A Groovy Kind of Life

Big News!!

2011-11-29T22:05:00.001-06:00

My! I have turned in to quite a bad blogger! But, I've got news!! News to share!! I couldn't hold it in, so here goes...

I HAVE A NEW GRANDBABY!!

Meet Miss Madalynn Rae Rowell a.k.a. Maddie

Maddie is Millie's little sister! Millie loves the baby.

Mommy Chelsea loves her babies.

Meet the little family.

Poppa and Ganna (yeah, that's me) with Baby Maddie on Thanksgiving Day.

There is so much to be thankful for! I love my grandbabies!!!

Quick Update

2011-11-08T22:35:00.000-06:00

We survived marching band season. Now on to show choir band.

Still no new grandbaby. Still waiting...

Millie turns 2 on Thursday.

Things at work seem to be getting better since my job split/doubled. (I know. It sounds like an oxymoron. I guess it all depends on how you look at it.)

Can't believe: Kim Kardashian is already getting a divorce. Lindsey Lohan can be so stupid. Michelle Duggar is pregnant with #20. Maks & Hope made it to the semi-finals on DWTS.

In a Funk

2011-10-27T06:46:00.000-05:00

I'm in a funk. I hate being in a funk. I'm not sure why it happens, but I guess we all occasionally experience a funk. Parts of my house are a mess, and I just don't have the energy or desire to straighten them. Then when I go in those rooms, my funk just gets worse. I hope I snap out of it soon. I hate having to MAKE myself do housework, as opposed to actually WANTING to do it. I used to get into cleaning moods...not so much anymore. :( Maybe it's because the 3 other males that I live with don't seem to care. I find empty boxes still on shelves or on the kitchen counter. How much more effort does it take to walk 2 steps to the trash can??! So, that's pretty much the extent of my funk at home. Then, there's work...

I haven't taken a day off since I don't know when. I decided to take Monday off. It was really weird being off work on a day when everyone else goes to work and school, especially when you are hardly EVER out! I need to get used to that feeling, and do it more often. We get personal days, and I build up vacation days, too. It's just that, during school days, there's never a convenient time to take off. So when I do, I pay for it the day I return...double the work...and that much more behind. I've been playing catch up since then. Well, I guess it makes life interesting. I DO have some awesome friends and co-workers that make work more pleasant. I look forward to our daily lunch time, when we are able to gather together in the middle of the day and socialize for a bit. Sometimes we vent about things going on at work. Sometimes we vent about things goin on at home. It's what friends do. It's nice. So there IS some light within this funk I'm in. And this funk will pass. It always does. I just hate being in the midst of it, realizing it, and not being able to do anything about it. I just hope that it passes soon.

Maybe by the weekend...

Quick Family Update

2011-10-19T06:58:00.000-05:00

Me: Chugging right along. Getting used to the new responsibilites at work. I have some great friends/co-workers that have helped me to get through it. We are there for each other. They make going to work something to look forward to. I do love my job. It just has those moments when I want to scream. Guess that's the case with most jobs, anyway.

Kevin: Had a little bout with unemployment. Finally found another job. Found out he had diabetes
about 3 months ago. That's under control now.

Chase: Still working at a hardware store. Still going to the local community college. Still doesn't know what he wants to major in.

Jordan: High school senior year. Where has the time gone? Friday night is senior night at the football game. My baby boy is grown up. :'( This football season has flown by. He takes the ACT test Saturday morning. Hope he scores high. Need a good scholarship!

Justin & Chelsea: He's still working at a carpet mill. Chelsea is 36 weeks along in her pregnancy. It won't be long now. We are gonna have another granddaughter real soon. Madelyn Rae Rowell, aka Maddie. Millie and Maddie. :)

Millie: She will be 2 on November 10. The other baby is due November 15. This should be interesting. Millie is really beginning to put words together and make cute little sentences. We taught her the most important phrase...Waaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr Eagle, Hey! See the cute video...

The Girls Have Caught Up!

2011-08-31T06:02:00.000-05:00

Justin and Chelsea found out yesterday that they will be having another girl in November! We are all so excited! Millie is the sweetest little thing, and just to think, times that by 2! The girls have caught up in this family. It's males, 4 (6, if you count the dogs), and girls, 4!! Wooo Hooo!!

Keeping Our Heads Above Water

2011-08-24T05:26:00.000-05:00

I woke up early this morning with my mind racing about how much I had to do at work and how I was gonna be able to get it all done. I hate when I do that. I countered it by getting up and reading my bible. Praying about it. Blogging about it. It seems to help, yet I know that when I get to work there will be a million things facing me that need to be done. I have to stay focused, and just take one thing at a time. Trying to squeeze it all into an 8 hour day is hard. But I don't won't to work overtime every day. Something's gotta give.

The girl that I split jobs with seems to be having a trying time, too. I need to go spend some time with her to do a little training in order to ease her mind about payroll. But, right now I have to do the accounts payable and get the bills paid for both schools this week. I hope that I can just check in with her a few minutes today and ease her mind a little bit. It's the first time that she is doing payroll, and just the steps that you have to go through to do that can be nerve wrecking. And I feel that if I can sit down with her for a few minutes, then that will help her tremendously. Yes, I'll have to make time to do that sometime today.

And time goes on. She and I are just trying to keep our heads above water, lest we drown in a pool of bills, purchase orders, receipt books, and leave forms. Just pray for us.

Looking Forward to a Brighter Day

2011-08-19T05:42:00.000-05:00

Friday, August 19, 2011-So, I have just about made it through the first week of school. This one has been a doozy! Last week (orientation week) was absolutely AWFUL!! I must remember this next year and try to take a chill pill or something. But don't "they", whoever "they" are, say that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger? Wow. I must be REALLY strong!! I'm ready to put these two weeks behind me and look forward to better days. But enough about me. How has your week been?

Another Groovy Life Update

2011-08-13T08:49:00.000-05:00

I lived at work/school all week. It's the week before school starts back, and things have been so hectic. I had some added job responsibilities that have really thrown me for a loop. But I keep on tryin'...as Trace Adkins sings. I won't bore you with the gory details of the week. I just know that I am going to have to develop a time management plan and stick to it no matter what.

Now, onto some family updates:

Hubby Kevin: He has finally gotten his blood sugar level down to practically normal after being diagnosed with dibetes 3 weeks ago. We are still learning the best things for him to eat. He really has to work on exercising. I don't think lying on the couch pressing buttons on the remote control counts!

Chase: He passed his summer English 102 class after not doing so well with it during the Spring. This one was tough because he took it online, AND the teacher was a former military person. I told him that since he passed her class, the others should be a breeze! He struggled with it, so I'm glad that it's past him. Now, onto the Fall classes.

Jordan: Just finished up his last high school band camp ever. Yes, he is a senior this year. He picked his two rookies last week, and all the seniors got to throw water ballons at all their rookies. Fun times. It's going to be a sad year for mother, here. I don't know how I'm going to handle watching my baby boy graduate from high school. Stay tuned for all that.

Justin: He has been working at a carpet mill, and he said that word has been going around that the business is not doing too well. He came to Albertville and put in an application at a grocery warehouse. I'm hoping that works out, and they can eventually move back closer to us.

Chelsea: I haven't seen her in a few weeks. I'm sure that her pregnancy is showing really good now. They are planning on having one of those cool sonograms. 3D, I think. We still don't know the sex, so that should tell us.

Millie: What can I say? The sweetest baby ever. She loves books. She loves to go outside and run around. She is fully potty trained. We are going for a visit this weekend. I think I'll post some Millie pictures on here the next time.

So, that's about it. Keep me in your prayers as school starts next week. I pray that it will get easier and less stressful.

August 11 Journal Entry: A Tough Week

2011-08-11T23:16:00.001-05:00

It's been a tough, stressful week. I'm trying to stay positive, but I am failing, miserably. I knew orientation week was gonna be tough. I just had no idea that it would be worse than it was last year. So many demands have been placed upon me, and I am having a hard time meeting them all. I need some serious girlfriend time. Hoping for a better day tomorrow. Hoping the worse is behind me.

August 9, 2011 Journal Entry: Time Passes Quickly

2011-08-09T22:58:00.001-05:00

Trying my best to juggle all the new responsibilites of an added job description. School starts next week. :/ It's my baby's last year, as he will be a senior in high school. Where has the time gone?

~The days are long, but the years are short.
Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

August 1 Journal Entry: Cry

2011-08-01T20:57:00.000-05:00

I hate those times when you just feel like crying, but don't really know why. Maybe everything just suddenly caught up with me. Maybe a good cry will help...

July 31 Journal Entry: Family Updates

2011-07-31T10:19:00.001-05:00

My husband was diagnosed with diabetes last week. We are learning lots of info to control it.

Work has already gotten hectic again. School starts very soon.

We still don't know the sex of the new grandbaby that will be here in November. Other than that, things seem to be going well with Chelsea.

Millie is fully potty trained. I haven't seen her in 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to her visit today!

I'm very disappointed in some of the choices my son, Chase, has made. I'm hoping he comes to his senses soon.

I can't believe Jordan, my baby, is now a senior. Full band camp starts for him tomorrow.

STILL a Mystery!

2011-07-21T07:03:00.000-05:00

Chelsea went for her next ultrasound yesterday. The little booger still would not uncross its legs!! We STILL do not know that sex of this baby! As someone said, "I guess it's gonna be very modest." Oh well. As long as "it" is healthy, we'll have to just be surprised. I don't know if she'll have another ultrasound or not. She wants to have one of those new 3D or 4D ones. Those are pretty neat. You can really tell how the baby will look. She had this one done at the hospital. And, since the doctor was not at this one, the nurse doing it said that she couldn't tell them anything about the fluid level. They were disappointed at that...and still worried. They will have to wait on the doctor to get the report. The nurse did tell them that if something was wrong, they would probably hear something by the end of the day. At least they never did.

Chelsea gets so stress out about things. She is still taking classes for a major in secondary education. She stresses out about tests and homework so much. I told her that it wasn't good for the baby, and to try to relax. Maybe she will. She deals with mental illness, like my husband, so I worry about her. She is a great mother, though. I just pray all will turn out fine.

July 15 Journal Entry: Summer Break??

2011-07-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

Can't believe people are already talking about "back to school" stuff. I haven't had my summer down time yet!

July 11 Journal Entry: Britny's 21st Birthday

2011-07-11T22:43:00.000-05:00

My only daughter would've been 21 today.

Happy birthday, Britny Madison. I'm sure your mawmaw and pawpaw are having a wonderful time with you. I love you.

If you don't know about Britny, you can read the fully story here.

July 10 Journal Entry: Teenagers!

2011-07-10T09:36:00.000-05:00

My teenagers are going to be the death of me yet!!! I feel like I'm losing control over them. I've gotta stop being so nonchalant about things, and start being a stricter parent.

Still a Mystery

2011-07-07T21:45:00.000-05:00

I was hoping to be able to post about the sex of my next grandchild. Chelsea had an ultrasound yesterday. That shy little thing kept its legs crossed! They are. going back for another ultrasound (or sonogram, I don't know the difference...or if it's the same thing) in two weeks because the amniotic fluid is low. This worried me a bit when Justin told me. Chelsea is about 21 weeks along. I lost a baby at 22 weeks on July 11, 1990 because my amniotic fluid was leaking. But Chelsea hasn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, so we are praying for normal results when she goes back in two weeks. Please say a special prayer for them. I'll post about it again as soon as I know something.

Just My Two Cents Worth

2011-07-06T08:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was visiting my parents when my aunt and her boyfriend came up. My aunt was talking about how they had just stopped by her son's house to visit, and he refused to let her in while her boyfriend, David, was with her. From what my mom says, my aunt's son and daughter have no use for David because basically, David is stupid. He doesn't have my aunt's best interests at heart. He only cares about himself. When my aunt has been battling cancer and needed to go into rehab at the local nursing home, David was the one to keep her from doing so. My mom even said that David cursed out my aunt's daughter just because she was trying to help out her mother. I don't know if it's just jealousy on his part...but just from what I know, he's stupid. Literally. He doesn't have much sense, at all. And this brings me to my point. Knowing that their mother is a sick lady, should her children keep their distance just because they have a problem with David? Should they throw away this time with her just because they don't agree with her choice of a partner? I don't know the whole situation. I know it has to be hard for them to see David go against all that is good for their mother. But, I don't think she is gonna give David the boot, either. From her point of view, she has a companion in him...something her children cannot be because they have their own families. Maybe they should just lay down some ground rules and stick to them instead of alienating their mother altogether. I know that this is totally none of my business. And, I would never say anything to them about it. It's just an observation that I hope to learn from. I think we should put aside differences for family so that there will not be regrets when it is too late to do anything about it. Just my two cents worth...

Ganna is Music to My Ears

2011-07-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

I've finally gotten around to taking a few vacation days off work. We went to visit the little family Saturday. Justin cooked out for us. Millie is getting cuter and prettier by the minute. I love that little thing so much!! I'm not the only one who feels this way either!

She loves her uncles!

She loves her poppa

And even though I didn't get a picture with her, I think she loves me, too. By the way, you know how I decided my grandma name was gonna be Granda? Well, as of now, it is Ganna. That is just fine with me. In fact, it's music to my ears each time this precious little girl says it.

On Wednesday, Chelsea goes in for an ultrasound. Hopefully, we will know what the next baby is going to be!!! I can't wait!!! I'm so excited!!! Boy or Girl???? Who cares?!!!! Just another healthy baby to love on is fine with me!!

July 1 Journal Entry: Change

2011-07-01T21:19:00.000-05:00

I found out today that there are big changes ahead at work. I'm not sure how it will be. I'm a little excited, yet a little nervous. Change is always hard.

