My girls are really hitting the books this week
and my college son is taking his finals.
When I was a little girl




Whenever I had a standardized test
my mom would get out her St. Jude oil
rub it on my temples while we both prayed
"St Jude, help of the hopeless, aid me in my distress"
Then off we'd go to mass and communion
and "offer it up"
another story

When I think of that today,
I have to laugh

“help of the hopeless”
jeeze
thanks Mother for your vote of confidence

She always said I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the novena she made
to her
favorite saint
Jude

right after she completed her novena
mom won $500 playing bingo
my parents then had a major decision to make

should they buy a new couch?
or go to Florida?

I was conceived in Florida
I guess the couch would have done the trick too

that's another story

It’s a tad ridiculous
that it never occurred to them they had a 50 50 chance of getting their wish
my parents were so sure they were going to have a boy
no one chose a girls name

They found themselves in Little Company of Mary Hospital
holding their little nameless bundle
the one they prayed so long and so hard to get

actually
until I was about
12 years old
I thought that in order to have a baby
you prayed for one
when
Joannie Woodfall told me the truth
I flat out told her she was lying
"my parents would never do that"
and I left her front porch
where all the girls on the block were huddled together
I walked straight home
holding my ears

"I'm not listening to you!"
I sat alone on my property

hey
remember that old phrase
“get off my property!”
oh sorry
I digress…another story

Looking up and down the street
I knew in my heart,
after doing a mental rundown of each house
that poor Joan was crazy

another story
My mothers mothers name was Rose
My fathers mothers name was Mary
and
my mothers name was Rosemary

why in the world did it take them so long to come up with my name
there is only one name for rosemary’s baby
Naturally it had to be
Rosemary

There is only one song that I know of that contains the name
rosemary
Love Grows where my Rosemary goes
by Edision Lighthouse
I bet no one knew that…

I guess I should not complain
My handle could have been
B22
or
judy bingo