He Always Pulled A Rabbit Out Of The Hat! Kick Ass Fighting Depression!

 

Photo of ME ... Gloria Faye Brown Bates  ... when I was Skip's co-driver driving tractor-trailer.  I made the most money in my life, I was very proud to do something most women never got to do. I loved the respect men showed me when Skip would introduce me, his wife and ... co-driver. Skip was proud of ME ... I loved that ❤

8:40 am ... March 30, 2024 ... Easter Sunday

I put a nice pot roast in the crockpot, complete with seasonings, vegetables. Soon a wonderful aroma will fill the house ... that's what I want. This will make Skip feel happy, look forward to something good to eat making today special  ... Easter. Oh! It will make me happy, too!

Holidays have a way of pulling one into depression ... especially in situations like ours where one's health is fragile, isolation, no family ... such things as one grows older. So many changes. 

I am glad I kick ass fighting depression... yes, I said that ... if I didn't,  I would be the most depressed person in this world. I am determined to stay positive, smile no matter the storms. I am going to do my best to weather them for Skip, Camie, myself. I will win.

Skip has been saying he is 'kinda looking forward' to Easter. I was glad to hear him say even that because ... Skip doesn't look forward to a lot since he hasn't been well. I understand him so well. Skip worries about dying ... Skip says he fights to live because ... he doesn't want to leave ME.  The very few people who know him best knows this to be true, he has talked to them. I don't want him to die, leave ME. He is my very Life.

I keep our tree on each day filled with colorful LED lights. They blink bringing life, magic into our daily life. We live a very boring life ... it's okay! I want boring for the first time in my life ... that means my little world that consist of Skip and Camie ... is okay. No chaos, everything is on even keel.

I remember well loving exciting, wonderful times ... perhaps too exciting at times. Especially out west on the big truck ... well ... back east, too! You never knew what was going to happen ... minute by minute be it truck related, human related, weather related. Things really did just happen, happen fast! ... all Hell could break loose ... or all wonderful could happen ... all went better depending on one's reaction to it. The fun part was ... not knowing what was going to happen!

I learned how one minute the weather was perfect ... the next ... the worst possible weather would happen. I was very, very respectful of the weather, gracious! I drove white-knuckled many times ... Skip would be asleep in the bunk, exhausted from from his many hours of driving. I either had to keep driving or ... give up, quit. I drove ... I did the best I could as carefully as I could. We survived!

Too exciting? Yes, it could be. When you are younger, stronger ... you love challenge.  I did ... I hung in there when I thought I wasn't tough enough. Skip taught me so much ... he was always ... cool as a cucumber! He was, still is the ... coolest Dude I've ever known. 

When the going got rough you could depend on Skip's calm manner, quick thinking ... I would always know Skip was going to make everything alright again.  He did ... he always managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat! I always knew down deep he would.

July 19, 2021 ... Hello ... Writing Again

I haven't been here for so long. Why? Truthfully ... I couldn't write any more ... I didn't have anything to say ... I wasn't in the mood ............ The real reason is because it was very hard for me to sit down at my computer to begin writing again. Too much on my mind. 

 For once writing couldn't help, I didn't want to write. A lot has been going on in our life. Skip's health has been very fragile ... he has had another stroke. He is doing okay now. His right leg was affected, his handwriting was affected but, he is just as sharp as a tack, mentally. He has to walk slower now. I am there to always for him to hold to me to stabilize, keep his balance. I help him every way I can. 

 Lately I've felt I wanted to begin writing again. When I wrote before I wrote pouring my Heart out in grief for the loss of my only child, Tommy. Thank God ... I have somehow found a place to be at a sort of peace where I don't sit, cry anymore. Yes, there are those times I ... sit, cry. Tommy's memory is still 'like yesterday' ... he could walk in the door at this moment and all would be like he'd never died. I've lost my mother, my brother Ricky ... they were my next closest loved ones. I grieve over them still. 

 I've lost all my family in death, in other ways ... I have Skip and Camie, they are my family. We have friends who are our family now. They have been the most caring people in the world since we were almost homeless 2 years ago. Skip's health has been critical at times ... I'm always watching over him.

