Thursday Terra Cotta

This terra cotta 'drip drop' pot will
Shipped off to its new home tomorrow.
A few weeks ago, a high school mate said she wanted it--
I put off shipping it for a couple reasons--
One, my HS school mate wasn't going to be home for
A week or so to receive it. The other reason, I had such 
Conflicting thoughts to even send it to her. 
Why?
'cause I am really not feelin' the love for this pot.
Yea, yea. I realize I gotta ALL that 'cause 
It ain't really all about me.  :)
So as I type, this 6 inch terra cotta pot is all packed up
And ready to go, but in my usual way I missed 
The last mail pick up for today, hence tomorrow
Said terra cotta pot it will be on its journey to
Its new home in Iowa.
Stay tuned. 

So Say September

Such a grand day here in Dallas! Not too hot, not too cool, unlike the Labor Day 2001 when the actual temp was 111 F. Who cares? So say long ago.

Let me share this right quick. I dined on Vietnamese food last night. Yep. A Classmate asked me if I was I game. He loves the stuff. The last time I had this cuisine was in the '90's. Didn't so really care for whatever I had and recall I drank alot of beer after. This go round Classmate suggested things and had a good laugh at my apprehensiveness. All in all, I surprised myself I enjoyed it. Classmate has mentioned cuisines from Ethiopia. Told him I gotta take a country at a time...

Look at the day! The Iowa Football Hawkeyes won their first game of the season. I gotta do so school writing and some FUN writing sometime today. Like I said sometime today--in the meantime this day beckons for me to return to our playtime together.

So say it IS September!

2:37 AM

Yes that is the time at this moment. Reunion stuff Saturday night and I had a ball! Had a great time Friday night, yet I was so weary from my gazillion mile drive from Dallas--which will be in another post--not just now.

Tonight. The conversations I carried on were more in-depth than, "How are you and where are you now?" like before. Conversations about life, laughs and fun arguments about music. Made some memories tonight. I smile now. OK--yea, I gained weight and was a bit antsy about. I admit it. However, I was stunned and humbled from words by my classmates--some I didn't even know as well as others. Amazed,

The question of "have you written another book?" waltzed thru the air so much, I had to sit a dance or two out. My answer of "no" wasn't what my classmates wanted to hear. I was shocked by the repetitiveness of the question. Was I being told something?

Two pictures snapped I will forever cherish. In fact, I have a picture with each guy from the few past reunions. Kind of like my scrapbook as I told them. As we stood, for our photo opt, I realized how much our lives have forever changed: me with my little open heart surgery adventure, while one guy is in remission for lung cancer and the other for leukemia. Yes, life as changed since strolling down that high school hallway...

Tonight was special. I'm glad I drove the gazillion miles to get her. Memories were made. I smile at that. And will give me pause to ponder as I drive back to Dallas.

Now I must hit the hay--There will be a reunion float in the 4th of July parade at noon. I intend to be ON ...

Glory be to God is all I can say ...

Thursday Tired

Did a 10 hour day for some OT today. My mind is fried. My boss is attractive, yet I realize it's best to just let him talk, even when there is to be an open door to his office. Not much empathy. We do have a relationship to laugh and such, so my facial expressions, which I'm famous for, come into play for fun--I've realized I've overdone. He tells me today he's trying to read my facial expressions, to figure me out. I told him: "Just ask." So my facial expressions will be at a minimum. Oh well.

I so need to catch up on here. Missed a couple birthdays on May 26th, which I must talk about.

I am tired.

And to think about the paper due Saturday--which I might actually enjoy--is a tomorrow thing. I had to interview someone in a human services facility and a couple classmates, let me send them questions....GRAND!

So I'm tired--which I've repeated.

We'll catch up later.

Promise.

In 1958, February 6 was a Thursday

A baby girl with the middle name of Michelle was born. As we shared the same grade school classrooms, I remember Michelle’s curls and softer than a whisper voice. I was so amazed teachers could hear her answers. But then she was the smartest girl in class. So maybe in envy, I blocked her out. :)

In grade school, Michelle's birthday was the first of three in February. Another girl was born on Lincoln’s birthday, and another on the 16th. My classmates, who read this, will shake their heads I recall such things. Maybe the sugar buzz from all those cupcakes keeps those memories fresh.

