Friday, June 29th 2007
I’m Baaaaaaaaaack!
Johnny asked me to write an entry about the holiday we spent together. That was six months ago and since then he forgot about it and I forgot about it and when I remembered it seemed like no one would give a damn. Well, Boy Wonder thought differently so I decided to brush off what I started back then and present the readers of Hazzard Ahead my Christmas with Johnny diary in three parts.
For most of the years since Johnny left home to make a life for himself he has ditty-bopped into town close to, if not ON Christmas Eve and blasted out again before New Year’s Eve. I’m no fool… I know when you’re young you want to hang out with your buddies and party. That’s the way it should be and when it comes to majorly festive holidays, well, sometimes the family gets the short end. This year I had him home for three whole weeks. THREE WHOLE WEEKS! Some people might think of an extended family visit as a trial or an obligation. Me? I could hardly wait!
Unless you’ve spent some down time on the home front with Johnny you can’t understand the energy he exudes… the electricity in the room from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed. It’s something very unique like the fragrance of lilacs – nothing else smells like lilacs!
The holiday started off with Johnny’s unexpected early arrival. He and Carmen concocted the heart-arresting meeting at the local Winking Lizard where I was so shocked and racked with happiness I didn’t know what to do with myself! From that moment on it was non-stop.
My four kids – I need NO MORE than them… each of them is an individual that brings a different ray of sunshine to my life. Each of them contributes something completely different, while equally meaningful to me. As they say, and I’m dating myself here, “Variety is, indeed, the spice of life”. Those spices combine to create a very fine recipe indeed. Augment that mix with the friends and acquaintances of all four and, Hell, Emeril – I’ve got you beat! There are the muted spices that, when mixed with the zesty spices, give you the best taste you’ve ever had. What more could a mom wish for?
A big part of my bond with Johnny has been all about music. My God what a time it has been! Johnny constantly introduces me to new groups, new sounds and broadens my horizons. Yep – Moving Into Light is, by far, my favorite. I have to admit that it’s hard to listen to while I’m trying to concentrate on cooking or getting the house ready for the next influx of family/friends, but I give it my best shot! Milo has a kick-ass sound system and I rev that puppy up every time we’re driving. DPRN2U drives me turbo!!!!!!!!!!
So the old lady has learned how to make her own CD compilations of every genre of music. And Johnny bought me a new receiver to play them as I tool around town. Several years ago Carmen got into this sound arena and the trunk of his car was filled – to the brim – with speakers. I always knew when he was about two miles away from home (so did the neighbors) ‘cause you could feel the vibration of his sound system.
When you see Johnny shaking his thing in some video to a song you’re looking at a little piece of me. Stay tuned as I will continue this tale in a few days.