Friends...

I had a friend drop by the other day. I don't normally care for that...but this is an extra-special friend. She is really a jewel ! I was feeling a little down in the dumps and had been having a pity party about first one thing then another, when I heard the doorbell ring AGAIN. I thought to myself, who is it now? The first time it was 2 men selling security systems. I promptly told them when you have dogs, you don't need a security system; you already have living, breathing ones!

Anyway, my girlfriend, Donna (or Diz as she is so affectionately called by most of us girls) stayed and visited for about an hour and a half. We sat out on the courtyard, drank some Merlot, and just caught up on stuff! She had me laughing and we talked about the many things that had been going on in our lives.

My hubs had called right after she got here to tell me to go outside and look in the sky at a rainbow. I grabbed my camera and we went out and sure enough, right up there in the heavens, was a rainbow that reached from end to end, if that's how you would describe it. It made a full half-circle. It was the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen, with the exception of when my maternal grandmother died, on the day of her funeral, there was a double rainbow in the sky!

I got quite a few really good pics of Diz...







and more of the rainbow...

Well, as all good things must come to an end, Diz had to leave. But let me tell you something! Her visit did wonders for me. I have really been going through a hard time for well over a year now with so many illnesses in our family, including my husband, myself, my children, worrying about my parents as they age (my Mom has Alzheimer's Disease), my sisters (1 has breast cancer) and I guess just life in general. I feel as if I've been beaten down and am having a terrible time getting back up. When I do manage to get up, something else comes and knocks me down again. So I've adapted to standing up a little slower so I don't have as far to fall. When she left, she promised me a ride in her newest convertible and that she would come back soon!

What more could I ask for? Dear, dear Friend, thank you so very much! I needed you today and no one else could have helped me like you did! I love you, Diz, I really do! Don't ever forget that!

A Day at My Parents' Home

It's so nice to get to see my parents on a regular basis, even though they live a 2 hour drive away. Mom has Alzheimer's and it is difficult to have a conversation with her on the phone but when she sees my face, she immediately breaks out in a smile! I love that woman so much!!!



My dad is still a hard-working man at 83. They live on almost 3 acres which includes a pond.

Hubs and I have 2 little Pomeranians and Dad seemed to enjoy them more this time than usual. He always dotes on them and scolds me for not feeding them enough. That gives him an excuse to give them a morsel of food from his plate when we're eating. Of course, he is rather stingy when it comes to sharing his supper! They don't get too much, just a taste.

After we've eaten, Hubs takes the Poms outside for a little potty break exercise which leads them down to the pond.



It is so serene there and there's nothing better than grabbing a chair, sitting down and just waiting for the catfish to ripple the water or a turtle to poke his head out.



After Mom and I get the kitchen cleaned up, Dad has the golf cart sitting outside the door waiting for us to get on board. They have really enjoyed the cart. It has many jobs, one of which right now is our "magic carpet ride" to the pond.



When we get down there and everybody has found somewhere to sit, Maddie, the oldest Pom, decides she wants to sit with Pa. It didn't matter that he was sitting in the boat, which was on the dock. She jumped in and before he knew it, she was in his lap looking up at him. He told me to take her and when I reached for her, she climbed up further in his arms. In other words, she chose to stay with him! I think he enjoyed that more than he let on. I inherited my love for animals from both of my parents, but probably got a double dose from my dad.



After we sit a spell, we head back to the house to gather our things together and head back home. It has been a very nice day, indeed! A day at my parents' house...see you next week, Mom and Dad.

Happy Birthday, Ben

We went to LaGrange, GA for our grandson's birthday party. We had a lot of fun swimming, eating, sitting around talking, laughing and telling funny stories.


Ben got some really cool toys for his birthday. And he got clothes, too, and this little boy likes to get clothes. How cool is that??? But I will confess, I think he likes the toys the best! But, you know, he is only 4 years old.


And it is a lot of fun when your cousin is checking with you to make sure you don't miss anything, isn't it Ben?


Nana and Charles got 2 new little "long-haired dashchunds". They are just about the cutest little things I've seen in a while. Of course, Leanne and Lindsey took to them immediately! And the pups ate it up!




Tara and her dad (my hubs) enjoyed some pool time. He came into the room several times while I was working on my blog and when he saw the above picture, he wanted to know where his hair was. He really does have more than this picture shows. I guess it was a bad angle!


