Recovery, Part II

I have not fully recovered, but I am recovering. It's a slow process.

I went back to the neurosurgeon on Wednesday after my MRIs, and he said I have a bulging disk in my lower back. He is going to try conservative treatment... Celebrex, nerve blocks, and physical therapy. We're holding off on the nerve blocks until my next appointment with the doctor in December. I went Thursday for my first PT appointment. I have 8 more PT sessions, and I have to do exercises on my own. Fun!


Leyden thought that PT would be like a workout at "The Biggest Loser" gym. Ha! Thank goodness it's not that kind of workout! The PT does make me sore, as is expected, and except for when I do a push up-type exercise, I don't really get tired. Hey, maybe I'll develop some muscle!

Ridin' the Waves...

My life is like the sea lately... there are times when the waters are calm, but mostly it's been hurricane season and some category 4s have been rolling through.

I'm not "all better" from the accident yet, but I'm sleeping a little better at night. (I still get mad about the whole situation when I think about it... foot on the brake, sitting at a red light, and BAM! BAM! my life has changed and I have to get over it. So, I try not to think about it.)

Monday I ran into a new problem - my rosacea has decided to "act up" and make my entire face burn like liquid fire has been poured over me. (Like how I'm using quotes a lot today?) My rosacea was only on small parts of my face before Monday. Now it is EVERYWHERE. I went to my dermatologist Tuesday, and she prescribed me some new oral medication for rosacea to use in addition to my usual topical stuff. She says my face is irritated by the sudden onset of cold weather. So my face burns when anything touches it, sometimes even air. FUN!

But, I refuse to be the "glass-is-half-empty" girl (there go those quotes again) and I am determined to be optimistic about this situation. One good thing is that I got to go ahead and have my annual screening with the dermatologist on Tuesdsay so I don't have to come back in a month, wait for an hour to see the doctor and pay another co-pay. (Thanks, Doc!) Um, another good thing... I got to enjoy the sunroof on the way to the doctor's office and on the way back to work!

We're trying to get ready for the holidays. I must admit, I'm dreading them all this year. It won't be the same without Gran and Grandaddy. I am going to try to make it different and fun this year so we won't be so mindful of our loss. Mom and I went to Gran and Grandaddy's last weekend to go through some stuff, and we listened to Christmas music in the car. Mom's Christmas music habit is year-round, but I haven't heard it in a while, so it was cheerful and happy and helped get me in the holiday spirit.

Well, gotta go for now. I'll try to update again soon. And maybe fill you in on Halloween and the camping trip.

Recovery, Part I

There are two parts to recovering from a car accident... the recovery of the car and the recovery of the person. One of us has recovered... I got my car back! 26 days after I picked up my rental, I got my car back! It's almost good as new. The downside... it smells like paint, to the point of giving me a headache. The good side... it looks fabulous! (And I can open my SUNROOF to help get rid of the paint smell!)

I was shocked at how well it turned out. Rick, our body shop guy, spent an hour cleaning the Dr. Pepper off the seats and console, even though that isn't the body shop's responsibility, so the inside is actually very clean and other than the weird smell, the car feels like a new one. He really went the extra mile (or ten). KUDOS to Rick and the other body shop guys that took my twisted, smashed up, broken car and made it beautiful again!

Little People's Prayers

Since Leyden could talk, this has been her nightly prayer:

"Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
God bless everybody in the whole wide world
but 'cept the mean old Grinch!
Amen."

[Side story: When Leyden first started saying this prayer, she was knee high to a grasshopper and instead of blessing the whole sweet world by name, she blessed her impatient mama by saying, "God bless everybody in the whole wide world." This might be due, in part, to the fact that the child has a large extended family on all three sides. The "mean old Grinch" part came into play when she saw The Grinch That Stole Christmas for the first time. She didn't like how the mean Grinch hurt people, so she un-blessed him. But not the GOOD Grinch, mind you, only the mean one. And there is a difference, trust me! Anyway, back to the post...]

Sometimes, she will stop after "but 'cept the mean old Grinch" and list a few people who are really on her mind. That used to be a rare occurence, and the blessed people were usually sick or hurt, or had lost a loved one.


When Grandaddy died, Leyden started listing her great-grandparents because two were sick (Gran and Papa) and one had lost her husband and wasn't doing well with her dementia (Grand Brown). And she always said them in the same order: Grand Brown, Gran, and Papa. Papa Charlie had his surgery and she added him to the list. "God bless Grand Brown, Gran, Papa, and Papa Charlie." Then in June Papa Charlie died and Papa died, so she was down to Grand Brown and Gran. Then, Mickey got sick and she added him, "God bless Grand Brown, Gran, and Mickey."

Well, the day that Gran died, as I was putting Leyden to bed, she said her prayer. That night, she ended it by saying, "God bless Grand Brown..." and there was a long pause, "...and Mickey." It was like her own personal moment of silence for Gran.

Then the next night, Mickey died. Leyden was at home so she could go to school a few more days, and I was in Gadsden with Dad, so I didn't see her until the day after Mickey died, but when she said her prayers, she said, "...but 'cept the mean old Grinch, and God? [long pause] ...God, please be with Grand Brown." Bless her heart. She's suffered so much loss is such a short time, my heart aches for her. But she knows where they are - they are all in heaven.

She and one of her school friends were riding in the car with me the other day. This particular friend lost her great-grandfather this year, too, and they were discussing how this is their first Halloween without their great-grandfathers. We never saw Gran and Grandaddy at Halloween, so I don't imagine we'll miss them as much at Halloween as we will at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas is going to be different this year, for sure. But I'm glad those two girls have each other to lean on and share their feelings.

The one person we're going to ache for at Halloween is Papa Charlie. He always had a beanbag toss at the church Fall Festival. And he always dressed in overalls and Leyden always played the game with him. We missed Papa Charlie at Cheaha, and we miss him every time we go to church. He was such a fixture in our lives, and in our hearts. Halloween will be hard this year, for sure.

You know, little people's prayers don't go unanswered. God heard every word of Leyden's monotonous prayer, but He also heard the "God blesses". And you know what? He blessed every one of the people that Leyden asked Him to bless. He just did it in His own way, not our way. Amen to that. Amen!

Hangin' in There

[I've tried forty bazillion times to get this thing to put a space between paragraphs. I don't know enough about how it works to know why it won't do it, so I apologize for the run-together look. KM]

Well, the new job is GREAT! My boss is a really smart and wonderful lady. So far, I have created a database for keeping track of the media in the Program library, and I have read magazines and indexed articles by subject. If you know me, you know that two of my favorite things are working on the computer and reading, so I've really enjoyed the first three weeks of my job!

The injuries from the car wreck? Not as great as the new job. I'm better, but not good. I see another doctor on Monday. I've had some unpleasant side effects from the medication, but they've been resolved with additional medication. I still don't sleep well, and I still have pain and take meds when I get home. But, it is getting better and I AM GRATEFUL THAT I WASN'T INJURED MORE SERIOUSLY OR KILLED. The car can be fixed, and the physical injuries can heal. (I'm saying that for me, not you. I have to reinforce positive thinking so this whole wreck thing doesn't eat me alive.)

My car has been at the shop since the day after the accident. (That's three weeks ago today, if you're counting. And if you're not, I'm telling you anyway because I want you to know my frustration. Have you noticed the weather getting cooler? That's what I call "sunroof weather", and it doesn't last long. The rental doesn't have a sunroof, so I really am missing it right now.) The insurance adjuster didn't go look at it until a week after the accident, so they didn't start working on it until two weeks ago. Today, I got a call from body shop and they said my car is going to the paint shop now and will be ready the middle of next week. Yea! It might still be sunroof weather when I get it back! (See, I can handle postive thinking.)

Seriously, if you look at the past six months of my life, you might think one of two things, depending on whether or not you see the glass as half full or half empty: 1) It sucks to be me; or 2) I'm so glad that God is here to carry me during these trying times. I'd totally be lying if I told you that I've been focusing on God. I've hardly spoken to Him. I've just about gone off the deep end lately, what with crises cropping up in my professional organization that no one else could seem to handle, preparing for fall festival at Leyden's school, the new job, getting up a full hour earlier to be at the new job, grieving for my grandparents, worrying about my Dad, worrying about how my house will get clean and my laundry will get done since I'm out of commission, dealing with this annoying pain that I can't get rid of. The walls are closing in on me, and God has been waiting patiently for me to turn to Him to handle all my stress, but I've been holding on to it tightly, almost yelling at Him, "NO! These are MY problems and I will deal with them!" (And my parents said nobody knows what they went through raising me.)

