Do the teen years start at 9?

I was, until recently, under the impression I had a few years left to go before I entered the realm of "teen-agers". My oldest son is 9. I think he was, at some point in recent time, kidnapped and labotomized by aliens with a sick sense of humor.

May I start with a brief history? This child, after an initial scary entry to this world, was a thriving, bouncing baby boy. He is a light of my life. He was the easiest baby in the world. So easy, in fact, I thought...I'll have another one....who wasnt so easy. ( But thats another blog entirely) Jack nursed till he weas a year old despite the fact that he had teeth at 5 months, he NEVER bit me. He walked at eight months. He slept through the night from the first night he came home. I know, you Moms may want to kick me in the baby maker right now.....but this isn't braggadoccia, he was just laid back and easy from the get go. Period. ( Payback is a biatch, I know, I have one who didnt sleep thru the night till he went to Kindegarten-and I gained just shy of a hundred pounds with him and he was the smallest of my three!) So I digress, of course! Back to Ol Jacky Jack.

Do you remember what you were like as a teen? I do. I was a bitch. I was stubborn, and pissed about everything, even if it was what I wanted....It wasnt right. Somehow that is the mode my nine year old is in. Not all the time mind you, there are moments when he is my sweet, sweet boy, but not too often. Mostly it is eye rolling, under the breath insults, and feet stomping.

On top of all of this, at the, dare I say, young age of 33, I have become the biggest DORK ever! The dork who let him grow his hair out, and highligted it for his good report card like he wanted. His father thought THAT was absurd. The same DORK who ok'd an iPod for the 9th birthday. And low and behold, he still hasnt used all of his iTunes gift card, because his DORK mother has SOOOO much kick ass music in her iTunes library, he hasnt needed it.

Now he did tell me I was beautiful on Mothers Day....but I suspect he wanted to go to Pollywoggs. But I got to thinking, since Im such a dork and all....How funny would it be if I showed up to walk him home from school with some pink rollers in my hair, pajamas on, and maybe some zit cream in place? I would never actually do it, mind you....but the threat might improve the attitude. Besides, Mason would probably tell me I looked great and ask me to wear my hair like that all the time! Seriously, he has a wicked sense of humor.

I can't help but wonder, if this is what nine is like....What am I in for when they are actually in their teens?

Yeah!

Its almost

Sex and the City time!

In case you might have forgotten, or were missing your girls. It is time to get your Carrie on!

Changes

So I am enjoying my retirement! lol Well, Im not Really retired, but I am for the summer. I am thinking about maybe starting a small business, but havent found any inspiration yet. My hubby would like some tax write-offs! So I am actively brainstorming and planning, and I'll elaborate when Ive decided on a concrete plan. I'm honestly much more interested in working on remodeling the house right now.

I am anxiously awaiting the end of the school year. I love summer vacation. We have lots of fun things planned for the kids this summer. I cant wait to get started. I am keeping my fingers crossed that traveling will be one of those activities. There are lots of places to see, and folks we are missing!

Theres not much else to write other than that, but I hadnt posted in awhile so I felt the need. I am so glad to be free of the stress of the Village of Arkport. I hope when the time comes more good, decent people like Jerry and John will run to fill the vacant posts and get these horrible new people out of office. Its hard to quit a job you love, but loving life and living well is always the best response to a hostile situation. I am better off, and so is my family.

Enjoy the Sunshine and Love each other!

Hooray! McDonalds makes a Chik-fil-A!

Okay Okay. I know Im a little too excited about this. But if you've read my blog, you may know I really miss Ga. Ive been telling my husband about Chik-fil-A for a decade or so now....

Mc Donalds now makes a " Southern Style Chicken Sandwich"

Folks, Its a Chik-Fil-A! A nice, soft buttered bun, with a couple of pickles and a tasty soft southern fried chicken piece in between!

Please! Please! Go to Mc Donalds and EAT THEM. So they keep them on the damn menu and I can shut up about missing Chik-Fil-A. Plus, its nice I can have something good to eat there!


Okay. Im done. Have a nice day.

Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all you Mommas out there.

I had the best day today. I'm going to start by saying the best thing about being a librarian is that Im off on Mothers Day with my family. This hasnt always been the case, since Ive been a server for the past decade or so, and I always worked Mothers Day because it's about the busiest day of the year. While I miss coming home with a bulging apron, I loved my day.

We started out at my Mother in Laws, delivering hugs, kisses, cards and hanging baskets. My kids are so close with their grandparents, just the way it should be. I think my sons would leave me to go live with the grandma of their choice if I let them. Not my girl though, We know who rules Maiden Lane....and their is always work to be done! But we had a lovely visit with my in laws.

