Vacancy... with a clean shower.... but unshaven legs.

So... just a note about me.  I am a sissy lala about being alone.  I'm sure I've screamed out several times during my life, "Can you just leave me ALONE?" but I don't ever mean it.  My fear of being alone started when my silly brother would have me get something in the basement and then shut the door to tease me.  (remind me to slap him) Our basement wasn't finished back in the pioneer times of my youth so a variety of interesting creatures lived down there.  The Giant Spider from both Harry Potter and it's cousin from Lord the Rings and their entire offspring lived there.  All of the Birds from the Alfred Hitchcock movie.  Several generational lines from the rats from the Indiana Jones movie (the part when they are under the library looking for the shield).  Frightening enough - all of the pictures of my Hill ancestors are there too - probably the most frightening thought of all.  So now I have this fetish about night times and being alone.  Sure - you're not suppose to publish when you are alone - and currently - I'm not.  But when I am (you'll be the last to know) I usually prepare by sleeping with knives next to the bed.  (ok - so they are bread knives)  Well.... last night - I was alone.... and I thought I would settle in for a nice long sleep... and something crashed in the kitchen.  Here was my strategy.  Call Ashley - she has guns..... no answer.... I only had pens next to the bed... my breath was awful... my legs had not been shaved... and I started having a conversation in two different voices like there was someone here with me.  THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS PEOPLE!!!!  I'm not sure how I would kill someone with the pens.  I could write them to death.  My breath and leg hairs may have stopped someone.  But certainly by far... the multiple voices scared whatever it was down there.... away.  I've told Gomer... it's a gun or a dog.  Because if the police show up and they see a pen stabbed person, lacerated by leg hair, sick from mouth breath, and babbling that they heard voices (several types) it might be hard to explain.  Just when I thought I could perhaps doze off after my heart attack... I thought... where are they?   Under my bed?.......  Hiding in the shower?....... Locked in my parents basement?    Being alone - not for sissys.

Oh...My...Gosh - it's worse than I thought - I am beyond help this year...

Because I will totally get fired for posting things about my place of where I've already spent 36 hours and it's only Tuesday night this week.... (;  and, because I have signed the waiver promising that I will not disclose the sales for the day of the death march.... I will refrain from naming my particular retail occupation and deny all ties to the place if mentioned.   But I am dangerous during this time of year.  I have had in my hands the top secret memos of the sales of the century and also the amounts of each item available.  My rants of Black Friday have varied over the 11 years at this residence at 666 Retail Avenue.  I've decided to be super angry this year as some schmuck at the top has decided that our company will open open open at 9 PM for Black Friday... oh crap - I just threw up yet again.  Next year Black Friday will be on Halloween night - why not - our vendors required our set up for Christmas to be super happy wrapped and ready by then anyway.  Yes folks I've heard those complaints about how we rush into the season - please know that I am just a prisoner there - and not a decision maker.  Since we open that early - my shift begins at 3 PM so that the ads can be set and areas located, and ends at - yes 3:30 AM.  To ad insult to injury - we were asked to bring 'pot luck' for our lunch breaks.... My 83 year old mother doesn't understand why I won't make it to Thanksgiving dinner this year - I remember those days of sitting around the roasted turkey and sampling the mashed potatoes with my finger.  Those days are gone.....................

 

So I'm going to post my warnings about Black Friday - please consider these rules to be set in cement as I will NOT budge from them -

 

1.  The child will not stop screaming because it's 10 below zero outside, snowing, and you need a GPS system 'shucks, pretty darn bad'... (perhaps to find the address to DCFS?)

 

2.  After hitting me in the ankle with your cart 5 times as you stand in line - the ankle will finally give way, and I will send you to the end of the line...

 

3.  I don't collect tissues or used diapers, I am not a garbage disposal, and if you don't want to wait until you can find a trash can - thanks for stuffing it behind something - that's classy. (true story)

 

4.  Thank you for reminding me that this is the 4th place you've been to tonight, and there's nothing left here - hum... because we opened 4 hours ago?  (my fave chant.... "We're number 4!")

 

5.  I love how you placed those boxes of jewelry in your pocket for safekeeping until you reach the registers to pay for them.... right?

 

6.  People... people.... people.... I know that dressing like that made it to Facebook at another 'un-named' store... but have you washed those pajama pants since last year?

 

7.  Nope - that Santa hat doesn't do it for me.  And nope... I'm not telling you if I've been naughty or nice.  Toothpaste..... two rows over... mouthwash is there too...

