After searching and searching...

I just found out that my favorite (one of) Christmas songs is off of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Go figure... I love this song. It is all instrumental, a jazz trio, I call it lounge music. I hear it every year and tell everyone, "I love that song." No one has ever been able to tell me that name of the group. Once again I heard it today and the radio guy said this is (blah blah trio ) So, I have spent this entire evening searching you tube looking for all Christmas jazz music with the word "trio" in the band name. There are a lot of "trio" jazz groups. But, the search is over... It is the Vince Guaraldi Trio. He wrote all of the "Peanuts" music. I have to get the album.

My Happy Holidays are soon coming.... One more day!!!

Thanksgiving-- Pilgrim Style

We just got in from our Thanksgiving CELEBRATION. We had the best time. We went to Monte Sano State Park with our travel trailer. I know, I know, a t.t. is not "real" camping, but we do a lot of cooking old school. My sister and her family brought her t.t. and my cousin and husband brought theirs. I made chicken and dressing in a cast iron pot outside and baked sweet potatoes over hot coals. We had lots of other yummy food. One day for lunch I made beef stew over a fire with all fresh vegetables. Each night we built a fire and Lane (almost 17 now) played the guitar. (He is a future Kenny Chesney). Last night his dad brought the dolbro and joined in. His dad used to play with Roger Miller (King of the Road). We walked the mountains and biked the easy trails. The weather was perfect. A little cold night before last but the fire was warm.

A few weeks ago I started a "Thankful jar". Each day I add a new something I am thankful for. I didn't take it with me on my trip so now I will add: thankful for camping with my family (even though the 16 yr. old grumbles), thankful for my hubby chopping and splitting wood for a campfire, thankful for delicious pecan pie.

My jar started with usual: family, health, food, shelter, etc. Now I am thinking about the little things in life to be thankful for. It is so easy to look over the little things.

Friday Night Lights

Last night we went to the high school football game (Zac plays trumpet). The game was against the school where I graduated from. I was hoping to see some old friends but I didn't. I saw a few folks but it was people that I run in to at Wal-mart. To tell the truth, I was hoping to get a glance at some old boyfriends just to see what they look like now.

Oh, this is really weird. Yesterday, I was at a workshop downtown. It had about 24 women-teachers from various schools--Bham City, Tussville, JeffCo, etc. The instructor was mingling before it started and when she got to my table, she looked at me and said, "I think I know you." I tried to quickly figure out from where, but I just didn't recognize her. I thought maybe it was through DAvid since he knows so many people. Anyway, turns out she was a 4th grade teacher when I was in 4th grade....But,,not my teacher!!! How could she remember me as a 9 yr old??? (I was the quiet type) and she only taught there a couple of years and then moved on to another school for the last 30 or so years!! I must look like I did at 9. Wonder what I will look like at 99?

Does she or doesn't she??

I have been regularly coloring my hair for about 10 years. It started out bec. I wanted to try out different shades. In the fall, I usually go a little darker and in the spring, a little lighter. I have decided to find out what my natural color will be. It has been about 1 1/2 months since I used. I am finding that there are more grays than before. I always said that I would never let my grays show until I got really old. I am going to stick with this just to find out the truth.

Maybe I am getting more grays bec. of the stress at work. It is awful. Every day I want to pack up my stuff and leave. I am not cut out for this kind of job. I have now crossed over and am hanging in there for the pay check. Well, not really, bec. if that was the case, I wouldn't be worrying if they were learning or not. I could be like some other teachers and give easy work so that they would all make A's and B's. Parents would be happy. I am just not like that. I am a glutten for punishment.

