itzasunnyday

Love Rocks at Camp Nana

2008-07-02T23:09:00.006-05:00

The weather this past week has been rare for Kentucky at this time of the year, low humidity and temperatures in the 80’s. What a treat! I really enjoyed the breezes as I sat painting all our porch railings, hoping that the weather will be as good when I can finally sit on the swing with lemonade and enjoy my freshly painted porch. I have been painting and painting this summer (not only the porch, but several rooms in the house also), and I needed to take a break. Since school is out and I’m off work for a few weeks, I decided to have the grandkids come for a couple days of Camp Nana. We had a great time! We built Zacharie a tent under the trees, the old-fashioned way with a couple of sheets. He had a blast dragging stuff in to “furnish” it. After he had things arranged just so, he would invite us in to visit him.

Meanwhile, Audrie and I set up a crafting table on the porch. We made red, white, and blue paper lanterns for 4th of July decorations.

Jamie and Poppa worked on constructing a hobby rocket and later that evening we had “the launch”. The rocket achieved lift-off and disappeared out of sight.

We spotted it again on its way down, and watched it land in the highway, where poppa had to run and retrieve it. Of course, being men and enamored of anything mechanical with power, they had to kick it up a notch for the next launch. This time it went so high in the air it truly disappeared. We thought it came down in the neighbor’s field and Jeff went over there to look for it.

While we were waiting for Poppa to come back, the kids and I took a walk down our road. I can never walk down a gravel road without stopping to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies, looking for interesting rocks. The grandkids also share this fascination, and we always look especially for heart shaped rocks. On this particular evening, it seemed as if we found one every few feet. So many of them, in fact, that Jamie felt inspired to rename our driveway as the “love road”. We brought them back and added them to our growing collection.

Our walk was finished just in time to meet Poppa, who returned with the sad news that evidently not everything that goes up must come down – at least not where you can find it!
What a great day we had! And as things started to wind down, I was just glad that Zacharie didn’t ask to sleep outside in his “tent”.
Happy Independence Day! It seems like so much is going wrong in our country now, from the war and the economy, to every kind of natural disaster. More than ever we need to pray for God’s continued blessings on our land and to stop and appreciate the wonderful freedoms we enjoy, freedoms that we can celebrate with our families and friends. We had such a good time at Sarah’s house in Owensboro last year on the fourth, that we decided to go back this year. We’ll grill shrimp and steaks and we’ll have a Happy Birthday America cake and homemade ice cream. Sarah has water balloons and other water games lined up for the grandkids. We’ll walk around her neighborhood and watch all the neighbors setting off fireworks and then go to the Riverfront for the big display. But most of all, we’ll be grateful for all the blessings we have in the good ole USA.

My Raisin

2008-06-16T23:15:00.002-05:00

It is not the man who has little, but he who desires more, that is poor.
Seneca

Hope all the fathers out there had a wonderful Father’s Day. A shadow seemed to be cast over the day with the announcement of the death of Tim Russert. He was one of Jeff and mine’s favorite newspeople. If you have not read his book, Big Russ and Me, I would definitely recommend it. Jeff and I listened to the audio version of the book last year during one of our cemetery convention trips. It gave us a lot of conversation material on the long ride. Also, I always enjoyed listening to his political commentary spoken in language I could understand. It says a lot about a man when he is so warmly remembered and spoken of with such respect by all. He was never ashamed of his faith or his pride in his family and gave credit to them both. He never seemed the least embarrassed by where he came from, even when hobnobbing with presidents and popes. I guess that’s what impressed me most about him - his unabashed acknowledgement of being a working class, small town, Catholic and he never strayed far from his roots.
It made me think of my own upbringing and the way I perceived my childhood in comparison with similar families today. In the work I do now as a social worker, I often deal with families that are labeled by the system as underprivileged or poor. I try to give them tools to help themselves to take even the smallest steps to self-sufficiency. In our agency, my co-workers and I often need to encourage one another when dealing with a few people who do not seem to have the desire to change or to better themselves. It is sometimes hard to keep offering ways to acquire the skills needed for employment or budgeting money better, when what they really want is just someone to pay the electric bill for them this month and the telephone bill next month. Many families I encounter are truly down on their luck through no fault of their own or have encountered one too many difficult situations and want nothing more than the chance to get back on their feet. These families, who are often trying to overcome insurmountable odds, are an inspiration to me and are the reason I keep on doing what I do. But there is a minority who do not want to be bothered with any talk of self-improvement; they like the label of underprivileged and all the privileges it gives them! They are the ones who ask for Christmas assistance and when we deliver the presents that others had donated for them, we find a house filled with a big screen T.V.; a wall of videos, and mom texting on a blackberry! The kids rip open the presents and want to know why they didn’t get the Playstation or I-pod they wanted! We were discussing this the other day at work and talking about what is considered “poor” in our country now and comparing that with our own situations growing up. Some of my newer co-workers were surprised to find that I grew up in a household with no indoor plumbing or bathroom until I was almost a teenager. I laughed and told them, “Yeah, we were so poor, we didn’t even have an outhouse or toilet paper, we just used the “ditch” and leaves off the nearest tree”. In today’s society, we would certainly have qualified for food stamps or other government assistance. But the funny thing is – growing up, I never once thought of our family as being “poor”. And I can’t even say it was because everyone around us was in the same boat. In our farming community, most were; but there were many dads who worked at one of the new factories going up in our area who were able to afford luxuries that I knew our family never would. I just remember growing up in a large, loving family with plenty of delicious, country cooking and a ready-made playground on the farm. I knew my parents valued faith in God above all else. They also had a belief that hard work and a good education, along with respect for others, would bring their children a good and happy life. And believe it or not, I think that is pretty much what happened. “Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is not an expression much in vogue in America today. Many government assistance programs make it easier and more lucrative to stay “in the system”. I’m not sure what the answer to all this is; I know I just keep plugging away, trying to empower the ones who want to make it out and trying not to get discouraged by the ones who don’t. And every day, I thank God for my “raisin” and I hope, like Tim Russert, I never forget where I come from!

Decisions, Decisions

2008-05-19T20:35:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is primary election day in Kentucky. Jeff and I will probably head for the polls before we go to work in the morning. The problem is, I'm still not entirely sure who I will pull that lever for. I think I know, but then something will be said or done that makes me wonder if that would be the right decision. It is not very often that the poor little state of Kentucky gets as much attention over a primary election as it has this year when the field is still so muddled and befuddled. By the time our May primary comes around, it's usually all over but the shouting and I usually feel as if my vote is just a perfunctory duty that doesn't really make a difference. Growing up in the shadow of a world famous political picnic and having parents who worked for years at the polls, I feel as if I should be adept at making political choices, not floundering in indecision. I do know that my criteria has nothing to do with who makes the best speech or the most promises or draws the largest crowds; because in the long run, the events that shape our country and the world are not dependent on one leader or their political spin. Even though I know candidate's personal lives should be respected; I believe it is in the individual actions of their private lives that we can see who they really are. With a little practice and the right coaching, anyone can get up and give a soul-stirring speech or make good sounding promises. I look for the character of the person I am voting for. Show me their family life, what they were like as a child, what shaped the principles they stand for, do they still respect their parents? I do not believe we can divorce our private lives from our public professions. We are who we are.
So I will step into that booth in the morning and try to vote for the person that I feel is the best, based on the criteria I have set for my own discernment.

I ran across the following video on YouTube that I find astonishing and very touching and thought-provoking. I plan to reflect on the lesson it portrays as I complete the decision making process for doing my citizen duty tomorrow.

Pictures of Spring in Ky

2008-05-17T22:06:00.012-05:00

Today was the sort of windy, warm spring day that blew memories like a gentle breeze in my mind. It was impossible to stay indoors. I thought I would share some of the scenes and memories that this day brought to me.

The tractors were out in the field next to our house this morning, raking the first cutting of the winter hay. I am glad to still be so close to witness the seasons of planting and harvesting. I guess I will always be a farm girl at heart.

Finding roses blooming up in a tree on a climbing rosebush, hidden in the overgrowth, stretching towards the sun; waiting to be spotted and picked for a lovely smelling boquet. The bush came from a cutting off of a beautiful, old fashioned climbing rose that belonged to Jeff's grandmother. I had thought it was dead. It brought back memories of lazy Sunday afternoons spent in the shade next to the garden in his grandma's yard watching Sarah and Nathan play.

Replanting the flowers that I had planted earlier which fell prey to a very mischievious (evil) squirrel who tried to plant acorns in my fresh dirt. It may be war!!!

Weeding the coreopsis, just like dad would have done on his knees (except I didn't pull a pocket knife out of my pocket to help cut the weeds). These are all I have left of the yards and yards of the scattered yellow flowers that dad planted and loved so much.

Resting under the low-hanging limbs of the elm tree in our backyard and remembering all the times I played house under the huge tree at the old place when I was a little girl.

I hope wherever you are, that you have a beautiful spring day, at least in your heart!

By Request

2008-05-11T20:19:00.004-05:00

When my good intentions fall prey to the treadmill of everyday life, sometimes it just takes a little push to get me going again. And so by request (thanks, Roger) I want to do a piece to honor my mom on this Mother's Day.

