Thursday, March 31, 2011

Perverts, Search Engines, Viewer Composition & Dr. Scholl's Cornpads!

Hey ya'll.

I know that, on occasion, I have talked about the make-up and composition of Bitsy's "viewing public".  I guess everybody likes to believe that they will be "well read" or at the very least "read".  That's good right?  The longer I participate in this little blogging project, the more knowledge I acquire on how to evaluate the page hits, the searches and how viewers end up on the "Bitsy's Bits" blog page.

For the most part,  you readers appear to be friends, family, acquaintances, twitter and facebook friends.  Ya'll are often led directly to the page by "clicking" on a link provided by "guess who"?  You got it......"Bitsy".   I have to admit that I find that as the numbers escalate, so does the "fear" factor.  We hear so much in today's world about sickos and perverts and heaven's forbid that I place the word "pedophile" in the blog content, but I'm gonna do it.  It's purely for informational and I'll keep you guys informed as to the results.  Tomorrow night, we will all know how many people got to this blog because they did a search engine "query" that included that stupid "shame on you and your friends" word.  It's ashamed that we even have to worry about these things, but we do and with the concern openly expressed, I'll tell ya'll that tonight as I reviewed the "search queries" from today, some fool with a foot fetish, I reckon, must have beem searching for any content that may include the words "cute little toes" and of course, leave it to ME, one of my blog posts was entitled "Those Toes Those Toes".  It was about the Webbman's cute lil toes.

Some people's children . . . How do they get this way?  I can only say that so far, there are very few of these types of searches, and perhaps it's a coincidence.  Perhaps, Bitsy is so well read that some reader heard about that one post and "googled it"?  Likely not, as flattering as that thought may be!  Today's post may get it's fair share of loons due to the hits on the word "pervert" from our subject line.  With that said, this Bitsy is living and learning and will be very careful in the future of "title words and tags" within the blog post.  Just a word of advise for my little "foot" lover..........If you don't cease and desist I will start posting pictures of my short fat swollen 54 year old feet for your viewing pleasure.  I can assure you, ask anyone that knows me . . . . Bitsy does NOT have good feet.  You will have repetitive nightmares featuring ME and my FEET should you choose to follow that path.  You will wake up screaming, drenched in sweat.  I mean it, take it as a threat.  I'll follow through.  If I need to post pictures, I will.  Don't MAKE me do it!

For you regular folks that just want to share the "Bitsying" process with me, thank you for venturing out with me on this journey.  Thank you for your commitment and morale support.  Don't stop reading and following......be diligent.....maybe we will "scare them away"!

P.S.  IF YOU FIND YOURSELF being drawn to the pictures of my feet, and/or my cankles, FIGHT THE URGE......I need you normal folks.  We have "Bitsying" to do, and I KNOW I'm gonna need your help :)))  Until then, I'm running out to the 24 hour Walgreens to get some CORN PADS and just in case some ATHLETES FOOT POWDER !!!


I told ya'll my feet were ugly and on top of the feet, I have wrinkles and cankles!  Go away Mr. Pervert, go away!

FYI, Bitsy will be travelling tomorrow heading to the beautiful State of Mississippi to get my hugs, to go to another lil sweet pea's dance recital and assist in the First Family of Bitsyworld's move this weekend.  I'll be back, but it may be a few days.  I'll miss ya'll.  Check back! 

Webbman is drooling and It's not over peas-Could it be Kourtney Kardashian's little friend "Sophie"?

I am one blessed Bitsy.  The greatest thing about being a Bitsy is having the opportunity, time and willingness to "listen" this go round.  Well, I should say to "listen and to hear".  It's amazing to me that with each opportunity that I have to be around the Lil Webbman or to talk with the Lil Momma, I soak up what they are saying or needing.  I "listen", "observe" and "analyze"   It's almost like Angela Landsbury out on a case.  I certainly don't ever recall having this luxury to "take in" and to calmly and rationally "process all the words, actions and clues given" by the Lil Momma as a baby, and even more so, I did not do it when I was not under some predisposed time span to solve, react, or be some type of miracle worker.  As a Mom, I never had alot of extra time to evaluate, examine, study, second guess etc. the situations at hand.  What I remember seemed like it was me, with Lil Momma, doing the best I could and just swinging from the hip.  We didn't have "google" readily available at our finger tips or "Web MD" so if we needed a tip along the way~ What we did was "handle it" and well that's just what was done. And we did it to the very best of our ability.  Most of us were lucky if we even had time for a cup of coffee, much less to examine an item to see if it had BPAs in it, how it would affect our environment, whether we should calculate if the money saved on another item was worth it long term because of the additional space it may fill in the landfill it may occupy some day.  I mean, we simply did the best we could with the limited information we had, the time we had to process things in and hoped our children adjusted safely, sanely and relatively normally compared to others.  If they didn't well, we were simply all too busy to notice how wierd they were as a result of our inattentiveness or inaction due to lack of time.

It's so nice to have the time and years of added child rearin' knowledge at hand and not be under any particular time frame or guidelines to perform or enlighten or anything.  As a Bitsy, I just hang around and when and if I see or hear something that interests me that the Webbman or the Lil Momma may need or want, I jot it down and later, I take my sweet time to do my research as to what options we have and how or even if I want to get involved in offerring information, guidance and/or funds to move forward with.  It's pretty frickin wonderful getting to do what the hell ya want when the hell you want to do it.  It's not that way when you are a Momma or a Daddy.  Time seems to get in the way of alot perfectly good chances to get to do some perfectly good things.  Hell, if I recall, as a stay at home mom, sometimes you didn't even get a bath, much less have time to evaluate something that was going to take more than about 20 minutes.

I believe Webbman needs a Sophie!

Last week, when I was with the Lil Man I noticed he seemed to be "drooling alot", and it wasn't at peas.  He was giving all the signs that he was starting to work on getting some 'tootheses'.  The Lil Momma didn't have any teething rings yet, so I set out on a week long mission to find just what may be the perfect teething ring for our lil Webbman.  The more articles I read, the more reviews I perused and the more in-depth information that I was able to find seemed to point to the same brand teether, but in several different shapes.  They are something called a Vullie Sophie Giraffe and Chan Pie Gnon Blue.  They are made with Natural Rubber and Food Paint. They are apparently very soft rubber, colored with food paint for the benefit of the baby, are large enough, but  not too large to make it easy for baby to hold onto and maneuver the toy and chew from all angles.  I ordered them and was so proud to have found something that Parenting Magazine recommended at the top of their list, lots of other grandparent and parent blogs seemed to be recommending and on top of that they were just frickin' adorable, a little pricey, but everything I read leaned toward the "It's well worth it side" than not.

At any rate, when I explained to the Lil Momma that I had ordered Webb a few teething toys and to be on the look out for them.  The ever inquisitive, well informed Lil Momma of course had many questions making sure I hadn't jumped the gun on my teethers of choice and purchased something that would not be "up to par" with what her expectations for a 5 month old's teething ring requirements would be.  After some show and tell, back up material and good solid shopping technique, I convinced the Lil Momma that I had done good.  To my surprise, I did not need to pull out the laptop and do the powerpoint presentation, but I had it ready, just in case!

