my Christmas Memories......



 It's funny because I have such a crazy memory and yet I don't remember alot about Christmas when I was growing up.....There are few but not as many as I would think...

I remember being about 6 and Neil would have been 8 and it being Christmas Eve. I remember the lights on the Christmas trees and the presents scattered around it. And then I remember how Momma always let us pick a few presents to open on Christmas Eve....(if she hadn't already given them to before...Momma was no good at surprises...lol..) I don't remember what we got at all I just remember the 3 of us being there....Sort of Random but I have always had that visual in my head....

When we were older (probably teenagers) I remember one night when Momma got home from Christmas shopping. We heard her tell Daddy that she had some bigger things that she had to leave out in the trunk. So after everyone went to bed Neil came in my room and we snuck out my window with a flashlight. When we opened up the trunk we were in Shock! There sat 2 World Globes....Yep.....just what every teenager wants huh?.....LOL...At least we had time to work on our excitement for Christmas morning....

One of my funniest Christmas memories though has got to be my 6th grade year. On Christmas Eve Daddy was on his way home from town and there was a guy hitchhiking...Daddy pulled over to give him a ride. Seems he had no place to go so......of course...Daddy brought him to our house...I remember Momma quickly wrapping up chocolate covered cherries so he would have something to open for Christmas. We had a Huge meal with lots of people on Christmas day. My best friend, Corrie Green and I "waited tables". Each table had a bell they rang for service....LOL...I recall that the Gentleman sat right by Daddy at the head of the table.....Daddy gave him some work for the next few days and all seemed well. But then one afternoon Momma got a phone call....it seems that Daddy had sent him to get supplies in the truck and  he never came back....Daddy called the police and so they sent out a report and Momma went to Lubbock to give Daddy a ride home. Well a few hours later we got a call. It seems they found the truck on the side of the road close to Amarillo.......out of gas......but "our friend" was nowhere to be found......LOL....

My next memory was when I was in 7th Grade...I'm pretty sure that had to be the closest to having all my brothers and sisters in one place. (maybe 8 of the 10??..) That was the year we were remodeling the living room into the kitchen so there was nothing in there...We filled it with "church tables"...I am sure we ate an incredible meal but what I remember most is the GAMES. Our family has always LOVED to play games....Most likely we played Family Feud and Spoons....But I just remember we played a version of Solitaire that had teams....The only word to describe it is CHAOS!!! I was on Jimmy's team and I recall sitting on top of the table to get a better look at the cards.....SO much fun!!!

But one of my most precious memories is actually a glimpse....a moment....I remember it, I know I do but I hold onto it because of a few photos that I'm sure are copies from my sister. I must have been 3 years old maybe. And my sister Carla and her husband Bill took me and Neil to Santa Land......sigh..... Here's how random my memory is....I remember where we parked and then walking down the street. It had actually snowed so as we approached I remember looking around at the trees covered in lights, feeling, what I would describe now as "stepping into Narnia...." It was like a magical place....I remember seeing Mr and Mrs Clause and Gingerbread houses....But right in the center was a large pole.....the North Pole......It was covered in Ice and you could go up to it and touch it....I think that is my most special memory because I have a the photos...not great photos....but I barely have a handful of tangible items from my childhood and these are ones I hold dear....Carla has me dressed in a soft white coat and my hair is almost blonde....I remember those years....years of uncertainty and turmoil....but I remember that night with Bill, Carla and Neil and feeling..... happy.....and loved....... the way a child should feel at Christmas time...

I often wonder what my kids Christmas memories will be.....Becca rolling her eyes when we would decorate the tree and I had to talk about every ornament...setting corn our for the reindeer......our tradition of 3 gifts....serving at the Soup Kitchen in Texas...D helping me put up Christmas lights......I pray their memories are of family and love and I hope that we have made the birth of Jesus the priority....

Today I dream for you.......sweet Christmas memories.....from your childhood and making new ones.....

Have a wonderful day friend....

my love for writing.....

I have always enjoyed writing for as long as I remember. If passions are indeed generational then there is no doubt that I followed in my mother's footsteps. I have so many memories of Momma writing poetry and songs. If you knew what my life was like growing up it wouldn't surprise you at all to know that my first memory of writing a story was that it was actually written by Momma. I think I may still have it in a box of memorabilia. I remember coming home with my assignment and showing it to her. Then when I came home from school the next day Momma had a story wrote for me....It was about a girl and her friend and how they wanted to be ballerinas. The reason I say it was typical of my life is because Momma was not the typical mother that made sure you followed through with homework or even really knew what we had going on in school. And there were many memories of waking up in the morning to Momma asking me if I wanted to stay home from school. School was not a big priority in our home so if Momma wanted to do some of my homework than more power to her....

The embarrassing thing is that my next writing memory also involves a story that wasn't my own. I was a Sophomore in high school. I don't remember the assignment but I remember my story clearly. I remember drawing a blank and one night while listening to the radio I heard a song that I had never heard before and thought the subject was incredible. So if I remember correctly I basically plagiarized the whole thing and turned in my paper. Well to my fortunate surprise our teacher that year must have lived in a cave without a radio because I not only received an A but she commented on how much she loved the subject. So for the last 25 years I have been unable to hear the song "The Cat's In the Cradle" by Harry Chapin without getting nauseous....ummmm yeah Linda let's pick a song that is going to be an national icon....geez.... I often wonder what her thoughts were the first time she heard the song after grading my paper. Let's just say I was never so happy to see a teacher leave our school after one year than her. 

Since high school I have many memories of writing. I remember writing a series of children's books when my kids were little which had characters that were machinery. They moved about and did different things and the stories had a moral to teach kids......Well, my first problem was finding anyone who could draw a bulldozer holding a baseball bat...no one could seem to envision what was going on inside my head and I felt that kind of ....pat her on her head and tell her good job....kind of feeling. So I put them away and gave up on that silly dream...Within a few years I remember my jaw dropping the first time I saw Bob the Builder...."IT'S MACHINERY WITH EYES!!".... Followed by Thomas the Train and a steady flow of similar material. Sure, I could have had the mindset that this was a prime opportunity to jump in but the reality was that I didn't know the first step in getting a story published. So my dream set on a shelf.

After that my writing basically consisted of family Christmas letters until I decided to return to school life in 2004. My first 2 classes were Speech and English....- talking and writing.....I was in Heaven !! My classes reignited a passion for writing that I had forgotten was there. I remember how insanely difficult my History classes were but knowing there was little else that I wanted to do at that time than sit and listen to Dr. Zorea discuss the Cold War....It was like a rebirthing of my mind.

I received my Associates degree a few years ago and I cannot even begin to count the times I have questioned what is next....I have one child in college and my 2nd will be there before I know it. I have so many dreams that jump around in my mind....Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Professional Organizer or maybe just run away to a far away land with my husband.....aahhhh....But honestly with everything I see in my future it somehow includes writing. I want to write a Parenting book, A book on Worship, A book on Organization.......there are so many things that go through my mind but I just don't know where to start.....

This morning I went into my office that is lined with countless books that I have collected through the years. There was a book that I remember purchasing during that first English Class.....It is called The Writer's Idea Book.....As I thumbed through it I got that excitement in the pit of my stomach again. The book is designed with different "prompts" to help you stretch your writing mind....I felt like a little kid getting giddy with the possibilities......

