Life Be Life'ing

2025 Randoms of a Creole Princess...

Mississippi Gulf Coast Snow Days!

*DUSTING OFF THIS BLOG THAT I STILL PAY FOR…LOL!*

Hear me out. 2024 sucked. For me that is. I hope it was amazing for everyone else.

Watching the narcissist hustle over TikTok, banning it for over 180 million people only to bring it back in less than 24 hours so someone could take credit for it coming back? That was just horrible and playing with so many small business owners livelihood. That was so wrong.

But eh…

That said, I miss having my own space where I can say what I want to say without being interrupted by ads or bots or arguing with foolishness. I miss reading thoughtful comments that aren’t a quick brain rot blurb from doom scrolling.

Speaking of doom scrolling…I am weaning myself off Facebook. I like to keep up with my friends, of course, and I am worried about how that is going to look going forward or even make it possible to wean myself off. Honestly…I enjoy interacting with my friends without having to leave my favorite chair. You can’t tell me that it isn’t meaningful. Sure…not as meaningful as visiting but we mostly live in other states and visiting is difficult to do.

I did wean myself off the news and am pretty glad I did that because it opened up an entirely new morning routine for me that I think benefits me better. I get more done in the morning because by the time I have returned home for the day I am BEAT!

I lost all of my menopause weight using Noom. Then my brother died in October from ALS and I gained it all back by becoming depressed and sedentary. I have NEVER been sedentary before. This depression is so comfortable to me that it’s not a big deal anymore I guess…I would love to shake it forever but it certainly does not work that way.

Still can’t believe it for real snowed on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. We got about 8 inches of snow. Bryson and one of his besties played outside for probably a total of 30 minutes. They weren’t about that life talking about how cold it was.

We are having another snow day today and I had plans to clean my closet, clean out the fridge, and do laundry. I did neither. I put on a kimono and posted up in my favorite chair ALL.DAY.LONG.

One of the meals my mommy used to make for me was Southern Fried Cabbage. I made some recently and BAAAAAAABY…so good. I missed it. It is one of my nephew’s favorite meals now. Life repeats…

I’m currently looking out the window at a palm tree covered with snow and it does not look happy. I wonder if it will become problematic. Losing a palm tree would certainly suck.

To care for palm trees in the snow, focus on protecting the roots with a thick layer of mulch, wrapping the trunk with burlap or a frost blanket when temperatures drop below freezing, and avoiding excessive watering, as the cold can further stress the plant; if possible, choose a cold-hardy palm variety suited to your climate.”

WE DID NONE OF THAT. *sigh*

I looked in our pantry and freezer today and decided to see how long we can eat without going to the store. Have you ever done that? I mean…I’ll get milk and produce, of course, but that’s it. I want to eat as much of what we already have as we can. This is a part of my quest to shop less this year.

I love The Upshaws on Netflix. Bennie would have been divorced long ago messing around with me tho…

I bought a lot of new pajamas lately. Coping strategy.

I bought a Wooble, Fred the Dinosaur, and then a family member bought Sebastian the Lion for me. New hobby alert.

Are kids lazier lately? Were we super lazy? Did we have blindness when it came to simple stuff? Like if they told us to pick up the stuff on the floor of our room, did we pick up everything but like 80 things?????? 80 things we still don’t see until it is pointed out to you by a bewildered adult?????????

I actually love being home with my family and having nowhere to go but I know it’s a slippery slope so I am trying to be better about it. It’s much easier than it used to be because I have an amazing framily/friend group who takes circling the wagons seriously.

Becoming a hermit might STILL be in my future, however.

Social Media was cool but they ruined it by focusing on the rich getting richer. I miss the REAL connections we had through blogging. Social Media started removing our friends from our feed slowly and it all went to hell after that. My feeds are filled with shopping and random pages I don’t wish to spend time on. I just like who I like and people with good sense that I can get to like based on a common interest or two. I am not someone you can put in a box and know what I want. Shit…I don’t know what I want on any given day. Except pineapple on pizza. I will never want pineapple and cheese together. Fight me.

What’s going on random with you?


