Life Through the Eyes of my Scattered Brian

Wow, what a title! So how have I done this….well let’s see. Back in 2003 I took a cruise to the Bahamas. That was a total cultural difference. But I actually looked at that has an adventure. And it was! So much fun. That might have to be my next blog entry, my two cruises…. Okay, as usual I have gotten off the subject. Let’s see, first I tried to broaden those experiences with things that I ate. You see, I use to not eat things that sounded strange or add ingredients in them that I did not like (even if you could not taste it). Heck, I use to not eat sour cream cause of the word “sour”! But anyway, on my first cruise I decided that it was an adventure and probably one I would never partake in again….so I decided to try out something I thought I would never try…..escargot, yep, I ate snails! Oh my gosh, it was great. Cooked in garlic and butter, a bit rubbery but the taste was nice. Since then I have tried it fried, nope, did not care for that. I have tried crawfish, where you snap the ...

Every now and then out of the blue an old story hits me that I think would be funny to add to my blog (can you tell)! Maybe I should right a book? Not thinking that will happen, I am not really one of your most organized sort of people. Today’s story is an event that took place in my life about three and a half years ago. I had not been feeling my best (later to find out it was the sleep apnea thing). But I had one major migraine after another, I was having the sleep issues where I thought I was getting enough at night but it seemed during the day it never was enough. I could fall off to sleep anywhere, anytime. I was in a long distance relationship with a man whose Mother was ill and I was putting a lot of time and effort into giving it my all for him. I had my daughter and grandson living with me, I was stressed and a bit on the depressed side. That along with my job, daily issues and decisions was putting a large overload on me. One day, I parked my car about 10 minutes from my home...

Years ago I use to ride the Metro bus to town everyday to work. I did this to save on gas, wear and tear on the truck, cost of parking and I could rest, read, talk and visit on the bus. On the back of the bus we had our own little group of people. We visited everyday to and from work, shared our lifes and our families. I use to catch the bus home right in front of the bldg. I worked in down town. Walk right out the bldg., cross the street and would get right on the 4:25 bus home. One day while sitting in the back of the bus with some friends, talking and running my mouth like normal...heading home...it hit me! I jumped up out of my seat, shouted "OH CRAP" (actually I think I used another word that relates to the same thing), started pulling on the bell wire to stop the bus. Everyone was looking at me, "What's wrong Pam", "What's the matter"... I had to look them in the face, without laughing (or crying as it should have been), I said " I drove...

I know it is a couple of weeks past my birthday but I wanted to share a card that I got. I meant to do it around the day but my mind wonders around so much and I tend to get so much going on that I forget other things! Welcome to my life!!! I have friend that I met a little over a year ago. We met over the internet, on a site for Mom's. The site was called Clubmom (CM). It recently ended but luckly a lot of the Mom's I met have ventured over to Facebook so we still stay in touch. Anyway on CM you posted daily pics of kids, nature, grandkids..etc on your calendar for all to view and comment on. I met Nancy through my cousin, on CM. We seemed all three of us hit it off. Nancy lives in Ohio, so to this day we have not met face to face. We send cards, gifts, call, email, but that meeting has not happened as of yet. Although that is to change in May when she comes to visit. Nancy is in to photography, like my cousin and I are. Only she has put her photo's to a small business. Sh...

This little dog is so set in his ways, so spoiled and such a baby when it comes to certain things. He had been living with me for a little over 1.5 yrs., and had developed his own PLACE in the car. He loved sitting in Caleb's booster set. When Caleb was not in the car, that is where Dakota set. I would lower the window just enough for him to hand in head out and this dog was in heaven. One day as I cleaned the car, I removed the booster set, took it apart to wash the cover. Later as I headed to my Mom's, without the seat, windows down......I lost my dog. I had the radio up, on the phone and I was not sure where I lost him. The one thing I was sure of was that he was in the Hermitage Hills area. I remember him popping in between the seats as I turned up Bonnafield. After an hour of searching, crying and so afraid for him... I found him. He had walked, crawled, or hopped to a side street and was sitting under a tree...waiting. I got out and called for him and he hopped over to me...

