Vintage Thingies Thursday - Giveaway!

Contest Closed - I will try to have winners announced by Monday evening. Thanks to all who entered and your sweet comments. You gals just make my week complete!

I am a giver by nature. I love to give surprises to people. I give my time to worthy endeavors. I give my money to worthy causes. I give Matchbox cars to little boys. I give hugs when I see people hurting. I give solicited and unsolicited advice. I give my opinion when I should keep my mouth shut. I give encouragement. I have literally given the clothes off my back and the hair from my head. I give my shoulder on which to cry. I give my hands to help. Because I have been given much, I feel compelled to give much.

Sooooooooooooooooooooo..............

To celebrate Love on Wednesday and Vintage Thingies Thursdays which Colorado Lady so graciously hosts every week, bless her dear giving heart, these are what I'm giving away this month.

First, for all you vintage jewelry loving ladies, I am giving away a set of vintage faux pearls with a rhinestone clasp. These are classic and can be worn with anything from jeans to evening attire. Believe me - you will love them!

Secondly, for all the apron lovers and redaholics, I am giving away this cutie red apron handmade by moi. I made this to sell and I am so glad it did not because now I can give it to someone. I gain more pleasure giving it to someone than I ever would receiving money. Plus I want one of my readers to have it, wear it, and say, "That Rosie sure is nice, you should read her blog." I am being honest here, it is a small bribe, but you and I both get something this way.

How do you enter for this giveaway? Leave a comment on this post! Just tell me which item you would prefer. If you want to enter for both that is fine also, but just enter your name one time and know that you cannot win both items. I'll keep comments open for entry until Sunday, March 1, 2009, 6:00 p.m. EST. After that time, I'll close comments and Oscar will draw one winner for each item. Don't have a blogger account and want to enter? Simple. Send an e-mail to RosieReads@gmail.com and I'll throw your name into the virtual pot. Your e-mail must come through my account before the deadline. Either way, I must be able to contact you, so make sure your e-mail is listed on your blogsite.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Guess Who??????

A - Musing Tuesday - Ten Things

Ten Things That Bother Me.....

1. Thick pulp in my orange juice.
2. Pubic hairs stuck to soap.
3. Media interviews of people with no teeth.
4. Luke warm coffee. Either drink it hot or cold people!
5. Whiny children.
6. Earwigs (little bugs with pinchers freak me out).
7. False concern.
8. Really thin girls that say, "I'm too fat." I just want to slap their face off.
9. Arrogance.
10. People talking on cell phones while checking out their groceries.

What bothers you?

Sunday Rest Stop - Somedays We Have To Eat Broccoli

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.” by Max Lucado

What a statement of trust! Whatever you want me to have is all I want. Some days the plate runs over. God keeps bringing out more food and we keep loosening our belt. A promotion. A privilege. A friendship. A gift. A lifetime of grace. An eternity of joy. There are times when we literally push ourselves back from the table, amazed at God’s kindness. “You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup fills with blessing” (Ps. 23:5 MSG).

And then there are those days when, well, when we have to eat our broccoli. Our daily bread could be tears or sorrow or discipline. Our portion may include adversity as well as opportunity.
This verse was on my mind last night during family devotions. I called my daughters to the table and set a plate in front of each. In the center of the table I placed a collection of food: some fruit, some raw vegetables and some Oreo cookies. “Every day,” I explained, “God prepares for us a plate of experiences. What kind of plate do you most enjoy?”

The answer was easy. Sara put three cookies on her plate. Some days are like that, aren’t they? Some days are “three cookie days.” Many are not. Sometimes our plate has nothing but vegetables—twenty-four hours of celery, carrots, and squash. Apparently God knows we need some strength, and though the portion may be hard to swallow, isn’t it for our own good? Most days, however, have a bit of it all. Vegetables, which are healthy but dull. Fruit, which tastes better and we enjoy. And even an Oreo, which does little for our nutrition, but a lot for our attitude.

All are important and all are from God.