But at least one little boy that just turned 4 hasn't got a care in the world...and that's the way it should be. Happy Birthday, Ben!

Two of My Favorite People

This is my sister, Melba, and our mom. My sister is holding our great-nephew, Jacob. He belongs to our oldest sister's daughter, Lindsey and her husband, Waylon. I guess "belongs to" equates to "is the child of"! Jacob is almost 4 months old...can you believe the size of this little one??? He is a big boy like his daddy. I seriously don't see how my niece carries him around. She is a tiny little thing as you can see in this picture.

I remember when she got so excited because she had tipped the scales at 100 lbs. Well, isn't that something to be excited about??? I've probably only weighed that once in my life and unfortunately cannot remember the time but...back to the first of "Two of My Favorite People".

Melba has had problems with skin cancers in the past but has always had them removed. Last year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a mastectomy (with reconstruction) and has completed chemotherapy and radiation. She has truly come through this like a champ! Joe, her husband of 38 years has been a blessing beyond words! He has taken very good care of her.

This picture was taken last year shortly before her surgery and treatment. We were celebrating their son-in-law's birthday, at his favorite restaurant in Augusta, Georgia...

...which leads me to the second of "Two of My Favorite People", Kylie Grace who "belongs to" Mindy, Melba and Joe's oldest daughter's little girl. And I must not forget Nate (pictured above), Mindy's husband. He is such a blessing to our entire family. He is truly a wonderful father to little Kylie and I cannot imagine this child growing up to be anything short of spectacular having such delightful parents! Kylie Grace (or KG to some) is such a little ham! She doesn't seem to mind having her picture made which is a good thing because her Auntie M (me) always has her camera on hand!

Don't you just love those blonde curls? Melba (aka Nana) and Kylie came into each others lives at just the right time. Sis gets several "doses" of Kylie on a regular basis which has proved to be one of the best medicines ever!

Today I honor "Two of My Favorite People" in the whole wide world!

Jeremy Lee

My son from Arizona has been here for several days now and will be going home tomorrow. I have thoroughly enjoyed the time we have spent together. But it sure does fly by when your children are only home for a visit. Here is a picture of him when he was about 15 or 16 holding a bullfrog that we had in the small pond in our front yard. We dug it with a shovel and had some fish in it until one of our cats waded into it and snagged one of them! Who says cats are scared of water??? This one wasn't!

Big frog, huh?

I will post more pictures of Jer later! Right now I need to go to bed so I can get up in the morning!

Anna Kate

Now how cute is this? Anna Kate is smiling from ear to ear at her cousin. We went to LaGrange for a day at the pool and got to see all the kids and grandkids. Anna Kate is now about 4 1/2 months old and is precious! Couldn't you just eat her up???





She is such a sweet little girl, too...a little angel on earth!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Mom turned 79 this year! She is truly one of the sweetest people on the face of the Earth. Most of the time she is lost in a world where no one else can go...she has Alzheimer's Disease.

I miss the times I could pick up the phone and call her and ask about a recipe or how she used to sew certain things. She could do anything. She really could. She made all the curtains in our home, she cooked the best food, she sewed all kinds of precious clothing for me and my 2 older sisters, she made suits for my father and the list goes on and on.

The thing I am most thankful for right now though is that she still remembers who I am. There is nothing sweeter than hearing her say my name when I call or go to see her.

Her sweet voice is music to my ears!

Our hearts are broken...

Please remember Ben and Jen in your prayers. He took her to the hospital today and she has had a miscarriage. They are both very sad but are dealing with this the best way they can. I am very sad with them. We were all looking forward to a new baby. Thanks for your love, support and prayers! We place their baby in God's hands as His are much larger than ours and "perfect for holding our baby close to His heart forever".

6 weeks 5 days

Well, it's "Little Peanut" making its grand debut! I think "Lil' P" kind of looks like me, but maybe I'm jumping the gun a little. They have an amazing journey ahead of them and I am so grateful to be a part of it all. Ain't God good! The due date as of Thursday is Feb. 6, 2010. I can hardly wait to get my hands on that baby and get me some Grammy kisses!

It's a...BABY!

Ben and Jen are expecting a baby. We don't have the particulars yet...but I am sooooo excited!!! I am going to be a grandma! I have 5 wonderful grandchildren that I inherited when I married my hubby but this will be the first of either one of my sons' children.