Most awful beggining of school

Well, school is back in swing. So far, this has been the worst beginning of school. Usually, the first few weeks are pretty good bec. the kids are a little nervous of a new teacher. Not these kids!!! I have came home with a headache almost every night. I already have 4 kids sitting by themselves and have already had several parent conferences. I hate it when kids don't behave. I think that I am a pretty good "teacher" and have a way of putting school work in "kid language". But, I am not a good disciplinarian of other people's kids. I expect kids to behave and I know how to handle my own personal kids. For some reason, they know I mean "business". But, when it comes to other kids, I just don't have the knack. I am not good with "consequences" like pulling cards. It seems that i can't find consqences that "fit". For example, if a kid doesn't do his work, he should get a zero or not get to play on Friday until his work is done. Makes sense to me, except the kid doesn't care if he is not playing, he just sits there instead of doing his work and if he gets a zero and has a bad grade on his report card,,, who is punished??? Me, bec. I have to fill out all of this paperwork about how I am going to help his do his work. Now, I understand if he "can't" do the work but, it is not that he can't, but he won't.

Now see with my own kids, if the teacher wrote me a note saying that my kid did not do his work, I would make sure it didn't happen again. There would be no TV, video games, nothing for a long time. But, not with the kids in my room. The parents don't seem to do anything bec. the same kid still won't do his work.

As a matter of fact, Gray got into trouble yesterday. I have been out sick for two days. I felt good yesterday and went to work but I couldn't talk above a whisper so I got a sub and came back home. I was sitting on the porch waiting for the kids to walk home from school. I heard the bell ring and see a little boy in a blue and white stripe shirt running out to the street and climbing on the "walk" pole which is near the road. I couldn't quite tell if it was Gray or his friend. I hear the teacher telling this kid to wait on him. Well, the light change and the "walk" sign came and he ran out half way to the road before the teacher got there. By then I could tell that it was Gray so I started walking toward the road. When I met Gray, I told him we were going back to the school to talk with the teacher that walks them. I went to this room and the teacher tells me that this is not the first time Gray has went to the road without him. (I am thinking,"why haven't you told me before?". So, we came up with the plan that if Gray ever runs out again then the teacher is to take Gray to the office and call me or his dad to pick up in the office. By the time we got back home, Gray's dad was home and Gray had to tell his dad why we went back to the school. Needless to say, if we ever get a call from the office that Gray must be picked up bec. he ran close to the road, it will not be a pretty day for Gray's backside. I mean, we talked to Gray about the dangers of the road and that even though the sign said walk he has to wait on the adult. I don't think he will do it again bec. he knows i mean "business". And if the teacher had of told us that he had done that before, it wouldn't have happened yesterday. I am just glad that I was home yesterday to find out about it.

Last day of summer vacation

It is sad to think that today is my last day of vacation. I went to the school to work in my room the last two days bec. I knew that I wanted to be home on my last day. I got up and made Gray his fav. breakfast..pancakes. I took a picture of Zac driving (by himself!!!) to band practice. I can't believe that I have a driver for a kid. And now I am going to turn on Magnum and clean the kitchen. My plans for the rest of the day are to eat at my fav. lunch buffet, go grocery shopping, take a load to the goodwill box and a load to the church daycare, and then to visit with my mother, and cook supper. Tonight I am going to load up my car with stuff going back to the classroom so that I can sleep as late as possible tom. morning. I am just glad that I don't work at a system that started today.

POWER TO THE S.O.S. (save our summer group)

Hen Party/ Man Bashing

My sister and I took my mother to visit her last remaining sister in MS. Talk about fun. It really was like a big spend the night party. Her sister lives on a "compound". Aunt Hester lives on 10 acres with all of her kids and grandkids in various dwellings around her. There were lots and lots of kids coming and going. The women folk there have all had man trouble at some point in time so we stayed up until 11:00 man-bashing. That is really late for 80 somethings (folks in their
80's). I did not man-bash bec. I said that after almost 20 years of being married I had it figured out... you just have to ask the man to do the little jobs and they would be willing to do them. Well, I guess I have to eat my words. I had asked David to sweep up some grass on my just-cleaned floor and would you believe that after three days it wasn't done?

Aunt Hester has always been my favorite "blood-kin" aunt. In the 1950's she moved from the country (AL) to a city in MS. She lived in a neighborhood and had coffee with the ladies after the kids went to school. She changed her name to Louise (her middle name) and always wore make-up and fingernail polish. Even at 83 she still puts on make-up and dresses up to go out of the house. She once told me, "Sally, you must always be careful to keep a girlly figure." I think that was her nice way of saving that I had "put on a few".

