80s Candy

My sister sent me a box of 80s candy. It is fully quipped with Tootsie Rolls and candy necklaces, candy cigarettes and Milk Duds, Sugar Daddys and Sno-Caps.

I didn't want to unpackage the box right away because it had been arranged so nicely. Plus, this candy was for the keepsaker. Was it okay to eat it? Is this like the old baseball card you give away only to find that ten years later they are worth millions, possibly billions, of pennies? If I ate one, was it okay to eat them all?

All these thoughts crossed my mind as I started with the Smarties and moved on to the Chewey Sprees. Today my energy is a little lower than normal. It's strange. It's like I need a little 80s candy to kick start my day. The box is a third gone. Okay, it's half gone.

Oh I just realized something.

They left out Pez.

Sunny Deceptions

Today is deceptively sunny. I mean, the heat is deceptive. There is an absence of it, and as the sun shone through my heavy curtains, I woke up thinking, "It is a lovely day, everyone!" I nearly hummed away the morning while scrubbing my bathroom floor and wiping windows. Just call me Cinderella. I texted some friends, read Thought Catalog, and continued reading a current book that I'm too ashamed of announcing here. It's one my book club students wanted to read. I tried to persuade them differently: "Are you sure you don't want to read Night Circus this month?"
They didn't.
Anyway, my room looked like a glorious place, beams illuminating strips of my blue wall. I tied the curtains back and let it shine full force. I even danced around to the Beatles' version of "And Then I Kissed Her."
My joy escalated, and soon I was putting on a light spring jacket and tennis shoes. I pondered by my door for a moment. Should I bring my thin mittens or no? Mmmmm. Nah.
Before I left I ran into Jim. "Hey, what's the weather like?"
"It's freezing."
"Yeah right. The sun is shining, Jim." He is sometimes hard to read, sarcastic as they come.
"Nope. It's 20 degrees out there."
But it's sunny.
I guess it's also still February.
But the groundhog saw its shadow.
I guess that was only a couple weeks ago.

It was a frustrating battle. I shouldn't have even tried to go outside. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Okay, one last thing. I realize that 20 degrees isn't that bad and that I've been acclimated to Indiana weather.

At 25

Mom, age 25

Kearsen, Mikey, and Laurissa
6, 4, and 2
On our way to Montanta
Colorado didn't work out
The army didn't at least
And besides, Spencer needs help
On the farm

And I? Well
There's an opening at Bears
Flying J
I won't mind that work I think
Kearsen'll go to kindergarten
Mikey to preschool
Lissey to the babysitter

It'll work out just fine
I'm sure of it




I couldn't have been the loving mom that you were, Mom, not at 25.