My Precious Gift

When I got to church today, as soon as I sat down my mom took something out of her purse and said "I want you to have this.  It was your one of your grandmother's favorite bracelets. She wore it all the time."  I remember the bracelet well.  My mom said that she really didn't wear it much anymore and she knows how much I enjoy wearing a bracelet.  It is sterling silver.  WOW.  How special to wear one of my grandmother's bracelets.  She was so special to me and I absolutely adored her.  She was not "dripping in diamonds" but she also loved to wear jewelry.  She had lots of nice costume jewelry.  She also made a lot of her jewelry.  I think that is where Mallory and Marley get a lot of their creativity from.  Mallory has taken some old pieces of jewelry and made some pretty pieces.  I will definitely wear this bracelet with pride and always smile with precious memories when wearing it.

On my drive home from church I witnessed the most beautiful sky. It seemed that the clouds were the whitest of whites and the sky was the bluest of blues.  Against the green trees and grass it was so peaceful and beautiful.  It just made me feel as though my grandmother was smiling just knowing that I was wearing her favorite bracelet.  I love that kind of feeling!  I miss talking to my Mama B, but I have no regrets of the life we had together.  We shared some great memories and our stories are priceless.  I hope that one day I will have grandchildren (or children) that can say the same thing about me! :) 

And for the record.....I was not driving down the road when I took this picture.  I pulled off of HWY 29 for a few minutes and took in the view.

Something beautiful, something good;

all my confusion, He understood;

all I had to offer Him--was brokenness and strife,

but He made something beautiful of my life

Now Stomach....don't you cut up!

As our Mama B got older and I would go pick her up to take her somewhere, it never failed that she would get about 2 or 3 miles from the house and then say, "now stomach...don't you start cutting up!"  I would think, oh, no....not today!  One day my mother, sister and I were taking her to Birmingham to see her oldest sister, Dot.  Her niece, Rona, had told us it would not be a good day for us to come visit.  That really made me angry that Rona thought she could tell my grandmother when she could and could not come see her sister.  Rona did not want any of us visiting if she was not going to be there with Aunt Dot.  Well, I was determined that we were going to go.  So we loaded up my Tahoe and headed north.  Mama B and I were in the front seat and Vicki and Mama in the back.  Well, between Luverne and Highland Home Mama B began to say, "now stomach...don't you start cutting up."  I was thinking oh please!!  Then she began to tell me that I had to pull over, she really had to go.  Now at this point in her life, she got around with a walker and with assistance with her walker.  I kept telling her we would have to wait until we got to Highland Home to pull over.  She said you have really got to pull over and I kept telling her the ground was not level.  At this point as I was going down the road, she started pulling on the door handle (with me speeding to Highland Home) so here I am pulling off the road.  Mom jumped out of the back seat, Mama B had slung open the front passenger door and I was headed to the back of the Tahoe to get toilet tissue. (I know how to travel....I have 3 kids and my mom was a girl scout!) Vicki kept asking if she should get the blanket to hold up.  Well, by the time Mama B flung the door open and slid out of the seat and my mom had grabbed her from falling, she squatted, held on to the door and "WENT" right in the floorboard!  I'm talking a blowout! Have I mentioned that my mom was wearing winter white pants? Ummmm, yes she was.  They got a little splattered! Vicki kept saying something about holding a blanket up.  I was about to throw up, my floorboard was covered in...well you know, and my mom had been sprayed!  Luckily, we were drinking bottled water and washed out the floorboard and again being the prepared mom I had paper towels to begin wiping things out.  (and Vicki was still asking about the damn darn blanket) We got everything and everybody cleaned up and got back in the vehicle and headed back to Birmingham, windows down with me still gagging a little (ok...a lot).  Then we all busted out laughing.  Did Rona think she was going to stop us.  I don't think so.  We laughed all the way to Aunt Dot's house.  This is a story we will never forget. NEVER EVER EVER!

