Family Christmas 2009

Christmas came and went so quickly this year that it's just plain out depressing! I had Christmas Eve off, so I had a four day weekend, which was really nice.

Christmas Eve we went to my mother's house and she cooked her Christmas Eve specialty, bucket steak and gravy. Oh my goodness, that is the best meal I've had all year. No kidding! We ate our fill, then played Dirty Santa. Rachel was working in Birmingham and we decided to go on over to our house and wait on her to arrive after she got off work. She got to our house at almost midnight and that's when we opened gifts!

Our tradition has always been to open gifts on Christmas Eve and we didn't want to change it up this year, even though it was late! Jimmy got me a digital picture frame, the kids got things ranging from Alabama Rose Bowl jerseys to books, and I gave Jimmy a few things related to his bass-playing. One was the cutest little miniature of a Geddy Lee bass, which is one of the basses Jimmy plays. Mother gave me the necklace and bracelet that my grandparents gave her when she was about fifteen. We all were blessed with lots of thoughtful gifts.

Christmas morning Jimmy and the boys headed over to his Dad's where the men were cooking breakfast for his side of the family. I went on over about an hour later and we had a big breakfast courtesy of the guys. We stayed a couple of hours, then headed back home. Christmas Day is always a day of rest and relaxation for us, and this year was no different. I made some Buffalo Chicken Dip for a midday snack, along with Chex Mix and other goodies. Then that night Jimmy grilled us all a steak which we had with baked potatoes and layered salad. We watched It's a Wonderful Life together. Mother and Rachel had never seen it! This Christmas season we watched Christmas with the Kranks, Christmas Vacation, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story and parts of White Christmas and A Christmas Carol.

Saturday we didn't go anywhere, and on Sunday we decided to go to Madison to church with Layke and Seth. The church there is just what I need. From what Layke had described, I thought it would be all younger people, and there were a lot of them, but there were also lots of people my age. It has contemporary worship music with a full band, not a choir. The atmosphere is worshipful, relaxed and the dress is casual. The sermon was great even though their regular pastor wasn't there. The theology is conservative and aligns with my beliefs. As we left, they gave me a visitor's packet which included a ceramic coffee mug, ink pen, and several brochures and booklets telling all about their ministries.

It makes me sad that I have to travel an hour to find a place where I feel comfortable worshiping. Our church here is a good church, don't get me wrong, but I just don't feel comfortable and don't feel I fit in. When we first joined there close to ten years ago, I loved it. We were in a Sunday School class with people I liked, I was enjoying the lessons, enjoying and learning from the sermons, but over time, things changed, classes changed, people changed, I changed. So...I'm thinking we're going to go back to Madison this Sunday. Whether it is the place where God wants us, I'm not positive, but I think I'll have a clearer understanding after visiting a few more times.

One fun thing about going to church there this past week was going out to lunch and shopping afterwards! We got home about 3:30 and relaxed the rest of the evening. That was my Christmas weekend.

New Year's Eve is tomorrow and I have to work. Yuck. But I hope Jimmy and I can find something fun to do, either out somewhere or at home. I'm hoping and praying that 2010 will bring healthier, happier times to my family!

Christmas and my Career, what a combo!

It's been a while since I've blogged here, there just hasn't been time. After Thanksgiving I had three weekends in a row where I was out of town having fun and then I had to play catch-up this past weekend in order to get ready for Christmas.

Did I say I was ready for Christmas?! I might as well be! Our family decided to go really simple this year and so it wasn't really difficult to get the gifts purchased and wrapped. I still have a few little things to do, but it's manageable.

I'm up at the crack of dawn this morning for some reason. I'll be sorry in a few hours I'm sure. Only today and tomorrow at work, then I'm off for FOUR days! I live for this. No kidding. I see people bopping in and out of the library all day, busily going here and there and everywhere, talking about how they just don't have enough time to get everything done. Ahem. There I am, stuck in a building from 8-5 and there they are, free as the breeze. It makes me tired. And then on top of it, last night my son tells me that I chose the wrong profession, that I should have gotten into a school library where I would be off half of the year. Thanks, son, that made me feel better...!

Back when I finished grad school, I nearly killed myself to find a job in a school library. It didn't make sense how the doors all slammed in my face at every turn. I had made all A's in grad school; I was the one people came to when they had a question. And there I was, being passed over again and again. I was especially disappointed that I didn't get the position at a school that you can almost literally see from my house.

After disappointment after disappointment, Jimmy heard that there was an opening at our city library. He insisted that I go on the interview. Ok. Why not? So I had an interview with the mayor and city council at 6:30, I went on by the grocery store, got home and they called at 9 offering me the job. Uh. I was shocked! Of course I took it, but when I had my meeting to discuss the particulars, my heart hit the floor when they told me the salary. But it was a job and I had no other prospects.

I remember somebody who had my same degree telling me that they had decided against applying for the job because they were NOT going to work for that much money. That really helped my ego, but I worked hard and now, 15 years later, my salary has doubled and I make comparable pay and have the same retirement as those in my position in a public school. In retrospect, the job I have is the perfect one for me. I don't have to deal with kids all day. Instead I do paperwork and let the other staff deal with the public. Things go pretty smoothly although occasionally there are bumps that I have to smooth over. My boss doesn't micro-manage me and it's a relatively stress-free work environment. I made the right decision all those years ago. It's just when people make comments like my son did last night that I get a pang...I would love to be off right now for Christmas break. But it wasn't meant to be.

My goodness, how did I get off on that subject? Just thinking through my fingertips I suppose!

I'm going to get off of here and make use of this extra time I have this morning. Hope those who are reading this have a very blessed Christmas!

Thanksgiving

I think I had the best Thanksgiving I ever had this year. We had it at my house and when I got off work Wednesday, I was ready to start cooking!

Most people complain about Thanksgiving cooking; I LOVE it! Jimmy peeled the apples and I put together the pie filling, I made deviled eggs, cranberry relish, sweet tea and I had gotten smart and when I was home for lunch that day I made my congealed salad! Things were moving smoothly!

Thursday morning I baked the pies, and I must say they were gorgeous! And tasted just as good as they looked. The secret is the freshly grated nutmeg...mmmmm.

Off we went at 10:30 to meet Jimmy's family at Cracker Barrel. We had a very short wait and I enjoyed breakfast. All of the grandkids were not there, but we still had two big tables full.

After we got home Layke put his sweet potatoes in to bake, made his casserole, and I finished up the corn casserole, Brussels sprouts, etc. Mother and Rachel came in with the dressing, mashed potatoes, pecan pie and chess squares. We ate a late lunch and then just sat at the table chatting. That night we all watched our traditional Christmas Vacation and we also watched Christmas with the Kranks. It was a glorious day, so full of blessings!!

It's a Gorgeous Day!

And I'm inside. :(

Hey, it's been a while since I've blogged. There has been a lot of stuff going on in my life, everything from the happiest happy to stressed out beyond belief!

Part of the happiest happy was Jimmy playing a Halloween gig at Boondocks. He, along with a few friends, did a set and I thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening sitting at a table with a coffin propped on it! I saw lots of costumes- Gene Simmons, Justin Timberlake, a sexy nurse and sexy policewoman and besides the costumes, I saw the REAL Jeff Cook!

For those who may not know who he is, he was with the group Alabama. He moved to Guntersville several years ago and he frequents Boondocks. I didn't say anything to him, but when I first came in he was sittig there and at first glance I thought it was our friend Lee. I had a flash of recognition on my face and then I realized it wasn't Lee, but it didn't dawn on me that it was Jeff Cook until later. Duh.

The most surreal moment of the evening was when he was standing there with his camera videoing the band Jimmy was playing with. I'm sure he's usually on the other side of the camera! He also got onstage and Jimmy handed off his bass to him and Jeff played Jimmy's bass for a couple of songs. Like I said, it was a happy night and lots of fun!