 

8.  I personally don't care about all the relatives you have to buy for while I tackle keeping the line in order... nope - don't care.... don't care - I'm not Holly Jolly after 12 hours.

 

9.  So... if the limit is 5 and you have 6...  how many items will Johnny have to put back before he can check out?

 

10.  Please don't tell me how you think that it's awful that the stores open this early... because you are the dipwad in line making that happen.

 

Please be kind to the retail employees.  We can't strike, walk out or complain.  We need our jobs.  We are to show up with a smile even though our hearts are breaking.  Our hours are long this week and then cut next week.  We fall in love with our seasonal work only friends and then they are tossed to the curb after Christmas.  We eat stale food, drink too many Rockstars, miss seeing our children, and catch everyone's colds.  Black Friday employees of retail stores.... are the bravest people I know.  Not those standing in a line outside, not those plowing through the doors knocking people down, not those that blow wads of money on wants not needs.   My friends at my store - I freaking love you for your sacrifices.  You are valuable to me - you are not about the almighty buck, your vacation days have been frozen, and your holiday memories are not 'time and a half' but a quarter...  I'm sorry that you have to sleep through or work through a holiday that you are suppose to be thankful for things - and are so exhausted you can't be.  I work with impoverished families who have nothing - I cried the first time 11 years ago when those doors opened and thousands of dollars were spent on (really rotten snot nosed crying tired) children... I lost a lot of my spirit then. I changed my entire attitude about Christmas.  I'm pretty blunt about this part of the season - Black Friday... I'm almost grateful for January 2nd... because that item that you just paid $$$$$$ for is marked down to just $ and I am justified.  And thus the rant is complete.  Except for the rant about..... dun dun dun.... the Christmas Music Sound Track at work ---  oh - just threw up again. Give a hug to some random employee at my store - thank them - cheer them on.  Believe me - it's the last place on earth they want to be.  Anybody hiring?

BTW.... Valentine and Easter boxes came off the truck this week......

hippety hoppity Easter's on it's way.....

My thoughtful and wonderful Thanksgiving post right before the painful and slightly horrid post about Black Friday.

I know you've seen this before - but I can't get enough of it.  Abraham Lincoln said:  "I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.  They have clung to me all my life".  So it is with my mother.  Some days - my children have really hard days. Each of my children that read this will interpret it different - for we all have our moments of toughness.  Today - I needed to give advise and I struggled to find the right words.  I do remember saying a bit louder than the rest of the conversation that I have great faith in my children and I know that God watches over them and knows their needs.  I reminded this child that it's really all about God's plan for us - and our patience in waiting to see what that is.  Being prepared for God's will is not a problem I've seen in any of my children, ever.  I see them doing good things and living the way that they have been taught to live.  They contribute and love and laugh and endure.  Some days just suck more than others.  When I have those awful days - I call my mom.  She lets me pour my heart out and she listens (that's kind of a funny concept because she can't hear and she can't remember) to me.  Her answer to me is never failing - "I believe in you".  It's always the only answer I really need to hear.  Today - I hope my children know I love them - today I prayed hard for them, and that I believe in them.  I hope they feel those prayers and that they will follow them also.  I told the Big Guy that I was so grateful for them, for their spouses, and my grandchildren and grandpuppy.  I told him I was grateful for my husband Gomer.  He's always fixing something for someone with the most expensive part he can find - but it lasts.  (:  Today - I found a paper my mother gave me - she had cut it out with her pinking scissors - you know the zigzagged kind.  She had pasted it onto a paper with leaves on it.  She had sent this to me many years ago.  Today - was a bit dark for me inside but after praying I went into the kitchen and I noticed I had just randomly put this poem on my Thanksgiving Board - not thinking much of it - until now - when I realize it was not to be noticed until today.  So for Thanksgiving this year I wanted to give it to my children - with love, from my mom and I to them.  I will write it fast because I can feel the blood starting to boil about Black Friday and I need to suppress it with warm fuzzies instead of nuclear bomb threats. 

 

Day to Give Thanks

 

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,

because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,

because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.

They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,

because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those

who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles

and they can become your richest blessings.

 

 

No matter where we all are this Thanksgiving - remember

WE ARE FAMILY and I BELIEVE IN YOU

and for that - I am richly blessed beyond words.

Love Bob Hillary, and Swirley Bowen

I'll take a slice of that....