June 30 Journal Entry

2011-06-30T22:31:00.001-05:00

My once-a-month payday doesn't look like it's going to stretch a whole month...again. Oh well, what's new??

Happiness: My Next Step

2011-06-28T22:50:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a book by Gretchen Rubin titled The Happiness Project. It details her journey while seeking to make herself happier. It has some very useful info in it, and it is very interesting. One of the main points that I think she is beginning to discover is that she was probably very happy when she started her project, but she just didn't take notice of it. I think that is a lesson for all of us. There are many things that make us happy that we take for granted. It's when we become aware of those things that we realize how happy we really are.

I am not finished with the book, but one thing that she mentioned was that she decided to keep a one sentence daily journal. This way, she would not feel obligated to write a big long post about the day, but she could concentrate on the main thing that happened each day. She often includes more than one sentence...but just enough to get her thought all in. I have decided that I will try this. What better place than on this blog? I know I will have other posts along the way, but this will help me to post more regularly without feeling that I have neglected my blog. I shall start this tomorrow. I wanted to provide some background info on what I was doing so that any readers out there would know what I was doing...whether it's one sentence or five. I look forward to it. I encourage you to pick up a copy of The Happiness Project. You can also check out her website here. Let me know if you do, and what you think.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T18:13:00.000-05:00

I just thought I'd share some pics of my dad in honor of Father's Day.

My Daddy is one cool dude!!

This was always my favorite spot to sit.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Just Don't Quit

2011-06-16T07:08:00.000-05:00

More Millie Pics!

2011-06-14T07:22:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted any pictures of my precious granddaughter, Mille. Being the proud grandparent that I am, here they are:

Millie loves daffodils.

Baby's got game!

Climbing on the steps.

Hanging out on Granda's front porch.

How can something be so sweet?!!!! I love the this little girl.

Life Ain't Easy, Kid

2011-06-13T06:11:00.000-05:00

My husband, Kevin, and I celebrated our 24th anniversary yesterday. I can't say it's always been easy, but we made it through it. The trick is to work through those difficult times instead of taking the easy way out. For better or for worse, you know? I think that's the problem with so many divorces these days. People go into them thinking, if it doesn't work out, then they can just get out of it. Marriage is a lifelong commitment to one another and to God. It should not be taken lightly.

I know that when things have been hard, I've often wondered if the grass was greener on the other side. But, I have a feeling that it's not. I could not imagine starting over with someone new. That just stresses me out. I mean, hey, I know what I'm dealing with now...and most of the time I know how to deal with it. We have built a life together, 3 sons, and now a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter...and another grandchild on the way. Life is good, and it's getting better everyday. Nevermind the little problems that creep in occasionally.

I just don't understand how some people can be married for 30 or 40 years and suddenly get a divorce. I hope that I am not jinxing myself! But, if there is any way, I'm NOT going to be one of them! I told Justin and Chelsea when they got married that you work through your problems. You don't just give up. So far, they have made it. I know that they are young, but they have gone through some stuff already. But, I think they are learning to work things out. I pray that they will continue to be able to do so. Because life ain't easy, kid. It's gonna throw you a curve ball every now and then.

The trick is how you deal with it. Step up to the plate, and knock it out of the park!

Happy Monday, everyone.

Big News!

2011-06-06T06:13:00.000-05:00

I've got some big news. I've known it for awhile, but I just haven't had much of a chance to sit down and blog about it. Are you ready? OK. Here goes...

MILLIE IS GOING TO BE A BIG SISTER!!!!

That's right! Justin and Chelsea are expecting another baby in November. Millie will be 2 years-old in November. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, but I have a feeling that it's going to be another girl. Of course, if it's a boy, it would even out their family, and that would probably be it for them. So, they are hoping for a boy. But, a girl would be great, too! So, pray for a healthy baby for us in November.

Woop! Woop! It's Friday!

2011-05-27T06:31:00.000-05:00

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!! YAY!!! We made it through another week. This one has been a doozy, too. The best thing about this weekend is that it's a long one. Monday is Memorial Day, and I'M OFF WORK! WOOO HOOO!!!! Have a good Friday, friends. <3 <3 <3

A Time To Mourn

2011-05-24T06:57:00.000-05:00

My heart is heavy. There has been so much bad news lately. Tornadoes. Cancer. Devastation. Death.

Even as people from my state have been trying to get their lives back in order after the huge tornado outbreak last month, another devastating tornado hit Joplin, Missouri. I watched on the news last night as they spoke to the school superintendent there. Three schools, as well as their central office, were completely destroyed. Many people lost their lives. Some are still missing. It's just awful. My heart goes out to them.

A dear friend and co-worker has recently found out that her dad has bladder cancer. He is 78. He has refused any type of treatment. My father-in-law, Ray, had blader cancer a couple of years ago, so I can relate. And, while Ray did have chemo & radiation, it was hard to see him lose so much weight and be so weak. He made it through it, though. I'm sure it bought him more time with us, before it finally overtook him just last month. :'( I pray for my friend as she goes through this with her dad. I pray for strength to get her through the rough road ahead. She has a strong faith. She is one of the godliest women I know. But, I know that her faith is about to be tested. May she stand steadfast for the Lord. May He comfort her. Lead, guide, and direct her.

On Saturday, one of my son's classmates drowned at a company picnic down at Lake Guntersville. This young man, a junior in high school, had his whole life ahead of him. He was a member of the high school football team. While trying to remember who he was, Jordan told me that he used to play peewee football with him. This was such a sad, sad loss. It has touched this community so deeply. Tonight they will play a scrimmage game in his honor, with a love offering for the family being collected at the gate. How tragic. Make sure you hug your kids. Tell your family that you love them. You just never know...

With all this sadness, a brighter day has to be just around the corner, right? I'm so ready for a glimmer of hope. But, it made me wonder why things seem so dark at times. But then, I remembered these verses from Ecclesiastes 3 KJV:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Yes. A time to mourn, indeed. But I'm looking forward to that time to dance.

God bless you, friends.

The Days Are Long

2011-05-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

Angels Among Us

2011-05-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

I still can't get the recent storms/tornadoes off my mind. I have heard some horrific things, but amidst all this someone told of this story that was an awesome miracle. Here it is as it was posted:

One of my coworkers has been going over to Pleasant Grove a good bit to volunteer. And amid all the disaster stories (trust me, there's a lot), one really stood out to me. Some volunteer workers found a 3 year old baby in a cooler. It had been surviving inside for 4 days. They found the cooler, by chance, while pulling it from the rubble of one of the many destroyed houses in the neighborhood.
They got the child out of the cooler and after making sure it was ok they asked, "How did you get in that cooler?"
The baby responded: "The man with the wings put me there."

But Many Were Not So Fortunate

2011-05-03T20:01:00.003-05:00

View form the Guntersville State Park lodge, the morning of April 27, 2011. Courtesy of WHNT 19.

It happened again, only this time it was much more violent. Last year on April 24, a tornado swept through my city and destroyed several homes and businesses. Thankfully, no lives were lost. Personally, we lost a huge oak tree that was uprooted & in turn, took our central heating/air unit with it. We were without power for about 2 weeks then. And, even though my city escaped the massive outbreak of tornadoes that swept across our state of Alabama last week on April 27, many neighboring cities were not so fortunate. Many, many lives were lost, and several people are still unaccounted for. It is total devastation in many places.

It seems unfair that all it caused us was a few days without power. That alone forced my family to reconnect with each other as we did crossword puzzles and went out into the total darkness at night to see the wondrous stars shining, filling up the night sky. Many people were not so fortunate. We were so grateful when our power was restored, but many people have not been so fortunate. We still have our home, our family, our friends, but many are not so fortunate. My heart goes out to them. My prayers are with them. I pray that God will give them comfort and hold him in his loving arms as they struggle to rebuild their lives.

A Sad Farewell

2011-04-23T20:25:00.000-05:00

Words fail me. I need to write something, but I don't really know where to start. Let's see...

We've had a low point lately. My father-in-law passed away. He had been sick on and off for awhile. We were trying to figure out why he couldn't eat without getting sick. Little did we know that his cancer had come back. All the tests that had been run lately indicated no cancer. It took a trip to the ER and a series of tests to learn that he had stage 4 cancer. He was then transported to Hospice where he stayed for 3 days before he passed away. It all happened really quickly, but at least we were able to say goodbye. I remember thinking that it would be great for that to just be the end of it, but we had to go through the formalites of visitation and the funeral. I dreaded it so. We all made it through it, and this week we have been cleaning out his apartment.

My father-in-law, Junior Ray, was one of a kind. He loved Jesus Christ, and he lived for Him as best anyone ever could. I admired him so. He didn't have much of an education, but that didn't matter. He was a hard-working father, husband, and pawpaw. I felt so bad for him when my mother-in-law passed away, very suddenly, 3 years ago. I didn't know how he would make it, because they were an old-fashioned couple. By that, I mean that she did the cooking, laundry, and other housework. He hardly had to do anything. But after she died, he learned to do laundry and sweep and mop floors. He never really caught on to cooking, though. He would go out and pick something up, or he would just eat a sandwich. We all would often carry him a plate from our supper. He was content to sit in his living room listening to gospel music and doing his word search books or reading his Bible. There is no telling how many times he had read that Bible through. He was such a great man of God. He loved to lead singing at his church. He was a Pentecostal which meant that he wasn't above dancing a jig up there when the Spirit hit him.

Another thing that I admired about Ray was his love for his family. He would do anything he could for any of us. Oh, how he loved his new great-granddaughter, Millie. She was his first and only great-grandchild. She wasn't around him much since he lives in Scottsboro, so she was hesitant to let him hold her until she got used to him. I wish she would've let him hold her more. Justin & Chelsea brought her to visit him in the hospital after we found out. She did NOT like the hospital, and she definitely wouldn't go to him in his hospital bed. I'm just glad that he got to kiss her before they left.

We all loved Ray so very much. His death has left a huge void in our lives. But, he is now in Heaven with his wife and his Lord. I'm sure there was a glad reunion with all those loved ones who have gone on before. We shall see him again someday.

Please pray for my family as we go through the next few weeks and months without him.

Virtual Choir: This Is Absolutely Amazing

2011-04-07T22:24:00.004-05:00

I saw a news story about this a couple of months ago. This guy had the idea of a virtual choir made up of youtube videos submitted from all around the world of people singing the same song. You can read the story here.

This first video is of him telling how he got it started:

And this is the marvelous result. I even know one of the choir members! I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Just an Update

2011-03-19T22:05:00.000-05:00

Things have slowed down on the kitchen remodel, mainly because of lack of funding, but some because of lack of time and motivation. I definitely need another panel of beadbord, at least. I also need to finish out the ceiling and the window. I wanted to put that old-timey pressed tin on the ceiling. But, that stuff is expensive! And, you have to special order it. I'm not a patient person. I've got some regular ceiling tiles that I guess will have to work, for now. At least it will look better than it does now. I would post pics. But, it's late and I'm too lazy. I desperately need to get back my decorating mojo.

So, I haven't updated on my family, lately. Chase got a job!! He is working part-time at Marvin's Building Supply. Can you say, DISCOUNT?! Wooo Hooo! Too bad it won't take effect until his 90 days are up. Anyway, he is working as cashier, but he has had the opportunity to go along on a few deliveries. He likes it. He will really like it when he gets his first paycheck next week!

School has been out for Spring Break this week. Unfortunately, that will end after tomorrow. :( Back to the real world. I actually do a better job around my house when I DO work. I think it all has to do with being in a routine. I just get lazy when I've off for very long. The mind is willing, but the body is weak!! I have all these ideas and things that I would like to do, but then I lack the motivation. I wish I didn't do that!!

Millie Jayne is 16 months old now. She is still the sweetest little thing! (Of course!) She is climbing on everything now. She loves books, and she will sit in the floor with one and act like she's reading. It's all gibberish, but we get the picture!

Jordan will be turning 17 next month. He will also be attending prom. He already has a date. We have to go pick out a tux and a corsage. Show choir season wrapped up recently, so he is enjoying being able to come straight home from school and not having to go back for practice. He has mentioned trying to find a job, but there are not a lot of places that will hire anyone under 18.

Justin and Chelsea are doing fine. Justin is still working at a carpet mill. He works 12 hour shifts at night. Chelsea is attending Athens State where she is majoring in secondary education. They are doing well. I'm glad, being that they got off on a shaky start.

Kevin still acts like he hates his job. He has a problem with some of the people that he works with. I've tried to convince him that he has a good job, and there is nothing else out there that he would like any better.

I've decided that Kevin and I need to get out and experience life more than we have been. We've been complacent to just stay at home on the weekends and do nothing. With the beautiful weather we've been having, I think we need to get out of our rut. That's why we went to trade day today. It was a colossal mistake, considering how bad traffic was. But, it was nice to get out of our little town for a bit. We are about ready to break out the motorcycle again. Doesn't that sound like fun?

My Kitchen Renovation

2011-03-06T10:31:00.002-06:00

My groovy life has been humming right along. I've become quite the homebody. I love piddlin' around the house. Yesterday was a rainy Saturday, so my goal was to not get out, at all! I accomplished that goal. :) Unfortunately, today I will have to get out to go to the store for some snacks, dog food, and hair spray. I'm sure I'll come up with some other things while I'm there.

