Randy, I am so very proud of you, finally going out again, those first dates caN BE HORRIBLE FOR BOTH PARTIES!!!!!! oooooooopppppsssss I'm at work on my lap top and it is so sensitive!!! I just wanted to let you know how happy I am that you are putting yourself out there!!! In May Parker and celbrated our one year anniversary!!!! He pedicabbed me to our favorite local band at the Friday night concert!! He is an incredible dancer and he loves to sing songs to me, it still makes me melt everytime!!!
Randy, I could of not expressed both Parker's and mine 10000000000% feelings/thoughts about WAR and the devastation it continues to create in our current society!!!! As always you ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love your ability to not take anything personal that your readers may have to share!!! Your honesty and writing always inspires me to comment!! I am on super busy mode working right now, all is well and happy in Paradise, CA. Can we anticipate a trip to Northern Ca. anytime in the near future??!! hint-hint
I would still really love to meet and chat with you in person. Plus experiencing the trails in BIDWELL PARK in Chico, I hope it is on your current "Bucket List"??!!!!
What no visit to Judge LooseRobes??!!! Anyhow, what a wimp of a woman at 35 imagine that!! Glad she left early!! I love reading about your fabulous travels and nature hiking & work!!
I would bicycle that much land, I think before I would hike it, but it sounds like you truly had a wonderful time Randy!!! Just what you needed for your birth-day, to get out of Indiana for awhile!!!! I do love camping with Parker though, even at the Ranch in the summer, due to the 40 acres of OPEN, DARK SKIES!!!! We are just a good team, me being a lifetime Girl Scout and him being "McGiver's oldest son and all!!!! mucho grande amor Mr. Smith!!!
Oh Dottie, She's perfect just the way she is.....this is 2011....that is how you felt in 2008 when you painted it and it was when your son died....it was part of your healing process I believe.....so just like you...you are perfect the WAY you are!!! Keep the painting and writing coming, it is an honor to share your many talents with us in the mybloggers-land world!!
((((((((((((((Randy))))))))))))))))))) As always thanks for all the wonderful family details, you are such an incredible story teller!!! Happiness is in the air, so thriled about the contact with your son and daughter's and now the Third Smith Generation, wonderfulwonderfulwonderful!!!! Stay well, love your friend Barb
(((((((((((((((((( Randy )))))))))))))))))))
My adopted daughter that is so independent that lives in Sacramento we hardly ever talk or see each other, but I know she loves me and I miss her. It must be so painful not to even get hugs or hello's at all, from you only son!! I am Mom to a couple of other kids and WOW just how I had to grow up in the system, since age 11. We need and want our parents!!
I find it strange he wants nothing from you....he may be extremely depressed, suffering other mental or physical ailments and not know how to voice his needs/reach out for help?? I just hope he picks up on Christmas when his 3 sisters and all of you are together to make that call!!
It is what it is....I have to say family dynamics and all.... Be well and HO HO HO to you and yours Randy!!! love Barb
to you dear friend!!! Like Parker says....you do not know what you are missing until you have found, (ME) what you never knew was missing in the first place!! Practice...Practice..... do a few DEEP BREATHING and grounding yourself, in your car!!!!!! POSITIVE SELF TALK, you are an accomplished MAN Randy....It would be an honor for ANY WOMAN to have coffee, tea or a nice glass of wine...ALL DAY LONG with you!!!!
Until I met Parker I never knew what the definition of true intimacy was with a woman or a man, yes I dated women the first half of my life. We are the best of friends, team-mates, travel-mates, house mates,etc etc etc etc and then we are lovers....when wea re older oter things matter like you have stated!! Companionship....etc etc
Just continue to chat with her...and YOU will know when the time is right, I say in an earlier part of the day, for a meet and greet outside of the library!!! Especially, since you knew her husband before he died... Enjoy your Thanksgiving....I say tsk tsk tsk to Barb the Twin, such behavior is oh so petty, with her own father at what 91 years YOUNG!!!!??
I say just ask her/talk with her.....and if sometime soon, she would be interested in meeting for tea, coffee, wine..... or like with my Parker, I said or ME??!! We still laugh hysterically daily and I mean from sun up, it is his goal to see how long it takes me to laugh in the AM!!! I was the pursuer in the beginning... I think since we met way back in June 2007, when I was in my wheelchair and recently graduated, REMEMBER 3.5 years ago?? You all helped me out so much those 7 months I was stuck, literally at home. I could not walk or drive for 7 WHOLE MONTHS!!! Way back in our original blogging all began....
Dottie!! Your so cute, what an honor for YOU!!! I recently received an award for my work in the Mental Health/Wellness and Recovery movement, here in Northern California. Yeah it was nice to see everybody so happy etc and they gave me a standing ovation, and it is a board meeting where everything is recorded!!! I am so glad I had to be at work so I was in and out of there. Yet at the same time, is it just a piece of lovely paper in a nice frame?? Given to me by someone that will always have my back in real life!!! Retired Coach and Teacher, like a Dad really!! Rambling so I better say goodnight, I always enjoy your current posts and paintings!! Stay well, Barb
Randy Randy Randy!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO now I have met another wonderful human being, that I totally feel the same way about giving and receiving of expected or surprise gifts!!! There has to be more than 10% of us right Mr. Smith????!!!
