I believe that I have finally figured out why I put off writing my Diaryofanut blog for weeks on end……….I have become addicted!!!!!!!  Yes…….soooo sad and yet so, so, so true.

“I am Mary Margaret, and I am a political junkie!!!!!”

Shocking news, right???  Okay, okay, so you have all known it for quite some time….like since 2008???  I guess I had to get to rock bottom…..realize that the world would go on in spite of my insatiable desire for everyone to live in “the world according to MM”!  If anyone knows of a self-help forum for those in my situation, please email me so that I can get the help that I know all of my family and friends are so hopeful I will seek.  Perhaps once I am rehabilitated, you will find that your in-boxes, Facebook pages and dinner conversations will no longer be filled with political rants, but will be filled instead with news of the latest Bachelor episode or the new, best talent on The Voice or maybe just some silly videos of my grandkids dancing to the tunes of the “whip and nae nae” or “gangham style” :).  Speaking of which:

See????  Be careful what you hope for!!  LOL   Anyway the “aha” moment of my political “addiction” came about when my mind suddenly began screaming to my brain, “for the love of Pete!!! please, please ‘find something for Mary’ to do” and so in order to stop the screaming in my head, I forced myself to refocus on more mundane activities, such as tending to my extremely neglected blog. I therefore proceeded to  open up my laptop and had just logged onto the Diaryofanut blog and had begun to type up a first draft when I received a phone call.  It was an invitation from Jennifer to come over to her house for dinner and to watch some “March Madness”.  As I am never one to pass up a meal that someone else has thought of, shopped for and prepared, I shut down the computer and headed posthaste to Jennifer’s to eat whatever it was that she had put into her “pot of boiling water” and to watch my favorite winter pastime….college basketball.  (You see?….. I actually, at one time, performed a very motherly duty and passed on to my children my most successful cooking secret!).

Speaking of March Madness……….I have just one thing to say about my NCAA bracket………..it will be a very, very cold day in you know where before I ever, ever pick another Big Ten team to reach the Final Four!!!!  I had Kansas and Michigan State in the finals.  Why, oh why, didn’t I use my Mom’s method of selecting winners???  If I had followed her lead and picked all of the Catholic colleges to advance, I would have ended up with at least one team in the Final Four instead of zero!!!  Normally, I would mention what a great ride the Buckeyes had during the season but this year was extremely disheartening to watch.  In fact, I found the “doll” pictured below just after the Buckeye season ended in an NIT loss.  The back of the doll reads:

When your team’s getting creamed and you just want to scream, here’s a “win dammit” doll you just can’t do without.  Just grab it firmly by the legs and find a place to slam it and as you whack the stuffing out yell “win dammit! dammit!!”

If I had only had found it sooner, I could have saved everyone who endured watching the entire OSU season in the same room with me!!).  I have already added the doll to this year’s Christmas wish list!!

Now to explain the other two pictures………..the photo on the bottom left is of Ohio State freshman forward, Mickey Mitchell, who came off the bench in a number of big games late in the season.  Unfortunately, he had a bit of difficulty “hitting the broad side of a barn” while attempting to shoot free throws (I calls ’em as I sees ’em).  The photo on the bottom right is of Adam, my niece Chelsea’s boyfriend.  I spotted a striking resemblance between the two early in the season and decided that it was therefore only fitting that Adam should bear the nickname of “Mickey”.   While we were together for the Clark family gathering over Easter, I made sure to extract a promise from Mickey (Adam) that he would devote extra time over the summer toward working on his “flawed” free throw shooting technique.  You know, like discovering where the hoop and the net are located!!!!  LOL  Mickey (Adam) is really a very good sport about my renaming him.  However, it was just recently announced that three Buckeye freshmen are transferring to other schools, Mickey Mitchell being one of the three.  I am uncertain as to how Mickey (Adam) will take to the news that he has now lost his “star” status with the family “dreamcrusher” (such as it was!!), but I honestly don’t think that he wanted to forevermore be known as the alter-ego to “Mickey, the dismal 12 for 23 free throw shooter”!!  Adam…..if you are reading this…..the albatross around your neck is now officially removed.

