Gingerbread men on the block

Missing

My kitty, Desmond, has been missing since Saturday night. If you are in my neighborhood and have seen him lately, leave me a comment. His sister, Molly, is very unhappy about his absence and walks the house looking for him and yowling. Thanks.

Rest in Peace

In a conversation with my mother this evening, she told me one of my cousins had passed away. I didn't grow up near this cousin (Colby Jackson), but when I would visit my great grandparents, the cousins in this family and another next door were my playmates. I remember playing under huge pine trees that werw just in view of the front door, but were enclosed enough to seem like a world away. He was either a little older or a little younger than I am and had several children. I am not sure how he passed, only that he did.

Within the last couple of years, another cousin (whom I never remember playing with) passed too. She was also in my age range with little girls.


You can't outrun mortality. A reminder to speak gently, keep the peace, and say what you need to every day.

Love you all.

Weekend

This weekend my oldest son performed in his high school play. He didn't land a leading role, he was the queen's petulant toady. But he was great. He got laughs when he was supposed to and really did a wonderful job. I filmed as much as I could (there was only 40 min left in our recorder, so I got his scenes). I will be uploading that and posting it in the next few days.

I also spent a little time with my cousin's baby, Jada. She is just a little younger than our neighbor baby and he even came down to show her his dashing personality (they both slept through the event). I planned to take pictures, but that didn't seem to to happen. I can tell you she was a really good baby, but it was enough for me to remember why I don't want anymore. They need constant supervision, they are heavy for such little people, and they need to eat every few hours (so does Cory!).

Overall, the weekend was great. The holiday season is really getting into swing and it hasn't created stress (YET) so I am still able to enjoy it!

I am still thankful for each and every one of you and wish you the brightest, happiest, most peaceful of holiday seasons!

Pictures for Laura

My lifelong friend, Laura, asked that I post pictures of the kids. Here they are.

Long time CASA volunteer

I came across this interview on the CASA website. This woman has been volunteering almost as long as there has been a CASA program.

Hippo life updates

* Cory/Adam will be playing Sir Dandiprat in HHS Snow White performance in the next week or two.

* Aurelia has a pair of very glittery red shoes (a la Dorothy) that she doesn't mind wearing to school with sweatpants. (photos to follow)

* Daniel is in a holiday funk to beat all funks.

*I am detoxing from the computer. (It is really hard to do)

* Christmas is about loving and sharing time with loved ones. I have asked all potential gift givers to my children to spend their money elsewhere. The more they receive, the less they are aware of what they received. My preference would be they donate the money they were going to spend to feeding the homeless or donating warm clothing to those who don't have any.

* Holiday music (at least the peppy ones) make me happy.

* Aurelia is obsessed with Christmas (pronounced cwithmath), when he is going to come, if he is going to play with her, bring her a doll, eat her cookies, etc.

Memories

By

Book Preview

Hiatus

Staggering into the daylight, the Happy Hippo took a long breath of clean, crisp autumn air. Disheveled and tired, she realized somehow six months have gone by. But then it dawned on her. She was finished. Done. No more pictures to sort, no more worrying about getting it done for Christmas. The project was uploading and headed for the printer. So now, for today, she will breathe in the smell of autumn and wait for the agonizing between print and delivery. Tomorrow is soon enough to worry. Today is for enjoying.

The next several days will be internet, computer, and possibly telephone free. I am exhausted of this computer screen. It makes my eyes hurt. But I will be back to babble soon enough. Happy Turkey Day! I am thankful for you all.


I am also going to give that little slideshow thing a try with Blogger. Hope it works.

So......

I went to the conveniece store and bought five copies of the newspaper. Only to discover the article was actually in FRIDAY's edition. Such is life.

BUT, tomorrow is the best day of the year!!! My local radio station begins playing only Christmas music 24/7 until after Christmas. Oh, JOY!

Many chances throughout the day to sing at the top of my lungs the bestest song in the whole entire free world-----THE HIPPO SONG.

For those of you who still do not know this wonderful tune, I have provided this handy link. Learn the words, sing it loud and proud. Embed it into the subconscious of those around you. Happy day, happy day.

Fifiteen miliseconds of fame

My baby girl and I are in the newspaper this weekend.

Have a look-see for yourself....

