Went Shopping

Went to work, but didn't have anything to do. Kim was in a meeting almost all day. We had planned to go to lunch together, but they brought food in for the meeting. At 10:00, I went down to John's office and told him I was taking an early, extended lunch. He hadn't had a chance to do his timesheets yet and neither had any of the other supervisors. That's why I didn't have anything to do. So, I went to Ross to see if they had any more of the cupcake carriers. Michelle had borrowed one for Fox's birthday party and I had seen them there a couple of weeks ago. I had bought one for Tabitha because she was going to carry cupcakes to Hope's school. She loves it. I got to thinking about it and decided to go back and see if they had any left. Yep, two. I bought them both. Michelle, one is for you and I'll probably give the other one away since I don't bake much anymore. As a matter of fact, I think I will give it to Kim tomorrow. She bakes all the time for her granddaughters.

I left Ross and went to Big Lots. Fran and I have been turned on to some really cheap, but nice makeup - E.L.F. It was advertised on Oprah the other day. Fran called me and had me check out the website. Check it out at www.eyeslipsface.com Most of the products are only $1.00. The K-Mart store on Tyndall Parkway and Big Lots carry some of it. I found some yesterday at K-Mart and some at Big Lots today. Neither one carry the same thing. And K-Mart sells it for $1.00, but Big Lots sells it for $1.80. I bought some to try. So far, I like it.

As I was leaving Big Lots, a car pulled into the parking lot and it was Chad and Tabitha. They got out and we talked for a few minutes. Chad is putting in applications everywhere trying to find a job. Tabitha said they prayed together this morning. That is so great. I believe Chad is being drawn back to God through this by having to rely fully on Him. Tabitha is doing well and was able to get all the tests done on her kidneys.

I went back to work after stopping by Wendy's to get a hamburger. I haven't eaten anything from there in years. Got a side salad instead of fries. The hamburger was good and I ate the salad without dressing. I'm trying to do better.

When I got back to work, sure enough, I had some timesheets in the fax machine. So, I got to work and didn't quit until almost 6:00. I called and talked to Michelle. They were at Sea World. I'm sure Fox loved that. They are doing a good job of keeping him occupied. Not only will he remember breaking his leg, but he'll remember all the great things he got to do while recuperating.

I came home and washed a load of clothes. Vance had washed a load before I got home. We have been together so long that we think just alike sometimes.

Now, I think I will head off to bed. Murder She Wrote is almost off, so it's time for me to go to bed.
Goodnight and God bless..........

Pray for McKinley

I talked to Angie (my sister-in-law)last night and she told me that McKinley (Corey's daughter; her granddaughter)is having surgery next week to remove her tonsils and adnoids and scrape her sinuses. She has had a staph infection in her face and has been on several antibiotics, but they aren't working. The doctor says she is immune to them and has taken her off everything until the surgery. Please pray for her that she will not have any problems and the infection will be gone when she goes to have surgery. She's only 2 years old and also has seizures. I'm wondering if the seizures could be caused by all the meds she has been on or from the infection in her sinuses. She is such a precious little girl. The picture at the top of the page on the left is of her. Isn't she a doll?

Penny and I found some pictures of Tiffaney when she was little and the second picture is of her. Don't they look a lot alike?

Today was a pretty uneventful day. I had an email from a woman in Pensacola asking for help with some vehicle charges. I had all the info she needed except for two of the trucks, so I contacted Kim and she supplied the people who drove the trucks. I sent the info back and continued with my work. After I got back from lunch, the lady called and thanked me and said "You and Kim are the only ones who will even respond to my emails or call me back. Nobody else in the company will help me except you two." She was so appreciative. I just don't understand. Kim and I would never even think to not return someone's email or phone call. We will help anybody if we can. I know I would want someone to help me if I needed it. Whatever happened to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?"

Went to church. We had a great Praise & Worship service. We did a new song that we learned last night and you could just feel the Spirit of the Lord in it. Everybody responded. It is such an anointed song. Pastor Sammy wasn't there. He had come in, but left to go to the ER. He had a place on his arm that was bleeding and just wouldn't stop. Our other Pastor Sammy preached, but I didn't get to hear him because of our Bible Study. It was so good tonight. I just love Beth Moore.

It has turned cold and I am having trouble finding warm clothes. That's what I hate about putting things away for a season. I forget all about them and end up going out and buying more clothes. Not this year. I'm going to go through all my big Rubbermaid containers and drag out my winter clothes. Would have done it tonight, but they are in our bedroom closet and Vance went to bed as soon as I got home from church. Maybe I can go through it after he leaves for work tomorrow. I've got to find a sweater - something other than one with Christmas decorations all over it. Too bad I don't have one with fall appliques. That would be nice right now.

I think I will get to bed. Goodnight and God bless.............
Michelle, tell Fox I love him very much and I'm still praying that cast will come off quicker than expected.

Getting Cooler Outside

It was chilly when I got up this morning. Felt so good. I went to work but decided not to go to the safety meeting and get right on the work that has been piling up. Take off one day and it's hard to catch up.

Kim made a new pot of coffee, so I had a cup and got back to work on the timesheets. Mama called and asked me to stop by her house this afternoon to look at some papers and tell her what she needed to do about them. Daddy called and said he needed some things from the store. It was only three items, so I was able to go to the grocery store at lunch and pick them up. I had brought a salad for my lunch, so I went back and ate at my desk.

I called Michelle to see how Fox was doing. He was able to sleep through the night Saturday night without being woke up for pain meds. I think that is great. They are down in Orlando, so she had help this weekend from Pam and Mike. I'm glad she and Vance get so much help from friends and family. What a blessing.

After work, I went to Mama's and stayed until 6:30. She had me thinking that she was losing 2 lbs. a day, but when I looked at her chart, she has only lost 1/2 a pound. Her weight has fluctuated up and down, but it just depends on the time of day that she weighs herself. If it's early in the morning, her weight is down some; if it's later, her weight is about what it was when she left the nursing home. But she says she doesn't have an appetite and feels that the doctor will probably put her in the hospital. I just don't know what to think about all this. I don't know if she is just lonely and wants to go back to the nursing home because she was getting so much attention all day long, or what is going on. None of us can quit our jobs and stay with her all day. Especially since she gets around so well. Home Health Care comes in almost daily and say she is doing well.

I came home and sat with Vance a little while, then came in and worked on the computer. He was watching a scary movie and I sure didn't want to watch that. I copied some recipes for the crock pot for him. He loves to cook and I thought he could find something in those recipes to make. I got them from www.southernplate.com
Great Southern recipes.

Well, I'm getting too sleepy to type, so I think I better go to bed. Goodnight and God bless.................

