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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

strictly for entertainment purposes

All should get a kick out of the many faces of Ronald Riera
Ronnie doing the peroque at Rod's wedding
Ronnie being Hannah Montana in public
Ronnie rocking the baby boy
Ronnie modeling hunting attire
...and showing his muscles
Ronnie playing a good guy at Renaissance festival
Ronnie making a fashion statement
Ronnie carrying a lady at the same festival
Ronnie jamming
Ronnie telling stories to Tedi
Yes, the same man who can drive me crazy
and make me loose my religion can also
crack me up like no body's business!
I recently heard the cutest song that so
reminds me of this man I call my hubby.
Can't post all the words because some
are not fitting for little ears
however I know some of ya'll interest
will be sparked and you will either google
the lyrics or go on Itunes and purchase,
especially you, Mikie Plaisance!
IN SPITE OF OURSELVES BY JOHN PRINE
...HE'S MY MAN AND I'M HIS HONEY
NEVER GUNNA LET HIM GO...

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

questioning motives, receiving answers



Do I write this blog for pats on the back,
Do I want others to believe I am better than them?
Do I want people to read my thoughts and
wonder "Why all of a sudden is she better than others?"
"Why so nice?"
I walked yesterday with these thought on my mind.
Questioning myself after being innocently
questioned by someone who read my blog recently.
So I am wondering all of this as I walk
and I think of the fact that
we are all created in the BIG MAN'S likeness
yet imperfect in his image.
So let me be honest with all my readers out there:
I am oh, so imperfect!
I gossip way too much even when I know I shouldn't.
Sometimes I make ugly comments about others that I know would
hurt if they heard what I said.
I miss Mass lately way too much even when
I know that I gather strength there to be
the person I want to be.
I still become aggravated way too much with
the ones I love the most.
I get lazy often and don't want to do anything,
sometimes I don't even want to do this blog anymore.
Sometimes I think I should just quit all of this
because I am sure there are people out there
who must think when did she become so "SAINTLY"
As I walk a Phil Vasser song comes on and sings
HEY THIS IS GOD
...Can I please have your attention.
man I'm disappointed in what I'm seeing,
yeah this is God
You fight each other in my name
Treat life like it's a foolish game
I'd say you've got the wrong idea
all I'm asking for is love
Well I've seen you hurt yourselves enough,
Oh I've been waiting on a change in you
yeah, this is God
I've given everything to you
but look at what you do
to the world that I created
Hey, this is God
What's with all the attitude and hate
you grow more ignorant with age
you had it made, now look at all you've wasted
all I'm asking for is love
I've seen you hurt yourselves enough...
It is in this next part that I truly understand my answer:
I KNOW YOUR EVERY THOUGHT, YOUR HEART,
YOUR SOUL AND EVERY MOVE
THERE ARE SO MANY CONSEQUENCES TO
THE THINGS YOU DO...
YEAH, THIS IS GOD
So, I question my motives and I receive my
answer from no other than the
BIG MAN
Yes, I am so imperfect making many mistakes.
No, I don't blog to have a
"BETTER THAN THOU" experience.
What you see here in words is my soul.
The very person who my God will judge me for.
My soul, who is me in my truest sense.
Even when my humanness brings out the worst in me
My soul is who I long to be.
The same one that in God's eyes I will
partially be judged for.
In my writings I can see exactly who I am
and where I want to go with my life.
The truest self I long to be.
Yes, negativity does sometimes take over,
but I do believe I have more knowledge
that this is not good for me.
Long story, shoulda tried to shorten it
yet still feel like my point hasn't
been made in the way I am trying to say it.
Told you guys it was too deep for yesterday!
So, for all, we all have that soul,
I strive for perfection fully knowing
that I will never make it there
but the BIG MAN knows my intentions
and he knows that through this blog
many hearts have been turned, much forgiving
has been done.
The innocence of the children is another reason
why we must go on,
when they see us forgive, they learn forgiveness.
When they see us make major positive changes
in our lives, they learn how to change for the better.
So I continue to blog,
for me, for us, for them,
for God.



