Mom's wayward words -- or way with words

My Mother always had a good vocabulary and was a good speller and ever since I can remember, she and Gramps always did crosswords puzzles. I was never sure why Granny got the morning crossword puzzle and Gramps the afternoon but that was the way it seemed to work. My mother's childhood was spent, of course, in a simpler time with draft horses and such and no cars much until she was half grown.

As a child, if one of us children would ask Mom how to spell a word, she would tell us "look it up". She thought we would remember it better next time, if we looked it up this time. Mom always read, had taken Latin for Pete's sake in high school (ancient? I thought so!)knew her geography and math.

Now, Mom, in a regular conversation struggles to find the word she wants or to put them together in the right order. This evening, tho, using a list of old fashioned words, Mom was able to define and explain. She told me what a sickle is and what is is used for, she described a horse's trace and not quite so sure of herself, the brace. She knows quite well what a furrow is and described something to me called a gang saw and a gang plow -- then corrected my pronunciation. Scythe, she said, is pronounced "sigthhh".

Thank God. Some things never change!

Things to be thankful for . . .

It has been two months, 60 days, since I last had a cigarette. I won't fib; there's been a few times I WOULD have had one if there was a cigarette laying around. Weekends at home are hard, sometimes, but I get a piece of gum and chew the daylights out of it for awhile. Don't know why weekends in Mo would be easier? I am taking 1/2 pill, or a quarter of the dosage so ain't doing too bad but know I need to start skipping a day here and there, with the meds.

I absolutely ate too much this weekend, what with birthday company (and cake) around. This afternoon, finally, I was feeling so . . . full . . . and guilty for eating too much and her Mama sick with fever and cold, I took little Miss out for a 30 minute run. (Not literally, but I walk fast.) That felt good but it will take a few days to get back to normal after all I have eaten.

It was GREAT, having daughters around and we shopped and galivanted and talked. Missed my son and family, of course, but will look forward to seeing them soon.

Testing, 1, 2, 3

Went out for a walk today and saw the co-worker out in her car having a cigarette so I went to talk to her. Told her I was testing myself. At first, I couldn't even smell the smoke but after visiting with her a bit (she is thinking about trying this "quit smoke" medicine I'm on) I did smell the smoke and it didn't smell good.

I mentally leaned back on my medicine for support -- but was relieved to know that the smell of the cigarette didn't make me want to go out and buy some.