Sleepy Sunday

Went to church. It was Pastor Appreciation Day and I gave our pastors pictures of them that I had taken back in the 80's. Pastor Sammy loved them. We had food after the service. I had not planned on eating because I forgot to bring anything, but Judy talked me into it. She said she brought plenty. It's hard to prepare food in the morning when you have to be there early. We had a lot of visitors. There was plenty of food. At first, it didn't look like there would be enough, but I kept seeing people go back for two and three plates and there just seemed to be more and more food. It's like when Jesus took the loaves and fishes and there were baskets left over afterwards. Well, there was plenty of food left over. You can't tell me God doesn't perform miracles today.

I had planned on going to see Mama, but then I realized the race would be on and she doesn't like to be interrupted when she watching the race. And, besides, I was so sleepy. All I wanted to do was go home and go to bed. I came home, changed clothes, kissed Vance and went to bed and slept until 5:30.

When I got up, Vance needed me to go to the grocery store and get some rice for a dish he was preparing. It took an hour in the grocery store. First, I'm still not familiar with the Lynn Haven Winn-Dixie, so I couldn't find the things I was looking for; and it seemed everybody in Lynn Haven had decided to go shopping at the same time. I bought some things that I can take to work to eat instead of eating out every day. Trying to save some money and eat a little better. I had to stand in line for about 15 minutes and they had just about all the lines open. It looked like when people go shopping to stock up right before a hurricane. I don't know what the deal was.

Came home and worked on some photographs that I had taken today at church. Some good ones of the kids that were there. I love taking pictures of kids.

I also watched Extreme Home Makeover and cried the entire hour. I love that show, but it always makes me cry. I usually don't watch it for that very reason, but I decided that I would watch it anyway. So I did and I cried and cried some more. It was beautiful.

Vance made a dish of several types of beans, corn, hot dogs, rice and cheese. It was really good. He comes up with some concoctions that look terrible, but taste great.

Now that it's after midnight, I guess I better get to bed. It's going to be a busy day trying to play catch-up since I was off Friday. And I may have to take Trent to his doctor's appointment because Tabitha thinks she has an appointment at the same time to find out the results of her tests on her kidneys. We're interested to see if that third kidney has grown bigger. I'm believing it has and it will soon be able to take over for the diseased kidney.

Goodnight and God bless................

Check out Michelle's blog to find the latest on Fox. Also, check out www.southernplate.com for some great Southern recipes.

Later Saturday

I guess it was around 3:30 or 4:00 when I finally got to bed. Fell right asleep. I love sleeping with the windows open this time of year. The air is just so crisp and clean - good sleeping weather. Maybe that's why I slept most of the day yesterday.

Today, I got up around 9:00. Didn't do much. I was just tired and worked on pictures. Kim and I think the Chronic Fatigue has come back and that's why I'm so tired all the time. Plus, I have other symptoms that I had before when I had CFS. Yeah, I know, I need to get off the sugar and carbs. I know all that, but I crave those things.

Penny called and said Mama is talking about going back into the nursing home. She's losing about 2lbs. a day. She just won't eat. Penny said she thought it was because none of us have gone to see her since she got home. I told her I had been by there twice this week and would be going after church tomorrow. I think it's because nobody is forcing her to eat three times a day, so she just doesn't eat. Hey, I know exactly how she feels. I don't eat either. But, instead of losing weight, I'm gaining. Not fair!

It was almost 2:00 before I even ate anything and that amounted to two pieces of toast with peanut butter. Vance came home a little before 3:00. His back was hurting him. At 4:00, I jumped in the shower to get ready for Trent's birthday party. Vance said he'd come over for a little while. I stopped by Sonic and got some tea. By the time I got to Chad's, I was shaking from hunger. Ate a couple of Oreo's and a piece of bread.

Everybody started showing up. Dexter and his two girls were there. Dexter was trying to help Chad find out why his car quit on him today at the store. They had to tow it home. Vance came over, but didn't stay long. His back was hurting him and he's not comfortable around a lot of people. He got there before everybody started showing up. When everybody else got there, he left. I don't think they ever figured out what was wrong with Chad's car.

We had spaghetti, then dirt cake. It was all good. Of course, I took a lot of pictures. When do I not take pictures? I stuck around until 7:00, just talking to Chad, Tabitha, Dexter and Tiffany. Everybody else had already gone home.

Came home and watched a movie on the Hallmark Channel. Edward Asner starred as a grandfather whose young grandson got in trouble in New York and got sent to live with him. He turned his life around that summer. It was a really good movie.

Now, I think I will scan some more photos. Goodnight all! God bless..........

Why Am I Still Up???

It's almost 2:30 in the morning on Saturday and I'm still up. Not sleepy at all. Could be because I slept half the day. I woke up with a terrible sinus headache and called in and took a day of vacation. Then, I went back to bed and slept till almost noon. Still had a headache, but I felt rested......

I'm still looking for those pictures for Penny and the youth group. Haven't found them yet, but I found a lot of pictures that I wanted to scan.

Around 2:30, I was getting ready to go to the Credit Union when Vance came home. He got off early; said there was nothing to do. I stopped by Sonic and got a sweet tea and corn dog. First food or drink I've had all day. Went to the Credit Union and Sylvia came in. Haven't seen her in months. I stayed and talked with her for a long time, then went to Office Max and got some ink for my printer.

Came home and continued to look for those pictures. Started scanning pictures and have just finished a whole box full. The picture above is Vance with our Great Dane PhuMy (fu me). Now, I guess I better try and go to bed and get some sleep.

Thursday - A Little Different

Got to work early today. That's very unusual for me. I even stopped by Sonic and got breakfast. Of course, I had to wait over an hour for the supervisors to send me any timesheets to do. I could have slept another hour and then gone to work. That would have been nice. I went to sleep earlier than usual last night, but I've been sleepy all day at work. I stayed busy the rest of the morning. Daddy called and said he needed some Aleve and Benadryl for his allergies. I was glad he called before lunch.

I went to Walgreens and got his stuff and carried it to him. I also had a short visit with him and gave him the papers I got from the attorney about Grandmama's estate. I didn't understand any of it and he's mad, cause he thinks they are taking advantage of him and that he won't get anything. If the truth be known, he should get more than anybody, because he helped build the house, he put up the fence, he kept it up for over 20 years. Anything went wrong, he fixed it. None of the rest would do that. The only thing they did was clean the yards once in awhile and take advantage of Grandmama. But I'm not getting involved in this mess. I told him he would have to handle it with his attorney.

Went back to work and stayed busy all afternoon. On my way home, I called and talked to Michelle. She said Fox was doing pretty good. He slept good last night. They still wake him up every four hours to give him pain medication. She and Fox are leaving in the morning with Shannon to go to Orlando until next weekend. Vance will take off next Thursday and Friday and drive down to pick them up. That will be a good diversion for Fox. He'll have his other grandparents and Dylan to keep him company. Michelle is going to help Shannon remodel her kitchen.

