I found this on your old website and can't believe I forgot to put it into the website I built to preserve that stuff on Geocities. What a dolt I am :)
MOM'S PEARLS or: WHAT I'VE LEARNED SO FAR
by Debby Gleason
1) Never cook bacon on the BBQ.
2) Never ignore a letter from the IRS.
3) When you interview for a job, act like you already have it.
4) Say "I love you" every day.
5) Cook your hamburger before you add it to the spaghetti sauce.
6) Nobody looks good in their DMV photo.
7) Save SOMETHING out of each paycheck.
8) Write down every check in the register AT THE SAME TIME
you write the check.
9) Write down each ATM withdrawal before you do it.
10) The reason something is a cliche is because it's true.
11) Real love ebbs and flows but it never drains away.
12) The youngest kids get a better mom than the oldest kids because
practice does make perfect.
13) Marry your lover if: the sex is good, the romance is great and the
laughter is fantastic.
14) Know what you want before you go looking for it.
15) Never grocery shop on an empty stomach.
16) Never window shop on payday.
17) Always make a grocery list.
18) Cosmopolitan is a work of fiction.
19) Travel. Travel. Travel.
20) High school, college, career, marriage, children. In that order.
21) Best souvenier: Christmas ornaments.
22) Never let your insurance lapse.
23) Always insure for replacement value.
24) Your library card is second in importance only to your driver's
license.
25) The old songs are the best.
26) Make a dream list of things you want to do and spend the rest of
your life realizing them.
27) You only need one credit card.
28) Learn to cook the basics plus one fantastic dish.
29) Consider yourself a student for life.
30) TV isn't good or bad, it's just an option. Don't let it dictate your
schedule.
31) Only follow one soap opera.
32) It's cheaper to subscribe to magazines than to buy them monthly.
33) Cruising the information highway is going to cost you a bundle.
34) Don't blindly trust the so-called "professionals"--doctors, lawyers,
therapists, etc. Never forget they work for you--take an active
role. Research. Ask questions! Get a second opinion!
35) Go to live theater and music events. And take your kids!
36) Anything you say can be used against you.
37) Read fiction. Read non-fiction.. Read cereal boxes, just
read!.
38) Always have a project going.
39) Have at least one interest that is yours alone.
40) One foot on the floor at all times.
41) If your boyfriend wants to have sex with you, say "You'll have ask
my parents first and if they say it's okay, then we'll do it."
Making love is sweet and serious stuff and if you're really in love
and ready to make a committment, you'll have the guts to do that.
And if he is stupid enough to come to me and ask, I will set him
straight!
42) If you feel like you're doing something wrong, you probably are.
43) Realize that everytime you make love, you may become pregnant
and decide beforehand if you will accept that responsibility.
44) Open your mind and your heart will follow.
MOM'S PEARLS or: WHAT I'VE LEARNED SO FAR
by Debby Gleason
1) Never cook bacon on the BBQ.
2) Never ignore a letter from the IRS.
3) When you interview for a job, act like you already have it.
4) Say "I love you" every day.
5) Cook your hamburger before you add it to the spaghetti sauce.
6) Nobody looks good in their DMV photo.
7) Save SOMETHING out of each paycheck.
8) Write down every check in the register AT THE SAME TIME
you write the check.
9) Write down each ATM withdrawal before you do it.
10) The reason something is a cliche is because it's true.
11) Real love ebbs and flows but it never drains away.
12) The youngest kids get a better mom than the oldest kids because
practice does make perfect.
13) Marry your lover if: the sex is good, the romance is great and the
laughter is fantastic.
14) Know what you want before you go looking for it.
15) Never grocery shop on an empty stomach.
16) Never window shop on payday.
17) Always make a grocery list.
18) Cosmopolitan is a work of fiction.
19) Travel. Travel. Travel.
20) High school, college, career, marriage, children. In that order.
21) Best souvenier: Christmas ornaments.
22) Never let your insurance lapse.
23) Always insure for replacement value.
24) Your library card is second in importance only to your driver's
license.
25) The old songs are the best.
26) Make a dream list of things you want to do and spend the rest of
your life realizing them.
27) You only need one credit card.
28) Learn to cook the basics plus one fantastic dish.
29) Consider yourself a student for life.
30) TV isn't good or bad, it's just an option. Don't let it dictate your
schedule.
31) Only follow one soap opera.
32) It's cheaper to subscribe to magazines than to buy them monthly.
33) Cruising the information highway is going to cost you a bundle.
34) Don't blindly trust the so-called "professionals"--doctors, lawyers,
therapists, etc. Never forget they work for you--take an active
role. Research. Ask questions! Get a second opinion!
35) Go to live theater and music events. And take your kids!
36) Anything you say can be used against you.
37) Read fiction. Read non-fiction.. Read cereal boxes, just
read!.
38) Always have a project going.
39) Have at least one interest that is yours alone.
40) One foot on the floor at all times.
41) If your boyfriend wants to have sex with you, say "You'll have ask
my parents first and if they say it's okay, then we'll do it."
