Heads or Tails *Anything Green*

One of my favorite bloggers, Skittles has started a Tuesday meme. It is LOTS of fun-so you'll wanna join us right away! If you click on the Heads or Tails logo - it will take you to the post to tell you more about the meme.

This week's topic is Heads - anything green. Skittles chose this theme because St. Patrick's Day and Spring are in the immediate future.

When I was in second grade, we were going to have a big St. Patrick's Day party at school. My dad had come to visit me at my grandparents', and I was busily going from room to room, picking things up, crawling in the cupboards and back out, lifting up the rugs, peeking under the furniture... searching every nook and cranny.

Finally, my dad asked, "What ya doing, Mist?"

I replied, "I'm looking for the leprechauns, Daddy! You know, those little green guys?!?! They have gold, Daddy! And, if I find them, they will have to show me where their gold is! It would be better than what the Tooth Fairy would leave me if I lost all my teeth at one time! You wanna help me look for em?"

My daddy smiled and replied, "I don't need to look for them. You see, Brandy is a great hunting dog, and when I get home, Brandy will show me exactly where those little green guys are."

"Are you serious Daddy?!?! They'll have to show you where the gold is if Brandy finds them!"

Brandy was my dad's Irish Setter dog. She was one of the highlights of my life. I loved her SO much, and she was one of the smartest dogs I ever knew. So, I wasn't the least bit surprised to hear that she could track and find little, miniature green guys. (Yes, dogs were my whole world back then too)

My dad left to go home, and I took my bath and was sitting on my grandma's lap in the rocking chair for my bedtime story. (I can even remember which book we were reading!) I heard the door open in the other room, and looked at my grandma and started to ask who could possibly be here at night, but, when I looked up, I saw my daddy. Seeing my daddy walk through the door on any day was the greatest thing ever; I used to pray over and over again 'Please let my daddy come over today'. So, having him walk through that door twice in one day made me an extremely happy girl.

My dad came up to me, and as I sat in my grandma's lap looking up at him, he held out a small, square, glass jar with something in it. He handed me the jar, and I stared in amazement... I was absolutely speechless for a bit, and then I whispered in awe...

"ohhhhhh it's gold. Brandy found the little green guys, didn't she Daddy? Woooooow"

I took the gold to school with me, and I excitedly told the whole class that my daddy's Irish Setter is the greatest, most beautiful, and smartest dog in the whole wide world, and she found the leprechauns, and they had to show my daddy where the gold was, and my daddy brought some of it to me. (You know, I rattled all of this out in one very long breathless sentence, in typical second-grader fashion.)

My teacher then had the nerve to start telling the class about something called Fools gold. She proceeded to claim that what my daddy brought me was actually Fools gold... and blah blah blah. I was one furious little girl. I stood my ground...

"NO, Mrs. Doesn't-Know-Real-Gold-When-She-Sees-It! You are wrong! That is REAL gold! My daddy has the greatest and smartest dog in the world, and she found the little green guys, and she showed my daddy, and they took him to their gold! No ma'am, I am not arguing with you; I would never do that, because my grandma taught me not to argue with grown-ups. I'm just telling you that my daddy would NEVER lie to me, and he said the little green guys showed him this gold!"

I can only imagine what a time my grandma had trying to explain to me that, no my daddy wouldn't lie to me... but...

I still have that bottle and the gold, and I still go crawling and peeking around in every nook and cranny looking for the little green guys on St. Patrick's Day... eventually, I'll find them. I have to admit - if my daddy walked through the door on this St. Patrick's Day, I would be that excited and thankful little girl all over again, and I would truly feel like I had just been shown the gold.

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Heads or Tails *Anything Green*

http://www.mistysmusings.com/2008/03/heads-or-tails-anything-green.html

I'm Awake I'm Awake!