My mother's birthday was Sunday and we did our celebrating Saturday. We went out to lunch then she and Rachel came down to Boondocks. Now that was a sight- my mother sitting in a bar! But she had a good time listening to the music. She left after Jimmy played and I'm glad. The later it got the wilder the crowd got and when the women started dancing together, uh, provacatively, I was ready to leave. Yuck.

This week Jimmy has been in South Alabama working. Nothing spectacularly exciting has happened around home this week. I had my yearly budget meeting and a portrait made for the city's new website. I did have quite a stressful afternoon yesterday which had to do with insurance coverage, but I'm fine today. It'll all work out. I'm sure of it.

For those of you who are in the Albertville area, we here at the library are going to partner with the Marshall County Coalition Against Domestic Violence by being a drop point for people to donate needed items such as toilet tissue, paper towels, and laundry detergent. This is not just for the holidays; we are going to do it long term, so please remember us when you do your shopping. Grab an extra roll of paper towels or an extra pack of toilet paper, bottle of detergent, shampoo or soap and bring it by and put it in the big purple box! The motto we have come up with is "Help Us Help Them Assist Victims to become Victors".

Alrighty. I've spilled everything I know for now! Maybe it won't be so long until the next time I decide to write. Toodles!

Have you ever...

had a situation where no matter how you try to explain your point of view, the person just doesn't understand what you're saying? You try to be nice and respectful but honestly tell them how you perceive things and it still doesn't work, they still take offense when no harm or insult was intended. I'm a non-confrontational person. I hate conflict, drama, and all that jazz. To be pulled into it makes me very uncomfortable. It's been one of those kind of days for me today. *Sigh*

I wish I was on that beach in the picture up there. It was Atlantic City, early in the morning, and hardly anyone was around. It was so peaceful and serene.

Well, this is the fourth blog I’ve tried to start since I put up the one about Crow Mountain. I’d write and little, go “EHHHH”, and then quit.

What does that say about my life right now? We’ve been to the Smoky Mountains. I’ve read some good books. I’ve been to a meeting in Huntsville for my work. Exciting stuff.

The Smokies trip was mainly for my youngest son. He loves that place better than any place on earth, so we headed out last Friday afternoon. The traffic was pretty bad when we got there and it rained on us the entire way. It poured all day Saturday and the traffic was bumper-to-bumper. We rode out to the Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville and it took an hour and a half to get back to Pigeon Forge. I was SO irritated! We went to the Brewery for supper. The food was ok, wasn’t really what I wanted, and our bill was too freaking high!!! That made me ill, plus we got back to the hotel room by around 6:30 and that was that for Saturday. The boys were happy to stay in the room and watch football and the Nascar race. Thank goodness Seth took his laptop so I at least had something to do!

Sunday morning was beautiful and clear. We headed to Gatlinburg where we had breakfast at the Pancake Pantry, another one of Seth’s favorite places. Then we were going to ride through Cade’s Cove. Once again, bumper-to-bumper traffic and a sign that said that going the loop at Cade’s Cove would take 2-3 hours! We turned around and had some other adventures and headed home. Needless to say it wasn’t the most entertaining of all the trips we’ve made to the Smokies, but we did do a lot of shopping and eating!

While we were gone we left Pugsley at the vet’s. He got a bath and his shots and he looked luscious when we picked him up to bring him home. And the vet said to cut back on his food. He’ll think we’re starving him! He’s a little hog! But the most laughable thing is that they told me to walk him. WALK HIM!! A dog that lives outside! No way. He’s 12 ½ and a little old man and his joints hurt. If he wants to walk around he’ll do it himself. I’m not going to make him.

Spunky Bogart was happy to see me when we got back. He’s such a silly bird! I do believe he thinks MY name is Spunky! LOL

We’ve been rearranging all day at work, cleaning out and had a lot of stuff taken to the recycling center. One thing we found was a bag with lots of pretty gemstones in it. It’s been here forever, so I took them and put them in a glass container and they are setting on my desk where I can look at them. There is amythyst, jasper, moonstone, rose quartz, hematite, amber, and I don’t know the names of the rest of them. I don’t believe in any kind of powers from gems and crystals; I just like to look at them.

I’m sad that Hell’s Kitchen is over for the season, but my man Dave won! He beat the others with one arm! I was tickled to death! Tuesday nights aren’t going to be exciting anymore.

Crow Mountain is for the Birds

Well, we made the STUPID trip yesterday to buy apples. Up early, on the road by 7:30. UGH. On a Saturday! Of course I enjoyed the time spent with Jimmy and Seth, but good grief. That's a loooonnnggg way to go to spend less than ten minutes buying apples!

Does anybody besides me ever feel like they are raising another child when it comes to their husband? I'll declare, Jimmy was picking up bags of apples and setting them back down and the uptight-looking lady said, "Sir, where did you get that bag??" I was mortified. He was just putting them back down anywhere and the stupid things were sorted by varieties, but the bags were not labeled. I've never been so glad to get out of that place!

We drove all the way back home, then twenty minutes further to deliver some of those stupid apples to a guy he works with. At least there was a yard sale where we stopped to meet him and I got some Star of David coasters fro $1 each. They had some great deals on the stuff, but I already have plenty. Mother has given me Star of David platters, bowls, etc. over the years.

Nothing exciting happened yesterday except that we got our junk room partially cleaned out. The carpet needs vacuuming but I think Jimmy burned up my vacuum cleaner sucking up flea powder the other day. Oh, the fleas have been horrible. My cat never sets one little toe outside, so somebody has to bring them in. And they don't bite anyone in this household except Jimmy, which provokes lots of bitching and griping from him. I've bought Frontline for my cat, flea powder for the carpet and Raid spray. Plus we have a bug man who comes every month. What else can I do???

Last night I wanted to go see Jake Owen at a nearby concert. But nooooo. I tell him about this a month ago and he knew full well it was last night. At almost show time I said something about it and he said that we'd go, all the while moaning and groaning and acting like he was about to die of exhaustion. Yeah, right. You wait and see if I do something HE wants to do the next time. Apples be damned. I'm not going back to Crow Mountain!!!!

Friday Night and all's quiet

Friday night has rolled around again. Last week I was having a girls weekend. This weekend, who knows! Tonight we haven't done anything to speak of, unless you consider going through the drive-thru at Wendy's a big deal!

I've just recovered from a long bout of bronchitis or something like it. My mitral valve doctor made me get a chest X-ray Tuesday, but thankfully it was clear and I've continued to improve.

A new fiscal year has begun at work and that has brought budget plans and statistical reports. I'm pretty much caught up, thank goodness!

In the morning Jimmy wants me to ride with him to Crow Mountain to buy apples. Jimmy is an apple freak. Me? Meh. Take 'em or leave 'em. But he's willing to drive over an hour each way in order to go to that orchard. I personally think it's stupid. STUPID. But whatever rings his bell.

The Harvest Festival is this weekend in Boaz, but I doubt we'll go. We haven't been for years. Tomorrow night there is a show by Jake Owen that I'd love to see. I doubt I can get anyone to go with me even though it's right here!

I'll report back after tomorrow and let you know how exciting Crow Mountain was and if we did anything else exciting! Adios!

That's Southern, Ya'll.

I survived the weekend by staying in the bed. I also stayed in the bed Monday and I would have yesterday and today but I'm OUT of sick leave. Being sick sucks. Being sick at work sucks even more.

The main thing is that I've got to get better by Friday. I have a weekend planned in Birmingham with my friends from all over the U.S. and I want to feel good so I can enjoy it thoroughly! I know we'll be running around and staying up to the wee hours. I'm so far behind in getting ready. Do I know what I'm wearing? Nahhh. Shoes chosen? Nahhh. Hair colored? Nahh. Suitcase even halfway packed? Nahh. I may end up going looking like a haint.

Know what a "haint" is? It is a common expression here in the south for a ghost or something scary. I suppose the word comes from "haunt". Being from the south with all of our colloquialisms is so much fun. I can't think of anywhere else in this country where there are so many sayings!

Full as a tick.

Mad as an old wet hen.

Mean as a dirt road lizard.

