The Mawmaw

Zippity Do Da!

2012-02-20T10:12:00.000-06:00

We've all seen it ... many have experienced it ... the poor unsuspecting person walking around with his or her fly unzipped for all the world to see. Years ago we had a guest speaker for our Monday morning devotional. The entire time Tim spoke he had his hands in his pockets and his fly unzipped. He constantly was widening the gap. To say it was distracting is an understatement. Don't recall a single word he said that day, but I sure remember that his fly was open.

Another instance that comes to mind regards my favorite son who had the nickname of "Zippy" for a while. Let's just say it wasn't because of his great speed.

Not too terribly long ago I was on the elevator at work, wondering why this person kept staring at me. I thought I'd spilled something or forgot to put on some important item of clothing. After he got off the elevator, I discovered my unzipped pants. Lovely. I'm sure he was traumatized.

OK, so the other night we went out with a dear friend who shall remain nameless in an effort to avoid bringing shame and embarrassment upon his good name. I noticed immediately that his fly was unzipped because the shirt tail of his brightly colored plaid shirt was hanging out the END of the fly. About 2-3 inches worth. Looking back, I suppose I should be thankful that was all that was hanging out. Otherwise I'd be in therapy this morning.

Anyway, I decided that if he kept his coat on, he'd be fine and maybe would discover the faux pax himself. Nope. Shortly he removed his coat and then walked across the restaurant in all his glory. HORRORS! I wasn't about to tell this gentleman to XYZ, but I did whisper to Ed about the problem. After we were all seated at the table, Ed leaned across the whispered to our dear friend. Do you think he excused himself and went to the rest room to readjust things? Nope. Reached right there under the table and tucked in the shirt tail and zipped up his drawers.

Oh, my.

Baby, It's COLD Outside

2012-02-19T14:53:00.000-06:00

We've had a mild winter with crazy temps fluctuating all over the place. Today it's about 35 degrees and we have a nasty rain/snow mixture. Mostly rain. I hate it.

I got chilled in Sunday School today. If we had heat in there, it wasn't much. My hands were frozen. Church was warm. Got home and needed a nap 'cause I could barely stay awake in church. Changed clothes and climbed under the sheets. Tried to sleep, but I was soooooo cold and Ed was watching the Vandy/GA basketball game. No nap for me.

My feet were freezing, and it was miserable. Finally got up and thawed them in the tub with HOT water. Now I have on socks, am wrapped up in my big ol' terrycloth robe, and have a ceramic heater running at full strength. Finally thawing out.

The daughter of one of my colleagues is selling these delectable delights, and I bought three boxes yesterday: mint, tagalong, and shortbread. And today I just ate an entire sleeve of mint. I did notice, however, that the sleeves have fewer cookies this year. Same price ($3.50) but not as many cookies.

Oh, last night, just as I sat down to eat a bowl of leftover lasagna, Bill called to see if wanted to go eat pizza. Ed said yes, so the leftovers went into the trash, and we traipsed off to Painturo's. Love my double dates with two of my favorite men!

Taking a Break

2012-02-18T12:36:00.000-06:00

No school work last night. Instead we watched two movies. Movie #1 was "The Company Men."

The storyline was unsettling familiar. A large corporation, forced to sell some of its holdings and consistently losing money (although the owner bagged a $22M bonus), began deleting jobs. They deleted not only the worker bees but a lot of upline managers with 6-figure base salaries, not to mention the bonuses. Some well-to-do folks. And this downsizing wasn't a one-time thing. By the time it rolled around the second or third time, one of the higher ups said, "What this looks like is a bunch of people over 50 with a few young ones thrown in to avoid litigation."

But the real story was focused on the changed lives of some of those men whose lives were so wrapped up in their jobs that they couldn't separate themselves from it. Affleck's character was determined to find a similar job and was not willing to take a pay cut. A year later he resigned himself to the fact that wasn't going to happen and ended up working construction for his brother-in-law, Costner. Cooper's character, a man approaching 60 and consistently told he was too old for a job, eventually took his own life. Trying to keep up appearances was more than he could bear.

Just an honest look at corporate America and the way it heartlessly destroys lives.

The second movie was an oldie but not a goodie. It was soooooooo LAME.

Filmed in 1955, I suppose it was a good movie for its time. The storyline was OK ... wealthy older widow falling in love with a younger man who is her gardener. Today we would cheer on the cougar, but obviously times were different in the 50s. The acting was terrible. Now I love Rock Hudson. He was sooooo cute. But this wasn't his best performance. Nor was it Jane Wyman's. Both of them were too monotone to suit me. Ed and I poked fun at it all the way through.

This morning we had class and a feast. Lord, have mercy there was a spread: danish, donuts, bagels, cookies, fruit, veggie tray, cookies, hash brown casserole, several breakfast casseroles, juices, and coffee. Fabulicious.

Talked to one of my colleagues who said he had done his take-home exam. He wrote one page per question. One page. I have seven. I know I go overboard (remember the 40-foot histogram?), but I couldn't even list the steps in one page much less discuss them. I had considered working on question 3 this afternoon, but I've changed my mind. I'll get back to it on Monday. Right now I am ...

taking a break.

Chef Boy R Mawmaw

2012-02-17T17:42:00.000-06:00

After working on another exam question all morning, I set that aside and went to the kitchen, where I've been most of the afternoon. Here's why:

I have been a cooking/baking fool. I made this fabulicious soup for supper ... a slightly modified version of the Pioneer Womans Corn and Cheese Chowder. I omitted the bacon and the orange pepper. I added a can of diced tomatoes. The rest was the same.

This is my bowl of chopped onions and a red pepper and a yellow pepper. Sauteed those a few minutes in some butter. Added 2 bags of frozen corn. Sprinkled a little flour over it and added a big box of chicken stock. Let that simmer a few and then added 2 cups half and half, 1 cup Monterey Jack, and 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese. Oh my word!

And THAT is the finished product. Still waiting for The Pap to get home, but I HAD to taste it. No, I didn't eat the whole bowl ... yet.

I signed up to take pastries to school tomorrow for brunch. Bill ordered apricot danish. Here's the process:

Made this easy-as-pie dough ... melt 1 stick butter, 8 oz. cream cheese, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 c. sugar. While that is heating combine some yeast and 1/2 cup warm water until it begins to proof (bubble). Add 2 beaten eggs. Alternately add the melted mixture with 4 cups bread flour. Knead and let rise.

OK, so now I divided the dough that had been rising into 4 parts. Here's part one all rolled out into a rectangle ... or some resemblance thereof.

Then you spread this cream cheese mixture (2 pkgs. cream cheese, 3/4 c. sugar, 1 egg, and 1 tsp. vanilla) and spread some fruit down the middle. Per Bill's request, this is apricot, which I made by running one small can of apricots through the food processor and adding one small can of apricot filling. Simple. Or you can use a can of your favorite pie filling ... I like cherry. Kelly's favorite is apple and I sprinkle a little cinnamon over the apples.

Here they are! Just cover 'em and let 'em rise for a while. Then pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes or until browned. When they've cooled a bit, drizzle with your favorite glaze. I use powdered sugar, milk, and a smidgen of almond flavoring.

These two are going to school with me tomorrow. The other two are staying home. Come on over, and I'll put on the coffee pot!

Who Am I Kidding?

2012-02-17T13:06:00.002-06:00

OK, so I lied. Question one was 7 pages, and I stupidly thought the second one would be much shorter. It is a FULL 6 pages. Another line or two and it would bump to 7.

Done for today. In the process of making danish and going to start chopping an onion and some peppers for the soup. Pictures to follow later!

Date Night!

2012-02-17T09:53:00.000-06:00

Last night The Pap and I went to Texas Roadhouse for supper. It's a chain, but very good. For some reason I was starving all day yesterday, and after only a cup of chicken noodle soup for lunch, I was ready to put on the feed bag. Here's what we had:

Steak and shrimp. Oh my word in heaven, that skewer of shrimp was fabulicious! The steak, baked potato, and salad were good, but the shrimp far surpassed the rest of the dinner.

Today I'm back to answering the take-home exam we got yesterday and working on question 2. I'm prolly 2/3rds of the way through it, and it won't be nearly as long as the first one. May or may not tackle question 3 'cause I have some other things I need to do.

We've having brunch tomorrow morning at class, and I signed up for pastry. Guess I'll make Bill's favorite apricot cream cheese danish. Only I discovered a while ago I forgot to buy sour cream at the store. That's not a staple around here, so off to the store in a little while. I've also decided I want to make the Pioneer Woman's corn chowder for supper and need the ingredients for that. So sooner or later I'm gonna have to shower, get dressed (yes, it is 10 a.m. and I'm still in my pjs), and go to the store.

Life is good at the Gregory house. Very good

Time Flies

2012-02-16T16:57:00.001-06:00

I must be incredibly slow ... or thorough. Slow is prolly more accurate. I sat down to start working on question one of our take-home exam.

Four hours and 7 pages later, I finished. FOUR hours ... did you get that? We are allotted 4.5 hours for comps. How in the world can I extensively answer 6 questions when it took me half a day to answer one?

On top of that, Bill has sent us four groups of study questions from various professors. I have my work cut out for me. Another reason to be thankful for retirement. I don't know how I could do this and work too. One of my colleagues told me this week he is going to take 2 weeks' vacation to prepare. Smart man.

In the meantime, I have a hot date with The Pap tonight ... dinner and grocery shopping. I know ... grocery shopping is one of the least romantic things in the world, but at least it is time together AND someone to carry in all the groceries!

