Another look at a previous post...

I originally posted this last Mother's Day (2014) - But, I want to share it again.  This year (2015), I'll actually BE with my mama for Mother's Day...and that's pretty spectacular!  In fact this is scheduled to post while I'm in the air somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

May 11th is Mother's Day. (It's May 10th this year, 2015, so don't let the repeat post confuse you.)  Days like this are difficult since I live so far away.  They are difficult for me; they are difficult for my loved ones.  My blog today will look at the little reminders that I carry with me about my mother.  Most of us have random things that we see or hear during our day to day lives that remind us of a loved one.  Here are a few of mine that are all about Georganne :)

1. Fried shrimp:  This is my mom's favorite, but neither of her children like it.  She'd try and try to get us to like it.  But, we didn't.  One time, my brother even tried to shove the fried shrimp under the door to the room the dog was in.  The dog didn't eat it either.  We were busted for wasting perfectly good food.  My mother gave up and stopped cooking fried shrimp.  She sacrificed her favorite meal for her kids' happiness.  That's my mom!
2. M.A.S.H.:  Georganne loved this show.  I was too young to really remember watching many episodes, but I remember her watching them.  I especially remember her sitting in the middle of the living room floor folding clothes and watching the final episode.  She sobbed into a towel.  
3. Homecoming Queens:  My mother was the Homecoming Queen at R.E. Lee High School in Baytown, Texas.  I used to look at pictures of her in her old yearbooks and think she was so pretty :)
   
4. Geraniums:  I don't remember my mother being much of a "green thumb", but it always seemed like no matter where we lived, she had a red geranium plant that bloomed pretty well.
5. Parades:  My mom taught baton twirling, and her Baytown School of Baton were in every local parade.  I thought we were something special.  My mom can still pick up a baton and twirl some impressive tricks.
6. Cartwheels:  My mother is a retired elementary school teacher.  I have so much respect for her as a teacher; she truly was born to teach little kids.  She's crazy, and the kids love her.  She had a soft spot for the struggling students.  She was great.  One memorable promise she made her kids was this - if they all scored 100% on their spelling test, she would do a cartwheel.  She did this even after turning 60.  Can you imagine how excited those kids were to see their teacher flopping over on the playground?!
7. Luv Ya Blue and Clutch City:  Georganne loves her sports.  She watches them all: football, baseball, basketball, tennis, The Olympics, even the occasional soccer or boxing match.  College and professional (as seen by the picture she sent me yesterday about NFL draft day).  We had "Luv Ya Blue" posters on our mantle in the living room, and she had "Clutch City" signs in the her car window for a couple of years.
   
8. Astros Opening Day:  We had a tradition running for several years - Mom and I would go to Opening Day for the Astros.  We were even on the big screen the last year in the Astrodome!
9. Baskin Robbins:  When I was a kid, my birthday cake was a chocolate roll with mint chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins.  A few times as an adult, Mom bought the same cake for my birthday.
10. Wheat Thins and Orange Slices:  My mom snacks all day long.  Throughout the years, Wheat Thins have been the favorite.  A close second is those orange rubbery jelly like slices that are covered in sugar.  These were her favorite road trippin' snack.  On the way to my grandparents' house, she'd stop, get gas, go to the bathroom, and buy orange slices.
11. Billy Ocean:  Georganne loves to dance, and Billy Ocean was a favorite during the '80's.  She'd turn up Billy Ocean on my brother's stereo and dance with the vacuum cleaner while cleaning.  I can't hear a Billy Ocean song without envisioning this in detail.  "Hey, hey, you, you, get into my car."
12. George Strait:  Georganne has loved George even longer than I've loved Jon Bon Jovi.  I'd have Bon Jovi posters up in my room; she had a George Strait poster in her closet.
    