I knew that Bitsy had passed the test with extraordinary colors and scored big when the Lil Momma smiled like she had just purchased a new Coach Purse and the newest in Tory Burch flats when she excitedly exclaimed "Mom, you did great . . . . . . . Kourtney Kardashian uses these for "Mason Dash", her Baby".    So for now, Bitsy has kicked ass and taken names in the teething toy mission and I have a feeling I can move calmly into other areas of 5 month old purchasing where others may not choose to go, and do so knowing that I stand an excellent chance of getting approval of my purchases.  Next time, Bitsy probably doesn't need to do so much research or at least not in the places she found to gain information.  Since the "vote of confidence", Bitsy has found out that Sophie the Giraffe and Chan Pie Gnon are used and recommended by Nicole Richie, and her daughter, Harlow, celebrity Mom~Christine Aguillera, Sophie Coppella and her daughter, Romy, and I guess many others who researched the product as hard as Bitsy did.    Turns out, over 600,000 Sophie's are sold in "France" each year!  They, on the other hand, are harder to find in the good ole U.S. of A.  Well enough on that, here are the little boogars that all the teething excitement seems to be about!  I hope they are as "excellent" as sources expound!


Vullie Product's - Sophie the Giraffe and Chan Pie Gnon


Sophie the Giraffe

Born in France in 1961, Sophie the Giraffe quickly became a "must have" in baby’s essentials. Sophie the Giraffe is designed to stimulate the senses and soothe the teething gums, Mothers recognize right away the benefits of this little giraffe for their child. Sophie the Giraffe has wowed over 10 million babies (and parents!) with her natural beauty and charm,
and NOW, to these reviewers,
 We can say Sophie has "wowed 10 million and one babies and parents and at least one Bitsy!

Sophie Giraffe is handmade with all natural flexible rubber and non-toxic paint. No chemicals softener; parabens, PVC, phtalates, BPA (bisphenol-A) and nitrosamines in Sophie. She is a safe alternative to plastic teether and complies with the U.S safety requirements of ASTM F-963. Sophie Giraffe is soft, flexible, and slender, making her easy for babies to grasp and squeeze. Makes a happy squeak sound when squeezed. Great alternative to a plastic teether. Makes a perfect baby gift for Newborn to 12 months.

If you ask me, those Kardashian Girls don't have a thing on Webb's Bitsy.  I mean they talk about their shapely "junk in their trunk" type butts, and I can assure you,
MINE is decidedly junkier and in some cases, IT won't even fit in the damn trunk.
Til tomorrow . . . . .

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

All things Easter, Webbman is Moving & Sweet Mother of Sugary Easter Goodness-Here come the PEEPS!

Easter JOY
Morning ya'll.  Bitsy is officially in Easter "countdown" mode.   April 24th . . . . . .It's OK to do that once we fall into the 30 days or less time frame.  I love all holidays, but I adore "All Things Easter", and in light of the Webbman's arrival - Easter, in all it's faith based joy and surrounding hoopla of colored eggs, chocolate rabbits, baby chickens, little lambs, teenie tiny goats and the always popular bunnies -  Bitsy is in full fledged wide open "Peeps" mode. 

Because I'm happy to have people who want to read about the adventures of Bitsy, the Webbman and crew, I am going to share one of my greatest Easter joys with you guys. I managed to live my first 26 years oblivious that this particular joy even existed, but in 1982, the first Easter of my (first) married life, we were blessed enough that a dear friend, named Michael Horne, gave us a micro-wave as a Wedding gift.  It was great for heating leftovers, etc., and the micro-wave forever became known as the "Michael-wave" in our home.  It also became a crucial tool used in a "most revered Easter tradition" in our home.  I'm going to use the following video to exhibit our favorite use of the Michael-wave around Easter time, and let you decide for yourselves as to whether it's worth adding to your Easter traditions.  This little activity is my Easter gift to YOU!  Enjoy.

{Advance apologies that I couldn't upload it and you had to click on the link,
 but YouTube is acting up this morning.
  Maybe they are busy with Peeps at the Microwave!}


I cannot wait to demonstrate this wonderful family tradition to the Webbman and also to Precious' side of the family this weekend.  I'm certain North Mississippi doesn't have these tasteful Easter displays to enjoy.  We also use Peeps to make place card holders for our Easter Sunday Meal.  They work extremely well with a toothpick, a small cut out of construction paper where the guests name is placed and some curly ribbon.  Peeps have also been used as decorative inserts to flower arrangements at our Easter table - a straw, some curly ribbon, and "voila", just add to your vase of flowers.  The possibilities are truly endless and don't think they haven't been tried.  If you need more information, just contact me, in case you haven't noticed.....Bitsy loves to share.   P.S.  If you ask the Lil Momma, she'll share the joyful fact that our lil family always had a 6' Easter tree decorated in our living room every year , and yes it had peeps adorning it,- it was the Mardi Gras tree defrocked of it's Pagan decorations when Lent arrived  and more tasteful decorations came to adorn it in preparation of Easter!

See What An Amazing Peep Show You Can Have Right at Your Very Own Table!

My Easter checklist is all done.  I can sit back and watch Peeps in the microwave for the next 30 days and dream up new traditions that Webbman may need!  I've had fun getting McKenzie & Ansley, my two grand babies on the hubbie's side, taken care of and can't wait to see the girls in all their Easter glory.  I've tried to start a tradition of "letting them" choose their own dresses for Holidays from a favorite website and then ordering them.  Their Christmas dresses didn't work out too good, since only one of them arrived and some other child in our neighborhood is walking around in the other granddaughter's dress thanks to the Postal Service.  But, Bitsy falls off the horse and tries to get right back on~so here we are at Easter dresses.  The "picking out your own dress" seems to be something that they can enjoy with their Momma and she can still reel them in if they decide they like a dress that may look like the curtains from Tara, in all their finery, but made into a 5 or an 8 in girls sizes.  I've gotten their Easter buckets, their Easter movie (Tangled), and a few other fun things too.  I've enjoyed getting my God-child, Amelia Grae's,  Easter smock (pink with little zebras on it), hot pink squeaker shoes and yes her Easter bucket too. Then, we come to the Webbman.  He had to have a bucket, a basket that the Lil Momma preferred, an adorable lime green gingham romper with bunnies on it, an adorable personalized outfit for a photo opp, 2 adorable teething toys, some wooden blocks and well I believe that's it.  Oh and two little toys for the tub that just made me smile in the middle of Wallie World (NOT the one in WAVELAND).  In all this process, Bitsy should lose some weight because she has done this on her very limited income, but the $10 here and $10 there approach seems to work because we all know "Where there's a WILL, there's a WAY" and with kids and Easter, there are simply certain "must have's" even if a visit to the Dollar Tree is needed.   Webb's "Honey" (Precious' Mom) told me not too long ago if I stopped buying greeting cards, I would have money.  "Honey", if you are reading this, obviously greeting cards are the very "tip" of the iceberg.  Webbman, if you are reading this, don't fret......you will be 52 and still have a greeting card coming from your Bitsy :).

