Normal Monday

It was a typical Monday morning. Nothing really out of the ordinary except a meeting at work. Just a lot of hot air about the state of the company. But at least, we are getting bonuses next month. I hear the non-covered group will get 15% and the covered group (me) will get 7 1/2%. Our union sold us down the road during negotiations and accepted half of what everybody else gets. But, like I tell the guys "It's money you shouldn't be depending on to live." But a lot of them depend on that bonus. They already have it spent before it gets here. That really threw a lot of them into a tailspin a few years ago when we didn't get a bonus. I've used it to invest in IRA's, buy computer equipment and stuff like that, but not to make payments on cars, houses or boats that I've bought depending on the money to be there. This year, I'd like to use it to have our house re-wired, but if we don't get anything, it's not going to put me in the poor house.

Kim and I went to the Shadetree Grill for lunch. I've never been there, but I really liked it. We sat out on the back deck and it was so nice out there. Perfect weather for it. We both had the grilled chicken wrap with fries. The best chicken wrap I've ever had. The waitress even brought us a brownie for desert. I don't think that came with the meal, but she took a liking to us. I guess because we were so nice to her. All I wanted to do when I got back to work was take a nap. About an hour after we got back, I had to go make coffee and drink a cup just to stay awake. I felt like I was working in slow motion.

Mama called and said that Neil should have her single bed that we could have for Hope. I called Penny after work and asked. She said she thought it was in his storage shed. She would ask him tonight when he called to check on Swayde. Swayde was sick yesterday. He slept all day long. That's kinda scary. Said he didn't even wake up when Neil put him in the truck to bring him home. Today, he threw up once and ran a high fever. She took him to the doctor who said his body was trying to fight off the virus yesterday; that's why he slept all day. Could that be true? I know your body heals during sleep, but to sleep all day?

Vance went over to help Chad move some furniture to the house. I stayed home with Daddy. He wasn't feeling too good today himself. Couldn't get him to eat any supper. Vance came home and I went to the store. We were out of a lot of stuff. I ate supper and found my book "Bad Girls of the Bible" by Liz Curtis Higgs. I had bought it last year, but only started on it before I misplaced it. I started all over tonight since I don't remember anything I read last year. I will share it with Kim and Tabitha when I get through with it.

It's almost 11:00 and I'm getting sleepy. Good night and God bless...................

Sunday Blues

Today started off really bad. I woke up with a migraine. I wanted to go to church so bad, but there was no pushing it. I wouldn't have been able to drive, so I crawled back into bed and didn't get up until around 11:00. Daddy wasn't feeling too good either, so we just ate some breakfast and layed around. It was a beautiful day, so we sat outside for a while.

I threw a load of clothes in the washer and then went in my computer room. I had a small dining room table in there that I decided to loan to Chad and Tabitha until they can afford to get a nicer one. It was piled high with stuff and loads of stuff underneath it, so it took a little while to clean it off and get it out of there. Had to move it by myself cause Vance was over at Chad's painting and Daddy just doesn't have any strength anymore. But I'm the one who put it in there, so I knew I could get it out by myself. And I did. Cleaned up the chairs that go with it and Daddy and I drove over to Chad and Tabitha's. He walked through the house and really liked it. Especially the back porch and deck. I got Vance's truck and we came back home. That's when I realized that I didn't have a door key to get in the house. Vance doesn't keep his house key with his truck key and I had left all my keys with him in case he wanted to leave before I got back. Thank the Lord for Carolyn, my next door neighbor. She takes care of our dogs whenever we go out of town, so she has a key to our house. I had to go borrow it to get in.

I only hurt myself once moving the table. When I turned it on it's side, I dropped it on my left shin. Ouch! But, I got it loaded into the truck with the chairs and I headed back to Chad's. Brandon, a little neighbor boy came to see if Chad was home and he helped me unload the table. He seems to be a nice little boy. Vance was ready to go home. His back was hurting so bad he could hardly stand up straight. I took over painting the closet and he left. Chad and Wayne came back with a load of stuff. Chad, Tabitha and the kids actually slept in their house last night. They had their bedroom suite and a mattress on the floor in Trent's room. Tabitha said it was the most peaceful night's sleep she's had in a long time. I know Chad slept like a log, cause he had been up most of the night before.

Kim, Carrianne and the girls came by. We had a nice visit and the kids really enjoyed the playhouse and yard. I finished painting the closet after they left and watched Chad put Trent's bed together. I put the shower curtain up in the master bathroom. Found out they didn't have any sheets for Trent's bed, so Trent and I went to Wal-Mart. I knew I would run into somebody I knew because I didn't have a bit of makeup on, my hair was a total mess and I was in overalls. Yep, first thing, we run into three ladies from the church - Mrs. Sandi being one of them. Stood and talked to her a long time. She said the church was almost full this morning. I'm so excited about what's happening at church.

Trent and I found the perfect sheets to go with his comforter and found a comforter and sheets to go in Hope's room. I let Trent have the final say on it. I decided to buy it and if Tabitha didn't like it she could take it back and exchange it. When I walked in with that comforter, you would have thought she had won the lottery. She jumped up and down and screamed "It's perfect! It's just perfect!" That just made my day, cause I'm not known for being able to pick out home furnishings, colors and stuff like that. Hope was so precious. She said "Is that for me? Nonna, I like it!" Now, that really touched my heart. I can't wait to see it in her room. But, we've got to get her a bed first. Tabitha's dad was finishing the painting in there tonight. I think they will have all the painting done tonight and be able to bring the rest of the furniture over tomorrow night. I am so excited for them. God has really blessed them.

I've just put another load of clothes on to wash and I'm about to go eat something. It's really late, but I'm hungry. So, I will bid you a Good night and God bless................

Awesome Day

Went back to the Hope for the Heart Conference. Tabitha came today. Liz Curtis Higgs is so good. If you ever get the chance to go see her, I'd say go. She is awesome. The way she told the story of Jacob just made it come alive. It made me think of things I had never even thought of before. How he deceived his father Isaac and how Laban deceived him by giving him Lean instead of Rachel. It kinda made me think how Jacob really got what he deserved. "What goes around comes around." I didn't even put on mascara today, cause I knew I'd laugh so hard that I would cry it off. And I did.

Saw Darby and spoke to her. She is Kresta's mother. Kresta leads the Praise and Worship and does an awesome job. Even Liz could see the anointing on her and said she wished she could take Kresta with her to other speaking engagements. I spoke to Kresta after lunch. She is so sweet and sincere.

The lunch was fabulous. We sat at a table decorated in hunting motif - very pretty. I thought I recognized the girl who set the table and found out she works at my heart doctor's office. I was sitting by this other girl who said "I believe I know you from somewhere. You look so familiar." We tried to figure out by where I worked, but that wasn't it. I asked where she worked and she works at the same office. She said "I knew I'd seen you before. It's your eyes and hair. They are so distinctive." (Yeah, my hair was so curly you'd recognize it anywhere. I do have turquoise-blue eyes. That's a little unusual.) Anyway, we had a great time. One of the ladies is a teacher at Hiland Park School. Kim, I believe her name was and she teaches 4th grade. She used to teach high school. She knew Angie real well. I wish Angie and Tonya could have come. I hope they can go next year.

After the conference was over, I headed to Chad and Tabitha's. I walked in and Michelle said "I'm so glad you're here. We've got a job for you. I want you to hold Fox and get him to sleep. You'll have to bounce him and snuggle with him." Boy, what a horrible job!! I was in heaven. I was so afraid he wouldn't have anything to do with me, cause I'm not around him. I haven't seen him since Christmas and only got to hold him a couple of minutes, cause everybody else wanted him. But, no, he smiled so big at me. My heart just melted. And when he grabbed my face with both hands and tried to eat my chin, I was in grandbaby heaven. He's adorable. Tabitha went crazy when she saw him and just talked to him and he cooed back at her and just smiled so big. He really is a smiley baby. Michelle got him to sleep and I had to hold him for at least 30 minutes while he napped. Just the most perfect job for a grandmother! When his PawPaw came, he smiled so big at him. Melted Vance. He's just crazy about his grandchildren.

It was so good seeing my boys working side by side. Haven't seen that in years. I know if Vance and Michelle lived here, they would be over every night helping Chad and Tabitha. Chad worked until 3:00am this morning at the house. He was so tired, but he kept on working. They finished the three bedrooms and they look really good.

I went and got Daddy from the VFW and came home. Vance cooked beef stroganoff. It was so good. He and Daddy went to bed. I stayed up a while longer to watch Law and Order, Criminal Intent. Now, I'm about to fall asleep in my chair, so I think I'd head off to bed.

Good night and God Bless.................

