Merry Christmas Sis

Merry Christmas Sis

I have thought long and hard about what to give my big sister for Christmas this year. Seriouslywhat do you give a person whose home is on wheels and room to spare is nonexistent.
My sister and her very special husband of forty years have chosen a life many would envy and few could accomplish. They have chosen a simple life much like one of yesteryear, a life of pickingup stakes and moving when the desire strikes.The trouble is it makes gift giving a challenge. Mac who was always a collector wants no cutsie knickknacks no room. Art work is out no where to hang it. Clothes might be okay but there isn’t a lot of room for anything not absolutely necessary. Pity her not, she loves her new life. She has discovered persons and places of great interest and seen so much more than she ever thought she would.

Consequently, when deciding on this year’s gift I wondered what she has asked most of me in the past few years. The only thing she has asked for is for me to write something. She has asked for a gift of me and so finally I shall attempt it.

My big sister is pretty amazing. She writes, she crafts, and she creates great memories.

I have been thinking of my memories of Mac. One of the first memories is the Christmas my mom was in the hospital. My Grandmother came to take care of us and tried to put up the tree. When my dad came home he seemed irritated and one of those family arguments that seem to happen at holidays broke out. I remember that we kids at least the youngest of us (me) were crying and my big sister made everything okay. We didn’t know yet that my new baby brother had died just four days before Christmas, it is no wonder that the adults were so upset. My mom came home for Christmas and she and my dad made Christmas special for all of us. My sister surprised me when she told me that our Granddad would be there too.

Mac made a lot of events or nonevents special. She taught me how to pretend to be asleep when I wasn’t so that we could watch the Outer Limits without our parents knowing. She taught me how to swipe pudding from the fridge (although I seemed to get caught for both of us) and how to squirt Ready Whip into everyone’s mouth so if mom came around the corner it was in my hand. Wait a minute, it seems now that she was teaching me how to save her butt not mine. When you worship your big sister you don’t think of the consequences you just love her.

My sister has been there for most of the biggest events in my life. She went trick or treating for me when I fractured my skull and couldn’t get out of bed. She took me to the movies when my mom was angry with me and wanted me out of her hair for awhile. She helped me buy my parent’s Christmas gifts and really made me believe that I had picked something very special even when it might just be Jean Nate again. Mac dragged me to concerts with her boyfriend (now her spouse). She taught me how to shave my arms and legs. She picked me to be in her wedding. She ate ice cream with me when the first love of my life broke up with me. When I fell in love she let me live with her in Texas for six months while I decided if he was the right man for me even though my parents and the rest of my family weren’t convinced. He is still the right guy after 34 years. She was my matron of honor. She even put her three little boys on a bus with her from El Paso, Texas to Adams, Massachusetts in order to be there for the wedding. Then while I was sick in bed the whole week before the event Mac was in the kitchen with my mom and my aunt preparing the food for 150 people. When we lost our first child she was on the phone with me every other day for weeks. My mom took the opposite days all to be sure that I would be okay.

When my daughter was born she came back to Massachusetts to surprise me and to be my baby’s Godmother. When my twins were expected to need risky surgery while my husband was deployed she came to help with my daughter and first son. She helped me overcome the maze of agencies dealing with disabled children.

Mac and I have laughed together, cried together and yelled together. Our children take bets on how long we can share a space without fighting. The winner is usually the one who chose the shortest time. We have tried venture after venture to move our families forward. We always have great ideas but lack something in execution but we make memories together. We have each opened our homes to the other at one time or another and truth be told have both loved and hated doing so but would without a doubt do it again and again.

We as many sisters are very competitive. She is the better singer; I am the better Scrabble player. We have great debates about almost everything. I wouldn’t give it up.

My sister is pushy in a good way. She can guilt me into almost anything. She could not push me into this writing though. I had to find a reason for myself. Little did I know that my reason would be Mac.

Big sisters are little sisters training ground. If a big sister tries and screws up a little sister will know to try another way. When a big sister picks a good man to marry a little sister should pay attention and pick someone with the same qualities. A little sister should never try to be a clone of her older sister but to be a complement to her. I have my own thoughts and feeling about things all of them formed through my parent’s eyes and my sibling’s reactions. My self confidence is supported by my sister and her faith in me, a faith that often I don’t have in myself.
There are three women in my family who are my inspiration. First and foremost is my mom. My sister and my daughter are the others. These are three very strong caring smart women. My mom has passed away and so my sister has taken on some of my mom’s role. She works to keep me grounded and without realizing it often tempers my passion for things with a reality check.

I am proud to have Mac (yarntangler) as my sister. Bloggers, you are truly lucky to have yarntangler amongst you. She can spin a great tale for your enjoyment and her journey has produced much to learn about.

Keep reading her blog at http:// ramblings-yarntangler.blogspot.com

Merry Christmas Sis

classy broad connections

Welcome fellow CLASSY BROADS!

My sister, an accomplished writer and blogger has been strongly engouraging me to join the blogging ranks. I have been reluctant until I found a jumping off point.

I have been thinking lately about all of us who are sisters, mothers of daughters, daughters,grand daughters, grand mothers, girl cousins, mother-in-laws, daughter-in laws, sister-in-laws, aunts, nieces and friends so dear that we may as well be sisters; In other words CLASSY BROADS.

I am very aware that many may not agree with my views and I think that is awesome because it speaks to our freedom of thought and our uniqueness as women. I have no intention to offend anyone and apologize in advance if I do but please share your ideas with me by adding comments.

It is our time to be heard; time to have a conversation about how we would like to see our lives become fulfilled. We might have very different feelings about issues facing our world and that is okay. I am anxious in this election year to learn from each of you who should be our next leader.

We as women have strong opinions and good judgement. Let us share those ideas and just possibly come to a consensus on ways to save our planet and make life safer for our children and generations to come.

I would like to hear how you are going green or if not what your feelings are concerning global warming. I want to hear if we should elect a man or woman to the white house. Who are we ready for and why do you believe it?

What you worry about? Who has been there done that and how did you resolve your worries? How can we be helpful?

I am very much in favor of Universal Health Care. I believe that if we had more preventive care, we might be able to lower costs and insurance premiums. We might lessen the number of people like myself with Type 2 Diabetes and its devastating effects. My personal story includes multiple surgeries to save my vision, placement of a fistula (grafting of vein to artery) to faciltate dialysis, and the need for a kidney transplant. I am one of the lucky ones to have excellent health insurance coverage but I know so many who struggle with funding their heakth care.

I am ready to have Hilary Clinton at the helm but also want to hear who you support and why. I believe her overall experience is what we need. I find Barack Obama to be charming but he has many contradictions that concern me. In the last debate he stated that while he knew that Clinton was more experienced to start on day one it was more important to be right than reasoned. Later when asked about a shared ticket he said that he would surround himself with persons not afraid to say no to him because he knew he would not always be right. How does that follow? As women and those of us who are moms we know that flexibility is more important than being seen as right. At every turn life changes and frankly women are more adept at changing with it. I welcome his candidacy in four or eight years once he has gained more experience in national government.

Those are my first thoughts, now I would love to hear yours perhaps you will sway me to your side.

We will follow the election in this blog for awhile. We will watch to see if Mitt Romney's hair ever moves or if Hilary becomes a gentler spirit. Will Barack teach Bill any dance moves? Let's all watch and see.

See you soon
Classy Brassy Broad