Making love is sweet and serious stuff and if you're really in love
and ready to make a committment, you'll have the guts to do that.
And if he is stupid enough to come to me and ask, I will set him
straight!
42) If you feel like you're doing something wrong, you probably are.
43) Realize that everytime you make love, you may become pregnant
and decide beforehand if you will accept that responsibility.
44) Open your mind and your heart will follow.
+
Love, Steph
I just got another check from my freelance job. It's a site I'm doing for the Nebraska Association for Healthcare Quality, or 'neahq'. I was contacted by one of the nurses I know here and she asked me to subit a bid for the job and what do ya know, they picked me :) It's kind of cool to get paid at the rate I should be getting paid at by the hospital, hehe. But anyway, I know you'd be chuffed to hear about that job. I've been with them since the beginning of the year and in December I'll be going to one of their meetings to give an inservice on how to use the site I created for them. Some nice ching before the holidays.
It doesn't look like we will get to go see Kelly et. al. out in Monterey this Christmas. Even with the extra money, I don't really have enough to drive out there, stay for 2 weeks and drive back. Maybe if I get my tax refund in January, I'll be able to set a chunk of that aside to go out there next May. I should have enough PTO by then. Kelly will be PO'd but I think she has a boyfriend now that will keep her occupied. I don't know if you ever met him. It's a guy she went to Uni with and is now in the military. Brad something-or-other. I can't recall his last name but I've met him and he seemed really nice. Things didn't work out with Ali and she doesn't seem to broken up about that. I told her that Ali was her 'Ashley' and that she hasn't met her Rhett yet, hehe.
Anyway, I'll write more later. I've got a meeting in a little bit.
It doesn't look like we will get to go see Kelly et. al. out in Monterey this Christmas. Even with the extra money, I don't really have enough to drive out there, stay for 2 weeks and drive back. Maybe if I get my tax refund in January, I'll be able to set a chunk of that aside to go out there next May. I should have enough PTO by then. Kelly will be PO'd but I think she has a boyfriend now that will keep her occupied. I don't know if you ever met him. It's a guy she went to Uni with and is now in the military. Brad something-or-other. I can't recall his last name but I've met him and he seemed really nice. Things didn't work out with Ali and she doesn't seem to broken up about that. I told her that Ali was her 'Ashley' and that she hasn't met her Rhett yet, hehe.
Anyway, I'll write more later. I've got a meeting in a little bit.
+
Love, Steph
This feels a little strange, doing this. I just wanted a way to talk to you like I used to. I couldn't always tell you everything because, well, you're my mom and kids aren't supposed to do that :) Even so, I still have that feeling I'd get around you when things would just fall out of my mouth whether I meant to tell you them or not. Bet you got a lot of crap out of me that way!
Anyway, I miss you.
Shannon's doing really well - you'd be so proud of her! She's still in band playing away on her clarinet. It's hard to believe she's in 7th grade already. She's really 'bloomed' I guess you'd say, in junior high. There's so much there to hold her interest and keep her busy. This year she's determined to have both perfect attendance and straight A's. My little geek :) We raised a smart one mom :) I also let her get her ears pierced. I know, I know. I should have waited until she's 13 like you did with me. But I figured, meh. She wasn't begging me to get it done though. I had to really twist her arm though. She was afraid it would really hurt. But she finally bucked up and did it and then I couldn't tear her away from the mirror as she preened in her new ruby studs :) Silly kid.
Gosh part of me feels like I need to catch you up on the past 2 and a half years, but that would take ages. I'll do it a little at a time. I hope you don't mind I've used some of your artwork on some of my sites, including this one. You know how much I love it. Oh I got a call from someone in your sketch club. They found two more of your paintings up at some church here in town. Imagine, after all this time and I thought I had them all rounded up.
Anyway I'm going to head off for now. Talk to you later.
Anyway, I miss you.
Shannon's doing really well - you'd be so proud of her! She's still in band playing away on her clarinet. It's hard to believe she's in 7th grade already. She's really 'bloomed' I guess you'd say, in junior high. There's so much there to hold her interest and keep her busy. This year she's determined to have both perfect attendance and straight A's. My little geek :) We raised a smart one mom :) I also let her get her ears pierced. I know, I know. I should have waited until she's 13 like you did with me. But I figured, meh. She wasn't begging me to get it done though. I had to really twist her arm though. She was afraid it would really hurt. But she finally bucked up and did it and then I couldn't tear her away from the mirror as she preened in her new ruby studs :) Silly kid.
Gosh part of me feels like I need to catch you up on the past 2 and a half years, but that would take ages. I'll do it a little at a time. I hope you don't mind I've used some of your artwork on some of my sites, including this one. You know how much I love it. Oh I got a call from someone in your sketch club. They found two more of your paintings up at some church here in town. Imagine, after all this time and I thought I had them all rounded up.
Anyway I'm going to head off for now. Talk to you later.
Mom...
Debby Romanski - 1950-2001