Being a child of the depression, mom believed in saving everything, including cards and letters. And so it is our good fortune to be left with a family history, written in a time before text messaging and e-mail; written in letters and on cards lovingly put away for a time in the future when they would be read again. I imagine she saved every letter and card she received in her life and also letters she had written to other family members, that somehow found their way back into her safe keeping. It is an archivist's dream, and one in which I have been periodically immersing myself, trying to sort out and organize these bits and pieces of our family past. Some of the most treasured letters I have found are those which Mom wrote to her first daughter to leave the nest and go out into the world. Encased in a time capsule of words, mom's wry humor and patient personality shines through as she shares the happenings of everyday life. She relates the details of a time long past, when manual labor was the norm and simpler pleasures were enjoyed. I can sense her satisfaction in a job well done as evidenced in the many, many jars of fruits and vegetables put aside to feed her family. Her words also reflect the pride she feels in the accomplishments of her husband and children, no matter how small. Little pieces of advice and admonishments are thrown in here and there, and you can almost see the worry lines on her forehead as she thinks of all the things that may befall the ones she loves. Above all, her faith in times of trouble and disappointment and her love for her family shine through in every line of every letter. And so, in her honor, and with a grateful heart, I am posting a few of her letters here for everyone to enjoy. The spelling and grammer I left intact, only adding punctuation here and there to make it easier to read.

May 31, 1956

Dear Daughter,

Well, this is mom, dashing off one of her quick letter. Guess you are well settled now. We haven’t received your letter yet, probably will get here this morning. But I guess you got there alright as we haven’t heard of you being lost. It has rained off and on every since you left except yesterday. It is cloudy and is thundering now, so guess we will have another shower. Dad finally got all the tobacco set. He is barring it off now. Started after dinner yesterday and will get done by dinner today if it doesn’t rain. Jerry & Catherine are hoeing and Theresa is carrying out the roots and things. I got 29 jars of jam made Monday and Tuesday out of our part of the berries. Besides the Marshall’s, the Brumlow children & John & Bill picked on half, we also picked 9 qts and let Mary Grace freeze them on half for Leonard. Well you have received three packages since you left. I will send them to you later, but will tell you what they are so you can go ahead and send the Thank you cards anyway. You got a set of earrings and necklace from Sr. M. George similar to the one she gave you Christmas. They are both so pretty, it is hard to say which I think is. Then Uncle Bernard & Aunt Loretta sent a ½ slip like mamma only trimmed a little different and Uncle Charles & Aunt Aline sent a pair of stockings. I will wait a few days to see if anything else comes and then send them, but you go ahead and send those notes. I am sending the addresses. The Social Security card hasn’t come yet unless it comes today. I am not going to seal this until after Dad gets the mail as he can mail this this afternoon as he is going to Mayfield. Took Anastasia for the last shot Tues. It didn’t make her so cross as the other two did. Jerry told her you went away on a shoo shoo train and that is what she says when asked where you are. Ross & Christine came over a while Sunday nite. Bill came over after late Mass. Dad and him had one of their checker games. I didn’t get any peas canned as it rained all day Saturday and by Monday they were too hard. Will close, take care of yourself. Tell Sr. M. George hello and consider my letters to you as hearing from me.

Love & Prayers
Mom & all

Saturday morning

Well this is turning out to be a diary. Dad hasn’t been out anywhere yet and I haven’t any stamps so this is not mailed. They are planting corn today. We finished planting the garden Thurs. and 5 rows of peanuts down by the barn. The girls and I picked the last of the strawberries yesterday morning. It was only 8 qts. I had some for dinner and made 8 jars of jam. Well yesterday James B. & William E. got all the ripe cherries and is Dad mad. He was going to make ice cream tomorrow. I guess that will probably be the way with all the fruit unless he gets rough with them. Unless the S.S. card comes today it will not get here this week. I am hoping to get this mailed at noon as he is going to the post office to get Leonard’s tuition off. Guess Bob is landing today. Be sure you do not lose your two keys. Tell Sr. M. George she will probably think my letters crazy but I still have G. & M. to write. It keeps me on the go.

June 13, 1956

Dear Daughter,

Well I wasn’t going to write until about Sunday, being that Leonard wrote last night, but you got these papers from SS Mary’s & Elizabeth’s, so thought I would drop a few lines with them. Dad and the girls are in bed. Leonard & Jerry went over to Bill’s to go frog gigging. Hope you are still making it O.K. and the vaccination & shots have not got you down. Guess you still like the work. It has been pretty hot here but the nights are cool. We need a good shower. Everything is getting dry. Dad has been trying to work out the strawberries. I think he finished this evening, but the ground was very hard. Eulas got the ground broke there by the berries. Dad is going to put corn there.
Leonard looks good. I believe he is a little heavier than at Christmas and a little taller. You know his suit still fit him at Christmas. It is at his ankles now and he has also wore the pants of them out. Chris & Eugene brought a dark suit that Bub had outgrown to him. The coat fits him good but he hasn’t tried on the pants yet. Don’t know if he told you that his bags haven’t got here yet. They are supposed to go back tomorrow and see if they have come in. The agent wrote to Chicago to see if they were still there. Leonard is wearing those western’s that Bob bought & wore when home. They fit him good. He rolls the legs up about 2 inches. Guess if they weren’t here, he would have had to bought some.
Well, we got the check for the highway right of way yesterday, but as usual the Elder luck is not for the good. They were going to Mayfield yesterday to see about the bags and being that the man brought the check just as we were getting ready to eat, Dad decided to try to make the bank. Of course, by them being on Daylight time, he only had an hr. to eat & get up there. Well, as he got down here to the corner by Russelburg’s field; Eulas was coming from the other way and they hit. Didn’t hurt anyone. Broke the highlight and bend up the front of our truck. Anyway it cost over $47 to fix it, so there went some of the check. It tore up a front tire and bent a fender for Eulas. Anyway he came out a little better. They had 8 ½ doz. eggs and it broke over 3 doz. of them.
Dad had told the kids that if we got the check, we would go to St. Louis. Well I think that is all over too, as he said he would have to take the money and finish these two sheds on the barn. I never did get excited about going anyway, as I didn’t believe we would. Altho he hasn’t said we weren’t going, I almost know we won’t as it is only 2 wks or so till the 4th. Yes, tell Sister it will be 25 yrs in July. George will be 23, Bob 21, then you. Leonard 15 and Jerry 13. Catherine 9; Theresa 7; and Anastasia 2. It doesn’t seem 25 years, but time has a way of slipping away.
When will Sister leave for St. Louis? Don’t let her leaving make you blue. Remember time goes fast. Of course, you will miss her, but when a little blue as you say you are sometime, try to say the rosary. You know Our Blessed Mother was lonely too. That is fine that you are getting those things, as it will save you a lot. Thank Sister for doing it for you and us as that will certainly help you.

Love & Prayers
Mom & all

July 19, 1956

Dear Daughter,

Just a few lines tonight if I don’t fall asleep. I washed today, then when we finished milking, Dad wanted me to walk over to see the tobacco and other crops. He is very disappointed in the way Eulas has handled his this year. It is not the tobacco it was last year. Dad’s air cured is really pretty; he topped it Wednesday. Jerry has already suckered some of his. We are needing a good rain but doesn’t look like we can get anything but a few clouds and sprinkles. We are having corn on the cob and all the butter beans and tomatoes we can eat. I think I will be able to can about 2 gal. of tomatoes tomorrow. I got 12 ½ gal. peaches canned from that tree; the other one beside it is getting ripe now. I’m not going to can any from it, just eat them fresh and in cobblers. It is loaded too. We figured the first tree had around 9 bushels on it. Aline and some of her children have picked blackberries here twice. They picked about 10 gal. They are coming back Monday, then I guess they will be gone.
Dad and the boys are cutting bushes and mowing off the fields. He has got all on this side mowed except the field where the new pond is. They are over in Workman’s (?) today and will finish tomorrow. He is figuring on starting on the sheds again next week. Guess he will sell the 4 hogs Saturday or leastways he is talking about it.
Did you ever get your name tapes? Guess you are still busy. Had a letter from Maxine Wednesday. She said Allen was growing, already had a double chin. He will be 1 mo. old tomorrow. Guess he ought to be growing. I don’t know if they are coming down this summer or not. Thought I would ask them in my next letter. She said her & Geo. were getting along fine. Also had a letter from Bob. He didn’t have much in it, said he had went to a rodeo there, but it wasn’t any good. Said the horses were too tame to even buck. He is welding now, had the job by hisself, one boy was on mess duty and the other was in Japan for schooling. Am sending some clippings. Guess Sr. M. Geo. would be interested in as Rose Ella and Agnes & Sr. M. Geo are cousins. Mildred Ann gets married sometime next week.
Am sending a few of those pictures that Jerry took, but send them back as he wants them. They didn’t turn out very good. Don’t know if we will go to St. Charles picnic or not. Haven’t heard anything more if Daddy & Mamma were coming or not. Guess I better close and go to bed. I’ll have to get up early so Leonard can go to Mass. This morning we slept later, as dad didn’t feel very good yesterday and was restless all night, so I didn’t get up so early. That will make me lazier tomorrow morning. Next week Leonard serves all week, so that means 4 o’clock every morning.
Tell Sr. hello for us. Grandpa & Grandma are doing O.K. I haven’t seen them since St. Denis picnic as I’ve had to go to late Mass the last two Sundays, but Dad & the boys have been up there. They were talking to Billy this evening. He told them old Pluto died this morning so guess Pappy will miss him.

Love & prayers,
Mom & All

Anastasia doesn’t like tomatoes & peaches fresh, but she sure can put away apples. We have three trees of early transparent and she will eat 2 before she stops. I haven’t canned any of them as we will have plenty of late apples and Dad likes them better.