Shut my mouth!

Richer than Cooter Brown.

Tighter than Dick's hatband.

I'm fixin' to.

I reckon so.

It's over yonder.

He's all laid up.

And one I heard a kid from Texas say last night on Hell's Kitchen..."Whistlebritches"! I laughed out loud when he called John-Phillipe that! It's been a while, but I've heard that expression all of my life.

Those are just a few that came to mind. There are literally dozens more but my mind is blank right now. That's just a taste of what southern talk is, ya'll.

I'm so proud to be American by birth, Southern by the grace of God!!

Words of Comfort

2:54 a.m. and I'm in the den in the recliner. Jimmy's "allergies" sure were contagious. My head is all stopped up, my ears itch and I feel yucky. So, here I sit, cat by my side, on Seth's laptop. Other things are weighing heavily on my mind and I just can't sleep. What little sleep I did get was fitful and I had to have James Taylor singing to me via my ipod and ear buds so that I could relax.

Sometimes I wish I could wave a magic wand and make everything great. Nobody would be sick, there would be no kind of stressors in my life at all. What I'm babbling makes no sense to anyone but me. This blog is a source of therapy so I'm just going to babble on. Forgive me.

At times like this I find comfort in certain Bible passages.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Psalm 91:1-2

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:18

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:29-32

Lastly for tonight (this morning?), here is my favorite hymn, which kind of goes along with my favorite Bible passage, Psalm 91.

He hideth My soul

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

Refrain:
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.

Refrain

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
And filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!

Refrain

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I’ll shout with the millions on high.

Refrain

Teary Eyes and Rainy Days

*

This morning I woke up, realizing that once again I had overslept. It is raining outside and I seem to be able to sleep on and on and on when it is. Somehow I made it to work on time and I even had my makeup on, including mascara!

These days it seems that I'm quite melancholy. Simple things make me tear up. I despise to be this way because I'm not a weepy sort of person typically. Maybe it's a seasonal thing. Time is flying by so quickly! September is half over! And before I can turn around Christmas will be here again. As much as I love Christmas, a part of me is always sad. I miss the people who aren't here anymore. I've always been sad that Jesus had to come to earth to live and die for stuff I have done. Yes, yes, it's a good thing, a happy thing, an humbling thing, but it still makes me sort of sad. Am I crazy? Am I the only person who has ever looked at it this way?

Thankfully I do have several trips planned for this fall which should take my mind off being melancholy. These trips always make me laugh until my sides hurt and make memories that I treasure. Hopefully I'll snap out of this funk soon.

*Artwork is by http://strawberry-ike.deviantart.com/art/Crying-Eye-118422623

Big-Bad-Bird-Hater~I don't think so!

Sometimes my husband does something that just makes me smile. Last night we were getting ready to go to bed and he covered up the bird. That in itself is a miracle. Jimmy says he hates Spunky. He will not touch him, he pokes at him and irritates him every chance he gets. But last night Jimmy did something that made my heart just melt. He put the two throws that we use to cover Spunky over his cage, and then he gently tucked them in on all the sides like he was carefully tucking a child into bed. Well, that just proves that Jimmy is not the Big-Bad-Bird-Hater that he says he is! I didn't say anything to him about it last night, but today I hugged him around the neck and told him how sweet I thought he was to do that. He said he just didn't want him to get cold. Now would a Big-Bad-Bird-Hater do that? ;)

Pajamas, Sweatshirts and Perfect Weather

Today is a blahhh kind of day. I wanted to stay in bed or at least stay home in my pajamas. It has been three weeks since my B12 shot. And I feel it. Every month I start to fade on the third week. Got to hang on another week until I can get my little miracle in a syringe.

But on a high note, it's my favorite time of year. My calendar at work shows a little dog sitting by some pretty gold and russet-colored mums. (My Bo calendar has an adorable picture of Bo and Aidan, but I digress...)

If the weather would just start getting the "nip" in the air, things would be groovy. I love what I call sweatshirt weather. Putting on a sweatshirt and being outside in the sunshine surrounded by gorgeous red and gold leaves and not being hot is heaven! I like for my nose to be a little cool, too. Dogs are healthy if they have cold noses! I feel the same way.!

Last year my family went to Maine to visit Layke while he was living up there. My goodness, how perfect was that weather? The scenery there is more gorgeous than any I've ever seen. We visited several lighthouses and being there on the coast was one of the most peaceful times I've ever spent in my life. I would love to go back. The picture at the heading of my blog was taken in Maine last year. Isn't it pretty?

Hmm. This little trip down memory lane has kind of snapped me out of my blah-ness. And that's a good thing!

Happy Labor Day

Today has been a little different than I anticipated, but it's different in a good way.

First thing this morning Jimmy woke me up from dreaming I was videotaping a gorgeous beach. When I told him he interrupted a beautiful dream he said he might have saved me from a tidal wave. He's goofy.

Now this was early morning...6 something, and he was rushing me to get dressed. We were going to "First Monday" in Scottsboro. Ok. I drug myself up and got dressed in comfy jeans, a tie-dyed shirt and my old feed-the-dogs crocs. Slapped on a little makeup, donned my "designer" sunglasses and we were off!

First stop was Hardee's. We went inside and ate, which was nice. I can't stand to try and eat going down the road! I had a bologna, egg and cheese biscuit. Yes, my northern friends, you heard me right. Fried bologna is the bomb!!

Full on our breakfast biscuits, we headed out on the 45 minute drive to Scottsboro. Of course we had to stop and get gas. And Jimmy forgot his hat, so he bought one. Can't let that pretty balding head get blistered, now can we?

We got to Scottsboro and it was just not as crowded as I remembered from years past. Some of the stuff was way overpriced, but I did find that my McCoy bowl brings $45 bucks at the flea market. My favorite vendor there had four tables of goodies for $1 each. I found some wine glass charms. I've always wanted some; now I have six pretty pewter ones. I thought one of them was an ear. Jimmy said it was a flower with stems! I'm pretty dense sometimes! LOL

I found some glass earrings like I've been wanting for $3. They sell comparable stuff at Peebles Department Store for close to $60. Can you say bargain, boys and girls??

After we had made the rounds around the town square, we loaded up and went to Unclaimed Baggage. My goodness, if you've never been there you should see it! This place buys unclaimed items and luggage from airlines and there is some awesome stuff. They have clothes, jewelry, perfume, shoes, books, cameras, you name it. Pricey stuff, too, like Coach purses. I ended up getting a couple of shirts.

As we were leaving somebody suggested that we ride on to Huntsville, visit Ross (my favorite store in the entire world!) and have lunch at Dreamland. Jimmy and Layke just weren't in the mood for grilling today. So off we went.

Ross had more clothes than I've ever seen there before. I dug through the racks and ended up with two shirts. I could have chosen several more, but I limited myself as to how much I was going to spend. I love a good deal!

I could have kept on looking, but the guys were encouraging me strongly to come on, so we left and headed to Dreamland, just a short way down the road.

It smelled heavenly! We entered and the wood smoke was all around. We were starving! We ordered and in no time we had a plate of white bread and bbq sauce, our ribs, slaw, beans, fries, pork sandwich...all the things that we had decided to have.

Jimmy started complaining immediately about the ribs. They tasted "old" to him, and to be perfectly honest, they are in no way as good as the ones my guys can cook! But they were not as bad as he was letting on, and when we got the bill...well, his eyes bulged out of his head! But he just says he's counting it as a lesson learned! No more ribs except what we cook at home. We're spoiled!

We got home around 3 in the afternoon. I've been in here on the computer, talked on the phone to Debbie, Mother and Rachel, and have done some laundry. My boys are watching "The Patriot" DVD that Seth bought today.

It's been a good one, but not a typical one. A little change every now and then keeps things interesting, don't you think? And my kitchen is clean today!

Labor Day is almost here! I'm looking forward to a long weekend and for once, Jimmy is going to be off, too. Usually the chicken business continues on without a break, but this year it's a hol-i-day! Whoo Hoo!

