My Mother's Memoir

In the summer of 1999, shortly after my mother passed away, the following was found in her personal papers, written in her own hand on spiral bound notebook paper. I would tell you the exact day she died but I cannot remember. I have blocked it out. (I'm sorry Mama, but that day does not live in my "memory place")

Mama, here is your story.

Lake Tot-A-Wayne

This is the tale of a dream that began long ago. The dream of a little red-hair, freckle faced girl everyone called Tot. She was a bright child and loved nature. She loved flowers, birds and most of all creeks and rocks. About every other day her mother would send her to her Aunt's house to get fresh milk.

Tot would walk down and over hills, across a branch and creek, through the fields and some woods. she would get very tired and when she walked along the path she would stop to rest at the top of a small rise before she got to her Aunt's house.

She would look down into this beautiful green meadow that had a creek running by it and think to herself, "Oh how I wish I had a little house in that meadow with lots of flowers and a small lake with lots of rocks around it."
She would dream a while and then she would go on to get the fresh milk.
This routine went on for some time.

As things go, the little red-hair, freckle-faced girl grew up to be a young woman and she put her dreams away in her memory place.
She married and had lots of children. They grew up and she became quite sick.
She was very sick and Life wasn't very good for her but she made the most of what she had. Yet, there were times when her memory would recall the little green valley.
But as these things go, the valley belonged to other people and she just put it aside.

She was getting old by now, but near the little green valley lived a young man named Wayne. He also had a dream. He wanted a log cabin and a lake. He was lucky because he lived on one side of the little green valley and he built his log cabin and was very happy living in it with his wife and boys. Still he would look out over the valley and visualize the lake, dreaming how it would look. But the little valley belonged to someone else who had no plans to let it go.

Now here is where Fate steps in.
One day the now old lady (by the way, she still has red hair) heard that the little valley was for sale. She told her husband that she wanted it and he replied "You can have it, but take me to see it". So she did.
Alas, the old man could not see any green valley with creeks running near it.
All he could see was overgrown brush and bramble head-high.
But the old lady knew it was there, she could see it inside of her.

The next day she bought the place and the young man came over to see her and told her of his dream of a lake. In fact, it was the same dream she had stored away in her memory place.
They soon started planning, thinking and working very hard.
It wasn't long until a big machine came into the little valley and began making their lake. Soon, the skeptics came and laughed and said "It can't be done". But the old lady and the young man knew it could.
Nature came along too, it rained and rained for many days.
Mud was everywhere. It was a mess. The skeptics laughed.

One day amidst all this, a tiny duck came out and swam in the mud hole.
It gave hope and the sun came out and the big machine finished the little lake and after lots and lots of hard work, the little lake was finished. People came with fish to put in it.

Flowers were blooming all over the little green valley and the old lady and the young man just smiled...dreams do come true, because Lake Tot-A-Wayne is real.
This is a true story, tell it however you want, but always remember...

Dreams don't die, Only the Dreamers do.
By- Dolly 'Tot' Garrett.

The Peek Pronto-One of My New Favorite Things

I had never heard of The Peek until I came across an excellent review at Mommy Goggles. In fact, it was this very review that inspired me to purchase one.

For those of you who have never heard of the Peek, it is a nifty little hand-held gadget about the size of a Blackberry that enables you to take your email with you anywhere and you are able to text message with it as well.

I opted for the Peek Pronto and made my purchase at amazon.com
My total price was $79.99 with free shipping.
The only color available in the Pronto was grey so that is what I got.
(you know I love pink gadgets but oh well...)

Amazon shipped it out quickly and although I am not very tech-savvy, I had it up and connected within a few minutes of taking it out of the box.
The cost of the monthly service is a flat rate of $19.95 with absolutely no contract to tie you down-love that! And you have UNLIMITED text messaging-woohoo!

