This is an email to Amy and Dave, in response to a discussion about discipline.

For a bit of levity in all this discussion:

 I really wasn't disciplined very often.  I got spanked when I was little, but after that I only remember 2 times that I got "the belt".  Once for smoking with Kim, I was 13.  Then when Kim and I ran off to Mexico with a couple of boys.  Yep, that was belt-worthy.

When you have 3 brothers and 4 sisters, there is a lot of hurtful, mean talk, teasing mostly from the boys.  Kip was awful about that.  Thaxton tried but he wasn't very good at it except if he was teasing Kim. Then he was real good at it.   Oh Boy, that could get very nasty!  Kim was very bad with the hurtful things she would say to me.  Just plain mean.  One time in particular she was mad at me and she called me "Cow".  Then all the kids called me "Cow". Very upsetting.  Mother sent her to our room we shared and said when she could apologize properly, she could come out.  Out she came, Boom! came right up to me and oh she laid it on thick.  "Oh Cath, I am so sorry, I will never call you that again, I apologize and I mean it."  Mother bought into it and thanked her for being so kind about it. As soon as Mother was out of the room, Kim comes sliding up to me and whispers in my ear, "I meant it, you are a big fat Cow".  I start crying and the rest of the kids start the chant...Big Fat Cow, Big Fat Cow!   To this day, the girls will call me cow just to be silly.  UG!

Love,

Matati

Story Time

Violet Olivia

When she arrived she had her doctor bag on her arm and another bag in tow. She announced to me , "Matati, guess what I have in my bag?" meaning the big bag. "What do you have, Violet?" Then

she proceeded to begin pulling out at least 12 little stuffed animals.

Violet: 'Do you know who these guys are?'

Me: 'No, except for "hamster" , I know him.'

Violet: 'Matati, these guys are my patients."

Then she went to her doctor bag and pulled out a little sticker book of butterflies and proceeded to

stick them on some of her "patients".

Me: "Oh, Violet that looks so good on them".

Violet: "They get a sticker today because they were very brave."

 

 This story is after Joan and I had gone to Costco

This is an email I sent after I had met my buddy, Joan at Costco for "lunch". Best hot dogs in town!

Hey Joan,

I had fun yesterday at Costco. Fast and furious. Oh, and guess what? I was wandering around that damn parking lot for a while looking for my truck. I was very hot and still could not spot my vehicle. Then I remembered that all I needed to do would be to set off the alarm so I did and I could hear the horn beeping. Still beeping and wailing...and ....lord, it seemed that I couldn't turn the damn thing off. As I approached, I realized that it was not my truck making all the racket. It was a nice Toyota Tundra pickup, but not my pickup. I pushed my alarm button again and almost had a heart attack since it was about 2 vehicles over. I walked over to it and there was this elderly

gentleman in a wheelchair with his wife. She was pissed. I had scared her husband horribly with all the beeping. As his wife patted his shoulder and they he yelled at me, "What the hell are you doing?" He "rolled" away almost running over my foot. Plus.....

Scene II -Act IV: The little dorky security guard in his 3 wheeler, top speed 5 miles an hour, pulls up just as I was about to go for it with the old man and take him down. Turns out, the Tundra truck driver had pushed his alarm button accidentally to add to the racket.

Me?....I had pushed the "Open your stupid doors" button about 80 times.

Anyway, so glad they have surveillance cameras in that parking lot as I am sure someone will make some money on YouTube with that little confrontation. Oh and yes, I flipped off the old man, his nasty wife and the security guard on his tricycle.

So Joan, you can tell all your friends about this idiot you have for a friend who almost beat up this

old man in a wheelchair in the Costco parking lot and almost decked the security guard in 103 degree weather in Texas.

Hint to friend: Don't ever leave me unattended in the parking lot again!!

When I got home I decided to "label" my alarm button. Not pretty. It says: "Don't Touch, Stupid"

 There's a Rupture coming!

I have been hearing quite a bit about a large event to take place this Saturday, a fairly religious event that sounds pretty scary to me. Turns out that only the Christians that have been "saved", will suddenly have their bodies converted into a different form and they will rise vertically into the air.( uh....what?)Many believe that they will pass right through ceilings, roofs of cars, etc. to meet Jesus Christ in the sky. (I think that is where the name comes from, "The Rupture".)
There will be some serious problems on planes, trains and automobiles as their pilots, engineers and drivers suddenly disappear and the vehicles crash. Yikes. The bodies of Christian believers who have died during the previous two millennia will rise out of their graves and ascend to meet Jesus.