Exam Time

2012-02-16T10:08:00.000-06:00

Today Jason gave us our take-home exam for the Intro to the Judicial System class. Four discussion questions. Actually, 2 cases, 1 question about various areas of the court process, and a question about lawyers. Lovely. Due next Saturday.

I've only read through the first case. Obviously it is a civil court case and involves whether or not a man signed a noncompete clause. That term isn't used when the case was presented, but that's what it is. Haven't read the other stuff yet. Hopefully it won't be too tough. He also told us that something similar to this would be what he'd have on comps, should we choose to answer his question. With my notes, it shouldn't be too bad. Without them? I have never worked in the court system. Don't know if I could remember all this or not. I have something like 15 pages of typed notes. Single spaced. Uh huh.

But FIRST ... I have to move around some laundry and finish reading the paper. Priorities, you know.

Morale Deflaters and Boosters

2012-02-15T20:51:00.000-06:00

A rather large number (25 at last count) of my former coworkers lost their jobs today. Downsizing, deletions, reorganization ... whatever you want to call it. All I know there are a lot of hurting people there today ... including those left behind with their jobs in tact.

I am brokenhearted for them. And every day I am more and more thankful that I retired. Tonight a very perceptive church member asked me, "Doesn't management realize the word on the street is that this company will chew you up and spit you out?" Bottom line is: They don't care.

Now for the booster! Tonight my friend and partner in crime Annie were coming down the stairs after bell practice. She was moaning and groaning with each step. She's had more knee surgeries than I have fingers and thumbs. Seriously. Needs knee replacement but won't do it.

As we reached the bottom of the stairs and headed toward the choir room I said, "This getting old is the pits." Mark, another choir member who has only been at our church a couple of years at the most, said, "I'm with you." He's much younger, and I rolled my eyes and said, "Just wait until you're my age." Mark said, "I'm closer than you think. You're under 50, aren't you?" I laughed and said, "No, I'm much closer to 60. I'm 57 for a few more months." I could see the look of astonishment on his face. "Well, I never would have guessed that."

Give that boy a Girl Scout cookie!

Ants

2012-02-15T13:57:00.000-06:00

Years ago we had carpenter ants ... ginormous black ants ... nested under our house. Had no clue until we went to have siding placed on our house. Woodpeckers had absolutely torn up a spot on the front of the house trying to peck their way through to the carpenter ants. Had to have all that treated and we've had no more trouble with carpenter ants.

Last year sometime we had a very minor problem with those tiny black ants hanging out in my bathroom. Not like a trail of them ... just a few random ones. The "bug man" said they were scouts out looking for water. He sprayed and that was that.

About a week ago I noticed those pesky little things in my bathroom again. Just two or three most of the time. But I hate it. We are not dirty people. There's no food upstairs. I don't know what they are after.

Then the weirdest thing of all ... lately I've seen them in the bonus room. Again, not a trail of them, just a few random ones here and there. And they are on my laptop! That's the ONLY place I see them. Are they after the heat or just really smart ants? If I put it on the floor, I can just about guarantee the next time I pick it up there will be ants on and in it. If I leave it in my recliner, it rarely has ants. Yes, we eat up here sometimes. But we don't make a mess, and while this room is a cluttered mess (again), it is clean.

So our bug man called a little while ago and it is time for our quarterly treatment. Here's hoping he takes care of the ant problem.

Surprise in the Mail

2012-02-14T18:22:00.001-06:00

Heard the doorbell ring about 3:30 this afternoon ... UPS delivering a small package. A brown box. What in the world? Then I saw the return address ... Josten's. And here's what was in the package! To say I am excited is a huge understatement!

Valentine's 2012

2012-02-14T13:29:00.000-06:00

The minute Ed woke me up this morning, he wished me Happy Valentine's Day and said he had a card for me downstairs. My eyes weren't even open yet nor was my body moving. My mind was still in sleep/dream mode.

But after a shower and clean clothes, I meandered downstairs and we exchanged these cards.

Ed ALWAYS gets mushy Valentine's, anniversary, birthday, Mother's Day cards. Always. If it wasn't mushy, I would suspect it wasn't from him. I used to always get him funny cards, but the last several years I've gotten mushy cards ... at least for Valentine's.

Instead of going out to a restaurant with thousands of other people, I have opted to cook dinner. One of his favorite dishes I make is lasagna. I don't make it often because it is time consuming and uses a lot of pans and because it makes too much for just us. I usually make it for company. So tonight is an exception.

Started with all this ... plus a package of very lean ground beef and some homemade sausage. Most of the time I just use ground beef. Occasionally I add Italian sausage. Just for kicks and giggles I added regular sausage today.

And here's the finished product ... well, finished except for baking.

YUM!

I thought about making some french bread but decided against it. Just not into bread baking today.

But I did make a sugar-free strawberry pie, another Ed favorite.

One baked pie shell, some ripened berries, some sugar-free strawberry filling. Mix together the berries and the filling. Pour into the shell. And it will look like this!

Before serving I'll add some Cool Whip. I know, I should be ashamed for not using real whipping cream. Just didn't think about it.

Ed will be sooooooo happy!

Tax Time

2012-02-14T11:49:00.000-06:00

I hate tax season ... just so you know. No, I am not an accountant nor do I have anything to do with filing taxes other than our own. The primary reason I hate it is (1) it is time consuming and (2) we usually have to pay something. Not much, but something.

Last year was the first time I filed electronically, and let me tell you, I griped all the way through it. Whoever said it was more simple was, in my opinion, off their rocker. It took me the better part of a Saturday afternoon. And that didn't include the time prior to that when I spent hours gathering and calculating expenses.

This year I sorta anticipated a return simply because of school expenses. My tuition last year was close to $17,000 before the scholarship amount was deducted. Of course we don't get to claim the whole thing and it actually works as a credit for us, but it definitely helped.

This morning I sat down to e-file ours and used the same company I used last year. SMART move! All of our information was still there ... names, SSN, address, employer ... so it went much more quickly this year. And I was right about school helping. We are getting back a chunk of change this year. Which we will desperately need unless I come up with a job pretty soon.

Anyway, I am sooooooo thankful!

My Babies

2012-02-13T17:19:00.001-06:00

Found this precious picture from April 1980. Pretty sure it must be on Sunday since Kelly's in a church dress and Chris is in a three-piece suit. Kelly was 8 months old; Chris just short of his 4th birthday. This picture was made in Bell Buckle at Nanaw and Papaw Ed's house, and they are being loved on by their great-grandparents, Grandmama and Big Daddy Gregory.

And one more totally unrelated thing ...

These chicken and dumplings are simmering on the stove. Tomorrow night (Valentine's Day) we're having homemade lasagna and strawberry pie!

2012-02-13T08:25:00.000-06:00

Ed's mom called a little while ago and was crying. Mary, the wife of a relative had passed away. Mary's father-in-law and Ed's great-grandmother were first cousins ... or something like that. Their last name was Farrar, and Eddie's great-grandmother was a Farrar. I think I have that straight.

Anyway, Mary was related to me somehow. Her grandmother was a Riggs, as was my grandmother. So Ed's family tree and mine intertwine and it began several generations ago. Weird, huh?

There have been three books published on the Riggs family. I have an electronic copy of this one and one other "More About the Riggs." In reading these, we've found that Ed and I have several common relatives. His cousins married to mine. Stuff like that. We even found out that Ed's brother's wife, Lisa, is related to my side of the family. Just not enough branches in our family tree.

Which explains a lot.

Not much going on here on the home front. Last night we met John & Sandy at Demo's for supper. Had a fabulous time talking and the food was incredible too. Nothing special on this week's agenda ... school and studying.

A Brief Rant

2012-02-12T13:14:00.000-06:00

But first ... a picture of the beautiful scarf my friend Pam sent me. Looks much better on me than on Monkey Simon and Monkey Theodore, don't you think?

Now for the rant. Come to think of it, I have two. First with starts with someone in my SS class. I love my class ... great friends and great time of Bible study. Only we have this one person with an agenda or platform against gays and lesbians. It doesn't matter what we're studying ... pick a book from Genesis to Revelation ... but he can turn every subject into gay bashing. I'm tired of it. Many of us in the class have gay and lesbian friends, coworkers, and/or family members. Do we love them any less? No. Do we wish they would change their lifestyle? Yes. We also have friends, coworkers, and/or family members who drink too much, smoke, gamble, and have other habits we may disapprove of. But we don't use that as our platform to rant and rave about the sin of (fill in the blank) that we are against. This person hates gays and lesbians. I get that. But for goodness sakes, be sensitive to those who deal with it day in and day out.

So after church today I approached our teacher. I told him, "You can tell me to butt out, mind my own business, or whatever you feel, but here's my deal." And I told him how terribly unhappy I am with this insensitive boob and how tired of hearing the same old stuff out of his mouth every Sunday. Teacher said he'd often had the same thought and would be glad to talk to him about his insensitivity.

Thank You, Jesus.

Now the other rant. And you may think I'm way wrong on this one too, but here goes. I believe each church has its own worship style. Some are very high church and ritualistic. Others are traditional but not as strict and stern as some. Some are more contemporary. Others are charismatic. Some speak in tongues. Some don't. Some raise their hands in worship. Some don't. Some shout aloud during the service. Others don't. I don't want to come across as condemning one style over another. But here's what I am saying: Whichever kind of service we are in, we should observe that style.