13. Motion Sickness:  My brother has a weak stomach, mine is much worse, and my mom's is much, much worse.  Well, I don't know...I think we're both equally bad when it comes to motion sickness.  There are many family stories that involve our motion sickness.  I'll spare you the details.
14. Snakes:  My mom hates snakes!  Hates them!  Has peed her pants at the zoo because she was so scared at the reptile exhibit.  My nephew and I may be guilty of placing rubber snakes on her pillow or in her bed a time or two.
15. Christmas Shopping:  I think that many mother/daughter duos do their Christmas shopping together.  My mom and I were a great team.  She's a speed walker; I could barely keep up with her.  We'd almost always have Chick Fil A for lunch and a Great American Cookie Company snack break.  We'd make lists and knock out a lot of gifts in one day.  I miss our Christmas shopping excursions.  
16. Craziness, silliness, and loads of fun:  Those words sum up my mother.  There isn't a person that she can't talk to.  She is a bundle full of energy even to this day.  She's been called "the crazy grandmother" and "silly ol' Anne" as terms of endearment.  I've been known to lose my patience with her because of these traits.  Now, I cherish them.  I love who she is - craziness, silliness, and all.
    
17. Bon Jovi - Georganne took three 8th grade girls and one 7th grader to the Bon Jovi "Slippery When Wet" tour stop in Houston at The Summit.  It.Was.Awesome!  Since that time, we've seen Bon Jovi together two or three other times.  I've been to many other shows without her, but whenever I see an obvious mother/daughter duo at a Bon Jovi concert (and there are many of these), I can't help but smile and think of my mama.  

Happy Mother's Day to my mother - I wouldn't trade her for anyone in the world.  Absence really does make the heart grow fonder, because I love her and appreciate her more today than ever before.  Living on the other side of the world, I value our talks, messages, and visits, and her care packages are the best.
I love you, Georganne!!!

Gone to Texas

Actually, not yet...but I leave today.  

Photo source

Don't worry.  I will be checking in from time to time.

I've been fortunate to have some bloggers share their time and talents, and I've got some awesome guest posts lined up for you.

I'll be focusing on family & friends...first up, road trip to Mississippi to see this one (on the right) graduate from Ole Miss

Mother's Day for this one

Make up for missing this one's 40th birthday

Make up for missing this one's (on the left) 30th birthday (coming soon)

Watching this one graduate high school

Margaritas will be consumed (and all the Tex Mex possible)

Throw in spending time with other very important family members (like getting tons of daddy hugs), friends, and loved ones...and I'll be a busy girl.

Keep visiting and show some love to my guest bloggers

Follow me on instagram for pics

I'll be back in the swing of things and fully focused on the blog in early June.

Much love to y'all xoxo

Erin

Thoughts 28 - Drugs + Death Penalties

I don't get super serious or talk about controversial topics too often on this space.  Today, I don't have funny gifs or memes, and I'm not talking about books or posting photos of my fur babies.  Today, I'm getting serious.  I fully anticipate that not everyone will agree with me.  That's okay. 

For further information on this case, or if you don't like my quick summary, google "Bali 9"; there will be plenty to read about.  

Photo source

Last week, Indonesia executed two convicted drug smugglers, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were Australian citizens, a penalty that many, particularly in the Western world, believe is unjust and brutal.  Death by firing squad.  A lot of opinions and controversy, even diplomatic fractures have surrounded this case in Australia and Indonesia in recent months and weeks. The guys were convicted in 2006 of smuggling approximately $4million worth of heroin. They were described as the ring leaders who recruited others to be drug mules, and allegedly, this was not the first time that either were involved in drug trafficking offenses. So...they got caught and justifiably deserved punishment. 

Australia doesn't have the death penalty, so a lot of Australians do not support it ever. Indonesia has some pretty sketchy laws about who they execute and who they don't. For instance, this year they freed a guy who organized a bombing in Bali that killed people (including Australian tourists), but they executed the drug smugglers. 

Many media reports surrounded these two guys showing they were remorseful and completely rehabilitated. Lots and lots of media stories paint them in a favourable light. One of them became a minister while serving time in the Indonesian prison.  There were tons of stories from their families, mothers and siblings pleading for mercy.  Some of the family footage was heart-breaking to watch. 