And, I have been thinking that if this is true, I am very lucky to have some relatives that have been "saved". Really. Actually, I have seen them in the past and fairly recently, practicing converting into a different form and rising vertically into the air, but that was mainly due to alcohol and drugs. You can't even talk to them, much less reason with them when they are like that. A real drag, this Rupture thingy.

There is also an event called, "Post Rapture Looting" , that I will definitely be attending. Awesome.
There are some "Rupture" parties planned for Saturday and I understand there will be excessive amounts of booze there. So, put your party hats on and keep a wary eye on the person next to you.... you never know who will be "Rupturing", and who won't.

 Lominta

When I entered 3rd grade at Wooldridge Elementary School in Austin. I was one scared little girl. My family had moved several times around Austin and then San Antonio and then back to Austin. My new school was within walking distance to our new house, so that was a good thing for me. A little security knowing that if I totally freaked out, I could always run home. My 3rd grade teacher had long hair that she made into two braids and rolled each on into a ball and pinned them to each side of her head. I thought that was the most beautiful hairdo I had ever seen. She was a very sweet, kind woman and I immediately loved her.

That first day of school for me was one that would change my life forever. At recess, all the kids ran outside and went into several different little groups to laugh and play together. One group of little girls were playing jump rope and some were playing jacks. I was beyond shy, I was pretty much petrified. I made my way to a corner of the playground and sat on a stone wall swinging my legs like everything was ok, but I was close to tears and I was trying to remember the way home, since I had decided that was what I was going to do. Just about the time I was going to bolt out of the play yard, a little girl came around the corner and smiled at me. I smiled back so she wouldn't notice that I was about to cry. "Hi" she said, my name is Lominta, what's your name? I told her my name, "My name is Cathy Kypke. Today is my first day here, we just moved. "oh she said, who is your teacher? I told her that my teacher was Mrs. Robertson. "Oh, she said, she is my teacher too!"

I had been so scared I didn't even look at any of my classmates. Lominta asked if I had any brothers and sisters and when I told her I had three brothers and three sisters and that my mom was about to have another baby. As I told her this her eyes got bigger and bigger. Then she broke out laughing and said how lucky I was to have some brothers since she only had sisters. She had such an infectious laugh that I started laughing too. It seemed to me that she had a very deep voice, and a great laugh. About that time, the bell rang and she grabbed my hand and said, "come on let's run back to the classroom together." She was about the best thing that ever happened to me from that day forward. We were pretty much inseparable for many years after that. I still remember her phone number, GR 62815. When I saw her at the Mardis Gras party I was telling her that and she said, "yes, and I remember yours, TU 23831." Amazing.

Lominta was a huge part of my growing up and we remained best friends for so many years. She even went on vacation with us to go see my grandparents in Illinois. That was the ultimate vacation for my older sister, Kim and I. The three of us were all best friends. That summer was the best I ever had, to this day. She and Kim and I had a blast, exploring all over my grandparents farm. My mom made us take naps in this huge bed, upstairs with the promise that if we slept or just rested, there would be a treat on the stairs. Well, we mostly played and giggled, but always found treats on the stairs. We had many adventures on my grandparents farm that my sister and I still talk and laugh about. One in particular was the time up there that my older brother, Kip, locked us in a horse stall and left us there for hours. It was quite the drama for three little girls. We yelled and screamed and were totally ignored by my siblings. At one point, I told Lominta and Kim that I was so cold, I was going to freeze. Both of them took their shirts off and put them over me.
Kip finally let us out in time for dinner. He was such a jerk as only big brothers can be. Hysterical for many years after as each of us would recall that time, and pretty much laugh till we wet our pants. That kind of laughter. The best kind I know.

There was a time when my family was going to move again and we were all heart broken to leave Austin and our best friend, Lominta. Kim and I asked our mother if we could just adopt her and Lominta was all for that! Well, that didn't happen, but we still got to have her come visit. Time went by and we lost touch with each other during marriages, having kids, traveling..... Then I heard that she and her husband and family were living in Mexico, so I figured it would be a
while before we saw each other again.

One day, in 1981 I think, I got a phone call and it was Lominta, she said that she and her family were back in Austin. We were both ecstatic. Then she said that she and her husband, Rob had rented a little house. She asked me if we still lived on Shoalwood, and I said yes. Lominta said, "ya know, I think we might have rented the house across the street from you!" What!! Oh my God.... Well, we just picked up where we left off as soon as they moved in. Coffee together most days or evenings when we could. It was an amazing time in my life. She was there at the hospital when my second son Aubrey was born. He is now 30 years old.

Needless to say, we remained friends my whole life although we lost touch here and there, whenever we did get together it was pretty much a laugh fest. I will be 66 this summer and I have never had a friend like Lominta in my lifetime and I doubt I ever will. She was just such a special person in my life, and a friend I will always cherish in my heart.

