9/21/10 Tuesday

Card making on Tuesday--

first for my friend Jennifer- she has been absent for work for many days recently. One week ago she had a surgical procedure to hopefully make the pain leave... The concept for her card was a donkey (which she has a affinity for) and the place her surgery was --ummmm her posterior

that is the outside of the card. (this guy is on my drive home)

The inside says "It's about time you got your "ASS" back to work"

Second card for my brother's son and daughter in law. Her grandmother passed away this week.

the outside of the card

which is one of the lillies that bloomed in my pond this summer.

I haven't decided what to put on the inside. I may just put a simple "I'm sorry for your loss"

9/19/10 Sunday

finally getting around to posting one of the last creative things i have done. I made this T-shirt Quilt for Katie for Christmas. I didn't have time to quilt it so i tacked it with pink embroidery floss The back is just a simple 9 patch pattern with the left over material from the letters on her shirts. the t-shirts were ones she had when she was first in her sorority- ZTA.

9/8/10 Wednesday

OK-- i am a reader and learning to write. Sometimes I think I over analyze everything..but it really is not a problem because maybe two people read this--- on a good month---and because I don't blog regularly--because nothing much exciting ever happens......
anyway--- look at this http:/thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/ for today's date... I love the PW (Ree). She manages so well..... I want to live on a farm (but I would have to be a vegetarian--just saying I'm squeamish) and have a Charlie in my life (my Father in law Charlie) does not count. I do have a Mo and Maggie who are blessings though.

9/6/10 Monday

Memories of summer childhood...... I bought some red plums at the grocery store today. When I bit into one this afternoon it took me right back to when i was a small child. One of the first things i remember getting in trouble for. I must have been younger than 5 when this occurred. I remember our landlady Mrs Mixon. We rented a lot for our trailer. It was just a little bitty place (probably way less than a regular lot in urban America) and we lived on the very last of the lots. There were 5 or 4 trailers parked in this small place. Mrs Mixon had the "big house" beside the parking place for the trailers. It was a two story blue house ---probably not all that large but back then it seemed huge...but i digress. Back to the red plums...Mrs Mixon had a red plum tree or two planted right near our home. When the red plums ripened and fell to the ground it was just toooo much -- I had to have those plums. I guess a child i was more deprived than i really realized. Those PLUMS became the thing i had to have. I remember mother telling me not to eat Mrs Mixon's plums... as a little child i probably didn't eat all that many of them but "mean Mrs Mixon" made sure that i didn't get any at all. It is funny how just the taste of a red plum brought all that back........

9/5/10 Sunday

Mo-now the eldest of our furbabes at age 11- has discovered there are fish in the pond. He is intent on trying to catch one of them. He loves to go out at night with Mr S and his flashlight and see if he can find the irksome little things. He has trouble finding them while looking among all the lillies and the pond lettuce

09/02/10 Thursday

Sad--Sad--Sad--- there is so much sadness around me.. I feel so terribly sad for my friends. I am like a rayon dress in the middle of winter stuck to your legs with static cling. My friends grief and sadness clings to me. I wish I had a magic compound to help them feel better.

Please say a prayer for my dear friends

• Tina-- she is alone this weekend, her job is getting her down . She is still grief stricken from her daughter's death and the physical consequences of her major surgery just before . She is... Broken. I think she has taken all she can take. Her faith is strong--I just don't know how she can go on. Tears.
  
• Sharon--just newly married and should be sooooo happy. Her medical conditions make her life so hard . Her children take advantage of her situation (in the past). Job stress and the need to continue to work. She has a great faith--she trusts in God and still the physical and mental aspects of her disease process is getting to her.


• Maggie-- job woes, grown up children and a husband. Her son nearly died in a swimming accident last fall and I know that still haunts her. She is also dealing with the other three friends that are in need of prayer. Maggie and I are both friends with each of the other.It is so difficult to watch friends fall apart and not be able to do anything to help them in their suffering.


• Gary--my sweet ,sweet friend. His struggles are of a lost relationship and lost love. He also has physical problems resulting from a freakish accident last Christmas, and new diagnosis of a chronic illness. He now has so much financial responsibility and is not able to work due to both physical and mental wounds. He is struggling also with physical, mental and financial aspects of his new life.

My dear,dear friends--and I--are "standing in the need of prayer" (that is a song). I am listening to many hours of praise and worship songs every day. Now that my job is changed I have more time to plug into the iPod and try to remember the power of prayers and love

09/01/10 Wednesday

she did it!
New graduate and grandfather

Eating at the Commissary in Germantown

well, she did it again--another graduation! This milestone was reached on May 8, 2010 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. She is now a graduate from the University of Memphis. What did she graduate with this time??
Master of Arts concentration in History and a Certificate in Museum Studies.

Now she is off on another Grand Adventure. She is now a Ph.D. candidate at Middle Tennessee State University.

we are busting our buttons--such proud parents of a great daughter

Wednesday September 1, 2010

pooor little blog--abandoned for nearly 3 months. It has been such a hectic summer---although i cant put my finger on what has taken all this time. Our daughter graduated from college with her Bachelor's in May and has now moved on to work on her Ph.D. The good news is she is now only 2 hrs 15 minutes from home.
Muse be the time for changing addresses-- Katie moved and this last week my brother and his family moved as well. My brother is actually about 1/2 hour closer to me---only 4 hours now I think.
Tina (my friend from work) has returned to work part time. She is having a lot of pain still--only more now in her heels, neck and migraines. She is under so much stress that is so hard for her body. Yesterday was 3 months since Ginny was taken on to heaven. I still think this is something most of us cant realize how much this changed her life. My thoughts since Ginnys death is that if Tina gets out of bed and continues to breath...well she is doing well if she does that every day.
this last weekend, Katie came home for a little visit and to pick up our grandkitten, Frances, and take her to her new home. I am surprised--- we are all missing "Francie" she is such a good little kitty. I miss her sitting her her "cube" made out of rip stop nylon and "bushwhacking" us as we walk buy...and that proves true for the other cats and dogs too. she is a equal opportunity "bushwhacker" LOL
my friend Jennifer had surgery this morning, I am praying this will help her chronic pain. She is a young woman (early early 30's) and has been terribly impacted by the pain caused by Interstitial Cystits. She has soooo much pain that is not helped by any of the treatments so far. She is ready to move on and get engaged, married and have a family.
it is getting darker earlier and staying darker later in the morning so I am getting all mixed up.... here it is almost 2am and i am still awake... not been to sleep at all yet and i have to be up and at 'em at 6 am. i guess i better go try to sleep again.

Wednesday 6/9/10

With all the pain I have seen this week I appreciate just what I have. I had this whole blog-post composed in my head early today and now my brain has abandoned me. I wanted to express my deep love of family and friends. I am so blessed by the people around me that truly care for me. my husband, my daughter, my brother, so many friends, all the in-laws and my co-workers.

This post is not going as I planned..I wanted it to be positive and uplifting --somehow it is all wrong---posting it anyway---maybe i am just confused or tired or something

Tuesday 6/1/10

So much Sadness-- my heart is broken for my dear friend Tina. Tina and I became fast friends when she came to work at the insurance company. It didn't take long at all--and we were Besties. I (and many others) rejoiced with Tina when Billy proposed and rejoiced even more when they were married April 27,2009. i know there is a blog post about the wedding--i just don't know how to link it here. ......and things were going well for Tina and Billy. Tina had both of her knees replaced about 2 weeks ago and was already walking better with less pain.
Yesterday at 5:30 a.m. Tina's only child, Ginny, was killed in a one car accident. Ginny was 20 years old and had soooo much to look forward to. She was going back to ETSU this fall, she finally knew she wanted to go back to school, she wanted to succeed, she had SO much life ahead of her.
Maggie (another Bestie from work) and I spent a good part of the day with Tina and her family---Tina comes from a large close family. When we arrived at Tina's Mom's house there were a large number of people there family members, church members, and friends and neighbors . It made me remember what it was like to live in a rural area in the south---as soon as bad news gets out(and that "telegraph" is fast) people start coming to see what they can do and bringing food, drinks etc. (Maggie said there could not be one case of cokes or little Debbie cakes left in Scott County) But that is what we do in the old south-- we try to feed you at every opportunity.
we all knew there was really nothing we could do for Tina, Billy, Ginny's dad, Joan (grandma) or the rest of the family---so we were just there for them. At one point in the afternoon there must have been nearly 50 people there. I only knew 4 people (including Maggie) but we all grieved with the family. The heartbreak was palpable there on the porch... the sobbing which was renewed with each new arrival...oh the need to do SOMETHING,anything to help Somehow.. Anything!!
we stayed until late in the afternoon to come home to mourn some more and to leave the family to mourn alone...
Today Tina had to go to the funeral home and pick out a casket for her baby girl--her "terrible" two year old--the child that she loved so much.. the little tween who life was so hard for...the girl that had so much potential..who was growing up to be a productive adult person with a lot going for her. And she had met a nice young man--who made her happy--who treated her with respect-- who even spent money on her--who was smitten. Tina said she looked so forward to Ginny getting married and having children (as she knew Ginny wanted a "house full" of children) and someday of Tina and Billy being grandparents.
This is something that no one should have to go through... I covet your prayers for Tina from anyone who reads this. Tomorrow Tina and family and friends face a visitation and funeral for a 20 year old woman who had it all to live--who was a daughter, granddaughter,friend and playmate to Orick

Monday 4/5/10

hello out there--if anyone reads this-- i have recently been told that two certain someones that I need to update my blog. And they are both not checking this blog because i am not writing anything. so-- here i go-- It has been a long hard winter for me.. did i ever mention that winter is just - - -well- - -difficult for me? it is..
good news coming is that our lovely daughter is getting ready to graduate with her master's in history and ---dahhh dahhh dummm-- has been offered and accepted the opportunity to get her Ph.D with a full ride.
She is a lovely young woman that i am sooooo proud of. I cant believe that that cranky teen has become a lovely young woman. i think she is someone to be proud of --she has accomplished much-- she moved to a college town where she really had no one to depend on 2 1/2 hrs away from home which is a small rural town. Then after she got her Bachelor's degree (in 4 yrs), she moved another 3 1/2 hrs away to a large city (one of the largest in the south)for another 2 yrs.
now she is getting prepared to move the same 3 1/2 hrs back to the first college town she lived in and is working on her Ph.D........
yes, it has been a rough time for the entire family- - -we have missed so many things in her life--she is the only woman/child we will ever have--we are not living in the same time zone-- it is sad--- we may NEVER live in the same time zone as our daughter...
OK 'nuff said because that is just too sad
in the great computer crashes i lost most of the pictures i had taken in the last 6 months.... ok-- wait that is sad too.... I guess i will just do myself in and start working on the IRS reports that have to be in the 15th... I think this is the latest i have ever waited to do our taxes- - - - maybe. another.symptom.of. my self. . . . .

2/21/10 Sunday

so far in 2010 we have had two (count 'em 2) computer crashes..i have lost all addresses and everything i had on the computer.....6 months of pictures (yes--i am a goober--i didn't have them on disk yet).
This weekend we were supposed to go to Memphis to see the daughter--Wednesday I started having trouble with my right eye. Painful enough to keep me awake at night. Friday Mr S took the dogs to the kennel and i made a appointment with the opthamologist..... we still had hopes of going to Memphis and getting there later. Sylvia's (Dr) words broke my heart.. "no, you are not going to Memphis this weekend!" me--"but my car is all ready--we are on our way" Sylvia---'nope-- you are maybe contagious--back home you go" So Instead of going to Memphis I have spent the weekend in bed with my ipod--but I am better and am going to work tomorrow..... save that day off for when i really can go to Memphis.
Watching lots of TV (I know!) and the Winter Olympics--they have had snow trouble--not enough.. we have had snow trouble too--way a lot. Very unusual for us-- i will try to post some pics. they are safe still on the camera

1/31/10 Sunday

Happy Birthday to my Big brother... We were supposed to be together today. Too bad he was born in January. I was supposed to be in Western Kentucky today to celebrate the day of his birth. I planned to take him date bars and cream horns fro Pattycakes Pastries... Alas a snow storm interfered. Ahh well ...maybe soon I will get to see him. I haven't seen him since August when he had his first hip replaced.
Now, he has been to rehab, he has been home for a while, he has had another hip replacement, he has been to rehab again and is now home again. I miss him a lot. I miss being with him on his birthday.
My big brother is nearly 8 years older than me (3 months less 8 years to be exact). He has always been my protector and my friend. He is a part of the foundation that makes me who I am. He has been with me through the good times and the bad times (even the terrible horrible bad times) and the joyous times.
I am so thankful for his better health. I am thankful for his lovely helpmeet Susie. I am so thankful she loves him and he loves her. I am thankful for their happiness and their family.
I miss being with him on his birthday

1/9/10 Saturday

one thing I LOVE about weekends---I get to stay in bed and sleep as much as I want too. Despite the neurologist warning me that this is not a good thing. it feels so luxurious to be able to lay in bed and plan all the things I want to do and think all the thoughts I want to think in the peace of my comfy warm bed...and know I don't have to get up unless I want to.
on another note: Mr S and I got our Christmas gift to each other today