The next time your plate has more broccoli than apple pie, remember who prepared the meal. And the next time your plate has a portion you find hard to swallow, talk to God about it. Jesus did. In the garden of Gethsemane his Father handed him a cup of suffering so sour, so vile, that Jesus handed it back to heaven. “My Father,” he prayed, “if it is possible may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39).

Even Jesus was given a portion he found hard to swallow. But with God’s help, he did. And with God’s help, you can too.

From The Great House of God© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001) Max Lucado

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Men's Avon Aftershave Bottles

Well my goodness I am ever running late with Vintage Thingies Thursday! I have just had a myriad of chores to complete since I was sick last week. What's up with men? It doesn't seem to bother them to live in a cesspool while good ole' wife and mom lies wracked with fever and pain. Does it ever occur that I might die and then who would clean up their mess? Dear friends, when I die, if you are still around, please come to my house and clean before the funeral home picks up my body. I just will not rest-in-peace if people are whispering about my dirty house.

Okay, on a less morbid topic, here are my Vintage Thingies for Thursday. In honor of President's Day which was supposed to be acknowledged on February 16th, and because Suzanne at Colorado Lady pulled out her Avon cuties last week and forced me to go prowling through the bowels of my closet and not even finding for what I was looking, this is what you get!

Men's cologne decanters by Avon! Isn't this the epitome of weirdness? Avon has always been known for their odd decanters of perfume and cologne, but holy Wild Country this is crazy. I wonder if Jimmy Carter had George Washington Wild Country aftershave on his bathroom shelf during the 1970's while he was president? I wonder if Obama would like the Lincoln Everest Aftershave?

And here we have the Volkswagon Bus with a motorcycle lid. Can't you just see MDH in his bad polyester suit, getting ready for a date?

And who could ever live without the Deep Woods Country Lantern? I am taking this baby camping for sure the next time I decide to sleep in the woods. I'm thinking if I pour the cologne around the perimeter of the camp and throw a match in the scent's general direction, not a bug, spider, snake or bear in the whole Great Smoky Mountains would venture near me for several weeks. Really!

MDH's sweet grandmother sold Avon for over fifty years. She has every Avon bottle that has ever been produced. As she has gotten older, she has started gift giving for Christmas with some of the older, new in the box, never had the lid off colognes to her grandsons. We realize what treasures they are and have kept them unopened and securely put away. (Heaven forbid they were to break and cologne spill everywhere, allergies you know :) Until Now! Just to share with you!

Oh and I also found this baby quilt that I cross-stitched and quilted while I was pregnant with my first born son. Oscar, of course, thought it was his baby quilt!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Avon, Final Net, and a Bad Polyester Suit

Have you FELT the love this month? Sure hope you have experienced a little love in your life and not necessarily the romantic type. Romantic love often fades with time. True love only gets sweeter with time. Gotta get ya some of that!

Suzanne at Colorado Lady has plenty of Love-on-Wednesday to share so click on over and feel the LOVE.

Here are a few "heart" items I have laying around my love shack. From a jello mold, cookie cutters, napkin rings and a few quilted hearts, this display was assembled on my kitchen table just for you love addicts.

Thank you for the world so sweet,

Thank you for the food we eat,

Thank you for the birds that sing,

Thank you God, for everything.

Focus on this little heart for a moment. Focus....Focus.... This sweet little thing is almost 37 years old. I received it from a much older boy (at least 11) in my neighborhood on whom I had a huge crush on my 7th birthday. The chain has gone missing over the years, but I somehow held onto the heart. I remember it was my 7th birthday because my mother made me wear a pink construction paper crown that had a huge "7" in glitter on the front. I had to stand in front of everybody with seven fingers pointing in the air while the neighborhood children sang "Happy Birthday". Probably the single most humiliating moment I can remember besides these incidents. I don't remember any other gift I received for my birthday that year besides this heart necklace. Never mind that the boy's grandmother sold Avon and his mother bought it for me, that is trivial info. What mattered was HE brought it to me on my 7th birthday. I wore it until the chain was too tiny to go around my thick neck.