Bitsy is Heading to Mississippi again the end of the week.   Webb and his parents are moving from Waveland, MS to Bay St. Louis, MS (a distance of about 4 miles or so)~same County though.  Bay St. Louis should rejoice in their new citizens, Waveland should be sad to lose them, and on that note - I need to make sure the Lil Momma and Precious get registered to vote in their new municipality. Elections will be here before they know it!   I just added it to my list.  Webb's "Honey" and "EZ" are coming from Oxford to throw in 4 hands, Bitsy is coming from Atlanta to throw in her 2 hands, "PawPaw, Aunt Miche, Uncle Doug, Cayce, Pahnee and Crew" will be there too with their 10 hands to help too.  Yet, another shining example of "sharing your children" with family.  What a joy............Get Ready Webbman, Bitsy is coming! 



Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Worldwide Webb's Bitsy, Top 10 List, Just Say NO, & peer pressure.

Of all the amazing things I am discovering about being a "Bitsy", my favorite may be my newfound ability to say "NO", "Uh Uh", "Not Gonna Do It", "Take a Hike, I'm busy with the Webbman" or better yet "Do It Yourself".  If the legendary "red flag" just went up your inner "flag pole", please lower it to at least half mast.  Try not to fret or concern yourself.  Don't even begin to assume that any of THOSE words are uttered, even in passing, to the Lil Momma, Precious or the Webbman.  I wont bar that from every happening, but to-date, it just hasn't been necessary. 

There are all kinds of things that no matter how hard we try to say "NO" to, somehow, someway, they still creep back into our lives.  Peer pressure is one of them, no matter the age.  We have peer pressure as children, we have peer pressure as young adults and surprisingly, we have it as adults and yep, even as grandparents.  I look back at  my teen years and readily admit that more often than not, I "caved", gave in to peer pressure and did alot of things that were "in hindsight" not so good for me.  They were probably fun (like our project that involved the collection of and cleaning of empty beer cans gathered from local bar-rooms for months in an effort to write something of "color" on our high school football team's 50 yard line the night prior to our local rivals game of play.  2,500 beer cans do not "go silently into the night" or for that matter, "silently over the 10' fence" that surrounded our revered home team's field.  This little "event" was fun, UNTIL we were "caught" by Brother Malcolm, our Chemistry teacher, who happened to be out at the field jogging in the dark of the night and we THEN ended up the next day in Brother Lee's office for our serious reprimand which allowed us to "leave the evidence briefly but to "clean it up" prior to noon the next day.  What kind of Brother of the Sacred Heart jogs at 10 p.m. at night (yep, if it's 10 p.m., it's at night, right)? I still, to this day, wonder if he wasn't part vampire? Further more, what kind of Principal for an all boys catholic school allows a group of 5 girls the luxury of leaving their beer can "sculpture" for hours of viewing by the football team?"  Truly, I don't even remember being punished, but the "fear factor" of a visit to the Principal's office was pretty high as we stepped into Brother Lee Barker's office!"  OK, back on track. 

Trying to fit in and to be like everyone else was just something we all dealt with.  Nope, no cross to bear individually there, I carried it around just like ya'll did, with all my friends, same monkey but on a different back.  It's the same for kids of all ages today.  I'll even admit that during most of my years spent raising the Lil Momma, I found it easy to cave there too with forms of peer pressure.    I felt the pressure to have her in just the right outfit, pressure to enroll her in the right school, pressure for her to participate in, experience in and be enrolled in the best activities.   I did find that as the Lil Momma made friends, the pressure became easier to bear by keeping those friends close at hand.  Those "peers" were extensions of the Lil Momma.  I found that it was much easier and actually enjoyable to deal with the "peer pressure" by jumping right in and interacting with and getting to know the "peers".  I was blessed that we got to a point where we loved those little "peers" like they were ours (still do).  The pressure became more manageable when I reached out and reigned it into my comfort zone.  I am pretty certain I was NEVER a "cool" Mom, but I was a hands-on Mom and the only option was to be myself, which sometimes involved me running around in the front yard or riding in golf carts after dark with the girls of my own volition.

Well, guess what . . . . Bitsy got "off base" again.  Anyhow, NOW I'm a "Bitsy", and I find myself often faced with another kind of "peer" pressure.  Truth be told, it has nothing to do with being a Bitsy and has everything to do with being a "Worldwide Webb (Get it? No pun intended)" Grandmom".  You all know, I live and breathe a huge segment of this life on the "world wide web" :)  No surprise there, right? Yep, as someone who lives this large chunk of her life on the Internet, I'm confronted pretty much daily by those who want me to do as they do, to "follow" their lead. But, this time, I'm NOT following anyone's lead, NOT doing as they do and I'm doing what is decidedly NOT cool.  I'm just saying NO

You  may politely ask "Just what the hell is she talking about?  Just what the hell is she saying "NO" to?"  Well, here's Bitsy's list of things the hip folks, the "in" folks do online and Bitsy is drawing her line in the sand and doesn't plan on moving it. Don't take offense and don't take it personally if you do these things; just take it as "forewarning" that I don't do these things, that I won't do these things if you ask.  I have tried some or ALL of them, and they ARE NOT my "glass of iced tea :)"

BITSY'S TOP 10 LIST
 OF
 "I DON'T HAVE TO, DON'T WANNA AND
 I'M NOT GONNA DO
THINGS"

Passing along forwards.
Doesn't matter to me if they are cute or funny, or perhaps elicit a "warmth in my heart" feeling, but most assuredly if they are "hate filled rants" that work on trying to convince me that I absolutely MUST send it to at least ten (10) of my friends in order to continue to prosper or to find a sense of purpose and true love. Forwards all get the same treatment from me: the delete button.

Changing my Facebook profile photo.
Don't ask me to change my profile photo from an amazingly beautiful picture of the Webbman to a color befitting a cause or holiday.  This is probably for the most part just because I'm lazy.

Playing a game about where I left my purse.
Cute idea, but Bitsy does not carry a purse.  She only carries the shear essentials, as in a debit card, and even that's questionable, car keys, drivers license, insurance card and a list of who to call when I croak!  Even if I did, I can assure you, BITSY would not have a clue where she left said purse.

Copying a friend's facebook status.
Showing my respect for a cause by copying a friend's facebook status to show support of said friend is just down right questionable.  Don't get your feathers in a tailspin when I don't copy your information for your very worthy cause that I, in all liklihood, already support, but will not support by copying something because a friend has asked me to do so if I "agree or like" their most recent status.  I usually very much do "like and support" the status, but I don't feel compelled to show my support by being a copy cat.

Using "Status Shuffle" for my status generator.
Sweet Mother of Pearl.  This one really gets me.....If I can't think of something original to say that has some specific meaning to our life, the last thing I am going to do, is "copy" or use someone else's witty status and then have a slew of friends comment below as to how "witty" the status is or "right on" it is, or the standard "I so agree".  Facebook Shuffle may indeed be the devil and it is certainly a COPY CAT.  Status Shuffle is yet another form of "peer pressure" driven by some type of need to have an interesting facebook status :(.

Participating in a "Blog MeMe".
Posting or joining or following — or whatever the correct term is — a meme.  Look this up, they exist.  It was new to me too but You won't find me doing it.  We will not play games to keep you interested, to keep you entertained.  If what I post becomes boring, just close out the page and check back tomorrow.  It's really all about Bitsy and her process of long distance Bitsying!  Now, with that said, don't think for one minute that you guys are not a huge part of my cathargic process here.  I enjoy sharing my joy with you every day as much as I can.

