Catching Up--The Holidays

Catching up…

I don't even know if I can call it that. I haven't blogged in FOREVER, and I love to blog. But my goodness! Time just runs out!

Not that I'm complaining. It's just that it's hard to even think about blogging when I have so much sewing to do. I have made so many zebra outfits that PETA may come check us out. Snowmen on t shirts, monograms on everything you can imagine, dresses and pants—my goodness at the pants—and a most adorablegorgeousoutofthisworldamazing minky dot romper for Grace to wear in the Christmas program.

Carsyn has not yet moved into the world of compatibility where sewing is concerned. Thank goodness for LOTS of help from others. Without Mama, Gabby, and Karissa, a lot of children would be naked at Christmas...or at least not as cute.

Anyway. On to the holidays. Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is our eat here and decorate our tree night. All the kids were here to help. Supper was wonderful, the kids were sweet and soooooo helpful. We have almost as many ornaments left as when we started the night J

Presents, however, are missing…still. Seriously. No presents wrapped yet. And that's a LOT of wrapping waiting for me. Oh well. Maybe tonight.

After the decoration success, we had Thanksgiving lunch with Robbie's parents on Thursday. And then, Thursday night, we went Black Friday shopping!!!!! No, it was not Black Friday yet. Let me just say that watching people like Lauren try to hold her eyes open was pretty hilarious. Vicki definitely won the prize for the most energy of the night. We had a blast and were happy Karissa and Kelly could go. Liz, Lauren's sister-in-law, went with us this year and we had such fun! Sunday Thanksgiving lunch at Mama and Daddy's was wonderful as always. And then, with almost no warning, it was DECEMBER!!

The big Christmas push was on—finish shopping (Every year I say I'm going to be DONE before December. I never am.) The problem this year has been finding time to go. What's that you say? You've heard that before? That's because it's TRUE!! I may not be making the trip to school every day, but I promise I'm busier than I have ever been in my life! I have one more trip to make. You know the one: everything's is counted and the numbers are not right; a bit more tape would be good; and what if I see something I just really like—for anyone J

Merry Christmas!

Chivalry Is NOT Dead...

Chivalry is a term that dates back to the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur's time. It's the concept of doing what is right, helping those in need, being kind, being thoughtful, and, if needed, rescuing beautiful (or not) damsels from fire-breathing dragons :)  For as long as I have taught, my students in Arthurian Romance or English 9 have been assigned a paper on the topic of chivalry and whether it still exists.

Of course, I KNOW it does. I live with one of the few remaining knights :)

He is a gentleman through and through, and so are my boys.

But sometimes it's nice to see another example--one completely out of the family or my comfort zone (because we all see the best in our own people, right?)

This past week I had the pleasure of participating in the Holiday Bazaar hosted by Andalusia Manor in Andalusia, Alabama. Thanks SalLee Sasser Williams and Tamala Hutcheson for thinking of inviting me! It was my first experience at something like this, and I learned a lot. Mama went with me and the company was so welcome. She helped customers and was my biggest fan :) Many of the customers who came through were employees of the facility, and others who visited brought their family members who reside there to shop or look around. Some people from the general public came in, and everyone was sooooo nice. But then there was one who just stood out...

I was standing behind the table and noticed someone coming in the door. At first, I had to look twice because, as Grace would say, the boy coming in looked just like "Mac Attack." (I think she may have a life-long crush on my former student--probably because he always should such chivalry to her.)

This young man wasn't alone. He was an employee of Andalusia Manor and was pushing one on the residents in a wheel chair. She was much, much older than he and I did not get the impression that they were family at all. I watched him the entire time he was in the room, and I so wished I could show my students this real-life example of chivalry.

He was so kind, so gentle, and so patient. He took his charge to every table. There were tables of jewelry, makeup, children's clothes (me!!), monogrammed bags, cookware, toys, Thirty-one items, Christmas wreaths, and Holiday decorations for sale. It was obvious that few, if any, of these things would be of great interest, but no one would have known that by watching him.

Mr. Knight-in-Shining-Armor stopped at each table and explained what was being sold. He even held up jewelry to her neck and ears and told her how good it would look on her. They stopped at our rack and he talked about embroidery and how everything was personalized. He took her to the makeup table and talked about lipstick and perfume. At the table selling decorations he talked about stockings and wreaths and Christmas. He was never in a hurry and wasn't the least embarrassed to be doing his job--his calling. 

I wish I had gotten his name so that I could mention it on here, but I didn't :( 
He certainly deserves to be complimented.

Andalusia Manor is blessed to have such wonderful people working with their residents, and the residents are certainly blessed to have such kind, caring individuals as this young man. I can only hope we have raised our boys to be as kind!

Thankfully Speaking...

There is a challenge going around on Facebook right now to post what you are thankful for every day in an effort to celebrate more of a thankful month than a thankful day (Thanksgiving). I think that is awesome. I wish I had time to do it. Or the brain to remember every day. But I get so bogged down in the "stuff" of life and sometimes don't even LOOK at Facebook except for ZiZi's page or to read messages someone has sent.

Carsyn is sleeping this morning and my day hasn't officially gotten started yet (even though I've been up since 4:30 A.M. and posted assignments, answered emails, finished  some projects, and washed a load of clothes). What a perfect time to reflect on what I'm thankful for.

• I'm thankful for my relationship with God and my church family. I don't know how people handle the hard things in life without God and church, and I'm glad I've never had to figure that out.
• I'm thankful for the amazing parents God chose to place me with. They are there for us all the time, always ready to do whatever we need and asking so little from us. My goal this year is to try to be more available to help them.
• I'm thankful for my siblings. David and Pam are the best brother and sister a kid could have. And their spouses are precious to me as my new brother and sister (I don't like the term "in-law"). Their children are like my children, and their needs are important to me. I don't understand people who can distance themselves from their families. So sad.
• I'm thankful for the wonderful husband gave made just for me. He takes such good care of me and our family. Ours is such an incredibly content relationship, and for that I am so blessed.
• I'm thankful for my second set of parents, Robbie's parents. They are so loving and supportive of all we do.
• I'm thankful for my three gorgeous children. God blessed me so much by allowing me to be the mama to Josh, Lauren, and Robert. Every moment I have or had with them is precious and cannot be replaced.
• I'm thankful for my new children--those that Josh, Lauren, and Robert married and brought into our family. They chose well and the joining of our families has been basically seamless. My newbies are as much a part of my thinking when I talk about my children as Josh, Lauren, and Robert are.
• I'm thankful for the little people that our couple kids have blessed us with. Gracie, our first, is the most verbal and LOVES to talk! Dylan, just 6 months and a day younger, is such a little man and helps take care of everybody when he comes to see us. Daniel has the most precious little lisp and his truly his daddy's mini me. Kaylee is quite the little boss around her brothers, but, my goodness, she has to be! Carsyn, the youngest, is sooo funny doing her arabesques and slinging her arms around for "Deep and Wide."
• I'm thankful for a school that says, "We understand you need to be at home right now. And we understand you still need to teach. So, yes, you can do the online classes."
• I'm thankful for a business that is growing stronger and stronger. My mission is to make cute clothing at affordable costs. My customers seem to appreciate that!
• I'm thankful to my daughter for including me in her gymnastics studio. I have such fun teaching those kids, and I look forward to their classes every week and their meets on the weekend.
• I'm thankful for my health. Sometimes I get headaches, and I have more aches than I used to, but that's just a part of getting older, don't you think?  I mean, what 29-year-old doesn't get a little stiff now and then?  :)
• I'm thankful for my friends. I have read that if one has 2 people he can call good friends he is truly blessed -- and that's what I can call myself: truly blessed.
• I'm thankful for those little things that make life easier-- computers, cell phones, Nick Jr., air conditioning, automatic transmissions, washers and dryers, microwaves, refrigerators-- but none of these things would make up for not having those items listed before.

So, what are YOU thankful for?

Pumpkins and Posers

I am a creator. I sew. I paint. I cut vinyl with my super-cool cricut and make cool snazzy things. I turn non-writers into authors (at least of essays).

Rarely do I have the misfortune of being bested by one of my creations. Maybe bested is not the right word. Attacked? Ambushed? Smothered and suffocated? I don't know. Anyway, here goes:

First, the pumpkins.

