Oldest Junior Hall | Cathy C. Hall Writes

10898251_10204758777921015_2014634934550833962_n It’s that time of the year when I have no idea what day it is until the 28th pops up and then I’m oriented again because that’s the day Oldest Junior Hall was born!

I have just about the worst memory in my family; I relied on Mister Man to be the Keeper of Memories from earliest days. But I suppose there is something about a new life coming into the world that imprints on one’s memory because that day, I remember.

Unfortunately, I didn’t always remember to make plans for that child’s birthday, coming as it did on the heels of the holiday chaos. And there was the timing, too, which was problematic…

Well, you can read all about Joey’s birthday and timing and how 2018 will be my guilt-free year of writing. It’s all over at the Muffin in The “Perfect Timing” Trap. (Where thank goodness, I remembered I had a post to write today!)

True story:

When Oldest Junior Hall was six, Juniorest Hall came along. Maybe it’s a boy thing, but Juniorest Hall was a particularly stinky baby. Big brother complained all the time about the smell in the house. All. The. Time. And then somewhere (I’ve always suspected it was the cartoon Ghostbusters), Oldest Junior Hall learned about the gas mask. He thought that would be the perfect solution to his stinky problem. He asked for a gas mask. All. The. Time. At first, I thought it was funny. Then it became annoying. And then it became a story to go down in Hall Family Lore. Because Oldest Junior Hall sat on Santa’s lap and ASKED FOR A GAS MASK.

“Ho, ho, ho,” said Santa. “Why do you want a gas mask, little boy?”

“Because it smells in my house,” said the little boy. “And I mean bad.”

Sometimes, when I’m writing, I think of the gas mask and what that little boy said on Santa’s lap. Because I read what I’ve written and think, “Boy. Something smells here. And I mean bad.”

Fortunately, I have strategies now to deal with stinky writing. But you’ll have to go over to The Muffin to see my latest post if you want to read what the strategies are.

I didn’t share the gas mask story there. I thought maybe we could keep that just between us, okay?