In a few days it will be December....I have no idea where this year has gone...So I know that before I know it I will be sitting at my computer writing my 2011 Christmas letter. What will it say???.....What will this next year be filled with....It doesn't even seem possible that I will be writing that my children will be 20 and 17.....The 19 and 16 are difficult enough for me to process this year....But what will I be able to say about my life...what challenges will I overcome.....what adventures will have I have lived .....Where will my love for writing weave itself into my hopes and dreams.......sigh....

Today I dream for you a memory.....stop and remember a love that you have had since you were a child...was it cooking.....dancing.....singing.....painting....taking care of animals....teaching.....the ideas could be endless......What of those passions can you see resurfacing throughout your life.....What is God calling you to do with that passion.....And the most important question...what is keeping you from living it......

Have a passion filled day my friend.......

Did Ya See Da 30 Pointer??

Our Cabin in the Woods....(okay Rich & Lisa own it now but I still call it Ours....)

Cabin, originally uploaded by pieceofheaven.

Well it has officially begun......When I woke up this morning to Da Yoopers singing The Second Week of Deer Camp, I knew that Deer hunting season is now upon us....


I myself am not a hunter....for many reasons.....


Reason # 1 being - if they would possibly make the season in June when I didn't have to wear 14 layers of clothing to stay warm I might consider it.


Reason # 2 - I can't sit still (the ADD ya know...(the ya know was said in a Canadian accent for effect...lol...) and with that one you can add that I like to talk......uummm yeah.......


Reason # 3 - The last time I held anything resembling a gun I was playing Lazer Tag in my sister Debbie's backyard in the early 90's. And I most likely was killed early on so not alot of experience......


Reason #4 -.......Ummmmm Bambi......Duh!!!!....


Reason # 5 - I have run out of wall space for deer heads in my house....


Reason # 6 - No matter what you do to cook it I can't pretend that venison is beef...it's Not!!!


Even though I am not a hunter my boys are. Every year Rob's cousins come and stay at our cabin in the woods. They live on the Illinois border but luckily they are on the Wisconsin side.....I don't think you could make it through Deer Camp in Wisconsin if you are officially from Illinois - the harassment might be unbearable.


When Larry and his crew get here on Friday night Hunting Season can truly begin.....Rob of course will be getting his license tonight (last minute) at the Boaz Country Store. Then he will head back to take part in the festivities....


I know alot of women have a hard time with this season but I personally Love it....

* I love pulling out of my driveway and knowing that Adam is the one sitting in the tree stand across the field. Then looking up towards the house seeing a glimpse of Rob in his orange and knowing that if I dare honked to say good morning it might send him into convulsions......LOL.....

*I love driving into town seeing all the guys along the way like little orange dots in the woods and then crank up my heat.

*I love that Saturday mornings (opening day of hunting) is the day that the town is filled with Craft Fairs for the women. I spent many years having my own booth and now I started the tradition of going with my friend Nichole just to enjoy.....

*I love nights like last night - Rob and D bustling around the house getting everything together.....talking nonstop.....

*I love the updates throughout the day hearing who has seen what and who the lucky one is that already got one....

*I love hearing the words...."we are headed out for a Drive!!" That means that they all get to work together and I know they have so much fun.....

*I love that D gets to hang out with his cousin Randy - riding 4 wheelers and being boys......

*I love when they come back from the Cabin telling about how stuffed they are from all the amazing food that Teresa sent along.

*I sort of love....driving to Boaz to see the Wall of photos of everyone with their deer....okay - not that one so much....I like getting a Diet Mountain Dew at the Boaz store....


*But most of all I LOVE to see Rob doing something that he enjoys....He does so much for our family and works so hard and very seldom takes time for himself. I know there are times that he thinks that he is just going to "skip it this year...." But I don't want him to....He needs to be one of the guys and tell stupid jokes and share this all with his son.....It sounds crazy and doesn't make sense at all to me but I know he needs it....Just as much as I need to drive to Madison with my computer and a book and sit in a chair at Barnes and Nobles doing the exact same thing I could be doing sitting in my own house (except no one is making a caramal macciato at my house...) He needs "guy time"....


So.....starting this evening I bid him farewell and then go rent some movies. And then I lay in bed at night warming up his ice cold feet while listening to all his stories of the day....(and Hopefully there are stories...it won't be good if there aren't - that's a whole other side of hunting......) And I know it's only for a short time....


So as I started out that this morning I heard the one song but tomorrow will be the Official Day....When I wake up to Phil playing......Did Ya See Da Thirty Pointer....It's like the bell toll.......Silly Silly Life.....


Here are a few videos for you if you are totally bored.....or if you should be working and you don't want to.....


The first one is one my sister Debbie told me about this morning....Bill Engvall talking about taking his wife deer hunting...Sooo funny - but be warned - you will probably end up watching several of his if you start.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zTFd93oAiA


And for those of you who have never had the pleasure of hearing Da Yoopers...I will apologize up front for the total waste of your life but it is just a part of our life "up Nort..."

Here is Thirty Point Buck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Utt_XgcWv8


And The 2nd Week of Deer Camp....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb9yhhflmvY


Well wasn't this special.....LOL.....So today I dream for you........Laughter at stupid stuff.....I say that because I have spent most of my morning listening to Da Yoopers and watching Bill Engvall videos and laughing the whole time....And I just realized I am still borderline grounded from my Internet. They said that I wasn't suppose to be watching videos for 30 days to get my usage down and I now probably ruined it with Da Yoopers.....**shaking head**....Oh Well......

Have a good day my friends......

Ruidoso, New Mexico.....

So my first post in my series of Where In The World......is going to be........ Ruidoso, New Mexico....

I have actually been there several times and LOVE it!!!.... And I know I am not alone!! When you grow up in the middle of a cotton field and can drive for a few hours and be skiing in the Rocky Mountains - Ruidoso quickly can become an image of Heaven.

My favorite memory of going there was with my niece Andrea and my nephew Nathan. We had went skiing at Ski Apache. Andrea had never been skiing before so we spent a little time at the beginning showing her the basics. Finally the time came to take her on the chair lift. So she and I went up one of the shortest lifts, Lower Moonshine, and she got off beautifully. As we headed down I suddenly remembered that we had left out one crucial step....How to STOP....Whoops....As she went flying ahead of me I could see what was about to transpire...so what did I do??? I got my camera out...well duh!!! So I got a nice shot of Andi running into a crowd of people waiting to get onto the chair lift....Arms, Legs, Skis and Poles went flying......Ummm Whoops.....Well, no one was seriously hurt....Just Andi's ego.....Sorry Andi Kay....I take complete responsibility for your fear of skiing now....But I Do Love You!!!

The Ruidoso Downs Race track is home to the richest quarter horse race in the world; The All American Futurity...I have never been but if you are there you must stop by and see the incredible horse sculptures.....Breathtaking....

My personal favorite Restaurant is Casa Blanca....mainly because of their incredible Chili Rellenos -
Yummy!! In fact on my next trip to Texas I am trying to figure out how we can  make a trip the Ruidoso just because I am hungry for Chili Rellenos......Is that wrong???  And I just read that they have an amazing appetizer of fried Green Chili Strips.....it's tempting me even more....