In the sewn category, there have been 2354 pumpkin shirts and outfits leave the Den of Stitches. That may be slightly exaggerated. But I'm sure at least fifty are ready to wear by little girls all over this area. Such a cute outfit too. You see why everybody would want one :)

Let me just say it has been a valiant effort to fulfill all these orders. I have bought every piece of orange and white fabric from Orange Beach to Birmingham. Who knew orange was a SPRING fabric and no more could be ordered!! Am I the only one who associates orange with fall???? Oh, well.  I am now to the point that I can offer to do shirts only...there just isn't enough fabric for pants. But that's good, right? That's what Robbie always asks me.

And then the tutus. Lord, at the tutus! I had to get Vicki and Grace to spend the night and help me! But these tutus were not for children...nope, no ballerinas in this bunch. These were all GROWN women who were dressing up for the run they sponsored. As one of the participants put it, "Nothing says I'm a serious runner quite  like a tutu." What fun! How cute!

Finally (and this is where I was held hostage by one of my own creations)--the poser. My niece Karissa is a budding photographer. She is not only learning to take sonographic (is that even a word?) pictures of a person's insides in school, but she also has her own photography business that is growing...and growing...and growing. But that's good, right?

So anyway, back in the summer she sent me a picture of a photography poser and asked if I could make one for less than the advertised $75. Ummm...yeah. So I searched the stores until I found a remnant of a vinyl/leather-like fabric (to be easily cleaned if wee ones have accidents) and put it aside. Then last weekend I decided to "clean out" some stuff that had been hanging around, stressing me with its not-done-ness.. I know, I know...not a word...

I should have had someone (a photgrapher, maybe?) taking pictures of this whole experience. First I laid the fabric/wild animal (it acted like one) on the floor. I taped a ribbon to a marker so that I could make a perfect circle, and I drew it off. Let me just say I was quite proud of myself. Cutting it out was not problem, and neither was the cutting of the band to separate the top and bottom. Karissa is going to fill this thing up with those little beads that go in bean bags, so it needed some expansion room and a zipper. Next, off to the sewing machine...and the relationship between me and the THING turned ugly.

Most things I sew are docile and yielding. They squish and gather and can be easily compacted. But not the poser. Oh, no. Here I was, at the machine, with the poser fighing me, trying to slip away, and, when that didn't work, attacking me!! I kid you not, the poser tried to kill me!  I was hunkered over the machine , sewing away, fighting to keep the thing under the machine and sew in a circle, when the part I was not sewing curled up and came over my head!

I can just imagine the headline: Female Seamstress Smothered by  a Poser

It would make for interesting reading, don't you think?

Anyway, I got it done--even got a zipper in the band (no small feat, let me tell you). And I sent it on its happy way to the new owner. Loving feedback as I do, I waited to hear from her...and waited...and waited. Fearing that the thing might have tried to take her out too, I sent a message asking if it worked. Her response: "It's still in the truck."

Hope it doesn't try to attack her when she opens the door...

Pioneer Woman of the South...NOT!

I am directionally challenged.

Truly this statement is a huge step...I'm bowing to my flaw. It's a pretty serious one, in fact. I have always been amazed at how other people (men, usually) can just sort of pick a road or a turn, guessing about where it comes out, and they always remember the way back out. Imagine all those pioneers of old just hooking up the horse and wagon and leaving...no maps.Amazing!

That, alas, is not me.

(As a side note, I should mention that this deficit in the gene pool has been passed on to Lauren. We cannot go anywhere without making at least one -usually several more- "U-ies." )

So you can imagine my elation when, not so many years ago, I gained through the internet the ability to print out a map with step-by-step directions to anywhere. WONDERFUL!! But what if there was a detour? Road work? A traffic accident? Heaven forbid.

Then along came gps systems for the car. Hallelujah!! A device that TALKS to the driver, recalculates if a turn is missed or blocked...could life get any better?

Maybe. Just maybe.

Saturday my uncle was taken by helicopter to the hospital in Dothan and I took Mama to be there for the surgery. We are a close-knit family and like to be together in times of trouble. There was no question that we would go. I looked up the address on the internet and printed it out. Then I got Lauren's gps (which she rarely uses until she has already had to make one u-turn) and programmed it. I was double armed. Finally, I consulted with Robbie about the way to go. He said, "Don't you remember when we used to go to Ashford?" Ummm - yeah. From LUVERNE. Through TROY. Oh well. Off we went.

At first, everything was fine. The directions were easy to follow (written and spoken), and Mama had been part of the way before and remembered it. AND THEN...Miss GPS said (in a very sultry voice), "In one-half mile, take the exit left." So I did. And then she said (still sultry), "Please make a U turn." What??? Mama and I just looked at each other! I didn't U turn, but she (Isn't kind of weird to refer to her as if she is a bitty bitty person LIVING inside the screen. Think she gets a kick out of giving people heart attacks?) got me turned around and to the hospital. I felt so accomplished.

After surgery was done and everyone began to leave, I once again depended on another source. Casey knew some of the way because of going down to see Teri. But after a while, she called and said her Verizon gps on her phone was "going stupid." So I turned mine on (I had just hit Take Me Home) and got in front. And drove. And drove. And drove. We saw NOTHING we remembered. Not a single familiar site. At one point, on a road with no turns, the demon from the screen said, "Make a left turn now." Where? Into the pasture? So I stayed straight, and eventually we came out in Elba and Brantley. Keep in mind that we did not even come CLOSE to those towns on the way down.

So I don't know. Maybe I'm not as directionally challenged as I think. Maybe it's a conspiracy between Google Maps and the GPS industry. Maybe I'm just supposed to stay home. Maybe there's a lesson I'm supposed to learn. Something like...hmm...IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW YOU GET THERE, BUT THAT YOU DO--EVENTUALLY.

Love, Loss, and Hope

For ten years, September 11 has been memoralized as a day for heroes. Men and women who rushed in to save people from burning, collapsing buildings -- those who drove planes straight into the ground to save our country -- people who called home for the last time on that fateful day -- these are the people we remember on September 11.

This year, the world lost another hero on September 11. Most people in the world will never hear anything about him, but those who knew him know he made an enormous impact on the lives of those around him.

Four years ago, Kenny learned he had cancer. From the beginning, it was said to be a cancer that was "easily treatable." Wrong! The devil played a mean game, and the doctors at UAB were constantly perplexed at how and where and when the cancer kept coming back. There were times that we all wanted to scream and cry and ask "Why?" But not Kenny. He kept his faith. He encouraged others. He worked to raise money for a relative who had cancer even when he was so low himself. He fought. Hard. And on September 11, 2011, he won.

Some people would say he lost that battle, but they would be wrong. He did not give in. He did not give up. He was not depressed. He did not, as Job's wife encouraged her husband to do, "curse God and die." Kenny's death was not unexpected -- we were not in denial -- but it was unexpectedly quick. Even in that, he won. Quietly, in his sleep, he passed gently from this life to the next. And I'm pretty sure as he stepped over, he looked back at the devil and said, "Thought you had me didn't you?" No, Kenny did not lose his battle. He is victorious, pain free, cancer free, in the prime of his life, without swelling or scans or needles or tubes.

And so now we are faced with finding the new normal. Life will certainly be different for all of us, especially for Pam and his girls. But we will all find strength in the way Kenny lived his life and the lessons we have learned from other losses. Over the past two and a half years, I have heard many well-meaning people try to make me feel better about losing Robert. Most of their little remarks don't really matter, because he is still gone for me. One remark stuck in my mind and has only recently begun to truly make sense. I shared this with Kelly at Kenny's visitation, and I pray that it will become a planted seed that grows and develops deep roots. This is the way I think of Robert: He is in my future now. For the present, he is absent, but he is not gone. Instead, he waits for me, and I certainly wouldn't want him to be disappointed by not showing up!

If you haven't read Heaven Is for Real, I can't tell you how good it is. I have always had faith, always known what happened to the soul of one who loved God, always been assured of eternity in heaven. But I don't deny that I have always wondered just how that would go--how it would happen. Would you just have to find your own way around, hoping to see someone who looked slightly familiar? Would Moses be the same in importance as Pigo? That didn't seem right. And then I read this little book about a four-year-old boy who becomes incredibly sick and later tells of his experience while his body was in the operating room. I say his body because his soul was not there. And so this is what I think happened at 4:43 on September 11, 2011: I believe Kenny's soul stepped into the next life as easily as stepping across a threshold; I believe that the first person he saw was Jesus and that Kenny knew Him immediately; I believe that Robert and Pigo and Granny and Mamaw and Grandaddy Hartin and Granny Hartin and all the others who were already there came to find him; I believe that every pain, weakness, and defect was gone; I believe that true to his personality he is laughing, telling stories, and saying to Jesus "You something else, ain't ya?";I believe that he is waiting--happily waiting-- for those who will come after him; I believe that when we go, he will be one of the ones who meet us at the feet of Jesus and offer to show us around; I believe he is in our future now.

