Brain Trainin....

So I did my brain trainin last nite. And the tune that popped in my head was, "Puff the Magic Dragon" to hum while I brushed. And for the record, walkin in place with your eyes closed while brushin your teeth isn't easy. But it sure felt like my brain was growin! And I found out I be pretty goooood at pickin things up with my feet and you can wear a shirt on your legs...JK!

Anywho, today's brain trainin will be:

Chaos! Move as many of those daily objects that you use throughout the day, whether it be at home or at work. For example, the coffee pot, trash can, remote (like we ever know where that is anyways), pens, paper, the phone, toothbrush holder, etc. Just go throughout your home or at the job and mix things up from their usual places that they be found. Have fun and let me know how it goes!

A Thought to Ponder?

Duct Tape...."The Ultimate Material"....so what's your best uses for this wonder tape?
A friend of mine actually paid someone with duct tape, for french braidin their daughters hair. It worked...they were both very satisfied with the arrangement. Talk about your hick/redneck payments.
Hey will ya come over and french braid my daughters hair?
Sure, iffin ya pay me with duct tape!
Hickchic thinks....everything is fixable with duct tape...heck I's even got it in various colors and keep a roll in my car....never know when the muffler might fall off!

Hickchic thinks....

I shall, now that my girls are startin back to school tomorrow...post a thought to ponder and a new brain trainin exercise for those of you that would like to keep that brain in shape. It should be beneficial as well as a fun daily thang for those willin to participate! So have already given your thought to ponder for the day, with calgon take me away....so now for your brain trainin....

Tonite as you are gettin ready fur bed: brush your teeth with your non dominate hand, brush with your eyes open, eyes closed, actually pay attention to how the bristles feel against your gums. Hum a tune as you brush. Actually, smell the scent of your toothpaste...is it minty? Try walkin in place while you brush. Feel your teeth with your tongue, do they feel clean yet? Use as many of your senses as you can come up with while you brush. Next, while closin your eyes proceed to put your PJ's on (works better if you can get someone to help, by placin your cloths beside you, while your eyes are closed, but if ya ain't got no help, then place them beside you and then mix them up as much as possible). Or try this variation, place your cloths on the floor and use only your feet while your eyes are closed to pick up your cloths and hand them to your hands. Pay close attention to the texture of your PJ's...are they silky or soft? Again, use that sense of smell, before you put them on... also as your eyes are closed with your mind's eye see yourself doin the tasks at hand...and for you, that sleep in your birthday suits....welp don't forget to brush your teeth!

Hickchic thinks....my brain has been gettin a bit sluggish as of late and I will be doin the above. And note for peace of mind, I ain't just makin this stuff up...I have done much research on the study of neurobics for the brain. It is scientifically proven that breakin away from the routine of our lives and performin new experieces while usin as many of our senses; touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearin as well as spatial memory or emotions helps to stimulate the brain and produce growth and nutrients for our brains. Oops, darn did I just go actin all smart again...I hate when that happens. Anywho, hickchic hopes you'll give it a try and leave comments to let me know how it went.

A Thought for the Day?

If calgone could take us away....where would you want it to take you?

101 Uses for the Plunger!

Tha Hillbilly Plunger!

This is my lastest project, tha 101 uses for the hillbilly plunger...ie., TP, remote, drank holder, bird feeder or bath, pocket change or your pocket knife holder...just to name a few. K so I don't have 101 uses yet, but feel free to add yours, although I have thunk up quit a lot of uses. Makin signs now, so a person can just choose what they want their plunger used for. Figure if I don't sell them, it be Merry Christmas family...be one of them win win situations! Every yr my daughters school has a big craft fair, figure I just might set up this yr. Anywho look forward to seein what uses my readers come up with. And as always, much thx and appreciation for your time!

MOMMA SADIE AND PUPS!

Just thought I would update everyone on Momma Sadie and her pups. They have now all found a home and doin well! But they are very much missed by hickchic!