The title of this year's fund raiser for "Kid's of the Block". I started to work on it yesterday afternoon and all went so well that I finished it up last night. It was not a hard or time consumming painting but I think it turned out really nice. I have to have the painting turned in by March 30th. The actual fund raiser will be April 30th. Enjoy my latest painting, leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks again for stopping in.. Pam

Saturday! Finally...it seems that it takes forever for Friday and Sat. to roll around but Monday seems like it flys by! Nothing major and or funny to post in my blog today. I think I will take it easy this weekend, no running around for me and see if I can get some rest. I have laundry to do and a little bit of picking up but from there I think I will try to paint some. I have the show coming up but I also have a fund raiser coming up at the end of April also. I have to have my project finished and dropped off by March 30th. The fund raiser is for "Kids on the Block", which is a program of STARS (Students Taking a Right Stand). They reach out to 40,000 elementary aged students a year using Bunraku Puppetry. They teach and educate them on difficult life issues such as child abuse, prejudice, and awareness of differences. This fund raiser is focused around chairs and is called "Chair-ish the Kids". It is artwork that is sold and auctioned off with a chair theme. This ...

Friday, the day after Thursday, the day before Saturday. Thank goodness that it is the last of the work week for most of us. Speaking of work week, whoever came up with that. Work 5 days, off two? It’s such a struggle at times to get what you have to get done in those two days off. By the time you work in the house cleaning, the yard work, laundry, keeping the car clean, cooking and anything extra, you need another day off before going back to work on Monday. Or maybe that’s just me and my sleep apnea talking but I don’t even have a family to cook for anymore, so I pretty much forego that these days. Then the yard work, I hired it done a lot last summer. Laundry,I keep up…need those clothes to wear. But even the cleaning, I do only what I need to just to get by these days. And to think I had a friend that once referred to me as the “Cleaner from Hell”. I was always cleaning something, even if it did not need it. I sure would like to have those days back where I felt like at least think...

A few weeks back I was standing in my office when one of my bosses came in and handed me a clock. In a split second I wondered what that was all about, esp. when he asked did I want it. I could not help but get really tickled when I looked at it and told him I would love to have it. You see this clock was a backwards clock. Not only does the hand’s run backwards but the numbers are not where they need to be either. Where the 11 should be is the 1, and where the 1 should be is the 11, and so on. I had seen these before and thought they were just the neatest things. Of course while laughing I asked my boss “why are you giving this to me, because I am backwards or just different’….at that point he turned a bit red, threw his hands in the air and said “I don’t know why I am giving it to you”, then he told me he just thought I was the perfect person to have it. This is the same boss that asked the important question “could that be the reason you are not married anymore’! I laughed that much...

My dog, the one I did not want, the one that was pawned off on me, the one I vowed I would find a home for because I did not want a dog and I was not keeping him….yeah, that dog. He is a source of laughs at times and yes, I have come to love him. Dakota is very smart. My daughter and them had taught him to sit before I got him, but from there I have taught him to sit up, row over, dance on his hind legs, walk on his hind legs, shake, give me a kiss on the cheek and high five me. Very smart and learns these things really fast. I love it because I have never had a dog that would do these tricks for a treat before. But stubborn, he is that for sure. If he don’t want to obey you, he will not. He has a mind all his own. He is very set in his ways for a dog that just turned 2 on Feb. 12th. He is spoiled rotten. Right after I got him, I was painting my kitchen. He is like my second shadow and at times he will follow so close that if he were taller and I bent over I would have to pluck him ….o...

Have you ever just looked at a bungee cord? Awesome idea to make this type of thing to be used in so many ways. They have the stretch, the hook that can hook on to just about anything. But…you don’t ever want one to come loose as you try to attach the other end. Ten years ago, my daughter moved to Jackson TN. That trip would be about 2.5 hours away from where I live. One day I packed up (yes, and for those who know me would not be surprised that it was just me, I hate to ask for help) all her stuff in the back of my big GMC Sierra truck. I had boxes, bed frame, mattress and box springs and so much more. I loaded the back end up and decided that I sure did not need a box spring (which I had laying over on the mattress) flying off the truck going down the interstate. I decided to tie this stuff down with my bungee cords. Now, what happened next was something else… I hooked one end onto a place on the bed of the truck used for this purpose or for tying ropes around. I then threw it up and...

