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My baby graduated from Fifth Grade today. Our elementary school days are over, she will begin middle school in a couple of months.

And I know it sounds cliché, but I just don’t know where the time went.

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that Syd was a baby and I was enjoying my time with her, watching her do all those things that babies do. Thinking that she was so special, when in fact (I now know) she was pretty much just like every other baby that came along. But, oh how I loved her! I’ll confess that I didn’t enjoy those milestones that most Mom’s get all excited about, I didn’t really want her to crawl, or walk, because that just meant time had been marked off, that her babyhood was slipping away and I didn’t like it one bit. In fact, I had a huge lump in my throat on her first birthday – all day. I did not feel like celebrating. I did eventually get better about those things!

And, I didn’t want another child. I just didn’t know how in the world I could fit another one in my heart, it was too full. There was no way that I could love anyone else like I loved her, another child would certainly get the short end of the stick.

But when Syd was five or so, we got a little surprise, and I found out after a couple of weeks (yes, it took a bit, I’m being honest here) that there was room, after all, in my heart for TWO little girls, more than enough.

As another school year ends and I’m looking toward another, it makes me sad to think that in another couple of years Syd will be graduating and then leaving for college. Before I know it Rea will be in high school and then both of my girls will be gone.

Time sure went by fast, I wish I had a lot of it back to savor and I wish I had some ”do-overs”, but guess there is no point in wishing for what I can’t have. So, I’ll hold on to the memories of my beautiful girls, tell them how much I loved them THEN, how much I love them NOW and how much I’ll ALWAYS love them.

Parents these days...

Danny’s brother, Darren, called late Tuesday afternoon to say that Grandma Shirley had injured herself and needed surgery to repair her boo-boo.

It seems that Grandma Shirley had severed her pointer finger on her handy dandy table saw.

She felt the need to saw a piece of plywood to repair a piece of furniture. When the wood jammed in the saw she used another piece of wood to push that piece out and LO AND BEHOLD, when you don’t turn off the LITTLE RED SWITCH that table saw likes to EAT FINGERS!

Now she has a spiffy rod in her finger, lots of stitches, some pretty cool drugs (from what I hear) and PERHAPS a little respect for power tools.

Free Cat - To a Fairly Good Home

Meet Oscar, an adorable black tuxedo cat that needs a new home. Oscar had been dropped in our neighborhood as a kitten several years ago, I finally came to his rescue one afternoon when a gang of teenage boys decided to dunk him repeatedly in a bucket of water. He is a superior snaker, his abilities to catch and kill snakes is second to none. He’s also very qualified at lizard annihilation and occasionally murders baby bunnies. If snakes are threatening to overrun your home, then why don’t you come meet him and see if your PURR-sonalities complement one another?

Oscar would be perfect for your home if you don’t mind a cat that loses HIS EVER LOVIN’ MIND if the pet door is closed. We’re talking FLIPS out. If a full night’s sleep is not a priority and you don’t mind if he RAKES at the wood blinds on the French doors in the bedroom to be let out, and, then, turns around within an HOUR OR SO to SCRATCH WITH HIS CLAWS ON THE GLASS JUST LIKE NAILS ON A BLACKBOARD to come back in then he’s the perfect cat for you! We’ll even chip in on his annual vaccinations in perpetuity.

His snake record is something else! Just last year alone he brought SEVEN into the house! The summer before his record was SIX. We cannot WAIT to see what this summer holds for us!!! And he’s blind in one eye!! Just think what he could do with two!!

Also, he’s TOUGH, really TOUGH. Three years ago Oscar played chicken with a car and lost – BIG TIME. And I want it in writing, in black in white, on the world wide web,(thanks Al). It was DANNY’S idea, not mine, NOT to put him to sleep that day at the Emergency Vet. I TRIED. But, NO, Danny said “Let’s give him some time”. So what did we do? We waited 48 hours, he pulled through, then we were $1,200 POORER (yes, you read that right) and NOW WE ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE!

