loss on Sunday.  Whatever it is I feel a renewed passion for everything in life. 

I am tearing it up at work after months of slow business and cold days of driving to my accounts.  I am on the South Beach Diet and though I don't think I have lost any weight as of yet, I feel wonderful.  My joints have stopped aching!  Especially my right hand, which I have a tendency to ball up in a fist and tuck under my chin while I sleep.  The past six months it has really hurt in the morning.  I think that the elimination of starches and sugars in my diet has really improved the joints.

I will be participating in the Rhodes 10K in Louisville on Saturday morning.  I have not practiced in weeks!  So I think I will walk/run it.  I am excited about it anyway. 

There is a Beatlemania exhibit at the J-town library branch ( one of the small townships that make up the whole of Louisville) and I really look forward to that.

I have been spending the nights at my parents house just in case.  I get up early and fix my Mom's breakfast and leave it waiting for her.  One of my other siblings arrives around 8am and takes over from there.  We are tag teaming through the recovery period. 

Things are good.

Destination The Emerald Island

The passport papers have been sent in.  The tickets are purchased.  The anticipation begins.

I Bleed Blue

Damn.

UK lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament.  UAB beat them.  Who?

Being a life long UK fan I have suffered through many losses.  In a final four game in 1984, (I think that was the year) they did not score a point for over nine minutes in the second half. They lost the final game in 1966 in the final minutes with two steals.(Soon to be a major motion picutre, I kid you not). I know all the names of the kids on the team that year, Pat Riley, Louie Dampier, Thad Jarrad (sp?), Larry Conley and Tommy Kron.  They lost to Michigan in a final four game in 1993 when they had one of the best players in the country, Mashburn...and how can anyone forget the shot that beat us in 1992 in the Regional final game of the NCAA when Duke hit that mid-court shot to move on.  That year we had a team that included walk-ons.  We call them the Unforgettables. I remember all their names too.

I love UK basketball and I bleed blue when our beloved Big Blue loses in the tournament.  Every year I think they can win it all.  And Alas, they have only come through seven times!

How to Kiss the Blarney Stone

My Nana was fond of saying, "He kissed the Balrney Stone".  At an early age I just assumed I knew what it meant, that the person had the gift of gab.  As a child, I loved to go through my mothers photographs of her youth.  They are tear you up funny.  I vividly remember the one of her kissing the Blarney Stone, laying on her back, leaned over a ledge, smacking the lips against a wall of limestone, in a dress no less! This was in the late 40's, every lady wore a dress.

The legend is this......The stone originally belonged to the Scottish and was considered half the Stone of Scone.  Scottish Kings were crowned over the stone.

The stone was a gift to the Lord of Blarney, who set the stone in a tower of the castle in 1446.  Queen Elizabeth was making demand on the Irish to occupy their lands under her!  Lord Blarney "handled every royal request with  subtle diplomacy without giving in".  Elizabeth conined the phrase "a lot of Blarney".

Then the legend is embellished with the casting of a spell of an old woman who told the King that if he kissed the stone while under the spell he would be able to speak sweetly and convincingly.

So those of us who believe, when we kiss the Blarney stone gain the ability to speak with eloquence, cleverly, and persuavise flattery.

Quite a bargain.

 

Kissing the Blarney Stone

May the road Rise up to                                                                                           

Meet you, may the winds be

Always at your back, may the sun

Shine warm upon your face, the

Rains fall soft upon your fields and

Until we meet again may God hold you

In the palm of his hand.

                                                An Irish blessing.

                    HAPPY ST. PADDY DAY EVERYONE

You're at home with a Guinness

I am 90% certain that Joe and I will be going to Ireland the end of May/beginning of June for about a week.  My sister K. is going with her family (two small children) husband, his mother and sister, and another couple!  What difference will another couple make?

She mentioned it during this ordeal and I just overlooked the suggestion.  Thought, no way.  But when Mom was on the road to recovery, I thought, "Why not?" what is holding me back?

I went and started the pass port process today.  I am about half believing it really is going to happen.  Both my parents are first generation Irish. I have a zillion relatives still there. Especially  on my Mom's side of the family.  Omega and K. have been over there numerous times.

I can't believe this is happening. Pinch me.