Sensationalized stories surrounded a legitimate news story.  Sometimes, it was difficult to decipher what to read and who to listen to.

Australian politicians, ambassadors, and diplomats got involved. Indonesian authorities got pissed, pretty much saying don't tell us how to run our country. Lots of media, debates, panel discussions, interviews, updates, and social media banter flooded the news for weeks. With all of the news coverage, it was pretty difficult not to think about it and come up with my own personal views on the situation.

I do not agree that death by firing squad is the correct punishment for this case. But. The laws and penalties in Indonesia are well-known in this part of the world. These guys took a risk, broke the law, got caught, and were punished for it.  

Being from Texas, there's a lot of exposure to news stories about the border drug trade between Texas and Mexico. If you get involved with the drug trade in Mexico, there's some stiff penalties. Mexican prisons are not nice places, but if you get involved in the drug game in Mexico and get caught, a prison may be a luxurious form of punishment compared to the Mexican cartels getting ahold of you.  Not just death, but beheadings and torture are part of their punishment. Those Mexican cartels don't mess around.  To avoid these unpleasant punishments, what should you do?  Don't get involved in the drug trade.

So. Australians know Indonesia has drug laws that are punishable by death. If you smuggle drugs, you take that risk. If you're caught, you may not like or agree with the punishment. 

I am not trying to sound hard or heartless.  I've thought a lot about this.  Here's what stuck with me:  I've broken the law. I've driven drunk. I am not proud of that fact.  Not one little bit.  I could've injured or killed someone. If that horrendous possibility would've actually happened, I would have deserved the stiffest penalty under American law for that offense.  If I had committed that offense in another country, I would have deserved their punishment.  I wouldn't have liked going to prison.  I wouldn't have enjoyed or looked forward to receiving that penalty.  But, I made a terrible, terrible choice.  So, I would have deserved the penalty. 

I feel sympathetic towards the families. They didn't make the choices their sons or brothers made.  Without a doubt, these families are suffering, mourning, feeling a tremendous sense of loss and unjust.

I may sound like I'm stepping up on a soap box...I know this...but I'm going to do it anyway...I'm entitled to an opinion.  Drugs are bad.  Drugs kill.  Families fracture because of drugs.  Rapes occur because of drugs.  Robberies, thefts, and burglaries occur because of drugs.  Murders occur because of drugs.  Some children are abandoned by their parents because of drugs.  Some babies are born addicted to drugs.  Governments spend a lot of money to combat the drug trade.  Many tears are cried, many hearts are broken, many souls feel lost and empty because of drugs.  The ripple effect of drug trafficking is far and wide.  Punishment for smuggling $4million worth of drugs into or out of another country should be hefty.  I just don't think the firing squad is the answer.

Some opponents of capital punishment say it does not serve as a deterrent.  I say this: if you followed the Chan and Sukumaran case, and you are Australian, and you are a drug smuggler, if you do not see this case as a deterrent for drug smuggling in/out of Indonesia, I don't know if anything will deter you.  Therefore, you deserve the punishment that you get.  

Stepping off soap box.  

Thoughts 27 - Kindness is free

Warning: post contains profanity.  If you don't like curse words, don't read the post.  Just remember to be kind.

So...this happened yesterday...

I'm in the CBD (downtown) returning a library book. There was a group with two people in wheelchairs, two others with obvious mental disabilities, and two helpers. We were standing at a crosswalk waiting for the light to change.  There was also a man dressed in a business suit talking on his mobile phone waiting.  One of the guys from the first group reached out to the man dressed in a suit. He shook him off while continuing to talk on his phone. The helper tried to control and re-direct the guy in her group. He reached out to the man again, tugging on his jacket, and made a loud noise. The businessman shook him off and called him a "crazy" C word (he said the word, but I refuse to type that one). Shocked, I said "that was completely uncalled for". The suited man called me a "fat bitch". I replied "I'd rather be a fat bitch than a fucking asshole".  The light changed, and he walked away.  I walked away.  The group stayed put.