I finally had to replace it with this heart necklace which was given to me on my 16th birthday by the same much older neighborhood boy (at least 20 now) on whom I still had a crush. Never mind that his grandmother sold Avon and that his mom probably bought it. It was the fact that HE gave it to me and I wore it until the stainless steel shine was dull. I've kept it in its original box for the last 20 years in a safe place.

You can see how fashionable it was along with polyester suits, braces, and curling iron hair held firmly in place with Final Net hair spray.


Yes, that is MDH and me somewhere in the 1970's several years before Revlon, college, marriage, kids and good taste. I told you I had loved him since I was seven years old here. Age actually improves some things!

This may actually turn out to be my most humiliating moment yet.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Read Any Good Books Lately?

Read any good books lately? Well, actually, YES! I cannot always say that from week to week, but I have been on a “Boy Howdy, that was a mighty good book,” reading spree lately. Being sick for a week had its advantages because it gave me time to catch up on the stack of books piled on my nightstand. Moreover, one kind-hearted soul sent me a book to read while my flu-ridden body fought the germ battle. It was hand to nose combat for a few days but my immune system conquered. Badum-ching!

The Fisherman by Larry Huntsperger was a delightful hidden find on the bookshelf from the library where I work, no less. How this book flew in under my radar and sat on the shelf without my knowledge is beyond me! I stumbled across this story one day while shelf reading (that’s glamorous library lingo for making sure books are alphabetized). Disguised as “historical fiction”, this well written first person narrative of Simon Barjona, better known as Peter, tells his story from a fresh perspective. Staying true to the Gospel stories and in chronological order of events, Peter tells the reader about his first encounter with Jesus, shares his doubts, worries, hopes and fears, demonstrates his love, loyalty, denial, then finally exposing his pain and realization of forgiveness. I found myself identifying with Peter in many areas, especially the outspoken buffoon and denial parts. What touched me most was Peter slowly seeing Jesus first as a man, then friend and later God. “For, if we cannot see him correctly as man, we have no hope of understanding him correctly as our God." This book will not disappoint and I can guarantee you will want to hand it to a friend and say, “You must read this!”

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani is also a great read. She has been one of my favorite secular authors since she wrote Big Stone Gap, and since this little town is “down the road apiece” from my little town; it made us small town sisters. We even wear the same Cherries in the Snow Lipstick by Revlon. Have I ever met this author? Well, no. However, I just know we would BBFF! A total chick read, women would especially enjoy this story. In this luscious, contemporary family saga, the Angelini Shoe Company, makers of exquisite wedding shoes since 1903, is one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village. The company is on the verge of financial collapse. It falls to thirty-three-year-old Valentine Roncalli, the talented and determined apprentice to her grandmother, the master artisan Teodora Angelini, to bring the family's old-world craftsmanship into the twenty-first century and save the company from ruin. Can she do it? Well, laugh yourself through this book to find out. Beware, her work is addicting! I think this book is first in a trilogy – Hallelujah!

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn is a Novel In Letters. Wickedly creative and well written, this book serves two purposes. The first being to make you laugh. It is charming and funny and if you love language and word games, you will find this delightful. The author’s second purpose is to make you ponder freedom of speech. This cautionary and satirical tale is set on the fictional island of Nollop, which lies off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop, named after Nevine Nollop who coined the phrase “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog,” the phrase that uses all the letter of the alphabet. Because of this accomplishment, Mr. Nollop is raised to a god-like town figure. After his death, the Island Council builds a memorial with his famous phrase etched onto tiles around his memorial. Everything is nearly utopia on this island until the letter “Z” tile falls from the memorial. What happens next in this rollicking funny, sometimes troubling account of how one small country tries to ban free speech? Well, let me just say watching your “p’s” and “q’s” has never been so relevant.

Three good books in a row are rare but a surprising joy when you find them. Good books remind me to trudge on in the writing game. Maybe one day, one day, one day, someone will say, “Rosie wrote a good book and you should read it.”

