Share a Smile Thursday

I've been challenged by Angelika over at Angelika Heart Talk to share a smile today, so here goes:
When my older kids were little, they enjoyed watching Disney's Sing a Long Songs videos. One of our favorites was Figaro and Cleo from Pinnochio.

Anytime I want to visit those days again, all I need to do is catch one of these video clips on Youtube and I'm there again, on the sofa with my kids, all of us singing along.
I have four favorite grandsons, Hunter, Dyllan, Reid and Talan, as well as six favorite granddaughters, named Chloe, Khloe, Destiny, Laynie, Nevaeh [read hers backwards!] and our newest one, who will be born sometime this fall.
Here's a story about Reid:
This last fall, I was talking to Reid (who is 2 1/2 and helps his dad farm and take care of the cows), and asked him about his newest surprise. He looked at me and said, "I got a trike-cycle!" I said, "Well, my goodness! What color is it, red?" He looked at me with these big solemn eyes, and said, scornfully, "No, it's GWEEN!"
I should have known- what self-respecting John Deere-tractor-riding farmer boy would ride a Massey-Ferguson red trike-cycle?
And just so I represent the girls as well, here's one from Laynie:
Laynie, who is four, has a nice fenced in back yard with a trampoline. Once when we were visiting her, I talked to her while she jumped. When I asked her if she jumped a lot, she said, "Yes, I like to, but the neighbors don't like for me to because sometimes I jump over their fence." All this was said with a straight face and no thought beforehand. If she doesn't work in the entertainment field, I'm going to be surprised.
These are just some of the reasons I love talking to my grandchildren- they educate me in so many ways, I can't even count. If I don't learn something from them, it's because I'm not paying attention.
If you need a smile, and can't find one, just hang around a little kid for a little while- they'll loan you one of theirs.

I'm so Thankful...

Just a short note today about how thankful I am.
I'm so thankful that my work allows me to be with folks who need me. I've got friends who need someone to drive them to their doctor's visit today, and because my schedule is flexible, I'm able to do that.
I'm also thankful about my schedule, because some of our younger granddaughters may need to come stay with us this summer, because their parents both may have to have surgery during the same time. I'll be able to take care of them while their parents are recuperating; their parents won't have to worry about doing the things that little girls need and can get well quicker.
I'm glad I work from home, so I can do these things - the things I lose because I don't work in an office are nothing stacked up against the blessings I get from being at home with my family.

Sixteen years ago today...

Today's my baby girl's birthday- she's sixteen years old, and she's one of my heroes. She stands by her friends, no matter what; she believes in them and encourages them. And she won't stand for someone putting them down- woe to you if you 'dog out' her friends, because she'll cut you off at the knees.
She goes her own path, and she marches to her own beat. She does things her way and doesn't care if anyone else likes it or not. She's not disrespectful, or mean, but she stands by what she believes in, and she'll go toe to toe with anyone over it.
Jenn, I'm proud to be your Mama, and I'm glad to be able to watch you grow up into a beautiful young woman. I can't wait to see what God's got in store for you!

Kids, Trains and Motorcycles

My friend Chessie has a great post on train clubs, trains and motorcycles; it reminds me of how much I love trains (and of course motorcycles) as well.
How many of you remember hearing the train whistle when the train came through town? We always wanted to be in a spot to see it when it came by. It was even better when it crossed the street to the school- you had an automatic excuse for being late!
My dad and brothers had a train set when we were young; as much as I enjoyed watching them play with it, I never got to run it as much as I'd like-after all, I was a girl!
One of my favorite places to visit is Chattanooga - besides Rock City and Ruby Falls, they've got a great train museum downtown, complete with a miniature version of Chattanooga and the trains that run through her. You can also have lunch in a train car, or buy gifts in the gift shop.
And that brings me back around to motorcycles- as much as I loved trains as a girl, I loved motorcycles more. My older cousins always had bikes, and if I begged my mom enough, I could ride behind them.
I love to see kids' faces when I'm riding my bike. They almost always want to wave and smile (unless they're afraid of the noise) and of course, I wave back. The parents aren't always so friendly, but the kids are! One little boy in a Wal-Mart parking lot just kept yelling "hey motorcycle!" as I rode past.
Last year, when several of us were on a ride together, we stopped at a small gas station for a break before heading home. There were about ten of us, all in one corner, standing by our bikes, drinking water. A very small boy, about 3 or so, and his Nana, came out of the store, and started walking across the parking lot towards their van. All the way across, he kept yelling "Wild Hogs, Nana, Wild Hogs!" I walked over to them and asked if he'd like to come see our bikes a little closer, and he did. He wouldn't get too close (guess there were too many of us) but he did seem to enjoy looking at them.
I wonder what it is about our chemical makeup that makes us so drawn to bikes and trains? Do you think that maybe, even at that young age, we recognize that those things are outside "normal" for most folks? Or is it the sense of wonder and adventure we all have as children - when we see things that are different, we're drawn to it.
As we become teenagers and adults, most of us fight to fit in- we want to be just like everyone else, so folks don't think we're weird.
But for those few of us who want to be different... ah, the freedom to be who we want to be, no matter what anyone else thinks. Ride on!