Saturday, September 26, 2009

AN NEW ADDITION

Jake above, is a big brother!!!
Welcome to our family,
TRIXIE RIERA
We couldn't help bringing this pretty little girl home.
She actually is Jake's real sister,
bought at the same pet store as him
by the same breeders.
I love Jake but not like Ronnie does.
Jake and Trixie are just dogs to me
but to Ronnie they are so much more.
I think what I love the most about having the pups
is not so much them but seeing the
part of Ronnie that these critters bring out
in him.
Anyone who watches Ronnie with his
baby pups has to laugh and get a kick out
of him.
So, I hope he gets as much joy from
Trixie as he does from Jake
because every man needs a way
to show their softer side.


Friday, September 25, 2009

What are you reading?

Right now I am reading a wonderful book!
if you have any interest in reading
and if you love a higher power,
then this book is for you.
One of my friends at work, Donna
told me that I should read it.
THE SHACK
BY WM. PAUL YOUNG
The synopsis:
A story about a man who
literally looses his youngest child
while on a camping trip.
She has been abducted and her
clothing is found bloodied in an old shack
far from where she was last seen.
this man is bitter, has lost his way
far from his God or Pappa,
as his wife calls the Big Man.
Until one day he gets a note
asking him to meet at the shack.
The same shack where his daughter
was brought.
The note is signed, Poppa.
You must read the rest to find out how the
book transpires.
Beautifully written,
a must read
a must have.
Enjoy your Friday, enjoy your
weekend.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Rob's birthday

I kid you not, these things really happen to me.
This morning I am walking and thinking of
Robert, knowing his birthday is tomorrow
and how I am late doing something special
for his parents to celebrate his life.
I have my Ipod on shuffle, I have over 500 songs
that can play randomly and just as I am thinking
of my boy, Rob what comes on that darn Ipod?
ROB'S SONG
Let me go back a little bit to explain just why
this is so amazing to me.
Robert Acosta was the only son of
Marty and Jeri Acosta,
he was a best childhood friend to Roddie
along with Dean and these three boys were known
as the three musketeers.
You never saw one without the other.
He was a part of the family and loved by
all of us so much.
A weekend didn't go by that these three boys
were not together. Robert was Jesi's first boyfriend,
She being 3 and he being 7.
He and Dean were like my own sons.
As they entered their teenage years,
they weren't as close but the love we all
shared for him never changed.
Needless to say that when Robert
died of meningitis in 2006, we were more
than devastated. It was almost like loosing my
own child for a little while.
I can selfishly admit that I hope I never have to know
the pain that Marty and Jeri have endured these
last three years.
Yet my pain from his death was so intense
that I can't imagine what it has been like for them.
However, I do know that God knew
what he was doing when he gave this awesome child
to these parents.
They would not trade a day of his life for anything.
God knew that these two people would continue
to fight for changes in the way meningitis is treated.
Because of their hard work,
meningitis vaccination is now a mandatory
vaccination in Louisiana.
Roddie wrote this hauntingly beautiful song
then sang it not long after our Rob died.
I wish there was a way that I could
have you hear it on here but
Today I share it with you all
as a tribute to a wonderful boy
who will forever live in our hearts.
ROB'S SONG
EARLIER THAT MORNING, FATHER CALLED TO SAY
REGRETTED TO INFORM ME, YESTERDAY
WAS YOUR LAST DAY.
SUDDENLY I WAS 10 AGAIN,
DRAWING PICTURES OF THE DAY
LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT
IT WOULD ALL JUST FADE AWAY.
CAUSE I, I CAN'T EXPLAIN
HOW WE FEEL SO MUCH LIKE
AS THE ONE WHO PASSED AWAY.
CAUSE YOU, YOU WEREN'T THE TYPE TO SINGE THE FIRE
NO, JUST LET IT BURN,
LET IT LIVE TONIGHT.
THE WAY YOU ALWAYS LIVED LIFE
MORE THAN JUST ONE WAY
NOW I TRY TO LIVE BY
THAT SAME PRINCIPLE TODAY.
THE MEMORIES ALWAYS LIFT US
ABOVE THE REALITY,
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT WHEN I LOOK BACK
A PART OF YOU STILL LIVES IN ME...
CHORUS
WE WERE JUMPING ROUND THE LIVING ROOM
311 AND WE HAD A BOOM
EVEN THEN YOUR MOTIVATION SOARED
MY LOVE FROM MUSIC CAME FROM YOURS
chorus
YOU WEREN'T THE TYPE TO SINGE THE FIRE.
NOW JUST LET IT BURN,
LET IT LIVE TONIGHT.
Happy 24th Robert


Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Going on a limb

Emily, Aleena, and Toya
my brother, Peter's 3 girls.
You know when you do this blog thing,
much thought has to go into the way you word things
so as not to offend anyone who may be reading
or the person for which you are writing of.
We are all different and what may be private
to some are an open book to others.
As for my life, it basically is an open book
shoot more than an open book.
If you can't read my book, I'll basically
read it aloud to you whether you want to
hear it or not.
So today I go out on a limb,
not to hurt or offend anyone,
I will choose my words wisely
but please know this is basically a brag
session on Toya.
I was privileged to be able to spend
the weekend with this awesome niece of mines.
My favorite part of the time I spent with her
was on Rod and Kd's porch before and after
others joined us there.
You know there is never a time that you
are with Aunt Lil that deep conversations
will not take place.
I don't want to break her trust in me
or her confidence in speaking to me.
I just want to brag about how
much this child has grown personally.
She has not always had an easy life
and I know there have had to been
many times that she felt alone,
but just like the Collins' clan,
she found her way and became a better
and stronger person to become
the wonderful person and most importantly
mother she is today.
Just listening to her talk about her
beautiful boys makes you wish you
knew them better.
She admits fault where she needs to
however it is her talking of forgiveness
that really made me want to cry.
Her amount of forgiveness that she
spoke about to her Aunt Lil has left me
in awe of how much she has grown.
Toya, I am proud of you.
I apologize if there was ever a time that
you needed me and I just wasn't there.
I apologize if there was ever a time
that just by omission I have left you
out of something.
I want you to know that I will try
very hard to always keep in better
communication with you.
We spoke about bond I want you to know
that in my heart, you are bonded,
I love you and although I do not
have any memories to share with you
as a child, I have always loved you
just as the rest of us do.
I am proud to say you are my niece
especially now when I see just how
forgiving and how much growth you have
shown.
A wedding is coming up, because
Marty has finally gotten Toya to say yes.
Save your pennies I see a Collins reunion
coming up soon!!!!!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

cork n canvas weekend

It wasn't just cork n' canvas that made my weekend.
I got to see my little namesake who now laughs
out loud especially when you kiss her on the neck.


She loved hearing Katie talk to her and Lillian's
mommy and daddy say she is adjusted very well
to her babysitter and her schedule.
Cork n' canvas was soooo much fun.
As you can see we all painted the same painting but not
one was the same as the other.
I do believe my Jesi had the most artistic one of
all of us which makes me thinks she really
needs to open her own business similar
to this.
Then there was my talent however I am not a quick
painter I will have to complete my painting
with the small details on my own at home
because the more I did, the more I wanted to do.
Mrs. Mary, Lisa's mom joined us and I was so glad
she shared the evening with us.
Toya also came out for the evening to share her talent.
I am happy to say she also stayed sleep at Rod and Katie's
last night which gave us many hours talking on the
porch this morning sharing stories and memories
Rebecca also came out for the event and we all know that
girl deserved a weekend out for fun.
She too stayed the night in Plaquemine and
joined in on the porch talk.
All of this was thanks to that cute little brunette, Katie
up there who not only celebrated my birthday
which was in August but also her Mom's which
was this month and Jesi's which is in October.
And like the night wasn't enough of a celebration,
she also made us this precious little cake!!!!
On our way to Plaquemine, Rebecca, Jesi and I
stopped at Noddaway Plantation to
have lunch and take in the beautiful scenery.
... and my girl and I spent some good quality time
together with all our gal pals!

Friday, September 18, 2009

DOES THAT MAKE ME CRAZY?