Then we headed to Pollywogg Holler. It was a somewhat gloomy day, but you could never tell under the trees, through the trails of the holler. Tommy and the Two Tones were rocking the Holler for us. The kids love it at our favorite Hippie Eco Resort in the Woods. Momma got her favorite lunch of Bill's Special Garlic Pizza, with free Garlic breath. No black Razz wine for me today thanks. Still recooping from the MOm Prom on Friday. ( Another Blog entirely!) The Kids played on the trails and in the stream. They danced and listened to music, we had pizza from the wood fired oven, and everyone in attendance treated all the MOms like VIPs. Ive blogged about this before, but this place is heaven on earth. And folks, Im not religious.
When everyone was finally good and worn out, we headed up to my Moms. Momma had to work till 7, so my Dad made us all dinner. We had a nice visit with my Mom, again delivering higs, kisses, cards and hanging baskets. All in all it was a lovely Mommas day with my favorite Mommas. My husband and Children were very good to me. My nine year old son told me how beautiful I am. Yeah, he's a kiss up, but I like it! Mason told me Im the "best Mommy". And Sophie, well, I am her best friend so Mothers Day is pretty much everyday with that one. But She Said "Happy Mothers Day" about nine hundred times.

Being a Mom is the best thing Ive ever done. It gave me a purpose, and a taste of success. I love my children, and my family. I learned from the BEST. If ever there was a Mother of the Year, it is mine. While I don't think I'll ever be quite the Mom she is, I know I'll never be a bad one. My Mom taught me too well. My Mother gave up everything for me. She was there beside me in my life every step I took. ( And can I just say, other Mothers would have run away!) Her life has never been easy, ever. But she doesnt complain, she's an optimist, and she loved her children so fiercely and unconditionally. If I didnt have my Mother, I wouldnt be where I am today. I know that for sure. So before I go I just want to tell my Mom how much I love her, how proud I am of her, and how much she means to the three of us roughneck kids. Because I am not alone in my MommaWorship. Its Mothers Day Ma, and your cup runneth over.

My Geographically Discontent Soul

Let le begin this blog by posting the sentence that started the whole thought process:





What would happen if Joannah from NY met Joannah from Ga? or What if the new (OLD) me...Met the Old (young) me? That being said, This must also be said.





I am a New Yorker through and through. If you are not a New Yorker, you may not understand this. I have never lived in NYC, but someday, I will. I have lived on the Island, in Orange Co, Ulster Co, Suffolk Co and here in Steuben Co. *





{* Yes, where Steuben Glass originated, but if thats what youre basing your idea on-don't. It aint fancy folks! Its rural and podunk and gorgeous, but its known for its hunting more than probably anything else.}





And as big and vast as this state of Ny is, and as much as I LOVE it, and I do!





I have a longing for the South. And not all the South mind you....Florida, Virginia and Alabama I could never, ever see again. I like S. Carolina. But I love Georgia. I didnt want to, but I did. Once I was there, I felt at home. And when I left, I left a part of me there. I cannot explain it.





Heres what I can explain. I hate the heat. When I'd walk out of the air conditioning of Hartsfield, into the stifling Atlanta air, I couldnt breathe for a second. But I hate air conditioning, and the air warms you up instantly. Georgia has a smell. Its different from the beautiful smell here in Western Ny, but it smells good too. It smells like, well, Dixie.



I think I was probably gravitating towards Georgia for my whole life in my unconscience. I came of age there. I became me in the sweltering heat thirty miles or so beneath the bright lights of Atlanta. I was lucky enough to have one of Americas most accessible citys at my fingertips. I have driven Peachtree St in my convertible with the topdown at dusk. I was twenty. I was young and beautiful and there was music everywhere. All kinds of wonderful, different. live, rockin ass music to hear in a million terriffic venues to see it in. I think I went to a half a million shows from 93-99. I don't even think Im exaggerating.



I saw the Grateful Dead with Jerry Spring Tour of 94, the Weekend of the Great Atlanta Pot Festival with Penelope. I don't think either of us will ever forget, although I don't think we remember much either. We also saw Tori Amos a few times together, as I did with my sister. And I believe we went to see NIN, Depeche Mode, Widespread Panic, Lollapalooza and a million other shows at the Masquerade that I can't recall right now together...



Theres much more to Ga than the music scene though. There are the wonderful places to go and see history all around you. You find these little gems not just in Atlanta, but in every town along the way. Kind of like how it is here in Western NY. Although Ive yet to find a Fayetteville, I've found my fair share of towns like Fairburn and Griffin. Quaint little towns that time seemed to forget. I see towns like that here all the time.



When I first left the hustle and bustle of Long Island the thought of being a Yankee in Dixie terrified me. And I never really thought I would get used to it. But when you're young you're like Play Dough. You change, youre pliable. I settled in, after hearing a million times, " Ma'am, you're gonna have to slow down a bit. I cant understand you." And I did. It was lovely. I miss that. Its part of why I live where I do. But in Ga I had all the lovely amenities of Long Island, plus it was so pretty and clean! with the added charm of Southern Hospitality on top of it.



I left Ga after the birth of my first child, and thank the lord for that. I think if I'd stayed I would weight 400 lbs right now. While you cant get good Italian bread or bagels down south, thats about it. Let me list what I cant get where I live now: Chick -Fil_A ( but if you come on up, I'll make you one hell of a mean hot brown!) MexicAN Food, Fried Chicken, Fried Okra, Vegetable Plates, Decent BBQ,





I always wanted my children to say Maam and Sir and refer to their elders as Miss and Mister. There is a certain charm, strictly Southern, in that practice. I like to think I say Momma because I lived in Ga.