Adhering to the rules of an award by telling ya'll 20 things about Bitsy.
First off, ya'll are gonna know more about me than you ever wanted to if you are reading this blog.  I don't wanna, won't and am not gonna adhere to the requirements and rules of an award that requires me to list 20 personal things about myself then pressure 20 of my favorite facebook friends, twitter followers, and/or bloggers to do the same by teasing and honoring them with the same award. I adore awards and I adore getting them, but this Bitsy has a few requirements about them.  If I get one, first off, I want it to be a little statue of the Webbman that is the spitting image of him, and secondly, I don't want it to be too heavy.  I may be tempted to use it as a weapon if approached by "unpleasantness in any form" if it takes on too much weight.  The third requirement is that there must be an all expenses paid trip attached to somewhere tropical and I must be assured that there will be no "mean or unpleasant" people there.  Ok, so I have a fourth requirement......I don't adhere to these or any other rules to be eligible for my reward because it appears on the front end of my assessment, that they require work.

Changing my Facebook status to support of a cause.
(I believe we are starting to unveil a minor theme to my list, related to my laziness and fear of the unpleasant....Maybe?)  Anyhow, please know that just because I don't choose to light a candle, wear a pin, fly a flag, tease my hair, climb a mountain, walk 10 miles through the valley of hope, despair and death.........it does not mean that I am not respectful of our military, my religion, your religion, your heritage, that I do not love my animals, that I do not love your animals, detest global warming, love the polar bears and want a cure for all blights on this earth.

Entering giveaways that require me to visit and comment on the sponsor's page.
Then, it's entirely optional, but for extra entries — "like" a Facebook page, follow a blogger on Twitter, and tweet and retweet until the sun, moon and stars rise and set a bare minimum of 104 times.  Oh yeah, this Bitsy has done these and even gotten excited about them, but bottom line is, Bitsy does not ever seem to win anything, except once and a big shout out and thank you goes to the Hancock County Tourism and Development Bureau.  They are the bomb.  I spend an hour going to all the places I need to and posting eloquent comments about said item or vendor only to never hear from them again.  Not doing that anymore and ya'll should be thankful and excited, I'm not going to ask you guys to anymore either.

The Facebook friend or Twitter Follower Request from your 4th cousin, 3 times removed.
Oh, and I would be terribly remiss if I left out the facebook friend or Twitter follower request.   I am paranoid about this type of thing.  They may end up being one of those "mean people or unpleasant people" that I quite simply do not want to have to deal with due to the unpleasantness factor! I have enough of those within family - and there again - none of them have last names with the letter "M".

Oh yeah, there are plenty of other, less frequent actions friends (and some of those most "unpleasant" foes) try to pressure me to take, but those above are at the top of my just-say-no list. Like I said before, don't take offense if you do any of them. I don't have a problem with you doing it, I just have a problem with BITSY doing it. So I won't.

The great thing about peer pressure as a grandma is that it's really no pressure at all.  Those of us blessed enough to be in this most elite club, know that we make our own rules.  What's right for one grandmom may not be right for Bitsy, and what's right for Bitsy may not be right for another grandmom!  No stress, No mess.  That is Bitsy's one rule for Grandmom's! Excepting, of course, the pressure I felt to let you all know in advance of my just-say-no plan~Just in case you asked. Just so when I ignore your request, you won't feel slighted . . . . or upset . . . . or unpleasant . . . . or like you want to defriend me, unfollow me or just "can" me out of the blogosphere.  (I suppose, this means, that YES there MAY, after all be, just a few minor peer pressure related issues to work out, even as a "Bitsy" :)

Monday, March 28, 2011

Meanies, Bitsy & Big Decisions, "Johnny-ietta" on the Spot & Doodle Bugs on I-10 East.

What is it about "Big Decisions" that make us think "We" don't have to make them?  Wait, I'm grouping you guys into a segment of human beings, like myself, who have charter memberships in the "Scarlett O'Hara Society of Procrastination, Prolonging the Inevitable, and Delaying the Unpleasantness". 

This is quite probably going to come across like I'm laying blame for the "Tomorrow is Another Day" gene that I most assuredly possess at the tiny little feet of my adorable, "should have been canonized" Mother, but I'm not~I'm simply saying that one of the things I "identified" with best that "Carol Theresa Stevenson" used to share with me as a child was her philosophy to "Just Ignore Them, They'll Go Away" "THEM" being "MEAN" people or anything and anybody that got on my nerves.  Of all the life lessons that I learned from the Lil Momma's "Grandma Carol", the "handling" of people, situations and things I don't like or just don't want to deal with due to the "unpleasantness" factor was not one of them.  The sad part of this story is "THEY" don't go away, no matter how much "YOU" ignore them :(  It was a good concept and it probably held water pretty well for my Momma.  Even "mean hateful" people would have had a problem acting that way to the Lil Momma's "Grandma Carol".
I guess I should have known this a long time ago.  Things have a way of popping up and biting you quite literally "on the butt" irregardless of said butt's size or shape.  Oh, I am "Johnny-ietta on the Spot" if I WANT to deal with something or someone, but be the issue a little "iffy", a tad "undesirable" or even the slightest bit "unpleasant", I take off like a doodle bug stuck in the middle of I-10 East headed to New Orleans in morning rush hour traffic.  Bitsy's experience is, the doodle bugs probably don't make it.  They end up looking like love bugs on a South Mississippi windshield sometime in the month of May.

It took me almost 52 years before I decided to hold my ground, and tell some folks where to get off the Bitsy train. It was at that point that I learned about "mean hateful people".  I know - I'm pretty blessed that I could ignore and block out "the mean and the hateful" prior to age 52!  I won't name names and it's not in an effort to "protect the innocent" but I will say their last names don't begin with "M"s or have "M"s in them.  Their names begin with another letter and will  remain unmentioned because yet again, I just don't like dealing with unpleasantness.  Call it "chicken", I'm probably "squawking".  That's Bitsy, the "squawker extraordinaire".  I like feathers, no problem with chickens at all :)  Just don't make me have to deal with it! 

My earliest and most blatant of memories that still lurk dangerously in this Bitsy's head revolve around one Sunday afternoon, at age 15, sitting in my parents living room on Felicity Street trying to "part as friends" with one friend of the male persuasion, as another friend of the male persuasion pulled up and parked in my parent's driveway.  I still remember thinking . . . . . "Can I just excuse myself, step out our back door, and go visit my girlfriend down the street?"  I still remember "the look" as my Dad answered the door, "the look" that bordered the "Are you trying to give your sick mother a nervous breakdown NOW or LATER~Carleen" look, but it was just "the look".  I always seemed to be spared of "the statement".  Perhaps THAT was the problem. . . . .It was kind of like everyone wondered how I could be so . . . . . . . well so . . . . . "blind and border line stupid".  I can assure you, if  I am anything "it's not stupid", but I am pretty blind and extremely "chicken".

