A 'NI HAO KAI LAN' MOMENT

So, as usual, I pick Rileigh Shea up from pre K @exactly 10:45 each Monday thru Friday. If I need to run an errand afterwards, I take her with me...(we do enjoy each other's company, after all). Today, I just could not stand my hair another moment, so, I informed Rileigh that 'taotao' needed a haircut, then we would get a lunch of her choice. 'Good Idea, taotao, I like to go to your haircut place'. (of course she does, she loves 'WHIRLING THE CHAIRS AROUND' at a record speed).

We enter the salon.......... One post-teen lady is waiting ahead of us, the hairdresser is @the opened back door, visiting..........'Hi, have a seat, be with you in a minute' she hollers......So we sit, & we sit.

'Hi, are you a Chinese girl'? asks Rileigh of the girl next to us. The girl is not affected at all & says 'yes, I am Chinese'. Rileigh responds, 'I know, I can tell by your hair'. I just look her in the eyes and smile....she responds by telling me that she thinks Rileigh is a very bright and an outgoing child & is enjoying the interaction........

The Chinese girl gets her adorable cut, then it is our turn. A couple of men show up for a cut, and we are all lined up like crows on a telephone wire.....(rileigh in the chair next to me)....... She fidgets, and she fidgets. I ask her to calm down and just sit still for a little while. 'Taotao is almost done, honey, just be still for a little longer, okay?' 'Okay, taotao.' Then she jumps down, walks over to my chair...........'I wuv you, taotao'. 'I love you too, rileigh shea'. She stands there, just looking at me & then out of the blue, says: 'Okay, so now will you take your teeth out?'

I am thinking, (what did she just say?), and then I realize: she said what she said!, "taotao, will you take your teeth out"?

WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU SAY TO THAT?

You say: 'well, I can't right now, honey. We are in a beauty shop, and there are too many people around'...................Then there was a LOUD ROAR. Amen.

Alzheimer's Scares Me To Death!

Let's see, today is 18 October 2010, and I am 71+ years old. So far, I don't have any REAL tell-tale signs of Alzheimer's. But then, every time I catch myself not remembering (IMMEDIATELY), how to do something, where I placed something, OR anything, something, my first thought is 'Oh My God!, I'm getting Alzheimer's! I am scared to death of it...........and why? Because of Mama. She was never diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She was diagnosed with dimentia, however, I don't see much difference. Well, maybe I do. She was VERY CLEAR on certain things. For instance, when all of us girls would visit her @once, she always knew our names, and our order of birth........ Everyone poo-poo's Alzheimer's off, by saying things like: 'well, who cares?, don't worry about it, you will be the lucky one, you're in a world of your own, and you don't know what is happening, anyway, so don't concern yourself!

So who do I concern? Vicki & John, and their family? ... maybe not! Vicki & John have always told me that if I am diagnosed with Alzheimer's, they will put me in a HOME. After I am settled in, they will paint a MURAL on my wall of the beach and ocean, put a well planted standing oscillating fan next to the painting & myself, & let me think I am receiving the Island breezes, and back on Guam. I told them that works for me! hahahahahaha

I bring this up, only because tonite I received a message from Twilla on fb, regarding her father, Bill Dinwiddie. He HAS Alzheimer's. She sent me a message that she showed him a picture of me from my fb page, and he recognized me immediately. I told her that it was because he loved me, and love does not have the same vision as the world. And, I believe that.

Homecoming Parade

Well, well, Homecoming parades in Newcastle, America are really something to behold! Now, I was raised in a very small farming town in South Dakota, during the 1950's. Our consolidated school did not have a football team, however, we had a fantastic, State Championship, Basketball team! Because of this, I KNOW ABOUT FLOATS! Newcastle, America, in 2010, does not know how to make an attractive Homecoming Float!

I delivered my granddaughter, lauren, to her 'float site', B/4 the parade............I was sorta surprised...no, scratch that.....shocked to see the floats that were about to enter the parade! They were barren, they were plain jane........ I could not believe what I was seeing.