I'm so glad Parker says "BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" on so many of the traditional holidays as well as myself!! Now adays..... "Birth-Days" for me are extra special since I gave birth to my first daughter 23 years ago!! The whole meaning for me is all about LIFE celebrations!!
FYI, I came from an Upper middle class family, five kids in private school, Catholic of course,with the help of a Nanny and Mrs. Roberts the housekeeper/ Surrogate Mother. Wanted for NOTHING!!!
My world changed drastically at which at age 11 I was out on the streets and the "System" changed my way of life forever....my vows of Anti-establishment and poverty at such a young impressionable age has led me to live a life of honor and self-respect and to do as much good every minute of everyday!!!
My love/gifts come in many shapes and forms...yet the gift of time is still my FAVORITE!!!! Such concerns and accusations from a "mother" who flew the coop literally. Sounds like a little duct tape may be neccasary in any future life celebrations??!! Stay well my friend, Barb
Randy, I'll take some time on Monday and reply with some ideas you could toss around??!! We need to keep that communication with our children as OPEN at all times as humanly possible...but if he makes no contact after you call or write...it's his turn at some point. Yet sometimes, our kids think about their worlds much differently than we do ours!!! I know you love and care deeply for all four of your children and grandkids, as well. You have some great input to process and think about how the contact may need to be from you seveeral times in a row.....Thrilled to hear about your three daughters, my parents had a son first and then four dauhgters followed!!!!
Hey Randy!!! Sounds like a slice of heaven on earth, I knew you'd like that pun!!! Silence is a daily MUST for me....Riding in Bidwell Park on my new bike, is my latest meditation time at 8am..... after I take one of my clients to school. I love my bike rack, as I can feel 10 years old daily right now!!! I have missed chatting with some of you, I try to read your posts at least to keep up with how life is treating you and my other friends on mybloggers!!! Silence is what my bike hat says on it in Italian, of course Parker had to buy it for me to wear with or without my new helmet!!!! Be Free.....Be wild...silence is healing!!! Peace Barb
Hi Dorothy!!!! I think for me and what I know about your past life......# 1 is my favorite, as it is dark and the house looks so isolated....... that who knows what has happened in there over the decades!!!!
WOWZERS, I didn't know you were writing this topic, I wanted to go to the library and check out the BOOK!!!!! Good luck, and you did a great job with the the main points. Thanks for sharing!!!
Randy, Especially now that Parker, is living here with me, the last few months!! I do not own a cell phone and even hate the answering machine at times. I work with people all day, and that is the last thing I want or need. Especially in this heat I'm already out of work clothes and in comfy cotton shifts or nothing at all!!!
I love and adore my core friends etc, and we PLAN when we are getting together, so we are all on the same page!!! I think it is very rude to just drop by, you may not even be home. Plus a quick call prior to them knocking on your door, at the very least!!
We love our quiet peaceful life, we both work very hard and our evenings are our alone time!! Yes, I finally found my soul mate Parker, he literaly lives around the corner from me, but is renting out both of his houses currently. He has two businesses, one as a landscaper/tree work and then when the students are back in town in a couple of weeks, he earns good money with his Pedi-Cab in Chico. Our first date he pedi-cabbed me 10 miles each way to the local Friday night concert in the park, it was so faboulous, I felt like a teenager!!! Talk about romantic!!!
Be well Randy and I hope your hearing gets better slowly but surely. I too have ear damage from physical abuse and it SUCKS big time!!! I miss so much of what people are saying!!
BTW, Parker sings love songs to me all the time, I never knew the intimacy 2 people could have with each other without any sexual contact. We are waiting for 6 months, we both know how it may taint or affect the love we have!! So I have hope for you, I never thought at age 48, I would find my soul-mate!! We met briefly in the summer of 2007 when I was in my wheelchair for 7 months!! Then got together as friends again in Sept. 2009.
I have now lost 70 pounds and almost 40 inches!!!!! This has been slowly but surely since March 2009, and he loves my vegetarian food I cook with him, even though he loves his meat!! BTW, I am 5' 1" and he is 6' 10"!!!! Who knew... Take care friend, Barb
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I am so very proud of you, finally going out again, those first dates caN BE HORRIBLE FOR BOTH PARTIES!!!!!! oooooooopppppsssss I'm at work on my lap top and it is so sensitive!!! I just wanted to let you know how happy I am that you are putting yourself out there!!! In May Parker and celbrated our one year anniversary!!!! He pedicabbed me to our favorite local band at the Friday night concert!! He is an incredible dancer and he loves to sing songs to me, it still makes me melt everytime!!!