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Heart! ~ If you are not a subscriber and this has been passed on to you, join us by sending a blank e-mail to four_ears @ msn.com (remove spaces) with "subscribe" in the subject line. And get the love direct! Web site: http://www.geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001 Archives: http://geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001/Archives.htm ________________________________________________________ "People shop for a bathing suit with more care than they do a husband or wife. The rules are the same. Look for something you'll feel comfortable wearing. Allow for room to grow." -- Erma Bombeck ______________________________________ LET 'EM WONDER by Betty King Now I'm old and I'm fat and I'm even handicapped, but I know what Fredrick's of Hollywood is. My daughter and I were planning a lingerie shower for my future daughter-in-law, and I was curious. My daughter-in-law-to-be had mentioned some things at Fredrick's she'd looked at. It sounded a bit intriguing to me. So when my husband and I went to the mall, I decided I would stop in and check out the latest in intimate apparel. Bill and I had lunch at the Olive Garden. Of course, our agenda always calls for lunch before shopping. I ate one too many bread sticks as usual. Perhaps that is why it has been awhile since I frequented Fredrick's. Now you must understand Dana is a little bit of a girl. My son picked her out, not me! Personally I think I would have chosen someone with a bit more meat on their bones. We pretty much look like Mutt and Jeff when we're together. Dana wears extra small, and I wear – well, let's just say it's been a LONG time since Fredrick's has handed me a receipt for an item. I must admit recently my husband has been getting his thrills more from window shopping at Fredrick's than seeing me in the likes of such garments. We've been married forty-five years now, and Bill has to use his wild imagination to envision me in something skimpy enough to be sold at Fredrick's. Now you must understand I have not always been old, fat, and handicapped. I used to be young skinny and not crippled by Multiple Sclerosis. But I must admit it's been awhile since a mirror acknowledged that fact. I can remember once though, not too many years ago, my adult kids were on a scavenger hunt, and they came by the house looking for some items. After getting a few things on their list, I asked, "What else do you need?" "Oh, you wouldn't have these other things, Mom," they commented. "Such as--" I asked. "Oh, a black garter belt and--" "Oh, I have one of those. And what else do you need?" "Mom, you've got a black garter belt?!" "Sure, and the hose to go with it and--" "MOM!" Our adult children got a different view of their mother that night after I opened my dresser drawer and presented them with the sexy items they were seeking. "Mom, did you wear these?" "Well, of course!" "MOM!" "Run along, kids. You don't need to know everything," I jokingly told them. I hope they didn't smell the mothballs lingering on those delicate undies. "Bill, let's stop in here for a minute," I said as I deliberately came upon Fredrick's of Hollywood. "OK," he said with that look in his eyes that most men get if they're still alive. Of course, he used to envision chasing me around the house in the likes of such things. But now he just chuckles a bit as he meanders about, gawking at the itty-bitty pieces of fabric. I cracked a few jokes with the salesgirl, and she remarked about the seventy-some-year-old woman who had come in and spent $200.00 on her boyfriend just that week. They have itty-bitty things for men there too, you know. I made a purchase for Dana and daydreamed a bit of how things used to be in my own mirror. Then I gathered Bill and we left. But I made sure that Fredrick's of Hollywood sack was propped up in the basket of my three-wheeled motorized scooter where everyone could see it as we left the store. Proudly I rode down the corridor of the mall with this sneaky little grin on my face, and my husband walked beside me, holding my hand. "Let 'em wonder," I whispered to Bill. Betty King baking2 @ charter.net Copyright © 2002 by Betty King. All rights reserved. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the author: Betty Has lived with MS for over 36 years. She and her husband of 45 years live in Illinois. Betty's publisher has just released her book, "It Takes Two Mountains to Make a Valley." You can see and find out more about Betty and her book on her website www.betty.newsmoose.com or email her at baking2 @ charter.net. _________________________________________________________ QUOTES FROM LESSER KNOWN FOLKS While driving home from El Paso, Stephen and I were going on and on about how wonderful my sister's tortilla soup was. Four-year-old Matthew, overhearing us, piped up from the back seat, "Okay, you can stop now! You're giving me a tortilla soup headache!" ~ If you want my sister Kim's recipe for tortilla soup, just email me! She also makes killer green enchiladas that have you begging for more! _________________________________________________________ FROM OUR FRIENDLY E-MAIL CARRIER It was soo good to read your newsletter again. Seems like you were gone forever. Even though I live alone with my cat and what family I have left is far away, when I read your stories it's just like I am there. - Love, Freda In regards to "Wife Seeking Wife" (http://www.geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001/wife.htm) The excerpt I read was awesome. I will go to the bookstore and look for your book. - S. D. Boyd ~ Thank you for your kind words! I wish I could say it's published, but I'm still mired in the writing of this book of mine in between a full-time job, taking care of four kids and hubby, and working on our fixer-upper. My New Year's resolution, besides eating more chocolate and doing less chores, is to finish it! However, there is currently a publisher who is interested in my collection of stories...and I'll keep you posted on that. - Jennifer _________________________________________________________ ON THE HOMEFRONT I drove Cody and Ethan to school on Monday only to find out school didn't start until Tuesday. But a small mistake turned into a nice drive while I turned off the radio to eavesdrop on the boys' conversation. "Mom, I can't stop thinking about dinosaurs!" Ethan said. "I keep thinking of my favorite dinosaur of all. The pterodactyl. It's so cute. And the baby pterodactyls are so cute, too. I keep imaginating about them." Cody groaned. "Oh, no. Don't tell me you're imaginating that they're still alive! Because you know that pterodactyls fly high, and I'm afraid of heights!" ~ Don't worry. I corrected them on their use of the word "imaginating!" LOVE, JENNIFER I. OLIVER AND FAMILY four_ears @ msn.com "To live that in thy last long sleep, Smiles my be thine wile all around thee weep." - Nellie L. Wallace, June 24, 1873 In other words: When you are born, you cry and everyone around you smiles. So live your life in such a way that when you die, you smile and everyone around you cries. _________________________________________________________ This E-mail may be forwarded in its entirety, but first ask the writer for permission before forwarding. Thank you for doing the decent thing! Ü ________________________________________________________ SUBMIT STORY, QUOTE, OR FAMILY LOVE MOMENT: http://www.geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001/submission.htm FEEDBACK: four_ears @ msn.com ________________________________________________________ |
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