Through junior high (it was junior high to us, not middle school), folks started to grow up and learn about themselves. Sometimes you grow together or grow apart. The best part: you could grow back together again. That’s what happened with Michelle and I both shared a class a particular class upon our entry to high school: French.

Her French name was her middle name, except pronounced, “MEE-chelle.” As we fractured the language, there would be some words that made it into our everyday vocabulary. All us French students enjoyed the toss of words or phrases to each other in the hallway, because we loved the bewildered looks on non-French students’ faces. C’est vrai! Bon Chance! S’il te plait! Je suis faituge! Au revoir!

Tiens! Tiens! Tiens! Became the words Michelle and I said each time on contact. Always tuttered three times and usually with smiles. In, I believe, our junior year, Michelle and her family moved back to town. This was after being gone about a year, due to her dad’s job. When we spotted each other for the first time on her first day back at school: Tiens! Tiens! Tiens!

From then and on to high graduation, high school reunions, my autograph of my book to her, and to then the letters (not e-mails, but REAL letters with stamps!) where Michelle basked in the love for her son and not so dwelled on her battle with cancer, the opening was always the same: Tiens! Tiens! Tiens!

By our 25th high school reunion in 2001, the girl with the curls and whisper of a voice was gone.

It's a comfort to know the angels can hear Michelle just fine.

In 1974, February 2 was Saturday

My diary tells me, I spent the day at a high school wrestling meet. From one of the opposing teams, there was a black guy, I'll call V. I wrote he was UG-A-LY!

Well, truth be known, V probably was a young Denzel Washington and a real good lookin' kid, but it wouldn't have mattered. During that time, he and I were probably the only two black kids in the filled auditorium. Remember, I was the only black student in my class, on top of the being half of the entire black student population in grades 9-12. Translation: out of 650 kids, 648 of em were white.

I digress.

In 1974, and for years after, I was afraid I wasn't attractive to black guys. I didn't know any. So I didn't know if they thought I was pretty. Sure, my dad always said I was his prettiest girl--but ya know, he was my dad. As much as I loved my little Iowa hometown, it wasn't much of melting pot. Not even a crock pot. It's a bit better now, yet still predominately Caucasian.

Back in high school, I started a Kiss List. It's what you think it is. Any guy I kissed whether on the lips, his cheek or he kissed my cheek, they went on a list and were rated 1-10. No joke. By February 2, 1974 there were just a few names on all three lists. In fact, I kissed two classmates, that day on the cheek. One was a guy who later, much later--like 20 years later, apologized for calling me a nigger. Said he should haven't done that even if I was 'colored' because I never did anything to him. We shared a beer over that. Anyway, the List was started to see if any white guys would ever kiss me.

WOW. Looking back, I was outgoing, loved to laugh, knew everybody, and if I buckled down I could get very good grades. I didn't buckle down. I figure I lack some confidence in the male species department and that's why I started a Kiss List. I wonder if V the wrestler could have gone it?

Naw. I was too scared to even LOOK his way. I do remember that. The mouths of chums, from back in the day and even from this day, will crash the floor when they read that. "You? Lack of self confidence?"

And my Kiss List? I eventually kept tally of just one list: On the Lips (and of course that's another story). When I graduated in 1976, I had 96 different names. Mister #100 happened about a week later, out at our town's drive-in. I admit, years later, he remembered he was #100 better than I did. We even joked about it this past summer. I retired the List in October 1977, due to I felt I had to grow up. The final tally? 153. Still not sure I grew up THAT much tho. :)

Back on February 2, 1974, new stuff. Scary stuff. .Yet my diary says I had a good time that Saturday afternoon. I'm sure I did.

Hmm. I wonder where V is today? I have his full name written in my diary. My luck he's some brain surgeon with a home in the Hamptons. I'll have to Google him.

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