He's there, waiting. All I have to do is give all this stuff to Him, and He will take care of it. And the best part? He knows the best way to handle it all. Every tiny detail is important to Him, and He will tend to every single one. Why am I holding on to it? Like most people, I think I can handle things better myself. I need to let it go. After all, Jesus said He would give us rest when we are weary and burdened with life's troubles... "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," Matthew 11:28. Sounds like a plan to me!

When KountryMama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy

"How are you doing?" people ask. "I have good days and bad days," I answer. And that's the truth. Some days are much better than others, and I've gotten to where I number them on a scale of one to ten to give Brad an idea of how bad the night will be. (A whispered number that foreshadows the warning of a sleepless night filled with me harrumphing and sighing and whimpering like a wounded cat.) On the worst days, there are tears of frustration because the pain is constant and the headache just won't go away.

And the house? Oh, let me just vent for one minute about the house. As you know, my grandmother died on September 10th, and I left the next morning to drive 2 1/2 hours away to be with my family for a week. Upon return, I was exhausted and, of course, didn't clean my house. That could definitely wait. Well, the next weekend (when I should have been cleaning my house) I went to a college football game with Dad, his friend Charlie, and Leyden. And the housecleaning could wait until the next weekend. Those dust bunnies don't bite. So, the Thursday before the next weekend, I was in a car accident. I was ordered to rest for several days. I didn't work my last day at my "old" job, and guess what? My house didn't get cleaned.

So, here I am, 12 days post-accident. Brad and Leyden have made a valiant effort at keeping the laundry from taking over the house, and bless their hearts, they even unloaded the dishwasher twice and loaded it twice. But the dust bunnies? They're alive and well. And they're multiplying. They're like Gremlins, but instead of multiplying when they get wet, they multiply when my life is haywire. So, don't come visit me anytime soon expecting a nice, clean house. In fact, if I disappear or any of my family members don't show up for school or work, check the house. The dust bunnies might have us tied up.

And in the meantime, I will focus on getting well. Because, after all, if I can't do laundry, I must do SOMETHING, and since getting well is all I'm allowed to do besides sit and lie in bed and walk, I think I'll just get well.

Accidentally Out Of Pocket

Leyden and I were in an accident on Thursday. I am in some pretty serious pain lately from my injuries, and I started a new job on Monday and can't really take off work yet since I don't have any leave to take. So, I've been coming straight home from work and taking meds and getting in bed. I apologize for the silence, but I promise to return and fill you in on all things Kountry as soon as I am well.

One Small Request

Leyden was alone in the living room watching TV. Brad went in there and said, "What are you doing, young child?"

"Nothing."

"Is there anything I can get for you, young child?"

"Yes, please give me a blanket; I'm freezing." (He hands her a blanket.)

"Anything else I can do for you, young child?"

"Yes. Could you call me Princess?"


And they say preteens are difficult. Ha!

The Year of Goodbyes

We attended two more funerals last week. That makes six funerals in five months, if you're counting. And trust me, after losing three grandparents, my ex-husband's grandfather, a cousin and a close friend in five months, I'm counting. This has been the Year of Goodbyes for us.

On Monday, September 10th, my Gran passed away. I had spent the night with her on Friday, September 7th, and I knew that her time was short and she was miserable. She was ready to meet Jesus face to face and be with Grandaddy. Her death wasn't a shock like Grandaddy's, but I will miss her dearly, as she was my buddy and we talked often.

On Tuesday, September 11th, Dad's cousin Mickey passed away. He had Alzheimer's and had been having a rough go of it lately. He, too, was ready to go to his heavenly home. Mickey worked for a pharmaceutical company and generously supplied me with baby formula for Leyden when she was a baby. He was a very giving, loving person and will be greatly missed.

It is still hard to let them go, even though we know they are with Jesus in heaven and having a jolly ole time seeing all the family that has gone on before us. Grandaddy was waiting on Gran at the pearly gates, and I'm sure Mickey's wife Angela was waiting there also. Aunt Pat mowed the grass so it would be freshly cut for their arrival. Uncle Ed and Kelly were sitting in a swing, and Uncle Ed was probably getting ready for an "ear sandwich". Uncle B.H. was adjusting somebody's back, and Aunt Virginia was helping Mama Buck prepare a huge meal, because I'm sure they were hungry from their trip. And Paul "Bear" Bryant was waiting on Mickey, because he needed a good Alabama cheerleader in heaven.

Yes, this has been our Year of Goodbyes. But you know what? It has been the Year of Hellos in heaven. And since we know that our loved ones aren't hurting anymore and they with God and we'll see them again someday, what could be better than that?

Middle Name Meme

This seems like a fun meme, and since I've never done one before, I thought this would be a good place to start.

Players, you have to post these rules on your blog. You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you do not have a middle name, choose one you would like to have. To play, write your own blog post containing your middle name facts.

My middle name is LaVera. I am the namesake of my father's maternal grandmother, LaVera Jenkins Buckner. I am very proud of my middle name and decided to keep it along with my maiden name when I married, making my legal name very long, just like my daughter's.

L - Love. I love my family and friends!

A - Able to laugh at myself. And boy, am I funny!

V - Vivacious. I am alive and full of energy! (Until 9:00 pm.)

E - Extroverted. This could be the mother of all understatements! I never meet a stranger and I am not afraid to say what I think.

R - Right. I'm always right, but I promise I'm working on being wrong sometimes, too.

A - Adventurous. If you don't believe this, read my posts about Cheaha. You'd have to be adventurous to sleep in a camper with that many people and hike to rocks on the edge of a mountain.

When you post your middle name meme, please leave me a comment so I can check it out!

Cheaha, Continued

The camper was amazing! At one point, there were five adults and a child sleeping in it, and we had plenty of room. I forgot to take pictures of the inside, but above is a picture of the outside with the cute lights clipped on. And guess what I found out when they let out the awning? I put it on upside down! Kevin and Chris fixed it before we left to come home, so next time it will be right. (And I enjoyed camping in it so much that I'm already planning the next trip!)

When we first arrived at Cheaha, there was a burn ban and we couldn't have a campfire. So, Thursday night and Friday night we did without a campfire. (And I must say that camping isn't quite the same without the campfire and marshmallows.) Saturday, we noticed that some other campers had a fire, so when the park employees were riding through the campground on their rounds, I flagged them down and asked them why the other campers could have a fire. They informed me that the ban had been lifted and we could build a fire. It didn't take long for our group of folks to gather enough wood to last a while...

Even the smallest members of our group made an effort to gather firewood. This is a picture of Jackson and Leyden carrying a fallen limb to the firewood pile. (I realize that this picture is dark, but it captures the essence of excitement at the thought of a campfire!)


Once the firewood was gathered, they lit it up, and we all gathered 'round for some wonderful, gooey marshmallows and fun fellowship.

Saturday afternoon, after all the hiking, Kevin drove us (Scott, Sara, me and Leyden) down to the lake to look around. Scott pretended to throw Leyden in, and we all laughed because we knew if he let go of her, the momentum of throwing her would cause him to fall in, too.

If you live anywhere near Cheaha and have never been, GO! It is by far my favorite vacation place. When you can have a lake with a beach, a swimming pool, hiking trails, a campfire, and sleep in a nice camper, why go anywhere else? It's all there!

Why don't you leave me a comment and tell me where your favorite vacation place is?

Cheaha

The first thing we noticed when we arrived at Cheaha was the squirrels. The drought has affected their food supply and they were not nearly as afraid of humans as they normally are. While we were setting up the camper, Leyden sat down and ate some potato chips. She was quickly joined by a few squirrels - including a pregnant one and one with a bad eye - that were happy to take the chips right from her hands. We fed them the whole time we were there, and of course Leyden named them. The one-eyed squirrel is Hammy. Brad was a little upset that I let Leyden feed the squirrels. He said squirrels carry rabies. I promised him that if I saw any squirrels with whipped cream on their mouth, I'd get Leyden away from them. (If you haven't seen Over the Hedge, go rent it. Besides making sense of Hammy and the whipped cream, it's a good movie.) Cheaha has several points that provide amazing views. To get to these points, you have to hike steep, rocky trails. Some folks got together and built the Doug Ghee Accessible Trail, a boardwalk about 1/4 mile long, which leads to Bald Rock.