She told me that Robbie sent a care package and there was a stuffed puppy in the box. Fox took the puppy and said "I like my puppy." Michelle asked what he was going to name his puppy and he said "O". Just O. Don't know why, but that's his puppy's name. Vance got home while I was talking to her and she put the phone on speaker so I could hear their conversation. She asked Fox to show Daddy what he got today. He said "A puppy." She said "Who sent it to you?" He said "Aunt Robbie." She said "What did you name your puppy?" He said "O". He's so cute!

I had been invited to a Premier Jewelry party tonight, but I told the girl I probably couldn't come because I usually buy groceries for my Dad on Thursday afternoon and don't get home before 7:00. Well, I didn't have to this afternoon, so I decided to go. I really enjoyed myself and yes, I bought some jewelry. Like I need another piece of jewelry! All the women were Christians and we had a great time of fellowship. Some of the pieces looked just like some of the jewelry that Mama just gave me. If you hold on to something long enough (jewelry & clothes) it will eventually come back around and be in style again. Of course, the clothes probably won't fit, but the jewelry will!

Now, I think I will go to bed. Goodnight and God bless................Pray that Michelle, Fox, Shannon and Dylan have a safe trip to Orlando.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today is my dad's 78th birthday. I called him after I got to work and he said he didn't even realize it was the 22nd. I guess when you get that old, your birthday is just another day. He was glad I remembered. I know none of the rest of the family did.

For once in a very long time, I finished my work before lunch. I almost took the rest of the day off, but I didn't. I figured I could find something to do and I did - filing. It is always backed up. The reason I was caught up was because all the supervisors were in a meeting yesterday and today and couldn't do any work. Right before I left for the day, they got caught up. I'll have a lot to do tomorrow!

I was hungry at lunch (because I hadn't eaten this morning), so I went to get some good home cooking instead of a sandwich. Wrong thing to do. I've enjoyed the last two days of sitting at the marina. Today I took my lunch back to my office and thought I'd have some peace - wrong. Everybody decided to come in and talk to me about vacation time left. Not only that, I was so sleepy the rest of the day. Tomorrow, it's back to a sandwich at the marina.

Tabitha called and said Dixie had 10 puppies - 3 brindles, 2 white w/brindle spots and 5 blacks. She said Dixie is a great mother. Now, they will have to get rid of 10 puppies. When it's time, I think I will put them on PanamaCityFreecycle@yahoo.com. That is, if they are giving them away and not selling them.

Chad is still looking for a job. He came over and put in applications on the computer. Their computer must have gotten a virus. It won't work properly. Pray that he gets a good job soon - one with benefits.

Tabitha has been getting tests done this week on her kidneys. She has two very small kidney stones. She had a test today to see if the 3rd kidney is growing. We are praying that it will grow and take over for the other kidney. I believe it will, cause when God starts a miracle, He doesn't stop it.

I didn't go in to the Ladies Bible Study tonight. Tabitha seemed to need me more in church. There were only about a dozen of us in the sanctuary with Pastor Sammy. Everybody else was in other classes. We had a good time interacting with him. He would give scriptures and ask questions and we'd just speak up. It was good. Mrs. Sandi was home sick. She wasn't feeling very good yesterday either.

I'm really tired, so I'm going to go to bed before midnight tonight. Goodnight and God bless.................

Need a Puppy?

Work was normal. Nothing out of the ordinary happened today. Went to lunch at the marina again. So peaceful. Watched the kids at PCMI climb a huge climbing tower. They looked like they were having fun.

Mama called. She is actually getting money from the Tobacco lawsuit because she has emphysema. The check she received was for $9000.00,but the attorneys get at least 45%, maybe more. She has to sign the check and send it to the attorneys and they will then send her whatever her portion is. I was surprised. I didn't figure she would live to see any money. She wanted me to come by and pick up the check and make a copy of it, then mail it off. I spent about 45 minutes with her.

Tabitha had called earlier and said that Dixie was having puppies (6) and did I have an old blanket they could have. I said I sure did and would bring it on my way to P&W practice. So, I left Mama's, came home and kissed Vance, grabbed the blankets and went to their house. She had 8 by the time I got there. Dixie and Austin are pit bulls. Dixie is black and Austin is brindle. They are the sweetest dogs you will ever meet and they love kids. Not very good watch dogs; they will let you in the yard and in the house and just look at you. Anyway, she had brindle, black and two that were white with black rings around their eyes. So cute. She let me pick them up without any problems. I took a few pictures, but don't have time to upload them right now. It's already after midnight. While I was at church, Tabitha left me a message that she now had 10 puppies. Now, we will have to find homes for them.

We had practice - a song that Scottie wrote - then prayer. I came home, ate supper and started my Bible Study (five nights worth in one night). Vance was asleep in his chair the whole time. I still don't think he's gone to bed even though I have tried to wake him up twice. Vinnie is pacing. He's ready to go to bed and neither one of us is in the bedroom. He will not go to sleep until we do. Shadow will just curl up in the kitchen and sleep until I walk by her to go to bed. Then she goes into the bathroom or curls up outside our bedroom door.

I guess I better get to bed, since it's already after midnight. Will post pictures of the puppies tomorrow.

Goodnight and God bless..................

Monday again - Way too soon

Can you believe that October is almost over? I love this time of year - cool, beautiful wild flowers, beautiful sunrises (that I never see) and sunsets.

I didn't even try to make the safety meeting this morning. I had too much to do at work. Had several reports to run and a bunch of adjustments to make. Most of the safety meetings are way over my head, so I didn't think missing one would hurt.

Was busy this morning. Went to Chick-Fil-A and got lunch and then to the marina to sit and eat where it was peaceful. The water was slick as glass. Would have loved to be out on a boat, but I had to go back to work instead. Bummer!

Mama called and got me to pay a couple of her bills. She seems to be doing good. I took off at 4:30, my regular time, and went to see her. She's doing good. Home Health Care comes around to check on her. They made her walk around inside the house to make sure she was doing okay. They check her blood pressure and vital signs. Basically, they aggravate her. :) I visited with her until 6:00, then came home. Vance was working on his '67 Plymouth Belvedere. Who knows? One day, he may finish it and drive it. That would be cool.

I am still looking for photographs. Scanned a few that I found, but didn't find the ones I'm specifically looking for. I can't remember if they are in an album or if I took them out and put them in a box. I'm sure I'll come across them sooner or later. It does take a lot of time to go through hundreds of thousands of photographs, especially if they aren't organized in any way. That's me: The Queen of Disorganization.

It's getting late and I'm tired of looking for photos, so I'm going to bed. Keep praying for Fox, Vance and Michelle. They all need some sleep and Fox's leg needs to heal quickly!

