Prom Night!!!

Back in April I wrote about my grandson, Harry, going to the prom with a girl who lives out here in Portland. Harry lives in Brooklyn, so it was quite a long commute for him. He arrived at my house on Thursday after midnight. We got to sleep later and then on Friday we just hung out. He has grown into a very good-looking guy and fun to be around. I see him very infrequently, so it's wonderful to see the changes in him. Friday afternoon Reggie, his date for the prom, came to pick him up to go downtown and rent a tux. She came with two girlfriends, and when they were all in the house and giggling all the time, it was somewhat overwhelming! They whisked Harry away and I didn't see him until Reggie's mom, Rita, dropped him off today. They all apparently had a good time. Harry and I ate some lunch and ever since he has been asleep on my sofa. His dad called but Harry couldn't wake up and just said he'd call him back! I don't imagine he got any sleep last night.

I can't remember any proms in my past high school days. One prom some guy asked me to go, but I didn't want to go with him so I told him I already had a date. I didn't have a date but thought maybe someone I liked would ask me, but no one did! Very embarrassing. So I stayed home. But that guy was really nice, and maybe if I'd gone with him we would have fallen in love, married and had a family. But I did get married later and had a family, so nothing would have been the same with the other guy. And I wouldn't have my girls, Teri and Cindy, and my grandson wouldn't be here with me because he wouldn't be anyplace at all! 

I think I've had enough prom for a while as I'm getting sort of goofy just thinking about it. This picture is of Harry looking cool and smooth, and Reggie just looking gorgeous!

Trial's Over!!

The Jodi Arias trial finally came to an end - not really the end - there will be more trials to come to see what her punishment will be. She was tried for murdering her boyfriend - stabbing him multiple times, slitting his throat, shooting him, and who knows what else. She, of course, pleaded self-defense. The trial lasted about 5 months and they went over every sleazy bit of evidence - the sex tapes and everything like that. It was quite a trial and on TV every day! She was convicted of first degree murder and everyone was elated. Especially Nancy Grace who was on TV with all the details all the time. Nancy is an annoying woman who delights in that sort of news. She is made fun of and laughed at but it doesn't seem to bother her. I can't stand her but it's fun to see just what she'll do next. It's hard to look away when she's carrying on about something. So this will just be another trial for her and she will keep us all apprised of what is going on. My daughter, Cindy, got me hooked on it but I didn't watch it all that much until today when the verdict came in. I don't think I'll keep on watching it as it would take me away from my housework. I'm kidding - I don't do housework anymore. Does anybody?

I lost a couple of pounds a while back and didn't like it as I'm slim enough all ready. I probably don't eat enough. I sit at the table and spoon things into my mouth as fast as I can. Then I jump up, wash the dishes, floss my teeth and I'm through until the next meal. Maybe I should pretend I have company and try to eat politely and slower, but I don't think I can pull that one off. Anyway, I decided to get some ensure because it has lots of vitamins and you can drink it, so no utensils. I heard they were force-feeding some of the Guantanamo prisoners ensure as they were going on a hunger strike, probably because they had been locked up for a gazillion years without a trial. But they were strapping the prisoners down and feeding them through tubes in their noses! How rude! So I bought some strawberry flavored ensure and tried it - it is wonderful! I loved it! I wonder if the prisoners would like it better if they could drink it.

My daughters are coming for Mother's Day. That will be fun, but I can't think of anything to fix to eat. I looked up some recipes on Google, but they all had articles about how to spot Alzheimer's and Dementia! Now why would Google place that on pages for recipes? I got so depressed I quit looking for recipes. So we may not eat on Mother's Day, and this is one mother who doesn't really care!

Inmates need their floss!

I was cleaning up the house a little today as Teri is coming to visit in about a week. That means I have to make my condo look like I clean every day and care how things look. Actually, I don't care at all. But I decided to do a few things anyway and then lie down and rest up. First I checked the top of my fridge. I'm not tall enough to see up there, but it's where I always put newspaper articles that I think are worth saving. But by the time I check them out, too much time has passed and they mean nothing to me. Also, they're covered in dust, so I just throw them all away. However, today I found an article in the newspaper from 2012 about dental floss! I'm a  floss addict - I floss three times a day - every time I eat. 

So this is what the article was about. Seems like 11 inmates at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla, NY,. filed a $500 million lawsuit demanding access to dental floss. I say, "Good for them!" But authorities say they have to consider security issues. Floss has been used to braid into ropes and escape over prison walls. It has been used to sew up gunshot wounds after escaping and stitch up a dummy left in the bed when the inmate escaped. Experts say floss or the plastic container it comes in has been used to strangle someone, to escape, to saw through bars, etc. The lead plaintiff, Santiago Gomez, said the jail was violating inmates' federally protected civil rights by not allowing inmates access to dental floss because they know it will cause cavities if you fail to floss your teeth. I'm with Santiago! The jail has furnished the inmates with "Floss Loops," circles of rubbery floss with no hard plastic so they can't be used as weapons. I don't know if that was ok with the inmates and if they dropped their suit. It wouldn't be ok with me!

New York's state prison system permits dental floss, but only the unwaxed variety as the waxed is much stronger. Now I don't go along with that. I use only the waxed kind because it is stronger! I hope I am never incarcerated in a NY state prison. I wonder if Teri could smuggle some in for me if that time ever comes.