First on the agenda will be getting some meat to smoke. Ribs, brisket, pork loin, pork butt...I'm not sure what all he'll choose. Usually he is the one who makes the smoking decisions. He and Layke consider smoking a sport! Jimmy will get up all through the night to babysit his brisket. And let me tell you, the man can smoke a brisket! Layke is the champ with ribs. Oh my. My job is always to provide side dishes. Typically I do corn on the cob, potato salad, slaw, stuff like that. I might prowl around some cookbooks or websites and try to find something new and unique to prepare. Anyone have any suggestions? I tried a new slaw that a guy at Jimmy's work makes the last time we smoked and it is fabulous! It has hot peppers and chopped tomatoes in it. Sounds weird, but honey child, it will make you want to slap your grandmaw. ;)

A Different Kind of Slaw

Chopped cabbage

Finely chopped hot pepper, about a half of one

Finely chopped seeded tomato

Mayonnaise to taste

Chopped onions

A couple of capfuls of cider vinegar

A little bit of sugar, about tsp.

Salt & Pepper

Aside from cooking, I also plan on having plenty of margaritas. I'm not a big drinker as my friends can tell you. One, maybe two of something is my limit. But these margaritas...oh my. I had gotten a margarita at Santa Fe when I was having dinner with some friends. One of them asked the bartender what kind of mixer he used. He said Finest Call sweet and sour. So, off to the store I went and got some and followed the recipe on the bottle for margaritas. Oh. My. God. I really have to watch myself with these. I limit it to two, but I think I could drink them until my eyes bugged out!

Well, that's about it for today. Unless I think of something else. OH YEAH...a funny from Rachel that I've just got to share~

Rachel purchased some Nag Champa incense the other day (I love the stuff) and burned a stick in her apartment. She went out to walk the dog and when she got back there was a note taped to back of the outside door. It said: "To my pot-smoking neighbors, please raise a window, it stinks!" She cracked up and left them a note telling them it was Nag Champa, not pot, but she wouldn't do it again! I told her, "Welcome to apartment living!" She said it wasn't worth pissing off the neighbors to burn it. I just thought that was humorous.

Another One Bites the Dust

Rachel's new apartment...her bedroom.

Me and Jimbo

Ray

This weekend has flown by! Friday night after work the girls and I went to Santa Fe to celebrate Cindy and Terri's birthdays. My friend Susan joined us, along with two other girls I knew from high school. We had a good time all crammed into a big corner booth.

Yesterday morning we got up and helped Rachel pack the truck for her move to Birmingham. Then we went to Jimmy's dad's Cancer-Free and Birthday celebration at his aunt and uncle's house. Of course it rained, but thankfully they have a huge garage. And my gosh, how neat they are! Every tool is hung perfectly on the wall, car magazines are stacked neatly, model cars are arranged on the walls, etc. Ha! You should see our garage. Pathetic!!

After the lunch, we headed down to Birmingham since Seth had gone in the truck to help Rachel move. She lives right on 20th Street South. The only drawback to her apartment is that you have to park on the street. No likey. But otherwise, the apartment is great. She seems to love it.

We were walking up the steps and Rachel fell and she had a box of glasses in her hands. Thankfully they didn't cut her. She did skin up her foot and her arm though. We didn't stay long because she was going to some gala last night with her boyfriend. I talked to her this morning and she said she enjoyed it. She said it was fun watching all the rich people and see them bid thousands of dollars at the silent auction.

When I talked to her today she was sitting at Starbucks, sipping a latte and using her laptop. I think she will adjust to urban living just fine. Not too sure I would. I'd love to live in the suburbs of a large city, but actually IN the city would be a different story.

Today I've done laundry, talked on the phone, watched TV and uploaded some pictures that I took yesterday. Nothing exciting. I'm in my pajamas and it's almost 2:30! Oh well, it's rainy and they are comfy. I really need to go do some shopping but it willl have to wait.

Weekend's almost over, but the good news is that we get to close early tomorrow so that my staff and I can attend the town hall meeting that our city officials are having. Should prove to be interesting. I hate and despise Mondays at work. HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. I think it's the combination of starting the week with a late day and the hoards of people who pile in on Mondays. I hate to wish my life away, but I swear I live for weekends.

*insert angry emoticon here*

I do not understand how some things work. Never, ever in a billion jillion years will I understand a certain situation, which is totally out of my hands, but still bugs the crap out of me. The one person I can talk to about it just totally blew me off, so here I am. Where's the frying pan when I need it?


On another note...
Found some quotes I love!

A great many people mistake opinions for thoughts.

The dumbest people I know are those who know it all.

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it's off to work I go!

Well, my first day back at work was just like I expected. 201 emails were in my inbox, the desk was piled with books and invoices and I got three memos from the mayor. People were pulling on the door as I drove up an hour before opening time. By opening time the front porch was crowded. I hid in my office with my head stuck in the computer monitor trying to get caught up with everything from the past week and a half. I almost made it, too!

Jimmy was fine at lunch, just bored to death. As he begins to feel better, the restless, irritable, frustrated factors come into play. Hopefully he'll be able to go back to work next Monday. He really shouldn't, but if he doesn't he's going to go crazy.

My stomach is growling. For lunch I had a few pretzel chips, hummus, and a banana. Not exactly food that sticks to your ribs, is it? I need to go and make some supper. Tonight it's fish sandwiches. I've never made them that I can recall. I bought some frozen premium breaded tilapia, buns, tartar sauce and I thought I'd throw on a piece of cheese like McDonald's does. I will let you know how they go over!

Changing the subject to something personal...my hair is falling out!!!!! Every time I wash it or comb it big clumps are left in the bottom of the tub and in my comb. It's beginning to freak me out. My hair is getting longer and about ten years ago it was this length. Back then it took me thirty minutes to blow dry it. Now it only takes a fraction of that time. It doesn't even feel like my hair used to feel, which was thick and lush! Now it's thin and scrawny! I looked up causes for female hair loss online and I can't fathom what it might be unless it's the dreaded hormones. You know I did have that milestone birthday this year. Oh my God! Getting old is a bitch! I want to be Benjaminette Button and grow younger! Might as well give in and call my gyno and see if he can test my hormone levels. :(

Changing the subject again...three people were swept off the rocks in Acadia National Park at Thunder Hole Sunday. We visited there last fall when we went to Maine. One little girl drowned, but the other two were rescued I believe. What would make someone not heed the rails and climb up on those rocks? I assume that's what they did because the walkways are gated when the sea is rough. We saw people climbing up on top of those giant rocks beyond the gates when we were there. Makes me shudder to think about it! The ocean is beautiful, but it is mighty and powerful and I respect it a great deal! I don't even want to go out on it in a boat.

Ok, I'm out of here for now. I didn't have much to say today, but I enjoy this immensely. :)

Bored, Junk and the Status Quo

Saturday afternoon and all's well at our household, thank God. Jimmy's been steadily improving over the past couple of days and even though it's going to be a long haul, I think he's finally heading in the right direction.

Today is the first day I have gotten out of the house. We were out of everything from toothbrushes and vitamins to milk and eggs. Needless to say I spent a small fortune!

This afternoon I am just bored. Well, actually I'm sleepy, too, but I'm fighting it with all that is in me. There are so many constructive things I could be doing, but ughhh. Who wants to work on a project?

That brings to mind what Mother used to say to me all the time when the kids were little. She'd say I needed to start a project. Now by "project", Mother meant something like cleaning out closets, cleaning underneath the cabinets, etc. She was out of her mind. Who could do that with three small children running around? Now I don't have young ones, I have big ones and they make bigger messes than the little ones ever did. I cannot tell you how many times I have organized the cabinets in my kitchen and how many times it only takes them a week or so to undo all of my work! So why bother? Aren't you supposed to yell, "Fore!" when playing golf and a ball is coming down out of the sky? Well, we should yell "Fore!" before opening a kitchen cabinet. There is always the risk of getting pelted in the head with Tupperware and Rubbermaid.

