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Saturday, April 30, 2011

I miss the piggies....

we cut them off for her fifth birthday, so that someone who is sick with no hair can have hair again, made from HER hair, because she is giving them hers. She told me last night, when she had a light bulb moment, that she knew what we could do with the wig when we got it made....we could give it to PiePie! :) :) :)

Friday, April 29, 2011

Carl.

It's been almost a month. He's doing better. He showed me how he could stand today, all on his own (with the help of the brakes on the wheelchair and a walker). I was sad and happy, all at the same time.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

I love him.

And I'm so lucky to have him. More of the story later, when I can think straight...but I'll just close the day by saying THANK YOU to my God who is loving and caring and protecting and almighty, for He is good. (And He has big plans for this kid. I just know he does.)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Patience.



Today, I did not get my dose of patience. It seems the Patience Fairy forgot about me. I hope she remembers me tonight, and sprinkles me with extra "Patience Dust"...cuz I'm here to tell you I need it. (My kids will also tell you the same, very readily.)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Beauty...

it's everywhere. It amazes me how a day that started out so badly..storms, wind, rain...I did NOT want to get out of bed this morning!...could turn out so beautifully in the end. See? I took this photo (turn your head to the left, please) on our walk this evening, on what was a beautiful afternoon to take a stroll before eating supper.

I had a small encounter with the mailman today when he came into the store to drop the mail off, and he told me he liked days like this one...and I guess that I had a look on my face that was more than a little questioning, and he said, "Well, after all, what good would it do me to be upset? May as well like it and be happy! Life's too short to be irritated by things I can't change!" Ya'll. I think I would have proposed to him RIGHT. THERE...if not for the fact that PiePie already stole my heart. (Lucky him!)

The photo up there ^^^ just reminds me that this is true...even beautiful things come from not-so-beautiful situations. With no water, there would be no beautiful flower. :) And without bad-weather days, we wouldn't fully appreciate the good ones! (Remind me I said that when I'm up all night long tonight listening to the weather since we will be under tornado warnings and thunderstorm warnings for much of the night.)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Basic Need...

If you are married to PiePie, you need one of these, right? Leave it to Cracker Barrel to have this. Now, I have to find something to do with the bag. I have an idea...Oh! Have I told you that PiePie LOVES to hear me say that I have an idea????? Yeah. :)

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!

I am thankful today for a God that loved me enough to sacrifice His son for my sins, so that I may go to Heaven and rejoice with those I am reunited with when I die.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Friday, April 22, 2011

Just a Frame...

going to my booth at the Butter Churn sometime soon. (Unless I find a photo around here I decide to put in it.)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

My Friend: An Essay

I didn't want to like her. I didn't want to let her in. I thought it wouldn't be worth my time to become attached. Friendships have never been my forte. I was annoyed with the situation, so therefore, I was annoyed with her. And it surely wasn't her fault! Funny...I tell PiePie that all the time...dont' be too hard on the person on the other end of the line; they didn't do it, it's just their job to try to talk to you, so be nice. And with this situation, I surely did not follow my own advice. Oh, how I've regretted it, and oh, how I wish I had enjoyed it when I had it.

We found ourselves talking one day...and I would say it sort of happened on accident, really. And we learned that we had both been caretakers of unhealthy people at very young ages, and we both understood the strength and ability it took to be able to do the jobs that we had done. She spoke with such compassion. With love. With caring. And then, I realized that she was a person, just like me, and that I needed to let her in. I don't think it was a conscious choice.

We learned throughout the days to follow that we both loved mint chocolate. That we both cherished our children above all esle. We learned that we were both lefties. We learned that we both like shoes, and that while we were very different, we were much the same. We learned that we had a sense of humor, and that we could laugh. A nd laughing over the day taht we researched Elephantitis was the day that we learned that we were both "OK". (At least, I think.) That day really opened doors for us, as we learned that neither of us were as "stuffy" as what we had been acting. We started to appreciate being together a little bit throughout the next days and weeks, and then we learned to appreciate that a lot.

We learned taht we both had had childhood friends that were irreplaceable, and both were taken from us and left us devastated, and scared to love again, for we knew that those friendships could not be replaced. We talked about how we missed those friends daily, and how we felt, and though our situations were different, they were still similar. And we agonized together, for we could feel each other's pain.

At some point throughout all of this, she became my friend; someone I couldn't go without talking to. Someone I depended on, leaned on, and cared about. We compliment each other well...she is monochromatic, I am colorful. She is somewhat quiet (until you get to know her) and I am...well...not quiet. But we are the same. We love the Lord, we cherish our families, and we care about the same things. We have a similar outlook on life, and we balance each other there. I've leaned on her in a way that I never could have imagined, through the very hardest part of my entire life; I hope she never has to lean on me that way, but she knows she can. We share the same frustrations, we love the same things. We agree to disagree, and we don't try to hide what we think or feel with each other. We are honest, even when it may not be what the other wants to hear, because we love each other.

