Last Day of 2011

As I write this I am in the midst of getting ready to head to my New Year's Eve celebration. I am doing the same thing I did last year and the year before that.

Going to Inspiring Body of Christ Church. My church. I HEART my church. New Year's Eve at IBOC is like a big party with over 4400 of your bestest and closest friends without the booze.

Last year a high school chum accompanied me. He said he had a good time even tho a woman did vomit a couple rows ahead of us. :) This year, I've not had much contact with the high school chum for a couple months. I do hope his New Year's Eve is grand. I know mine will be.

So if you excuse me--I must get ready to dash off--2012 does await!

October 11, 1974 was Friday

On this day, I was in high school, the owner of the biggest crush on the guy that was all grown up mature 22 years old. He was the student teacher for one of science classes. I did not have the class, which is a good thing- because my drool would bel over the desk. The student teacher was my big time one sided love affair with a guy I had not grown up with.

Gorgeous was he. Blue eyes. Crocked smile--kinda. Blond hair, honest to goodness rosy cheeks. I smile at the thought even now. And he liked me. Ah, sure, looking back I was really just another high school girl, who thought the student teacher was nothing less than an entire galaxy of stars. I want to believe the student teacher thought I was special. He would talk to me in the hallway, or study hall--when he patrolled it, or if I walked past his classroom, which I did infinitely many times, and pause so he could see me in the window--and he'd wave. I would melt.

Oh wow--I wish now I'd been older and smarter. What do you know at THAT age?

Anyway, today was final day at our school. All the girls were pretty much in tears. I wasn't tho. Why? Because he said the next day he would come over and give me a special good-bye. Before you get all in the gutter--nothing like that. I remember on that Saturday we sat and talked. I told him I wanted to be a commercial photographer and he said he hoped I would. Never once did I think about terra cotta pots then.

It's funny, how after all these years, I still think about him on this day. I wonder if in some wierd way so I enter his mind? It was all so innocent. It truly was. Maybe that's what makes it special. On his last day at my high school, he was treated so like a rock star.

Maybe the teenage girl in me still wishes he would have eventually made me his solo act.

Christmas Eve 1998 was Thursday

Was going to repost what I blogged in 2009. 'cause I liked it and thought it summed it all up--even my thoughts-for 2010. Then gandered in my 'history books' -aka my diaries- to check what happened on Christmas Eves passed. As I started to read 1998, I smiled and remembered it well. I'd forgotten these events happened on Christmas Eve.

Back in my Iowa hometown for Christmas, and I actually flew instead of driving. Hmm. I wonder who babysat the cats or if I bordered them? Anyway. there was snow and a temperature with a wind chill of a gazillion below zero. Far cry from even the coldest days in Dallas. I also had my usual December sniffles and wondered if I would shake them before my one and only book signing of my one and only book in our town's library scheduled in a couple days.

My 'history book' says as I came in the house from getting a newspaper because there was a notice about my book signing in it, the phone rang. It was the mom of Dwight, a classmate of mine. I was floored. She was thrilled about my book and would I please come over to her son's house (my classmate) and spend a little of Christmas with them? I was floored still. My dad and step-mother had told me how my Dwight's mom had called the house wondering about me and they'd run into her while they shopped in my town one of the two grocery stores.

I forget my sniffles. I put on some kind of cute sweater. I had to take my step-mother's car, which I was surprised it didn't freeze up on the maybe 5 minute--if that-drive to Dwight's house. It was about 8pm or so. Pitch black, and iceberg cold. It's Iowa, so you just bundle and go.
Dwight and known each other since we were in grade school, yet this was the first time I was in house, with his parents and his kids. One of sons and I share the same birthday, so that's cool. The whole night was cool and great. His family was wonderful. Honestly, looking back, it was kind of an intro to people asking me questions about my writing. We chatted, laughed and just fun. It was soon close to 11pm. .

Dwight's parents left and so did the kids. They had their own friends to tend to. Dwight and I sat on his couch. Just the two of us. Dwight was one of the most popular guys in our high school. Blond, blue eyed. We'd always known each other. In fact for my 18th birthday party, he stared the pool to get me flowers. On the day of my party, I was presented with 3 1/2 dozen red roses. All because of Dwight. Back to this night in 1998, I remember Dwight held a copy of my book. He gushed how I had written it and all I could think of "We're sitting here alone. Talking and listening to Christmas music!"

We chirped like the two 16 year old kids we both felt like. Then this song came on the radio, "Blue Christmas." Dwight says, "Let's dance!" I go, "I HATE this song!" Well, the question became how could I possible hate Elvis?? I didn't. Just this song was not my favorite Elvis song.

Didn't matter. Dwight and I slowed dance and laughed to this song. And then he kissed me. Yea, I was definitely 16 again. In all the years we'd known each other, Dwight and I had never kissed like that. I smile now. That night, I remember we talked about so many things, our lives, past and future, including our love lives. He had split up with somebody and my man was back in Dallas--at least I thought he was my man. That didn't matter either, because Dwight kissed me again.

The wind howled outside and I didn't care. It was one of those 'if time could stop' moments, because it may not even happen again. And it hasn't. Sure, when I'm back in my hometown, I always see Dwight. The electricity zips and zaps from both of us. I wonder if Dwight wonders how it could have maybe been different....That night we talked like we never talked before or since. We were the only two on the planet. It touched me.

The whole point is, that Christmas Eve in 1998, I told Dwight whenever I hear "Blue Christmas' by Elvis, and only Elvis---I'll always think of him.

....and I wonder if he does the same.

Oh, and when I left Dwight's house? My step-mother's car would NOT start for about a half hour. Then it finally did and I had to let it run to warm up. It may have been 40 below windchill factor. I realized then how I don't miss Iowa winters.

Until I said good night to Dwight.

Sweet, blue moment in time.

High School Crush October 11, 1974

I was 16. He was 22. So adult and manly, I thought.

Nice, yet, me just another student to him.

So in love I was.

Ahh. Such a Rated G for General Audiences thing.

I still gotta smile.

He was a student teacher in my Iowa high school. Since he taught sophomores, I thought it OK to have a crush on him cuz, heck--I was a JUNIOR.

Every girl was in love with him. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Cute smile.

This day back in, 1974, marked his final day at our school. Girls came out of the crowded class room in tears. Boys hated to seem go because of he was tall and played basketball with them.

I was sad too, because he had my heart.

He was my first real crush that wasn't one of my classmates.

To look back he was always a gentlemen. Never approached me in a harmful way. I'd sit with him sometimes while he governed study hall or on the bleachers during a football game.

He made me laugh. He was cute. That was the extent of our relationship.

I can only imagine the lack of savvy I had at 16, especially when I wore bibbed overalls!

Nonetheless, that was his last day in our high school.

I went in to say my good byes in the now empty classroom--

He surprised me by his question if he could see me

The next day

For a special good bye.

I nearly fainted.

And I couldn't make the hours

Move faster for Saturday to get here...