clearing cobwebs and dust bunnies

My thoughts are like the contents of the kitchen junk drawer, that is to say jumbled and not always useful. The holidays are over and for that I am grateful. My husband took it upon himself to buy all of the ladies in the family a token in remembrance of my daddy. Christmas morning we all gathered at mama’s house and he gave a little speech before we were allowed to open the identical boxes. "This is a time for family. We are thankful for the ones gathered here but as we all know someone is missing. When you ladies wear this remember him. When we see you wearing it I know that it will serve as a reminder for all of us." We each opened a box to find a white gold and diamond necklace in the shape of a key. Daddy was a locksmith so the symbol is significant. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room.
Daddy’s birthday came and went as it always has. Now I don’t focus on how old he would have been if he was still here. Now I think about how long it has been since I felt him wrap his arms around me. I miss the sound of his voice. I even miss the teasing. Ben had to do a project on his personal hero for English class. He chose daddy.
We have a new addition in our family. His name is Sebastian although he is more apt to respond to "stupid cat" at this point. He is black and white and as soft as a mink coat. He was a "hobo" kitty. He just turned up on our doorstep one morning. I held off doing anything permanent because he might decide to leave at any time. Little by little we coaxed him inside. He has the sweetest disposition. The only complaint I have is that he insists on being let outside several times a day. That is fine unless it is storming as it has been doing here on a disgustingly regular basis. I am not comfortable letting him out in thunderstorms. He starts out voicing his complaints to the management in a soft little murmur which escalates quickly to a full on scream within minutes if you don’t get the idea fast enough to suit him. This is followed by his making the rounds of all bedrooms and both outside doors before he comes back to me. Then he begins beating on the front door with his paws which sounds ridiculous but believe me you will NOT sleep through it. As a last resort he will pee on any garment left on the floor. The little twit has "christened" several of my nightgowns! I took him to the vet and had him "fixed" hoping that would end the wander lust but so far it is still there. He always comes back though. The other morning he was even ‘sweet’ enough to bring me a ‘present’. When we opened the door to let him in after his ‘yard patrol’ we found him sitting on the porch with a mouse. I had Sam dispose of it. It was really disgusting.
Ben has turned 16. He begs, bargains with or bribes us to take him driving so he can get in some practice. He has maintained at least a "B" average this entire school year and stays out of trouble. That was the "deal" we made with the kids. Do that and you can get your license and maybe a car. Well there is no wiggling out of this one. My husband found him a ’97 Ford Ranger truck that is in really good condition. I am surprised there is any paint left on it as Ben has washed it several times in the last few days.
We learned recently that Michael will be making an "overseas" trip in the not too distant future. I am adjusting but basically I try not to think about it. He will be at home for several months before he leaves which I am looking forward to. At this point the deployment will be for a year, subject to change. As I said I am adjusting. I had to start wearing my ‘night guard’ again to prevent another migraine/tension headache cycle. The last one almost did me in. My sleep was never good and now it swings wildly from only a few minutes at a time to not really wanting to wake up when I finally do fall asleep. We will get through this one day at a time, one step at a time.
Sam is in the midst of his first "serious" relationship. Her name is Amber and Sam is crazy about her. If she breaks his heart I am going to feed her to Sebastian!
ROLL TIDE! Alabama has won its 13th NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! We have our very first HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER in MARK INGRAM! A perfect season and a national championship! I tried to tell the kids that all my screaming and cheering had a purpose other than to drive them crazy. Vindication is sweet!
The court "incident" as I try to think of it now has had some unforeseen consequences. I was angry at the man that moved in next door AFTER the incident and conveniently recalled seeing the fight just in time to testify on behalf of the girl that eventually won the case. I found it a bit too "lucky" that he suddenly had a place to live but no source of income that I could detect. (He was home a LOT.) I knew he had lied. He contributed to the whole traumatic mess. As I said before I was angry. I never wished him harm, well maybe something like permanent hemorrhoids or an unsightly rash that caused women to avoid him but nothing prepared me for what happened. About a week before Christmas he was involved in a head-on collision less than 5 miles from his house. The man that hit him was drunk. I do not know if he was drunk but have heard he was on his way to a party. For two weeks he was in ICU and unresponsive. Finally the family decided to turn off life support. I feel bad for his family. I had to reinforce to the kids that while I thought the man was a complete rat that I did not wish this on him. Life is so short and so very fickle.
If you were able to decipher my ramblings then you were able to conclude that I am in fact still alive. I am trying to ‘de-clutter’ and sort out what is left of my mind. I kept telling myself that I needed to write. The words don’t always appear when you want them to. Then again there are times when the flood gates are opened and the words pour out so fast that it is hard to make sense of them.