I went to an Episcopalian service a few years ago. Not for me. But I respect their right to worship as they do. Did I jump up and run around, waving my hands and shouting? Nope. I sat very quietly and respectfully and worshiped as they did. I've also been in a church where there was, how shall I say it, a lot more activity during the worship service. I didn't participate, but it was their church and the way they worshiped. Wasn't my place to come in and be disruptive.

All that to say that we had a very disruptive and nonworshipful service this morning ... at least for me. Oh, the first part was fine ... the music and Scripture reading, welcoming guests. But when the screaming and shouting at the top of the lungs began, worship was over for me. I couldn't think, couldn't pray quietly, couldn't even hear the preacher. Now if the person doing all the screaming and shouting finds that worshipful, fine. I'm just saying go find a church and congregation who also worships in that fashion. Then scream and shout to your heart's content. I just found it disruptive, rude, and unacceptable. Like the guy in SS, it isn't being sensitive to those around you. That's all I'm saying.

Cradle Roll

2012-02-11T17:56:00.000-06:00

I met a man named Bill on facebook a few months ago ... when he saw my name, he asked if my dad's name is Sterling. Yep. Turns out Bill worked for my dad and for Uncle Horace many years ago. So we've been friends on FB ever since.

Today he posted this:

I'm sure you can't read it, but the first entry on this list birth announcements is ME! And toward the end is Bill's announcement. There's also another one who is a woman that is also FB friends with Bill. Small world, huh?

Gets even smaller. Bill used to live across the street from Uncle Horace and Aunt Virginia. Said he'd found a picture made of him in their front yard.

AND ... the entry after mine is Brimm. That baby boy, another Bill, grew up in Madison. We went to school together and he sat next to me at graduation from high school. Weird, huh ... that our names would be side by side in our birth announcements and in our graduation program.

Soups and a Surprise

2012-02-11T12:17:00.000-06:00

This morning I caught an episode on the Food Network of the Pioneer Woman. Who knew she had her own show? Not me! I spend all my Saturday mornings in class and not in front of the tv ... except for today!

So Ree was making this scrumptious-looking corn and cheese chowder. I am a sucker for chowder an found myself drooling and close to licking the tv screen! Just click on the title and it'll magically transport you right to the recipe! While we won't be having it tonight ... it would require a trip to the store and it is just too blasted cold for me to go out ... even for corn chowder ingredients.

We are having homemade vegetable beef soup tonight, and it is simmering on the stove right now!

Simple: leftover roast beef or fresh stew meat (browned), chopped onion, 2-3 potatoes peeled and chopped, 2-3 turnips peeled and chopped, 2 pkgs frozen mixed veggies, 1 can tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste. That is it! I can't hardly wait for supper!

Now for the surprise!

Last week my long-time friend Pam (she was our first next-door neighbor when Ed and I married; Pam and I did EVERYTHING together!) said she was making me a graduation present. She is the most creative and artsy person I know. So very talented! I have one of her handmade baskets in my bathroom that has been holding makeup for 25 years or more. Now she's taken up knitting scarves and is selling them as fast as she can make them. Asked me what color I wanted because she was going to send me one for graduation. I told her to surprise me.

And she did! I got a package in the mail yesterday, and I'm thinking, "I didn't order anything." Turns out it is my bee-yoo-ti-ful new scarf and my FIRST Graduation Present. Thank you, Pammy Mac!

Here are Simon and Theodore modeling my new scarf. It's bitter cold outside, and they're trying to stay fashionably warm! I WILL be wearing this to church tomorrow ... styling and profiling!

Friday Night FUN

2012-02-11T09:01:00.000-06:00

We had an absolute blast at last night's Chocolate Affair. I ate very little chocolate ... one slice of banana and one strawberry dipped in chocolate and 2 bite-sized squares of milk chocolate. One from France and one from Belgium. Good, but I'd just as soon have a bag of plain M&Ms.

Anyway, this event started at 7:30 and was supposed to be over at 9:30. We got there about 7:20, met at the door by Bill. Mr. and Mrs. Hot Scott were in the foyer, and we stood and talked with them for a few minutes. Soon we were joined by some of my professors ... Dr. H, Dr. S-S, and Jason, who is teaching this semester's judicial class. One of the state reps joined our group for a few minutes.

Finally we walked on side and began "mingling" and sampling chocolate. Ed went upstairs to see what the silent auction offered while I stood with friends and watched a fashion show. Couldn't understand a word of what the emcee was saying, but we enjoyed critiquing the outfits and oohing and aahing over the kids who modeled.

After the fashion show, Bill, Scott, Emily, Q, Ed, and I gathered around to say our good-byes. About 45 minutes later, we finally left. I felt kinda bad when I realized we were the only ones still there and the clean-up folks were starting to tear things down. Guess we closed out that party. But So Much Fun!

Q and I both asked Bill and Jason if we were having class today. We had a few flurries yesterday, but the roads were wet, temps were driving, and there was a threat of black ice. Jason said he would call me if he decided to cancel class and I could email the rest of the class. At nearly 10:30 last night (we weren't home yet), Jason called and cancelled class. So I emailed everyone as soon as I got home. Hope everyone read their email before they traveled the treacherous roads this morning!

Date Night!

2012-02-10T17:40:00.000-06:00

Ready to go ... waiting for The Pap!

Flurries

2012-02-10T16:08:00.000-06:00

I hate winter. That being said, we've had a mild one thus far. But today it's been cold and we've had some flurries. Look hard, and you can see the few that were flurrying around our house.

Thankfully it has stopped. BUT it's going to be in the 20s tonight, and that means icy roads in the morning. Hoping school won't be canceled.

Tried to make fried pies today ... something I've done dozens of times ... and why they weren't working for me today is beyond me. The dough was terrible ... crumbly and not holding together well. I've got 'em done, but not sure I want to take them tomorrow. So I've got dough rising to make cinnamon rolls.

Aren't they pitiful looking? But they taste good ... one broke open and I ate it. Every bite.

Friday's Agenda

2012-02-10T09:28:00.000-06:00

Really wish my To Do List had only one thing listed: Nothing. However, that isn't happening.

I've been sick this week, fighting a sinus infection. Gave up yesterday and went to the ENT. After a dose of antibiotics and 11 hours of sleep, I feel so much better.

Good thing, 'cause I've got lots to do ... and here I sit typing. Yeh, I know.

• I've started laundry. Load #1 is ready to be switched to the dryer. Two more to follow.

• Grocery shopping. I prefer going when Ed can tag along to load the car and drag everything into the house for me. But we have a social function to attend tonight: a Chocolate Affair, which is a fund-raiser for the Child Advocacy Center of the 15th Judicial District of TN. Bill is on the board as is one of my other professors. In my best interest to go ... plus we went last year and the chocolate is fabulous!

• Nail salon. Mine are a mess. Gotta look good for tonight!

• Read the paper. OK, maybe you're laughing. But I HAVE to read the paper every day and work (or attempt to work) the Sudoku puzzle.

• Make some kind of goodie for class tomorrow. I'm thinking about homemade cinnamon rolls. Only thing is I'll have to get up really early tomorrow morning to bake them. So they may not get cinnamon rolls. They may get cream cheese danish or chess squares. Jury is still out.

I've already balanced the checkbook ... a great feat in itself. Time to eat some b'fast and get busy.

Secrets

2012-02-09T10:24:00.000-06:00

Girls have secrets ALL the time ... from girlfriends, sisters, coworkers, parents, teachers. I mean, girls are just big on secrets. Problem is that most the time they don't remain secrets for long. Secrets just burn and build until you have to tell them or explode. I'm convinced most people can't keep a secret long-term.

But men ... are they different? I think so. I'm not talking about keeping a confidence. I'm talking about a real, live, deep down in your soul secret.

So last night Ed and I are snuggled up in bed watching the last 15 minutes of Law & Order SVU, one of my favorite programs. Or it was until this season when they wrote out Elliot Stabler. Anyway, there was a commercial break and I swear I don't even know what we were talking about when Ed let something slip. And I'm not talking about gas. I'm talking about a secret.

The first time I ever laid eyes on Ed (that I remember) was on January 26, 1974 at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house after MTSU beat APSU 90-87 in overtime. We (the Blue Raiders) had overcome a 10-point deficit and with 3 seconds on the clock, one of our guys hit a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. Big celebration at the frat house afterward.

This was my first date with Mike, and it was a blind date arranged by my roommate. He had told me about his roommate (Ed) and how weird he was. What he failed to tell me was how GORGEOUS Ed was! And I mean it in all sincerity when I say it was lust at first sight when I saw Ed for the first time ... at least on my part.

OK, here's what I did NOT know. Apparently all the guys from Pi Kappa Phi were supposed to have dates that night from Delta Sigma. One of the "little sisters" of PKPhi set the whole thing up. Ed had a date that night from that sorority. She didn't want to go to the party, which explains why I never knew ... until last night ... that he'd had a date. He took her home after the ball game. The girl has no idea what a catch she let slip away, but I am forever grateful that she went home.

So I asked Ed how Sissy and I ended up with blind dates from the fraternity. He said my roommate had arranged that, but he did not know how Mike and Bill (I think that was his name) ended up being our dates. My guess is they drew the short straws.

Here's the rest of the secret: Ed said he had noticed me on campus before that night but was afraid to ask me out. Thought I'd say no. Afraid! Can you believe that? And even after we met it took him until March 17 to ask me out. Slowpoke. Also, Ed told me last night that when he discovered that I was Mike's date, he was jealous. Said he remembers thinking, "That lucky son of a gun!"