Well now that I have given you all the important details and some silly personal stories I suppose I should give you some history about it. I am still working out the kinks on this whole Where in the USA thing and what I want to do with it but for all you History people....here you go....


History of Ruidoso.....http://www.ruidosohistory.com/

Ruidoso and its tumultuous start...

Captain Henry Stanton was one of the first to arrive to Ruidoso country in January 1855. He had his orders to come up from Fort Fillmore (an outpost near the Las Cruces vicinity) to join forces with Captain R. E. Ewell. Their mission was to carry out an expedition to find the bands of Apaches that stole some 2,500 sheep. Captain Stanton may have been the very first Anglo to come upon the "Noisy River" (translated: Ruidoso)...the Ruidoso River would eventually lend its very name to the village that surrounded it. The Spaniards were supposedly the very first to discover the Ruidoso Valley...followed by the Mescalero Apache with settlements throughout the valley.

Captain Henry Stanton was killed during his mission which led to the establishment of Fort Stanton in 1855. This Fort was integral to settling the Ruidoso Valley by providing protection and enforcing law and order.

The Ruidoso River was also the pull for Paul Dowlin...of whom was a Civil War veteran. He was a member of the New Mexico Volunteers and, during his enlistment, he also worked as a post trader for Fort Stanton (located between Lincoln and Ruidoso). After his run with the NMV, he received a homestead of 160 acres...as did many other veterans of the Civil War. Through a land purchase grant, he acquired another 600 acres. This land encompassed much of where the Ruidoso village resides today. His purpose, to start a planing mill (for wood) by channeling the river's force, from both Carrizo Creek and the "Noisy River"...his efforts were stifled since the water's force fell short to power up for the wood mill. He converted the mill for grinding grain to match the river's energy. In its earliest days, Ruidoso itself became known as "Dowlin's Mill."

Dowlin met his doom, May 5, 1877, by one of his very own former employees. Jerry Dillon shot an unarmed Dowlin for reasons unknown. Dillon left for Texas never to be heard from again.


Well there you go... your History lesson for the day...

So today I dream for you......well, I dream for you great chili rellenos....LOL....isn't it funny that I have the power to say what ever I want and that's what I say...Okay that and a chance to remember a memorable vacation...Maybe it wasn't perfect (but chances are you didn't knock down a dozen people at a ski lift...) But remembering is Fun!!

Have a wonderful day my friends...

Early morning drive....

A Beautiful Wisconsin View

What to make with my apples......hhmmmm

This morning my sweet husband woke me from a sound sleep in my nice warm bed at 5:30 am to remind me that I promised  that I would drive him to a job he was working on that was an hour away.....
"Really???  Are you sure???.....Did I know what time I would have to get up????"

So I drug myself out of bed......more like hobbled.....(I am still recovering from a horrible pain in my right calf muscle....so no one is mistaking my name for Grace lately....) got dressed and we were on our way. Usually long drives are some of mine and Rob's favorite times together. I haven't seen him for days so I was catching him up on everything that he has been missing....some talks that Dustin had with his band director (which of course led to me telling Rob how Mrs. Holt - my HS band director - asked me to try out for Drum Major, which I did make but that meant I didn't get to ever be a Baton Twirler....dang it....) I told him how I have had an idea for an invention that I was sure would make us Millionaires....I have been telling the kids and D thought it was a great idea....Here is the CRAZY part....it had to do with computers and as I told Rob he says....."oh, they already have that...." HUH???? EXCUSE ME.....I mean it doesn't surprise me that it is not a new idea - but HOW did Rob know it existed???? - He can't turn on a computer.....) There were a few more stories and I noticed Rob hadn't said a word since we left the house and so I asked him if I was boring him....He said No... because the last few mornings he actually had to pull over and get out to walk around to stay awake and this morning there was no chance of dozing off with me in the car (then he looked at me and winked...)......hhhmmm....I will take it as Gratefulness.....

We got to the bridge that he was working on and Dave (our employee) was already there working. We said goodbye and I was on my way back home. The job was over towards the River which is always a beautiful drive. As I started home the sun was just coming over the horizon. The colors in the sky were simply amazing.....the purples and pinks and blues.....beautiful!!!

One of the downfalls of living in the hills is not being able to enjoy sunrises and sunsets like we do in West Texas.....There you can get a great view just about from Anywhere you stand!!! But here, the best place I have found is up on the ridge....So as I drove along the ridge the sun got higher and higher and the colors got brighter and brighter....I finally saw the tip of the sun as I started into the valley.

The road I take on the way home is lined with apple orchards for as far as you can see....Throughout the years it has easily become one of my favorite drives...The rolling hills and the straight lines of trees remind me of a photo out of a magazine....

So it made me think that today is going to be a baking day.....Rob brought me a big bag of apples home the other day.....(I think he was hinting....) so I am looking forward to filling my house with the smell of fresh baked apple something or other.....

When I spoke at Grandma's funeral one of my memories was of the year that Rich and Lisa and then Rob and I had at least 5 apple pies in our freezer at all times.....Whoever thought you would get tired of apple pie but let me tell you that you can get mighty close..... But Grandma loved making them, so as long as we kept bringing her bags of apples she would keep making them. We would take them home, freeze them and when you needed a new one - take one out - thaw it in the microwave then bake....Yummy!!.....We couldn't make a trip to town without Grandma calling telling us to bring back the pie pans and more apples so she could make more....Well the guys were happy to accommodate!!.....sigh.....just missin' her........

Well, I better get busy....Becca and a friend are coming home for the weekend and get here tonight!!!!!!!!Yippee!!! Lots going on but I am so excited! She and Dustin are planning on having a Ton of kids over Friday night for a campfire and then just hanging out.....Will be so good to hear my house filled with teenagers again....I miss that......

So....today I dream for you.....hhhhmmm what direction should I go???? How about today I dream for you a moment to remember your favorite dessert when you were a kid......who made it???? Why is it a great memory????........

Mine was a cake that Momma use to make that was a white cake that she put in the fridge.....it had pineapple and an amazing frosting.....funny that I can't even remember much about it except picturing myself thinking that it was Wonderful......Oh I am sure there are MANY others too.....but I will leave you with that...

Have a great day my friends........

admitting my imperfections...

This is a page from my Scrapbook - you can see it says
Pacific Ocean....You will also notice Becca is not in the
pictures....she stayed with Grandma so she could go to
school....I have never heard the end of that either...But - she
went to Germany without us so I think we are even now...

Well I was talking to my cousin Teresa yesterday and decided that it was about time to do this post....

I, Linda - being of full mind (well, somewhat full) and body - realize completely that many times I tend to mutilate the spelling of even the most average words....And I also realize that I am obsessed with punctuation and capitalization..... and many times use it where it was never intended to be!!!! And I am absolutely aware that I tend to fill my posts with incomplete and insane run-on sentences.....But let it be known that...........I LIKE it that way!!!! I tend to write like I think or talk and so sometimes you just get what you get....

When my kids were small I use to send out about 20 letters a week to family and friends. I would update them on what all was going on around our home and funny things that the kids were doing. I would write one letter and make photocopies so everyone would get the same information and I didn't have to keep saying the same thing over and over...(Do you see why I LOVE Facebook and my Blog now....much less postage!!!)....Having a large family has its perks but it takes Alot of work to stay connected.

