A Quick Thursday Morning Update...

So many things are on my mind this morning.  

I'm sitting here watching Today's Professionals, which I always try to catch.  I am such a tremendous fan of Donny Deutsch and I love the topics and chatter during this segment of the Today Show.

Losing Mary at the Metropolis Bridge, Thinking about Women's Safety and a Link for YOU!

Good morning, gang!  I'm actually going to keep my part rather short and share with you something below that I'd like for you to take the time to read and share.  It's some very logical information regarding women's safety.  

Now luckily for me, I was raised by a semi-hysterical, worrisome hover-mother - so many of these things were things I would already take note of... but I'll bet there're a lot of bones wrapped in rugs two feet under ground that wish their owner would've read some tips and contemplated personal safety every once and a while...

A Monday Morning Update from the Ocho

WOW! Things are different here and I don't even know where to start.  

The best way for me to do this is to start with my rendition of my friend, Amy's - 
This Week in the Spirit Dancer.  

Reading: I've been mostly writing this week.  Many of you have noted that I sometimes pull out a notebook and start scribbling in the middle of a conversation, TV show, commercial or pretty much anywhere else I happen to be when a thought strikes me... I'm still listening, but what I'm soaking in, be it a conversation or something on TV has

Mother-In-Law Incidents from Years Past and How to Behave as a Civilized Human Being 101

Anywho, in somewhat of a continuance of my last post ... there were two conversations with my Mom-in-Law when I had one that were uncomfy... and I'm going to tell you about them now.  

Incident Number 1 - 
The ex and I hadn't been married long.  I was still "feeling like a new wife"... and by that I mean making sure that my hair and make up were done when he came in the door and that I had my apron on and that the house was clean and that I had dinner going... yes, I know that sounds absolutely fantastically bizarre if you only have known me on 'this side of Betty Ford'... Anywho, so I was on a "touching bases" phone call with the Mom-in-Law and she said - very sternly yet pleasantly, "If you have a few minutes, there's something that's troubling me that I'd like to mention to you so I'll have it off my chest..." I told her to please go right ahead and tell me anything that was bothering her and reassured her that if I'd done something specifically I would absolutely want to know about it.  

She went on to discuss her feelings on the circumstances of our marriage...

A Chance Meeting Brings Great Peace... Saying Good Bye to a Dear Friend and the Walls Come Tumbling Down...

I'm tying up details on a delightfully fantastic day.  I had breakfast with Mom and my eldest brother Kev this morning .. this is something we're going to try to do with some sort of regularity in the new year.  It gives us a chance to catch up and get in the loop on one another... 

We went to Cracker Barrel this morning and had a great time.  We discussed updates in the

realm of individuals attached by DNA.. family, I mean..  Kev and I shared funny quips from a recent visit we each had with a nephew, Mom and I updated Kev as to the current standing of "facebook friends among the family" and I told them a story about a garage door opener, which I'll come back and tell you kids later... 

Kev meandered out front for a ciggy as Mom and I started to make our way through the gift shop.  All at once I turned around to say something to Mom and behind her stood my former Mother-in-Law.  She was standing just feet away from me and it occurred to me quickly had followed me from the dining area and was coming in peace.  I would give a pretty fair sum of money to have seen the look on my face.

This woman was my "Other Mother" from 1995 until the ex and I finally parted ways for the last time in late Summer of 2007.  There's an "old joke" about Mother-in-Laws... a general underlying theme, really.  Mother-in-Laws are supposed to be horrible wretched deceitful people from the boughs of Hell eternal.  That's what 'old comedy' and 'vintage tv' tell us anyway...