Anyhow, ya'll~Life requires us all to make big decisions! We all have to put one foot in front of the other and participate in the decision making process.  If you feel the urge creeping up to ask just "Where" all of this pondering and hindsight is going?  I just don't know yet, but I do know that I hope and pray this "put it off until tomorrow" trait is not hereditary and that our Lil Webbman is not plagued with any form of it.  I pray that he does his best to makes good choices, participates in life and faces up to the facts on the front end, in lieu of the back.  I pray he is courageous, that he has no "chicken" genes floating around in his DNA, and if he does. . . . I pray that they are dormant.  I am glad that Webbman has those big beautiful blue eyes.  Maybe people will feel compelled to be kinder, gentler folks when they deal with him or at the very least, people  may be "mesmerized" by them.  I know, I am :).

Baby Blue's Mesmerize YOU!

Be Nice and Don't be a Meanie :)


The Webbman "resting" those baby blues.

Anyhow, I know we can't always control things and we can't be "other people's" keepers, but remember do your best to make "Good decisions on the front end"~Life is so much easier that way - for everybody.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Things We Do For Love, the Divorced Parenting Guide & Sharing our Children!

I feel compelled to tell ya'll that this week'a long "hiatus" for Bitsy from her "Bits" was difficult, "VERY" difficult, indeed.  Every evening, as I lay my head down on my pillow, whether it was in North Mississippi or South Mississippi, this brain of mine would think {YOWZER} "What a wonderful day I had and the many things I needed to share about the day with you guys".  Then I'd find myself working hard to remember the whole "intent and purpose" for this blogging project.  It was initiated to function as a means of working through long distance "Bitsying".  The word "Bitsy" has gone through some serious adjustments.  First~it was a proper name, then it became a proper noun and well I reckon it has worked it's way into the verb category too!  I am pretty certain we could and will use it as an adjective also.  I'm going to work on this blog being so "Bitsy".  With all that said, I was too busy being a hands on "live and appearing in person {full time} Bitsy" during my "no blog period".  I was soaking up all things Webbman and visiting with  the Lil Momma, Precious and the extended cast and crew of Murphy/Moran-Turcotte/Webb/Meisenheimerville. 

Where did I leave you guys last week??  We were bombing Libya, and I believe we were getting a new lil Catholic in the family! NO wait, we were getting TWO new lil Catholics in the family as we were blessed enough to baptise Webbman in a joint ceremony with his cousin, Miller.  What an amazing example of the "family" sharing that takes place as you love and accept new family members.   One of the things I've figured out over the last seven years or so, is that if you love a child or anyone for that matter enough, you share them.  This isn't easy.  I would never say that when the Lil Momma is with her Dad, that I haven't felt that evil green monster rising up in the back of my neck and down my spine.  Envy is such an awful thing, but as quick as the little monster comes, I "fess up" to it.  I tell the Lil Momma........."I KNOW this is irrational, and I KNOW you love me just as much as Dad, Just bear with me and KNOW that I KNOW I'm being an ASSHEAD :)-but at least an ASSHEAD that LOVES you".  I have been so proud of the Lil Momma and Precious in the way they have and do include all facets of this family we have accumulated over our journey.  What greater privilege and joy is there than to be able to share in and wallow in that pride??  You share the happy times, you share the sad, but most importantly, you just share whatever moments come along as part of their life!  Grownups don't hog!  Hogging makes for unhappy confused chillens, and by the time you realize they are confused unhappy chillens, they have confused their own chillens and the cycle has started all over yet adamngain.

I'm going to attempt a synopsis, but could not even begin to explain the dynamics of the Lil Momma's side of the family.  Our contingent is most certainly not "textbook".  Our family relationships truly defy all accepted logic, and most assuredly any logic or advise you will find in the "Divorced Parents Guidebook", unless it's the one that Bitsy wrote (when you have a blog, you can write your own guidebook......TRY IT......you'll see". Obviously none of "our family's Connect the Dots projects" have ended successfully in "Connecting the Dots".  The commonly know "straight lines" that lots of other families achieve are "Oh So Jagged", but as skewed and crooked as they may be . . . . the Lil Momma's Daddy (who I will refer to as "Bud")  and I have made them work.  There is surely no concise clear cut seamless relationship to those that may believe they know how our family lives and, most importantly, "how it loves".  Lets start with the Lil Momma's Daddy ("PawPaw to the Webbman") and the Lil Momma's Moma ("Bitsy to the Webbman" or "moi").  We were married for a little over 20 years.  Somewhere during that time period, we decided it wasn't such a good idea to remain in the institution of marriage any longer and filed for the "oh so dreaded" D.I.V.O.R.C.E.  The Lil Momma's Daddy (PawPaw) remarried a few years later and so did  (Bitsy) a few years after that.  Most people would believe that life as we knew it would come to a screeching halt, but those that know the inner workings of our little nuclear family know it only hit a speed bump.  We regrouped, never once wavering as to what our mission in life was!  We are big into mission statements, diagrams, marriage counselors  (all five (5) of them), and well the idea that "we may not be certified" but we are "certifiable".  PawPaw and I agreed that no amount of "whatever" life threw at us could muddy the waters and muck up the facts.  We adored the Lil Momma, were proud of her every move and didn't give up our Mom and Dad roles and working as a "parental team" when we divorced.  We didn't even give up the discussions that so often ensued between us when it comes to doing what is best for the Lil Momma.  All I can say is this has been difficult and tedious on the spouses that were added to our mix, and oftentimes, those spouses didn't and don't "get it".  I don't know that Bitsy and PawPaw "get it", but what this Bitsy does know is that there is not a day that has gone by that she isn't glad that 'Webbman's PawPaw' is the 'Lil Momma's Daddy'.  He has been a very good one and for that, this Bitsy is ever so thankful.   We have spent many a Christmas, Thanksgiving, and whatever other holiday we deem fit together as a family (with all the other characters that have been brought to the mix).  Some of our new characters have come and gone, and others are still questioning our methods, but "our methods", they are and methods~ they will remain.

On my drive back from Mississippi on Friday, I found myself listening to some god awful "Help Radio" show.  The statistics they rattled off were beyond belief, but they said them and I absorbed them . . . . . right or wrong.  According to the talk show hosts, 96% of all men and 94% of all women say "I do" and 90% of all those "I do's" end up in "I don't".  I carried alot of guilt around for alot of years, but once theWebbman was born, and this Bitsy began to realize that his PawPaw and I had truly adopted the "No Child Left Behind" program, I have found myself feeling pretty good.  If about nothing else, about how HARD WE TRY.  I give us an A+, with an occasional "Note Home from the Teacher".  :)

Til tomorrow, I'm just letting ya'll know . . . . come Thursday I'll be heading back to Mississippi for the week which will include a very special dance recital and, of course,  will allow me to do my job as "Bitsy" while the Lil Momma and Precious move once again.  Same County, Different City, Different House.  Happy Sunday evening!

Precious, the Lil Momma, the Webbman and Father Joe
Oxford, MS
March 20, 2011





Sunday, March 20, 2011

Oh Good Lord Webb-We're Bombing Libya on St. Joseph Day!

