Mommy Dearest

I feel like a shmuck.
I'm sure my daughter considers me equal to Joan Crawford since I decided against letting her go to the dance.

However, I'm very glad that I stuck to my word. She pulled every trick out of her sleeve this afternoon up until 10 minutes before it started. I swayed back and forth in my mind but didn't give in. I have to say I am proud of myself. It was especially hard because I knew how much it was upsetting her ~ she would be fine for about 2 minutes and then think about it and start to get teary-eyed. Disappointment was all over her face. I know it's just part of parenting and trying to mold our children to not be deceptive, lying, back talking adults. I just wish discipline wasn't necessary because I am just terrible at it.

So that's that.

I'm going to spend tomorrow planting a garden. At least that's what I hope it turns out to be. I am not gifted with a green thumb and don't especially like vegetables. I'm going to give it a try though.

I planted some flowers earlier in the week. One got attacked by my OCD dog ~ I was pretty upset about it because it was one of my favorites. I bought an old shabby chic chair at a yard sale today to set on the front porch to put my planted pots on. I really like primitive things like that only when I bring it home it just seems to make us look even more poor than we really are. For a long time I sold cookbooks at trade shows and online and carried the Gooseberry Patch line. For any of you that are familiar with their books know that they have clever ideas to make handmade gifts out of simply.....nothing. So, one Christmas I followed one of their ideas and after I was done was so proud. It was a prim jar w/prim cloth and twined raffia bow, tag and filled w/shelled pecans. I just thought it was the most clever thing ever to give as gifts to those you don't know what to buy for....especially those who don't have easy access to pecans or don't want to pay the high prices for them....we have tons of pecan trees so I thought to just share them. Besides, it was Christmas ~ everyone wants a pecan pie! At our Christmas gatherings as I presented my crafty craft gift ~ something came over me ~ something that said "What are you doing??? They think you are so poor that all you could really give was an old jar of pecans!" No one said "how cute" or "how neat" ~ absolutely no response. They looked at my kindof squinting as if they were shocked beyond belief. So, I sold all of those cookbooks and craft books on ebay.

Have to go.
Just heard what I thought was a gunshot.
Heard my son call for help.
Ran outside.
Found our outside condensing unit on fire.
He was trying to put it out with his water gun wearing only his underwear and my shoes.
Now no a/c and summer has just begun.
A perfect ending to Friday the 13th.