In the last weeks of his life, Kenny and all of us claimed the verse Jeremiah 32:17, proclaiming that "nothing is too hard" for God. We will continue to claim this verse, because the hard part on earth is learning the new normal. It sure does make our loss easier to bear, though, to know that our loved ones are safely with God and with each other.

                                                 Kenny and Carsyn--Beautiful Baldies

                                                                  Kenny and Pam
                                                       Married September 19, 1981

A Birthday Card and a Life Lesson

I think it's a little ironic that Pam and I both celebrated our birthdays while she and Kenny were in Birmingham at the hospital. For that matter, Robbie's birthday was during that time also. Heck, if they had gone a couple of days earlier, Kenny could have had his birthday there too!

Anyway, I stayed with them several times during their five-week stay, and during one of those times Pam gave me my birthday card. Amazingly, I had looked at it in the bookstore and Pam (Sneaky Pete, I should call her) had already seen it and bought it for me! Great minds think alike, I guess!

I cannot tell you how many times I have gone back to that card and read it. There are so many life lessons to be learned from it. Life is truly about handling the things we don't expect. Everybody has youthful dreams of marrying your soulmate and living happily ever after with a house full of kids and a yard full of cars and a pool and bicycles in the driveway. No one plans in those youthful dreams what to do if a child dies or the soulmate gets sick. I guess it really is true that the situation you are in doesn't define you. It's how you handle that situation that says what you are.

Because I love it, I'm including the message from my card. I hope it touches some of you as it has touched me.

As we grow older it's important to remember that life is all about how you handle plan B.

            Plan B
Plan A is always my first choice.
You know, the one where
Everything works out to be
Happily ever after.

But more often than not,
I find myself dealing with
The upside-down,
Inside-out version
Where nothing goes as it should.

It's at this point that the real test
Of my character comes in...
Do I sink or do I swim?
Do I wallow in self-pity
And play victim
Or simply shift gears
And make the best of the situation?
The choice is mine. After all...
LIFE IS ALL ABOUT
HOW YOU HANDLE PLAN B.
                                  Suzy Toronto

Blessed are the flexible...
for they shall not be bent out of shape.

Now, really, isn't that just the neatest lesson? If you haven't already encountered Plan B, you will. Hope this helps!

Twenty-three Days

That's how long Kenny and Pam have been in Birmingham at UAB Hospital. That's almost how long it's been since I've blogged. Between getting and giving updates from the hospital, going up there, teaching online, and babysitting, the days are gone before I can turn around. It's been a long  twenty-three days...

Much longer for Pam and Kenny though.  Twenty- three  days since they slept in their bed, ate real food, used their own tub. Twenty-three days since they sat in their recliners, walked around the block,cooked supper. Twenty-three days of sleeping at a 30 degree incline or curled in a fetal position in a hard chair. Twenty-three nights of x-rays at 1:30 A.M. and vitals taken every two hours.  Twenty-three days and nights of different nurses, patient care techs, members of the surgical team. Twenty-three days of playing musical rooms.

I pray for rest where there has been none, peace where there has been anxiety, gentle nurses, and thorough doctors. I pray for help with pain management and a balm for frazzled nerves. I pray for strength for all the family and for Kenny's body. I pray for a different kind of strength for Pam.

Twenty-three days is a long time, but we know that God has everything under control and is working on his own timetable. We will be patient. We will not be anxious. Nothing is too big for God. Jeremiah 32:17

I Love You This Big...

When my kids were little, they used to ask all the time one of two questions: Who do you love more? and How much do you love me?

I answered the first question the same by giving each one a special thing I especially loved that child for. I loved the way Robert went to bed, the way Lauren wanted to "cuddlebug" after her bath, and the way Josh was such a sweet personality who didn't argue or fight.

They've grown up now, and more have come into the family. They don't ask anymore how much I love them. I guess that's one of the things that fades as they grow. I'm thinking they are moving into that phase of having to answer those questions for their own kids!

 Last night I was doing some things around the house, trying to find things, putting things in order, and just thinking. So I decided to put my thoughts down about my love for them~the kids, their loves, and their kids. Some are current and some are from times gone past. There are stories behind some of these that the kids will get even if other readers don't. And they're the ones that matter :)

                                                         I Love You This Big

How big do I love you?

I love you big enough to give you all my house chargers for my phone.

I love you big enough that Santa still comes to see you, even though my oldest is 28.

I love you big enough to board Christmas presents you forgot to take home.

I love you big enough to add another job description to my titles...gymnastics coach.

I love you big enough to make our yard look like a home daycare.

I love you big enough to have a baby bed in a house of grown-ups.

I love you big enough to drive to Florida for a grown-up play date.

I love you big enough to shop regularly in the baby/toddler section.

I love you big enough to quit a really good job because you missed me :)

I love you big enough to travel for one million miles to ballgames and see you play or cheer.

I love you big enough to teach for almost nothing so that we could be together at a great school.

I love you big enough to make baby-friendly foods a part of grocery buying.

I love you big enough to listen all year for ideas for Santa to bring, even if you might forget what you say.

I love you big enough to pray for you as you travel, as you work, and as you sleep.

I love you big enough to share you with the love of your life.

I love you big enough to spend the grocery money on cheer shoes or football cleats or basketball shoes.

I love you big enough to drive a vehicle big enough that all the babies can ride with us.

I love you big enough to give up Saturdays to wash your clothes for your next week of work.

I love you big enough play tee ball in the yard even though the temperature is 117 in the shade.

I love you big enough to come to college and take you clothes shopping because you got cold.

I love you big enough to get your baby to sleep and then put her in the bed with you.

I love you big enough to help with school papers/resumes/job applications/emails/etc.

I love you big enough to want you to have more and better than we have.

I love you big enough to help you get more and better than we have.

I love you big enough to wish I could take your place in hard situations.

I love you big enough  to buy chewable Tylenol to keep on my desk at school.

I love you big enough to go on grasshopper hunts and nature walks.

I love you big enough to be jumped on and dragged under in the pool.

I love you big enough to go on 1000 golf cart rides a day.

I love you big enough to drop the in-law at the end of son and daughter.

I love you big enough to dip your chicken and french fries in ketchup (I shiver just thinking of it!).

I love you big enough to make sure we have A1 even if we don't eat it.

I love you big enough support your attempts to become invisible to Bambi and his family.

I love you big enough to buy extra coffee/ketchup/ranch/rice/chicken so we can help if you run out.

I love you BIG BIG BIG...bigger than I know how to say.

One Item Checked Off the Bucket List!!!

We have new floors!!! Yeah!!! Happy dance happening now! Oh, wait... maybe not now. Too sore for that.
Maybe tomorrow...

So anyway, if you've read my blog before, you know that new flooring has been an important issue. Actually, it was an issue that we had stopped talking about because it never got done. NEVER.

And then, a few days ago, a sale at Home Depot! Yeah we went! Yes we got flooring! And it's down!!!

I'm so excited. Even though I hurt all over. My hair even hurts.

This epic event did not happen easily, let me tell you. In addition to the LOOOOOOOOOOONG wait for it to happen, some meanies tried to get in the way of our adventure of DIY flooring. There's one I just HAVE to tell you about.

Ok, so Sunday we went to church, ate after church, and went to Jonathan's birthday party. We left the party to hurry to Montgomery and buy the laminate flooring. We got up Monday, I went to gymnastics, and Robbie started preparing everything. Monday night we went to Marvin's.

This is where the meanies come in.

FYI: If you put down laminate flooring, you are supposed to put a foam underlayment on the existing floor. We didn't have enough. Hence the trip to Marvin's.

So we go into Marvin's. Flooring section found--check. Underlayment found--check. Price on underlayment choices--no check.

At Robbie's request, I went to the counter at the front to ask if she could help or call someone to come give some assistance.