I spent most of the day yesterday trying to get some things back in order from our kitchen renovation. I was so sick of my outdated, cramped, red kitchen! I recruited hubby, bless his heart, to help me. He is not the most patient person, especially when it comes to remodeling projects. But it looks so much better now! We ripped out all the cabinets, put in unfinished base cabinets (I plan to paint them white), a speckled black counter top, beadboard on the walls, and a new faucet. For now I am going to use open shelving on the walls. I may add some upper cabinets later...when money and time allows. This is how the kitchen looked before. (Excuse the mess!):

See that cabinet on the right? I had begun stripping the paint so that I could begin painting my cabinets white. Those cabinets are history, now. Actually, a neighbor came and got them from the side of the road, so someone has benefited from them. See how cramped the kitchen was? Look at it after the new cabinets were put in:

Ahhhh! So much better!! Don't you think? We are still not finished. Actually, I have done a few more updates since this pic. I plan to paint those cabinets white and put some drawer and cabinet pulls on them. I am currently working on the open shelving, and I have taken that red cabinet on the right out & replaced it with this:

I got it out of my late grandmother's house. It seems my granddaddy (whom I never knew) built it. It has history. It has character. It means something. I love special touches that add character to my home. However, it needed a bit of an update. This is what it looks like now:

I painted the inside only. I've put a few things inside, but that is subject to change. I am still arranging, and organizing, so we'll see how it ends up.

We still have a ways to go before the kitchen renovation is done, so I'll update along the way. I'm so excited to have a new kitchen! It is so fun to change things up. It keeps things interesting.

I've linked up to

Toomer's Oaks

2011-02-17T23:18:00.000-06:00

Trees

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

(And 1 sick idiot can destroy it!) ;)

~ Joyce Kilmer

"You can kill us. But you'll never kill what happens on this corner." (Tweet by @toomersoaks on Twitter)

WAR EAGLE!!

I Know He Loves Me When...

2011-02-14T10:01:00.000-06:00

First published two years ago, this is the ultimate Valentine's Day post. I'm bringing it back today, and I've even gone back and added some more. Feel free to add your own in the comments.
Have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your sweetie!
_______________________________________________

When you have been married for 21 years like I have, the mundane tasks of life interfere with romance. In our fast-paced lives of children, housework, bills, home repairs, and dinner, you begin to wonder what happened to the early years when you were first married and how much your husband showed you that he loved you. And we, as wives, are just as guilty. We are always tired from the daily activities, that we also fail to show/tell our husbands that we still love them. You feel like he doesn't show you his love like he once did, so why should you return the feeling? Maybe you just need to think about it a little more. Maybe he does show you that he still loves you, just not in the way you think. I bet if you really think about it, you will realize it, too. I started noticing a few things from my husband lately that I thought I would jot down. Things that make me feel loved by him. As I became aware of these actions, it started making me feel special to him again. It has brought about a new appreciation/love for him. Here is what I came up with...

I KNOW HE LOVES ME

I know he loves me when...he opens doors for me and lets me enter ahead of him.

I know he loves me when...I grab his hand and he gently squeezes it.

I know he loves me when...he scolds the kids for "talking back" to me.

I know he loves me when...he calls me from work to tell me he's having a bad day.

I know he loves me when...he calls me from work to tell me he's having a good day or something good has happened to him.

I know he loves me when...I have been gone running errands a little too long, and he calls to

check on me.
I know he loves me when...he always wants me to go along with him when he runs the errands.
I know he loves me when...he passes by me and always reaches out to touch me.
I know he loves me when...I am riding on the motorcycle with him and he reaches back and squeezes my leg.
I know he loves me when...he brings in the heavy bags from the grocery store & I bring in the bread.
I know he loves me when...I turn over when we are asleep, and he rolls over, too, just to put his arm around me...even though he's still asleep.
I know he loves me when...he wants me to stop doing housework and lie on the couch with him to just watch television.
I know he loves me when...he takes me to the movies to see "New Moon" even though I know that he doesn't really care to see it!
I know he loves me when...he always wants me to go to bed when he does because, according to him, he sleeps better when I am there beside him. <3

Notice how none of this involves gifts or money. They are simple actions performed with love. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor. There are many other ways to show your love for one another.

So, what realizations have you come to that let you know that your husband still loves you? Please comment below. I can't wait to hear your responses!

I'm So Ready For This!!

2011-02-10T21:43:00.000-06:00

I'm SO ready to see these beauties springing up everywhere!!

Millie and Daddy Come To Visit: A True Story

2011-01-16T22:41:00.002-06:00

On Sunday, Millie and her daddy, Justin, came for a visit to Granda & Poppa's house. Millie played with the miniature Radio Flyer wagon and Peachy Bear that Pops Ray sent over. I'm sure Millie's MawMaw Patsy was looking down from Heaven as her great granddaughter played with the little wagon and bear that had been stored away in MawMaw's closet for so long.

Millie sat in the little red chair that her great granddaddy, Jerry, painted for her. She liked to stand in it, but Granda & Poppa were afraid that she would fall and get hurt. They had to watch her very closely.

Millie looked at books while sitting in her little red chair. The Little Mermaid is one of her favorites.

Millie took a break from playing to sit with Uncle Chase and have some juice.

Later, Daddy returned from practicing with his band. He fed Millie some cereal.

Millie got caught putting Cheerios in Poppa's boot! I wonder if Poppa will remember before he puts them on tomorrow!

Daddy tickled Millie, and she laughed and laughed. Her Daddy loves her so much.

Millie got Poppa's cell phone. Maybe she was trying to call her mommy. Mommy was ready for Millie and her daddy to come home. She missed them very much.

Millie and Daddy went back home to get started on another week. Hopefully they will be back to visit Granda, Poppa, Uncle Chase and Uncle Jordan very very soon.

I've Been Busy Today!

2011-01-15T23:23:00.001-06:00

I finally got around to some of the little projects that I have been wanting to do. I got my dining room decorated. I still have a little bit of clutter to get rid of, but it looks 100% better. The best way to explain it is just to show you some before and after pictures.

BEFORE:

This is what my dining room window looked like. Yes, that's a smoke detector right there smack dab in the middle. I had taken it down when I painted my walls, and the only nail was right there. I knew I would get it put back in it's proper place, eventually.

AFTER:

Ahhh! Much better! I had had the curtain rod for awhile. It was just waiting on me to do something with it. And look! No more smoke detector! I replaced it with this cute little sign. Look closer...

BEFORE:

My mantle has been looking a bit skimpy since I took all the Christmas decorations down. It was seriously getting on my nerves. All the clutter around it is a bonus. ;)

AFTER:

I may do a little bit more to this, but I think it's a good start. The 2 small pics in the middle are my granddaughter, my son and his wife. I had gotten them printed in black and white, and I spray painted the thrift store frames black. I have more frames to spray paint, and I have more pictures to fill them with.

BEFORE:

This is a thrift store find. I loved the frame. The picture, which was just a page out of a magazine, was nicked. But, I bought it for the frame. It was $1.99.

This is what was on the back of the picture. It was helping to hold the picture in. It's an old 1966 Southern Bell telephone book cover. Pretty neat, don't you think? Well, it had to go in order for the plans I had for it...

This wall doesn't look too bad. I actually just stuck this stuff up there until I could come up with something better. That's my bookpage wreath on the right. So, here's where the old frame comes into play...

AFTER:

I added a coat of spray paint to that frame & then I propped it up here with the rest of the items. Don't look too closely or you will see the dust on the shelf. o_o

Here's another view. I wanted to get a good shot of the bookpage wreath that I made in here somewhere! :)

BEFORE:

I'm bearing my soul when I show you my cluttered dining room table. Sadly, it looks like this more often than it doesn't! Those chairs are at just the perfect spot for hanging stuff! Does yours ever look like this? Tell the truth!

AFTER:

Ahhh! Much better! Yep, there's still stuff hanging on the chairs, but I'll get that cleared away, eventually. I pulled out my $4 thrift store table cloth. I had to iron it because it was recently washed. I folded over another thrift store find: the toile fabric. I added the thrift store place mats that have been stored away for a couple of years just waiting on the perfect time.

The tablecloth was a little too long, so I tied up each corner with some pretty green ribbon.

The centerpiece consists of a Dollar Tree tray, and some random vases with candles. I needed some "filler" for the candles, so I just used some rice. It was the long-cooking kind, so I was never gonna cook it, anyway! I think it turned out well!

Here's one more look. I'm loving all the changes. It acutally looks like a decent person lives here, now! :) Even my son commented that it was lookin' pretty nice. That's the best compliement I could've gotten.

Snowed In

2011-01-13T09:04:00.000-06:00

I've been snowed in since Monday. It's more icy roads keeping me in now. I did venture out on Tuesday to go to the bank, but I made hubby drive. The roads weren't too terribly bad as long as we rode in the tracks made by other vehicles. The real problem came when everything froze over that night. Temps have not gotten above freezing, so here I am. School has been closed down all week. I briefly thought about trying to go in and get some work done, but one of the other girls said that our parking lot was very dangerous. I decided to wait it out.

Today I plan to do some of those projects that have been sitting there just waiting for me to get around to. Of course, I have to get off of this computer first! I just haven't blogged in a few days, and I wanted to get a post out. There is plenty at home to keep me busy if I can just get my butt into gear! I have begun stripping paint off of my kitchen cabinets. I want to redo my kitchen, so hopefully I can get that done before I get tired of it and want to do something different! That's what happened with it up to this point. I was going to decorate it in a coffee theme, but somewhere along the way I just stopped. It's been in a state of unfinished paint & decor for quite awhile, and now I want to do something else. Yes, I'm sure I have A.D.D. As I've said before, I've diagnosed myself!

I have several craft projects that I want to do. My mind is in a million places! FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS! Once thing at a time. Just complete one thing. That's what I'm striving for.

So, I'm going to enjoy this unscheduled time off from work, and get some projects done. I'm feeling inspired today. Let's see if I can do something about it.

Beans in Noses

2011-01-07T21:54:00.000-06:00

I know. I've seriously been lacking in the blogger interesting posts category. It seems I've lost my blogger mojo. I knew it. But I pressed on with my boring blog posts. I'm working on getting my mojo back. So let's try this...

While having lunch with my co-workers today, I thought, "I could write about the funny stories we tell around our lunch table." So, it just so happened that the topic of our conversation today turned to kids sticking stuff up their noses & then having to go to the emergency room. We had a neighbor's kid who stuck a rock up his nose one time. Someone told about sticking beans up their nose. "Oh look! I have a bean. I wonder if it will fit up my nose... Uh oh! Oh no! I can't get it out! Mom!!!" There is no telling how many emergency room visits each year are from foreign objects being stuck up a kid's nose!

We then got to talking about the TV show My Strange Addiction. And while I failed to watch it when it came on, the ads for it showed a lady who eats Comet cleanser, and one who eats toilet paper. Well, the ladies at the lunch table admitted to eating bits of paper back during their school days. One lady said that she used to eat paste. You remember those little paste bottles with the stick? Someone even had had a college professor who had admitted to eating dirt...and liking it! It seems that there is a certain place in Alabama that she loves to pull over on the side of the road just to get a taste of that dirt! Leave it to a college professor! Most of them are a little strange, anyway. I interjected here how I had heard the saying, "Well, if he's eating dirt, then there must be something in there that he needs." (said in the voice of a little old lady) lol I can't say that I have eaten dirt willingly, maybe when I fell and accidentally gotten it in my mouth or something. Just enough to know that I didn't find it tasty! I do faintly remember making mudpies and barely touching the top and putting it to my mouth. After all, it was a pie. But, that's as far as it went! I didn't make it a regular meal. ;)

So, what's the strangest thing that you have eaten? Do you eat dirt? Do you find it tasty?! Have you ever stuck beans up your nose?

A Daily Musing

2011-01-03T22:36:00.001-06:00

Jordie made it in last night around 12:35 a.m. (technically this morning). It's so good to have him back home. He has a cold. He said that most of the band members ended up being sick. I guess that's what happens when you walk around Disneyland in the rain in cool temperatures. He was homesick. I figured that he would sleep all day today, but he got up at a decent hour. He's been chilling out at home. The dogs are glad to have him home, too. :)

I have one more day off before I have to go back to work. Ugh. I have really been enjoying my Christmas vacation! I guess it's time to get back into a normal routine. There's just so much to do around my house. I had to put my house projects off while all the Christmas stuff was up. I have done quite a bit of decluttering. I have lots of painting to do. I also need to do something with my bathroom and my kitchen. I just haven't figured it all out yet.

~A goal without a plan is just a wish.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

He's Almost Home!

2011-01-02T18:18:00.002-06:00

Six hours left until Jordan gets home from his California trip! Yay! He's been gone for a week! I know that he's homesick, and I'm ready for him to be home. He's such a good kid. I spoke to him today before he got to the airport. He sounded stuffed up. He said that he had lost his phone somewhere yesterday, probably on the bus when they went on the Hollywood tour. Maybe someone will find it and can figure out how to get it back to us. (It's dead.) I tried calling him last night, and it went straight to voicemail. Oh well, as long as I have my son back...that's all that counts.

I'm tracking his flight's status online right now. AirTran Flight #1941 is over Texas & heading into Oklahoma. It is 39,000 feet in the air and traveling at 617 mph. They are 902 miles from Atlanta where they will board buses to return to Albertville. He should be in around midnight!

Our chihuahua, Carnell, will be so excited, too. He LOVES Jordan. He mopes around the house when Jordan is gone, and he howls at night when everyone goes to bed. He usually sleeps with Jordan, but this week he has had to sleep with Chase. But, no doubt about it, Jordan is his pick of the whole ~~litter~~ family. He will be ecstatic when Jordan comes in tonight. Maybe I should record it on video. We'll see...if I can keep myself awake until then!

I'll leave now by wishing you a happy New Year! May it be all that you dream it will be.

HAPPY 2011!!!

Rose Parade! They did it!!