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Dishes

Who knew???? Who knew that the old junk jewelry I had laying around would cause such a ruckus! We love our vintage jewelry don't we gals? Thanks for all your sweet comments. They made my week especially since Mr. Flu came rapping at my chamber door over the weekend. I am feeling a bit better today. My temperature is finally gone but I am left with a bothersome cough which apparently my vintage bladder can no longer tolerate. If you do not know what I mean by that, then you are too young to be reading this. Way too much information I know, so I will rapidly move this along.

How can you adore vintage kitchen things without loving old dishes? I have several mismatched pieces of depression glass and they are lovely, but I also like the 1970's dishes that were popular in the olive green and old gold (I'm sure there are more specific names for those colors, but you get my drift.)

I believe this green set is called the King's Crown pattern which was made by Anchor Hocking. Please correct me if I am wrong. I bought the plates and cups together but the six little stemware pieces (cordial or custard cups?) I bought in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, the original Mayberry. I like to pretend they were Aunt Bea's. I live in a happy little world.

I found this gold set in Banner Elk, North Carolina. The stemware with this set is older and not the same pattern. Vaseline glass maybe, (I've never tried the blacklight test so it may be a reproduction), but I thought they complimented the gold bubble pattern nicely. Actually all I really know about any of these dishes is that they made my skirt fly up and that is why I bought them.

Be sure to notice the tablecloth also, since it is a 1950's classic. Oops! There went my skirt again.

Suzanne at Colorado Lady hosts Vintage Thingies Thursday and I am just linking onto her for my fifteen seconds of fame every week. Please visit her site and view all the lovely vintage thingies which so many nice ladies share. Suzanne, I want those Avon pins!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

You thought I would have a picture of Oscar didn't you? Didn't you?

Finally a little sunshine!

Adoption Is NOT For Sissies! Part One

The heart of adoption began at creation. God created man and woman in his image, crowned them as “very good”, and desired a personal relationship with them. He adopted humankind as his very own. Not to manipulate, but to love. However, man disobeyed God and as a result, God eventually had to begin again. He chose Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, He allowed years of slavery and then – he chose Moses. Adoption is recorded in the Bible beginning with Moses. Moses -- born into slavery, given up by his birth mother for his protection, drawn from the water by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised as a Prince of Egypt. The heart of Pharaoh’s daughter held compassion. The heart of Moses’ mother held compassion. Compassionate hearts linked together by obedience brought about an event of Biblical proportions. God used an adopted Jewish baby boy to bring His law to His people and then eventually to the Gentiles through the living Word Jesus Christ. We are adopted into God’s great plan. Adoption is Biblical and therefore significant.

God calls some people to adopt children. Whether it is because they cannot have biological children, they choose to adopt rather than have biological children, or maybe they have biological children but God moves their heart to add to their family through adoption; either way it is a superior calling. I admire those who answer this call. I have been told that adoption is not for sissies! You give birth to biological children through the reproductive system; you give birth to adopted children through the heart. Neither is easy, both are painful.

I know this, not because I have adopted, but because I have followed a longtime, but not so old friend, through the process of international adoption. Almost four years ago, her pastor husband surprised her with their plans to adopt for her fortieth birthday. She had been praying for several years that her husband’s heart would be moved to adopt. You see they already had one grown son and another in his teens, why start over? Because God’s ways are not our ways and when His Spirit convicts your heart, you have one of two choices. Obey or Disobey. They chose to obey.

I am writing this not because she needs help telling her story. She chronicled it all and I will eventually give you the link to that. I am writing this to understand the topic better myself. I have questions. Questions that I am not comfortable asking just anyone. Questions that others may have. Questions I know she can answer and desires to share. Therefore, this is first of several pieces on Adoption is Not for the Sissies.

International or Domestic Adoption?

From the beginning, the choice of whether to adopt internationally or domestically is something all adoptive parents must decide. Why choose domestic adoption over international adoption, or vice versa? These questions are valid. If you are considering adoption, in the process or adopting, or have adopted in the past, you WILL ask yourself these questions. I posed this question to my friend who has been through adoption. Her answer may surprise you.

