Scrolling Saturday

Scrolling Saturday is a meme hosted by Such Simple Pleasures. Dust off an old post and post it again! How easy is that?



This was originally posted on Sunday, December 30, 2007.


Now and then…

The sadness creeps up on me.

As fresh and raw as if it were yesterday.

I am empty with loss.

The earth sits motionless on its axis.



Now and then…I wish I could see your face again.

Talk to you.

Show you pictures.

Share your wisdom.

Record your memories.

I wonder how life would have been,If you had lived.



Now and then I wonder…Would different choices be mine these past few years?

The stories you could share,

The influence of your knowledge,

Your example for the grandkids,

And mom, a different person without you.



And now and then…I’m okay;

I’m strong;

I’m fine.



Now and then…I can forget the way you died.

Suddenly,

Without warning,

Unanticipated and too soon.

And I know I can never forget.



But now and then, I won’t remember.

Mostly now, there’s a hole in the universe where you should be.
In Loving Memory of my Father

L. D. Rankin

3/14/35 – 10/10/04

Scrolling Saturday

Scrolling Saturday is a meme hosted by Suchsimplepleasures and Manners and Moxie. It's easy. Find an archived post, dust it off, re-post, and you're done! It's fun to take a look at old posts and choose one depending on your mood or state of mind. Here is one I originally posted on October 19, 2007.

I’m the queen of the world! I can’t help but think of Leonardo DiCapprio’s character in the Titanic. He felt so free, exhilarated, in control.What would it be like to feel as though we were really in charge of our own destinies? To feel like the whole world was at our feet? Awesome!

See the picture of my new home? I would most definitely move into a castle with mysterious, daunting towers and an alligator-filled moat.

If I were being altruistic, my first act as queen would be delivering the world from hunger, prejudice, ignorance, violence, drugs, abuse, and other evils. Do I have to select one? I can’t! How can I decide if education is more or less valuable than income? How can I decide if addiction is more or less horrifying than neglect? How can I decide if food is more or less necessary than the love of a parent or friend? Well, obviously food is more necessary for existence, but is it enough to provide a quality of life worth living? Thank goodness I am NOT queen of the world!

As a selfish queen, my first act would be to quit my regular job. I’m free!!! After that, I think that I would like to sleep uninterrupted for at least eight hours. I would like to be surrounded by the people that I love doing the things we all love to do, except when I feel like being alone. Tee-hee!

Maybe I would make a World Day of Scrapbooking. Oh! Something like that probably already exists. Perhaps I would make it a month. Heck! Let’s make it the national hobby.

While I’m queen, I would like to induct someone into knighthood. “I dub thee Sir Knight,” I would say as I touched each of his (or her?) shoulders with a sharp, shiny sword. I’d have to be careful not to cut an ear off!

Perhaps, being selfish, I would have some plastic surgery and liposuction (ewww – I don’t know about that). Better yet, I could hire a nutritionist to plan my meals, a chef to prepare them, and a personal trainer who would help me discipline myself to look my best, without sweating too much, of course. Best of all, as queen, everyone would have to follow my rules or OFF WITH THEIR HEADS! Oh, to be queen. A girl can dream!

And while I'm dreaming, you can dream with me about winning The SAK Dakota Hobo handbag, a contest sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom. Just click here!

Scrolling Saturday

Scrolling Saturday is a meme in which you dig up an archived post, dust it off, and repost it. This meme is hosted by Such Simple Pleasures. Read what other people re-posted by clicking here.

New Friends - Originally posted January 4, 2008, not that long ago, but since my son's friend is over tonight, I thought it was appropriate.

“The shortest distance between new friends is a smile.”

Unknown

A few days ago, my son and his friend were riding in the back of my Forerunner on our way to spend Christmas gift cards. They were playing a game where they waved at people in other cars and tried to get the people to wave back at them. They decided that the people who waved back were nice, and the people who didn’t wave back were “sour.”As we were walking in to Target discussing their poor results (1 in 5 waved back), I told them to smile at people because if you smile at someone, they will smile back. I believe that is true, and we had fun putting the theory to the test. I'm going to take my own suggestion and try to smile more. People can’t help but smile back, and it fits with my intention to project happiness even when I might not be feeling very happy. Maybe in the process, I will make a new friend.

I am reminded of a song we used to sing at Campfire Girl camp:"Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold."

Scrolling Saturdays

"Gather up your favorite archived post, dust it off and repost it!! It's that easy! A perfect way to keep your blog updated without having to think of a post...no?" Thank you to the hostesses of this meme, Manners and Moxie and SuchSimplePleasures.

For Scrolling Saturday this week, here is a piece I wrote on the topic "nemesis." This was first posted on my blog November 26, 2006. I hope you enjoy it!

