Mystery Solved

     My good hubby-buddy says he knows the secret of Mona Lisa's smile; her teeth hurt.  Back to the dentist tomorrow.

     Thank you all for your support.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

There's A Reason For That Cheesy Grin

     Lookie... lookie up there.  You see that picture of the little red-haired girl in the Little Red Wagon at the top of this page?  That's me.  You see how she is trying to smile, but her mouth is closed?  That's on accounta' her teeth are hurtin'... still.  She's trying very hard to pretend it is not bothering her, but the Tooth Gremlins are working night and day to create as much havoc as possible.  So, Yaya sits in her Little Red Wagon, grinning and bearing it.  grrrrr

     On the UP-side, I am getting a little better each day... I think.  Its a funny thing about pain and misery, though.  After you reach a certain point, there seems to be nothing left to compare it to.  Soooooo, my good hubby-buddy (bless his heart) gets to be on the receiving end of my moans and groans.  He very pleasantly takes it all in stride... and takes SUCH good care of me.  I am soooo blessed..

     This too shall pass, though.  As I used to tell my little kiddo's, "In 1,000 years, we'll be able to look back on this moment and laugh."  Ah, but time passes oh, so slowly when you're watching water boil.  *grin*

     And how have you all been?  I'm so sorry I haven't been 'round to visit much.  I do think about you and appreciate it so when you come to see me.  Your comments and prayers are extremely helpful.  Hopefully, I'll be back on track before long and we can do some more visiting over the backyard fence or over a cuppa' hot cocoa.  Thanks for your prayers and kind thoughts.

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

De-Throning The Wicked Tooth Culprit or, How I Met My Sanity... I Hope!

     If this post sounds kinda' strange, well... consider the source. Actually, I had a third tooth pulled and, believe it or not, things are lookin' up. I do not think I am quite myself, but I'm pretty sure I can see me, somewhere in the distance. Please don't give up on finding me; I'm sure I'm not too far away, now that the Wicked Tooth Culprit has been de-throned.

     I just got up from a long winter's nap and I think I'm headed back there, again.  Thank you all for unnerstandin' if I am babblin'.  I really think things will start feeling better, any day now.  The Saga of the Tooth continues, but at least it seems to be winding down a bit.  Given a little luck, within the next week or so, I will begin to make sense once again... or at least, as much sense as I ever did, ya' think?
 
     Thank you so much for sticking around and cheering me on.  Your words are SO helpful.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.
 
 ~ Yaya

Tooth Cry Or Not Tooth Cry...

     Don'tcha' just love it when you're fifteen years old and everything in your world is going right?  You know what I mean; beauty, charm, lovely clothes, Every. Single. Person. You. Meet. wants to be your friend.  Isn't that what life was like for you when you were fifteen years old?  Yeah, me too.  NOT!

     Now, lemme' give you the real picture.  My two front teeth were still too large for my mouth... ever since about third grade.  Unless someone else fixed my hair, it looked like a glorious style created by a five year old, right after a particularly bad temper-fit.  I had recently managed a razor blade accident that left me with a huge, ugly bandage over my right eye and, to top it all off, I held the un-enviable position of Last Chair in the trumpet section of the band.  One of my passions was to play the trumpet professionally.

     Naturally, fifteen was the age when I was beginning to realize that no boy... most especially, THAT BOY... could EVER be interested in a Tomboy like me.  Did I mention that my two front teeth were too big for my mouth?  I'm not sure they ever would have settled down to looking normal.

     'Course, I never did hafta' worry 'bout that on accounta' THAT BOY.  {thump! thump! thump! went my beating heart, every time he walked by or looked in my direction}.  'Course, he was never unkind to anyone.  It wasn't his fault that he had those looks.  And he couldn't help it if he was so smart that his grades were off the charts.  And could he really be blamed for being able to play so many different intstruments?  No, none of that was his fault, but it sure didn't make me feel any better about myself, either.