Balance Beam

Mon GCW-508 (1).jpg

In an effort to start back doing more of the things I want to do so I can still enjoy doing the things I have to do for my business, I am going to start blogging again. I might not do every day but several times a week I should be able to do. ESPECIALLY with ridiculousness like Amanda Knox going back to Italy knowing them people don’t want her over there. And did yall see that Social Security is going to be deplete in 15 years? And Prilosec and drugs like it are killing folks by giving em heart and kidney disease! Any day now one of us is going to die in a monsoon the way this weather has been kirking up and yall…there are over a hundred dolphin deaths out here recently because they opened up a spillway and let in a lot of freshwater without thinking of what it would do to the ecosystem. Like…WHERE.ARE.THE.MARINE BIOLOGISTS? SHOULDN’T SOMEONE SOMEWHERE HAVE SAID SOMETHING???????????????????

Got into a debate about Creole gumbo versus Cajun gumbo recently and literally just stopped talking and said, “Okay.” I’m good on my gumbo.

Speaking of gumbo, I have new hours at my store so I don’t kill myself trying to do it all. It wasn’t doctor’s orders it was husband’s orders. Dude was like…why are you killing yourself?

AND I FELT THAT!

I tried to return my hair to natural and was on the journey for 7 months and then decided nerp…not for me. And I relaxed again. I just didn’t have the time it seemed necessary to dedicate to transitioning. And…I caused a LOT of damage trying to transition and had to get a good cut to level it all back out again properly. So I’m rocking a layer cut that looks like nothing in my day-to-day topknot. LOL! You know…cuz I don’t have time to comb relaxed hair either.

I’m making things pretty and having an amazing time doing so. Check out my Instagram to see most of my projects. Let me know if you need any help doing something on your own. I can help you out via messages or phone! WHOOT WHOOT!!!!! www.Instagram.com/ThatGumboLife

I’ll be 50 years old in September and I’m starting to really feel this getting old thing. Aging is just wrong to women. I can’t take this hot stuff. It is honestly taking it out of me.

I’ve moved my store to a bigger location and I’m always looking for real estate for my next move. It’s super cute and I enjoy being there. I just don’t want to be tied to it every single day. Work life balance is key for me to have what it takes to choose happy. If I don’t have it…I’m just grumpy. I was either busy or exhausted. Those were my two modes.

EW.

What’s been going on with yall? I honestly miss all the different perspectives on topics that come up in the news and in my life so I’m going to try blogging again. Not every day but certainly a few times a week when it just builds up so much I wanna snap. LOL! And I miss writing daily. Massaging that muscle really helps me.

By @Sunshynknits for ME!!!!!!!

Me: Can you make me a sleeveless cowl with an asymmetrical hem that is fitted like a vest that I can wear over a long sleeve t-shirt and not be cold or under a coat but not get too hot?

Susan: Um...I've never made one before but sure! Let's do it!

Also me: I want it to be chunky but with really good yarn stuff so it's soft and not itchy.

Susan: Yarn stuff...Monnie you funny. Color?

Also me too and again: Oatmealish. Me no likey itchy.
Baaaaaaaaaaby...when I tell yall how happy I am with my oatmealish chunky really good yarn stuff vest thingy...I can't even begin! GO ME!

GO SUSAN! YOUR TALENT BLOWS ME ABSOLUTELY AWAY! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! And thank you for all of my other goodies too!

Contact her via www.Instagram.com/sunshynknits if you're looking for something amazing like this for yourself or as a gift! Or let me know and I'll connect you!

Broke Back

Two weeks before Thanksgiving, I was in a rush to complete some pieces for Small Business Saturday at my shop.  I was rocking and rolling and went to pick up a deceptively heavy piece of furniture.  Nothing I haven't done before, I just picked it up wrong.  I picked it up so that the drawers were away from me and they slid out, quickly, and pitched the forward.  I felt something "give" in my back and the pain started radiating immediately.  I couldn't pick up my right leg or stand up.  I slid to the ground and rolled over on my back with my knees bent and my feet on the ground.  It was the only way I could find any relief.

Actual pic of me on ground waiting on The Robinator.

Actual pic of me on ground waiting on The Robinator.

The Robinator was in his office on a series of conference calls before he had to go to the office and, since my phone was in my pocket, I slipped it out and called him sounding really calm.

