MUMS or... A Ridiculous Tradition I Love

When I started Junior High, my mom started making my mums, primarily because I liked hers better than the ones that were in the flower shops. Back then, there were no limits, and the gaudier and bigger it was, the better it was. I remember starting out with the 2 flower mum, then 3....one year I had one that had five or six flowers and actually hooked over my shoulder. It was ridiculous and I loved it. I also had one that had a teddy bear in the middle, dressed in the FLAG UNIFORMS we had that year, and it was holding a little replica of a flag we were using in our halftime show. Wow.

Anyway, I enjoy making them too, and over the last few years I've taken to making mums for friends who are having babies...and for homecoming, I make little corsages or garters or shorter mums....the pictures above are from my table this evening. I actually broke all the West Texas High School Football Rivalry rules and make a little mum for my friend Michelle's daughter. Michelle is from Pecos (Buuhhhhh...); she and I graduated the same year. This year, my team, The Loboes, are playing her team, The Eagles, for homecoming, and so Michelle and her Pecos family are going to wear their own ugly school colors and sit on our side of the stadium. As a peace offering, I made her daughter a little hybrid mum. If she doesn't wear it, I am going to shoe polish their car. GREEN. I think I'm going to make myself a black and green one this year.

In other news, I found out yesterday that my mom has thyroid cancer. She's already had one tumor and lobe removed, and next week, they'll take the other lobe out. Luckily, she has follicular carcinoma, so the prognosis is relatively good. This particular cancer does not metastisize very quickly, nor does it tend to spread into the vascular system if it is detected and removed. It's strange to think that if that drunk driver hadn't hit her two months ago, she never would have gone to the doctor for an x-ray, and they never would have found the tumor. We're thankful that we know what we're up against and that she has a treatable form of cancer. If you believe in prayers, or good thoughts, karma, whatever....please send some her way. Her name is Margie and she has done everything for me.

I went to bed at two this morning, so I think I'm going to wrap things up and get ready to go that way a little earlier tonight.

Other randoms from today:

• I accidentally (of course) dropped my SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLAR CAMERA. It is ok I think.
• Glitter letters are stupidly expensive. I cannot believe that it costs that much money to manufacture them. Luckily, I am resourceful and don't need them.
• Europe is one of the best bands ever and I had NO idea they were not American. I should have known. I mean, "EUROPE". Duh.

Night. :)