Campin

On the 7th, I took my girls to meet their tour bus to go on a trip with their upward bound program...they were goin to NY city. Well that night I get a call from a couple that I be good friends with and they invite me to go campin with them and their kids to Cherokee Lake. Welp, I thought why not, cuz it will make the time pass faster while I be missin my girls. So Wednesday mornin I leave bright and early to meet up with them and head toward the lake.
We get there, pick a camp site and set up our camp ground area. Everyone enjoyed themselves that first day swimming either in the pool or lake and fishin. That night we laughed so much my side hurt.
The next day they decided to rent a pontoon boat. I just love being out on the water and was really excited. Then I think we all were cuz we didn't even bother to secure out camp before we left. Cherokee Lake is a very long long lake with lots of turns. We kept sayin, sure hope we can find our way back as we kept goin further and further away. We fished some along the way and then found a nice little cove and stayed there for awhile swimmin.
So I find me a life jacket that will fit and put it on and jump into the water with the kids. They all can swim like fish and even though I can swim somewhat, tread water, and float, I'm still not confident enough to get in deep water and find out just how well I can or can't swim. Seein how you can only drown once and this day didn't seem like a good day to drown. So after I jump in, I find out that my life jacket is completely torn on the bottom and the little white Styrofoam inside is doin it's best to float out of the jacket. So with one hand tryin to hold the Styrofoam in and doin a side swim with the other hand, I finally make it back to the pontoon boat. This time I make sure that the life jacket is a good one and again jump back in the lake. Well I have never swam in a life jacket before. And I find it is takin two steps forward and five steps back. And then finally when I am almost at the boat, they realize they are gettin too close to the shore and move the boat back out toward the middle of the cove. I was thinkin no no....and begin my journey again toward the boat. I did finally make it, climbed up, and had had enough of the swimming. Not long after that we notice the sky gettin cloudy, so we load back up and start headin back to our dock. I decide to be funny, and do my best reenactment of the Titanic, get my laughs and then sit down at the front of the boat. Well the front of the boat had a set of seats on each side and then there was a gate and a little area on the front where you could jump off the boat to swim. Which was just what we had been doin earlier. And no sooner did I sit from just doin my best performance of the Titanic, the front of the boat suddenly became submerged in the water. The water came gushin in and the gate, which I guess no one had locked back, came crashin into my leg. I tried to hold back the water with the gate...and by the way the gate hittin my leg...it hurt! Then the oldest of their sons, he runs back to the back seats under the canopy, next to his mom. I'm thinkin, I will never reenact the Titanic again!
Have you ever wondered....if a pontoon boat could be sunk? Well, I'm thinkin it can!
So our greenhorn captain of the ship, figures out it had something to do with how he trimmed the motor (whatever that means)...and corrects whatever it was he did...and luckily the water starts runnin back out of the boat where it belonged...in the lake, not in our boat!
So now the boat is like really wet and our fearless captain says, how am I goin to explain all this water in the boat.
Welp, I guess he must be livin his life right, cuz god made a way to explain it....
It came one hellacious storm, literally!
At first me and the other two kids were enjoyin bein rained on. Then it got worse. We all huddled under the canopy now, but the rain was so hard it just blew in. And the rain hurt as it fell on us. Just as someone moaned, awwww it hurts, it hurts....I noticed on one of the towels we were using to try and stay dry, was a small ice ball. I was like no wonder it hurts.....it's hail.
I have to say, that was the worst storm I had ever been in. The lightening seemed to light the whole sky and the thunder was deafenin. You couldn't even hold your eyes open for the rain beatin on your eye sockets. But I don't know how but our captain after what seemed like hours, got us back to the dock, all drenched but safe.
It was still stormin when we got there and our camp site was also drenched. There was a nice lady from another site there tryin to zip our tents up. The people at this other camp site. Well they were right on the point and next to the lake, and a lot of there stuff was now at the bottom of the lake...yes that was how bad it was. We were lucky, I had one of them shamie wammy rags in my car and we used that to soak up all the water in our tents. But after a little sun and dryin we were back in business.
Hickchic thinks....that one...I will never reenact the Titanic; two that god always makes a way even to explain water on a boat; and three without all the excitement, we wouldn't have had half as good a story to tell!

It's Story Time!