Liz Curtis Higgs

Today was a very busy day at work. It was timesheet day, plus we had a lot of ARMS orders. I had some problems with an account number on a couple of my timesheets. This is a number that we've been using for years and all of a sudden it's invalid. And we have nobody in the company anymore who we can call to give us a reason. We no longer have technical support for our timekeeping program. That's why they are working so hard to get E-STARS working, so we will have tech support. But it will be at least April before it takes over. I ended up using a number that would work and I'll just make an adjustment whenever we find out the problem. It's really frustrating not having anybody you can call. I guess that's what they mean by "empowerment". You just make a decision and go with it whether it's right or wrong. Is that anyway to run a company? Especially one as big as we are? I don't think so!

Went to CATO's at lunch and bought a couple blouses and a skirt. I'm running out of things to wear. Got a Taco salad and headed back to work.

After work, I headed straight to Lynn Haven Methodist Church for the Hope for the Heart Conference. As I walked in, there was Patti B., an old friend from Springfield Methodist. She was with a friend from her church. She told Robin that she and I used to be on the Expressive Worship team together. Robin asked if I still signed and danced and I told her no. Patti said "Yeah, I'll never forget the word spoken over Pat that she was anointed to sign and dance. I wanted that to be me, but, no, it was Pat that God chose to anoint." Boy, did that make me feel bad, because I'm not doing it anymore. So many people have told me in the last few weeks that they remember the anointing on me when I signed and danced and that I should be doing it again. I guess I need to brush up on the sign so I can sign to songs again. I've never figured out a song for myself - I always had somebody else to chorograph it for me.

Kim came in and I introduced her to the girls I knew. We signed in, got a little gift bag and headed for refreshments. They had great food, but mostly sweets. I had my little plate full before I saw any veggies, then it wouldn't hold anything but one carrot stick. Saw Fran and Becky, then we went in to the sanctuary. Liz Curtis Higgs was the guest speaker. She is the funniest lady I've ever heard. I laughed so hard I was crying. She's a very big lady and she told us that no matter how we looked, God loved us anyway. He made woman last and made her the best of his creations. She told us to go home and look in the mirror and say "Ta Da!" and throw our hands in the air. She said "You can't do that without smiling. And over in England, they say "ta" for thanks and "da" for father. So, when you say "Ta Da", you are saying Thank You, Father!"I like that. She wrote the book "Bad Girls of the Bible" and several other books. Tomorrow, she will give her testimony. Can't wait to hear that. She taught on Rebekah, Isaac, Jacob and Esau tonight. Or, "When Becky went bad." When she got Jacob to deceive his father and get the blessing that should have been Esau's. It was really a good teaching interspersed with laughter.

Vance had called while I was there. I called him back. He, Michelle and Fox are coming to see us tomorrow. They will go to Chad's first and help him, then we'll see them after the conference tomorrow and after Vance gets through golfing. It's either tomorrow or the middle of April, cause they will be busy every weekend from now till then. I certainly understand that. I'm just glad we will be able to see them and see Fox. He's changing so much. I want to hear him laugh out loud - hear the sound that goes along with that big beautiful smile of his.

Well, I'm very tired, so I think I will head off to bed. Have a wonderful weekend!

Good night and God bless..................

Busy Day!

Something happened to our alarm clock and it didn't go off. The lights seem to have gone out on it and it's not showing the time. I was late getting up and just had a hard time getting my act together this morning, so I missed my drive-thru at Sonic for sweet tea. Had to get my caffeine at work from coffee. Believe me, I'd much rather have the tea! Randy had cooked some deer sausage and brought biscuits, so I was able to eat breakfast this morning.

We had about 40 ARMS orders today and we got 38 of them done. Of course, it was a big complex of townhouses. They just keep building them and the people have stopped buying. Before long, it will be a buyer's market, cause the developers will sell cheap just to keep from having to pay the taxes and lose money because they are sitting empty.

Kim was back today and feeling better. I was glad to see her. We went to lunch and looked at a van. Her daughter is looking to buy one. She told me about a 1997 Lincoln Towncar she looked at yesterday. An older man had it for sale. It's white with burgandy leather interior. She said it still smells like new leather. It has 89,000 miles on it and he wants $4995 for it. I wish I had the money. I'd sure like to get another Lincoln. I want a big car again.

We also drove by so I could show her where Daddy is moving to. She lives about a mile from there and said she would gladly give him her phone number and she'd be glad to run errands for him from time-to-time. She really likes Daddy and I know she'd be more than happy to run to Burger King or someplace and pick him up some food. She loved the house and yard.

Vance called to tell me he had taken Daddy to the VFW and was heading over to Chad's to help them paint.

Tabitha called and asked if I could keep Hope a little while when I got off work so she could help Chad paint. We met at the Second to None furniture store down the street from Gulf Power. She brought me an ice cream cone from McDonalds. We looked for a single bed for Hope - no luck. I took Hope home with me and we played until 6:30 and then I took her over to the house. I had to go to church at 7:00 for class. It was real good tonight. We were having prayer for one of the young men in the church when my phone rang. It was Daddy calling from the VFW for me to pick him up. It was 9:00 and I headed over that way. Swung in Sonic and got a sweet tea before picking him up. Met some more of his friends. They really love Daddy at the VFW. On the way home, he said he thought he would enjoy living in the apartment. He was looking forward to getting a parakeet. When I told Kim about that, she said she had just bought her bird a new cage last night and she'd give Daddy the old one. People just keep blessing him with stuff. He had gotten a bag of clothes at the VFW tonight. I told him to make a list of things that we needed to buy, like a crock pot, pillow and linens, etc.

Well, it's past time for bed. It's already Friday and I need to go to bed.

Good night and God bless...................

Worthy Wednesday

Had our safety meeting. It didn't last long. Kim is still sick. Really miss her when she's not here. Randy and Paul were in Ft. Walton or Pensacola for their quarterly warehouse meeting, so Paul W. stayed with me to make sure the crews got what they needed. I really didn't have too much to do today, so I did some cleaning.

At lunch, I went and got the padding for the floor that I forgot to get yesterday. Those people at Calhoun Carpets are really nice. Went to Tally Ho and got a hamburger and headed back to work. Daddy called and said we could go look at the apartment at 3:00.

I took off at 2:15, picked Daddy up and went to see the apartment. I really like it. It's the perfect size for Daddy and the landlord is so nice. He raises parakeets in the backyard. Daddy said he was going to get a cage and buy one from him. That way he'd have something to talk to. Not only that, but the man has laying hens and said Daddy could have fresh eggs every morning if he wanted them. He has a little deck on front of the apartment, but he can walk around the house and sit and visit with Louis on his back deck under the gazebo. I really liked Louis. I think he and Daddy will have a grand ole time. There's also another man about Daddy's age that lives across the street, so I can see him making new friends. He will also be closer to the VFW and AmVets and his friends can come pick him up. I have a good feeling about this.

Penny called to tell me that Aunt Rose came in to the doctor's today and told her that we're supposed to go back to Grandmama's house tomorrow sometime and finish picking out the stuff everybody wants. I'm going to offer to buy all the vases and give them out to the grandkids and great-grandkids so we'll all have something Grandmama made. I think I'm going to tell Uncle Rudolph that I would like to have Grandmama's Christmas tree as long as I can have ornaments to go with it. I would love to have some old ornaments.

Tabitha called and asked if I could go buy the new house and pick up the kids and take them to church. I said I would. Vance followed me over there so he could see the house. I took the kids by Burger King and got them some food, then on to church. Sammy M. preached tonight. After church, I when back over the the house. Several friends were there helping paint. I'd love to help, but I don't know when. I've got class tomorrow night, and Hope for the Heart Friday night and most of the day Saturday. I guess I will just help them after they get moved in. They have a lot of friends who are willing to help. You can check out the pictures of Daddy's apartment and Chad and Tabitha's house at http://picasaweb.google.com/rutherford.patricia

I'm exhausted, so I'm heading to bed. Good night and God bless.....................

Too Tired Tuesday

Didn't sleep too good last night. Vance kept waking me up by punching me in the back. I must have been snoring. And I couldn't get up and go to the couch, cause that's where Daddy is sleeping. No, we still don't have a bed yet.

Had to wash my hair before work. I really need to color my hair, but when do I have the time? Wonder what it would look like if I let it grow out? It's almost all gray now, and I really don't look good as a blonde, so I don't think I would look good gray either. My hair is super thick, curly and it seems to get even thicker when I blow dry it. Tried to straighten it, but ended up just pulling it back in a ponytail. Just too bushy!

Kim wasn't there when I went down to get coffee, so I called her at home. Her entire family is sick. I sure don't want any of that. Yep, you can be sure I drank my Vemma this morning. I worked on timesheets and the guys called me orders all morning.

Took my Epson printer to Best Buy to have them send it off to get repaired. Can't wait to get it back. My HP printer just doesn't compare to the photo quality of the Epson.

Tabitha called and said they are officially home owners. They got the keys today and can begin painting tomorrow night.