I will miss these days

I am sitting here at the computer, surfing the net. Autumn is next to me watching a Disney movie and Gray is in the next room playing with something. The cutest part is that he is "talking" to his action figures. It is so wonderful to hear his voice as his imagination takes him to his "places". I know that it won't last for long. I treasure all of the little things that he does; his soft hand resting on my arm, his excitement over our new kitten, even his huge, adult teeth that are too big for his face when he smiles. Like the old saying, "if we could only keep them little for a while longer." Having two teenagers in the house, I really know to treasure these "sweet" days.

Summer Series Shows

My fave. tv (old) series is Rockford Files. I love James Garner in that role. Rockford is so cool, living in a run-down trailer on the beach, fighting gangsters, and driving that fast car. (He is also great in The Notebook and The Gift. Although, I hate seeing him as being so old in real life. To me, he will always be 40's.) For Christmas the last couple of years, David has given me a R.F. DVD. The greatest thing is that now i can watch all of the seasons on Netflix. So that is what I did everyday at the start of the summer while cleaning. I soon ran out of R.F. so I switched to another series from my childhood... Quincy. If you haven't seen Quincy, you must. Quincy is older and not quite as cool as Rockford but he also solves crime...(think pre CSI). The really neat part of Quincy is seeing how much technology has changed. My degree is in Criminal Justice with a lot of classes in forensics so I love seeing the old crime-fighting tech.

For those who don't know Quincy, he lived on a boat in a marina. In between solving mysteries,lovely ladies would frequently visit him there. (My daughter thought it kind of gross bec. his character is rather older.) The show always spotlighted some kind of "issue", like alcholism, second hand smoking, Vietnam vets. It was usually Quincy against the "system". Sometimes the show ended with things getting better and sometimes not.

Now, I am on Magnum PI. Tom Selleck is so cute in this show. Magnum came on in the mid to late 80's. I really wasn't into TV much then, mostly dating, so I didn't watch it. Magnum, who was in his 40's on the show, was too old for me. But my sister loved him then. Magnum is a private investigator who drives a sports car and live in a mansion on Hawaii (My dream land). I am just starting on Magnum. It isn't as interesting as the others so I don't watch as much. The neat thing is that my daughter is "into" the 80's so I can show her the styles.

Only two more weeks to go until school starts. I better get to watching the flix.

Back from camping

We went camping on Wed. and got back yesterday. Autumn had a friend go with her so they had a grand time and Gray had a friend with him and they had fun. One night my sister and her husband came up and we cooked cobbler in the dutch oven which is sooo good. It is a small world bec. we saw quite a few people we knew there. Also, we met some people from Clay that know some people we know. CAmping next to us were some people that we know "their house" in Mt. Olive. We always talk about "that is "the RV" we want when we retire" as we pass by their house. We also knew mutual people. The last night we talked to the campers next to us. He was a police officer from ILL heading for Gulf Shores. He and David talked shop and we told them about places at the gulf to see.

Today David is leaving for GA for a week. The kids and I were going to go for a few days but the kids did not really want to go. They like to do things around here. I guess it is a good thing bec. I really need to clean up the camper and the house before school starts. Zac needs to find a job and they have dentist appt. this week. It is also reg. at Minor.

Oh, great news.... David made LT. We have been waiting on news from that for the last few months.

Zac's 16th B'day

It is unbelievable that 16 years ago we had Zac. My, it seems like yesterday. He did not want us to do anything for his b'day. I really wanted to give him a party but he insisted that he just wanted money. (go figure??) We got up and let him pick lunch (Cesear's). Then he opened the presents. One was a bag of beef jerky and his other favorite goodies. I wrapped his other presents in Thomas the Tank Engine paper bec. that was his favorite character when he was a little boy. Then, I had to go to a workshop.

Camping tomorrow..

Race Day

Last night I spent 4 hours watching cars go round and round and round and ...

I like racing ok but....

No, really we had fun. Some friends came over (they are big fans of racing). They hosted the race at their house last year so we decided it was our turn this year. They have a daughter that is Zac's age. They have grown up together and we just can't figure out why they don't date but, as Zac says, "Mom, she is like my sister."