About my Mom...

Someone twittered a request for memories of our moms; here are some of mine.
* When my youngest brother was about five, he did something to get in trouble, and Mama was going to spank him. He decided he could outrun her, so he started down the hall and into his room, which had slick wooden floors. He hit the floor and slid under his bed to get away - when he turned around, Mama was right there behind him. His eyes were big as saucers!
*The first time I was pregnant (1978), my mom found out before me- I had to go out of town for the day, so I took my little specimen cup to the doctor's office. I asked my mom to call for me to find out the results. Since she had to leave before I got home, and she wanted me to be the first to know, she cut a picture of a baby out of a magazine and put it in an envelope and left it for me.
*The day she held her first grandchild for the first time- my daughter Mary Beth - May 21, 1979. In September 2007, she held her first great-grandchild - Mary Beth's son Reid. My baby's baby...
*When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, my husband and I didn't want to know whether she was a girl or boy but Mama did, so when we had the ultrasound done, the tech printed a picture and wrote "it's a girl!", sealed it in an envelope and we gave it to her. During all those months, she never let it slip to us what we were having. I know it had to be hard for her, but she did it!
I have a great Mom- she's made a lot of sacrifices for me and my brothers, and I think she and Daddy did a great job raising us - they taught us how to be honorable people. If we've failed in doing that it's through no fault of theirs.

Home for a Bunny

When my older daughter was a little girl, she had several books that she really loved. One of those books was Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. We had it in the Big Golden Book version, and we read it until the spine turned loose and the pages fell out.
I loved reading to her as much as she loved hearing it- after a while we had it memorized: "Down the road and down the road he went. He was going to find a home of his own. A home for a bunny, a home of his own..."
Now my own sweet little girl is a grown-up girl and has a sweet little boy of her very own. He loves books as much as his mommy did.
I've been looking for another copy of that book for several months now, but none of the bookstores carried the Golden Books anymore. I finally decided to go online and of course I immediately found it on the Books-a-Million site, along with another book my daughter had loved: The Golden Egg Book which features another bunny and a pretty egg.
I also found a book called Seven Little Postmen - a sweet little story originally written in the 1950s, about a little boy who sends a special letter to his granny.
I ordered copies of each book, including an extra copy of the Postmen book for my house. They came in today's mail and I can hardly wait until I can take Reid and his Mommy their new books.

Playing catchup

Lots of things have been going on around here, so here's the 'cleanup'.
I went back to the doctor yesterday, fully expecting him to say I didn't have to go back- nope, not yet. He says everything looks good, incision is healing nicely; he said to stop using tape on the dressing since it's causing some irritation. Works for me- now I can shower and wash my hair without waiting for hubby to come home and help me change the dressing...I go back in two weeks - hopefully for the last time (not that I don't like Dr. Daley, but I'm ready to move on -LOL)
A very good friend of ours was involved in a bike wreck on Monday night- he was leaving a meeting and hit a deer. Not nearly as bad as it could have been- God had His hand on his shoulder. A few broken bones, some nasty road rash, scrapes and bruises, but he'll hopefully come home this weekend.
Another friend of ours is in the hospital with double pneumonia, so a friend and I went to visit him. We didn't realize how bad he'd been feeling until we saw him at the hospital this morning. He was joking with us, asking about our husbands and what they were doing. He looks so much better than just a day or two ago.
Our town's homecoming is finally here- we'll start things off on Saturday with an arts and crafts fair, then a singing lesson by Ms. Regina, then a bluegrass jam festival that night. Sunday will start with a community church service at the Primitive Baptist Church, dinner on the grounds and singing in the afternoon.
My folks' 50th anniversary is coming up and we're working towards getting everything done for the celebration. We're hoping lots of folks come and visit that afternoon.
Okay, back to your regularly scheduled blog. Thank you for your time.

