295: feng shui

hey y'all.

we (read: i) have been thinking about moving. we've been in this complex since summer '06. our lease is up for renewal soon but we haven't signed yet.

i've been looking online and we've been visiting properties but every place we've gone has been missing something:

- one place had a good layout but the BRs were too small. the storage was away from the unit and cost extra. the buildings were a bit older than i like. the parking was TIGHT.

- another place was just small. it said the sq. footage was the same as what we have now. but they must have been counting the patio, the area in front of the apt. door, the walkway leading to the door, and some other unknown areas. because every room in that place was miniature.

- one property was too big. umpteen buildings and they were adding more. it was like a small city. and i checked apartmentratings.com and one person said their rent increase was huge. like living-in-Manhattan huge.

i checked out more places then realized although i'd like to move, i really don't want to. i don't wanna pack boxes, i don't wanna move furniture, i don't wanna put in a change of address and wait on forwarded mail again.

so after i told mr. bliss i don't want to move, i decided to change the view in here.

in the wee hours, i re-arranged the living room. when i asked mr. bliss how he liked it, he asked if the feng shui was correct.

my jaw almost fell to the floor. since when does he care about feng shui? since when does he even know what feng shui is?

then i got nervous. was the feng shui correct?

i got online to do some research. one thing i came across was color. pink is my daughter's color and i'd like to find some rose quartz stones to put in her bathroom.

question: do you know where i can get some rose quartz stones for a good price?

thanks in advance y'all.


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294: get ready to duck!

hey y'all.

if the probably-imminent mother-in-law visit ain't scary enough for y'all, check his out:

the sky is falling?

293: uh oh!

hey y'all.

now, i know i was 'sposed to get back to the details of the Big Event from Jan. 19.

but Something Came Up.

mr. bliss said his momma might be coming for a visit this weekend.

(long pause)


need i say more?

maybe...

some of y'all might not know of the history between me and the MIL. (not to be confused with the MIB.) most of it ain't polite or pretty. on this planet or any other.

i first met her on my first date with mr. bliss, back in october or november of 1995, on the occasion of her retirement party.

(yeah, i know. go 'head on and laugh. it wasn't a good idea for a first date but some men don't know any better. and he and i had only just met a few days/the week before the date.)

i was seated at a table with one of my future SILs. i have vague memories about anything from that part of the evening.

what i do remember is the Introduction. mr. bliss presented me to his momma as if i were a freshly cut bouquet of sweetly-fragranced summer damask roses.

well my dears, i must have smelled like skunkweed cuz she sure was rude. as she stood in the middle of the dance floor, mr. bliss walked me over to her. she was smiling as we approached, with mr. bliss grinning right back at her.

then he presented me: "momma this is--" and before he could say my name, she shut us down. frowned, turned on her heels and walked away.

now i ask y'all, how cute is that?

(maybe her mother's instinct told her i was the one who would (finally) make her little boy into a man and take him away from her loving clutches? i dunno. she never said.)

mr. bliss and i only had one other date that year which wasn't really a date. he invited me to his house, i fell asleep and woke up the next day. that's the short version. (and no, the full story does not include nudity or sex of any kind. ha!)

after that we had a lot of phone conversations. i liked him and he was mega-handsome, but we just never went out again. i was dating a few guys so it wasn't a big deal. almost a year later, i'd begun dating baby bliss's dad (hereafter known as BBD) exclusively, i was pregnant, and planning to move way 'cross the country.

BBD and i ran into mr. bliss in a local convenience store one evening. i was happy to see his handsome grinning face. (he's still handsome and still grinning...) i introduced the guys and i think i told mr. bliss i was pregnant. but i'm not sure cuz i do remember calling him once a few months after we moved. it's possible i told him in the subsequent conversation. when ever it was, i remember mr. bliss congratulated me and said he was happy for us.

three years go by and one thanksgiving, the MIL comes downstairs to see me sitting in her living room with baby bliss.