Oct. 12, 1956

Dear Daughter,

Well a few lines tonight to let you know we haven’t died yet, nor forgot you. Guess you’re wondering why I haven’t wrote lately. Just being busy. Since I wrote you, I have canned 91 qts. Of green beans, 42 jars of damson jam and 21 qts. of butter beans and since Monday night of this week, we have peeled and cut off 5 tubs and 1 bu. basket of apples to dry. Yesterday Dad & I started at 8 o’clock and finished at 9:30 last night and with the kids help after school we peeled 3 tubs of apples. We have about 12 ½ lbs. already dried and in the sack. We are just hoping that it doesn’t rain before the others get dry. It will be about 8 lbs. ready to take off tomorrow. Dad put up tobacco scaffolds and laid board across them up between the lilac trees and the meat house. I didn’t get any peas canned. They dried up while I was working with the other beans. I may have another canner of butter beans if it doesn’t frost anyways soon. Dad bought a pressure canner. I wouldn’t take anything for it. I only had to cook the beans 25 mins. and the butter beans 55 mins. If I had used the old water canner, they would have had to boiled 3 ½ hrs. besides they would had to stay on high all time; but with the pressure canner, I put it on 6 and it held the pressure. We gave Aline enough damsons to can 18 qts. and gave mammy a dishpan full. I don’t know what she got out of it. Dad picked the geese this week and got a feed sack of feathers. He also has finished the sheds.
How are you liking school & work now? Hope you are still pleased. Don’t get discouraged if it does get a little hard. Just keep plugging away. You can get it. The children didn’t have school today. It was teacher’s meeting at Paducah.
I don’t know if I have wrote since Mildred’s baby was born or not. I have even forgot when it was born, but it was a day or two before they finished cutting tobacco. It’s a girl, they name it Agnes Barbara, at least Dad said he thought Albert said Barbara. I haven’t seen any of them. Mary Grace is still holding on. Her mother is with her now. I think she has to stay in bed all time or she was having to last week. Had a letter from Sr. M. Geo. She wanted that picture of Bob’s and his address. Said she was going to send him some cookies and a fruit cake. She send Leonard some cookies by Mr. Holler (sp?) the first Sunday. I know Leonard liked that. Haven’t heard from Bob lately. Had a card from Maxine last week. They were all O.K. I owe everyone of you a letter, so am trying to get them wrote tonight. I guess when I wrote you last that is the last I wrote any of you.
Catherine was wanting to write, but Theresa is wanting her to come to bed, so she said tell you she got 100 in Geography. Mission starts Sunday, 1 wk. for women and 1 for men. Guess that will rush us for awhile. I only milk 1 cow of the morning now and 2 at night. Mammy said to tell you hello and to write when you could. Guess I better close if I am going to get any more wrote.
Dot & Dubber were in wk. before last, but I didn’t get to see them. Am sending you the clipping of the woman that won the car. The key was hidden on the Mayfield & Benton Highway about 5 ½ miles from Mayfield.
Anastasia says you are going to be a nurse and shoot the baby. She’s still a corker. Stays out with Dad all time like Theresa.
Will close and maybe I can get to write sooner now that the canning is caught up with, except I have 9 half gallon jars I want to put in apples.

Love & prayers
Mom & all

Audrie and I have been working on a project to remember GGma. We are making a little pillow decorated with buttons from mom's button jar. I can't help but smile everytime we work on it and wonder what mom would say if she knew I was teaching Audrie to sew without using a thimble!!!

I enjoyed a near perfect Mother's Day, starting with church with all my family and later being treated by them to a delicious dinner at Olive Garden. And they even brought the Wii over, so that I could sneak in a little bowling!!!

I wish every mother in our family all the joy of the day and the best blessing I can offer you is that you may be the kind of mother that my mom was and that you will know the same love that she shared.

And Roger, thanks for the nudge!

A is for Alligator - B is for Bunny - C is for Contraption

2008-03-24T22:29:00.009-05:00

I hope everyone had a happy and blessed Easter. Jeff and I went to Easter Vigil service at church. It was Jeff's 23rd anniversary of joining the church and he always likes to go and welcome the new ones who join each Easter. Then he also was able to go to Easter Services with his mother on Sunday at her church. It was winter coats over Easter finery for everyone because it was very cold. There was frost in the morning and the temperatures never warmed up much during the day. That was OK with the grandkids because for the past two years our Easter Egg Hunt has been indoors. We do it a little different, so even the older ones have fun. They are each given a clue that they must decipher, which leads them to a particular place in the house where their first egg is hidden. All the eggs are color-coded. In that first egg is another clue, which leads them to another hidden egg with another clue, and so on, until they come to the final clue. This leads them to the golden egg with the prize, which lately has been money - better on the teeth :) We also got to have another type of celebration because Easter Sunday was also Jeff's birthday. I think this year is supposed to be the earliest any of us will see Easter in our lifetimes and it just so happened that it fell on his birthday. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23744701/
So we had candles and cake with the Easter ham.
The Saturday before Easter was also cold; however, we spent that morning outdoors. The church youth group that Jamie and Audrie belong to were participating in a fundraiser for our local food pantry that involved constructing with canned goods. The object of the contest was for each participating group to use the donated canned goods they had collected to build some sort of sculpture. Points were awarded for resemblance to object depicted, number of cans used, and originality. Only 10% of the completed project could consist of objects other than cans, such as cardboard, paper, etc. After the judging, all the cans would be donated to the food pantry. The kids were all-enthusiastic, even after their first attempt collapsed; they started over and completed their structure before their time was up. The construction used cans of green beans and peas and they constructed a very good likeness of a big, green, grinning alligator.

Some of the other constructions were a church building, a dollar bill and coin rolls, the great pyramids, and even a transformer. However, it was the alligator that the judges felt deserved the trophy. The youth group kids were ecstatic. The newspaper came to take pictures and then the alligator was dismantled, living on in their memories and many, many pictures!

Besides alligators, we also had plenty of bunny rabbits over the weekend. Or should I say, Rayman Ravin Rabbids. We got the kids a game for the wii for Easter and I thought a game with a bunch of crazy rabbits would be in the spirit of Peter Cottontail and all his kin. The Rabbids remind me of rabbits on steroids who have escaped from an issue of Mad magazine. Of course, if you’ve read the earlier post on my infatuation with the wii, you may guess that I had an ulterior motive in getting a new game on Easter. Since they were at our house most of the day anyway, they could just bring the wii over here and then we could play. I have to say, though, after seeing them play the new Rabbid game and several more complicated games they rented(even though they all involve physical movement), I still enjoy the bowling one the best!

The grandkids also had to work on school projects over the weekend. Jamie’s science class is learning about simple machines and their assignment was to construct a Rube Goldberg type contraption. www.rubegoldberg.com This is right up Jamie’s alley and he enlisted poppa’s aid to help him flesh out his ideas. After he drew his sketch he scoured the junk drawers and old toy parts for pieces that he turned into a machine that even Rube himself would be proud of. It was the highlight of our weekend when after several test runs, everything fell into place and his “Running Goal” ran through from the first move to the last. Now if he can just get it transported to school and recreate it in the classroom without breaking it or losing pieces!

Scrappin' in the Snow

2008-03-10T22:07:00.017-05:00

Ask many different people about their idea of a perfect getaway and you will get many different answers. Some may dream of a quiet paradise with warm breezes, blue waters and white sand. Others may prefer the fresh air and brilliant colors of the mountains in the fall. There are those who yearn for the peace of solitude and others who wouldn’t be happy without their loved ones along. I have experienced all of these types of getaways, but twice a year if you ask me what my idea of the perfect retreat is, I have a very definite answer – a weekend crop. For those who are uninitiated to the paper crafts, a crop is not unlike the quilting bees of days past where women gathered together to piece and quilt fabrics into practical works of art. Except the scrapper’s medium of choice is paper and photographs and our finished products are scrapbooks of cherished memories. This past weekend was one of those getaways of choice for me. Twice a year a group of women who, like me, are addicted to all things “scrappy”, rent a cabin at the lakes and spend the weekend doing what we love best – scrapbooking. We arrive with vans and SUV’s loaded to the max with all the necessary supplies of our craft. We bring our favorite munchies and the ingredients to make potluck recipes to share with each other. We spend the weekend talking non-stop as we cut, arrange, glue and admire each other’s finished products. The attire of choice is comfy p.j.’s and outrageous slippers. Some of us stay up all night and crash in the mornings for a few hours of sleep before going at it again. We were young and old; married, widowed and single; employees, and stay at home moms. But as someone said this past weekend; it was about more than just completing pages or forgetting about diets and make-up; it was about sharing and encouraging, listening and advising; it was about making connections and de-stressing. A study done at Harvard Medical School – The Nurses Health Study – found that the more friendships a woman developed the healthier she became. This was confirmed by research done at the University of California at LA
http://damesbond.com/ucla_study.pdf
Whereas, men experience the fight-or-flight reaction when they encounter stressful situations, women use a “tend and befriend” response. All of this is supposedly influenced by the different types and amounts of hormones we have coursing through our systems. Whatever the scientific reasoning behind it, I had a very enjoyable, relaxing and productive weekend.
However, the getaway had a very stressful start and almost didn’t happen at all. Once again our unpredictable Kentucky weather decided to play games with us. Last Friday was our biggest snowstorm of the season. Driving was extremely hazardous with blizzard conditions; blowing snow caused whiteouts and drifts along the road. I am one of those drivers about which other drivers say, “People like that should stay off the road.” So I do everyone a favor and stay out from behind the wheel as much as possible especially in icy, slick conditions. If I had had to drive myself to the lakes, I wouldn’t have gone. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who laughs at dangerous snowflake accumulation and doesn’t mind hauling me and my stuff into the wilderness during a blizzard. Sarah, being the strong, pioneer type woman, that she is, also braved the weather to join all of us die-hard scrapbook enthusiasts. She drove down from Owensboro, which got even more snow than we did. It was wonderful to spend the entire weekend with her free of everyday responsibilities.
Our final snow total (measured on Saturday morning by the eldest member of our group, in her houseslippers, with a ruler) was 4 ½ inches. Further east and north of us, in Elizabethtown and Louisville, they received 9 and 12-inch snowfalls.
There is something about a heavy snowfall that brings out the childish side in all of us and we ladies were no exception. We built a snowman on the deck using buttons and ribbon for his face. With my hat on his head, he made quite a sight. Of course we all had our pictures made with him for future scrapbook page material. I went for a snowy walk down by the lake and watched the geese landing on the water. It was beautiful and peaceful. The sun came out brilliantly on Saturday and soon the snow and the snowman were melting. By the time Jeff came to pick me up on Sunday afternoon, there were hardly any traces of the treacherous conditions of the previous Friday. This week the temperatures are reaching the 60’s. Our weather is never boring!