And THIS is the answer I got:
"I can call someone, but they are all REALLY REALLY busy. It'll probably be a long time before they come."

Did I forget to mention here that ours was the only car in the parking lot and they were only open 35 more minutes?

After I picked my jaw up from the floor, I asked if SHE could help me.

And THIS is what I got:
"I can help if you bring it HERE, but I can't leave my post."

Ok.Fine. So off I go to get the rolls of underlayment so she can give me prices. On my way, a very nice man who did not appear to be busy at all (in fact, he sort of looked like he was wandering around) asked if he could help me. He did. I took three rolls to the counter.

**Just remember that the prices were not posted...got it? You can see what's coming, right?

So Miss I Cannot Leave My Post does the thing I asked for. SHE CALLS FOR HELP!!!! I kid you not. Because of course she could not leave her "post" to find the prices.

Here comes her help (same kind man who wandered aimlessly into helping me). Robbie and I had made ourselves comfortable at the patio tables for sale.

Words cannot describe the look on her face when she was told that all the information--prices, length, everything we wanted to know--was highlighted in a notebook chained to the counter AT HER POST!! She never had to leave or call in the first place!!

Thank goodness the help we got from Daddy and Mr. Greg was much, much better! One thing checked off my bucket list...now to choose another item. Hmmm...

Hilarity Times 12

Perhaps I should begin by telling you a little about my family. We are highly emotional. Normally when I say that people think I mean we cry a lot. And we do. But the flip side of that is that we also laugh. A LOT. And...how can I put this delicately?...boisterously! We get so tickled, and we just can't hold it back!

(Please Note: The previous comment refers to the girls in our family only. The boys do a lot of grunting and smiling...not much giggling and cackling laughing.)

So, all the girls -- Mama, Pam, Kecia, Casey, Kelly, Karissa, Kathy, Leigh, Ashley, Lauren, Vicki, and I -- got all dolled up yesterday and went to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to see the musical Menopause. Our tickets were on two rows. Vicki said it was the pre-menopausal and post-menopausal rows. Kathy gave her mean eyes and I'm considering cutting her out of the will. I'll probably get over it :)

On to the performance OH MY GOODNESS!!!

I know the people around us had to wonder what in the world was wrong with us. We were screaming! When I looked back at the younger girls, they were laughing as hard as we were! It was amazing!! There were so many surprises, cute songs that had been changed around, and amazing actresses (Well, yeah, they were all women--look at the title of the musical!)

So, it's showing for one more week.

Go. You know you want to :)

After the performance, all of us (remember that's 12) went to Texas Roadhouse to eat. We had a blast there and were safe from stormy weather. When we left, we stopped a couple of places for school and birthday shopping, and then headed home. When we got out to unload, another surprise!

(Disclaimer: I did not personally see this, but I heard Lauren and Vicki SCREAMING laughing...so I know it did.)

Mama (aka Nannie) started dancing!!!

If you've been to see Menopause, think woman in the purple suit dancing in the first song.

If you haven't been, go. You know you want to. Especially now :)

Perfect...Just Perfect

So after an AMAZING weekend with the kids (all of 'em), and a life mystery being solved right in front of me (click here for that), this morning took a down turn. Robbie got everything together last night for his week at work. Remember, he stays here all week...

Anyway, I got up this morning to go stay with Carsyn until Cindy could get there (I needed to go with Mama and Daddy). Out to the golf cart I went. I even remembered to take a towel with me for the dew-laden seat. Being in an incredibly sweet frame of mind, I was even willing to walk home and let Cindy keep said golf cart for the girls (she sweetly offered to keep Grace also). In what seemed an amazing moment of solidarity, Chiclet (the 5-pound guard dog) ran to get on the golf cart even before I finished saying, "You wanna ride?" She usually waits and makes us stop the cart. No worries today. No key. No problem. Yeah right.

Over to the truck I go (no Chiclet this time). No key.

Into the house I go. No keys in sight.

At the risk of running late for my sweet little charges, I called Robbie. HE has keys. All of 'em. In Montgomery. No problem. Yeah, right.

Guess it's a good thing we got the car out of the shop.

Guess it's a good thing others in the family work in Montgomery.

Guess it's a good thing I don't get stressed out.

Yeah, right.

Drive Through Mystery Solved!!

One of the greatest mysteries of life was solved tonight--before my very eyes, I tell you.

How many times have we gone through a drive-through lane at...well, almost ANYWHERE, and gotten the most ridiculous responses to our order? Ummm, let's see...well over 1,000,000! I used to think that maybe it was Robbie's voice. He is soft spoken and doesn't talk much at all (maybe doesn't have much of a chance??). Anyway, the order would go something like this:

Mysterious Voice from Speaker: Would you like to try one of our _______ today? Can I take your order?
Robbie: I need a double quarter pounder combo with a coke.
MVFS: (after loooooooong pause) Ok, sir, that was an apple pie and a strawberry milkshake?
Robbie: (deep breathing exercise beginning) I NEED A DOUBLE QUARTER POUNDER COMBO WITH A COKE.
MVFS: I'm sorry about that. That's a large fry and an orange drink?

At this point, I have been known to climb OVER Robbie to get to the window...not because of MY frustration, but for the safety of the person behind the Mysterious Voice from Speaker.

It's not only Robbie, though. I think I speak rather clearly, and I'm certain of what I'm ordering before I ever begin the order. Still, ridiculous responses from MVFS. Sometimes I have said, "Just let me know when you're ready to listen, and I'll order." One time I pulled around to the window and ordered there. Sooooooo frustrating!!

On to tonight's story:
We have had Robert's children since Saturday. Kandace had a medical procedure scheduled today, so that's how we could help out. We met at Burger King because, according to Daniel, they have "weally, weally good food and a supah cool  playgwound." But Burger King is not our favorite place to eat (sorry, Whopper lovers). So Robbie and I were just going to wait and eat afterwards. We decided to go right across the road to Captain D's. We love it there, but almost never go.

Anyway, we went in, placed our order, got our sweet tea, and went to sit and wait on our order to be delivered. Just after we got our food, the guy who took our order passed by our table on the way to the restroom.

** What you are about to read is not a dramatization. It is an actual, true-life event.**

Just as he got to the door of the restroom, a soft beep sounded, and, in front of my very eyes, he reached up to his headphone, pressed a button, and said (I swear I'm not kidding) "Welcome to Captain D's. Can I take your order?"

I stopped chewing. I almost stopped breathing. I looked across the table at Robbie and we both burst out laughing! Robbie said that all those missed orders made so much more sense now. We had always thought they were just not really paying attention. We had no idea our order taker might be in the RESTROOM with NO access to a way to record our order!!

Mystery solved!!

My Take on Random Things

Do you ever just get to wondering why people do certain things? Or what people are thinking when they do/say/wear/sing/whatever? This blog is about my musings...
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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE of people (especially teenage girls who are otherwise beautiful) taking vast numbers of pictures of themselves making the most awful faces with tongues hanging out, eyes crossed, etc. What are future mates/employers/children/grandchildren going to think? And if they DO (for some odd, completely unfathomable reason) still want to take the pictures, why do they post them for God and everyone else to see? I don't get it.
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WHY IS IT that when someone is sick, people will call the sick person or someone in the family and ask very specific, very personal questions? Is it really necessary to have the patient have to relive by retelling the entire ordeal? Is that even humane? Several words come to mind that people who know a sick one should work toward making a part of their lives: compassion, empathy, gentleness, discretion, kindness...You get the picture. Sometimes I want to say, "Come ON, people!!" Do you really think they want to call 78 people in a row and recite the entire thing all over again? No way.
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I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND what makes people want to come up to a person (namely ME) who has lost a loved one and discuss it in a crowd. Or right before I go to class. Or church. Or bed. Or anywhere!! It is my opinion that some people just have to see if there are still tears. How I wish they could know that there always will be-- that they are right at the top-- that the least thing can bring them on-- that there is a time and a place!!!