You must sing the title of this blog.
Okay here is the question of the day:
Would you say I am crazy in a good way
as Jesi puts it or eccentric as Jesi also put it?
Yesterday the baby girl and I get into this question.
Background:
Katie's first cousin Melissa who I adore
is staying with us a few days a week as she
completes her night clinicals for nursing school.
This has given me new ears to share stories of my past
and because she loves crafts and scrapbooking,
also my love for these things.
I ask Jesi if she thinks the things I do or speak of
or just a little over the top and she says
sometimes but in a good way.
Well clarify please, In a good way?!!!!
So she says you are crazy,
I mean am I crazy like lock me up
or am I crazy like Jesus freak crazy?
She says, " No momma you are eccentric"
Eccentric, eccentric what in the world is
baby girl trying to tell me?
So I go to Webster's and he tells me eccentric is:
DEVIATING FROM AN ESTABLISHED OR USUAL
PATTERN OR STYLE
OR
DEVIATING FROM CONVENTIONAL OR
ACCEPTED USAGE OF CONDUCT IN AN
ODD OR WHIMSICAL WAY.
Well, I kind of like the last part....
So you judge,
1) When I speak of my God talking to me when I brush
my teeth with an urgency of having to use the
bathroom on the freeway, does that make me crazy?
2) When I find myself getting irritated with a first grader
because they won't stop crying to tell me what
is wrong and instead of fussing them
I bust out into a rendition of Beverly Hillbillies song
Let me tell you a story about a man named Jed,
the poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed...
Does that make me crazy?
3)When I am sitting quietly in a circle with kn.
because the child I am taking care of is also doing this
and the teacher is explaining what being the star for
the day is, i bust out into a song from candid camera:
When you least expect it, your elected your our star
today, smile you are on Candid camera!
Does that make me crazy?
So tell me what is your opinion,
Am I crazy or eccentric?
And if no one comments on this post
I will just say I am eccentric because
I kinda like that word...

Thursday, September 17, 2009

LIBRARIES AND MY LOVE FOR READING

If you are wondering why these pictures exist here, it's because they live at my library!


For about 6 months, I was obsessed with
wanting a Kindle II.
You know those new computer books
that Amazon sells,
It is the size of a book as flat as a pancake,
you can download books wherever you are
in seconds and read to your hearts content.
Jesi and I drooled over this contraption for
months because we both like to read and
how awesome this would be to just drop it
in your pure and no matter where you are you
could choose a book, download it and read.
I am not one to just go out and buy things
I don't need unless I have the cash or
I save for it.
So I began budgeting my spending money
so that in a few months I could purchase this
baby, Kindle.
Just when I almost had my 300 bucks saved
I walked into my local library for some
free reading material.
I smelled one of my favorite smells,
the aroma of old books.
I stopped and chatted with the girls
who work at my library, caught up on
their and my lives while whispering, of course.
(It is a library, you must be quiet)
I preceded into the aisles of my favorite books
The new releases, the true crime,
the biographies.
I began reading the inner covers of some that
interested me and getting excited about the
story that laid in my hands.
I remembered our local library as a child,
it was close enough to walk to in Golden Meadow and
Lord knows I went there often in the summer when
it was safe for little girls to walk the street of Golden Meadow.
I remember Mrs. Bessie with her beehive hairdo who
always knew our favorite types of books and
lead me in the right direction.
I was an avid reader who joined the summer
reading program each summer and usually
won the award for the most books read.
I would walk back home with 10 books
(that was the limit back then)
Knowing that in my arms I carried
the world that I would never know except in books.
Far off places, lives of others,
fables to live by...
Oh the good memories I have.
Then when Roddie and Jesi came along
I turned them on to the libraries of their childhood
at early ages.
We were not rich and it was a free place for us to
hang out and get some quality time in.
We would go to story hour and I would sit on the
floor with one of my rugrats in my lap.
I could smell their hair as they listened intently
to the reader or the actor perform
their favorite books.
They always joined the summer reading club
and they too were often the winner of the
MOST BOOKS READ
group.
As I remembered all of this I realized
that if all the world got Kindles
what would happen to all these
buildings, people, and books
that we call our local library.
Would a part of the world that is still
free fade away?
What would happen to opening up a book
and having the scent of it
waft through your nose.
Oh, no I cannot be a participant in this.
I and all of us must support our local
libraries. Take your children, take yourself,
go often.
There are DVD's now and oh so much more
all still free!!!
So no Kindle for old Aunt LIl,
no, no, no!
For me, I will continue to use
my little library and always have a ton
of books at my house with return dates on them.
What did I do with the money I save?
...Well, bought Cricut cartridges, of course!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

GOD SPEAKS..