To say I was stunned is an understatement. I thought the first time he'd ever seen me was at that party, but apparently he'd had his eye on me for a while before that. And it has taken him 38 years to tell me that. (Chris, you might want to skip over this next part ...) So I looked him straight in the eye last night and asked, "Are you making this up as you go along hoping I'll have sex with you tonight?" I just threw in that last part about sex to get a reaction from him. If you ever watch "Everybody Loves Raymond," Debra is always asking Ray that question. Anyway, Ed swore that wasn't his motive. Good thing, 'cause I'd been sick all day. I just wanted to Go To Sleep.

So there you have it: Ed's Deep, Dark Secret. I still can't get over it.

C.O.R.N.

2012-02-08T17:26:00.000-06:00

CORN ... it's what's for supper at our house tonight. That's my friend Q's acronym for:

Clean

Out

Refrigerator

Night

So here's what's on the menu for Ed tonight:

2 slices sausage pizza
1 piece of minute steak and gravy with noodles
4 pieces of fried chicken
1 serving each of green beans and mashed potatoes
rainbow slaw
macaroni and cheese

I'll do better tomorrow night, honey. I promise. Hopefully I'll feel better and have more energy. But not tonight. Tonight we're having corn.

Say "Ahhh"

2012-02-08T10:16:00.000-06:00

My throat no longer feels like I've swallowed razor blades and shredded it to pieces. That's the good news. The bad news is I am dizzy and congested. The good news is I have an appointment with my favorite ENT tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime I will drink lots of fluids, take mucinex, and clear my throat constantly.

And study. Did I mention I have comps on March 17? Yeh, I'm sure I did and will prolly mention it a few dozen more times. Back to the organizational behavior book today. And possibly a nap. Or two.

It's Been One of THOSE Days

2012-02-07T16:01:00.000-06:00

You just know it isn't going to be a good day with you wake up at 3 a.m. with a mega-sore throat and can't go back to sleep and you accidentally wake up your husband who thinks that because you're wide awake at 3 a.m. you are interested in a little extra-curricular activity and that is the LAST thing on your mind.

A little after 5 I got up and gargled with hot salt water. That helped. Got ready and headed for school ... with a stop at Kroger for some Sucrets for the very sore throat.

Got to class to find out that my Triplet Sisters had planned on us staying after class to go over some comp questions. I missed that email. Good thing I had my answers with me ... written in long hand in a notebook. After going over those plus a long gab session, it was nearly lunchtime. Emailed Renate on my nearly dead computer ... today was the ONE time I didn't bring my power cord ... to see if she was available. YES! Picked her up and we went to Logan's where I had a terrible salad. Parts of the lettuce were frozen, and the tomatoes were mushy as in they'd already been frozen and thawed. Gross.

But we had a grand visit. She is soooooo good for what ails me ... even a sore throat! Left there for a 1:30 appointment with my endocrinologist who is a wonderful physician but always running behind schedule because he LOVES to visit with his patients.

Finally got home at 3 p.m. ... still with a sore throat. Guess I'm going to have to call the ENT and try to get in to see him on Thursday.

THEN, since our insurance has changed, I tried to go on line to set up our mail-order meds which took nearly another hour because It Would Not Work. Finally discovered that if I left off the 3-letter prefix at the beginning of the subscriber ID, it would work. And I had to set up mine and Ed's separately. On Medco, our previous provider, I had them all set up on one file.

Wasn't planning on the meeting after class and lunch out. Therefore, I have NOTHING thawed for dinner. But since I won a FREE Papa John's pizza, I'm thinking in my big head that we shall be dining on pizza tonight. Yes, we just had that on Friday night. Get over it. My throat hurts and I am sleep deprived.

Now for the good news:

Ed and I are going to this on Friday night as Bill's guests! I have had a life-long affair with chocolate, so this is right up my alley! If it is like last year's event, there was this ginormous chocolate fountain with multiple streams of chocolate and everything you can imagine to dip into the flowing chocolate. Also had tons of individually packaged chocolates from other countries. The Belgium chocolate was my favorite.

So you see, I MUST get rid of this blasted sore throat so that I will feel up to par on Friday evening and can indulge in this lovely decadence!

Comps Announcement

2012-02-06T15:46:00.000-06:00

Just received an email that the day of comps has been announced:

Saturday, March 17, at 8:30 a.m. Four-and-one-half hours. Nonstop writing. And right now I feel like I could throw up and/or have a nervous breakdown. Lots of work to do.

Here's hoping the luck of the Irish will be with us on St. Patrick's Day this year.

Monday's Mood

2012-02-06T11:59:00.000-06:00

Monday can be a difficult day. Does it set the tone for your week? Possibly. Sometimes. Definitely. Just depends.

I woke up early today (5:30) and just dozed for about another hour. I was afraid I'd oversleep for an 8 a.m. Crime Stoppers meeting. I KNOW that's why I couldn't sleep. Got up, bathed, checked email, ate half a sammich, and out the door at 7:45. Was officially elected to the board and we planned an upcoming fund raiser.

Been home for a couple of hours now and I can't get motivated to do anything except sit on my hindparts and watch reruns of Project Runway.

I am NOT in the mood to do the following things I need to be doing:

1. Answering questions in preparation for upcoming comps

2. Organizing notes for comps

3. Figuring out tax saver

4. The never-ending job of housework

5 Sorting through numerous boxes of family documents and pictures, which seem to be multiplying

6. Making bread

All I want to do is get rid of these blasted hiccups I've had the last half hour, get warm (I'm freezing), and Take a Nice, Long Nap.

Super Sunday!

2012-02-05T15:28:00.000-06:00

Ed and I played hookey from church today. My boys ... including Papaw ... were coming for lunch, and I had LOTS to do in the kitchen. By 8:30 I was showered, and dressed, and ready for the day. The Pap was still under the covers. All that scrubbing yesterday flat wore him out!

For lunch we had:

Fried chicken. This was the first of MANY skillets of chicken. Here's the final stash:

We also had mashed potatoes, mac 'n cheese, green beans, rainbow slaw, biscuits, gravy, gingerbread, and a sugar-free chocolate/vanilla pudding dessert. Oh my gosh, we all waddled away from the table.

Can you see the biscuits underneath the cloth? I'd made then a little earlier and left them on the counter until time to pop 'em in the oven.

This is The Pap, The Mawmaw, and Mawmaw's Precious (Jay). Love, love, LOVE my boys!

Funny Note: I was talking to Bill a little while ago who asked if we went to Sunday School. I said no. Here's how the rest of the conversation went:

B: Well, I'm sure Ed went to Sunday School. He's such a fine, upstanding young man.

C: When I got out of the shower ... hair dried, make-up on, and fully dressed ... and started downstairs, he was still in bed.

B: Well, he deserved a day off. He was tired.

C: And I had to stay home and cook for my family.

B: Try explaining that to Jesus.

C: I'm sure as soon as I hand Jesus a chicken leg He will understand.

Then there was all this squawking as he yelled: I'm sitting right here next to a window and lightning could strike me at any moment! Why do you say things like that?

Whatever.

So now everyone is gone, and it's just The Pap and me ... all alone in the peace and the quiet.

Scrubbing Floors

2012-02-04T13:24:00.000-06:00

I have the BESTEST husband in the whole wide world ... or at least in my world. Remember yesterday's post about my filthy mcdirty kitchen/laundry/bathroom floor?

Well, while I was off getting educated this morning in the judicial system, The Pap was home ... on his hands and knees, mind you ... scrubbing the floor. Now, he didn't get much done ... only the area behind the counter ... but oh my goodness what a huge difference it has made!

The Pap at work!

Truthfully, he had scrubbed a lot more than that one area, but he had diluted the ammonia and it just wasn't cutting it. So when I got home, I poured straight ammonia over that area and he went back over it. The difference was like night and day! So happy!

After he finished that area, I mopped it with Mister Clean, and it looks amazing. My next plan of action (once he finishes all the kitchen) is to buy one of those steam cleaners ... prolly Bissell ... in an effort to KEEP it that clean.

When he finished his hard and greatly appreciated scrubbing, I fixed lunch. I mixed up some tuna fish and served it over lettuce. Then as a big surprise, we had this:

Don't know about where you live, but around here watermelon is very pricey this time of year. A bowl of cubed watermelon was over $6. SIX DOLLARS! So imagine my surprise, not to mention extreme happiness, when I saw this price:

Yep. 83 cents. Of course that package made its way into my basket, our refrigerator, and ultimately into our tummies at lunch today!

A Day in the Lives of the Gregory Sock Monkeys

2012-02-04T13:16:00.000-06:00

The weather this week has been "unseasonably warm," as the meteorologists like to say. Myself, I am thankful for temp in the 60s, even though some days the wind has been rather cool and there's been some dampness in the air from all the rain. Still, it beats cold, sleet, and snow any day of the week.

Most of those days, however, I didn't venture out the door except to go to class. But yesterday I went to the grocery store and rode home with my sunroof open ... on February 3! Well, it was so nice outside that Monkey's Simon and Theodore were begging to go outside. Here's a recap:

They enjoyed some time out on the deck. Thought about building a fire in the firepit but wasn't sure they would behave.

Simon and Theodore were excited to find a little greenery popping up in one of the pots!

They wanted to play "jungle," so we had to come back indoors where they could play hide and seek in my plants. It'll be a couple of more months before I can move all my plants back outside.

No, the boys aren't in time out. Just resting up after a fun-filled afternoon at Mawmaw's house!

Missing My Jaybug

2012-02-03T14:06:00.000-06:00

Kelly & Jay (Dec. 2011)

I haven't seen my favorite grandson in 2-3 weeks and am having severe symptoms of withdrawal. I need some Jaybug hugs! So I called Chris the other day and explained the situation. I also invited them to come to lunch on Sunday. He asked, "Who else is coming?" I said, "Who else do you want to come?" "Granny and Paw."

