Day 6 – 30 Day Challenge

*A picture that makes you happy

Day 5 – 30 Day Challenge

Today’s post is all about the siblings. One of my favorite quotes is;

“You can pick your friends, but you are given your family and they are not returnable.”

It was 1973, I was 4 years old and life was fine. I was the first girl born to my dad’s family of 5 boys. My grandmother was thrilled. My mother’s four sister’s were excited to have another one to add to their tribe. I was very spoiled.

I was staying with my grandparents and aunts when mom and dad snuck off to the hospital to have my little sister. I remember my dad showing up with a little tin covered with Victorian ladies and filled with chocolate covered caramels. This was to cushion the news that they were bringing a squalling, screaming little bundle home.

She was tiny and had a dark thatch of hair. I remember thinking she looked like a fly. She laid in that little cradle and I thought,

“Well, it’s all screwed up now. Why did they go and do that?”

I couldn’t have been more wrong. She would, of course, become my partner in crime and only friend for miles, literally. We were “country girls” like Mary and Laura Ingalls. We were surrounded by farms and fields not neighbors and playgrounds. We spent a lot of time outside, using our imagination.

We fought and we laughed, who doesn’t? We hated each other and then got mad at anyone else that had the nerve to say anything bad about the other.

She is the funniest person I know. She can make me laugh like no one else. She is super smart and has the most amazing artistic gifts.

When she was 15 she was riding from town to our house with our mom and was in a horrible accident. The snowy, slushy roads pulled my mom’s little car into the path of a semi-truck. Their car was hit on my sisters side and she suffered a bad concussion, cracked ribs and internal bleeding.

She got better of course, but do you ever get better from something like that? I have spent hours and hours wondering what happened in that car? What was it like to be driving along, probably laughing or singing, with mom and then suddenly out of control with a huge truck bearing down on you?

Our mother was killed instantly. What did my sister see? Was she alone in that car, awake, with mom? She was only 15, so young, and to see that… I can’t imagine. I don’t want to imagine it.

My sister is still the funniest person I know. She can still make me laugh like no other. She is still super smart and has amazing artistic gifts. She is my best friend and without her I could never have lived through my moms death and the years that followed.

I love my little fly. I am so lucky that my parents brought her home…

Day 4 – 30 Day Challenge

Today’s question, is simply, your parents. Not really a question, more of a gentle push into a description of them. I only need a small push to talk about my mom and dad.

Some bloggers may not have good memories of their parents, some bloggers may not even know theirs. Luckily, neither of those situations apply to me. I have so many memories, both good and bad, of my parents that it would be impossible to fit them in this post. And I certainly know my parents, probably too much.

My mom and dad were very young when they started dating. I believe my mom was in the eighth grade (the same grade her granddaughter is in right now!!) My dad was in the ninth grade, obviously more mature and ready to start his life...not.
They lived just a few miles from each other and had very similar families. She had 3 sisters, with more on the way and he had 3 brothers with more on the way. Their parents were both happily married, they went to the same schools and had the same friends.
How many times have I heard about the first school dance, the first kiss, the first dinner with my dad’s little brothers. I loved the story about the time my mom’s parents took her and her sisters to Florida for the summer and she pined away for my dad the whole time. When they got home from the trip my dad was waiting and they ran to each other and held on like it had been years instead of weeks.

They dated on and off all through high school, mostly on. I remember one story about a break they took and my mom went on a few dates with some other guy. She told us she never kissed him though, she said dad was the only man she had ever kissed. My sister and I were teenagers when she told us this and instead of thinking it was sweet or romantic I remember we both thought it was gross and depressing,

“ The only one!? Ewwww…”

She said she just didn’t want to kiss anyone else.
My father was at Cornell University and mom was in her senior year when she found out she was pregnant with me. He quit school and they were married. I will never forget how I felt when I figured out that my birthday, their wedding date and her senior year were all the same year. I was scared and confused, but one thing about my mom, she would tell us anything we asked. She wasn’t afraid to discuss sex or uncomfortable subjects. If we were brave enough to ask, she would tell us.
So they were married, they had me, my dad sold cars and my mom took care of us. Four years after me my little sister came along.

I had a good childhood, my parents loved me, we had enough food and a home of our own. I know now how hard they must have worked to give us all that and I am so grateful.
They were young and much cooler than my friends parents, I loved that!


Looking back, I know it wasn’t easy for my mom. My dad wasn’t the best husband to her. She had to handle more than she should have, but she loved him and she loved us even more.
She worked so hard at making sure their problems weren’t our problems. She went to night school and became a registered nurse. They both made sure we had braces, private schools and trips.
I think they were happy most of the time, I hope they were.