I was so sleepy after lunch. It was really hard to stay awake. Don't know if it was because of the chicken salad sandwich I had at lunch or because I didn't get enough sleep last night. I've had a headache since last Friday, so that doesn't help either.

Got home and Vance asked if I had picked up more of the padding that goes under the flooring he's putting down in the hall. Nope, I didn't even think about it today. I could tell he was a little disappointed, but he's such a gentleman. He didn't yell at me or even act like he was mad. I hope I can remember tomorrow. Daddy and I have to go and look at an apartment for him tomorrow at 10:00. He really wants to get back on his side of town where his friends are. We've really enjoyed having him around. He never complains and is always appreciative of anything you do for him. But, he wants to be back on his own again. I understand that. Vance wants to do the floor in the bedroom we were fixing up for Daddy. He says since most of the furniture is out of it, we should take the rest out and put down the floor. He's got a point there. I also told him that I wanted to start in our bedroom and rearrange the furniture in there - add and subtract some with Kim's help. She can decorate; I can't. I'm strictly haphazard with the way I decorate. And I like to fill up every available space of floor and wall. She said she would help me get rid of some things.

Went to Praise & Worship practice. On the way, I called Michelle. She said Vance was sick and Fox was teething. It's been pretty rough on her this week. I asked the P&W team to pray for them. Gave Jamie two pictures that Michelle had taken of Fox with a hat on that Jamie and Judy had given Fox when he was born. He loved them.

Pastor Sammy is out of the hospital and at home, but still not up to doing the things he wants to do. But, he's doing great and will get stronger every day.

Talked to Michelle again and then went by Chad and Tabitha's new house. Boy, the previous owners sure did like the color green. I think every room had some shade of green in it. Hope's room is a bright blue-green glossy color. It will knock your eyes out when you walk in. The pictures just didn't do it justice. They are having a painting party tomorrow night to get the house painted before they move in. Tabitha's dad used to paint houses for a living, so he came over and helped her decide on colors. Can't wait to see how they paint the whole house. Whatever they choose for the bedrooms will have to go with forest green carpet. I think the house has good possibilities. It's a great first home. It's probably about the same size as our house, but it has an added screened in back porch and a huge deck across the back. A great place to entertain.

Well, guess I better go to bed. It's already 12:00 and I was tired all day.

Good night (or morning) and God bless..............

Monday Madness

Went to work early so I wouldn't have to take too much vacation to take Daddy to the doctor today. It was pretty busy this morning and really cold. First time we've turned on the heater in our office all winter.

My boss sent an email to me and asked me if I wanted to sign up for a class in Pensacola in April on Resume Writing. I emailed him back and said that I would like to go and asked if he knew something about my job that he wasn't telling me. Why would any of us need a resume if we don't plan on going anywhere else or trying to get another job within the company. I'm perfectly happy right where I am. Would you believe that I have never even filled out a resume for myself? Never needed to. I've only worked one place and that's Gulf Power and I've been there for 36 1/2 years. But, if they want me to go, I'll be more than happy to go. Kim and I told him to sign us up. Maybe we can go over and spend the night.....

Vance called to tell me he was going to buy more flooring and start laying it in the hall. Sounds good to me. It's been a lot easier to clean than the carpet. Daddy makes his own coffee in the morning, but he has a real hard time walking without spilling it. So, there's coffee spilled on the floor from the kitchen to the couch. All I have to do is go over it with a mop or a wet rag. Good as new! Carpet would be a mess...

Kim brought back lunch for me since I wasn't going to lunch - gotta save that hour, so I don't use up all my vacation. I really would like to go somewhere for a real vacation, but I don't see that happening any time soon. Who would take care of Daddy? Tabitha would, but she goes to school and then works at night. She has her hands full with all her responsibilities.

Took Daddy to the eye doctor. His eyes are doing better. The doctor told him to continue the eye drops in the right eye, but the left one is completely healed. Thank You, Lord. His ears are healing up just fine.

Got home and worked on his room some more. I don't know when we are going to be able to get the bedroom suite from his mother's house. I may have to call Angie and see if I can borrow the bed she has until we can get in the house. We'll need help loading the bedroom suite and Chad will be moving this week, so he can't help us. It will probably be sometime next week before we can find somebody to help us. I know Kim will help, but I don't think she and I can load it by ourselves. The bedroom suite is antique and it's heavy wood, not pressboard like the modern stuff they are selling nowadays.

Tabitha and Trent came over for a few minutes. She wanted me to pray with her about something. We went in the bedroom and prayed. She visited with us for a few minutes and we talked about their house. They got to go do a walk-through today. She said she met some of the neighbors and they are Christians. Trent met some of the kids and seemed happy playing with them. The owners of the house said Chad and Tabitha would love the neighborhood; they really don't want to leave because the neighbors are all so nice. The lady said she had cried for a week because she didn't want to leave; but they are building a new house, so she's happy about that. Tabitha told me a lot of their friends will be helping them move, so I didn't need to get involved. She said I could come help set up when everybody leaves. I'm just so excited for them.

Kayla called and said Pastor Sammy was out of the hospital. Praise the Lord for that!

My friend, Karen, called from Dothan. I had written her a letter telling her of the accident and Daddy's fire. She called to make sure I was okay. I told her I was doing fine. I also told her that I had just mailed off her Christmas card today. I had found it stuck in a book, so I decided to go ahead and mail it anyway. I wrote on the back of the envelope "Better Late Than Never". That cracked her up. She said she would keep it forever. We had a great time talking and she asked me to come visit her and she'd take me out to photograph old barns. I really would love to go see her and spend the weekend, but I've got to get over to Tallahassee first. I've got to see my Little Fox. Michelle and Vance posted some new photos and he's just the happiest baby I've seen in a very long time. Both my boys were happy babies. They woke up with smiles on their faces every day. Trent and Hope were happy babies, too.

This happy little baby is getting tired. I think I might have to get to bed a little earlier tonight - like right now. It's only 10:30, but I'm falling asleep at the keys. When you start making mistakes and typing in slow motion, it's time to call it quits and go to bed.

Good night and God Bless......................

Weekend's Over

I just could not wake up this morning. Was a few minutes late for practice, but all was well, other's were too. Mrs. Sandi preached this morning cause Pastor Sammy is still in the hospital. He will be having a heart cath tomorrow, but he's doing well with the pacemaker. Mrs. Sandi continued the series on Blessings and Cursings. We have seen a lot of people be delivered of things in their past since this series has started. A lot of miracles, a lot of new people coming in and old members coming back. God is doing a mighty work at Straightway!

I didn't get to see my Hope this morning, cause Tabitha had to leave before I got off the platform. Mrs. Sandi had called us back up to sing while they were ministering at the altar. Chad and Tabitha are packing and cleaning in preparation of their move into their house next week. I am so excited for them! Can't wait to see the house on the inside. We were talking yesterday when I went to visit Pastor Sammy about having a housewarming for them. That will be such a testimony to Chad and their unsaved friends.

I had a headache when I got home (actually, I've had it since I went to bed last night), so I ate a salad and went to bed to take a nap. Missed a lot of the Daytona 500, but Vance taped it and played back the highlights when the race was over. I was really pulling for Mark Martin to win. He's never won a Daytona 500 and I sure wanted to see him win this one. But, no, Kevin Harvick won. Mark did come in 2nd. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride....

Daddy wanted pizza, so I went and got us one from Pizza Hut. We had been seeing the Cheesy Bites Pizza commercial and both of us wanted one. I also got some hot wings to go along with it. It really hit the spot. Haven't had pizza in a long time.

Daddy got another blessing today. He received a handmade quilt from my email friend, Sharon, by way of Chris' dad. Daddy was so thankful. When he looked at it, he said "It's handmade like Mama used to do. I lost my quilt that Mama made me in the fire." He thought it was so nice that someone that he didn't know had sent it to him. Isn't that what Christians do? I had to explain the connection. Vance's best friend, Chris, is married to Sandra. I met Sandra's mother, Sharon, over the internet through a link to her blogs on Michelle's blog. We've never met face-to-face, but I feel like I know her. We've become friends through email. When Sharon heard about the fire and Daddy losing everything, she emailed me that she wanted to send him a quilt. She was in Tallahassee this weekend for her grandson's birthday, so she sent the quilt by way of Chris' dad, Steve. Steve delivered it to our door this afternoon. Thank you and God bless you, Sharon. Daddy will definitely put this quilt to good use.

Now, I have got to try to get to my printer connections, which are under my desk, and disconnet them. I've got to take my printer to Best Buy before my service warranty runs out and have it repaired. I've been putting it off, because other things have come up; but I can't put it off any longer.

So, I will close for now. Good night and God bless.............

Super Busy Saturday

Slept in till 8:30. Vance left to go play golf. It was cold out, but no wind. Daddy wanted to go to the AmVets, so I jumped in the shower and got ready. Took him to AmVets. Kim and I decided to meet at Wal-Mart and do some shopping. I needed to buy presents for McKinley.