Several years ago when I started my job, one of my tasks was to clean out the building. They brought a big dumpster and set it outside to make it easy for us to dispose of things. I need a dumpster here at home. No kidding. Do you think they would bring one if I called?? I'm so tired of all this accumulated stuff. But here is what happens to me...the minute I get rid of something I need it. It never fails. Ever. So I guess I'll just keep things the way they are for the time being and hope nobody ever drops by.

Thursday, Spunky, and making Lemonade from Lemons

Where has this week gone? Things around here have been not-so-good so I just threw in the towel and said I was going to take off the rest of the week.

Yesterday was a really bad one for Jimmy, but on the up side last night was the first night he was able to lie down in the bed and get some sleep. He looks better this morning and I'm hoping that he'll be able to eat something today. He has lost 10 pounds this week, which he's happy about, but the methodology has been quite unpleasant!

One bright spot in our days this week has been that silly little bird of mine, Spunky Bogart. He can make you smile even when you feel horrible. One day Jimmy's dad came over and he reached out for him and Spunks nipped him a good one on the finger. That in itself wasn't funny, but the way Ray reacted was a hoot! Jimmy has laughed off and on all week about how he danced around. He also ate one of my mother's earrings. The little thief was sitting on her shoulder, his beak stuffed with a diamond stud earring, the post sticking out like it was a cigarette. I wrestled it away from him before he swallowed it. And then yesterday Spunky was on my shoulder making his little kissing sounds when Seth started playing with my hair. Spunky did NOT want him to touch me and you have never heard the like of fussing! We howled laughing. Like I said, he's been a true source of laughter for us when we really didn't feel like laughing.

I'm optimistic that today is going to be a better one than yesterday. Since I'm using vacation time, I am going to act like I'm on vacation as much as I can. I'm going to watch movies, nap, and read if the mood strikes me. This cluttered house and dirty laundry can just wait, don't you think?

I'm Staying Home Today

Last night was a rough one for Jimmy and I'm staying home with him today. When you're that sick you just don't want to be by yourself. Not that our youngest wouldn't be here, but it's not the same.

I'm not in a good frame of mind as you can probably tell and I should stay off of here. But it seems that writing about it helps somehow. Forgive me for being Debbie Downer.

Back To Work Tomorrow

Yes, I need to go. But do you know how hard it is to do it when your sick husband looks at you and says, "Don't go. Stay here with me the rest of the week."? I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I have very little time left. There are two doctor's appointments that I know about for him that are coming up and one for me. He said to take it without pay but I don't think we can afford it. Heck, I KNOW we can't afford it. I don't know what to do. I'm so tired.

Not a Good One

Today is not good. Jimmy didn't sleep at all and at five this morning he was sick as a dog. He can't tolerate anything on his stomach; he just sips a little Gatorade. It's like he's made a major reversal since he's come home. We called the doctor and he told him to rest and gave him a prescription for nausea. I worry about blood clots because of the one he developed earlier this year. We're to call back if he gets worse. I'm scared to death something has happened and his intestines have quit working after they had gotten a little start.

Sorry if this is TMI. I am frustrated and tired and don't know what to do with myself. He's ill, I'm ill, and I have the added pressure of not having any more sick leave. I'm dipping into vacation time now and that's fine, but the times I take vacation are to help me keep my sanity. I guess I'll just have to be insane.

Day Three We Made It HOME

Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Walk the halls. Sit in a chair. Go back to sleep for awhile. My boys came over after work and they took me out for supper. We got Jimmy situated in bed, made sure he had a current dose of painkillers, had peed and didn't need a drink, then we went to Schlotsky's.

At first the boys wanted to go to Outback. Uh, I looked like a homeless woman. Well, I DID put on some makeup before we left, but I wasn't fit to go anywhere except a sandwich joint.

We had a sandwich and then went to Sam's. I grabbed just a few things- garbage bags, a giant Snak-Pak Pudding (I figured Jimmy would eat them when he got home), some pants for me to sleep in and a DVD set of Alfred Hitchcock movies for Jimmy. When we were dating we always watched Alfred every night!

Today started out rough for ole Jimbo. He woke up hurting (he had gone all night without pain meds) and sick. But as the morning wore on he was up, ate real food for breakfast and lunch and walked the halls a lot. But this afternoon it was all downhill. He did NOT feel good, but he wanted to come home. I drove more slowly than usual and we got home around seven. The poor thing could hardly make it up the steps and when he got in the boys helped to ease him into the recliner and that's where he has stayed for the past two hours. He's still feeling sick and hurting but he's had a Lortab. I just wish I knew what to do for him.

Day Two...

This morning I sneaked and took a shower here at the hospital. I figured it would be easier to ask forgiveness than permission. As much as our insurance is paying, I would think it would be our perogative to use the facilities as we see fit. Anyway, I'm sparkling clean and fresh and feel pretty chipper. Jimmy, on the other hand, isn't so spry.

They took away his morphine pump and are making him sit up five hours today and walk the halls at least three times. He's sitting up, but with his head propped up against the wall with a pillow and his eyes closed!! Maybe he'll feel better the more he sits up.

We're just listening to Fox News, I'm on the internet, and like I said, Jimmy is chilling. So far, so good for Day Two.

A Hospital Story...Day One

This is Day One of Jimmy's recovery from surgery.

Yesterday was a long one. We arrived at 11 at Huntsville Hospital, they questioned and started the I.V. and got him to sign papers. They also put this hospital gown on that is called "Bair Paws" and it has this tube that hooks into it where he can adjust the temperature and either cool or warm air blows into the gown and keeps him comfortable. He and I were alone in the room and we had lots of laughs, believe it or not! He's so goofy! After a visit from the associate pastor, they wheeled him off to the operating room and I headed out to the waiting room where Mother and Seth had been waiting already for two hours.

Patience is not a virtue that I possess. I did all right I guess considering the length of time we had to sit there. Of course we snacked (I'm a stress-eater) and watched the television and talked. Layke came on over after he got out of school.

Layke's first day of teaching went well. He has sixth graders, but I think he's going to be able to handle them just fine! We laughed about some things that he said and did yesterday. He's got the bluff on them already....LOL.

The hospital is just fantastic about keeping the family informed during surgery, calling from the OR to the waiting room with status updates. They called every hour. He went to recovery around 6:30 and the surgeon came and talked to us. It was a rough one with several complications and the doctor said he was exhausted. He was so exhausted, in fact, that when he left from talking with us he turned the wrong direction to leave and had to turn around! Jimmy got into a room around 8:30.

Jimmy's brother and sister-in-law came over and brought his dad, so he had quite a welcoming committee when he arrived at his room. I stayed the night and slept pretty well on a fold out chair.

Today the doctor has already been by and told Jimmy that he will be walking around some today. I don't know when; Jimmy is still sound asleep and I'm getting sleepier by the minute!

I'll update this afternoon and report on how well he did getting up and about.

ETA: Jimmy has made two laps around the nurse's desk today, which took a lot out of him, but he did it! Two separate occasions, but on the last one he had to sit and rest for a minute. He hasn't felt well this afternoon and has slept a good bit. He had some pretty bad pain for the first time, but as of right now he is easy. Several people have called asking about him and all of my online friends have emailed, texted and called. You'll never know how much that means to us!

Miscellaneous Blathering and Rambling

Trying to come up with a catchy title for each blog I write is tough, folks. Today it's sitting there blank, staring at me. By the time I'm finished, I will stick something there I'm sure. If not, just look over me. I don't really have a theme today anyway.

Anyone out there have a hard time sleeping? I stay up late, sleep well for a while, then wake up with the proverbial chickens. Once my eyes open, that's it. I'm awake for the day. Well, I say awake. I'm sitting here so sleepy right now that I could just konk over. I fell asleep again last night playing Scrabble on my phone in the dark. That was the best five bucks I've ever spent! I've played the hound out of that game and I'm addicted. I don't look at it during the day because if I do I'm a goner! So at bedtime when Jimmy turns out the lights I turn on my Scrabble game and play to my heart's delight!

