Thursday Thirteen is the last section of this blog entry. To skip about our morning’s excursion on Wednesday, scroll down a bit.
This is the first time since we relocated in Texas that we will vote as Texan residents for President of the USA. The last time we voted in a Presidential Election was in Arizona. So, we both made a special effort to make sure we were actively registered in our county. I’ve been following the campaigns…all of them, Democratic AND Republican, since late January. And tho I feel uncomfortable with the summons of jury duty, I feel strongly about having the right and the privilege to vote for the leader of our great nation. First and foremost, people have died for my right and my freedom, I need to have a leader in office that will serve and protect our country –be they who I voted for or not….it’s THE thing to do as an American. I was readied, not knowing exactly what the requirements for the state of Texas were; in regards to proving I was a U. S. citizen. So I went prepared with proof. And to my surprise, being that we border Old Mexico, it was so simple, and all we did was check a box on the voter registration that we were indeed American born. To me that was odd. I’ve learned over the past three years that Texas is lenient in some things that I feel IS important and very lackadaisical, while in areas that are really nothing, they empower themselves with laws and such that are unnecessary. But to each state I live in, I must abide. Now, I’m ready to cast my ballot in November.
While Bud and I were out and about, downtown by the courthouse, we were very close to the Harbor Bridge, and I thought it’d be a good thing to just take off and drive to Portland. So cross the icky bridge we did, and over another causeway heading northeast to Portland.
I had some shopping to do besides. For the last few days, when around town, I kept forgetting to buy a huge, over-sized, bubble packing envelope for Irene’s witch boot that I made her and need to ship it off. Today, I made a special trip to get that very thing…stopping at Wal Mart. I had in my hand the next to the largest envelope and Bud came up behind me and told me “Get the bigger one, that boot is bigger than you think.”…So, down I put the smaller one and tossed the largest in the cart.
While Bud went off to find the book and magazine racks I searched out the store for Halloween stuff. Nothing. But they’re beginning to clear shelves for everything. They were putting out the snack size trick-r-treat candy bags and I found a 1# bag of corn candy [Brach's...only Brach's, I buy no other brand]. Which made me go over to the grocery section of this particular Wal Mart and pick up a 2# tub of peanuts. That’s our Autumn candy treats. I mix both together…every year for the past 40 years. We both love the salty, sweet snack.
And this Wal Mart also has a craft section that sells bolts of material. I’ve been watching a couple of things on E bay that are the ‘primitive witch dolls’ and have been debating whether to bid on them. They had Halloween cotton print there and I picked out a couple of bolts and got one yard each…Then, over to the pattern books. I found a vintage clown pattern that I had made for the kids years ago…I can implement some changes and end up with a witch. But oooooooooooh, the price of patterns about floored me!! Seriously, I about blew a fuse! I remember way back when, it was at least 1/2 the cost when you made something yourself. Not any more.
Why, check it out!!! $15+???!!! For a pattern? A toy pattern at that!! It was only $8.75 at this discount store, but still…..I’m thinking there must be some oil in the making of the product. Right? [kidding!] Certainly, Simplicity [and McCalls] is a gold mine. Maybe I should buy stock.
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After Wal Mart, we were both hungry. And hot. We didn’t want to do much more in terms of driving other than getting back to the city. We ended up on the freeway heading back to Corpus and stopped at a McDonald’s close to home. I of course, since we were in a strip mall, had to check out a couple of stores. The Dollar Store, and then next door was Big Lots! -which always has a lot of Halloween goodies. The Dollar Store had nothing that impressed me and we both walked over to Big Lots! Oh sweet mother…shelves of Halloween stuff. Still, nothing that we don’t have already. [insert giggles]. I did find a couple of placemats that were ‘charming’ and kitchen towel sets with witches of course. Got them.
Look closely at the placemats…little Ms. Snoop [Tahoe] had to check them out right away. In fact she laid down on them and took a nap eventually. Winston was more interested in the sacks and making them rustle. Well, that was our morning. A good thing we went early ’cause it got very hot once the car was stopped and the A/C was off. Like walking through a ship’s boiler room in mid-summer.
Now on with My Thursday meme –
Edition 73
One of my favorite humorists is the late Erma Bombeck. On Tuesday, mentioning Alan’s humor skits and Yogisms, I thought of Ms. Bombeck. For Thursday I’ve listed thirteen memorable quotes from the same; number one being my most favorite. Why? It just is!!!
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Erma said:
1- I take a very practical view of raising children. I put a sign in each of their rooms: “Checkout Time is 18 years.”
2- If a man watches three football games in a row, he should be declared legally dead.
3- Never accept a drink from a urologist.
4- On vacations: We hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings.
5- Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.
6- There’s something wrong with a mother who washes out a measuring cup with soap and water after she’s only measured water in it.
7- Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone?
8- I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage.
9- Mother’s words of wisdom: “Answer me! Don’t talk with food in your mouth!”
10- Youngsters of the age of two and three are endowed with extraordinary strength. They can lift a dog twice their own weight and dump him into the bathtub.
11- Most children’s first words are “Mama” or “Daddy.” Mine were, “Do I have to use my own money?”
12- Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.
13- Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born.
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[And in regards to my 'favorite of the thirteen' tho I think it's funny, it doesn't necessarily mean I'm a 'bad mother'....once a mother, ALWAYS a mother, that distinction and title in life, never changes. Even when I was a child of pre-teen I wanted kids and to be a mother for them. Yet, when they become adults, I also think it's time for them to move on and make a life of their own and not depend on me either....it's a fact of life. I won't be around for an eternity, and I refuse to be selfish and keep them around me just 'cause I want them nearby. I'd love to have them both closer, but to me it's much much more important for them to have independence than to have them at arms reach. A child is conceived out of love, and they pass on your legacy....they must live an adult life and be it 18 or whatever age, they must make it on their own or your work isn't successful in my view. They can leave your 'nest' and still be your kids...that too never changes.]
caricature found on internet.
no infringement intended.
