The Alarm Clock That Keeps Going and Going and...

I received a great present from my parents on my 15th birthday. The year was 1985 and I had asked for a clock radio. My parents delivered and I opened a beautiful white clock radio trimmed in pink and green, complete with a snooze button and a sleep button. The radio was bought at Service Merchandise. The colors pink and green were big in the 80's and I loved my new clock radio. Little did I know then just how connected to my life this radio would become.

The year is 2010 and I open my eyes to music on my clock radio. I stumble out of bed and hit the snooze button. Nothing unordinary about that scenario, except for the fact that this is the same clock radio that I received on my 15th birthday almost 25 years ago.

Yes, I still have and use my clock radio from 1985. It has woken me from peaceful slumber for every day of school 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade. It has woke me for every vacation or trip that I have ever had to get up early for. It has woke me every day of my life from 1985-2010. Am I the only one that thinks that is somewhat amazing?

I will never replace my 80's alarm clock. It still works today just as well as the first day I received it. The time is still displayed in bright red digital numbers. The snooze button works, the sleep button works, and the radio still works.

I have often thought how freaky it would be, if on the day that I died, it stopped working. Reminds me of a Twilight episode. Hopefully both myself and my faithful alarm clock radio still have many years of service. If for some reason I happen to outlive my alarm clock, I will never part with it. I will have to sadly tuck it away in a drawer...but part with it? Never!!! 

My alarm clock radio has been faithful. It has never caused me to oversleep. It  always wakens me at the exact time I tell it to. If I tell it that I want to snooze, it will gently wake me up again in exactly 15 minutes. Oh, my radio has done an excellent job of taking care of me. I only hope I have returned the favor. I certainly appreciate my clock radio's loyalty and devotion, and I hope it appreciates mine. I have never once thought of trading it in for a new model. I never will. I hope we continue to grow old together!  

It's Winter and Unfortunately Time for Heat!

I think the worst thing about winter is heat. I hate the smell of heat, the feel of heat, and the stuffiness of heat. I enjoy a cold house. I rarely turn my heat on. In fact, when I woke up this morning it was 56 degrees in my house. Ahhh!! I slept like a baby. If it gets really cold outside, I will set the heat to maybe 65 degrees but never warmer. I do not understand people that set their heat to 80 degrees or even 70 degrees. Heat breeds germs! Why don't more people enjoy a cool house? I am also quite opinionated so if your house is hot, I am going to tell you, even if it is none of my business. People that like heat irritate me to no end. I can't help it. I mean I understand if you have children in the house, I guess you do need some heat...but still it does not need to be on 76 degrees.

I am the same way in the summer. The a/c should never be set higher than 68 degrees in the south.   

I can not stand to shop in stores either in the winter because they are so hot. It drives me crazy. OK, I feel better for venting. Now go turn youre heat either off or down. Come on people, it is not that cold out there. Go on...what are you waiting for...turn it down. I promise you will sleep like a baby.  

Christmas Party for Nieces and Nephews

I am beginning to plan for my annual Christmas party at my house. The party is only for my  2 nieces and 4 nephews who range in age form 3-11. I always have the party on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and It is a sleep over party. My niece, who we call Martha Stewart, is requesting that everyone wear their Christmas Pajamas.  We will eat pizzas, cupcakes, cookies, chips and dip, and many other "fattening" foods. The best part about it is that I get free labor. They are all at the age where they love to decorate Christmas trees. I just sit back, and let them go at it. In less than ten minutes my tree will have lights, and decorations on it, and my entire house will be adorned in Santa Clauses. We will play Christmas music, and watch Christmas movies. I also go to the dollar store and buy them all a stocking stuffed full of that "dollar junk" that kids love. They love coming in and seeing their stockings, and of course they get it at the party. They do not have to wait til Christmas. I like to call it a "kick off to Christmas party." I will have some toy catalogs and everyone will write letters to Santa, which I secretly deliver to their parents. They are already talking about it and getting so excited. Am I a good aunt or what?    http://www.slate.com/id/2203154/ 

A Fun Night in October

I am headed to the haunted corn maze tonight with my nieces and nephews. The oldest is 12 and the youngest is 8. Before entering the maze, I am going to remind them that the people that are going to jump out at them are just like us. They can not touch them, and they are just people in costumes. Nothing to really be afraid of. I understand this well because when I was in high school I worked in a haunted house for a school organization. I did not even get paid for it. I was doing my job scaring people when a young boy whacked me on the head with a baseball bat. I got to miss school the next day, so it made it worth while, but I think about that instance every October. So I will tell my nieces and nephews that story, and remind them once again...people just like us. Nothing to be afraid of...

My Parent's Haunted House

Since Halloween is coming up, I thought I would talk about something that I do not talk about often. My parents live in a haunted house. They live in Spring Lake Subdivision in Shreveport. They have lived there for about 18 years. The house was built in the 1960's. I can not explain it, but there are multiple ghosts that come and go as they please.

The first sighting was right after they moved in. My sister was in the upstairs bathroom and saw a lady go by in a long ruffled dress. My sister actually ran down the stairs with her underwear around her knees. We mentioned this to the previous owner, and only then did she say, "Oh yes. We saw things all the time." She told us that she woke up once in the middle of the night and there was a lady holding a parasol staring at her.