     So there I sat, in the last chair, silently drooling over admiring the best looking boy in school.  Since I did aspire to be a great trumpet player, I spent a great deal of time studying the workings and odd connections of music as they applied to the trumpet and me.  In doing so that day, I momentarily lost my love connection at the exact wrong instant and that would prove to change my life forever.

     I like to tell myself (although, even I know differently) that a magical career died when the best looking boy in school lost his balance and fell against the front of my trumpet, that day.  It might not have made any difference, except for the part where I was holding the trumpet in position and doing the finger-plays, just as though I were actually playing music.  Did I mention that the best looking boy in school weighed at least 150 pounds and I didn't even come close to 100 pounds, soaking wet?  My front tooth never had a chance.

     Later, in the dentist's chair, my tooth was so twisted that, after giving me an unbelievable amount of novacaine and gas, the dentist actually propped his foot up on the chair to try and twist it the rest of the way out of my mouth!  Imagine his shock when I screamed in pain.  Yup!  Even with bucket-loads of pain-killer, I felt that extraction just the same way that I am still feeling the results of my most recent difficulties.  And at fifteen years old, I was just overjoyed to be relieved of one of my front teeth.  In fact, I loved THAT little fact so much that I seriously considered going into permanent hibernation.

     Two weeks later, when I returned to school (remember; this is me... I heal V-E-E-E-R-Y slowly), I could only wish that the floor would open up and swallow me.  It was the most horrible day of my life.  That is, until the Best. Looking. Boy. In. School stopped by my desk and handed me a rose... and a card.

     Inside the card was a note, asking if he could walk me home from school.  Don'tcha' just love it when you're fifteen years old and everything in your world is going right?  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

A Toothy Grin

     I like to pretend I'm a writer.  Whatever others might think, I happily imagine that they feel the same as I do, "I'm glad she's a writer."  There are times in life when its kinder to go with the Little White Lie.

     So with that in mind, may I tap into the way a writer might think and give Title to our recent events?  Since it seems that The Tale of the Tooth is gonna' be central in my thoughts until the pain goes away, I thought it would be fun to call it a Saga.  Whaddya' think?  Are you up for following the continuing Saga of the Tooth?

     According to an online dictionary, a Saga is a narrative telling the adventures of a hero or a family.  This is your lucky day on accounta' this Tale of the Tooth is about to expand to include some very interesting characters.  I truly hope you'll stick around to enjoy them as much as I did.

     Let me begin with my dear father-in-law; we called him Grampa'.  I wish you could have known him.  What a dear, sweet man!  He lived with my good hubby-buddy and me for the last two to three years of his life and it was one of the most remarkable experiences I have ever enjoyed.

     But we were Saga-nating about teeth, weren't we?  Let me share with you what a Trooper Grampa' was.  Until he moved in with us, we were unaware of the difficulties he was having as a result of having very few teeth.  In fact, when we realized the problem, he only had three or four teeth, total.

     I honestly don't know how he managed to eat any of the foods he did, but he never complained and, somehow, also kept his predicament hidden.  Then we were blessed to have him come and live with us.  What a Treasure!  How we all learned to love that man, even more than we already did!

     Very quickly, we made arrangements for Grampa's difficulties to be remedied and Grampa' was like a little kid at Christmas.  I shall always remember the joyful look on his face the first time he looked in the mirror, after getting his new teeth.  I don't know how the dentist performed that miracle, but I will forever be greatful for medical miracles that can bring about so much happiness.  I really miss Grampa', sometimes.

     And that's today's chapter of the Saga of the Tooth.  Let's hope that you never have to suffer through another episode.

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

One More For The Road!

     Don't you just love it when Fun comes in multiples?  See, I only THOUGHT I was having fun before.  Now, where did I put the rules for the game of Eyeball Marbles?  Yeah, I'm really startin' ta' think I shoulda' gone with THAT barrel of fun, instead of the one I'm using.