Oh! Oh! Oh! Has anyone tried the new coconut M&Ms? Holy Schmoly, they are amazingly delicious! Jimbo and I got the last two bags yesterday at the Walgreens in Huntsville. We shared one and I've got one stashed at home. Stingy me is hiding it from the garbage disposals who live in my house!

We went from Walgreens to Fresh Market and honey child, I could just go around and look and smell in that store all day! They had marinated fresh mozzarella with bow tie pasta and sun dried tomatoes, pita wraps, giant coconut shrimp, huge fresh dates, and all sorts of other goodies. We only bought a package of sushi (cooked, I'm not eating raw fish) and some little toasts. I wish there was sushi like that here. That wasabe will burn the hairs out right of your nose but it is delicious, as is the fresh ginger.

Yes, I love food. Especially when I'm stressed out. It has a calming effect on me. I can pop a piece of chocolate in my mouth and my worries just melt away like it does! Weird, but true.

I am getting a new washing machine today. Ours flat out died and that is something we absolutely have to have. You would think two dozen people live at our house if you just walked in and looked at the dirty laundry. It's ridiculous. Anyway, Jimmy went yesterday and chose one for us. I'm pouting because if I am going to have to spend money on an appliance, I want it to be a new refrigerator. Oh, how I want one with a freezer on the bottom! So convienient!

My house needs lots of new stuff. I need new blinds. My cat Tiger Jesus has torn head holes in my bedroom ones because she sits up on the chest of drawers and looks outside. My bird Spunky Bogart has eaten the blinds in the den. A new bedroom suite would be nice, as well as new carpeting for all of the bedrooms. But the way things are now, I'm happy to have a house. Times are rough for so many people that I'm blessed to have a roof over my head.

This morning I got online and purchased some concert tickets for myself and a couple of friends. I called right at the moment they went on sale and ended up with the fifth row. Now an ordinary person would say, "Hey, those are pretty good seats!" But me? I had a furrow in my brow and was a bit pissed that three entire rows had gotten gone in about 15 seconds. I don't believe they are gone for one minute. Some stupid computer chooses the seats...my what a tangent I'm on! That illustrates perfectly what one of my friends said to me. She said we are just spoiled. Why yes, we are. And I am not going to apologize for it. I stay on top of things to get good seats, although sometimes it happens just by good fortune! Let me give you an example.

In June a friend and I went to an outdoor event in Nashville. We walked back downtown when it was over to see a celebrity poker tournament and guitar pull. There were no seats left, so we just made our way in and sat down on the steps that were part of the stage, never expecting to get to stay there. Well, lo and behold, when they started setting up for the music the guy from the venue said we could stay right there. So there we stood, right on the very front, right in front of our favorite artist, who by the way, looked at us, grinned and said, "Why you two got good seats!" I know he thought it was funny because he saw us dragging in late. That in itself is another story. So, things work out most of the time. I'm sure the fifth row isn't going to be so bad at The Barns at Wolf Trap. It's a beautiful venue and I can't wait to go back!

Ok, enough miscellaneous blathering and rambling. Hey! There's my title! See ya later, gators.

Saturday fun and changing my mind....

Georgia 2009

Air Show 2009

Gatlinburg 2007

Yesterday at the Poker Run

The thoughts of going to the doctor tomorrow are weighing heavily on my mind. It sounds goofy, but I am not in the state of mind to drive to Birmingham and torture myself when I have so much other stuff to consider right now. Mrs. Doctor won't care if I reschedule. Will she? I feel...okay. I know I should go, but I will go later. Whew. I think I've made up my mind!

My family and I had a nice day out yesterday in Pelham at a Poker Run. No, we didn't ride (Can you imagine??) but we did visit with friends, listen to music and have a few beers. Layke racked up on door prizes, but ended up giving away the lifetime front end alignment and free oil change to a dear friend who lives there. Seth got a checkerboard drinking game. Honey, if anybody filled those little glasses with hard liquor they would be smashed by the time the game was over! I told him we could play and fill them with beer...or coke! lol

I always love to look at the motorcycles. Harleys are just so fascinating to me. I remember going to Gatlinburg a few years back and there were some parked in our hotel's parking lot and I had to take a picture! I also took pictures at the air show a couple of months back and yesterday was no exception. This was a big ride and it was Harley heaven! Of course I think all the Harley gear is as cool as hades, too. The vests, chaps, doo rags, jackets, etc. are awesome. Oh! And the boots! The boots are hot-looking!

Jimmy has toyed with the idea of getting a motorcycle. His two brothers have recently bought one, but even though we love them and think they are hot and cool and all that stuff, they are dangerous. Very dangerous. I saw that with my own two eyes over in Georgia. In fact, I think some guy had a spill yesterday because his arm was all bandaged up and bleeding. I think, for now anyway, that we'll just watch.

Treadmill?? ME on a treadmill??

I was minding my own business this morning at work when I received a telephone call. A cheery voice said she was calling from Dr. So-and-So's office and I have an appointment scheduled for Monday at 12. Great. The timing couldn't be better (please make note that this is heavily laden with sarcasm), but this is a yearly checkup I have to keep, so I forced a smile and told her I'd be there. But then she sprang it on me...this is the year I have to have the dreaded treadmill test! Has it been two years already?!

Those of you who know me know that I have an aversion to sweat. I remember one time I had a treadmill test and I got off of the thing after several minutes. The little attendant was asking me all these questions, one of which was "Why did you get off right now?" and I replied, dead serious, "I was starting to sweat. And I hate to sweat." She looked at me like I had two heads!

You see, I believe that there is nothing ladylike about sweating. The feeling of liquid pouring down my scalp, between my boobs, into my butt crack is not one I cherish. Ok, I know it's necessary for those who want to be toned and in shape and all fit. I've never aspired to run a marathon. As long as I can get around, climb a moderate number of stairs and walk where I need to walk, I'm good. Call me a slug. I don't care.

This morning I read in our local paper about a girl from here in my town who won a "figure" contest. She competes to show off her toned, lithe body. Ok for her. Not for me, baby. It has taken me years and years to finally accept myself the way I am. I'll NEVER be thin. I'll NEVER have perky boobs and a flat belly and make men stop dead in their tracks when I walk into the room. That's fine. For too many years I hated myself, was self-conscious and had no self-esteem. Back in my 20's I had a lady call me who was selling some kind of diet powder drink and inform me that I was "too pretty to be fat." Needless to say I didn't buy any of her miracle in a can! Hmmm. Maybe I should have and I might be a "figure" contest winner today!! LOL

The Clouds Have Parted!!

This morning I feel like my normal self! I feel cheerful and happy and the dark cloud has moved from over my head. Yay!! Funky can be a good thing-IN a funk isn't!! So today I feel funky! LOL

Got up earlier than usual due the the fact that my cat was harking up a hairball. GROSS. Bless her heart. She gets some kind of rash every summer and scratches and licks and makes terrible sores on her neck. Well, I bought one of those "megaphone" collars for her and she can't lick when she wears it. I put medicine on her, snap on that collar and she's good for the night! I think it's finally registered on her that I'm trying to help her, not hurt her, and she sits still and lets me put the thing on her. But since she woke me up harking, she must have had some residual hair. Ick.

Changing the subject, but I am convinced that Yoo-Hoo is one of the best drinks ever. At Wal-Mart this weekend I saw a half gallon of it for a little over two bucks. I bought it, brought it home, and OMG!! I've always loved Yoo-Hoo, but to get it in a carton is bliss. I made an iced mocha latte with it last night. Delish.

And that brings to mind my kitchen. Have any of you ever felt like you had just completely lost control of your kitchen?? My boys are constantly cooking and the amount of drinking glasses they mess up in a day is appalling! I keep asking them why they don't just choose one glass for the day and use it? Rinsing it out is not any trouble. But noooo. I come home every afternoon with the sink piled high. The dishwasher can be completely empty but the sink is piled high. *sigh* Ah, that's not such a big problem, just irritating. I'm glad to have them around.

