Remember what I was saying about divine inspiration? Well, sometimes, I have to read other people's diary entries to be inspired. Is that so wrong? Ok, don't answer that.

So, I'm reading Marn's Diary and think I should take this opportunity to share with you an embarrassing moment in my life.

Picture it: Norfolk, Virginia, August 2nd, 1985. I'm all of 11 years old. I'm visiting my mom for the summer. Like most 11 year olds, I'm out riding my bike and having a good time. It's hot and humid and oh-so-muggy-you-can-cut-the-air-with-a-machete. So, midway through the day, as most kids have to do, I go to the bathroom. I notice a drop of blood square in the middle of my underwear. I didn't freak out, but thought it was a very strange place to see blood. I checked my thighs and torso for any cuts I didn't know about but there were none.

I call Mom into the bathroom. I show her the one little drop of blood. She tells me it's my period. "My what?!?" I don't believe her. Yeah. The woman who gave me my life in the first place, IS a woman, and been through this before... and I don't believe her. For some reason, there was a box of Always Maxi Pads under the bathroom sink. (my mom used tampons as far as i know) She hands me this huge bulky half-diaper looking thing and instructs me to peel off the waxpaper stuff and attach it to the middle of my underwear. I'm so grossed out at the prospect of having to wear this half-diaper thing and refuse. She says, "You're going to regret you didn't" or something like that.

I finish in the bathroom and resume riding my bike. We eat dinner, take baths/showers, and get ready for bed. (me & Karyl) There was a large tent in the back yard right underneath my mom's bedroom. Being 11, that was the coolest place to sleep on a summer's night. She set up two chaise lounges in there with our sleeping bags and pillows. We said goodnight and she went into the house.

I woke up the next morning and about fainted.

**Note: For those who have a weak constitution, you may want to discontinue reading from this point forth. It gets graphic!

There was blood everywhere. And do I mean EVERYWHERE! My sleeping bag was soaked bright red. My pajamas were bright red. There was blood covering the chaise lounge. A red pool of sticky liquid was puddled on the floor of the tent. I've never seen that much blood. It was like my insides had exploded in the middle of the night.

I'm paralyzed by the site of all this blood. I open my mouth as wide as it goes (and let me tell ya, that's wide) and scream bloody murder for my mom. {pun intended...i'm sorry!}

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMAAAAA!!!"

"MOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAA!!!"

Like all good mothers, hearing the urgency in my voice, she comes running like a bat out of hell from the back of the house and into the tent. She takes one look at the Red River and shakes her head back and forth. Fortunately, she's not cruel and doesn't say, "I told you so!" She helps me clean up the mess and we go back into the bathroom where I put one of those dreaded half-diaper thingys in my underwear. Gross!

Ever since that day, I rarely doubted my mom. Especially when it came to "womanly things". :-)

By the way, if you guys didn't know it already, I love my mom to pieces!!! GOOOOO MOM!

Thought Of The Day:"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."--William Shakespeare

Thought Of The Day #2:"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." --Bertrand Russell

Until next time... peace, love & HEALTH!!!

tampons really are better than maxi pads! GO Playtex!