Living with sleep apnea pretty much sucks. In October 2005, after one and a half years of a daily headaches and falling asleep at red lights, I went through two sleep studies and faced the fact that I had to sleep the rest of my life with a machine. Now all of a sudden the sleep is off again even with the machine. Fear of thinking that I would have to go through a sleep study again I have put this growing problem off for the last few months. Finally, after a two week migraine and dragging myself around I decided to call the doctor. My insurance change a few years ago so to be able to see a sleep doctor under them, I had to have a referral from my regular doctor. I was able to get and appointment and be seen last week by him and his office was looking into getting me in to see a doctor. Hopefully I will know something tomorrow. Sleeping with a machine nightly is a pain. But if things are working correctly and oxygen is getting to the brain, its helps with the migraines. Apparently the p...

I so dislike having in mind what I want and not being able to find it...or even really being able to settle on what I think I want! I have a oak finish pre- fab roll top desk for my computer. Got a great buy on it, $20.00 at a yard sale. Thought it would be perfect for me but I was not thinking I don't guess.. (and at this point you can keep your thoughts to yourself)!! The desk is nice but by the time you get a monitor in there you really don't have room for much of anything else...and have I used the roll top part to conseal the papers and mess around the computer, NO! So, this desk has just got to go. One problem I have ran into with getting another desk is the fact that I want my computer in my livingroom. Why?? I spend more time in that room. So that leads to finding something that will match or somewhat match with what I have in there. I do not want anything big, blocky, or heavy looking. I have two large pieces in that room already and I really would like to keep the res...

Yes, today, Valentines Day is my day of birth....all so many years ago! I have tried all my life to convince everyone around me that I am a sweetheart. 8^) I have had dinner cooked for me, taken to lunch, nice gifts, great cards and great ecards, awesome birthday wishes via email, facebook and the phone. I have had calls from Ohio, GA. and AZ. I have had calls from two niece's, two nephew's, Mom, brother and sister in law, cousin, friends, daughter and my Grandson..and they have all been so sweet and so nice. Brings a smile to my face. Thank you everyone for keeping me in your thoughts, for you awesome wishes and your great cards! Love you all... Pam

Dustin Jr. AKA DJ, AKA Peanut (Nana calls him this) This is my youngest Grandson. He is just barely . over 3 months old. Once again I was honored to be asked to be a part of his delivery like I was his brothers, Caleb. I was there when both of them came into this world. And once again, I was holding this one within minutes of being born. Caleb was a shoulder dystocia baby, just like his Mom was. So with that being an issue the doctors felt that Amber needed a C-section with DJ. I was told the same thing with my second one but since he was smaller then Amber I was able to deliver with ease. Since DJ decided to come into this world almost 3 weeks early, we hoped that would make a difference in the weight and allow Amber to deliver. She did not want to have a C-section and dreaded it the whole time she was pregnant. With luck we were able to convince the doctor (I don’t think he was happy with Amber’s choice) but he went along with it and all went well. DJ weight just barely 6 lbs. but he...

Eight years ago I was so blessed to have a sweet loving little man come into my life by the name of Caleb Tyler. Caleb has the most beautiful crystal blue eyes that seem to light up the room when he smiles. He is almost as tall as his Nana and he is and always has been a Nana’s boy. When picking a name, Tyler Lee was being tossed around and my daughter told me she really did not care for that to much. So I suggested Caleb Tyler. She liked that well enough that’s the name the little one was given. I was blessed to be asked to be a part of that delivery and be there and hold him when he was just a few minutes old. Before the birth Amber kept asking me what the baby was Going to call me and being just a tad over 40 years old when I was told I was going to be a Grandmother, I kept telling her, "the kid could call me Pam". I never meant it but it was oh so much fun messing with my daughter! But when they handed that child to me, my first words were “come to Grandma”. Caleb did not...

I have stories I could tell from my daily adventures but I have some funny things that I have enjoyed telling over the years and for some reason this one was just yelling at me to tell today! Another ex story~ I make friends really easy, and I don't have a problem meeting new people but for some reason this one time just did not feel right. My ex came to me one day and told me that a man he had been going hunting with, that he also worked with was wanting us all to come up for dinner one night. I said, "yea, okay"...little did I know that within a few days, that okay would come back to bite me in the rear. Remember...I did not have a good feeling about this dinner and it got even worse when the night came and my ex was out loading his hunting bow and arrow in the trunk of my car! Strike #1. Stike #2 came when on the way up the ridge to a small hole in the wall town (blink, you missed it) my ex tells me that we have to stop at KFC to get chicken. My mouth drops open and of...