What a Week It's Been

Got a call from Michelle on Thursday morning that Fox had fallen on the playground and hurt his leg. She was having x-rays done. Said he was in a lot of pain. She called back and said that his right femur was broken and they were headed to the ER to have a cast put on. The next call I got was from Vance. They put Fox in a full body cast and Vance was going to rent a special car seat. I cried all day cause I couldn't be there with them. I've always been able to be with Trent and Hope whenever they have been sick, even going to the hospital and doctor's appointments with them. So, it was really hard to sit at work and not be able to offer my support. But, I did get on the computer and email everybody that I knew to start praying for him and to put him on their prayer lists.

Friday was timesheet day, so it was very, very busy. I had a doctor's appointment at 9:00, so I used that time for my lunch. The results of all the tests on my legs were inconclusive. No broken bones, no blood clots, no anemia and no leukemia. Of all that, I am very thankful. My doctor suggested that I start wearing compression hose to try to get the blood flowing properly. Will have to wait until Monday to buy those. I'm also supposed to have a pelvic ultrasound to see if there are any blockages there. Debb and Kim went to lunch and brought me back something. I am so thankful for friends. I didn't leave the office until around 5:00. Had to get some groceries for Daddy. Had planned on stopping by to see Mama, but I was too exhausted.

Saturday, I got up and cleaned the house and washed some clothes. Debb came over to bring me a gift for Judy's baby shower. She wasn't going to be able to go, so I told her I'd take it. Trent called to see if he could spend the night. Of course, I said yes. I enjoy having him around. I went shopping for a gift for Judy, then went and picked up Trent. Stayed at their house about an hour. Came home and Trent and I hung out at the computer looking at pictures. He is so sweet. He looked at a picture and said "Nonna, did you take that picture?" I said, "Yes, Trent, I did." He said "You're a good photographer." That meant the world to me. To have my grandchild say that I'm good. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks - Trent thinks I'm good!

Vance had cooked pork chops and potatoes and all Trent wanted to eat was grits. He ended up eating four bowls. After Vance went to bed, I was craving ice cream and so we went to McDonald's. Trent got a Happy Meal with a milkshake and I got an Oreo/ice cream McFlurry. Only ate half of it so I could eat the rest later. I usually buy the large size, eat a little and put it in the freezer. Sometimes I can make it last three days. Beats eating all those calories at once.

I woke up this morning and just couldn't get going. I honestly could not wake up. I fixed Trent some grits, kissed Vance and told him I was going back to bed and to take care of Trent. I called and talked to Steve and let him know that I wouldn't be at church. Then, I went to bed. I didn't wake up until almost 1:00. Trent was gone. Vance said they came and picked him up. I didn't make it to the shower either. Debb called. She had actually gone to the shower and found out her present wasn't there. She called to see if I was okay. She stopped by on her way home to check on me. That was sweet of her.

I've been working on photographs all day. Still haven't found the pictures from Penny's wedding to Roy that she wanted a picture from. I know I saw them about a month ago, but I don't know what I did with them. I'm also looking for a photo album from a trip that the youth group from Springfield Methodist took to Gatlinburg. Haven't found it either. That's what happens when I clean house. I lose everything. When things are in a really stupid place where they shouldn't be, I know where they are and can go right to them when I need to. But, if I put things away in a logical place, I'll never be able to find them again. Out of sight; out of mind.

I'm going to go do some more looking for those pictures, so ya'll have a good night.

Half the Week Already Gone

I've been getting up and trying to eat a piece of toast with peanut butter before I leave for work. My doctor told me that if I didn't "break the fast" every morning, my pancreas was going to stop producing insulin and I'd be a full-blown diabetic. So, I'm trying even though I really don't get hungry until lunch-time. I bought this big bag of five types of unsalted nuts and took it to work. I eat about a 1/4 cup about 10:00 for a snack. I'm trying to get better. It seems to have helped my feet, it that makes any sense. The swelling seems to be not as bad and I don't have as much trouble walking as I did last week. Now, if I can just stop the sweet tea again. I'm not drinking as much as I used to, but I'm drinking at least one 44 oz. sweet tea from Sonic every day. I did better today. I didn't go to Sonic. I got a 32 oz. from Zaxby's instead.

Work was pretty normal. Talked to Debb. Sierra came home today to go to the doctor and Debb will take her back tomorrow. Cameron is holding his own. Debb will get more info when she goes to see him tomorrow. God is really moving on Sierra's behalf. Someone from the main office paid her rent for October and November and she is assured that she will have a job waiting for her at Winn-Dixie when she gets Cameron home. God is really blessing her.

I went to Zaxby's at lunch and got a chicken salad sandwich and came home to eat. I just wanted some peace. Normally, I eat at my desk while the guys are gone, but somebody always comes in and interrupts me or wants me to open the warehouse. I just felt like I needed to be alone today. I ended up giving the dogs half my sandwich, but it was so nice not to have to "work" during lunch.

Talked to Tabitha this afternoon. She said Chad has an interview tomorrow at an auto parts store - Advanced Auto Parts. The beginning salary starts out low, but after a few months you can get benefits. That's what I have been praying for. That they would be able to get insurance.

I picked up the kids and took them to church with me. Tabitha and Chad were cleaning out his shed and she didn't have time to get ready for church. We're in our 3rd week of the Bible Study. I did four nights of study last night after prayer at church. I'm really enjoying this Bible Study. It's making me take time to get in the Bible. I like structured study like this, cause I really don't know how to study. I never really learned how to study. When I was in school, I would just read and read the material until I had the test, then I would forget about it. But, it's there inside somewhere, cause I was able to answer some questions Kim was telling me from Lyric's homework last night and the answers just popped out. I was shocked that I got them right. Kim said "You are so smart. That is why I get so upset when you put yourself down and say that you are a failure. You are not a failure. You are very intelligent." I just never feel like I am, so when answers just pop into my head I know it's from God. Cause half the stuff, I never remember studying.

Talked to Angie on the way to church. She said they are doing fine. Mia will turn one on November the 1st. I think they are going to have a party, but she said the invitations haven't been sent out yet. We are supposed to have a Praise & Worship party at 4:00 that afternoon. I hope it's not the same time as Mia's party. Angie has been working on our Family Tree or is that Heritage Tree. She's loving it as much as I am. Now that Vance loaded Family Tree Maker on my computer, I can pull that info and add it to the Heritage Tree. It's a lot of fun to do. And the cool thing is, you can get other members of the family to add to it. Angie's mother's family goes all the way back to the Queen of England. Shirley is actually descended from royalty. It will be cool to see her info when she gets it all in.

Okay, I really need to go to bed. Mama gets out of the nursing home tomorrow. I don't know if I will be able to go see her. It depends on how late I have to work.

Goodnight and God bless..............