After Wal-Mart, we went to Chick-Fil-A and got a salad. We're both trying to eat better. Kim offered to come back to the house with me and work on Daddy's room. We moved some furniture into the garage. She wants to help me redecorate my bedroom and the rest of the house. She made me feel good. When we were in the bedroom trying to decide where to move the furniture to make the most of the space, she told me she considered me a genius. She said "You are a genius. You are so smart, but you just don't see things like most people. Interior decorating is not something that interests you, so you just don't think about it. Having a cluttered house is not something that bothers you. You see right past material things. I will help you get this house put together. Don't you worry about it anymore. We'll work together and get it done." She's such a great friend. She worked with me until I had to go get Hope to go to McKinley's party.

Katie, McKinley and Corey.

Sharon, McKinley's grandmother, made a castle cake. Isn't it cute?

Picked up Hope. Tabitha was able to get a bed for Trent that has drawers and a desk attached to the end for $75.00. I saw it and it's a pretty sturdy bed. Chad and Tabitha's Uncle Wayne were putting up sheetrock in the hallway. They did a really good job for never having done it before. Chad and Vance get their handyman skills from their Daddy. All three of them can do just about anything they set their minds to. Hope and I went to the party. It was very nice. McKinley got a lot of nice things.

She especially liked the cake.

I got home around 4:30 and Daddy called for me to come get him at the VFW. He had gone there after AmVets to shoot pool. His right arm got to hurting so bad that he couldn't play anymore. I went and got him. Got back home around 6:00. Downloaded the pictures and fixed Daddy some soup. Vance ate bacon and I ate scrambled eggs and bacon. We watched a movie on TV, then the guys went to bed. That's when I came to my computer to blog and play with the pictures I downloaded.

Just had to share a picture of the flowers Vance got me for Valentine's Day. I don't know what this is called, but it opened up today and is absolutely gorgeous and smells good, too. I hope all four of them open. It's one of the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen.

Gotta get to bed. Good night and God bless..............

Day After Valentine's

I hope you guys out there did something special for your ladies. As for my wonderful husband, he couldn't wait until Valentine's Day - he gave me flowers the night before. While I was gone to take Trent home, Vance was at the store buying me flowers. I walked in right before he made a mess. Instead of getting a vase, he got a candle holder that looked like a vase. But, the top came off and it would have leaked water everywhere if he had put water in it. I caught him as he was about to put water in it.

Had to be at work early. They changed the safety meeting from yesterday to today. It was freezing when I left for work. Looks like we are going to have a few days of near freezing weather before it warms up again. At least I get to wear my sweaters now.

Came home for lunch and got Daddy and we went to PoFolks to eat. I think he was glad to get out of the house, except for the cold. He can't even smoke because it's too cold. (Maybe he will quit.) Since it's gotten cold, he is having a lot of trouble with his right arm. He could hardly use it today. I had to reach over and grab the seat belt and pull it around him. He had to use his cane to shut the door. He says he has arthritis in that arm. His left arm is almost useless from three surgeries. It was so bad that he didn't want to go to the VFW tonight. He only goes to play pool and with his arms out of commission, he can't play.

I've just finished reading a book by a Baptist Pastor, Don Piper, who died and went to heaven for 90 minutes. I think the name of the book is "90 Minutes in Heaven." I had heard his testimony before, but the book was really good. He was in a fatal car accident, died and went to heaven. His friends and relatives met him and he saw the awesomeness of heaven before he was prayed back to earth. It's a good book. What is so good about it is the story of his suffering when he came back and how God has used him to minister to others and give them hope of eternal life in a real heaven. If you get a chance, read the book.

Yesterday after work, Tabitha came over and interviewed me about my life. She has to give a speech on someone she admires and she chose me. I was very flattered. She asked me general questions about my childhood and things in my life up until the present. She said they would record her speech and she'd give me a copy. She also needed pictures, so I gave her several. In one, we could see that Trent looks just like me and in another one, she said she could see Hope in me.

While Tabitha was here, Dot and Cecil came over and brought a microwave oven for Daddy. I have the best friends. They are always there for me and my family in times of need. When I was taking my brother, Earl, back and forth to Pensacola, I ran out of vacation time. Several people wanted to donate days of vacation to me, but Gulf Power won't let you do that. When they found out that we were almost three month's behind on our house payment, they took up a collection and we were able to get our payments caught up. My church family is always there for me, too. When I had surgery, Mrs. Sandi brought chicken and dumplings. Let me tell you, she's makes great chicken and dumplings!

Last night at church, I stepped out of my comfort zone and signed to a song that we were singing. I used to belong to the Expressive Worship Group and we would sign to songs when I went to Springfield Methodist. I haven't done that in years. But, last night we were singing "I Exalt Thee" and the urge was so strong to sign that I just layed down my microphone and stepped out and signed. It was the most awesome feeling because at that time I am totally communing with God. I don't see anybody in the congregation - it's just me and God. I didn't know until I talked to Kim today at work, that people just broke down and really started worshipping God when I signed. Ruth stopped me as I was going off the platform and told me that my hands were meant for warfare. I've got to get my sign books out and start refreshing my memory, cause I feel I will be doing more of this. It's time for me to step back into my calling.

I had class tonight at church. Kim wasn't able to go and I know she really needs to be there. This is part of her vision and she needs to prepare herself to step into her calling. We have a pretty good group and we're learning a lot about deliverance and healing. We're preparing ourselves for the Overcoming Addictions program that our church will be starting pretty soon. It's sort of like AA. My biggest addiction is food and I've got to get to the root of that problem. I know that rejection is the major factor and I've got to work through that. I want to be able to help others especially with food addictions.

All the way home, I was thinking about cooking scrambled eggs. It is so amazing how intune Vance and I are. When I walked in the door, I smelled bacon. Vance was just about to go to bed and he told me that there was bacon and scrambled eggs on the stove for me. He makes the best scrambled eggs and crispy fried bacon. Yum!

It's going to be another cold day tomorrow. I've got to get out at lunch and buy McKinley a birthday present for her first birthday party Saturday. I have a hard time buying for little girls, but I'm sure I can find something. Maybe I can get Kim to go with me. She has five granddaughters, so she will have good ideas.

Guess I better get to bed. I love this kind of weather; I sleep so much better when I'm cool.

Good night and God bless.......................

Tornadic Tuesday

It looked like rain when I left for work, but it was pretty warm. We've even got azaleas and tulip trees blooming everywhere. Supposed to have some really cold weather later this week. That will probably ruin the azaleas for the Azalea Trail.

This picture was taken last Thursday in my Grandmother's front yard.

Hazel called and asked me to type up a letter for her. I did and delivered it to her at lunch. She and I have known each other since the 8th grade. While I was at her house, the bottom fell out. It was pouring rain when I went to my car. Then we were under a tornado warning. They thought one was going to come ashore at Grand Lagoon on the beach and then pass over Lynn Haven. Thank the Lord they were wrong. It never turned into a tornado, but we had a lot of lightning and rain. I heard that a tornado hit New Orleans, but I never got to watch the news tonight to find out for sure.

Trent called before I got off work to see if he could come over to the house and get me to help him make a box for his valentines. Karen had emailed me that we weren't having practice tonight, so I told him I'd come get him. I came home first to make sure Daddy didn't need to go look at that apartment. He couldn't get in touch with the guy, so it will be later in the week. I went and got Trent and spent a little time playing with Hope and talking to Chad. Trent decided he wanted to make a Harley-Davidson box to match his HD valentines. I knew I didn't have anything like that at home, so off to Hobby Lobby we went. I spent about $25 on scrapbook Harley-Davidson supplies: motorcycle sticker, leather outfit stickers, paper and HD stickers. Trent wanted to buy something for Hope, so he picked out the wooden letters H-O-P-E. We can paint them to match her bedroom colors whenever we find out what they are. Went back home and I cut and pasted the paper on the box and handed it to Trent. He put stickers all over it. It looked pretty cool when he got through with it. He'll have the coolest valentine box in class. Sorry about the picture. My camera automatically turns vertical pictures, but then I try to upload them to my post and they are horizontal again and I don't know how to turn them on my blog. At least you can see the box and all the HD stickers on it. After we got it made, I took him home and played with Hope some more. She liked the wooden letters. I told her we would paint them and hang them on her new bedroom wall. She liked that idea.

It was 8:30 by the time I got home. Ate my supper and watched a little TV. Checked out Vance's picasa web page and there are new pictures of Fox posted. He's so adorable. Check them out at http://picasaweb.google.com/vance.rutherford Fox is getting so big. I guess he will be walking before I get to see him again. I've got to get over there one weekend. When, I don't have a clue. Too much going on in my life right now. I don't want to abandon Daddy right now. Hopefully, we can get the bedroom suite this weekend and get the bedroom set up. Next weekend is Hope for the Heart. I'm really looking forward to that. I'd kinda like to do something special for my birthday this year. After all, I will be 55. Will just have to wait and see what happens with Daddy.