Some OF MY FAVORITE DAYS SPENT IN ny HAVE BEEN SO HOT i SWEAR i WATCHED PAINT MELT OFF THE WALLS. Coincidence? I think not.

But back to the question at hand. What would the old Jo say to the new Jo ( who happens to be...old?) I think my 22 year old self would be mortified at the lack of attention paid to my hands and feet. Havent seen a mani/pedi in a decade. Also at the lack of culture to which I am surrounded. It could be part of my declining mental stability. Just kidding, i think. I doubt very much the 22 year old me would even rocognise the 33 yr old Mom of three she became. Or the body you inherit after birthing those babies! Or the never ending spring of gray hair sprouting from this cranium.

And what would I say to the 22 yr old if given the chance? Put down those cigarettes you idiot, youre going to battle atshma and pneumonia for years to come? You shouldnt drink so much, you"ll regret it? Or maybe, Wear a bikini everyday, while you can? Travel, it gets harder to when you need a sitter.

Really what I would say is, Have fun. Love Life. Everythings going to be ok.

oh yeah, and stay the hell outta the Palace Damn it! lol.

Is it possible to want to live in two places at once? Because I do. I want to live in Ga while giving my kids a NY public school education. In close proximity to their Grandparents.

I suppose thats what vacations are for. And I really need one, because Im missing my other home. And Aunt Jo, Aunt Karen, Kelly, Lisa, Meg, Manda, Allison, Clara, Uncle Jim, James, Scotty w Carter, Johnnys Pizza, Chick fil A, Fellini's, L5P, Wax N Facts, Sacred Heart Tattoo, Junkmans Daughter, Georgia State Radio!Starship,Sweet Tea, Krystal, Georgia Clay.......

Bearly there....

For the past nine or so years I have resided here in Western NY. I lovingly call it the Tundra. But seriously folks, I love it here. I have lived all over NY state and spent the better part of a decade in Georgia. I love Georgia too. But thats another blog.....one thats coming soon.

I have blogged about this on myspace before, but its a first for Blogger. Arkport has about 800 or so residents in the Village, where I live. I don't know how many more folks live out in the hills but Im sure theres a lot more..... We have a P.O. , grocery store, a new Florist, Insurance Agency, gas station, feed store, gun shop, hair salon, and two family restaurants. ( One can fit in my kitchen, and my kitchen is waaaay bigger.) And a bank too. My kids walk to school. We have a lovely park, and the kids also play at the school playground.

If you take a left outta my street and head up Oak Hill a mile or so, you come upon Reddy Hollow. It is as rural and beautiful a wooded seasonal road as it gets. Our family has been blessed to enjoy this area on snowmobile, four wheeler and, yes, quite often, in the Jeep aka Family Truckster. In the winter, theres nothing like it. You cant drive it. It must be done on snowmobile or cross country skis. It looks like a Currier & Ives Print. Snow covers all the trees like an old covered bridge for most of the trek. Its so quiet and peaceful out there.
Its also gorgeous this time of year. Everything is greening and coming back to life after the very, very long winter. So last night, Tom and I loaded up the kids at dusk to head up Reddy Hollow to see if we couldnt spot some Bears. We took our time, enjoying the sights and checking everything out. No signs of Bears.

We rolled back into the Village a bit after 8:30. We noticed a Trooper, Stan, and a bunch of our neighbors over behind Chads home. Tom goes to see whats going on. I notice some lights up and down the Hill by the cemetary and Mahaneys land. The boys were with their Dad running around looking for the bear and getting the story.

Im holding Sophia in my arms at this point when I look behind me and see a Bear cross Oak Hill Street and head towards our neighbors house. Sophie and I headed for the Jeep again and stood next to it. We sat there for a few minutes watching that bear play in our neighbors back yard. While all the men were our running trying to find the bear, we sat back and watched it. After a minute she realized how BIG the bear was and said, "I want my Daddy!"

Now, mind you this isnt the first time we went bear watching and kicked a bear into town. It happened the last time we did it too. I am coming to think my husband is in tuned with the Black Bears in our area. It was a sight to see, that enormous Bear bounding around Caitlyn and Hannahs swingset. I am looking out there now wondering where it is.

The bear wandered out of our sight and we didnt see it again last night. I hope its doing well today. My daughter and I were at home last May when Tom called me to tell me the school was on lockdown. I could feel my blood run cold. Why? Whats going on? Visions of Columbine start to play in my head..... His response, " There's a bear running the track."

Sophie and I jumped in the VW (:( ) and headed down just in time to see it take off up the hill by Lisman Lane. Me and my daughter have seen lots of bears together in this town. We don't have much in the way or entertainment or shopping, or even places to eat. But theres a certain charm to Arkport, or Mayberry, as I call it. If the schools on lockdown for a bear running the track, I'll take it. I can even take the extra cops around, if its for the bears. At least this time, it didnt kill my peonies.

And if you need any info on Bears, Come see me at the Library. I ordered a copy of the DECs Living with NY State Black Bears last year. You can take it home and view it. It might be good for the kids to watch.