I have all my letters in a binder and occasionally I will take it out and look through it. That was when we had gotten our first computer and so I was completely infatuated with FONTS....So each week I chose a new one...I would tell my readers that I realized they probably weren't that excited to read the daily happenings of a stay at home mom of two but maybe the idea of a new Font would make them open the envelope.

I think I had probably sent out ten of my letters when one of my sisters mentioned how cute it was that I chose to spell the word "busy" the way I had each week....HUH??? So I looked back at my previous letters and in EVERY letter I had spelled the word BUSY with a Z....Yep, my kids were keeping me BUZY.......And if any of you know Dustin you know that I used that word ALOT! When I asked different people if they had noticed it they all thought I was just being silly....aahhhh...

And it's not only spelling and grammar that I am horrible at...there are other things as well...like MAPS...(Andrea - I am giving only one example, the one between you, me and Gina stays between us....okay?..) Every year I send out about 150 Christmas letters recapping our year.  Well, several years ago we had gotten to spend a week out in Oregon visiting some good friends that we were in the Air Force with and another that Rob grew up with. We went up to Bremerton Washington where my mom lived when she was small and got to go up into the Space Needle. We went to see Mt. St. Helens and saw some of the most breathtaking scenery imaginable. All of this went in the letter but the "funny" part...yeah - real funny....Was the fact that AFTER I sent this letter out someone commented to me that I had written that we did all of this and we spent the day at the ATLANTIC Ocean........WHAT??????????? Why....oh Why don't I get a proofreader before I send this stuff out???? Well for those of you that, like me, were not whiz kids when it came to geography...if we would have visited Mt. St. Helens and the Atlantic Ocean all in one week we would have spent an awful lot of time on a plane seeing as how they are on opposite sides of the United States......So yes, now I do know that we had actually spent the day at the Pacific Ocean.....although it is taking every bit of strength in me not to check that I have that right...I still don't trust myself...Portland - Pacific....yeah I think I have it right....:-/

I am sure I knew it at the time that we were on our trip but sometimes I don't know what happens inside my head. I can remember some of the most useless, unimportant information from 30 years ago but I still don't remember how much my children weighed or what time they were born..(I often comment that if I were to ever get a tattoo that would be what I would get put on so I would always have it with me..LOL)..and I only had Dustin's date of birth wrong for a few months until his Grandma called on his 3rd birthday to tell him Happy Birthday and I told her she was a day early...she said....)Nooo - it was today...well, I didn't believe her and had convinced my husband that she was wrong (I am  great in a debate..) and then we finally went and looked at his birth certificate and realized I had just won the Mom, Looser of the Year Award....aahhhh - how do I do this kind of stuff ALL THE TIME???.....And of course...Dustin has NEVER let me forget that one....

I use to really worry about what other people thought of me when I messed up or when I didn't have things "perfect". I was one of those people that cleaned like crazy before people were coming over because I worried that they would think that since I was a stay at home mom I should have plenty of time to have everything in order.....LOL!! I look back on all the pressure I put on myself and I feel sorry for that poor girl living that way. I know that it has made me have a heart for moms of young children though and I know how difficult it is physically and emotionally just to get by day to day.

Finally I have gotten to a point where I realize it is better just to put yourself out there. The more I admit my shortcomings the more people comment on how they can relate. When I let you know that I know that my grammar is horrendous I think it takes the pressure off of both of us and just allows you to enjoy the content... or it makes you realize that I'm not going to change so you might want to take me off your blog list if it bothers you alot...lol.....Because I do realize that some of you are in the same boat as my poor spell check...it goes insane when it's time to check my post...I truly have to talk it down sometimes....lol....

So there you have it - more of getting to know the real me...English and Geography were not my strongest subjects in school and if you haven't realized it yet....I AM NOT PERFECT....You can barely get into my storage room right now and one of the lights is burnt out so I should really put Caution Tape on the door....My deck is STILL not done being stained and it is November....My checkbook is not reconciled....I bite my nails.......If there is anything else that you want me to share I really don't mind....There is a true freedom from being Real about where you are in life. I think writing my blog has given me a strength I didn't know that I had and it has allowed me to get past all the superficial layers that we sometimes put up so that I can go deeper and find out who I really am....

Today I dream for you the chance to admit your shortcomings....put it out there...now you might want to start small so you don't overwhelm the people around you....your facebook friends might not know what to say when you post that you have overdrawn you checking account for the 8th time this month or something like that....But if you begin to be honest with those around you about your struggles and imperfections that it takes the pressure off of yourself so you can actually live and most often you will see that you are definitely not alone....

Have a wonderful day my friends.....

the wind......

Yes I do realize that this photo does not capture the power of the winds
that are upon us....But what am I suppose to do? If nothing
else you can see some of the trees that I worry will
fall on my house......LOL!!

Today the wind is horrendous....50-60 mph winds...The skies are dark and we keep having rain on and off. Not my favorite kind of weather... at all. I don't consider myself a worrier in most cases but when it comes to weather I make up for it. A while back I blogged about my fear of tornadoes. Growing up in West Texas tornadoes are just part of daily life. So when we moved to Wisconsin I was so happy that I would finally be able to sleep soundly during the months of March through July.....aahhh... Well for the most part we really don't have to deal with them.... except for a few here and there... some of which have been devastating... nothing like when I was in Texas. But I don't think it matters where I am when the wind kicks up my heart always starts to beat a little faster and I get a little jittery.

I now live in the woods so of course the thought goes through my mind of a tree falling on my house in a wind storm...wouldn't it occur to everyone???? What if one hits our room while we are sleeping? What if Rob is pinned and I can't get him out? What if both of us are killed and Dustin is left all alone? Will Becca have to quit school and come home to be with Dustin and give up her dream of being a photographer? Do they know where all of the important papers are if something happens to us? I knew I should have finished my bookwork because now the accountant is going to have to look through my stuff and see what a mess I have and she is really going to be confused....If the house is damaged then where will the kids live while it is getting fixed? Will they want to live in the house where their parents died??? If not how the heck are they going to sell this house with this driveway - I knew we should have blacktopped it!!!

Well you get the idea. Me and bad weather do not go well together. They say to expect the high winds for the next 48 hours....oh boy! My plan for the day is to stay in the basement doing bookwork and ironing...(just in case...lol...) I am trying to find positives in all of this......like hopefully I will burn a few more calories with my elevated heart rate over the next few days...... and now I don't have to take care of those piles of leaves in the yard seeing as how they are now in Yuba!!! Oh and my favorite positive in it....we may have 50-60mph winds but there is NO sand with it, so if I have to go outside it won't feel like my face is being rubbed raw by sandpaper and I won't have to pick grit out of my teeth when I come back inside....(oh....West Texas Sand Storms....)

This had to be a short post today....I know you are probably shocked....but my Internet keeps going on and off so I thought I just needed to get something out so this is what you get...

I tell you what though - trying to figure out a photo to go with the wind is pretty tough.

And one other tidbit of info....I checked Becca's facebook this morning and she said that they are under a tornado watch in Milwaukee.....Oh boy!! That sets off a WHOLE new set of stories in my vivid imagination....

Today I dream for you....beautiful weather!! Sunny skies and warm temperatures....aahhhhh - heavenly....