Another day for the Webbman's Bitsy in North Mississippi.  Well~Bitsy never would have believed it, but I witnessed it with my own eyes today.  There's no proving it.  I can't and I don't have the time or the inclination to do it anyhow, but I am pretty darn sure that WalMart is training certain customers.  As I walked down the produce aisle, picking out potatoes and gathering up onions for the potato salad, I suddenly realized that the customers at the WalMart in Hernando, MS look, behave, and "sloth"  just like the customers in Waveland, MS.  Not only, do they hog the aisles with reckless disregard for other grocery patrons, but they defy you to maneuver past their obstructions with those "drop dead" looks they so graciously bestow upon you.  One hour and fifteen minutes after entering the automatic double doors of Wallie World, I exited the automatic double doors of Wallie World, a tad bit older and a helluva lot more aggravated with Jesus' children.  Somewhere in the last few years, it seems that shopping etiquette, along with basic manners have just gone to hell in the legendary hand basket.  Maybe it's a sign of the times, maybe it's sadness from the effects of a suffering economy, but whatever it is that makes people believe they don't need to practice the most basic of human courtesies like "please" "excuse me" "and "hello" needs some serious "social" evaluation.  Maybe WalMart could weed out some of the bad apples by charging a "cover charge" to get in.  I don't think they would lose alot of revenue because it seems that alot of the folks wandering around loose in there on the weekends are there just to ride around in the motorized carts.  I mean, seriously . . . . . . IF you can WALK, do it.  Leave the carts for people that are seriously handicapped and not just lazy.  OH and Sweet Mother of Metal Reachie Things . . . . . Leave those metal contraptions that have the claw like attachment on the end HOME too.  If you can walk and have two hands, you do not need a "reacher thing".  OK, I'm done and getting off my high horse.  Thank you for listening, now perhaps we can take a minute to relax and listen to this ever so appropriate song :) .

After the 20 pounds of potato salad for tomorrow's Baptism was whipped up, placed lovingly in zip locks and placed neatly in the refrigerator, I sat down to read the news and Lo and BeDamnHold. . . . . there it was on Fox News (so it had to be true) . . . . "US Forces Strike Targets in Libya"!  What a damn day . . . . They bomb Libya, but they leave all these fools roaming around WalMart ?????  The more I read, the more I realized I needed to "change the channel".  CNN was reporting that "U.S., British and French forces had launched attacks on Moammar Gadhafi's forces".   I hate it, I really do but I'm kind of proud of the "Coalition of the Willing".

Looks to me like they went over there and Tomahawk'd some Gadhafi butt and they did it on St. Joseph's Day!  I hope they didn't forget about St. Joseph today before they took on all this serious business.  I mean think about it, if it weren't for St. Joseph, we woudn't have had the itty bitty teenie weenie baby Jesus!  Oh, wait . . . . I take that back, Baby Jesus would still have gotten here without St. Joseph in the picture but I'm sure that Jesus was a better person due to St. Joseph's influence.  You know what I mean.

OK, in less than 11 hours, our lil Webbman is gonna be the newest little Catholic in the family!  I hope Libya has a better day tomorrow.  After all, it's been pretty rough over there the last few weeks.  They deserve some peace and what better day for them to have it than Webb's Baptism Day 2011!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Yowzer-Bitsy's Potato Salad is a Culinary Delight & Hot Diggity Cat, another Lil Catholic?


Bitsy, Can me and Miller have some potato salad too? 
If black eyed peas trigger prosperity, a tuna casserole's destiny is to solace grief, and oysters to trigger lust, what emotion is mixed into a big bowl of Home-made Potato Salad?  I mean really, could it be Love?  Could it be Joy?

Somewhere within my multitude of talents, somehow amidst all the things I'm known to be good for, Potato Salad making has been added to the list of "Things Webb's Bitsy is Pretty Good at Doing".  So, here sits Bitsy . . . . the Friday night before the Webbman's big day as a new lil Catholic and my greatest concern seems to be the Potato Salad. 

I find myself "fretting" as I do over so many things.  Should I MAKE the Potato Salad or resort to "wussing out" and BUYING the Potato Salad?  You see, somewhere, somehow, somebody decided  my potato salad was pretty yummy.  It seems to fall somewhere in between my pound cake, my bread pudding, and my chicken salad, although I don't quite get it.  I can't tell you WHY it's good, but what I can tell you is, every time this family has a party,  my potato salad is on the "Please make a Humongous Batch for us" list and seems to always get a thumbs up.  So, that's how I ended up here, tonight, at this point in time.  We have a Baptism in less than 36 hours and Bitsy needs to whip up about 20 pounds of Potato Salad.  

I mean, as this Bitsy sees it Potato Salad "almost" means more than saying "I love you."  Potato Salad is most assuredly something that family and friends do not have to EXPLAIN or DISCUSS or feel SELF-CONSCIOUS about . . . . . It quite simply says "I love you and  I am happy or sad about whatever you are happy or sad about and that I will share as much of your burden or joy as I can" so MAYBE, just MAYBE potato salad is a BETTER way of saying HALLELUJAH WE'RE GONNA  HAVE ANOTHER LIL CATHOLIC YA'LL.  Maybe potato salad also says "Congratulations to our family and friends as we gear up to baptise these babies"!  Bottom line is, I'm not sure what potato salad really says, but I do know that Bitsy has decided that her family is depending on her to boil the potatoes, the eggs, chop the onion and the celery, glob up the mayonnaise and the sour cream and to crumple up the bacon.  Bitsy has arrived at the conclusion that "buying" the Potato Salad would surely be sacriligious in some way, shape or form, so come tomorrow, whip it up I will!    In closing, as I lay my weary head down on the pillow tonight, I have to smile at how much love the Webbman has surrounding him.  I hope this group of friends and family always take the time to be accessible to our little man.  I hope we always take the time to support and pray for our little man, and most of all "I hope I always WHIP UP the potato salad instead of BUYING it!"

Baby Baby Sweet Baby

Well, it's 12:23 Atlanta time and 11:23 Mississippi time, and this Bitsy made it to Mississippi in one piece.  My mind is mush and I don't think I can begin to talk to ya'll or to anyone else for that matter tonight.   I'm going to share this video with you, say how extremely blessed I am to be able to make this trip and to spend the weekend with family and friends, and ask ya'll to hang with me until I can regroup.  I don't think I can be the least bit productive tonight, so I'm going to let Aretha do it for me.  Baby Baby Sweet Baby :) . 


Geez, I hope I didn't forget my shoes!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Our Lil "Webb-rechaun", Silent Sighs of Relief from Buddy n Baxter & Welcome to Mississippi Bitsy!

