Category: Sweet Moments

You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?

So many lines… I could borrow the words from Deanna Carter’s song, “Did I Shave my Legs for This?” Or I could begin with The Chicks (previously known as the Dixie Chicks) line, “She needs wide open spaces. Room to make her big mistakes…”

Or I could just come up with my own one-liner. So here we go…

Buckle up, buttercup, for I have a tale for you!

Did I Shave my Legs for This?

Flowers and wine
Is what I thought I would find
When I came home from workin’ tonight.
Well, now here I stand
Over this fryin’ pan
And you want a cold one again.

I bought these new heels’
Did my nails, had my hair done just right.
I thought this new dress was a sure bet
For romance tonight.
Well it’s perfectly clear
Between the TV and beer
I won’t get so much as a kiss.
As I head for the door
I turn around to be sure

Did I shave my legs for this?

Wide Open Spaces

Who doesn’t know what I’m talking about?
Who’s never left home? Who’s never struck out?
To find a dream and a life of their own
A place in the clouds, a foundation of stone

Many precede and many will follow
A young girl’s dreams no longer hollow
It takes the shape of a place out West
But what it holds for her, she hasn’t yet guessed

She needs wide open spaces
Room to make her big mistakes
She needs new faces
She knows the high stakes

Photo by Ali Kazal on Unsplash

What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

In my life, I have experienced three significant events that helped me grow in unexpected ways. The first was my divorce so many years ago. When it ended, I felt every emotion possible. Betrayal. Anger. Disappointment. A whole range of emotions. But truth be told, I also experienced freedom once the pain ended. My joy returned, and so did hope. An exciting new world opened before me. Until my marriage ended, I never realized how trapped I felt in that relationship. Now, I would never trade my inner peace for the contentment I have found; I love single life!

College also changed my life. It opened doors and provided so many unique opportunities. I found my voice through writing essays and poetry, and I even had some published! Years later, I picked up the pen again as I wrote about my family history and the stories I discovered along the way. Several years ago, I started a family blog and found family and new friends in the process. In time, my latest adventure grew into creative writing when I began writing poetry and a few short stories. It also gave me a career. Throughout the years, I have enjoyed teaching middle school students. As a reading and writing teacher, I have also learned so many things about this world in which we live. Teaching has been the most challenging job I have ever had, but it has also been the most rewarding, and I will always be grateful for this time in my life.

And for the last adventure, I could never say how wonderful it has been to be a part of such an amazing, fun-loving family. I have loved being a mother to my wonderful daughter, Leslie, a mom-in-law to “my son,” Aaron, and a grandmother to my seven grandchildren, Mathew, Cameron, Sierra, Jessie, Kylie, Connor, and Jaxon. My family will always be my greatest blessing. And the best part is that it’s not over yet! As retirement looms closer, I see new adventures on the horizon. I envision great-grandbabies and sweet moments as my family expands. What a crazy and wonderful rollercoaster of a ride this life has been!

Write about your approach to budgeting.

Savings – minimum ten percent

Car and home maintenance – five percent – at the end of the year it rolls into savings

Bills

Hard to budget for food as of late – prices soaring!!

Medication and vitamins – a set amount

Emergency fund – cap at $1,000

Fun Fund 15 percent

Write about your dream home.

My dream home would be to live among the pines in a mountain town made of clouds and fresh air. During winter, I would view majestic peaks with snow-capped mountains. My alpine meadow would come alive in spring and summer when wildflowers of Blue Columbine, Black-eyed Susans, and Blank Flowers filled my world with timeless beauty. In the fall, aspen would begin their fall show as leaves changed from deep yellow to gold.

I would find comfort and peace with two pint-sized companions that would announce the arrival of chipmunks, rabbits, and deer. We would spend our days under a canopy of towering pine, exploring mountain trails. Then, in the evenings, we would settle down on a back porch swing and watch for shooting stars. And I would breathe and enjoy a quiet life of simple living.

Photo by Sonja Guina on Unsplash

What have you learned in your life about love?

Listening to stories from a favorite gramma

Watching a grandfather change a brother’s diaper

Helping mom make French Toast on a Saturday morning

Hearing a back gate scrape – dad was home

The loud shenanigans of little brothers 

Friendships made and friendships lost

Lovers lost and lovers found

One tiny heartbeat next to your own

Angel windchimes made from tiny hands

The hands that cook a favorite meal

Wiggly pups and endless kisses

Holding a grandchild for the very first time

Counting tiny fingers and toes – 

Loving your child’s husband as your own

Embracing all that truly matters

Daily writing prompt

Photo by Alex Pasarelu on Unsplash

If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?

If I had a freeway billboard, it would offer a brief bio.

Watch out, I-25! On any given weekend, Annie, aka Honey by her family and friends, maybe headin’ your way. The queen of healthy mocha lattes requires scenic mountain havens and wide open spaces. This champion procrastinator and Doxxie wrangler will crave the company of mule deer, hoarding chipmunks, and chubby little nutcrackers. She travels with a pair of spoiled furbabies that require treats, endless walks, and lots of cuddles. She will drive Ruby, her faithful Chevy HHR (Honey’s Hot Ride). If you see this weekend explorer, remind her that she has lesson plans to create and endless papers to grade. If she grumbles, advise her that her pups have become accustomed to a particular lifestyle, and that she needs this job to maintain their pampered way of life.

Photo credits

Photo by Eugene Krasnaok on Unsplash

Photo by Matthieu Pétiard on Unsplash

Photo by Jason Studley on Unsplash

Photo by Zentji on Wikipedia Commons