It's a wonderful trail for families, because little kids can walk without stumbling over rocks, mamas and daddies can push strollers, or people in wheelchairs can roll along smoothly. It provides a way for people to enjoy the view that might not get to see it otherwise. Friday, our whole clan went to Bald Rock - Mom, Dad, my brother Scott, my cousin Sara, me and Leyden. It was fun!

Saturday, our friend Kevin, Scott, Sara, Leyden and I hiked the 1/2 mile trail to Pulpit Rock. From the restaurant and from the lake, you can see Pulpit Rock sticking out from the side of Cheaha Mountain. It was a grueling hike at first for those of us who aren't in shape. (Translate: Scott and KountryMama!) We had hiked from the Bunker Observation Tower to the campground earlier, so my legs were already Jello, and on the way back up from Pulpit Rock, I had to sit several times and let my legs rest. Needless to say, I was applying BioFreeze and Icy Hot for over a week after this trip!

There was a tree trunk shaped like a dolphin on the Pulpit Rock trail. Kevin and Scott put Leyden on the "dolphin's back" and we took this picture.

Mom and Mama Jean really enjoyed each other's company at Cheaha. We missed Papa Charlie so much, and I'm glad Mom was there to be with Mama Jean.

To be continued...

No More Roughin' It!

For the past 30-some-odd years on Labor Day weekend, Mom and Dad's best friends (Mama Jean and Papa Charlie) have taken their family camping at Cheaha State Park. It all started when the A/E firm that Papa Charlie worked for built the lodge hotel. He went with several guys from work to look at it, and he has taken his family there every year ever since. I remember several times growing up when we joined them, sleeping in tents. (You can read more about those good 'ole days here: http://kountrymama.blogspot.com/2007/06/goodbye-papa-charlie.html.)

Anyway, last year was Leyden's first year camping at Cheaha, and I knew that we would be camping every Labor Day from now on. The only problem is that my parents are getting older. (I didn't say OLD, I said older, and YES, there is a difference!) Mom was quite the trooper last year, sleeping in a tiny tent with Leyden and me, but Dad started up right after we got home from Cheaha last year, talking about renting a camper for this year. Well, when I checked into renting a camper, I was in for quite a shock. It costs more to rent a camper for four nights than it does to rent a condo in Orlando for six nights! So, I started trying to come up with a plan. After much thought and consideration, I used some savings to buy a pop-up camper. I've had it about two weeks, and I can't wait to leave for Cheaha next Thursday! It's a 1999 model, so it's not new by any means, but it looks great on the inside.






(Keep in mind that these photos were taken while I was in the midst of packing the camper for Cheaha, so the small dinette had been dismantled and there are various things laying around waiting to be stowed for travel.)


We're all really excited about using the camper for the first time. You know I'll come back from Cheaha with pictures and stories to share. It will be kinda somber, because this will be the first year of camping at Cheaha without Papa Charlie, but we will have some fun to honor his memory, too.

Here's to Papa Charlie and the legacy of fun and family that he instilled in us!

Another Prayer Request

Please pray for my Gran. She was admitted to hospital yesterday. This is her third or fourth hospital admission since Grandaddy died; I've lost count. I can't remember if I've told you, but she is in liver failure, and it is incurable without a transplant, which Gran doesn't qualify for because of her age and health issues. Her admission yesterday is due to extreme fatigue. She couldn't dress herself or walk. Please pray for Gran, as well as my Uncle Wayne, as he is her main caregiver and feels the weight of the world on his shoulders. Pray also for my dad's cousin, Linda, who sits with Gran several nights a week, and for Connie, Gran's daytime sitter. They are all under a lot of stress with Gran's declining health.

I know you are praying, because I talked to Mom this morning and she said they had a good day yesterday with Grand Brown. She said it had to have been the prayers, because they didn't do anything different. Also, Brad's Granny was discharged from the hospital yesterday. (One comes out, one goes in!) She is doing better and is resting at home. Please keep praying! Your prayers are appreciated!

Prayer Requests

Brad's Granny was admitted to the hospital yesterday with congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and a kidney infection. This is serious stuff, and I appreciate you praying for Granny and for Brad's Mom and Dad and little brother, Brett, as they care for her. She is precious and we love her.

While you're praying, also remember my Mom's mother, Grand Brown. As you probably know, she has dementia and Mom takes care of her during the week so my aunt and uncle can work. Grand Brown had a bad day yesterday, wanting to "go" all day. She likes to take rides in the car, but yesterday she wanted to ride all day long. (And with these gas prices, as much as Mom would like to please her, who can afford to drive all day?) Mom thinks her meds may not be working. Please pray for this situation. Watching Grand Brown is like watching a 2-year-old; it's physically and emotionally draining. You have to entertain her all day long. She's a handful, but she is precious, too.

Thanks for your prayers!

Our Construction Daze...

The contractor hasn't finished cleaning up from all the construction, and that is why you haven't seen an "after" picture. The birthday party is in four days and the backyard is still a mess. I'm not sweatin' it, though. Fifth graders don't care if the yard is a mess. All they care about is food and fun. I'll make good on my promise of photos of the finished product as soon as the contractor cleans it all up. (I realize that is an oxymoron - a contractor cleaning.)

She's Growing Up...

Here is a picture of Leyden and Blue on the first day of fifth grade. Ohmigosh, it sounds so WEIRD to say fifth grade! My child is supposed to be five or six, not ten! (As you can tell, fifth grade seems to be a bit harder for me to accept.) Anyway, Leyden got up at 5:00 a.m. on the first day of school - yes, I said 5:00 a.m. - and took a shower and got dressed. She fed made her lunch and packed her snack and fed the dog. She was in my room at 5:30 to wake me up saying, "We HAVE to go! Or we'll be late!" I managed to sleep until a little after 6. We had a gracious plenty of time to get to school and chat with her friends before class started. Her teacher is very nice, and I think this is going to be a great year. The whole fifth grade (23 kids) started in one class together. They hired another teacher, and the class will split this week. They will swap teachers half way through the day, something they have never done before. The new teacher came in at the end of last week and met everyone, and they all seem to like her. They're excited. So, fifth grade is going well. Me, I guess I'll be okay. I don't want to know how I'm going to act when she's a senior. They may have to commit me. I've got empty nest syndrome already!

Hot, hot hot...

If you aren't in the Southeastern U.S., you may not know this, but it has been 100 degrees or higher for 11 days straight. It's HOT. It's hard to find a cool place anywhere, even inside. We're having to run fans in the house in addition to air conditioning just to keep the place comfortable. The swimming pools are like bathwater, not even refreshing anymore. And it's certainly too hot to sit beside the pool. You could die of a heat stroke just sitting there. I've been eating a lot of popsicles.

The crew is still working at my house. At this stage in the game, it's pretty much cleanup work and fixing the things they broke in the process of working. (And I'm not posting any more pictures until it's all done.) The overhead door guys came out yesterday to fix the new overhead door that wouldn't stay open. They had a ladder, but for some reason they needed something else to stand on. So, they poured the water out of Blue's water bucket and turned it upside down to use as a step. The problem? They didn't put it back out and fill it with water for the dog. They left it upside down in the stoarge building. So, it was 100+ degrees outside and Blue had no water all afternoon. Thoughtful, guys. Blue appreciates your consideration.

Day 3 (Let there be concrete!)

The concrete has been poured! And let me just tell you, concrete makes all the difference. The yard really doesn't look that bad to me now that the pads are all in place. I told the crew today that it looks beautiful. I'm sure they think I'm crazy. (And who says they're wrong?)

We put Blue in the kennel in the laudry room this morning so he wouldn't leave puppy footprints all in our new concrete. At lunch I tried to walk Blue and let him relieve himself. He was so interested in what the crew was doing, he didn't want to walk. (Not to mention that it's 105 degrees outside. Seriously.) He wanted to sit under a tree and watch them. That would be fine any other day, but today, since it's 105, I wanted to go back inside. In the air conditioning. That dog is just like his mama - crazy. When I finally got the stubborn animal back inside, he laid down on the kitchen floor and wouldn't move.