“Let me be frank, my first thought in answering that question is that it is really none of anyone’s business; and I still, to some degree, feel that way. However, I have come to realize that part of my purpose in the world of adoption is to educate people. I once had a woman who worked where I bank ask me, “It is probably none of my business,” (you know you are in for it when the question is prefaced with that phrase), “But why would you go all the way to China to adopt a baby when they are “giving” them away on the street corners in America?” My quick-witted response was, “Because my daughter is in China.” An attempt at sarcasm actually boiled down to be the truth; my daughter was in China. We knew this and were confident in the knowledge; therefore, looking at any country other than China for our first adoption was not an option. God called us to adopt internationally from China, period.”

Did God audibly tell you to adopt? “No.”
Did God audibly tell you to adopt from China? “No.”
Then how did you know with such certainty that you had a daughter in China?

“If you are Christ Follower and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you can understand our certainty. Until you experience His supernatural leading, it is almost impossible for me to explain my conviction. Because of our personal relationship with Christ on an everyday basis – communication with the Father - there was never a decision about whether we were going to adopt domestically or internationally. I am okay with answering the question and will do so to the best of my ability, but I have long since stopped defending our decision to adopt internationally instead of domestically. I will no longer explain that no child is more deserving of a loving family than another because of the color of their skin, their ethnic background, or the country they are from – all children, no matter their country of origin – deserve a family that will be theirs forever. A child is a child is a child, and they all deserve a family, both here and in other countries.”

“People have a tendency to believe that families adopt internationally because it is the “Hollywood” thing or the trendy thing to do. Let me be brutally honest, if I’m going to do something trendy, I would do things a little differently. I WOULD NOT scrimp and save every extra dime to be able to bring my child home. I WOULD NOT endure the long wait to see my child’s face or wait to travel to bring her home. I WOULD NOT subject myself to lying awake at night, crying out to God to care for her while I am on the other side of the world. I WOULD NOT let my thoughts be consumed by whether or not she is being fed, loved, held, rocked, cared for or any other basic need all children deserve. I would spend my $25,000 on an in-ground pool and a nice pair or Prada sunglasses and lounge away my carefree days To hear someone say that people are adopting because it is the “in” thing to do makes me laugh out loud. Again, I am back to educating the uneducated.”

“I believe that God has ordained adopting in my family’s life. We eat, sleep, and breathe adoption. However, I am here to tell you, adopting is one of the HARDEST journeys I have ever traveled. I have always been told, “Nothing worth having is easy.” With the exception of saving our souls, adoption is the sweetest gift God has given our family. We will always feel that we are the privileged ones to have been allowed to travel to China and bring home the daughter that was created to be ours before the very foundation of the world was laid. We are blessed. I truly believe others are missing a great blessing by not being obedient to the Father’s call and I believe that the tough choice lies in “do I adopt?” or “do I not adopt?” and not “do I adopt domestically or internationally?” Once that decision is made, you just follow your heart --but hold on for the ride of your life.”

To be continued…………………………

If you have adopted, are thinking of adopting, are in the middle of your adoption, have family members who have adopted, or like me, just have questions regarding adoption, I would love to hear what you have to say. Please feel free to express yourself.

Thanks for reading, Rosie

L-O-V-E is All That I Can Give to You!

Please forgive me! I am running a temperature of 101. Every bone in my body aches. The flu bug has arrived in our home, so I am blaming this post on my diseased, wracked brain.

This easy Pet-A-Cure Works-For-Me-Wednesday. Go visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer. She will tell you all about canker sore remedies plus you will find many more useful links than mine.

I am also feeling the Love On Wednesday with Colorado Lady.
Suzanne has some Romantic Treasures to share that you will L-O-V-E.

Thanks for reading, a sick Rosie.