(a few months after i returned to our hometown with baby bliss, mr. bliss and i ran into each other at a mall in the burbs. we resumed a friendship that turned into a romantic relationship.)

i don't know if she remembered me or not. this time she was pleasant.

for a few years the MIL and i -- before she became my MIL -- had a good relationship.

so i thought.

she was a bit older than my mother so i treated her like a mother/grandmother. she didn't drive so i took her to run errands, to beauty appointments, grocery shopping, etc.

i think it was when it became apparent that mr. bliss and i were in it for the long haul that she got tired of playing nice and took off the mask. maybe it had more to do with feeling threatened with her place in mr. bliss's life and his house. (when we met, she was living with him.)

then she slowly descended into sabotage mode. i won't detail all she did because i'm talking about years of ugly behavior on her part. and some of the things were very ugly. (think of the mother from Everybody Loves Raymond with darker skin, a lot more teeth and nails, and the backing of all her children and any other relatives she could galvanize to champion her tirades.)

some things she did, she probably doesn't remember; most i'm sure she would deny if she did.

i did my best to maintain my decorum back then, not wanting to be disrespectful of my elders and my (possibly) future MIL.

but one day i did fire back a few volleys of my own. i didn't curse (tho i wanted to) and i didn't yell (cuz i had a headache that day). no one got pushed down the stairs, the fracas didn't make it to the front yard, and there was no need for a SWAT team.

but i did call mr. bliss for back up cuz she conveniently waited until he went to the store to show her behind. (baby bliss and i happened to be camping out at mr. bliss' house for a few weeks while our co-op unit was being readied.)

mr. bliss rushed home to break up the ruckus and smooth raised hackles. he glazed it over so well that stupid me thought that would be the end of any further tyranny. (little did i know there were more years of that crap to come.)

fast forward to post-post-nuptials...

when we moved south a few years back, my main thought was being freed of the dark cloud of negative energy the MIL brought into our home.

with a few minor exceptions, family relations have been good since our move. we exchange hellos by phone, holiday cards by mail, and never the two shall meet.

until now. possibly.

i'm not stressing over it but i am concerned.

mr. bliss said she'll be staying with us.

they have family on the other side of town who live in a small mansion. (i'm talking 4-5,000 sq. ft.) i know they have rooms to spare and i'm sure they would welcome aunt ______. but of course, my momma and step-dad stayed with us last year in may and probably will again this year in may.

so i want to be fair. i don't wanna say his momma should go stay with her people. cuz after all, her son is her people too. i just don't want no trouble.

she's coming for a family party (that i just learned about last night). i'm thinking about not going. but i do like to dance and it's been a while.

i am a decent law-abiding citizen. i pay my taxes, i've never gotten a speeding ticket, and i pay all my library fines. i am friendly, outgoing, usually smiling, kind to all i meet. i never meet a stranger and i know some people think i'm a bit nutty because i'll strike up a conversation with almost anyone.

the last family event i attended with mr. bliss' family (a family reunion the same year we got married) went well. everyone was warm and welcoming to baby bliss and i. we had a fabulous time and i thought i couldn't wait to get back to the next one.

a few weeks after the reunion i began contacting folk (via e-mail) to get postal addresses so i could mail them photos of the reunion.

dead silence.

finally i got one response. a cousin said please mail all to her and she would distribute to everyone.

alllllll-rightie then.

thank God i love myself enough. otherwise i would have thought there was something wrong with me.

any way, y'all say some prayers. cuz the MIL may be riding down on us very soon. (it's a weekend party but she's retired.)

please pray that she comes in like a lamb and leaves the same way, so that i may stay out of the county jail.

amen.