Oh sorry, what was I saying…Oscar would be perfect for you!! He’s sweet, affectionate, doesn’t eat much, he’s cute to look at, you don’t really notice that only one eye works, And he’s an expensive cat – you could brag to your friends about what a good deal you got on him! Remember, he catches snakes, LOTS OF SNAKES!!

Just give me a call and I'll bring him right over. But if Rea happens to answer the phone - act dumb.

Twenty Things That I Will Never Do

1. Bungee jump.
2. Give up my morning coffee.
3. Walk in my laundry room and say "You know, I'm all caught up!"
4. Cheer for the Vols.
5. Turn down a hug from one of my girls.
6. Stop loving my Nerd.
7. Trade in my Tempur-Pedic.
8. Go on Survivor. The dirt would send me over the edge.
9. Will probably never stop rescuing animals, though my life would probably be easier if I would!
10. Turn down a good Riesling.
11. Wish I wasn't Southern.
12. Refuse chocolate - are you kidding?
13. Not be moved to tears in church - can't help it.
14. Drive the speed limit - but I'm trying.
15. Get over my love of old country standards - Merle, George, Waylon and Willie.
16. Quit being homesick for Kentucky Lake.
17. Not get excited when I see a rainbow.
18. Get tired of bookstores; or buying books.
19. Go hunting, especially trapping, how inhumane.
20. Call a radio station and request "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".

What about you?

Solitary Confinement

We walked in this afternoon and were packing in all of our suitcases and I kept hearing what I thought was a kitten cry. I couldn't find anything, so I looked around in the garage and then in the driveway and I still could hear it crying, so I thought maybe it was a cat bird, but then I heard it again! I'll confess, that a little part of me thought, OH BOY, a new kitten!!! Then, I walked back into the laundry room and I heard it again and then my heart sunk....

Poor, poor Vivian!!! She had spent the entire weekend locked in the laundry room closet - that's her new lair, she likes to sleep in there in a basket of plastic grocery bags. Danny assured me that all three cats were outside when we left Saturday morning. But obviously she was in there taking a nap. I'll be sure and do a head check next time and not take his word on it.

Vivian has been beside herself, and pacing around crying since we got home. She had used the bathroom in the clothes basket in the floor of the closet (who can blame her), but hadn't had any food or water for two days. She's always been a little on the unstable side - who knows what this will push her to???

Football in Tennessee

Saturday was Rea's last spring league soccer game and was it ever a beautiful morning!

Nelson went with us to the game and he had a good time. He was really interested in the game! It was funny when he would spot Rea on the field, (he doesn't like for her to leave the yard, or get out of the car anyway) he would get very intense and seem to concentrate much more on the game. It would have been funny to let him go on the field!

I missed last Saturday's game and apparently Rea had a very good second half, her best of the year. She had eight opportunities to score and actually made a GOAL!! She was handsomely rewarded with a Webkinz by her Dad.

The soccer team celebrated the end of the season with a party at a local pizza place - which cost Danny ten dollars in quarters so that Rea could buy play Skee ball, which won her tickets that she promptly redeemed on twenty-five cents worth of crap from China!!

At least she didn't have a meltdown this time over those Incredible Grow in the Water Crabs and kick the building, but I’ve digressed, that's a whole ‘nother post!

A little commotion

War has been waging here today. Rea brought a recorder home from school and has insisted on playing, or attempting to play “Amazing Grace” non-stop since yesterday. Needless to say, nerves are a little frayed; tempers are just a TAD short.

She was in her room this afternoon, squeaking her way through the sacred hymn when Syd snapped. Rea was able to hide the recorder before Syd gained access to her room, but Rea ran for her life and then Syd LOCKED Rea out of her room and began to search for the recorder.

Rea stood in the hall for a brief minute and then…locked herself in SYD’s room! They were locked in EACH OTHER’S room wreaking havoc!

Syd: Where is it!!!
Rea: Ooooh, look, what’s this!
Syd: I’ll kill you if you break anything!
Rea: Wow, you have MTV!
Syd: I found it!!!
Rea: Nelson is licking your stuff!!!

Syd eventually came out with the recorder and stashed it. We then stood outside her room and listened to Rea inside bumping and banging, and there would be an occasional maniacal laugh! Finally, we could hear a strange spraying sound and then a SMELL wafted under the door. That’s when we realized she was spraying Syd’s Scent of Christmas and Shades of Spring air fresheners TOGETHER into the air!

