Debbie Lanier's Life and Times: Vol 28- WEED

Yep weed, marijuana, cannabis. Some of you thought I wasn't going to cover this part of my mom's life. Fact is, it was part of her entire adult life and she was not ashamed of it. Debbie was an advocate for legalizing marijuana, even if she didn't vote. 

Now my family, my mom included, are no strangers to drugs and the hard kind. Per my mom and other courses, weed is from the Earth and you can't overdose on it. Also per my mom, her and her friends tried several times in the 70s. My brother and his friends did also. Supposedly you can only smoke yourself sober also. 

Debbie could roll some of the slimmest joints around and still get you high. She couldn't stand blunts as they were all wet and she thought it was a waste of product. 

Now my mom wasn't a "weed head" but definitely a connoisseur. She knew there wasn't anything wrong with an occasional buzz. She had a lot of good points. That said, these were her thoughts and I don't smoke it personally. 

Debbie was respectful, however, and wouldn't just smoke around you for no good reason. However if you wanted to smoke and she trusted her, she was typically game. Along with weed head, you didn't dare call her a drug addict nor hippie either. 

I definitely miss the passion she had towards marijuana and am honestly glad it's being legal in more spaces. 

Debbie Lanier's Life And Times: Vol 27- Superman!

These next two volumes are of course significant numbers involving my mom so I will cover extra special topics to her. 

My mom didn't get into comics like I did but she loved Superman. She equivocated Superman to Jesus as he is The Man Of Steel and could only be destroyed by kryptonite. 

Debbie watched most of the old movies and nearly every Superman related series there was. She could not get and would criticize the show for creating Clark Kent and giving him glasses but Lois Lane nor anyone else could tell that was Superman. She also wondered how Clark could change into Superman inside of a tiny phone booth. 

My mom did think Superman was so superior to Batman on so many levels such as having actual superpowers, not transforming from a varmint and having way less villains.

Superman was a positive part of my mom's childhood and she loved that he continued to live on and be apart of the DC Universe we see now. 

Debbie Lanier's Life and Times: Volume 26: The 60 Minutes Clock

Many show intros impacted us then and now. Debbie's classic was the 60 minutes clock on the show "60 Minutes". She may or may not have watched the episode but you best believe she didn't change the channel until the clock came on and they introduced the cast for that episode.

I think it was inherited from their parents because my uncle is the same way. He has to watch that 60 Minutes clock. 

My mom would get so mad when a sporting event would run over and she would have to wait until sometimes 8pm (her bedtime) to watch the clock.

I cannot watch 60 minutes without thinking of the clock and my mom!

Debbie Lanier's Life and Times: Volume 25- SUMMER and WARMTH!

It's always cold and the heat is running in January. Debbie hated the cold and complained more and more about it as she got older.

Debbie kept her house like a furnace and at worst a space heater nearby. She longed for summer (90 and above) since she wasn't a hot natured person.

Summertime brought all sorts of good memories for my mom but I think the biggest was comfort. She wore a lot of sweaters and pants but still preferred that to being cold. I kept saying she should move to Florida but we all knew she wasn't leaving Kings Creek until it was time for her to go home. 

Right now she would be bundled up in her bed with the heating pad and the space heater and boiling water to keep the air clear. She would whine from November-March. I'm glad she no longer has that worry.

Debbie Lanier's Life and Times: Volume 21: OOPS!

I looked back through my 2023 posts and realized I forgot #21. 

One thing my mom liked was any written communication to be short and sweet. She would probably say "Andrew I know you're doing what you can to cope with the loss. Do you have to write so much though?"  

That was Mom! For her, I'll keep this one short.  Happy New Year!

Debbie Lanier's Life and Times: Vol 24: Hickory Grove

In this final installment of 2023 about my mom, I think of course about things and places she loved. She really loved living as a young girl and going to  Hickory Grove, SC. Hickory Grove is a small community between Blacksburg and York. They had 3 schools back in the 50s, including a high school.  

My mom was heavily involved in Girl Scouts and other activities while attending those schools. She had decent grades also. However once her parents moved the family over the county line to Kings Creek, she was forced to attend Blacksburg schools and never liked that. 

I ran into one of her high school classmates as this year was that class's 50th reunion and they remembered my mom. It made me think of the awesome times she had going to Hickory Grove schools and how her life may had been different had she not moved. 

I'm glad she didn't uproot us like that and even gave us an option later on regarding attending a different school. 

Debbie Lanier's Life and Times: Vol 23: The 70s

If you knew my mom well, you knew she loved and had her best times in the decade called the 70s. 

Debbie loved That 70s Show but called what they did on the show "preppy rich people show." She did mention how bananas the masses went over Jaws, Star Wars, Roots and the bicentennial. Mom would also talk about where her and her circle hung out. These spots included the drive in theater, Howard Johnson, Cagie's Bar, and my aunt Ellen Jean's house. 

She met my dad during this decade and yours truly was born so that was a joy. She was in her 20s then and enjoyed her first adult job, cars, and freedom. She saw Rocky and Saturday Night Fever on the big screen. Her and her friends listened to 8 track cassettes where you needed a matchbook for them to work properly. Mom collected Tiger Beat and other teen magazines with David Cassidy on the cover. 

I know what it's like to be young and carefree.  The 90s/early 2000s were that time for me. Mom loved the 70s for those reasons and how everyone seemed to come together and enjoy each other's company more. I already know her part of Heaven includes the 70s.