Here are some of the snow scenes from my getaway weekend.

My Happy Rebirth-day!

2008-03-01T23:39:00.011-06:00

“Every morning is a renewal; every day the daily miracle. This joy you feel is life.” Anais Nin

I received a telephone call this morning from a good friend at work. She called to wish me a happy 3rd birthday. No, she wasn’t crazy. She knew that for the past two years I have referred to March 1st as my “Rebirth-day”. Three years ago today I lay in a hospital bed hearing the incredulous and terrifying news that I had had a heart attack. Since that day life has not been the same. Come with me as I remember and offer some observations in hindsight:

1 “If your head tells you one thing, and your heart tells you another, before you do anything, you should first decide whether you have a better head or a better heart” Marilyn vos Savant
I’m really glad that February is known as “Heart Month” www.goredforwomen.org and that there are articles and commercials all through the month about heart health. I’m not sure I would have recognized what the numbness in my left hand and the pain in my shoulder meant if it wasn’t for a magazine I had read the week before. The article had described how the symptoms of a heart attack could be different for a man and a woman. So, instead of shrugging off my intuition that something was very wrong, I listened and acted. I took two aspirin that I had in my purse and called Jeff.

2 "When you know that you're capable of dealing with whatever comes, you have the only security the world has to offer." Harry Browne
My cell phone is now my security blanket. I will go nowhere without it, even on my walks up and down the driveway! I know Jeff will never forget that infamous phone call that began with a scared, but trying to sound nonchalant whisper, “Jeff, can you stay on the phone with me for a while. I’m on my way to Murray and I don’t feel so well.” Driving in a car while experiencing a heart attack is a danger not only to the driver but also to everyone else on the road. Don’t do it. Pull off the road. That’s what Jeff kept yelling at me over the phone after he heard me describe my symptoms. So, I pulled over; by this time I was slightly nauseous and also hot and sweaty. Jeff had hung up the phone long enough to call an ambulance, but had to call me right back because he didn’t know if I was in our van or the agency car. In the meantime, stupid and afraid, I had decided I could drive myself to the hospital in Murray before an ambulance could reach me. By this time Jeff was on his way to find me, driving the city truck with lights flashing, microphone in one hand and cell phone in the other, somehow driving with his left knee because the right leg was busy pushing the gas pedal to the floor. So I had him coming from one direction and the ambulance coming from another, while I was still driving down the road. When Jeff called me back, he told me in no uncertain terms to pull the car over and by that time I could hear the ambulance coming. Of course, they were looking for me in another location – the last one that Jeff knew I was at. Finally, I got the info to Jeff about my exact location; they found me and I got to experience my first ride in an ambulance.

3 “The saddest part about being human is not paying attention. Presence is the gift of life." Stephen Levine
There are doctors who take the time to listen to the patient. According to most profiles, I was not a candidate for a heart attack. No family history, never smoked, blood pressure was always low. However, as a woman of a certain age, I had put on a few pounds and gained the high cholesterol that came with it. But even though I knew the symptoms I was experiencing were unlike anything I had felt before, I really believed the doc would give me a once over, run a few tests, and send me on my merry way. However, when I was still having some lingering arm pain after they had administered their clot busting drugs, the ER doc said that would buy me a room upstairs. So much of life hinges on the choices that are made. If I had been too embarrassed to admit I was still hurting or if the doctor had dismissed my symptoms because I didn’t fit the profile of a heart attack victim, I might have went home that day, never knowing what had happened to me. Which might have been OK, for the time being; but I’m sure I wouldn’t have undertaken all the lifestyle changes that hopefully have made me a healthier person today.

4 If you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life. Confucius
Sometimes you just luck out and get a job that you not only love, but one in which the people you work with, including supervisors, are truly caring, selfless individuals. I was on my way to a meeting in Murray when I had my attack. I had told Jeff over the phone to notify the girls in my office that I probably wouldn’t make the meeting and to call and let my supervisor know. I had instructed him not to tell them what we thought might be happening, but just that I had gotten sick on my way to Murray and he was going to get me. Unbeknownst to us, when my supervisor got that news; she got in her car and started driving down the highway she knew I would be on, looking for me. She said later she didn’t know exactly what was wrong with me, but she couldn’t stand to think I was out there sick and alone until Jeff could get to me. Of course, by that time I was in the ambulance on my way to the hospital. Seeing the ambulance go by, she immediately went to the hospital also. She was at the ER almost before they got me unloaded. And she stayed by my side until they took me up to my room and shoed everyone out. Another supervisor went by the agency car that had been left abandoned and picked up all my stuff that was still in there. Many of the staff at central office were there to see me and offer help within the hour. Meanwhile, my poor co-workers back at my office were frantically trying to find out what was going on while trying to hold down the fort. I was showered with love and attention both during my hospital stay and my recovery at home.

5 “They do not love that do not show their love.” William Shakespeare
It seemed like the nurses were in to take my blood every hour. They were testing for a certain chemical that showed up in the blood. It would be the evidence of damaged heart muscle that a heart attack brings. The first few tests had been negative, but the doctor wanted to be sure and decided to keep me overnight to test a few more times. I was confident that they would turn out negative also. Then I would be suitably embarrassed at causing so much commotion and get the heck out of there. I knew that they wanted me to take a stress test the next morning even if all the tests were negative. But, hey, that would be a piece of cake also; I had had one of those before! But now it was the middle of the night and I was about to experience one of the most terrifying moments of my life. The nurse was sweet and soft-spoken. She came to sit by my bedside and took my hand in hers. All of my family had gone home and I felt very tired and alone. I was not prepared for the next words I would hear, “Ms. Lamb, we just got the results back from the last test and the doctor wanted me to let you know that you did have a heart attack. We’re going to be moving you shortly to CCU where we can take better care of you.” I will never forget the sound of her voice as she uttered those words. It felt like the world stopped turning and the floor dropped out from under me at the same time. I was trying to be brave as she asked me if I wanted her to call my family. I said, “No, lets don’t bother them until the morning.” But no sooner had she left the room than the tears began to fall. I rang the bell to summon her back and with a trembling voice asked her if she could call my husband. Then everything got busy as they moved me to coronary care and hooked me up to even more monitors. Jeff said when he received the phone call, the nurse sounded almost apologetic about telling him that I had asked her to call. Evidently not every spouse answers as nice as my husband when they are called at 2:00 in the morning; especially if they had just gotten to bed. Those were very long minutes as I waited for Jeff to come back. He had to hunt me down as the nurse forgot to tell him they were moving me to CCU. I don’t think I’ve ever been gladder to see his face than I was that night. As he sat by my bed in a hard upright chair through the long hours until morning, eyes heavy with worry and lack of sleep, tightly holding my hand, I truly felt the power of 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7. He showed me that love is patient and kind, selfless and giving. And since then, when life gets hectic and stressed and closeness is hard to come by, I just remember that night and the strength I felt from our love and I feel very blessed.

6 Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. Jane Howard
Ask and you shall receive.... I needed so much to have my family around me during that time. And they were. From the brother-in-law who came to the ER to pray with us, to the other brother-in-law who took off work the day I had my heart cath to stay with us at the hospital. My daughter and my "adopted" daughter drove down from Owensboro. My son, my grandkids and their mother were there. My out of town brothers and sisters called. My mother-in-law put me on her prayer list (not that I hadn't been there before). My sister-in-law brought me scrapbook stuff to occupy my time in recovery. Friends came by to visit; some brought food. I received a mountain of cards. How could a heart not heal when it had all that love to hold to and be comforted by?

7 “If I'd known I was going to live so long, I'd have taken better care of myself.” Leon Eldred
So it was a miraculous third birthday. I took my granddaughter to an academic team match, fixed some low fat homemade spaghetti for lunch and went through a few more boxes in the attic. Nothing special, you might say. Or you might say, as I do now, every day is a miracle and the joy you feel is life!

“We” would like to play……..