He's not an inside dog, so I wasn't about to leave him with free reign of my house. No telling what that destructive creature would do. Anyway, a few slices of turkey later, I got him in his kennel. Whew!

Here are some pictures I took at lunch...

They'll start putting up the building on Monday. I can't wait to see it all finished!

Day 2 (Complete with Photos)

Okay, so sleeping on the couch isn't all that bad. The contractor said he'll have the cable fixed by the time they finish the job next week. I'm willing to make sacrifices to have TV at bedtime. Blue is still sleeping on the dirt right in front of the back door. It's neat when I can watch Blue sleeping late at night. I used to think he didn't ever sleep at all because he is always running - "tricky-trotting" is what I like to call his "normal" walking speed.

Anyway, back to the point of this post... the crew made progress on Day 2. They finished framing up the back porch and the building site...

they installed the French drain...

and Blue showed the backhoe just what he thinks about the destruction of "his" space (the back porch) and all the noise...

Looks like we're ready for concrete. Stay tuned for Day 3 updates.

Demolition Day

Brad and I decided to have a storage building built in our backyard to store all Brad's "work stuff". (I want to park my car in the garage, instead of using the garage as a storage room for all the "work stuff"; Brad wants to be able to organize his "work stuff" so he can find what he's looking for without having to dig through several stacks of boxes.) So, we got someone out here to give us a quote, and as we were talking, we decided that since the house is settling, we want to bust up the concrete on the back patio and pour a new one and install a French drain that will help keep the water away from the house, and we want to extend the patio several feet to the end of the house. Oh, and I want to get rid of a flower bed in the front and pour concrete to make a bigger front porch - one that will have room for a rocker. Because all southern women need a rocker on their front porch, y'all. Look at this picture. See where all that leveled dirt is? That used to be an ugly flowerbed (black thumb that I am) and is the future home of my new porch! And won't it look just like a picture from Southern Living magazine when I get my rocker out there? Okay, maybe not, but humor me.

So, yesterday was demolition day. I don't think I was quite prepared for the destruction and mess that has taken over my backyard. There is a huge pile of busted up concrete right in front of the trampoline, and the yard right beside what was once the patio is a dirty mess. Oh, and there is a backhoe in my backyard. And a nice, big dumpster. And there was a huge load of dirt at the end of my driveway until last night, when the crew spread it all over the place to level things out. These pictures will help you understand...

We had to put Blue in his kennel in the laundry room all day so he wouldn't bother the crew. When I went home at lunch to walk him, he was a nervous wreck. I tried to walk him around the house, but as we got closer to the backhoe, he smushed his whole body against my legs and pushed me hard, away from the backhoe. Guess he doesn't want me to get hurt. Good dog! It was a struggle to get him back inside. He kept crouching in his "watch and plan" mode, like he was waiting to see if it was safe to go back inside. I finally got him back inside, but he wouldn't go in his kennel. All of a sudden, the entire house began to shake and rattle, from the foundation to the roof. Seems the backhoe driver was using the backhoe to bust up the concrete on the back patio. And in the process, he was knocking pictures off the walls, making the ceiling fans wobble, making me fear for the safety of my picture window, and driving my poor dog insane. Blue ran for the kitchen and began pacing, taking quick breaks to go to the back door and bark wildly at the window. I finally lured him to his kennel with a piece of turkey. He was so upset, he didn't eat a thing all day - he even spit out a treat I gave him. Last night I let him outside, and he checked on the progress of things. Brad said he might have been upset because the back patio is where he sleeps, and he may be mad that they are tearing up his space. Good point.

When I got home from work, the crew had cleaned up a good bit, and the sight of the yard wasn't quite as alarming. At least I could see where the patio is going to be. The churned up yard is making me more and more nervous, though. Leyden is having a luau birthday party in our backyard in two weeks, and I just don't know what I'm going to do about all the dirt. After paying for the building and the concrete work, I know we can't afford sod. We may be doing the hula in the mud. This picture shows all my patio furniture sitting in the yard, and the framed up patio on the right. The dirt on the left is where my grass used to be. See my dilemma?

Oh, and last night I turned on the TV in the bedroom. And the cable? It wasn't working. And the fear that ran up my spine? Very chilling. (Going to sleep without a TV is torture to me. It's a very bad habit, and Brad has broken me of it once - it didn't last long.) "Braaaaad! The cable's not working!" After he traipsed around outside in the dirt with his huge flashlight, he determined that the cable ran underground to the bedrooms, right along the back patio. And the backhoe? It cut the cable. Right in two. So, Brad called the contractor this morning and they'll fix it - after they pour the concrete. They're not pouring concrete until Friday. Which means I'll be without TV in my bedroom until next week sometime, at the earliest. ARRRGGGHH!!! (Brad probably thinks this would be a good time to break the TV at bedtime habit.)

I told Brad that I am beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea after all. He said we've never done anything and had smooth sailing, so he doesn't know why I expect it to go without a hitch. I don't know - maybe it's just our turn to have smooth sailing?!

There is good news in all of this mess, though. The cable in the living room still works. (And yes, I'll be sleeping on the couch. I'm not ready to break my bedtime TV habit.) By the end of next week, I'll have a front porch where I can put my rocker like a proud southern woman; I'll have a big back porch that will hold all my patio furniture; and I'll be parking in my garage for the first time since we moved here. Blue slept in the dirt under the back door last night. I told him that he's gonna love his new patio and it will all work out just fine. I'll let you know when it's finished.

The Birthday Weekend

I apologize in advance for this long post. It couldn't be any shorter or you might miss out on something!

Brad had a couple of free nights in a "jacuzzi suite" at one of the casinos in Biloxi. So, since our previously planned trip to a wedding fell through, Brad took his birthday girls to the coast for Leyden's birthday weekend. Leyden was absolutely thrilled about the jacuzzi suite. Not to mention to the "multi-level infinity pool" and the birthday luau that the casino was having to celebrate their 15th birthday (which just happened to be the same day as Leyden's birthday).

We invited my brother, Scott, to go with us, to add to the fun. He's a smoker, but we figured that there would be a balcony and he could smoke out there, as he does whenever he travels with us. Well, we got there on Friday evening and guess what - no balcony. While we were checking on the balcony situation, Leyden was investigating the jacuzzi part of the suite. We kept hearing various comments come from the bathroom:

"There's a TV in here! In the bathroom! A color TV with a REMOTE! And it has CARTOONS"

I called the front desk to ask about getting a suite with a balcony, and I was informed that we the jacuzzi suites don't have balconies, so we had to choose between a suite or a balcony. A discussion took place about whether we needed the jacuzzi tub or the balcony. It went something like this...

Me: We really need a place for Scott to smoke.
Scott: I can go downstairs. It's no big deal. (We were on the 5th floor - and the whole floor was non-smoking.)

Brad: Whatever y'all want to do.

Leyden: JACUZZI SUITE! JACUZZI SUITE!

Me: I hate for Scott to have to go all the way downstairs.

Scott: It's no big deal, really. We probably won't be in the room much anyway.

Leyden: It's MY birthday, and I say we keep the suite. HAVE YOU SEEN THE TV IN THERE?

She won...

and guess what? Not only could you watch TV while you're taking a bath... if you turned on the TV and sat on the potty, you could watch TV in the mirror above the tub. (Important details to kids, I'm telling you!)

After we got unpacked and settled in, we took Leyden to the pool for a swim. When we got back from the pool, she was ready for a bath. They left a little bath fizzy on the side of the tub, and that little detail was enough to make her love this hotel forever. She was more excited about her bath than she was about swimming. She turned on the cartoons and I started her water. She liked the way the water came in through a waterfall. She used the waterfall to rinse the shampoo and conditioner out of her hair. She had a nice, relaxing bath watching cartoons!

On Saturday morning, we all went to the pool. Leyden had a great time splashing in the waterfall. She also enjoyed looking through the glass on the infinity edge. From that side of the pool, you can see what is left of Casino Magic and Grand Biloxi. You can also see some of the yachts (pronounced yatch-ets, according to Scott) down on the water. Leyden made a friend in the lower level of the pool, and they played togther for a long time.