I didn't realize how traumatized I was when she died and I couldn't go to her funeral or any of the things that occurred after she died. We were out of town. I always want to remember Lominta like she was when we were younger. Laughing and skipping down the side walk. Two little girls who had never been happier. And when she died, I have never been sadder. I will miss her always.

Story about my dog Sadie

The woman who bought Sadies' sister, "Alice", wrote me with an update on her. Seems like the sisters are on the same page with their tricks and personalities. Very cute. She mentioned that Alice chews everything, including furniture which Sadie doesn't seem to have a taste for. So to remedy that situation she had heard that Petsmart had something called "Bully Sticks" . She bought some and that is all Alice chews on now. So, I packed Sadie up and headed to the Petsmart store and also to check into classes for her to take.

We were in the aisle where all the chewy things were and this couple walks by with a very tiny black and white Bichon Friese. He was adorable and was walking around without a collar or leash.? However, he stayed right by the couple and didn't wander off. I was very impressed and asked them about him. Turns out, they were from Mexico and drove all the way to the Woodlands that day to pick up their new baby, "Bruno". When I asked about the way he followed them around, they said that that is just what he did without any training. Hmm...then I found out from one of the sales girls that the couple told her that "Bruno" just didn't like the way the collar felt around his neck..... Interesting.
Sadie was about to have a heart attack about this little puppy, so with collar and leash on I put her on the floor and she immediately went nuts for the puppy. I realized that she was out of control but when I tried to pick her up, she wriggled out of her collar. Yikes! The couple scooped up "Bruno" and Sadie bolted through the store. We all were chasing her, but she is super fast and with her hair on her feet she would slide to make a turn into a different aisle very quickly.
The whole store went on 'Lock Down', with my Sadie touring the place at 80 mph! They locked all the doors so she wouldn't run out into the parking lot and finally was caught while watching the little guinea pigs! Lordy. I was a wreck. One of the employees tightened the collar for me and asked if I wanted to enroll her in their obedience classes. I looked at her like she had just granted my fondest wish. Yes please!! She looked down at Sadie who was straining and pulling on her leash and said, " We're going to teach you NOT to do that pulling on your mom". I almost started crying. I was so happy.

Yes, sign us up!

Oh.....I got the Bully sticks, she could care less, not to mention the smell is enough to knock you down. It smells like something died. Oh yeah, something did, a cow. I have heard since then that it is made of a cows' penis.  Really.

 Book to write

I met with my younger sister, a couple of days ago, and after we had spent the day together,we came up with some really good ideas for our book we had decided to write. It was an exciting time for me since I could definitely see my characters and how they might act.
I can fall back on my history with my sisters as young children and then as grown women. Some of them moved away, some came back to our home town. This made for some interesting relationships with each one. I was closer to some, not so close with others.
This kind of back and forth, ebb and flow, with them as we grew up was very interesting. The "book" begins with two characters, sisters, and after writing a couple of pages as an introduction, I recalled something I had read last year that brought it all together for me. And hopefully will make me a better writer.

'A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter..

 Don't forget your sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them..'

 'Remember that 'sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women always do.'

 

What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'

 But she listened to her mother. She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her mother really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, sisters are the mainstays of her life...

Family Time

This is a blog of rememberances of mine, put into a non-fiction format.  I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to comment.  I will be adding to this blog each month, or so.  If you have any ideas regarding what should happen next please send me a note.

 

Chapter I

The women hadn’t seen each other in a couple of weeks, which for them was way too long.  They had grown up together, they were best friends and they were sisters.  The ritual was, that when they got together, they would do rock, paper, scissors to see who got to go first with their personal update.  Claire won by crushing Sarah’s scissors with her rock.  This was the third time Claire had won in the last few months and Sarah was sort of pissed this time.  Competition was their way of life growing up in a large family.

“Okay”, said Sarah “what’s going on in your life?”  Claire began telling her sister about her life the last couple of weeks as a wife, mother of two grown children and of course, there was her husband, Jim.   “He will never change, he is just as tight fisted as he always was, and he’s such a jerk.”  Sarah rolled her eyes, and took a deep breath, knowing that she was in for yet another episode of Claire’s’ married life.  For Sarah, it was the same story she had been hearing for years.  It wasn’t that they didn’t have any money, it was just that Jim, Claire’s’ husband, never trusted her with any finances of any kind and consequently, Claire, was the only woman Sarah knew who did not have a checking account, no savings account with her name on it, much less any money for expenses.  Expenses being, personal items, money for lunch, and just cash on hand.  Claire had to use a credit card for everything, and a gas card to fill up her broken down old Chevy. Periodically, her husband would take her card away from her.    Jim was a control freak.   It was sad really, poor Claire, she thought, but, on the other hand Sarah was completely fed up with hearing all the excuses as to why Claire put up with such treatment. 
 
