My Hometown USA

Published January 19, 2011  The Picayune Item Cody the Cavapoo I looked around one day for an escape hatch, an exit door, a Calgon bath but as usual,I found no way to relieve myself of a moment of mom erosion. For ten days the kids had been home because of a wonderful event, nine inches of snow in North Alabama. At least, wonderful at the onset, but by the tenth day I was ready for the kids to start back to school. Being a mother and wife isn’t all it’s cracked up to be … some days Struggling through this familiar adversity, at a moment of intense agitation with the people I live with, I looked down at my dog of nearly two years, Cody, and made the statement, “Oh, to have your life!” Which got me thinking, how wonderful to be a pampered pooch. I am not saying all dogs have it made, but here in America, it can be ridiculous— the luxurious lifestyles of a canine. Doggie spa’s, doggie retreats, and doggie entertainment are a big business. Poor Cody lives a no...

Boopie (Aunt Esther)   My Aunt Esther,affectionately known as Boopie , lived with us when I was very young.  She was an older teen and more like the cool sister I wish I had rather than an aunt. She taught me at a very young age to spell two big words: Encyclopedia and Czechoslovakia. Why you may ask?    So that I could show off my brilliant mind of course! Especially since my mod dance moves weren't impressing 1960’s teens. H owever, this word trick fed my interest  World Book Encyclopedia in vocabulary and once my parents purchased the necessity that every home had to have in the late 60’s and 70’s, the encyclopedia, then my thirst for word knowledge exploded. The first two thick books of our set were devoted to vocabulary and I use to read the words and their meanings for fun. It had a mock vocabulary test in the front and I use to take those tests—voluntarily. Those words now escape me. H owever, recently while a...