So, I will contact lauren's Papa Martin , and ask him to help me next year. (Vicki says he has a trailer) I think we should make a decent appearance @the parade!

A Random Act of Kindness

My brother, Eddie, & his bride of 40+ years, came to visit me last week from the Houston, Texas area. They have been to my home here in Newcastle, America a few times, but never overnight. This time they stayed a couple nights.

While I was gone to pick up Rileigh Shea @her pre kindergarten class, Eddie, Diane, & my niece, Sindi ran down to Walmart and Eddie purchased a 47" HDTV for me. I was in absolute shock mode when I saw them carrying it in. What a wonderful, over the top gift!

So, this week, sindi took a picture of my old big screen TV & placed an add on Craigslist. I sold it the very next day for the asking price. Yesterday I purchased an Apple TV box, Sindi got me a wireless router, & we were streaming a Netflix movie within the hour......

This technology, of which I know nothing, is just marvelous! And so is my brother!

Talking Stories @Family Reunion

While sitting around my sister Barbara's dining room table last week, (@least three generations of us Stallman's), we had good memories to share. Barbara & Edwin's house is where we all gather when we go back to our roots. Everyone migrates to her extra long dining table. She always has a stack of plates, napkins, forks & an assortment of her latest baked goods, including her signature MUD CAKE....she IS a seasoned baker!

I'm telling my latest 'Rileigh Shea story: (a few weeks prior, Rileigh had asked me why I had brown spots on my arms & I had told her it is just something that happens when people get old).

So one day a few weeks later, Lauren, Rileigh Shea & I are driving to get snow cones, and she exclaims loudly 'OMG (just the letters, not the words) OMG! I have a Brown Spot on my arm! I said 'are you sure'? & she goes 'yes taotao, I am positive..............I sure hope my teeth don't start falling out'!............

Everyone had a good laugh, then Barbara took her turn. When her son Donn was a young child, he had been playing outside with some other little boys. There was a knock @the door. Barbara goes to the door & a little six or seven year old boy was standing there looking very serious. 'Mrs. Speck, Donnie called me a bad word'. 'Oh, he did'? said Barbara. 'Well, why don't you go tell Donnie his mama wants to see him'. The little boy runs off & shortly thereafter, Donn goes to his mother. 'Donnie, did you call that little boy a bad word'? 'Yes', says Donn. 'Well, what bad word did you say to him'? Donn hung his head, I said 'You are a sorry piece of shit & a rotten son of a bitch'!

Love That Video Camera, Vicki

Vicki has finally 'mastered' the operation of the video camera I got her for Christmas, and if nothing else, it gives us some great 'pee your pants laughing moments', usually @my expense!

We drove down to Chandler to visit her dads grave last week end. We took beautiful bouquet's of flowers to decorate his, Mary's & his folks' headstones. Vicki recorded all the King family headstones, and took some GREAT shots of me placing the flowers. I'm all bent over w/my ass in the air........OH MY GOD! what a sight for sore eyes! I don't bend my knees at all, & when I'm erect, my profile somewhat resembles a washtub with a ball on top & two short sticks @the bottom. Bwaahaaaaaa.

We laughed until we cried & lauren kept repeating: 'back it up mom, let's see it again'.......over & over. Maybe I will start that diet as soon as we return from our family reunion in S.D.

NO SILLY, IT IS YOU.............

Rileigh Shea is four, and she spends a lot of time with her 'taotao'. We love each other's company and have a great time together. I missed out on these early years with lauren because I was living on another planet..........not really, but Guam is soooo far away, it may as well have been.

Rileigh comes running into my office with a 'drawing'.............'look grandma, I made you something'. I look at her picture & see that it is a 'person'. 'Oh, Rileigh Shea, that is beautiful..........you did a great job drawing, is that you? 'No silly, it is you,..................... see, you are OLD & have FLUFFY ARMS!