The temperatures dropped down well below freezing last night, so I brought the dogs in to the house to sleep. They've been staying in a trailer outside for now, until we get the house finished. They usually do great when they are inside. They realize it is bedtime, and they stay quiet. Well, Hubs had a job to go do today. So, the alarm clock starts blaring before 5 a.m. I spring awake, frantically asking "What? What's wrong? It's not time for you to have to leave yet!" He informed me that he needed to go plug some equipment in to heat up. Oh, OK, go back to sleep, Misty. Yeah right. Since Daddy just got up, the dogs thought it was time to be awake and playing. So, this is what the rest of my morning consisted of...

I had given an old sandal to the puppy to keep her entertained when she is inside. She decided it was time to try to chew the rubber off the sandal this morning. Doesn't sound bad, but, before 5 a.m., the chewing, banging, and rubber-snapping can get on your nerves rather quickly. So, I got up and took the sandal away. OK, go back to sleep, Misty.
Nope, then the puppy finds a towel that I had shoved in the dryer vent, since we don't have the dryer hooked up yet, and the hole for the vent opens up to the outside. So, I'm trying to go back to sleep, and I hear my rotten puppy tugging, grunting, and pulling on the towel to get it out of the vent so she can proceed to chew it to pieces. I got up, arranged the towel more securely in the vent. OK, go back to sleep, Misty.
Nope, by that time it was time for Hubs to leave for this job. He went outside and started his truck, which always sends Tag over the edge, because Tag doesn't want Hubs to leave without him. Tag is barking, whining, barking, yelping, barking, pacing, barking... well, you get the idea. I finally gave up! I saw Hubs pulling out of the driveway and heading down the road. So, I picked up my cell phone and called him. I said "I just wanted to tell you to have a good day. I'm sufficiently awake now!" Hubs started laughing, apologized, and then proceeded to tell me "Oh my gosh, there's three bucks and four does standing in the field where you go for your walk!"
Ugh... yeah, thanks, Honey!

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I'm Awake I'm Awake!

http://www.mistysmusings.com/2007/11/im-awake-im-awake.html

Some Stories Of My Fears

Since Halloween is right around the corner, I thought I'd share a couple stories about my fears with you.

Ever since I was young, I've had a fear of looking out windows when it is dark outside. I used to have a reoccurring dream that I would look out a window and see someone standing there staring back at me. It took me a very long time until I was able to fight this fear. I still have trouble. Now, here I live in this new house with NO curtains hung yet! I can't hang curtains until my husband finishes the window casings. Do you realize how difficult this is for me? I walk into my bedroom at night and try to avoid even glancing at the window which is right next to my bed. Childish? Maybe. But it's a fear that I have, regardless.

Also, I've always had a fear of someone reaching out from somewhere and grabbing me at night. Like, when I go to the bathroom, for instance. This stems from some things that actually did happen to me that instilled an everlasting fear. Well, my husband thought he would be cute one night when we were newly married. I got out of bed in the early morning and went to the bathroom at the other end of the house. My husband got up and hid in our laundry room... when I came walking back through to go back to bed, he reached out at grabbed me. I freaked - I didn't even think, and I elbowed him in the ribs as hard as I could. When he doubled over in pain, I spun around (still not thinking straight - just reacting) and swung at him. If he had not doubled over from the elbow to the ribs, he would have received my fist square on his jaw. He has NEVER done anything like that again... and, he has never forgotten that I react rather than think when faced with a fear.

Once, a hired-hand from the farm down the road, who always messed with me, came up behind me when we were cutting wood. He grabbed me from behind and screamed. I spun with fist ready to connect, but luckily was able to stop myself before I broke his face for him. My husband later pulled him aside and told him that if he didn't want any broken bones, he better never do that to me again! LOL

I just thought that in the spirit of Halloween, I'd share some of my fears... We all have them - what are some of your fears?

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Some Stories Of My Fears

http://www.mistysmusings.com/2007/10/some-stories-of-my-fears.html