Letter to Pinenut

Dear precious little baby boy,
I am your grandmother. It will be awhile before you connect with me. You've got your Mommy and Daddy around 24-7, so I know that they are the most important people in your life.I can accept that. Wait till you get to know me. It will be so fun. I will be that older, but beautiful lady that you will run to if your Mommy or Daddy are not around. I will also be the one that will love you unconditionally. You can come to me if your parents are upset with you. I don't care. I will listen to you. If you want something and your parents say no....too bad your with me kid, you get what you want. Just forget about rules with me... I am too cool for rules. I'm not saying you don't have to listen to your Mom and Dad, for sure you do, but with me anything goes.
I will tell you stories about your Mom....that will be our secret. And Uncle Robby, ....I have soooo many cool stories about him. We'll have sleep overs and you will rule. Now I'm letting you know now, that I will spoil you rotten, cause that's my job. And you need to stay with me, so I have you all to myself.I won't like sharing. Well, I might share you with your Grandpa Rob...but I will be your favorite cause I'm a softy. But big Daddy is really more of a softy than me, so you need to hit him up alot. And he doesn't really know what he wants to be called yet, so that might not be his name when you are born. We don't know what your name is either, I guess we will all be surprised about your name and his.
So back to, you will get whatever you want. I put on a good front with your Mom and Dad but they will never know...it's just between us.Your Mom is pretty controlling, so I will have to make it look like I am being somewhat structured for her sake....but as soon as she leaves..... PARTY!
So looking forward to meeting you, you'll know who I am. I'm the one that calls you GOO,goo head, and I sing Rocky Racoon on occasion.
You are our precious gift,
I Love you more than you know already.

Grandma Jillsy

80 is the "New" 60

Grandma had her 80th. Birthday party. It was so fun. You would not believe how many people were there and what a nice celebration. She really looked so cute. She had on the cutest flowered blazer, and darling pants. She really looked vogue had cute hair-do. And all the people there were styling too, not just Grandma. I looked around the room . There were people from all the different stages of Grandma's life. How cool is that? She had friends from childhood, she has friends from Nursing school, and then the friends that we all knew growing up the Kirk Rd, clan. You know we all make friends over the years, and it really takes effort to keep up with your friends. For me to actually witness a person that has done that and celebrate her life was an ah-ha! Moment.
Especially girlfriends. I found something on the internet about sisters and I thought of all the women in my life, and what a difference they have all made in the person that I am.
Here were all these 80 year olds. And they all looked pretty hip to me. Again this gives me hope. I have already given Brianne the order to make sure I have cute clothes,nice hair cut and no facial hair.
Also I , and my girlfriends have discussed finding a nursing home that will have cocktail hour and sell designer bags at a discount.
When I talk about sisters, I do mean sisters literally, but also sisters as,girlfriends, sisters-in-laws, mothers,daughters,grandmothers, nieces, aunties,and cousins. We are all there for each other. It could be a phone call, a helping hand, a laugh or a cry. We are able to get through hardships with their help and celebrations on the happiest day only are only better because you are sharing the joy with them.So to all the wonderful ladies in my life, thanks! And for all those men that understand how important it is for us to have that "girl time" also Thanks!
So if 80 is the new 60. Then 70 is the new 50 that makes me 30 something. I LOVE IT!I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!

Nashville Nights

Well the sisters made it to Nashville. It was awesome. And I took Flat Stanley with me. Five women and Flat Stanley was quite a party. It was really great being with the Allen girls. We haven't done it for five or six years, and it was needed. Jeanie chose Nashville, I think she thought Barbara mandrel was going be to walking the streets and be one of us girls. Or Dolly would be hanging out at the Hotel. Neither one happened, but I think Jeanie was okay. I certainly was okay, cause I had a blast. My sissies are so much fun.
When I got back home , I pondered about the the dynamics of five ladies getting along. Hello, we were brought up to go with go with the flow, so this trip was so easy.
Although, I am a little if you pay, you need to get what you want ... so we did changed Hotels, sort of because I'm a Be-Autch. But, whatever it worked. And Jeanie was so happy to be anywhere with US. So she silently followed. She really really liked the new room though, I think for fear that I would make everyone move AGAIN!