I have had people (well-meaning ones, I'm sure) come up to me at my school's homecoming reception, where I'm trying to dip punch and refill trays and serve 125 people and take care of the seniors and say, "So, I'm sure you think about Robert a lot." Oh? You think? Really? You think I might occasionally think about my baby son, dead at 21 in a car crash, father of 3 babies, brother to Josh and Lauren, a student of mine, the darling boy who "smiled seetly" and called me "pwetty mama" when he wanted something? Know what I want to say? "HERE'S YOUR SIGN!"
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NOW ON TO FACEBOOK STATUS postings. Can we be honest here? How wonderful is the person you are eating/riding/singing/vacationing/whatever with if you stop in the middle of it and tell everyone what you are doing? I mean REALLY. Friday night Robbie and I went out to eat. He had stayed at the river all week to save money on gas, and I had missed him. We picked up the boys' birthday cake, brought it home, and went to eat. We talked and talked. I filled him in on all that was going on. He told me all about his week. We had a great supper. I had popcorn shrimp. He had a hamburger steak. The restaurant was very nice, the service was good, the price was affordable, and the food was good. None of it was as good as my company. But you know what? It never crossed my mind to take the time to post it on facebook. My  company was too good to take that time away from him. Often I have told my children (biological and school) that if you have to wear your soulmate's name on your shirt/car/truck/bookbag/notebook for people to know you love him/her, maybe you should rethink your actions. That's kind of what I think about those kinds of facebook statuses. Just sayin'...
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GRAMMATICALLY SPEAKING, some things just DRIVE ME CRAZY! Now don't get all "I'm not going to talk around her because she'll correct everything I say" on me. I don't. Well, not in public, anyway. But I do believe there are some fairly basic things that everyone should know.
1. Commas go BEFORE the conjunction (,but  NOT  but, )
2. Alright is NOT a word! Neither is SNUCK or THEIRSELF/THEIRSELVES.
3. All punctuation has a purpose. Use it. It helps your reader understand what you want to say. Consider it a random act of kindness.
4. Word processors and web searches can help with spelling and usage. How cool is that?
5. DONE is used only with a helping verb (have done, has done, had done, is done, are done, am done).
6. Apostrophes were never meant to be dropped in wherever you want to drop them. They are meant to shorten words (contractions) or show possession. An apostrophe does not make a word plural. It amazes me at the businesses and educated public that believe Smith's means more that one Smith. Nope. Ask yourself~~ the Smith's WHAT? Car? House? Dog? Rocking chair? And just because a name ends in -s doesn't change the rule. Williamses is correct for the plural. Williams's is correct for ownership by one Williams. Williamses' means a bunch of Williamses own something.
7. It is not ok to use text messaging symbols in normal writing. Do you really want to read a letter or email or card like this:
aisi, u r my bff. bion, idk what i wud do w/o ur friendship. bta im gud for u 2, dyt? LOL
(As I see it, you are my best friend forever. Believe it or not, I don't know what I would do without your friendship. But then again, I'm good for you too, don't you think? Laughing out loud.)

See the difference?

By the way, neither does it make one bit of sense to add meaningless letters to words (I'm going to the beach todayyyyyyyyy-- does NOT make sense)

I swear I'm going to be a reader/editor one day.
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The End
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At least for now :)

How Blessed We Are

I've been guilty of it myself...thinking that I should have more, do more, go more. And I listen to the children of today and how they "can't live without" their cellphones, xboxes, cars, and other toys.

Mama always says that if you take the time to look around and listen, you'll find that their are people who are worse off, have been through more, who would find where you are a paradise.

When I watch this video, I know what she means. I hope it touches you as well.

http://www.flixxy.com/korea-talent-choi-sung-bong.htm

The Trade Off

Sweet Home Baptist Church hasn't always had Children's Church. When all of my age group started having babies, we took turns keeping a nursery, but toddlers and up went to "Big Church" with the adults. That led to some funny moments -- Leigh singing "There's a Tear in my Beer" as the choir came down from the loft after singing "No Tears in Heaven" -- Josh announcing that we had a bull named SOB (he didn't abbreviate) because Uncle David loaded the bull into a trailer by using his belt and saying, "Get in the trailer, you SOB" (and he didn't abbreviate either) -- Kelly announcing in a very loud (bordering on desperate) whisper, "Mama, I got to tee tee, d___it!" (and she didn't mince words) -- Karissa asking us to pray for her mama that she wouldn't be so mean -- and me lunging across the pew after Robert when he said he had a prayer request (because I had NO idea what was coming out of his mouth!).

After asking our preacher at the time about having Children's Church and that idea being shot down, God sent a sign from heaven. A family came, and their children were not interested in church. Not a bit. And the parents weren't interested in making them mind. Not a bit. So during the service, those children played Dukes of Hazzard on the cement picnic tables right outside the sanctuary. That night, the preacher asked if I would take the job of Children's Church. And so the journey began...

That was about 23 years ago...or sometime thereabout. My Sunday job has been such a joy. I'm not saying it's always easy. There have been Sundays that more than 20 children would be there...and I was the only teacher. Other Sundays I have had the pleasure of a tiny class...sometimes just one child whose family didn't go on vacation that weekend. Many of my children...because that's what they are, biological and otherwise...have gotten married and had their own children. Some of  those are in Children's Church now. There is a very good chance that a great many people have NO idea what Children's Church is or what it takes to have it every Sunday morning. In a lot of ways, it's a trade off for me. 

How is it a tradeoff? Well, let's see...

I don't have any idea what sermon was preached that day.
I have no idea what the song service was like.
I don't hear the prayer requests.
Very rarely do I hear any of the announcements.
I'm often caught off guard when people mention something coming up at church.
Sometimes, I even find out we're eating at church that very morning.

So, what do Robbie and I have instead?
We get to hear kids sing "Peace Like a Wibber."
We get to pray for a 3-year-old's dead puppy, sick family, and green swimming pool.
We get to make mangers  and barns and animals out of playdough.
We get sloppy kisses and hugs around my legs.
We get to be called ZiZi and PopPop by kids who are not our grandchildren--or sometimes not even related.
We get to watch the kids "float" a basket holding "Moses" down the "river."
We get to sing "Eep and Why" ( In adult language, that's Deep and Wide.)
We get to hear kids beg to stay (Gabby once, upon being taken out early, said "I can't go, Daddy! We haven't even learned about God yet!)
We get to hear the Bible in a whole new way ("He leads me beside the still waters. He will steal my sword.)
We get to hear the sweetest words -- "I'm ready to get babatized!"

So Big Church can just go on without us. We get the best end of that deal.

Commenting on Blogs

I LOVE comments! And I love to leave comments! But I have been having a heck of a time lately. So I googled, and I found this blogger's solution. I'm linking just in case any of my readers need help! Happy blogging!
Problems with commenting

By the way, I have no relationship with this blogger...just answered some questions for me :)

Have You Heard This Song???

Have you? I'll bet if you've read my blogs and you have heard it, you thought of me. I'd never heard it until today. So me...just soooooo me. Enjoy.

Like My Mother Does

In case any of you are interested in other areas of our lives, here goes:

Carsyn's birthday party was Saturday. A big tent, a water slide, a pool, and lots of great food and yummy lemonade made for a wonderful day. Carsyn was an awesome birthday girl and she had lots of awesome guests!

Robert's kids stayed with us after the birthday party, and I'm pretty sure they went home Sunday waterlogged. They played hours on the water slide; then Lauren and Ashley took the boys to the pool. Kaylee was already asleep. We went back to the pool that night. And, I guess in an attempt to set some kind of record, we went back to the pool on Sunday after church. I could literally hear them sloshing as they walked. The pictures below gives you an idea of how worn out they were!

Father's Day was great. We gave Daddy (aka Papa or Swimming Papa) his very own air compressor, and Robbie got a great meal at Josh and Vicki's and a spinning reel to replace the one that mysteriously disappeared into the river! I am so thankful for the wonderful daddies in our family. Josh is such a good son and father to Grace. And David is just enjoying the heck out of being a daddy this year!

Carsyn officially turned 1 on Monday. Happy day!! Sad day :( Growing waaaayyyy too fast!

Daniel's preschool graduation was today. OH.MY.GOODNESS!! I'm telling you, he is Robert's mini-me!! He looked just like his daddy!! I was so proud of him...and so sad that his daddy couldn't be there. I find great comfort in believing that Robert knows every good thing they do and is with them from heaven like he always was on earth. Grace took this picture as the kids were coming out of the auditorium.

It's hard to believe that June is almost gone. Where does the time go???? I have such big plans every day, but then they get lost in jelly toast and Justin Bieber concerts and patty cake and golf cart rides and sloppy popsicle kisses and playing house.