It was time for this fun to end. I made Rea come out and put down the air fresheners and slowly back away. The air was so thick you couldn’t breathe – we had to open the windows. I think we went in just in time!

Just as I thought I could go back to what I was doing, I heard Rea say, “GOTCHA”!! and held up Syd’s iPod and went tearing into her bedroom and slammed the door! Syd was in a quandary now!

But Syd put her thinking cap on; went to the garage and got a screwdriver and began to take the doorknob off. Rea then moved to the bathroom. Since this bathroom has two doors, Rea slipped out of the other side of the bathroom and ALSO took Syd’s laptop hostage.

Dang, I don’t that she shoulda done that!!

Things got less and less pretty after that. Peace had to be declared. War spoils had to be returned.

As a Mom I'm not supposed to take sides, but I was really rooting for Syd in this kerfuffle, that recorder gives me a HEADACHE!!

In which I rant...

I've been at Big Mama's and she blogged today about how her husband P wanted his new shirts WASHED (which then required them to be ironed) before he would wear them.

That's a man for you. I'll guarantee he wouldn't complain about sensitive skin and such if HE was manning the washer and pushing the iron. It wasn't like we were talking about a brand new pair of those old kind of Levi's you couldn't bend your legs in!

But this brings me to some of the comments of the WOMEN on Big Mama today.

THEY also said that they wanted their new clothes WASHED before they wore them. What's that about??? I want to wear my brand-new clothes as long as I can without washing them. They are never the same! They never feel the same, never look the same and you can NEVER, EVER get them ironed the same. (And, Jean, I kind of like to iron too, but not as much as I used too.)

One commenter is a girl after my own heart, she said she was just like Minnie Pearl, she wanted to wear the clothes out of the store with the price tags on! That's me!

They are wigging out over there because somebody got wet at a water-park which necessitated a stop at Dollar General for a cheap change of clothes and , "GASP", wore a pair of UNWASHED panties out of the store! HELP ME! Forgive me here, but just how clean do they think that part of their body is?

My BFF'S and I often laugh about two "boutiques" that were open in our hometown during our high school years. Those stores SMELLED sooo good! The clothes we bought from there were permeated with that smell; we would wear those clothes as long as possible before we would wash them. We didn't want to lose the scent of THE PLACE or THE CHERRY BRANCH. The stores were expensive and on our high school girl budgets things from there were few and far between. The "smell" was something really special, so we hung on to it as long as we could!

You don't wash new clothes, because they are, you know, NEW!

Can't take that boy anywhere...

Joel is our Youth Director at church. I suppose you could say that Joel hails from New Mexico. But from what I know from his story that's not really where he grew up. His parents are missionaries and he's had the awesome opportunity to live and experience life in countries and cultures that I've only read about and seen on television.

He's doing a great job at our church, I love the way that he relates to the kids.

Having said that - Joel really needs to brush up on his pop culture, tune identification and today's technology. That boy didn't know what TiVo was!!! What's up with that?

He also needs a sippy cup at Arby's

The End.

Some Mother's Day

Being a Mom is tough sometimes, and when those you are parenting are girls, let me tell you, that road gets even tougher.

I earned several more gray hairs over the weekend (yes, on Mother's Day) and yesterday. And I think today I will get lots more. Girls are mean, let me say that again, they are MEAN. MEAN, MEAN, MEAN, MEAN. And, don't let me leave my teenager out when I say that either.

Syd and a now Former Friend have been in an on again off again feud since late January. This is a girl that I really loved, she was here a lot, so it's been hard to watch this go on.

Through all of this fussing and fighting Syd has moved on and formed two new friendships with girls that I like. Unfortunately, Sarah became part of the feud through a boy that played both sides and that's when things really started to get nasty.

The fighting and backbiting has been at a low hum all through April and for whatever reason the opposing side didn't want to move one (or so I've been told ;) ). Former Friend went even further by launching a concentrated smear campaign against Syd at school and here's the part that got me - AT CHURCH. As a result, Syd has dropped out of Youth at church, has quit attending church and we are seriously considering whether we can comfortably continue at our own church that we dearly love.