2008-02-25T22:18:00.005-06:00

According to the media, the hot gift this past Christmas was the Nintendo Wii gaming system. In the past, I couldn’t have told you the difference between a Playstation and an Xbox and my main concern with them was how to cut down on the playtime the grandkids spent on the couch in front of the TV. A few months before Christmas, this past year, I began to become intrigued by the commercials on TV for a new concept in gaming called a Wii. Maybe it was the unusual name, or the play on words in one of the commercials, interchanging Wii with “we”; but whatever it was that caught my attention, I decided to investigate. To my surprise, the more I looked at the descriptions of this new phenomenon, the more I thought I would like it - - well, not me personally, but to get it for the grandkids (oh, OK, for their daddy, too!). After all, the commercials promised fun for the whole family and the video clips of people playing the Wii games showed them up, off the couch, and doing things that looked suspiciously like exercise! After talking it over with Jeff, we decided that this would be our Christmas present to all of them last year. Of course, my timing couldn’t have been worse, because it was about that same time that everyone else in America decided that was what they also wanted Santa to bring. Although WE wanted a Wii, there was none to be found unless you got your name on a waiting list or you wanted to stand in line waiting for the trucks to unload in the vain chance that one might appear. No luck at Target, Toys R Us, Sears, Penneys, Wal-Mart, or any of the on-line stores – and this was in October! Visions of family togetherness and healthier pastimes spurred me on, however, and I diligently pursued every lead. Luckily, having a son who had connections at Wal-Mart became very helpful. I found out what day the truck was supposed to deliver three of the precious cargos and I made sure I was at the right place at the right time. Finally, the coveted Wii rested in our secret hiding place in the closet to await the Christmas festivities.
I was so tickled to have the consummate gift, which I knew the grandkids would never suspect they were getting. However, you can never underestimate the cleverness, or I guess in this case, the sheer luck, of children on a mission to discover what will be under all that wrapping paper they have to wait so long to tear into. Audrie and Jamie are in the habit of coming into my office after school and sometimes I let them do homework and research on my computer. Of course, this was the same computer that I had done some of my research about the Wii on. Unbeknown to me, these computer savvy whizzes are very observant of the history button on the search bar in Google! So it wasn’t long before I heard, via the grapevine, that Audrie had told Jamie that she knew what they were getting from NaNa and Poppa for Christmas. All of my hearty denials did not seem to put a dent in their enthusiasm for having found out! A plan must be commenced to foil such audacity – so the grownups put their heads together and came up with a clever little deception. We hadn’t planned on opening presents with our kids and grandkids until the day after Christmas. However, they would also be at the one we were having with Jeff’s family at our house on Christmas night. We wrapped the Wii and put it in the huge pile of gifts that would be opened that night. But we put Jeff’s brother Steve’s name on the tag and said it was from everybody. After all the other presents had been opened, we presented Steve with the wrapped Wii and said it was a special gift because he had been so good this year. Of course, Steve was privy to our little joke and played it to the hilt, professing surprise and trying to guess what it could be. He even mentioned how much he wanted a Wii, but that he knew that couldn’t be what was in the package. Audrie, Jamie and Zacharie were watching with wide eyes, as were Jeff’s teenage nieces and nephews, who weren’t in on the joke. When Steve finally got the package open and started gushing over the Wii, the expressions on the face of the kids (and the teenagers) was priceless! Steve kept going on and on about how much he wanted this and how hard they were to get, but he also said he just couldn’t accept it with all these kids sitting around that he knew would love one and he offered to give it to someone else who might want it. By that time, the kids had figured out what was going on and we all had a good laugh and a discussion about how too much snooping around might not turn out so good after all!
The hardest part for them was knowing they would have to wait until tomorrow to get it out of the box and actually play it. In fact, we had them leave it at our house for Poppa to hook up because they would be back the next day. After we had finished all our festivities the next day, it was finally time to get the Wii going. We had bought a few games to go with it, but we started out with the beginner games of bowling, baseball and boxing. Several hours later, we were still at it. And by we, I mean all of us, myself included. I’m sure we resembled some of the hilarious clips that they show on the Wii website of people learning to play. http://us.wii.com/experience_gallery.jsp What they say in the commercials is true – you do get up off the couch and get a very good workout on some of the games. It was just good family FUN!
We were leaving the weekend after Christmas to go to Owensboro with the grandkids to try ice-skating on the outdoor rink there (a novelty around these parts). Of course we had to bring the Wii along and enjoy it in between skate time. I don’t know what the kids enjoyed most or what gave them the most exercise – the ice-skating or the Wii games! I know they enjoyed both, but the Wii was a lot less COLD!
All in all, I am glad we decided to get one for them. I was actually sorry to see it leave when the kids finally took it home with them. It seems odd to me to pay compliments to a video game, but I really think the Nintendo people are onto something here. Recently I watched a news clip about a rehab center in Paducah that was using the Wii games as part of the therapy for stroke victims. And one of my friends that works at an area nursing home told me they had purchased one for the residents there. Now we are anxiously awaiting the release of the Wii Fit software this spring. It tracks your stamina and body mass index through exercise games. I can see some sore muscles coming up!
I admit it – I’m addicted; or at least I would be if they’d just bring it back and let me play with it!!!!!!!! Who would have thunk it!!!

Treasure in the Attic (or How Much Is a Fantasy Worth?)

2008-02-10T19:38:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Jeff and I spent some time sorting and cleaning in the attic. We hadn’t went through the boxes and stuff up there in over 10 years and since we are planning a big yard sale later this spring, it was time. Also, when they put our central heat and air in, the ductwork had to be put in the attic and everything had gotten jumbled up and pushed around. So with visions of Clean Sweep and Mission Organization in my head, we decided to go at it. The unfortunate thing about my sentimental nature is that I get so distracted by all the memories associated with the clutter that I spend way too much time reminiscing. We opened time capsule after time capsule from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s - all the toys from when our kids were little, along with boxes of stuff from previous jobs, baby clothes, and old magazines. I was in artifact heaven! How could I throw out such huge chunks of our past? To give myself incentive as I went through old memorabilia, I allowed myself to pick out a few things that I thought I could use in scrapbooking before pitching the rest. Some things I lay aside to send to Sarah or give to Nathan or the grandkids. It was a struggle, however, I did manage to eliminate 6 bags and 4 huge boxes of junk. But we are only about one-third of the way done!
One of the things I did permit myself to bring downstairs was a box of old comic books that had been Jeff’s when he was a boy. Jamie is really into fantasy and comic books lately, reading them and even writing and illustrating his own stories and making power point presentations about super heroes. The grandkids were coming over that night for supper, so I stacked them in my keep box and brought them downstairs. I knew Jamie would love reading them because there were a lot of titles that weren’t around any more. I thought he would get a kick out of seeing the 12 cent to 25 cent price tags. Sure enough, as soon as we had finished eating, Jamie pulled the box out and started diving into the comics. Soon he found a slip of paper in one of them with some handwritten prices next to the names of some of the comics. He called Jeff in to ask him about it. Jeff remembered that many years ago he had attempted to price the comics for sale. Jamie was excited by some of the amounts he saw, $5.00, $10.00, $15.00, etc. Now, Jeff was even getting interested. He suggested to Jamie that they go online to see what some of them might be selling for on E-bay. I was playing with Zacharie in another room and I kept hearing their animated voices and suddenly Jamie yelled out, “Jackpot!” Audrie and I ran in to see what was going on. Jamie held up one of the comic books and shouted, “$125.00!!!” The funny thing was it was one of the comics that neither him nor Jeff had heard of – something called Homer, the Happy Ghost. Audrie had to join in the search and she was the designated tracker, adding up all the prices. They went through most of the books and Audrie didn’t even record the lesser priced ones and there were many that were worth $10 to $20. But the eleven highest priced copies were worth over $450.

Visions of Playstation 3's danced in Jamie's head and Audrie began dreaming about a Disney vacation. Practical Nana had to chime in with the thought that if they were worth that much now, how much would they be worth when Jamie and Audrie were older? It was so much fun to watch the grandkid’s excitement. They spent the rest of the time until they went home just going over the list again. After they left, I said to Jeff, “You know, whether or not we ever actually sell the books or not, I have gotten a priceless amount of enjoyment just watching the kids tonight.” And it might be worthwhile to take a harder look at some of the other things in the attic before I pitch them out!

Remember, that thou art dust....

2008-02-06T21:27:00.000-06:00

Ashes
By Tom Conry

We rise again from ashes,
from the good we’ve failed to do.
We rise again from ashes,
to create ourselves anew.
If all our world is ashes,
then must our lives be true,
an offering of ashes,
an offering to you.

We offer you our failures,
we offer you attempts.
The gifts not fully given,
the dreams not fully dreamt.
Give our stumblings direction,
give our visions wider view,
an offering of ashes,
an offering to you.

Then rise again from ashes,
let healing come to pain,
though spring has turned to winter,
and sunshine turned to rain.
The rain we’ll use for growing
and create the world anew,
from an offering of ashes,
an offering to you.

We sang this song at Ash Wednesday services tonight. It seemed especially poignant and fitting in light of the death and destruction caused by the storms last night. I felt so sad this morning, looking at all the reports on the news. When it happens so close by and I realize that it could just as well been our house or our town or the lives of our friends and family, it really brings the horror home. The storms that came through our area were very strong, but no tornados. There was damage in our county with some barns destroyed, the roof blown off one of the popular drive-in restaurants in town, many limbs down and various other damage to homes and property, but nothing like the destruction elsewhere in the state and neighboring states. This was truly one for the record books. Let us keep all the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

On a little lighter note, Sarah had called me after one of the earlier storms came through and said they had tornado warnings out for the area around her house. The news alert came on for everyone to take immediate cover. Sarah went to open her front door to step out and see what it looked like. After quickly looking at the sky to see if she was in immediate danger, she looked up and down the street. Every house on her street had someone standing out in the yard or at their front door!! They could all hear the tornado sirens going off and could see the darkening sky, yet they all were standing outside with their necks craning upward to see what they could see. Sarah said she couldn’t help but laugh at how foolish she and her neighbors seemed to be, gawking at the sky in the face of danger, even as she gathered Max up and they headed to her interior bathroom. Luckily, the storm passed over them also.

February - where the Tuesday's are fat and the Groundhogs rule

2008-02-05T23:01:00.000-06:00

"If Groundhog Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight,
But if Groundhog Day brings cloud and rain,
Winter is gone and won't come again."

Phil's official forecast as read 2/2/08 at sunrise at Gobbler's Knob:

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
On Gobbler's Knob on this fabulous Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2008Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators,Rose to the call of President Bill Cooper and greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths.
After casting a weather eye toward thousands of his faithful followers,Phil consulted with President Cooper and directed him to the appropriate scroll, which proclaimed:
"As I look around me, a bright sky I see, and a shadow beside me. Six more weeks of winter it will be!"
from http://www.groundhog.com/

It is common knowledge around this state that if you don’t like the weather one day, just stay awhile and you will get something different. Last week I wrote about my unexpected and long hoped for snow day. Saturday, that pesky groundhog saw his shadow and the wimpy little thing hightailed it back into his hole. However, he evidently has no influence on his fellow groundhogs in our area. They, being a more hardy southern lot, aren’t afraid of a little shadow and they said, “Let it be spring!” The temperature today set a record at 75 degrees. And now we are looking at a twenty-degree or more drop in temperature tonight. We have had severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings all evening and they are still going on as I write. The news has announced that a tornado went through a trailer park near Hopkinsville and that 3 people are dead.