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292: ice queens, snow bunnies and other assorted win'try womens

hey y'all.

how's the weather outside your window today? our day is sunny and fairly warm, considering.

in the past few days/weeks, we've had some really really cold weather here. but thankfully, although we did get some snow, the predicted snowstorms have failed to materialize.

saturday afternoon, i drove in the snow for the second time in my life.

the first time (back in tha day) was unintentional and it was just flurries. i was heading for a romantic rendezvous with The One Who Got Away and it started coming down en route. it was dark out and i was scared. i was on a narrow two-lane road and the only illumination came from headlights.

this time i knew what i was getting into. i thanked God for granting me safe passage and left home in daylight. the snow was coming down hard but there were few vehicles on the road and for once, drivers seemed to be courteous. my own snow-day miracle!

i arrived at the hotel a few hours before the event started cuz we (the volunteers) were so requested.

i had arrived dressed for my duties--welcoming the wealthy and well-dressed attendees--because having worked in meeting planning for many years, i knew there might not be enough time to change clothes later.

what was i thinking, forgetting to expect the unexpected? last-minute crises are inevitable at meetings and events of all kinds.

there was a lot to do in those hours, work i hadn't counted on because the meeting planner and her/his crew usually makes sure all is taken care of.

but this was a Big Event. so i'm thinking either the number of bodies needed was underestimated or some were no-shows. most of us volunteers just pitched in and got 'er done.

i was a little sweaty afterwards but thankfully not stinky. (tho i did have my emergency deodorant stashed in my bag, just in case.)

the evening got underway with a few early birds who were omens of fine apparel to come.



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to be continued...

291: weather or not

hey y'all.

it's snowing here. yuck.

baby bliss did the happy dance -- on the balcony in the cold -- when she saw it coming down. of course she had to drag me out with her.

*sigh*

i don't like snow. lemme re-phrase. i don't do snow.

i've learned to love to look at it, because it's pretty and God has cured me of my very real fear (disguised as hatred) of snow.

baby bliss prayed (literally) for the snow and she wants it to stick around until she wakes up in the morning. she's hoping to go out to play in it.

(of course. why else do children pray for snow?)

the last time we got snow, i went with baby bliss to the parking lot. she had a snowball fight with the car while i watched from the warmth and safety of inside the car. she had a great time. so did i.

although i no longer fear the snow, i have a reverence for it. it's powerful and can be dangerous. i won't willingly drive in or on snow because i try to avoid driving in any type of precipitation (or residue of).

i am a warm-weather soul. cold weather is not my friend.

there was a time when i felt cold much of the time. in summer, air conditioning was usually too cold. in winter, frigid temps frighten me.

although in recent years my body seems to be better able to stand cold, i will never be converted. i still dream of dwelling in tropical climes. at least once a week i drift into sweet slumber and emerge onto secluded beaches where crystal clear waters gently lap at sugary stretches of sand. ahhhh...

places where coats are unnecessary and unheard of.

yes, i do own a few but i don't like wearing coats. they make me feel constricted. so i layer up. and then i get paranoid and worry that i'll wear too many layers or too few.

*sigh*

why should i have to worry about something so stressful when i should be at home, away from bad weather, where i'll be warm (and dry)?

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290: read any good books lately?

hey y'all.

if you're looking for a good book to read and you want some ideas, subscribe to the Review-A-Day at Powells.com.

reading books has been one of my favorite activities since kindergarten. but more and more these days, if it ain't online, i don't have time to read it. Powell's reviews give me an idea of what i will likely enjoy in my spare bits of offline reading time.


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289: here i sit

hey y'all.

what a beautiful day we had yesterday in our lick of land. the sun was oh so shiny and the wind puffed warmly on our elbows.

thank you God.

but i did something yesterday that i almost regret today. almost. not quite.

baby bliss and i were gonna head for the library yesterday so we could get our game fix on, using the library's wi-fi. (cuz we only have dial-up at home.) however, mr. bliss called to say it was warm and sunny, and we were swayed into thoughts of outdoor physical exertion.

baby bliss wanted to play soccer but since the only place nearby to play is the tennis court, we took our badminton rackets as well.

since we were on the court, we kicked the soccer ball to the corner and decided to play badminton first.

what a game we had! i was in rare form, jumping high and lunging low, feats of physical prowess i hadn't performed in too many years to count. it felt good to swing that racket out there in the late afternoon sun as i imagined myself being secretly taped by Bjorn Borg, who just happened to be driving by and was so taken with my game that he was compelled to stop and pull out his camcorder.

we had been playing for about 45 minutes when i saw the IMB (Indian Men's Brigade) coming up the steps. i was surprised to see that they all had rackets because a neighbor once told me that the IMB congregated at the court every day to talk. ha! shows what she knows.

one of the gentlemen politely asked how much longer we would be playing.