2011-01-01T17:52:00.000-06:00

Way to go, Albertville High School band...my alma mater. I think that my son is the 3rd tuba from the right. I'm so proud of them! A float broke down right in front of them, so they got more airtime than normal.

The Rose Parade is in Sight

2010-12-29T22:17:00.000-06:00

My youngest son, Jordan (a.k.a. Jordie), is in Los Angeles, California with the high school band. They will be marching in the Rose Parade on New Year's Day, so make sure you watch. Jordie will be in the middle of the tuba line with the Albertville High School Aggie Band. There's a funny story about that. Jordan actually plays bass guitar in the band, but he started out his band career playing alto saxophone, just like his older brother, Justin. The band directors took a liking to him and asked him if he would like to learn to play the bass guitar because they needed another player. So he plays bass guitar AND alto saxophone. He even plays the upright bass during concert season.

Since there is not much cause for a bass guitar in a parade, they asked Jordan to march tuba because they needed the tuba line to stretch all the way across the street in the Rose Parade. At first I thought that he was just going to carry the tuba, but then I saw some tuba sheet music lying on the table. I asked him if he was going to actually play it, and he said that he figured he might as well, that it would just be another instrument that he could play. I was so proud of him. He has complained a little about his shoulders hurting when he would come in after "conditioning" marching. You see, the Rose Parade is SIX MILES LONG!!!!! And that's just from the starting line. They will be lined up about half-way back. The band directors have been preparing the band member for the 6-mile trek. They should be on TV about 11:30 CST.

They flew out from Atlanta on Monday morning. They have visited the Santa Monica Pier, Knott's Berry Farm, and Disneyland. Tomorrow they will be performing their half-time show at Bandfest, to be held at one of the local colleges in Pasadena with 8 of the other bands in the parade. It is offered via streaming webcast, so I will get to watch them as they perform. It won't be the same as being there, but it will be close. Friday they are going to Universal Studios. Saturday is the big parade. And, Sunday night they should be home around midnight.

So I leave you now with a video of their half-time show from this past football season. Enjoy!

My Hoarding, ADD, OCD, Split Personality

2010-12-28T20:52:00.000-06:00

So, I dragged my butt into work this morning...in the freezing cold...snow still on the ground in places. I didn't really want to, but I needed to mail those checks that I ran when I went in last Monday. Being a 12-month employee in the school system has its perks...and downfalls, at times. We were given a list of all the holidays & days that school would be out for those holidays and were told that we needed to work 8 of those days or take it from our vacation days. I worked 3 of my days over Thanksgiving week, 1 day last Monday, and half a day today. I'm probably not going back in until I have to on January 5. It will be here soon enough, and who knows when I'll get another chance to be off for days at a time. I wanted to get those checks mailed so that I could enjoy the rest of my Christmas/New Year's break. I accomplished that task, thank you very much.

NOW...I plan to spend the rest of this week decluttering & organizing. It is something that really needs to be done before I go crazy. I can tell I have hoarding tendencies, yet I'm also a bit OCD when things are chaotic. It's an oxymoron working inside me...or maybe I just have a split personality. I think I have also developed adult ADD, as I have trouble focusing on the task at hand. There's just so much that needs to be done! I talk to myself, too. (Boy, I think I'm more screwed up than I realized!) Sometimes I have to tell myself to STOP and FOCUS!! Hey, it works. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

So now that I've diagnosed myself with a myriad of abnormalties, I'll leave you to your own introspection. You'll probably feel more normal than ever!

Christmas Afterthoughts

2010-12-27T15:37:00.000-06:00

I took down my Christmas tree today. I have most of the decorations all packed up. I still see a few things that I missed, but I needed a break. Taking all that stuff down is hard work! I didn't realize how badly my tree was dried out until I started taking off the lights and all the little green things were hitting the floor. I'll never get all of them up.

Growing up, I had always heard that it was bad luck to take your tree down until after New Year's Day. I began to research this to see when it started, and it appears that there is another old wives' tale out there that says that is is bad luck to leave it up until New Year's. Something about bringing the past into the new year with you, or somethng like that. So, either way, I decided I was in for it. I took it down because I'm ready to get back to normal. We had to rearrange the furniture just to find a place for the tree. So now, I can get back to my normal crafting and decorating.

Enough with all the boring stuff. On to the Christmas pictures:

This year we had a white Chrismas in Northeast Alabama! I remember that we had a white Christmas in 1989, but that was more of a dusting. This time it REALLY snowed!! It was so beautiful. Just perfect!!

Here's another view. These two pics were taken at my brother-in-law's house where we had our traditional Christmas Day breakfast.

Here is me with my little family (minus Justin, Chelsea & Millie, who would not be with us until later in the evening). That's Chase, Hubby Kevin, Moi, and Jordan.

So that covers one side of the family. More to come later...

The Birth of Jesus: A New Perspective

2010-12-24T22:13:00.005-06:00

Slow It Down, Please!!!

2010-12-21T20:28:00.006-06:00

It's all happening so fast!! Christmas is just 4 days away, and then 2 days after that Jordie will be on a plane with the band to Los Angeles, California. Slow it down! Why does time seem to fly the older we get? That's just weird. When I was a little girl, it seemed like Christmas would never come. Now, I can't slow it down. Wasn't it just last week that we took Millie trick-or-treating?! Wow. Amazing.

Oh, how I wish I were going to California! But, the expense was just too much. I probably could have swung it if it were just me. But, I couldn't go and leave the rest of my family behind. Actually, we did good just to get Jordan paid up to go. He came home with a $200 check from the band today for spending money. Not too shabby! Most of their stuff is included in the price of the trip, but it is always good to have some spending money. I already miss him, and he hasn't even left yet. The airplane ride kinda scares me. He's never flown. I have flown twice; once TO Californian, and then BACK home. It was pretty awesome. I think he will love it. I just pray that all goes well with the flights. He is gonna have so much fun. They are going to Universal Studios, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Santa Monica Pier, and several other places. Then the big event will be marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day. They will also be performing in Band Fest. All the bands in the parade will be performing their half-time show for each other. Our band has been practicing diligently for this performance. I found out last week that there will be an opportunity for us to view Band Fest via live stream on our computer for a small fee. That will be nice.

I'm so proud of our band. They are part of what makes my city so awesome. I'm proud to say that I was once a part of that band, and two of my sons have gone on to perform in that band. Now, if I can just get Jordan to try out for drum major next year...

Here they are. Be sure to watch all the way to the end. It's the best part.

WAY TO GO, AUBURN TIGERS!!!!

2010-12-05T19:15:00.000-06:00

2010 SEC CHAMPIONS!!

WAR EAGLE!!

2010-12-03T18:55:00.000-06:00

Dear Blog,
There's a big football game coming up tomorrow. We are big Auburn fans in my family. Tomorrow is the SEC championship game between Auburn and South Carolina. I'm a bit nervous. It's going to be a tough game. Auburn has so much to gain if they can pull this one off. "We" will get to go play for the national championship. Auburn really needs that because they never get the respect that they deserve. And, all this trash talk about Cam Newton is about to get on my last nerve. He has been such a trooper through all the allegations; holding his head high, and smiling that big beautiful smile. Fans of other teams mistake that for cockiness. But, he is one class act, in my book.

My family was fortunate enough to attend an Auburn game this year. Later that weekend we found out that a boy from the city next to us was killed in a car accident on the way back from that game. Someone in the family emailed Gene Chizik and Cam Newton to let them know of this terrible tragedy and how big of a fan this young boy was. This family member told them of one of the last texts that this boy had sent. It said something like, "Just touched Gene Chizik's hand at Tiger Walk. I'll never wash it again." And did you know, both Cam Newton and Gene Chizik replied back to that family member with such kind caring words? Someone from Auburn athletics came to represent Auburn at the boy's funeral. These are the stories that you don't hear about. These are the stories that show you what type of person that someone truly is.

How awesome that a quarterback like Cam can come out at Bryant Denney Stadium to a hostile crowd, amidst all the allegations surrounding him, against vendors selling "SCAM Newton" t-shirts, against a University of Alabama employee playing "Take the Money and Run" and "Son of a Preacher Man" over the loud speaker, against members of Alabama's student section throwing made-up money with his picture on it at him, and Cam shuts them up by bringing his team back from a 24-0 deficit to win the game. "AU"SOME, I say. But, of course, I am an Auburn fan, and I would see it that way. But, the NCAA ruled that Cam is & has been eligible to play. So, I hope he can lead his team to victory during the SEC championship AND the national championship.

WAR EAGLE!!!

Warning! This Post Contains Cute Baby Pics!

2010-11-27T19:42:00.000-06:00

Wow, so much has happened over the last month that I've been a bit overwhelmed with the thoughts of blogging about them all. But today I have a little time on my hands, so I thought I'd catch you up on my granddaughter, Millie.
Let's start with Halloween. Justin and Chelsea brought Millie to Albertville to trick-or-treat because there is nothing but corn fields in Fackler, Alabama! I'm so glad that I got to go with them on her first Halloween. Of course, she had no idea what was going on, but Justin strolled the little pirate around, nonetheless. We went to a neighborhood that really had it going on. One house had a makeshift graveyard in their front yard. There were also a few "characters" walking around taking pictures with the kiddoes. Justin was amazed, and I made his picture with a very tall skeleton man. The whole neighborhood was crowded with trick-or-treaters. But, of course, we had the cutest one of all.

Granda started the Halloween festivities out by giving Millie a mummy sucker.

Is this NOT the cutest thing you've ever seen?! I LOVE this baby!

Awwww, my son, Justin, with his little girl.

Trick or Treat!!!!

The little family

Justin with the skeleton man

We finished up Halloween, and on November 10, Millie had her first birthday! Time has flown by so fast! The following Saturday, I had a little birthday party for her. By this time, she was walking all over the place! What a difference a couple of weeks make, because she was hardly walking on Halloween. Anyway, she loved playing with the balloons more than anything that she got. She would walk around with one in her mouth while holding two more. She's such a Silly Millie.

Granda bought her this cute little outfit.

So, that's about it, for now. I know that you wouldn't be able to stand it if I posted more cute pics of this baby, right now. I mean, you might overdose on cuteness. Can you tell that I'm a proud granda? ;)

What Triggers A Memory?

2010-11-15T22:54:00.002-06:00

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. ~From the television show The Wonder Years

God gave us memories that we might have roses in December. ~J.M. Barrie, Courage, 1922

I've been doing a lot of reminiscing today and even over the weekend. I wonder if it's just the time of the year that brings back these memories. I've come upon 2 instances today where other people are reminiscing, too. My best friend from middle & high school texted me today & it said this:

"You know what I have been craving lately? And, I don't even know if they make it anymore. It's some of that Pizza Quick you put on loaf bread. I remember me and you used to eat it all the time, especially when we would come home from the skating rink."

I replied:

"They DO still make it! But get thicker bread, like barbeque bread. We also use to eat Swiss Rolls & also cake frosting out of the tub. I still do! Yum!"

Those were good times. These days she and I can't get away with many Swiss Rolls (Little Debbie) or cake frosting straight from the can. But we can splurge occasionally. It's funny how certain actions that we do trigger memories. Like, when I cook pancakes, I always think about my best friend from when I lived in Georgia. Her mom use to make pancakes for us when I would spend the night with her. Her mom is gone from this life now. I haven't seen my childhood friend in many many years. (We have reunited on Facebook!) But, it never fails that I always go back to that time when I cook pancakes.

I know there are other mundane tasks that I do that trigger these memories, although my forgetful mind cannot think of them at this moment. But, when they happen, I just smile. It's nice to go back to some of these memories and cherish them.

The thought of Thanksgiving coming up has me thinking back to dinners at my mother/father-in-law's home. She loved to cook a feast for her family. She passed away suddenly a couple of years ago. The holidays have not been the same without her. I miss her dearly.
While checking my Facebook there was a post for Ree Drummond a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman. (If you don't follow her blog, you really should.) She posted this on Facebook:

"Here's a tip: While you're doing dishes on a Monday evening, never hum old-time hymns and think of your grandmother at the same time."

This set off a flurry of comments and memories from her friends and followers, such as:

" Aw! I just canned chow chow relish and thought of my great aunt and her cranberry bogs and blue berry bushes the whole time!"

"I know it's not the same, but I cry when I go into Home Depot, and think of my daddy."

"I get sad when I make Peach cobbler. My Great Aunt, taught me how to make it. First time up at our Cabin, now for the last 8 1/2 yrs I always think of her."

"Must be a day for grandmother memory moments. Mine were while hanging sheets on the line."

"The year my dad died, as I was making strawberry jam and listening to the radio late one night several months later, one of his favorite hymns came on...and I just about couldn't finish the jam I was making for the tears....tears of memories...tears of missing him...tears of joy he was no longer sick..."

"My Cuban grandma taught me how to make black beans and rice.. I can still hear her voice when I cook them. .. and I couldn't understand a word she said. ;) but still I learned. Hope I will be a memorable Grandma someday. thanks for reminding me of her."

"Must be something to do with the holidays coming. I had one of those moments yesterday. "

Yes, it must. We all need a good cry every now and then. My husband and I, along with 2 of our sons now live in the house that his mom and dad lived in when I met him. I have her picture on the fridge with one of her magnets which reads, "In my Father's house are many mansions. I hope yours is next to mine." I do, too. :')

What brings back memories for you?

