Backwards Roles

Years ago when Mitch and I met and married my mother noticed something right away about her youngest daughter and new husband and took pleasure in laughing about.
Soon after we married, and moved to Mom's in Washington state, I became pregnant with our first child and set about crocheting blankets, hate and booties. Now, I learned to crochet at 12 in Home Economics in 7th grade. I made some goofy looking stocking thing and a pot holder, single layer so it burned the hands of any user.
But I enjoyed the art and learned a few new stiitches from friends later on in life. By the time I married I had a decent command of the hook art, though nothing fancy came of it. When I married I began crocheting again and my new husband decided he wanted to learn. I taught him the 'granny square' and set him up with his own materials. Lo and behold, he made the booties and hat set our new daughter wore from the hospital nearly a year later. He also helped my mother make a tiny green and yellow varigated hat/sweater set and they began another in pinks, purples and white that wasn't by the time we returned to Oklahoma. My mom would finish it and send both to us when time for the baby arrived. Sadly, she passed away just a month after we left at age 46 and never finished the second sweater. My sister brought it to me after the funeral and Mitch finished it for her and my baby got to wear it in the end.

But what was so funny Mom laughed is while I had taught my husband to crochet and I slowed down on it. I was wrapped up in my football games, primarily Oklahoma U and Dallas Cowboys, while hubby made baby clothes. Mom asked if we realized we were backwards and we laughed. Yep. We knew. He wasn't a big sports fan and I was a huge football fan and loved to play (soft)baseball. He's never been one to weight lift, I loved my little white dumbbells. Never liked basketball and the only game I ever went to was one of my friends' games in highschool.

I grew up watching NASCAR and wrestling with my dad. Actually sat through a whole Indy 500 with intense rapture. My dad loved it, so did I. I fell from that one after I grew up and left home because, unlike women who let husbands watch any and all sports, my husband didn't like sports on the tv 24-7. And he's a real sci-fi geek and loves the tv!
Over the years I slipped from my sports more and more, but never completely. Always tried to catch Superbowl at least and the World Series, and anything rodeo I could get to, or find. I rode in big rodeo grand entry parades with my sister, and usually on horses we had spent the previous 2-6 weeks breaking ourselves, which once almost ended with me under the rearing hooves of a panicked one I was on. Sis came back, held up the parade in front of hundreds of people (mostly laughing) and led my horse from the arena. Not my best moment, but getting dumped off a horse I had broke would've been worse! As it was, my dad din't let me live that down for a while.

Anyway, today something brought back all the memories of my parents' attitudes toward my enjoyment of sports (which I rarely actually participated in ever).
Mitch was surfing for something to watch on tv and gave me two choices. A western and a 'kid' show. I told him to pick, I'm writing on my latest wip today. So he flipped channels and my ears perked right up before he quickly moved on. "Hey, leave it there!" I called and went running to the living room. "Why do you think I changed it so fast? It's on 129 of 500 freakin laps! And I ain't watching NAS-TY-CAR!"
Drat and more Drat! He's not a NASCAR fan either.

So I'm back at the computer while he watches the 'kid' show and I relive memories of my mom laughing at how backwards my darling husband and I are.
For the record, he owns more crochet yarn and hooks than I do these days and watches golf and football, and the occasional World Series. I have my horse and I've traded dumbbells for a laptop. My dreams and ambitions of riding in rodeos and watching sexy men play ball have switched gears these days, to writing about the sexy men who do those things and loving women who do, or watch them do it.

What's so odd to me about this scene today is that not long ago I was telling friend and wonderful author, Michele Dunaway--who writes NASCAR series for Harlequin American Romance--that though I used to watch the races, I'm not actually a fan these days. I don't get into them, haven't watched one in just about forever. It just doesn't appeal anymore.

Then a couple of months ago I caught a race (don't recall where/which) and loved it. Now I realize it does appeal to me still. To think I actually gave away two tickets, I'd won on the radio, to a male friend of my daughter to meet those hot and sexy drivers in Pleasanton, Ca before we moved! <kick, kick>
But I realized something more today. That, after my dad passed in 1988, I haven't got my NASCAR Buddy anymore and just haven't watched it since. It's no fun to watch it alone and so I fell out of the habit of watching at all. It's not that I don't like it anymore! Now if I can get husband to go back to bed.... Of course he did compromise.

He said I can watch the final 20 laps (all I have to do is catch them in time, and hope his show is over by then). Lol

Oh My Gosh!!! They're ENGAGED

I went to visit Kiki and mommy at the hospital today. My daughter had called to ask when I'd be there and I told her an hour and a half or so. She told me she had some exciting news when I arrived. By the time I got there almost two hours later she showed me her hand... Yep, her boyfriend asked her around 3 p.m. to marry her!!!!! So thrilled! He had a beautiful, and very expensive, ring but told her to stop asking for it or he'd never give it to her. Lol Well, today he asked her, "Stephanie Merie will you marry me?" She asked him, "Are you serious?" And then, of course, said "Yes!" So they will get married on the one year anniversary of their first 'will you be my girl' date of April 15th.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I/we began our day early getting 'the call'! No. Sorry, not that 'the call' (though I wish), but the one telling us it's time to hurry to the hospital because our baby girl was 3-5 minutes apart on contractions and at the hospital. So we dressed and went to the hospital 25 minutes away and waited until her arrival. It was thrilling to be a part of another of my grandbabies entrance into the world! After weight and time guesses, we waited, and waited. It was worth it!
Finally at 4:10 this afternoon little Nikkia Lyn made her blessed appearance! Weighing in at 5 lbs, 11 oz and 17 inches of red and indignant little girl. Beautiful!!! So please, welcome Kiki.

Dragging out of the pits

I got an email from my oldest brother today reminding--no, informing-- me that I haven't blogged in a while (thanks Lee). Ok. I get in here and nearly choked on my nightly round of coffee. July 08! That's not 'in a while', that's almost a year! I am now hanging my head in shame for letting it go for so long. Time flew and I lost track of it somewhere with moving in to the new house, remodeling said new home, husband trying to electrocute him self (He's fine. It was thankfully just amps? and not volts- or volts and no amps- whichever is not deadly that's the one.), one daughter losing a marriage, another on the verge of a possible, maybe one day, one and that said daughter due to have her first baby any day now. Seriously, any day. She's at a one (I don't want to spell anything out here where kids might read it so if you don't know what that means- ask someone.) and the doctor said probably next week. She's hoping it's sooner, I'm holding out for my Dad's birthday (God rest his tired soul) of March 18th. See, this daughter was born on my mother's (God rest her weary soul, too) birthday, so it would be fitting to have her daughter on Dad's.

I've been reading some free download books- full length- from eHarlequin.com in celebration of their 60th anniversary. Go get yours! 16 of these treasures I think. If you've ever wondered about the NASCAR series, but didn't want to buy one until you know if you'll even like them- now's your chance to try one, to keep, free. Along with Blaze, Love Inspired, Harlequin American Romance and many more. No I don't get paid to say this, I just love Harlequin's books.

That's why I write romance with aspirations to sell to them one day. I have a lovely new couple in the getting to know you stage that I think will make the cut finally. When I get along farther I will give a sneak peak into Tanner and Tobi's story.

Now that I've made contact I plan to stay on top of this. I know, I know. I've said that before. I mean it this time. So until next time, check out some of my friend's links and I will be back. Soon.