All tagged Jay-Jay
Ho, Ho, Ho! The countdown is on. Plans are being made to spend time with family and friends because Hanukkah and Christmas are great reasons to gather. Especially since we had a couple holiday seasons under the Covid regime, I think many of us cannot wait to be within six feet of each other and without masks on this year. ‘Tis the season.
The other day I felt a bit jealous of the friend who was giving me a mani/pedi. I’ve known my friend for only fifteen months but in this time frame I have learned that she routinely calls her family on her way to and from work every day. Not just every once in awhile, but every day she has someone that she calls. This may not be earth shattering news or something you would be jealous about but I think it is thoughtful and worth mentioning.
When we were deciding what to get my mom for her birthday, both of my kids gave me many ideas. I told them that when I was packing up to move, I noticed that their grandmother treasured their gifts so much that she never even used anything. Including a daily Jeopardy! calendar that was still in the packaging and the years is more than half way over! I told my kids that my mom had plenty of great things from them and so sending something that can not be bought in a store would be best.
The only person who calls me Barbara Joyce is my cousin Jay-Jay. And when she calls me that, it’s not really meant to be endearing, it’s meant to be like, “Girl, what are you doing?” Y’all, it must be a southern thing when someone addresses another by using both their first and middle names. Even though I’m over fifty, when Jay-Jay calls me Barbara Joyce, I feel like I’ve got some explaining to do!
When I recently learned that there was such a day as National Pretzel Day, I searched my file of gift ideas to look for a certain pretzel company to help with this special occasion. My cousin Jay-Jay had sent us a “You Lucked Out” gift pack of pretzels this year for St. Patrick’s Day and it was such a bit hit. For National Pretzel Day, I am using the same company, Eastern Standard Provisions Company. A few days ago, I ordered some thoughtful pinches and I’m hoping that the pretzel gift packs arrive in time to celebrate!
I dated someone for 7 years and even though I had fun dating other guys for a couple more years, I thought it was about time to be in a relationship again. The timing was serendipitous because my hub, who twenty-five years ago was known as a “player”, was thinking the same thing too.
For so many years, I have kept the tradition of listening to Christmas music non-stop starting the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas night. In recent years, I have added another “Day After Thanksgiving” tradition. I pull out all of our Nutcracker items to mark the beginning of the celebration (more like fear) of my daughter’s upcoming dance schedule. Prior to COVID, the weeks leading up to Christmas were ONLY about Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy at the State Theater. The mugs, sweatshirts, decorations and the coveted fuzzy sock/slippers which have Nutcrackers printed all over them come out of hibernation to help me get in the mood. I’m giving credit to the socks for keeping me grounded during the whirlwind of a season.
Last Fall, I was crushed when the Thoughtful Pinch app didn’t take off the way I had imagined. Fortunately, I believe that things happen for a reason so I didn’t dwell on the set back for long. I threw a pity party for a few weeks but I eventually embraced the “failure”. I took a breather. I collected data. I grew; which is always a good thing.
I am about to admit something very unthoughtful. Up until a week ago, I would judge family members when they would ask me what they should get my kids for their birthdays or Christmas. I have been very narrow-minded in thinking that they didn’t know my kids well enough to have their own gift ideas for them and I felt resentful that they had to ask for help. I felt like they were taking the easy way out; wanting me to give them the answers to the test. I considered this “cheating”. Boy was I dumb for thinking that way!
As an underaged drinker in college, I quickly learned why my friend’s drink choice when we snuck into bars was a Long Island Iced Tea. Here are the ingredients for a Long Island Iced Tea: vodka, rum, gin, tequila, triple sec, sweet and sour mix, cola and a lemon slice. If all of the prices for well drinks were the same - why wouldn’t she get the most alcohol for her money? The rationale is simultaneously gross and brilliant. However, it begs the question - why do they call it Long Island Ice Tea when iced tea isn’t even an ingredient?
On Friday when I found out that our kids cannot physically go back to school for the remainder of the year, I thought, “It’s time to rebound.” I should clarify, that was not the first thought that came to mind. I did break down sobbing while driving home from picking up dinner that day. However, as I quietly ate dinner with my kids, I started to feel the “rebound” attitude rising up inside me. As one part of me grieved the loss of a school year, the other part of me wanted to take back some control over my life. I knew what I had to do. I decided to get the Earth Day thoughtful pinches ready for the teachers.
I’ve mentioned many times on social media that my cousin Jay-Jay is extremely thoughtful. I tap into her for many things relating to Thoughtful Pinches and lately I’ve been feeling like such a dope! Jay-Jay has been specifically showing her thoughtfulness for years but I didn’t pick up on her technique until recently. Now that I am aware of it, I feel like she should be writing this blog - not me! The following is what I affectionately call the “Jay-Jay Way” :