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x2105970211

A minute of happy

From the corner of my street to my driveway, there are beautiful trees whose leaves turn bright gold and orange in the fall. We had a bit of a delayed fall this year and the leaves have fallen quickly. For the last two weeks, these brightly colored leaves have drifted down onto my van as I come home every day. The trees are so tall that they drift a long way and pile up in vibrant heaps. The instant I turn onto my quiet little street until I pull into my own treeless yard it is a little like a sweet movie. There should be a soundtrack. It fills me with peace and happy glowing feelings. Those feelings drift away when I get into the house and begin refereeing yet another kid fight, but for those 60-90 seconds I can float away in my mind. Everybody should have a quiet little street to drive down once a day. Try it, you'll like it.

Edie Brickell - Good Times, Bad Times

I love this artist. Thought I would give a little audio/visual to go with the previous post.

Edie Brickell lyrics

These are the lyrics to the song Edie Brickell has been singing in my head all week:

The title is IN THE BATH:


In the morning in the bath
Water pouring from the tap
I don't want to go out
Lie back
Relax
Ever lazy never free
What my conscience does to me
Always something I should do
Something I should be
Run around
Put me down if you want to
I can't hear a sound
'Cause I'm not listening to you
I've taken today to be off and away
Unwinding
In the morning in the bath
I'm restoring from the past
The mistakes I made
Never seem to fade away
In a wash of memory
Everything is coming clean
Run around
Put me down if you want to
I can't hear a sound
'Cause I'm not listening to you
I've taken today to be off and away
Call me Freda
Freda day
Going down a busy road
Looking out of my window
In a taxi backseat
Out of control

Perception, Reality, Disillusionment

This particular blog is the mixture of the last couple of entries that I have meant to do, somehow today they seem to come together. Enjoy.

PART ONE

These past months I have been actively working on the photobook. I live, breathe, eat, dream these pictures. They are always on my mind and I have begun to feel like I was present at these events from long before I was born. The progress of those I love from birth, adolescence, adulthood, and golden years spills out before me to examine. What was that glimmer in their eye? Can I imagine the surroundings as the camera flashed? Could this young version of this person have possibly imagined themselves as I know them now? Are they disappointed, relieved, happy? When I was a kid in this gigantic family (and this is only my father's side of my enormous family), I wanted to be left alone at the same time I wanted to feel like a part of it all. Nothing brought more joy than quiet time with a book, unless that something was feeling with it for a second. There always seemed to be a vibe I just couldn't tune into. I wasn't extroverted or socially skilled. I couldn't glide into a conversation with ease. There was no doubt I was loved by these people I was always with, but I didn't feel like I fit. But the more I have looked at these pictures, the more I think to myself, that maybe none of them felt like they fit. Maybe they felt the same way, from kids to the dream of what growing up would bring. Because, surely, growing up would bring some comfort with our own skin, with an identity strong enough to be claimed. None are as good or as bad as we may remember. The distance and knowledge with which I look at their faces now, allows me to see the flaws, sweet human flaws, that we all have. But those flaws are what make us whole.

Part TWO

So I grew up. Now I am the mother of three beautiful kids and the wife to a sweet and loving husband. I don't have to work, I have time to volunteer for other kids, I will finish my degree when they are all in school. Life for me is good. But at the same time, that bit of kid left deep inside me knows this wasn't the dream. Seven kids... that was the insanity I wanted. Four girls, three boys. As a sane adult with perspective, I know that I was never cut out for that. I pictured a house where I would be patient, kind, gentle, nuturing to each and every one, each and every minute. Well, that my friends, is a crock. I yell, I lose my patience, I frown, I curse, I pray daily for their little tongues to fall out of their little heads so they will be stricken mute. I love them deeply, no doubt, but I know that the happiest moments are far between and I have to fill in the rest. I wonder what their memories of me will be. Will they have the same days where they are disillusioned by what they believed was true, what they dreamed would be? Bless their hearts, I know they won't look wistfully back on the days of mom's good ol' cooking (cause mine is crap), but I wonder what they will wish back for. In the meantime, I will keep doing the best I can, taking pictures of as much good stuff as possible, to build on what illusions we all have.

