Everyone Needs A Martha

I have a friend... Martha broke the mold for me... I guess I had the idea that when you reach 50... well you're nearly done... and by 70... drag out the rocking chair... so I met Martha when she was 70... and she is hilarious...  truly a strong gusty woman... so gutsy in fact... that within hours of meeting her I told her... I like you... you have balls... of course I didn't mean literally... btw... she may have... I have never checked... perhaps Martha... is really Martin... a CIA secret operative... hiding here in our home... Oh No!!!  (better have your humor button on big time... told you I am a wee bit daft and then some... )
When I met Martha she was recovering from having broken her wrist... her living situation at the time was not great... she was living with a sister in law who had made it clear she wanted Martha to move... I do not know why... To be honest it could have been that she was just a selfish type of person who didn't want to be inconvenienced ever in any way... To me... anything I do for Martha she does as much just by being Martha...  By the way... Martha nursed that same sister in law for a couple of months till she died last year...  and she has shown me many times that trying to understand and to forgive people is better for the whole world than to hold on to your anger...
I love having Martha live with us... Yes she pays $450 a month and it does help defray household running costs... but if I could afford it... I'd still want Martha to live with us... and I'd give her a new car and only charge her $449...  Sorry... my funny bone is like on constant auto run...   I wouldn't charge Martha a thing... I'd enjoy paying for Martha to go see the families that she worked for in Atlanta and her sister in Texas... I'd take her to London with us... Martha is just that dear to me.
Martha likes my cooking... or at least she's smart enough to say she does... hmmmmm oh well... I always tell people... if you like it... say so... if not... lie...  I mean really... if you want it your way go to Burger King.... moving along.... jI'll get there... anyhoo... so there is this  frail 70 year old woman with that broken wrist... but she is hilarious... lots of life and history... and we're swapping stories and its been like that ever since...  
A month or so after Martha came to live with us she called me one morning... she was upset and just needed to vent... she was at the A&TT place having gone to pay her bill... her bill was like $44... she had put in 3 twenties as she didn't have a five or a ten for the $4... and the machine shot out a receipt with a $16 credit... When you're on a fixed income... that matters... so she went to one of the people at the sales desk to see if they could get her her money... but they said they really had nothing to do with that only providing housing for the collection machines and she'd just have to apply the credit toward the next month's bill... OOOOOOOOOOOH she was mad... The young lady she was talking to sounded simply bored bored bored... really made Martha mad... so while Martha has a very forgiving nature... hmmmmm she can shoot off some fireworks first... LOL  She told the young lady something... I don't remember what... but anyway she calls and she told me everything... I could tell she was very angry almost to the point of crying... I'm like that... I get so mad... part of it is hurt that people just don't care... I could cry... then I get more mad... grrrrrrrrr so after Martha had told me everything I asked her if she was okay... thinking perhaps I might need to get Richard to bring me to pick her and her car up if she was too upset to drive... she said she was fine... she did sound a lot better...  venting had helped... and then I couldn't resist... I asked her if she had a good time telling that little girl off... she busted out laughing and said yes she had... and that's Martha...
I have lots of Martha stories... She's still working... She's 73 now... She works as a nanny to a little boy who is just a little over a year old... and his sister who is 8 I think... Andrea of course is at school during the day... but I'm only 57 and really wouldn't want to do what she does... babies are hard work... whoo... a visit yes... lots of visits... but every day all day... not really... In addition she drives several kids to school and picks them up each day for their parents who work...
My goodness... how did I get off into my Martha stories...  one little more... her car stalled at a traffic light... light turns green...  she's trying to get it started...  guy behind her lays down on his horn... a minute or two of that... she gets out of her car... walks back and tells the impatient driver... hey... tell you what we're gonna do.... You go up there and you get my car started... and I'll sit back here and blow your horn for you...  cop in the meantime comes up to see what the problem is... hears her telling the guy her plan...  The cop tells the guy to get his ass out of there before he writes him a ticket... not sure what for... ain't against the law to be a jerk...  My goodness he fusses Martha... at your age ma'am you can't go bowing up to people like that.... you'll get in big trouble... then he tells Martha to come on you little firecracker.. let's get this car started and get you on your way before you get yourself killed...  LOL 
Everyone Needs A Martha...