Somewhere throughout all THAT, we learned that we couldn't go through our days without our friendship, the friendship taht started out rocky, and turned out to be just what the docrtor ordered, so to speak. She helped me heal from my past friendship heartache, and while I know I could never be a replacement to hers, I am a friend to her she thought she could never find in this lifetime. I need her friendship like I need to eat and breathe, and I need the smile she provides me. I also need the stability of knowing that no matter what, no matter where, no matter how...she is there for me. She is my friend. Friend. Yes, my friend. For life. Oh, how I love you, Friend.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Only?

It's been a year. Only a year! Yesterday was our anniversary. It was an interesting day, for sure. The best part, though, was just knowing he was here, and when I came home, well...he would be here. OK, the beautiful flowers and the card and the necklace were nice, don't get me wrong, but really, he's given me so much more.


My Grandma was telling me that she was having some anxiety issues what with my uncle being in the hospital, and my reply was that I knew *exactly* what she was talking about, but that PiePie had made that all better, and maybe she needed to borrow him? :)

Really, though. This guy...the one who from the *very first* conversation we had instantly "got it" and was instantly my best friend...he has given me so much. I may as well just start a list.

1. He gave me a best friend. Someone that I can tell all my thoughts, feelings, joys, and sorrows, that's him. Someone that I don't have to have words, but with a look, a touch, or on instinct, he just knows. That's him.

2. This best friend is so easy to be around. I have, on numerous occassions, told people that he is just *easy*. Being in his presence is easy. Talking to him is easy. Loving him is easy. He is just *easy*.

3. Because he's easy...he's helped me heal. I'm not so nervous any more. I can breathe! I can eat. It stays where it should. (Except it likes my hips and those places under my arms that no one likes for food to go.) Even with that extra 50 pounds, even in the morning, even when I don't feel well, he still makes me feel beautiful. Always.

4. Ok, this is a big one. I mean a BIG ONE. How did my sister know that he loved me, for real? He let me paint his walls. :) Yeah....in a BIG way. I don't have photos, but trust me...it's graffiti, folks. On his walls. Unsupervised. And better yet...he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw it, and told me that he thought it looked great. And he meant it. He also gave me everything he had. From the moment I was here, it was all ours and not just his. I had a home. I was free to do as I wished, and I did. The neat thing is that we took his things and my things and we made this home into OUR home. Those things meshed together like we did. Just right.

5. You know how there are people that have "step kids" or what have you? Not PiePie. He has children. They are his. He takes care of them. They are ours. And with that, I have been given a child, a daughter. She is also ours and I have free reign with her, as if she were mine. My children all three adore him, love him...but it is mutual. I'd like to think Makayla adores me (mostly) and that feeling is also mutual...and we love each other. A lot.

6. He has given me the gift of his time. He makes time for me. Even in all this craziness we call life, each day, we have time for each other. And we do things together, because no matter who you are, spending time together is essential to any relationship. Don't you agree? He has shared his passions with me, as I have shared mine with him, and together, we have fun with those. We also do the not-so-pleasant things together...like the laundry, making the bed, and dishes. Yep. He does all that. And I *never* ask him to. It is so nice to know that when I come home, things are done...what I don't get done in the morning, he will pick up and finish when he gets home. How can you not love an active husband that will help with the housework? That's what I thought. You have no choice, do you? You *have* to love him.

7. He keeps track of those I love. Most days, he talks to my *other* best friend. If he hasn't heard from her, he asks me about her. Yeah, for real. He keeps track of my sisters, my parents, and my grandparents. How are they? How was that doctor appointment? When can they come and visit? How can we get there to see them? He cares about those I love. Actively.

8. He knows the importance of I love you, and thank you, and I'm sorry, and please. And he uses them. Every day. Nuff said.

9. He loves me just the way I am...quirks and all. Now, this time, I'm not so much talking physically...we touched on that up there. ^^^ This time, I'm talking about the oddnesses that make up who I am. The quirks I have. The flaws I have. The thoughts I share. My hair in the mornings...oh, wait...that is a physical attribute, but if you could see it, it could be a whole nother post on psychology or something. :) But yeah, he takes all those things that are not-so-love-able, and he loves them. Because they are what makes up me.

10. He trusts me. Whole-ly, and completely. Without a doubt. He trusts me more than he trusts anyone in the world. He's let me go places no one else has dared go...he lets me see him. He'll tell you he didn't mean to, and I'll tell you the same, and though we can't explain it, here we are, trusting, understand, getting each other. And, I trust him the same.

I'll stop at 10...you might have a cavity by now, reading all that sweet stuff up there, but it's what makes up our friendship, our relationship, our marriage, our lives.

Thank you, Mark Perry, for being the PiePie to my Honey. I love you.



(This is the first photo of the two of us ever taken.)




Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Bargains...

So that photo I took this morning. Yay me...two photos taken the actual day of the blog in a row. Score! I just finished the frame, and I must say...I'm loving it! It will go in my shop...so if anyone wants it, better say MEEEE before it's gone.