     You see these two teeth I had pulled the other day?  You see how much fun I've been having with them?  Well, that ain't the half of it!  Today, I went back to the dentist on accounta' just because the teeth are gone doesn't necessarily mean that the pain goes away... 'specially in my case.

     I seem to be one of those rare individuals (about as rare as hen's teeth, evidently) who can still feel pain, even though my quotient of numbing solution would rival the winner's intake at a chug-a-lug contest.

     To the Very. Last. Minute. in my dentist's chair, I continued to feel intense pain.  Yaaaaay!  Now, don't misunderstand; it is not... I repeat, NOT... the dentist's fault.  I have a history of needing buckets of medication whenever I have anything done.  Today was no different.  I was the problem.

     I might add that I have never, EVER known a dentist who was soooo caring and so gentle.  I am very fortunate, indeed.  Still, my teeth are fighting it, tooth and nail, as it were.  Heh, heh.  Tooth and nail.  That was an accident, but it turned out to be a fun accident.  Heh, heh

     So now, I am experiencing more fun than I think any one person should have, in the way of pain.  Please forgive me for all my whining, but I cannot think of much else, besides pain and how to escape it.  Hopefully, I will soon return to writing about more normal subjects, like Creepy Little Crawlers, for instance.  Thanks for visiting and listening.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

Am I Still Alive?

     Well, I was right.  I have definitely found one way that life is NOT fun.  Instead of having one tooth pulled, I had two pulled... one on each side of my jaw.  I think it would have been more fun if I had used my eyeballs in a rousing game of marbles.

     If you don't know what I'm talking about, please read this post:  Life Won't Be The Same.  At the moment, the pain is winning, but I'll be back as often as I can.  If you don't see me for awhile, please say a prayer.  Thank you.

     Now, I'm headed back  to bed.  Thank you for visiting.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

Life Won't Be The Same

     I am so sorry that I haven't been around.  It is just possible that I will be in and out for awhile, although Out may be the more operative word.  I'm having some procedures done so I can be a New Man, as it were.  On the one hand, I'm very excited because I'm reasonably certain of the results.  But on the other hand, anything that brings change and involves needles, pliers, eyeballs and teeth just sort of puts me on the defensive.

     Yes, I will be having surgery on my teeth and my eyes.  'Course, this is not really major surgery, so there's nothing for any of us to worry about, but considering the nature of my Psyche and the fact that I'm a coward, I hafta' fit in some time to worry.

     Some of my teeth need to be pulled to make room for more comfort and, although that apparently,isn't really considered surgery,  my opinion is that whenever there's blood, needles and pliers involved, Surgery it is.  In making room for the Comfort, I simply mean that pain will go away.  I like that result.  It brings me Comfort.  Still, I'm one of those rare people who heals extremely slowly when I have my teeth removed.  Past results have shown me that I should allow up to six weeks to heal, although I truly hope my body has learned from past experience that life is not fun while suffering is involved.  If you happen to think about me, I would greatly appreciate your kind prayers.

     After the dentist takes the parts he wants, I will be making arrangements to voluntarily sit in another doctor's office whilst he removes pieces of my eyes.  No, no.  Its not as barbaric as I'm making it sound.  Just remember; it is my job to worry.  Therefore, my creative imagination must build the most gruesome image possible so that I can do what I'm s'posed to be doing; worry.  My faithful and dependable imagination is doing a Bang-Up Job.  The images that are running around in my head are keeping me busy with worry.  Well, not worry, exactly; more like nervous anticipation.  I'm sure things will work out well.

     Again, this is apparently not considered surgery, but my mind says otherwise.  Needles, pliers, pain and removal of body parts (teeth and the lenses in my eyes) just Screeeeam Surgery to me.  I've had many, many operations and this does not seem to be a great deal different from other Owie situations.  Again, since I am a total Woose (is that even a word?), I would definitely appreciate your kind prayers.