So on Sunday afternoon Daddy, Sandra, Chris, Amanda, and Jay are coming for lunch. We are soooooooo excited!

Been planning the menu ... which MUST include fried chicken because that's Jay's favorite ... and here's what I've come up with. No changes allowed since I went Krogering this morning and stocked up the fridge and the pantry.

Spinach Dip for appetizer: Served with crackers, celery sticks, and carrot sticks. That should keep 'em busy until everything else is ready.

Fried Chicken: I bought 2 whole chickens today. Will cut them up tomorrow so they can soak a full 24 hours in cold salt water. I'll also have to make some chicken tenders for Jay ... and I have a brand-new container of honey mustard for him to use as a dip.

Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans w/ham hock, Mac & Cheese: About the only veggies Jay will eat. Besides, they go perfectly with Mawmaw's fried chicken.

Rainbow Slaw: This stuff is fabulicious! Just buy a package of rainbow slaw and add raisin, pineapple tidbits, and slaw dressing. It is beautiful and yummy!

Biscuits and Gravy: Daddy thinks you can't have biscuits without gravy. Milk gravy, of course, with fried chicken. And homemade biscuits ... nothing out of a bag or can.

Sugar-free Dessert: I don't know what this stuff is called. Just layer a package of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish. Mix up a large box of vanilla sugar-free pudding and pour over the crackers. Top with another layer of graham crackers. Mix up a large box of chocolate sugar-free pudding and pour over the second layer of crackers. When it is set (a couple of minutes), top with Cool Whip. I bought the french-vanilla flavored (my personal fave).

Back to the books. Been studying for Dr. S-S's part of comps. Taking much more time than I had anticipated.

A Housekeeper

2012-02-03T11:15:00.001-06:00

If there was one luxury I could have and be guaranteed to have it for the Rest of My Life, it would be a housekeeper ... one who comes every single week, rain or shine, and cleans my house. Top to bottom ... wipe down woodwork, clean ceiling fans, wash curtains, scrub bathrooms and floors, vacuum, mop, dust. The works.

Problem is, there's no money for that. Ed and I are the housekeepers at The Gregory Motel 6. I do the majority of it, but there are some chores I cannot physically do. As in vacuuming and this ...

scrubbing floor. And that is precisely what my kitchen/bathroom/laundry room floors need.

Mopping doesn't help. Tried that this morning. Just seems to push the dirt around. I toyed with the idea of purchasing one of those Shark steam clean thing-a-ma-jigs. But they are $130, and today I bought a bucket and a scrub brush for less than $10. Already had some ammonia. So Ed doesn't know this yet, but his honey-do list for tomorrow includes on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor. The last time I tried it, it nearly killed me. With a back full of metal and an artificial knee, I just cannot do it. Sorry, honey.

I have a Double Date tonight! The Pap and I are going to meet Bill for pizza. Our once-or-twice a week dinners with him have become a thing of the past the last 2-3 weeks. Schedules are just too busy. But Ed and Bill are going through withdrawal. So we are on for pizza and I'm sure ice cream afterward!

93 Days

2012-02-02T15:14:00.000-06:00

93 days from today is graduation! So after class today ... a brand-new class on an introduction to the judicial system ... the Triplets took off to Cumberland to order caps, gowns, and invitations! Woo-hoo!

Before we went to Baird Chapel to make our purchases, we picked up Bill and went to Michael's Cafe for lunch ... a cafeteria-type restaurant. Three of us got fried chicken; Bill got grilled tilapia. We also ate turnip greens, squash, okra, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn muffins, chocolate cake, and buttermilk pie. I couldn't finish my chicken, greens, and squash. Just too full!

We had a great time at lunch ... lots of stories and even more laughter. Honestly, a very good time was had by all. When we dropped Bill back by his office, we went inside for a minute and ran into Dr. S-S, who hugged all of us, and Dr. C ... the head of the education department. Nice folks.

Then we wandered out on this beautiful spring-like day (64 degrees, trees budding, and buttercups in bloom) and over to this very old, magnificent building to fill out forms, place our orders, and of course, give them money.

More conversation and laughter with my Triplet Sisters on the drive back to Nashville. Finally home and I SHOULD get started on some study questions from Dr. S-S, but I'm thinking there's always tomorrow. Just feel the need to max and relax!

Focused

2012-02-01T16:20:00.000-06:00

Horses oftentimes wear blinders to block out the surrounding distractions and to keep the focused on the task at hand.

Focusing is not easy for me ... at least not long term. I lose interest quickly and am ready to move on to the next thing. Which explain why I'm always in a hurry, always thinking about what I need/want to do next. Maybe I need to invest in some blinders.

But today ... today was different. I was The Queen of Focus. I finally finished reading Paula Deen's autobiography and was determined to start on my paper and make a dent in it. As usual, I started off slowly and unsure of the direction I was going in. Bill's instructions are vague at best. So I called him. "I'm thinking that before I can get into her leadership skills and styles, I have to tell her story first. Otherwise, it won't all come together and make sense. What do you think?"

With his blessing and approval, that's where I went, and let me tell you, I worked like a rented mule today. No lunch. One potty break that was out of necessity. I wrote, wrote, and wrote some more. Seven pages full to be exact.

Then I got to the conclusion ... the most difficult part of a paper for me. Papers need to begin and end with a zinger, and I just have trouble tying the pieces altogether sometimes. As fate would have it, Bill called at EXACTLY the right time. He was verifying our lunch date for tomorrow. Never one to miss an opportunity, I said, "While I've got you here, I need a quote on leadership that will help me tie this thing together." I read him my last couple of sentences, and he said, "That's easy. Find this quote by Edward Everette Hale." A quick google search of the name and a couple of key words later, I had the quote. nd he was right ... it fit perfectly.

Ta-da!

So the result of today's combination of blood, sweat, and tears is done. I printed out a copy for The Pap to read while I'm at church tonight. My friend Shelia read through it, pointed out one mistake, and I fixed that. I intend to send it to Bill later for his input. Hoping for not more than a few tweaks.

Just took a quick bath, grabbed a pack of peanut butter and crackers for lunch/supper and about to hit the road. I'm loving this ... can you tell? Have an entire day of peace and quiet to work on a paper instead of snippets of time here and there makes writing SO much easier.

The Breakfast of Champions

2012-02-01T09:06:00.000-06:00

I'm not much on traditional breakfast foods ... cereal, eggs, bacon, biscuits. Growing up we had cereal 6 mornings a week during warm weather and oatmeal during the winter months. On Sunday Mama fixed scrambled eggs because that was usually the only morning we all ate together as a family.

In college I ate a Pop-Tart every morning, and now I rarely touch one of the things. Just got burned out on 'em, I guess. Breakfast is just a struggle for me. I'm always hungry when I get up, but nothing really sounds good.

On school mornings many of my colleagues bring breakfast to class ... everything from fast food breakfast items to yogurt and even chips, candy bars, and cookies out of the snack machine. I even learned that Sonic serves hamburgers all day when one classmate avowed she didn't like breakfast foods either. She usually brought a burger and fries to class at 7 in the morning!

So this morning I was excited that there is leftover meatloaf in the frig. Wanna guess what I just had?

Yep, a meatloaf sammich (notice the bite missing) and a diet Mt. Dew. The breakfast of champions! Happy dance!

Today I MUST finish reading this bio on Paula Deen and get busy making notes. I wasted way too much time yesterday napping and unable to focus. Just too sleepy to be productive. Today will be better!

And So It Begins ... and Other Ramblings

2012-01-31T10:30:00.000-06:00

Comprehensive exams are just a few weeks ago. Today Dr. S-S gave us 6 potential questions taken from the 3 courses she's taught: Human Resources and Labor Relations, Organizational Behavior, and Cultural Diversity. Check these out:

1. Research provides a number of theories about motivation and how to maximize human productivity. Discuss the contribution of three or four theorists, their research focus, data gathering methods, and significant findings.

2. The field of org behavior is rooted in the social sciences. Describe how these sciences support the concepts derived from the study of group behavior and individual behavior.

3. Hersey and Blanchard developed the concept of situational leadership, a style that complements both task and relationship situations in the workplace describe fully the four quadrant grid that conceptualizes the theory

4. Define the terms scientific management and the human relations movement. Discuss the influences on the progression from the scientific emphasis to the human relations emphasis in the workplace.

5. List and describe five major areas of diversity in the workplace. Include challenges each area brings to management and safeguards that protect workers in each group.

6. List and describe four to five challenges to human resource management as described the framework (three prongs from powerpoint). Include several tools (or approaches) available to management that might maximize their effectiveness as team leaders.

Piece of cake, right? Not exactly, but at least I have taken good notes and I know where to find the answers. Just time to get started looking it all up and reviewing. And cramming.

Then there's that second paper I have to write for Bill ... if I ever finish reading the book.

Rambling #1: I was so sleepy this morning ... I had to get up at 5:30 instead of the 9:30 I slept to yesterday ... and needed coffee to kickstart my day. I stopped at McD's for a large cup of coffee, which for years has been $1 plus tax for a total of $1.09. This morning the sweet young thing who took my order said, "That will be $1.41. Please pull to the next window."

WHAT? A 30% increase from the same price I recently paid? I am so not happy with that.