Now, this morning, I was folding Kate's loot from the GW yesterday, and I felt a post coming on. We all know that I love a bargain. Kate had to have khaki (I NEVER spell that word right...) pants for work, and she said she was going to go shopping for some. You know my shopping spirit went into overdrive RIGHT. THERE. You can't go *shopping* for those unless you go to GW...I *know* you can get them there for $4 a pair or less!!!!! My kids HATE going shopping at GW, because they don't have the patience for it. The never find anything, but it's because they are not looking the right way. In fact, when we went yesterday, Katie went and "looked" but came back with nothing. I'm like I KNOW you can find those here. Let ME look. After flip, flip, flipping through the rack, I guess I came up with about 20 pair for her to try on. No joke. She did find some capris while I was looking, so off she went into the dressing room. She surfaced an hour later with the following: work pants: 2 Hollister, 1 American Eagle, 1 LEI, 1 Rue 21, 1 Old Navy, 1 GAP, 1 Express, and I think three other pair that I'm not remembering. There were 11 pair total. THEN, she got 4 pairs of capris. So, 11 work pants, 4 pairs of capris. Anyone wanna guess what her total was, after tax????? Yeah, you are probably ALL high. It was a whoppin $28.00. Yup. I'm pretty sure she couldn't have gotten 2 pair anywhere new for that price. Maybe a pair and a half. :) She came away a happy girl, and hopefully one with a bit of a different attitude about shopping there, too.

I found a Burberry shirt with the tags still on. A few pillow cases, and I think 6 pair of shorts/capris, and a skirt, and 2 pairs of pants. My total was $22.00.

When are YOU going to go and look around? Be sure to tell me what kind of bargains you find!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Piggapancake, Post Deaux

So, today, I am going to talk about something I *meant* to talk about the *other* day. (Imagine.) My sister told me, in conversation, that when considering what she wanted to say to someone, she asked herself what her husband would say; how he would act, and I thought, "Wow, what a compliment to him, that she could be married to him that long, spend day after day after day with him, yet still want to seek his opinion, and model her thoughts into an answer like one she thought he would give." I know that there are couples that do this; I can think of examples just now, more than I have fingers to count, but still, it is not, in my experience, a huge popularity of married couples that could or would say that. So, kudos to you, Sister and Husband, for being *that* couple. :)


On to other news....well, today, I don't have any other news. Those feet up there belong to the Nanna. I took them tonight from the concession stand windo at Kevin's ballgame. She was sitting directly below me. In my head, it was a neat shot, but with a cell phone camera, not so much. Oh, well.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Piggapancake Post

I haven't done one of these in a while, so here goes on some randomness from my life to yours: 1. This ring is one I found at the flea market a couple of months ago. I bought it because a: it was cheap and b: it had an eagle on it, and my son is an Eagle, because his alma mater says so. It's sort of fashioned like a spoon ring.
2: Carl wasn't good today. He is very confused. Please keep remembering him and Barbara in your thoughts and prayers, and thanks.


3. I'm not sure how it happened, but Kate is ready to graduate, and part of graduating means planning for what's next. We have orientation at Vol State tomorrow. How can this be!?!?!?!


4. Anna got a hair cut. It's post-worthy all on its own, so this is just a teaser for you.


5. I spilled a WHOLE CAN of polyurethane on my pants that fit me like they were made from me. I'm sure they are next to irreplaceable since they were a Goodwill find on .99 cent day from Express. I'm really sad. And my leg is going to be eternally sticky...Just wanted you to know.


6. I'm tired, and I know this is a lame post, but hey...it is better than none. I think.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Positivity, Continued


So, today while I was working, this lady came in, and we were talking, and one thing led to another, and the next thing I knew, she was sharing her philosophy with me on being happy and choosing to be around people who are not negative all the time, which ultimately drains you of your energy and leaves you...well...less than...energized? The next couple that came in were explaining to me that they were stuck in downtown Nashville yesterday, searching on street after street for their car, which they had completely forgotten where they had parked because they had been engrossed in conversation. Not only were they walking around downtown looking for their car, but they were doing it in the middle of a thunderstorm warning for Davidson county. I promptly said that I figured it would be easy for them to stay dry-er today than they had yesterday, to which she replied that it was ok; they had taken a positive spin on things by concluding that they were happy they had enjoyed eachother enough to lose sight of time and location because they were talking, and that since they had been wet up to their knees while searching for their wheels, they had a story to tell. I automatically *loved* them. How could you not????? The third "positivity" that happened to me today, or this evening, rather, was this church sign I read on our way home from picking up the sorriest excuse for a Redbone that I've ever seen. The sign said, "Be positive. Negative thoughts and words destroy faith." So, positive, I shall try to remain! Just thought that since I blogged the topic last night and then today I had those three stories to tell that I would tell them.