After a while we got hungry, so we went to our room and changed and rode a hopper bus to Hard Rock Casino. We found the Hard Rock Cafe and got on the waiting list. While we waited, Leyden and I looked at the Hard Rock pool while Scott and Brad wandered around. Leyden said we have to stay at Hard Rock next time so she can swim in the "cool pool". It is a zero-entry pool, in a free form shape. In the middle of the pool on the back side there is a pool bar where you can swim up and sit on a stool in the water. They have speakers all around the pool bar blasting - what else? - rock music. They have these neat teepee looking structures that have a round, cushioned lounge and shades on the top that can be tied back to let the sun in or draped across for shade. I could just imagine myself on that lounge with a good book and a cold drink.

We were finally seated in the Cafe and we let the server know that it was Leyden's birthday. Leyden ordered some sort of fancy mango drink in a souvenir glass, a drink "without all the stuff in it" as she said. (Translation: non-alcoholic.) The food was great, and after we finished eating, the server came out with a hot fudge sundae, complete with a lit candle. She had Leyden hold the sundae and stand in her chair and then she yelled out in the restaurant, "This is my friend, Leyden, and she is turning 10 today. Everybody give her a round of applause!" And the whole place applauded. Then she said, "On the count of three, everyone yell 'Happy Birthday' to Leyden! Ready? One, two, three!" And the whole place exploded with a very hearty "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" It was so much fun!!!

When we got back to our room, we lit 10 candles on the cupcakes that we had brought with us and sang, "Happy Birthday" to Leyden. She blew out the candles and ate a bunch of icing. (The icing slid off two of the cupcakes onto the other four while in transit to the hotel, so it was a really fun, sticky mess to eat!)

Saturday night, the casino had a 15th birthday party luau. There were performing parrots, the Happy Hookbills. They were so smart! They have one, Roxanne, that can paint. There was a juggler, stilt walkers, a man who could make anything out of balloons, a jump rope team, face painting, and fortune tellers. We had so much fun watching the performers and getting our faces painted! We didn't visit the fortune tellers. I told Leyden they are called "soothsayers" in the Bible and that the Bible says to stay away from them, so we did just that. We got leis from pretty hula dancers, and listened to the live band. Leyden even got a giant heart made out of six red balloons braided together. That guy could make anything! He made a giant squid for one little boy that was over five feet tall. There was one stilt walker wore this contraption that made him look like he was riding the bird. It was awesome! He could make the bird's mouth open and close, and its neck moved around like a real bird. It chewed on Leyden's fingers and snapped at people walking by. Its wings could spread open and its tail could, too. I've never seen anything like it. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time.

We headed back home on Sunday, after another hour at the pool and some lunch at the buffet. We were all exhausted and ready to get home. But the memories from that trip will hang around for a while. It was definitely a one-of-a-kind birthday weekend.

So The Family Doesn't Like My Cooking

Last night, Leyden and Brad were playing a fun little game where Leyden makes this noise like someone has gotten the answer wrong on a game show. I'm not really sure how to type it, but it sounds like "BURRRNNT." Brad would ask her a question and she would say, "BURRRNNT," and giggle hysterically. We were talking about what to eat for dinner in the midst of this game.

Anyway, I was busy unpacking some boxes in the middle of the living room floor and Brad looked at Leyden and said something like, "What happens when Mommy cooks?" And in unison, they made the noise, "BRRRNNT." (Like I BURN everything I cook.) So I said, "Well, we'll see if you two get anything to eat tonight."

Leyden, without missing a beat, looked up at Brad and said, "How about Zaxby's?" Needless to say, there was no wrong-answer-game-show noise.

They're against me, y'all. They really are... it's a conspiracy. BRRRNNT!

Friday Five

1. Do you have any pets? If so, how many, and what are their names? I have a dog named Blue. If you've read my posts about Blue, you know why he is the only pet - he's high maintenance.

2. What was your very first pet? Do you remember its name? My first pet was a cat named Calico, who was not a calico cat. He was very gentle and my friend Erin carried him around by holding her arm around his neck in a choking position. And he never scratched her or fought to get away.

3. Is there an animal you would never have as a pet? A skunk.

4. What common pet have you always wanted but never had? Why not? Hamster. They're cute, but their cages stink if you don't clean them out really often. And if you know me, you know that cleaning ain't my thing.

5. What wild animal (extinct or not) would you own if you didn't have to worry about its adjustment or the cost of captivity? A spider monkey. My brother used to own two racing spider monkeys, and I was always jealous and wondered why he waited until adulthood to get the good pets.

From a Man's Point of View

Okay, I'm lazy. I admit it. Anyone who knows me has probably figured it out. No surprise, right?

Well, I like to think that I've gotten better lately. My house has been clean for over a month - consistently clean. I don't think that has ever happened before in my life. Ever. I'm not kidding. There isn't clutter everywhere - everything is in its place. Granted, some things still call moving boxes home, but the moving boxes are in their place. Every room in my house besides the bedrooms is neat and clean. (I realize that some of you are falling over with disbelief or simply must see this phenomenon to believe it and I don't blame you.)

So, the laundry stays pretty much caught up now (because I can't stand the sight of clothes spilling out of the hampers all over the laundry room floor) and most things are put back in their place before I go to bed at night. I never thought I would say this, but sometimes I get sort of Type A about things being put away. But I'm sure all of you ladies will understand that once a room is almost clean, you must make it completely clean or the almost doesn't count. Am I right?

Anyway, back to my story... last night as we were driving home, we were joking around and I told Brad I was going to live in my new pop-up camper (if I get one). Brad said that was fine, and Leyden began screaming, "NO! YOU CAN'T DO THAT, MOM!" I said, "Don't worry Leyden, I could never move away from your Daddy. If I did that, who would do his laundry?"

And that one statement brought on a whole new episode of laughing and joking about my housekeeping, cooking and laundry abilities. At one point Brad said, "I thought there was a button on the couch that keeps the washer and dryer running."

WHAT?! Where did he get that? You know I had to ask him why on earth he thought that was true. And you want to know his answer? I should've known...

"Well, every time you put clothes in the wash, you get on the couch. I figure there must be a button in the seat that keeps the washer and dryer going and that's why you sit there when you do laundry."

Happy 4th of July!

To every American, Happy Independence Day! Celebrate our freedom and take a moment to honor those who have sacrificed in order for us to enjoy that freedom.

To those who have served our country, and especially those who have been injured or given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives - THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I know that war is not fun and service means sacrifice, and I APPRECIATE EVERY SACRIFICE YOU MAKE FOR ME. I can write this blog because you defend my freedom, and I am grateful. Hold your head high and be proud, because you are a true hero!

Beta Fish

A fellow blogger, BigMama, had a post about her daughter's Beta dying and the drama that ensued. It brought up memories of our fish experiences.

We've buried six Beta fish in my daughter's short 9 years, and the tales, they are aplenty. Let me preface this post by saying that my daughter has the BIGGEST HEART in all the world when it comes to animals. They have feelings, y'all, and they hurt just like people do. She has a sixth sense about animals; she's like a tiny Dr. Dolittle. Animals sense that she loves them, and even the meanest dogs will let her pet them and hug them. (Because dogs LOVE hugs, really they do.) She wants to be a vet when she grows up, and I have no doubt that she'll be a good one.

Fred Pickle
Fred Pickle was our first Beta. Don't remember where we got him. His name comes from a nickname (Fredwina Pickle) that I gave Leyden when she was a baby. The Pickle part is from an old friend of mine who used to say to me, "Sometimes you're dill, and sometimes you're sweet, but you're always a pickle." The Fred part just came out one day and stuck. We got Fred the First when we lived in our doublewide, and he was buried in the septic system. (NOTE: Toilet burial is not recommended for fish owned by small children, even with proper prayer and ceremony. I don't think Leyden ever got over seeing Fred the First swirl his way to the grave.)