For as long as I can remember, I have been a story teller. It all started when I was young. Oh I told many stories then. Although at that time in my life, my father referred to them as lying, but hickchic thinks...it's all how you look at it. For instance, when a glue job backfired...I had no idea how it got broken...or perhaps it had met it's demise during a tragic accident when the so and so friend who had been up tripped and fell into the lamp, and they were just so lucky that they hadn't been cut or hurt badly. There were five families of kids growin up here back then, and when anything like this or similar to this happened one of the friends always took one for the team, cuz our parents wouldn't get so mad at them and no one would be punished. I was always the go to person for a good story to explain unfortunate mishaps to avoid punishment. And generally it worked pretty good for my friends, but not for me. The reason why it didn't work for me was cuz usually either my brother or sister or both were involved with me in our mishaps and my dad would take us one at a time into a room and interrogate us. He always saved me for last. You would of thought that eventually I would of learned that my brother or sister wouldn't stick to the story. Nope they always told what really happened. Then when it came my turn, my dad would take me into the room and ask the big question "what happened"! Of course, I would go right into the story I had made up, always with the hope they had told the same thing. But no such luck. Dad always seemed to enjoy my stories though, I think, cuz he would always listen tentatively till the end. Then he would say, "Are you sure that's what happened?" At this point I knew I was had, but I would still answer, yep, that's what happened. I guess you can figure out the rest of what happened...it usually ended with me being grounded and a few swift love licks to my bottom...and a nice long lecture how lying was wrong, and that was the reason I was being punished but my brother or sister were not. So dad tried to beat the story tellin out of me. I often tell him, I might of been a famous writer if he hadn't beat it out of me!

So next in my cycle of story telling, came when my niece and nephews were born. Them and their friends were always gatherin around me beggin for a good story. I usually told stories on my sister and what a big baby she was. But most of my stories were bout little mishaps when I was young, with several fictional ones as well.

Then after I had my girls, I continued the tradition of story tellin with them and their friends.

And I shall finish this blog with tellin one of their all time favorites...

Once upon a day, a day much like today...only the sun was hotter, and their wasn't any breeze, and the sweat dripped off of you standin still...I always started my stories like this...the kids would laugh and then holler tell the story!

So, on this day, the twins and I were at home and I was goin through some things, when I happened upon this object.

"What is that mommy?" one of the twins asked.

And as I stared at the object the story began.

Well this is a fossilized octopus eye, I told them with much enthusiasm!

I got this deep sea divin back in 1985, when I lived in CA, long before you two were born, I explained.

Wow! Were the girls reactions.

Yep, I had joined up with a group of deep sea divers to search for hidden treasures and then on one particular dive we found a sunken ship. I can remember swimmin through that ship, like it was just yesterday. The bottom of it now filled with sand and small rocks, and there was a large hole in the side. As we were swimmin through it and came to the gallows, and I explained that that was where they ate their meals. There buried in the sand, I saw something gold, just barely visible. I carefully uncovered the object to find that it was a golden fork and very beautiful with ecthed designs throughout the handle. Everyone gathered around me as we gazed upon the golden fork and then passed it around for all to see. Then as we continued on our search through the ship, I held my golden fork proudly in my hand as we swam. After a long period of time of examining the ship, with our air now getting in short supply, we decide to conclude our deep sea diving adventure for today. I was the only one who had found anything on this trip and what was so cool was that we got to keep whatever we found. So as we were swimmin, and just exiting the ship suddenly something grabbed me around one of my legs. I linged in toward the girls and intensified my voice as I started this part of the story. And as I turned around, I was eye to eye with a giant octopus. He had a strong hold on my leg, and it was beginning to really hurt. So I did the only one thing I could think of to do...I took my golden fork and I stuck it right in that octopus's eye socket and pried down on the handle. To my amazement, that octopus's eye popped right out of it's socket and as it came toward me I grabbed that eye with both hands. The octopus now in terrific pain, I am sure, released me from it's hold. And when it did, I held that eye in one hand and swam as quickly as I could to the water's surface. Unfortunately in the battle for my life, I had lost my golden fork. And after I was safely back on our ship, I looked at my leg which was still hurting. And I pointed at my leg. And see that round scar right there. The girls were like yeah...that is where the octopus's tentacle scarred me for life.