Our first night was nothing scheduled, we found a good restaurant. The next day was the Outlet Mall. I think the only ones that really appreciated that were Janet and I. Judy always buys ,no matter where, Jo hates to shop, lost on her. Jeanie wanted autographs, not happening there.
Went to Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Pretty cool. Very exotic with the gardens and buildings. We toured the area, took all day, not that bigga deal. Glad we did it. Found a cute Irish Pub. Jo and I really liked that, got our pictures taken. Flat Stanley did too. Don't think Mackenzie will get that one. Maybe Uncle Jerry will.
Went to Grand Ole Opry. Jeanie was thrilled . We had great seats. I thought Jeanie's hands were gonna fall off her body , she clapped so loud.I don't think there was anyone really earth shattering but she liked Laurie Morgan, pretty girl. Jeanie knew her that's all that counted.Porter Wagoner was there. The guys that played in Toy Story.I think we all enjoyed it. Jeanie thought that she was going to get autograghs and that would have been very nice. Remind me to send a scathing letter for the promoters to do that next time. She held her little book all night. In the middle of the show, I said Jeanie, Isn't this good? She said I don't have one autograph yet. God love her. She wasn't gonna either.
The gift shop was a big hit for her, though. She got the CD that was the Laurie girl that sang, and a T-shirt, and I got A magnet, and Shot glass. Had to get it couldn't stop myself. Little Jeanie was still waiting for autograghs.Didn't happen.
Next day, Willie Nelson's wax museum. Jeanie LOVED IT!Pictures with the General Lee. You know, the Dukes of Hazard car. Also in the front of the building were sidewalks imprinted with hands and feet and signatures of the stars. Jeanie took lots of pictures there. Loretta Lynn was the biggest name there.
Riverboat Cruise....Awesome.
It was the best ever. I don't know if the other peopple get it, but we did. It was so good. The theme was Broadway. IT WAS NOT! It was New York. And it was Motown, Tony Bennet, Frank ...Our table loved it.We were so freakin tired of Yippi-I-O-Ki-A The other folks....were like Jeanie they were there for Country. JoEllen, Judy, Janet and I got a great show, and we loved it.
And people you are not going to believe this, but there was a gal (listen to me gal)at our table that was from Youngstown! Shut-up!For real life. It was absolutely random. We were placed at her table cause ours was full.So we got moved to the middle of the room, closer to the stage. She was part of the production company in Youngstown, Easy Street. I knew about it cause I have a highschool friend who is in the theater there, Maureen Collins. We laughed so hard. Anywho the meal was great the scenery was beauteous, going down the River , it was a gorgeous night. Of course we got our picture taken with the cute show guys. Jeanie and I decided the one guy reminded us of Jake.(Jake is cuter of course)
Our trip home was sad but fun. And I for one did not want it to end. As we got closer and closer to Jasper my heart just got sadder and sadder.
So you just have to look at the wonderful time together, and not be sad. How many ladies have sisters that they can spend time with as adults? How many people have four sisters? We laughed, we talked about our hubbies , we talked about our kids,and grandkids. We talked about our parents. It was a freaking therapy session. We all are so different, but we all have so many similarities.I know it was harder for some of us to do this trip than others, but we all so needed it. I hope we can do it again really soon.

Clocks in Indiana

Okay it's bad enough that while I was gone that the time changed, but when I got home all the clocks were goofy due to the power outage during the big fat Indiana storms. I am not very mechanical as it is , but Indiana has changed the rules for times of the State. EEEEEE! It was supposed to be easier, when old My Man Mitch decided that he was going to change the whole state of Indiana to be in the same time zone. Well guess what, Mr. Daniels didn't win that that vote. And now we are even different from our Richmond cronies. What's up with that? He couldn't get these Southern fools to change with the rest of the state. Then leave the whole thing alone Mitch. I think it has to do with daylight savings time. So now, we are all screwed up.My buddies in Richmond are going to be a different time than us, just like our Ohio clan. And the two semi-big cities that I go shopping in, are sill in different time zones. And it's going to change again, cause they didn't do the whole change yet cause Hoosiers can't handle change, so they are waiting till the next time change time and changing us again!!!!!!And this all has to do with farming.
I remember back in the 70's when we were having fuel lotteries. That meant you could only get gas on certain days. I am not sure how they did it,last name or license plates, I can't remember. I do however remember being in line for gas on my day. The president tried daylight savings time all year long. It didn't work out so well , because it was really dark in the morning catching the bus for school. Sort of dangerous. It really didn't make a difference utilizing the electric, which is what they were trying to save money on. Anywho, not sure what's gonna happen with the next timechange. I don't even know what we're supposed to do.Does that make me an absolute Hoosier. I guess I'll just follow my cell phone to find out what time it is.

Boo Boo head is a boy!

Okay, so now we have another piece to the puzzle of pinenut. Boo boo is a boy. They don't have him named yet, but that doesn't matter to me because, I love Boo boo head, Bubby, Bubba or brother. And now my four little neices are still the little princesses in our lives. Can you see them giggling over this little boy? Isn't it funny , it just seems to give you more of a reality that Bri and Jake are actually having a baby. What did we do in the old days? We just had to go by the shape of the Mommy's tummy. It was so hokus pokus..... Out like a bullet= boy, big all over= girl. I think I remember something with draino turning colors, and another thing about string going in circles...I can't remember. Now you see every part of these little pumpkins. One thing for sure Boo boo is going to know grandma Jill's voice cause I will make sure he knows me ahead of time. Rocky Racoon fell back in his room only to find Ba ba's Bible.....Or play that funky music bubby, play that funky music right....And in the end, the love Bubby takes, is equal to the love Bri and Jake make . I'll have to practice.