Fred Pickle II
When Fred Pickle I died, it was only natural to name the next one Fred Pickle II. After all, Leyden was only about 4, and her creativity juices were just beginning to flow. I don't recall how Fred the Second died, but he is buried in the woods at the doublewide next to Ethel, the cockatoo Leyden got when she was 3, who died from cold. (NOTE: Birds don't like to be in a cold draft near the front door.) Fred the Second's funeral was pretty dramatic, what with Leyden's memories of Ethel's funeral resurfacing and the trauma! And horror! At losing her second fish! It really was heart-wrenching watching her mourn the scaly little guy.

Fredwina Pickle
Fredwina was a female Beta, so she had to have a girl name. I'm sure Leyden figured it was perfectly normal to name a girl Fredwina, since I've called her that all her life. Fredwina is buried at our old house way out in the country, with a rock headstone engraved with a Sharpie. The funeral for Fredwina was dramatic, as usual, but with fewer tears. By this time, I think Leyden had grown accustomed to fish funerals, but she was still sad to lose her friend.

Rainbow Fred Pickle
Rainbow Fred was named so because - you guessed it - he had a rainbow of colors on him. He was probably the most beautiful Beta we ever had. He is buried beside Fredwina, with a similar rock headstone engraved with a Sharpie. His funeral was the usual dramatic scene. He was her buddy, her pal. He lived in her room in a pretty bowl that had a light that we turned on at night.

Forever Fred Pickle
Forever Fred Pickle was a gift from Santa, all the way from the North Pole. He was named Forever Fred so he wouldn't die. Guess what? It didn't work. He's buried beside Fredwina and Rainbow Fred - no headstone. His burial was quick and almost painless, because it was pouring down rain outside. Leyden was still sad, because he was, after all, supposed to live FOREVER.

Speckled Fred Pickle
Speckled Fred actually was bought for my office when I worked for the A/E firm. We called him Spec because typing building specifications was one of the main things we did in my office. When I left the A/E firm, Spec came home with me and became Leyden's fish and enjoyed Forever Fred's company. Leyden re-named him, but because he was spotted, she decided to name him Speckled Fred so he could keep Spec for his nickname. (Because we can't have a fish that isn't named Fred. AND Pickle.) After Forever Fred died, Spec Fred was all alone in the kitchen. His last home was a Mason jar because, let's face it, who has cutesy decorative fish bowls in the country? It just doesn't go with the decor. Spec Fred died when Leyden was going through a particularly trying time (this was obviously before April 17th, when Leyden started to become real familiar with stress and stress managment skills). So, I wrapped Spec Fred in a paper towel, placed him in a sandwich bag and put him in the deep freeze to preserve him until Leyden could handle the news of his death and assist in a proper burial. Because that is what any good mother would do. Leyden never missed him. Oh, and Spec Fred's funeral? It hasn't taken place yet. So he's still in my deep freeze. Please don't tell my mother.

Now we just have a dog. They live longer.

The Valleys...

The valleys, they are deep.
The valleys, they are dark.
The valleys, they are long.

My God, He is with me.
My God, He is light.
My God, He is strong.

I can honestly say that I only remember a few valleys in life until now - my first marriage, my divorce, single parenthood, being laid off from work. And I can't compare the valleys. They are nothing alike, except for all of them being deep, dark, and long. But this valley seems to be deeper, darker, and longer. Maybe because I am tired. But God is faithful and has never, ever left me, even when I turned my back on Him. He has walked beside me, and oftentimes carried me, through every valley I have ever faced.

Three months ago, I would have never thought that I would be sitting here tonight, contemplating the fourth funeral in a little over two months. When Grandaddy died, it was a shock and truly a draining time. Emotionally, mentally, physically - I was exhausted. That's when I fell off the mountaintop and down into the valley. When Papa Clifford died, I was still in shock from Grandaddy's death and it really just washed over me and blended in with the grief I was already experiencing.

My favorite song became one of Casting Crowns' hits: "...I'll praise the God who gives, and the God who takes away... I will praise You in this storm."

Papa Clifford's death brought about significant changes in our everyday lives, challenges to be faced daily. Mom picked Leyden up from school everyday and was planning on keeping her for me this summer. With one last breath, all those plans changed. Since Papa Clifford took care of Mom's mother (who has Alzheimer's), an immediate caretaker was needed. Mom had been staying with Grand Brown while Papa Clifford was in the hospital, so she just started staying for longer periods of time. (Grand Brown lives two and a half hours away.) Leyden has a stressful, crazy, mixed-up schedule this summer due to the fact that I hadn't budgeted for summer child care expenses; I can only afford day care two days a week. She stays with friends of mine a couple of days a week, and she stays with Mom when she is home. I have to keep a calendar of where she is everyday just so I will know where to drop her off and where to pick her up. This is a trying time for her, because her familiar routine is gone.

The day that Papa Clifford died, Dad's mom (Gran) was admitted to the hospital. She stayed there until May 23rd. The valley got a little deeper. Gran was doing okay, but not great. She got to feeling bad two weeks ago, and my aunt and uncle took her to the ER the day before Charles died. They admitted her straight to CCU. She was put in a regular room about a week ago. They took her off some of her medication and she had some bad reactions. Gran's a fighter, but I know she's tired. I worry about her. I also worry about my uncle, who takes care of her. (Gran lives two and a half hours away, about 20 miles from Grand Brown.) It's hard being so far away from her when she is so sick. With Leyden's schedule (softball, cheerleading, piano) and my work, I can't be with her as much as I want to be. It's hard. I have to trust God to be with her and comfort her and give her peace.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Thy rod and they staff, they comfort me." from Psalm 23

I thought I'd had all I can take - the death of both of my grandfathers within one week, a sick grandmother, a grandmother with Alzheimer's, my Mom running up and down the road taking care of her mother, my Dad losing his father and his best friend within two and a half months. I thought the valley couldn't get any deeper.

Now, I'm in a deep crevice at the bottom of the valley... Papa is gone.

Don't get me wrong - it isn't completely dark in this valley... God is light. And He is here with me. But it's still a valley. One of my childhood Sunday School teachers, Miss Penny, was at Papa Charlie's funeral, and I told her that I don't know what God is trying to show me, but I want to hurry up and learn it. She said something so simple, yet I couldn't have come up with it on my own: "We need the valleys to appreciate the mountaintop experiences." AMEN. Can I get an AMEN?

I've been livin' on my mountaintop so long that I forgot what it was like to march along in these dark valleys. I guess it's about time I remembered. And to those of you who are in a valley, take heart - YOU ARE NOT ALONE. God's not afraid of the dark, and He certainly doesn't mind going with you down in a valley. He'll even carry you when times get the toughest. If you don't already know Him, just ask Him to come into your heart and dwell there forever. Put Him first in your life and let Him lead you. (Sounds crazy, I know, but trust me, He knows what He's doing.) Seek His Word in the Bible, and He'll speak to you if you just open your heart and be still in His presence.

Hang in there, valley travelers, and look to God for strength, peace, mercy, grace, and rest. He's got'em all. And He gives freely.



I will praise Him in the morning, as I face another day.
I will praise Him when I go to bed, though I don't understand His ways.
I will praise Him with grieving tears, mourning another soul passed away.
I will praise Him with all my heart; I will praise him come what may.

Goodbye, Papa

You know that heavy heart I keep talking about? Well, it's hit rock bottom, I think.

Tonight, I got a phone call around 10:30. My ex-husband's grandfather passed away this evening. He has had leukemia for a couple of years, and has been struggling. He was weak and tired. He died in his sleep, peaceful and straight into the arms of Jesus. Papa was ready, I have no doubt. He loved God and it showed in his life and his personality. After my ex-husband and I divorced, his family never treated me any differently. Grannie and Papa were still Grannie and Papa, it didn't matter if our last names were the same or different. Papa had 11 grandchildren, and six of them were adopted. He was a special person; his heart was filled with love.

Like my Grandaddy, Papa loved to tell stories and wrote a lot of books about his life. He always had a story if you'd listen. Papa loved pulling little packs of Wrigley's gum out of the kids' ears; Leyden always had a pack of gum when she came home from seeing Papa. Papa loved each grandchild and each great-grandchild like they were the only one he had. They were all special to him, and he had plenty of love to go around.

This great patriarch will be missed terribly. His legacy lives on in those he loved so dearly.