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Jewelry

I am really into vintage costume jewelry! As a matter of fact, the only expensive jewelry I own are my engagement ring and wedding band. I would much rather have a piece of vintage costume jewelry than expensive, modern jewelry. I am just an old soul I guess and enjoy the color and variety found in vintage jewelry. Again, I do not go looking for them, they just find me. I have been graciously given many, many pieces by relatives, little blue-haired ladies from church, friends, and dirty old men. Just kidding about the dirty old men. Maybe. Here are a few shots of some of my favorites. Jewelry, not dirty old men.

This is my all time fave. I had an aunt who hoarded things and was also know to be a kleptomaniac. She would go to rummage sales and buy or steal things, take them home and stash them away. Her house was full from top to bottom when she died (I mean FULL). In the process of cleaning out, I found this necklace. Don't know where it came from, but I claimed it for my own. If this should have happened to be your mother's - well too bad - it's mine now - all mine! Wahahahahahahah!

OK, moving on -

Here is a set I purchased legally from a woman who put a display in our library. You rarely find matching vintage pieces. The choker, bracelet and earrings were all together. I think these are Sara Coventry.

These pieces came from several different places. MDH's grandmother Lily gave me these gorgeous earrings. I am sure they are Avon since she sold Avon for years. (Update: my statement made me curious so I looked, they are Hobe'.) The faux pearls came from MDH's Aunt Josephine.

This brooch belong to my grandmother whom I never knew. Her name was Rose so guess after who I was named.

This brooch was also given to me by MDH's Aunt Josephine. I once had a cat named Josephine but not after Aunt Jo.

Here are some favorite earrings and brooches. I should tell you that I do not have my ears pierced and all of these are old clip-on earrings. And yes, I do wear this stuff. What is the fun of owning them if you do not wear them?

And then this.........Yes, I know it is a little garish, but I am part Irish, whatever that means.

Now scoot yourself on over to Colorado Lady to see all the neat vintage thingies posted on her Vintage Thingies Thursday linkup. She is a lovely hostess. Scoot, Scoot.

"Wait! Rub my tummy before you leave!"

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

1958 Through Golden Windows

Working at a public library has some advantages especially since I homeschool. Resources for teaching are at my disposal. I am always on the lookout for books to supplement the curriculum we use. One great advantage are the used books that come through our library doors any given day. Most of this material is unusable for a public library; therefore, what cannot be cataloged is sold. The staff gets first dibs on what they want to purchase before the public. When this set of books came through the door, I was on them like a "chicken on a June bug" as we say here in Tennessee.

To say these books are great is an understatement. Published in 1958 by Grolier when moral values for children's books were still politically correct, this set of anthologies is chocked full of stories to encourage reading and learning. Taken together, these books represent five large areas of interest: fun and humor, adventure, children everywhere, the story of America and science. For each area there are two volumes, one for children of pre-school and primary age, and the other for intermediate grade readers. As a child grows in reading power, he may move from Mostly Magic to Fun and Fantasy or for the adventurer Wonderful Things Happen to Adventures Here and There. For the history buff: Stories of Early America eventually to American Backgrounds and for the science enthusiasts, Wide Wonderful World to Man and His World.

You will find fairy tales in their original version before it was offensive to toss the witch from Hansel in Gretel into the oven. Just being honest here folks. Creation is referenced in the science books, patriotism is still the main theme in history and cultural differences are viewed in a positive way. These gems are all over E-Bay for different prices depending on the condition. I paid $10.00 for the 10 volume set in good condition but now that I have used them, I would willingly pay five times that amount. They are worth every penny!

Plus, for the completely shallow part of me, they are beautiful and look great on my bookshelf.

These books have worked-for-me and I plan on keeping them and reading them to my grand babies in a land far, far away from now. Visit Shannon at Rocks-In-My-Dryer for more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas. Take time to look at her blog while you are there, she is great!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

True Confession #3 - I Pulled Sweet Thing's Tail - Really

When I was a little girl, I would shamelessly lie to my mother. Every child goes through this stage at some point (don't they?) and I was no exception. I would lie about brushing my teeth. "Did you brush your teeth?" my mom would ask. "Yes," I would reply. Sensing my lie, she would check to see if the toothbrush was wet (I was a slow learner) and boy if she caught me lying would I ever "catch it". That was back in the days when a child's self-esteem was much less important. Emphasis was placed on telling the truth. By telling the truth you felt good morally and physically, if you lied, well then, you didn't feel so good afterward physically or morally.