Have a wonderful day my friend....

a timeline of my life as a reader

When I was a child my favorite time of school was Library time. There was something peaceful and yet exciting about walking through  those doors.....One of my favorite memories of books that I read when I was younger was a collection of  Biographies about famous Americans. I always remember referring to them as the "orange" books. During our fourth grade year I am sure that me, Suzy and Darrell read every single one of them.  What I would give just to hold one of them again....sigh....


I also distinctly remember book reports and SRA's. SRA's always freaked me out!!!! After we were finished with our work we would go into the back of  Mrs. Arp's room and pick a card out of a large box. We would read our card and then do the multiple choice questions. Whenever we finished a color we were able to move ahead to the next and they got harder as they went. That was probably the first time I realized I wasn't quite as fast of a reader as the rest of my classmates. We had markers with our names on them to show where we left off. I remember staring at the box seeing my name so far behind everyone elses...oh, how I wanted to be done with Lime Green.... I tried and tried to read faster but no matter how much I wanted it I could never catch up with my friends.


But it's funny, even though I could never read "as fast" as everyone else I believe that their love for reading encouraged mine. My friends would talk about books that they were enjoying and I really wanted to read them too so I pushed through where I might have given up on reading all together if it were just left to me. So although at the time it may have seemed frustrating witnessing them read book after book so quickly it kept me going.....They were my "Carrot"....LOL...


Next was the stage of teen "love stories".... During that time it was me, Elva and Irene. We would read and share books and talk about characters while sitting in Coach Tonn's Science class. Sometimes I wonder what our mom's were thinking letting us read some of that stuff...

Suzy and I were together again during my next phase....Yep, Stephen King....I know good and well that left on my own I would have NEVER even looked at the cover of a Stephen King novel if it weren't for Suzy. But one by one I began laying in bed at night reading my books in a nervous sweat. I am a self proclaimed  "Fraidy Cat". Even now I have no interest in any kind of shows that are suspenseful or graphic or gory.....Nope, none at all, so don't even try to convince me otherwise!!!..I have never watched an episode of CSI or any of those kinds of shows and I really have 0 bit of interest in doing so. (okay except House...but it was a bonding thing with my kids....) Maybe it's because I still have visions of Pet Cemetery ingrained in my brain.....or I can vividly picture the people inside the grocery store in The Mist...aaarrgghhh.....great....now I will probably have nightmares tonight....dang it.......

Then I would assume that pretty much any girl living in the 80's knew the names Chris and Cathy Dollanganger....The characters in the V.C. Andrew book Flowers in the Attic. I love remembering that book until I think about how twisted the plot was and then I get a little nauseous. I think that is when I realized what a vivid imagination I have. I can still recall the pink color of the twins mom's sweatsuit as she came to the attic to check on the children one evening...my memory is insane sometimes. But I also think that my fond memories of the V.C. Andrews era is because that was the first "series" of books that I ever completed. There were 5 books and we would all go crazy until the next one would come out...

After that I took a break from reading for fun for several years. My next phase was probably parenting books. What To Expect When Your Expecting and all that kind of stuff. And then followed by Dr. Seuss and Brown Bear, Brown Bear....(which is still my favorite!!)

Then I got totally enthralled in the whole Left Behind Phenomenon. That was the series that reignited my whole Love for reading again. After that I began reading everything I could get my hands on. Some of my favorites were The Purpose Driven Life, Experiencing God, God Chasers, anything by Max Lucado and all of Francine Rivers books. During that time is when I finally even read the entire Bible....Something that I had always wanted to do and would love to do again. It felt so good and powerful to expand my mind through books again....

Since that time I don't think there has ever been a time without multiple books on my bedside table. I always have atleast one self help book going along with a fiction book and then usually something on organization of some kind...I can't imagine my life without books...

On Friday I went to my very first Book Club. There was a group of 14 women including myself. We read the  the HELP by Kathryn Stockett. It is set in the early 1960's in Mississippi. It is the stories of different colored women who worked in the homes of white families. It was a wonderful book. We each read it on our own and met on Friday to discuss it. Everyone brought a Southern Dish that was mentioned in the book. We had deviled eggs, fried chicken, black eyed peas, okra, caramel cake and of course if you read the book you realize we had to have Chocolate Pie !!! After supper we gathered in the living room for discussion. It was wonderful!! Having conversations with all of these women that come from all different backgrounds was so enlightening. I had the most wonderful evening! At one point I couldn't help but smile to myself. I looked around and realized that out of all of these women not one of them were from my church. They are all Christian women but are from all different churches in our community. The reason I think it was strange is that very rarely do I do things that don't include someone from my church. I was just proud of myself that my circle of friends is widening....I am loving this stage of my life!!

Now that I just finished The Help....(like Friday afternoon at Noodles in Company during my lunch...lol...I felt like I was cramming for a final - I have resolved myself  to the fact that I will NEVER be a fast runner or reader...oh well) I haven't started a new fiction book yet. We haven't decided on a new book for Book Club so I am on my own but I have about a dozen ideas in my head. I have never had difficulty in finding a book. To this day I have the same feeling that I had when I was a child walking through the library doors. Of course now it is Barnes and Nobles but it is the same feeling. I walk in, take a deep breath and my heart starts to beat a little faster. I walk through each and every isle my eyes scanning the titles and touching the covers of the books that catch my eye.....I could sit in one of their comfy chairs with a caramel frappachino and a book for hours (and I have - many times...and I am sure there are many more to come.....lol..)

Today I dream for you...time to read.....time to sit in a comfy chair with a glass of your favorite beverage by your side and be taken away by words on a page...

Have a fabulous day my friends.....

I've lost my marbles

Colorful Marbles, originally uploaded by pieceofheaven.

Sometimes I think my husband is sure that I have lost my marbles....LOL

The other night we were at our JMP meeting discussing what we would like to do on our vacation days after working at the orphanage. I quickly piped up and said that I wanted to go parasailing...I have always wanted to do that, to be high above the water and looking down at the beautiful landscape (especially of Jamaica). Doc commented that you know they have spots for 2 people and so I looked at Rob and smiled....He's not quite as "adventurism" as me. Rob is the practical, down to earth....let's just say he's the brains of this couple....LOL!!

He has always been an amazing supporter of the crazy things that I have done throughout our life together....all the little businesses that I started....but never stuck to.....let's see if I can remember them....there was selling Mary Kay (but I hated selling anything because I really just like how organized all the products looked on my shelf). There was the shirt painting...the craft booths...the card making....and the one the lasted the longest....scrapbooking. I taught Creative Memories for several years and I have to say a lot of good did come out of that one...There are probably plenty of other ones that I have blocked out of my memory.

Rob was also very supportive when I began running. During the races he would bring the kids and they would come to different spots along the route to cheer me on. And when I returned to school he was very understanding when it was Semester Final time and they lived off of cereal.....LOL!! He highly agreed that I needed to go help with Hurricane Katrina and now he is supporting me in my writing. Rob has always been my biggest fan in everything I do.

