How to keep Popped Popcorn fresh

Store your popped popcorn in a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Keep it in a dark, dry place away from any moisture--moisture and air are the surest ways to end up with stale or soggy popcorn. Popcorn that has been purchased already popped, such as a bag of popcorn from a popcorn shop, can also be stored in this manner.

Read more: How to Keep Popcorn Fresh | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5794649_keep-popcorn-fresh.html#ixzz2ROLLSXyq

Just because she has been married twice, had children and now permanently retired, doesn't mean she has to turn into soggy popcorn after its popped.

Her need to always be independent is never stale.  If too much air gets in her container, she moves on to a better tight-fitting container or changes lids. 

If I look back, she does remind me of having the lifestyle of a gypsy.  Her need to keep things new and refreshed is part of who she is.  She has struggled last week with moving from my house to a "senior" community.  By no means does she think she is a senior.  Her definition of a senior is one that has gray/white hair, no teeth, a rocking chair, needs help walking across the street and possibly a knitter or bridge player.

She is none of the above.  I believe that she believes she is still in her forties.  After her divorce from number two, she had to prove a point.  She had to push her new found freedom to the max.  She had to prove that she was a survivor.

I went to live with my dad while she finished up her remains of the so-called, "the grass may be greener" marriage.  It was the 80's when she went back to the single status.  She showed up to her final divorce date with two of her stalks supporting her.  She wearing a purple and gray, horizontal stripped three-quarter sleeve-length puffy prairie top with a ruffle purple mini skirt and pumps.  The two supportive stalks told her to change her clothes.  They were in fear of the judge looking at her once and making a decision that she was a floosey and give her the shaft in that divorce.  Which that is exactly what happened.   All she wanted was to get her walking papers and walk away from that nightmare with a few things to survive and start new.  She could of gotten so much more, but didn't care.  The two stalks said that she should of fought everything.  But she was done fighting.

She could finally see her friends from work and family members again without having to report in every five minutes.  Before I moved to Texas to be with my dad, I remember the cops coming to our house quite a bit.  I'm not so sure if he was hitting her, but there were always death threats that may have ended her life at any time.  The last time I saw him, He was sleeping on our couch that turned into a bed in the middle of the living room, drunk and had a loaded pistol in his hand.  One wrong move, he could have blown someone or something away.  I called the cops because I thought it would be best that a professional try to remove the gun versus my mom or myself.  He woke up abruptly as the cops hovered over him and was slurring something.  The chief of police just so happened to be one of my closest friends father.  He let me stay at their house while the plans for me to leave was in the makings.  I went home one last time to pack before I left for the plane.  He was passed out in the bedroom and my mom wanted me to apologize for calling the cops.  I refused.  Why should I apologize for his stupidity?  I didn't see him as I said good bye to my mom.  I hugged her tightly because I truly didn't know if there would be another time to see her. 

Well a year went by after I moved back.  I got real home sick and I missed her alot.  I didn't like living in Texas and with my lunatic Bible-beating step mother.  My dad bought me a ticket to go back to Wisconsin for Christmas.  Because my mother and dad weren't able to communicate with each other, he just bought the ticket and sent me on my way.  No details as to who was picking me up from the airport was in place.  I arrived a couple of days before Christmas and my mom was working.  She had been working so much, she forgot I was coming.  So one of the stalks picked me up from the airport and let me stay there until my mom came home.  When the stalk called her, she was like "WHAAAAATTT???  She's here?".  My mom really forgot I was even in the picture.  I think when the divorce was final, everything before that was final.  Including me.

When I finally saw my mom, she was actually upset with me.  I thought she would've missed me like I missed her.  I left her so she could close the book on that section of her life.  But apparently, she was having a good time without me.  She had gotten a nice apartment with a beautiful pool, new car and new wardrobe.  She was working alot, but with the pay she was making, she could splurge.  I came to find out that she was going out alot to the bars, went on trips that I never new about and just partying it up.  I didn't like that she was going out so much, because knowing her, she would pick up a husband #3.  So with that notion, I never used my other part of the round trip ticket, leaving my step-mother at the airport waiting for me.  I didn't care.  Someone had to watch over her.  And that someone, wound up being me.

She worked third shift and I went to school while she was at home.  Sometimes, and I didn't want to believe it, but I saw hickeys on her neck.  Great, that what she was doing while I was at school.  I'd walk into the apartment and I would look around the apartment like it was tainted.  A little grossed out.  I wasn't around alot on the weekends.  I picked up a job at the mall for spending and gas money on my Chevy Citation she bought for me.  It looked like a hexagon looking vehicle with wheels.  Didn't matter, it was wheels for me to get around.  We were like roommates. 

She made more money when she purchased a town-house during my senior year.  My brother and his wife were in transition between leaving their apartment and waiting for the closing on their new home.  So they lived there, with me and my mom.  My sister-in-law was going to deliver their first child any day.  It was crowded.  Then all of a sudden, she tells us that a guy she has been seeing is going to live with us.  OH GEEZ, WHERE DID THIS ONE SLIP IN FROM?  Anyway, she just lived with him for a little bit.  He did slap her once, and he was out.  He was a disabled guy with a limp.  Drank alot.  That's where the slap came from.  Luckily my brother was there.  My brother handled the situation and the now ex-boyfriend was out.  It didn't break her.  She just kept partying along.  Tossed the lid on that one and replaced it with another and another and another.  I never want to see my mother hurt.  However, she does have a mouth that does get her in trouble.  She is a classic case of "not thinking before you speak". 

Today, was her first real day at her new studio apartment.  I worry about her an her antics.  She thinks she IS a spring chicken.  My husband goes over there to help her set up her flat screen television.  My husband says that she is doing good and your mother is her typical self.  We have been married for over 21 years, so he knows of her complete and utter sassiness.  She said "Look at my apartment, isn't it beautiful?  I love it.  Look at my curtains.  Everything is red.  It's my red district."  As she clapped her hands together and rubbed them together eagerly like its the most exciting thing.  He told her, "It looks real nice mom, are you happy?"  I know he is like me, that we are both trying to make sure that the decision she made was a good one.  We only want what is best for her and happy.  By no means did we want her to think that we pushed her out.  It was her typical life cycle.  Her moving on.
"Everything is great.  I am so happy.  A lady came over and said I should have gotten a single bed in here versus a double bed."
"Yeah, that's true ma, you would have more space then." he commented.
"Well, you never know if I meet someone and I can't fit two people in a single bed."
"Alright, that's enough ma." My husband replied mortifyingly. "But you could have a little more room to entertain in your living area."
"If I am doing any entertaining, it will be right over there." pointing to her double bed.
"OKAY, MA, do you need anything else, because I need a little time to get my appetite back before I go home and eat what Diane cooked for dinner."
She is grinning and laughing.  She knows she was making him uncomfortable.  But that's her, always pushing her boundaries.

Yeah, she's good.  She's happy in her new container.