Now...on to the Redbone and a bit of a funny. To me, 99% of the fun of getting a new animal is naming it. Always has been. It dawned on me the other day that "Milicent" would be a very good name for a dog. When PiePie told me that a friend who "owed him a trade" had a Redbone, he must have seen that my eyes lit up as I talked about how there was not much short of a bat smacking a baseball out of the park that delighted me as much as my mom's piano playing and a redbone bellowing outside my window. Tonight, when I got home from work, he asked me if I wanted to go and pick her up...he had already talked to his friend and had this pretty much pre-arranged. THEN...he told me her name. This is the SECOND dog I've inherited that has had my name. Her name is...wait for it...Abby. Sounds like the perfect place to insert the name "Milicent", doesn't it? Yeah, I thought so, too. So, as we were driving home, all cramped in PiePie's truck, Makayla, Anna, PiePie, and Honey (not recommended), I announced that I had been thinking. You can imagine that PiePie LOVES to hear Honey say she has been thinking, since 9 times out of 10, that spells w-o-r-k for PiePie....but this time, it was much easier on PiePie. All Honey wanted to do was just re-name Abby, calling her "Milicent". Anna thought she should be called "Cutie", and so Honey decided her name should be "Milicent Cutie Pants". I would be hard pressed to tell you of a time that PiePie told Honey "no" about something, but put his food down hard and fast he did. "NOOOOO!!!!!!" he said. "If I want to take her hunting, I cannot be out in the woods hollering 'Here, Mil-i-cent!!!' NO!!!!" So Honey asked him if it was acceptable to be hollering his WIFE'S name, and having his DOG come up to him, to which he replied that it was MUCH more acceptable than having to holler for a dog named Milicent! Imagine the disgrace! Sooo...Honey did what any good Honey would do, and told PiePie that when she got her next male dog, she was going to name him MARK, but PiePie said that would be *just fine*...and, he meant it. The saga of what Redbone's name really is will continue...I'll let you know when I win. :)

Friday, April 15, 2011

On Opposites...


So, I was talking recently with someone important, and we were discussing a situation where there were two brothers in one room. The scenario was one in which one brother felt that he was "at the end of his rope" and the other brother, always the encourager, was there to cheer him on, to tell him to tie a knot in and hold on, because the end was no where near. The important person said...there you have it: two brothers, two opposites; the pessimist, and the eternal optimist.


As I was driving today in the rain, I was contemplating my attitude, and asking myself if I was having a thankful attitude; a happy attitude, or if I was being grumpy. Now, you know if I was being thankful and happy, I wouldn't have had to ask myself those questions, right? Guilty. And then, that conversation about two brothers came to my recollection, and I had to smile. I want to be the one labeled the eternal optimist...don't you?


Today I am thankful for (I'll list 5):

1. 4 individuals whose first initial is the letter "M".

2. Safety.

3. Health.

4. At this moment specifically, I am thankful for my slippers, sweatshirt, and sweatpants.

5. We are right around the corner from warm weather, and many visits from Mr. Sunny Shine.


How 'bout you?

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Quote of the Day:


Higher level thinking skills are not my specialty. I'll be the first to admit it. ~Me, Myself, and I (Said this evening to my mother.)

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Every Kid...

...should be so lucky as to be able to have a big sister *just* like this one. Ok, maybe with a longer fuse on her "bomb"...but other than that...they just don't get any better.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Random Thoughts


So, there we were on a stormy Monday night at nearly 10:00 at Academy Sports, looking for the $15 tennis shoes they had in their Sunday circular. We were at zombie stage since we had been up at 5:00, and at the hospital for more than 3/4 of the past 24 hours. In comes this guy...he wasn't walking, nor was he running. He was sort of...hopping?...we'll go with that. He was WAY too chipper and happy to be looking at running shoes upwards of a house payment in price, and WHY was he there on a stormy, rainy night, running shorts and shoes clad, happy to be shopping for what evidently was a new pair. WHO is out at that time of night, on THAT kind of night, looking for running shoes? I found myself wondering if he had a family, and where his family was, and continuing to revel in my thoughts that he was weird for being there, and *then* it hit me. Guess who *else* was there???? Right. Me. Oops. Never judge a book by its cover, friends. :) Apparently, this one shoulda been in the mystery section, eh?


So, I'm listening to Trace Adkins' new song "Just Fishin'" and thinking that I like the words. Sorta goes with the topic of my post...sorta.


The sun is shining today, even though it's a bit chilly. I am dragging. It is nearly 1:00, and I'm just getting to straightening my hair, and I still have to "run" to Nashville to see Papa and leave clean clothes, take dirty ones, leave food, leave blood sugar testing supplies, and make sure all is well. Did I mention I'm tired? :) I'm not complaining, though. I'm happy to be able to do these things for people that have done so much for me.


And for random's sake...that photo up there is about as random as it gets, folks. That was taken on the night of Makayla's basketball banquet.


