saying thank you.

i'm sure most of you saw when I posted this on instagram.

 

my mom sent me the email below yesterday.

 

sidenote: all of the emails I get from my mom have the subject: "FYI"

 

In no way am I tooting my own horn...but 1. the fact that my grandfather was bragging on me to a nurse the week he passed away tugged at my heart 2. my grandma taught me to always say thank you with a card and 3. it shows a simple "thank you" goes so far and means so much.

 

I don't think people say "thank you" enough.  I certainly don't give gifts  expecting a thank you, but when I do get an email, text, phone call, or card in return it means so much.

 

I do my best to send thank you notes for every gift I receive...even to my parents.  Of course everyone knows you're thankful, but to see it written out and to know that you took the time to send out a note (even if it's a text or email) is so appreciated.

 

I'm also one to keep every single card I receive.  I save them so I can read them when I need an instant pick-me-up.

 

What if someone you know does this too?  Maybe they'd like a card from you so they can look back and see those kind words written out.

 

It's so hard to get wrapped up in life, but I think the above email shows that a simple "thank you" can go a long way.

the joys and perils of living alone.

do you live alone?

 

I do.

 

I love it.

 

 

 

here are the joys of living alone...

 

1. no one there to judge you for going to the kitchen to eat parmesean cheese out of the packet.

 

2. nude breakfast preparations.

 

3. your apartment can look like a crack den for as long as you so choose.

 

4. clean laundry can be kept in a pile on your couch.

 

do you live alone?

 

I do.

 

I hate it.

 

here are the perils of living alone...

 

1. no roommate to help you pay the rent/bills.

 

2. couch time can be boring sometimes.

 

the joys of living alone as a single woman greatly outweigh the perils. 

 

if you're single...I highly recommend it.

the lucky one.

sunday around 4pm, after driving back home from Charleston, I snuggled up in my bed and started watching the movie The Lucky One.

 

my mom text me later to tell me the EMS had been called for my granddaddy.  this wasn't necessarily out of the ordinary.  just the night before, my mom text me to let me know my uncle had taken him to the ER because he was running a fever.  he didn't have the flu or pneumonia so they sent him home that same night with a Zpak for bronchitis. 

 

they've had to call the EMS before many times just because both my grandparents are getting up there in age.  so I was used to getting these types of texts from my mom.

 

I was, of course concerned but I just figured my mom would get to my grandparents and would update me about how long he'd need to be in the hospital or what the doctor would say.

 

I said a quick prayer and I remember thinking to myself..."what if?" what if this is when i'm not gonna get good news.  after a minute of that...I continued focusing on the movie.

 

towards the end of the movie, my mom called me.  the minute my phone rang and I saw it was her I knew it was not gonna be good news.

 

I answered and I could tell she was already crying.

 

"Beth...are you back in Greenville? Are you at home?"

"Yes." **starting to cry**

"I'm at Me-Maw and Granddaddy's and when I got here Granddaddy had already passed away."

"Noooooooooooo!" **more crying**

"I know, baby.  But he died peacefully in his sleep."

 

we talked a little longer and before we hung up I said..."I'm sorry, Mama."

 

I had lost my grandfather, but she had just lost her daddy.  My heart ached for her.

 

I've never lost someone close to me before.  Atleast, not this close.  My maternal grandparents were basically the only ones I had.  My dad's mom passed before I was born. His dad passed when I was 5. 

 

The Lucky One movie was still playing, but at this point I had it muted and was in hysterics.

 

over the past 3 days of funeral things and sadness I began to think.  i'm a lucky one. 

 

i'm lucky to have been able to have my granddaddy for the past 29+ years. 

 

i'm lucky that he was...as my grandma said..."sharp as a tack."  he went to eat breakfast at a local cafe every morning and had just been there friday morning before the sunday he passed.   he was ALWAYS working on something.  the last time I saw him earlier this month, he was getting ready to go help his friend work on something at his workshop.

 

i'm lucky that he and my grandmother set such a wonderful example for me as they were married for 66 and a half years.

 

i'm lucky that so many people loved him in his community.  so many people told me how much he meant to them and how special he was.  this I already knew, but to hear it from other people meant so much more.  when we were leaving the chapel at the funeral, I noticed they had to put in extra chairs for all the people there.