Goodbye, Papa Charlie

Okay, so the last time I posted, I was heavy hearted. Well, now I know that I just THOUGHT I was heavy hearted. Last Friday, June 22, Mom and Dad's best friend, Charles, passed away. His funeral was Tuesday. Charles had heart surgery between my grandfathers' funerals in April. He never recovered. His family was able to take him home about three hours before he died, and Dad was able to see him about five minutes before he passed away from this life into heaven. Here's a little background on what Charles meant to me and my family...

When my parents moved us here in 1979, we didn't know a soul. My father took a job at the A/E firm where I worked last year. He met Charles, and they became friends. Of course, their wives also became friends. It didn't take long for those friends to become like family. We grew up here, and Jean and Charles were a part of life. We spent many hours at their house, and they spent many hours at ours. Their kids babysat us when we were young. Jean kept Leyden during the day for the first year of her life. My parents traveled to Virginia with Jean and Charles to see Jean's family a few times. Charles loved Cheaha State Park, and every year on Labor Day weekend, his family camps out there. In tents. And they cook over open fire. When we were young, Jean and Charles invited us to join them for one of these infamous camping trips. And our lives were forever changed.

I have many wonderful memories of Cheaha - whole wads of us kids playing around the campsite. There are awesome trails at Cheaha, and a nice lake with paddle boats and a diving platform. Marshmallows never tested better than the ones roasted on an open fire at Cheaha. We only went a few times when I was a child. I don't know why we didn't go anymore, we just didn't. And I really didn't think about it until last year, when Leyden was 9 and full of life. For some reason, I told Jean I wanted to go to Cheaha and take Leyden.

I bought a small tent, and a queen size air mattress that fills up the entire tent. (No kidding.) I also bought a ceiling fan for my tent. Don't laugh - it clips to the top of the tent and has foam blades and a light in the middle. And it works. I wouldn't take anything for my ceiling fan. Mom and Dad were supposed to buy their own tent and air mattress, but somewhere along the way, another of Dad's friends, Charlie, decided that he and Dad would go to a football game that weekend, so he would join us later. (Priorities in the South = 1. Football, 2. Football, 3. Football... you get the idea.) So, Mom and I decided that she could just share the queen size mattress with me and Leyden and save them some trouble. It worked out great, and I have to say that although I wouldn't call Mom an outdoorsman, she is definitely a great sport. She slept in that tent and traipsed around that campground like nobody's business. (And did I mention that when we went to Orlando in May, we got her to ride Test Track at Epcot? Mom is a trooper.)

Leyden enjoyed the campground way of life, the walks around the park, swimming in the lake and the ice cold pool, and blazing a trail through the woods. She loved the campfire and the food and the fellowship of friends by the fire. She loved riding in the back of the pickup to cut firewood. She loved eating boiled peanuts for no reason at all. Leyden, my friends, is as good an outdoorsman as the next girl.

No one knew that Labor Day 2006 would be the last camping trip for Charles. Labor Day 2007 is going to be bittersweet, as one of Charles' daughters put it. And she's right. Charles LOVED Cheaha; it was his place. He was the reason the whole family started going there in the first place. After all the tents were up and the "kitchen tent" was set, he piddled with the extension cords, put up clamp lights and moved them all around, poked at the fire. Last year, he even cut firewood. With a chainsaw. While I sat in the back of the pickup thinking he would cut off an appendage. When we left the funeral, Leyden said, "Mom, who's gonna eat boiled peanuts with me at Cheaha?" I'll eat boiled peanuts with her, but it won't be the same. Papa Charlie just had a way about him. As Leyden pointed out to me, Charles was the first one up every morning. And he loved every minute he got to enjoy Cheaha. We're going to miss his smile and his enthusiasm, and his piddlin'.

Yes, 2007 will be bittersweet... when the sun rises each morning at Cheaha, I'll remember Papa Charlie and think of what the view must be like from heaven.

Heavy-Hearted

Last night I was trying to describe to my cousin Kristal exactly how I am feeling, and she hit the nail on the head - I'm heavy hearted. Last Tuesday, my dear, sweet, 85-year-old Grandaddy was killed in a traffic accident. I spent the rest of the week with my Gran, and did whatever I could to help. The funeral was the sweetest - I'll have to write about that soon. I know without a doubt that Grandaddy is in heaven, but my heart is still heavy when I go to sleep at night. When I wake up and the sun is shining in the windows each morning, I want to be bright and happy like the sun, but my heart is still heavy. I have a peace about Grandaddy's death, but my heart is still heavy. I know it will get better, I just have to give it some time.

While we were at Gran's, my mother got word that her step-father had been put into ICU. (He had been in the hospital with pneumonia for a few days.) This morning, Gran had to go to the hospital because of severe swelling, and Mama's step-father passed away. So now my heart is a little heavier. If you talk to Jesus, please say a special prayer for my family. We need Him now more than ever.

Play It Again, Sam!

Leyden has been taking piano lessons since June from the same sweet lady who taught me piano lessons when I was Leyden's age. In December Leyden performed in her very first piano recital. It wasn't a formal recital where she had to memorize her music, but it was a fun Christmas recital where she played in front of a large crowd. She played Jingle Bells, then I accompanied her on Up On the Housetop. It was really fun to play with her and she did an awesome job!

She had her own audience - Meme, Maw Maw, Pots, Miss Melissa, Will, Daddy and me. We had a great time.

The Wednesday night after the recital, we had a fun Christmas sharing night at church. Leyden played Jingle Bells and I played Up On the Housetop with her. It was so much fun! Leyden is a natural in front of a crowd; I'm the one that gets nervous. So I made more mistakes than she did in both performances. Our little starlet is totally comfortable in the spotlight, and I think piano recitals are just fueling the ever-growing fire that is Leyden's quest to be on stage in front of people. If you know her, you know that she wants to be vet, but she also wants to be a star. (And Brad and I stand VERY FIRM in our rule - she must obtain her degree and veterinary license before she can go to the West Coast. After all, there are animals in California and she can make a good living at practicing veterinary medicine while she's waiting for her big break.)

Leyden is still taking piano lessons. I have to admit that she did ask if she could quit taking piano when she got to sharps and flats. I told her that they are the most fun because you finally get to play the black keys. We sat down at the piano together and banged out a few songs, and before long she had changed her mind. She agrees with me - the black keys are the best! Last week she completed the primer level and was very excited to show me her certificate of completion and her new Level 1 book. I hope she'll keep it up for at least a few years. I think everyone should be able to at least pick out a tune on the piano.

When we moved to our new house, I FINALLY got Brad to move my piano from Mom & Dad's house. I AM SO EXCITED to finally have my piano in MY house!!! I used to play piano to relieve stress. After college, I didn't have the piano at my house, so I stopped using piano as a stress-reliever. I am delighted that I will now be able to continue with my musical stress therapy! And I am so glad to be able to share music with my daughter. Music is an international language that everyone can understand, and I am so happy that Leyden can enjoy sharing her music with others.

Mr. Personality

This is Blue. You can't tell how big he is (a good, solid 70 pounds) but you can see how cute he is! (If you're into dogs with a mottled blue coat with a dash of red thrown in and pointy black ears.) He's a happy dog. See his big smile? He was especially happy the day this picture was made. Leyden had put an old t-shirt on him while we were playing with him in the garage. He walked kinda funny with the t-shirt hanging around him, but he was happy that we were with him.

Night before last, Leyden and I got home before Brad and the garage door wouldn't open. We went in the back door and began our usual evening routine when Blue started barking. He was in his kennel in the garage, just barking. It dawned on me that usually Brad gets home earlier and lets him out to go potty. I figured his bladder was probably aobut to bust. I still couldn't get the garage door to open, so I grabbed Blue's leash and put it on him. I opened the door to the house and took Blue through the living room to the back door. After he took care of business, I took him back through the house and out to the garage. Leyden fed him and gave him water and we tried to put him back in the kennel. No deal, Lucille... he went to "The Big Brown Door" that leads into the house and scratched. Leyden said, "Mom, now that he's seen what's on the other side of The Big Brown Door he wants to go back."

Very well said, Leyden. Very well said.

It's not likely that Blue will ever see the inside of our house again. He will definitely see the garage, seeing as how it is his primary residence at the moment. And even when completes his DogWatch training and stays outside all the time, I want him to sleep in his kennel in the garage at night so I know he'll really sleep. Because if he has the opportunity, he stays up all night chasing things. Just ask the armadillo.