How Thankful I am...

My doctor's visit went well yesterday- this was my first followup after my surgery two weeks ago. Home health nurses have been coming in to change out packing/dressing in the incision, but my husband's been handling a large part of that task.
It's about a 45 minute job twice daily, and it's been pretty strange for both of us- I tense up expecting things to hurt (they do sometimes) and Randy is tense not wanting to hurt me.
The doctor checked everything yesterday and we can now stop doing the packing, which was a great relief to both of us- I don't think either of us realized how much stress it was putting on us until we could stop.
The tests have come back negative - the doctor said he had no idea what caused the abscess, but he thinks it could have been staph. I'm off all meds, just keeping everything clean and dry. I can now drive, and in a few weeks I'll be back completely on a normal schedule.
I am so thankful for so many things- first of all my husband, who has done some pretty amazing things over the past few weeks, and done it with a sense of humor. He hasn't let all this stuff gross him out and he hasn't let it change the way he looks at me. He's just a great guy all the way around, and I wouldn't take anything for him. (Don't get me wrong - if he'd told me he couldn't handle it, it wouldn't have bothered me at all - we would have worked out another solution).
I'm thankful for lots of good friends who have kept up with how I've done and followed up with me; I'd have calls most every day, just checking on me and reminding me that they love me. We had offers for meals, errands - most anything you can imagine.
I'm thankful for a great doctor who took good care of me.
I'm thankful for the home health nurses who came out and took care of me- it takes a special person to do what they do, and I admire them greatly.
I'm thankful that I'm in good health.
I'm thankful that God has shown me that even when I can't do the things I normally do, I can still do something - this time has really increased my prayer life, and it's also made me realize that I need to stay in contact with the people I love, so they know I love them.
Thank God for the good times and the bad times- we can learn from both!

Is having more than two kids being selfish?

Check this story - http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=424030.
My husband and I have a blended family of six children- my first husband and I had three children, a daughter and two sons. My husband and his first wife had two children - a daughter and a son. And Randy and I have a daughter together- that's right, six kids... just like the Brady Bunch (NOT).
And it doesn't stop there - our oldest daughter has a daughter and two sons; our oldest son has three daughters and a son; our next oldest daughter has a son and a daughter. Our next oldest son is expecting his first child this fall. And that's not counting how many children our two youngest will have when they get married. Ten grandchildren so far, and still counting... and I love each and every one. Some of our children we got the regular way, and some came as a package deal (some people call that steps, but we call them bonuses!) We love our grandchildren, and we don't make any differences in them.
So this story really hit a sore spot with me- I get grief from all kinds of people (including a lot more Christians than you might imagine) because we have a large family.
Now don't get me wrong- I think it's totally wrong to bring children into this world when you have no desire to take care of them, and your only reason for having them is to add to the number of checks you receive from the government every month.
But I have looked through the Bible, and I have yet to find any scripture anywhere that says God punished people by giving them children- quite the opposite. In some times, God punished people by withholding children from them.
Psalm 127 says:
3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

My husband and I are very blessed by our children- sure, they've messed up sometimes, just like we have, but I would not trade anything for them.
And even if you don't want to consider things from a biblical stand, consider this: the more children we have, the bigger the work force twenty years from now. As there are more workers, there are more wages to tax, and more services and products to sell.
And as far as there not being enough land or food for the people we have on earth now- that's a bunch of hogwash... if we're running out of food, why is the government paying farmers not to raise certain crops?

Oh, and as a balance on stopping life from beginning, check what Arlen Specter has to say about older folks who are at the end of their lives- http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=426486 - nice huh?

