Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Let me introduce myself!


It's BLISS!  A real-live-grown-up conference and I'm going!  I'm so excited.  Everyone is writing to introduce themselves and I thought I'd join in {since I'm pretending to be a blogger}. So...here I am. 

It's me! I need to get rid of that red eye, dont' I? 
Hi! I'm Mollianne. Welcome to MolliWorld, where I am the Queen of all I survey{mostly an early 60s split-level in dire need of remodeling...on my extended list of things I'll get to someday}. I'm a 50-something career homemaker who finds myself sitting behind a desk 40 hours a week wondering why I'm not at home in Camelot {yes...I live in Camelot. Don't you just love it?}! 

The amazing Rocket Man
I am deliriously, happily and blissfully married to the amazing Rocket Man {he's a real-live-honest-to-goodness Rocket Engineer y'all!} and we have 4 children {1 son, 3 daughters}between us, all grown and gone. We're happily-ever-aftering here in the Camelot subdivision of Rocket City, USA. We love our quasi-empty next and the grandsons {The Boys Fantastic- Mac Attack and Boy Wonder} who spend their weekends with us.  Adolescent grandsons. Teenagers.  Boys, no less.  The stench aroma gets strong at times.

Rocket Man is coming with me to BlissDom.  He's also known as The Adult Supervision.  For some reason... he thinks I require such.  Mostly, he'll be in the room guarding the remote control against anyone who might try to steal it from the hotel.  Care and handling of a television remote control is one of the many things at which he excels.

The Boys Fantastic, Boy Wonder and Mac Attack

I work at The Church House as the Clergy Administrator {fancy title for preacher's secretary} and mostly love what I do there. When I'm not doing that {and sometimes when I am} I find plenty to do. I sing. I read. I write. I occasionally make cards. I bake. I cook. I take pictures. I knit a little. I think. I think a lot.  But don't worry.  I'm professionally trained at thinking. My degree is in Philosophy.

I got a .357 magnum for Christmas last year and I named it The Vera {I store it in a Vera Bradley backpack in my closet}. I think I'm very big now that I have my very own revolver.

Mollianne and The Vera
Rocket Man is my biggest hobby and I find myself lured to the couch to watch sporting events of all sorts just to sit next to him. We spend time together in the garage while he works on his cars {a 75 Camaro, a 65 Mustang and a 64 Falcon}. I'm working on a Junior Mechanic Merit Badge by fetching tools and turning wrenches. Sometimes, he even lets me play with the power tools!  We recently purchased a {new to us}motorcycle, so we'll be riding the wind when the weather warms up a bit, and once the necessary repairs are done.
I helped rotate the tires!

I have some sort of undiagnosed autoimmune deal going on that has stumped doctors at Vanderbilt, UAB and the Mayo Clinic.  The best theory takes it back to a story titled, "Rabies is Always Fatal" in which we woke up to a bat circling our bed one night.  We survived.  The bat did not.  He did NOT have rabies, which we found out after taking 3 rabies shots.  Anyway, I have goofy symptoms and every few months take IV steroid infusion to try to keep the symptoms at bay.  I've just come off a round, so I'll still be on a steroid high when we arrive next week.  I'm bringing my dancing shoes.  I know something about chronic illness, which I will occasionally write about.

In the midst of all of that, we manage to find a lot of things to laugh about. I suspect at the heart of my things... I'm just easily amused. Those are the things that I write about here. I'm glad that you stopped by and hope that you have a wonderful time at BissDom!  And I hope I get to hug your neck.  Come back anytime. I'll try to always make it worth your while.

Oh, just for the record...and because I never  seldom  don't often do things the way other {maybe more normal} people do...I'm launching a beautiful new home for my blog. The design is beautiful and I can't wait to share that space.  Hopefully after I meet all y'all at BlissDom I'll be launching.  So, this isn't going to be my address forever.  My new home, coming soon to a URL near you will be www.cleverlymolli.com  I'll still be masquerading as a responsible adult just under the name of Cleverly Molli.

I can't wait to meet all y'all.  I have made lists, read all I can find bout BlissDom and really!  I'm ready to come and make friends, rock babies {one grandmother who would LOVE to rock your baby coming right up!}, exchange twitter handles {I'm @ CleverlyMolli} swap business cards and be part of this wonderful community. 

Till then, I'm blowing you kisses from Camelot!

~Mollianne

I love smooching with the Rocket Man!

Photo by the Amazing Melissa Tash of
 Spoiled Rotten Photography

Friday, February 3, 2012

Real {5 minute friday}


Its Friday and one of my favorite things in the blogosphere...5 Minute Friday over at The Gypsy Mama. Where we set a timer, write for 5 minutes on a specific topic with no rewrites, no edits. Just words pouring from our hearts through our fingers onto the screen. Sometimes its raw, oftentimes poignant, always a good exercise.


The prompt: Real.
Go

Today, real is about doing something I loathe doing.  Its about being a grown up and putting on those big girl panties and presenting my self and my veins at the infusion center for the first of 5 days of IV steroid infusions.  1000 mg a day.

Real is the war that will take place in my body as the steroids do battle with antigens that are attacking my body.  Real is the flush I will feel within 24 hours of the first drip that will remain uncomfortably there for several days.  From my chest to my scalp.  Real is the metallic taste of pennies that will be in my mouth for the next week.  Real is the loss of those things I guard carefully when I'm not full of antigen-fighting chemicals.  Real is the embarassment I will feel after the fact when I've blurted out something I really wish I hadn't.

Real is the love and care that my Rocket Man will shower upon me.  Real is the surrender I make to let him 'be the boss of me' for the next days.  Real is the struggle to not be a burden to him.  Real is this journey we are on that begin with a bat flying in our bedroom one night, almost 7 years ago and the myriad of medical tests and the doctors shaking their heads and telling me I'm interesting.  Real is the offering up of my veins and my body and the hope I cling to that someday, the treatment will overcome whatever is wrong with me and I will be whole. 

Real is the love of my Savior who walks this path with me and keeps me in His care.  That part of my real is what will give me the courage to walk into the clinic and roll up my sleve, smiling at the nurse to encourage her as she sticks the garden hose into my vein and administers the drip.  Real.  Oh, yes.  Its real.

Stop.

~Mollianne