I have some awards to pick up and bestow... I haven't forgotten.

My Mom's behaviour has truly deteriorated. It's not bloggable... I don't want to relive all of it.

Holding on, holding in, trying to keep breathing

Too True Tuesday- The SHOES!

I was so excited that I would have something for this week's Too True Tuesday! In fact, the moment I told Lady the topic she said "You have to write about the shoes!"

Above, you see one of The Shoes- Black leather, zipper in the side, Dr. Scholl's insole I think this is the right shoe. It's on my pillow for its modeling debut. This is a comfortable shoe, albeit *very* plain.

I kid you not, I have had more than half a dozen pairs of these *identical* shoes bought for me by an Aunt I shall call T.

T and I were very close as I was growing up- She was my Other Mother. But I think in her mind I never got any older than 12. Anyway, she still does quite a bit for me.... But for a while we almost had a falling out because of The Shoes.

I was 18. Starting University. And T bought me Pair 1 of the shoes. Yay. They weren't for any special occasion other than the start of school. And I liked them.

Then I got an identical pair 3 months later for Christmas. Okay... Thanks T

Then I got a pair for my birthday, 6 weeks after Christmas....

Then I got a pair for starting my second year of University... I could now *interchange* these shoes.

I said to T. "I really appreciate the shoes, but I have enough pairs now, thank you!"

I got a movie for Christmas....

And then? For my birthday? You guessed it. Shoes.

THOSE I returned to the Mart of Walls.


(The pair featured here is the *newest* pair, given to me in July by, you guessed it, T. But at least they weren't for any occasion!)

Doing my bit

Family Needed

Leave your judement at the door...

Wishing for peace

A Soft Landing

So my room is still clean and the trauma is settling. Communication lines, blasted open by my abrupt departure, have stayed open. It's not perfect- but we're trying.

3 weeks til I get the keys- HUGE!!!

Mom is panicking about every 3 days, my stepdad calmly asks her "Aren't you proud of Ashley? This is a big step." I truly believe that we'll get there.

Any tips from you lovely folks about independent living? What do you wish you'd known when you moved out?

Dia- I really enjoyed the book that Tortuga did his report on when I was younger. When I was Corazon's age, I read Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon. She might like them, the language is really rich.

Think that's all I have to say right now. Still reading all of you, every day.