Oh...funny of the century...Grace was listening to a Justin Bieber song the other day - I think the name is "Somebody to Love." Somewhere in the song, JB says, "I just need somebody to love." Well, actually, he says it a LOT. Anyway, Grace stopped in the middle of a rather impressive dance move and said (completely seriously, I might add), "ZiZi, he said he needs somebody to love, and I just wish somebody would tell him, I'm available!"  Yep, you guessed it. I had to walk out of the room. Gotta love her :)  And she's such a good little helper!

Life's good!



The Best Daddy in the World

How could I let Father's Day go by without blogging about the greatest one ever??? I can't!!

My Daddy is the super glue, the rock, the go-to person for our family. Although we have all probably caused him more stress than one man should have to endure, he is our strongest supporter no matter what.

When I was growing up, Daddy used to say that I needed to go in the medical field. Anesthesiology, he said, was a good idea. Never will I forget the day I told him I wanted to be an English teacher. I can't help but wonder what kind of high school English class experience he had..."Why? What would make you want to do THAT?" His wish did come partly true...I can still put people to sleep--they just get in trouble for giving in to it!

And yet he supported the change in plans...sent me to school, even TOOK me to school when I had to return the week after Robert was born and wasn't supposed to drive. He was there for all the kids to be born -- wait...he was a little late for Robert's because we couldn't get up with him in time, and Robert came in kind of a hurry.  But he was there when I woke up the next morning. He's been there, with Mama of course, for all the grandkids and great-grandkids, too. Even when Lauren's planned "easy night in the hospital and y'all just come up in the morning" turned into "Hurry! They're taking her to surgery!" he got them there. Robbie's mother said, "He was really moving, and I wouldn't have wanted to be driving, but he wanted to get there." And he did.

Daddy is the voice of wisdom and experience in our family. We all listen to him...his kids, our kids, the transplants into the family --everybody. My kids have talked to him about making job changes or purchasing a business or large item. He always gives good advice, and they always listen. Once Daddy called around to see if we all wanted to go out to eat. It was a spur of the moment thing, but we all dropped what we were doing and went. Kenny said it best when Mama commented on how amazing it was that we could all go and nobody had anything going on. "It didn't matter what was going on. When E.F. Hutton speaks, you listen." Ha!! That's become the family nickname for Daddy -- E.F. Hutton. Betcha didn't know that, huh Daddy?

One more important thing about Daddy, he SEES things...really. I don't know how, but he does. Here's and example: Once David was "practicing" driving Daddy's truck around the yard. When you live in the middle of a pasture, you can do that, you know. He had the tailgate down and accidentally backed into something...a tree or something. Scared to death, he parked the truck so Daddy wouldn't see the tailgate as he drove up. He shouldn't have used the energy. Daddy came in and his first question was, "What happened to the truck?" That's when I knew not to ever try to pull anything over on Daddy.


When I was young, Daddy worked away from home for a long time. He would be gone for the entire week, come in on Friday night, and leave on Sunday afternoon. Sometimes he would be gone two weeks at time because of the distance. On Friday night we met him at the truck like he was a moviestar, and on Sunday afternoon I cried when he left. We got to go with him on Spring Break, and that was fun. I never wondered why Daddy worked like he did; I always knew it was for us. Those weeks away from home couldn't have been easy for him either, but he had a long-term goal -- he saw a future for us that he wanted.

Now that he is retired (I use that term loosley because he is NEVER still...chicken houses, pool work, church work...) he has more time to enjoy the little ones in the family. He helps Mama when a baby is going to be around the house, and the kids LOVE to see him. If Grace is here and sees his truck coming up, she says, "ZiZi, look! It's PAPA!!!!" I think he has a fan club :) Whenever he can, he goes over to the river, not only for his own enjoyment, but to have things ready for us when we get a chance to go.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I'm so glad God picked you to be my daddy.

Blow the Tannery Whistle

So, if you get a chance to take part in the storytelling that the Brundidge Historical Society does several times a year, GO!!!

Pam called me last week and told me it was coming up. We were hoping Mama, Kathy, Pam, and I could go, but things didn't work out for Kathy and Mama wasn't feeling well and had company. Karissa went with us and let me tell you, we had a BALL! The preliminary show was a bluegrass gospel band, and they were really good.

Then came the food, and it was AWESOME! Each table was served big bowls of butterbeans, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, banana pudding, and corn. A pitcher of sweet tea was already there, as were our glasses of ice. Once the food was on the table, it was self-serve. After the meal, Gary Carden, the storyteller from North Carolina came on.

Now, I'm here to tell you, I LOVE a good storyteller! It's just a book in real life...an author telling you what would have been on the pages. His stories were all about the tannery whistle in the small town he lived in and how important it was. Because it was blown only at certain times unless some HUGE event was happening (like Pearl Harbor, D-Day, or the world coming to an end), the saying about anything big was, Well, blow the tannery whistle." He told about all the times his grandfather said it about him, and he was hilarious! What was really interesting to find out was that he had been deaf for 35 years. Imagine that!

Karissa, Pam, and I so enjoyed ourselves. Others did too, and we got a kick out of watching them. We were the guinea pigs...we went to see how it really was. We will not go back alone. All of us kept thinking of all the people who would love to sit in that old building, walk across sawdust floors, gather around homestyle cooking, listen to a little music, and go back to a place in time with an Appalachian storyteller. No, we won't be alone next time.

I can't wait until the next one!!!

Thanks, Pam-o Suzie, for inviting me. I had a blast.

What Money Can't Buy

This topic has been on my mind for some time now. Maybe it's because I've had over twenty-one years working with school children of varying ages. That, of course, involves working with their families to some extent. Maybe it's because I can compare what I had as I was growing up with what children have now. Or maybe (and I think this is it) I have watched the change in our society, and I think one of our major problems is worrying about giving children all the things money can buy, and not enough of what it can't.

And then last week, two tragedies-- a former student was found dead and a young mother at our church found life just too hard to handle. It brought to a head all these things that have run through my mind for so long. I could not help remember my student, a young man with so much potential and ability, putting his head in his hands one day and crying, saying "Nobody loves me. Nobody in this whole world cares about me." And I cannot help feeling that our young friend at church must have felt so overwhelmed at times, so desperate for help, and yet unable to go for her soul to be recharged.

So, this is my take on the world, its children, and the things that make it all work. It's my opinion, and you can do with it what you want. It's often been said that one person's opinion is another person's joke of the day.

Parents today worry too much about material things. Honestly, I think some parents use these "things" as substitute parents or babysitters. Children are allowed WAY too much freedom far too soon. Yes, I thought Mama and Daddy were far too strict when I was growing up, but as my children grew I found myself making the same type of choices and decisions. We didn't have everything we ever wanted, but we had the important things...things money can't buy.

Important Things to Give Your Child

• God's Message -- How important is this one! Don't you think children are more willing to believe, more willing to accept...without all the grown-up arguments and reasonings. That's why Jesus said that we must be like little children to enter the kingdom of God... have to become trusting and accepting. What we give our children through church and God's word takes care of them not only in this world, but in the next as well. What more can we want?
• Discipline -- Children want and need to know what the boundaries are. They want to know if you say what you mean and mean what you say. They want consequences...true, they may fuss about it. But discipline is one of the kindest things you can do for your child or any you are in charge of.
• Praise -- It is not ever enough to tell a child what he is doing wrong. Children puff up almost visibly when they are sincerely praised. Praise one child, and another in the room will turn himself inside out to do something as well.
• Work Ethic -- Children have to learn to work when they are young. There is no magic age in their lives when they say, "Ok, tomorrow is the day. I feel an insatiable urge to work, even though I've never done it before." No, if they do not learn the concept of work when they are young, the desire is almost impossible to instill. In my opinion, this is why children who have not graduated from high school, have yet to take the ACT, have not applied to college, and have a 1.8 grade point average make statements like, "I'm not working there. I need more money than that. I'll just wait until a better job comes along." Can you say "Undeserved Welfare"?
• Play Time -- As important as work is, so is play time. I am NOT talking about video games or brick breaker on your phone. I'm talking about tee ball on Sunday afternoon, pool time with the family, going on a hike to find worms and birds. I'm talking about vacations to kid-friendly spots where memories can be made. I'm talking about fishing with toddlers and hunting with elementary kids. I'm  talking about putting puzzles together and making play dough barns even when there are bills to pay and clothes to wash. Watch a child play...and learn a little something.
• Respect -- Children are miniature people. They are learning how to behave toward others by how they are treated. I believe they learn to respect others by being respected themselves. To speak kindly, to listen to their opinions, to adjust your guidelines if necessary as they grow older and become more mature.
• A Good Example -- We as parents can't be perfect. Goodness, there are so many moments I wish I could go back and do over. But we can be the best example in our power. We can respect our elders, by kind to those who need more than we do, work hard, pay our bills, play some, and demonstrate loyalty and faithfulness to God, family, and friends.
• Truth--Our children learn to tell the truth by listening to it. If they hear lies, they will learn that lies are the way to go. They will grow up not only lying themselves, but expecting others to lie for them to keep them from trouble. Give them truth...this may very well refer to the first item on the list.
• A Safety Net -- Robert Frost's poem "Death of a Hired Man" refers to home as "a place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in." All children, no matter how old or grown up or independent, need to know there is a safe place at home they can go to be recharged. I cherish the times I can go to Mama and Daddy's, not to get away from my family, but to reaffirm myself, bask in their love, learn from them, laugh with them, and go home recharged and with a new and invigorated sense of purpose.