Frugal Crafty Christmas Decor

2010-11-13T21:42:00.001-06:00

I recently took a trip to The Dollar Tree. Everything there is $1. They have some neat stuff in there, and they have lots of Christmas decor. They even have a small section of crafts. It just so happens that I was browsing through a local floral/home decor store and I found some Christmas gift bags on sale. The bags were very beautiful. I bought some that were 79 cents each, and I bouth some smaller ones for 49 cents each. Their regular price was much higher. My mind got to thinking of other ways to use these bags other than to deliver gifts. What if I cut out the picture on the bag and framed it? It could work. So then I went to The Dollar Tree and I found even more gift bags that would make good pictures. I also found some unfinished frames to put my new "pictures" in. Now, wanna see what I did & how it turned out? Okay, here goes...

I took this gift bag:

And this frame:

I used the glass from the frame to cut out the picture:

I painted the frame with acrylic paint:

Then I put it together:

It needed something more:

Here's the finished product!

I also made a smaller one with a Christmas card that I had leftover from a past year:

The frames for $1 each.

The gift bag was $1. (And, it still has another side for another picture.)

I already had the acrylic paint.

The 3-pk glitter paint was $1.

The Christmas card was free.

See, it doesn't have to take a lot of money to decorate for Christmas. I can't wait to come up with some more frugal decor!

I've linked up to Hope Studios' Tutorial Tuesday. Go visit for more great ideas that you can try!

Gettin' My Christmas Inspiration On

2010-11-07T10:39:00.002-06:00

I don't know how it happened. I'm one of those people who have always been adamant about waiting until after Thanksgiving to start thinking about Christmas. Maybe it's the cold weather that has moved in this past week. Maybe it was my going to the Trees n Trends Christmas bazaar yesterday. But, I am SO ready to start decorating and shopping for Christmas! I don't want to shortchange Thanksgiving. I LOVE that holiday because it is a time for your family to get together just to celebrate what we are all thankful for, without any expectations. But, the Christmas bug has already bit me, and I am starting to get really excited! I have even already started to buy a few gifts. Imagine that! Me, little miss wait-'til-the-last-minute to buy everything, and then scramble around to get it all wrapped before Christmas morning. Just last week my boys asked me if I wanted to listen to Christmas music. I responded with a resounding NO!! IT'S NOT TIME!!! But this week my perspective has changed completely. I've begun to reason with myself about how that maybe the reason I am always behind at Christmas is because I don't get started early enough. Sounds logical, right? EXACTLY!! SEE?!! I told ya.

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the lovely Christmas arrangements & decorating ideas that were presented at the Chrismas decor presentation yesterday. What I'm going to try to do is study these pictures, and then figure out how to do it cheaper. That's my thing. I love being thrifty, yet stylish. So here are the pictures. Enjoy the Christmas eye candy.

Sorry that this one is a bit fuzzy, but you can get the idea. They showed us how to add the ribbon to the garland. See that "tree?" It is actually what they call a "teardrop" turned upside down & hung from a hook to make a tree. This would be good for a wall in your home or office.

Again, this is fuzzy. (It gets better.) This was a regular crafty giftbox that has lights inside. It had a boring bow. She cut off the boring bow & added her own, along with some branches & bling.

This section of the store was decorated sooo beautifully. In the upper right hand corner you will see plain bare branches strung with silver icicles/tinsel. Beautiful!!

This is just a random pic that I took.

This is a beautiful piece that she showed us how to make with 3 berry stems & foliage.

This is cute and should be easy to make.

So CUTE!!!

I love the peppermint look of this.

One of my favs.

Another favorite

I love how they decorated a picture with a garland.

This caught my eye because it is our high school's colors.

I love the playfulness of this.

An elegant mantle

A traditional room

I'm in love with the lime green decorations.

Another beauty

Pretty red, cream & white decor. I love the presents stacked on top of each other. Who's that in the mirror, I wonder? ;)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

2010-10-31T09:51:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

What's Been Going On in my Groovy Life

2010-10-30T13:20:00.002-05:00

This is an update post to let you know what has been going on in my "groovy life."

Well, last Tuesday we had tornadoes all around us!

I took this picture from my driveway. Scary stuff considering what happened to us last April...

But, we made it through okay this time. It was an eerie feeling hearing those tornado sirens sounding again.

Next, we had Rock Star Day at my school as part of Red Ribbon (Don't Do Drugs) week...

Kiss was there.

Slash was there.

Hannah Montana showed up.

And, I posed as a goth rock star.

Yesterday, I took off work with the thought of cleaning house and doing some "projects" around the house. But, my mom called to see if I wanted to go to Gadsden with her. She wanted to go to J.C. Penney. So, I reluctantly agreed. We had a good time. It was nice spending some time with my mom. I hardly had to talk on the way there because she had that covered! I thought it was funny that she kept looking for a massage chair at the mall. She's silly sometimes.

Then, last night Justin, Chelsea, and Millie came to go to the ballgame. It was pretty cold, so we left after half time. Millie was getting fussy, and then she feel asleep.

Tonight Millie is coming to my house, and we are all going trick-or-treating! She is going to be a pirate. I can't wait to experience her first Halloween with her. Justin & Chelsea are going to a party, afterward, where Justin's band is also playing. Guess who gets to keep Millie?!!!! :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Happy Halloween from My Family To Yours!

2010-10-24T23:27:00.000-05:00

Enjoy!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

The Best Halloween Card Ever

2010-10-21T21:58:00.000-05:00

Click HERE.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Then vs. Now: Some Things Change; Some Things Remain The Same

2010-10-08T22:46:00.000-05:00

So, I thought it would be interesting to go back to last year's post around this time and see what was going on in my life a year ago. I had posted it on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009. Let's compare then to now:

Then: My husband had been going through a tough mental breakdown. We were so frustrated that we couldn't find someone to help him. We had an appointment with the local mental health center.

Now: He has been going to the mental health center regularly since then. He is on 3 types of medication. This medication has affected his personality in that he doesn't cut up with people like he once did. I miss that part of him, but I am glad that his mood stays pretty much the same instead of up and down. He was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Last week he ran out of one of his meds, and I didn't realize it for about 3 days. I quickly went and got them refilled, but I think I am seeing the effects right now because he has been complaining a lot. Hopefully, he will be better in a day or so. He hurt his back a couple of weeks ago, and he missed some work. He's back to work now, but he says that his back is still hurting. He is not happy with his job. I hope most of this is more to do with the mental aspect of it and hoping that it works out...like I said above, in a day or two.
___

Then: Justin had lost his temp job, and he had a baby on the way, due towards the end of November.

Now: A couple of months ago, Justin FINALLY got a full-time job that he can live with! Chelsea has gone back to school at night, and she has quit her Ruby Tuesday job. My precious granddaughter was born a little early, November 10, due to Chelsea's blood pressure being too high. Millie is even sweeter than I could ever have imagined. They still live in Scottsboro, but I get to see them about once a week.
___

Then: It was homecoming week & Albertville was gearing up to play Ft. Payne. My boys did not have dates to homecoming, which was fine with me.

Now: I just got in from another game against Ft. Payne. They beat us 49-18. It wasn't homecoming. That comes up next week. So far, I don't have to worry about buying a corsage for a date, either.
___

So, that's the update. Some things have changed, but some things remain the same. Very interesting.

Millie Pics!

2010-10-06T21:16:00.001-05:00

I haven't updated on my precious granddaughter lately, so I thought I'd share some pics of Millie Jayne. She will be 1 year old on November 10! Wow! This year has gone by so fast. She's now taking a few steps. She also says, "Wittle Wittle baaaayby" and "Daaaaady" and "Poppa". I haven't heard "Granda" yet, but I'm still trying to teach her. I'm also trying to teach her "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar Eagle, Hey!" Gotta train her right, ya know. :) So, without further adieu, I present Amelia Jayne Rowell:

Summer Does Not Want To Give Up

2010-09-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

Well, we FINALLY made it to fall. The weather here still feels like summer, with daily highs still in the 90's. The days are definitely getting shorter, though. It is dark when I get up in the mornings. I hate trying to get woke up when it seems like it is not even morning yet! And then, it is also getting darker earlier. I'm really not the outdoorsy type, so the evening don't bother me as much.

I have been looking up easy fall centerpieces online. I will be attending a school office personnel meeting in November, and another co-worker and I are decorating a table...which will also be a door prize. There are some very clever centerpieces out there. I have enjoyed looking at all the fall decor and crafts that everyone in blogland seems to be doing. I have been itching to get out my fall decorations, but I was afraid that people would think I was crazy since Summer is not ready to give up! But now, since it is "officially" fall, I dug around in my closet & pulled out the box of fall decor. I have some new items since I scored some really good clearance deals at the end of the season last year. I love opening up my decorations & having this new stuff that I don't have to now go out and buy at full price. It's a little like Christmas. I really shouldn't have said that, because THAT holiday will be here before we know it!

I wonder if summer will have given up by then!

Do You Ever Wonder?

2010-09-12T12:19:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have a totally different life? A life in another place, another part of the country? I do. I wonder what it would be like to be an single executive in New York City. To walk from my NY apartment to an office in a high-rise building. And on my walk to be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city. People in a hurry to get to where they're going. The roar and hum of the traffic all around me.

Go to my office and do whatever fabulous job that I would do. Get off at 5. Walk home, but on my way home, stop by a shop and pick up dinner for the evening. Hang out in my apartment, maybe watching a little t.v. while having my dinner. All alone. To get up the next day and do it all over again. To have the world by the tail with endless possibilities. Maybe go to a Broadway show on the weekend because it's right across town. So many choices. So much excitement.

What if our lives were different? We wouldn't know it because we started it out that way. But in hindsight, don't you ever wonder?

Don't get me wrong. I love my life. Some things are similar to the other life that I wonder about. I go to work, come home everyday, have dinner. I come home to a house with laundry, dishes, sweeping, and mopping that needs to be done.

(I'm sure all this would be done for me in my other life!) But, I also come home to a husband and two sons that love me. On the weekends I look forward to having my other son with his wife & my granddaughter to come visit me. I look forward to hometown football games where I know a majority of the people there, because we live in a close-knit town where our kids have grown up playing ball together.

I look forward to going out to eat with close friends, occasionally. I wouldn't trade my life now for anything else. But, what if things had started out differently?

But I also wonder....does that NYC executive ever wonder how her life could be different? Calmer, slower, filled with a family that she loves and that loves her in return?

I wonder...

Bridge Street: The Rodeo Drive of Huntsville

2010-09-07T22:23:00.001-05:00

I had a nice Labor Day yesterday. We had spent most of the weekend at home because my husband was on call. But, on Monday he was free! I had heard great things about Bridge Street in Huntsville, so what a better day to go check it out. Just he and I set out for Huntsville. We hadn't been anywhere together alone in awhile. It was a nice getaway. When we got there we saw this.

That is a very nice Barnes & Noble you see. The place looked promising. So we parked and walked down outside the shops. We saw these kids playing in the sprinklers while their parents watched.

They were laughing and having a good time. We walked into a few shops, but it wasn't long before I realized that we were way out of our league on this Bridge Street thing. While the kitchen store was more my speed, the rest of the shops were for people that have money to spend. Let me rephrase that...LOTS of money to spend. I likened it to the Rodeo Drive of Huntsville. In the Lucky Brand store, a pair of jeans was $129!! WHO pays THAT?!! I found a pair of Lucky jeans for my son one time at Factory Connection for about $40, if I remember correctly. I just don't understand how someone could pay such a high price for something that you could get somewhere else for much less. I guess it's the bargain shopper in me. Or, some people have more money than they know what to do with. I doubt I'll ever know that feeling. But anyway, I got off on a tangent, there. Sorry. Now, back to the day. Here are a few pictures I took of why I think that it's called Bridge Street.

I did enjoy the atmosphere. There was a band setting up to play. It made me wish that we had waited just a while so that we could enjoy them. There was such lovely scenery.

And one last shop that we went in was a fine wine and cigar shop.

Which put me in the mood for this...

We traveled over to Lone Star steak house and had lunch. The drink above cost as much as my entree. But, it was worth it. See, I have better things to spend my money on than a $129 pair of jeans! A girl has to have her priorites right, after all. ;)

A Hint of Fall in the Air

2010-09-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

It's been a lazy day. I have hardly done anything. I did manage to straighten the back deck, plug up the mini-fridge back there, and hook up the stereo. Later I found Jordan and Chase sitting out there listening to music. I decided to go out and join them awhile. You could feel Fall in the air. It was nice. Chase got some sticks and wood and built a fire. I had forgotten how much I love Autumn. Although it is still technically Summer, there are hints of Fall all around us. I love when the leaves begin changing colors. I love Fall decorations, scarecrows, wreaths, hay bales, football, and Halloween. Millie came down yesterday, along with her mom and dad, of course, and I thought about how she will get to go trick-or-treating this year. She will probably have no idea what is going on, but I can't wait to see what little costume she wears. She is just the cutest little thing! She is almost 10 months old now. Wow. Time flies.

A Nice Weekend

2010-08-29T10:51:00.000-05:00

I've had a nice, lazy weekend. It's Sunday morning, and I haven't gone anywhere since Friday night. I usually like to go thrift-store shopping or yard sale-ing on Saturday morning, but I'm broke right now. Payday is Tuesday, the last day of the month. That's the bad thing about working in the school system. We only get paid once a month (last working day of the month). It's kinda good in that I can get a lot of bills paid out of one check instead of having to save from one week to the next. We are still basically at the point where we live paycheck-to-paycheck. I hate it, but we are terrible at saving money. Anyway, I went to the football game Friday night. The Aggies won big! While it was a bit strange watching another kid wear #11 jersey, it wasn't so bad. The Aggie band put on a great half-time show. Jordie played bass guitar on the sideline...or "the pit" as they refer to it. Their show is not complete yet. It takes a couple of games before they add the closer. It is sure to please. They are gearing up to go to California at the end of the year for the Tournament of Roses parade. I wish we were going, but our finances are not to where they can withstand the $1650 per person price tag. Jordan will have a blast, though. He's such a good kid. I'm trying to talk him into trying out for drum major next year, his senior year. I think he would be awesome. Justin has begun to put a bug in his ear, also. Justin also put a bug in Mr. Lindley's (the band director) ear Friday night. So, we shall see what becomes of it next year. And now, I will leave you with a video I recorded of the band's show Friday night. If you look closely on the sideline, you will see my baby playing his 5-string bass. Enjoy!

