On Old Friends>>>

As I know most of you are, I too am a Facebook member.

I thought the idea of a blog was pretty cool and then I heard all about Facebook. Now, I'm not as young and cool as some of you, but I thought that I too needed to expose myself to the world in another way.

Now don't get me wrong, I think Facebook is a really neat idea, but it's just another way of getting stupid messages that you have to pass on to your very favorite 30 best friends in the next 5 minutes or the world as you know it will come to an end.

Sure it's neat getting all of those drinks passed on to you and having an aquarium or garden that your friends can add things too, but it isn't really all it's cracked up to be.

Yes I like getting posts on my Wall from my friends and family. Yes, it's nice to be able to keep in touch with people that you don't get to see very often, like my friend Martin. One of the best aspects of Facebook is being able to see and share pictures of friends that you might never get to see in other ways. But I was really starting to get the feeling that I was missing out on something somehow? That all changed on January 15th.

I always check my emails before I go to work in the morning, as soon as I get home from work and again before I go to bed. On this past Tuesday there was a message from Facebook from a person who thought they might know me from way back when.

Now I've got messages from people who thought they might know me before, but most times it's from someone that I've never heard of before. This time was different.

Here's what I saw:

Hi Anne Marie I hope it's you. I was just going through all the Scott Park people and caught your name. Hope you can remember way back to us being buddies and sleep overs at your house on Barnesdale. We boiled your Zebra fish in the bathtub cause we didn't check the water temp! Your Dad was an HSR driver. I've often wondered about you and how you were. Barb

Way back in 1964 I started a new school in grade 4. Barbara W was in my class and lived just over a block away from me. We became good friends and the last I remember seeing her was in 1970. I've thought about her many times in the last 38 years, but never knew how to get in touch with her.

In the last few days we have exchanged posts about our lives, marriages, families and old memories. Now I know what Facebook is all about!

I know from my daughters that Facebook has been a great way to find and get in touch with old friends. Okay for you under 30's and even under 40's it's been wonderful.

I know from my grandkids that it's a great way to pass on 'stuff' to all your bff's as well as being a way to stay under mom's radar!

But for us, dare I say it, over 50's, it's not all it's cracked up to be! When you check on your high school and have to scroll back almost 35 years to your graduating class, it's just a little discouraging. Then when you go to your graduating year you find all of 11 people doesn't it make your wonder, where did we all go? I think most of us are still alive. We must be, because who else would be supporting all of these 30 somethings that are still living at home? When do we more mature Kids get to play and have fun if we can't find our friends?

Dare I say it. Maybe we over 50's should band together and create a "Wrinkled Facebook".

I think it just might work. At least we wouldn't feel so left out. And just maybe we could find different things to exchange on Facebook. You know, Who has the best over 50's discounts; What movies will make some sense to me and Have you heard what will be a good retirement home within the next 10 years.

Okay so all joking aside. I would really like to connect with more of my old friends from school and old neighbors and maybe even some long lost cousins that I don't even remember that I have. So one of the things that I'm going to do is post my blogsite on my Facebook page and maybe that will help me to reach others. And if not, how do I go about setting up "Wrinkled Facebook"?

Anne

Getting Caught Up...

Well here it is, January 19th and I'm just getting around to wishing all of you a Happy New Year!!!

Yah, I'm a little bit late. So what else is new? Those of you who know me, know that I am never on time for anything. Four out of five of my children were even born late. I'm always pushing the envelope to try and get caught up, let alone get ahead!

It seems like just a few days ago that I was posting for Christmas. Okay so that was December 26th which was 24 days ago. Although the tree is down, there are still a few Christmas ornaments lingering around here that have yet to be put away.

Kind of like the laundry that was all caught up by New Years and is still waiting to be put away. I figure if I wait another week or two, it will all have been worn and need to be washed again anyway.

Maybe in another space time continueum(?) I am a person who is always prepared, has everything done before it is necessary and other boring things like that. However in this time and place I am always racing to catch up and I think I like it that way!

Even if I know in advance that I am going to have company, or at work know that I have a deadline, I save things to the last minute. Lets face it, I like to work under pressure. Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow. Multitasking is my middle name. Actually Marie is my middle name, but at least the initial is right.

So better late than never, right? Happy New Years to all of you.

Anne

On being a Mom...

Men are the lucky ones in some ways. They get to be dads. Even if they are the disciplinarians, even if they help out with babies, toddlers, housework, cooking and dishes. Even if they love us through morning sickness, stretch marks, cravings, labour and delivery and post partum depression. Try as they might, they will never be MOM! We get all the worst crap of being a parent and all of the best parts too.

Daddy might be there for a boo-boo, but only mommy can kiss it all better. Dad might be there to impart manly wisdom to his sons or be his daughter’s champion, but mom will always be there to listen and give the appropriate hug, kiss or heck, whichever is needed at the time.

When boys are little, Dad seems to be the most important person in their lives. The person they look up to and want to be like. But when they are all grown up, they are still Mommy’s boys. They care about you and will do anything they can for you. They don’t have to impress you with their accomplishments, they just have to give you a big hug and a kiss and ask if you could make them their favourite meal.

The daughter that you fought with over clothes, hair, makeup, keeping her room clean and household chores always went to Daddy for those special hugs and kisses. However, when she is all grown up, it’s you Mom who will go shopping for wedding gowns with her, as I did last weekend. You who will hold her hand when she’s pregnant and scared. You, who will impart all of your wisdom on being a mom, just like you learned from yours.

Well that’s my interpretation on parenthood for tonight.