What do they really think?

Have you ever wondered what people really think of you? I mean, everybody is nice to you, but what are their deep, dark thoughts when it comes to how they really feel? I recently had a chance to take a closer look when I received an email quiz. It only posed one question, "If you saw ME in a police car what would you think I got arrested for?" Of course, there was more to the email; such as admonitions to forward it to all your friends within 3.5 seconds or suffer a fate worse than death, etc. I ignored the warnings and gypsy curses, but decided to send the question to some friends and family members who have known me for quite some time to see what they came up with.

I picked out a few of the responses which were suitable for mixed company and wanted to share.
The first response came from one of my oldest friends. We ran together back in college and he was the best man in my one and only wedding. We have maintained contact over the years, but only get together every year or two. "Public Intoxication since it is an easy charge to bring. I am just remembering the old days." I'm glad Larry is able to remember the good old days, because I think I drowned more than a few brain cells back when we would skip afternoon classes and drink our lunch up on Lake Somerville. Unfortunately, my capacity for alcohol is now greatly diminished, and if I exceed my one margarita limit, I just go to sleep.

One of my sisters gave a very succinct analysis of how exciting she thinks my life is with her reply. "Sleepwalking." I wish! But even in Naruna, there is never enough sack time.

A co-worker I have worked with every day for the past 14 years gave one of the more unsettling answers, "embezzlement!!!!!!!!" What is there to embezzle?

Our middle child, who always was accused of being the Daddy's Girl while growing up, offered an interesting thought. "Poss Marijane, we always suspected you might have been a hippie back in the day. Maybe ‘cause of the long hair and mellow attitude…" Sad to say, the hair isn't nearly as long(or thick) and the mellow attitude has more to do with all the children being out from under foot.

My Lovely Bride gave an answer that shows how trusting she is and how much she loves me. "What?? Is this a trick question? My first instinct would be that you were an innocent by-stander to a crime, and were being taken in for questioning." After more than 34 years of marriage, she still thinks I can do no wrong! What a woman!

Mea Culpa

Why is it that every time I vow to be more timely in my postings, I fail miserably and fall farther and farther behind?

The Lovely Bride's little garden is flourishing and little green tomatos and tiny okra are beginning to grow. The basil of varying types makes me dream of Italian cooking every time I brush past, and I'm already thinking of expanding her space soon. So long as we remember to give it a drink occasionally, everything stays happy & green.

We just returned from a week at Lake of the Ozarks with family. One daughter and son-in-law gave us a ride up, and all we had to do was share the cost of gas. Did I mention they hauled their 28 foot boat from Texas to Missouri? Even though the gas mileage suffered, it was well worth the trouble. They had the freedom to blast around the lake when the mood struck them, drop in on little lakefront restaurants, and laze around quiet sheltered coves while their nieces practiced their swimming skills.

The oldest daughter and her hubby came with the three Grand Girls in tow. The oldest, Sarah, certainly showed an affinity for the water and spent every moment she could in one boat or the other. When she wasn't swimming or boating, she was buttering up her Uncle Steven in hopes he would take her out again. Amazing how good they can be when they want something!

The twins are just past 2, full of energy, and masters at getting into trouble. We were preparing for bed our first night after 14 hours on the road, when wails echoed from the little girls' room. Ellie managed to fall(tripped, pushed,??) and tried to break the frame of the sofa bed with her head. Lots of blood and tears, so off to the ER we go. Fortunately, it was a slow night, and she was seen immediately. Less than an hour saw her evaluated, get a CT of her head, and then have her forehead stuck back together using some industrial strength superglue. Home and to bed by 1:00am.

Dirty fingernails

Another happening in Naruna during the past month was the LB deciding she wanted a small garden. I think she got tired of listening to me grumble about eating store-bought tomatoes; plus she was wanting some more space for her herbs. She had seen several articles about using elevated beds for growing vegetables and herbs in a small space. Most of these use landscape timbers to enclose an area which is then filled with a mix of dirt, compost and fertilizer, but she had the idea of using concrete blocks. One of the advantages of this is she can plant her herbs in the holes of the blocks, keeping them separated, and allowing her to water each only when needed. Now we just have to wait and see what grows.

Did you miss me?

The past couple of weeks have been pretty rough around Naruna. The Lovely Bride has been trying to prepare for the end of the school year, while training her new puppy and her old husband. The OR has been busy, especially with orthopedics, and late nights have become the norm, as we try to fix or replace broken/worn out hips and knees. Of course, not getting home until 8:00 or 9:00 several nights each week has taken its toll on my old body and the LB's nerves. At any rate, I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted anything until an email arrived from cousin Vicki, wondering what had happened to me. This will be my feeble and belated attempt to make up for my absence of the past weeks.

One wonderful event during the month of May was droplets of moisture falling from the sky. Naruna received almost 2 1/2" for the month, which was enough for Burnet County to call off their burn ban. Vegetation has greened up, and the yard sprang up almost overnight. It finally got to the point where I got out the old push mower and knocked down most of the weeds. It took me a day and a half to accomplish what our lawn guy, Paul, does in an hour. My knees were certainly protesting after that little workout. Paul is usually pretty good about keeping the grass(okay - weeds) cut, but the rain had all of his clients hollering for help. It certainly reminded me of why we pay him to take care of it.

We have had a major influx of critters here in Naruna, with a new puppy and a litter of kittens all showing up at about the same time. The puppy is a scruffy little dog, reported to be some sort of chihuahua, and is named Ruby Jean. She arrived with floppy ears and longish hair, and really didn't look like any chihuahua I had ever seen. She is one of those animals you want to pick up as soon as you see it, cuddle it and carry it around everywhere. The LB keeps reminding me it is a dog, and even though it is small, it needs to learn to act like one instead of a toy. Susan keeps trying to establish herself as the Alpha of our pack, so she can maintain some discipline as she attempts to train the little bugger. I see my role as being the one who is responsible for spoiling her rotten. As she has grown(almost 4 pounds now) her ears have straightened up, and are completely upright. Still doesn't look much like a chihuahua to me.

The litter of kittens has been a more emotional event for us. As is frequently the case, this was an unplanned pregnancy, and took us by surprise. Apparently, the feline gene pool isn't very deep in Naruna, which is one reason for trying to get everybody fixed if it looks like they are going to stay with us. Of four kittens, one didn't survive its first day, a second with a deformed leg suddenly expired after about a week, and the little grey tabby hasn't figured out how to use its hind legs and has a definite personality disorder. Not sure if it will make the cut or not. The remaining kitten is the antithesis of his siblings. He is stout, fuzzy and very precocious in learning to motor around under his own power. He is white and has blue eyes which are bright and sparkly. The LB already seems to be struggling with the idea of giving him up for adoption, so we may just add him to the permanent cat population of Naruna.