Wow mommy, the girls said with wide eyes.

And then I told them, so if you ever go deep sea diving and you see a one eyed octopus that be the one your mommy fought.

One of my girls asked could she keep the eye and I told her sure and to take care of it though.

Little did I know what an impression the story had made and why she wanted the eye.

They were in first grade when I told them that story, which I was makin up as I went along.

So, when Samantha came home the next day from school she told me how she had showed everyone the octopus eye and told the whole class the story bout my deep sea divin adventure. Course bout this point, I was thinkin I should tell her that it was just a story I made up for their amusement. But I thought how can I tell her now, she was young and perhaps wouldn't understand that it was just a story and not like the majority of my stories that were true. So I figured soon she would just forget all bout it. But I was wrong, every new school year she would take that octopus eye to school or if a new student enrolled and tell them the octopus story. I kept thinkin when she got old enough I would tell her that I had just made it up. Then the day came, she was in 5th grade then, and had to write a story for class. Sadly she said, "Mommy, I don't know what to write about, I wish I have done all the cool things like you, deep sea divin, fightin an octopus. And before she could go any further, I thought, ok it's time to tell her, she is old enough now. Sam, I said, and took a deep breathe, I have been wanting to tell you this for a long time. That story bout the octopus I just made it up.

Oh the glare that I received and then with a very angry tone she asked, "And what other lies have you told me!", and tears ran down her face. "How many of your other stories are lies"!

Well, I felt just awful!

I tried to explain, and that most of my stories were true, but she didn't understand, nor would she listen to me.

Needless to say, she wouldn't even speak to me for days and days.

But the good news is that eventually as she got older, she did understand. And I am glad to report that now she finds it quite funny and loves to tell the story herself. And I figure it will be a story we both tell her own children one day.

Hickchic thinks.....that my story tellin days aren't over yet and the next cycle will be the grand kids, but I have learned that at the beginning of the story to say, now I made this one up!

I decided to add a little note here in my defense, I really thought when I finished the story, the girls would ask, "Is that true, Mommy". And I would tell them nope, but it made for a good story didn't it. Little did I know that they were goin to swallow it hook, line, and sinker, and be so proud of their mommy for fightin an octopus. And for the record, I did learn the difference between story tellin and lyin...and I can't stand to be lied to and I always tell the truth now.

My Girls Are Growing Up

This has been a very busy summer, so far. My twins are in the Upward Bound program and take college courses and stay at the dorm during the week. And now through their MPower program the days they aren't at Upward Bound, they are working now. Their first jobs, it's so hard to believe that they are growin up on me. They will be seniors this comin school year.

The Upward Bound program has given me a taste of the empty nest syndrome and I don't like it. But as parents we have to do what is right for our children and push them out the doors, if necessary, to begin their lives as adults. They stay at the college from Monday at 7 pm till Friday's at noon.

They have opened their first checkin accounts too and momma be teachin them bout balancin a checkbook and savin money.

Yep, they are growin up....and it is so hard to believe. The vision of them, my babies, is still so fresh in my mind and seems like it was just yesterday. And we have had a blessed life thus far and so many joyful memories and much laughter as you can tell from my blogs bout my girls.

Oh their first jobs. They are workin at a theater where they perform plays and they love it!

So far they have helped mostly with props and preparing the stage for the next production.

So the driving thing is not goin so good with them, which leaves me driving them to college and work and stayin busy, which I like. The days they are gone, I have a huge list of things to do to keep me busy, while they are gone spreading their wings.

To my girls...Fly high, soar, and glide with the winds!

Hickchic thinks....that we must adapt with the cycle of life, cuz there are always new memories to look forward too...

FOUR PUPPIES LEFT...that need a home!

This is Cindy. She is the lightest colored of the four pups. I think Flea is a camera hog, cuz was hard to get individual pics of them cuz Flea seemed to be wherever the camera was!

This is Flea. She be the runt of the litter. She is such a sweetheart too.

This is Buster Brown...and he is my dog Mia's favorite

FOUR PUPPIES LEFT...that need a home!