My daughter is gearing up for her move to Birmingham. She is moving downtown into a really cute apartment. She is a medical transcriptionist and works from home, so she is able to take her work with her. How cool is that? She has a boyfriend who lives about a block and a half from her and she's right there at Five Points near Mellow Mushroom, Jim and Nick's, and all kinds of cool places. I think she'll fit right in. She's especially delighted to be near a store that specializes in vegan and vegetarian diets. She's funny. She doesn't do it because she thinks it's wrong to eat meat. She does it to lose weight and it's worked like a charm for her. If I didn't have to give up chicken fingers and ribeye steaks I might give it a whirl! I love soy milk, edamame, rice, beans, etc. Aw heck, I like anything except sausage and Burger King hamburgers!

All this food talk has got my stomach growling. Think I'll mosey on in the kitchen (it's CLEAN because I did it last night!) and make a latte or oatmeal or something. Everyone have a nice day and thanks for putting up with my downer posts that I have written lately. Sometimes you just have to let it out, you know?

Toodles!!!

In Memory of Mona

Well, the friend that I was talking about in my earlier post passed away this afternoon. I met her at an online forum in 2005 and she was like a ray of sunshine, always cheerful, encouraging, and full of life. I met her in person a few times and she was the same sweet, friendly person that I thought she would be. She has been fighting cancer for a few years now, and today lost her battle. Rest in peace, Mona. You were a special person and made everyone's life a brighter place.

Yet another Monday has rolled around

Wow. A week has passed. Last week was a strange week for me. I was down, teary-eyed, just flat-out depressed I guess you could say. Yesterday it rained. When I say rained, I mean the pouring-pee-out-of-a-boot kind of raining. That seemed to just accentuate my feelings and I slept all afternoon. There's nothing like sleep when things are blue.

But when I woke up, I went shopping with my daughter and then to my mother's house for our weekly sit-and-watch-TV-together-as-a-family night. I curled up in the recliner and watched the finale of The Next Food Network Star. I wanted Jeffrey to win, but that woman (I can't even remember her name! Oh yeah, Melissa!) won and she'll be just fine.

After I got home a good friend called and I was able to vent some frustrations. Thank God for my friends. One had called me right before I left for mother's house and then one after. I'm blessed in that regard. Don't know what I'd do without them.

Today I was supposed to go to Huntsville to a luncheon. I'm totally blowing it off because I just don't think I can force myself to be all sunshiney and peppy when I'm totally not. They'll never miss me.

I grabbed a book as it came back in this morning and I'm going to try to concentrate and read it. It's The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles. I usually love his books and two of the girls here say it's a good one. I remember reading one of his books that was set in New Orleans right before we made a trip there. It was cool to hit the eating spots and places that he so vividly described.

My eyes bother me more than they used to and I just don't read that much anymore. Not to mention that I fall asleep! Oh lord, my kids would say it's because I'm old! I'm NOT old. If I say that enough it'll be true! LOL

Let's hope that this week I can shake off this funkiness and be in a better frame of mind. A Bible verse came to mind this morning when I found out about the serious illness of a friend. It's amazing how the Holy Spirit puts the exact words in your heart that you need right when you need them.

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. John 14:17-19

Thy words have I hid in my heart...thank you, Lord.

Monday=Melancholy

For me it does, anyway. Very uneventful weekend. I spent most of it at home watching TV or napping.

Don't know why I'm in this funk. Could be Jimmy's surgery coming up. Most likely is, with the accompanying stress about it, including, but not limited to, stress about his health, stress over sick leave (don't have enough- you try to stretch one person's sick leave over six people {me, Jimmy, our three kids and Mother}- it's hard to do!), stress over finances, stress because I'm tired, stress because I want to stay here at home with him after the surgery and stress because I can't (refer to the sick leave statement). I keep thinking that someday, just someday, there'll be a reprieve from a stressful life. Don't guess that it's going to happen. Therefore, I'm in a funk. Melancholy. Whatever you want to call it.

A pretty good Thursday

I was born on a Thursday. Rachel was born on a Thursday and so was Layke. Thursday is just about my favorite day of the week.

Today started with a vanilla latte made with Jimmy's new baby, a Delonghi espresso machine. OMG, it is wonderful! I slap some ground decaf in there (he keeps his high octane beans in the machine, so I use ground espresso) press a button and PRESTO! I have a little shot of awesome espresso. I pour it into a tall glass with milk, sugar-free vanilla syrup and lots of ice. Ahhhhh. What did I do without one of these machines all these years? I know what I did. I went to Jamoka's once a week with Jimmy and Seth and plopped down 15 bucks for our drinks! Now I don't have to wait until Saturday mornings! Plus I save money. Yay!

Back to Thursday...I had a department head meeting at nine. I like to hear what everyone else in the city is doing. I'm especially interested in the recycling efforts that have begun. They are only open a day and a half a week, but this morning it was reported that nearly 500 people are participating. That's a great start. I've turned into a recycling fool! I'm no tree hugger, but if things can be used again, why bury them in a landfill where they may never go away? I pillage through the garbage at home and at work and fuss if I find a coke bottle or styrofoam! My family and my staff think I'm a wee bit nutty, but that's ok! I'll happily wash out the styrofoam containers that hold our breakfasts each Friday!

After the meeting I came back to the library and began working on some financial things that I'm going to need for my end of the year report. It has to be done at the end of September and it'll be here before I can turn around! I'll be very happy that I started doing this.

Lunch at home today was typical. Mr. Spunky Bogart had strowed seeds all over the floor. They haven't been vacuumed yet. That can wait until after 5! Jimmy went to bed after we decided that tonight we're having Cracker Barrel for supper. Simple, fast, and easy. No grease in the kitchen, no dirty dishes. Sounds perfect to me!

The afternoon has been quiet. A woman that really grates on me came in. Kind of threw my Thursday under the bus, but thankfully she didn't say anything to me. She is one of these rich women who think they are just a little bit better than everyone else. I avoid her like the plague. Jimmy and I saw her in the grocery store one day and he asked me who she was and then he said, "She looks like a bitch." Oh, how perceptive that man can be! lol

Hope everyone has enjoyed their Thursday as much as I have. Tomorrow...FRIDAY!!

Got my boy home

Jimmy is now at home. Well, actually, he's at work. :( The doctor told him to stay out of work this week to recover and do you think he did? Nope. He's the most stubborn man I've ever seen. He's doing all right, eating pretty well, but he's very weak. He's taking 2000mg of antibiotics a day. That would make anybody feel like crap. I'm hoping he'll come home early today.

We go to the surgeon on July 29 to set up the surgery. I think he's scared; I know I would be! What indicated this to me is that last night he asked me if I was going to the doctor visit with him. This, from a man who never wants me to go. So I'm going.

I have a plane ticket and two concert tickets for shows August 12-15. This probably isn't going to happen. I have very mixed feelings about it even if his surgery is scheduled after these shows. I need to spend as much time as possible with him doing things and having fun because after the surgery it's going to be rough. I'm afraid he'll get a blood clot again after this surgery like he did the last one. There's just a lot to think about, and this is more important than seeing a couple of shows. I just hope when I make up my mind definitively that I can sell the concert tickets. They were expensive. The plane fare will be all right; it's with Southwest and I think you can bank your money with them for a future trip. If not, oh well.

Nothing much else to say today. I'm about caught up at work since I came in two hours early yesterday. I still have a few things, but nothing really pressing.

Another day

Jimbo's still in the hospital with a perforated colon which will require surgery in about four weeks. He has to heal first. He's had nothing but jello, broth and popsicles since Wednesday. Tonight he did get some vanilla ice cream.

Scary stuff, people. The surgeon said that the surgery will be major and I dread it so bad for him. Yeah, the English minor in me says that it should read "I dread it so badly" but I didn't want to write that.

Home isn't home with him here. Even though most of the time he's playing his bass with his headphones on and I'm clacking away at the computer, we are together. We may be in the bed with him doing a crossword puzzle and I may be reading, but we are together. And when I go to sleep at night I can reach out and touch his arm or hold his hand. I miss him being here.