We just got back from the Emergency Room (pulling into the parking lot just as the tornado sirens were going off) where we spent almost four hours in a packed waiting room. We were waiting with our oldest grandson who was running a 103 fever, coughing, headache – all the usual signs of the flu. Of course, 95% of the other people there had the same thing. According to the morning news, our county has really been hit hard with the flu this week. The nurse in the ER said they had served a record number of people on Sunday and double the amount they usually see per hour everyday since then. If it hadn’t been for Jamie’s fever, we probably wouldn’t have stayed, but it was going up even with ibuprofen. Poor thing – he slept most of the time with his head in my lap! I guess that’s what Nana’s are for! Now I am really glad that I got my flu shot this year and I hope it will be effective. When we finally got in to see the doc, Jamie got a dose of tamiflu and we were on our way. But, I knew Jamie was really sick when he didn’t even cheer when the doctor told him to stay home the rest of the week.

Happy Mardi Gras! Our weather today seems to mimic this liturgical season. Trading the excesses of Fat Tuesday for the ashes and austerity of Lent can be as jarring to the system as our wildly unpredictable weather. But, I rather look forward to the reflective nature of the next 40 days and the challenges and changes it may bring to me.

As Good As It Gets?! Poor Thing!

2008-01-31T11:54:00.000-06:00

The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow,
And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?
He'll sit in a barn and keep himself warm
and hide his head under his wing, poor thing.
16th century Nursery Rhyme

The jarring sound of the alarm clock seeps into my semi-conscious mind. Groaning, I reach up to slap it off and get into a stretching position that usually enables me to haul my protesting body out of bed. Suddenly, as my mind begins to function, I remember my wish from yesterday and I bound out of bed and sprint to the window like a small child. Pulling back the curtain reveals a thin blanket of white, barely covering the ground. With an appropriately disappointed face, I begin my morning rituals to ready myself for another day of work.
We had tried so hard yesterday at school to help the weatherman along. We tried supplementing the prevailing winds by doing snow-laced mental imagery along with our own form of snow dance which included pulling and tugging motions to bring the oncoming front across the Mississippi, where it could dump just enough wintry precipitation to get us a snow day. After all, we hadn’t had a single one all winter! Should I blame it on global warming, El Nino, or just the luck of the draw? Whatever the reason, the grandkids and I had attempted to brighten up the dreary days of January and to entice the snow down from the sky by decorating the house in a winter theme, but it was beginning to look like the only snowmen we were going to get were made of plaster or plastic!

So I was extra disappointed at the poor results I saw out of my window this morning.

But when I turned on the news as usual, while I ate my morning oatmeal, I was surprised and ecstatic to see our county listed in the school closings for the day. Who doesn’t LOVE working for the school system on days like this? Of course, the first thing I did was run into the bedroom where Jeff was getting ready for work and gloat a little (OK, a lot!). I had to call our daughter in Owensboro and sweetly rub it in to her also. Soon the grandkids were calling with excited voices and plans for enjoying the day! It’s amazing how such a simple thing as a snow day can bring such a thrill. Oh, the possibilities that await the lucky ones who receive a totally unexpected day off in the middle of the week!
Then, of course, I had to worry a little about poor Jeff driving to work in what was obviously a slippery mess, although hazardous driving conditions were not apparent from our vantage point. Watching the weatherman for clues as to why schools were out all over the area, we learned that some early mixed precipitation had made the roads icy before the light snow covered them. Also they were predicting additional snow by the afternoon, perhaps 2 – 4 inches. So if the snow gods are with us and we hold our tongues just right, tomorrow may be a snow day too!!!
But that’s tomorrow….for now, I wave goodbye to my honey, after admonishing him to drive carefully, and I return to the couch, curled up in my bathrobe, with my second cup of coffee to enjoy the decadent pleasure that only a snow day can bring!

Happy 100th Birthday!

2007-12-16T00:31:00.000-06:00

One hundred years ago today (December 16, 1907) a baby boy was born to George and Annie. What was it like on that day, a long century ago? Was it cold and rainy like it is here today, or perhaps the snow fell gently down, covering the earth? Babies were born at home in those days, usually without a doctor present, only the female relatives to help with the birth. What went through Grandma’s mind as she held her new baby for the first time? Was she proud it was another son, one who could help in the fields? How fast did the news travel through the small town, from one relative or friend to another? All of these questions and more have passed through my mind these last few days as the 100th anniversary of Dad’s birth comes closer. Dad always said he wanted to live to be 100 years old and he was only a decade short of this goal when God called him home to be once again with those who held him long ago on that first day of his life.

Even though it has been almost ten years since he died, I still miss him so much. Sometimes when I drive down a road in the summer and pass a tobacco field, I will almost catch a glimpse of him walking along behind Ole Big Un, the sweat running down, drenching his shirt, as the plow turns a perfectly straight furrow down the tobacco row. Sometimes I can still hear his voice, shouting with joy as he played the trump card in Rummy or ran the numbers in Racko. I can see his big work-worn hands gently hold a grandchild as his rode them horsey on his knee. Or see him tenderly hand mom a rose from the garden. He was my example in faithfulness, in hard work, honesty, and endurance. He never gave up when times were tough and he never gave in, even when the infirmities of old age tried to slow him down. He took pride in doing a thing well and in giving his all to whatever he did. He demanded a lot from those around him, but never more than what he was willing to do himself. He taught me a love and respect for nature that nourishes and sustains my spirit even today. I am proud to be the daughter of such a man. Happy Birthday, Daddy!
I invite everyone to spend some time tomorrow saying a prayer for all of Dad’s family, living and dead as a birthday remembrance of him. In addition to this, we plan on celebrating Dad’s 100th birthday in a way that I think he would have approved and most certainly would have enjoyed. After church, we are going to Cracker Barrel, Dad’s favorite restaurant. For dessert we are going to have ice cream, one of Dad’s favorite foods! And as Nathan and Sarah said, “Make sure every hole in the bowl is filled.” Then we get to go watch the grandkids in a Christmas play. Dad always loved Christmas. He made sure we had Christmas dinner early so that we could open the presents sooner and he was like a little kid when he opened his. This year we are having Christmas dinner at our house for the first time in several years. Usually I stress out so much over big gatherings, trying to make sure that everything is perfect. It has taken me fifty some years to realize that things will never be perfect; families are never perfect and something will always happen that tries our patience or frazzles our nerves. But what is important is the being together, the laughter, the stories and the sharing. Food will be plentiful and good, but not fancy and the table won’t be a Martha Stewart masterpiece, but we will enjoy it together. Tradition is so important, especially to the younger generation and I want to give them many more memories to cherish of a family together at Christmas, enjoying one another. I think Dad will approve!

Duck, Deer, and Doves (Or how we met the "Good Old Boys")

2007-09-30T23:37:00.000-05:00

We have finally outlasted the dry, hot spell and fall may be just around the corner. I don’t think we will have the brilliant fall colors we usually have; it’s been too dry and a lot of the leaves have already dried up and fallen off the trees. But I will enjoy whatever we get; autumn will always be my favorite time of the year!

I wasn’t enjoying myself the last two weeks, however. I got hit with a double whammy. First I had a stomach virus, with all the running to a certain room in the house that goes with that; then as soon as I recovered and was starting to feel better, I woke up with a sore throat which soon developed into full-blown congestion, hoarseness, sneezing, coughing and just generally feeling miserable. Of course, I did my share of complaining about how unfair it was to get struck with both of these back – to – back. But, on the bright side, maybe I’ve built up my immunity early and will escape these bugs when everyone else gets them later on!