This is Dingo and his sister Flea is in the background. As you can tell the puppies are like mommy and like to sit with their tongues out.

Hey, you see anything?

Nope, but she said to guard the porch...

Two puppies find new home...I miss them already, but very happy they have a home!

"Your blog deserves to be shot!"

This award is from TC/Animals That Give Pause. Thank you TC much appreciated! I told TC I had no idea how to post this and I don't even know 12 bloggers at this point. But then while sleeping last night, the answer came to me on how to do this. I know sounds weird but I've always done this, when I had a problem...like even in algebra that I couldn't solve awake, I would figure it out in my sleep, dream the solution. So last night I woke up at one goin...oh I know...copy and paste. So see an old dog can learn new tricks. Although I'm not quite a senior yet, I be close enough to smell the Bengay! Anywho, I be getting side tracked, so on with the award....And sorry to say, that after many attempts, I did not figure out how to add a link to TC's blog by clickin on the pic, but hey maybe I'll dream it tonite... http://animalsthatgivepause.blogspot.com/

And the rules are:

1.Post the award and link it to the person (or canine) that gave it to you.

2. Choose 5 life situations that could be repeated in slow motion and explain why.

3. List up to 12 blogs and pass the love to them.

Lets see did number one rule above, now for the 5 life situations that could be repeated in slow motion and why:

1. That moment on Fridays when I go to pick my girls up at college (they are in upward bound, a summer college program for high school students) and I stand waiting for them, and they see me, and come running across campus hollerin mommy and then greet me with a big hug and I missed you...and the bonus, they don't have a laundry basket full of dirty cloths. For their age, 17 that is, and to not care what their peers might think of them, tells me just how close we are and how much we love each other.

2. Those moments when we find out just how we have touched someone elses life, for instance read Rae's blog title My lifes journey: http://myweathervane.blogspot.com/

3. Kids say the silliest things! For example, I recall a particular moment when I told one of my twin daughters to bath the dog, but we didn't have doggy shampoo so I told her to just use one of ours. She was old enough to read, and in a few moments replied, "No mommy, I can't use this shampoo. It says right on the bottle not tested on animals!" Needless to say the dog didn't get bathed until we had dog shampoo. Then there was that time that we were driving in the car and I don't even remember as to why I had said it, but told the girls, "When there's a will, there's a way...and they replied....and we got four wheels, so we can do it! Gotta love those concrete thinkers, age of development time periods!

4. When you have been craving something or try something new that tantalizes the taste buds, and you are like OMG this is better than sex. Hickchic likes food!

5. All the happy moments in our lives that we replay, rewind, recall, that have brought us joy and that we bloggers tend to blog about that then bring others a smile or laugh!

In the case of this award I would like to nominate:

http://myweathervane.blogspot.com/ who's blogs always bring me a smile or laugh!


http://squirrelqueen2.blogspot.com/ who's inspirational words and pics inspire me!

OMG, six puppies and not enough time in the day!

Look, I'm a flower!

How many pups fit in a pot?

So how many pups can fit in a 12" pot? Welp, at least six!

They dug half of the dirt out of this pot and now it is where they take their siestas.

These little guys and gals were abandoned along with their mommy and have taken up homestead at my house. They are a wonderful little brood, with the sweetest of temperaments. They look to be part chihuahuas. My cat is a little bigger than the mommy. The Pike County Animal Shelter received quite a bit of damage during the recent flooding here, so, I am acting as a foster home for them until the animal shelter can find them permanent homes.

Simon Says!