I guess my anger has passed that was so very evident yesterday. I'm petrified, and anger is just part of it I guess. It's a hurdle I have to jump over and apparently I did it in record time this go around.

Looking toward tomorrow with hope that he'll get some cream soup or mashed potatoes to help build his strength.

Plans sure can change. Instead of getting ready to go out tonight to see Jimmy Wayne I am instead sitting in the Huntsville Hospital with my husband, who is sick as a dog. This is like bad deja vous. We have done this so many times in our marriage. I used to keep count of how many times one of our immediate family (Jimmy, me or one of the kids) has been in the hospital, but I gave up.

We've had our share, that's for sure. I don't mean to bitch about it, but it gets freaking old. I know people who have been married as long as us and nobody has ever been sick, much less in the hospital.

Here are just a few admissions:

Mystery pain about 4 times
Ruptured appendix (the reason for the mystery pain)
endometrial ablation
hysterectomy
infant sleep apnea (twice)
knee surgery
gall bladder surgery
kidney removal
blood clot

Oh, and I could go on. And on. And this isn't counting stuff like ER visits, nephritis, outpatient surgeries, etc.

I'm just depressed. I keep waiting for the time when nothing is going to be wrong. We've always joked about the "Rowell curse" we have, but it's not too freaking funny anymore.

I really, really need to vent today. People who think I'm crazy for traveling and who say things like, "I don't see how Jimmy puts up with it" can kiss my ass. They have no clue what is going on in my family or the relationship my husband and I have. What is so wrong about trying to squeeze a little pleasure out of life in between the crises? He has his music, I have my traveling. It makes us happy to do these things and takes our minds off the stresses of day to day life. And it's none of anybody's damn business.

Now. I would say I feel better, but I don't. I'll get past it. When my Jimmy is better. I'm really worried about him.

Being Lazy on a Sunday Afternoon

Yes, that would be me. Miss Lazy. In my defense, I AM washing clothes and I DID cook lunch and I DID go to the store this morning. But right now, I'm in my room, light off, a Hershey Bliss in my mouth, squinty-eyed from sleepiness.

The past few nights I have gotten to where I lay down with the light off, play Scrabble on my phone and listen to my ipod. I got in the bed last night at 9:30 and before I knew it, it was three hours later! Jeffrey Steele is who I listen to the most, but Jim Croce, James Taylor, Darius Rucker (When he was Hootie) and a few others join him.

Traveling to work every day only takes three minutes. I can't even listen to one entire song! So there's really not a lot of time to enjoy my music. At work I try to turn it on sometimes but I always get interrupted so I don't even try most of the time.

Music has always been a huge part of my life. I remember when I was four and had the mumps my mother bought a 45 record of the Beatles I want to hold your hand with the flip side I saw her standing there. I laid there in the bed at my grandmother's house listening and trying to smile even though my neck was a big as a watermelon!

I collected hundreds of 45s and had some really, really good ones. When I was in third grade I was coming home from a friend's house and I dropped and broke most of them. Oh, I was sick!

By middle school I was listening to Carole King, Carly Simon, Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin and all of the Top 40 songs. Steve Miller Band's The Joker was one of my favorites. I went to Birmingham to see the Shower of Stars, sponsored every year by WVOK. The Grass Roots were there the year I went. I can't remember anyone else right off the top of my head. Maybe I can look it up somewhere online. And like most girls at the time I loved Donny Osmond and the Osmond Brothers and also David Cassidy, and Bobby Sherman. The walls of my bedroom were covered!

I went to see the Osmonds several times, as well as Chicago, The Carpenters, and the biggie...Three Dog Night!! Oh my, how I loved them! I had every album they ever put out. I was fifteen and saw them in Huntsville at Milton Frank Stadium.

When I started dating Jimmy, we went to see several concerts. We loved Willie Nelson and saw him a few times, as well as The Oak Ridge Boys. Over the years since then I have seen quite an eclectic collection of people. Wynonna, Clint Black, The Guess Who, Martina McBride, Billy Dean, Atlanta Rhythm Section, James Taylor, Vince Gill, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Fleetwood Mac just to name a few. I didn't see many concerts during the years I was raising my children. But after they got older, I started following Bo Bice, and he has introduced me to some fantastic musicians!

I've become a fan of Gary Nichols, Kris Bell, LoCash Cowboys, Eliot Morris and countless other artists because of his introduction, influence or me being in a certain place because of him. Just because I went to the CMA Festival this year, I found somebody that I just love! Jeffrey Steele is amazing. Outstanding. Talented. Entertaining. I'm smitten. He's awesome!

Next Friday night I plan on going down to Bessemer to see Jimmy Wayne. Bo's former bassist now plays with him, and I love Luis and want to go see him. I'm even dragging Jimmy with me. I think he'll enjoy it and I hope he can meet Luis. Luis has answered many bass questions Jimmy had through me the past couple of years!

Someone Jimmy and I have been fans of for over twenty years is the fantastically talented Mr. John Cowan. We first learned of John when he was in the band Newgrass Revival. We finally made it to a couple of concerts and he is just as nice as can be and his voice is unbelievable. Check him out if you've never heard of him. That voice, man, that voice...is so powerful!

I really need to scan some of my old pictures that I took at concerts back in the day. I'll try and do that soon!

In the meanwhile, check out this website dedicated to the old WVOK. There are several pages of pictures from the Shower of Stars. I was there for the year they had The Grass Roots (as I said earlier) and now I remember seeing Climax, too. Pretty cool site! I think I was at the show in August of 1970 where Iron Butterfly played. Gosh, looks like I could remember!! I know for sure I was there in 1970. It was in 6th grade and I was 11. After looking at the advertisements I'm changing my mind. I may have been at the one with Paul Revere and the Raiders. There are pictures of Climax but it doesn't have them listed on any of the advertisements. I remember that vividly because my friend Susan's mom's eyes like to have popped out of her head when I told her I saw Climax! LOL LOL!!

http://wvok-memories.tripod.com/

Wednesday evening in the 'ville

I'm at home alone with Jimmy and it's quiet, very quiet. All I can hear are the sounds of the dryer and the bell ringing in the parrot's cage. This is heaven to me. No TV, no music, no talking, just quiet.

Times like these are rare. Growing up I was used to the quiet. I was an only child living with my mother and various pets. I enjoyed my solitude and I was very rarely lonely.

After I married and had three children, it seemed that life was always at full throttle. From Sesame Street to Backstreet Boys to Ninja Turtles to Nascar, there was always something going on. Kids were in and out of the house constantly, slamming doors, playing guitars, giggling, and fussing. There were times when I wanted to scream or just run away!

Nowdays I still have two grown boys at home. It's still not quiet here. There is always an episode of Scrubs playing on the DVD player or music going or phones ringing or computers clacking. Seth does wear earphones all the time to listen to his music. I'm concerned that he's going to be deaf, but he just pooh-poohs me and keeps on wearing them and listening LOUD!

Nobody is home except Jimmy and me tonight and he's in the other room looking up blues songs on the internet. My eyes are closed as I type this and I can feel my breathing, all steady and slow. What bliss this is!

Sad news today though. The wife of a doctor who used to live here died this morning from injuries she sustained from a lightning strike Monday. How weird is that? She was taking out the trash. I remember them well. They visited our home on numerous occasions. She taught me how to make homemade sloppy joes and I fed them chili. At their home was no television-they were Mennonites- but the Mr. always rented one to watch certain football games! Their kids were little aliens, they had to be! I've never seen a 4 year old keep everything in his room spotless and every toy piece and game together organized on a shelf! Man, did my kids wreak havoc over there!

I can't remember the last time I saw her. It's funny how you say you're going to keep in touch when someone moves, then time ticks by and you never do. I'm sorry I didn't keep our friendship going throughout the years. Rest in peace, Dawn; may God comfort Jon and the kids as they cope with your passing.