Think how strong our young people would be with these elements as a part of the fiber of their being. Imagine our world with respectful, hard-working people who know when to work and when to play. Envision a world of parents willing to parent, no matter what the distance, no matter what the need, no matter what the sacrifice. On second thought, don't just imagine...let's do it!!

Cory and Amber, may God grant you both the peace you both so desperately needed. Rest In Peace.

My Bucket List

So I was thinking today that summer is supposed to be easier, I think, for teachers...at least that's what everyone else thinks, right?

For 25 years I've seen the t-shirts...you know the ones:
Three reasons I teach...June, July, and August
Those who can't do, teach

And the sweet ones:
Teachers touch lives forever
Teach a child, change a life

Well, I'm here to tell you that summer is definitely NOT easier...not so far anyway. I don't know where the days go!! Anyway, I was thinking tonight of the things I want to accomplish this summer. And then I started thinking of the things I want to accomplish...period. Ever. In my whole life. My Bucket List. So I decided to write it down so I could sort of keep a record of my progress :)

1. I really, really, really want to go to the Grand Canyon. I'm always sooooo envious when I hear people say, "We're just gonna ride out west and see a few things...the Grand Canyon, maybe." Ahhhhhh!

2. My book...I want to finish it. I've been working on it for years. All my material comes from years in the classroom. The saying should be, "I teach your children; therefore, I have LOTS of stories to tell!"

3. Make my online sewing business a success. It's an easy way to be a contributor to the family coffers, and I love doing it. Just got to find more time in the day!!

4. Alaska seems like a paradise for me. The weather would be right up my alley, I think. My sweat glands would have a well-deserved rest! So a trip there is on my bucket list.

5. Learn to cook. Really cook, I mean. I can follow directions on a box. I just don't get the "just substitute this for that and reduce this by half and lower the temp and..." well, you get the idea.

6. Learn to eat. Quite honestly, I don't see this one happening. By learning to eat, I mean eating like normal people. It amazes me to watch people just put new food in their mouths WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT'S IN IT!! How, I ask you, HOW does one do that? I'm working on it, but this is a SLOW go.

7. Be able to dress up and be ready for the day no matter what is going on or how much I have to do. Have you seen those commercials where the woman is mopping--mopping, no less-- in dress clothes and heels? Isn't she just dressed to beat the band in case company comes, her in-laws drop by, or she gets a call from school to come for a conference? One day...

8. Get my boating license...and then really learn to back the boat in, unload it, and actually drive it. I'm not sure that Robbie's nerves can take this, but it's my bucket list, right?

9. Somehow, someway, convince the powers that be in this house to build a carport/garage thingy on the end of the house and change that window out to a door. This IS going to be done. I may have to use serious and severe powers of persuasion...heck, I may have to use bribery and blackmail...but it will get done.

10. Find the skinny, energetic, pretty thing that I KNOW lives inside of me!! I'm working on it-- really, I am. But it seems that person is extremely shy and not really anxious to show her face...or body. I just keep reminding myself (while I guzzle water and walk on the treadmill and try to convince myself that chocolate is of the devil) "Never give up. Never give up. Never, ever, ever, ever give up."

I'm thinking that my bucket list should begin as a manageable list of 10 things. At least, that's what all the "get organized" articles say-- don't be unrealistic, set reasonable goals, celebrate each victory." That's what I'll do. Celebrate. And add new ones as old ones are completed.

And I'm not even talking about my wish for new flooring...because it probably won't ever happen. Or not for a long time.
My main goal is to still have a list when my time comes to move from this home to the next. I think it would be awfully sad to be alive and have no goals. Don't you? What's on your bucket list?

Heat Wave, Go Home!

Dear Heat Wave,

Although I always try to have an open mind and develop relationships with new friends, I'm afraid this is not going to work out for us.

I don't like you. My other friends, Soft Summer Breeze, Cool Morning Air, Twilight Porch Weather, and Afternoon Showers won't even come to play while you are here. Not fun. You are even intimidating Morning Dew. Lighten up!!

I appreciate the fact that you can dry clothes on a line in 13 minutes flat. And I know you're thinking that pool goers really appreciate your visit. And I'm sure young children don't even miss the rain. But seriously, something's got to give.

There is NOTHING comfortable about your being here. Benjamin Franklin said that fish and visitors smell in 3 days. Your time is up. It's time for you to go HOME! Go back to the Sahara Desert to your other friends...Infertile Sand, Blazing Sun, and Cactus Haven.

I'd love to hear from you again, but next time just send a postcard. Thanks.

A New Hit for Lunch

Beyond awesome!!! Great for Carsyn! Great for me! Thanks,Vicki, for telling me about it!

I'm a Slacker

I am officially a slacker.

This is by far the saddest thing I have ever said about myself, but there you go. I'm a slacker. I'm pretty sure I can't even remember the last time I blogged. Let me go check...

Ok, I'm back.

Oh.
Good.
Gracious!

It's been forever. It is impossible to catch up on everything, so let me first begin by saying that every week day since school has been out is a carbon copy of this day.

There have been some variations occasionally...like--we went to the river for Memorial Day weekend (had a great time); we've been swimming (average twice a day); I went with Lauren to Montgomery for birthday shopping (Carsyn's...out of the planning stage into the doing stage).

Worthy news: We had VBS at Sweet Home the first week out of school. We had a BLAST!! (That was also the theme -- Beach Blast.) The kids were awesome, the planning was wonderful, and the week went off without a hitch. Great job VBS planners/workers/attendees!!!

In news very close to my heart, Dylan had two big events in that same week. On May 25th, he graduated kindergarten. Oh, how sweet he was!!! The little boy who had such trouble in his first school at the beginning of the year received all kinds of awards, including MOST IMPROVED IN LANGUAGE ARTS!! Yeah, he knows his way to ZiZi's heart :)  On a sad note, he was not anxious AT ALL to hug and kiss us after graduation because...get this... his GIRLFRIENDS from high school were waiting for him!! What!! Another flashback to his daddy!! I could not help but remember Robert's "chictionary" where he kept the names and numbers of all the girls he met...and he was in the 6th grade!

On Friday, Dylan had surgery to repair a hernia. Robbie and I met Dylan, Kandace, his cousin, and his grandparents in Birmingham on Thursday night. Dylan and Kandace ended up spending the night in our room because bed space was short in their room. He got a good night's sleep and was such a big boy all day. He so reminded me of Lauren when everybody began to try to wake him up..."Leave me alone!!" (said with flailing arms and whining). He finally did wake up, drank some water, and went to the bathroom. We pulled him out in a wagon (I had to hold his head up on the way out so he wouldn't fall over and hit the side.) He slept all the way home and through the night. He's doing great. Such a big boy!!

My class at craft time (and that's Lauren, my sweet daughter)

We had good food every night



Our "babies" did a great job working at VBS



I don't have pics of all the workers yet :)

Little Man Dylan at his graduation...isn't he sooooo handsome???

I wanted to put pictures of Memorial Day weekend on here, but alas, none available.

Boo.

Maybe later.

Now it's later...Lauren to the rescue :)

Rescuing a baby bird

Boat ride

For more on this weekend, click here.