Remember those days, when someone in the family, gave horseback rides to the children on their backs. We would get down on all fours, the kids saddled up on our backs and we rode them all through the house, while making horse sounds as we did so. When my niece and nephew were young, I was the horsey. When my girls were young, my brother got the honor of being their horsey.
Yep every time they were around him, it was play horsey with us Uncle Alan. I remember this one day in particular that he was up and as usual they made their request for him to be their horsey...
Uncle Alan they said, "Let's play horsey".
"No not today, girls", he replied. "I'm too tired to play today!"
"Please, Uncle Alan!", they begged in unison.
No was his reply again, "I'll play anything else, but not horsey", he said.
So, after a short pause, one of the twins said with excitement, "OK, Uncle Alan, Let's play Simon Says".
And Alan agreed, for he thought that game wouldn't take as much out of him as being a horsey would of.
Then with a huge smile on her face she said, "Simon says....play horsey with us!"
Alan could not believe that such a young child could of been so smart to even think of that, and he had already said he would play anything else. He also felt she should be rewarded for being so smart and coming up with it, so, he took the position on all fours, nayed, and the twins mounted their horse, and said, "giddy up horsey!"
Hickchic thinks....kids are smarter than we sometimes give them credit for, and it always pays to find out first what you're agreeing too before you agree!

She lives....

Ah....it's been a while, since I have posted anything. Welp, I have not died or fallen to an unforeseen disaster. I have had company for the past two weeks and also had my first really bad flu for the yr. I really hated that I was sick for most of the time that my company was in, but all in all we still made the best of things. I am still not back to my usual health as of yet but makin progress towards feelin better.
And now for an update on my demon....I still be fighting the battle, and have cut down from two packs a day, to one pack or less. But I am planning on trying cold turkey again. I shall ask those who read this to plz say a little prayer for me on defeating my demon.
Hopefully, soon, I will have some time to rec collect another story from my days of old in the near future, that will bring a smile or laughter to my readers out there. Until then....
:) smiles to all!!

My Mission!

I am on a mission! I have been on this mission, I suppose all my life, but now I advertise that mission, at least for the last 5 or so years I have. But recently, I have increased the advertisement. What is that mission, you are probably wondering by now...welp it is to cure a disease that we all suffer from. One that makes our days impossible, until we are given the cure.

So, my mission is to cure grumpiness! People ask me all the time what the deal is with my car. Is it a business car, I am asked. I always simply ask them. Welp did it make you smile. And they are like, yes it did. And I say, welp that is the deal. I be on a mission to cure grumpiness, to spread a smile to others. I recently added the yellow paint to the wheels and the smileys there. And I also repainted the magnetic smileys from just yellow to more standout colors. Hickchic thinks...we have a choice to be happy or grumpy (yes, we still have a choice in this matter), so why not be happy!

My Demon

There have been several reasons why I have not posted as of late, but the most prominent one being my demon! I am a smoker, and with the recent price jump, am finding myself unable to afford the habit. I can find many reasons to smoke and many reasons not to smoke. But with the price hike, I no longer have the choice to smoke. Whatever happened to the freedom to choose. Although I am upset over this raise, I know in the long run, it will be a good thing, that I am being forced to quit. But I must say that even when I manage to defeat my demon, I still will feel that the smoker is being treated unfairly. And hickchic thinks that the smoker is treated more like a criminal now, than a US citizen with the right to choose. I am certain, that this blog will meet with some negative thoughts from my readers, and is understandable. But if smokers would just be respectful of nonsmokers, and refrain from smoking in areas where nonsmokers are exposed to secondhand smoke, I think that we could all get along. Nonsmokers are entitled to their choice as well to not be exposed to cigarette smoke. When I became pregnant with my twins, I quit smoking for 12 yrs. Then when my health issues popped up after hitting 40, I did a stupid thing and started back smoking! I know I need to quit, and I need to conquer this demon. So I have been staying very busy. And have been avoiding triggers, which one was being on the computer. Thus why I have not been on as of late. But I hate to report, I broke down yesterday and bought a pack of cigs. But the demon has not won, I will win this battle, she says, as she puffs on her cigarette. I truly believe that it is all in the mind. And once I set my mind to it, I will win. I did really good the first two days. It is that third one that always seems to get me. But perhaps that is only because in my mind, I think this and surrender to this thought. I use my mind to deal with my daily pain, so I know that I can do this...hickchic thinks....it's just a matter of mind rather than time!

