Words from the Past that Hold True.....

I have been thinking about what I wanted to write about in my blog today and nothing really comes to mind.  

I was sitting on the steps to the porch the other night (it was just before dusk) and I closed my eyes and just listened to the cicadas singing that loud, long lullaby that usually accompanies a long hot summer day.  I remember my “Mama Ruby” telling me that when the locusts sing, it means it’s going to be very hot and a long time until rain comes around.  Well, I hate to tell this to the bug population, but YOU were wrong.  It rained the very next day and it was a good rain too, almost flooding some of the lower streets in town.  

So, the subject of this blog entry is not exactly about the weather but about the “words of wisdom” that I have been given over the years.   What words have I been given that have stuck with me the longest.

One set of life instructions that I was told many moons ago was, “You can’t figure out crazy people and their actions or you will drive yourself crazy trying.” I have to say this is the one piece of advice that has stayed around the longest for me….not because it was sounded funny but because it is very true!

I was the butt of a lot of jokes in grade school, high school and on up into my early life.  I have been made fun of, picked on and ridiculed for various things at various times.  The one question that I always seemed to ask myself is why?  Why do they call me names?  Why do they laugh at me?  Why?  I remember that I used to spend a lot of time thinking about the various reasons and not one reason fit the bill.  Not one reason worked or explained their actions......And the speaker of these words were so right, it did drive me batty trying to figure out why….

To prove my point, I sent a copy of this blog entry for “proof reading” to my friend at work.  I asked her what she thought and she responded with the following, “This is true but also people are mean because of several different reasons. They aren’t born mean.  They inherit mean whether it be something that happened to them or insecurities they may have.   To prove my point, you CAN’T pin it down to one reason, or the “WHY” of the situation.

All of this brought me to a conclusion…if you have meanness in your heart and lack respect and empathy for your fellow man, someone that doesn’t share your philosophies WILL NOT understand.  Anyone that has these “nasty” qualities will never, ever “get you” or “get your way of thinking.”  I have decided that if people want to be mean and I wasn’t going to follow in their path, then I would never appreciate their actions. I could only speculate and form my own conclusions.  Another piece of advice…. It’s also true, “mean people do suck!”

Not wanting to get too deep, but hoping to bring a smile or two….Please leave me a comment about the words of wisdom that have inspired you in some way….

More to come from the Lost Southerner

Thank God for the cornbread.....

My life is like the cornbread that I cook for my family.....Here's a short story to get you to my point...
For years and years, I have cooked cornbread for the gang...I have used buttermilk, sweet milk, even mayonnaise and water.  I have used 1 egg, 2 eggs, shortening, lard, butter and vegetable oil.  I have greased the pan, "pammed" it, heated oil in it, put cornmeal on the bottom as well as strips of bacon.  I have seasoned my weapon of choice...the trusty, heavy iron skillet.

I have added corn, chiles, cracklins and even extra flour so it won't be gritty....and it seems that no matter what I have done....the CORNBREAD sticks!  Yes! Sticks!  Torn up, ugly, a mess....and I frown and say, "So much for a nice presentation." 

No matter what I have done or tried differently, the outcome has always been the same....Until I need to cook basic cornbread for the dressing at Thanksgiving.  This makes me so dang mad!!!  The cornbread never sticks....ever!  In all my years of cooking the stuff for dressing has it ever stuck.

Then one day, I was watching Paula Deen and she made cornbread in a way that I wanted to try....She made waffle cornbread!   I thought, "Why didn't I think of that???"

So, the next time I wanted cornbread with my meal, I made waffle cornbread in the waffle maker and guess what.....not one of them little jokers STUCK!  I was so happy with myself (with Paula by my side), that I didn't even care about the strange looks from the kids when I served it up.  I told them that the little cups helped hold all the butter and goodness in one spot.

This is a complete metaphor of my life at times....No matter what I have done, no matter if I have stuck to the tried and true...What worked for some just doesn't work for me.  While each time I tried something new, I had to experience failure in order to find what worked well for me.  I had to ignore the looks, the comments and the fear of failure and try, try again....until I found....MY WAFFLE...