 

my granddaddy is lucky he lived such a full life.  he was 94 years old.  and died in his sleep while sitting in his chair.  he wasn't in the hospital.  he wasn't in a nursing home.  he died in probably one of his favorite places to be.

the picture in the lower right hand corner is my favorite.  my granddaddy had that picture in a frame next to his chair.

it's gonna be hard walking in the door and not hear him say "hey there, puddin'!" anymore.
 

thank you so much to so many of you who already knew the news and sent me tweets, texts, and facebook messages.  i'm truly blessed with some amazing people in my life.

valentine psa.

sorry while I step on a soap box today...

 

i'm single. 

 

I try not to complain about being single on valentine's day. 

 

but for those that get sad about not having a valentine on valentine's day...

 

just remember...

 

some people don't have a mother on mother's day

 

or

 

some people don't have a father on father's day

 

i'm thankful I have a mother and a father.  some of my friends aren't so lucky.

and to those friends...I love you.

my funny valentine.

tomorrow is valentine's day.

 

I don't have a valentine.  I'm not married.  I don't have kids.  I'm an only child...no nieces or nephews. 

 

but i'm truly blessed with tons of little boo's who melt my heart.  and to them i'm "Auntie Bef."

 

these are my valentine's this year...and every year to come.

 

Cade - 1 year

Emery - 11 months and Mason - 2 years

 

Campbell - 4 and Kennedy - 23 months

 

Anna-Claire - 6 years and Sarah-Parks - 3 years

Cade sent me a Valentine. melt my heart why don't ya.

hope your valentine's day is as special as mine.

 

and in the real spirit of my valentine's day...

 

 

 

 

and this will be me on friday morning...

 

 

throwing shade on everyone that talks about their fabulous valentine's day with their significant others.

side boobs and puffy parts.

so a memo was sent out for those attending the Grammy's last night to not show any "side boob" and "puffy parts."

 

I'm not quite sure what constitutes as "puffy parts" but I'd happily show mine to these two gentlemen.

 

 

speaking of justin...

 

 

y'all...during his performance I took a break from live tweeting so I could focus on my boo.

 

I had the biggest smile on my face the entire time.

 

 

can't wait to see this man on tour this summer.  Sandi and I will be saving up for floor seats.  I'm serious.

 

so no one showed their side boobs or puffy parts

 

but JLo showed her leg...which I did not enjoy. 

and that bun sitch made my head hurt.

 

rihanna didn't show really any boob...just her nip.

and during her two perfomances I'm pretty sure she used the Grammy memo to roll her numerous joints. 

 

girl was high.

 

katy perry didn't show side boob, but showed two puffy parts.

 

I did not hate. 

 

fun fact: KP and I have the same size bra size (how I know this i'm not sure)...mine do not look that good.  but i've been inspired to start showing mine off more.  go 'head girl.

 

what I did hate?

 

the fact that they kept showing tswift awkwardly dancing in the crowd all night.  even her friend looked annoyed.

 

 

other things I enjoyed about the nights events...

the fact that Frank Ocean won and Adele threw major shade at Chris "Beater" Brown.

if y'all don't know Frank Ocean...you need to get familiar.  one of my favorite songs of his is Novacane.

 

enjoy.

 

  I also love that he won with Jay-Z, Kanye, and The Dream for "No Church in the Wild"...that sh*t is my anthem.  I want it played every time I enter the room.   Let's make that happen this year.      when they did the Bob Marley trib...all I could think about was how Sandi and I both took a class on him in college.  

  If you want to know how I felt about everything else in between...just read my tweets from last night. @sweetbef.

musical wednesday.

yeah, I just made that up.  this isn't a link up...

but music CONSUMES me.  i'm obsessed with my spotify.  the biggest struggle I have every morning is what music to listen to while I work.

I have playlists titled "Is This An Urban Outfitters?"..."Things They Play At The Dentist Office"..."Forgotten R&;B Treasures"..."Country Jewels"...I mean shit gets real on my spotify.

There is obviously certain music that I don't like (mainly anything that Kenny Chesney sings) and I know when I like a song if I listen to it on repeat 20x's in a row.

So if you love music too maybe you'll love some of these songs.  You're welcome if you fall in love.

If you like REALLY good rap....

  If you like John Mayer....     If you like dubstep aka the sound of robots having sex...     If you like Katy Perry...     and if you like 90's R&B...