Laugh if you must, my children do,
When I tell them God speaks to me when I walk
and when I brush my teeth.
This morning it happens while I walk.
It hits like an urgency like when you
have to go to the bathroom and you are
driving on the interstate and no
gas station is available,
you know the feeling.
So, this morning, I am walking and I am
thinking of Rebecca and Mikie and how
jealous I am that they are going to the U2 concert.
Beck and I share the love for U2 and I really am glad
that she is going, but I am envious.
I decide that I will listen to old Bono
while I walk, the first song I hear by our man,
PEACE ON EARTH
I really listen to the words and I think
Well, that is a good message to blog about,
but I don't have time this morning,
because once I walk, I have to take a shower
and have to go to work early so that I can
get my school situated so I can
go and work in Chackbay today.
No time, not today God, sorry
but my God he just doesn't understand no time,
so he has it drizzle on me,
forcing me to turn towards home,
but still my thoughts are,
"Well I will just walk near the house in case
it starts pouring"
Well, this is just not satisfying for God,
he thinks I am stubborn this morning,
the rain gets harder and I realize,
"WHO DO I THINK I AM TO DENY OTHERS OF
THIS MESSAGE FROM GOD TO THEM?"
So I truck my little butt
(Well it would be smaller if the BIG MAN
would let me walk!!!!)
However, there is work for you guys here to,
he is telling me to tell you
(Well maybe not but I am short for time)
Look up the lyrics for the song
PEACE ON EARTH BY U2
That is where you will find your message from
God
I will share a little of what he says here:
HEAVEN ON EARTH
WE NEED IT NOW
SICK OF ALL OF THIS HANGING AROUND
SICK OF SORROW, SICK OF PAIN,
SICK OF HEARING
AGAIN AND AGAIN
THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE PEACE ON EARTH...
JESUS CAN YOU TAKE THE TIME
TO THROW A DROWNING MAN A LINE,
PEACE ON EARTH,
TELL THE ONES WHO HEAR NO SOUND
WHO SONS ARE LIVING IN THE GROUND
PEACE ON EARTH...
NO ONE CRIES LIKE A MOTHER CRIES
FOR PEACE ON EARTH.
SHE NEVER GOT THE TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
NOW HE'S LIVING IN THE DIRT...
There is lots more of his message in this song,
so don't do like I tried to do this morning
and pass up his message.
Get your you know what to a computer,
print the lyrics and read it today,
your message is there.
And now, thanks to the BIG MAN upstairs,
I may be late for work,
TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM,
HIS TEAM!
Love to all!!!!!


Sunday, September 13, 2009

happy anniversary...

Celena and Ted celebrated 29 years of marriage
yesterday! Wow, where did the time go?
Hope you guys had a wonderful day!
Hugh must be flipping this morning,
hoping to go home from a weekend stay
in the hospital.
He is fine this morning and wasn't sick
just a scheduled trip that couldn't be prevented.
I love you Hugh and am so proud of
just how brave you always are!

Friday, September 11, 2009

date tonight, I hope...