The Red Bud

Awww, the beautiful Red Bud! This is my mom's favorite tree. Many years ago I transplanted some of these glorious trees on the hillside for my mom, so she could look out her family room window and gaze upon their beauty at her leisure. This is a pic of a hillside that is covered with Red Buds. I took this yesterday evening, on my way back home from town. I am hoping to get a good pic, blow it up, and frame it for my mom for Mother's Day. I wasn't satisfied with really any of the ones I took yesterday and plan in my busy day today of running my girls to school club activities, and then getting one back home in time to get dressed and ready for a military ball with her boy friend. As I pulled off the side of the road to take these pics, the neighbors across the street kept their eyes upon me, to make sure I wasn't up to no mischief. Hickchic thinks perhaps they will grow tired of watching me as I continue to stop till I get the perfect picture.

Plz vote for your favorite pic of the Red Bud. I am planning to blow one of the pics up and make a frame and give to my mother for Mother's day. Much thx for your opinions!

A Little Piece of My Earth

In honor of Earth day, I thought that I would share a little bit of my neck of the woods. Speakin of that it be bout time to go dry land fishin...The picture of the cabin is my dad's. It's our little getaway back up in the mountains. Me, my girls, and their friends love to go spend the weekend and just hoop and holler till our hearts are content, with not a soul around to hear our commotion! Hickchic thinks...there's no place like home and our glorious mountains!

My Family, When I was Little

After writing my last blog, I thought that it might be a good idea for me to tell a little family history...I have one older brother by 2 yrs and one older sister by 1 yr and 1 day. People always thought my sister and I were twins and because our birthdays were only a day apart, we always celebrated them together, usually on hers cuz it came first. Anywho my sister was the motherly one and also the cry baby. My brother was the tattletale. And my mother often referred to me as her "Joy Child". But I suppose you could say of the three of us, I was the most responsible one of the bunch. In other words, if something ever happened that we would be in trouble for, I was usually the one responsible for it. I often broke things, cuz I was a clutz. I had a unique way of turning what my parents said around till it would be alright for us to do something. Like the time we wanted to meet two of our friends half way to our house and then walk with them the rest of the way to our home. But mom said no that it was getting ready to rain and she didn't want us to get wet. So I talk my sister into goin anyways by reasoning that if it did start to rain we all could find shelter from the rain in the drain tile and we would wait the rain out there and would not get wet. It made sense to me and to my sister. And yes it did start to rain and yes we did stay in the drain tile till it quit, then we all walked to our house. Welp, it turned out mom didn't see things like I did and she sent our friends home and we received a spanking and got grounded. But because my sister was older and should of known better she always got punished worse. So, hickchic thinks....that you would of thought that my sister would of learned not to listen to me but I just had a way with making things sound reasonable.
:) smiles

I Scream for Ice Cream!

When I was in second grade, every Friday, if you had money, you could buy an ice cream after everyone finished their lunch. The cafeteria staff would ask who wanted an ice cream and then would go around to the uplifted hands of those who had money to buy an ice cream. Then take their money and they would get an ice cream. I can remember how I would watch the lucky ones eat their ice cream and drool at the mouth wishing that I too had an ice cream. After months and months of just drooling my day finally came. I ate my lunchroom food very quickly, cuz today I had money to buy an ice cream. I was so excited! I watched as others ate their food and could easily pick out those who didn't have money for an ice cream cuz they ate more slowly. That is when I got the idea, I would buy everyone who didn't have ice cream money an ice cream! Finally the moment came and there stood the cafeteria staff asking the much awaited question...Who wants ice cream today? I proudly held up my hand and when my turn came I said, "I would like an ice cream and I also want to buy everyone else who doesn't have money an ice cream as well". And at that, I handed them the blank check, I had acquired from a box in a room my parents used for storage. I was just in that room rambling, a few days before, when I came upon the checks. And I had seen my parents use these just like money, and I thought they wouldn't mind me taking just one to buy ice cream. The lunchroom lady asked, "Do your parents know that you have this"? Needless to say, I did not get ice cream, nor did the others who had no money. But what I did get was a visit to the principles office where I sat until my MOM arrived. Seems they had called her to come to the school to discuss this matter. When I took the check I really didn't think I was stealing but after the talk with the principle and my mother, I got my first lesson in stealing. I remember crying and saying I was sorry, that I just wanted an ice cream, like the others. And for the record, I never took anything ever again after that without asking cuz technically that was stealing. But after that, I did get money to buy ice cream on Fridays.
So hickchic thinks...it is better to ask and not assume, cuz you just might be stealing and that sometimes good things do come out of bad things!

