Now for a little family storytime.......
Got a birthday card from my sis this week (Yes, my birthday is Friday, Sept 3rd, and I expect lots of attention from all my friends and family---gifts, money, chocolate, adoration......whatever!) Now back to the card...
Paula's card was signed, "Love Jane". I did a double take and looked on the envelope at the return address because I have a friend named Jane---so the "Love, Jane" confused me-----until I read her short note:
"With therapy I have learned to accept that I am Jane! Thanks! You old poop stain!"
With those words it all fell into place. And I laughed and laughed and laughed!
Ah, the memories, they seem like yesterday---and obviously they are very close to Paula's heart. When little Paula Jean was just a young thing, she and I shared a room. (I am seven years older than the little squirt so of course she worshipped me.) For some reason, while we lay in bed at night, I thought it was very funny to torment her by whispering the phrase, "Hey Jane, where's Sally?" She'd yell that she wasn't Jane and I just kept whispering the phrase to her every few minutes. This would go on any night that I decided to yank her chain. And obviously she has harbored these memories for over 30 years.
Now lest you think me cruel---just remember that we were, and still are, a disfunctional family (every family is!!!) and I had every reason to save my sanity with these little games. With 5 kids in the family--3 of them bed wetters and quirky to boot, I deserved some down time. If I wasn't helping to raise Paula, I was being asked by my parents to allow one of the bed wetters to climb in bed with me after he had wet his bed, then my parents' bed. And yes, he would then proceed to wet MY bed. And don't feel sorry for Paula. She was the type of kid who was always afraid of the dark and wanted to sleep in my bed too! It was a regular zoo in my bed!!! Did Paula work to overcome her fear of the dark????? NOoooooooooo! She went to every scary movie she could find! She watched Halloween at least 3 times!!!! And then it was, "Sue, I'm scared.....Can I sleep with you?"
So now you know one of my favorite family memories. How about sharing one or two of yours?
Come on---pull out a family skeleton or two!
7 comments:
Oh Life was so hard for poor Sue. My life was waking up to the song Patches by God know who and In the Ghetto by Elvis Presley. Every morning Sue would be singing her lungs out to the ol 45's.
Did you know that Sue beat me up when I was in the 4th grade(that would be 9 which made Sue a real mature 16) for not helping her bring in the damn groceries. She chased me up a hill behind our house. Knocked me down and proceeded to whale on me. She had such a dark side to her personality. It's a wonder I survived without multiple personalities. Of course Jane does live inside me.
Paula- I always knew that Sue was hiding her darkness from us! She tries to keep it deep inside but every once in a blue moon, you see it start to bubble to the surface! You poor thing, growing up with her! No wonder you drink!
So, Sue?!
Where oh where is the blog of gushingness over the perfect birthday gift I gave you?! Alltho, after re-reading your blog just now, I realize I left out the money part, so I will toss you a dime the next time I see you!
Hope your birthday was special!!
Let me reply to both of the above comments!!!
1. You all need to know that Paula was a juvenile delinquent in the 4th grade! Just ask her friend Debbie Sherman and the principal who had to deal with both of them. So you too would have beaten the delinquency out of Paula had you been in the same situation. Rest assured that Paula probably made up the whole "beat her up" scenerio just to gain sympathy---cause I sure don't remember this incident.
2. Laura, when I receive the money---I'll let everyone know that you are the bestest damn neighbor to the north!!!!
Yea well first sign of mental illness is repressed memories and denial. So sad... Suzie has lost her mind.
Humph!
I give you money the MINUTE I see you blog about it and STILL nothing! Next birthday rolls around and see if I try to fulfill all your birthday wishes!! Maybe this is the mental illness coming thru, the denial of the greatest birthday fulfillment idea ever. Possibly, Paula is right???!
See ya this afternoon to celebrate the kiddo's 2nd birthday!
Ok, I don't know what happened. I BLOGGED a whole new item just for you Duffy!! But I don't see the blog entry!! All my creativity--where did it go???? That darned computer downstairs!!! Now I have to try to remember all the praises that I sung about the best damned neighbor to the north.
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