Part Three

Halloween

Trick or treating is over. Halloween parties are done. All the candy was given out. Daniel tried out his wily charms on the lay-dees, proclaiming to each and every one "Hey, nice costume." or "I really like your costume." Having laid that line out for one mother dressed as a cat, she asked if he had seen her tail (actual costume accessory). Ted could barely contain the inappropriate jokes. Aurelia was beautiful in her Tinkerbell costume. She refused to wear a jacket (difficult with wings anyway) and was even more offended at the suggestion a shirt would be nice. So every other house or so, I got the "suggestion" that she might need a jacket or sweater or space heater. Frankly, I would like to see them make it happen. :0)

Cory was delegated the candy man. I felt he would do fine with his alotted candy put aside for consumption and dole the rest out to the wee tots. I believe his dinner (a turkey leg straight from the Middle Ages or an ostrich) helped out in that arena. That kid is getting to be so big. Not just physically, but he will be a high school senior next year. Time to start scheduling SAT's, college tours, filling out forms for scholarships, all that jazz. Geez, where does the time go?

Seems like just yesterday I was dressing him up as a pumpkin, a yellow M&M, an alien and the like.

Hope you all had a safe holiday.

Holiday shopping tips from the happy hippo

Many of you know that I am mildly OCD about shopping. The last few holiday seasons, I have really been trying to stress the core importance of our celebrations be focused on our good fortune at having each other and being able to enoy that. But I also like to gift well. As much as my kids would love to get everything they see on TV, but that ain't happening (I know, ain't isnt a word).

My goal this year is to give the little crustaceans gifts that really mean something. Ebay is a very useful tool. One of the best ideas this year has been bulk lots of books. Cory and Daniel love to read. They can read them all, keep their favorites and donate the rest to the library. The best part is I get 400% more stuff for .01% of the cost in a store. WOO HOO.

Thrift stores are good too. Going in with an open mind and a general idea really help. I was looking for dress up clothes and costume jewelry and instead found an old school desk (the one piece deal from the '80s) for under 10$. Since Daniel doesn't have a desk in his room it came home with me. The unpredictable nature of the thrift store inventory may necessitate frequent stops to peruse new items, but you never know when you may find just what you didn't know you were looking for.

Big Lots is also a good source. They also have unpredictable stock, but several finds were found yesterday. They were quality, inexpensive, and NOT PLASTIC CRAP FROM CHINA. If there is anything in this world I do not need more of, it is small piece toys and things that just never get played with.

So prepare yourselves, shoppers. Go out with hearts full of love, minds full of creativity, and you may return with a pocket still full of dough.

Shop well.

Mama

I love this song. I used to go to sleep listening to BJ Thomas, Ray Stevens, The Judds, Red Sovine, and others. It may not be the best music, but I really like it.

Strange

I peruse the internet from time to time looking for cow and hippo related items. I have been on the hunt for a cookie jar, a clock, and original reel to reel recordings of my favorite, Gayla Peavey. But I am not sure what to say to this find:

I"m A cow
except maybe, ewww. (or Mewwww)

Here are some of the others I have found:

A trippy hippy hippo song

Ted's version

Dancing Hippo

Singing Hippo

I'll share more as I find them.

and contributions are welcome.




Singing Hippo

Part Two

The morning after my outing, I was waking Daniel up for school. Groggily, he asked if the tooth fairy had come.

Me: Did you lose your tooth last night?

Daniel: No, I lost it in my cereal this morning.

Me (knowing he was not fully awake): Yesterday. Did you swallow it too?

Daniel: Yup!

That's my boy!

Sweet night of comedy

This past week I was fortunate enough to have gone to a comedy show. Not any comedy show, but the wonderful and funny Kathy Griffin. Since we are not rolling in the dough, my seat was in the last row of the entire building. She appeared to be two inches tall from my view, but funny as all get out. I was able to enjoy a meal out with my high school friend Toby and his wife, Robin. I indulged in TWO strawberry daquiris and wallowed in the company of child free adults. I wore my new purple cow earrings.

I drove home after the show and gratefully went to sleep. With the remnants of the evenings beverage in my veins, I hoped to sleep soundly til the light of day. Alas, not to be. My husband's cell phone decided to think about dying in a loud way at least twice in the night. It rained quite heavily at another point, causing me to think I heard a leak in our upstairs kitchen and wonder if school would be closed due to flooding. But the highlight of my hourly eye openers was my husbands nightmare. I was startled awake by his moaning and uttering of something akin to " hya hya hya hya arrrgh". I reached over to wake him, only to wonder if I might get knocked into next week when he jerked his arm around and snorted. I have since asked him about the nightmare and here are the details:

He dreamt he was in a cabin. Looking around, he noticed there were bears outside. Then he saw me, also outside, through a window. The noises he made were him screaming at me, " Get inside! There are bears out there!"