High School Football Won't Be The Same This Year

2010-08-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night kicks off high school football season around here. I can already tell that it is going to be different for me. See, my son Chase graduated last year. This will be the first time in 7 years that I haven't seen him out there on the field playing football. Tomorrow night, Chase will be up there sitting with us or running around with some of his friends at the game. But, he won't be out there on that field. I loved to watch him play. Many times you could find him standing on the sideline "dancing" (if that's what you call it) when the band played from the stands.

All is not lost, though. Jordan is a junior this year. He plays bass guitar in the band. So, I will look forward to the half-time show. I always did, anyway. I am a former band member, myself. I was on the danceline. That time in band was some of the greatest times in high school. The band holds a special place in my heart. But, the game will be a little different this year. I still know a lot of the boys on the team, so it will be great watching them. Many of them are friends of Jordan's and have spent some time in my home. So, I'll cheer for them and the Aggies, my alma mater. It will just be from a different perspective. Life goes on. Nobody said it would be easy.

GO AGGIES!!!

Bristol Bound!

2010-08-16T22:15:00.001-05:00

If I make it through this week, we are heading to Tennessee Friday evening. We will be attending the race at Bristol on Saturday night! We've been to Bristol before, a few years ago...when we really kept up with NASCAR. It's been quite some time since we've sat and watched a whole race on television. I don't even know who to pull for anymore. I used to be a Jeff Gordon fan. I know some of you will cringe at that, but I loved him! I think I'll just pull for Dale, Jr. now. I know he's not on a winning streak or anything, but I just think he's cool. We had to ask permission for Jordan to be excused from going with the high school band selling stuff for their Rose Parade trip on Saturday, and the band director said it would be okay, if we would cheer for Denny Hamlin. I told him that we would do a special cheer just for him. I don't know anything about Denny Hamlin, so what could it hurt, right?
So, even though we haven't been keeping up with it, I hope the race is exciting. Jordan and Chase have never been to a race, so I think they will enjoy it. The reason we are going is that Kevin's boss gave him 8 tickets. Just flat out gave them to him. So, it's going to be us 4, Kevin's sister/brother-in-law, Kevin's brother & his son. With all these people, how can we NOT have fun?!

Justin Family Update: Good News!!

2010-08-15T20:38:00.000-05:00

Justin is working!! It's a miracle! Right now he is working through a staffing agency at a factory that makes industrial plastic playground equipment. The staffing agency said that it could develop into a permanent position. But, today Justin called to tell me that he has a real live interview at another factory on Tuesday. He is supposed to work that day, so he asked me what he should do. I told him to call the staffing agency on his lunch tomorrow so that they could make arrangements for him to make his interview. Yay! Things are looking up. But, why is it that you can go for months and months without a job lead, and then you have two at the same time?!! Crazy! (But in a good way!)

Chelsea is still working at Ruby Tuesday. She is about to begin attending college again. That's about all that I know about her...except that she's extremely happy that Justin is working now.

Millie, sweet Millie. She is jabbering, crawling, pulling up, and Justin told me that she can stand alone now. She will be walking before we know it! She is 9 months old now, and Justin started walking at 9 months.
Here's a video that will make you laugh...

Have a great week!

Overwhelmed

2010-08-11T20:03:00.000-05:00

I am overwhelmed. I am beginning to doubt that I can keep up with all the work that goes along with my job. I don't know if it's just because it's the beginning of the school year, and things are just happening all at once, or if it's going to be this way for the rest of the year. I hope not! Today was the first day of school. The last two days have really taken a toll on me. I didn't sleep well last night. My brain kept processing all the forms, rules, and regulations that I must follow in order to do everything, correctly. Is it too much for one person. Probably. Do I try to stay upbeat and tell myself that I can do it? Yes. But, then I get in the thick of it, and I get so frustrated because it's not going as well as my mind tells me it should. Maybe it's time to step back and admit to myself that I can't possibly do it the way it is supposed to be done. I just don't know. Maybe I'm just tired today. My brain is fried. I plan to get a good night's sleep tonight. Hopefully, things will look better tomorrow.

Beginning to Stress

2010-08-03T23:13:00.000-05:00

Teachers come back this Thursday. Students come back August 11!! ARGHHHHHH!!

WHERE DID THE SUMMER GO?!!!

Carpe Diem

2010-07-28T21:56:00.000-05:00

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

Do you run through each day on the fly?

When you ask 'How are you?'

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.'

And in your haste, not see her sorrow?

Ever lost touch?

Let a good friendship die?

Just call to say 'Hi'?

When you worry and hurry through your day,

it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away....

Life is not a race. Take it slower.

Hear the music before the song is over.

~Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!

Six Flags or Bust!

2010-07-23T21:14:00.010-05:00

Last Friday we took a trip to Six Flags Over Georgia. We had a great time...but, it WAS SO HOT!!! I am not one to complain about the heat. I am a summer person. But, when I have to be out in it all day, THAT'S a different story. I survived without having a heat stroke! (It's a wonder.)

We decided to ride all of the roller coasters first. I had made a pact the last time I visited Six Flags that I would NEVER ride the Ninja again. It wasn't because it was scary. It was because it jerked my body so much, and the seats were uncomfortable when you have a big butt and big hips like mine! So, that is the only coaster that I declined. I did add another coaster to the "do not ride ever again" list. The Great American Scream Machine. These older coasters were obviously designed for skinny butts! I could not concentrate on the ride because it was so dadgum uncomfortable. I'm sure I stil have bumps and bruises!

My absolute favorite ride was The Goliath. 20 stories high with speeds of 70 mph. It was smooth, just like I like it. My body fit into the seat just right. It was scary, too. Several times, I arose out of my seat during the zero gravity & floating drops. I kept hoping that that bulky triangle thing that locked me in would not give away. If so, I would've gone flying over Atlanta.

My second favorite ride was The Superman. You sit down. (Another comfortable ride) Get fully strapped & locked in. (Always a plus) And, then they flip you over to where you are facing the ground. Then you take off as if you are flying. It was awesome! So fun! I love roller coasters...at least the comfortable smooth ones.

So, after we made it through all the roller coasters, there was one more ride that I wanted to do. The Monster Mansion, formerly The Monster Plantation. I have ridden through it many times in the past. Chase and Jordan boarded the boat in front. Kevin & I were in the middle. And, a lady with her two small kids sat behind us. Can I just say that The Monster Plantation is not necessarily kid-friendly? When your boat takes the "wrong turn", as according to the sheriff monster, you are greeted with darkness, eerie sounds, and red eyes. Those two little kids behind us were terrified. My two teenage boys were making comments like they were scared, just trying to be funny. But, let me tell you, right before we exited the tunnel, red-eyes glowed out of a huge mouth we were entering, and a loud air horn blasted my boys almost out of their seats! It was the funniest thing! They cracked Kevin & me up, as well as the lady behind us with the 2 terrified kiddoes. I thought, out of all those roller coasters, who would've thought that The Monster Plantation would have been the scariest ride?

We had a wonderful time...aside from the unbearable heat. I highly suggest a trip to Six Flags if you never been.

Short and Sweet

2010-07-19T21:53:00.000-05:00

I've been out of the blogging loop a little bit, lately. We are having computer issues around our house, and we are down to my one laptop, which isn't doing too well, itself. So, my time online is limited. That's my excuse. I have to pry my laptop away from my boys whenever I need it. So, I thought I'd do a little list to get you caught up on the happenings with my family.

Me: Dreading the start of another school year, but ironically, looking forward to getting back into a routine. (Just gotta get caught up, first!)

Kevin: Doc upped his psych meds when he started sleeping too much & being tired all the time. He's feeling better now.

Justin: Still unemployed, but applying & looking. Still in Scottsboro. :(

Chase: Getting ready to start the next phase of his life: college. Going locally, so he will still be home. :)

Jordan: Getting ready to start 11th grade. Band camp starts this week.

Chelsea: Working at Ruby Tuesday. Registered to start back to college at Athens State.

Millie: Crawling, pulling up, & will surely be walking soon.

Events: Kevin, Chase, Jordan, and I went to Six Flags on Friday. It was fun, but dang! It was hot!

Seeing My Mother's Good Side

2010-07-10T21:56:00.000-05:00

I went with my mom to the nursing home today. She went to visit her sister, my aunt. Mom has been very worried about her sisters, lately. She has another sister who has been battling cancer for quite awhile, now. My mom doesn't do well with worry. When she's worried about something, she takes it out on those around her, and I am not immune to her snide remarks, at these times. I have learned to take it as it is and to realize what it's all really about. I've tried to tell her that there's only so much she can do about a situation and not to worry so much. But, she does. Her brothers & sisters are getting older, and she is having a hard time dealing with it. She has always been close to them. She has told me that she wished I would go with her sometime to visit them, so when she came by today, I didn't make excuses (like I usually do); I decided to go with her. After all, my mom won't be around forever. I know that. And, this would mean more to her than any other thing I could ever do for her.

When we walked into my aunt's room, mom asked her if she knew who I was. She mumbled something about me being someone's wife. Mom told her that it was Sandra. She just looked at me, not recognizing. I went over and sat in a chair while my mom proceeded to ask my aunt questions, to which she did not get the responses that she should have. My aunt kept talking about getting ready to go to church. I soon realized that, in her mind, she was back at home, probably on a Sunday morning, and trying to get her family ready for church. She kept talking about her shoes, and she asked my mom which dress she liked best. It was the saddest thing. It helped me to know that I never want to be in that situation. I never want to exist if I don't know what is going on around me. I know that I don't really have much control over it, but that's how I feel, at least.

It was very touching watching my mother caring for her sister, a worried look in her eyes. My mom has not always been the most loving mother in the world. As a matter of fact, she has been known to be gripey, most of the time. We have just tolerated it because she's always been this way. We know that she loves us. She just gets frustrated with things that she can't change, and, as I said before, she takes it out on the ones she loves. But today, I watched her rub lotion on my aunt's dry arms, with loving touches. I saw a side of my mother that is rarely seen. And, I am glad to have witnessed it. I hope that my mom never gets to the point to where her sister is. It's something that I really don't want to deal with, seeing my mom helpless, not knowing who I am. I know lots of people have had to deal with it, whether they wanted to or not. I just hope things work out better for my mother and me.

Cookouts, Ice Cream, & Fireworks

2010-07-05T22:31:00.000-05:00

We had a nice laid back holiday weekend. Thank you, framers of the Declaration of Independence, for enabling us to have a nice holiday to reflect on what it means to be free by having cookouts, making homemade ice cream, and just enjoying a nice summer day. By the way, why do southerners call it a "cookout" and others call it a "barbeque?" In Alabama, it would be totally weird to call someone up to invite them to your "barbeque". At least, it would be weird to hear that coming from me. It's a cookout, which means there is no telling what we will end of eating! Granted, it will be something along the lines of hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, or steak. We might not necessarily even use barbeque sauce. But most of the time we do. Throw in some tater salad & baked beans, and you pertneer have you a dadgum feast! Sorry, I got off on a tangent. 8)

We decided to have a family get together on Saturday night and just make homemade ice cream. Besides a few watermelons thrown in, it was as simple as that. It was nice. We didn't have to do a lot of planning, just to decide what kind of ice cream we were going to make, and go get the items to make it. We opted for peach & used a peach Nehi to make it. It turned out pretty well, but I am by no means an expert ice cream maker. Sadly, the whole family couldn't make it. Our town was having a small town celebration, and Bucky Covington and Restless Heart were putting on a concert right downtown, so they had gone to enjoy some good country music. We made our way back home, and around 10:40 p.m. the fireworks started. We live close to the area where they were shooting them, so all I had to do was walk outside to the neighbor's driveway, and I stood there and watched. It was awesome. I love fireworks.

Sunday we spend the day at home. We cooked out steaks. The boys asked for fireworks to shoot, so I took them to the local fireworks place, and we picked out $23 worth of fireworks. They had a good time shooting them that night.

So, the time is winding down, and it's back to work tomorrow. I've only got a month of quietness at work before it all starts up again. We've definitely had a shortened summer, thanks to all those tornado make-up days. So, I'm going to enjoy this next month. Plus, there's a trip to Six Flags in our future. More on that later...

Independence Day

2010-07-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

Never Forget

Ragged Old Flag
Johnny Cash

I walked through a county courthouse square,
On a park bench an old man was sitting there.
I said, "Your old courthouse is kinda run down."
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town."
I said, "Your flagpole has leaned a little bit,
And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it."

He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down.
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town?"
I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag,
But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag.

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing 'Oh Say Can You See.'
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packenham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams.

"And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag.

"On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II.
She hung limp and low by the time it was through.
She was in Korea and Vietnam.
She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.

"She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they've about quit waving her back here at home.
In her own good land she's been abused--
She's been burned, dishonored, denied, and refused.

"And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.
'Cause she's been through the fire before,
And I believe she can take a whole lot more.

"So we raise her up every morning,
Take her down every night.
We don't let her touch the ground,
And we fold her up right.
On second thought I do like to brag,
'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag."