They brought over their famous sausage-cheese dip and nachos. I made a Cappachino cream cheese pie and a Chocolate Tres Leche Cake. The cake was yummy but terribly ugly so before they got here I told the kids to get forks and pig out on it bec. it was going to the dogs. The pie looked good but I wasn't sure how it was going to taste so I sent david to WM to get a Key Lime pie and a cheesecake. Needless to say, by bedtime I was stuffed.

Oh, the cat's name is Tom, Bob, Harry, Bogey, or LuLu (if a girl). We don't know yet.

Happy 4th of July

David is getting the burgers ready for the grill. I have the chicken marinating. There is going to be good eatin' here today.

I have been hostess to my mother for the last two nights. I took her home this morning so that the health-aide could check her out. It is a task loading up her oxygen maker and I am really tired. In a little while I am going to pick her up to come back and eat with us.

Happy 4th of July to all.

The cake just came out of the oven and the house smells very good.

Girl's Day Out

Today Autumn and I had lunch with a teacher that used to work with me. She brought her baby and he is adorable. He was so good while we ate and talked. It took us a long time to get caught up and I was surprised that he could sit in his high chair for that long. Meredith is being a great mom and it really shows.

Autumn and I went to the mall and bought Zac a few b'day presents and then we had our treat... Starbucks. I can't believe I have my 13 yr. old hooked on expensive coffee drinks. She got the Double Chocolatey Chip (frozen drink) and I got my fave.. White Choc. Mocha. No wonder people go broke when they have a Starbucks on their corner. It is a good thing that I have to drive 25 min. to the nearest one. I would be taking out second mortgages if Starbucks was close to my house.

19th Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday was our 19th ann. It is crazy but it really does seem like we haven't been married that long. Zac is nearly 16 so, yes, we really our now middle-aged. Yuck!

We slept really late bec. David was off. We got up and David and Zac went to Curves to finish weed-eating. Zac's first job--grass cutter for the local Curves. Then they went to my mom's to weed eat there. (That is a whole "nuther" story.) Before Zac got all dirty, he stopped by Little Cesear's to get an application. They told him that they were hiring. Of all things, a sign holder. Well, when they got home I said, "no" to that one. $5 an hire is not worth gettting hit my an 18 wheeler on the side of 78 hi-way.

"Everything is Chinese"
After they got showers, we went to Chinese for lunch. She is really from Korea but to us country folks, everything foreign is "chinese". Suwah will tell you that it isn't real "chinese" but an American version. Her sister-in-law (was also my nieghbor) made me some "real" Korean food and it was delish. Suwah was our neighbor before we moved (which is still my mom's neighbor) so Zac asked her for a job. Unfortunately, she said business was slow bec. of the economy but if it picked up, she might need him. Hey, her husband did our bath remodel, maybe he needs a worker??


"Retiring Secretary"
After lunch we went to the ele. school to give the secretary a retirement present. We HATE that she is retiring bec. she always took care of our kids at school. Sample phone call from Mrs. East: "Dave, Autumn has left her field trip money at home. I am going to run her home to get it." Where else can you get that? The new secretary made a joke that she has a binder of instructions and there is a section marked "personal" and it has instuctions from Mrs. East to take care of our kids. But, that is the kind of school it is. Everyone knows everyone here.


"DATE NIGHT"
After we unpacked the groceries, we dropped Gray's friend off at his house next door and we headed to our "date". We went to Petrucelli's on 280 (our fave Italian "Eye-tal-yun"). The hostess asked us if we wanted to sit inside or outside. I told her it was our ann. so quiet would be nice. She said that she had a room by ourselves. Well, I thought, "That might be too quiet". So, we sit in our usual area. We sit there about long enough for the waiter to get our order (we already knew what we wanted). Then, we just looked at each other. We decided we did not want to sit in that area. Don't get me wrong bec. we love kids but just not last night. There was this baby next to us that kept running off and then they would go pick him and he would cry and cry. David jokingly told the hostess that we didn't have ours tonight and we didn't want someones else's either. We moved to another part of the resturant in a very romantic table (by the big EXIT sign). Really, it was very nice bec. it was only adults in the room.