:) smiles

Where's My Dinner?

I like to call this pic, "Where's My Dinner?" This is Misty Dawn, she is over a yr old now and was found a good home. I can't help but wonder bout her once in awhile and how she is doing. Anywho I love this pic and wanted to share it and feel free to have fun and share your thoughts on this pic and what you would use for a title, because hickchic thinks that would be cool to see what all my readers come up with as a title. And that is just what hickchic thinks...
:) smiles

Right and Wrong

One day while putting one of my twins girls shoes on, I asked, "Which foot is this?".
And she replied, "I don't no mommy".
And I, holding her foot and tieing the laces, said, "This is your right foot".
Then I commenced to putting the other shoe on and asked, "So which foot is this?"
She looked into my eyes with a broad smile on her face, because she knew this answer or so she thought, she said proudly, "My wrong foot!"
Of course I couldn't help but smile and tried to refrain from laughing , after all the times of me saying no that is the wrong foot when she struggled to put her shoes on the wrong feet. And perhaps what I did next might of not been the right thing to do, but she just seemed so happy that she thought she knew the answer, I said excitedly, "Yep you got it right, I'm so proud of you!" So for a long time my twin girls had a right foot and a wrong foot.
So what does hickchic think...I think that I might of made a mistake because they never have been able to grasp the concept of right and left and now that they are teens, it really comes back to bite me when they are driving the car! So parents out there, if your toodler says something really cute and you are like, "awwwww" tell them, nope your wrong and give them the right answer. But then I could always tell the girls, turn right up here, or turn wrong at the next light!

and that is just what hickchic thinks....

:) smiles

My first blog...teaching teenagers to drive

Well if you have ever taught a teenager how to drive or it is an experience that you have to look forward to then you will relate to this blog. I have teenage twin daughters. So not only do I get to teach one teenager but I get double the pleasure. Oh wait did I actually use the word pleasure, because it is anything but pleasurable. I suffer from constant pain and even though I have refused pain meds, and I know that I am getting off my topic here for just a moment, but I saw too many of my clients, who were seeing me for depression because of their pain and loss of their jobs, get hooked on pain meds and they just increased their problems. OK now back to driving. But teaching teenage girls to drive makes you want pain meds, because one, like most greenhorn drivers, when you say break, this is translated into...slam foot now on peddle, which leads to a whiplash like motion, and with multiple ruptured and bulging discs in your neck is not a motion you want to indure. Two, some of the questions they have asked me are just scary. Like which is the brake and which is the gas?...and to ask it every time they get in the car to drive is just scary. Or when do you know when to turn the wheel in a curve? This is just some of the questions they ask. Then the one daughter after a coal truck going in the other direction comes towards our car shouts OMG, which is followed by another coal truck. At which point she applies the brake, again with the whiplash. And when the third one approaches, we are now stopped in the middle of the road until it has safely passed us. And the way they sway back and forth is like being in one of those 3D movie theaters. And those bars that you find in cars to hold onto, that I refer to as "oh shit bars"...well mine has a permanent hand print in it now. For awhile after they got their permits, I couldn't get them to drive cause they scared themselves to death. Luckily though I have to say our car is very visible because it is a bright yellow, Ford Escape covered in smiley faces, and that's another blog for another time. But I do believe that just the color of the car has saved our lives more than once. I can just see the people in the other cars saying, "OMG, that car is all over the place, they must be drunk", which is followed by a lot of space being put between us and them...can just hear the wife saying, "Oh, don't get too close Henry!" And those that are approaching us in the other direction tend to start hugging the edge of the road for the yellow car that keeps goin over the center line. Oh and they are so easily distracted too. Gotta watch them on that. One of the girls was driving and saw a horse and was like look a horse. Needless to say I was hollering forget the horse look at the road. So if this first blog is all you ever hear from me again...you will know I took the girls driving again and it didn't end well. But I do believe I will survive this ordeal and have some really memorable stories to tell from the experience and that's just what hickchic thinks...