That question was asked in such an innocent way...but it generated so much laughter! A couple of weeks ago at work, one of my bosses came by my office and stood in my doorway without saying a word. I raised my hands up in the air and said "I did not do it"!...why this statement you are probably asking! That goes back to earlier in the day when a couple of times some funny statements were made or something funny happened in the office. My boss (yes, the same one from the doorway), while laughing told me that it seemed like things happened when I was around. That is the reason for the statement "I did not do it"! Okay....on with the story. My boss laughed at my statement and then told me that he was standing there so I could see his new glasses. They looked the same to me. But I told him not to worry about me not noticing them, that sometimes I missed things like that. I told him that once my ex husband shaved off his beard and mustache one night while I was out and w...

For those whom I have not shared this news with, I will be a featured artist, along with one other one, at an art gallery! I am so excited to be having a show for my paintings. I have been going through my work to decide what to hang at the opening, what I need to touch up, or frame...or what to paint to take along. About a year ago I bought a new wooden cabinet door for the purpose of painting a picture on it. Up until the other day I had not decided as to what I would paint on it.....then Saturday evening I was tossing a few things around and settled on a wooden birdhouse on a wooden pole with a climbing rose bushe going up and around the pole. I worked on it for a couple of hours Saturday night and between working outside and around the house Sunday...I finished it. I am so proud of the way this one turned out. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment. So with that said...take a look.................... Thanks for stopping by. Pam

I once worked with a man that told me that people would not know the silly things I did, if I did not tell them! The way I see that is, I get a good laugh from them so I like to share those laughs! This story took place about a year ago. I was on my way home from work, talking with my cousin, Kathy on the phone. I had things running through my head about what I needed to get at the store, the conversation, things I needed to do when I got home ..etc. While I talked with Kathy, I pulled into Kroger parking lot and noticed the beautiful sunset. As I continued to talk, turn the car off (keeping in mind to remove the keys), lock the door (with the clicker), thinking I needed to pull my camera from my purse and take a photo of the sunset.....and while all this multi tasking was going on in my head, keeping my mind on what Kathy was saying, I aimed my car clicker at the sky and hit the button! OVERLOAD! I got so tickled and started laughing at which point I had to explain all this to Kathy. ...

My Grandson Caleb stayed the night with me last night. He is a pretty healthy eatter. Sometime after dinner he stated that he was still hungry. I called off fruit and a couple of other things and got a "no" to each one of them....then I remembered that I had a salad made. Caleb loves salad. So when I asked if that was what he wanted he jumped up and replied "yes"! I ventured off into the kitchen and fixed him a bowl of salad, with an extra bowl containing a couple of dill pickles, per his request. Caleb sat in the floor in the living room at his stool that he uses as a table. Within a few minutes he held up a piece of cauliflower on his fork and said "Nana, I don't like this kind of broccoli!" I never realized that he had never had cauliflower, raw or cooked before. He told me he thought it was white broccoli! Kids can say the cutest things. Him and I have laughed about "Not liking that kind of broccoli" several times today. I on the other h...

Morning to all, Just to let you all know, that the profile pic is not of me! It is of my dog, Dakota. My having Dakota is an interesting story. I did not get him because I wanted him, or because I wanted a dog....I got him because he was being handed off to me. My daughter thought that my grandson, Caleb, needed a dog. They got Dakota as a puppy and in less then 6 months they moved to a home where they were not allowed pets. So, the question was, "Mom, can you keep him until we find him a home"? I knew right then and there it was me that was going to have to find him a home. But, even though I would not admit it to myself for a long time, this dog grew on me and wormed his way into my heart. When I started to look for a home for him, I was to picky. So 5 months after he came to live with me, I finally excepted that he was mine and he was not going anywhere. He is to spoiled for anyone else to have him now. I thought my days of dropping off "KIDS" at daycare was long...

As you can see this is my first post to my new blog... and I am new to this. Thought this would be fun, interesting, a way to voice my thoughts, my feelings and be able to share with my family and friends! Now the interesting part will be "what will I write"!!! Enjoy, Pam