After we talked for a long time, we left and went to Barnes and Noble so that I could spend a gift card that I found in my billfold. Forgot all about it. I looked for an hour and could only find a $6 book to buy. It is a pocket ref. titled. "A to Z: where everything is in the Bible." Autumn has gotton into reading the Bible and I was telling her how I find it interesting to read about things I wanted to know about instead of starting at the beginning like a chap. book. I think she will find this ref. usual. To finish my evening, I got a "White Choc. Mocha" coffee". DELICIOUS!! We got home about 10.


"NEW KITTY"
The other excitement of the day was gettting a wild cat. A stray had come up to my mother's house the other day and I feed it bec. it looked hungry. Of course, it stayed. My mother does not like cats and wanted it taken off. I told her if it didn't leave on it's on, I would bring it to my house. Now, you have to know that I have 3 big dogs that do not like cats but I figure the thing stands a better chance at my house that dropped off in some woods. As soon as it gets here, it runs into the woods!! David, Zac, and Autumn are crawling through briers and brambles to get this cat while i am standing there swatting knats holding a bowl of milk. Later, Autumn gets the cat and we get some kitty food from Walmart. She gets feed on the front porch (not before Autumn ties a bow on it's neck). And, it runs away to the biggest tree. Last night coming home, we saw a fox (coyote) something bigger than a dog running across the woods and I am hoping it didn't get the kitty. Our neighbor has had two kitten killed by a coyote from the woods. Autumn called us several times during our ann. dinner crying about that cat. I told her that it was wild and it had lived in the woods by itself. it knew how to take care of itself. We did a good thing by feeding it but if it wanted to still be wild, we couldn't change that. I haven't looked for it this morning but I am sure that the search will take up most of Autumn's day. So, we may now have Blackie, Dixie, Chewie, and Lola (or Lucy or Fancy or ...) Autumn keeps naming it over and over.


"NOSE SURGERY TODAY"
Lastly, for today... my dr. appt. to see about my "mole". ugly, gross, witchy-looking thing on my nose. David kept saying last night, "I hope everything goes well tomorrow." I finally said that I am not going to worry about, there is nothing I can do. It is what it is and we will find out later. Then we started joking about the giant scar on David's face from his skin cancer a couple of years ago. He was sitting in the dr. chair and the dr. says, "Mr. Thompson, it is a little bigger than we thought. We will have to remove more." She asked it like a question. And David's thought was.. "What choice do I have?" You just would have to see the huge scar from his left eye all the way back into his hair line. For the longest he told people he got into a bar fight and got hit with a broken beer bottle. I think he is expecting me to come home with half a nose today. "Oh, Mrs. Thompson, it is bigger than we thought. We will have to remove a little more of your nose."

Doctor visits

I went to the dr. the other day for a regular check-up. Isn't it amazing to have the power of "zoning out"? With legs up in air and someone looking at the most private of areas, you can talk about your kids or the weather. Amazing!! Also, a right of passage for women is the infamous "mammogram". Now, I have already did my "baseline" about three years ago, so I knew what to expect. But,,, once again I summoned up the "zone-out". A boob gets plopped up on the machine, just think about lunch, lady rearranges boob, well...that takes a little more thinking, but, oh yeah, grilled chicken for supper.

Yesterday I went to another dr. for a sore throat that was just terrible. He decided it was an infection and gave a script for antibiotics. Okay, that fixed. While he was checking my ears out, he noticed this mole on my nose and said, "Have you seen someone about that mole." I said that I had an appointment next month to see our dermotologist. (That was one of my summer goals..to have it removed for looks.) He asked me who the dermo. was and I told him and that I could only get an appt. in a month. He told me that I "shouldn't wait a month." I told him that I could get an appt.earlier with someone else in the practice. He highly recomended that. So, now I have something else to worry about until next Tues. Oh well, noone said aging was going to be easy. I was wondering why my gyno was asking me about when I had my last mole-check. I quess she noticed that big, fat, mole on the side of my nose too.

