Copying My Daughter

May 5, 2011 | My Jottings

Yesterday Sharon listed some “true facts” on her blog and as usual, she made me laugh. I have so many posts for my own blog in the works, but can’t seem to finish them. I’ve had a couple of posts started about close loved ones for a long time now, but can’t finish them without sobbing (in a good way), so I keep putting them off so I don’t get snot on my fancy Mac keyboard.

I thought I would share some “true facts” as well, copying Sharon’s idea and keeping the keyboard clean and dry. By the way, aren’t facts supposed to be true? Could there be such a thing as “false facts?” If pieces of information were false, would they then be facts? Maybe someone can answer this question for me.

True Fact #1 — Yes, indeed, my daughters did know all the words to Dolly Parton’s song “9 to 5” when they were very young, and were called upon on occasion to stand up and sing it. For about three years during the early 1980s I had a couple of Dolly’s albums and when I saw that the girls could sing along with many of the songs I encouraged it. Chalk this up to one of the 647 things I did as I mom and still have no idea why. Do you think having my daughters sing Dolly Parton songs when they were still preschool aged was odd? Really? I did use some discretion, however, and drew the line at them learning “Jolene.”

True Fact #2 — Sharon hasn’t seen any of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and I have never seen a Star Wars movie. Not even three minutes of one. I hope to never break this habit of not watching any Star Wars movies. If I fall off the I Refuse to Watch Star Wars Movies wagon, I will share about it here.

True Fact #3 — I am a slave to Cappuccino Coolers, my own concoction I make every morning from cold milk, instant coffee granules, Hershey’s chocolate syrup and hazelnut creamer. Sometimes I get a little daring and put my coffee cup in the freezer at night before I go to bed. Then when I wake up at 5:15 a.m. the next day, guess what my mind goes to? Thank you Lord, for another day? Sadly, no. The first thing I think of is how I’m going to quietly go downstairs and whip up my Cappuccino Cooler in that frosty coffee cup the minute my feet touch the kitchen floor. Things have gotten dire. I know I should stop drinking Cappuccino Coolers and have resolved to quit, but have not been able to forgo them with any long term success. I have thought about going to Betty Ford, but I am needed at home and can’t spare the time away right now. If you’re smiling at True Fact #3, stop it right now. I’m not kidding. :O

True Fact #4 — When I was very young I used to sit on upholstered gliders while wearing pleated skirts, red patent leather shoes and graciously buttoned sweaters draped over my little shoulders. My hair was a shoulder-length cascade of curls held back with a headband, and I liked to sit with both hands placed over to the right of my legs in order to strike a more genteel pose. For those of you having difficulty believing True Fact #4 is a true fact, I introduce into evidence the photograph below.

I was two months shy of seven years old.

True Fact #4B — In spite of the picture above, my hair was not red. It was a dirty dishwater blonde.

True Fact #5 — I no longer own any red patent leather shoes, pleated skirts or flowered gliders, and I don’t have cascading curls either. And if you should find me one day just benignly smiling and sitting with both hands placed to my right side, you should probably contact my nearest relative.

True Fact #6 — We have decided to put our house up for sale in June. If you know anyone who wants a large home with a large kitchen and a large master bedroom and a large yard near a large lake in a largely unpopulated state, please e-mail me.

True Fact #7 — God is on His throne, is slow to anger, full of mercy and grace, knows your name and mine and how many hairs we have on our heads (whether of the cascading or the moth-eaten variety) and loves us with an everlasting love. What would our lives look like if we really believed this?

True Fact #8 — I wear makeup now only a few times a year, so thought I would document one of those rare times this morning, for posterity’s sake. I hope posterity appreciates it.

Except perhaps you can’t tell in this photo anyway. But I’m smiling at you and greeting you today, and I hope your Thursday is thoughtful, thankful and therapeutic.

Blessings,

Comments

  1. Helen in Switzerland says:

    Julie, I don’t get it. How can you possibly have grown up children? You look about 22 in this photo!

  2. Just Julie says:

    Ring the sirens and flash the lights and rain down the confetti! Helen, you are the first person to ever tell me that. It must be the blurriness of my Mac’s camera. I am 53 years old, have wrinkles and sags, and in person look very much my age. But today, you win the prize and I’ll have to do something special for you someday. πŸ˜€

  3. Carey says:

    I would have to agree with Helen in Switzerland! This picture of you makes you look SO young and (sorry) completely wrinkle-free. Did you air brush your copy? Wait a minute…is this really you? Where is my real friend Julie? What have you done with her? Who are you and where did you come from? Just kidding!

    Truly…you look maaavelous!

  4. Just Julie says:

    Perhaps I should throw my digital camera away and start toting around my huge Mac monitor since it makes me look younger, Carey! πŸ™‚

  5. Jessica says:

    I love the song, “9 to 5” !!! And my parents used to listen to Dolly Parton records when I was younger so I could probably bond with your daughters about this!!! I still love that song. And I don’t find it odd that you let them learn it! When I was in college, I was a nanny for three summers and those “kids” still talk about how I would listen to the song, “Sold” by John Michael Montgomery very loud in the car and sing along and it didn’t take long before they knew all the words and happily sang with me. =)

  6. Jessica says:

    And apparently, when you got to replying to your comments, your “facts” turned to “fiction.” You don’t look a day over 29.

  7. Just Julie says:

    I don’t feel so guilty now, Jessica, after learning about your childhood song memorizing. πŸ™‚ I’m going to have to look up that song you mentioned too.

  8. Larry says:

    I am looking forward to those early morning coffee’s but I have to admit I like it just a little on the sweet side and the colder the better, I too put my coffee with the same flavored creamer in the fridge.

  9. Just Julie says:

    Oh good, Lar. I’ll make you a Cappuccino Cooler every morning too…then after your visit we can both fly off to Betty Ford. πŸ™‚

  10. Ember says:

    Dolly Parton, eh? I think our were singing Paddy McGinty’s Goat. No, wait – what am I saying? They sang hymns!
    It is as you suspected; a true fact that a ‘true fact’ is a tautology.
    Oddly, somewhere, I also have/had a photo of me aged seven on a garden swing (here, a glider is a form of aircraft); only I am lying on my tummy with my chin resting on my hand, evidently downloading novels into my head. It must have been taken the same summer as your pic, cos we are the same age. I will try to find it. Perhaps we can start a collection of pix of small girls on garden swings looking temporarily angelic.
    Look upon your CC as your morning meds. Hey, why not? everyone else has some (meds). Redeem it with celery later on. xxx

  11. Ember says:

    Oh – I just thought – maybe you don’t know Paddy McGinty’s Goat?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x76tT_oCeI
    Or Delaney’s Donkey?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaPKA9U6ik8
    :0D

  12. Just Julie says:

    I have never heard either of those songs, Ember…thank you for sharing them…I think. πŸ™‚ I’m sure Sharon could have memorized Paddy McGinty’s goat in no time. I think you should dig out a childhood or teen photo or two and send them to me. πŸ™‚

  13. Ganeida says:

    Um, my Star was singing some very questionable Meatloaf at an early age…but then she was never the angelic sort.

  14. Just Julie says:

    ;D

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