Rambling #2: I watch "The Bachelor." I know, I know ... I should be ashamed. It is mindless entertainment that gives a good look at how desperate some lonely people can be and how sex is used to manipulate and use people. As a friend said, "It is soft porn dressed as a family show. It debases women and calls it entertainment." She's right. Absolutely.

The behavior of the "bad girl" (there's always at least one) is totally inappropriate. She should be sent packing. And so should the bachelor for being sucked in by her wiles. The girl that didn't get a rose and was sent home last night was in tears. Weeping openly. I told Ed, "She doesn't know it, but that scumbag just did her a huge favor by sending her home."

Neanderthal Ned (the bachelor) goes on and on about "honesty" and "being open with me." What I want to know is when is HE going to be honest and open with the other girls about going skinny dipping with the hussy bad girl. They deserve to know. Because if I were hoping to enter a serious relationship with a man and found out he'd been out for a late-night drink and swim in his birthday suit, he wouldn't have to send me home. I'd be packing my bags and getting the heck out of Dodge. That man isn't marriage material. He is, in the words of my late friend Anna, "a gravy-sucking pig."

So there!

Supper

2012-01-30T18:34:00.000-06:00

This is week 4 of retirement. I've been cooking a lot more since I've been home, and I'm pretty sure Ed is enjoying this benefit. Tonight we had shrimp ... and while this might not look beautiful, it was quite tasty.

Here's what I started with: Chopped some fresh broccoli, carrots, and squash. I had to resort to canned tomatoes because that's all I had. I also added some strips of red bell pepper. The bowl in the background contains shrimp that I'd peeled and washed earlier.

First I sauteed the shrimp in a bit of olive oil. Seasoned the shrimp with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

I removed the shrimp from the skillet and stir-fried the veggies. At the end I added a bit of chicken broth (for flavor) and some parmesan cheese. Just before serving, I stirred in the shrimp to make sure it was reheated throughout.

Served it over angel hair pasta. And we ate EVERY bite of it!

Butt Calls and Bruises

2012-01-30T10:22:00.000-06:00

You know what a butt call is, right? It's when you have your cell phone in your back pocket and accidentally hit redial when you sit down. It's a call strictly made unintentionally.

At exactly 7:07 a.m. this morning my cell phone rang. Moaning and groaning, I rolled over and answered it. It was Bill. Only Bill wasn't talking. I said hello several times and finally realized this was prolly a butt call. I cursed him and the day of his birth (not really, but the thought crossed my mind) and hung up. Almost immediately he called back. "Carolyn Ruth," he began, "I am so sorry. I did not mean to call you. The phone was in my coat pocket and somehow called your number." (I must be on speed dial or something.) "That's OK," I mumbled. Continuing, he said, "I kept hearing 'hello?' 'hello?' and thought to myself, 'If that is God calling to me, he sure sounds a lot like Carolyn.'"

Whatever.

I rolled back over and dozed back off until 9:20. It was fabulous.

The reason I slept so late was that I was up until nearly midnight scratching. This blasted itching from hell that I had last summer has returned. I went to the doctor last week for a shot, but I've not receive any relief. My legs look like I've been beaten or survived a terrible car accident. They are black and blue from all the scratching. Benedryl helps, but it's hard for me to stay awake after taking that. In fact, I took one about 30 minutes ago and I do believe I feel a nap coming on.

The laundry can wait.

On the Go

2012-01-29T17:38:00.000-06:00

We left the house at 8 this morning because I had to make a stop at the store. Our SS class went to Grace Manor today to have Bible study. I was supposed to bring bread or something to put into goodie bags for them. I made a pan of brownies last night ... and forgot about them. By the time I smelled them they were hard as a brick. So while Ed filled up the car with gas, I went in and bought 40 candy bars ... the kind that come 8 to a package.

The residents at Grace Manor seemed to enjoy our time there. We mostly just sang old hymns ... I played their baby grand piano ... and John did a brief devotional. Then on to "big church." Afterward we met up with some friends and went to Outback for lunch. Next stop was the funeral home to pay our respects to the Carson family.

Last stop was Daddy's house. He'd called yesterday to tell me he had a bunch of "stuff" for me, including old pictures, letters, and his yearbook from his senior year at TIS/TPS. Finally at 4:30 we got home.

Tired.

Wanna share this picture of my Ed. Not sure how old he was here ... I'm guessing about a year. Cute and fat as mud. But I'm thinking he bears a strong resemblance to Winston Churchill ... all he needs is a cigar and hat.

Pictures for My TPS Paper

2012-01-28T18:47:00.000-06:00

I am now in the process of gathering some pictures to submit along with my paper on TPS. My favorite aunt and uncle from Flat Gap sent me these.

Uncle Larry (on the right) was a page at the General Assembly in the 1950s. Here he is with his buddy, Tommy. Isn't my Uncle Larry just the cutest thing with his little skid lid? I need a biscuit to sop up all that sweetness oozing all over the place.

This is my favorite aunt and uncle from Flat Gap when they were boyfriend and girlfriend at TPS in 1954. This was made at the TN State Fair. They later went their separate ways ... each marrying and raising a family. And both divorced. Then about 17 or 18 years ago they ran into each other at a TPS reunion ... and the rest is history!

Daddy called, and all this paper writing on TPS has stirred up his memories. He scrounged around and found his old yearbook and some other pictures. Got to go get those soon!

Saturday in the Country

2012-01-28T18:42:00.000-06:00

We're HOME! We had an OK visit with Ed's mom. She's been sorting through old family pictures, and we brought home several. This is my favorite:

That darling little boy in front wearing the overalls is my late father-in-law. That's his brother and sister on the pony. This was made in Mississippi in 1937. Ed was 6 years old. Just precious.

Today I talked my Ed into taking me on a tour of Shelbyville ... the houses they lived in when he was in elementary school through high school. Here are are:

This huge house is on Moody Street. They rented it and it was red brick in 1959. Today it is blue. Don't ask why, because I don't know.

This house is on Chestnut Drive and used to be red brick too. Eddie's grandmother, Mimi, was living in it when I first came on the scene in 1974. I guess they sold it after she passed away in late 1974. Don't know why everyone in Shelbyville wants a blue house.

Our last stop on the tour was at Hazel Cemetery in Shelbyville, where my Ed's dad is buried.

We got back home just before 5 ... and went straight to Marble Slab!

Ed had banana with butterfinger bits. I had brownie bite with heath bar. Soooooooo good! And so good to be home!

Going to Bell Buckle

2012-01-27T14:23:00.000-06:00

No class tomorrow ... Professor Bill is in Florida for some conference. I volunteered to go as his assistant, but as you can guess, I'm still in TN. Some people have all the luck, and I ain't one of them. So since there's no class tomorrow, Ed and I are going down this afternoon to spent the night and tomorrow with his mom. In Bell Buckle.

This mural says it all and portrays Bell Buckle perfectly. Rural. Farms. More livestock than people.

I've made a chicken crunch casserole to take for supper. Lucy's supposed to fix some vegetables. And I have 2 loaves of bread ... one white and one cheese ... rising in the kitchen. In the last couple of years, Lucy has gotten out of the habit of cooking and her skills just aren't what they used to be. She used to be a fabulous cook. Not so much anymore. Just out of practice.

Today ends week 3 of retirement and I'm liking it more every day. Sleeping until daylight, lots of time to devote to school, no schedule to speak of, and plenty of time to spend in the kitchen. Ed came home for lunch today, so I fixed us some fabulicious sub sammiches. Then I took him back to work so we'd be in one car tonight as we travel to the big city of Bell Buckle.

Oops!

2012-01-27T08:07:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was busy, busy, busy. A little after 4 p.m. I popped 2 potatoes in the oven to bake. Shortly after that I fixed parmesan chicken as our entree. Thought I'd fry up some okra later, and we'd be good to go.

About 5:30 I went back to the kitchen to check on the chicken, and all that was in the oven were the 2 baking potatoes? WHERE was the chicken? Turned around and there it was ... right on the kitchen counter where I'd left it. Raw.

When Ed came home a few minutes later, I had to tell him: "No supper." Well, actually it was just a little later than usual. Thankfully chicken breasts cook pretty quickly. Chicken finally got done, I fried the okra and fixed some stuff for loaded baked potatoes. We survived.

Prayer request: Two of my friends ... one from school and one from work ... lost their dads unexpectedly this week. Please keep Billie, Linda, and their families in your prayers. Thanks, friends.

There's No Crying in Baseball

2012-01-26T17:23:00.000-06:00

"A League of Their Own" is one of my very favorite movies in the whole wide world. In the top 5 for sure. In this one particular scene, Coach Dugan is yelling at the top of his lungs at the outfielder who failed (again) to hit her cut-off person, and he was livid. Unaccustomed to coaching women and their tender feelings, he has the poor girl in tears in record time.

Astonished, he asks, "Are you crying?" And she shakes her head and quietly answers with a tearful, "No." "Good," he says, "because there's no crying in baseball."

In our leadership class this week we were talking about emotion when one of my classmates interrupted with her usual intro ... "In the corporate world ..." Drives me nuts. I guess she thinks she's an authority and none of the rest of us have worked in a corporate world. Well, I just escaped from 31 years in the corporate world. Not an authority by any stretch of the imagination, but I DO have some experience. Anyway, she continued, "In the corporate world, there is no crying. If a woman cries, it is seen as a weakness and she'll never be taken seriously."

Well, that explains my failure to climb the corporate ladder. I'm a crier. Always have been. Always will be, and I won't apologize for it. Someone once told me that God gave me those tears and never to apologize for them. Good advice.