The end.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Just a Photo

For blog's sake. Cuz I'm tired. Hospital-sitting is hard work. I knew this; however, it's been a few years since I've done the hospital-sitting game. (I'm glad.) I've ran the battery down on my computer, sent a countless number of texts, looked at a stack of magazines, watched who knows how many thousands of people walk through the halls of Vanderbilt, and listened to the phone ring an uncountable number of times, waiting on them to say it was *our* turn to hear some news. When our turn finally came, it was GOOD news, so it was worth waiting on. Carl came out of surgey just fine. Though the doctor found a badly shattered hip and joint, he was pleased with the repair that took him over four hours to perform. We are now listening to him snore, ever so soundly, while Granny gets a long-awaited-for shower. Makayla is konked out on the ...chair... *?* and Mark and I are holding down the ...loveseat... *?* while we are waiting to get Granny squared away for the night. Lucky me will be treking back down here tomorrow to help hold down the fort, and to visit Meg and Gatlin should they still be here. (Family reunions at places like Vanderbilt should be outlawed.) Makayla will be heading back to school, Mark back to work, and me...yeah. We already went there. Oh---lets see...I also stitched a couple blisters on my fingers, and I have two...count 'em...TWO flat cheeks. G'night.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

I'm Starting a Paper Clip Chain.


Because in...precisely...lemme count...well...a month-ish, I get to peruse the flea market with my longest-bestest friend in the world...who will remain my longest-bestest friend in the world until death do us part! :)

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Mine, All Mine

Do you see that board down there??? The one with all the personality? The "bad" one that can't be used??? Guess where it is!!!???!!!??? Yup. In my possession. I have a plan for it, and I will be executing my plan soonish...with the upside-down life we have at the moment, I'm not sure when, BUT...it has a home in our home, soon's I get my hands on it. :)
In other news, Carl slept last night, which means Barb slept, too. That, as you can imagine, is good. :) We didn't go down to Vandy today. We had a project to finish, and a house to clean, and laundry to do, and kids to shuttle, and, and, and...you get the idea.


Off to deliver the project. Photos will be forthcoming, promise.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Thinking.


As I was sanding, sanding, and sanding this evening, I was thinking about what I should write tonight on the blogaroo. There were a few options, of which I remember these: Carl (obvious choice), the blue-eyed, smiling stranger (I should blog about nice strangers bc I have a few stories), how three is really not ever a good number for friends...more on that, yardsale finds, and how perfect PiePie is. Yeah. I know.


Sooooo.....in order:


Carl: Surgery was scheduled for today. Got up, got out the door, got a call that although he had been wheeled away for a 4-6 hour surgery, not 30 minutes later, he was being wheeled back into the room, sans surgery. Seems that someone else's situation was more-terrible-er than his. (Good thing, right, if you're Carl??? Not sure bout that one, LOL.) So, we did an about-face. Took the LouAnn to school. Started towards Nashville. Got a little side-tracked, and ended up meandering around backroads until we *finally* got to the hospital. We talked, we browsed, we ate, and we talked. Did I mention that we talked? I love that we talk. Ok...back to Carl. He is not in much pain right now, finally. That is the good news. Oh-and he slept today, to the point that he snored. (It's about time.) The not-as-good news is that when he is awake, as patients who are given the drugs he has been being given tend to do, he hallucinates. He's seen his grandkids on the ceiling. He's asked if Makayla brought his pencil back. He's told Barb that she needed to call Mark, because *he* would come and get him out of that place. He's laughed at things that must really be funny, but that we have NO idea what he is laughing at. And he was *so* proud that the baseball team has went on a LONG winning streak of *gasp* TWO whole games now. Yeah. He was so. elated. :) (Love you, Papa.) Since we know this is normal, given the drugs he has been on, we are not too upset, but rather just happy that he is not in pain. Cross your fingers and say your prayers that he does not feel the need to have Barbara up at 2:30 this morning trying to get home. And that he doesn't feel the need for Mark to come and get him. :) We are very thankful that *everyone* that has cared for him has been nothing but wonderful. Not too often can you say that. Thanks, Vanderbilt, even though your scheduling has a lot to be desired, in my very humble (ok, I know) opinion. Soooo...as it stands right now, he will be having surgery mid afternoon on Monday, subject to change at any second.


