Okay … here it is!

Let me officially welcome you to the Whine Bar … (little play on words there). This portion of my web site will primarily be a journal/diary type of thing for me. I need to have an outlet for putting down my feelings and thoughts. But I’ve given you (only 5 of you) access so you can keep up with the everyday happenings in my life, assuming you’re interested, of course. (Gee, I never gave it a thought that someone might not be interested …) Oh well, I will try to post each day but in all reality, that probably won’t happen. If I ever decide to post something that is so personal I don’t want anyone but myself to read it, I will mark it as such and you won’t be able to access it. So don’t worry. If you log on here, and it’s on the page, then it’s okay for you to read it.

I’ve been journaling for several years now but I’ve always kept a handwritten journal. While that’s okay, it’s just getting to be more and more of a problem for me because while I enjoy writing, I don’t enjoy “writing” (by hand, that is). And sometimes I write things that are so personal, I feel as if I have to hide my journal so others won’t read it. Anyway, blogging is just so much faster. I admit that I’m not a computer whiz by any means (just ask my son) but with his help and instruction I manage to muddle my way through the world wide web. By the way … thanks Chase.

I would love to have you read my blog whenever it’s convenient for you (or if you just want a good laugh) and I would also like to hear back from you if you have anything to say of a constructive nature, with the emphasis on constructive. I want to keep this site clean. I don’t mind you being blunt with me, but do so in a nice way, please. Who knows? Maybe on some postings I might ask for your opinion or advice. Now that would really make you feel special, I bet.

So let me get started with what I want to say today … first of all, this has been a busy summer for me. Erica has chosen not to travel the world like she did last summer (thank goodness!). But she’s been just as busy and kept me that way, too. My house is the “hang out” for most of her friends and I’m glad it is. At least I know they’re safe and off the streets. Sometimes I think I’m “momma” to about a ga-zillion teenagers. Cheryl a.k.a. Battmom, knows what I’m talking about. (She’s got access to this site, too, so maybe she’ll stop in before too long and introduce herself.) Anyway, life around my house is noisy with so many kids all the time, but I don’t mind. I grew up like an only child so I’m enjoying a little chaos.

And of course you know I lost my job in March. That’s been hard to deal with but I don’t miss the stress I had when I worked for the City. However, unemployment will soon run out and I’ll be forced to look for employment. So keep me in mind if you hear of anything. I think the main thing I miss by not having a job is not getting to spend time with Connie (my counselor) each week. When I worked, my insurance paid for counseling sessions so I saw her every Thursday. She’s a wonderful Christian lady and always gives me the right kind of advice. By the way, she’s one of the 5 people who have access to this blog. (“Hi Connie! Miss you!”)

Also my sister and I have been dealing with the fact that my mother is in a nursing home with alzheimers disease. It’s sad to see my mother with that vacant look in her eyes. Thankfully my sister can see her each day if she chooses because mother is in a nursing home a few miles from my sister’s home in Giddings, Texas. She usually recognizes my sister (Glenda) because she sees her often. But sometimes she doesn’t recognize me although I try to go to see her as often as possible. Last week when I was there, mother thought I was her great neice, Samantha. The visit before that, she thought I was her baby sister, Mae, who lives in Mississippi. So although we know that this is typical behavior for an alzheimers patient, my sister and I still struggle through it. But her doctor has started her on a new medication for alzheimers which we hope will slow down the progress and maybe even show a little improvement in her memory. We’ll keep her on the med for 2 months and see how it goes.

I guess that’s about all for today. If I think of anything else … like Arnold says … “I’ll be back.”