Well, in case you are wondering about the title, I have to relate a somewhat embarrassing but highly amusing story about Jeff and I. Last week, Jeff received an invitation to a VIP Kick-off outdoor dinner for the 13th annual BarBQ on the River (the only reason we could figure for this was that he is on the Tourism Board). After asking me about it, he RSVP’d that we would be attending. A free BarBQ dinner and a chance to walk around and watch them set up for the festival wouldn’t be a bad way to spend a night together. On the night of the dinner, we discussed what we should wear (the invitation didn’t say and of course, being a man, Jeff didn’t think to ask when he called to RSVP)…dressy, casual?? We finally decided on good casual even though there would be big wigs there – after all it was a BarBQ! As we left the house I asked Jeff if he had the tickets and if he knew for sure where the dinner was; both answers were affirmative. We almost didn’t make it to the affair in one piece, since Jeff, not being used to traffic lights on the side of the streets, happened to run a red one as we got downtown, and a truck coming the other way only narrowly missed hitting our van. Boy, this dinner better be worth it! Of course, when we got to the Riverfront, there was no parking for blocks around. They already had the area blocked off to set up the tents and the grills and smokers. It was not a hot night, although it was lightning in the distance, and the walk down to the riverfront was nice. When we got to the place where the invitations had said the dinner was going to be, there wasn’t anything around that looked like food was being served. We started just walking around up and down the street where all the tents were set up and saw one big tent with a line of people standing in front of it; when we got closer we could see that they were in a serving line. We looked at each other and said, “This must be it” and joined the others in line. The tent had a big sign over it that said “The Good Old Boys” and I was glad to see that we were not over dressed; in fact there were some people in camouflage and jean shorts. There were a few people I recognized standing in line, one of whom was our local news anchor, but most of the people I did not know and for once Jeff didn’t either. The wait was long (about 45 minutes) and we made some small talk with people around us. We wondered what was being served; I could smell catfish frying and I remarked to Jeff that they must have been saving the BarBQ for the actual festival. We expected there would be someone at the entrance to the tent that would take our ticket, but no one looked like they were taking up anything! When we finally made it to the food, there was fried catfish and it looked really good. There were also several aluminum pans of other meat that I did not recognize, but upon inspection there were labels under each pan with a funny description of what it contained. A man came out bringing another big pan of some kind of barbeque. I looked at the descriptions under each pan and Jeff and I had to start laughing. One of them looked like it contained meatballs and the sign under it read DEER BALLS. Another one had (Com) Pressed Duck, another one contained quail, one had turtle dove and there was even a pan of smoked salmon. There was such a wide variety of unusual cuisine and wild game, which really surprised us for an event of this kind. We loaded our plates with an assortment of the meats and they also had the usual slaw, potato salad, etc. All of the tables under the tents were taken and after getting our cold drinks (served in the can) we looked for someplace to sit and eat. Since it was starting to sprinkle, we wanted to find a place under cover if we could. We started back down towards the floodwall to find a table and we were talking about how this dinner was nothing like we expected to be. After all it was a shindig put on by the mayor and judge executive. We spotted some tables and headed towards them, going around a brick building next to the floodwall. As we turned the corner and looked over to the side, we saw a low wall built with hay bales and behind it were people sitting at cloth covered tables, some of which were set up with wine and finger foods. There were signs in front, which said VIP DINNER ONLY. I don’t know which one of us started laughing first!!! Immediately we knew what had happened. We had just crashed someone else’s dinner and we hadn’t the foggiest idea of whose it was!!! No wonder no one had asked for our tickets; in fact they were probably nudging each other saying, “Is that someone you invited?!!” In our haste to find the dinner we were invited to, we had overlooked the area because it was hidden on one side by the brick building and one side by the floodwall. As we went to sit at some picnic tables nearby, we thought about going on into the reception, even though we were an hour late. However we decided that it was meant to be that we had crashed the other dinner and I wouldn’t have traded my plate of DEER BALLS for one of their hor dourves!!! We sat down and enjoyed our meal and watched the comings and goings from the VIP dinner, the men in suits and women in nice dresses. We were laughing so hard that I was almost crying. I guess it really is true what they say, “You can take the kids out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the kids!” and we decided that the people whose party we crashed really were “Good Old Boys!”

Goodbye to a friend

2007-09-02T20:31:00.000-05:00

This week Jeff and I said goodbye to an old friend. Our outside cat, CeCe, is gone. We are pretty sure she won’t be coming back. CeCe was one of five offspring from a cat that Sarah brought home when she was a junior in high school. The cat had wandered onto the football field where the high school band (Sarah played the flute) was practicing. Some of the boys in the band starting teasing the cat and this infuriated Sarah. Of course, she had to rescue it and bring it home and of course, it turned out to be a female cat already pregnant. Soon we had one momma cat and 4 kittens. CeCe was the only one that eventually survived to adulthood. They were officially “Sarah’s cats” and all five of them even made it into one pose of Sarah’s senior pictures.
It’s remarkable how some things become a part of the background of one’s life, day in and day out; almost unnoticeable because of their constant presence. CeCe was there through all the ups and downs of our constantly changing family life; a faithful, if not somewhat ambivalent, companion. For the first half of her life, CeCe was a definite loner. Disdaining any overly affectionate displays, she kept to herself and was often gone for days at a time, but never failed to return to her place of birth. She did not like to be petted much and only accepted our offerings of food if she had not been successful hunting down field mice or young rabbits. In the ensuing years, we acquired an inside cat, Simon. I guess we would have let CeCe come in also, if she had wanted it, but she was way too independent to accept such a life. They often sat and stared at each other, one on each side of the screen door on the porch. It reminded me of the story of the Prince and the Pauper. I wondered if they each longed to live the life of the other; Simon, longing for a taste of the freedom of the open fields and the excitement of the hunt, and CeCe, contemplating the comfort provided by indoor heating and cooling and cozy couches. On one occasion when the door was left ajar, just such an exchange took place. I had noticed the cat lying under the table, but just thought it was Simon, until I noticed Simon going around the corner of the house. They had indeed changed places, each slipping for a time into the place of their fantasies.
The years flew by, each with it’s own joys and sorrows. CeCe was there through it all, sometimes curled up in some strange place, sometimes proudly depositing her latest kill by the front door. The children left home and Sarah decided to become a “dog” person, acquiring Max, who came with her for frequent visits home. CeCe made her displeasure at this turn of events known by disappearing every time Max came, only returning when he was gone. The grandkids came along and a new generation tried to befriend her, usually without much success. In time, Jeff and I moved next door to help take care of mom and Nathan and his family lived in our house for a short while. We took Simon with us and he adapted well to living with mom (which is another story in itself). I thought for sure CeCe would follow us to mom’s house or maybe just leave for good when our house eventually remained empty for a few years. It became part of Jeff’s daily routine to cross the road and give her food and water. She was usually there to greet him, glad, I suppose for some reminder that we had not totally forgotten her. We fixed her a box with blankets on the porch to provide a shelter during the winter. We could not, however, do much about the family of raccoons who often vied with her for a free meal. Jeff finally had to resort to standing nearby while CeCe ate, guarding against the masked marauders.
It was during this time, perhaps because CeCe was getting older and depending more on our offerings and less on her declining strength for hunting, that she started to make friendly advances towards the humans that had been part of her life for so long. Or maybe she was just getting lonely from the lack of activity around our house. Whatever the reason, Jeff noticed she would come up, rub against his leg after she ate, something she had not been prone to do. She would even let him bend down and pet her, rewarding him with her purr. I guess either absence made the heart grow fonder or advancing age brought with it a softening of heart.
After mom died and we moved back into our house, I definitely noticed CeCe’s friendlier attitude. When Sarah brought Max with her to visit, CeCe even let him sniff at her and would rub against him. This was quite a change from the days when Max’s presence meant CeCe’s absence. Every time we went outdoors, CeCe was there by our side, rubbing and purring and wanting to be petted. Sometimes, when I would sit in the porch swing, she would jump into my lap. Every morning, as I made my way groggily to the coffee pot, I would notice her little head bobbing back and forth in the French door window. She knew we were up and was demanding her breakfast and morning attention. One of us would still have to stand guard every night while she ate. The raccoons were still around and they were very bold, coming within a few inches of us before deciding to turn tail and run.
CeCe spent most of her time on the porch now, running to greet us each time we left or came home. Every time that Sarah came to visit, she would point out how thin CeCe was looking. She convinced us that CeCe was probably having a hard time eating the dry cat food we fed her and that we should start feeding her soft food. So began the quest for a soft food that was not messy and smelly. I remembered long ago when we had Midnight and Tushie (our previous indoor cats) that we fed them Tender Vittles, which came in a pouch and was soft but not smelly. However, trips to Wal-mart and even Pet Smart failed to turn up any of this food. Sarah could not even find it in Owensboro. So we settled on some little cups of meat and gravy made by Meow Mix. It had a tinfoil top that could be pulled off and the contents of the cup could be dumped all at one time with little mess. This simple switch in food provided us with some of the most funny and satisfying moments in our relationship with any pet we’ve had. The way CeCe gulped down each cup of Meow Mix was so funny to watch. She became obsessed with it and each time we walked out the door, her loud, insistent meowing often got her an extra cup, just so we could see her enjoy it so much.
Even though we mentioned it often, I guess it was just hard to believe how old CeCe was. Sarah and Jeff figured out that CeCe was fifteen years old, which would make her 105 (if a cat year counts the same as a dog’s - 7 human years). We doubted she would make it through last winter, but she did. She rarely left the porch for very long and as this summer’s heat took its toll, we would leave the porch fan on to provide her with some relief. It was obvious how much she enjoyed both our company and her new feeding routine, but even though she was eating well, she didn’t seem to be putting on any weight. And then two days ago, when I came in to get my coffee, her little head was not bobbing in the window and I knew something was amiss. I walked down the road and along the line of trees, calling her name and listening for any answering meow. When she still wasn’t there after we got back from work, Jeff and I both knew that her time had surely come. I have often heard that animals go off by themselves when they sense they are dying and I believe this is what CeCe did. And so one of the backdrops of our lives is gone, leaving behind pleasant memories.
It is amazing how strong the relationship is between humans and their pets; but I believe this is one of God’s gifts to give us pleasure in life. I really didn’t mean for this post to be so long, but it seemed to help me to write down all my thoughts about CeCe. Jeff also made a slide show of our favorite pictures of CeCe to remember and I have included it here.

Heat, Horror, and Hope

2007-08-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

The last two weeks have been tough. The temperatures have broken 80 year heat records with several days of over 100 degrees. When you add the humidity in, the heat index reached 110 on some days. Lack of rain adds to the misery; the air is both muggy and dusty which makes being outdoors very uncomfortable, as well as dangerous to some people. Most of the Kentucky corn crop is gone, as dry and brown as the grass in everyone’s yard. As I write this, I am watching a news story in our county that we usually associate with states to the west of us. As I was taking the grandkids to piano lessons this afternoon we encountered a barrage of firetrucks and smoke so thick on the highway that I literally could not see to drive. A tractor had sparked a field fire which turned into a fast spreading wild fire that they are final process of containing tonight. Volunteer fire departments, as well as trucks from nearby counties and cities were called in and many other local people came with shovels and pails to help dig trenches and water down property. Over 200 acres have been burned and several houses had to be evacuated, one of my cousins on dad’s side among them. Thankfully, no homes have been burned and no one fighting the fire was injured. All this on top of the local bank in our small town being robbed on Saturday and suddenly small town life doesn’t seem so peaceful.

