What does football and decorating have in common?

One of my favorite networks is HGTV, specifically the shows that deal with buying, selling, and renovating homes.  Not only do you get to peek into the lives of other families as they make some of the same decisions that you make for your family, you also get to glimpse into the geographical location that they live.  It can be mind-boggling at times on how the housing market can be vastly different from East Coast to West Coast, but particularly abroad.   

I find myself watching the credits at the end to see exactly when the episodes were taped.  Was it before or after the housing market tanked?  What families pay for homes with so few modern conveniences makes me appreciate living in the good ol' U.S. of A.  What we call middle class would be considered luxury living compared to how some families live in other countries, while paying the same price for their homes.    

Just like sports fans who scream at the players and coaches from their sofas, I find myself shouting out comments to home buyers such as:

"Are you kidding? That isn't a large closet!"
"Oh, my gosh! That house is way too small for that price tag...good view or not."
"OK...a ceiling fan is not a big investment, but replacing those outdated cabinets will be."
"That is NOT a large back yard!"

So what does football and house hunting have in common?  Mostly wasted time, but very enjoyable wasted time!  For all you football enthusiasts that spend hours watching men tackle one another over chasing a ball every weekend, you can now make fun of me for spending hours looking at real estate, decorating tips, and home renovations that I may never put to good use as well.

Are we even?

Well....I may eventually get that outdoor fireplace,
as long as I don't ask my husband to install it
during football season!

Sam, we're not in Ranburne anymore! We are in, "The Twilight Zone!"

Have you ever experienced déjà vu? Do you read your horoscope and have faith in the celestial readings of astrology? Did you believe in the weird stuff that Rod Serling used to tell us in, "The Twighlight Zone?" I always think there is an explanation for everything that verges on the supernatural, paranormal, and all those other psychological mumbo-jumbo words. But I may have to reconsider....

I reconnected with an old high school friend, Samantha, this past week. Samantha and I were born in the same town, in the same hospital, on the same date and year, and only about an hour apart 50 years ago. Her middle name is Ann. My middle name is Joann. By the time we were both 13, she and I were attending the same high school, although she was a year ahead of me because she started school in another state that allowed her to begin at age 5.  

Over the next 4 years, Samantha and I would bump into one another in the hallways to discover that we had on the same dress or the same pair of shoes. We both wore braces, which was still rare in the mid '70's in the rural South.  She was a varsity cheerleader and so was I. We both had red hair, fair skin, and a splattering of freckles. She and I both had blonde sisters, Sheila and Suzanne, who were in the same grade. Note that all four names have similarities in how they sound. The year after Samantha graduated, some of the younger students would call out to me in the hallways, "Hey Samantha!"  Above is Samantha's photo today.

Here is my photo today.  Samantha and I have not seen or spoken to one another in about 30 years. She currently lives in Texas while I live in Georgia. We reconnected via facebook this past week. It was nice catching up and learning that one thing different in our lives now is that she has a daughter while I have three sons. It didn't seem that significant that her daughter is 21 and so is my middle son. Our interconnection was obviously shortlived to a few years in high school.  Anyone can be born on the same date.  Nothing really that spectacular here ...or so I thought....

Here is what she posted back on December 26th to a friend on facebook: "My baby turns 21 tomorrow... it seems impossible." OK. This is where I felt the chill bumps run up my spine.  I read it three times to be sure my eyes were not deceiving me.  Her baby was born on December 27 and so was mine.  

The music is playing in my head as I hear Rod Serling say, "You have now crossed over into, THE TWILIGHT ZONE!"