Where Did the Weekend Go?

First, Cameron is at Sacred Heart and doing well. He's a little fighter, that's for sure. Sierra is having some problems. She just had a C-section on Wednesday, got out of the hospital on Friday and is in Pensacola with Cameron. I'm sure she is on her feet way too much. Had to go to the ER last night. Haven't heard from her today.

Friday, Dylan (the 4th grader who cut his hands trying to tear apart a pair of scissors) was still in the hospital. I think that really made an impression on Trent. He was telling Hope this weekend not to take any dares. Thank You, Lord, that he listened to me.

Saturday morning, I got up early and was at Chad and Tabitha's around 6:30 to pick up the kids. We left at 7:00. They were so good. We stopped at McDonald's in Blountstown to get breakfast and go to the bathroom. Hope wanted to turn on the hand dryer. Her hair was still damp, so I told her to put her head under it and let it dry her hair. She did, then she turned and looked at the dryer and said "Nonna, why can't I see the air?" Okay, that's one of those questions that's really hard to answer, so I said a quick prayer and this is what came out: "Hope, God created the air so that we could breathe and do things like dry our hair. But, if he had made it so we could see it, then we wouldn't be able to see each other or anything that He had made. If air was a color, it would block everything and all you would see would be that color. So, God made the air completely clear so that I could see you and you could see the trees and the sky and all the beautiful things that God has made. You can see the trees blowing in the wind, but you can't see the wind. If you could see the wind, you wouldn't be able to see the trees. Does that make any sense to you?" She thought about it for a minute and said "Yes, Nonna. God made air clear so we could see everything." Thank You, Lord, for that revelation. I've never thought of it like that before. Isn't God awesome?

We got to the park right before everybody started coming. Trent and Hope had a ball on the playground equipment, especially the see-saw. Trent would bounce it so that Hope would scream. Yeah, she's definitely a girl. She's got that high-pitched scream down pat. Fox was having so much fun. There were so many kids there. But, he was also ready for cake. He and Dylan and some of the other kids got icing all over their faces. I watched Hope eat her cupcake and she was so dainty that she didn't get a bit on her. The pictures of the other kids are so cute!! I love that blue and red and green icing all over their faces. Photographers (at least this photographer) is in heaven with pictures like that.

After the party, we went back to the house and opened presents. Fox got all kinds of Thomas the Train stuff. They are so cute. And there is one (I can't remember the real name), but Fox calls him Boogers. We don't know why, but you can tell him the real name and he'll say "No, it's Boogers!"

We had subs for lunch, then they put Fox and Dylan down for naps and Vance, Trent and Hope put together the railroad tracks for all the cars to run on. While they were working on the tracks, Pam, Mike, Shannon, Michelle and I sat and talked. Pam started laughing. None of us had said anything funny, so we all looked at her and she pointed to the baby monitor that was monitoring Fox. She turned it up and he was singing to himself "Happy birthday to Fox! Happy birthday to me!" We all cracked up. It was priceless. He must have sang for at least 10 minutes before Michelle went in and told him he needed to take a nap. I wish we had a video of that.

Vance, Trent and Hope went outside and played with the dogs. Lucky would not leave Trent alone. He kept attacking his shoes. Wherever Trent went, Lucky was attached to his foot. It was so funny. For some reason, Lucky loves shoelaces. He would bite Trent's laces and hang on for dear life. He's a crazy dog.

Before we left they were playing in the front yard. They had set up two chairs and Trent and Vance were playing volleyball over the chairs. As we started to leave, Vance came to me and said "I knew Trent looked just like Chad, but he acts exactly like him, too."

We got back on the road and stopped at McDonald's before we got on the interstate because they were hungry again. As soon as Hope finished her food, she fell asleep in her car seat. Trent was playing with a pinball video game and it was making noise, so he turned it off and said "I'm being considerate of Hope. She's trying to sleep." Such a good kid. Hope slept all the way to Blountstown. I stopped at McDonalds to go to the bathroom and had to carry her inside. She finally woke up in the bathroom, then they wanted ice cream and wanted to play outside. So I let them. We ate ice cream and they played.

Got them home and I came home. It had been a good day. Vance was glad to see me. He won't go anywhere with me, but he's always glad that I make it back safe.

Sunday, I went to church. Kayla asked me if I would help with Children's Church, so I did. It was fun. They really teach the kids a lot.

After church, I went by to see Mama. She's doing fine. While I was there, she got up to go to the bathroom and took off her oxygen and walked to the bathroom and back without even stumbling or out of breathe. She walks better than I do. Since my feet have been swelling, I sometimes have a hard time walking. Not her. She was having no problems at all. She will do fine when she goes home. Of that, I have no doubt. Even though she pretends to be helpless. She told Penny that she would need her to stay with her whenever she went home. I don't think so. She will be fine. I got her to give me a grocery list so I could buy groceries for her. When I came home, I crashed. I was so tired, I was almost in tears. I told Vance I was going to bed. Usually, I sleep on the couch, but I just needed to get by myself so I could sleep. I need a long vacation.......

Today was a pretty usual day at work. Playing catch-up on my timesheets. Penny called to make sure I had Mama's cable turned back on. I called and it will be done tomorrow. Mama called to see if I had paid her bills. Daddy called and wanted me to bring him some money when I got off work and take him to the AmVets. I worked till 5:00 and before I could shut off my computer Daddy was calling to see if I had forgotten him. I get no peace. I went and picked him up and carried him to the AmVets to see if he had won the $3000 drawing tonight. I wish he would. Of course, he'd probably never make it home with it. He'd buy everybody drinks or gamble and it would be gone before he got home. After I dropped him off, I went to Winn-Dixie and bought groceries for Mama, then took them to her house and put them away. I got home around 7:00. Was way too tired to go to the Ladies Meeting. Vance was tired, too. He was off all day and he worked in the yard.

I've got to sit down and work on the Bible Study. I haven't worked on this session yet and we meet again on Wednesday. I just haven't had the time.

So, goodnight all. I'm moving over to the table to work on the Bible Study. Hope to get it all done tonight and tomorrow night after practice. Wish I could work on it at work, but I'm way too busy. Goodnight and God bless.............

Welcome Baby Cameron

I had to go get some tests run this morning, so I was able to take it slow getting ready. Went to the Diagnostic place and had bloodwork, x-rays on my left foot and ankle and a venous doppler on the veins in my legs. They are trying to find out why my legs are swelling. While I was having the doppler, I heard the song "God is in Control" come over the speaker. I had not even heard music before that. I thought "Wow, they play Christian music here. That's really cool." The song ended and then I heard nothing - no music, no talking, nothing. About five minutes later, the girl who was doing the test turned to the other girl in the room and said "I love this song." I couldn't hear it at all. Isn't that just like God to raise the volume so I could hear the song that says He's in control so that I would know that no matter what, He's in control of everything. Not just my health, but the world around me. Of course, I haven't been concerned about my legs. The swelling and pain have just been annoying, but I haven't worried about what might be causing it. I figure it's the extra salt I've consumed lately. I'm not supposed to be eating salt.