Um....what's next? Ah! The blue-eyed, smiling stranger. Like I said, I need to talk about smiling strangers. We've had a few run-ins lately. Kate's car quit on her in the middle of Gallatin last month-ish. She's been a trooper about not having her lil Saturn, especially since she was gifted a car that has been, well...an incredible *gift*. Thanks, Gifter. In the mean time, she had to drive whatever was available, and she did so without complaint. Then, the gifted car broke, and it was very stressful for her...for a lot of reasons, as you can imagine. The biggest reason she had at the time of the quitting was the fact that there she was, in the middle of a 5-lane highway, and at rush hour on a Friday afternoon. Yeah. No one would stop and help her, and then this lady came, WITH her kids (when I heard one of them crying in the background, I knew it was a very young cry). And she stopped, WITH her kids, and helped MY kid. She helped her push her car out of the 5-lane highway. She helped her keep her brain about her. She helped her get her things out of her car, and remember to lock up and get her keys. But wait...it gets better. THEN, she drove her to work. That was a good 15 minutes or so out of her way, but she did it anyways. And she left her, only because she knew that we were taking care of her car and because she was safe, at work. I kept telling Katie to tell this lady thank you, even though that I know that my daughter says those words perhaps more than anyone I know, or have ever known. For real. (Proud mommy moment.) But I told Kate to tell her that he mama was thankful, and to let her know how thankful I was. Kate assured me that she did tell the strange lady that...but somehow, as is often the case, just a simple thank-you did not seem enough to express the gratitude that I felt towards this lady. Fast forward to Wednesday. We had (at best) sketchy directions on how to get to Carl's room from Barbara. And I followed the directions. Little did I know that the directions were fairly open-ended, and there were a lot of ways they could be interpretted and still be right. You know that I did NOT pick the "real" right way. Nope...that would be too easy. I probably picked what was, in actuality, the wrong-est way. Yeah. Surprise. I knew when we stepped on the elevator and pressed the "8" that we were going the wrong place. How? Because it was the way to the Endocrinologist's office that I have had a relationship with for over the last...um...wow. 18 years. It will be 18 years in June. Double WOW. And...I knew there were no patient rooms anywhere NEAR this office. So, we got off the elevator there, at the wrongest place, and I waltzed myself into the nearest place that I saw Vanderbilt workers and sweetly said, in my best Southern-Bell-est voice: Could you help me, pleeeeease???? And the kid behind the counter said sure. Not completely enthusiastically, either. Enter: Smiling, blue-eyed stranger. Picture the most ornery little boy you can think of, cute little pinchy cheeks, twinkling blue eyes, with an "uh-oh, I did it" look on his face, even when he's *not* guilty, and you'll have the Smiling, blue-eyed stranger. He asked where it was I was needing to go, as he guessed I was asking for directions based on the half-attempt at gesturing that his cohort was doing. And then, he smiled, and tried to explain. After about the 16th step in the directions, he said, "You know what? Come on, just follow me. I'll just take you there." Now, remember. We are on the 8th floor. We are needing to go to a room on the 8th floor. Even though all of the first 16 steps of directions pointed to us being nowhere NEAR where we needed to be, for some reason, I guess I thought he was going to walk us around the corner and point to where we needed to be. Nope. He proceeds to walk the 1/2 mile it took to get to the point where he could point to where we needed to be, and then, to tell us how to get back to where we had parked, he stood with us even longer. Have I said that sometimes, "thank you" just doesn't seem anywhere near enough? This, my friends, was exactly one of those times. But, all I had at this point to offer to the smiling, blue-eyed stranger was my words, and a smile. And so that is what I gave him. Off he sauntered, thinking he had just went about his day doing what it was that he did, probably. Then there was me...still thinking of him as I said my prayers that night, asking God to give him an extra blessing for helping us when we needed it. Now, you think I'm at the end of the Smiling, Blue-Eyed Stranger story, don't you? Ha...you should *never* doubt me. We are not done. Fast forward to today. I park closer to where I think we should be (and my ego wants you to know that I was oh, so very close...yet still wrong) and we *smartly* decide to go to the information desk and ask for help. We now know the glitch in our directions, so this can be corrected. She, being the first cousin to the smiling, blue-eyed stranger, no doubt, got up, took us outside, pointed to a far-off building, and said...see there? see that building there? THAT is where you need to be, and I'll tell you a shortcut to make sure you get there. And, she did. And she was so nice. BUT....yup. She was SO wrong. Guess where we ended up? Yup....going to the Endocrinology center again. I was texting. I looked up as we are seeing the elevator doors closing, and I was mortified when I realized that PiePie had just pressed the "8" to go...yup...to the endocrinology floor. There was another nice lady in the elevator with us that heard my panic, and so we got off with her at the 4th floor so she could explain to us the error of our path. As she was (at least more energetically) gesturing to where we needed to be, mid-15th step of directions, what to my wandering eye should appear? Why yes, dear reader, it *could* be so!!!! The...all at once now...Smiling Blue-Eyed Stranger. Who politely tells the lady that she can be dismissed, waves us back onto the elevator, and then, a-gain...walks us to our destination, explaining to us where to park for our next excursion, and inviting us to come back to see him for help at the endocrinology floor should we need him, since we seem to be able to find our way there. :) And...not only is he cute, helpful, and smiley, but he is also humble. I told him that I would pack a gold star so that when he magically appeared the next time, I could give it to him, but he was embarassed, insisting that he didn't do anything, and wishing us a good day. And just like that, he was gone....back to smiling and helping others, no doubt. True story. Just another example of how God gives us who or what we need just when we need it, because He can. :)


My hands now have carpel-tunnel from all this typing that they are not used to these days, so all the other points of interest about my day will have to wait for another time. I'm sure you are upset. Ha.

Our photo of the day is brought to you by "Cheese" and "Cheesier".

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Proud Mommy Moment

He was safe in that photo, just in case you are wondering. That's not the proud mommy moment, though. THAT would be that my son is going to be the starting Varsity pitcher at the first home game of the season tonight. Keep your fingers and toes crossed....they have had two close games with the oposing team! I'm taking my camera (of course) so stay tuned! :)

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

On...well, many things.