Sarah snapped….  She normally would have let Claire’s explanations and excuses just roll off her back, but there was something about her tone that Sarah just couldn’t tolerate one second more.  “What the hell is the matter with you Claire, are you completely blind to what your life has turned into?”  Sarah knew she should probably stop there, but it just felt so damn good to tell it like it is to her sister.  In her mind, Sarah kept thinking, lighten up girl, you have stepped over that ‘sister boundary’ and now you are slowing falling into the abyss of no return.  When they were little girls, and had an argument, Claire was the one who would say something like, “if you don’t shut up right now, I will never speak to you again.”  On most occasions the threat would work, and Sarah would stop talking.  However, when she was beyond furious she would either keep screaming at Claire or just knock her down.  If that happened she knew she would have hell to pay, but she didn’t care.

Claire never fought fair; it was a known fact in the family of eight kids.  If you had the guts to actually, physically, fight with her, God help you.  We would all sort of gather around and watch a match of pinching, kicking, pulling hair and yanking on ears till finally the victim gave in.  “Stop, stop, stop, please.”  Then Claire would grab their hair and say, ‘Say Uncle 10 times!”  As it turned out, the person on the losing end of Claire’s’ tirade would try to say it 10 times but invariably lose track of the numbers and would have to start all over again.  It wasn’t pretty.

On the other hand when it came to her sister Sarah, it was a different, even more traumatic punishment from Claire, and it went like this: 
     “Sarah, I am never going to speak to you again.”  Sarah would just stare at her    sister and say something like ‘Sure, Claire, you’re stupid!’  Not smart.  The longest the silence lasted was 2 weeks, and the only reason Claire finally broke the silence was because she had the chicken pox.
 
One day Sarah came home from a neighbor’s house and there was Claire, …..in bed…..spots all over her. Their mother was sitting on the side of the bed, taking Claire’s temperature.  The mother turned as Sarah came into the room and said, “Oh Sarah honey, I think Claire might have caught the chicken pox from you." Sarah had done her time with the illness, a week before.  Her mother didn’t say it like Sarah did it on purpose, just very matter of fact.
 
Sarah very slowly approached the bed, “Oh Claire, it is itchy?”  Then Claire went on and on about how the disease was affecting her every bodily function, declaring that she was probably paralyzed and how she couldn't feel her feet or hands and how awful she felt and that she just couldn’t stand the itching.  After a while Sarah walked away with just the tiniest smirk in the corner of her mouth.

Chapter 2

 Claire just stared at her sister in disbelief.  How could Sarah say those things to her, she was furious and felt the emotions rise, and a slight sting of tears, but refused to give Sarah the satisfaction .  “Sarah, you have never understood me and my problems with Jim”.  “It’s not like I can leave the guy.”  What would I do, where would I go?  I’m terrible with money, and I hate dealing with it, paying bills, saving for groceries, it sucks!”  Claire thought that there was no way Sarah was terrible with money, because Sarah never had any money, but, she kept her mouth shut.

Here we go, thought Sarah, Jesus Christ not again.  Tears will follow, I’ll fold like a fool and give into her misery.  Then, she thought about an experience Claire had when she was in her twenties.  Maybe if she reminded her of the story, her sister might realize how long she had been in this mess and consequences of her stupidity with money.
 
It was around Christmas, 1980 , Claire, Sarah and their husbands, plus the rest of their brothers and sisters, had planned a family reunion.  This would be the first time all of them had been together since their mother had died suddenly a year earlier.  Sarah was excited about the get together, but also nervous about it.  A part of the festivities included a drawing of names for some of their mothers' more expensive possessions.  Jewelry, fine china, sterling flatware and serving dishes along with some of the art work their mother had painted herself, or friends had given her.  This would be a bittersweet gathering for sure and Sarah wasn't looking forward to the bitter part.  Sweet she could handle, bitter, not so much.  Some members of the family had made their wishes known to the others as to what they wanted.  However, they had all agreed that those items should be up for grabs just like everything else.  It was basically a crap shoot.  Sarah was nervous about that part of the whole affair.  The items were not separated into types so consequently jewelry which included costume and expensive, flatware, serving items, and art work were all thrown in with all the cheaper stuff, like books, blankets, dolls, cologne, and lots and lots of musty old photo albums.  This way of dealing with so much stuff would turn out to be the dividing wedge in the family for many, many years.
 Chapter 3