Joy Journal, 2016: December 2016

Bertice. Seriously, Bertice. It was funny what I thought as I got ready to go to her house to pick up my mugs --- whether I would be like a gushy fan girl, wanting her to like me, whether or not she would like me, be friendly. I settled myself down a bit. I resolved not to expect a visit. She made us tea and we laughed and talked for an hour. She told me about herself. We clicked, some of the conversations we've had in Facebook private messages setting the stage. She mentioned politics, and not really liking talking about it, but she had, and some of the hateful comments. I told her that I had been happy to see them, and I had. She is the first friend that I have chosen for myself where I know the politics are in general alignment. Well, there was Mary, but Mary changed, and Mary lives in Ohio. At any rate, a very good part of yesterday.

Tyler and I talked a little bit about what motivates people to be their best, about the difference between doing it for outside recognition and inner satisfaction --- the knowledge that you have something the give and the world will miss out if you don't. He tried extra hard on the assignment he had last night, and he thanked me for going over it with him.

I got to give Angela her graduation present yesterday and she was very happy and we got to have a little quiet minute and a hug.

I got to see Kennedy for a little minute.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

16-12-14 (Read 2/27/26)

I'm pretty excited about the present I have for Angela for graduation. It came to me while I was at C&K salon, and Amber was washing my hair --- the fairy that I'd seen earlier at Ashton Art Gallery. Except it isn't exactly a fairy. I still like it, and I think Angela will too.

I think that just celebrating this year in its own way is making Christmas easier for me. (oops! wrong journal!)

Anyway. Had fun laughing with other women while I was at Ashland Art Gallery.

Did I tell you that Shawn and Destiny came by?

I got Tyler's phone reloaded. And paid him for his work. And he came to me this morning, voluntarily, for review on his math notes for his EQT today. That was fun.

Heard back from Andrew about the Mardi Gras parade.

We have our ticket confirmation for the Black Jacket Concert.

Beverly and I got to visit a little bit yesterday.

JA is off work ... or is at home at least...right now, which is good, since today is his birthday.

Got to see Evan for a little minute.

We're set to get Willo on Christmas Eve.

I took two walks yesterday.

Read 2/27/26

Monday, December 12, 2016

Read 2/27/26

Wrote an email to the GSA.

Read 2/27/26

I ironed her graduation gown.

16-12-12 (Read 2/27/26)

I'm back in the writing shack today after what feels like a long hiatus. It might have been a long hiatus. I can't even really remember last week, schedule wise, but I smile when I think about it. Last week was mostly about Angela. She and Beverly and I went dress shopping one of those evenings, unless we went dress shopping the week before. All I know is that it was one of the first things we did. We met at Macaroni Grill and had some supper. They tried the bellini's and I had a sangria. We went to lots of shops. We laughed. We talked. We ended up at Dillards almost as the bell rang, but found three perfect dresses. Big hugs and thank you's and happiness.

One day, Friday I guess, Beverly and I got together at 9 and went to Costco. Well, Costco and Petco. I wanted Bella to have something that fit for her pictures. We came away with an Alabama Jersey for Bentley that fit him perfectly and one for Bella that did not. Beverly and I had a good time together. And we had fun in Costco, getting the things for Angela's after-graduation party.

Morgan and I got together at lunch time on Friday and made traffic jam fudge. It was the first just us visit we'd had in a while. She's been busy at work. She told one of work friends that she was going to her grannie's house, and the friend asked, "Are you coming back with cookies?"

Zak and Vivian came over

Read 2/27/26

Zak and Vivian and cookies

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Read 2/27/26

Barry spotted a wolf!

Monday, December 5, 2016

16-12-02 (Read 2/27/26)

Art assignment - to do something with coils. She made dreads!

16-12-03 (Read 2/28/26)

Barry, as Evan pulled in to the Waffle House parking lot: There's Evan. Maybe we'll get to see the baby.

16-12-03 (Read 2/28/26)

Me: What are you looking at?
Barry: Evan. He's got the grill loaded down, but under control.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Read 2/28/26

Very proud of Andrew. Redo. Barry proud of Andrew.

Friday, December 2, 2016

Read 2/28/26

Happy that I got to talk to north both of KY girls today. My girls.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

16-12-01 (Read 2/28/26)

Tyler thanking me for going over his homework with him.,,,So, it was really a kind of challenging evening. Strong evidence suggested to me that Tyler had not, in fact, been reading for 30 minutes every day even though he answered that question with a yes every time I asked it. I was calm. Told him I now needed to weigh whether I had been lazy, or misjudged whether he was ready to independently do his reading, without my requiring that he tell me about it, or what page he had finished. That I wanted to raise him to be man who did what he was supposed to do even when he wasn't being checked up on. That the point was to acquire reading skills so that he could finish high school and college. And then we went back to the rest of his homework, and when we were finished, he said, "Thank you for going over my homework with me."

When we finished with his homework Tuesday night, he went to his room, saying that he wanted to get something to show me. It was a shell that he'd kept from the Panda restaurant. Seafood was served in it, and he said he thought, "Hey, that would be cool to take home," so he took it to the restroom and washed it out.

I got to talk to Daddy yesterday. He and Jim Thompson and John Jewett went to lunch, and he said Jim's bad knee almost made it impossible to get up out of their booth. He said that he and John have hearing aids (or Jim, I've forgotten for sure which one) but Jim doesn't so they started talking louder. He said they were talking politics so he was sure some of the other diners weren't happy about that. I told him they'd get over it. We laughed a lot.

I came back to the writing shack yesterday at 4:15 and stayed till 5:15. I spent the time reading articles I'd saved on Facebook, and making decisions about them. I enjoyed that time.

My new ritual is to eat my little evening treat before I take my bath and to stop eating in the living room, and I did that last night, so I was happy about that.