OOK

OOK...That is what my Bible Study Group calls ourselves.  It stands for On Our Knees.  We meet at Burger King at 6 am during the school year and this summer we have met at 7.  There are 11 of us and we have a bible study, pray for each other, pray for each others children and pray for people we know who have needs.  We are trying to strengthen our walk with our Savior.  Sherry Helms will usually close our meeting with a sweet prayer. (Sherry wanted to call us the HOEs...standing for Heaven On Earth!  I really liked that idea but it kinda got voted down!! haha) During the school year we were reading the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn.  We have learned about the New Earth and what it is going to take for us to get there.  This summer, Cindy Miller has lead us with inspirational devotions.  Today she talked about HAVING A GOOD ATTITUDE.  She said there were 3 things we needed to do:

• Repent....identify what our bad attitude is and repent.  
• Submit....submit to the Lord and apply discipline to our life.
• Develop.....Dwell on the good things. 

Gives you something to think about.  She also gave us some rules to a positive attitude by Vicki Hitizges.

• Rule 1...Wait to Worry: Only about 8% of what we worry about actually comes true.  Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow but only empties today of is strength.
•  Rule 2...Keep an Attitude of Gratitude: Count your Blessings and JOT them down.  Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
• Rule 3...Your Health is your Wealth: If you lose your health you lose everything!
• Rule 4...Joy Boomerangs: If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else up.
• Rule 5...Learn to say NO:  We have limits to our time and energy.
• Rule 6...Understand the power of discipline: Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you.  
• Rule 7...Surround yourself with POSITIVE PEOPLE: Find people who believe in you and inspire you.  To love and be love is to feel the sun from both sides.

ATTITUDES ARE CONTAGIOUS...IS YOURS WORTH CATCHING?

Sharing some of my favorite quotes

•  I have a couple of books that I write down quotes that capture my attention.  My hope is that one day, these books will mean something to someone that they are passed down to.
• 
  
• Thank you God for blessing me much more than I deserve.
• A successful marriage isn't finding the right person-it's being the right person.
• Fashion fade...only style remains.
• Don't settle for anything less that everything.
• Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up.
• It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill....just add a little dirt.
• Blessed are those whose attitudes are shaped by their hopes not their hurts.
• Don't count your days, make your days count.
• I will reach up as far as I can and God will reach down the rest of the way.
• Every day is a new day unless we drag in the past.
• A bad attitude is like a flat tire.  If you don't change it,you will never go anywhere.
• Enjoy the little things.   One day you may look back and realize they were the BIG things.
• You have never really learned to live until you've done something for somebody who can never repay you.
• In life, think of mean people like sand paper.  They may scratch you and hurt you but at the end, you come out polished and the mean person is just worn and ugly.
• Whatever you are going through the Lord brings you into deep waters not to drown you but to cleanse you.
• We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does!
• God has given you one face and you make yourself another one.  Shakespeare
• There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience.
• Do not repeat anything you will not sign your name to!
• Never part without loving words to think about during your absence.  It may be that you will not meet again in this life.  Jean Paul Richter

 

Take me out to the ballgame!

In the summertime, I really miss the fun of baseball.  Of watching Bill play ball.  Being with friends (who become like your family) at the park.  Trying to get his uniform sparkling clean for the next game.  I look back and think of those as "the good ole days".  I really LOVED going to all of Bill's games. (and many, many practices)  He was such a natural at all the sports that he played....football and baseball. He played basketball when he was younger and was good, but didn't really care for it.  When he was a junior he had a really good game in football against Greenville Academy.  The Monday after the game I ask Bill about his stats and he quickly told me football was a team sport and it didn't matter what his stats were.  (I think he rushed for over 200 yards that game and had several tackles...he played offense and defense.) And when he said that, it made me even more proud than the awesome game he played! June 30, 1998 Bill was playing in a tournament game in Highland Home.  He had been in his former Dixie Youth's coaches wedding that day.  It was in Butler, Alabama and Jon and Shelly literally said, "I do" and Bill and Mickey walked out of the church and headed to the game.  In the church parking lot he put his ball cap on with his tux and headed to Highland Home.  The girls and I made it just in time for the game and it was a game of a lifetime for Bill (and his proud mama).  The 14 year old Dixie Boys were playing Luverne and Bill was 4 for 4 in the game.  At this point in the tournament Bill was batting 1000.  In the 5th inning, Bill had a single, double and a triple under his belt. Bill came up to bat with the bases loaded.  Debbie Kelley was sitting right behind me and I will never forget her saying, "wouldn't a homerun be nice?"  (Bill was more of a base hitter rather than a HR hitter, although he did have a few HRs to his name)  Bill hit a GRAND SLAM which capped off his second straight perfect day at the plate.  How many baseball players, even pro, can say they have hit for the cycle?  Well....BILL HUGHES can! And speaking of his few homeruns, one came in a tournament at Troy University where he hit one over at the Troy University baseball field.  I have to brag because you know what???? You will probably never hear this story from Bill. 