Better get to bed. Good night and God bless...................

Monday All Over Again

I did not want to get out of bed this morning. Because I slept most of yesterday afternoon, I could not go to sleep last night. It was around 3:30 this morning when I finally dozed off. That made for a very sleepy day.

Didn't have any ARMS jobs today. I think the guys are actually working in the line crew today. Paul came back today. He's been out with surgery. Kim and I had to pick on him a little and try to give him things to do to help Kim out while he's on light duty. Didn't work - the boss got to him first.

I went over and deposited Daddy's money in his account. People have been so good to him. He's talking about taking the apartment so he will be closer to his buddies and the VFW. They are clear across town from us, but not far from the apartment. I told him he was welcome to stay with us for however long he wanted to, but he really wants to be on his own.

I had to come home for lunch to put the roast in the crockpot, so we could have it for supper. I offered to bring Daddy something home, but he said he had plenty to eat at the house.

Vance's mother called this afternoon. She was concerned about Vance, because she could tell his back was hurting him the day he changed out the battery in their car. I told her it always hurts him when he's doing any bending over; that's why he can't work on his 1967 Plymouth anymore. I guess it will just sit in our backyard along with Chad's 1965 Ford Fairlane.

I came home and Vance left to go to his mother's to put a headboard on her bed. I fixed Daddy a plate of food before I left to go to the Women's Ministry meeting at church. He said the roast was really good.

We had a good meeting tonight. I took the notes since our secretary wasn't there. Tabitha had to work, so she couldn't go. We're looking into finding a conference this year that we can go to out of town. We've got a Ladies Tea coming up in May. That's always a lot of fun.

Last night, my aunt Marguerite called me and told me that a 2nd cousin of mine would probably be calling me. He's 80 years old and wants to get some info on the Lightsey family tree. I have a great deal that I've researched, so I'll be glad to send it to him. Marguerite and I talked about another relative, Aunt Emma, who will turn 93 on July 4th. She is my grandfather's sister. I suggested we go visit her on her birthday. Marguerite thought that was a good idea and suggested we pick up her daughter, Dianne, and go for the party. The whole town celebrates her birthday. She is the first woman to ever drive on the Alaskan Highway. I've got an article with a story about her adventures in Alaska. I sure hope we get to go. I'd love to see her again. It's probably been 25 years since I've seen her.

Well, since I didn't get any sleep last night, I think I better get to bed. I'm having trouble typing without making mistakes. (Of course, the secretary in me makes me go back and correct them before I publish. I don't do well IMing anybody, cause I have to type everything perfectly, even down to the punctuation.)

Good night and God bless.............Continue lifting Pastor Sammy up. He's still in the hospital.

Sleepy Sunday

Got up this morning and got ready for church. I wore my "pirate" outfit as Trent calls it - long crinkly black skirt, white crinkly shirt with a black vest and black boots. Trent and Tabitha say it's their favorite outfit that I wear. One day, I'll have to get Tabitha to take my picture, so I'll be able to keep it for when Trent and Hope grow up. Trent can look back at the picture and remember happy times with his Nonna.

I had a bad headache when I woke up, but went to church anyway. Made it through Praise and Worship, but didn't think I was going to be able to stay. Thank the Lord for Maxalt. It's a migraine medicine that melts in your mouth. I had to take one because I was getting very nauseated. Took it and it eased the pain. We had an awesome service. Pastor Sammy is still in the hospital. He's undergoing tests. He's doing fine and should be out soon. Mrs. Sandi preached on Generational Blessings. Pastor Sammy is doing the part on Generational Curses on Wednesday nights. I fully expect him to be there Wednesday. We had a church full today - so many guests. The altar was full at the end of the service. God is doing a mighty work at Straightway.

Kim offered to come over and help finish Daddy's room, but I knew I couldn't be bending over with a headache. Got to find out when we can go get his furniture, then I'll need help and I know she will be there for me. She's a wonderful friend.

I rushed home, because Daddy needed to be taken to the AmVets. He had to make a speech and thank them for their part in the benefit Friday night. When I got home, Vance had already taken him. They get along real well. I am so thankful for a wonderful husband. I ate lunch and headed to bed. I was feeling real groggy. I slept most of the afternoon. Daddy got a taxi home. One of his buddies paid for it so that he wouldn't have to bother us. It's no bother. I could have gone and picked him up.

My sweet husband cooked supper for us and I prepared a roast for the crock pot for tomorrow.

Talked to Tabitha after church to see when they are going to start moving. She said they get the keys on the 19th. She and Chad are going to get paint and begin painting the next night. They will probably start moving stuff over Thursday or Friday. I said we'd be glad to help, but she said so many of their friends have offered that they probably won't need our help. I'm just so excited for them. Can't wait to see their new home.

Even though I slept all afternoon, I'm still a little tired, so I'm heading to bed.

Good night and God bless.........................

Pray for Pastor Sammy

Found a message on my answering machine from last night that Pastor Sammy had fallen in the parking lot at Rodeos after the Valentine's Banquet and hit his head. He was taken to the hospital and kept for observation. Please pray for him when you think about it.

Daddy wanted me to take him to the VFW, so I took a shower and we headed that way around 11:00, because we wanted to stop and look at the apartment. We knew it was in Millville, but couldn't find it, so I stopped at Kim's and she looked it up on mapquest. I tried to do that before I left the house, but my computer was froze up. Couldn't even turn it off. We found the address. Apparently, the apartment is attached to the house. Daddy said it was a one bedroom with a kitchenette. The house that it's in looks pretty nice. It's an older house but it looks good. Dropped him off and headed to McDonald's to get something to eat. As I was driving away from the window, I saw my cousin Natalie. I waved at her and asked her if she got my message about the migraine medicine Penny and I are taking. She said she did and was going to call her doctor and ask if she could take it. Went to Office Max and got a Power of Attorney form to fill out for Daddy. He has been asking me for 2 years now to get one so he can make me his Power of Attorney so I can handle his affairs. Went to Wal-Mart and got the Swiffer mop pads so I could mop the floors when I got back home. I really like how they clean. Saw Olga and Ron at Wal-Mart as I was leaving.

Dot called to let me know she and Cecil were going to buy Daddy a microwave. That's really nice of them. She's been real sick. I pray for a complete healing in her entire body, in Jesus' name!

Talked to Mama. She found out that Grandmama had insurance with Independent Life. I'll call them Monday to see if anybody has claimed the money. The insurance should be used to take care of all the outstanding bills that Grandmama left - like the $18,000 the government has on the house. But, I'm sure whoever got it will not pay any bills. They will pocket that money.

Came home and mopped the floors and bagged up some clothes. Called Angie and asked if she could use them and she said she probably could. I'll get them to her sometime this week.

Vance came home from playing golf. He was going to the store to get some green peanuts so he could boil them. He's craving boiled peanuts. He told me that when we get the tax refund on the truck, he was taking me to Biloxi for the weekend just to get away from it all. He seems to think I'm way too stressed because of all that's happened to us lately - the wreck, Daddy's fire and Grandmama's estate. I got on-line (after getting my computer working and deleting files so it would run faster) trying to see if there were any shows in Biloxi coming up. Around my birthday in March, Kenny Rogers was going to be there, but his show is sold out. So, there's nothing happening. I guess I could drop Vance off at a casino and go around taking pictures of the distruction that's still there. I'd really like to go and see what happened to Ocean Springs.

Went and picked Daddy up from the VFW. Went inside and met some of Daddy's friends. Bob gave him some more shirts and a jacket that was way too big. Vance told me I should keep it and wear it myself. I'll put it in the trunk of the car for when I need it in an emergency. Vance cooked scrambled eggs for us and we ate. Daddy was tired and he was asleep before 7:30. Vance wasn't too far behind him. As a matter of fact, he's still asleep in his chair and it's after 11:00pm.

I scanned some of the pictures that I got from Grandmama's. I'll make copies for whoever wants them. I'd like to get the whole box of pictures and go through them at my leisure and pick out the ones I want to scan. I'll ask Uncle Rudolph if I can take them next time we go over there. He asked me the other day if I wanted the Christmas tree. I think I'll take it if he will let me have Christmas ornaments to go with it. I'm also going to ask him to put a price on the vases. I'll buy them and give one to every one of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Angie said to be sure and let them know when they were having the garage sale. She wants to go and get some things. It's a shame the family has to go and buy the stuff. But some people are just greedy.

I'm getting tired, so I guess I better get to bed.

Good night and God bless..........................And remember to pray for Pastor Sammy!

Yeah! It's Friday!

Boy, today was a very busy day. Of course, it was timesheet Friday and I still had a lot to do since I'd been off so much last week.

