Woke up Sunday morning to my niece's disappointed voice. She had lost a tooth Saturday late in the evening apparently, the tooth fairy did not leave anything under her pillow. I was confused, we had gone through this on Thursday morning, I was certain the Fairy had left her $5.00, so being the tooth fairy authority, I told her to check again carefully this time. 
     Nope still nothing, then I remembered her showing me a bloody tooth, while pointing inside her mouth at the hole where it used to be on Saturday night. Sh*t, I forgot she lost the tooth on the other side. I sprang out the bed, went into my sister's room and whispered," Do you have any cash? 
She nor I had any cash money on hand. We stood looking at each other screwed. All of a sudden, my sister asked in a serious voice if it was Sunday.
"Yep," I replied.  
"Well, that's why she didn't come, the tooth fairy doesn't work on Sundays."
It took everything I had not to bust out laughing.  
"Oh, it's Sunday." 
Holding my composure, back into the room I walk and explain to my niece, in the same serious voice my sis used, that tooth fairies don't work on Sunday, she had to wait until Monday morning to see what she brings. I went to the store to get cash, so I was ready. Monday morning, the little sh*t, woke me up to tell me, all the tooth fairy left her was $2.00, kids!

​Danni

     Each year I give my mom a unique birthday present. This year was no exception. Since, I had pretty much given her all the origial gifts, I could think of.  I had no idea what to give her this year. Closer it got to the day, more nervous I became. Oh, my God, I have outdone myself, now what? After months of pondering, gold was struck. Mom always said she was royal, she wasn't sure how, but was certain of this fact. Lord knows I have raised my eyebrows a few times, witnessing some of her tactics.
     With her attitude, she had to be a descendant of royalty. On her birthday, the perfect gift was presented to have her DNA tested. An appointment was made to give her samples, results were supposed to be ready in 22 days. She was ecstatic, days go by with no results. I contacted Medphysicals Plus to find out why was it taking so long.
     There was an error, the technician did not get enough samples to get a reading. Mom was crushed, we agreed to have the test performed a second time, they swabbed extra to be sure there was enough samples for the reading. A woman on the phone promisesd this time, they would take care of it. Days passed, no response from Medphysicals Plus.
      Twenty days after the initial 22 days promised the 2nd time, I get a call. The problem was not what was stated previously, 42 days after the date we should have been receiving results, I am being told mom's DNA doesn't have a match. Their system has thousands of DNA samples for comparison, my mom just so happens to not match ANY.
     Yes ANY, my mouth flew open, mind still stuck on whhhaaaaaat. Out of over a thousand DNA samples, you could not find ONE match for her. Wait! There is more, I was also told even if we took the test somewhere else, results would be the same. What are these people hiding?  I now feel DNA testing is a joke or is it? I always knew ole Bev was special, on 11/27/17 it was verified by professionals. This was not the gift I planned, but she is satisfied, love you, mom!
 
Danni 

     
​     Now that Thanksgiving has passed, thoughts of Christmas and the coming New Year come to mind.  With my yearly trip to Georgia coming to an end, I am now looking forward to returning home for a Christmas with snow. December's end will mark the closure of 2017, much has been accomplished this year.  It is now time for the creation of my New Year's Resolutions.
     The year 2018 have me embarking on a new adventure, planning a trip outside the United States. Luckily, I was fortunate to meet Linda, a retired airline stewardess in the Denver Airport. Of all the travelers in the airport, she chose to sit next to me during a layover. I was confused why she chose to sit this close, there was a reason I sat away from others, near a window.
     The first leg of my flight was awful, the middle occupant of the row became ill halfway through the trip, the sound of him choking on throw-up, awoke me out of my sleep, as I scrambled to reach the button to summon a stewardess he jumped up, spewing puke over the end passenger and myself.  While in the Denver Airport, sitting alone smelling of liquor and puke, an older woman sat next to me.  
     Linda either could not smell or did not mind the stench. We began chatting about the book she was reading, and what the true meaning of being woke meant.  My upcoming trip to Paris somehow came up during our conversation, I admitted to being apprehensive about leaving the US. It so happens, Linda was a veteran at international travel.  She told me, not to be afraid, during her career as a flight attendant, she had visited Paris many times, her children also accompanied her on more than one occasion.  She eased my fears by offering tips and advice on how to plan the trip. 
     We exchanged phone numbers and email, to discuss the specific details.  This encounter exemplified my belief, regarding there being a reason for everything. Meeting Linda answered a question for me, I was not sure if vacationing in another country was a good idea. The universe has a way of giving you the answers you seek if you are willing to listen. I am looking forward to my Paris trip and what life has in store for the future.