He made the paper....which was not uncommon when he was playing sports! I have lots of articles cut out!

If I Die Young

 What age are you if you die young?  My grandmother died at the age of 98. She was a sport.  I guess I would be young considering her age.  Our children were so fortunate to know three of their great-grandparents.  Mama B lived the longest.  They all ADORED her as she did them.  She got to rock them all and watch them grow into fine,young adults.  Bill spent a lot of time with her when he was an infant.  He was her first grandson and she was so proud of him.  They would watch wrestling together.  They both loved it! Mama B was loved by so many people.  She enjoyed life.  She played bridge with a couple of bridge groups and had a beauty shop until she was in her 80's.  She just about outlived all of her customers. Her shop was in her house and we all loved spending time with her while she cut, permed and fixed hair.  She probably never charged over $15 for any of her services.  Mama B was always dressed nice; hair and nails done and lips painted.  When she got where she couldn't see too well, she would sometimes even have 2 eyebrows painted on one side!  She lived alone until she was in her 90's.  At that time she fell and broke her hip and went to an assisted living facility.  They were so good to her and she adjusted well and enjoyed the company.  My mom visited her daily, if not twice daily.  The kids and I went to see her as often as possible.  We have so many fun memories of our Mama B.  One Sunday morning before I had married I remember her calling my mom and saying, "now, before you get to church and anybody tells you anything about what happened last night, I'm gonna go ahead and tell you."  Mama asked what in the world had she done!! She had been to a wedding the night before of a dear friend's daughter and she called to tell that she had been doing "the bump" (an old dance from the 70's where you lightly bumped hips with your partner to the beat of the music) and had a blast!  She said they had the best band and she had just "danced the night away!"  Years later Melissa divorced and Mama B told her that she sure hoped she got married again and threw another good reception! We all still miss her.  She lived her life to the fullest.  She honored her God, loved her church, family and friends.  She enjoyed people and people enjoyed her.  Mama B always told us her stories of growing up and we have such good stories to tell of growing up with OUR MAMA B.  

PS: When she was buried at the age of 98 I don't think that she was wearing pearls, but, her lips and nails were painted the perfect shade and her hair and face were flawless.  She was ready to enter her forever home to meet her Heavenly Father in  nothing but Mama B style.

She's Leaving on a Jet Plane.......

Marley is our "baby"! She and Landon have been best friends since first grade.  They have been a couple for 5 1/2 years.  They really seem perfect for each other.  Their relationship is one where she can have her friends and Landon can have his and there is not jealousy. They trust each other, take up for each other, joke with each other, share their dreams and love each other unconditionally.  When Landon was fifteen he was hit in the eye with a bottle rocket.  He lost the sight in his eye.  He went through excruciating pain and disfigurement.  He had multiple surgeries and suffered from depression.  At the time of the accident, Marley and Landon were just BFFs.  Not long after, things changed and their relationship became much more. Their junior year in high school a TV show called Doctors 90210 filmed Landon at his home in Troy.  They filmed his Junior prom. The film crew even came to our home and we had to sign release forms and everything.  It was crazy fun! Except for Marley and Landon.  They felt as though all their classmates all of a sudden wanted to be their BEST FRIENDS.  Their Junior prom was a very stressful one for the two of them. It was not about getting on television for Landon, it was about hopefully getting surgery on his eye to help him not have to wear a patch to cover the damage from the bottle rocket. Surgery was performed and it was filmed and aired on television. He was finally able to go without a patch and his eye looks so close to normal.  It brought tears to my eyes.  He had been through so much. Landon is part of our family and we love him.