Today, on the anniversary of Nine-eleven,
I am looking forward to my date with the
beautiful Momma in the picture above!
I am hoping she doesn't have to stand me up
due to reasons beyond her control...
We are heading to Larose Civic Center
for dinner and a play of
Steele Magnolia's
that my friend Pam is starring in.
So let me just say a few words about my niece,
REBECCA
I have a very close relationship with all
my nieces and nephews but
today I will focus on the one I have
with my date.
She was born to me when I was 10,
so my relationship is different with her
than the older ones she calls sisters.
I remember the day she was born,
when I got back from school and Daddy
told me another girl was here for the
Gisclair clan.
I was so excited because one,
I didn't want a nephew called Calvin,
(sorry Jay, I cannot lie on my blogs)
and I just knew this little girl would be
special to me because I was old enough
to enjoy her in a different way.
I remember so much from her younger days...
I remember being her sitter,
I would take a nap with her every afternoon.
Cuddling her was so much fun because
she actually enjoyed her naps.
I would read to her, and she was always so calm.
she let me play airplane with her and she
was smaller than me so I could airplane her
on my legs, we called it
flight 107, don't ask why, it's what we called it.
She would sit on the bathroom counter and
let me blow-dry and style her hair for hours,
she never complained.
I wasn't always nice to her,
sometimes I gave in to her older sisters,
scared her about the ghost that lived in her house
called Cornelius, I never felt good about
scaring her, but I gave in and did it anyway,
sorry Beck!
Then we hung her baby dolls in the back trees with
clothes pins just high enough so she couldn't reach,
why in the world did I do these things?
Well I can just say, our relationship since those
times has always been one I treasured.
As I got older, and when they would visit
from Houma, I always let her in my room
and I would clean out drawers to give her
things I no longer wanted.
She could hang out with me in my room when
the others couldn't.
She never messed up my shelves that were
filled with things I treasured.
We both loved to read so we would
lay in my bed, never talking, just reading
for hours...
Oh, the relationship I had with the
little Rebecca is one I will always hold close
to my heart.
Now she is grown and I can say
one of my best friends.
We are much alike and yet very different.
Where I can be loud and obnoxious,
she is always quiet and reserved.
Where I am always thinking I need to do more,
she understands where her place is right now
which is with her 4 beautiful children.
We don't talk all that often, but when we
do you can set the timer, it'll always
be at least 1/2 hour.
I admire the way she and Mikie are
raising their children.
I know there are many times
they worry about things in their family,
they always hold their head up,
they are private in things that would
affect their children and let
rumors roll off their back.
I hope I have never disappointed them
with the issues they have trusted me with.
Both she and Mikie make it a point to
stay involved in Roddie and Jesi's life.
Both my children look up to the both of them
and will call them for advice without
hesitation. I trust them to always
tell my kids what they need to hear.
They have been good to the Riera kids
in that way. They have their own hands
full but they still have time for my small brood.
I hope as their children grow, they feel the same
way about their Aunt Lil.
I pray that my own children have learned
from these two cousins how to
always be there for their cousins as
they grow. I hope that any 4 of the Plaisance
gang feel like they can always call
Roddie or Jesi.
I promise to always give these four children what they need
not what they want, just as Rebecca and Mikie have always
done for my children.
Their main priority is always their
immediate family, I wish I could be more
like that. So Rebecca,
You always have and always will be
very special in my heart.
I value your love and your friendship
I pray that I have given you as much
in your life as you have given me,
For in nurturing you as a child,
I have learned how to be the mother
I am. I hope that you see some
of me in the way you Mother your
beautiful brood.
I hope you know that you have always and
will always hold a special place in my heart.
I can't wait to spend time with you tonight!!!!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

I now have texting...

I now have texting...
I tried to fight this part of the technology age,
knowing that I am just too darn old to want to
start a new thing to learn,
but then I realized that if I
want to keep in touch with this little girl up there
the way I want to...
And this girl who I love as my own,
and the man she married that I call my baby boy,
and these cute girls,
I will have to join their world.
So, as I complete my first week of texting,
these are my pros and cons:
I have to learn a new way of speaking,
I thought at first that this would not be for me
since I have this habit of having to type these
long drawn out conversations to explain
myself in great detail so I could get my
point across.
As time goes on, I have realized,
"My gosh, Lilly, you are not blogging for
heaven's sake, you need to come up
with short sentences to convey what you want to say."
Which is actually forcing me to use less words to
say the same thing.
I also realize that unlike, answering the phone
which I sometimes don't do because I just don't feel
like doing, I can just type away on my keypad
to all even though I just don't feel like talking.
I love that even though I can't see and talk to Katie
everyday like before the Plaquemine move,
I can text her an update and some love each and
every morning before each of us start our day.
Now if I could just get this little critter up there
to join the age with us and not be so much
like me hating to talk on the phone
and not texting much,
and if I can convince Ronald to get a new phone
with a keypad since he is still using his
dinosaur phone,
understanding that when he is in Alaska,
I can update him on what is going on minute by minute
instead of him calling every few hours
when no one here likes to answer the phone,
well then, then this texting will be so
worth it.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

do you guys know...