Last week a violent act tore at everyone’s heart and filled me with horror, when an eleven year old boy in another part of the county was shot in the head by a shotgun; killed by a fifteen year old, supposedly over a video game. And other young people had to witness the aftermath before adults arrived on the scene. It was especially hard for me, because I knew some of the ones involved and the young boy who was killed was the same age as my oldest grandson. It makes it really hit home when you associate it with your own loved ones. I know that most people say, “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people”, but if young kids could not get their hands on guns owned by adults, some tragedies like this would never happen.

In the midst of everything else, however, there were bright spots that raised my spirits and gave me hope. Things like my daughter calling, all excited because her new boyfriend sent her flowers at work. Like joining the grandkids in baking a cake and decorating for a “surprise” birthday party for their dad (his 30th). Like going out to watch the elementary football team practice, expecting to have to bite my tongue and come away angry because I would hear the coaches yelling and swearing at the kids. Instead all I heard were words of encouragement and guidance.
This is the first year that my grandson in the 6th grade has played football and he has made me proud by how hard he is throwing himself into it; he is more the video game, couch potato type. I had memories that were not too good from when my son played in grade school. My son had to remind me of one funny (in retrospect) incident from his playing days. I was so against him playing elementary football because I didn’t want my “baby” to be hurt. He started playing in the 3rd grade and I worried all that year and into the 4th grade. Meanwhile his older sister had joined the cheerleading team, which didn’t seem to worry me much. She talked my son into helping her practice cheers in their grandparents backyard one day and he fell off her back and broke his arm! He said after that I told him he could play all the football he wanted, but he could never go out for cheerleading!!!

Vacation is over! (almost)

2007-07-13T22:51:00.000-05:00

Our modem went down after we returned from vacation and we are just now getting back on the internet. So now I can post and update.

I am almost rested up from our trip. We had a wonderful vacation with the grandkids in St. Louis. But to use an old Southern expression - it wore me out! The heat almost got to me at the Zoo on Sunday; I had to stop and rest often and we ended up leaving earlier than planned. But we had a wonderful day. We started out by taking our breakfast and eating on picnic tables in Forest Park. It was so special to me because it was July 8th and not only the first anniversary of mom's death, but also would have been her and dad's 76th wedding anniversary. They were married early in the morning at St. Patrick's church in East St. Louis; but later that day they went to Forest Park and took wedding photos in front of the World Fair Pavilion. We ate our breakfast right beside it. I told the grandkids the story about how they met and married. After breakfast we walked around the pavilion and made pictures in front of it. It looks exactly the same, although they are working on the landscaping in the front and have the grounds all tore up there right now. I felt so close to mom and dad and couldn't help but think back to what it was like for them in that same place 76 years ago.

I'm posting some old pics of Mom and Dad on their wedding day that were taken at the pavilion and also some of the pics that I took Sunday.

(I see by the date on my pics that I need to change the date setting on my camera. It must have messed up when the batteries ran down.)

We stayed in a hotel with an indoor and outdoor pool and I think that was the favorite part of the trip for the kids. We had to make sure we got back to the hotel every night in time for them to hit the pool. They love to swim and I am glad. I never learned to swim and have always been somewhat afraid of water (I guess because some of my first experiences with trying to swim were in a pond muddied with cow manure and with snapping turtles looking for a nibble), but I am glad to see the grandkids able to enjoy the water so much.

We made stops at the Butterfly House, the Science Musuem ( to see the SuperHeros exhibit), the Magic House, and of course the zoo. We were at the arch on Friday night and they had a free concert on the riverfront with the Los Lonely Boys and a wonderful fireworks show afterward. To me there is nothing more fun during a fireworks display than watching the faces of children as they watch the fireworks. We had such a good time with the grandkids - it was the first time we had been able to go away with them in quite a while. My only complaint was about the typical July weather - very hot and humid. To test our endurance even more, the air conditioner on the van would work sometimes and sometimes not. Thank goodness it worked on the ride home.

I have a few more days left before I have to be at work again. I am still trying to get things straightened up after our move last year. There are some boxes I am just now getting around to looking into. If I haven't needed it for a year - probably don't need it all. I see a huge yard sale coming in the near future!

Well, that's all until next time. Stay cool.

I'm Bloggin

2007-06-30T00:21:00.000-05:00

It's been almost a year since Mom died and I've been trying to think of some positive way to mark the date. Mom loved family and keeping in touch, so I decided to try this way of communicating with others in our family and beyond. I'm not too sure exactly what the content will be or how often I'll actually get to post, but I hope to make it a regular way to let others know what is going on "back home", as well as expressing all the random thoughts inside my head. Please feel free to post comments; I look forward to reading them.
Right now I am off work for about a month. The janitors are waxing the school floors and I can't get to my office.....(: ) sigh! Jeff is on vacation next week and we are taking the grandkids to St. Louis for a few days to see the zoo, Grant's Farm, the Science Musuem, Magic House, and anything else we can cram into four days! I just didn't want to be at home next week with my memories. The grandkids are really looking forward to it... the 4 year old has never stayed in a hotel before and I think he is more excited about that than anything. We are going to start out at Sarah's new house in Owensboro for the 4th and watch fireworks on the riverfront.
Actually, Jeff and I have been spending every weekend for the last month in Owensboro helping Sarah to settle in to her new house. We have been putting up a privacy fence in her backyard. We are so naive..... we thought we could get it put up in one weekend using a manual posthole digger. It has taken us four weekends using a rented auger and it is still not finished. One of Sarah's friends (the brother of the principal at the school she teaches at) has been helping us. It looks really good and I will try to post some pictures later on; but the main reason we wanted to get it up was so that her dog, Max, would have a safe place to play - primarily to protect the neighborhood children from Max - he is very protective of Sarah and very wary of strangers!
Sarah loves her new house and she is glad to be back in the city of Owensboro instead of so far out in the county, especially with gas prices now. We firmly believe that this house is a blessing from heaven and the reason she was able to get it was through Mom and Dad's intercession for her. There have been just too many things that couldn't have happened any other way. She had been looking for a house for several months with no luck; there just wasn't anything in her price range in a good neighborhood. She was starting to get really discouraged, as she really needed to move. I could tell she was getting really depressed and as I was out walking one day, I was praying about it and I had the strongest feeling of dad's presence telling me that everything was going to be ok. I sent her a note telling her about my experience. Jeff and I went to Owensboro the next weekend to look at some houses with her; but, once again we came up empty handed. When we got back home, I e-mailed Sarah some houses I had found on the internet and she called to say she was calling her agent to set up some appointments. She also mentioned an open house she saw in the paper that was the next day and she said she thought she would just go by to see it, even though she didn't think it was what she wanted. When we went back up the next weekend to look at houses again, it was on the list we were to see. The minute I walked in, I knew it was the house for her, but knowing how advice from a mother can be, I only made the standard comments...but I did mention that I felt a good karma in the house and I could tell that it had been a house that had shared a lot of love and had good memories in it. We didn't know anything about the history of the people who were selling the house and for a brief second I doubted my own instincts and wondered if the reason it was for sale was the owner was in jail for murder or something! It is an older house, built in 1961, but it was immaculate and was extremely well kept and was move in ready. It was the kind of house that Mom and Dad would have had. We looked at some other houses that day - one that even had a large snake caged in the living room - definitely not good karma in that house!!! Well, to shorten the story, Sarah called that week and said she was putting in a bid for the1961 house, but she got the bad news that someone else had placed a bid before her. But this was the first thing that let us know it was meant for her to get this house because the other person's bid fell through and she got the house! When she called to tell us the news I reminded her of how her Grandpa was looking out for her and that everything was going to turn out alright. But a few days later when she called to tell us about signing the final papers I thought I was going to have to eat my words. She was literally crying so hard that I couldn't understand what she was saying. But when she finally got the words out, she was trying to tell me that when she went in to the bank to sign the papers, she almost lost it. It was a little old lady that was selling the house and Sarah said, "Mom, she looked just like Grandma, a little bitty lady with gray hair and a sweet smile; even her handwriting was like Grandma's." She started telling Sarah about how her and her husband had built the house in 1961 and it was the only house they had lived in and had raised their family there. Her husband had died and she was no longer able to keep it up and was moving in an assisted living apartment. She told Sarah that she had had a lot of happy times in the house. And Sarah told the lady that I had felt those memories the first time I had walked in the house!!! And so it was meant to be.... The next weekend we went back up to help her move in and we got to meet the next door neighbors on both sides. They were both extremely nice, on one side an older couple, the lady volunteered as a tutor in the city schools; and on the other side a young couple with a little girl. As we were talking Sarah discovered that one of her very good friends at the board office was the first cousin of the older couple. We made the first of what was to be many trips to Lowe's and Wal-Mart and this is another one of those happenings that made my hair stand on end...as we were rounding the aisle in the hardware dept. at Wal-Mart I almost fainted because there in the aisle was a lady; I could only see her back and she had white hair and she had on the exact dress that mom was buried in; the one that dad had loved so much. I have never saw that dress on anyone else before and mom had wore it at their 50th anniversary over 15 years ago! I know I turned as white as a sheet before the lady turned around and I could see her face. But after she had walked off, I told Sarah that this was just another sign that Grandma and Grandpa were watching over her. And the coindences keep coming...Sarah later found out that her principal (the one that is like a second momma to her) was friends in school with the boy that used to live in her new house and she had often took him home from school and knew the people that lived there. She told Sarah that the boy reminded her of Sarah - he played the piano and was very active in church. Also we found out while building the privacy fence with Sarah's friend,Bill - the principal's brother, that the young couple next door had actually met at the wedding of Bill's son. The guy next door had actually been the best man at the wedding and had met his wife at the wedding.
The connections to this house are strong and I thank God for blessing Sarah with being able to get this house. And I know that Mom and Dad are smiling at the way things have turned out!