This summer he went to London to do an internship at Loyds of London.  He came home and then he left and went to Newport Beach, California for another internship.  Marley has not seen him in six weeks!! That is the longest they have been apart.  Tomorrow she is leaving for California for a visit.  She has been to Cali a couple of times before when he had his consultation for his surgery and then for his surgery.  This time will be a different kind of trip.  She is beyond excited.  I am so proud that she is getting to go.  Marley works so hard.  She is going to school, working in Montgomery for a doctor and running her business, MY CRAZY MESS.  She will often work in Montgomery, come home and do online assignments and then begin to sew for her business.  She is very disciplined and self motivated.  Marley....have a great time....be safe and come back with lots of fun stories for us!

My Crazy Mess
Custom order clothes made especially for you!  I am so proud of you Marley!  You have taught yourself to sew and are doing such a great job.  You really have a talent!

Mallory's Tiny Tot Town

Today I went to Mallory's work at First Methodist Preschool to see the bulletin board that she had made.  A couple of her parents had been bragging on it to me.  It was called "Tiny Tot Town" and she had named different places after her "summer kiddos"!  It was really cute.  Sam's was my favorite...his was Sam's Sweet Shop.  Pretty please....no veggies allowed!  And if you know Sam, that would be true!  But he can sure tear up a cupcake!  Look at those eyes! Isn't he adorable? I work with his mom and she keeps me laughing! There was Emme's Ice Cream Shop, Dylan's Diner, and Henry's Hot Dogs.  It was so cute and creative....just like my Mallory.  She is great at planning a party down to a tee!  Every little detail is going to be fabulous and well planned out.  I will share some of her parties later! And sometimes OVER THE TOP!  And everyone who comes will have a grand time.  There will probably be some confetti thrown.  Mallory is known for that! :-) She is about to move to a bigger classroom and have more children in her care.  It makes my heart feel so good when parents tell me what a great job she is doing.  The Director of the Board of the Daycare bragged on what a good job she was doing and how lucky they were to have her.  She said she had several parents who had really paid Mallory compliments.  Way to go, Mallory!  I know how hard you are working and how much you are on your feet each day.  I know you are "worn out" every afternoon when you leave! You have always been a natural with kids! I am very proud of you.

My Sweetheart for a LOOOOONG Time!

Isn't he the cutest?

Mickey and I have been sweethearts for a very long time.
I began to "like" him when I was 13 and he was 16. He was 2 grades ahead of me, but almost 3 years older than me. He had a car and I was way too young to date! My parents would let him come over to our house and visit. He drove a very cool blue torinto. I'm not much on cars so I don't know the year. Probably a 1971 or 72. We had a German Shepherd dog that wouldn't let him out of the car, so my parents felt pretty good about that! (HEHE) I would have to walk out to the car and then walk him back in. And then when he was ready to leave, I would have to walk him back out to the car. The Christmas when I was 14 Mickey asked if I could ride around and look at Christmas lights. My parents agreed to let me. Mickey rode around Luverne and then went to Goshen. I had never really been to Goshen, so when he crossed the railroad tracks and bridge and was headed to Troy I didn't know where he was going. And when I realized I was in Troy, I was way too embarrassed to tell him I was going to be in BIG trouble! I felt like I was going to throw up. He went to a pizza restaurant called Pasquales. Had the best pizza and roast beef sandwiches. Of course, we saw some grown-ups from Luverne, so I knew I was going to have to tell my parents. I got home and told them the story and because I had told the truth, I wasn't in trouble. But...I still was not allowed to date!

Mickey has a kind of dry sense of humor. Not much of a talker, but tonight Mallory was eating dinner with us and he began to tell us this story. He said this man was sitting at his house and the police came and knocked at his door. He answered the door and they asked him if he were married. He said yes he was. They asked him if he had a picture of his wife and he showed them a picture of his wife. The police said, "Mr. Jones, I'm sorry, but it looks like your wife has been hit by a train." The man then said, "yeah, but she is very sweet and she is a really good cook."

And then Mickey grinned. And I fell in love all over again with his dimples and sense of humor.