I laughed so hard my back hurt.

Grade cards need no words

Just click on each to read

Hallelujah!!

I have officially finished scanning my grandmothers pictures. I have some more work to do (taking pictures of large photos that I can't scan, sorting them for the book, using the software to make the book.), but I am finished with the months of scanning. Jenny and many of my many other readers may wonder, what will the great Heather do with her spare time now? Well, you will be pleased to know that I fashioned a set of red Disney Cars curtains last night without so much as a single stitch. This fantastic thermabond junk and I are new best friends. My mini sewing machine had me cursing and throwing things when it would not behave, so I just winged it. And by golly, when I hang those bad boys, I will take a picture and post it here. Just so you can see the insane depths of domesticity I have enveloped myself in. I have two quilts in the works and am wondering where and how I am going the use the large quilt frame this year. Aurelia has a Holly Hobby quilt I desperately want to make and a quilt I started before I was 20 that I would like to finish. Only time will tell.

There may even be books (without pictures) digested by my cobweb infested brain. But I wouldn't believe it until it happens.

One more thing: YIPPPPPEEEEEE!!! I am done!!! Four thousand two hundred and ninety photos scanned (without duplicates)!!!!

I love my husband despite himself

You may have read the previous post and wondered, what does she see in him?

How can she live with a man who convinces his own child that he must look through doo doo to find his tooth?

Well here are some reasons that he is my guy:

1) When reprimanding our oldest, he let the boy know that while he tries to ignore all the usual shit the kids do, when someone is mean to me, then he has to be mean to them. (Awww, how manly and protective and sweet.)

2)When I complain about my fat or lack of social grace, he just reminds me that he isn't any better. (I would really prefer he say "No way, you are smokin'." but I admire the realism)

3)He really does try not to bow to my every whim, and then he does it anyway. A mixture of backbone and submission. Can't beat it.

4) My humor amuses him. Mostly. Except when it is directed at him, which is usually. But even then he still mostly likes it.

5) He knows that I have accepted my domestic limitations regarding cooking, housework, and parenting, and he does not expect more than I am willing/able to give.

So here is your shout out Ted.

But don't let it go to your head! :0)

Tooth Fairy Have Mercy

Picture this:
A small town barbershop east of Charleston. A young boy eating a bag of M & M's grins at his mother to show off his chocolate covered teeth. She notices something different about his smile and the conversation goes a little like this:

Mother: Where is your tooth? (He had two that morning on the bottom that wiggled in opposite directions. It was the right tooth that was missing.)

Boy: Huh? (puzzled look)

Mother: Your tooth is gone.

Boy: (with quizzical expression and while searching floor mumbles incoherently to self)

Mother: (used to this sort of response) Were you just holding your tooth?

Boy: Uh Uh.

Mother: Son, you just ate your tooth. You just mistook your tooth for a hard M & M and swallowed it.

Boy: Oh.


Upon their return home, the father in this story finds it amusing to tell the boy he must now search through his excrement to find the tooth. It is the only way the fairy will give him the loot, says the father. So the mother spends the evening keeping both of the little children from peering daringly into the toilet. The boy's younger sister cries when she pees because she believes she is defiling her brothers tooth. The father was threatened with a plastic take out knife and warned that it may take a long and painful amount of time for the mother to dig out his heart and feed it to him. He changed his tune accordingly. All is well. The end.

my yin and yang

Most people don't get an accurate perception of me on first meeting. My shirts have obnoxious and sometimes humorous sayings like this. I prefer comedy to drama. I like obscure, silly and wildly annoying songs like this. I crochet and quilt and would love to read more. But there is a side of me few people have the misfortune to know. While I prefer light and fluffy things, I have a few hobbies that make normal people cringe. After Daniel was born and a certain mother in Texas drowned her five children, I was drawn to site about infanticide. I read it so much and so long that my husband finally unplugged the computer because I was emotionally wrecked. I shifted my focus to images of the deceased from long ago. It seems it was often the only photo families had (especially of their young children.) So that is how I became an admirer of postmortem photography. I don't get a thrill from the images, instead I have deep respect for the loss (regardless that it was probably a century ago) and curiousity about the lives lived. I even gave a speech in my freshman year at State about postmortem photography. In addition to that, I am driven to work with children. I would love to be able to prevent any horrible thing from happening to any child, but the best alternative I have is the volunteer work I am doing right now. People have expressed that it would just be too depressing to work with these cases. For some that is true, but for me I feel like I am participating in a process that may bring about a change. If people are held accountable and something I did helps that happen, then I can feel good about it. So while I spend my regular days focusing on the lighter side of life, sometimes I pick the scabs off and wallow in some of the darker parts of society. But I promise I am not psycho. Just trying to be balanced. Ying and yang. We all need a little of that... don't ya think?