Happy Valentine's Day

So hubby leaves out early this morning for work (5:45) and I sleep in a bit. I get up a little later (6:30) because I've got a ride planned for today with some friends. While in the kitchen I find a lovely velvet box of candy on the table with a note from him. I notice the lid is sorta bulgy, but I don't think too much about it, because I'm trying to get ready.
Well, the rain moves in instead of passing over us, so I come back home, and decide to treat myself to a piece of candy- guess what? the reason the box was bulgy was the Canon Elph he'd stuck under the cover. All the other goodies to go with it were hidden beside my desk.
Wow, what a great husband, and what a nice gift! I have a Canon Rebel DSLR that I love to use, but when I'm on my bike, it's too bulky to take pictures; I'd also mentioned to Randy that I'd read an article about how the vibrations of the bike can cause the insides of the camera to work loose, so I knew I didn't want to strap it on my handlebars for extended periods.
So now I have a great little 8 MP camera that fits inside one of my coat pockets, I can take it out, turn it on and shoot with one hand, (just tried!) and put it back in my pocket with a minimum of wasted motion.
I've got such a good husband.

Do children really need cell phones?

Check out this blog post about children and cell phones- http://www.christianity.com/11599436/ - this guy is on the money- if we don't have time to monitor our children's phone and texting history, we don't have time for them to have a cell phone.
We sometimes tend to treat our kids like they're grownups, when they aren't. I saw a family movie a couple years ago, where the 15 year old daughter told her dad she had the right to date who she wanted, and the mother was standing there agreeing with her!
My fifteen year old is a very bright, loving, caring person, but she's still only fifteen, and she doesn't always have the wisdom or discernment to know that people can be other than what they seem- and it's my job, and my husband's job to help her find the right path.

Caleb is at the Rainbow Bridge

Seven years ago this spring, our basset baby Caleb came to live with us. We adopted him from the basset rescue group here in Alabama. At three years old, he'd had a pretty hard life; he had been diagnosed and treated for heartworms while at the rescue group; before they picked him up, he'd been on his own for a while. He was afraid of brooms and sticks, he didn't like coming through doors, and he jumped at most loud sounds.
The wonderful folks at the rescue place got him over his heartworms, helped him put on some weight and 'fixed' him so he didn't want to roam. We brought him home and immediately fell in love with him.
He was always a very humble dog, loving everybody, whether it was boys and girls who came over, to the other dogs he met. He loved cats, dogs, squirrels and even the two rabbits my youngest daughter had for a while. They would climb all over him and he just loved every minute of it.
He also loved to ride, like most dogs. One of his favorite trips was to the school to pick up the kids with me. He'd hang his head out the window and 'arooooo' at anyone who would look at him, and wag that big ol' stick of a tail, and smile at everybody.
He even loved going to the vet's office. I guess he had seen such hard times on his own that he'd learned to appreciate everything.
Caleb taught me a lot of things:
*he helped me remember to always greet my loved ones with a happy face when they got home- Caleb always recognized the sound of each vehicle we owned and even could tell Randy's bike from any other bike in the county. As much as he hated loud noises, he loved to hear Randy's bike come roaring around the yard - he'd run towards him, every part of his body quivering because he knew his Daddy was home.
*he never discriminated against anyone- he loved EVERYBODY and expected them to love him, slobber and all; his best animal friend of all was Ricky Bobby, our cat; they loved snuggling on the sofa.
* he reminded me the quote from Seabiscuit - "You don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little." Caleb had a pretty good bump on his nose where somebody hit him, he elbowed out on his front left side, and he had a lot of baggage to work through when he came to us, but his life was worth it.
Over the last few weeks, he'd gotten noticeably weaker, both physically and mentally. Several times he'd get in the bushes around the edges of our yard, and I'd have to talk to him to help him figure out how to get back out. He'd get a lost look on his face. He'd also started having trouble coming back up the steps into the house; several times I had to pick him and bring him inside. He'd also started breathing harder more of the time.
His favorite place to snooze was in the dining room, out of everybody's way, where it was quiet and he could sleep. Late this afternoon, he went into his little 'cave' and laid down. I knew things were getting close, so I'd go in the check on him often. Each time he'd lift his head and wag his tail a time or two. Our little shih tzu came and barked at me, and I think I knew - I went and checked and sure enough, he was gone. He'd left like he wanted, not bothering anybody. He just slipped away.
I already miss hearing the clicking of his toenails on the tile as he pranced in to see me. He always reminded me of Bustopher Jones from Cats... as chunky as he was, he was always so prissy too.
I may have other dogs in my life, but I'll never have another one as good as Caleb. He's gone to the Rainbow Bridge, and since he's always been a good dog, I guess he'll see me coming when it's my time, and run to greet me when I get there.