There have been so many instances it is hard to keep track of them all. My mom often wakes up to ghosts standing over her bed. The latest happened two weeks ago. She awoke, and there was a man smiling at her, and he had a young boy in front of him about ten years old. His hands were on the boy's shoulders. When she awoke and stared at them, they backed away slowly into thin air.  Once there was a man smiling, showing all of his teeth leaning over her on the bed. She screamed "get away from me" and after a few seconds he vanished. She awoke one night to a ghost in the corner of the room swinging back and forth. She screamed, he smiled, and then vanished. Once she awoke to smoke beside her bed. She described it as a vapor.

The odd thing is, they only appear at night. There is never anything that goes on during the day time. The ghosts do not throw things, nor or they violent. They only appear at night, when people are supposed to be sleeping.

One time when my sister was younger and living here, she asked my mom if she had come in and kissed her on the cheek. My mom said it was not her. We figured it was a ghost.

My dad has walked into the den early in the morning to find a ball of light sitting on the couch. When he turned on the light, the ball disappeared. My sister saw the same ball of light running around in the attic when the attic door was opened one day.

My 8 year old niece lives in this house also. We have never told her any of this, and she has never seen or heard anything. I hope it stays that way.

I do not think the ghost are associated with this house. I think it is the land. Our neighbors across the street said that they opened their attic door one night and there was a ball room dance going on. They said the people were dressed in "old timey" clothes, dancing around and around.

I try to think of solutions. Maybe there was an old cemetery here at one time, an old western town. I have absolutely no idea. Sometimes I lie awake at night and try to figure it all out.

I know that the ghosts will not hurt us. My parents never feel fear living there. In fact, I am at their house right now, and I am not afraid. It just is, what it is. 

I am trying to get my mom to get the Louisiana Ghost Hunters to come here to investigate. She will not do it though, because she is afraid that it may stir something up. I said, "You wake up to ghosts standing over you, what could it possibly stir up?" We honestly do not want the ghosts to leave. We just want to know why they come here. I love never knowing what my mom is going to say when she calls and tells me, "Guess what I saw last night?" As long as the ghosts are not mean, I love them being there. It makes it interesting. I just want to know why. I have asked my mom, "why don't you ask them what they want, or who they are?" She said, "When you wake up to ghosts standing over you at 3 in the morning, you don't stop to ask questions." I guess she has a point.

In a way, I think we are fortunate. Some people spend their whole lives wondering if ghosts are real. Well, we do not have to wonder. Believe me, they are real...  

1982 Candy Apple Red Camero

I am driving in my car when a song comes on the radio that takes me back in time. The year can be anywhere from 1985-1989. The song may be "Pretty in Pink," or Walk Like an Egyptian." I am in high school and behind the wheel of my beautiful, candy apple red Camero. The song is soon over and I am back to reality. I do however, continue to think about my first car for the next 20 minutes or so.

I may have been the luckiest high school student in America. I had my very own car at the age of 14. It is February 1985 and I am 14 years old, I will be 15 in May. My dad comes driving up the driveway in the prettiest car in the world, at least to a 14 year old. My car is a 1982 candy apple red Camero. OK, please remember this is in the 80's. A Camero is THE car to have. He tells me it is all mine. My parents decided to buy me the car early so that I could practice driving it, with them in the car, of course. We spend the next few months driving around South Park Mall on Sundays. I would go around and around, practice parking, and then go around again.

Let me take a minute and explain how cool this car was. It was candy apple red, had an equalizer on the radio, red hub-caps, tweed, burgandy seats, and something that was called a "bra" on the front end. Oh, how I and my friends loved that car. I also had a red license plate on the front that spelled my name, Kristi in glitter.

I finally got my license on my 15th birthday and then off I went. I drove to school, football games, friend's houses, the mall, the movies, and our favorite "hang out" at the time...McDonalds.

That car took me through out high school and provided great pictures and memories. We sold it after high school because it had over 100,000 miles on it, and I wanted a new car. I can not tell you how many times through out the years, I wish that I still had that car. One of my friends bought it from me, and totaled it soon after. It is just a memory now. It lives in my mind, and the 1985-1989 students of Southwood High School's mind. I am thankful for the pictures that I have. I have told my parents a hundred times how much I loved my first car. It is a memory that I will never forget. 

    

October Memories

October is my favorite month of the year. I love the cool weather, cool breeze,   Halloween, and caramel apple suckers. The caramel apple suckers are sold only in the fall and they are delicious. Green apple sucker, dipped in caramel. Yum!!

I love Halloween and always have. I think it is so much fun to dress up like anything you want, one night of the year. I always liked being something pretty. I never wanted to be the wicked witch, but rather, the good witch. As an adult a few years ago, I dressed as Scarlett O'Hara. I wore her green velvet dress, and completed the look with a hair-piece complete with curls. I love the colors orange and black. I love black cats, Halloween decorations, pumpkins, and spooky music. I still love a good Halloween party, and always will!

October is usually when my mother and I go to New York. Visiting my favorite city, in my favorite month is always a treat. We tour the city, eat wonderful food, and attend Broadway plays. Central Park is beautiful in October. There is nothing better than a carriage ride through the park, with the cool air of October on you're face.

Yes, October holds special memories. I relish every day of October, and I hope everyone makes their own wonderful memories this month.