I cry at weddings, funerals, worship services, and over songs on the radio. I cry at "Little House on the Prairie," "The Waltons," and Hallmark movies. And Hallmark commercials. I cry at ball games, and I cry at the accomplishments of friends and family members. I cry when my feelings are hurt. I cry at "what might have been." I cry when my back hurts. I cry when loved ones say, "I love you." I cry when Ed says, "I am SO proud of you." I cry when I burn the cornbread and when I can't do something right. I cry at the news, and I cry when I see someone hurting. I cry when I look at old pictures and remember all the mistakes I made with my babies. I cry over the homeless, and I cry at "Gone with the Wind." I cry when I walk through the cemetery and see familiar names on headstones, and I cry when I think about the loved ones who are no longer with me. I cry when I'm frustrated, and I cry when I'm happy and laughing. I cry when I write these crazy posts.

I'm a champion crier and never, ever let anyone cry alone.

Guess it's a good thing I never was a professional baseball player ... or at the top of the food chain in the corporate world.

Change in Weather

2012-01-26T13:05:00.000-06:00

The saying in Tennessee is "If you don't like the weather, wait a day or two. It'll change." And it does.

Same with me. Yesterday I was "under the weather." Today I've been out in it. Left the house at 6:15 to go to school Just a drizzle but enough to mess up the windshield. Got out of class and it had quit raining. Thirty minutes later it was pouring. Then it quit. Then it started up again.

So thankful to be feeling better today. I think all those raisins I ate yesterday was the culprit. I love raisins; they don't always love me. Yesterday they hated me.

After class I had a doctor's appointment for a recheck on my chinchilla-itis. My hair has finally quit falling out and is growing back in. Little sprouts all over my head. Bean sprouts, I guess. But that blasted itching that nearly drove me nuts last summer is trying to rear its ugly head again. Been scratching myself to death lately. So today I got an injection in one hip for my hair and an injection in the other hip for my itching. Expecting relief soon!

Then I picked up my friend Cheryl and took her to Las Palmas for her birthday lunch. Fabulicious! Now I will definitely find out if my stomach has settled down. If I can keep down that chicken burrito, I'm good to go!

Now for the BESTEST news of all! I interviewed Hot Scott on Monday and spent all day Tuesday (as in about 7 hours) writing my paper. Feeling unsure about it, I asked my friend John to read it. With a few very minor tweaks, he thought it was great. Of course, Ed thought it was fabulous. But Bill ... the professor ... is the REAL test. I sent it to him yesterday with a request that he read it and tell me what changes I needed to make. I just received his response:

Carolyn, I just completed reading your paper. It is excellent. Congratulations on another fine example of professional writing. Bill

What a relief! Now I can move on to the second one ... as soon as I finish reading the book!

Under the Weather

2012-01-25T14:53:00.000-06:00

Not feeling too hot today. Can't seem to be able to go too far from the bathroom, if you know what I mean. I've loaded up on this today ...

and all I've had to eat is chicken noodle soup and crackers, washed down with Diet Mt. Dew. It ain't been fun.

About all I've accomplished today (between trips to the bathroom) is to mop all the hardwood floors ... which now sparkle ... and do a little reading. Read just a few pages of Paula Deen's bio and about 3 chapters of one of Maxwell's books on leadership. Paid a bill. Read the paper. Exciting, huh?

Oops ... gotta RUN!

Baking Bread

2012-01-24T16:16:00.001-06:00

I LOVE to bake: rolls, danish, all kinds of bread, pies, cakes. Just NOT cookies. Cookie baking is not my gift. Today was bread baking day. Here's the process:

Here's the dough during its first rise ... on the kitchen counter.

Getting ready to roll out the first loaf. Loaf one was just plain white bread. Thought that would go well with tonight's beef tips and noodles for dinner.

Loaf #2 is a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. I just rolled out the dough into a rectangle, brushed with butter, and covered with brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon before rolling up into a log

Here they are after the second rising ... ready for the oven!

And the FINISHED PRODUCT!

Countdown

2012-01-24T11:39:00.000-06:00

Last summer I began the countdown to graduation. Seems that I started at well over 300 days. I have a counter on my desktop and check it every week or so. It had been a while since I'd checked, so last night I took a peek. As of today it is ...

102 DAYS UNTIL GRADUATION!

Last Saturday Dr. M gave us a lot of information on upcoming comprehensive exams. We filled out our intent to graduate forms and paid our graduation fees. Next week we get fitted for caps and gowns. Seems that it is really happening!

Trying not to look too far ahead is hard! I've still got LOTS of work to do before all the celebrating begins at the hooding on May 4 and graduation on the 5th. For starters, there's that 3-hour interview I completed yesterday. Today I've been trying to write the paper. For me, this kind of paper is the most difficult ... an interview. I can write research papers all day long and half the night, but this is different. We had to write one for my cultural diversity class last fall. I did well on it ... she redistributed the ones that needed "help" and mine wasn't returned ... but it isn't the kind of paper I feel comfortable with. I have great and interesting information to work with on the man I interviewed ... but writing a biography isn't my strength.

OK, break is over. Back to my leadership paper.

Storms, Alarms, and an Interview

2012-01-23T13:46:00.000-06:00

Terrible storms were predicted for most of TN last night ... horrific winds, hail, tornadoes ... you name it. Now me? I can sleep through anything, and I prolly would have slept through last night's storms except for two things:

(1) The weather alert from Cumberland University kept going off on my cell phone. Two of them woke me up. I slept through a third, even though the phone was inches from my head.

(2) The alarm in our house went off and began screaming ferociously at approximately 2 a.m. Ed jumped up like a crazy man and went tearing off downstairs ... and might I add he was nekkid. OK, he'll kill me for saying that and I'm sure Chris has already thrown up from reading about his nekkid daddy, but it is imperative to the story. At least to me it is. All I'm saying is if I'd been a burglar and a nekkid 59-year-old man had come charging through the house straight at me, I would have been out the door like lightning. Traumatized for life and in need of therapy.

So Ed is downstairs defending his wife, his house, and the American way of life while I'm sitting on the edge of the bed in a stupor. THEN the phone rings, and it is the alarm company asking our pass code. I am in a fog, not even sure who I am or where I am, and he wants our pass code. I asked for a hint and of course got none. Finally it sank in what he was asking, and I gave him the code. Then he wanted to know if everything is all right. How am I supposed to know? There's a nekkid old man running through my house and he won't answer me so I don't know what he has encountered. Finally the man on the phone said that the entry came from the kitchen door. By then I had stumbled (clothed, by the way) downstairs and found Ed in the kitchen. No burglars and no signs of forced entry. I guess those gale-force winds had rattled the door just enough to set off the alarm. No harm done.

Went back to sleep and finally dragged out of bed just before 8 a.m. About 10 minutes later I had a text from the community leader I wanted to interview for one of my two papers for Bill's class. "Call me if u r free this am." Well, yes, sir! I immediately called, and he said, "I can't believe you're up. If I were retired, I'd still be in the bed." To which I replied, "Well, I'm up and I've brushed my teeth. Can't say that I'm dressed and ready for the day yet." Anyway, we agreed that I'd meet him at his office at 9, and it was 8:10. Took a quick bath, dressed, grabbed a bottle of water and my laptop and I was out the door. Because of course I had NO gas in my car and had to make a stop for a fill-up and a run through Chick-fi-A for some chick-n-minis so my stomach wouldn't grumble through the interview.

Got there BEFORE 9 o'clock and was shown back to the Lt's office. I promised him I only needed an hour of his time. THREE hours later I was shaking his hand and thanking him for his time. It was incredible and three of the fastest hours I've ever live through. Fascinating. Now I've got to take 3 hours of notes and convert it into a paper that makes sense. Definitely got my work cut out for me.

But not today. Pretty soon I've got to go pack 12 lunches for tonight's Room in the Inn. And I have a chicken thawing in a dishpan of water so that I can toss that in the oven for our dinner tonight.

Life is good.

Sunday

2012-01-22T14:32:00.001-06:00

Damp, dreary, and cold Sunday morning. The kind where I want to crawl back under the covers, pull the comforter snuggly up to my chin, curl up, and go back to sleep. For days.

But I didn't. We got up and went to Sunday School and church. Always good to be in God's house with good friends.

Nothing special planned for the afternoon. I spent a little time putting finishing touches on the TPS paper. OK, so I've been putting finishing touches on it for days. I'm going to have to finally just Walk Away from the Paper. It is now 23 pages of text, 3 pages of footnote references, and 1 page of other references. There are 105 footnotes using 37 different sources. It is a Monster Paper. And I am hoping it is accepted by the TN History Society for publication. If it is rejected, you will hear the weeping and wailing all the way to your house.

Currently there's a big pot of potato cheese soup simmering on the stove. Smells fabulicious!

Ignore the date in the corner of the picture. No need in making a new one when I already had a picture stashed away.

Ed's snacking on smoked cheese and summer sausage on triscuits while we wait on the soup and watching the first playoff game ... Baltimore and New England. I'm about to stretch out and start reading the book I picked up at the library yesterday ... for one of my two papers for Bill's class. And doing laundry ... that never-ending mountain of laundry that accumulates week after week.

Assignments and Afternoons

2012-01-21T17:01:00.000-06:00

Back to school today. Right off the bat Dr. M starts with our assignments for the semester: 1. Read a book on a national leader (not necessarily political), write a report, and give an oral presentation. Not everyone would have to do an oral presentation ... takes too much time. 2. Interview a local community leader and write a paper (due in 2 weeks!). 3. Mid-term exam. 4. Final exam.