There is one thing that he wasn't supportive of...  In fact he was down right upset with me. Which is the main reason that I didn't tell him until I had already done it :-/ Summer before last I took my daughter and our exchange daughter to Wisconsin Dells to cross something off of my "bucket list". I went Bungee Jumping!! ...Yep...Crazy! It was about 130' and the only good thing about it was the nice view from up top. I was just looking at some videos of people jumping at the Dells and they were like 2 min long....My video was like 7 min....LOL...I kept thinking I was ready and then.......uummm, wait....Finally what made me do it is that I knew that if I just went back down that it would still be on "my list”. There would be a day that I was going to have to try again…Dang nab it!!! So it was easier just to get it over with so I could cross it off my list...I know...I know....

The worst part, obviously, was telling your brain that it was okay for your body to fall over the side of the ledge into midair. My brain and my legs were not agreeing at all. But of course after the initial drop it was sort of fun....Fun enough that I would ever do it again???.........uuummmmmm .....NO!!!!

When I called and told Rob what I had done he was MAAAAD!! Rob never gets Mad at me...I mean yeah if I don't turn the lights off when I walk out of the room he gets irritated. But he never gets MAD but this time I knew what was coming...."Linda, What were you thinking????" ooohhh and he never calls me Linda....I knew I was in deep trouble….I don't think "Peeps" would have had the same effect....LOL!!! What it came down to, and I knew it, is that he was scared that something would happen to me.....everyone together.........aaaaaawwww, how sweeet.......

It's funny that when we met Rob was the guy in the racecar and I was in a Ford Escort. Maybe that's why I was attracted to him I thought he was adventursm (sure it had nothing to do with he was just plain Gorgeous) but the reality is that he probably bought that car because it was in good shape and at a good price....(Just kidding Rob – you know I Love You )..!!

But the two of us do balance each other out. Without Rob who knows what a mess my life would be. I need someone to tone me down sometimes....Sometimes dreams just need to be that...dreams...And Rob knows that without me he would not have had the adventures and travel that he has had. We talk about all of this often and how blessed we are to have found each other.

So back to the parasailing adventure....well that has yet to be determined....I am giddy excited about it....Rob not so much....He hasn't said no. He just gives me this look with a little grin like...You really aren't going to make me do this are you?....And he knows full well that just about every adventure that I have talked him into he was grateful for afterwards....with exception of the Roller Coasters....I don't think that will ever happen again….:-)

Today I dream for you....an adverture!!!!....Make someone think that you have Lost Your Marbles....LOL!! Life is to short and there is so much to do......If you need ideas let me know – I will share some of mine with you!!

Have a wonderful day friend….

The importance of "good ice"

Sonic Cherry Lime, originally uploaded by pieceofheaven.

Well it's about time I educate my Northern friends on the importance of GOOD ICE....Now if I was in Texas that would be said with a definate drawl....But if I were here and said it like that you would just laugh at me....

I think Lubbock, TX must be the beverage capital of the world. Whenever I am at home it seems that I constantly have something to drink in my hand. This last time I was there I was awaken by Chuck bringing me a cup of coffee while I got to sit on the couch and watch my neices run around like little bees getting ready for school. And then I got to do one of my favorite things in the whole world. Sit and drink coffee made by my Brother n law Bill (because mine didn't work out so well) while he and I sat in the wing backed chairs in the kitchen talking about God. And then of course there is my sister Carla's iced tea. I make tea all the time but it never tastes as good as hers. I could drink it by the gallon.

But the funniest part is how whenever we are in Lubbock we always stop by somewhere to get something to drink. But it can't be just anywhere. It has to be somewhere with "good ice". So most often it's Sonic but many times we also stop at Taco Villa. And if you aren't in Lubbock and someone is there and headed home they will call you and say...."I'm headed home, would you like a Coke?" ..."Sure, bring me a Cherry Lime...".....LOL...(if you didn't get that, everything in the South is a Coke - don't you dare say Soda or Pop or Heaven forbid - Soda Pop....Everything is Coke...)

But back the ice....The ice that they have at Sonic and Taco Villa is made with Reverse Osmosis....Now I am not even going to try to explain how it works. The only reason I even know the name is because last year when I was in Texas photographing homes for my nephew Chuck he had built a home that had a Reverse Osmosis Ice maker in the outside kitchen by the pool!! I can't even imagine!! If someone were to ask me what is the one appliance that you dream of having - that would be it without a doubt! To have access to "good ice" all the time....Life would be blissful!!

Now although I can't explain the process of how it's made I will try to explain why we love it so much. The ice is made by going through a straw like tube...so when it comes out is in the small pieces. But it is the texture that is the best. It is perfect ice for eating. If Goldylocks had an ice preference this would be the one - because it is not to hard and it's not to soft.....it's "just right"!!

But almost as important as the ice would be the styrofoam cups. (lol...you never believed that anyone's life would be crazy enough to think that blogging about ice and styrofoam cups would be entertaining did you...LOL) But honestly without those cups it just wouldn't be the same. The styrofoam holds the cold in so your drink/ice will last for hours....Or until you hit the next Sonic. But it would have to hold the cold seeing as how I don't think I have ever even seen a small cup in Texas. They are HUGE!!! But it is Texas ya know...

I have a theory about Lubbock's obsession with "good ice" and styrofoam cups and beverages all together.. I say that it is because for most of the year it is so unbelievably hot that an ice cold Vanilla Dr. Pepper from Sonic or a Pink Panther from the Dixie Dog just hits the spot. And if you have to drink that much liquid to stay cool then it might as well be an "Event".

Now I know that I will get slack from my other friends all over that will whine and complain that I am biased about this being a Lubbock thing. I realize that we aren't the only ones that are insane about our beverages....But I would think it would be safe to say that many of my readers did live in or around Lubbock at one time or another and that probably led to your beverage addiction....LOL...

Well, today I dream for you the chance to appreciate "good ice"....If only I were so lucky to enjoy it today..sigh.....My closest Sonic is an hour away....which is better that the 5 hours that it was....progress..LOL..Have a good day friend....

the white line

In 2005 I began what would be a short running career. By the end of 2007 I had run 3 half marathons and countless other 5 and 10k’s. Although I never even considered running before. I learned to love everything about it. The alone time with God. The way my body was beginning to tone up. The feeling of accomplishment after a race. But in the Fall of 2007 I decided to return to school after 19 years and thus my running shoes would begin to gather dust.

As I ran my races I began to notice that I was a creature of habit. As the race began and the crowd dispersed I was usually left behind. My body never believed me when I tried to convince it that we were runners. I would find my rythym and take my place on the white line at the side of the road. As I would run (using that term loosely) I began to think about the symbolism of that line and relate it to my journey with God.

I would think about how God’s plan for my life is like that line. It is there to protect and guide me. But along the way there are obstacles that will try to interfere with my goal. If I just keep my eyes on the line then I won’t lose my way. Along the way I come across curves and intersections…mud puddles and potholes...accidents in my path that bring me to a complete halt… And more times that I care to admit I get so confident that I believe I can do this on my own. I take my eyes off the line and look to the crowds around me to show me the way. But while the crowd begins to encompass me and I lose sight of my safe white line I get nervous and I look down to find that without even noticing I am now standing on a  yellow dotted line and I panic. It is easy to follow the yellow line with a crowd around you for safety but what about when I am all alone? What if this yellow line becomes my normal? I know people that choose the yellow line. They seem to be constantly weaving and ducking and ultimately getting injured only to crawl their way ahead to get up and do it again. I begin to yearn for my white line.