I was so angry and so upset, I was shaking. All this happened in probably less than 30 seconds. 30 completely unnecessary seconds. I hope that suited guy falls in front of a bus.  No, I don't, but...

I wasn't angry or upset by what he said to me (although that was completely uncalled for too.)  I was shocked, dismayed, disgusted, and infuriated that his response to the young man that clearly faced some mental and physical challenges was to call him a "crazy" C-bomb.  The C word.  The nastiest word to call someone that the English language has to offer.

What is wrong with people?  What goes on in that guy's head or in that guy's life to make him such a nasty person?   He is someone's son.  He is someone's co-worker.  He is possibly someone's friend and/or lover.  Even worse, he is possibly someone's father.  How does he treat those close in his life?  What does he teach his children?

A friend shared this picture with me after she learned of this experience of mine.  Perfect.

 This is one of those experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life.  I am not writing this for praise.  I am writing this to encourage others to have empathy and compassion.

People, do something kind today. Combat this incident of ugliness by spreading kindness.

Happy Blogiversary...

Not to me...to my friend who has been blogging for TEN years!  Wowza!

What do ten years of blogging, taking baths, mashed potatoes, willie nelson, and me have in common?

Well, you're going to have to visit jenn's blog at quirky pickings to find out because I'm guest posting today.

Check out my post, and while you're at it....

 

Sunday's Seven Snapshots vol.23

Astro likes to read

Commute homes could look a lot worse than this

Dolled up and ready to celebrate my friend's birthday. 

Birthday celebrations on a Harbour cruise

I like him. I'll keep him. 

Even on a rainy night, Sydney Harbour is magnificent. 

Dancing Queen

Favorite Friend

I have been very fortunate to have some wonderful females in my life who I call friends.  Very fortunate.  I have a handful that I would do anything for, I love for their own special reasons, and I value immensely.  Today, one of my very favorite friends, actually one of my favorite people to ever grace the planet, is turning the Fabulous Forty.  I'm going to tell you forty reasons that Katy is so fabulous and why she is a favorite friend.

1. You know when you meet someone that is going to become very special in your life, often people say that there is an "instant connection"?  Yea...they may be talking about a love interest, but I feel Katy and I had that instant connection.  As cliché as it sounds, we just clicked.  It was love at first sight when I met that curly headed, long-legged, big grin of a nineteen year old.  We were both dates to a frat party.  Neither of the guys were in the frat, but it was one those parties that everyone went.  Katy and I shared a bottle of Crown Royal, and we knew we'd be forever friends.
2. Katy was my roommate in college for 3 years.  During that time she was a bartendar at a variety of local bars that were popular with us crazy college kids.  Katy poured a good drink, and she gave free drinks to her roommate (me!).  
3. One Halloween, Katy let me dress her as Sandy from Grease (you know, at the school fair when she says "tell me about it, stud"?).  I put her in black spandex, I teased her already natural curly hair, I threw some heels on her and a leather jacket.  She looked hot!  Really, I just wanted to be Stephanie Zinone from Grease 2, and I thought we'd make a cute duo.
   
4. Katy accepts me for who I am.  She doesn't just accept me, she loves me for who I am.  There are a couple less desirable traits of mine that she accepts.  Like my messiness.  She is very clean and neat.  I'm a messy slob.
5. Katy is fabulous at setting lofty goals for herself and achieving them.  From graduating early to having career success; owning a home and being a triathlete.
6. Katy is super smart.
7. Katy is extremely generous...almost to the point that I worry others may have taken advantage of her.  But, I trust Katy's intelligence and instincts.  Plus, she's a big girl who can make her own decisions.
   
8. Katy is great about making me feel special on my birthdays.  From giving me a sentimental snow globe for my 30th to organizing a night out on the Cowtown Cycle Party for my 40th. 
   