Went by Ross' Dress for Less at lunch and picked up some photo albums to put those pictures in that I got from Grandmama's yesterday. Ross has good prices on their albums.

Daddy called and said the VFW wanted him there at 5:00 instead of 6:00. Could we get him there or should he call a taxi? I called Vance and he said he could get him there on time. I don't get off work until 4:30, so I knew I couldn't do it.

I was surprised to see Vance home when I got home, but he said he got off early to make sure Daddy got to the VFW on time. He's so thoughtful. He said the parking lot was packed when he dropped Daddy off. He also said Daddy may not come home tonight, but he'd call and let me know. He might stay with Bob and his wife.

I had to leave and go help clean the church. Only four of us showed up, so it took two hours to get it done. We were all so tired when we left. I came home and Vance cooked us grilled cheese sandwiches.

Around 9:30, Daddy was knocking on the door. I opened it and told him I certainly didn't expect him home so early. He said "When I get tired, I'm ready to go home." He started pulling envelopes out of his pockets. They raised $1148 tonight to go along with the $400 they gave him Monday. With the $945 the Gulf Power employees gave him, he should be able to get a small travel trailer. We're looking at one that's for sale and the owner only wants $1800 for it. It's an older model, but looks like it's in good shape. Daddy said we would go look at it. We've also got to go look at an apartment tomorrow that a friend said he would rent to him for $500 a month and that includes utilities. Daddy is ready to live on his own again. He hates putting anybody out. He's so appreciative of anything you do for him. He's very easy to live with. Too bad we can't talk Mama into taking him back. :o) Daddy was choking up when he was telling me about the benefit. He said he cried when he had to make a speech. I'm sure he did. Those veterans really stick together and appreciate each other.

Well, it's bedtime and my computer is acting funny, so I better get off. It keeps blanking out the screen and making funny noises, like it's turning off and on.

Good night and God bless...................

Family Meeting

It's warming up again. Supposed to be in the low 70's today. Crazy weather.

Worked until 1:00, then picked up Daddy and headed over to Grandmama's house to meet up with his brother and two sisters. While we were waiting on them, Daddy started digging through the rubble in his trailer. He was looking for his false teeth and believe it or not - he found them! There was nothing wrong with them except a little soot on them. He put them in a cup with bleach, then cleaned them with a toothbrush and Polident and popped them in his mouth. He said they fit perfectly. I could not believe it. Praise God, we won't have to put out any money for his teeth. Now, if we can just find the ring.

Everybody showed up and we went inside the house and I started writing down what everybody said they wanted. All Daddy asked for was the bedroom suite that was his when he lived in the house with them and Pinkie and Blue Boy ceramic figurines that Grandmama made when she had her own kiln and ceramic shop. I asked if I could go through the pictures and pull out the ones that were of my family and take some of the old ones to scan and make copies for everybody. Betty said I could. I almost cried when I came across baby pictures of Earl.

There were times when things got pretty heated. During those times, I just walked into another room or went outside. I do not like conflict, so I try to get away from it whenever I can. We were there for over four hours. I was exhausted when we got home, but I wanted to go to church. I fixed Daddy some soup and kissed Vance goodbye and went to church.

Ruth is teaching a series on Deliverance and Healing. We're getting ready for the Deliverance and Healing Ministry that is going to start in the next few months. We are preparing to meet the needs of the people that God is bringing into our church who are broken, hurting, sick, etc. We don't want people to just come in, hear a sermon and leave. We want to be able to help them heal from past hurts. We're calling in all the brokenhearted, the addicts, the prostitutes, the street people, the motorcycle gang members, the abused.... We want those people that other churches would not allow in their church and believe me, there are churches out there who would turn them away at the door. That's why so many people won't go to church. They are afraid they will be judged on things from their past. Hey, if God can save them and forgive them and forget the sins they committed, we want to be like Him and do the same - forget the sins of their past.

Well, it's been a very long day and I'm very tired from being so tense for those four hours I was over at Grandmama's house. I've got to round up people to help me go get the bedroom suite and bring it to my house. That means I've got to totally clean out that bedroom. I guess I'll put the wardrobe and vanity in the garage until Daddy moves out again. He really wants his own place to live.

The VFW is having a benefit for him tomorrow night and I believe that somebody is going to give him a trailer to live in. I just have a feeling. Mama and Rose have both felt the same way. But, if not, he's welcome to stay with us forever if that's how it ends up. Vance is already talking about cutting an outside door in the bedroom, and building a patio for Daddy to be able to go outside without having to walk all through the house. I told him to hold off on that for a little while until we see what happens in the next few weeks.

I'm heading to bed. Good night and God bless...................

Hump Day Already?

I can't believe it's already Wednesday. Today was the first full day I've worked all week and I'll be off about half the day tomorrow. Have to take Daddy to find out what's going to be done about Grandmama's house and belongings.

We had our usual safety meeting this morning and I got up and thanked everybody for their prayers and donations to help Daddy. One of the guys brought in a box of clothes. It was so big I couldn't bring it home. Will need help loading it in my car.

Went to Wal-Mart at lunch and bought smoke detectors. Daddy says he told me a couple of days before the first that he needed to get a smoke detector. I don't remember that conversation at all. Was watching CSI-NY tonight and saw the name of the drug I used to take for tachycardia (also used for high blood pressure) was being used in a test group to erase the memory of domestic violence in women. No wonder my memory had gotten so bad! Thank the Lord I no longer take that stuff. I'm not having to take any type of drug anymore. Don't know if I will be put on Byetta for weight loss or not. I haven't had time to go have the bloodwork done. I've had to take care of Daddy's needs and I've still got a ton of things to do for him. I've already used up two weeks of vacation and it's not even the middle of February yet.

Kim hasn't found a bed yet. She's checking the second-hand stores now and nobody seems to have any single beds. Looks like we will be forced to buy a new one. She's going to check Sam's tomorrow and see how much they cost. Until then, Daddy will just have to sleep on the couch. It's not a bad place to sleep. I should know - I used to sleep on it at least 1-3 hours each and every night. Now, Vance has to practically kick me out of bed in the mornings cause I don't hear the alarm going off. I have to get up and stay up or I'd fall back asleep and not go to work, cause I couldn't hear the alarm.

I came home and Kim called to say there was a hugh roll-off dumpster at Grandmama's house. Looks like Darrell had one delivered. Hope they don't touch any of Daddy's stuff. Kim said she might be interested in buying the house if the price is low enough. I told her it would have to have some repairs done on it - new roof, rewiring.... But, I would love to see her in it. Then, I could still go visit.

Went to church. We had a great service. Pastor Sammy is preaching on Reversing the Curse. It was very good. Just remember: life and death are in the power of the tongue. Your words can bring blessing or cursing, so choose them wisely. I've been trying to remember to watch what I say about myself or others.

Chad and Tabitha have 12 more days before the house is theirs. The 19th is the final day. That means they will probably be moving the following weekend. Bummer! That's the weekend (Friday night and Saturday until 2:00) that Tabitha and I were going to the Hope for the Heart Conference. I really wanted us to go. Kim is also going with us. I'll have to find out for sure when they will be moving in. I sure hope it's not that weekend.

It's time for me to go to bed. I'm exhausted for some reason.

Good night and God bless.......

Been Busy

Yesterday was a busy day. Went to work until 1:00. Had a lot of catching up to do; and of course, everybody wanted to know how Daddy was doing. I took the pictures to show them just how close he came to being burned to death. Sent a testimony of God's goodness to all the Gulf Power employees. Most of them contributed money to help Daddy get back on his feet. I have such a great bunch of people working with me.

Took Daddy to the eye doctor and they checked him out pretty thorough. The doctor said his eyes were not damaged, just irritated from the smoke. They gave him a prescription for antibiotic eyedrops and told me to get some Liquigel drops to put in his eyes.

We ran by the VFW after the doctor's appointment and picked up several bags of clothes and money that was donated to Daddy. Two of his friends were there and they were so glad to see him. Bob even cried when he was telling me that they are going to hold a benefit for Daddy Friday night. That is so nice of them. Those veterans really look out for one another.

After getting back from the VFW, Vance and I took my car to the shop, then went by Mama's and picked up her car. She's letting me borrow it. Vance visited with her awhile, then started out the door. Mama said "She'll be home in a few minutes." Vance said, "That's okay, you can keep her. And I'll bring her daddy back to you, too." Mama told him he could kiss her you-know-what. We laughed and Vance left. About 20 minutes later, my cellphone rang. It was Vance. He said "I hope you know I was just kidding." I said "About what?" He said "About keeping you." I told him we both knew he was kidding and we had a good laugh about it. He said he had gotten to thinking about what he said and he didn't want to hurt my feelings, cause he sure didn't want to get rid of me. I thought that was so sweet that he would call. I knew he was joking, but it really bothered him. He's so precious. The man really loves me.