Kudzu Watermelon

I promised to tell you about my dog who almost choked to death. Before I tell you about how he choked to death, I have to tell you a little bit about him.

Kudzu Watermelon came to live with us when I was in elementary school. (I have a terrible memory, so I can't remember how old I was or what season it was or any other specifics.) Anyway, Kudzu's mama was a cocker spaniel named Courtney, and his daddy was a black lab that lived down on the corner. My brother and I called him a Cockador. We figured if the Cockapoos and Labradoodles could get away with it, we could, too. Kudzu looked like a small black lab, and he had a white star on his chest.

Kudzu was supposed to be named Paco Joe, but he liked to play in the clover. Clover seemed like a sissy name for a boy, so we named him Kudzu, because that was definitely more masculine and wonderful sounding. (I know - I can't believe my parents let us name him that, either.)

We didn't have a fence in our backyard, so we got some wire and made a little pen up next to the house on the covered patio. Before long, the cats in the neighborhood got wind that there was dog food in our backyard and poor Kudzu never got to eat because the cats ate it all. So, we put a window screen over his little pen and fastened it down with bread ties. Because we're handy and resourceful like that.

Well, Kudzu cried a lot at night and the vet suggested that we put a radio near him. The vet said the human voices would comfort the little guy. So, we took an old radio that we had lying around and put it in the pen with Kudzu, because the outdoor outlet was in the pen.

One day Mama was sitting in the house and heard a noise.

Wump. Wump. Wump.

Mama wasn't sure what it was, so she began to investigate. Well, when she opened the sliding glass door, the noise got louder and she looked down and saw poor little Kudzu hanging BY HIS NECK from the radio cord, eyes bulging, tongue hanging out. He had gotten all twisted up in that cord and was just swinging back and forth, hitting the side of the house.

Wump. Wump. Wump.

Well, of course my Mama screamed, because that's what she always does when there's any kind of emergency. And my brother came running. They couldn't get the screen off the pen fast enough because they couldn't get the bread ties undone. Meanwhile, Kudzu was still swinging back and forth.

Wump. Wump. Wump.

Finally, they got the screen off and untangled little Kudzu from his noose. Mama took him inside and wrapped his little body in a towel and promptly called the vet. That conversation went something like this:

"Vet clinic."

"OHMIGOSH MY DOG HAS HUNG HIMSELF!!!"

"Let me get the vet."

"Ma'am? What has happened?"

"KUDZU HUNG HIMSELF!"

"I didn't know he was depressed."

(I promise that's what the vet said to Mama. My Mama doesn't lie.)

I don't even remember if Mama took the dog in to see the vet that day. I just know that he SURVIVED, doggone it. The little bugger survived.

To this day, I say that the hanging was the reason Kudzu was so mean. And that dog was mean, let me tell you. He loved every one of the four people that lived in his house, but that was it. I will never forget how much Kudzu despised my ex-husband. Eventually, they learned to live together, but I don't think Kudzu ever really liked him. I think he just put up with him for my sake, bless his heart.

Kudzu was a good dog, yes ma'am, he was.

Makes Me Sound Like Royalty

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Most Noble Lady Kristi the Undefeated of Frome Valley Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Get yours. It's fun!

I really am related to the Windsors, on my mother's side. Mama and Price Charles are 15th cousins, or something like that. So in real life, my title is Lady Kristi Cousin of Wales.

BlueWatch

A quick update on Blue...

Brad found a post that Blue hasn't managed to pull up out of the ground. However, he IS able to jerk and run and twist until he pulls the collar off his head. He fights the lead on the post just about the entire time he's on it. And if we get a tighter collar, I'm afraid he'll choke himself. And that isn't pleasant, I know - when I was a kid my dog choked. He didn't die because my Mama found him and saved him. I'll have to tell you that story another day.

Anyway, we think the hidden fence is working with Blue. (Now that I've actually typed those words, it will stop working because that's just my luck.)

Blue doesn't like the flags at all. He stays FAR away from them, even when we're not outside to watch him.

And that new collar? It gets him pretty good, and in two places - just behind his right ear and down around the underside of his neck. He actually jumps now, if he happens to get zapped. Quite amazing how a different collar can affect the mischievous little guy. He still chases birds, but not quite so far. He seems to be respecting his boundaries.

Pray that he'll continue to do well, for his sake. There has GOT to be more to life than being in a kennel in the garage.

Life With The Drama Queen

Our Leyden is a natural Drama Queen. Always has been. And I don't have a clue where she gets it from. She was Little Red Riding Hood in her first grade play, and this past summer she starred as "Ella" in a modern improv production of Cinderella. She's pretty good for an amateur. She knows how to project her voice, and she LOVES to act. Even in everyday life. Which brings us to the point of this post.

Last night Leyden and I went to the mattress store to order porcelain finials for Leyden's daybed, which is actually on loan from my cousin Emily. (When we were putting her bed together in the new house, I let one of the sides fall onto the wood floor and guess what? One of the porcelain finials hit the wood with a thwack, and it BUSTED. Imagine that! And I have to give the bed back to my aunt when Leyden is finished with it. So, we have to replace all the finials, because it would be impossible to match just ONE.) Anyway, when we moved, Brad and I ditched our old waterbed mattress and bought a memory foam mattress from the local mattress store. While we were finializing our purchase, I inquired about purchasing new porcelain finials for Leyden's bed. The owner told us that he would sell us four at his cost since we bought a mattress from him. So, almost two months later, I finally found time last night to go order the finials.

When we walked in, the owner was on the phone, so we started looking around. Leyden found a pretty white twin sleigh bed and sat down on it. I noticed that it had a memory foam mattress on it.

"OH, Mom! This bed is COMFORTABLE! I WANT this bed!"

"Uh, NO, you can't get that bed. It's a memory foam bed. Do you see how much it costs?"

"I can save my allowance until I have enough. How much is it?"

"Sixteen ninety-nine, as in sixteen HUNDRED and ninety-nine DOLLARS. "

"Mom! It'll take me 'til I'm 17!"

"Yep. Better get a new plan - like another bed."

"But MOM! This bed has my name written all over it!"

"No, that's your butt print from where you've been sitting on it. Remember - it's a memory foam bed."

"My back hurts. I need a new mattress. You said memory foam is the best for a bad back."

(Don't you just HATE IT when they take your words and throw them back at you?!)

"Yes dear, but I meant a bad back like Daddy's. I agree that you could use a new mattress, just not THAT one."

Leyden continued to talk about the mattress to no one in particular the entire time I was with the manager ordering the finials. I got finished with the order and went to pry her off the bed. As we were leaving, she was still in drama mode - "My back! It hurts so bad! I really need THAT mattress!" Of course, the manger heard her and said, "I may have a blemished mattress that she'll be happy with. She needs a twin, right?" I told him yes, and told him he could check and let me know when I pick up the finials next week.

We got in the car and started home.

"Mom, what's blumish?"

"You mean blemish? It means that there might be a little tear or a mark or something on it and they discount it because it isn't perfect."

"Oh, I don't want that one then. My mattress has to be PERFECT." (Sounds like a Princess, doesn't it?)

"It doesn't matter if you get a blemished mattress - no one ever SEES your mattress except me when I'm changing your sheets! IF you get a new mattress, it may or may not be a blemished one, and it DEFINITELY, MOST ASSUREDLY, will not be that $1700 mattress back there."

"But Mama, you have a memory foam mattress. Why can't I have one?"

"Because it took all my pursuading power to get your Daddy to buy me a memory foam mattress and mine didn't cost anywhere near THAT much. I don't have any pursuading power left to get you one, too, let alone a twin sized one that cost more than our king size mattress. I might be able to get a new mattress out of him, but DEFINITELY not $1700 worth of new mattress. I'm not even brave enough to THINK about asking him to buy you that mattress."

Leyden continued to moan about back pain for a while and suddenly make a horrible aaacckk-ing sound from the backseat. I asked her not to pretend to be sick in my car.

"I'm not sick Mama, I'm dying."

"That's fine, you can die in my car, but remember that you can only die once."

Of course, she died several times on the way home. But she's still not getting that mattress.