You Say It's Your Birthday…

It's my birthday too—yeah!

They say it's your birthday,

We're gonna have a good time!

I'm glad it's your birthday,

Happy birthday to you!

Yes, it is my birthday today. Me, Myself and I were sitting here, drinking coffee when Myself decided she wanted to know more about this birthday. She wanted to have a guest interview on the blog. Since it’s her blog too, it’s probably fine. The idea probably came to her because we were watching the Today show and there were a lot of interviews going on. Otherwise,she might have just left things alone.

Myself: Is there anyone famous born on this day?

Me: You mean besides Me? Okay, don’t look at me like that. Lawrence Welk was born on this day. You know, the orchestra guy. With the bubbles. Well, then how about Flaco Jimenez. Texas Tornados? Well then, there was a nice man here in this little town that shared my birthday. Mr. Harold Wright was his name. And the lady across from me at work has the same birthday. Oh and this is kind of cool. My first grade boyfriend, Daniel Bandel, has the same birthday as me. It’s Dan Bandel, now. He's famous! People thought we were twins back then!

I: Do you like fish?

Me: What kind of question is that?

I: A fishy question?

Me: Yes, I like fish because I’m a Pisces. You should too.

I want to make this! Cecilia1's fish blanket from Ravelry. Isn't it great?

I really want to make one some day. Blanket by Melidomi on Ravelry.

Myself: Do you remember your first grade teacher’s name?

Me: Duh. We had the same teacher. Mrs. Martha Robertson was her name and she had a loud gravelly voice and scared me really bad at first. But it turned out she was the sweetest, nicest, lady. She was the perfect person for a first grader, or for me anyway. She’s the reason I always liked school. And, funny thing, my sister and brother both had her too. I was her first year and my brother was her last, at that school anyway.

I: Is that why you decided to be a teacher?

Me: No. I never wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be an advertising executive and live in a big city. Remember? But small towns and marriage change things. And I’m glad that I did go into education. I think that’s what I was meant to do.

Myself: Where do you live?

Me: I live right here with y’all.

I: Are you getting a cake today?

Me: You sure hope we do, right? I don’t know. I know we get some cookies! And that’s okay by me cause you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

http://sweetsugarbelle.blogspot.com Birthday cookies

Yarn and knitting cookies. http://sweetsugarbelle.blogspot.com

Myself: That was lame. So what makes you smile?

Me: The littles can almost always make me smile. Yarn makes me smile. Nice people make me smile.

I: What’s your favorite movie?

Me: It would have to be “Pretty Woman” because it’s such a nice fairy tale. Then "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" because I’ve sort of lived that! Besides, I think the underwear and socks in the sink scene is hilarious.

Myself: Do you have any secrets you wouldn't mind everyone knowing?

Me: They are called "secrets" for a reason. If I wanted people to know, then they wouldn't be secret, right?

I: Do you have any special plans for today?

Me: There’s a party planned. A sleepover party! I’ll have three littles shoving and pushing to see who gets to be next to Mamye. Great warm fuzzies!

I: Do you feel old?

Me: I feel one day older than I was yesterday. Hey, I need some more coffee.

Myself and I: Oh, okay. Thank you for sharing your time this morning. Happy birthday to us!

You say it's your birthday!

We're gonna have a good time!

I'm glad it's your birthday,

Happy birthday to you!

Wow, I got an awesome March present from my sister! She beaded it. It’s really pretty. I still have to come up with something for her March present.

Beaded pendant necklace.

March Bling from Judi!

Oh no! Something ate one of my favorite scarves. It’s the first or second (I forget) Clapotis I made and I really like it. I have a tiny bit of this yarn leftover. Just have to find it and I think I can fix it, at least enough to wear it. It might not look good but it will be okay.

An early Clapotis

What's the dealio? Something ate the whole thread.

Day 342, March 8, and I met a friend for a birthday supper. It was good and I had a free dessert coupon to top it off. Then I got to go to the dollar store and look around. All was good til I got one of those McDonald’s coffee things that was wonderful. But it didn’t set well and I was up half the night. I guess that’s what I get for being a glutton and wanting everything good in one night! I chose a fat green yarn cause it looks like I feel! Day 343, March 9, and I have a couple of stops before work. Stomach is still acting up but I’m taking Pepto pills and that’s my cure-all for the stomach! I head to work and have a blow out. I don’t know what my problem with cars is lately! Alan saves the day but I have to drive the truck again. I even left early because my stomach still hurt. I chose pink boucle, not Pepto pink, but close. Day 344 is March 10. I stayed home from work and just kind of lay around all day. I need to get things together for Sunday and I do manage to do a little. I’m feeling better by afternoon and fix a good supper. I chose a gold yarn with a purple thread twisted through it. Well, day 345 is March 11. It’s the B-day! I’m looking forward to tonight, the slumber party at Callye’s house with the littles. I picked a multicolor mixed with white. It’s going to be a good time. They can make me smile. Then I won’t feel so old!

Yes we're going to a party party!

Yes we're going to a party party!

Yes we're going to a party party!

Happy birthday to you!

All The Lonely People...

Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people,
Where do they all belong?

I was in a coffee shop recently and there was a young man and young woman seated at a table close to where I was waiting. They looked like they were students, maybe. It seemed, from the conversation, they were just getting to know each other. He asked her what she liked to do in her spare time and she told him she liked to read or watch old movies. He said what about hanging out with your friends? She said she didn’t have any friends. He gave her an odd look and told her he was sorry. She said don’t be sorry. I don’t mind being alone. I’m alone a lot.