I left there and went through Sonic to get something to eat. My doctor told me I needed to always eat something for breakfast since that's the time my sugar is the highest - when I wake up. Once I eat, it goes down to normal.

Went to work and it was so nice. The guys were in Crestview in a meeting, so I had the whole office to myself. I was able to get a lot done without having to put up with any arguing and raised voices. I had a lot of phone calls today for prayer. Debb's friend, Sierra, was only 28 weeks pregnant and she hadn't felt the baby move in a couple of days. They went to the hospital and the doctors ran some tests and decided they had to do a c-section. They told her they might not be able to save the baby, but he came out screaming and fighting for his life. He only weighed 1 lb. 4 oz. and is about the size of a man's hand. That's tiny! He has been taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. His name is Cameron Opare. Please keep him in your prayers. You can see his pictures on this page. For those of you who have recently had babies, notice the stripes on the blanket and you will be able to judge just how small he really is.

Since I got to work at 10:00, I didn't take a lunch. I needed to stay by the phone so Debb could keep me updated on Cameron. When she called and said he was alive, I literally shouted in my office. Another good reason for the guys to be gone. :) Of course, I wouldn't have cared if they had been there. That was way too exciting to keep inside.

One thing that has already happened because of Cameron's birth is that Sierra and her mother have reconciled. They had not spoken in several weeks. Now, her mother is planning on helping take care of her and the baby. Praise the Lord! Cameron is already fulfilling his destiny.

Debb asked if I could come and get her and take her home. I took my camera and we were able to get a nurse (with Sierra's permission of course) to go in the neonatal ICU and take pictures of Cameron. I carried the camera back to Sierra so she could see him. She had not even seen him yet. I promised to bring the pictures to her tomorrow at lunch.

I took Debb home, came home and printed a couple of 8x10's. Took one to church after picking up the kids. Tabitha had to work tonight. Before church started, I had to give a testimony about Cameron and I showed the picture. We all prayed for him and later Mrs. Sandi prayed for him again. We had our second session of Beth Moore's Bible Study about the tabernacle. It is so good. I'm really enjoying it.

Scottie brought back the guitar I had given him to repair. It looks good, but he said it was not to be used for heavy playing, but would be good for a beginner. Chad loved it when I took it home to him. He will take good care of it. We talked to Trent and Hope about not playing with it and how very valuable it was and it should be handled very gently.

Oh, please pray for a little boy in Trent's class. Another boy dared him to tear a pair of scissors in half. Well, Dylan grabbed the scissors by the blades and tried to pull them apart. They cut both hands all the way to the bone and he can't feel his fingers. Trent said he yelled and screamed and there was blood everywhere. They called an ambulance to come take him to the hospital. I used this as a teaching tool to tell Trent not to ever dare or take a dare from anybody. Usually a dare is something dangerous that the other person is scared to do, but will dare or double dare you to do it instead. And they usually end up with somebody getting hurt. Been there, done that.

Came home and printed out the pictures so I can take them to Sierra tomorrow. Now, I think I'd better get to bed. It's already Thursday morning.

Goodnight and God bless...............

Woo Hoo! It's Monday!!!

I slept all night in our bed. Boy, is that unusual. I usually wake up in the middle of the night with my back hurting, or my arms going numb on me. But, I was awakened by the alarm going off this morning. Haven't heard that noise in a long time.

Managed to make it to work in time for the safety meeting. As usual, nothing pertained to me. I wish you could have seen my office. I had stacks all over the three sides of my desk. I have to wait until I get the original timesheets from the team leaders before I can file. My desk was literally covered with paper about a foot high. I couldn't wait to get my reports run, so I could tackle that mess. It's been driving me nuts for several weeks, but I just didn't have time to file. It took all day, but I finally got my filing done. Now, to throw away some old files and I'll be good as new.

At lunch, I went to Sam's Club and bought some soup to keep at work so I won't have to spend so much money for food. Forgot the crackers! Also bought a pair of very warm pajamas. I've heard that we are supposed to have a very cold winter. Since we don't have central heat (we use a little electric heater in the room we're in and turn it off at night), I thought I might need some warm pj's. I sleep so much better in the winter because it's cold and I can snuggle under the covers. When I get hot at night, I wake up.

I got off on time today and came home and started washing some clothes and putting together all the recipes I have received from friends for Hope's school's cookbook. I have 52 recipes and more are expected in the next few days. That's a pretty good start. I hope other people are collecting recipes as well.

I guess I better get to bed. Goodnight and God bless.................

Great Weekend

Saturday, I woke up a little late - 8:30. I got up and got busy cleaning the house. My dogs slobber all over the floor and when they drink water, they dribble water for about six feet into the living room. I put them outside and cleaned the floors. I know they won't stay clean when I let them back in, but they were at least clean when Vance and Michelle came.

Vance went to Sunny Hills to play golf as usual. I think he's afraid it won't be long before he has to quit playing and he's trying to get in as much as he can.

Vance, Michelle and Fox came around 11:00. We sat around a few minutes and just visited and then we went to visit Mama in the nursing home. Aunt Margurete was there when we got there. I had not told Mama that they were coming. I wanted it to be a surprise. Aunt Margurete left and we took pictures of Mama with everybody. We had a nice visit. Mama has a new roommate. Mrs. Mary moved to another nursing home. This new lady talks so soft that Mama can't understand her and I had a very hard time understanding her myself. After we left there we went to The China Buffet for lunch. It was really good. I've been wanting to go there, but Vance doesn't go out anymore; so I was glad we got to go. Fox decided he didn't need a high chair. He wanted to "sit by Nonna." He was so good. He likes Chinese food.

We came back to the house and Michelle and Fox took a nap while Vance and I spent time loading old files from my old computer onto this computer - my photos and Family Tree files were the ones I was really interested in.

Vance came home while they were sleeping. His back is really hurting him. I know it's because he's started smoking again. It's funny how the pain in his back and legs went away when he quit smoking. It was because he had the normal blood flow going through his veins. But, it is so hard for him to quit. And I can't make him. It will have to be his choice.

After they woke up, I called Penny and she came over for a little while to visit with them. She was going to supper with a friend from work. Lisa is going through a divorce and just needs a good friend right now. I asked her if she and Swayde would like to go to Tallahassee next Saturday for the party. I think she will go.

Michelle and I went to Chick-Fil-A and got some food for us and the kids. Vance had cooked chili. Mrs. Sandi called to get me to put out a prayer request and told me that she had run into Chip and Angie at Sam's and that McKinley had had another seizure. So, I added her to the prayer request, too.