A New Life

We had two young women make life-changing decisions this past weekend in our church. One young woman came back to God, after a long time away. Without going into details (those are hers alone to share), she's been living her life the way she wanted, instead of following God's leading.
She found her way back this last Sunday, and God swept her up into His loving arms. I know God is always happy when His children come home, and I'm sure He was overjoyed about this young woman. The angels rejoiced with us all...
I spoke to her a few minutes last night after prayer service, and gave her my numbers. I told her that I would be there for her when and if she needed me. I also made sure she understood that I'm not going to judge her, because I've messed up plenty of times myself. I think that's one place we Christians fail our new members, or folks coming back to God. We don't let them know that we fall down all the time; new Christians may think that once you get saved, you don't mess up anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth- and we need to make sure they know it. I mess up everyday, just like everybody else does. The only difference between me and someone who isn't saved is this- I've turned my life over to God, and He helps me when I do fall down. He brushes me off, reminds me that He loves me, and sets my feet back on the path again.
There's a song on Mark Lowry's "But Seriously" album (thanks to Bob Carlisle):

Cursing every step of the way, he bore a heavy load
To the market ten miles away, the journey took its toll
And every day he passed a monastery's high cathedral walls
And it made his life seem meaningless and small

And he wondered how it would be to live in such a place
To be warm, well fed and at peace; to shut the world away

So when he saw a priest who walked, for once, beyond the iron gate
He said, Tell me of your life inside the place...
And the priest replied...

We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
And the saints are just the sinners
Who fall down and get up

Disappointment followed him home; he'd hoped for so much more
But he saw himself in a light he had never seen before

Cause if the priest who fell could find the Grace of God to be enough
Then there must be some hope for the rest of us
There must be some hope left for us

We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
And the saints are just the sinners
Who fall down and get up

Isn't it great to know that when we fall down, God's there to pick us up? Thank God there are no limits to how many times...

What's News - A little bit of everything...

*My middle son, who is home from Europe, has been stationed at Bragg, so he's home for a short visit before he reports for duty. We drove into Bigtown today to let him get a car; he had in mind what he wanted, and happened to find almost exactly what he had in mind, and also seemed to get a pretty good deal on it. He's walking around with a grin on his face so big, I'm afraid the top of his head will fall off. Boys and their toys - nothing like it. Not that I can say anything- I'm pretty crazy about my toys too!

*I'm so glad it's Friday- the first week back at school is always tough- everyone has to readjust their schedules, get used to getting up early and to bed on time, and none of us seem to have gotten as much sleep as we needed.

*A situation that's been on my mind seems to be working out, so hopefully that stress area will go on the back burner for a while.

*My slogan for this year, Big Things are Coming, seems to be already fulfilling itself. I've picked up two new clients, with prospects of several more in the works.

*I'm still redesigning my site, with some good input from Nigel Portis, and it should be poppin' pretty soon.

*Besides reworking the publishing section, I'm adding galleries of my portrait work - I'm anxious to see how it looks online.

*I've come up with several new projects to work on, including a writer's group for some area folks who need the encouragement and help that I can give them. More on that later...

*I've been encouraged to write a column for a local paper regarding tips for writers. I'll be working on that in the next few days.

*My photo entry for the League of Municipalities statewide contest won 2nd place; I was contacted this week for permission to use it in a book to be published by the Alabama Department of History and Archives.

*This post has encouraged me to add a section on my site of news updates regarding my business. I'll add it as a newsfeed across the front page with links to the full story.

A Writer's Group

I've been speaking about a new project with one of my clients, who has just published her third book. It's a novel called A Breaking Heart and it's the first book for my publishing company. She's been a great encouragement to me, and we've helped each other a great deal. I think that's something that's built into each of our spirits, a sense of purpose when we help others reach their goals.
Our new project is a group for women who are interested in learning how to write and publish their books. Our plans include having a very small group of women meet on a regular basis to brainstorm ideas and be an encouragement to one another. My client and I will bring resources to them, keep things moving along and offer any assistance we can, but the great thing about this group is they'll help each other- if someone has strong editing skills, she can lend those skills to others, while learning more about storylines or organizing information from another member.
This is yet another way I believe big things are coming; I'm glad I'll be there at the beginning to see how things grow.