For new mommies

Neighbor Jenny suggested that I pass along my tip for handling a new baby when you already have a smaller child in your family. When Aurelia was born, I needed a way to keep up with Daniel's requests for snacks (averaging every 10 and a half seconds). So I put all of his favorites in snack size baggies and filled a large decorative bowl on our dining room table. He could easily reach the bowl and open the bags without me having to stop nursing and help him. As any new mom can testify, even the ten seconds it might take to retrieve the snack are valuable time added back to your day. Thank Jenny for my domestic contribution!

B'day

My boy

He turns sixteen tomorrow at 3:44pm. He will be the age I was when he was born and that, frankly, scares the mortal dog snot out of me. I've mentioned to many that his birthday gift should be a case of saltpeter. But I feel good about my boy. When I look at him now, I wonder when the moment was that the last of his little boyness melted away. When was the last story I read to him. The last time I tucked him in? The last time I kissed him goodnight? I will miss those things, but I look forward now into the life that he is building for himself. I feel proud and know that he will be great at whatever he tries, he will love deeply, he will feel for others, he will be a wonderful man because he is already a wonderful man-child.

Cory,

Although I know you don't read this because you are not allowed online, if you ever doubt my love for you, know that it is unconditional and deeper than any measure. I am proud of you.

Love
Mom.

Love BJ Thomas

She was just sixteen
And all alone when I came to be
So we grew up together
Our mama-child and me
Now things were bad and she was scared
But whenever I would cry
She'd calm my fear and dry my tears
With a rock and roll lullaby
And she'd sing
Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
It'll be all right
Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
Just hold on tight
Sing it to me, mama
My, my, my, my, mama
Sing it sweet and clear
Oh mama, let me hear
That old rock and roll lullaby
[Instrumental Interlude]
We made it through the lonely days
But, Lord, the nights were long
And we'd dream of better mornin's
When mama sang a song
Now I can't recall the words at all
It don't make sense to try
'Cause I just knew lotsa love came through
In that rock and roll lullaby
And she'd sing
Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
It'll be all right
Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
Just hold on tight
I can hear ya, mama
My, my, my, my mama
Nothin' moves my soul
Like the sound of the good old
Rock and roll lullaby

What have I done?

I still refer to my years like a schoolkid would. The year begins in September and ends in June and the rest of the months are limbo. So this "year" is very different from last year. I had envisioned all this "extra" time I would have with Aurelia in preschool, but I just keep filling it up with stuff. This evening Mr. Cliff from the alternative school called to see if I would still want to mentor the teens there. What do you think I said? I'll give you two guesses and the first one doesn't count. Now I will spend the two mornings a week with troubled teens, one morning and three afternoons with preschoolers, every day with my kids, and whatever time I can working on my casa cases. In no way am I complaining, but I will be so much busier this year than I had ever imagined. Take no offense if I can't be reached for extended periods. Believe me, I will do my best to stay in touch.

Impending Doom

I have been contemplating the fact that my oldest son turns 16 next week. I realize that he is now the age I was when he was born. Scary! I just pray daily not to become a grandmother before I am 40. I know I am from WV, but geez.

I came across this picture of him when he was just two years old. Seems like just yesterday that it was him I was reading stories to at night and holding his hand to cross the street and rocking him when he was scared or tired. I am so proud of him. I am hard on him, but he is a good kid.

next week brings his birthday blog.

Congratulations!!!

My neighbor/friends were blessed with baby boy around 7pm this evening. He weighed in at over 6 lbs. Since I was tucking the kids in when one of the grandma's stopped by with the good news and my husband relayed the info it is sketchy. But CONGRATULATIONS, Jenny Hobson and Chris Green, on the arrival of the long awaited Paul Elihu Hobson Green. May he grow tall, eat well, and wear big shoes!