The Sunflower After The Storm

2010-06-30T22:07:00.000-05:00

So, I was walking around in my backyard today. Chase had mowed back there, around a place that had been REALLY needing it, out on the other side of the shed. Then, I spotted it. Right there in all its glory. It had sprung up all on its own. Amidst all the remaining tornado destruction (from April 24) in the background, it was the rainbow after the storm. A facebook friend put it so perfectly:

"GOD's miracle, from a small seed in the path of destruction - Life, such beauty in one flower."

Thank you, God.

And, it made me happy.

Boredom and Procrastination

2010-06-27T14:51:00.000-05:00

So, I was sitting in the living room looking over the newspaper, and hubby was flipping through the television channels. Then he said those 2 magical words, "I'm bored."

Me: "What do you want to do?"

Him: "I don't know."

Me: "Well, you could do house stuff."

We have a few projects that are waiting on him to get ~~done~~ started on. Since the tornado on (ahem!) APRIL 24 (2 months ago!), we have had some vinyl siding that needs to be replaced. It seems someone's roofing shingles hit against our house and made tar marks in various places(the nerve of those people to not have their shingles tornado proof! ;) ). Plus, the root system from the tree that was uprooted scraped against our house as it was crashing to the ground. We have had the replacement siding lying out on our deck for a few weeks now. Just lying there. Waiting to be placed on the house...

And then there's our deck. It needs some boards replaced. This was not caused by the tornado, just the fact that it's old and should probably ALL be replaced, to tell the truth. Anyway, we have the boards for this, also. Just waiting..

Now, I've been known to procrastinate, myself. But, I came to the realization a couple of weeks ago that I can daydream all day about getting a project started or done, but unless I actually DO something about it, time is going to slip by, and it's never going to get done. So, I've tried to be better about getting started on things that I have been wanting to do. Now, if I can get that into my husband's hard head! So, I thought that his being bored would be a good opportunity for him to be productive. Do you know what he said?

"I don't want to work. I'm just bored."

Oh well. He has promised to get started on it later this week.

We'll see how THAT goes...

Who You Gonna Call?!

2010-06-22T22:06:00.002-05:00

The funniest thing I have seen in a long time! GHOSTBUSTERS!

2010-06-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

Father's Day is winding down. Hubby and I paid a visit to his dad's and to my dad's today.We are blessed to still have our fathers around. I had no idea what to get someone who doesn't really need anything, so I just made them some goodies. Rice Krispie treats & "boiled" (chocolate oatmeal) cookies did the trick. I also got my father-in-law a free collage print from Walgreens of his great granddaughter (my granddaughter), Millie.

Chase got my husband a video game, "Aerosmith: Rock Band" or Guitar Hero, I'm not sure which one. He also got him an Auburn road sign; however, I have no idea where he will put it! It certainly doesn't fit with any of the decor in our house! I guess he could attach it to the outside of our shed. We shall see.

Kevin's dad, taken Friday night

My dad, taken today. This is how you will usually find him when you drive up.

He's always tinkering with an old lawn mower or tiller.

Me and my daddy, taken today

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

An Alabama Wedding

2010-06-19T21:37:00.002-05:00

My niece got married last night! The wedding was held at Guntersville State Park. Although it was a bit hot & humid, it was a beautiful wedding. She was a beautiful bride. The only drawback to it was that is was "Alabama Crimson Tide" themed. This was a bit of a conflict for us because my family are Auburn Tiger fans. But, love for our niece and the new life that she is about to begin won out over any petty rivalry. Red and white shakers were given out before the wedding. We couldn't bring ourselves to even hold one of those! It was a bit ironic, and funny, that the bride's grandmother sported a big Auburn umbrella to keep the sun off of her. (See top right picture.) I know that she didn't realize this, but it was a little retribution for those us Auburn fans who had to endure all the crimson and white.

The ringbearer wore a houndstooth hat in pure Bear Bryant fashion. (Second picure) Once the bride and groom were presented to the crowd, MOST of the people shook their shakers & started the R-O-L-L-L-L-L-L-L. I had positioned myself to the back of the crowd so that I could get a good picture of the new bride and groom as they exited. After a few moments, they emerged down the aisle, amidst the shakers and R-O-L-L-L-L-L. Once through, the crowd thundered, "TIDE!" The groom & groomsmen were wearing their Alabama ball caps. (I felt sick. jk War Eagle) I'm really happy for them. I hope they have a long, wonderful life together. Congratulations, Riannon & Matt!

Classic Commercials: A Trip Down Memory Lane

2010-06-15T22:34:00.004-05:00

I love YouTube. You can find almost anything on there. I have particularly enjoyed revisiting my childhood through some of the commercials from back in the day. I posted on Facebook that I never write/type the word "bologna" without singing the song. You remember?

Do you know how to build a Big Mac?

Let's get Mikey!

Hey, Kool-Aid!!

I loved Slinkys, but mine always ended up warped!

Hey kid, catch.

Ah, Good Times! I love taking trips down memory lane.

Latest Pictures of Millie Jayne

2010-06-13T19:20:00.000-05:00

Pictures of my sweet granddaughter!

Hello. My Name Is Sandra, & I'm a T.V. Junkie

2010-06-03T19:52:00.000-05:00

I've become a t.v. junkie. I don't know exactly when it happened, but rest assured, it has. I have had a DVR for quite some time, but lately, I just cannot get around to watching EVERYTHING that I want to! First of all, there is The Young & The Restless. Most of the time I try to watch it every day when I get home from work. Then I have to make myself cook supper. (I hate to cook.) Then there's the little matter of cleaning up the kitchen, doing laundry (so that family members have clean underwear the next morning!), and anything else that comes up. But, all I really want to do is sit back in my t.v. room in DVR bliss.

Let's see. What's on there now? Hmmm, I know there are 3 episodes of Glee. I refuse to watch them until I can see the one that preceded them, which was not recorded. That means that I will have to visit hulu.com before I can start watching them. I also record Ellen everyday, and then I will delete it if I see that none of the guests interest me. Most of the time they do, so I have to find time to watch that. Granted, it's not beyond me to FWD through the less interesting stuff to get to the good stuff. I also love home decorating shows. You wouldn't know it by the looks of my house, but a girl can dream...

I've recorded a few movies, also. One of my all-time favorites, Mr. Holland's Opus, is worthy of another viewing by me. It's been awhile since I've seen it. The Pursuit of Happiness is one that I've been wanting to see. My family would never watch it with me, so now I have it on my DVR for that perfect moment to kick back, relax, and watch it. I will, even though it's been on there for about 3 months!! I'll get around to it. Just last week I watched The Sound of Music. It was 4 hours long, so I just broke it up into segments, but I finally finished it. I had never seen it, something that many of my friends could not believe. There are several old movies like that that I would like to sit down and watch. You know, those movies that everyone always talks about, but you've never seen? It makes me a little ashamed to say that I haven't seen some of the classics.

I was totally hooked on American Idol. I had to give up on Dancing With The Stars because, somewhere along the way, it began conflicting with something else I was watching. Oh, I remember. It was The Biggest Loser. All 3 of those were on at the same time, so one of them had to go. You can only record 2 shows at the same time and, despite its name, The Biggest Loser won out. I watched it to try to stay motivated on my weight-loss journey. There was a point where I had given up on my weightloss, but I was too commited to the contestants and their journey that I had to continue watching to see who pulled it out.

Now, America's Got Talent, and Losing It With Jillian have taken the places of AI & TBL. We go from one right into another. I told you that I'm hooked! It's a wonder that I even have time for Facebook, housework, and this blog! So, if I don't post everyday, you'll know that I'm back in my t.v. room trying to "clean off" the space on my DVR so that I'll have room for more!

Be Still and Know...

2010-06-01T21:57:00.004-05:00

Sprucing Up My Deck

2010-05-30T21:03:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to create a nice outdoor space on my deck. I've begun the process by making a planter out of some old drink crates that I've been saving for just the right thing. Here's how it turned out. I love the results!

I've linked up to Southern Fried Gal's Garden Party. Go read about all her gardening creativity.

School on Memorial Day?!! Here We Go Again!

2010-05-28T21:18:00.000-05:00

Another Friday night and I made it through another week. Since the tornado hit, our school year has dragged on and on and on and on. You get the picture. We are even having school on Monday, Memorial Day. Isn't that crazy?! Student attendance has dwindled down, and I suspect there will hardly be any kids next week. Our 3rd & 4th grade is having a cookout on Monday, so maybe it won't be so bad working that day, after all. It should be similar to the Saturday that we worked last week.

My work has not slowed down. I've been just as busy as ever. Purchase orders, budgets, and bills have occupied my time this week. Then next week it will be receipt books, payroll, and end-of-month reports. It's a vicious cycle. I'm very grateful to have a job, and although I gripe and get stressed out sometime, I do enjoy my job.

We have had it pretty rough since proration hit this year, and it doesn't look promising for the next couple of years. Pink slips were given out today to some of the non-tenured teachers & aides. It's always a sad time, but it has become fairly commonplace every year for the past couple of years. Some of the pink-slip people do get called back before the start of the next school year, but I know that many of them are in limbo wondering if they should look for a job elsewhere or not.

So, one more week, and the teachers should be gone. I'll still be there along with just a scant few others, as we work through the summer (what will be left of it, anyway), and then prepare for the next school year. Summers at school/work are more laid back and not as structured. There are hardly any interruptions, so I use that time to get caught up on things that are piled in stacks around my office. I will try to take some time off for vacation this year. We aren't planning anything big, but I did buy some Six Flags tickets at my credit union today. We'll have them whenever we decide we need to take off and get away soon. In fact, that doesn't sound like a bad idea right now! But, I guess we'll have to wait for just awhile. Think about me and our school system holding school on Memorial Day when you are out there BBQ-ing and lying out by the pool on Monday. You're one of the fortunate ones.

School on Saturday?!

2010-05-24T21:20:00.002-05:00

I wanted to tell you about my experience with Albertville schols holding school on Saturday. Due to having to be out for so many snow days, our school system had a choice to tack on days at the end of school, or go on a Saturday and get it over with. The majority voted for Saturday, May 22. I really wanted it to be at the end of school because I am what they call a "12 month employee." I work year 'round, anyway...yes, even in the summer. But, don't feel bad for me. I have had to work in the summer with all my previous jobs, so what's the difference?! Well, I was going to take a vacation day, since my son had graduated the night before, but I decided to be a part of history and go see how it would be. When I drove up the parking lot looked like this...

...not too shabby from the looks of it. This should be interesting. There were some people that I caught working...

...but come lunch time, and the cookout was on!

There was ice cream...

Socializing...

Dancing...

More dancing...

The kids even got in on the fun...

We had a young Michael Jackson in our midst!

School on Saturday wasn't so bad. I wouldn't want to do it every weekend, though! We had about 76 students out of our normal 1350. School dismissed around 1:30, and everyone was able to go enjoy the rest of their weekend. Now, due the tornado, school will still be in session through June 4. We all may be crazy by then, but most of us already are! See...

The Class of 2010: Overcoming Obstacles

2010-05-23T18:54:00.002-05:00

My son, Chase, is a high school graduate. Friday night, nearly a month since the tornado damaged the school & the stadium, Chase's class donned their cap and gowns, said farewell to their schoolmates, and finished their high school era. They put Twister (like the game) papers on the top of their caps. They stuck Twister dots, red, yellow, and blue, on the principal as they received their diplomas from him.

It was an odd school year. We had more snow days this past Winter than we have had in a long, long time. Then came the tornado, which in all actuality, cut their school year short. There were only 2 buildings to hold classes in, the fine arts center & the lunchroom. Attendance policies were relaxed, and a majority of the students did not attend school for the rest of the year. You will be able to see some of the damage in the background of the slideshow that concludes this post. The local news stations were there to document how Albertville High School students were able to graduate on time, despite all the obstacles.

Rain on Friday had everyone worried that graduation would have to be held in the fine arts center, which would have limited the number of guests per senior. Luckily, about 2 hours before graduation time, the skies cleared and the sun came out. Thank you, Lord. I was so glad that these seniors could end their high school days on a somewhat normal note.

These kids have been through a lot. They lost a schoolmate to a drowning about 2 years ago. They acknowledged him in their speeches. One student missed the graduation because he suffered a collapsed lung just this past week. The principal took his diploma to him in the hospital that night following graduation.

I know many of these students. Chase has played sports with so many of them. Many are like my own kids. Many have spent nights at our home. As I looked around the crowd in the stands Friday night, I saw so many faces of people that we were connected with, soley because our kids had played ball together. Some have become friends for a lifetime. We were all experiencing the same emotions together that night, sadness and happiness all rolled into one.

So begins another era in their lives. College, the workforce, the armed forces, life. I wish the best of luck to the Class of 2010. May God bless your lives, abundantly.

Another Milestone: My Son Is Graduating

2010-05-19T23:26:00.001-05:00

Two days and my middle son, Chase, will be graduating from high school. It's a bit hard for me to believe. A few days ago a parent brought a little boy in to the school where I work. He looked a lot like Chase when he was that age. I heard him say something, and he sounded like Chase did at that age. I smiled to myself and went quietly back to my office, secretly re-living some memories of my child so many years ago. We went through some tough times when our kids were little. I worked some of the time, went to school some of the time, lived on welfare some of the time. There's no doubt that we are in a better place, now. But, looking back at those tough times, I see that we didn't have it so bad after all. Those were some of the best days of our lives. I miss my kids being small. The problems only get bigger as they get older. I try to take moments throughout the day and take note of things now that I know I will miss in the future. Right now, Jordan is in the living room playing video games. One day those video games will be silent. Just a few weeks ago, I was lying in bed, and I could hear Jordan & Chase outside playing basketball. I savored that moment just thinking that it won't be much longer that I won't hear that, anymore. If I'm lucky there will be grandchildren to take up the slack...but it won't be the same. To you mothers out there who have young children, cherish every moment. They go by so quickly. You'll turn around one day, and that little child will be graduating from high school. Ready to face the world. And, there's not one thing you can do to stop it.