Feeling Closer to God today

Have you ever felt "away" from God? You knew he was there but you just couldn't "connect". I have been feeling that way lately. I think it started almost two school-years ago when I started taking my son to his bus stop. My morning drive to work had been my prayer time/Christian talk-radio time. Don't get me wrong, I treasure my ride with Zac bec. we had uninterrupted time to talk or just to sit by each other and not talk. But, by not starting my day talking to God, I just sort of drifted away. What really got me scared was a couple of months ago, I realized I hadn't prayed in months. Not even little, short prayers/talks. It was late at night when I woke up and realized this. So, I tried to pray and realized that I couldn't pray. I tried to focus but my mind kept wondering. I could just feel that no matter how hard I tried, my prayers were just bouncing off of the ceiling. I got really worried.

This summer I have made a plan to take the time each day to read the Bible. I still get busy and forget some days. But, I must say that by just spending some time focusing on the Bible, I have felt something that i haven't felt in a while. I know that i still have a lot of work to do in order to get back to the same closeness that I once had. It is so easy to let life get in the way of our walk with God. I am going to try a harder in the future to make God a priority.

Home church??( as in home school)

It is a joke around here that we "home church". We can't seem to find the "right" church for us. I am sure we are being too picky but with 5 people having to be involved with the decision, it seems that no church fits each member of the family. We (as a family) are somewhat progressive (instead of traditional). We like comtemporary music (but I don't like it "every song"). I like to sing some of the old standards. Some of the new songs, in my opinion, just don't have the depth that Amazing Grace or What a Friend We Have in Jesus or others have. However, I don't want to be at a church that is so dry that they can't get past singng "number 95 in the blue hymnal" every Sunday. I like a small-medium sized church bec. I feel lost in a big church but those don't usually offer much for kids. And Gray complains about going to any church bec., frankly, he hasn't been to church on a regular basis. Until about 10 years ago, we went to church every time the doors were opened. We just sort of found reasons to not go... we moved to a new neihborhood, worked evening shift, traveled for work, .... Eventually, the kids stopped wanting to go at all. The joke of it all is that in the beginning we wouldn't open the door or let the kids go outside during church hours.
How does one find the right church when one lives in the country?

4o years ago today

So, 40 years ago today an alcoholic older man and a five-time married woman welcomed a baby girl into the world. The couple had only been married a few monthes and both had grown children from previous marriages. What a way to come into the world. I guess compared with nowadays, it wasn't so bad. As the girl grew, she rode the roller coaster of life, thinking that things would be perfect one day...if only this would happen or that would happen. In all reality things weren't terribly bad and there were many great times, like going on nice trips and getting almost anything she wanted. Having older parents meant that money wasn't a big issue and they didn't really "know" about raising kids in the 70's and 80's. This girl got away with "a lot" that the parents didn't know about.

At about age 4, the girl's mom developed cancer and the little girl went to live with stangers. These people were nice and also had grown children so a little girl was made to feel welcome. At least, she looked that way in the pictures that the dad took when he came to visit. Back then, dads didn't raise little girls without a wife. After time, the mom got better and the family was reunited.

I think this scare tamed the dad and mom a little bit bec. the dad and mom moved to a country house where the family lived until the girl was 14. It didn't tame the dad enough not to get drunk and fight with the mom or shot at the mom and daughter with a pistol one night. On that first day of school, the teacher didn't know that the girl and her mom fled in the middle of the night and had to break in quietly at dawn to get the back-to-school clothes out of the closet. The teacher just thought that the girl was tired from having to get up early, after a summer of sleeping in. Or maybe the girl was sick? The teacher kept asking the girl with the head down on the desk all day, "Do you feel well, Are you sick?" "No," replied the girl because back then, family problems were kept private. The girl really didn't know that this wasn't a normal way of living. It was normal to her.