Then on Friday night Former Friend and her cronies vandalized Syd's car and rolled Sarah's house, then posted pictures on MySpace. Luckily, no damage was done to the car, Syd's self-esteem took a major beating, the toilet paper was cleaned up, no harm there. But we were left to wonder what's next? Danny and I talked all through Saturday, didn't go to church on Sunday, because Former Friend's parents would be there and we weren't up to facing them at this point. Let me digress here to say, that Syd had been going to Sunday School because Former Friend usually DID skip that and it was a safe haven. But not so on Sunday. Former Friend was there. Syd had to endure an hour of her glares, whispers and giggles regarding her prank.

We talked with friends on Sunday who had older daughters, I talked with my Mom, we talked at length with Sarah's Mom, plus Sarah's Grandfather weighed in (he's raised four kids). After considering all this, we decided that it was time for the parents to get involved in this feud. We did not take this decision lightly. Oh yeah, I prayed, a bunch.

Sarah's Mother and I tried to take Former Friend's Mother to lunch yesterday but she was unavailable, so I talked with her on the phone. Let me tell you that was on hard phone conversation. She spent a whole lot of it telling me what my daughter had done wrong, and what Sarah had done wrong.

I told her that I did not doubt or dispute anything that she said, that I was quite aware that Syd and Sarah had ownership and responsbility in the feud. But that we were the adults and the PARENTS and that it was time for it to STOP. Former Friend's Mom felt like we should let the girls resolve the situation on their own, while I had agreed for a long time, I felt like things had come to a point that needed adult intervention. Syd and Sarah wanted to retaliate (and bad). Then Former Friend retaliates and so on and so on. WHEN IS IT ENOUGH? Do we have to wait for someone to get hurt? Do we have to wait to see our girls on TV like the ones in Florida? I'm sorry, but I'm just not comfortable with this situation. Things just aren't like they were when we were in high school, with today's technology, with MySpace and those stupid cellphones, those kids get inflamed before they have a chance to cool down and think about consequences.

We ended up having a fairly good talk and a resolution to talk with each girl requiring no retaliation or they would be punished. Avoid each other, we don't expect you to like each other, please just stay away from each other, END OF STORY. Maybe if they know the parents are in communication this situation may improve, I don't know. I think it will probably get worse before it gets better though.

I don't think today will be pretty for Syd, she was upset because we intervened, because Sarah's Mom and I said absolutely no retaliation. The Buck. Stops. Here. She's upset because she says she will look weak because her Mommy fought her fight for her. I'm thinking secretly Former Friend will be glad that somebody put their foot down.

Have you ever noticed.....

That your reading glasses don't really work that well as sunglasses?

And that they make the road REALLY blurry when you try to drive?

Our Lady Of the Lures

I've been busy selling fishing lures on eBay.

I've got just about any bass lure your little heart could desire! Do you need a Shad Rap? How about a Zara Spook or a Rat-L-Trap or a Rogue?

Could I interest you in some Minnows or a Super Cedar or a Bull Frog or a Rattlin Rap??? I have some Swim'N Images that are in EXCELLENT condition plus a Fat Free Shad or some Cotton Cordell's Super Spots!

Don't you need a Fire Tiger? Or a Bagley Bomber? Your collection CANNOT be complete without a Bill Norman Deep Diver 22 or a Bang-O-Lure or the super hot Zara Gossa! I'll bet you'd catch a whopper with a Pop'R or a Spit'N Image or Chug Bug!!

You just let me know what you need and I'll fix you up!

Oh yeah! One last item! How about some Zoom Lizards? PUMPKIN SEED! And get this! they have colored tails! I'll make you a real deal!

The "Hut"

We have a “hut” on our deck. You know, one of those gazebo things you buy from the local home improvement stores. We don’t have much shade on that corner of our deck, so we bought the gazebo a few summers ago and it’s really pretty neat. We have some furniture in it, and I even have outdoor lamps so I can read at night!