God has created us to draw near to Him. When we are closest to Him we feel safe and secure. We feel encouraged and hopeful. It is much too easy to follow the groups around us that lead us into sin. But He tells us to throw all of that off. Because when we are free of all that junk than we can RUN the race He marked out for us. There have actually been times during my “running career” where I felt like I was running. When I didn’t worry about how I looked or the people around me. Those are the times that I am the most at peace as a runner. That is the life that I long for. I want to know that He is guiding my steps. And we know that the medal at the end will be better than anything imaginable.

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw

 off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with

perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12: 1-2

What I didn't do today.....

My pile of laundry that needs ironed....

This morning I ran across a blog that I am sure will become a favorite. http://smalltownsimplicity.blogspot.com/2010/10/authenticity-what-i-didnt-do-today.html
Lydia posted that as bloggers it is easy for us to write about the positive moments in our lives. The ones where things are going wonderful. The perfect meals that we make or the accomplishments of our kids. She challenged us to write today about AUTHENTICITY: What I didn't do today.....I Love the idea!! Not because I don't already do that. In fact if you have been around me at all you will notice that I am the first to put my faults out there. The one to tell you about how I frequently get lost or can not, no matter how hard I try, remember my children's times of birth or birth weight....LOL...

I think it is very healthy to laugh at the silly parts of our lives. But this article made me think about a short conversation that I had with my Great Niece while she was here this summer. She has always been "funny". She loves to make people laugh. But at one point I told her that it is fine to tell things about yourself that make people laugh. But I cautioned her to never put herself in a position to make herself seem "dumb". We all make mistakes and do silly things. And it is wonderful if you can use that stuff in a story that will make others relate and laugh. But it is a totally different thing to use those things in a way that degrade yourself and make yourself seem "lower" than the person you are talking to.

Part of me thinks that I would love to live a perfect life. Where there wasn't a mountain of laundry in my laundry room. Where I balanced my checkbook more than once a year. Where there wasn't spots of dog urine covering my whole living room carpet....But in reality I Love my life!! I am not lying when I say that there are many times where I literally laugh out loud about parts of my life...okay maybe not the dog urine, but most things I really do laugh about.

So I thought I would share a few of them with you from just the past few days to give you a taste of my day to day life...enjoy....

• I slept through my alarm clock yesterday morning. That meant that I didn't make sure my 15 year old was out of bed and ready for school. I was awoken by the slamming of the door as he ran outside to get into the Jeep  and take it down the hill only to see the bus driving away. So he followed the bus to the next stop which was about a mile and a half and left the Jeep in a friend's driveway...Then called me to tell me what had happened and we decided it was best for both of us not to inform Dad about this whole scenario....(yes, my 15 year old was driving down the road unaccompanied with no license.....do you see why he would call me and not his dad....LOL!! - I'll blog more on the significance of  that when my kids are a little older...LOL!!)
• I didn't blog yesterday. After shutting my tv off for 6 months I finally turned it back on so I was like a little kid. There were so many things that I had forgotten about (like how to turn it on - so I had to call Dish and have them talk me through it ...I really miss my teenagers being around). 
• I didn't stick to my eating plan....at all!!!..When I was in Texas my sister Debbie and I  bought blue jeans that were to small for us. Our goal is to be able to fit into them by Christmas. In my head I have great plans and really want to get fit again. I was doing so good before my surgery but since then I have just lost all momentum. So yesterday I finished off a bag of chocolates that my friend Shari had gotten me, a piece of pumpkin pie and a multitude of other "non healthy" foods.
• I didn't clean the woodstove even though it was on my list of things to do. Someone had misplaced the handle to our woodstove. I have looked for it for months. Finally yesterday I called to order a new one. After explaining the whole thing to the gentleman that works there...(who just happens to be my cousin that I thought was a customer there and got on the phone to mess with me. It seems that somehow along the way I didn't realize that he had worked there since the beginning of the summer....aaarrghhh...oh my silly head....) He told me he would look up the info and call me back. As soon as I hung up the phone I walked into the Family Room and moved the recliner to find it lying there on the floor. I quickly called him back and explained my joy and apologized for the inconvenience! I then walked over to the woodstove to carefully open it up. You see my daughter had been telling us for weeks that she had been hearing something living inside there. As I opened it I see a bat lying in the ashes - luckily not moving...EEKKKK! Quickly closed the door and left that job for the hubby.

Honestly I could go on and on and on and on......LOL... But I want to encourage you to live in your Authenticity.... Absolutely be proud when you cross things off your list.... Sing praises about your spouse and your children and your accomplishments....Take a dozen pictures of that 4 layer chocolate caramel cake...(and then send me a piece...lol..) Thank God for the blessings He gives. But be honest about your iimperfections. There has to be a balance in your life. If you can laugh at your mistakes then others will be able to find you relatable. If you are only one way or the other people will shy away. As much as it is difficult to be around people that believe they are perfect it is just as hard to be around people that you feel like you have to "take care of". That their life is one crisis after another....Balance....

So today my friend I dream for you a chance to laugh at yourself. As you sit in you pj's and it's 2 in the afternoon remember that no one is perfect. Or if it means you mess up and have to order a candy bokay to say your sorry for something that you did it is really okay. Life goes on....Look around at the blessings you have and remember that He has not left His throne....Have a Wonderful day!!

my brother Neil.........

I just got off the phone with my brother Neil...(I think it is so funny - that is what I always call him....My Brother Neil)....everybody around here always tells me that now that I have been in Wisconsin for 20 years I can start just calling him Neil because they realize who I am talking about...LOL!

My family is ...well....interesting...I can openly say this because they will all agree with me - we are quite a mixture. Momma always compared us to the Lucielle Ball movie...Yours, Mine and Ours...I am the baby out of 10 kids and Neil is my only Full Blood sibling. He is also the only one that I really grew up the whole time with. Many of the others were in my life..some more than others...but I have many memories of all of them. But memories of me and Neil flood my childhood....Him teaching me to drive a 5 speed...(the little Chevy Love...) Our (yes they were both of ours....and don't let him tell you different...) Muppet Puppets....Climbing trees in the backyard, fighting in the backseat, making slip and slides with HUGE pieces of plastic..and climbing into bed beside him the morning that the coroner came to our house early that rainy morning to pick up Great Grandma after she passed away down the hall.....tons and tons of memories.....

When Neil and I begin talking we could tell stories for hours upon hours. I love that kind of relationship with someone when you  only have to say a word or a phrase and memories come flooding back. And there is useless information that only they could give you....like - what was our Dr.'s name when we were little....(I wonder if possibly Debbie or Carla would remember but I know Momma would...) it was Dr Sauders...and he looked just like Captain Kangaroo. We use to sit in his waiting room reading Highlights magazines and  we got to pick toys out of the treasure chest.