     So, the reason I haven't been around (not counting trips out of town and Life, in general) has a lot to do with my personal penchant for Whine and Cheese.  When I hurt, I make sure and certain that my good hubby-buddy knows my grief.  He's a kind-hearted soul and takes very good care of me.  Heavenly Father has been so generous in pouring out His blessings on me.  I must say that one of my favorite blessings is my good hubby-buddy.

     So, whilst I do have a certain amount of unnecessary fear and anticipation over the coming events, please don't worry about me.  Pain and medication might keep me away from my computer, but I'm sure there is no real reason for cocern.  Whilst I heal, please keep me in your thoughts and just know that I will be posting on my blog as often as I can.  You all are the greatest and I'll be thinkin' 'bout you.  I'll Be Back (as said in my best Arnold Schwartznegger voice).

     By the way, does anyone know how to stick this to the top of the page?  You know, like a sticky note?  I don't know how to do that, so if you do, would you tell me?  Thank you so much.  You all have taught me so very much.

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

Little Creepy Crawlers

     I just thought you might like to know what happens to my brain after seven days of writing seven picture books.  Have a look-see:

Little creepy crawlers,
Crawling in my window;
Crawling towards the cheese
And toast upon the stove.

Creepy little crawlers,
Crawling towards the food that
Sets upon my stove top,
Waiting for to Blow!

Crawling, creepy creepers,
Should have crawled past windows.
Should have kept on going;
Now, they are no more!

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

I Wish My House Guests Would Just Go Away...

     Listen!  You hear that?  We have new tenants in our lovely home.  Non-paying tenants, I might add.  I can hear them alla' time.  {{{{{scratch, scratch, scrape, thump, bump, scratch}}}}}  I think its rude, the way they just moved in without asking so much as, "By your leave... "

     Listen!  Hear 'em?  Do they hafta' make those noises?  I don't think I would mind so much sharing the house if they would only stop with those scary, creepy noises.  I half-expect one of 'em to step through the ceiling, any minute.  And did they hafta' choose MY office to park themselves in?  Its the tiniest room in the house.  I didn't go out and invite 'em in.  How R-U-D-E!!! 

     I've pounded on the wall, trying to get rid of 'em, but they don't take the hint.  Its sort of disconcerting, knowing that just a couple of inches away, there's something gnawing on my house.  I don't mean to be a rude hostess, but I really wish they would all go away.  Its enough to make me look forward to moving OUT of my beautiful, beautiful house.  As the years go by, I will not recall with fondness the rude house guests that lived in our attic.

     How about you?  Have you ever had to deal with critters like this?  How did you handle it?  Thanks for paying a visit.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

I'm Back In The Zone

     I really need to apologize to all of you.  I didn't mean to give the impression that I was sad.  I wasn't able to get on my computer yesterday, so I didn't get to read the responses until this morning.  All of you have been so kind in your words of encouragement.  I wish I could've responded sooner.  No, I wasn't sad; just sort of, oh, I dunno'... Middle of the Road.  That's the only way I know to describe it.  Maybe it would best be described as Somewhere in the Middle; not the high of Happiness and not the low of Sad.

     After looking up the meaning of the word Melancholy, I realize that I borrowed the wrong word for the purpose.  So sorry.

     I'm happy to report that, whatever it was that was hovering over me, is now gone and I am feeling a little giddy at some of the current goings-on.  I sent an article to the paper this morning that will be published tomorrow.  That's always a great Pick-Me-Up.  I also sent pictures and an article that will soon be published and I have several puzzles that will go out tomorrow for publication within the next month.  Life is good.

     Yesterday, quite unexpectedly, we had a sudden run out of town.  haha.  No, I didn't say We were run out of town.  We just hadda' go take care of something that developed into an urgency, before we were ready for it to.  So, into the car we hurried and drove... and drove... and drove.  I didn't think we would EVER stop driving.  Over 300 miles.  EGADS!!!  We just kept going and going and going.