So, with this in mind, the next time you look at a waffle, think about what the waffle stands for.  It might be thin in spots, it might be a little more done in spots than in others but, it still has is shape and had held together, coming out of the heat with no tears of breaks and being fully intact.  It has dents and nicks but each nook and cranny holds the goodness close and sometimes it just overflows!

Thank you, Lord, for the cornbread!  :) Thank you for letting me find all the wrong ways to do a task instead of giving me the easy way out.  Thank you for letting me find my waffle...I hope that you can find your waffle too....


Stay tuned for more ramblings from the Lost Southerner.... :)

New Beginnings and Ugly Truths

As a select few of you know, I have moved away from New Mexico and I am living in Kansas....
It's no secret but I did wish to be the one telling the story instead of others telling it for me.
Another part to the story is this.....
I have both of my children living with me.  Zach is 19 now and is fast approaching man/adulthood and leaving me in the dust!  :)  Taylor is 15 now and in the eyes of the State of Kansas, she is old enough to learn to drive...God help us all!  :)

There are ugly truths that need to be addressed and are as follows:  Noah and I are no longer TOGETHER....have been divorced since March of 2012.  I left him in June of 2011 and we have not lived together since.
Noah left the majority of his possessions and belongings, packed a little Ford Escort and moved to Kingsport, Tennessee.  The last information I got was in April which I heard that he had given up being a mechanic and became a biscuit maker at Hardee's.  If you want to stop in and see him, look for him at the Stone Drive store there...If you want to see his girlfriend, you can head over to Burger King and look for her there...

Another ugly truth about this:  Noah agreed to pay child support in our divorce papers but has not done so....At $500/month, the amounts are growing everyday.....as well as the anger and disappointment from his kids regarding his behavior.  As of this date, he is behind $8500 and judging from the last message I got from him, he won't be sending any money for Taylor any time soon....

Another ugly truth:  He has not spoken to Taylor since March of 2013....no card, no phone call for her birthday...just a text at 2130hrs that night....

Another truth:  Noah has not talked with Zach since April 2013....again, no card or phone call for his birthday either....

As far as I can tell, some of my family members blame ME for the shape I am in...the moving, the kids not having their dad in their lives and the divorce.  I was even told by my aunt and "uncle" that I was the direct cause of the recklessness of my children, even though I did not give them tobacco or be deceitful in order to gain sympathy or money, yet I am a BAD person...

My own mother is another ugly truth.....She will not call me, message me on Facebook, or anything of that nature.  She seems to have taken Noah's side....even going as far as asking him how the kids are when he hasn't seen, talked, or heard from them....It was me and me alone that took kids to the hospital and sat beside them while they had pain....It was me and you know what?  I don't regret one single minute...I can say that I drank up every minute with them and that is something that you can't take away from me.

With all this being said....it now comes to be my turn...I guess this is my time to grieve...but I am not sure what I am grieving about....Am I sad that I lost my husband of 19 years?  I don't think so...  He was not the man I thought he was and I have come to realize that I didn't love him or he loved me.  I mean...do I really want to believe that he loved me when he confided in our son that he cheated?  Multiple times?

Am I sad over this loss?  I have to be honest....yes I am.  I am sad about the loss of many things since I left him...I am sad over the loss of some of my family...(some I have to say good F-N riddance) and some of those family members I am sorry to see go.  I understand your position.  I am sorry that some friends have decided to move on....but there is always room for more.   Lastly, I am sad that the image of my home and family as a whole has changed over the past 2 years.  There were A LOT of rough spots, but I have to say that since it has changed, it has become better...fuller...stronger and there is more love between us....Zach, Taylor and Me....than there EVER was when Noah was in the picture....

In closing....this is the beginning post of my blog....this is my blog...a small look in to the soul of my life and my thoughts....This will be the last time I ever mention Noah's name...(negative people have GOT TO GO!) In bearing my soul....it is my hope that the UGLY TRUTHS will continue to matter less and less...until they are no more....

Stay tuned to more crazy thoughts from this lost southerner.

What this blog means to me....

Hi and Hello!  This is my blog...my space...my little corner...my place....all mine!

I wanted to create something that might give someone else hope, give someone else a laugh, a cry or give someone the opportunity to pass the time away by reading something fun, or serious, or sad...or whatever topic my brain has on it....I hope you enjoy and will leave me a post, a comment or a thought or two...