First of all, I *just* cleaned off my computer, and every single photo I have of Father-In-Law, Carl, is on a disc in my jewelry box, and I am too sore, tired, and lazy to go and find one. That brings us to the random photo you see below: which is one I found whilst looking for Carl...and while it was the shamrock that originally caught my eye, it was what is underneath the shamrock that my eye finally fell upon. And that, my friends, is the pillow case that was made by me, but every stitch of it, I was thinking particularly about the sister (#2) that blogged for me last night. Reason being: she named her blog by "singing" a stanza (verse? line?) of a song that was sung who knows how many hundreds of thousands of times by our Gramps over the years. I'm always trying to think of the perfect blog name, one that, without a doubt, describes me to a T, somehow or another, but yet it hasn't come. *HERS*, on the other hand, couldn't be perfect-er. (That's twice in a 5-minute timeframe that I have used the "word" perfect-er.) And so it was the photo that I chose to use for the blog post for today. As I am typing this, though, I realize that the words on that pillow case also describe our mother, subject of her post as well. And so, yeah, it fits in that way also. (Am I trying too hard to encourage you to believe that? HA.) On to Carl...he has a shattered hip. He has a broken Femur. He has a broken Pubic bone. (Did we have to learn that one in Science class? Because I sure don't remember it.) He is in pain. He is in traction. They are trying, the team of ortho. doctors, that is, to decide how to fix him. It's not a simple task, especially given that not only is he...well...old and frail, but he has high blood sugar that even with medicines has been running all too high. Did he know this? Nope, because that would involve checking his blood sugar, which is not a practice he has had. (Rest assured, Super Abby is here to make sure he adopts it from now on!) Because of his high blood sugar, his kidneys are not functioning as they should. His potassium level is too high for comfort. (Why has he been taking a potassium pill every day? And is there one or two s's in potas(s)ium?) His heart is less than good. There are a lot of concerns. Please pray, think, worry, or whatever it is that you do for him, for Barbara, for Mark, for Makayla, especially. His healthy directly affects them in ways that it does not affect the rest of the family. Therefore, I need your prayers, because their health and well-being directly affects *me* in ways that does not affect the rest of the family. Then, please pray for the rest of the family! :) There are so many changes that will have to be made in the whole dynamic of this family to pitch in to care for him, for Barbara, and to get all the kids shuttled while keeping everyone cared for. The responsiblitiy here is pretty huge. Not to mention what Carl will be going through. So yes...please lift us up! Now, on to the paperclip...there really is no story, except that any time I see one, as the rest of my sisters will also say, we think of Dad. And we smile. And this one time, I picked it up. Because it was just God's little way of giving me a hug when I needed one, right off the ER parking lot's surface. Who knew that was possible? I do, now!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

You'd Think This Story Would be About a Paperclip


So I'm in Nashville tonight and my awesome big sister Abby texts me and asks me to do her blog for her tonight. I reply yes and she sends me the picture above saying she found it in the parking lot at the emergency room. Ever so casually, might I add. First and foremost I'm wondering what the HECK she is doing at the ER and then thinking, I will never in a million years blog about that paper clip like Abby would. Not in a million years. Not that it would be worse or better, but I know her and I know me and I KNOW that her paper clip story and mine would NOT match up and promptly decided not to use it. Back to the ER...


So Mark's (PiePie's) dad fell in the driveway today and shattered his hip and broke a bone in his leg in a bad way. They took him to Hendersonville and then they had to take the poor guy on to Vanderbuilt (which is where the big sis found the paper clip). If you are a prayer of prayers, a thinker of thoughts, or a worrier of sorts, this man can use some of your time, folks. Stick him on your list.


So I guess what I notice isn't the paper clip at all, but Abby's hand. It looks like our mom's hand. For years, I've stared at the top my mother's hands as she played the piano and wondered when mine would begin to look like hers. Over the past couple of years (but it seems like overnight), I've noticed (as I played the piano) that I can see mom's hands.


Then the sister sends me the paperclip pic and I saw the palm of my mother's hand and it comforted me. It was holding a paperclip that reminded me of my dad (which is another story in and of itself). I saw those lines and new the stories that made them and the world was perfect for me in that instant. The only feeling I had was that of being loved by three people all at the same time in three compeletly different ways - for the love of a sister is unlike the love of a mother, whose love is unlike a father's - my hope is that everyone in the world could feel the love that I felt the moment I looked at that picture.


I'll leave the paperclip story for Abby to tell, because it's her story. I hope mine made you smile.


All my love,

Malinda (the 2nd sister)

Monday, April 4, 2011

Un-Satisfied.