On the way to Mama's to pick up her car, he said "I need to get with Chip and see if he won't help me put a door in the bedroom so your Daddy can go outside and smoke or just sit outside. We'll put a little patio out there and extend the privacy fence so he'll have some privacy." I told him to wait on that, because Daddy really wanted to get another little trailer and move back out to Parker where his friends are. I really appreciate the way Vance wants to help take care of Daddy.

Today, I worked until 1:30, then took Daddy to the lung doctor. You won't believe this, but his lungs were actually better than they were back in August. That was a shock. So, what did Daddy want as soon as we left the doctor's office? For me to go buy him some cigarettes. I went by Winn-Dixie and got a few groceries and Daddy some cigarettes. I told him he would have to smoke outside and he said he never would think of smoking in my house. That's the first thing he did when we got home - light one up outside, then came in and said how cold it was out there. Maybe that will keep him from smoking so much. He hates the cold. He keeps it so hot in the living room that I can't stay in there. It's even hot for Vance.

The mechanic called to tell me my car was ready to be picked up and that he would wait until we got there before he closed. So, Vance and I carried Mama's car back and went to Discount Mufflers to pick mine up. It cost $295 for the two sensors, labor and towing. He forgot to check one other thing, so he did that before we left and another sensor is bad. He'll have to order one tomorrow. I should have a new car by the time I get everything replaced. Hopefully, this will take care of that little problem I have. It still has all the mechanics baffled.

I went to Wal-Mart after picking up my car so I could buy Daddy a wallet and a watch. Not having those two things has really bothered him. I missed Praise and Worship practice, but I had emailed Karen to let her know what was going on and she said I was excused. Hope to be able to go to church tomorrow night and Thursday night. We are starting Deliverance and Healing Ministry training and I want to get involved. We are going to start a 12-step program either in April or May. I'd like to be involved in that since I come from a long line of alcoholics. I would love to see people delivered and healed of all kinds of addictions.

Talked to my Aunt Rose tonight. She didn't know about the meeting on Thursday afternoon over at my grandmother's house. I think they are finally going to settle the estate. I've got to have Daddy there. I sure hope he doesn't show himself. If things don't go just the way he thinks they should go, he's going to get upset. I'm praying for peace and that all things will go smoothly. She told me they were all ready to get this over with.

Vance went and got Captain D's for supper. Daddy hadn't eaten all day, but he sure ate all his food tonight. He was in a real talkative mood after Vance went to bed. He was talking about how much money he had put into Grandmama and Granddaddy's house and how Granddaddy never ever told him that he loved him. That's so sad and probably a lot of Daddy's problem - the fact that his daddy never showed any affection for him.

Better get to bed. I've got to go to work tomorrow. Tabitha had wanted me to watch the kids after lunch tomorrow, but I wasn't sure if I could get off. She said she would try to find somebody else. Now that I won't have a car, I hope she was able to find somebody. I hate letting her and Chad down. They have to be in some kind of class all day tomorrow before they will be able to close on their house. I've already used up two weeks of my vacation and it's just the first part of February. I don't know what I will do later in the year when I have to take Daddy to doctor's appointments. I guess I'll just have to be docked my pay like I was when I took care of Earl. But, I wouldn't trade those days for any amount of money. You do what you have to do to take care of family.

Good night and God bless..................

Super Bowl Sunday

Yes, today is Super Bowl Sunday. I didn't even know who was playing until Daddy started watching it.

We had a super time at church this morning. Mrs. Sandi preached on Generational Blessings - how we need to speak those blessings over our families and break all those generational curses off of them, too.

Mrs. Shirley, who used to go to Straightway when Vance went there, is visiting. She wanted to know where Vance was and when he was coming back. She's such a sweet lady. I don't know how long she will be here. She always liked Vance.

Ginnyfer (yes, that's how you spell her name) gave Tabitha five boxes of clothes to see if any of them fit. Looks like some will fit Penny and Tiffaney, so they will get blessed, too.

The AmVets called and said they took up a collection for Daddy. I guess we'll have to go there tomorrow afternoon when I get off work. They were also waiting on the donation from the VFW. What a blessing. I gave testimony this morning of how God saved Daddy from the fire. One of the ladies that I used to go to church with at Springfield Methodist said "I didn't know you were Charlie Brown's daughter. I've known him for a very long time." Small world.

I called and talked to Uncle Rudolph. He said Darrell was going to have a dumpster set up at the house to haul off the trailer. I told him I needed to go through it and try to find Daddy's ring. He said I better do it today, so I went and rummaged through; but didn't find it. He also told me they were getting together over there Thursday afternoon to decide how to divide stuff up. I told him I would take off work and have Daddy there. I sure hope Daddy doesn't show himself. He can get pretty mean when he thinks they are taking advantage of him. Chip and I have tried to tell him to just let it go. I really don't like being around conflict, so I'm praying real hard that everything will go smoothly.

Went to K-Mart to buy Daddy some shoes and ran into an old friend from Springfield Methodist. We stood and talked for awhile catching up on things. It was so good to see her. She's still at Springfield and really likes the new pastor. Rose and Mac went last week and really liked him, too.

K-Mart had shoes on sale, so I got Daddy four pairs. He should be set for all situations now. I've still got to get a bed. Hope I can go looking tomorrow at lunch - that is, if Discount doesn't call and tell me to bring my car in for repairs. Depending on how long it's going to take, I may have to rent a car for a couple of days. I've got way too much to do and I need a car. I'm sure the doctors will want to see Daddy this week, so I need my car for that. My bloodwork will just have to wait. I just don't have time to get it done.

Daddy and I watched the first half of the Super Bowl while Vance went to visit his friend, Bill. He wanted to show Bill his new truck. And probably talk about our situation with Daddy.

He's gone now to Outback to get a blooming onion. He loves those things. I like them, too, but they are much better when you are at the restaurant and they are piping hot. They kinda get soggy when you get them as takeout. Daddy had never tasted one. He liked it. Finished watching the Super Bowl - Colts won. I was real impressed with what the announcers said about the coach. They said he never raises his voice and never says a cuss word. Bet he's a Christian. That just shows that you can win games without yelling, screaming and cussing at your players. Bless him, Lord.

It's time to go to bed. I'm getting a headache, so I think that's the sign that I need to get to bed early. This week is timesheet week and I know I will have to be off a lot, so I've got to work fast when I am at work.

God is good - all the time!
Good night and God bless...................

Brrrrrrrrr!!!!! It's Cold Outside!

Yes, it's finally winter here in the Panhandle. Kept Hope and Trent while Chad and Tabitha went and filed their income taxes. They were so good. I had to take a shower while they were here and they didn't bother Daddy at all. They played and watched TV in the dining room. They are such good kids. I only got to partially dry my hair, so I just piled it on top of my head and headed out. Don't tell my mother; she swears I'll get pneumonia. I've been outside standing in line at Market Days in Tallahassee in 30 degree weather with a wet head and never got so much as the sniffles.

Got to Penny's at 11:00. Today was Tiffaney's first softball game and we were going. Penny had to get chairs for her and Swayde. While we were at Bed, Bath & Beyond, I grabbed a blanket. I remembered that Vance had cleaned out my trunk and took my blankets and extra jackets out. It was a good thing I bought a blanket or I would have frozen more than I already did. It was so cold!!! Temperature was in the low 40's with a windchill factor in the 30's. Good thing I brought extra gloves for Swayde and Penny, or their hands would have frozen. Even with gloves on, our hands were cold. I had on a jacket with a hood with the blanket wrapped around my legs. Would pull my camera out only when Tiffaney was up to bat. And I shot through the fence cause I wasn't about to get up to try to get better shots. After the first game, Penny, Swayde and I headed to Burger King for something to eat and got a cappachino to take back. I think it turned into a frappachino before the second game was over. Thomasville University lost both games, but it didn't count against them. I left as soon as the game was over. I was so cold and I needed to get home and check on Daddy. I had been gone six hours. He assured me he could take care of himself, but he's unfamiliar with our house and the floors are not carpeted. I was afraid he might slip.

Got home and Vance had chili cooking in the crock pot. He had come home early from golfing. He said his feet got so cold he couldn't play anymore. I know what he was talking about! Daddy was fine, but he hadn't taken his bath because I forgot to tell him where the heater was to plug in to heat the bathroom. (We don't have central heat; only space heaters. That's scary since that's what caused the fire in Daddy's trailer.) It was just too cold in the bathroom to take a bath.

I uploaded Tiffaney's pictures and printed out pictures from my life for Tabitha. She's going to interview me tomorrow for a class assignment and she needed pictures from birth to present.

We ate Vance's chili and Vance went to bed around 8:00. He was tired. He got up about an hour later with cramps in his legs and had to walk around. He probably got too cold today. I know my legs haven't warmed up yet.

Daddy is doing better today. He said his eyes are clearing up and his coughing seems better. I sure hope there was no damage to his lungs.

Guess I better get to bed. Good night and God bless.............