Won't they make a beautiful baby? He's 6'4" and she's approx. 5'3". They make such a cute couple and I couldn't be happier for them!

Stay tuned...I'm sure I will be back real soon with more news.

Bluebird Eggs

This is a picture of the bluebird eggs on May 5, 2009. Mom has been very diligent about sitting on her eggs. I enjoy watching them daily! And, of course, dad bluebird is so pretty! I hope they both are delighting in their free time because soon they won't have much of it!

Finished :-)

Believe it or not, I finished the dining table chairs. Well, 2 of the backs have not been stapled on yet, but they are sewn together and ready to be attached. Here is the finished product and if I wasn't such a perfectionist, I would have finished them long ago! Mom and Dad were pleased with how they turned out but they would like most anything that I did for them!

Columbus, GA

The night built with much anticipation. Our father was to be recognized for 50+ years in the ministry, along with my uncle. The night went by without a hitch! Dad and my uncle were both honored for their 100+ years combined. Unfortunately, my mom and my aunt, who have stood by their sides quietly for all these years were not recognized. I must say that my father's ministry would not have been what it was had it not been for her and I am sure the same is true for my uncle. After all the nervousness, it was over in less than 5 minutes.

I am disappointed and saddened that the district council representative asked my father and my uncle to sum up in 1 word what they had learned through the years. How do you describe in 1 word all those years of service? What word do you choose? My uncle said perseverance. My dad must not have understood (or ignored???) what was said because he went over the limit with his words!

Also, a young man that my father has mentored over the years was ordained into the ministry. He is pastoring the first church that my dad started over 50 years ago. Several young men were ordained and we were proud to be there.


I have a tendency to get a little carried away or maybe just too prepared???. However, I brought 2 cameras and my video camera. My youngest son had my point and shoot camera, hubby was armed with my Nikon D60 (fairly new) and I had the video camera. You would think we would have gotten one good picture. But, sad to say, we didn't. The ones my son took were too far away and blurry,

the ones my hubby took, well...he expected to see the images in the little screen on back of camera (not there), so he just aimed in their direction and snapped a couple of shots

and I was filming away with the camcorder and when the presentation was finished, I pressed the button to stop taping and turned the camera ON!!! So the night was something we will have to carry in our internal hard drives because those are the only decent pictures I got!

I am proud of you, Dad and Uncle Shelvie, too! I love you both!

Mom's Dress (before alterations)

If you are not my sister, you will probably not want to read this...

Here is mom's dress. I am going to shorten it about 1.5 inches and take it up in the shoulders of the shell about 2 inches so it will be more comfortable on her, and see what I can do with the jacket. What do you think of it? Do you like the color on her? And I think it will go okay with the lighter shoes you got her. I think she will look so pretty when I get it altered! Isn't she beautiful!

Dadburn Dining Room Chairs

I am trying to recover some dinette chairs for my mom. You would think it would be an easy task considering no more than there is to be done. But...no! I have had the most difficult time getting the backs done and have yet to finish even one of them. I won't divulge how long I've had the chairs and will die of embarrassment if my DH tells.

I think my No. 1 problem is that I do not have a pattern. I have always used patterns in the past when sewing. Not that they make them easy to understand but at any rate, at least you have something to go by. Plus, the fabric that was on them was vinyl and what I bought to use is similar to a suede and somewhat thick. AND, I am stapling the fabric directly to the chair backs or using double (like you would think I was using single) welt.

So my DH has offered to pay up to $100.00 if I will take the chairs to an upholstery shop and just "have them finished!" You would think they were in the middle of the living room sitting there like pink elephants but they are actually out of sight in the garage where they have been since he packed up all my sewing stuff and stacked it in a corner.

Is it just me or do I have an exceptional husband? Since he did that, I have had no desire to finish the project and time just seems to pass, month by month.

Oh well, there's always tomorrow!

Bluebird Dilemma

I finally found out what has been in my bluebird box today. It is a fierce little cowbird according to a post I saw at "My Bird Tales". They (male and female) have set up housekeeping and I found 4 little speckled eggs in there (March 30).

Well, today I found the male bluebird fighting with the cowbird. I checked but the eggs are gone. But now the bluebirds want their home and I want them back! So I suppose I will clean out the old nest and let the bluebirds come home. They raised two broods in there last year and my heart does belong to bluebirds!