9. Katy has a very special bond with her cat, Nkosi.  He is protective and loyal to Katy.  All who enter should fear Nkosi, but their love for each other is evident.
10. Katy has been known to call herself Katy the Krazy Kat Lady.  See above.  
11. Katy and I have many memories involving road trips - to Austin, to San Antonio, to Houston to see Stone Temple Pilots with her date who was wearing leather pants.  He was gorgeous.  He was allowed to wear leather pants.
    
12. Katy took care of me when we suspect my drink was drugged at a bar.  We researched, and we feel confident this is what happened.  Not a good moment.  But, she was a trooper and a nurturer.
13. Katy sings a mean rendition of Rick Springfield's "Don't Talk to Strangers".
14. Katy gives really thoughtful and insightful advice.
15. Also, and sometimes more importantly, Katy is a great listener.
16. Katy has selected Fort Worth for the place to live her life.  Fort Worth is a fabulous city, a Texas gem, that often flies under the radar.
    
     
17. Katy has a devious mind when it comes to planning pranks. 
18. Katy and I had a girl's trip to Vegas.  We stayed at the Wynn, hung out at the pool, saw Butch Walker open for Avril Lavigne, and sat on the laps of American Storm.
    
19. Speaking of Butch Walker, Katy and I flew to Minneapolis to see a Butch show.  It was amazing.
    
20. Katy and I used to snuggle up in her bed and watch marathons of Beavis and Butthead when she was suffering from insomnia.
21. Katy does some fabulous disco dancing.
22. Katy is a super strong woman who is extremely self-aware and always looking to better herself (although, I think she's pretty close to perfect just as she is.)
23. Katy and I shared a bathroom for two years.  Never once did she get mad at me listening to me vomit (from debauchery) through our shared door.  Teased me, yes.  But she never got mad.
24. Katy lets me pick out her shoes.  Admittedly, she doesn't always make the best choices for stylish footwear.  She lets me help in that department because she knows how much I love shoes.
25. Katy has a gorgeous smile with full lips.  I suspect that a guy who she dated that was in a college band may have written some song lyrics about these lips of hers.
    
26. Katy is an immensely loyal friend.
27. Katy recommends great books.  She is the one that told me I needed to read The Book Thief and recommended The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, two books that became favorites of mine.
28. Katy visited me in Australia where we did memorable things like climb the Harbour Bridge, get in a tank with sharks, scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef, and have breakfast with koalas.
    
29. Katy has an ability to make me feel good about myself.  There've been conversations when I've been feeling pretty darn lousy, and Katy is able to give me enough encouragement to feel better about things.
30. Katy is loyal and trustworthy, and I can honestly say I trust her with my deepest, darkest secrets.
31. Katy is open-minded.
32. Katy is open-hearted.
33. Katy challenges herself each month to do something she's never done before.  She's been doing this for years.  It guarantees that she is always experiencing something new in her life.
34. Katy and I are very similar in some ways, and very different in others.  Our friendship works perfectly well like that.
    
    
    
35. At a time that I needed someone to say "are you sure about this?", Katy said it.
36. When I make terrible life mistakes, Katy is the first person there to give me moral support and help me pick up the pieces.
37. Katy and I have helped each other through hair disasters, divorces, hurricane evacuations, alcohol poisonings and more.
    
38. Katy and I have a grand plan.  If we find ourselves retired and single, we want to live together again like the Golden Girls.  I'll be Blanche to her Dorothy.
39. There is no doubt in my mind, if I were to ever find myself in an emergency situation where I absolutely needed Katy to be by my side, she would do everything in her power to be there, even if that meant flying to the other side of the world.
40. If those forty reasons aren't enough to convince you that Katy is fabulous, you'll have to wait until she's fifty or sixty so I can list some more.  Because we'll most definitely still be friends then. 
    
    

 Happy Birthday, Katy!  I love you more than I love shoes.

***i forgot to add the Friday Favorites link for Amanda at meetatthebarre.com and now I'm on my phone (not laptop), so I don't know how to add the link. Sorry!!!  Will fix tomorrow.