Virginia's 'language of flowers'

Outstanding moments in my life are surprises in my memory that I was sure would always remain with me.   For instance, when there was a big puddle in the street when I was very young, my father would take one of my arms...my mother the other, and I would be lifted happily to safe ground again.  

Another great moment in my life, when my uncle Lou,  the same uncle that was killed in world war 2,  gave me my first puppy and we instantly fell in love...I'll always remember Prince.

The day my father came home with a 2 wheel bike for my sister and me..my enthusiasm, was unparelled.  I had this bike long after I was married!

When I delivered Jeff and held him in my arms for the first time, I knew that God was watching.  A wondrous moment!

When Allen said he was in love with me and would I marry him!

An eventful moment, when Paul brought Barbara home to meet us and we knew that Paul had grownup.

The phone call from Jeff that he met someone online...and they wanted to come to visit...breathtaking!
Now I have another great event...I went out my door and lo and behold, instead of my dried up woody branches that I expected to come back to life, I witnessed 3 of the most beautiful large pots of flowers, on a bed of peat moss.

Virginia, my friend who happens to live next door, knew that my kids were coming to visit, and she did this for me.   Bunny, who lives across the way, helped her with the peat moss.   I stared and gazed, and couldn't get over this grandiose gesture, and I still can't.  What message this communicated!

It makes me believe all over again of the goodness in people ... and how they try to please.   Virginia certainly blew my mind with her loving generosity.

I will never ever forget this gesture...and I don't know how I can ever re-pay her...because to me, this was a step above anything I could ever do.

Charming Virginia created this for me...and she did it with such grace.  She never knocked on my door to say look outside...no...no...she waited!.

Slots for the hopeful!

Tomorrow I'm going a'gambling!   Yep, High Point is sponsoring a casino trip and they've filled 2 full buses.   Cost of this trip is $3.00 and that includes lunch.

My problems are that I don't like to get up early in the morning.   Secondly, I don't understand the machines.

I think I'm too old!   Little critters running all over the screen and all kinds of crazy sounds with bells and whistles.....and I really don't know if I won anything.

Now I'm not a big sport...I play the 2 cent machine...but it sounds cheaper than it is because I play the maximum....so you use your money up fast.

Some people who live here aren't permitted to go ... cause they don't gamble and it costs the casino for the buses and the food.

At the beginning of the morning, I enjoy it...and then I get very very bored...and they don't furnish you a place to rest or sit because they wouldn't be making any money.

So...how much do I want to contribute to this day off the farm here?

It's funny...everyone tells you how much they won...never do I hear how much they lost.

But...I'm going to be a good sport....cause that's entertainment...Florida style!

Barnum once said there's one born every minute...count me in Mr. Barnum!

Time Was!

With all the talk about the economy and jobs, it suddenly  occurred to me that I actually never went looking for a job.  Work came to me.

I'm not a very gutsy person so I guess I have to consider myself pretty lucky. 

My sweet Mother whom I adored died when I was going on 16...and when I graduated from high school at 17, my father sent me to commercial college.

I was still reeling from my Mother's death. 

This school received a phone call from our local radio station that they needed a continuity writer...so I was sent.  WKPA was our 'Voice of the Valley'...and we signed off with the local sunset.

I was hired on the spot...and spots are what I had to write.

I was sooo green...didn't even know what a radio spot was.   But I loved...adored this job.

I ended up being a girl Friday also...doing everything...selecting music...picking out classical music that I couldn't even pronounce....and selecting electrical transcriptions ...that we played on two large turntables.

A short while after that...tape players were used.

I loved my boss and all the announcers who worked there.   They would gather everyday in my office to 'gossip'...and some days in order to get a commercial on the air, I needed to go to another office to write it.

I stayed on 9 years until I was 7 months pregnant.

My only other job after that was in our own toy store where Allen and I worked side by side...enjoying the children enjoying their toys.

And we knew that once they pass that child-spot in their lives, they could ne're return again.

I think about all this frequently because....this was my life!  And good it was!