Maybe, just maybe, it's a coincidence, but I've noticed a strange hush throughout this Atlanta home since the Webbman was born.  There's no hiding under chairs, beds, tables and waiting for me to "find something else to do".  Buddy and Baxter, our canine children, seem to have an assurance and confidence about them now that I haven't seen in their faces in a very long time.  For those of you new to Bitsy's world, I am the "Mom" of two (2) miniature schnauzers.  Buddy is a grey schnauzer who we adopted to fill the void left in my life not too long after the Lil Momma went off to college and I relocated to this big City.  He was an adopted child courtesy of the Gwinnett Pet Rescue folks.  He's a timid soul, loving beyond words and truly, without further mush, he is undoubtedly one of the best pets ever.  Baxter, our second "adoptee", is quite another story.  While I would not give anything for him, he came to us from a broken home of sorts.  He survived life after Hurricane Katrina, was adopted by the  Lil Momma's "Granny" and well, someone of lesser character might say "he has a few behavioral issues".  When "Granny" passed away a few years ago, Baxter came to live with Bitsy and Mr. B.  He is a solid white schnauzer with endless energy, a zest for constant companionship, an affection jumping out windows and going on "Adventures of the Baxter Kind".  One of the last adventures involved 234 xeroxed "misplaced dog" fliers strategically placed by B and I in mailboxes throughout a 3 mile area! Yes, I know it's illegal to go in other people's mailbox, but there I did it and I'm still trying to figure out if I'm penitent.  Obviously, the fliers were effective, and after numerous other "events", most of the area knows who Baxter is and where he belongs. :(

Anyhow, I have, for a number of years found joy in dressing Buddy and Baxter up for every occasion known to man.  They have been pilgrims, pumpkins, elves, reindeer, grooms, brides, devils, hula girls, drunks, and various and sundry other characters.  I may add, that Mr. B has never thought much of the idea.  I never realized until the Webbman was born that perhaps, there was an off chance, that I was inflicting them with my ongoing need for a grandchild.  It certainly seems that since Webb has been born that Buddy and Baxter have had increasingly fewer "encounters of the "Bitsy" kind".  This is probably directly correlated to the birth of Bitsy's little precious "Webbman".  They seem much happier, as rightly, they should be.  Here are a few examples of  of Buddy & Baxter b.w. (before Webb ):









On that note, one of my greatest joys is finding "just the right outfit for the Webbman" to wear on holiday occasions.  The Lil Momma and Precious humor me, put the little man in his latest outfit and snap a picture for posterity and for "Bitsy".   I will say that Webb's Daddy has made it clear that despite his respect for Webb's Bitsy, that there are "limits".  He seemed to come up with "wardrobe rules" somewhere after the Sock Monkey cocoon and right around the Mr. Bingle outfit.  I try to be mindful that Webb is a manly little man, but I can't help but believe, there is plenty of time for him to prove his masculinity abounds.  So, forever mindful of the Lil Momma and Precious' wishes, Webb is of course spared of the sillier things.  There are no hula skirts, no devils, or that sort of thing.  So far, I have worked hard to keep his outfits condensed to sensible things, like turkeys, elephants and leprechauns. . . . Oh dear, I may be seeing a pattern here. 




Oh well, Happy St. Patrick's Day from Bitsy, the Lil Momma, Precious and our little
 Webb-rechaun. 



When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, When Irish Eyes Are Happy, all the World Seems Bright and Gay, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Sure they Steal Your Heart Away :)
Here's to You!  Here's to Me!  I'm as Irish as can Be!  Happy St. Patrick's Day Ya'll.

Bitsy is a "Murphy" girl, daughter of Pat Murphy and Carol Stevenson (Scottish), so with that said I'm your die hard Irish Catholic girl who was educated in Catholic schools all her parochial days.  I grew up hearing my Daddy whistle and sing as he putz'd around the house.  Two of his most "memorable" pieces were Bing Crosby songs, although I always thought my Dad was a ringer for Dean Martin. I get kind of nostalgic around St. Patrick's Day.  It was a big deal around the Murphy house!  It wasn't enough to BE a "Murphy", as if I couldn't let well enough alone, I quite obviously did not know when to quit, I  married a "Moran", compounding the Irish shenanigans even further.  Twenty years and the Lil Momma later, I severed the Irish ties and married myself a a Frenchman! 


Well, if any of you are on the Highway today heading from Atlanta to the MS Gulf Coast, you may want to know, Bitsy will be sharing the road with you.  You can take that as a warning or look for me and wave.  I'm on my way to begin "Baptism" festivities and enjoy my Gir's weekend with "Peppy".  I'll keep ya'll posted.  Don't worry about me getting lost, I have Nancy the Navigator doing her best to keep me on track, but I also know what I'm looking for.  These are some of the most beautiful signs.  They always make my heart beat a little faster, put a smile on my face and give me that warm feeling that let's me know . . . . . . .
 "I'm almost HOME".


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Those toes, those toes - Where Will They Go, Biz-Zee Bee and How Much is that "cute little" first tooth container??

"Oh those toes".  Those itty bitty teenie tiny toes, all ten (10) of them.  Who would have ever thought we would be taking time away from our daily schedules to gaze in awe of the Webbman's toes.  Uh huh, I said "we".  That's you and me.  You're here reading my blog, sharing this time with me and you are looking at the picture of "those toes".  Aren't they just slap darn precious?


This little piggy went to market, This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy at roast beef, This little piggy had none :(

I don't know about you, but I just want to reach out and grab them. That could have something to do with the fact that the lil man's toes are attached to his feet, the most adorable feet I've ever seen.  His lil feet are attached to his legs, which I'm sure you've anticipated are slap plum adorable too.  Awh well, I guess I'll have to just say it . . this little man has the most adorable little legs, feet and toes of any four (4) month old that I know.  I'm sure you will agree but don't let me sway you . . . . Just sit back a spell, press play on the music player on the right side bar and relax awhile.  I'm sorry, I haven't figured out how to serve iced tea yet or a slice of pound cake for ya'll, but hopefully I will.  Visit often!

The Lil Momma took the Webbman to our favorite local children's shop today.  It's a happy place that we are so blessed to have in a community our size.  Going in Biz-Zee Bee is like dying and going to heaven for the Lil Momma and Bitsy.  First off, both Janell's are always glad to see you when you open the door.  From their hospitality to the selection in the store, life fades into an existence that is all things "baby".  I'm seriously considering a formal request for permission to store my ashes there when the good Lord decides it's Bitsy's time.  I can't think of a happier place to be floating around all day than Biz-Zee Bee Children's Store in Bay St. Louis, MS.  Maybe the Lil Momma could just put me in one of those "first tooth" or "first lock of hair" containers~just something seemingly low key and unobtrusive.  I just bet Janell wouldn't mind if I kept her company during the day?  After all, we don't want to scare the children off!  Today's store visit was all about purchasing Webbman's very first Sun San Sandals, an essential for every little Mississippi Gulf Coast young man.  They are the cutest lil' sandle that can be worn for just about everything once the humidity trickles in and the heat slaps us in the face like we are standing at the equator.  Thanks to the Lil Momma for making me feel like I was right there with she and Janell trying the shoes on and watching Webb model them.  Once again, thank you IPhone and AT&T for making Bitsy's day much more enjoyable.
Bitsy can't help but wonder just where those "toes" will end up this summer?   Maybe the beach, maybe out to play in the grass, maybe out on his PawPaw's pier to try to learn to catch a fish, or check a crab net, but wherever goes, he will certainly be precious in his new Suns Sans and rest assured, wherever those toes appear, Bitsy will still be watching and waiting wanting to squeeze those precious adorable little toes.

Oh gosh, When I start hearing a song in my head, it's always time to go.  Right now, I'm hearing Nancy Sinatra singing her one hit wonder "These Sun Sans are Made for Walking".  Yup, I'm pretty sure that's what it is.  