Love
the Porterfields

Nostalgia

During these last months, I have been working on a photo album/book for my grandmother. It struck me last night how vivid some of these things are for me. Many of the photos that felt so familiar were taken before I was even born, yet I could smell, hear, taste, feel so much of the image that was captured. I realized that the same knick knacks were in the same place for decades, that same was good. So much is disposable, but my memories are forever. I hope this is what I achieve with the book. To pass on some of that to the younger ones and rekindle some of it in the rest. Here are some of my recent favorite pics:

From the mouths of babes

Today's conversation on the way home from rt. 60:

Daniel: Do three x's mean 30, if one x is ten?

Me (puzzled): Yes, I believe so. Why?

Daniel: 'Cause that store has 30 videos.

Me (actively avoiding further discussion of the adult video store we had just passed): Absolutely right! No more, no less. Just 30 videos. Yup, good job son!

Brief Hiatus

For those regular readers of this blog (all two of you), don't be alarmed if it doesn't have regular updates in the near future. It's that busy season again, time to start shopping for the holidays, making projects, homework with the kids, 4H meetings, birthdays, etc, etc, etc.

As much as I would like to write daily there are so many days I cannot conjure up a coherent thought. If I am going to bore you with my life, I may as well do it well. So I will be back, but at irregular intervals. Gotta love it. :0)

Life is good

I already know my life is blessed. I have a great family, great friends, the chance to stay at home with my kids, help other people out, and volunteer for something that really makes me feel good. But the last few weeks have really highlighted how good I have it. I've spent a lot of my life avoiding compliments and skirting nice things people say. It makes me uncomfortable to hear praise most of the time. This past week, however, I heard some praise that made me feel really good. Even if the possiblities don't come to fruition, the simple feeling that I am considered competent and reliable in a field outside of homemaking and caretaking is enough to make me giddy.

I've also been considering some sort of educational something. I started a social work degree almost four years ago, but put it on the back burner when Aurelia came along. I may not have time right now to devote to a campus-style degree, but I am exploring some ways that I could do online courses and come away with something to show for it. We'll see.

But no matter what life brings, I am still blessed to have so many wonderful people and experiences in my world. For all of you who surround me with such niceness, thank you. I really do appreciate each and every one of you.

Heather

Updates

I have been remiss in not keeping everyone up to date on this week's developements. In short, Aurelia got a haircut and started preschool. I have been quilting and cape making. Cory also got a haircut. WOO HOO.

Pics will say more than words. Enjoy.

Heather

Hello crafty people

My neighbor-friend Jenny had her baby shower yesterday. It was a fun time, but I didn't get the quilt I had planned to make for her done. As a matter of fact, I didn't even get it started. I was putting it off with the start of school, volunteering, watching kids, and general chaos because I thought it would take several days or at least a week. GOOD NEWS!! I started it today out of a sincere wave of guilt and I am finished. I just need to take it to the quilt shop for the binding and I am D-O-N-E! Now, before we get all cracktastic about my quilting skills, let's just admit that the figures on the pattern were fairly large and only the outline was quilted. Oh yeah, and it is a BABY quilt. But still, yippee skippeee!!!!

In other crafty news, I need referrals from crafty people. My children LUV running around the house with blankets tied to their necks and pretending to fly. The problem with that is the blankets don't stay tied for more than a minute and I wind up retying a gajillion times. So, I would like to find a person or place that I could pay to make a couple of superhero capes. If you know of anyone (or if you are someone) who could/would do such a wonderful thing, leave a comment and I will kiss the ground you walk on!!

Night all
Heather

First Impressions

I have been volunteering with a group that works to protect children. Sometimes it is necessary for me to be in the presence of professionals and judges, so I have made an attempt to behave as a normal person might. I try to dress well, mind my manners, and keep my crude humor to myself.

This may have worked TOO well. This evening, in a discussion with a social worker, I was asked if I would be home tomorrow to exchange some paperwork. When I said I would be home all day, she asked if maybe I wouldn't be at church in the morning. I said "We aren't really church people." She was surprised because she somehow had it in her mind that I was a devout, upright citizen who probably performed mission work. HMMM, let's think.... not so much. While I will say that I have my personal beliefs and I am in now way anti-religion, I have never once in my life been mistaken for a missionary until now. I have a rather off the wall, off color sense of humor and have a mouth like a sailor all too often.

I will bask momentarily in this confusion and look forward to the acting award I am sure I should receive soon.

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