Our new worship leader

Hubby and I have attended the local Assembly of God church for the past six years or so; we both grew up in small-town Baptist churches, so it was a bit different worshiping in a pentecostal church. It's been an amazing thing to learn so much more about how the Spirit works- not that we weren't taught about the Holy Spirit in our earlier churches, but the attitude towards worship in our church is wonderful- no time constraints, just following the leading of God in how we worship and conduct our church services.
Since we've been at this church, our pastor has led the whole service, from start to finish. It's quite a job, working out the song service, helping the choir/worship team get ready, having a message prepared, and being ready to follow how God wants us to do the service each time.
We just hired a new worship leader and it's made a huge difference in the attitudes of everyone in church- our pastor is now able to worship along with us, and become refreshed and filled before he delivers the message God has for us. Our worship leader makes sure the service keeps moving, with no 'dead space', making sure we continue to sing or lead praise for as long as it's needed to get everyone in the place where they can feel His presence.
He's also doing something that I'd never thought about, but it's a great idea - he makes sure that our musicians are allowed at least one song where they don't have to play, but can worship freely too- sometimes he does this by leading us a Capella, sometimes we sing to pre-recorded music - but it's helped the musicians get in their worship mode as well.
He also encourages us to be ready to sing solo or small group songs as well.
I'm so glad that God moved our pastor to make this step, and I'm also very thankful that our worship leader agreed to come be a part of our church family- it's helped us all. Our pastor is able to worship with us, so he's more focused on his message, our choir is encouraged in what we're doing - we've already felt God's presence quicker and more strongly in the service, and I believe our congregation is being encouraged to worship more freely.
We've all been blessed by this experience, and I know it's going to help our church family grow.
My slogan for this year- BIG THINGS COMING! I believe a part of that is our church's growth into new areas...

Miscellaneous stuff

On Christmas Day we had supper at my folks' house, with the rest of the family- it's always so much fun to spend time with kids, especially on holidays. They've got so much to say, and I just love listening to them say it.
For example Reid, who just turned two, is crazy about anything John Deere - his dad is a farmer and drives a John Deere tractor, so he has every reason to think they're great. When I asked him what he got for Christmas, he said, 'a trike-cycle'. When I asked him if it was red, he just looked at me and said, "no, it was gween". What better color for a trike-cycle?

Do you remember the Cosby show episode where Rudy asked Cliff what a bunch of letters spelled? he told her 'zrbrt' and then proceeded to give her a razzberry on her cheek. Ever since, I've given my grandkids and other beloved children 'zrbrts' on their cheek or neck; they've learned that if they hold their chin up, it gives me more room under there, and then watch out! the noise is great, and the look on their face is even better. Thank you, Bill Cosby, for helping me make good memories with these wonderful kids.

Why is it that we feel so much younger than we thought our parents were at the same age?

Of all the things I regret, one of the things I wish I could change would be to go back in time, and find out more about my grandparents' lives. I remember vividly so many things about my mother's mother, like watching her stand by the sink washing dishes, singing 'hey, good lookin' by Hank Williams. Or that she always loved to drink Dr. Pepper - I wish I could find a bottle that looks like the ones from my childhood.