At 14, the dad asked the girl and mom to go on one last camping trip of the summer. The girl really didn't want to go bec. she wanted to spend time with her friends. But she went anyway and had an okay time. It was like any of the other camping trips that she had taken with her family. Little did she know that it would be the last. Soon after that trip, her mom and dad told her that her dad had cancer. The girl knew that her dad would die one day. Noone told her how soon it was going to be. The mom and dad felt that it was best to let the girl go on with her life as normal. Monthes past with the dad in and out of the hospital. Then came the hospital bed in the living room and oxygen. The girl still didn't know that the end was coming. She really just thought that this was the way life would be. One night the girl was skating with the youth group. The preacher left the skating rink and went just up the road to the hospital to visit the dad. When he got back, the girl asked the preacher, "How is he doing?" the preacher said, "He is resting. He is asleep." So, the girl went home with the youth minister and his wife for the night. The next morning, they went to work and left the girl to get up later. When the phone rang, the girl answered. On the other end was the girl's neice, (same age). The neice said, "Did you know Lee died last night?'' Wasn't that a wonderful way to find out that your dad had died. The girl felt betrayed bec. she didn't get to say goodbye and bec. less important people knew he died before she did.

The dad died on Fri. night, visitation on Sat., funeral on Sun. The girl was back in school on Mon. It was the easiest way bec. in school she didn't have to think about how sad she was or how guilty she felt. One day, the girl came home from school and the mom had everything packed. Just like that, they were moving. Poof.. home--gone. Maybe that is why this girl has a wondering spirit. I have always called myself a nomad bec. until I had kids, I moved about every 6 month. Thinking--things will be better if I live here or if I live there...

I told my husband the other day that he tamed me. It is amazing that I have spent more time on earth with my husband than with my dad. Even my son is older than I was when he died. My daughter is almost 14. As I now turn 40, I ponder the purpose in life. I know the Bible verses about doing God's will, spreading the good news, loving your neighbors, etc. But, what is my purpose?

I feel young as always but I have noticed little things going south, like not being able to see little print and joints being stiff after sitting long times. How will I feel if I live to be my mother's age, 78? She is terribly miserable most of the time from arteritis and diseased lungs. When she was 40 (and I was 2) did she picture getting cancer twice? Or being in constant pain? What does my future hold. The old saying is that "time goes by in a blink". Will I blink and be old? Will I get cancer in another couple of years? What do I do now so that I don't have any regrets if/when these things happen?

My grandmother live to be 93. She had crippling artheritis and I never once heard her complain. She lived by herself until she was in her 80's and fell. Maybe I will be as strong as her, shoveling coal and toting out ashes in my 70's. But, she was scared of the night. She lived all those years without a man and was awfully afraid to be by herself. Will I be that scared and lonely? What is my husband died young like hers? What would I do?

Getting older just makes one think. I don't like thinking about all of this. Typing it out is "getting it out of my system". I will try not to mope and be sad bec. it doesn't do any good anyway. I can't change the fact that I am going to get old. Maybe, I can only do something about "how" I will get old. Well, really i can old do so much about even that.

aging parents

What do I do with an elderly mother that is stubborn and selfish? Do I just let her go on as she has been going? Basically I have been ignoring the situation. Or do I put my foot down and make everyone mad. She has made bad financial decisions and now barely has enough money left to eat on. I could take over her finances and get her out of this hole but the cost to me would be arguing with her all of the time about how she needs to be careful with her money. The balance is allowing her to maintain her adult freedom but also having someone to watch over her decisions.

Love the Beach

I am in the middle of the week at Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. Why couldn't I have been able to live down here? I love everything about the beach, even the dreaded sand. We have had a good time. This is the first time in several years that we did not bring my sis and her son and granddaughter. So, Zac has been pretty bored!!! And, Gray hasn't really had anyone to play with. Autumn has made a new friend with a girl her age. David knows her mom so the girls have been going back and forth to each other's place. David and I have been hanging out with them at night some. There is a new place down here called the Hangout. It has live music everynight. And we love to sit back and listen to music. It is right next door to where we are staying, so everynight we have gone over for a little while to listen to music. Last night it was Rolling in the Hay (not my fav.) but the night before it was a "Bob Marley" type band. They were pretty good. Before that it was alternative.. not my fav. Tonight TAASRO has rented Waterville for our group so we will have the whole water park to ourselves from 6-9:30. The kids are looking forward to that. I'm not a big waterpark fan but it is nice to know that the kids will be safe... 200 police officers and their families. They will have lots of fun.

