My youngest daughter (a senior in college) has a pretty serious boyfriend. This guy is a nice guy...the first time he came to the house for dinner, he brought ME flowers! But best of all, he treats my daughter with respect.

They really like each other a lot. They are even using the "L" word. So it didn't surprise me today when my Joy-girl wanted me to go with her to look at some promise rings...just because...

She was quick to tell me not to worry..."After all, mom, it's just like going steady!"

But will she share with her boyfriend the story of the clerk in the store? The clerk who asked, "How old is your boyfriend?" "Oh, he's 29..." Wish you had seen her face! You could TELL she was choking back what she REALLY wanted to say! So...this mom came to the rescue with, "And how old do you think my daughter is?" (smile) -- The clerk admitted that she thought my daughter was a sophomore/junior in HIGH SCHOOL! No WONDER she got that funny look on her face when we mentioned Joy-girl's boyfriend is 29!!!!

It's a miracle that this sweet clerk didn't come bounding up over the jewelry counter screaming at the top of her lungs...."CRADLE ROBBER! PERVERT! MAMA...YOU GET YOUR DAUGHTER OUT-OF-THERE!!!!!"

I guess there are times when looking young can be a bad thing...As for me, I'm GLAD that the women in our family tend to look young...like I tell everyone..."I get my hair colored every four weeks - whether I need it or not!" I pride myself in being the youngest looking grandma on the block! After all...can you picture me with blue hair????

School's out...the kids are home for the summer...the teachers have filed their final grades...WHY AM I STILL HERE?

You'd think I would be thrilled to sleep late, start my mid-morning time with a cappuccino and a magazine, then plan a relaxing day of - Oops! Relax? Actually, it's time for all the things I haven't done...cleaning bathrooms, changing sheets, washing dishes...(sigh)...

Is that why I am STILL going to the school even though the only people left are the administrators (filing their final reports and setting schedules for next fall) and the janitors (deep-cleaning the rooms for next year's onslaught)????

I tell everyone that I am just "finishing up" projects that I can't do when books are circulating. Partially true...but there's something calming about quiet. No bells. No kids. No phones. No conversations...

So what do I REALLY do? QUIET? Who's kidding WHO??? I slip the first CD into the computer, crank up the volume...then B. B. King starts ROCKIN' !!! What's next on the agenda? ...how about "Phantom of the Opera"? ...how about Patsy Cline? ...how about Old Blue Eyes? (I know...I know...my taste in music IS eclectic, but that's how I was brought up! ...with a dad who was a jazz piano genius, a mom with a love of classical music, a husband with country through his entire soul, and two daughters who run rings around me musically...)

Anyway...I do have work to do at school...but I won't spend my WHOLE summer there...just a few weeks (or so I tell myself). Listening to music, singing to myself...and making my school-world a bit more organized.

What's after that? Probably several trips to Houston. The grandkids need me...don't you know?

Happy Mother's Day last Sunday! My husband surprised me with a very thoughtful gift...check out my entry about our bird, Sam...and now what I DIDN'T know was my husband was at the shop to purchase my Mother's Day gift when he found Sam! That is over 3 weeks BEFORE the holiday...so the gift was special in that he had been hiding it from me for a while. It was a beautiful stained-glass picture of a rooster to hang in my kitchen window. Notice the operative word here..."WAS"...I hung it immediately in the window, admired it, then watched it crash to the tile floor and break into pieces. What a bummer!

Later Sunday night I found my husband in the kitchen. Mopping. We have white tile floors, and they show everything. I told him, "Now that's a Mother's Day gift that I can't break!" What a wonderful man he is...after being together 38 years (married 33) he keeps surprising me! That's a truly blessed relationship...one I don't take for granted.

So what did my college-age daughter give me? Monday she took me shopping. To a cell phone store. She pulled me kicking and screaming into the 21st century...purchasing a new cell phone (after she and the sale clerk spent some time laughing at my "dinosaur" of a phone - just because it had green LCD lights???? What's the problem? I could make and receive calls....the only downside was I didn't have cool ring-tones...). So I now have a new phone. It's smaller (wonder if people can hear me OK when it's so small?) with lots of features (I'll figure them out eventually....).

The sales clerk asked if I wanted to add text messaging into the new cellular package. Text messaging? I have a vague idea what that means...I guess I could figure it out....NAAAAAHHHH...don't need a separate "package" for that. $.05/message should suit me just fine. Don't imagine I'll use it much...

Do I sound out of touch with today? Gosh, I hope not! I spend my days at school trying to be the library goddess with all of the answers...technology? No sweat! I can handle it! Just give me a minute while I pull out the instruction manual....(just kidding).

I also got to talk with my two grandkids...quite a feat when you consider the youngest is just now learning short phrases, like "Hi Grandma" and "Cookies!". All in all, it was a wonderful Mother's Day. Over and over I count my blessings. A wonderful husband, two awesome daughters, a talented son-in-law, and two unforgetable grandchildren. It doesn't get any better than this....

(And with a new cell phone, I'm sure I'll be the hippest grandma-library-goddess around!)

Today I took my test for national teacher certification. This was worse than taking the GRE! It consisted of six essays with 30 minutes allotted for each. There was only time to type. No time to think...just type and pray. At the end of the testing session, I walked outside and just stood there...telling myself to BREATHE.

And now the waiting begins. No more studying. No more portfolio preparation. Nothing but waiting. Scores won't be posted until November. It's a long time, but I like to think that after eleven months of work, it SHOULD take a long time to grade it!

So now I am going to relax this weekend and lose myself in a trashy romance novel. Then I can start thinking practical thoughts. Like maybe cleaning house for the first time in eleven months??? I might even play in my kitchen again (although my husband has become accustomed to fast food night 6 times a week...). And now that the pressure's off I can think about making some jelly. Mayhaw...blackberry...raspberry...strawberry - after all, it's the season!

To my friends and family...thanks. I couldn't have done it without your support. (Sounds like an Oscar acceptance speech, doesn't it?) But it's true. They've given up a lot while I've worked though this project. Well, I'm back! Just give me another minute while I practice breathing....