Part of the FAM

Molly is our poodle. Melanie Baker bought her for Marley in November of 2000. I went to the Dollar Store to get "personal products" and Melanie and Marley went in the pet store next door. I came in and Marley had this adorable little brown poodle in her hands. She was about the size or a Beanie Baby. Melanie was a "poodle kinda girl"! She had two at her house. We already had two dogs at our house. Melanie said she wanted Marley to have this poodle....they just could not leave her at this horrible pet store. Mickey was at Patsburg at his hunting camp. I told Marley if she could convince her dad to let her have the poodle then it was Okay with me. (I knew he would not go for it!) Marley made a phone call and then told me that her dad said she could have her. She said that he said if it was Okay with me then it was Okay with him. When I tried to call him back to confirm, he would not answer the phone. Melanie and Marley were determined not to leave the pet store without the little poodle. Well, she came home with us, was given the name Molly and has been a joy ever since. She wears her pearls proudly and we often call her Pootsie! She has her "THRONE" on the back of the couch where she often stays perched! And by the way, Mickey NEVER said that Marley could bring home a poodle. She sorta told a fib on that one.

Coby is the adorable pug. He was Landon's birthday present 3 years ago. He has the cutest personality and is so smart. He can spell his name, T-R-E-A-T, and is very OCD (HUMMMM....I wonder where he gets that from? If anything is out of place, he will promptly pee on it!) He loves to go to MeMo and GranDad's house where he is spoiled. Marley says that his favorite song is "I can't help this Feeling". Marley can read his every thought and action! He often wears his Sunday tie and has his own Facebook page. He has had two eye surgeries and has to have his wrinkles cleaned at least every other day! Can we say HIGH MAINTENANCE? Coby gives the best poochie kisses and we love for him to visit!

Ziggy came to us in October of 2009. She showed up on our carport with graffiti written all over her. YES graffiti! Someone had drawn all over her with a magic marker. A star on her head, a ying yang sign on her leg, drawings all over her. She had a collar embedded in her neck it was so tight. Actually, it was a belt made into a collar, with a part of a chain hanging on it. We feel like she escaped through the woods and found her way to her forever home and our hearts. She had crooked teeth and a smile that will melt your heart. She is Mallory's best friend and partner in crime. So many times people will tell me that they saw Mallory going somewhere and of course Ziggy was hanging her head out the window! She can always cheer you up.

We also have Lizzy,our cat of 12 or 13 years. Marley went home with Chandler Hudson after a baseball game of their brothers and picked out Lizzy. Casey is Bill's lab that stayed with us after he got married. Such a sweet girl! Lil Kitty is the neighbors cat that I think is now our cat. Pictures and stories will come later of the last three! These pets are part of our family story in a very dear way!

Blessed Assurance

I was sitting in church yesterday and singing, (actually just reading the words and mouthing) the words to Blessed Assurance, and I finally came up with the name of my blog.  This is my story...this is my song.  I have been wanting to begin a blog for a while, but have not been able to come up with a title.  So here goes....my attempt to share stories from my past, happening in my present and hopes for my future.  I grew up in Luverne, Alabama the oldest of 2 girls.  I lived "in town" until I was 13 years old.  I was raised riding my bike barefoot all over town.  I loved going to the Junior Food store to get Sugar Babies and a SunDrop. I look back and can't believe that my mom didn't make me wear shoes.  That kind of freaks me out to think of walking barefoot on sidewalks and in stores. Yikes and Yuck.  What was she thinking?? We played outside.  A LOT.  At the age of 13 we moved "to the country".  When we moved from town to "down the dirt road" country, the phone company did not have a private line for us.  Back then they had what was called party lines.  This was where multiple homes were put on the same phone line.  You had your own number, but if someone else was talking on the phone that was on your same party line you could not use the phone.  You could pick up and hear what they were saying or they could hear what you were saying.  My dad refused a party line, which would have been shared with 11 other households.  So, at the age of 13, just becoming a teenager, I was moved to the country without a phone.  Do you know how devastating that was?  13 years old and NO PHONE!! And this went on for 1 and 1/2 years!!! Torture!!! But, somehow I lived through it! P.S.I am talking about landline phones! There was no such thing as cell phones! This is my first story and I'm sticking to it!