My mom was killed in a car accident 21 years ago. My dad was driving in another car and was just a few feet ahead of the car his wife and daughter were in when they were hit by a semi on slushy, snowy roads.
They had been married for 19 years, together for years before that. It was just days before my father’s 40th birthday when he lost his wife. I am older than that now and I can’t believe how young he was when he lost her.
I love my parents, maybe more now that I am a parent too and all the things I didn’t understand or appreciate when I was a kid make sense. There were bad times, but what I remember most is the good stuff…and there was way more of that.

Day 3 - 30 Day Challenge

So, today’s question is about my first love. I read through some of the other responses and it was the usual…my husband, my dog, my son…typical…typical…typical.
My first love was early, I was about 12, maybe 13. It was earth shattering and complete.  It was the most heart wrenching and heart ful-filling experience. It was life altering.
It was…Leif Garrett

First of all, I bought that album with my own money. I rode my bike all the way to Ames (which was far to us country bumpkins) and brought that thing home and then proceeded to play it, non-stop, for the next 2 years.

I had every magazine he was in and I would lovingly remove each poster and decorate my room with them. I hung one in the perfect location to be able to kiss my paper boyfriend as I came and went.

I was sure we would always be together. I knew he had a little something going on with Nicolette Sheridan, but obviously this would pass. Someday he would realize my love was true...

He was a guest star on several hot TV shows. CHiPs, Family and Wonder Woman. This was in the days before TiVo, DVR’s and even VCR’s. I had to be there at the TV when the show was on or miss him! It caused some stress I can tell you. I vividly recall sitting as close to the TV as possible watching my love on CHiPs, I would caress his face and kiss the tube when he was on. I knew that soon he would get one of the many letters I had sent and he would show up in his white limo and take me away.

Sadly, Leif did not chose me or my pure love. I think we all know how that worked out for him...

Day 2 - 30 Day Challenge

Today’s question is, what is the meaning behind your blog name?

I had a blog once before and I loved it. It started as a knitting blog and it became my everyday outlet. I wrote about my family, my mother, my life. I am not embarrassed to say I did some great writing on that blog. I believed the people reading my blog were my friends.

I was wrong.

I found out one day that someone was reading my blog, not to share my life with me, but because she wanted my life for her own. My family, my home, my husband were all things she wanted.

I deleted that blog in an instant because I was so upset, so confused and so shocked. One minute it was there, then it was gone.

I know now I could have protected my blog in a different way but I just couldn’t think at the time. The end result is that it was gone and I will never have it again.

I have tried to start a blog again a few times, but the fear was still there and the disillusionment. It just didn’t feel the same.

When I started this blog I tried making it totally anonymous. I made up fake emails and didn’t use names and didn’t link to any of the blogs I had links to before. It’s hard to write when you can’t talk about your life or your loves.

I chose the name Lonesome Glee, because I was happy and excited to have a blog experience again, but sad that it wasn’t my old blog that I loved.
It represents the smile that is hiding the sadness.

Day 1 - 30 Day Challenge

So today's challenge is to introduce myself, show a recent picture and give 15 interesting facts about me.

Hello, my name is Lisa and I am 41 years old.

15 (Maybe) Interesting Facts About Me

1. I have been married for 15 years and have a 13 year old daughter.
2. My mother and sister were involved in a car accident 21 years ago. My mother did not survive. She has never met my husband or my child. I miss her everyday.
3. I work at the local library.
4. I knit everyday, it calms me.
5. I drink wine everyday, it calms me too.
6. My fingers and toes are double jointed and it is freaky.
7. I have always been able to remember peoples names and faces.
8. I am a control freak.
9. I think I am always right.
10. I usually am.
11. I have fantastic hair.
12. My ability to procrastinate is legendary.
13. I have a sister that is 4 years younger than me. I also have a sister that is 29 years younger than me.
14. I am really funny.
15. I will be your most loyal, loving friend until you piss me off and then...you are dead to me.

30 Day Blog Challenge

My friend A has been doing this challenge on her blog, I love to read all the “background” information about her. The challenge originated with Katie, who also has a nice blog, it seems like lots of people are joining up!!

Not that anyone is dying to know more about me, but maybe I will answer a question you have been wondering about.

Here are the questions...

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts
Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3-Your first love
Day 4-Your parents
Day 5-Your siblings
Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 7-Favorite movies
Day 8-A place you've traveled to
Day 9-A picture of your friends
Day 10-Something you're afraid of
Day 11-Favorite tv shows
Day 12-What you believe
Day 13-Goals
Day 14-A picture you love
Day 15-Bible verse
Day 16-Dream house
Day 17-Something you're looking forward to
Day 18-Something you regret
Day 19-Something you miss
Day 20-Nicknames
Day 21-Picture of yourself
Day 22-Favorite city
Day 23-Favorite vacation
Day 24-Something you've learned
Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26-Picture of your family
Day 27-Pets
Day 28-Something that stresses you out
Day 29-3 Wishes
Day 30-a picture

Each day I will answer the question and at least I know this blog will have 30 more posts. I will start tomorrow and try to post everyday for the month.