"five more minutes," i said. "i'm already winded."

we both laughed and i went back for five additional minutes of wild lobbying and zinging volleys.

baby bliss and i ended our game with "next sunday, mommy" and "way to go girl!", bid the IMB individual "Namaste"s, and went in search of a suitable soccer field.

our cousins who live five minutes away have a backyard big enough for football but we decided not to ask them for the privilege. for that would obligate us to return the favor by allowing their sons to use the facilities in our apartment complex. (which wouldn't be a problem if the lads were halfway civilized. alas, they are not. so we are at all times careful not to ask them for favors of any kind.)

#2 Auntie (who lives next door to the cousins) has no yard to speak of out back cuz she likes her trees right where they are. (she did have a few cleared away, so they wouldn't fall on the deck in a storm i s'pose, but her trees make a small forest in spring and summer.) so we knew we couldn't play at her house. and she wasn't home any way.

we continued on to grandma's house. grandma's yard is big enough but grandma has a rule about her grass: keep off.

she thinks grass is for grow and show, nothing more. even when we lived in my hometown and her backyard was 1/3 of the size it is now, we were not allowed to walk or sit on the grass. somehow, she managed to keep it the perfect shade of green and impeccably manicured. always.

the front yard (a few inches bigger than a postage stamp) was just as tidy.

in fact, grandma's whole house (inside and out) was this way. leading some of the non-enlightened neighbors to accuse grandma of things like witchcraft and sorcery.

but i've digressed into fond childhood reminiscence. please forgive me y'all.

so we couldn't play soccer at grandma's. i didn't think to go to the park or recreation center. i guess i was still trying to catch my breath from our game of badminton.

poor baby bliss. she was very upset with me when we headed home. she had tears in her eyes as she accused me of staying at grandma's too long, just so we couldn't go play soccer.

i didn't do it on purpose, i swear. i was just tired and my brain was a little addled.

and thank God for absent-mindedness.

when i got up this morning, my hind parts (which i always understood as "hine potts" when i was a baby bliss) were crying out for mercy and a good massage.

i enjoyed our game yesterday and except for the sore parts, i'll do it again next sunday. but maybe i should warm up first?

too bad i can't take the laptop in the tub cuz that's where i'll spend a few hours soaking tonight, soon as we get home from the library.

288: we are what we eat. no matter what it costs.

just when we thought eating healthier was better, we might be on the verge of having to choose between good eats and the poor house.

seems every time we make better choices for our lives, we're penalized for it somehow.

i guess it's time for those of us with land to get our dirt tested to make sure its good enough to eat from and then plant our own.

read here Healthy Food Getting More Expensive to get the full story.
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287: another blogging bliss ?

baby bliss got a laptop for christmas.

i'm hoping she'll pitch a tent in the blogisphere with us y'all.

(but am i really ready to see myself ranted about in cyberspace?)
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286: more mind control?

courtesy of our Fed'ral gov'ment, we will very soon be forced to spend our hard earned monies to acquire televisions that will broadcast digital signals. cuz if'n we don't, we'll no longer be able to watch free telly.

because they love us so, our Congress set aside $1.5 billion to ensure that we all retain our right to free t.v.

$5 million was set aside for education.

gee.

how much is that per state? how much per student in the U.S.?

i'm disgusted that gov'ment officials think telly is much more important than our children's education. which is also supposed to be free. hello? how many children will be left behind cuz they're watching telly on sets that get digitally enhanced broadcasts while their favorite teachers are being pink-slipped cuz the school districts around the country have to split $5 million in educational funding?

and some people say they don't believe in conspiracy theories.

go here Digital TV to read more details.