Friday at Last!

Boy, have I had a busy last couple of days. Yesterday morning (Feb. 1, 2007) at 3:00am, our phone rang. You know that's not a good sign that early in the morning. I answered and a Parker Police Officer identifed himself and said that Daddy's trailer had caught fire, but Daddy managed to get out. He just wanted to notify a family member. I told him I would get dressed and be there in a few minutes. I woke Vance and told him where I was going and took off. When I got there, the street was covered in fire trucks and police cars. I parked and jumped out and found Daddy sitting in a lawn chair with only a tee-shirt and jeans on. No shoes. A fireman had given him a light-weight windbreaker to drape over his shoulders. His hair was singed, the tops of his ears were blistered. He was on oxygen and very shook up and cold. The trailer was a total loss.

(Pictures are posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/rutherford.patricia ) The firemen believe a little heater caused the fire. It started in the bathroom.

Daddy said he woke up with flames right in front of his face. He jumped up and realized he only had once chance to find the doorknob before he died. He found it and slid down the railing outside. The next thing he remembers is being in front of my grandmother's house at the end of her driveway screaming for help. A man about half a block away called the fire department and came running to Daddy. By this time, Daddy had gone to the edge of the house and was peeking around the corner watching his trailer burn. He was expecting it to blow up because of the two propane tanks on the front of it. I believe with all my heart that angels woke my Daddy up and carried him to safety. You see, my Daddy can hardly walk. He has to have a cane and his legs sometimes give out on him. If he doesn't have a cane, he has to grab onto something to keep from falling. So, I know he couldn't have run around that house without divine intervention. You can call it adrenaline rush if you want to, but I believe God intervened.

The police officer took down info from me and carried the only thing they salvaged out of the trailer to my car. It was an antique 22 rifle. He put it in my trunk. I doubt it can be refurbished, but I may be wrong. I turned up the heater, wrapped a jacket around Daddy and headed home. He was freezing. It was pretty cold out. We got home and I made up the couch for him to sleep on. I couldn't go to sleep, so I went in my computer room and prayed and thanked God for saving my Daddy. Daddy had refused medical attention, but I was worried about his lungs.

He refused to eat all day, but he drank a lot of water. That's good. I called Penny and Chip before they went to work. Penny had an inhaler like the one prescribed for Daddy, so I went and got it. Naturally, he lost all his medication. All he has left was the clothes he had on his back. Good thing it wasn't summer. He would have been in the buff when they found him. Now, that's a horrible thought!

I started cleaning out the front bedroom (Vance's old room). It has been my storage/junk room, so it's a mess. Tabitha and Hope came over to help. She carried off about six bags to Goodwill and clothes to a friend from church. And I threw away a lot of stuff, too. Michelle would be proud! Speaking of Michelle, she sent out emails to family and friends to pray for my Daddy. Her mother called and asked his sizes. You've got to listen to this - Mike (Michelle's dad) wears the same size clothes as Daddy. Pam is packing up a box and putting it in the mail. Now, that's how my God works! Was getting calls all day asking "What does he need? How can we help?" Kim called and said my co-workers were taking up money. I cried a little at that. They are such great people.

It was raining so hard all day, but I needed to go get Rubbermaid containers to put stuff in that I'm keeping - like photos, hundreds of photos.....) I ran by Gulf Power to give Trish a going away card and gift. Several of the guys came up and hugged me and asked how Daddy was doing and asked if there was anything they could do to help. Like I said, they are a great group of people. I left there, in a torrential downpour and headed to Big Lots. I ran through several streets that were flooded and got about half-way to BL when my car started sputtering. I couldn't go over 5-10mph. Several times, I had to pull off the side of the road to let cars pass. Then, I had to decide which roads would have the least amount of traffic so I could drive without having to pull over every couple of minutes. I went to the Dollar General Store behind Loco's and got some containers and some soup for Daddy. I was in there about 30 minutes hoping the car would dry out or whatever and work like it's supposed. No such luck. I made it about two miles before I decided I better not drive it anymore. I pulled off the side of the road and called Discount Mufflers to come get the car and called Penny to see if she could pick me up. She left work and pulled up behind me as the tow truck was turning. Chip called to see what was wrong. He had just passed us and pulled over up the block to see if we needed help. I told him we were okay. We unloaded the car and I remembered the rifle in the trunk. I told the driver and he said we better get it out. He hid it under his poncho so no one would see it. The road was packed with cars - rush hour traffic. I noticed when he drove the car onto the flatbed that it didn't sputter. I told Penny "It went up on the flatbed faster than I was able to drive it. I bet they won't find anything wrong with it." Sure enough, when I called about an hour later, Harry had driven it and put in on the computer and couldn't find a thing wrong with it. This is the third time they have tried to find the problem and it works fine for them. Penny took me to her house. We picked up a TV for Daddy and she brought me home.

Mama called about a dozen times checking on Daddy and telling me different things that I needed to do. She says she hates him, but she sure seemed mighty concerned about him.

I was in bed by 9:00. I was exhausted. Woke up this morning and started on the room again. Turned on TV to check the weather and saw where Central Florida had been hit with tornadoes. Michelle's parents and sister live in Orlando. I called her and woke her up and told her to call her mother. She called back and said they were fine. It also hit the Villages where a friend of mine lives. I didn't have her number, so I called Dot. She called Connie and woke her up, but Connie didn't know anything about it. She must have slept right through it.

Managed to get Daddy to eat a honeybun for breakfast. There's a lot he won't be able to eat until we get him some new false teeth. I forgot to find out who his dentist was. I'm really not good at getting things like that done. Right now, my brain is overloaded on trying to get a room ready. I've got to buy a single bed whenever I get it cleaned out. I may have to take off a couple more days next week to get that done and get other things done. I don't know where to start.

Kim took half a day of vacation and came over to help me with the room and run me places. Hard to go anywhere without a car. It's still in the shop. I talked Daddy into eating some soup and Kim and I went to Big Lots and then to PoFolks for lunch. I've been forgetting to eat, too. I was beginning to get a headache and getting the shakes. We ate white fish and Kim said we needed to take our leftovers back to Daddy. Thank God for somebody who can think at a time like this. I would have just left it. We took it back to Daddy and he ate half of what we gave him. We worked in the room another couple of hours, then I had to go to the Credit Union and we went around to Kim's office and she went inside. Came out with an envelope from the employees that we took and deposited in Daddy's savings for him to use for whatever he needs. Then, we headed to his place. I took pictures and we sifted through stuff looking for his ring. That's the only thing he really wants to find. We found some rolled coins, but haven't found the ring yet. I'm believing we'll eventually find it. We worked there over an hour until my back was in so much pain I was in tears. I told Kim we had to quit. We fed the cats, checked the mail and went by and picked up my car. No, they haven't fixed it, but they have ordered a part. Some transmission sensor that kept flashing up on their computer.

Penny called and said her boyfriend told her that if my car had a distributor cap to check it. He thinks there is a crack in it and that's what the problem is. Vance said he didn't know if it had one or not. We'll check it tomorrow. Wouldn't that be great if it's something that simple?

I did remember to call CVS to get Daddy's blood pressure medicine refilled. Went and picked that up. Vance called and said he was going to bed. He was exhausted. Got home and Daddy didn't want any supper. Neither did I. Daddy went to sleep and I uploaded the pictures. Now, I think I'm going to bed.

Good night and God Bless..........................

Back to Work

I sure didn't want to get up this morning and go to work, but I did. Showed off pictures of Vance's truck. The guys were amazed that we got such a good deal on it.

Daddy called. I was so busy yesterday and had a migraine on Monday, that I didn't check on him and he had been sick both days. Said he didn't even feed his cats yesterday, he was so sick. I wish he would call me when he's sick, but he doesn't want to bother me. We will go to lunch tomorrow. He said he's feeling better.

I went to CATO's at lunch. They were having a good sale and I really needed some winter clothes. I got some really cute things at great prices. Even bought some jewelry to match. I never do that.

This afternoon, Randy had to go to the doctor, so he locked down the Warehouse and I had two hours of blissful peace. Was able to catch up on most of my work without interruption.

Church was good tonight. Ruth preached and it was good. She always has visual skits to go along with her sermons and it makes things really come alive. I really enjoyed it.

Hope was so cute tonight. She told Mrs. Lettie that her PawPaw would fix the broken toilet paper holder in the nursery bathroom. She said her PawPaw could fix anything. I forgot to tell Vance that when I got home. I'll have to remember to tell him tomorrow.

I've got to take a Giftability Survey before I go to bed. Mrs. Sandi asked me what my gifts were tonight besides singing and signing (which I don't do anymore). I told her I wasn't sure other than Helps ministry. She wanted to know if I felt led to teach. I immediately told her "no". That is not something I feel I can do. So, I guess I will take this survey to see where my gifts are. Should be interesting.

Good night and God bless.................