Don't let someone steal your Christmas

We were at my MIL's house last night for our Christmas eve celebration. My hubby's three sisters were there, along with most of the rest of the family.
I'm sure Christmas at most folks' houses was like it was at ours- not as much extra money to spend on gifts, and not doing as much traveling. I'll admit, I'd allowed that to make me feel like Christmas wasn't coming this year.
But after we got there, and I started talking to the kids, I felt much better. Tanner, 2nd grade, whose letter to Santa made the paper, had to decipher one part of his letter (they print them just as the kids spell them- so cute), and we discussed his wishes for an all Alabama Christmas (I'm a big Auburn fan).
Then granddaughters Chloe, Destiny and Neveah all had to tell me what Santa brought them (he comes to their house a night early, because of blended family issues). Granddaughter Lanie also told me her latest news - she has a wonderful imagination and she always perks me up.
Grandson Hunter, who is a teenager now, is one of the sweetest, most polite young men you'll ever meet. Even when I asked about the website I'd heard was devoted to his girlfriends, he went along with the joke, teasing me right back. He's so good with his little sister, and a natural when it comes to taking care of his new baby brother.
And speaking of babies - who can turn down a chance to cuddle with a baby? They always have a smile or a giggle for you. We were lucky enough to spend last night with two babies, both as cute as can be.
Don't let the economy or your surroundings steal your Christmas - remember that there are people out there who love you and don't care if you've got a bunch of money. They love you because of who you are to them.
And remember that the real reason for our celebration is a special baby who was born a long time ago, and who gave us all the best Christmas gift ever- because He made it possible for us to get past our own sinful natures and become a part of God's kingdom.
Merry Christmas!

2008 Review

Okay, so looking back on 2008, what are the things I'd change? what new things did I try that are now favorites? what things need to be worked on? what things do I want to try for the first time in 2009?
I still tend to procrastinate, especially when it's things I'm not looking forward to- like most people. In '09, I plan on handing bothersome tasks better- do them as soon as possible during the day, then rewarding myself with a very enjoyable activity afterwards; this way I get them done quicker, and then I don't have time to build up dread.
I will be taking more pictures of my family - I take lots of pictures, but they tend more towards nature, and the kids around me; my brothers and I created a family calendar for our parents for Christmas, using family pictures - each person or couple will have their own month's page. Next year, I'll have more photographs to choose from, instead of having to 'borrow' some from the guys.
I will also be offering a photo session to any of the older couples and singles at church who would like one - they're on fixed incomes, and can't afford to have a good portrait of themselves; one couple's last portrait was done over ten years ago. I know they'll enjoy having it done, and their children will be glad of them later.
I'm a good bit heavier than I need to be - I will drink more water and walk more often during the week; even if I don't lose a lot of weight, I'll be healthier.
In 2008, I was more adventurous in my riding - I'll continue that, branching out even farther on my little jaunts.
I will allocate more time to writing and drawing/painting. I have some talent, but it needs to be practiced in order to improve. I am also going to schedule time several times a week to practicing and improving my guitar skills - I've got a very nice 6 string acoustic, and a lovely 12-string acoustic that are begging to be played- it's an awful waste and I won't do it any more.
I'll be more aggressive in pursuing my goals and dreams- I have lots of things I want to do and if I don't make my mind up to do them, they won't get done. When they involve another person, obviously I'm not going to jump ahead, but I will lay out my ideas clearly so they can see exactly what I'm expecting.
I've always heard it said that it's just as easy to ask forgiveness as to ask permission, but I don't hold with that too much. Too many times having to ask forgiveness for doing something that goes against someone else's wishes, will eventually hurt the relationship more than it can be repaired.
Last of all, and probably the most important, I'll cherish the time I have with my family and friends - the Bible says we aren't promised tomorrow, and I know that for certain. Several of my friends have faced very close calls, and are still with us, but that doesn't mean the next time won't be the last time.
Have a blessed Christmas!

A Homecoming Event

The Alabama Department of Tourism is sponsoring The Year of Small Towns and Downtowns in 2010. Each town that participates receives a free historic marker; Rutledge will be participating and we'll center the Homecoming Weekend around the Primitive Baptist Church in Rutledge. It's one of the oldest churches in Crenshaw County, and since Rutledge was once the county seat, the church is even more central to the county.
We've already set dates, and we also decided to have a homecoming weekend in 2009 as well - you might say it will be our practice run.
We've come up with several ideas on how to celebrate our town and it's roots - we'll be making videos of town members telling how it was to grow up in and around Rutledge; an art show is also being planned; we'll have activities for the kids on Saturday; and Sunday we'll wind up the weekend with a community church service in the morning, dinner on the grounds and an afternoon singing with local groups.
I've also come up with an idea to have a poster and postcard design competition among the residents of Rutledge. The winning posters will be used to publicize the weekend, and the winning postcards will be reproduced and sold during the weekend. Each winning designer will get a copy of all the winning designs. It will encourage the local folks to get involved, and any money raised will go towards maintaining the church building.
Check back for more details on how the plans are developing...