Neil had the most Awesome class..(you see how I threw that 80's word in there..lol...) Our class was 2 years behind him and we idolized them. Probably 2/3 of our class had older siblings in that class so we were all like family. Every morning we would  meet in the library before school started and gather around one of the round tables listening to Tim or Kenneth read Garfield and Calvin and Hobbs out loud. Their class was full of pranksters and comedians....and as little brothers and sisters we were in awe of them....(don't know how funny the teachers thought they were but we enjoyed it....) I am always telling my kids and their friends stories about growing up and the things that we use to do. But it is so funny how many of my stories are things from Neil's class...His memories have become my memories....Sammy (?) sneaking out the window in Coach Tonn's class and and how they locked him out and then him just walking back into class and convincing Coach that he had given him permission to go to the bathroom....Being in Mrs. Ham's class and Neil telling the girls that he was crying because he had Leukemia...(when in reality he had just yawned and it caused his eyes to tear up....) and the girls running to the bathroom crying and his punishment was having to confess to the girls...Neil riding in the trunk of Tamara's car and pretending to be dead when they got to "the house"...their class being the ones that finally talked the school board to allowing us to have a prom....(Footloose.....It could have really been based on our lives....LOL..)

The class of 1986 taught us how to have a sense of humor and how to be adventurism....I wonder what things would have been like without them. What would we have done without Brent.....Brent hung out with Me, Suzy and Gina as much as anybody else.....I so remember riding in his car on graduation night one year out to someone's barn listening to his new cassette of Prince...Not to mention the whole trip to Lubbock to see him when he was working at the mall at the Pretzel Place and my care dying and Steve Rucker just happened to pull up and jump my battery.....LOL....Not mentioning how old I was....If you know that story then we must be close.....LOL!!! I remember Kenneth and his amazing musical talent on his Synthesiser and how he could Pinch you with his toes..LOL...I remember spending many hours at the Satterwhites "waiting" for Neil and Mitchell never getting to be part of the pranks because his dad was Superintendent and his mom was the English teacher..I remember Lucretia living at the end of our road and Pam across the field..I could go on and on.......sigh......

Neil has been a wonderful, wonderful brother....Although you would have never thought I would say that when I was younger...He will probably get upset at me for putting this out there because it is so not him now but he use to beat me up all the time when we were kids. He use to punch me so much that one time he was walking in his sleep and even came and beat me up...But I have to say that the time he threw the ball point pen and hit me in the eye and busted the blood vessels and then put a pillow over my face and begged me to quit crying was not intentional....it was just my turn on Mad Libs..LOL..but he didn't think Daddy would believe him so I went 2 days without looking at my parents because my eye looked like I was staring in a horror movie and then there was the moment I walked into the school the nurse called Momma to come get me...and then she FREAKED....LOL!!!.But now you would never know that he had a temper...He is the most caring and loving husband and father....And he is the best brother I could have ever asked for. It breaks my heart to be so very far away from him during these years of our lives. Years where we could be there to support and encourage each other. Neil now has 4 children....His daughter Peggy is almost the same age as Becca and has always been brilliant! Noel is brilliant as well but has his challenges...He has muscular dystrophy but that has not stopped him from being an incredible artist....And then he has 2 darling daughters ages 6 and 2...He is currently back in school and wanting to be in education. He has a wonderfully supportive wife that couldn't be a better soul mate for him and that makes me so happy. I am so proud of him and all he has accomplished....and I love hi dearly....

Today I dream for you the opportunity to reflect on someone in your life....what do they mean to you? Think of memories that you share.....take the time to talk to them and let them know how they have impacted you.
Have a wonderful day my friends....

Jamaican Mission Fair Fundraiser

Our Jamaican Mission Project Tent for the Fair

Last week was just a whirlwind of activity. It was insanely busy but I did truly enjoy myself. Our Jamaican Mission Program had a booth at the fair to raise money for a construction project we will do in January. I realize I haven't done a post yet about JMP and how we are involved but I will do that in the near future. But I just want to blog about this while it is fresh in my mind.

On Tuesday and Wednesday I got together with Bryan and Nichole to make marinade for our Jerk Pork. The marinade has about 19 ingredients - most of them fresh..(thyme, habeneros, banana peppers, onions, shallots, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce...and other things...)It was a very long process but the end product was worth it.

Working on the marinade for the Jerk Pork

On Thursday we got to the fairgrounds around noon to set up and began serving at 5 pm. We only had a few minor glitches with the electrical but it all worked out. We had plates of Jerk Pork, Pumpkin Rice and a roll - Jerk Pork on a Skewer - Jerk Pork Sliders - tons of homemade desserts and freshly made caramel apples and .50 cent soda. We were pretty steady on that night. After cleaning up we got home about midnight.

On Friday and Saturday we got much busier. I loved visiting with people and I guess word around the grounds was that we were the happening place. We had our music going and pretty much had people there a good part of the time. We had some incredible customers. Gary K ended up there 6 times atleast and one of the police officers had to be there just as much. Closing times were always fun. The officer and Thad (our cousin - who is now the fair coordinator) would come hang out with us - so much fun. Friday was a crazy long day. I had to be at the grounds at 9 am to help with the photography judging and then we started serving at 11 am. We got home that night at about 11 pm but I didn't get to bed until 3 am. We had 2 friends coming to visit and they didn't get in until midnight. So Dustin and I and the 2 girls stayed up talking and telling stories about "the old days" until we knew we had to get some sleep.

Back at the grounds at 9 am on Saturday trying to find some energy. We didn't have as much help that day so it made it Extra Long. Rob was competing in the Skid Steer competition at 3. Bryan and I both wanted to go but that left Nichole all alone so Lisa (my sister in law) filled in for me which was very sweet. At 5:30 Dustin's band, Feedback, performed. That caused another problem because it was rush time and we were short handed. Finally they just made Rob and I leave and relax for a bit. It was so very nice and I was so proud of those boys - they did an amazing job. We sold out of pork and so that night so we started cleaning up at about 9:30 pm. We got out of there at about 10:30...totally Exhausted.

Dustin (L), Ryan (M), Colton(R) and Steven(drums) - Feedback

Sunday morning we went to church and out to lunch with the Holley girls. It was nice to finally get to sit and visit. It was nice but it made me miss their family even more. Kiersten and Sam came to surprise D. They wanted to watch his band. They are such wonderful girls. So after lunch the girls headed back to college and the 3 of us finally got to spend some time looking around at the fair for a couple of hours. At 4pm we met Bryan and Nichole and Dave at the tent to "tear down". Let's just say it wasn't as much fun taking down as putting up. It took several hours and our lack of sleep was showing. After we were all done Rob and I went back to B and N's to help unload the trailer. Finally we sat out on the deck and had some supper and just relaxed. Even spent some time in the hot tub. A very nice ending to the weekend.

Dustin, Kiersten and Samantha

Today...well it's still not over. I have nescos to scrub and caramel apple stuff to clean up. Aprons and Flags to rewash. Tons of stuff that has to get put away. Figure out how I am getting Terry's trailblazer back to his house (and talk myself out of wanting one because I have Really loved driving it) get my Jeep from the Fairgrounds - the leftover buns to the soup kitchen (***I need to talk to you about that Sue, to see if you could use them. so if you read this contact me..LOL ***)All this and the stuff I need to be getting done at my house since I have neglected it for a week....

So there you go - A wrap-up of my week. I either bored you, overwhelmed you or just made you shake your head.... But today I dream for you the chance to "overwhelm" yourself. Dive in to something!! It might exhaust you and overwhelm you but you will make memories in the meantime. But I also dream for you the ability to focus on the positives and not the negatives (because there WILL be negatives)...Life is much to short not to flood it with memories.... Have a beautiful day my friends!!