The pleasure one gets from cleaning!

I decided I just couldn't go to bed with bleach-smelling hands so I lemon oiled my kitchen cabinets. I have to say that they look really good, all clean and spiffy. And the kitchen smells really good, also. If only that applied to my now dried-out, funky-smelling hands??? Now, the inside of the cabinets awaits my magical power-- the power to decide if that 10 year old Tupperware bowl, with the spaghetti stain, stays or goes.....

Fun Day of Wii Fit

This is the first video game that I might buy for myself ( or ask for it for my b'day). I had lots of fun playing wii at Tiffani's house, although it was hard to keep up with her experience. (Especially the hula hooping). What a riot it would be if her neighbors could see her but not know what she was actually doing. After the workshop, I went to WM and bought groceries. Then, back to the great task of house cleaning. My hands smell just like bleach. My hands may be smelling really gross right now but boy does my undies look really great!! I have now organized 2 rooms and cleaned 2 more areas (top to bottom). Looks like a great summer is underway.

last days of school

It is so bizarre how time is relative. Before Christmas, I didn't think I could make it until the end of the school year. Now, it seems like it was only yesterday. Work is also weird bec. I don't know what my future holds. I hate to not have a plan. Should I work? Should I go through the trouble of trying to change schools and have to learn all of the new material? The work involved in moving!! What if the other workers are not friendly? And the most important decision..will I regret spending my kid's school years working?

Decoration and dinner on the ground

Today was decoration day at the church of my childhood. It isn't far from where I live so I didn't have to travel. But, relatives come from near and far to decoration. My last aunt, nearing mid 80's, came from Miss. with her whole clan. And I took my mother. They are the last two left out of 7 kids. It was great to take pictures of them together. They don't get to see each other too often, which might be a good thing, or not?? Where else but in the south do we take a picnic to the cemetary??
Sad note,,, it was also decoration at the cemetary where my dad is buried. That cemetary is close to where I work and we were going to Trussville today so we stopped by the cem. There was no flowers or anyone there to visit with at his family graves. Someone had put flags on his grave (he was a WWII vet). But, what a difference the two places were. One was like a get-together and the other like long -forgotton graves. I guess it is bec. we always went to dec. with mother and not with dad. although I do remember going with him on the Sat. before to clean the graves but never to the actual dec. day. Huh?

Award's Day

Today was one of my most "looked forward" to days of the school year, Award's Day. It is so cute to see the little guys getting their awards. Gray, 2nd grade, was dancing and kissing his award. I remember when Zac did the same thing, such a long time ago. The only thing I hate about the day is that it is an indication that they have grown another year older. Autumn got A-B honor roll. We really didn't know if she had messed up at the end of the year bec. she didn't come home with an announcement that she was getting anything. David and I were standing in line waiting to go into the gym and thinking up punishments if she had a C on her report card. But lucky for Autumn we got a program and saw her name on the A/B list. Just for the record, we had thought of-- no internet for 4 1/2 weeks, no phone, and we would get the textbook and make her rework each chapter. TOUGH LOVE!! Oh, another good note... Jaymon the little boy that we had custody of, made 1st grade A Honor Roll, yeah! He is so stinking cute. Sometimes I wish we had of adopted Jaymon and Jasmine. But, of course, just starting a new job that year was soooo hard and we just felt that it was too hard have 5 kids and going back to work. I will always wonder if that was my calling and I missed it. Their cousion (sp) made A/B honor roll 5th grade and I am very proud of him bec. he has had the most horrible life. I checked all of the scholars out of school and took them to Chinese for lunch. Our family tradition.
I am glad summer is almost here. I am so torn about what to do. I asked the prin. where my kids go to school if he thought he would have something open. He doesn't think so??? This year has not been my best. I really missed my kids this year.

First Blog

Wow, this is my step into techno-world. I have kept a journal for years-off and on. I guess this is the new way of journaling. Right now we are having trauma in the house. Life with a teenage girl is TOUGH!!. Everything is a drama. Semester tests, boys teasing, girlfriends fighting.....
Will we make it through these years?