Are you ready toes?  Start walkin'!  Til tomorrow!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Bitsy's Dandelion Wishes for Webb, There's a Wierdo in the parking lot @ the Post Office, & Get Ready to Blow.

As I stepped out of the post office today, I caught a glimpse of something blowing in the wind over the field to my right.  I stopped and looked out at just what had caught my attention and just smiled.  Like many years ago, I suddenly felt like a child again being beckoned to "come have a seat and play". This Bitsy couldn't pass it up. There, amidst the grass that would soon be mowed, hand in hand with the weeds that would soon be sprayed and uprooted, there lived an endless sea of wishes . . ."Dandelion" wishes~free for the taking, just waiting to be wished.  What an amazing world we live in that "thanks to AT&T and Blackberry"~I was able to spend some time in the dandelion field, capture the beauty of the moment and share it with you.


As the other postal patrons piled out of the lobby, scurrying to their cars and hurrying on to what was left of Monday's business, a few stopped and glanced in my direction.  A few smiled and took it all in.  They paused momentarily from their busy pace to watch me in the middle of the field, as I became so engrossed in my "dandelion quest".  There was "Bitsy" blowing dandelions with sheer reckless abandon.  As I picked and blew, all that came to my mind were the things that I wish for the Webbman, things I wish for the Lil Momma and Precious and "yes", a few wishes for my brother and his family along with my sister.  Truth be told,  perhaps there were just a couple for Bitsy and Mr. B.  Love is funny that way.  When you love someone, it seems that you can always find something that you "wish" for them.  Something that may make their life a better place.  A "wish" that will bring a peace to their life, bestow a blessing or a goodness that they have sought for awhile.  It never hurts to wish, now does it?  Wishes are one of the few things left in life that don't cost a thing.  So, with that thought in mind, I even picked a few extra and placed them in a ziplock when I got home.  I think we all need a few dandelions for a rainy day.

Bitsy's Wishes for the Webbman

My precious Webb,
Bitsy wishes you a life full of gratitude, curiosity, strength and forgiveness. I wish you the opportunity to laugh daily with OTHERS and at YOURSELF. I wish you the ability to love yourself, to be proud of yourself and to treat yourself and others with kindness and compassion, that goes for animals too.  Be kind and compassionate to those little fellows too. I wish that your little hands will be used for hugging and high five "ing" and not hurting.  I so wish you will take time to be silly and play. I so wish as you grow, you'll appreciate the importance of productivity and find a passion that matters to you and that may matter to the world.  I wish for you always the value in knowing that people are far more important than things.  I wish you will do your best to keep your word.  I wish that home, tradition and family matter to you.  I hope and wish you always find the beautiful, delightful, admirable and the awesome things in life.  I wish you never fail to see those people less fortunate than you and that you never take them for granted. I wish you appreciate and respect differences of opinion, culture and ideas.  I pray and wish that you will find a forever mate and together make a forever loving family.  I so wish you will never break your Mother or your Father's heart, or for that matter, your Bitsy's or your Honey's.  I wish you will build people up and not tear them down.  I wish you will lead more than follow and listen more than speak.  I wish that your body, mind, and your soul will stay strong to grow and bend, but never break.  I wish that you dance, sing, eat, enjoy, cry, giggle, dream, all without giving thought to what others think.  I pray you will set goals, reach for them and go beyond.  I pray that adversity makes you stronger, not hopeless.  I pray you will say "I will" alot, lots more than "I can't or I'll try".  I wish you an open mind.  I wish that the words liar, racist, addict, bully and asshead are never used to describe my Webbman. I think most of all Bitsy wishes that you will depend on God's comfort, guidance, forgiveness and love in all things. I pray and wish that the Webbman has the opportunities to make his dreams become realities, and I pray and wish that you always know you are loved.

All my Love,
Bitsy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

These are alot of wishes and plenty of dandelions, plenty of time and plenty of Bitsy to make those wishes.  These are Bitsy's wishes for the Webbman, but Webaroo will have his own dreams, his own wishes, so my last wish, as I stood in the "Postal Field" today was that this Bitsy will have the opportunity to teach our little man about blowing dandelions and making wishes so they can all come true.
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Monday, March 14, 2011

Proper Southern Baptisms & Look out Oxford - Here Comes Bitsy n Peppy with Goldbrick Topping in tow!

Today, this Bitsy has a whole heck of alot to do.  I'm "fixin to" as we say grab my "Bitsy List" and start gathering up all those things "Necessary for a Proper Baptism"  Sometime between today and tomorrow afternoon, things will begin to look like "Baptism Central".  I can't think of anywhere else i would rather be.  I did wonder if they do "Destination Baptisms", kind of like weddings? That would have been a hoot, but I reckon we are as close to that as people from "South Mississippi" can be.  We are travelling to "North Mississippi" to witness, with friends and family, our lil Webbman and his cousin, David Miller, formally become "children of God".  I've already done my Baptism lesson for ya'll in a previous blog, so I'll spare you that "instructional extravaganza" again.

I'll be picking up the bonnet, the gown, the after baptism romper, the baptism onesie to go under the post ceremony romper - we ALL know how important it is to have "just the right" onesie under the romper.  There are baptism boxer shorts, which I have not seen yet since I had them shipped directly to the little Momma (oh how I hope they are perfect), baptism burp cloths, baptism bibs, baptism shoes etc.  The funny thing about all of these things is that babies are baptised everyday without "hoopla".  They are dunked in the river unceremoniously, blessed and accepted into God's arms without question.  I want ya'll all to be perfectly aware that I am fully "cognizant" of that fact.  All I will say is in Mississippi, whether it be South or North, we believe in "stuff".  We believe in hoopla and in fanfare.  We believe in celebrations and lots of pictures.  We like to document for posterity the joy and happiness of the day to the fullest, but YES, we would all live if we just dunked Webb in the River with Father Joe assisting.  We will just live MORE FULLY with all the bells, whistles, and fanfare of the day! 

Bitsy still hasn't found anything to wear.  I did find something I liked online, but I wanted you guys to sound off first.  What do you think?  I wouldn't want to upstage Webb, so I tried to keep it fairly conservative.  Thoughts, suggestions. . . . . Feel free to comment.



I also have a plain linen skirt and linen top that may be just fine.  Who knows.  I just want to make Webb proud of his Bitsy.








I'm so looking forward to a "girl's weekend".  One of my bestest Buds, Peggy, also known as "Peppy" to those she most loves is hitting the roads with me to Oxford.  That poor bed and breakfast may never be the same.  Needless to say, Peppy and I have a good time wherever we go.  Woot Woot!  I really need to call her today and make sure she doesn't want to order a suit for the ceremony.  Oh, and Webb's "Honey" too.  One Grandmother should certainly not "upstage" another Grandmother.  After all, that would not make for good long term grandmother relations, would it :)

To add to all the special items that I will be toting from Atlanta to Oxford, I would be remiss in leaving out the "Goldbrick" ice cream topping.  This topping is a special request from one of Webb's Honey's girlfriends.  This delightful taste treat is "hard to come by", but never fear Miss Rachel . . . . Bitsy has got you "hooked up"!  Well, that is, if Peppy and I don't consume it en route. 

Happy Monday ya'll.  Enjoy this day the Lord has made.