My World With Words

On the Christmas right before my eighth birthday, my parents surprised with something I hadn’t asked for, a rag doll named Jennifer. She turned out to be one of the most important gifts of my childhood, and she stayed with me for years.

Most of our communication–for I believed Jennifer talked to me in her own silent language–was at night, after I went to bed. There, under the covers, I would tell her all my secrets. Unfortunately, I had a few my parents should have been made aware of, although of course I didn’t know that at the time. But Jennifer understood, and I always got a hug from her.

She was about sixteen inches tall, with orangey-red yarn for hair, felt cheeks and eyes, and a purple dress with bold flowers on it. Her smile was drawn on with a felt marker. Whenever my mom washed her, she needed the smile retraced and new cheeks and eyes placed on her creamy white face. Her body was shaped like an upside-down triangle. She was special.

I didn’t just tell her my secrets under the covers. Together, with the help of a flashlight I would sneak from the utility drawer, we read all the the Little House books (multiple times), The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, Alice in Wonderland and Little Women. When I was nine, we began reading a series of books from the Scholastic Book Club, none of which I can remember now.

Eventually, Jennifer began to fall apart. The stuffing started coming out of her feet, which were difficult to patch properly. The dog peed on her, and my mom never could get that stain out. The little bobbles on the bottom of her dress fell off.

One day, I came home and Jennifer was gone. My mom had thrown her out. While I won’t say I still hold a grudge, I can’t yet fathom why a mother would do that to her child. Mom knew what she meant to me. There had to be a better way.

Today, I treasure the memory of that little doll. Every child should have something they can cling to.

Note: The doll pictured above, of course, is not Jennifer. I couldn’t find a picture that looked like her, but that little doll resembles her spirit.

Image Credits: Rag Doll © Kira Nova–stock.adobe.com; Rag Doll Cats © Photocreo Bednarek–stock.adobe.com

Just for fun, here are some shots of a Rag Doll Cat:

Well, today’s bloganuary prompt took a heavy turn. It’s “What is your mission?” and I have to say, that’s not something I’ve pondered too much before. Sure, I have my goals, but I think of a mission as an overriding ideal, greater than your goals.

But this Bible verse kept coming back to me, so I’m simply going to say, my mission is tied in with Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Image Credit: Sunrise © alinamd–stock.adobe.com; Daffodils © altocumulus–stock.adobe.com

When I was young, one of my favorite songs was the Beatles’ bouncy hit “When I’m Sixty- Four.” That age sounded ancient to me, but like most people who’ve arrived there (I’ll be 64 in two weeks), it’s not so old.

In fact, it’s almost scary how young it is–will my limited resources last until I die? How long will I live? I’ve inherited a fair amount of longevity–both my parents are 87, and in good health. In fact, my dad is very healthy. His dad lived to be almost 100, and I fully expect he’ll survive into his 90s.

In addition to the financial side of things, there’s the possibility of dementia or other diseases that will affect my quality of life. I don’t really want to be a burden to others. But when I think of that, my mom is requiring a lot of effort on my part, and while she has memory loss, she doesn’t have what I think of us dementia. She’s a burden I can bear. I don’t want to lose her.

Same with my dad. He’s not requiring anything from me right now, but he could in the future. The thing there is, these are my parents. I don’t have any children. Who would I be a burden on?

Today’s bloganuary prompt asks what are my thoughts on the concept of living a very long life. I really don’t know. Like I said, I don’t want to be a burden. But at what point do you determine someone is a burden? Frankly, we don’t have a whole lot of control over those things. Is it a bad thing to age and have health problems?

Well, I’m only 64. I could die tomorrow, or I could live another 30 years. Either way, I’m going to have to leave this in God’s hands, because I don’t have the answers.

Image Credits: Header (Older Lady)  ©  俊后生–stock.adobe.com; Calendar Flipping  © Pixel-Shot–stock.adobe.com

I wish I didn’t drink so much Diet Coke. I’m trying to switch more to water, but I have a problem there. I’m not confident in the water from my tap and there’s no canned water in my area. Where I used to live, there was some flavored canned water, and it was really good.

In case you’re wondering, here’s why I want the cans: plastic bottles are difficult to recycle, and many that go to recycling centers aren’t even actually recycled. They end up in landfills. There are those trying hard to change that, but plastic is really difficult to recycle. I heard it on NPR, so I believe it.

I know I can get a water purifier, and I probably should do so. I have a friend who’s done that and like me, her kitchen is small and she wasn’t sure where she’d put the purifier. But she found the space, and if I really want to, I probably could, too.

I’m not proud of my eating habits, either. I need to have a more balanced diet. I don’t cook much, even though I’m perfectly capable of doing so. I don’t like making food that’s going to last me a week. I don’t really like leftovers, anyway, but I’ll eat them rather than throw the food away.

The good news is I don’t bake much anymore. I love homemade baked goods, and I’m capable of making some devilishly good cookies. I’m also capable of eating them one after the other until I can eat no more.

At work, I’m known for my sweet tooth. It’s a little embarrassing, because some of my co-workers bring in candy and I gobble it down like there’s no tomorrow. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, although I do get blamed for eating a lot of it. A lot more than I actually eat.

I recently had my annual physical, and much to my surprise, my lab work showed I was very healthy. I told my doctor that it surprised me because I have such a sweet tooth and I’m not sure I eat a very balanced diet, and he talked to me a little about it. After we talked, I realized that I do eat a healthier diet than I thought. However, changes could be made.

So I do my grocery shopping today. Time to buy lots of fruits and vegetables. Let’s see if I really do it.

Image Credits: Grocery Shopping © Piman Khrutmuang–stock.adobe.com; Tap Water © alexanderuhrin–stock.adobe.com; Cookies © Steve Cukrov–stock.adobe.com.

Today’s Bloganuary prompt: “If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?”

If I had a freeway billboard, I think I’d have to donate it to a responsible charity, possibly an animal shelter. I’d want them to encourage people to give so they could add more space for all the stray dogs and cats that are out there, especially the cats. Where I live, animal control won’t even take in stray or abandoned cats, and finding a shelter for them is incredibly difficult.

Which brings me to this: neuter or spay your pets. I have a colleague who refuses to neuter her dog because, she says, he doesn’t have any way of getting out and besides, there aren’t very many dogs in her area. Which sounds like a lot of hooey to me. There’s always an excuse to be irresponsible.

There’s another woman I work with who didn’t spay her cat and the cat kept having kittens. They loved the kittens, but had a terrible time finding homes for them. She (my co-worker) didn’t get her cat spayed because she didn’t think she could afford it, and I understand the situation she was in. She’s a single mom with four kids and a low-paying job. Finally, however, she decided enough is enough. She found the money.

Yes, if I had a freeway billboard, I’d donate it to someone who could really use it. Someone who could do some good with it. Someone who could save some cats and kittens, dogs and puppies.

Image Credits: Billboard © Rawf8–stock.adobe.com; Kittens © Crystal–stock.adobe.com