Robby:  Hello?  (sounding like...WHY YOU CALLING ME FROM OUTSIDE???????  YOU KNOW I'M BUSY!!!!!!!)

Me:  Heyyyyyy (sounding all casual like I'm just shooting the shit)...when you have an opportunity, can you come outside and help me with something?

Robby:  Yeah, okay, okay...in a minute.

So...I did what any red-blooded American with a smartphone in their hand would do.  I surfed Facebook until he showed up.  Snapped a few pics.  You know...the norm.  LOL!

He came out about 10 minutes later casually strolling.  When he saw me on the ground, his face registered mild confusion because hey...sometimes I just sit or lay on the ground...I'm country but when he got closer and I told him that I'd messed up and he saw the dresser on the ground near me haphazardly, he started moving faster.

I couldn't move.  The pain was getting worse.  He carried me upstairs because, I wasn't about to go to the doctor looking like I was looking, called the doctor and rushed me in.

Link Taylor piece that took me out.  Old super heavy, super well-made nightstand.  Humph.

Link Taylor piece that took me out.  Old super heavy, super well-made nightstand.  Humph.

Doctor determined it was a bad sprain.  Yall...I couldn't move my right leg without severe pain and screaming.  He suggested I get a steroid shot.  I declined.  He gave me some anti-inflammatory meds and muscle relaxers.  Silly me, I thought muscle relaxers were pain pills.

They aren't.

After waking everyone up screaming a few times in the middle of the night because I was trying to turn in my sleep, I called the next morning for pain meds.

I was told that my doctor doesn't prescribe pain meds.  To anyone.  Of any kind.

Wait, what?

This has been our doctor for 3 years now.  Neither of us have needed pain meds for anything.  But baaaaaaaaaby...if we need pain meds...DAMMIT...WE WANT PAIN MEDS.  So I did my thing I do when I'm trying to get what I want and or need.  After going around and around, turns out, the truth is that our doctor (ex-doctor cuz yeah...no) doesn't have a DEA license so he CAN'T prescribe pain meds.

Oh.

And this is how the opioid crisis ends up affecting us.  When we were in for real serious pain...we can't get pain meds. I was incensed.

Once I got some pain meds and was able to start stretching without that severe pain, I started moving better.  The worst part, however?  The drive to and from Houston for Thanksgiving at my sister's house.  SO TERRIBLE.  And the pain meds made me toss my cookies so I had to take half doses after eating two chewable Tums to coat my stomach first.  My body was so filled with foreign stuff I never take that I looked and felt completely different. 

When we returned home, I stopped taking everything to flush out my system even though my back still hurts. I can't deal with that hazy, super swole feeling and truly don't know how anyone can.  So I'm doing yoga, stretching and, to quote The Robinator, "sit your azz down somewhere and stop doing stuff!"

But see...that's hard for me.

The Robinator has not let me pick up anything heavier than my toothbrush.  He has been the most hilarious nursemaid the world has ever produced.  Let's me know what I'm in for as we grow old together.  *sigh*  Pure comedy. 

The whole, no DEA license thing was news to me and something I guess we all need to be aware of with our doctors.  People like us aren't trying to score drugs so to leave us in pain because a doctor CAN'T prescribe something to take us out of pain is just WRONG.

Humph.

Did yall know about the DEA license thing?  Would you use a doctor as your primary care doctor who didn't have one knowing that if you really hurt yourself he/she couldn't get you out of pain using pain meds?

Have you ever hurt your back?  What did you do to fix it?  Do you still have problems with it after you hurt it the first time?  Or did it completely go away?

Furry Coat Fun!

I needed some headshots done so I called this guy:

Josh of JBW Photography

See those looks on our faces?  That's because we'd just finished with some ridiculously good fun!  See...I just needed headshots but I'd recently purchased that fun coat which The Robinator calls my muppet coat.  

Josh:  We should totally do something with that!

So...once we were finished, I put it on and, before you know it, I was getting my Mary J. Blige on in front of the house!  LOL!  "My life, my life, my life, my life!  In the sunshine!"

I had sooooooo much fun!

He's on the Knot's website too as a wedding photographer in New Orleans so if you need a photographer...holla at him!  Tell him I sent you!  I promise you won't be disappointed!