Adam's 18th Birthday Request...

Adam has decided what he wants for his 18th birthday.  It's a rather strange request.

As I've mentioned, he's planning on joining the military right after he graduates.  The other day we were sitting on the couch and he said, "I want a tattoo for my birthday." 

"Really?" 

"Yep, I think I want one of grampa's prints tattooed on my arm so that when I go into the Army, I'll be able to look down and see it and I'll always know that he's with me."

Well, damned if that didn't just make my heart melt!  He's not sure which print he wants done, but he's thinking right now about the Mountain Man, which is the print we used to raise reward fund money when dad was killed.

I'm thinking this one might be less painful!  But, it will be up to Adam.

We're going to have to find someone REALLY good to do such an intricate piece.  Anyone know someone really good locally?  Any idea how much this might cost?  I thought I was going to get away with giving him 50 bucks...

The Blame Game...

I recently read a post on my local Casting For Recovery Facebook page where someone asked if anyone had been off of Arimidex for long enough that they had noticed a change in their side effects from the medication.  They specifically named lack of emotion and energy and mood swings. 

WHAT?

I didn't know those were side effects of Arimidex!  I've been on it for 8 years and have 2 more to go, even though I asked Dr. Montgomery at my last appointment if I could stop taking it - he said no.

But, to get back to why I loved this question. 

I love it when I can come up with a good reason for my bad behavior.  Now, I feel completely comfortable in blaming it on the Arimidex.  Life really is good...

Woot!

Empty Nest...

Today something hit me.  In just 8 months I'll have an empty nest.  Wow.

Adam is planning on joining the Army and will probably ship out to boot camp as soon as he graduates from high school in May.  This of course, has made me wonder, what will Ival and I do?  I hope to be like that car commercial where the young girl has moved on and worries about what her parents are doing and says, "I'm an only child.  Except for my sister."

I hope we'll be off riding horses, taking care of critters, and spending some enjoyable time together.  But a family always seems to revolve around the kids. 

What did/will you do when you have an empty nest?

Our lives will definitely be different...

First Solo Hunting Trip - Could Have Turned Out Badly...

Adam and one of his best friends took their first solo deer hunting trip a few days ago.  They were both really excited but mom was a bit nervous.  I had to make sure they had enough food and water for 4 days, plus a lighter "just in case."  I'm such a boob!

They were only going outside of Horseshoe Bend - about an hour away.  They got up early and left in time to make it to their hunting spot by daylight.  They saw another vehicle parked where they wanted to hunt so they parked nearby and got out.

The minute they stepped out of their vehicle, they were verbally assaulted by 3 men in their 30s.  Calling them "anal assholes" and a bunch of other 4 letter words asking why they were hunting in the same area.  Adam finally said, "Before you get all nasty, why don't you ask us where we're hunting."  So, one guy asked where they were going and Adam pointed the direction.  The jerk said "Good, we're going that way." 

And they all parted ways.  I keep thinking that this could have turned out really badly.  I wish Adam had gotten a license number.  This grizzly mama would have run down the jerk and told him that he could have ruined my son's first solo hunting trip if Adam had allowed it to happen.  As it turned out, the boys saw a doe but no bucks and had a great time.  Why would 3 30-year-old men talk like that to 2 teenagers? 

Jerks.

Kitty in the Garbage Can...

My mother, bless her heart.  She feeds the birds and loves them.  She has one problem however, and that's neighborhood cats that tend to "sneak" on her birds and have often killed them.  She hates that.

A few years ago, she watched as a neighborhood cat caught and killed one of her tweety birds.  She was having none of that.  She ended up catching the cat, set it into her big plastic garbage can,  shut the lid, found a BIG stick and spent the next few minutes banging the garbage can.  KAPOW!  KAPOW!  KAPOW! Needless to say, neighborhood kitty was scared shitless and when mom finally opened the lid, said cat flew out of that garbage can never to return.

Well, this spring mom kept seeing a cat out laying under one of her bushes.  She was sure the kitty was stalking her tweety birds.  This cat however, was very friendly and would run up to her as soon as she opened her door.  After watching kitty lay under her bushes for several days, she finally scooped kitty up and gave her "the trash can treatment."  Yep, my sweet 80-year-old mother.

This time however, she noticed that kitty kept coming back.  Only it was getting thinner and obviously wasn't eating - not even her birds.  It was instead, eating her bird seed.  Poor kitty, somebody had obviously moved and abandoned her.  So, trash can kitty stole mom's heart and she started feeding her.  As time has passed, mom felt so sorry for her that she now lives inside mom's house.  On mom's wonderful bedspread, on her beautiful furniture - wherever she wants to sleep.

Trash can kitty now has a home, although she tends to sit and stare at mom sometimes - like she'd like to scratch her eyes out.  I wonder if she's having flashbacks...

Pinterest

My sister sent an invite to Pinterest a few weeks ago.  I went to the link and set up an account but had no idea what I was supposed to do with it.  I went to websites I like but couldn't figure out how to copy the pictures to my page.  I then discovered that they have to be linked to the site in order to do so.  So, I started going just through the Pinterest website and starting finding all kinds of things that I love!  They have lots of categories and it's a great way to keep track of ideas that I love for our barnhouse. 

If you have a Pinterest account, send me the link, I'd love to see what you've pinned.  Or, if you don't have one and would like one, let me know and I'll send you an invite.

You can look at my page by clicking on the Pinterest logo on the right hand side of my page here.  It's great fun when you have nothing better to do.  I haven't pinned too much yet but I'm working on it.