Chad, Tabitha, Trent and Hope came over for supper. We all had a good time and took more pictures, of course. I think I'm going to be able to take Trent and Hope to Tallahassee next Saturday for the party. Tabitha has to work and it will give Trent a break. And it will be fun for all of us!

I hated to see them leave, but I'll be seeing them next weekend.

Today, I didn't have to get up so early because Children's Church was doing the service today. They did such a good job. We really enjoyed the service. I especially loved the puppets and Tina as the crazy professor hunting the ever elusive butterfly. She did a great job! Kayla was great with the kids. Some of the parents who never come to church were there and got saved. Praise the Lord! That's what it's all about.

I went through Sonic and got a burger and sweet tea and came home and ate. I laid down for a short nap and woke up around 5:30. Didn't make it to Bible Study, but I've been doing my Bible Study that we started on Wednesday night. It's very good.

I worked on loading the pictures I took yesterday into Picasa. Finally got them all loaded. Watched Army Wives and ate the steak Vance cooked. That's all I had for supper, but I ate part of a Butterfinger Blast for dessert.

It's almost midnight and I'm not tired yet. That nap really messed me up. Guess I'll work on some more photos before going to bed.

Goodnight and God bless..............

Friday at Last

Yesterday, I woke up with a very swollen left foot. It hurt to walk on it. Could only find one pair of sandals that I could wear and still it was tight. Kim convinced me to call and make an appointment with my doctor after she went online and looked up what could be causing it. It has been swelling for about two weeks, but only at night - never when I woke up. I put out a prayer request for myself. By the afternoon, the swelling had gone down enough that I could walk without much pain.

I had a very busy day at work. Carried my lunch so I didn't have to go out. Daddy called for me to buy him groceries. I worked until almost 6:00, then went to the grocery store for him. I didn't get home until almost 8:00. What a long day!!!

Today was another busy day, especially since I had to leave and go to the doctor. She wants me to have some tests done - x-rays to make sure there are no fractures and then a veinus doppler test to make sure there are no blood clots and then extensive bloodwork. If those tests don't show anything, she will order different tests. We'll just have to wait and see. I didn't get a chance this afternoon to make any appointments, so that is my goal for Monday. I need to have the tests done next week so I can see her the following week. She gave me a prescription for a water pill, but when I read that it may cause dizziness I decided not to take it until Sunday. I don't want to cause an attack to come on and mess up Vance, Michelle and Fox's visit tomorrow. When the Meniere's specialist put me on a water pill, it caused the attacks every time I took a pill. I may not even take one at all.

I had so many unusual problems with my timekeeping program today. When I contacted technical support, they were not much help, because it had never happened before. Only to me..... But, that's how we learn how to solve problems, isn't it? It can get very frustrating though. Anyway, we finally got the problems solved and I was able to leave around 6:00.

Stopped by Walgreen's and dropped off my prescriptions and went home. I was exhausted. I came in and checked my emails, because I had sent out a plea for recipes for Hope's school. They are going to put together a cookbook to raise money. I had about 15 recipes from friends. I spent about an hour trying to download, copy and paste into a word document. Some didn't work, so I just copied them. A couple, I had to copy by hand. I'm asking everybody I know to send recipes. We're going to get this cookbook off the ground to help those little four year olds raise money for their school. There were some pretty good recipes that I may just have to test out.

I am so looking forward to Vance, Michelle and Fox coming tomorrow. I don't know what we will do, cause I've been so tired I haven't had time to plan anything. I guess we will just have to play it by ear.

Now, I'm going to bed. Got a busy day ahead tomorrow. Goodnight and God bless.......

A Woman's Heart

Okay, so today I got up and went to work. Enough laying out. And, boy was I busy! It just does not pay to take a day off. All I did this morning was put out fires for other people. Had to do research, send emails, etc. It wasn't until after lunch that I finally got to concentrate on my timesheets. I have sooooo much filing to do. Don't know when I will get it done.

Daddy called before lunch to tell me he needed a check for his rent. His Social Security check doesn't go into his account until the 3rd, but his rent is due on the 1st. So, I have to make sure I have $500 in my account to pay his rent and then transfer it out of his account when it gets deposited. Sometimes, his landlord doesn't cash the check right away; but other times, he cashes it the next day. I have to schedule my bills to come out after the 3rd. Paid a couple of bills for Mama. Daddy also needed a loaf of bread, so I stopped at Walgreen's at lunch and got it because I needed some Fisherman's Friends cough lozenges. That's the only way I can sing. Have to have one in my mouth the whole time. It keeps my sinuses and throat clear. They are really nasty tasting, but I don't notice when I'm singing. I went to Taco Bell and got something to eat, then ran the check and bread by Daddy's. He said he would need me to buy groceries for him tomorrow after I get off work. I told him I would probably be late and he said he didn't care what time I delivered them. I don't plan on working late on Friday because Vance, Michelle and Fox are coming. Please pray that the system works right and I don't have to work overtime. Please, please pray!!

Talked to Mama after lunch. Let her know that I had given Chad Earl's models. She said she was glad somebody wanted them. She was afraid we would just throw them out after she's gone. No, Chad loved them.

Say a prayer for Jimmy Nichols. He's one of the supervisors at work and he graduated high school with my husband. Jimmy has to go to UAB tomorrow and have pre-op tests run on Friday. He's having over 30 biopsies done on the 9th. Pray that he doesn't have cancer. He said I could share this, so that he would be covered in prayer. The more people who know, the better.

I worked until 5:30 tonight, then rushed home to grab my camera and brush my teeth and kiss Vance goodbye before going to church. We started our Ladies Bible Study while Pastor preached in the sanctuary. We are using Beth Moore's teaching "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place." I think it's going to be an awesome teaching. There is a lot of homework, so that will make me get in the Word more than I have been.

After service was over, we had cake for Pastor Sammy's birthday. That's why I needed my camera. I took pictures, visited awhile, ate a small piece of cake and came home. Vance was eating a hot dog, so I fixed me one. He went to bed and I ate my hot dog and then did the first night's Bible study. It's very interesting.

Now, I'm going to go to bed. I'm exhausted and my feet are swollen and hurting. I need my beauty sleep. Vance has the windows open because it's cool outside. I just love this time of year. Wish I could go to the mountains and see the leaves change. I've never seen that before. Maybe one day........Sigh..

Goodnight and God bless............... AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLGA!

Took Vacation Today

I woke up with both my arms sore. They've been going to sleep at night, plus they are sore from all the physical labor I did this weekend that I'm not used to doing. My left foot and shin are retaining fluid. I decided to call in and take a day of vacation, turned over and went back to sleep. Tabitha called around 8:30 to see if they could go by and pick up the key to my car today. Chad sold his truck, so he needs something to drive. Since I'm driving Mama's car, I offered my car for him to drive.

