LOL smiley face

So, my children and I went to West Virginia this past weekend. We met my cousin's pregnant girlfriend....

He said, "This is my girlfriend....her name is Chastity."

My children and I laughed out loud.....he didn't understand why.....subtle irony.

A perfect match

So, yesterday as I was sitting in the eye doctor's waiting room, I partook of my favorite pastime......people watching.

I saw 3 different pairs of people that were dressed alike.

First pair was a set of twin girls. They were about 3 years old....cute as they could be....curly hair pulled back with matching ribbons, matching sweaters, matching pants, matching shoes and even matching glasses. Their parents wanted them identified as twins....matching in every way.

Second pair was an older couple. They were distinguished looking, probably in the early 70's. They did not match every detail exactly....but they had the same color scheme going. You could tell they belonged together.....and had "belonged" together for many years now.

Third pair was a mother and her son. She was in her late 30's and her son was probably 8. He was in a wheelchair that she pushed around. He was severely handicapped. He could not speak understandable words nor could he walk. He was so cute....blond hair and smiling. They did not match in every detail....but they too had the same color scheme going on. You could tell that the mom wanted her son to be identified with her. He was her responsibility, but he was more than that.....he was her son. In a world that probably tends not to welcome him as "belonging" to many things.....he BELONGS to her......he was her beloved.

It's funny how we wear similar clothing......we are doing something very intentional when we do that.....it kind of reminds me of Genesis 1:26-27, "Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness.....so God create man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, man and woman he created them."

I think that was God dressing us like him.....identifying us with him....showing us we are his beloved......we belong with him.

Can lead to blindness

So, last week I called my eye doctor for an appointment. I felt like I was going blind....my eye sight had suddenly declined drastically. I was nervous.

So today was the appointment. I tell the doctor that it seemed like I woke up one morning and could no longer see clearly.

He puts me through a battery of tests....measuring my eyes....reading this....measure some more....read this....which is clearer, 1 or 2.....3 or 4.....etc. After he has run every test imaginable, he sits back and says, "Mrs. Hogan, is there any chance that you could have switched your contacts, left contact in right eye and right contact in left eye?"

Hmmmm........an evening comes to mind....right around the same time that my blindness started.

"Yes doctor, that is a possibility," I confess.

I take my contacts out and switch eyes......I begin to sing...."I can see clearly now...."

Note to self....always take your contacts out and put your glasses on before festivities begin.

My person

So, last night I watched a friend's (she's a single mom) son, Isaiah, while she had a local trip for work. She was supposed to be home around 9 pm. It was not a big deal because he is close in age to my son. The boys played and giggled and watched Sport Bloopers on the computer.

At around 7 pm my friend called, she did not realize how far this trip was, and she did not realize that it was in central time zone, which meant that she was thinking it would be closer to 11 pm before she could pick up her son. I tell her it really is not a big deal and he can just spend the night with us. She does not want to impose, so she asks me to just let him sleep on the couch until she arrives. Okay.

At around 9 pm she calls again. It is going much slower than she realized, and she was wondering if he could just spend the night. I tell her that we would love to have him spend the night...not a problem. She apologize profusely....I assure her that it is fine.

I really considered it a privilege. Seriously...I have a very, very, very dear friend that is also a single mom, Tammy. She has been "my person" as I have navigated along this whole single-mom road. I have called her a million times when I have been stuck in a meeting, or stuck in traffic, or stuck at work and my kids were sitting alone at the school waiting for me to pick them up. She has been "my person." The person that I would call at 3 am if there was an emergency. She has been "my person." She has done for me exactly what Michele was asking me to do....and she has done it without putting guilt on me. I can, and have, called her anytime, in any situation, and ask her to help me with my kids....and she would be there, and has been there.....every time. I never have to feel guilty....she is "my person," no questions asked.

That has meant the world to me....to have someone who is there for me.....and I want to pay it forward.....I want to be there for other single moms, especially. This is such a hard road to travel....and you feel so alone....and so inadequate.....and Tammy has been "my person."

This ones for you Tammy!

Balls.....lots of balls

So, tonight my son David has a friend, Isaiah, spending the evening with us. He and his friend went out and played basketball...then he and his friend played football....then they played kickball...it started to get dark outside so they came indoors.

They got on the computer and sat on the couch giggling....and giggling....and giggling. I decide that I better check to see what they are watching. So I say, "David, turn the computer around...I want to see what you are giggling at." David turns the computer around and he and his friend are watching sports bloopers.....you know.....men getting hit in their balls by all kinds of balls...basketballs....footballs....kickballs....and every other ball imaginable....balls on balls....hilarious.

Anyhow, it dawns on me that men are SO, SO different than women. A woman would NEVER....NEVER......NEVER sit around for hours watching other women get hit in their boobs. NEVER. So...what the heck is it that drives men to be so fascinated with balls.....