I live next door to an amazing family - actually I'm surrounded by wonderful families on my entire street.  My newest neighbors are a Dad and his 4 children.  His wife - a dear sweet friend of mine, passed away just over a year or so.  These children are so beautiful - they have brought life back to our street.  There are 3 boys and one girl.  Recently, this little girl posted a note on the light post between our houses.  I thought it was one of those "need a job" or "babysitting" or the "I'm selling" postings.  But to my surprise as I looked closer realized how beautiful this child really is, and how tender her heart is.  Here is what it said:

what would you have taken?

I chose to take UNDERSTANDING... I taped it to the inside of my front door so I could see it everyday.  'Beauty' interesting enough - was the last strip left.  I watched as people walking by stopped and read the note and smiled from ear to ear.  I though how wonderful this was - how innocent - and how powerful.  Grown people even took a strip, and they tucked it in their pockets and you could just see the affects of this little act of kindness.  I know that her mother is looking down on her from heaven and she's smiling.  It's exactly what she did when she was a little girl.  In my calling I have so many people 'needing' someone to do things for them instead of reaching out and accepting new challenges on their own - and believing in themselves.  I think I might put one of these up outside our Bishop's office...

 

Thanksgiving, is such a reflective time of the year for me.  I don't take one day and make it my thankful day... Each morning is the dawn of a new opportunity to be grateful.  Sometimes it's the tiniest thing, the next day it's something enormous - but everyday it's something.

Take what you need... pass on the rest to others...let me know how it goes.... 



YEAH! It's US!

Searching through my camera tonight - so things are out of order - does that really matter?  NOT!  Because this picture came up and it made me smile instantly.  WE are SISTAS in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - AND we are FAMILY in this crazy world we live in!  AREN'T these daughters (ok one is my daughter in law but you know the rules - if you marry one of my handsome sons you become my beloved daughter also - right Bethany? right Katie?)  We were able to get tickets to the Women's Conference and get primo amazing seats!!!  I also didn't kill anyone on the way there!  Along with enjoying the night - Mandy decided to see what was in Ashleys purse - always an adventure.  The lady behind us and over about 5 people tapped Mandy on the shoulder and told her to be quiet.... we all almost died - because first of all - she wasn't being noisy at all!  Next, because the people behind us were TOTALLY noisy and talking. Last but not least - the lady almost DIED when Ashley stood up - all 6'4" including heels, and turned around (not sure if she had the gun in tow).  We all sat there in shock - and then..... we..... started... to laugh.....  I just love these girls - I am so fortunate to have Ashley, Mandy, Katie and (in spirit) Bethany - they make my life worth it - and remind me of myself many years ago.  I am proud of them - and know that the world is a better place because they are in it.  Please.... make as much noise as you want in life - I've got your back... or I'll be running away as fast as I can... we'll decide.  xoxoxo

Post Traumatic Halloween

Yep - it sucked this bad.

oh well...

....it was gone by 8pm

bring on the next holiday



Thriller Night

  Sweet score on seeing 'Thriller' last night - holy cow it was amazing.  Kingsbury Hall, Dayna Marshall, Steppenwolves Slappin' about, and Chainsaw man.... all left me speechless - well the girls wish it would have - I screamed through most of the show.  (Thanks Mike and Ashley and Beep!)

 I love Halloween.  I love the dressing up and the pumpkins and the colors of the season....  I love the candy.  I've dressed up in several outstanding frightening things of the night over the years.  Once I dressed up and work and the boss had to ask who I was.  I love the lit pumpkins - yes the carved ones, that you put away each year and never have to carve again.  I always have pumpkins from Mendon on my porch.  They bring a bit of my childhood home with me.  I love that dang miniature candy bag... I'm  pretty sure I can tank down a bag on my own.  But to me - the songs my mother taught me will forever be sung during my Halloween Days.  Back before they would let you sing the songs of Satan at Primary..... we would sing all of our favorites:  There's no such thing as a witch.... Halloween..... This is Hallowe-e-e-n!  All the kids in my town knew these songs because my mom taught them.  Now that my mom is in her 80's there are certain things that she'll never remember again.  But those songs - oh those songs come through loud and clear. I love that my kids still make this holiday fun... this is amazing beyond words.... and made me smile from ear to ear.  Made my heart sing...Halloween songs!

Not dressing up this year, kinda skipping out on Trick or Treaters, pumpkin lights are plugged in, and the candy bag.... well I haven't even purchased them yet.  But come on over and I promise I scare you to death with a song... or my singing... or both.  Happy Halloween to my kids, and my grand kids.... make some wonderful memories.   Sing a few too....