I took a shower and Chad came over. We dropped Tabitha's car off where she works and I took Chad over to Mama's. I unloaded my junk from my car into Mama's and we went inside the house to see how it smelled. It doesn't smell like nicotine, but it has a musky smell to it. Went into the bedroom that used to be Earl's and found some of his car models. I gave them to Chad and he took them home with him. Earl would be pleased that somebody is taking care of them. Tabitha, on the other hand, was not so pleased. Of course, she would never make him get rid of them since they were Earl's. They mean something to Chad. She called me later and said "Mama, I'm mad at you." Then she laughed and said that she was just kidding. She said Chad was like a kid at Christmas when he was showing her the models - some of them haven't even been assembled yet.

I followed Chad down 231 to make sure the brakes were working okay. He said they were fine. I came home and washed some clothes and worked on pictures that I had taken Sunday morning at church. Had to go get more ink for my printer, so I went to Office Max. Vance was home when I got back. He went to Mama's and got his tools and brought them home since he doesn't have to do the back brakes on the car.

Daddy called this morning wanting me to bring his rent check and buy him some groceries tomorrow. Mama called while I was in Office Max and wanted me to call and get her water bill since it hasn't been delivered to Aunt Margurete yet. She seemed a little miffed that I had taken a day of vacation. I'm sorry, but I do think I deserve a day off once in awhile so I can just relax and do what I want to do without having to take orders from somebody else. It was nice spending a little time with Chad. We haven't spent time alone for ages.

Took the guitar to Scottie tonight at practice. He said he would take it and see if he could fix the little things that were wrong with it. I told him not to be in any hurry; just work on it when he found the time. We spent most of the night trying to get the sound set up correctly and then moved some things around on the platform. We did go over a song that Scottie had written.

I came home and ate supper and now I'm going to bed - before midnight tonight!
Goodnight and God bless................

Very Busy Weekend

Saturday - Slept till around 8:30. Met Tabitha over at Mama's house around 10:00 and we started cleaning in the living room. Mama has smoked in there for years, so everything had nicotine on it. The windows were so yucky. You were spray them and watch yellow stuff roll down. It was gross! Tabitha is one hard worker. She pulled all the furniture out and vacuumed and then wiped the floor and walls down. I took all the pictures and knick-knacks and cleaned them. Mama has 100's of those. I know I didn't get them back in the right spots, but Mama assured me that it was okay (one of the many times she called to see what we were doing and to tell us repeatedly not to throw anything out).One time, she told me to go into her bedroom and look for something. I said "Mama, you've got a guitar in here." She said "Your Granddaddy gave that to Earl. Take it and give it to Trent." When I told Tabitha, she said "No, give it to Chad. He's learned how to play and all he has is Trent's little guitar to practice on. It's an old Stella Harmony acoustic guitar. It needs a strap and a new fret and probably new strings. Tabitha and I worked until 3:00, but got a lot done.

I went to Ace Hardware to try and get several more of the keys made, but they don't have a form for a Master padlock key. Said I would have to go to Panhandle Lock and Key. I went to Taco Bell and got something to eat and went home. Gave Vance a taco and I ate a burrito. He asked me if I wanted to go to the drag races. I was pleasantly surprised. We haven't been anywhere together in months. He said I would have to look the place up on the internet and find out what time the races started. They were having classic car races. I called and found out the gates opened at 4:00 and the qualifying started at 5:00. I changed into jeans, grabbed a jacket and my camera and we got in Mama's car and took off. After we turned onto the Marianna Cutout, we started looking for signs. We were told there would be a lot of signs, so I didn't even look for the County Road sign. I was looking for Breakaway Race Track signs. I drove and drove and finally told Vance that I thought the road we were looking for was way back the way we came. So, I turned around and finally as we topped a hill, I saw several trucks pulling trailers with cars on them. I told Vance I would follow them no matter where they went, so we fell in line and ended up at the race track. We had a blast. Vance, you will love this - the 1955 Chevy's kicked butt! They beat out the Mustangs for you Ford lovers out there. There was one Mustang that had a Chevy engine that was walking away from all the other Mustangs. The announcer said "The only good Ford is one built with Chevy parts." :) They even had a jet car and it broke the speed record. It went 219mph in the 1/8 mile. Wow! It was loud and it was fast. Now you see it; now you don't! The flame from it almost burned down the backboard. They were hosing it down before the car came up, but it still caught on fire. I'll try to upload the pictures tomorrow night after practice. It was around 11:00 when we got home, but I had a lot of fun. Next time, I will take a chair. I stood up the entire five hours.

Sunday - Boy, was I sore when I woke up. I almost rolled over and went back to sleep, but I knew I had to get up and go to church. I talked to Scottie about the guitar and he said he'd put new strings on it and tune it for me. He said he might even have a strap. I didn't know about the fret until tonight, but I'm sure Scottie can fix it. I took pictures for the Children's Church after our service was over. After church, I called Penny and asked her what she and Swayde wanted for lunch. I picked up lunch and went over to Mama's to help Penny clean. She had already done the bathroom and was working on the kitchen and the other half of the dining room that we didn't finish yesterday. We worked till after 4:00. Talk about exhausted! I was so tired. I came home and talked to Vance a few minutes, then laid down on the couch and fell asleep. I told Vance not to let me sleep all night, so he woke me up at 7:15. I had some messages from people, so I called them back.

Monday - work as usual. I just thought I was sore yesterday when I woke up. I could barely move this morning. My arms hurt so bad. They felt like lead weights. But, instead of taking a day of vacation like I really wanted to, I went to work. Made it to the safety meeting. What they talked about was way over my head. I just don't understand electrical terminology. I got the gist of it, but I could have been doing my timesheets instead of sitting there bored. Kim was sick, so I didn't have anybody to talk to. Got as much work done as I possibly could. Went to Arby's and got a chicken salad sandwich and rushed back to work. I worked till 5:00 and then had to stop and get gas before coming home. Called and apologized to Mama for not visiting this weekend. She said Penny had called and told her that I had been at the house both days working and that I was exhausted when I left her. Mama said she understood and that I needed to get some rest.

Came home and watered my plants. It hasn't rained in a few days and they looked really dry. Then, I sat down at the computer and went to the My Heritage website that I am working on. Tonya had updated some info. Thanks, Tonya. I found the copies that Grandmama Lightsey had written down and kept in her family Bible and entered all that information. Several in the family have joined the site. I just hope they start updating the info that pertains to their family. I want this to stretch as far as we can stretch it in every direction. I have more info on my old computer in The Family Tree program, but Vance has that computer.

Now, I'm getting really tired, so I better get ready for bed. Goodnight and God bless................