Big love

So, this past week I lost a very dear member of my family. Cheyenne passed away.

Chey-Chey was my sister's dog. Chey did not start life with our family, but she found us! She was my sister's neighbor's dog. When Judy moved into Chey's neighborhood, Chey immediately knew she had found her kinfolk. Chey began coming for visits....and Judy would give her some love (which always included a treat). Chey then had a litter of puppies...and she would still come over for her daily visit, which now included bringing her puppies. Judy's love was big enough to include them as well.

Chey's puppies were sold off....and Chey still came. She started to stay longer...not really wanting to go home. Her owner always knew where to come to find Chey....finally, as it got harder and harder for him to convince Cheyenne to come home with him....he decided to give Chey to my sister. I am postive that was the happiest day of Cheyenne's life!

She really was a kindred spirit....she loved people....she loved food.....she loved life. She was the sweetest girl, and fit into our family perfectly. She had the gentlest spirit. My kids would sometimes accidentally step on her....Chey never growled. Then I got my little furball....he was a little yipping thing...but Chey never nipped at him...she loved everyone...her love, like my sister's love, was big enough to include all.

Chey....we will all miss you!

Starry night

So, this past weekend I went camping. I mean out in nature...peeing in the woods (because I'm too lazy to walk up to the bath house)...cool nights....

It was a great weekend for camping. The temperatures during the daylight was in the upper 60's...but at night it dipped down into the low 40's....chilly.

On Friday night, after we got the tent set up, air mattress inflated, and sleeping bags unrolled...we built a fire and turned on the radio...Christmas music was playing....I love Christmas music. So I sat there....fire blazing....the sky was crystal clear.....and there were a million stars in the sky...so I sat there looking at the stars and listening to the Christmas music..........."Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining. It is the night of our dear Savior's birth."

Deep breath...................................ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..............I can breath again.

Shhhhh....in the library?

So, last night, I'm standing in the library at work and my son was standing next to me. A friend walks up and we begin to joke around. She looks at David and says, "How do you live with her?"

David innocently responds, "Well......we have separate bedrooms."

Amanda begins to laugh and says, "If that ever changes, you call me babe."

I have to admit, I'm rather speechless and wondering what David meant....

David then says, "Yeah....it helps to have separate bedrooms because mom screams very loudly and often in the night."

Okay......seriously.....I'm single.....





















and I have nightmares. What did you think I meant?

Improved sight

So, today is my dad's 77th birthday.

I thought I'd tell you a little about my dad.

He is a strong man...a manly man. He is a hunter and a fisherman. He can play any sport...and play it well. I'm still trying to beat my dad in ONE round of golf.

He was a faithful GM employee for over 40 years. He provided for his family.

He would give you the shirt off his back....and has more times than anyone knows.

He never verbally said he loved me...but his actions show it daily and always have.

He is a very funny man. His eyes sparkle when he is up to no-good.

He is very handsome. He has curly hair that tends to look like he's sprouting devil's horns when he's being ornery.

As he grows older...he has grown softer....or maybe, as I have grown older, I have grown to see his softer side.

I love you dad!

What mile marker

So, for those of you who are wondering where I am on my journey to joy.....

Well, I am still on the journey (I still hate that word). It is a very long journey....a very long, long journey.

The current mile marker says, "I am a child of God."

Dog gone it

So, this has been an interesting "dog" weekend.

First, last night I get a call from my son...they had just picked up our dog from the family who was watching Graham for us. David said, "Ummmm....mom, there's a problem with Graham." My heart stops....I am picturing him run over in the street....I say, "What's wrong with Graham?" David says, "Well...ummmm......he has worms." My heart begins to beat again...."He has worms?" David replies, "Yes, what does that mean? What will happen to him?" I chuckle and say, "I'll get him some medicine." Which is what I do...

So, this morning I get a call from my friend (I'll change her name to protect her identity), Bandace Krooks, in Florida....she tells me the story of running over a dog last night as she was driving home. She ran the dog over right in front of the owner. Then she tells me that when she got home, she took her 2 dogs out for a walk in the park. One of her dog finds a condom on the ground while they are walking through the park...and she eats it. Yes, her dog ate the condom. Well...Bandace Krooks calls her vet to see what to do and the vet says to watch the dog to make sure she passes the condom.

So, Bandace Krooks and I are comisserating about our dog problems....her watching her dog's poop for a condom....and me watching my dog's poop for worms. We are discussing how Graham could have got worms...she says, "He can get them if he eats another dog's poop." I tell her that my yard is the neighborhood toilet for ALL dogs, and that no one in my neighborhood carries a "poop bag" to pick up their dog's pile.

Then Bandace has a BRILLIANT idea....feed all the dogs in my neighborhood condoms and then when they poop in my yard...their poop will be encased in a condom...poop in a bag. Then the owner can just pick up the condom of poop and go on home.