I love you, Chase.

Is That a Freight Train I Hear? No, It's A Tornado!!!

2010-05-15T22:31:00.005-05:00

It's been 3 weeks since a tornado tore through my hometown. This is my account of what I went through on Saturday, April 24 around 10:20 p.m. Tornado sirens warned us, as well as the local news stations. A tornado was heading straight toward Albertville. We've heard this before. The weathercasters see something on their radar "indicating" that a tornado might be there. Well, this time it was. It went right over us or right by us, I'm not sure which. What I do know is that our power suddenly shut off, and shortly afterward, the wind picked up & didn't stop for what seemed like 5 minutes. I know that it was only about 25 seconds, and my son, Chase said, "It sounds like a freight train!" He had gotten into the bedroom closet, and I was closely behind. My husband, Kevin, was across the room trying to put the window up. He decided to join us just as the wind slowly died down. My heart was racing, and I was shaking. I quickly updated my Facebook status on my phone by saying, "I think a tornado just passed over us!" Looking out the front door, we saw our motorcycle lying on its side. It looked like it could be mangled. It was hard to see in the dark. We found the flashlight & shone it outside. There was things up in the power lines & all around the yard. When the rain died down, we walked outside. Chase went around to the side of the house and yelled for us to come see. As we walked around the corner, a huge root system faced us. Chase said, " I knew I smelled tree!" It was from the gigantic oak that stood RIGHT BESIDE OUR HOUSE!! Luckily it had fallen at an angle, away from our house! It was a good thing, too, because it was so close to the room that we sought shelter in! We could hear our neighbors coming out of their homes and yelling to each other to make sure everyone was okay. And then we smelled it. There was a gas leak from and unrooted tree down the road. We turned off the gas at our meter. In the dark, we began to notice that there were trees all through our neighborhood. The house next door had a tree ON it! A few houses down across the street a tree had taken off the whole front of one house. There was a tree across our road, and there were also power lines down everywhere. It was surreal, like a war zone. I'll never forget it.

Having Facebook on my BlackBerry was my only source of information. People began posting about places that had gotten hit, including our high school and middle school. There was so much being said on there that I began to not take a lot of stock in it until I could see for myself. We walked down to the end of our street in total disbelief at the destruction. Rescue workers were going door-to-door checking on people. I had high school friends on Facebook that had moved away that were worried about their families. One asked if we could check on her parents that lived on another street down from me. But, it was impossible because of all the downed trees & power lines. It was such a helpless feeling. We got back to our home and sat in the dark trying to comprehend what had just happened. We decided to try to get some sleep, not know what Sunday morning would hold. We went to sleep to the sound of chainsaws all around our city.

Sunday morning we awoke pretty early. I was a bit afraid to see what the daylight would show. We got up & decided to walk around town. We live very close to downtown & to the high school & middle school. A tree that had blocked our road the night before had been cleared. Other than that there was destruction everywhere. Other people were out walking, as we were, to see what damage had been done. There were so many tree just uprooted. Unfortunately, some were lying on houses & on cars. There were no power lines left, & most of the power poles were gone, also. No doubt, we were going to be without power for quite some time. I live just off of "Million Dollar Avenue", which was hit VERY hard. What once was a quaint, shaded street with beautiful houses now looked like a construction site. All the shade was gone! You could see all over town from points that you never could before. The mobile units that were the temporary classrooms at our high school were crushed, flipped on their sides, and a few were even turned upside down! Thank God this didn't happen during the school day. The kids wouldn't have been in those during a tornado warning, but with all the new high school construction, there was limited space for them to all take shelter. Many of the older buildings on campus had damage. Huge light posts at our new stadium had fallen. One fell directly onto the bleachers & smashed them in.

I could go on and on about the destruction because it was everywhere we looked. The one thing that was amazing about all this is that there were no deaths, and just a few injuries. Praise God for that!

We went without power for a full week. Our cable tv & Internet was restored 4 days later. And, just today, we got a new central heating & air unit. (Ours was destroyed when the tree was uprooted right beside it). The wall of tree debris piles that lined my road was finally cleared this week. Things are slowly getting back to normal, but I'm not sure they will ever be the way they were before. It will take many years for the landscape of this city to be restored to its pre-tornado glory. But, life goes on. We take it one day at a time. That's all we can do.

Here's a video that someone put together. It says it all...

Is It Friday Yet?

2010-05-13T22:37:00.000-05:00

Feeling blah.

Wanting to get the groove back into this groovy blog...

Not feeling it yet...

Life still hasn't gotten back to normal since the tornado...

Will it ever?

We still have no central heating & air unit...

The other one was destroyed when the oak was uprooted...

Hopefully, we will have air conditioning by this weekend...

Still thankful for the Lord's protection over us...

Overwhelmed...

Chase graduates next week...

Having a party afterward...

At my house...

Lots to do this Saturday...

Jordan (my youngest) got his driver's license this week...

Justin has a wife & a baby, but has yet to grow up...

Frustrated with him...

Work has been non-stop since going back after the tornado...

Accounts Payable checks, bank statement reconciliation, payroll, and receipt books, all in one week!

Double all of that. (TWO schools!)...

No wonder I feel this way...

Is it Friday yet?????

Finding The Silver Lining After The Tornado

2010-05-09T23:15:00.004-05:00

(Written Saturday, May 8, 2010)
I've been away for awhile. Exactly two weeks ago, April 24, a tornado tore through my neighborhood & some surrounding areas around 10:20 p.m. Last night I started writing a post describing that night. I didn't finish it, and now I have decided that it is just too lenghty and probably does not convey all the feelings that were running through my mind that night and the next day and the several days afterward. I'll leave it as unpublished, but there to read as a memory.

I will say that we are all okay. There were no deaths, thank God! Our house is still standing, with only minor damage, which is more than I can say about so many of the homes around our town. We are without air conditioning (except for a small window one in the dining room) which is due to the huge oak tree beside our house being uprooted. The central heating & air unit was a casualty of that. Insurance is covering it, and some guys are coming to install one next week...once we get some more dirt to fill the hole left by the tree.

You should have seen how our community came together and helped one another. Maybe you did. There were so many people willing to go above and beyond what anyone would ever expect. I had friends that brought us food, did some laundry, lent us a generator (we were without power for a whole week), and offered their homes to us. Our high school and middle school were also hit. There were students all around town helping others by removing trees, debris, and destroyed furniture for the victims of the EF-3 tornado. I'm sure that those kids have learned more life lessons in the past 2 weeks than they have learned in all their years of school. There is a goodness to humanity. We don't always see it, but if you had come to Albertville, Alabama the week following April 24, you would have seen it everywhere.

Our fiercest high school rivals, one city over from us, even pitched in to help by selling t-shirts that said "Pirates Help Aggies," as opposed to their "Beat Aggies" shirts that they always wear when we play them in sports. This was one of the gestures that really touched my heart. I feel bad for our senior class, one of which is my son, who had their year cut short and disrupted by this tornado. I feel bad for our old high school building that took the brunt of the damage & was probably the reason that the newly constructed/in-progress building only received minor damage, how ironic for it to go out in such a way after all these years.

There was another bit of irony that we discovered. On April 24, 1908, a "cyclone" a.k.a. tornado hit downtown Albertville, exactly 110 years ago. How eerie! We got out our old Discovering Albertville's Past book and read about it, by lantern light, on one of those nights without power. Unbelieveable. Yet, it happened, just as this had happened. I wonder if those people pulled together like the ones I saw. I'm sure they did. I'm sure they saw the goodness in humanity, too.

Thank you, Lord, for only property damage. Thank you for showing us that all differences can be put aside to help someone in need. Thank you for keeping my family safe. Thank you for all the volunteers, city workers, and others. Thank you.

Carpe Diem

Go HERE to view a slideshow I put together of my neighborhood.

More pictures from other nearby neighborhoods affected are posted here.

Three Homeruns and We Missed Them All!

2010-04-22T21:35:00.001-05:00

It has been a crazy, busy week! Tuesday I took off of work early so that we could head out to Atlanta. Jordan and the Albertville High School Marching Band had a wonderful opportunity to play their half-time show in the outfield before the Braves game. It was all part of their fundraising efforts to support their trip to Pasadena at the end of the year for the Tournament of Roses parade. Here's a picture of them getting ready to play.

We were having a bite to eat at the time, so I could only get a picture from the back, but it is still pretty awesome, don't you think? If you look to the far left, Jordan is the second person standing there. He is dressed in all black, and he has his legs spread out. He said that walking out on that field was an awesome experience. They weren't allowed to move around in their formations, but that didn't matter. They sounded great! The president of the Tournament of Roses parade accompanied the band to Atlanta, and he was honored to get to throw out the first pitch.

The game lacked a lot of action, and the Braves were losing 3-0 against the Philadelphia Phillies. During the bottom of the 9th inning, we decided to begin making our way down to the bottom and towards the car. Unfortunately for us, we missed seeing 3 Braves homeruns and seeing them get he win. Just our luck. But, I'm glad that they were able to win it. I guess we had jinxed them sitting there watching. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway! My boys were almost sick about it, because we could hear the commotion each time there was a homerun, but we just didn't get to SEE it! So, maybe we will get another opportunity to go back soon.

I'm still recovering from that late night out. We got home around 12:15 a.m., and I went to work the next day. I've been going full-speed ever since. I'm hoping I can get rested up soon, but it's looking like a busy weekend, as well. So now, I leave you with one last picture of the band performing.

Cancer: Such an Ugly Word

2010-04-17T10:40:00.001-05:00

It's a beautiful Saturday morning in Northeast Alabama. I love Saturdays. They just give me a chance to catch my breath after a busy week at work. Yesterday, our school kicked off the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life fundraiser. There was a balloon release, a fun run, and one of our assistant principals had to kiss a pig! It's too bad that they cheated by kissing a cute little baby pig. I would've kiss that little darling! We raised a lot of money for the cure for cancer.

Cancer has affected so many lives and families. It seems that you hear about someone almost everyday that you know that has cancer. It's good, though, that cancer is not the all-condemning word that it once was. There are so many survivors now, and that is due to research that our contributions make to these wonderful organizations. I have had two very close members of my family that have had to fight cancer, recently. First, there was my mom. About 3 years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was scary when she first told me. The reality really stuck me. Even though you hear about people you know who have been diagnosed, it really hits home when it is someone so close to you. Fortunately, a mastectomy and 2 years later, my mom is still cancer free. She never had to go through chemo. That is another thing that hits hard. Going through chemo is often so hard on a person. I saw this when my father-in-law was diagnosed with bladder cancer about a year and a half ago. He was a real trooper, and most days, he acted like it didn't even bother him. But, you could tell how tired it made him. He ended his treatment with a few rounds of radiation. Just last year he got the wonderful news that he was cancer free!

I'm so glad that my mom and my father-in-law are among the survivors of cancer. There are so many who have not survived. I have not had to experience that first-hand like so many others have. I have heard their stories, and it is an awful experience to have to endure, just to watch a loved one lose their battle with cancer. It is often a slow, cruel ending.

So, today I would like to dedicate this post to all those who have fought the battle of cancer and won, but even more so, to those who fought and lost their battle, and to those who didn't have the strength to fight.

God bless you all...

She's Growing Up

2010-04-14T21:58:00.001-05:00

Millie was 5 months old on 4/10! Can you believe it? I never dreamed there could be such a sweet little thing as she. I get to see her about once a week. She smiles a lot, laughs sometimes, and makes little noises like she's trying to talk. Justin said the other day that she was whining, and it sounded just like she said "Grannnnnnda". I know she's still a bit young for that, but we can pretend, right?

Things His Kids Will Never Know #1 - Rainbows

2010-04-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

My oldest son, Justin, (yes, Millie's daddy) has been on a mission to make sure that things that he remembers does not become obsolete. He occasionally writes "notes" in his Facebook profile titled, "Things My Kid Will Never Know." Well, I have decided to post some of those notes on here so that you can see the humor and creativity of Justin. Please forgive any curse words. I will edit any that may be too offensive, but most of the posts are just funny. Some were written before his marriage and the baby, such as the one that follows. So, here we go. The first one is titled...

Things My Kids Will Never Know #1 - Rainbows
by Justin Rowell

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 10:26pm

Alright, so...

In my childhood, rainbows totally kicked a#% cause they were easy to draw/color and they looked neat-o when you did it. It was always an awesome thing when you're riding in the car with your parents and they were like "Hey look, a rainbow!" and you'd look out the window and be all like "WOW! How's that work! It's awesome!" And then [depending on your religious faith] your parents would tell you that the rainbow was God's promise to never flood the Earth again...or something like that.

Nowadays it's different. Somewhere, some dumb-a, either gay or straight figured "Hey, rainbows would be cool to symbolize gay people!" If I EVER run across the a-hole who came up with that idea, I'll probably kick his free-thinking a#%.

I mean get this, a thing we thought was awesome in childhood now symbolizes something that we don't really want our kids to be exposed to. And it's not that I'm against gay people, it's just that my kid will never know what a rainbow used to stand for. :( But as a one-day-in-the-future parent, I'm going to chronicle these things and teach my child the truth.

And thus begins my "Things My Kid Will Never Know" expose. There's quite a few things my kid won't know, but I'll only be discussing the ones that are super significant; such as how the Doritos logo changed, and how apparently dinosaurs had feathers. It's gonna be a tough road to follow, but somebody's gotta do it...might as well be me.