The picture I used is of Teri, 5 months old, and me, over 5 months old. I used it because it looks like Teri may have some dental floss around her neck!  

Prom Night!

Harry and Reggie are going to her high school prom together in a few weeks! That's exciting! Harry is my grandson, Teri and Mark's son, and lives in Brooklyn, NY. Reggie is Rita's daughter who lives here near Portland. Rita is Teri's high school friend and is still her friend after many years. Not too many years . . .  but a few.  Harry and Reggie see each other when they visit each other's cities, but not too often. They fight with each other and do all sorts of things. They even make cookies at my house sometimes - I've posted pictures on my blogs of cookie-making times. I think it's great that this will happen, but I have never heard of a high school kid going that far for a prom. Is that what happens these days? Harry will fly out here and come to my house until he can be rescued by Reggie and go to her house for the fitting of the tux which they will be getting for him. I'd like to say this all brings back memories of my prom, but it doesn't! I didn't have a guy fly clear across the country just to take me to a dance. Of course, I didn't know anyone clear across the country.

I hear Reggie is worried her girlfriends will try to steal Harry away to dance with all the time. That's a given. I would like to have posted a picture of Harry and Reggie, but since the prom hasn't happened yet I was unable to do that. However, I did find an old photo of me and a date posing for pictures before our prom. I looked really pissed as my hair didn't turn out the way it looked in the magazine, "Gorgeous Prom Hair Styles." So all I can do is hope Harry and Reggie have a wonderful prom experience and take a better photo than I did. But for God's sake, Harry, don't do anything to embarrass your grandma! 

How About a Goat?

I just read a very interesting article by Josh Sanburn in the latest "Time" magazine about ESAs. An ESA is an emotional support animal. They are used to counteract depression and anxiety in people and seem to be very successful at it. Many people take antidepressant medication for help, but others are wary of the many side effects they can cause. So ESAs are used as well as is sometimes regular counseling. For pets to be certified as ESAs, all you need is a note from a mental health professional stating that you need an animal to help with your symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, this wouldn't apply to animals such as spiders, snakes, elephants, skunks . . . use your head! It would be for animals such as dogs, pigs, cats, birds, mice, rats, iguanas and so on. These are not to be confused with therapy animals that are used by the blind, or animals trained to perform tasks for their owners. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other authorities have acknowledged the fact that just the presence of a pet has positive health benefits. Petting a dog can lower blood pressure and heart rate. I don't have a dog, but I do have two little sparrows - Larry and Larry - whom I feed on my deck. I love watching them but I don't touch them so I don't think petting them is a consideration. But I do love my two little ESAs and hope they are working on my blood pressure even though I don't pet them. I'm feeding them - what more could they ask for? ESAs don't have to be trained as do service animals. It's just their comforting presence that helps lessen depression and anxiety in their owners. 

The article mentions a young woman, Danielle Forgione, who lives in Queens, NY, and has an ESA pig. But she is about to be evicted from her co-op unless she gets rid of Petey, her pig. From reading about her circumstances, I think she really needs the support she gets from Petey as she's had some sad happenings in her recent past. She is fighting the eviction and has contacted her New York state senator. She has until July 1 to get rid of Petey or else she'll be evicted. A neighbor complained that she had a farm animal in her apartment and that's what started the brouhaha. Who cares if she has a farm animal in her apartment? Isn't that better than the bed bugs that were all over New York? Pigs are clean with no hair. I doubt that Petey will be rooting around in any mud in her apartment.

I hope for the best for Danielle and Petey the pig. I think Petey is much better than the green iguana on some guy's neck that is pictured in this article. That iguana is creepy as he looks like he's ready to take a bite out of the guy's neck! Petey would never do that. And neither would my ESAs.

Cindy is having another birthday!!

How many birthdays are my daughters going to have anyway? It seems like it happens every year and that's too many as it means I'll be having another one. But the three of us just keep on going, year after year. And that's the way I like it! 

Cindy had to give up her crazy card shop recently so is now looking for a job as are 10 million other people. She had many loyal customers, but unfortunately none had any money. Many were into drugs which she wasn't selling - maybe she would still be open if she had.

Cindy has been through many hard times and many different circumstances. I've never seen anyone with so much fortitude and courage to keep going when the going is really hard. Both of my daughters are that way, so maybe I did do something right even though I can't think of what it was. 

There has been so much talk about bangs on women lately. Mrs. Obama  cut some and the entire world went crazy! Now everyone has hair hanging in their eyes. But I found a picture of Cindy when she was younger with bangs, and I think it's the best of any bangs I've seen. I love it! So I think she's a perfect example of how they should look. Sorry, Michelle.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CINDY!

Your mom loves you lots and lots

Siblings

My brother died yesterday. It wasn't a shock as we all knew he didn't have much time left. He had cancer. But it really hurts. He was my only sibling, and the one person to whom I could talk about the "old times" in our family and all the experiences we had together. He was very intelligent and knowledgeable about world affairs - much more than I. I could ask him anything and he'd always have an answer. He was a musician and music was always a part of his life. He had a great sense of humor, and we'd talk on the phone using words we wouldn't use in "polite" society. We talked nearly every day by phone as we lived in different towns. I looked forward to his calls and am going to miss them terribly.

I know we get ready for death from the minute we are born - it's inevitable for everyone. But when it actually happens we never seem to be prepared for it. I won't say he's in a better place now because I think a better place would be right here with his family. But I know he is now in peace.