Come on over to :Off Color" Paradise......

~ And me, I still believe in paradise.

But now at least I know it's not some place you can look for, 'cause it's not where you go.

It's how you feel for a moment in your life when you're a part of something, and if you find that moment...

it lasts forever...~

from the movie Beaches 2000 (Richard)

It's the late afternoon  and I'm groggy,

tired,

dazed even a bit...

I tried to sleep last night but...

the

"off color" family was having

a chaotic kind of night.....

It all began yesterday....

Hannahtard had spent the night with off color daughter...they had a "china" trip meeting---(they will be going to China with school in a year or so)

We rushed out Saturday morning to attend.

We rushed home because I had a beautification appointment,

drop off color son off at the next friends house after his shower,

I rush to buy a new camera I'd been wanting,

We rushed to the grocery store

and

back home

and

then off to pick up Norman at the donut shop where he works..

the

dynamic duo and and I pick up Norman
 then I dropped them off to eat a bit of Mexican food---

another mother was the pick-up and someone else would then pick them up at the bowling alley and take them to Hannahtards...

whew....

oh yeah...before I head home,

I had to stop and pick up Big Daddy's milk.

Five o'clock...

I'm tired...

nothing else planned.

I arrive home...

Big Daddy is already snoozing in bed...he stirs..

"we're not going anywhere tonight, right?"

nope he says...

Kids were out for the night and staying with friends...

I undress,

get the bra off...

pull on my pj's and climb into bed.

No sooner than I put my head down....

Chocolate and Cecil decide they need to go outside....

up to do that...

i come back,

get comfortable one more time...

doze off...

someone comes through the door and opens the bedroom door...

oh...off color son home for a shower and clothes change--they are going to a  homecoming party....

I try again...

the phone buzzes...

"off-color" daughter--mom....blah, blah, blah..

so

we need you to pick us up.....

I pull on my clothes over my pj's...

pick them up,

drive them to Norman's house to pick up something...

drop them off at the bowling alley...

and try again....

I do doze off for an hour this time..

get up to have dinner...

and

then fall asleep finally during Saturday Night Live...

around two o'clock...

the phone rings...

"off color son"....Mom....don't panic...

but my ride to the party got drunk and he won't let us

drive his car.  I have a ride, but now the person I was going to stay all night with is staying to care for the drunk boy....

Is it okay for us to come over and sleep there....who is us I say, "four boys who have often frequented my house..."

I get up and set up a box fan outside my door so they don't keep us up....

lay back down and doze off..

door opens...it is off-color son...

just letting you know we are home and

we are okay..

'kay..good night...

I doze off...

phone buzzes with a text....

"off-color daughter" commenting about a text I sent her at ten o'clock....

doze off...

Cecil devil dog from hell...

decides

time to go outside and time for breakfast...

he will not leave me alone...

Big Daddy ignores all of it...

I get up...

let them out the backdoor,

get the three things of dog food bowls ready

and go to let them back in...

oh no....

only the Hershey Dog..

I run inside...

put my feet into shoes and grab my car keys...

big daddy stirs...

MF dogs

dammit to hell

I hear my southern voice saying...

i jump in the car and half a block away,

the boys are enjoying the sights in a neighbors yard...

I stop the ghetto van...

they run to the door and get in...

home again..

back to bed...

sleep comes..

Big Daddy stirs the boys to go to one of those all you can eat stuff yourself and burst breakfast bars...

I go work out....

I talk to an interesting older and wiser woman

I frequently see there...

she is preparing for a hike through the Appalachian Trail--she's probably in her late sixties...

She's walking on the stairmaster loaded with her backpack..

i ask her when she leaves...

in her southern voice she tells me it has been postponed because her husband is not feeling well...but she says with a smile..

I've read many people have done it past their seventies...so I'm gonna keep preparing for the dream...

i smiled...

I'm soaked in sweat..

i get home..

the entire "off color family" is sleeping...

I eat..

I shower...

I crawl up beside Big Daddy...

ah...

Paradise...

sleep comes....

Life is chaotic at the "off color family's house.."

but

there is something so rich and good and loving ...

that

as I close my eyes..

I realize..

"it doesn't get any better than this..."
This right here..right in the middle of all the chaos...
it is paradise....

I did have a nice nap this afternoon...

Big Daddy is still snoozing..

off color son is too..

off color daughter is in bed but doing homework..

I'm getting ready to play with my new camera...

come on over ..

come on back...

you never know what will happen in the

house of the "off color' family...

but it's sure to be an adventure to Paradise...

happy Sunday...

and

Hugs..