Life is sad but ... it is good too. I prefer to make all positive even when it's hard to. I am that way ... I try to make all good, I try to forgive all ... why? So, I can live in peace, feel good inside. I quickly get negative people out of my life once I am sensing their negativity. One has to do that to grow older peacefully, gracefully. That ... I mean to do. 

 I know it's hard to learn to say 'no' ... hard not to be a people-pleaser, hard to do so many things we think as younger people 'we have to do so no one will think badly of us'. I'm here to tell you ... if you could learn as a young person you don't have to do all that ... you wouldn't waste all those years causing yourself grief, upset worrying about what others will think of you. Of course, I try to do all in a good, nice way but, I will say 'no' if I need to. You have to for your own mental health. 

 Most of all ... learn to forgive no matter who ... no, it isn't easy not at all. You have to if you are going to live with yourself in a peaceful way. Living with anger, hate in your Heart will make you sick, unhappy. I know. I have been angry since a little girl ... not everyone knew because I hid it with a smile, soft voice. 

 Another thing I've learned ... if you ever lend money always be prepared not to get it back. People are like that. Don't lend, give more than you can do without ... because it may never be paid back. I've learned to 'give it' in a way that one would know they never need to pay it back, it's a gift. Why?

 Because, think about it, you constantly hope, worry until someone gives you that money back. Then ... if they don't ... all sorts of emotions build up inside. It sure isn't worth what it does to you inside. If you go ahead to give without the expectation of getting it back ... your mind is always at peace concerning it. You could say they can give it back if they ever want to but, not to worry about it. 

 I was thinking about these things as I began to write so, I shared my thoughts. This is how I like to be ... at this stage in my life I don't need anything worrying, upsetting me. I have Skip's health, Camie to worry about. 

 I meant to tell you about Kissy, our beloved Rottweiler. He died on Christmas Eve 2020 ... he walked to me, laid his head on my foot, took his last breaths. He had an enlarged heart. I got him just after my son, Tommy, died ... I felt he was a link to Tommy. Kissy's death hurt me deeply. 

Through time as I write I will still share what grief feels like after 10 years when my son died. I will just share everyday life, my thoughts ... life. 

 For now, I will say I'm so glad I felt the need to write again. I love writing ... just talking. It's rare I talk with anyone other than Skip especially since the COVID Pandemic 2020-21. I will write more soon. 

Gloria Faye Brown Bates My photos are of our beloved Kissy (Rottie) ... Camie has become Pup 1 now (Catahoula).

PURPLE SHAMPOO...

PURPLE SHAMPOO!...

BY GLORIA FAYE BROWN BATES

I went to get my hair trimmed yesterday at Raffles. I am going to say that the girls in there do a nice job cutting hair. I'm glad I found them.

My hair has become a 'champagne' color where it's lightened up naturally... I'm happy that the older I've become... my hair color seems 'pretty much even all over'..... where it's lightened up.

Skip likes it, I like it... and now, I don't want to put color on it. I'm going to leave it like it is. I love my natural color!

Now.. yesterday I almost made a mistake. I asked the girl who cut my hair what could I use to make my hair shine more? No big deal.

Immediately she and the other beautician standing nearby said to use Matrix Total Results, but... don't use it more than twice in one week. The other beautician told about a woman using her Total Results shampoo more than two times... now, she has purple hair! Oh... My ... God!

Well, I decided I would come home and 'use the shampoo just one time'.... and use it quickly! I jumped into the shower and got my hair wet... took alittle of that shampoo and put it on my hair, worked it in and rinsed it quickly .... I didn't want to take a chance on having 'purple hair'!

I got out, toweled off, dressed and then, began drying and fixing my hair. It has become thin since Tommy died, the beautician said stress, grief can cause one's hair to do that. It should begin doing okay now. I've always had very thick hair.

Anyway, I noticed that there was a little 'silvery' sheen on my 'champagne' color.... I decided to read the bottle! As I read that bottle I decided I'm going to give that new bottle of shampoo away! The shampoo is purple in color, and on the front of it... it says 'So Silver'....now, I don't want my 'champagne' color to turn 'silver'!!! No way! I want my own color, nothing to keep up.

How lucky I am for the way my hair is 'doing by itself'... yes, I'm going to give that purple shampoo away. If anyone is reading this who knows me personally.... and it's convenient to give it to them... just let me know... this purple shampoo can be yours with .... no charge!