Now since I've had a few weeks to play around with my new toy I thought I'd let you folks know how I'm liking it.
I figured out how to send tweets on twitter with my Peek!
Now, no I can't see other people's tweets-who knows though-maybe that is in the Peek upgrade future.(Are you listening all you app-creating geniuses out there?)
I am very impressed with the tech support-I follow @peekinc on twitter and I have asked questions both via twitter and by emailing tech support and both times have received prompt and friendly replies.

One thing I'm not wild about though, is that if I don't use my Peek for a couple of days, when I turn it on, all of my email that I've already read and disposed of on my laptop is still on my Peek. Not a big deal-I just have to mass-delete it and bring it up to the present.
Like I said-The friendly Peekster people will probably come up with a solution for that too-who knows?

All in all, I am quite fond of this little gadget and I take it with me everywhere.
It's simple-Email and Texting-all in a thin, portable little device.
It does just what it claims, and for that I am happy. You can learn more about the Peek by clicking any of the blue links in this post.It is also available at getpeek.com

Now I just have to find a little pink case for it.:-D

The Thrill of The Snipe

I sit here now before this keyboard, basking in the afterglow of a successful hunt.
For you see I have just won an auction at ebay that I have been stalking for the past six days.

When I was a novice ebayer I used to go and blindly bid on my chosen items.
Gleefully, having the winning bid right up until the last moment, when a phantom bidder would suddenly swoop down and scoop my prize away from me. Even as I pitifully cried "Noooooooooo"
so loudly that my husband would leap from his recliner,
and rush into the room to see what evil had befell his Darling.

Then I wised up.
For you see, I learned that there was a name for what was happening to me.
I was being "Sniped"
Oh yes, you can visit the Help forums of ebay and read all about it.
Some folks have it down to an art form.

Desperate, I enlisted the help of a dear friend and seasoned Sniper herself who
advised me on how to hone my skills in order to bag my prey.

She taught me how to be patient. To watch and wait.
And never reveal my bid until the last possible moment.
And to only hit confirm after it was far too late for another bidder to come from behind.

Now I know how those sweaty, panting guys sitting in their tricked-out bass boats
feel, as they are reeling in their catch on the fishing and hunting channel.

I am not always successful.
I still am "out-sniped" on occasion.
Then I find consolation by telling myself that the other buyer paid far too much.

But not today.;-)

7 Days of Fabulous Gifts for Mom at Hip Mama's Place

Heads up on another fabulous giveaway going on right now at Hip Mama's Place!

Take a gander at all of these marvelous goodies she's put together to celebrate Motherhood.
*Sterling Sentiments Mother Bangle Bracelet in Sterling Silver engraved in Five Languages – English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian by Carolee LUX Jewelry (a $115 Value)

*Mama Mio Skin Care Gift Pack (includes full sizes of the O-Mega Body Oil, Wonder-Full Balm, Massage Oil and Gravida Candle, a $106 Value)

*Natasha Satchel Bag in Gray by Shopsuey Boutique, (a $58 value)

*Rose Ann Hall Designs Confetti Glass Pitcher from Cambria Cove (a $50 Value)

*Weleda Almond Facial Care Kit (each a $15 value), 3 Winners

*n-fini shape Shapewear - any (1) top or bottom undergarment, 2 Winners

*MarieBelle Signature Truffle Chocolate Assortment - 16 piece box from Cambria Cove (a $38 Value)

*Cilantro Farmer's Market Bag by Sweet Pea Toad on Etsy (a $25 Value)

*Hallmark Greeting Card Pack (each a $32 Value), 4 winners

*Mrs Meyer's Clean Day Snap Pea Spring Cleaning Kit and a 7.2 Oz Jar Lavender Candle (a $25 Value), 2 Winners

*EcoTools Bamboo 6 Piece Makeup Brush Set, (a $12.99 Value)

*ALMOND PIE Rich Soufflé Lotion for the Body by Votrevu (a $48 value), plus a $50 Bruno Jamais Restaurant Gift Certificate (PLEASE NOTE: This prize is available to U.S. addresses only)

Click HERE or on the button in my sidebar or at the bottom of this post and get over there and get your entries in.
This awesome promotion will end May 9th.