There’s one small problem with it though, rain water collects in a low spot and if you don’t keep the water off it drips through on your head while you are trying to lounge in the hut. It also becomes mosquito central, so we try to be diligent about keeping the water drained.

There is a certain technique to draining the water from the hut. You must be STRAIGHT FORWARD and CONFIDENT, if you are hesitant you WILL get drenched.

Anyhoo, a few days back I was sitting in the hut enjoying the weather and yacking on my cell phone with Jo, and I noticed a new spot of water that had collected. It was on a completely different side from usual, but we’ve had A LOT of rain in the last few weeks, and we hadn’t been out much so I thought it was a new low spot and that we had missed it.

I’m talking on the phone, multi-tasking, (we women are good at that), and remember I said you must be STRAIGHT FORWARD and CONFIDENT about this task. So, talking non-stop, holding the cell phone against my ear and shoulder, I step up on a bench that is in the hut and take both hands and place them CONFIDENTLY under the big pool of water and without HESITATION shoved OSCAR the cat STRAIGHT UP INTO THE SKY. He was scratching and clawing for all he was worth!!!

At this point my conversation with Jo went to Hell in a hand-basket! I was rendered speechless. I couldn’t talk I was laughing so hard. I really thought I might pee on myself. That POOR cat was just laying up there taking a nap and enjoying the sunshine. There was no new pool of water! I can’t imagine what a shock that must have been, what a terrible way to wake up! One second you are sound asleep, the next you’re flying through the air thinking, well, maybe I shouldn’t even go there, because I’m guessing that if Oscar could talk what he would have said would not have been PG rated!!!!

Look What I've Been Doing!

Look what I've been doing! My Dad made these chairs and the table for me for Christmas a couple of years ago and I had never gotten around to painting them. I saw a color I really liked in this issue of Southern Living, so I went to my paint store and picked out something pretty close.

Mine are Appletini Green - I love that name! Can't wait to have an Appletini in them. Thanks, Dad!!

Run for the Roses

"I am fulfilled and weary. This Kentucky Derby, whatever it is - a race, an emotion, a turbulence, an explosion - is one of the most beautiful and violent and satisfying things I have ever experienced. I am glad I have seen and felt it at last." John Steinbeck


What a sad Derby Day - I'm still in tears. We were pulling for Eight Belles to win, they said she had a good shot, a filly hasn't won since Winning Colors in 1988 and it was time. Big Brown was really strong; Eight Belles gave it her all but she just couldn't stay with him.

We went to the Derby several years ago and it was an experience that I will hold with me forever. As a Kentucky girl, it was a little like being Cinderella. We went as guests through Danny's work and were wined and dined for the entire weekend. We went to the Kentucky Oaks race on Friday and then to champagne brunch at the Jefferson Club, the Derby, betting and Mint Juleps on Saturday.

We witnessed the 127th Run for the Roses from the rail of the first turn. I thought I would cry when they played "My Old Kentucky Home" but the tears didn't start until the horses started into the turn, they literally make the earth vibrate, the dirt is flying and they are gone in a flash. They were breathtaking and beautiful, if I close my eyes I can still see them.

Monarchos won that year, the best I remember he was a long shot. It was a wonderful day that I'll keep with me forever. One of those special ones you take out from time to time and enjoy.

I was a little disappointed that we didn't have a Derby party to go to this year, and I started to have one of my own. Sometimes though these Tennessee people just don't get it, besides I had a lot going on, so I didn't invite anyone over, we just hung out here, worked in the yard and then came in to watch the Derby by ourselves today.

Now I'm really glad I didn't go to a Derby party today - I'm not sure, but I think my sobbing would have been a real downer for everyone.

How Many Months Are You?

I was reading another blog the other day and the girl was pondering at what point she had stopped tracking the age of her child in months. When did the transition to years begin? I remember when my girls were tiny, at first I counted their ages in weeks and I don't remember exactly when I converted to months, but I did.

But those months got converted to years and those years are zooming past me at an alarming rate. I did do a little quick math though. Syd is 165 months old and Rea is 137 months old...

I absolutely refuse to tell you how many months old I am. I like the other number better.