So, I got to eat breakfast with this guy and his mom...it really doesn't get any better than that, 'specially because I got to sit between him and the PiePie, and chat across the table with his mom and his lovely grandma, who happens to live closer to me than Atlanta, where he and his mother reside. I should look at this photo and be so very happy that we are standing there together, being all happy and stuff, but yet I find myself questioning why I am where I am at this present time in my life. I miss my kids. I miss teaching. I worked so hard to be able to teach. I don't understand why I'm not teaching. Yet, I remain on the happy side and trust that the God that I worship has a greater plan than that that I am aware of. (Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world...isn't that how that one goes??? I had to dig around deep in the attic >or basement< in my brain to remember that song from trips long ago.) And while I am satisfied and un-satisfied all at once, though I have made *many* unconventional, maybe even what others would call crazy decisions in my life, I can't say that there were any that I made that I did not ask for His guidance about first, or that I did not have a peace about before I made them. And that peace has been my saving grace on many a sleepless night, let me assure you. Soooo...as I go back to my flower-making and my painting, my husband, my daughter, my dogs, my corner, I go with a grateful heart to be where I am at this moment, loving the life that I live, living the life that I love. Thank you, Jesus, for You are good. After all, if I hadn't been where I was those years ago, and he hadn't been where he was those years ago, and if God didn't reside in both of our hearts both now and then, then we wouldn't be standing up there, together, happy to see each other. And for that, I am grateful.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Just a little look....


As you know...I just cleaned our bedroom, which literally took me all. day. long. And I snapped this photo of the "new" top to the tall dresser in there. It is apt to change at any given moment, but for now...this is it. Let's see...up there, we have a fortune that was actually in a cookie I got once. I took a photo. Framed the photo. Put it on my dresser, just to remind the man-occupant of said room, in case he ever chastises me about my wardrobe or anything. If you know me even remotely well, you know that I *never* throw away a fortune. I always tuck them in my pocket, throw them in my purse, lay them in the console of the car...anything other than toss them. I really wish all those years ago, when I developed this odd quirk, that I would have started putting them all in one place. Alas, I did not. On with the tour of PiePie's dresser top that Honey took over, you will see, in the background, a tall glass juice pitcher, maybe? It has a lid. And on it, there is an "A". Another thing you know about me is that I am a typography nut, and I love letters and numbers. Of course, there are certain ones I love better than others, so the one with the "A" is for "ABBY" on it was a thrilling find for me. I think I paid all of a buck for it at a yardsale last summer. That's pricey for me to pay at a yardsale, too. Next, we have...scroll up....scroll down...the vintage hat box. I would venture to guess that this box is from a hat that my Granny had, as it was from my mom, and it had a few things from when she was a child >>>a YOUNG child<<< in there. I found the vintage knock-off stickers at Home Goods a few years back (love them) and decided to take the plain, brown box (is a circular object still a "box"???) with sooo much potential and turn it into "a box that could". Just a lil Mod Podge'll do ya, folks. :) It's been around for ages now, and it is in A-1 condition, even after roosting upon a leaky floor from a leaky wall that we didn't know we had for quite some time. Now, in the forefront of the photo, you'll see a blue vaseymadealio. This was given to PiePie and Honey by a neighborish dude who was grateful for our help one day. We'll leave it at that. Isn't it spectacular, though? And.....in the spectacular baseymadealio given to us by the neighborish dude is a flowerpot of button happiness given to me from my mommy on Thanksgiving this last year. All the girls got button flowers, and all the boys got boxes of pick-up-stix with their names engraved on them. Cool seat markers, huh? So there you have it...the items residing on the dresser top where PiePie's items of clothing reside. (I don't think he would appreciate it if I said it was *his* dresser top, what with it being girly and all....)

So there is an impromtu tour of the dresser top that used to be PiePie's that is really technically not PiePie's any more...at least this week. The End.

Friday, April 1, 2011

5 Extra Years


On April 1, 2006, that's what I was given...at least to date. 5 years. Hopefully 55 years! That's 5 more (or 55 more) than what I should have had. I figure this means that God has some important things for me to do with my life, and I should be vbusy doing them, not sitting back, watching life pass me by. Actively living...that's my goal. Oh - and doing so with a smile. After all...even the worst day is better than no day, right? When you look at it that way, almost everything seems trivial, doesn't it? It also makes doing "trivial" things easy for me to do with joy. Things like dishes, laundry, cooking, seeing the sun in the bright blue sky, feeling its warmth on my face...driving down the highway, listening to the seemingly endless chatter of my Nanna; all of it. Today, my day was just an average day, really...I did all of those things today. I also painted, chatted with my very best friend of all best friends via text, ate a "picnic" lunch with my husband, and made my bed. However, on this day, all of those things I enjoyed as I could not have done previous to that day in 2006. No way, no how. Each April 1 that rolls around kind of puts in perspective to me in an even bigger way that God has allowed me to hang around to enjoy my children and family and friends, and to be a happiness in the days of those around me, lifting up those friends who are hurting or who need a smile, or who don't understand why I'm so happy...hopefully something in my view point will stick with them. I'd like to think so, anyways. I'm by no means Ms. Happy. I'm by no means anything of and example I would recommend for anyone to look up to. But I'd like to think that I am mostly happy and uplifting to those around me. :) And, probably this is when I start chasing my tail and rambling, so this is probably (most likely) the time that I should close my post and just say that I am thankful for this life I live, and thankful to the Lord that has allowed me to be here, just a bit longer, to enjoy this world and the people in it that He has made.