     Finally, when we got back home, my good hubby-buddy stopped at the house long enough for me to get out.  Then he started driving in the complete opposite direction on accounta' he had a meeting 30 miles in the other direction.  *Whew*  It made for a very interesting day.  'Course, when I got into the house, I collapsed 'cause any kind of a road trip just wears me out.  I wonder why that is?  I sleep about half the trip, anyway.  Then, at the end of any trip, I'm tired.  hmmmm.  Go figure.

     All told, I think my good hubby-buddy drove almost 400 miles, yesterday.  I dunno' how he does it.  I'm sure glad its him who does the driving.  I'm afraid that if I were driving, we might wind up in the Land of La.  And it might be a pretty bumpy ride, at that.  LOL

     I hope I've been able to explain about my recent mood.  And again, I'm awfully sorry to have made you all think I was sad.  I should've understood the true meaning of the word Melancholy, before using it.  I sometimes forget that some words take strange turns in my brain, before coming to rest in one of my many odd results.  I'll try not to create such a stir, again.

     I do wanna' thank you all for your concern, though.  It was nice to learn that so many of you cared about me.  Believe me, the feeling is mutual.  I am so thankful to have found such friendships in Bloglandia.  Like I said, life is really good.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

My Happiness Is Hiding Out...

     I'm feeling a bit of nostalgia or something this morning.  Actually, I don't know if you would really call it nostalgia.  Prob'ly falls more into the category of melancholy.  Don't wanna' do this.  Don't feel much like doing that.  Should prob'ly take care of that over there; don't really feel in the mood, though, ya' know?

     You ever feel like that?  Just not feelin' like applying your whole heart to ANYTHING that really ought to be taken care of?  Agh!  I hate those kinds of feelings.  Its kinda' like that nasty taste that crosses your tongue when you try a new food that looked really good... just BEFORE it touched your tongue.

     Trouble is, I have many projects that I'm excited to jump into.  That is, until this awful Moooooood struck me with such force.  I don't often have these kinds of moods, actually.  Most of the time, I think I have my head very comfortably tucked into the clouds, where I can pretend that life is all roses and buttercups, ya' know?  I like the cloud that was invented for that very purpose.  It just makes sense to me.

     Now, if you were to ask me what triggered this moment I'm having, I'd hafta' say that I honestly don't know.  Contrary to this feeling I can't seem to shake, everything is going very well in my life.  My good hubby-buddy is treating me like the princess I'd like to become.  I love my home.  I'm being published and paid on a regular basis.  Everyone in the family treats me with the utmost love and respect and I have just finished watching the movie Nine for prob'ly the ninth time.  As you can see, I have the world in the palm of my hands and I cannot even imagine any more perfect life than I am having.  Life is just good.

     Do you ever have days like that?  Just, well... Bleh?  I hope not.  I sincerely hope not.  I do hope you'll return on one of my better days, when the joy is more apt to spill out over the edges.  I think I might be just a little more fun on those days.  And I hope you are having an outstanding day.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

A Blogmania Round-Up

     Last night, I found a new and exciting game to play; Blogmania.  If you haven't tried this, you just may wanna' watch for the next game day, coming in September.  For 24 hours, 122 or 123 (I never was certain about the final number, although I also never found out which blog number 123 was) blog owners offered hundreds of prizes to thousands of people who ran around competing for attention.  It was a regular Round-up of Bloggers.

     When I first started entering to win the many different prizes, I went about it in my usual, "I'll remember which drawings I entered," attitude.  It didn't take me long to realize that I might be good at remembering how to spell and remembering phone numbers, but this was a whole new ball-game.

     Twenty minutes into the excitement, I stopped long enough to make a chart and gain some sort of order so I could enter as many giveaways as possible.  I'm sure glad I did 'cause I never would've been able to check all forty giveaways that I entered to see if I had won.  Some of the results aren't in, yet, so there's still hope.

     Were you among the throng who played along?  If so, I surely hope you won something you wanted.  As for me, I can hardly wait for that kind of a Rush, again.  You just wouldn't imagine anything could be that much fun.  Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya