Birthdays, Fishies, and "Haunted Houses!"

Well, we had a busy 3-day weekend. Every so often, I have to go to a couple of doctors for 6-month follow-up appts., so Tim takes off and accompanies me. He is such a good driver that I prefer for him to drive in Nashville traffic!

Friday, Sarah, Hannah, Tim and me set off for an early appt. with the dermatologist. He looked over my incision from the skin cancer and pronounced his work as imperfect. Meanwhile, he set two of his assistants to taking off two other places, one on my arm and one on my left neck. So while one lady was applying this freezing stuff to my right forearm, he was sticking a needle in my right jawline, and nurse #2 was poking me with deadening needles on the left. I felt like I was in "Attack of the Needle People!" Within the space of 3 minutes, all was done, and another followup appt. was made for a month to do some cosmetic things to the face.

Meanwhile, Tim was off to the nearby Dept. of Motor Vehicles to renew his license which was expiring on his 45th birthday on Saturday! Except for a minor incident with the license getting stuck in the printer, Tim said it was a better than average visit to the DMV! With both of our "missions" accomplished, we set out to find some lunch.

We ended up at the neatest place in a nearby mall that sits on the ground where the themepark "Opryland" used to be. This restaurant is called "The Aquarium" and turned out to be the greatest lunch experience we have had in a long time.


You eat in a very wonderfully-themed atmosphere with aquatic life everywhere! There is a huge tank with every size of fish and sea creatures swimming by during your meal. Our waiter put us right by the tank at a great table, and the girls were so beside themselves with wonder that they did not eat very much! Tim mused that maybe ordering the "catch-of-the-day" might not be such a good idea.

There was a marine biologist in a wet suit in there feeding the fish while we ate. That gives you some idea of the size of the tank! There were sharks, sting rays, manta rays, eels, and beautiful colored fish galore! They said there were over 100 species of fish there alone! Everything from the lighting to the decor was so neat, and we had a great experience. We bought a disposable camera at the gift shop just so we could get a few pictures. I have not developed them yet. I am anxious to see if they turned out.

Afterwards, it was on to the endocrinologist to get my semi-annual lecture about better diet and more exercise. I am insulin-resistant, so I have a high level of insulin in my bloodstream. That may be part of the reason I stay tired. We discussed ways to get that level down, lest my poor little pancreas wear out.

A trip to Books-a-Million and the park rounded out the day, and we came home and died.

Saturday was Tim's birthday, so in the afternoon, we decided to go over to "Historic Franklin," my old stomping grounds. Tim is very interested in civil war history, because we had quite a few relatives in the war. We went to a place called Carnton Plantation, a very historic house that ended up serving as a make-shift field hospital during the historic and deadly Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864.




Back porch, where the bodies of Generals Adams, Cleburne, Granbury, and Strahl rested the next morning before being carried south for burial.


I had heard about this house all my life, since part of the legend centers around the fact that the place is supposed to be haunted. During the battle of Franklin, hundreds of soldiers were brought there throughout the night. The McGavock family opened their home--every room of it, for surgery and tending to the soldiers. When the house could no longer hold any more bodies, they were piled on the porches and then out in the yards. Eventually, the McGavock's gave nearly two acres of land so that around 1,500 of the Confederate dead could be properly buried there. Mrs. McGavock made it her life's work to try and find out as many names of the dead as she could and comfort the families. She kept a detailed journal of the specific details of the soldiers buried in each plot, and many families were later able to find out what happened to their soldiers.



The tour guide was wonderful. He spoke non-stop for over an hour about the battle and how the McGavock's fit into Tennessee history. It was a good lesson for the four kids, and I am sure they will never forget seeing the place. It was a perfect cool, crisp fall day, just like the day the battle happened. Since the mansion and grounds are out in the "middle of nowhere," it made it very easy to envision the events that happened on that day. I fully recommend the tour for those who are in the area! It is a great homeschool field trip! (And you can snag a dollar-off coupon on their website).

We finished out the day with a trip to "Famous Dave's." We got a wonderfully cozy little room to ourselves with a huge log table and a t.v. playing the U.T. -Georgia game. The ambiance was just lovely there, and I think Tim really enjoyed his "birthday dinner." If I eat this way all the time, my endocrinologist will kill me!

Sunday rounded out the weekend very pleasantly. We did not do anything special--just the same thing we do every week with attending morning and evening worship services and going out with everyone after the evening service. We converge on a local Wendy's, whose staff yells..."CHURCH GROUP!" when they see us coming. :) It's a nice way to end the day most Sundays!

So all-in-all, it was a beautiful and enjoyable fall weekend. I think we made some memories with the kids that we will all have for a long time to come. Tim was a little pensive about being 45, and he was horified to see in the fair pictures that his bald spot is expanding in back. I laughed and told him that he was lucky I have a thing for bald guys (my dear granddad was bald.) Battlefields and birthdays make you reflective. But sometimes, that is a good thing.

Autumn Happenings!

(
above: 1) Impending storm clouds 2) Dan, Jen, and Hannah at Cracker Barrel 3) Jen's parents, Bob and Rita 4) Jen, Dan and Sarah Hope 5)Tim and me 6)Drew and Brooke...and Brooke does not look 5 months pregnant with my little niece Emma, due in early Jan. 7) Mom laughs over the birthday sack incident...read below 8) Tim takes the little ones into the fairgrounds 9) Sarah and Hannah ride the cars at the fair

Well, Fair Week for us has come and gone. It was quite an active week, but we had a lot of fun! We went to Chattanooga and met Daniel's girlfriend and her parents and had a leisurely meal with them. We enjoyed getting to know them and hearing about her father's work at the Weather Channel! The kids had a good time all getting aquainted and playing in the toys at Cracker Barrel.

We drove back to my Mom and Dad's house with threatening weather, which always puts me on edge. Tim is an excellent driver, though, and he can get us through just about any type of conditions. I took some pictures of the clouds out the window of the car.

On Sunday, after worship, we had a birthday dinner for my mom. We all got a big laugh when it was time for the grandchildren to present their presents to her. All the little gift sacks were back in a bedroom where we also change the babies. Littlest granddaughter Lauren came bringing her own special "sack" for Meme, but it did not have what her grandmother expected! Lauren had retrieved a dirty diaper, tied in a sack, out of the trash and brought it along with all the rest of the presents. Everyone laughed so hard and so loud that we scared her and made the sweet little thing cry and run for her mother's arms. It was really cute!

Jennifer stayed with my folks for the better part of a week, and then we returned for a day at the fair! The kids enjoyed it immensely, even though there were wall-to-wall people. I was the designated adult to get an armband, too, and ride the rides when the kids needed to be accompanied. I managed to get myself on a couple of the hairier rides that I wished I was not riding! I learned that many things we can do when we are 10 or 15 or 20 years of age should not be done by 44-year olds!

Finally, on Saturday, we made the return trip to Chattanooga and put Jennifer safely back into the hands of her parents! Our little "Romeo and Juliet" were sad to part company, especially not knowing how long it would be before they could meet again. We came to love Jennifer in the time she was with us. She is a joy to be around, and I hope she enjoyed her time in Tennessee as much as we enjoyed having her!

This week, it is back to the grind---school in full-swing for everyone including Daniel. He is adjusting well to college and his new job, and we can't believe how the semester is flying along! History is going to be his hard class this time, but luckily, his Uncle Dan was a history major and should be able to help if needed. It is great for him to have uncles who have such diverse degrees and can tutor him in just about any subject if he needs it!

Now, we wait for my dad to get news about when and if they will schedule his heart valve replacement. We all have a lot of hope that this is going to help him feel tremendously better in the long run. God has blessed several of their friends in the church who have had serious issues lately, especially David with mouth cancer. They have a wonderful active and praying group who really stand behind one another in tough times.

That's the update! Enjoy your Fall season! We celebrate 5 family birthdays this month, and the kids are already counting down the days 'til "Trick or Treat" time. It looks like I am going to have to wait for snow to slow down!

Below: 1) Uncle Dan collects parking fees at the fair for the Rotary Club 2) Mom, Steph, and the kiddos at the fair 3) Hannah, Kelsey, Sarah, and Ben go for a ride 4) Jen, Micah and Sarah at Cracker Barrel 5) Sam and Micah staring into the sun as I try to take at least one picture of them at the fair 6) We ride the carousel 7) Ben and Sarah take on a pretty tall slide 8) Ben tackles the rock wall 9) Sarah, not to be outdone by her cousin, tries the wall. My camera died right before Kelsey made it all the way to the top!

Some News!

So in the midst of this chaotic week, the phone rings yesterday, and Mom has news. She and Dad won't be going to Florida for two months to help my great aunt with her knee replacement surgery. Instead, it looks like Dad will be having some surgery of his own.

Remember when I asked you all to pray for him? His congestive heart failure was so bad that I was afraid we were losing him. But you prayed him back to health, and against all odds--even to his heart doctor's surprise, he is now a candidate for valve replacement.

An aside here...way back in 1978 or so, my grandfather, Dad's dad, had his own valve replacement. I think they used the best thing they had then, and it was only supposed to last 10 years or so before it had to be replaced. That was 28 years ago....and Pappaw's heart is still going on the same old valve replacement. His doctor down in Florida says that he has to be one of the oldest living recipients of that kind of valve. He's 86 and still very vital.

Now back then, they had to crack your chest and put you on the heart-lung machine and everything to replace a valve. Now, I hear they make a little laproscopic-type incision, all of two or three inches long, and no ribs get spread. In addition, they put you on some new-fangled machine that is way different from the old heart-lung machines of the past.

So, in the next week or so, Dad gets scheduled for an arteriogram, and if all is still go, he should have a new valve soon. Dad is 66 years old, and his valve has always leaked. If he can get this successfully done, he will be so much better, we believe. No more coumadin or other drugs that are now keeping him going.

So, once again, we solicit your prayers. Please pray him through this one, too! My sweet little kids in church class never failed to remember him in their public (and, I hear, their private) prayers. I know the Lord is touched by the sweet imploring from these little ones.

Well, I think it is official! Chris Bates, one of my favorite preachers, is coming to do our gospel meeting at the beginning of November. I am excited! We have wanted to get him at Brinkley Road for a long time, and it finally came together!

If we can avoid the incoming bad weather, we plan to visit the fair tomorrow. I will have enough pictures for a year to post when I get back, if my failing digital camera holds out. My little loverboy's visit with his "bubbly princess" is coming to an end, and I am sure they are sad about that but hopeful for a future together. I am hoping they can get in one last "magical" night at the fair before the week comes to a close.

One last thought....while you are sending those prayers up, say a little one for me as well. My recent mammogram did not come back as clear as I would have liked, and more pesky invasive procedures are probably in my future. I solicit your prayers that all will work out for the best.

A Blur of Motion

We drove to East Tennessee on Saturday and met Jen and her parents and had a long, leisurely lunch with them and got to know them a little better. Then, we drove the backroads of extreme southern Tennessee through the mountains and past Sewanee--The University of the South, hung out there on the side of a mountain.

Luckily, as we went through the worst of the roads, it was not raining, yet. As we got to flatter terrain, some of the family called and said we had bad weather moving in. That is not really good news when you are heading for "Tornado Alley" down around Etheridge, TN. I made some interesting pictures of the clouds until the battery on my digital camera ran down. Unfortunately, he has my camera this week, so I haven't gotten to download the pix yet. We made it unscathed to Mom's house, but it took about an hour longer for the trip than I had hoped because of the torrential rains. We got settled in, and I never was happier to see a bed.

Then, promptly at 2:30 a.m., my eyes popped open. "This is not good," I thought. "I have two church services and lunch to cook and a birthday party for my mother to orchestrate today. I need sleep." However, I am obviously plagued by the curse of my grandmothers--insomnia at the worst times. So, I tried to sleep for the next hour, finally gave up, and started my day at 3:30 a.m.

Somehow, I managed to make it through the day without even so much as a nap, and by the time we drove back home that night and I hit the bed at 10:30 p.m., I was never so happy to see the bed! :)

We love Miss Jen! She is so sweet and fits in very well with our family. The craziness of having 16 souls she did not previously know screaming at football players on a bigscreen t.v. did not seem to phase her in the least. Five little people running through the den as large men determined their standings in fantasy football did not send her packing. She just might make the cut! LOL!

Daniel, of course, to quote one observer has "got it bad!" Yes, he has definitely had a large bite taken out of him by the love bug. This is new territory for me once again. You always look at the kids your kids bring home and think..."Is this the one? Is this the girl I have prayed for all of his life?" I could not help but think as I sat across the table from her parents Saturday..."Are you the people I have prayed for for years to have success in raising a good, godly girl for my son?"

(He and she are probably chuckling and rolling their eyes as they read the ramblings of a mother walking down a new section of life's road. That's the trouble with these public blogs. You can never blog in secrecy. They will just have to get over it if I am embarrassing them to death.)

Well, all I know right now is that they make a darling couple and seem to be well-matched, right down to liking yucky cold iced coffee! They laugh so much, and that is a wonderful thing to see. If two people can keep laughing, come what may, they can get through anything.

Lord-willing, we are all going to the fair Friday. As luck would have it, an artic blast of cold air is due to arrive that day, so I guess we will be bundling up. Sarah is looking forward to the promised "shark exhibit" and Hannah just wants to ride the horsies. I won't be getting on anything more exciting than a ferris wheel. You know you are old when you have no interest in any rides but the merry-go-round and the ferris wheel. I just pray I don't get stuck up there at the top with the temperatures plunging.

Well, that's the update. Hope you have some nice weather where you are. I hear we are supposed to have a warmer, wetter winter than usual, at least in the next 90 days. That was not what I wanted to hear! I WANT SNOW... and lots of it! Soon! My house needs deep-cleaning, and being forced to stay in is the only way it is going to get done!

The End of Innocence

(Daniel stands across from the Twin Towers in 2000, back in our age of innocence...)



I wish I had something eloquent to say today--something that has not already been said.

Sadly, I don't.

Just as those who were alive the day Kennedy was killed will always remember where they were....

Just as those who were of age will remember what they doing the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded...

Just as everyone can feel the pit in his/her stomach when something so beyond words happens in this world....

I remember where I was, what I was doing and how I felt on 9/11/01. It is ever before all of us.

It should be.

I hope enough people will have enough sense to keep God in America....

Click this

Strange Happenings

This last weekend was the expected whirlwind of activity. It blew by entirely too fast for my tastes. I am fully convinced that aliens have come and replaced my father, among other things. The kids and my mother agree with my assessment. Meanwhile, my fellow city residents here in Gravyville are convinced that the world is coming to an end. And, in the land down under, chaos has likewise ensued.

How's that for a teaser? Yes, indeedy, it has been a strange weekend. It started out with us loading up--and I do mean loading--to go to my parents for the long holiday. We decided that it would be a good time to take the crib and changing table and the start of a blue-jillion baby clothes over to my brother and sister-in-law, since little "Dana" is now about half-way done "baking" in her mommy's oven! I don't think they are actually going to name her "Dana," but I have had a good time calling her that until an official name is pronounced. Her mommy told me what her first name will probably be, and I think it is a keeper! But we won't rush them and make them commit to anything right now. "Little Dana" is fine for now. (BTW, Mommy, "Lee" is mine and Steph's middle names! You could kill two birds with one stone!)

We actually took an SUV and a pickup truck loaded to the max. Our doggy, Meg, had to come along, too, because we did not want to leave her home alone. Meg had a fine old time with her "cousins" Bear, Sissy, Bessie Black, and Buster! Of course, Mom's back yard will never be the same. We are still trying to figure out how a rat got in the pool, too. Either the dogs got it, or it fell in and drowned. Either way, it was yucky! Fortunately, my big, brave man dealt with it, and I did not have to see it.

After we got there Saturday, we quickly noticed that there was something different about my dad! For the last several months, he has been in really rough shape with congestive heart failure and various complications of that. I think he finally hit a magic combination with his drugs, and there was so much fervent prayer going up for him, and all the complications have mostly gone away! So he was better than his old self! He is a new man!

He had gotten in the kitchen and used his new mixer to make up homemade dough for 6 huge pizzas! All the daughters got in the kitchen and formed an assembly line, and we made up the most exquisite home-made pizzas! Dad has a special sauce that is "out of this world" (probably the aliens gave it to him!) and we pile on the meats and cheeses according to each kid's likes. We made one of "meat-lover" variety, one of cheeses, and several with "the works" on them. I can't tell you how it beats any of the national chain pizzas--even Pizzeria Uno, my favorite other pizza. While we worked, Dad oversaw the production line with the greatest of animation! He was really fun to watch.

Now you have to understand that we have razzed old dad in the past for being somewhat of a couch potato. He loves nothing better than relaxing, remote in hand. Sometimes, the family would get frustrated, because we might want to turn the t.v. off and sing or play a game, but Dad was not ever too up for that, most of the time. He just enjoys good food, having his family all around, and a good football game--all from the comfort of the Lazyboy sofa.

Well, the bizarre behavior continued into Sunday. After Sunday morning church, we all came back to the house again (this is 16 people we are talking about, which can sometimes feel like feeding the 5000!) and had barbecue. Naps were in order, though I think some got in the pool for a while. Sunday evening services come early at 5, so we all went back to church. On the way out the door after services, Dad asked my three boys if they could all fit in the back seat of his Caddy. They said they thought they could, so off they went with my parents. "Pappy" had ulterior motives. He wanted to sing with the boys--barbershop style!

Dad had figured out that with Daniel singing lead, Micah doing alto, Sam carrying the tenor, and Pappy belting out the bass, they could potentially have a pretty good quartet. Meanwhile, Tim and I hit Krogers for the 3rd time to pick up viddles. When I came in from the store, Dad, Mom, my 3 boys, and Drew, my brother, we all standing in the middle of the den singing. They only had 3 books among them, and so that is why they were standing there. I cannot remember the last time we had a family singing. They had a ball and sang the whole time I whipped up spaghetti and meatballs for 16! We even called up Tim's parents and let them in on the party. They were playing cards and put it on speakerphone so their guests could hear, too. Tim, my sisters-in-law Brooke and Steph, and brother Dan AND our 5 little kids made a funny looking sight crowded in the middle of the den floor singing the roof off.

Dan and Tim usually find some time to argue theology, and Sunday night was no exception. "Parsons" Dan had two great sermons on Sunday, and he and Tim had some thought-provoking discussion that night while the rest of us eavesdropped. Exercising one's use of the scriptures works out your brain like swimming out in the pool works your body. Both are good for me!

Monday brought one more gathering before we had to get back. We spent some time in the pool, though it was very cold (I wished it could have stayed warm just one more weekend!) and the men found a football game. Dad made up some of his tremendous barbecue sauce, and he and Drew grilled hamburgers for Monday afternoon. (Yum! My favorite, besides his pizza!)

Early Sunday morning, Dad had called one of his old Gravyville friends to just check up on him. The fellow is about 90, though you would probably say he looks 70. Mr. Friend told us that over here in Gravyville, our annual big-deal horse show had ended Saturday night without a Champion being crowned. Now that is about like having an election for President and not naming a winner. Except with the President, you know eventually they will name a winner. I don't think there is going to be a winner this year. Apparently, the people who look out for animal abuse came in and disqualified some of the potential Champions, and either the others decided not to go on for support of their comrades, or the decision was just made that this year's show was a bust and that they might as well give up and go home. This government entity had come in on other nights of the show and created havoc as well. They claim to just be enforcing the Horse Protection Act. Whether there are political undertones or not, I just do not know. Whisperings abound that maybe "the powers that be" want to take the horse show from our tiny little town and give it to a bigger city so that it can be a bigger event. That would mean death for our town, I fear.

This is a BIG DEAL in Gravyville, folks. Many vendors make a year's worth of money from the trade that goes on during Horse Show week. I am sure that lots of money was lost by the town which we need for things during the year. Our town is having difficulties anyway, because we have had one of the largest influxes of immigrants of anywhere in these parts. They have economic needs which are met by the extra money we take in during this time. Everything is very much out of kilter, and I don't know how they will fix it. If this town loses the big show, I don't know what will happen to the town.

Anyway, while all this was happening, word came of the death of Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter. This made us all very sad, because Steve was such a part of my kids' childhood t.v. experiences. I can remember my little towheads laying in the floor "oohing" and "aahing" over his unusual antics. Daniel and Sam used to imitate him all the time. He was such fun to watch---such an animated person. One cannot help but be saddened by his untimely death. Also, when someone dies who is exactly the same age as you, it gives pause for reflecting on the brevity of life and one’s mortality. Steve was 44---and now, you know how old I am. Yes, poor Steve was an accident waiting to happen. But he seemed to be a decent guy, and he sure made my kids laugh. What precious kids he had! I feel so sorry for his wife and father, who lost his own wife in a car crash a couple of years back. We will miss the Crocodile Hunter!

Meanwhile, it was the cutest scene, seeing Sarah sitting in her Pappy's lap, plotting how they could get together for "Lefty Art Lessons." Dad and Sarah are the two south-paws of the family, and it is going to require another lefty to teach Sarah how to best enhance her already-evident talent in art. Hannah wanted in on the lessons, too. Whatever big sister does, Hannah does.

Yes, can it get any stranger? My dad is off the couch cooking, singing, and painting, the horse show did not pick a winner for the first time ever in its 68-year history, and Crocodile Hunter is dead. These are weird times we are living in. Everywhere you turn, someone is yelling that these are the last days of the earth. Are they? Nobody knows, but I personally would not be surprised. I cannot remember a time when every institution, every collective body, every establishment of man I know has been so messed up. Nothing is as it should be, yet we go on. So much is out of kilter, and I think that so many of us spend a lot of time ignoring that fact. That is a great annoyance for me, but that, I guess, is another blog.

It has been 25 years or more since I heard a song, but the words play in my head frequently. Maybe it is because so many of the words are taken from the Bible. It went something like this...

"Be ready...For there is an hour...when you think He won't come but He'll come and catch you sleeping....Be ready...keep a bright light burning...He's not far from here...it will soon be clear...You're gonna see His face.... When you look into His eyes...you won't despise...all the sacrifices you've made to be ready...."

It was a beautiful song with such a strong message, just like the Bible passages that talk about being ready for the return of Christ. I don't pretend to be any kind of prophet, but I would not be surprised to hear the trumpet any day now. I know that in the days of Noah, when every thought of man was on wickedness all the time, God called it quits and destroyed the world with the flood. We are not far from that. Every Christian lives for that day when Jesus comes in the clouds--- looks for it, dreams about it, yearns for it. Whether or not it ends up coming in my lifetime, I have set my face towards being ready, because one way or the other, my life will end and the time for obedience will be over. In Revelation 22:20, Jesus testifies, "Yes, I am coming soon." (That was 2000 years ago. How much longer could it be?) John, the beloved apostle, replies, "Come, Lord Jesus!"

I wholeheartedly concur!

Boy, Do I Ever Need to Update!

This is a wild time of year. Kids are getting back in school! The National Horse Show for a particular breed is held in our town, bringing thousands into our usually-sleepy little community. Now, it is officially end-of-summer time.

I can't say I will miss the oppressive heat we have had this year. I am so ready for fall. Now, I just pray that we have one. Sometimes, especially lately, we skip it and go straight to winter. I hope that does not happen this year.

Tim is already up in bed, sleeping blissfully. I kid him about the nights he gets more than 6 or 7 hours of sleep. He is usually so over-charged that he is practically unbearable with his "Yankee" humor. Some would call it "being cheesey." Yes, we have to keep him sleep-deprived, so that he is mellow and somewhat unresponsive. LOL!

I won't get to bed for a while yet. There is too much to do to get ready for the weekend. I'm looking forward to some away-time. It will be a while before we get more. Then, our home school starts, and we have a challenging year on tap. I will have a first-grader, a seventh-grader, and a senior. We have tons to do.

But first comes Labor Day---and I am not going to fall for the tricks of my Uncle who used to fool his kids into thinking it was a day you worked your head off around the house and yard. His poor kids did not know until they hit the real world what Labor Day really was!

Ya'll have a good one, and try to stay dry!

Possibilities

As a parent, and more specifically, as a mom, you spend the days you have with your children preparing them for the future--for all the many roles they will have as adults. You pray a lot, and you hope that what you do is enough.

They start to test their wings in short flights, and you applaud when they fly and sob when they have a few crash landings. Those who follow my blogging endeavors know that I have closely chronicled the test flights of my offspring. You have laughed and cried with me.

I just have to make a post to give the glory to God for all the blessings that He has brought about in my life and the lives of my family members. I cannot find the words to express how effortlessly the Lord has brought us to where we have prayed to go; nor can I find adequate expressions of thanks and praise to the Giver of all blessings.

Someone unique and special has come into our lives, and although I know that relationships come and go for young people, someone, someday, somewhere will have a keeper in this young lady. It's way too early to make any long-term predictions, and I would not presume to intrude into the early days of a new and exciting voyage, but I have really enjoyed learning a little about her.

I've always been impressed when I go to someone's blog, and the thoughts of their heart seem to mostly be focused on spiritual things instead of silly, worldly preoccupations. Everyone goofs off a little on blogs at times, but when the preponderance of thoughts expressed are worldly, likely, so is the person. "For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."

Dan is not the only one impressed with this bubbly princess. And if you click off her Pleo page onto her myspace, you'll find that her spirituality doesn't end on Pleo. And you just might get a tear in your eye...

Yep, It's Broke Alright....

Stock photo---not Micah's actual foot! His actual foot is in a green cast(and it is the right foot!) Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose in image searches! :)

We have continued to have a busy August, and this Mom really is looking forward to the cool breezes of fall, and the less-hurried pace that autumn seems to bring. All of our friends seem to be in "Lets-hurry-up-and-get-this-one-more-activity-in" mode, and getting our kids to all these events has left us tired and in need of a child-free vacation! However, I don't see that coming any time soon! :) So, we sleep when possible and gather our energy each night to get through the next day.

Saturday was spent transporting Sam to and from a canoe trip. He could have driven himself, if his older brother had not commandeered his truck for his own trip over the state's southern border to see a special young lady and attend a Bible study. Dan's car, which is older and temperamental was down at his grandparents', so Dan coerced Sam into letting him borrow the truck for the weekend. That left "Ye Olde Parents' Taxi Service" to transport Sam to and from the river. As these things go, there is never very much communication as to when or where groups are gathering or what the basic "plan" is, so we pretty much felt our way through the day. We delivered him near the river at around noon, and drove an hour home. I did a few dishes and tidied up a little, and by then, it was nearing 3:30. We were told by the river guide that they expected the group back around 4:30, so being the good parents we are, we got back in the car and planned to meet the group at the dock as they returned. Problem was, they did not get back until the last possible moment before the tour place closed---which was at 6 p.m. By the time they got out of the river, took a group pic for posterity (61 people went!), dried off, and we got away, it was pushing 8 when we got home.

I am happy to report that Sam had a blast, came back uninjured, and is raring to go again next year. He fails to understand why I would not be excited about sitting in a steamy swamp for 6 hours, with snakes swimming by, and rowing until my arms fell off. I don't think my contacts would like swamp water, and my glasses would not last long. Until I can get Lasix and figure out how not to get skin cancer, maybe I will try something different!

I teach class on Sunday morning, and I was shocked at the collective sight of my 8 pupils at 8:30 on Sunday morning. They were so tired and worn out from the day before, that they could not even focus on the lesson. One little girl was so sick that she laid on the floor under the table. All attempts to get her to go to her mom failed. She did not seem in great distress, and she wanted to be there, so I just let her be. I normally don't let students out of their seats, but I was aware that these kids have just about reached their summer limits.

Meanwhile, Micah bemoaned the fact that his previous Sunday night's skating party after church had left him lame in one foot and ankle. He could not go on the canoe trip, which grieved him greatly. I tried to remind him that I did not recommend his going skating, because so many times, someone gets hurt, especially when he is not a good skater. He did indeed go down, and he has been on the couch every since, propped up with ice bags on the foot. All who ventured an opinion on it thought it was just a sprain. After giving his "sprain" time to heal, and after listening to his continued cries of discomfort daily, we carried him to the doctor today, and there IS a fracture at the growth plate level down by the ankle. So now, he is in a lovely green cast for the next 6 weeks! I feel better that we did go on to the doctor, and hopefully, it will heal fine, and no further treatment will be needed. Micah looks forward to having everyone sign his leg!

Daniel had a lovely weekend down South, and he got to spend some time with his newest friend of the opposite sex. They met at the preacher's house Friday night, and they got to stay 'til Sunday after morning church. I do believe there will be more visits between them. We are hoping that she can come up for the county fair in September. Fairs are the neatest places to take a date! He then drove home that afternoon in the aforementioned truck, and he did not know to check the oil, which had dropped dangerously low by the time he got here. (Step-dad put in 5 quarts!) We hope old "Blue" is going to make it. It was one oil-thirsty truck!

Today, Dan had a job interview for a position on the campus where he will be attending. He came away with the job, which is a great blessing in the continuous string of blessings we have had getting him into this college. Student workers in most positions get minimum wage, but his computer lab job pays more of a competitive wage, and he is fully encouraged to use the time to study when there is nothing to do helping other students. He has locked in his classes, which will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That will give him Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to work. I think he will do very well with this arrangement. The best part of all is that he will have to drive very little, and with gas prices constantly rising, that will be a wonderful thing. He can walk across my parents' neighbors' back yard and be at the campus in under five minutes! So if it snows, he won't have to take the car. However, it rains a lot in the fall here, so he may have to drive some on the worst days.

Sam, Hannah, Sarah and I got in a little time at the neighboring county's Goodwill store while Daniel did his interview. Sam found a pair of Tommy jeans and a pair of Dungarees and an Old Navy Shirt. The girls picked out their usual stash of treasures. In fact, at one point, Hannah had loaded the cart with books and toys, and I had to put them all back! I let them get a couple of treasures they did not have, a video and a few books. I found some more great homeschooling books for Sarah---mostly with practice pages in math and writing. She goes through them faster than I can supply them. I found poor Micah a book he might enjoy, and I picked up a couple of old (but newly printed) Nancy Drew books in great shape to start a collection for the girls. They are must-reads in my book! I hope the girls will like mysteries as much as I have. The bonus today was double stamps on my frequent shopper card and getting out of there for twenty dollars and change. You just can't beat it for an afternoon's entertainment!

Tim is busy building computers for the girls. They are tired of sharing with the bigger folks of the family, and we have enough parts lying around that he should be able to get this done for them....if we can quit running long enough.

I look forward to the days of fall, when our home schooling begins, and we gather in the den to work collectively on some subject. It's just the best when it is warm and toasty, and we snuggle into the sofa to collectively discover the wonders the day has to offer. Summer's hustle is over, the relentless heat gone, and refreshing winds blow outside. Sometimes, we raise the windows and let the glorious fall air inside. After the work is done, and sometimes when it isn't, we slip outside to take in the beauty of God's creation--to bask in the finally tolerable sunshine and play in the leaves, one of the great curiosities of little people. Little two-legged girls struggle to keep up with the quicker and surer four-legged puppy and kitties. I rock on the porch, most assuredly enjoying my coffee, purely enthralled at the scene playing out before me, feeling so richly blessed in the simplicity of it all. The "city folks" can have their hustle and bustle, their mentally and physically exhausted children, their full-price "fashion" stores, and the endless lines of people and traffic. I'll take my little piece of Paradise any day of the week.

The Eagle Has Landed....Again.....

Yes, I left off in mid-sentence, as it were. I am prone to do that. Life gets ahead of me, and it takes me a while to catch up at this altered pace that comes with the mid-40's.

We retrieved Daniel from KY with the greatest of ease, compared to the trip we had taking him up there. This time we were smarter. We realized that it did not take a 26-foot truck pulling a huge, long car carrier to get the boy home. Instead, we got a pull-behind trailer for the SUV and made Eagle-boy drive his car home! This time, no one got stuck in their cul-de-sac with the "unbackable" truck we had the last time!

At last report, Tony, Craig, and Jeremy (his roommates) were seen standing on the curb, crying and waving at Dan as he drove away. (NOT! I hear Dan is missed, but they are all holding up fairly well.)

I use the term "we" very accomodatively (Is that a word? It is late, and neither nouns nor adverbs come easily these days). I actually had no part in driving 5 hours up there, packing the trailer, and driving 5 hours home the same day with the men-folk of the family. Tim, Sam, and Micah did an awesome job of making the move look like child's play while I spent the day going to the cardiologist with Mom and Dad and Hannah. Of course, after chasing Hannah around the doctor's office for over 3 hours until all lights had been turned out and everyone went home, I wished I had gone to Kentucky. The child has some energy. The parents got detained waiting for the doctor who got detained, and Mom failed to come out and tell me why there was no one in the building but us. I was convinced they had forgotten I was with them and left me in the two minutes it took me to change a diaper in the restroom. But all was well, and their minds are better than mine, and I was not abandoned.

Sarah had a lovely sidetrip with her cousins, aunt and uncle the same day to see the local Egyptian exhibit in town for a while. As fate would have it, they finished at the museum just as we were finishing up at Saint Thomas with the dr. appt. and just as my moving men were crossing back over into the Volunteer State. So we decided, after much cell phone calling between cars, to meet at an approaching Cracker Barrel and make the servers find a table for 16. We had a lovely time and all left in near- diabetic-coma-like states. It was hard to finish the drive another hour and a half south when we had all had such a lonnnnnnggggg day.
When we all got back to the Mom and Dad "Hotel," we spent a day or two there just relaxing, playing in the pool a little, and putting the finishing touches on getting Dan enrolled in college. Since we can walk to the campus from their house, we did just that and finalized his schedule and picked up the last of the paperwork to do.

Right now, it is looking like he will carry 15 hours his first semester, which I think is a pretty good balance for him, especially if he will also be working 20-30 hours a week. He has an interview for his first choice in jobs on Tuesday (more about that when it is more of a sure thing), and so we will see how that goes.

Meanwhile, curriculums are being spied out for the fall semester for the younger kids here. Sam is going to have an interesting year, because he has finished a lot of the things you usually are scraping to do in your senior year, but he has things he should have finished that the wonderful private school did not attend to like they should have when they had him. So he may have to double up in some areas to finish on time. I am not worried about Micah and Sarah, because they are coming along nicely.

I had a wonderful birthday, as you read below. I went into the day with no expectations for myself because we had the Relay for Life thing to do, but the family pulled it all together and managed to bring all of my favorite things into one fun-filled day. I did not get to be with all the usual family members because some of them had managed to contract the dreaded Puke Virus! I was SO AFRAID that we would end up getting it, because we had been in the same town, handling germy dollar bills (in the roadblock for Relay for Life) from strangers who were probably on their way to buy Gatorade. However, my fears were unfounded, and we, for once, came through unscathed.

The kids have been doing their usual summer fun things. Micah and Sam went to a skating party after church Sunday night, and Micah fell and did a number on his ankle. I don't think it is broken, but he won't be able to limp to the canoe trip they have planned tomorrow. Meanwhile, Eaglet #1 has flown off for the weekend again to the great state of Alabama, where he is meeting his newest "somebody special" and attending a Bible study with other young Eagles. I just can't keep that one in the nest for anything.

My 16 weeks of teaching on Sunday morning AND the summer are about to come to an end. I will miss teaching. I won't miss this unbearable heat which has pretty much caused the scrapping a lot of our summer plans.

For those who know my dad and have kept up with his progress, he has had a better couple of weeks. Finally, after 3 separate fluid pills, he lost 24 pounds of water! He is back to being able to sleep in a bed, and he even got in the pool a day or two ago and exercised a while. We are encouraged by this. Thanks to all who pray fervently for those they do not even know.

One note of interest....Tim's brother Billy was in NYC on 9/11, just a small distance away from the towers. Currently, he is on a holiday in England, due to fly back to the States today or tomorrow, I think. It seems he just has an uncanny ability to be where he should not be, but he is a lucky guy, I'd say. He won't be flying from England. He'll find another route home.

So, that's the update. Have a good weekend, stay safe, and be good!

How to have a nearly perfect 44th Birthday!

First....

Take your three sons and dart in and out of traffic

for 3 hours in a crazy intersection collecting money for a great cause:

(and raise over $1000 for the American Cancer Society---Waaaahoooo! :)

Then add....

(My most favorite food in the whole wide world, done with Daddy's own barbecue sauce)

(yep, ice cream cake....drooooool)

Being with Family

(well, those who did not have the summer vomiting virus)

Shopping sans kids at Half-price day at

An Awesome Birthday #

Bye-Bye, July....

Well, seven months of this year have gone by in the bat of an eye. You two faithful readers know that I have spent the majority of this year getting my firstborn out of the house and into his new digs. Hubby Tim told his boss this last week..."Remember my boy that I just moved up to Kentucky the other day?" (Boss nods affirmatively.) "Well, I need Monday off to go up and move him back!" (Boss laughs and nods knowingly. He has teenagers, too.)

I guess if Dan gets all packed up, Monday will be the day we retrieve him from the Bluegrass State. Actually, Tim and Sam will do the retrieving. I will be minding the small kids and animals. Small kids and animals are distracting when you are moving large, heavy furniture and boxes. I think I will be staying home and lending my positive thoughts to the endeavor! I know my husband is thrilled.

I can hardly believe it is time to start school again. Sarah is going to join her cousins Monday for a homeschool scavenger hunt (they have to find their hidden school supplies) and then going to see the visiting Egyptian exhibit at a museum nearby. She will have a full day!

Micah is probably going to get in some of the last of his pool time at Grandma's until next season. We'll "ride the wave" until the weather gets too cool to swim---which usually around here is the end of August. But with the unusual cycle of weather we have had this year, I am not ruling out swimming in December....yet.

Speaking of wacky weather....We have had very few thunderstorms this year as compared to previous years. (That is not a scientific statement by any means. I have nothing more than my perceptions to back up that statement. Perhaps I should say that it SEEMS like we have had very few thunderstorms this year, comparitively speaking.)

Now I hate tornadoes, but I LOVE a good thunderstorm to lull me to sleep. Every since we had the terrible day in April where many were killed in our state in a tornado outbreak, everything has been relatively quiet. We have had a couple of good storms, but nothing major since "the big one." I am just wondering if we are going to really have an active hurricane season like they said we were or not. Of course, we really don't have hurricanes in Tennessee, but we get the remnants of tropical storms coming up from the Gulf.

But I digress....Once we get Daniel back home, then, we will make the second leg of the trip to move what he needs to his grandparents' house so that he can ready for college. Then, I am going to bring him back here and work him like a slave until he starts classes. (Please don't tip him off beforehand!) I have so many things I need a big old strapping boy to do. We are going to clean out the GRODY garage, move a bunch of furniture, possibly do some painting, take some things off to charity and storage, etc. I hope the weather will cooperate---and the kids, too. We need to make some progress in the battle of the bulging closets.

Speaking of closets, we have had disaster in the master BR closet. First, I piled too many heavy things on the top of Tim's rack. The clips that held the shelf on the wall were deficient anyway. We learned this when we went to get more after Tim's shelf fell. There are new and better shelf-holding clips available at your handy-dandy home improvement store. Today, I heard a crash, but I never could pin down where it came from. When I went upstairs later, I found that my clothes shelf was down, and all the stuff on top is in piles on the floor. It is a huge mess. I have a feeling that my monkey-children, Hannah and Sarah, had something to do with the demise of this shelf. However, enough time had passed that I could not prove it. So, tomorrow is "clean the master BR closet day," "get the trailer hitch inspected day" and "tune the car up day" among other things I have on my list to do.

I am getting tired already!

In other news, I am happy to report that Dad has slept in a bed for the first time in a long time for two nights now. That means that enough of the water has come off of him that he can breathe when he lies down now. I pray it will stay off a while. He is still having some adjustments to his other meds, but hopefully, he will have a little season of peace for now.

It is hard to focus with all the stuff going on in the world now. One part of me says this "wars and rumors of wars" is just more of the same, and another part thinks that it really could escalate into something terrible. Whatever happens, God is in control. Yet, we have to be ready....

Have a good weekend, all! :)

Friends

She created the sweetest tribute to Daniel over on her page. She has some of the greatest photos of his time in Lexington with "the gang." Daniel has been so fortunate to share the last few months with one of the sweetest groups of "kids/Christians" on the face of the planet.

When he first began to tell me that he wanted to move to Kentucky, I'll admit I was not too keen on the idea. After all, I had heard the horror stories from many other mothers about how their kids left home, moved to some college town, and eventually fell into all kinds of sinful behavior and drifted away from the Lord. At some point, though, you have to hope that you have instilled the right things in them so that they can stand up to temptations on their own, and sometimes, we as moms and dads can not really tell a young man or woman that they can't grow up and move out! After all, they are 18 or 19 or 20.

After much prayer and discussion, and when a mother's tears failed to sway his thinking, Daniel decided that he wanted to cast his lot with three other Christian young men living in a house in Lexington. He went up and visited to make sure that it was really what he wanted, and he came home elated and ready to move on up there! It was a great comfort to me to know that all three young men were Christians, and at least they would all hopefully be helping each other towards a common goal (heaven)!

I was still not sure it was going to work. After all, Dan would have to get a job amd get himself everywhere without the watchful eye of Mom, who always had watched the clock for him and gotten him where he needed to be on time. Then, to top it all off, his driving experience had been limited to Tiny Town, Tennessee. I did not see how he would keep from being instantly killed in Lexington! :)

Somehow, believe it or not, he has managed to stay employed at one place the entire time he has been up there--without his mother! Imagine that! Either he has gotten much better at setting an alarm, or he is paying his roommates to get him up on time!




When we have had chances to visit with the "Old Manse" boys, it does not take long to see how much fun they have together and how much they care for one another. They are quite an animated group, and they manage to pull some pretty funny pranks on each other very often, it seems. Just look at the refrigerator picture in [her|sarahpet] pics for proof of their warped humor.) Late night runs to Taco Bell, Krogers, and to anyplace else that had food in the middle of the night gave occasion for some good old fashioned fun and frolic. I have heard rumors that making Big K cola bombs in the cul-de-sac provided many nights of hilarious science experiments!





(Tony manages to put every blanket in the house on the sleeping Jeremy, like every good roomie would do!)



It's probably hard for all of these young folks to know, but these are most likely some of the best days of their lives. Starving college students probably would not agree, but kids, when you look back on your lives, the friendships you have at this age will be some of the sweetest of your life. Memories you are making now will stay with you until you are very old, and they will bring a smile to your lips when you recall the closeness you have shared.

Daniel knew when he moved in that come August, another friend would arrive to take his place, and he would move somewhere else. For a while, he thought that somewhere would be another place in Lexington. However, God seems to have a use for him back home which we do not fully understand yet. Thankfully, Dan is the type of boy who looks to God for guidance and trys to listen and yield his life in whatever way God wants to use him. When things started coming together in Tennessee, and the "lease" was running out, we began to think that his address might be changing.

We all know that time and distance prevent us from seeing those we love quite often. But time and distance cannot restrict love, and the love Daniel has for all of you Lexingtonians and Louivillians and residents of all the other neighboring KY cities will not be hampered by a little thing like a state line. Trust that his affection for you will transcend all earthly limits, and that your lights will burn brightly in his heart forever.



I can truly say that it has been OUR priviledge to get to meet and know and love all of you. I doubt you have seen the last of the great Chipotle-eating Barista! I hope that in the coming days, when you think of our big, gentle giant, who has probably inadvertantly adjusted all of your spines with one of his "bear hugs," that you will hear the old John Denver song, expressed so beautifully in these words, playing in your hearts:

"What a friend we have in time
Gives us children, makes us wine
Tells us what to take or leave behind

And the gifts of growing old
Are the stories to be told
Of the feelings more precious than gold

Friends I will remember you, think of you
Pray for you
And when another day is through
I'll still be friends with you...."




"Friends"

Let's Get Moving on this Monday Morning!

Happy Monday! What's the matter? Having trouble getting motivated to start a new week? Go here, listen to this song, and affirm that there is indeed a God--He is Alive; in Him we live and we survive! If this doesn't get your blood pumping, nothing will! (It may not be the most 'professional' cut of the song I have ever heard, but what it lacks in polish, it doubly makes up for in spirit!) (If you are at work, put your headphones on, and give it a few seconds to load!)

Flying on the Next Leg of the Journey.....

Well, I have not been posting because I have been too busy filling out college forms getting a certain young man ready for his first semester at college. If all works out, he will be a college student here shortly. After much deliberation and prayer on his part, he felt that the Lord is guiding him back "home" to Tennessee to begin his college work towards a degree in Social Work. He hopes to get a Masters before he finishes so that he can go as far in his career as is possible.

Since he decided all this rather late in the summer, we have been rushing to fill out all the forms, have transcripts and test scores rounded up and sent, and even gotten his shot records from the pediatrician. He is going to live with his grandparents, Lord willing, and be able to practically walk to classes, seeing that they only live a field away from the campus. It is not a completely done deal yet, but things are looking pretty positive that he can begin this semester instead of waiting until January.

I am hoping that he is going to be a blessing to his grandparents, who have struggled and are continuing to struggle with health issues. I hope he can assist my mom in caring for Dad and by helping out in the house and yard. Mom does not fully know yet that she is getting a gem in this boy, because he cooks--he cleans--and he can lift lots of heavy things that women need lifted. He is a proficient shopper, for those times you don't feel like going to the store yourself. I think he will lift some of her load.

At any rate, a great time of his life is coming to an end. I know he will miss all of you in the Blue Grass State more than any of us can express. You have been gracious hosts, and you have taken good care of my "little man" while he has been there. I am especially grateful to his housemates, who have taught him how to set and use an alarm clock, how to successfully load dishes and clothing into the proper washers, and how to obtain and hold a job in spite of a challenging-to-get-along-with manager! In addition, I think that Dan is much better prepared to marry some day, after learning to live with roommates! Each one of the four is unique and wonderful in his own way, and learning to live together and still get along at the end of the day is good practice for marriage.

So, Dan, this post is to you and for you! I am proud of you, and I pray for you that you will have much happiness and success on this new leg of the journey....

Song of the Post (in honor of him!) (click to view my video tribute, and give it a minute to load!)

God Bless America!

As we witness all the unrest in the world right now, take a minute to go and view this.

It is very well-done and reminds us how we are so blessed in this country. (I wonder how many of you younger ones remember John Wayne.)

We'd better be praying for God to continue blessing America, and not just taking it for granted that He will keep pouring out His richest blessings on us and our children. This idea is as relevant on the 14th of July as it is on the 4th.

The Chill of an Early Fall???

I think it was Thursday afternoon that I stepped outside to take the children somewhere, and the cool just knocked me over! "In all my born days" I have never seen weather like we have had this year in Tennessee. I have just come to expect the unexpected.

I asked my family if anyone could remember a cool day in July. Nobody could. Of course, that does not mean much, but I think the last time we hit the 50's in July in Tennessee was in the early 80's, and I was out of state at the time, which would account for why I don't remember it---ever! Hey, nobody is complaining around here. I am sure there are some grateful road and construction crews, as well as happy people from all walks of life who are outside lots during the days.

Well, I take my big eaglet back to the bus stop after tomorrow's morning church service! I have so enjoyed having him home for nearly two weeks, and though his plans are not finalized, I might be seeing more of him in the near future. I think he has had a very insightful couple of weeks (and so did I, for that matter!) Plans are in the works for his next few years, and we will see what ends up being the Lord's plan for his future! It's gratifying to see God at work in your childrens' lives, because He is, truly, the Master Architect! (Jer. 29:11)

We had as nice of a 4th of July as you can have when one of your patriarchs of the family is ill. I got to see all my state-side brothers and sisters-in-law as well as some extended family on my mother's side at a reunion. It was wonderful, and I think they had the nicest spread of food I have seen in years at a potluck. Everything just went together so well, and a lot of the cooks had really put some time into some elaborate dishes---not just the simple stuff you do a lot of times for picnics. All the food was kept indoors, too, so we did not have the usual Tennessee fly problem to kill your appetite.

Tim and I took about a week of vacation for the price of three days off, because he had a 4 day weekend. It is always nice not to have to burn your vacation days. We spent a lot of time in Mom's inground pool, and my brothers would come over when they could, and before you knew it, all the guys would be wrestling like bear cubs in the water! My sister-in-law and I noted that girls do not seem to have the urge to throw one another in the pool, nor do they rig pool noodles up to the water holes on the pool to shoot huge water cannons at one another! Girls also do not feel the need to climb atop the whale float and bounce up and down until the pool has become a wave pool with 10 foot surges! I can also tell you that I was not at all tempted to do one belly flop! It's a good thing that at least one of the genders is generally a little more reserved, or all of our kids would have been drowned for sure.

While we were vegetating poolside, our younger two boys were off to camp in a state park in Alabama. They had a ball! Sam got his first experience with tubing on the lake! He and Micah made me the cutest coasters, and they had a great time studying the Bible and singing with their peers into the night.

After we came back home, we rested a day or two, and then Daniel talked us into taking him to his favorite restaurant around here...The Olive Garden! In the middle of dinner, I started feeling kind of queasy, but I did not think much about it. I boxed the rest of my dinner and ordered their impossible-to-pass-up tiramisu and coffee. That did not help my tummy any, either. By the time I got home, I was just miserable with nausea.

That is how I have stayed for the last two days. I am nauseated enough to be uncomfortable, but thankfully, I have not been bowing before the porcelain throne. So far, none of the family had shown any signs of being sick either, but within the last few minutes, Tim went up to lie down. We both have to teach tomorrow, so I am just hoping that we will not be deterred by this summer virus which seems to be going around the community. (Get ready with your buckets, Jen! :)

Thanks to all who have contacted me about my dad. His congestive heart failure has been really bad in the last week. As you know, it is really hard to find people or get things done during a holiday week. Next week, hopefully, they can run some more tests and try to pin down what is causing him to spiral downward. All prayers are appreciated.

Well, that is the update for now. I think I am going to catch a late nap, too and try to get rid of the rest of this virus, if that is what it is. I hear the heat is returning next week, so it looks like maybe things will get back to "normal"--if there is such a thing anymore! :)

Winds of Change

(That's an evil sailorman snatching away the blushing bride to carry her out of Dixie to "Yankee" territory....)

On the 4th of July, 8 years ago....



"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him." Deuteronomy 32:11-12


Tonight in Bible study, we will be in Deuteronomy 32. As I was reading over the chapter, I came across the above verses describing God's relationship with the children of Israel. I got goosebumps thinking about the imagery here, because, as you know, I am a big fan of eagles.

The eagle was our high school mascot, and I guess we all thought a little about eagles yesterday (July 4th). I was just thinking about how the eagle could not fly without the wind under her wings, and yet sometimes, the wind conditions must not be at all favorable for flying.

It seems to me that the winds of change are blowing again. I guess what got me thinking on this subject were the events of yesterday, when my dad and I were sitting outside minding the "4th of July meat" on the grill. Dad has been deathly ill, got better for a while, and is having a rough time again. We spent the last 6 days over there, vacationing a little, hanging out in the pool and just being with my father as much as we could. Even though he has been having periods where he is sitting in an air conditioned room with 3 fans blowing on him (and we installed a window unit in the adjoining room to blow in and make it that much cooler,) he is still gasping for air at times. He gets so tired that he falls off to sleep, breathes more shallowly in his sleep, and awakens with a start unable to catch his breath. We sit and helplessly watch.

At any rate, Dad had decided that HE was going to barbecue ribs and tenderloin on the 4th, even though it meant sitting outside near a hot grill in the July heat. Add to that the smoke billowing from the smoker and the grill, and I was just sure he was going to do himself in. Somehow, he managed to sit there (God was good and sent a cold front,) and we rigged an outdoor fan to blow in his face.

He and I were sitting there quietly together, listening to the rest of the crew splash noisily in the backyard pool. The smoke was coming right at our chairs, and I was having a hard time breathing.

"Dad," I said, "you know that people do die from smoke inhalation, right?"

"I'll be o.k.," he replied, as cavalier as ever.

Then, as I sat there watching the smoke, it changed direction and started blowing 180 degrees east, off into the garden.

"Isn't that weird?" I commented as we breathed easier. "I guess that is what they mean by 'winds of change,' huh?"

The winds of change are indeed blowing, I perceive. At least they are in my life. I happily celebrated my 8th wedding anniversary yesterday with family all around. We ate ribs and Mom's marvelous potato salad and Steph's scrumptious squash dressing! We watched the news with one eye as North Korea launched missiles in our direction on our Independence Day. My older boys chatted online with the newly-rediscovered-and-much-appreciated-opposite-sex, while the young ones made anniversary "cake" out of blocks and tinkertoys. I got showered with jewelry, perfume, and dietetic candy by my sweet and doting husband! :)

I'm trying to do better about "being anxious in nothing" and maybe someday I will actually master the concept. But my mind wanders to what it will be like next Independence Day, if the Lord wills we stay here that long. Will the den still be overflowing with the offspring of two people who began their love affair 45 years ago? Will the pool be filled with overgrown sons and son-in-laws wrestling like bear cubs? Will I be holding my new little niece or nephew? Will my big old boys have found TRUE love? Will I go off to sleep wrapped in the arms of my beloved?

I counted my blessings yesterday, as the winds of change blew gently on my back. I thanked God for one more day to live in a free country. I was also thankful that I have a man who is true and honest and strong, and I don't think that anything but death or circumstances beyond our control could separate us. I hugged my husband and my kids and my brothers and my sisters and my parents and my nieces and nephew, and I thought fondly of my other family in far-away places. As we drove off into the night, watching the whole world celebrate our anniversary :) , I was grateful that, for today, the winds are calm and straight out of heaven.

Hot in the Deep South

As noted in my last (and possibly most succinct post ever!) it is hot here in the South right now. April was especially warm, but then we got a break in May. It actually cooled off and rained a bunch. June came back with a vengeance. Now, July is upon us, and I fear for mortal man if it does not cool down a bit. We were promised there would be no more earth-wide floods. I don't think there was anything mentioned about the possibility of us melting.

I don't know if I have just gotten to be a big wimp or what, but I just cannot take the heat like I could when I was a girl of 16 playing softball in all kinds of heat. Wednesday night, I got so hot getting ready for church that my asthma, which I have not had a problem with in years, reared its ugly head. This house of mine is hard to heat and cool to proper temperatures. If one room is comfortable, another is not. We are making progress in the war of the temps, but it has been slow-going.

I heard a great joke the other day. It seems the good Lord was graciously giving audience to a group of scientists who claimed that they had figured this whole "evolution" thing. One scientist said to God, "Yes, we have even figured out how to make man out of the dust of the ground." "Oh, is that so?" replied the Lord. "Show me how you do it." The scientist stooped down and began to pile the dust into a heap. "Ah,ah,ah!" said the Lord. "Go get your own dust!"

I marvel at all the stupid stuff scientists come up with these days, when it would just be so much easier to believe what the Bible says about how things came into being. They act like you do not have to have any kind of faith to believe their theories! To me, it is more of a stretch to believe their wild tales than it is to just take the Bible and believe what it says. Yep, fellows, go get your own amoebae!

Well, the next couple of weeks are going to be "killer!" Kids will be off to camp, Mommy and Daddy (that's us) will be celebrating our 8th anniversary, Tim's going to take a week of vacation, and Daniel will be coming home to determine if he wants to come back to TN and go to school! Squeezed in the middle of all of that will be a few doctor and dental appts., while I have some good babysitters around. In a family of 7, someone is always up for some appointment. I need to have a yard sale in the worst way, but I am afraid I have fooled around and let it get too hot to have one this year. I don't think fall yard sales do as well as spring ones. I may just price it, box it, and wait til the Spring, Lord-willing.

We went in my mom's pool last weekend for the first time this season. Can you believe it was cold? It takes about a month for the pool water to catch up with the season, I think. Anyway, I found it more enjoyable to lounge on the lounge chairs in the shade (away from those cancer-causing rays!) Yes, I am getting old. It will get better as the summer progresses. Of course, we may all melt by then.

Work continues on our new church building. We had to have all the doors taken down and have them put up so that they open outward, for fire codes. Painting is about done, and pretty soon, the call will go out for us all to show up and move the furnishings of one place to another. Thankfully everything only has to move a mile or so down the road. It should not take long. I am ready to be in the new place, where I can have one classroom for one group of kids, instead of two groups meeting in each classroom as we have been. Try keeping 9 kids focused when the adjoining class is singing all the cool little kid songs you get to sing in church.

Well, that is the update for today. Best wishes to my friend Jennifer who has been feeling a little green around the gills in more ways than one! That strep stuff is a booger...in fact, I think I am shutting down before we once again pass a virus through the net! :)

The Heat.....

"Scientists Say Earth Hotter Than it has Been in 2000 Years!"

I say, "Duh! Ya think so?"

Happy Birthday, Sammer!

Oh, how Sam's nurses loved him and hated to let him go after his 18 days in the hospital when he was born!


Newborn Sam, before they shaved off what little hair he had!


Well, another "baby" is legal today! This day, 18 years ago, at 4:53 in the morning, 7 lb. 5 oz. Sam was born into this world. Today, he stands about 6'4" and has not gained a lot of weight since his birth, relatively speaking. I call him my rail!

They are just getting away from me faster than I can stand! Sam is the kind of boy that every parent longs for. He is strong, smart, sensitive, and just plain old good! He has been a joy to me from the time he was a baby up until this very day! I can't remember him having a "hateful" period in his teen years.

Sam has a gift for healing! His hands are magic on a headache, and he has conforted so many who were sick or dying with his special touch. Maybe it is because he had so many healing hands on him the day he was born. I did not know if my little blue baby was going to breathe, but he finally did, and he continues to touch lives.

He drove solo last weekend with his brother to the next town, and sang until curfew with his peers in the Lord. It was a heart-tugging thing to send another little bird on his first "long-distance" solo flight, but he returned to the nest unscathed and jubilant and ready to do it again A.S.A.P.

I don't know why it is so hard for me to let go of my kids and send them off into the world, which is the natural order of things. I guess the more profoundly you love them, the harder it is. Wow! Shouldn't that tell us something about God's love in sending his Son down here?

Happy Birthday, Sammer! We love you!

Father's Day

When I started to write this post, my first inclination was to title it "Happy Father's Day!" Then, I realized that for some, Sunday won't be a very happy day.

For many of us, the day is a joyous one, full of ugly ties and useless homemade ashtrays given by tiny tots to their biggest superheroes. Family gatherings are used to pay tribute to dads, and preparing for the day causes us to reflect on the love of our earthly fathers.

I've heard that a lot of people view God based on how their earthly fathers treated them. That's not really fair to God, because He does not have failings that mortals do. He is perfect in His love and care for us. Unfortunately, some men can mess up the concept of a Heavenly Father for their children. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have a father who lovingly raised us to adulthood should thank God in Heaven every day.

Some have recently lost a father. That will make it hard to get through the day. For others, growing up in a home with a less than perfect or even abusive father makes the day an unpleasant reminder of days past.

We all need to be sensitive to those around us on "holidays" because these made-up days have different meanings for us all. The person sitting next to me in church may have to summon every ounce of strength to just make it through the day with the raw emotions they are feeling. Many of us who grew up "in the church" had the best of the best fathers, and it is out of the realm of our experience to understand, let alone sympathize with, those whose familial experience was more of a nightmare! Many times, we turn up our pious noses at broken families, as though they are not deserving of the Heavenly Father's love and grace.

Let us all help one another to see that our Heavenly Father is so much greater than any man; He will never let us down or hurt us or stop loving us or fail to provide for us, and he will never, never leave us! While our earthly parents deserve our honor, God deserves it so much more...and that is what this Sunday is really about....

Click here to watch 'Youve-Got-a-Friend-in-the-Family'

10 (or thereabouts) Guesses!

Over a year ago, my good friend Jennifer across town prompted me to get into blogging. Yes, she is the one responsible for this rambling, tangled mass (mess) of incoherent thoughts.

We've had a lot of laughs and a few cries out of each other's posts. We have also theorized that it IS indeed possible to pass real viruses (and a few cyber ones, too) through the computer, because no sooner does one of us announce a new plague in our house than the other one's 5 kids come down with the same thing! This has happened more times than we care to count! She can tell you that when I announce a new vomiting virus, she runs for her buckets, because she has only minutes to prepare for the coming onslaught of upchuck.

Having 5 kids each and both being homeschooling moms, on again and off again, we have had a lot in common. It also helps that we share a common faith and a common hope of heaven! You can see why Jennifer is a special friend....(that, and she is one of my two faithful readers!)

Anyway, this week, Jennifer announced that she has some fantablulous news, but she won't share just yet, because apparently, it is not an absolutely done deal, and she doesn't want to jinx it or something. I totally understand the concept, but I am anxious for the reveal!

Jennifer said that as long as we don't know what the news is, that we have the right to keep guessing!

So, without further adieu, and to keep her Haloscan comments box unclogged, I am here posting my new top ten guesses as to what Jennifer's good news is! (Remember, she said it involved phone calls, emails, filling out papers, lots of excitement and a little jumping up and down!)

Possible Sources of Jennifer's Good News!

Guess #1: We all know how hot an issue illegal immigrants are these days. Our town has gotten many immigrants in the past few years. Some are very nice and sweet people, and some are not. I think Jennifer is deeply concerned about how much longer it takes for the average citizen here in Gravyville to get to Wal-Mart now. Trip time has doubled or tripled for some folks because of the impossible traffic situation here in our little overcrowded county. Therefore, Guess #1 is that Jennifer has joined the Border Patrol and is shipping out to go train very soon. Single-handedly, Jennifer will return Gravyville to its former tranquil state, and it will once again be possible to get to Wal-Mart in under 5 minutes!

Guess #2: Al Gore called Jennifer and wants her to join his "Stomp Out G.W. Team!" Jennifer, an avid environmentalist (but a faithful Republican,) is flattered, but is not sure whether the "G.W." stands for Global Warming or George W.! She is withholding her gleeful jumping up and down and her reply until she is sure!

Guess #3: Jennifer got one of those emails from a Nigerian on the Space Station. He assured her that just as soon as she wired him money so that he could pay for a Space Shuttle to come and get him, he would split all of his back astronaut pay with her. Having wired a bajillion dollars to him, Jennifer is waiting for her confirmation email on where she can pick up her funds.

Guess #4: Jennifer has been so proud of her nephew Bryan and his service to our country with the Marines, that she, too, has decided to enlist. She has passed the first several enlistment tests and is now waiting for her guaranteed permanent assignment to Hawaii to be verified before she leaves for boot camp!

Guess #5: Jennifer, an avid Tennessee Titans fan, has agonized over the quarterback struggle between veteran McNair and newcomer Vince Young from Texas. Being the peacemaker that she is, Jennifer has graciously offered to arbitrate the "family feud," and she is awaiting news on whether the Titans take her advice and send McNair to someplace like, say, Baltimore.

Guess #6: Jennifer seemed to rather enjoy her recent travels South to meet blogging buddies she had never met before. Needing a replacement for Carmen Sandiego, PBS has contacted Jennifer with a possible t.v. contract. Jennifer is probably jumping up and down because she is anticipating all the wonderful music she is soon going to be hearing through her cochlear implant from the "too cool" group Rockapella!

Guess #7: Being the consummate eBay shopper, Jennifer has been hand-picked by the executives at eBay to be a guest speaker at eBay Live! this month in Las Vegas. She will ask her good friend D'Lee (moi) to come along, where we will both speak on clothing 5 kids and a hubby on a budget with the tremendous deals off of eBay!

Guess #8: Paula Dean, wanting some time off, has contacted Jennifer about guest-hosting her show on that cooking channel for a while. Jennifer, with her Grandma's sumptuous recipe's in hand, did not have to be asked twice!

Guess #9: Fisher-Paykel, being envious of all those great Maytag commercials with the bored repairman, has contacted Jennifer about being their new spokeswoman. (For those of you who don't know what a Fisher-Paykel (pronounced like Michael) washer is like, just trot on over to Jennifer's to see one of these babies in action!) Jennifer is quite excited about the possibility of a new t.v. career, as an even more-bored Fischer-Paykel repairlady!

And finally, Guess #10: Since my recent blog on the missing "Nun Bun," Jennifer has been tracking down every lead on our missing Nashville icon. I believe that she may have found the lost "Immaculate Confection" and is just waiting on confirmation that the kidnappers have been taken into custody so that she can go get the infamous treasure and bring the Bun home to Tennessee where it belongs!

So tell me, Jennifer, am I close? :) Maybe you can post the answer to this mystery so that we can all quit this speculating and jump up and down with you!

So, Do You Have Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia?

My husband accuses me all the time of using words that he thinks I make up. 99.99% of the time, I am just using a word that he never heard when he was skipping most of his high school classes. I have to admit, though, I would never be able to spell this one, let alone tell you what it meant.

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia.

It is defined as the fear of the number 6-6-6.

06-06-06!!!! That's today!!!! (O.k., honey, if you are reading this, you can start shaking now.)

I can hardly wait to see what "lovely things" happen in the world today. I think there are a few towns that are pushing the envelope with The Almighty if you ask me.

Over here, today's "rapture index" is 157, meaning that it is "fasten your seat belts" time. Well, I am not a Premillinealist, but I do await the return of Christ, and at the rate this old world and its occupants' morality is deteriorating, I would not be surprised to see Him in the clouds any day now, though Jesus Himself said He does not know when that will be....


And there are still people who ask me why I homeschool?

So, I thought in keeping with the six theme today, I would give you six things I WON'T be doing today!

1. I won't be going to see "The Omen."
2. I won't be visiting the nurseries of area hospitals to see if any of the sweet little ones are born with the mark of the beast.
3. I won't be freaking out if my groceries, McDonald's Value Meal, or any other purchase totals $6.66 today.
4. I won't be a bit surprised if California breaks off and falls into the ocean, or worse, after the church of Satan "celebrates" a satanic high mass tonight. (How low can you go?)
5. I won't be buying any books that come out today or attending any heavy metal concerts of groups starting their tours today.
6. Come to think of it, I don't think I will be going out in public if I can help it today, because I am too afraid that somebody is going to get struck by lightning out of the clear blue sky, and I don't want to be anywhere around!

Finally, (and remember this is very tongue-in-cheek) if you can have a sense of humor about all this rot, check out someone's sense of humor:

A Collection of Numbers of the Beast


666 Number of the beast
668 Neighbor of the beast
660 Approximate number of the beast
DCLXVI Roman numeral of the beast
666.0000 Number of the high-precision beast
0.666 Number of the millibeast
1/666 Common denominator of the beast
666[-/(-1)] Imaginary number of the beast
1010011010 Binary number of the beast
29A Hexidecimal number of the beast
-666 Negative number of the beast
00666 Zip code of the beast
$665.95 Retail price of the beast
$699.25 Price of the beast plus 5% state sales tax
$769.95 Price of the beast with all accessories and replacements
$656.66 Wal-Mart price of the beast
$646.66 Next week's Wal-Mart price of the beast
$333.00 After-Christmas sale price of the beast
$222.00 Going-out of business liquidation price of the beast
Phillips 666 Gasoline of the beast
Route 666 Way of the beast
665 Older brother of the beast
667 Younger brother of the beast
666 UP Soft drink of the beast
666lb cap Weight limit of the beast
666 F Oven temperature for cooking roast "beast"
666k Retirement plan of the beast
666 mg Recommended minimum daily requirement of the beast
6.66% 5-year CD rate at First Beast of Hell, $666 minimum deposit
20/666 Vision of the beast
1-800-666-6666 Toll-free number of the beast
999 Australian number of the beast
6"X 6"X 6" Lumber of the beast
66.6 GHZ Computer processor of the beast
666i BMW of the beast
666-66-6666 Social security number of the beast
6/6/66 Birth date of the beast
666.AC.com URL of the beast
IAM 666 License plate number of the beast
Formula 666 All-purpose cleaner of the beast
666 calories Diet of the beast
969 Dyslexic number of the beast
WD-666 Spray lubricant of the beast
66.6 MHz FM radio station of the beast
666 KHz AM radio station of the beast
Chanel No. 666 The beast's favorite perfume
666% What the beast gives in his game



Have a good day, and try to stay away from lightning, earthquakes, Armegeddon and such! :)