I actually have another basketball related story.  My brother, Bobby, had OSU basketball season tickets which were located on the lower level just a few rows up from the court.   Now it just so happened that Bobby also decided, following the end of the regular college football season, to “sponsor” an NCAA football championship bracket.  All of the family were invited to join and Bobby would award prizes of his choosing for the 1st and 2nd place winners.  As I always, always, always complain that I never, ever, ever win anything, and given that in this little family competition I, characteristically, came in dead last…..Bobby, tired of all of my depressing texts, decided to award me with a “booby” prize……two tickets to the OSU/Northwestern game to be held the next month.  Fast forward now to a Tuesday night which found me sitting at home all cozy and warm, enjoying the company of Jennifer, Jim and the kids who had decided to come over for dinner (I can not remember exactly what I put into my “pot of boiling water”, I just know that everyone lived!!!!).  While we were sitting in the living room after dinner discussing the events of the day (you know….political stuff……ba, ha, ha, ha, ha),  Jim suddenly remembered that OSU was playing and so we turned on the TV and began watching the game.  As Bobby, Jo, Christine and I usually text to each other during the Buckeye games, I picked up my phone and texted to see if they were tuned in to the game.  Sure enough, Bobby texted back commenting on the score.  I then texted to see who had his tickets to the game…………..imagine, if you will, my surprise when he texted back, “You do”!!!!  Now, being the oldest in my family, I am not always certain if my younger siblings are just messing around with me and so I texted back, “No seriously, who has your tickets tonight?”.  The reply came back in a flash……”I gave you the tickets at breakfast a few weeks ago, they were your prize for coming in last, don’t you remember?”  Suddenly, that proverbial light bulb clicked on…..oh #$%$@!!!!  Sure enough, I quickly found the two OSU tickets which I had placed safely away so they would not end up getting lost or thrown away!!  Well, chalk one up for the “dingbat” (as Crick would say)!!  OSU did end up beating Northwestern that night, so just maybe the Buckeyes owe me for not jinxing them by attending the game!!

If you have read this far, you might be wondering why it is that it took until the end of April for the March Diaryofanut blog to be published……….well that is because once I finally set aside my political obsession (I mean…..addiction!), the events of April came in rapid fire succession, squeezing out any time for coherent writing.  However, I am offering some pictures of those events in lieu of another thousand plus words, so that I can at long last publish this post and move on to whatever awaits in the “merry, merry month of May”!!

And……guess which photo I choose first?????????!!!!!!! heh, heh, heh

And then there are always, always, always the glorious Nana days!!!!!

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And then along came the celebration of Easter at “104”

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Laughs abound during any Clark or Schultheis gathering, but they are especially hysterical whenever we get together for card night.  “Whatever happens at card night, stays at card night!!”

Thank you to Stephanie and Joe who invited Megan and me to join them for the 1st Garth Brooks concert in Columbus in 19 years!  I guess Stephanie figured that this might just be the last opportunity for me to see him in person.  I mean if he waits 19 more years to tour he will be ??? years old and I will be ????

I absolutely have to add in this picture of the latest craze the grandkids have introduced me to………..”face swapping”!!!  The ways in which our technology has evolved is mind-boggling!!!

And that my friends brings events in the Diaryofanut’s life pretty much up-to-date.  I continue to try to live up to Crick’s “glass half-full” advice to me so many, many years ago to simply “be glad that you are able to put two feet on the floor every morning”.  Admittedly, it has been one long uphill journey, but through the disappointments, the hardships and the losses endured over the past ten years, I understand more fully the wisdom of that one sentence which was forever burned into my memory.  Each day brings unexpected joys and sorrows, I try to take them as they come and, just as this excerpt from Jesus Today entreats its readers, I trustingly place everything in God’s hands.

You are being renewed day by day.  So do not be weighed down by yesterday’s failures and disappointments.  Begin this day anew, seeking to please Me and walk in My ways….focusing on today!  As you do, I am able to transform you little by little.  This is a lifelong process….a journey fraught with problems and pain.  It is also a journey full of Joy and Peace because I am with you each step of the way.

Notice that you are being renewed.  This is not something that you can do by your effort and willpower alone.  My spirit is in charge of your renewal, and He is alive within you…..directing your growth in grace.  Do not be discouraged when you encounter problems and pain along your way.  These are vital parts of the renewal process.  Muster the courage to thank Me when you are going through painful experiences.  Find hope through trusting that I continually hold you by your right hand….and I am preparing you for Glory!

We do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.                   2 Corinthians 4:1

TNT

TGW