... How many sugar cane fields there are between
Thibodaux and Plaquemine?
I am not sure, I lost count at 15!
Sunday I pick up Mumsie to go to
Roddie and Katie's house.
First off, we must acknowledge that she
believes her sunglasses were left in my car.
I tell her no and after she asks about 5 times
for her sunglasses, I decide before
we head one hour to the north
I will have to stop at CVS and get
at least the 6Th pair of sunglasses I have
bought Mumsie in the last 11 months.
Ahhh, now we can talk about important things,
things I can share with all of you,
Mumsie-ism's like I like to call them.
So, we are off on the old hgwy. one
and Mom shares that there are rain clouds coming
and we may get rain and she hopes
it rains on those sugar cane fields right there
because O'Neil always said to pray for
rain in September because the rain
would make the stalks heavier and he
would get a better price on his cane
when weighing it.
Well, I think, that is a story I've never heard,
that is something I can share with you guys
that maybe ya'll haven't heard in a while.
Some of you probably didn't even know
that O'Neil was our cousin who we called
Uncle O'Neil married to no other that the cousin
we knew as Sis.
You may have even forgotten that he was a
sugar cane farmer when this type of farming
was very productive and a way to make a living.
I put that one in the memory bank...
and keep on driving, for about 2 minutes.
Now dementia is a very funny thing sometimes
and you must see the humor in it or it'll
make you cry or get aggravated or
run the car into the ditch...
I prefer to see the humor in Mumsie's dementia.
Two minutes later, there are a few drops
of rain on the windshield
and Mumsie:
" Oh, good some rain, I hope it rains on those
sugar cane there O'Neil always said to pray
for rain in September so his crops would be
heavier when being weighed."
Hmm... I think I've heard this before...
I am quiet, and keep driving.
The rain subsides and 10 minutes pass,
"I hope it rains here,
the sugarcane needs it,
O'Neil always said..."
I Chuckle to myself and decide to
humor myself,
"So Mumsie tell me about O'Neil..."
The story goes on for a few minutes and
she is happy to share the story again,
for the third time now!
I mean, Plaquemine is one hour and 15 minutes
from Thibodaux and it is nice to have
company to fill the time to see
my offspring and his beautiful wife.
So every time we get a few drops on the shield
or we pass a new sugarcane field, I hear
of O'Neil and his crops.
We finally get to the Riera homestead
and we have coffee and dessert,
stay a few hours and then head back
home, the other way, passing
near the sugar cane fields once again.
But it'll be okay because the visit has broken
her train of thought and I just know
the conversation will be different for the
one hour and 15 minute trek home.
However, I realize I may be wrong when we
get in the car and Mumsie Minta says,
LILLY, HAVE YOU SEEN MY SUNGLASSES
I CAN'T FIND THEM ANYWHERE
I hand them to her with a smile on my face,
she smiles back and says
I FORGOT HUH, THAT YOU JUST BOUGHT
ME SOME
Those are the times that make you want to cry...
"Yep, Mumsie but it is okay because...
I KNOW LILLI-ANN BECAUSE I AM OLD!
This is what I tell her all the time to
lighten the facts of dementia and it always
makes her laugh.
You guessed it, first field we come to
OH I HOPE IT RAINS...
I am laughing aloud now and Mumsie has
no clue why, it'll be a long trip home.
Rain on the shield,
O'NEIL ALWAYS SAID...
The rain has stopped,
GUESS IT WON'T RAIN BUT THAT
SUGARCANE...
So if this post went on and on for
too long don't blame me, blame dementia
and love the Mumsie
and be happy when you pray to know
that she is oh, so happy
and she makes me happy,
even when sometimes I believe
I will run the car into a ditch!