First School-Free Week Day

This was my first weekday out of school. I am POOPED!!! This was the schedule for the day:

• Up at 4:30
• Got a shower and washed my hair (turned out to be a good thing)
• Washed two loads of clothes
• 6:00 -- Down to Lauren's to pick up Carsyn
• Bottle and a nap
• Grace arrived
• Breakfast for the girls
• Cleaned the kitchen (at least 3 times)
• Picked up toys
• Washed 6 more loads of clothes
• Took the garbage out
• Two golf cart rides
• Picked up toys
• Watered the ferns and flowers
• Outside time on the arbor and trampoline
• Turned on the dishwasher
• Picked up toys
• Snack time
• Bathtub to cool off the girls
• Folded clothes
• Lunch Time
• Nap time (one hour)
• Got Grace dressed for a trip to Greenville
• Got Carsyn dressed for her checkup
• Got dressed as best I could :)
• Dollar Tree for Bible school supplies
• Stopped at gym to change a very dirty diaper
• To the doctor for Carsyn's check up
• To Wal Mart for bubbles, bread, peanut butter, and jelly
• Home to freshen up
• Church for Bible school
• Playdough, bubbles, crab hats, mangers, barns and Bible stories
• Hot dogs and chips for the kids
• Home
• Got towels off the line
• Picked up toys
• Egg sandwich for supper
• Cleaned the kitchen

Tired yet?

End of School Thoughts

More big days in the news!!

After Grace's K-5 graduation on the 13th, the seniors had baccalaureate on the 15th. The speakers, both dads of seniors, delivered such amazing messages. Dr. Ken Jackson brought his message of "know where you're going and have a plan to get there" by using Alice in Wonderland's cheshire cat, Diana Ross, and the Dave Matthews Band. Reverend Harvey, whose son just transferred to our school this semester, prayed a blessing on the seniors that made me wish he prayed for me every day. We had a reception afterward and all went home. Thanks to Sal-Lee Sasser-Williams for staying the whole time (and thanks to her hubby for keeping their twin babies for her to do so!)

The first part of the week was filled with semester exams and getting ready for graduation. I cannot tell you the happiness and relief of knowing that all twenty seniors would graduate. I think it must be very hard for anyone who is not a teacher to realize how much I care for those kids...it breaks my heart to even think that one would be left out of the graduation ceremonies. Easy it is for others to say, "Oh, don't worry about it! You've done all you can. Just let it go." Would that I could! Instead, I keep questioning if there is anything else I can do, and I keep thinking what I would want if it were my child -- wait-- what I DID want when it WAS my children!

The teachers gave the seniors a luncheon on Wednesday and graduation  went off without a hitch on Thursday night. The lockers are all cleaned, the teacher gowns and hoods are packed up and ready to go, grades have been posted and transcripts printed. Wow! This has been sooooommmmmeeeee year!

Always as the year begins I pray that God will bless my efforts and help me be the best teacher I can be. As senior sponsor, I also turn to God at the end of the year. I see these young ladies and gentlemen leaving the safe place they have known for thirteen years, and I wonder if they are really ready. Have I done all I can do for them? Have I taught them more than characters in a play and literary movements? Will they be able to survive the next phase? And I pray this prayer by James Metcalf:

I want to teach my students how--

To live this life on earth,

To face its struggles and its strife

And to improve their worth.

Not just the lesson in a book,

Or how the rivers flow,

But to choose the proper path,

Wherever they may go.

To understand eternal truth,

And know right from wrong,

And gather all the beauty of

A flower and a song,

For if I help the world to grow

In wisdom and grace,

Then I feel that I have won

And I have filled my place.

And so I ask your guidance, God

That I may do my part,

For character and confidence

And happiness of heart.

I have often said that my sense of worth as a teacher cannot be measured by how my kids feel about me when they are in school, but rather by how prepared they are when they get to college. Often students come back or email me when they move on. Although I don't believe I'll ever hear from anybody in this class, I know they have been given all I have, and, for this year, that's going to have to be enough.

A Big Day...A Very Big Day...

It was an incredibly important day today. Not only did we have elementary honors day and high school honors, but GRACE GRADUATED K5 TODAY!!!! She has been so excited all week. Monday was her "last Monday as a K-5er." Tuesday was her "last Tuesday as a K-5er," and so on. So sweet. They have practiced and practiced and practiced...and then Grace has come home and practiced so more. In fact, I think I had seen ALL of graduation -- but only in little pieces. It all came together today. We are so proud of her!

 They gave their parents sweet gifts to make their mamas cry :)

 And they were sooooo cute with their little poems and songs...

 

 Grace on her way out--now for the K-5 play!

Such a cute little jungle play--I must say, Grace really came alive when the gown came off!

It seems like only yesterday that we were heading to Montgomery for Grace to be born. then in a few days she was walking. Soon she started to school, and now whe's graduated K-5. We'd better not blink for the next few years!!

Now to get the senior graduation done, and then Dylan graduates on May 25th and Daniel on June 21st.  time is really flying!!

Thanks A Lot...

• To the state workers in the white truck who decided to drive 32 in the no-passing zone today, thanks a lot. I had places to go!
• To the person driving the white car with the handicapped license plate -- might want to get that turn signal checked! Thanks a lot for leaving it on for SEVENTEEN miles!
• To the city of Georgiana, thanks a lot for your focus on safety by having your school zone at 20 miles an hour--my truck IDLES higher than that!
• To the lady working in the photo department at Wal Mart--thanks for being so diligent to check truck deliveries and site to store orders BEFORE checking the photo file for my online photo order. I'm sure your dedication will come in handy one day.
• To the Wal Mart greeter, thanks for your diligence in making sure I don't shoplift--there's not much else I could put in that tiny photo bag!
• To my machine, thanks for deciding today that you would refuse to sew a design you had sewn many times before. Perfect timing...
• To all drivers in Greenville, thanks ahead of time for reading this memo: RIGHT TURNS ON RED ARE ALLOWED WHEN TRAFFIC IS CLEAR--EVEN AT THE ONE COMING OUT OF WAL MART!!!

And that's pretty much it for today.

My Mother's Day 2011

Today has been a WONDERFUL day. We had Robert's kids overnight, and they are always a lot of fun! Who would have thought I would be spending most of Mother's Day weekend digging in the flower beds for grasshoppers? We had a ball.

Cinnamon rolls for breakfast made for a super easy cleanup, then it was time to get ready for church. Dylan had a little meltdown when we got there since he wasn't allowed to carry his motorcycle in--I could just see the fights that would take place over having only one. He soon recovered though. We had a big crowd of kids, painted hands and feet for Mother's Day gifts, handed out animal crackers, and --if I do say so myself-- a good time was had by all.

We had a little surprise at lunch--Mama and Daddy invited us all to eat. Kathy and David had hamburgers and they were willing to share! Easy breakfast, and now an easy lunch! Yipppeee!! After a yummy lunch, we headed to Red Level to deliver knock-out roses to Grannie for her Mother's Day. Sooner or later we will have her entire house surrounded in those beautiful things! The kids played a little, and then it was time to go meet their mama.

When we got to the drop-off -- or maybe exchange place is a better term-- Kandace gave me a beautiful hanging basket. I'm going to try really hard to make sure it lives. Maybe I should get Mam to do a couple of drive-bys per week. We'll see. I'm going to try really hard.

When I got home, Lauren, David, and Carsyn brought me a new camera and ...wait for it...LINDOR TRUFFLES. Oh.My.Gosh...I'm really going to have to ration these! Then Grace brought in the CUTEST dancing flower -- solar powered and water free. I'm pretty sure that one will live. And -- Vicki swears in no way connected to my recent fall that hurtled me through the air and left me stiff and sore-- they gave me a gift certificate for a 30 minute massage. Can't wait to cash that in!!

Finally, off to Cracker Barrel with my kids. What a great supper! I think Carsyn ate some of everything we had, and our waitress was wonderful. A quick trip to Wal Mart and home we came. A final surprise...Lauren handed me two Reese's Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches. Man, I'll be on a sugar high for a while!

It's been a great Mother's Day. Not a day goes by that I don't miss Robert, but days like this are a little harder than most. Well, ok, a LOT harder. But I take such comfort in knowing that he is waiting for us in a place far better than I can imagine. I recently read Heaven Is for Real, and if you haven't, let me encourage you to run out and buy the book or borrow it from someone. It's amazing how we can know something, but having someone with firsthand knowledge makes it seem sooooo real. So get it. And...look for signs from heaven however they come. I do.