I know I probably shouldn’t have been eavesdropping but I was right there and really couldn’t help hearing. Their conversation made me think, though. I spend a lot of time alone. Sometimes, even in a group I’m alone. My Mamaw spent a lot of time alone. My mother and my sister do too. Even my daughter does, if you count not having any outside adult company as alone. It doesn’t bother me.

I guess it’s always been that way. I’m married to a worker bee and if he’s awake he’s probably working. There is nothing wrong with that. When the kids were little and home it was me and them when he was working. That’s not to say we didn’t do things as a complete family. We did. But the majority of everyday life, when they were little, was seemingly spent as just me and them.

I'm the only one in my office who does what I do. There are others across the state who do the same thing and I collaborate and work with them even though we all work in our own regions. But at the office I'm alone. Even when I was teaching, I was the only one teaching that subject. Actually, it’s a lot easier that way. I don’t have to please anyone. I just have to do the best I can do to help my teachers. I have had to go with large groups before and I don’t really like it. I can go with the flow but the drama of just deciding where to eat lunch is stressful to me. Multply it by a few days and I am ready to call room service and just stay in!

Oddly enough I’m put in the position of interacting with people I don’t know, all the time in my job. A lot of the time I’ll know not one single person in the group. It usually doesn’t bother me. I can talk to strangers or I can go off by myself. I know some people who won’t eat if they are alone. I’d have starved to death long ago if that was the case for me! The key is whether I feel comfortable or not. If I do, no problem. If I don’t, well, I’m not hanging around.

I’m not an ogre or anything like that. I don’t think so anyway! I really can make friends. And I do have friends. As everyone, I have more acquaintances than true friends, but I’m okay with that. I have a hard time opening up to people because of trust issues from way back. So I don’t. But I can. But I won’t. Again, it’s the trust issues. It seems if I do trust and share, something happens and everything gets thrown back into my face. And it happens every time. One friend asked me if I was in the witness protection program. It made me laugh but it also made me realize just how much I keep to myself.

Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been.

Lives in a dream.

Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door, who is it for?

One time for a graduate class I had an assignment, silly as it sounds, to explain if I were an animal, what animal it would be. First off, I don’t like that kind of stuff. It’s touchy feely in my opinion. Some of the worst experiences of my life were touchy feely incidents. This was a bit better, however, because it was an online class. I only had to draw the animal and then explain in writing why I picked what I did. I thought about it and finally chose a turtle. My reason was that sometimes I feel like I’m carrying the world on my back. But when it gets really bad all I have to do is pull my head into the shell and I’m safe. There’s a funny thing about turtles. A turtle can never have a friend over to spend the night. That’s because his house is on his back!

Am I lonely? I might be, at least some of the time. But most often I’m okay. It’s been this way so long I really prefer it. I entertain myself, either by watching TV, knitting, reading or using the computer. I participate in social networking and I enjoy that. I think. I try to analyze all of my faults and diagnose why I am the way I am. And I can never figure it out. But it’s all okay.

I picture myself as an old lady. I’m alone. I have some cats, but they can’t come in the house. And sometimes on the weekends the kids might come by. The weekends will seem pretty long. At least that is what my great-grandmother used to say. But I’ll still have the TV, my knitting or some books to read. I might even listen to the radio and sing a little. I don’t know if I’ll still be using the computer or partaking in social networking or if there will even be such a thing. I’ll still be analyzing myself and I’ll come up with the same diagnosis. And I’ll hope, that when I die, someone will notice.

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name, nobody came.

All the lonely people,

where do they all come from?

I had to improvise on the Anthropologie knock off scarf. I did run out of yarn so I took out part and added another color then finished in the original dark green. Then I made the pompoms out of both yarns. I’m still not decided as to whether it looks okay or not. But it’s done. I'll post a better picture later.

Dark green with turquoise/green blend stripe.

Pom pom out of both yarns.

I started a GAP-tastic Cowl. It's on Ravelry. I found a boo boo so had to fix it. I like it so far.

Now you see it!

Now you don't!

Day 287, January 12, and I’m still knitting! Surprise! I’m being thorough today. Finishing up all the little things, the paperwork and such, that I need to. I choose a thick aqua yarn. Day 288, January 13, and I’m still finishing! There was more than I thought and I didn’t get it all done yesterday. But I did today. I’m almost caught up if anyone can ever be caught up. I chose a rose colored cotton. TGIF! It’s day 289, January 14 and I’m feeling a little cornered. I am pretty independent and I don’t like having to report to people. So I’m not. I’m lying low! I meet Callye and kids in Odessa. Alan even comes up to join us. The littles are coming home with me for the weekend! After a nice supper we head home. Belle chooses to ride with Alan and the boys with me. There isn’t a moment someone isn’t talking! I choose a black and white twist with spots of color throughout. January 15, day 290, I feel wanted. There’s nothing quite like three little kids, all clamoring for your attention. Makes you feel a little important. I choose a warm colored yarn that is orange, gold and green variegated. It’s fuzzy, too, so it reminded me of a warm fuzzy! Ha ha Day 291, January 16, and I’m feeling a little hypocritical! The wanted feeling is turning into demanding! I’ve just forgotten how three littles can need so much attention. But it’s a good demanding, if there can be such a thing! I choose a light blue fuzzy yarn. The little kids are the sunshine of my life. They can always make me smile. They worry that I’m alone when they are gone. I guess they know.

 

Ah, look at all the lonely people.

Ah, look at all the lonely people.