The biggest and most elaborate lie I ever concocted gained my legs a good switching with a limber branch from Mrs. Price's shrubbery.

Spending the night with a friend when I was a girl was a big treat; spending the night at my friend Amy's house was.....ADVENTURE. As I packed my Barbie suitcase and hiked the short walk up the hill to her house, I could feel the excitement in the air. She had twin beds in her room and for thrills we would jump from one bed to the other. It was dangerous. We lived for danger! I had been caught jumping on my own bed at home and was swiftly rebuked. Our bed antics was unacceptable at Amy's house too, we just hadn't been caught. Yet. Before I left that evening my mother reminded me, "No jumping on the bed!" "Okay Mom," I replied sweetly.

Now I ask you, how many blatant lies must a girl tell and be harshly punished before she gets it through her feather stuffed brain that lying will get you in trouble every single time? Apparently, for me it was several.

It was inevitable - the bed jumping and lying. The temptation and peer pressure was more than I could handle on that fateful day. At seven years old, Amy was the most persuasive person I knew. She could talk me into anything. Faintly, in the back of my mind I could hear my mother's words, "No jumping on the beds," but like the song of the Siren, Amy's voice summoned me to join her in our bed jumping game. I was weak. WEAK I say!

After one has jumped from bed to bed - say eighty or ninety times - one begins to feel tired. Such was the case for me. Exhaustion should have been my "stop now" indicator but again, I was a slow child. Bo-ing went the spring. Crash went the girl. Silence. Blood. Screaming. Rather than landing on the soft mattress, I hit the foot board and crashed on the floor cutting my arm on the bed rail as I went down. Amy's mother came running of course. I was immediately doctored and bandaged and really I was not hurt bad, mostly my feelings. But the bed jumping rug had been yanked out from under us never to be experienced again.

It was not until I was on my way home the next day that it occurred to me my mother would ask me how I cut my arm. Panic immediately struck, I broke out in a sweat, the short walk home became my green mile. I was marching to my death. Unless.....could I pull it off? Was it a good thought through story? Were there holes? Yes, I might could convince my mom but I had to be clever and careful. Remain clam. Don't let her see me sweat. Speak with confidence.

I quietly went into the house and slipped into my bedroom without much notice.

"Hi, honey did you have a good time?" my mother yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, we had a great time, lots of fun." I replied nonchalantly

"Come here and give me a big hug, I missed you, " said my Mom.

"Okay, be right there." I yelled back. Okay girl this is it, stay cool!

I walked into the kitchen, my mother turned and her eyes immediately fell on the 6" scratch than ran down my arm.

"What happened?" she shrieked.

Cooley I replied, "Oh nothing really. We were playing with Amy's dog Sweet Thing. I got a little rough with her, pulled her tail and she scratched me. It is fine and doesn't hurt." I smiled.

"Sweet Thing scratched you? Has she had her rabies shots?" asked mom. This was before dog leash laws in our town and dogs were free to roam anywhere they wished. Rabies shots were not mandatory.

I didn't factor this question into my story so I replied, "Well I am sure she has."

"Maybe I had better call and check, if not, you may need to go to the doctor," said my mom who always thought of the worst case scenario in any situation. This time I might have rabies.

"Oh I don't think there is any need to do that," I stuttered.

"Just to be sure, I need to check," said my always thorough mom.

I sauntered into my room to await my death by switching. Of course she found out the truth. I even had to go cut my own switch. The scratch on my arm was nothing compared to the scratches on my legs and worse I was grounded from Amy's house for a month.

Did I learn my lesson about lying? Yes, at least until I entered my teens. I will tell you about the "I changed the grades on my report card story" sometime. It's a doozy. For now, I think I'll go jump on my bed.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.