You know that person... the one you would jaywalk across a busy street to avoid? As I think about those people - yes - plural - people - in my life that I have considered my nemesis, I feel guilty, although I can picture them in my mind.

There was a particular "young lady" from elementary school with short, dark hair and fiery green eyes who attacked me on the school bus on the way home one afternoon for no reason apparent to anyone but herself. Her name sticks with me still, and woe to the person I meet now with that name.

There are the ones from middle school who seemed to have everything I wanted and couldn't have; who lived in fancy, 2-story homes; whose parents were "normal" and well-dressed; mannered, cultured even; with more money and more possessions. Those people who belittled others, perhaps myself, because they had more. Popularity came naturally to them, and boys were attracted to them as well. They were the ones I tried to emulate and failed miserably to do so.

Then, high school came and went, and with it, its fair share of people who I considered a nemesis. Again, the jealousy factor. They all had something (or someone) that I couldn't have. The perky cheerleader with the sexy, gravelly voice we all envied, and who I would meet once again in college. The ostentatious twirler with Dolly Parton boobs, who I also would meet again in college. And countless others, far too many to describe here.

But college came and went, and with it, another nemesis: society. With the exception of my elementary school nemesis, all of my enemies were enemies because I felt like I didn't measure up to society's arbitrary standards. I spent about two-thirds of my life trying to be "worthy" by someone else's definition.In my growing wisdom, I have realized that life is what I make it. People will love me for who I am, not what I have or don't have, and if they don't, then I will move on to the next friend.

I don't have to have a nemesis. I don't NEED a nemesis. I don't have TIME for a nemesis! I have and probably always will be my own worst enemy. Who needs another one? Why should I give power to others by allowing them to be my enemies? Yes, there are still people I would cross the street to avoid. But those are just everyday annoyances, not enemies. God, hope, faith, wisdom... love really does conquer all.

For other Scrolling Saturdays, click here.

Scrolling Saturdays

I think this is my third Scrolling Saturdays. Have you checked out the link? Join the fun! Choose one of your archived posts, post it again, and bring on the bloggy love! This is a post I wrote on November 14, 2007 for Sunday Scribblings. Obviously, the topic was MONEY!

Money is not the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is the root of all evil. So says my beloved Bible.

But face it. We must have money to exist in our world. And I am sure not made of money. Nor does it grow on trees (whether they use the tree to make paper or not). Don’t we wish it did? That’s the $64,000 question!

Money can’t buy happiness, but with all the stuff money could buy me, I promise I’d be happy!

Money can’t buy love. Who needs love when I have all this stuff?! (just kidding).

A fool and his money are soon parted. Sure were lots of fools in the mall today!

Money isn’t everything. But it’s something! And if I put my money where my mouth is, won’t I look kinda funny? And won’t it taste kinda funny, too? You can bet your bottom dollar on that.

I’d like to start a new business, maybe buy a franchise and hire people to run it for me. I’d be raking in the money, but it takes money to make money. Instead I just go to work each day. Another day, another dollar. Or is it less than that now? On the flip side, there are people like Bill Gates who have money coming out the wazoo.

Have you ever noticed how your homeowner’s association keeps raising the amount of blood money they get from you each year (homeowner’s association dues), but nothing ever changes in the neighborhood? What are they doing with all that money?

And if time is money, is that why I’m so broke? And if you think that I had a hard time trying to think of something to say for this topic, you are right on the money!

Scrolling Saturday

The purpose of Scrolling Saturday is to choose one of your archived posts and repost it for your new blogging buddies. This is a post from August 8, 2007:

I was reading another blog tonight (I'm sorry I don't remember which one - I hadn't learned about linky love at this point), and she brought up the idea of having an imaginary dinner party where you could invite anyone you wanted, real or imagined, alive or already gone, past, present, future. Who would you invite to your dinner party? Here's my list:

1. Jesus, so I could speak to him in his earthly form.
2. My daddy, because I miss him so much.
3. My son's imaginary friend Buddy and my daughter's imaginary friend Birdie. They could probably help me solve a lot of mysteries. That also takes care of #4.
5. The new superintendent of schools in my district who will be named in January of 2008.
6. Noah. I'd like to know about the planning and preparations for the flood and the convenant of the Rainbow.
7. The man who invented pantyhose (I'm sure it wasn't a woman), so I could ask him, "Why?"
8. My preacher, Jerry.
9. His wife, Kristine.
10. B., a religious mentor.
11. His wife, Ruth.
12. The entire Rascall Flatts band. That would make 15 guests, right?
16. Hunter Pence, the youngest new Astros ball player.

How about you?

For more Scrolling Saturday participants, click here.