I knew immediately which community leader I wanted to interview: The lieutenant on our local police force. He's a first-year student in this same MSP program and formed the Crimestoppers Board on which I've been asked to serve. When I told Bill that's who I wanted to do my paper on, he went into orbit. Sooooooo excited. I've already called Lt. S and lined up the interview.

The national leader took a little thinking ... as in about 2 minutes. Once he said to "think outside the box" and that it doesn't have to be a political person I knew EXACTLY who I want to do my paper on. Ready?

Wanna guess?

Got the vaguest idea?

Give up?

Here you go:

Yep. The Queen of Butter herself: Paula Deen. I read her biography a few years ago. She's fascinating. And she's been in the news all week with her announcement of being diagnosed with diabetes. I figured for my presentation I would bring two of her dishes: one original recipe and one revamped to be more healthy.

The only problem was I was afraid Bill would either (1) laugh or (2) reject it. I hemmed and hawed for a few minutes before I finally told him after he ordered, "Carolyn, just tell me." He was delighted. "Perfect!" he said. And when I told him about the planned presentation, he said, "You will DEFINITELY be doing a presentation!"

So I've already been to the library and checked out her biography. Got my work cut out for me!

And while I was at school, here's what the Pap was doing:

Nope, not puking and certainly not cleaning the toilet. He was installing a NEW toilet! And here's where I found the old one when I came home:

In the middle of the kitchen floor! It has since been removed to the garage until the garbage man comes on Friday.

After that project was completed, we went to the movie to see "Red Tails" with Chris, Amanda, and Jaybug!

The Red Tails were the Black fighter pilots who served in World War II, one of the most successful units. Won 96 Distinguished Services crosses. 66 men gave their lives for our country. Heroes. Really good movie.

And now we're maxing and relaxing in the bonus room and I am wondering what to do about dinner. I was gonna fix potato cheese soup for supper, but Jay is here and he wouldn't touch that with a 10-foot pole. It's looking like grilled cheese tonight for us.

Surprise in the Mail

2012-01-20T20:13:00.000-06:00

When Ed walked in with the mail this afternoon, he asked, "Did you order another book for school?" Nope, I bought the two I needed the other day at Barnes & Noble. Then he said, "It says 'Howard Payne University'."

WOW! It's the massive book I worked on all summer long ... worked on as in copy edited ... for my friend Mark. He sent me a copy today, and I am sooooooo excited!

Then I opened it up and found this ...

AND that's not all! I'm mentioned in the acknowledgments page ... something he should NOT have done. But do you know how cool it is to see your name in print?

It's soooooooo cool!

It's Friday!

2012-01-20T13:55:00.000-06:00

It's amazing how quickly I settled into the sleeping late mode. This morning I had to get up "early" (7:30) because I had a hair appointment. This isn't a great picture, but here's the new do. OK, it really isn't a new do but it is a new color. Trying to hard to get rid of all that blond. This time Lindz just put color and no highlights.

Noticed something today I thought was kinda weird. I go to 5th Avenue Salon, kind of a frou-frou place, but today there were 3 men in there getting their hair cut. Two of them were older guys ... as in older than me and I'm 57. One of them strutted around like he was a rooster in a hen house. Looked like he'd seen his better days, but he sure thought he was something. All I know is Ed wouldn't go to a salon in a million years. Not saying there's anything wrong with it ... just weird to me.

After that I made a Walmart run ... at first just to pick up something for Ed. Then I decided I'd just go on and grocery shop so we won't have to do that tonight. But I DO have a dinner date with my Ed. Looking forward to that!

Stranded

2012-01-19T13:08:00.000-06:00

Warning: This post is rated PG for "pretty gross."

What comes to mind when you hear the word STRANDED? Out of gas? flat tire? out of money? I would venture to say that most of us have been stranded at one time or another. We ran out of gas one time. We were in this piece of junk Datsun that Ed had and were on the way to a volleyball game. We were only a block or so from the gas station, but it traumatized Kelly. From that time on that child kept one eye on the gas gauge, and whenever it got to 1/4th of a tank, she went into panic mode.

Ed and I were out on a sailboat one time with friends Pam and Gary ... out in the middle of Chesapeake Bay ... and Gary had miscalculated the time of the evening tide. We were stuck on a sandbar and had to get out and push the boat off the sandbar. Stranded.

A few years ago I missed a connecting flight at the Charlotte, NC, airport because of terrible storms. Spent the night in the airport, accompanied by two very nice military guys who were also stranded. Stayed up all night driving coffee and talking. OK, sometimes being stranded isn't ALL bad.

I got stranded this morning. In the bathroom. I had just finished some very serious and very ugly business and reached over to the toilet paper roll, and It Was Empty. OK, one sheet, but what good does that do? Looked over in the basket where there are usually several extra rolls. Empty as well. OK, surely to goodness there's a spare stored under the sink. Nope.

Stranded.

Knowing I was alone in the house and that Mr. Whipple and his trademark Charmin were NOT coming to my rescue, I did what I had to do ... squeezed my cheeks together as tightly as possible for a 57-year-old and slowly, gingerly, and carefully waddled out of the bathroom, through the living room, up the stairs, and eased into my bathroom.

Whew! That was a close one! And there are now four extra rolls of TP in the downstairs bathroom.

The Paper

2012-01-18T14:24:00.001-06:00

I'm a Lewis Grizzard fan. Met him a couple of times at Nashville's Southern Writers Workshop and saw him perform a stand-up comedy routine once at TPAC. I read his column faithfully and have read all his books. Own most of them, and some are autographed.

If you're asking, "Who is Lewis Grizzard?" Shame On You. He started off as a sports columnist and progressed to a columnist who wrote on the South. Later he became an established book author. His personal life wasn't nearly as successful as his professional life, having divorced three times and married a fourth time just before he passed away in 1994. Much too young to have endured all the health problems (heart) he faced. When he died, I went into mourning. In fact, my friend Cheryl said she thought she was going to have to send me flowers.

Lewis never, ever typed on a computer. Didn't believe in them. Typed every single word he ever wrote on a typewriter. Unbelievable. I sure hope he bought stock in white out or something.

Lewis and his typewriter

I just spent the last 3 hours writing on my TPS paper. I now have 19 or 20 pages and 97 footnotes. I am about to pull out my hair. If I had had to do this on a typewriter, correcting mistakes right and left not to mention writing and rewriting, I would be bald. And insane. And in need of a contractor to repair all the holes in the wall where I'd run my fist through it, thrown the typewriter at it, or banged my head on it. Can't wrap my head around the thought of having to do this the "old-fashioned" way.

So now it is time for a break ... as in an episode of The Waltons and a bag of popcorn for lunch. Washed down with G2 Power Ade.

The Seven Dwarfs

2012-01-18T10:51:00.000-06:00

Which of the seven dwarfs is your favorite? Doc? Grumpy? Happy? Dopey? Happy? Sleepy? Sneezy? "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was one of my favorite movies when I was little ... except for the part with the evil queen and the poison apples. I wouldn't eat shiny, polished apples as a kid because of that movie. But I loved the dwarfs.

I've now decided there should be another dwarf added to the group: Lazy. And that would be ME. I've only been retired for just over a week and I've turned into a real lazy bones. I rolled out of bed at 8:30 this morning, and it is now nearly 11 and I'm still in my robe. Just ate a bowl of snap, crackle, pop Rice Krispies a few minutes ago. Been sitting on my rump watching a Hallmark movie: "What the Deaf Man Heard."

Here's the plan, however, for the afternoon: WRITE, write, and write some more on that TPS paper. I should be able to do 3-5 pages out of the 8 or so left to do. I really want to get this finished before all my school work kicks in.

Then I need to go to Barnes & Noble to purchase 2 books for HR Mgt & Labor Relations class: The Speed of Trust and The 21 Indispensible Qualities of a Leader. And I need to fix supper for Ed before I go to handbell and choir practice.

L A Z Y!

The Interview

2012-01-17T13:09:00.000-06:00

I had an interview this morning for a job as a case manager in the juvenile detention center ... a job totally out of my realm of experience and training. Tried not my best to be nervous, but I'm a little, no a lot, out of practicing concerning job interviews.

First of all, I spent 10-15 minutes prior to the interview reading the job description. Then I went here ...

THE HOT SEAT!

I interviewed with three people ... a rep from HR, the superintendent, and the assistant superintendent. There were your typical "what are your strengths/weaknesses" and "where do you want to be in 5 years" questions, and then they got down to the hard-core stuff ... a series of "what would you do in this situation" questions. Flying totally by the seat of my pants, I answered truthfully and to the best of my ability. However, with no experience, I have no idea if I was on target or out in left field. Here are some of the things I was asked:

Some of the kids in here don't take drugs but they are dealers. What would you say to those kids?

What would you do if a kid came to you and said another case mgr had come into his room and made inappropriate remarks?

What would you do if you were in a situation and you didn't know what to do?

What would you do if someone wasn't following procedure?

What do you think causes change in behavior? (To which I responded, "Do you mean good to bad or bad to good?" The super quickly said, "Both.")

Anyway, this went on for a good hour; then I was given a tour of the facility. Lots of bars, cells, and orange jumpsuits. And lots of friendly employees.

I don't know. I just don't know.

Packing Lunches

2012-01-16T15:54:00.000-06:00

For years and years I packed four lunches five mornings a week. By the time the kids got to junior high and high school I resigned from packing lunches and opted to give the kids lunch money instead. The last few years Ed has packed my lunch ... usually leftovers. Being a new retiree (today is day 5), I've been eating soup every day.

But tonight Ed and I are responsible for lunches for Room in the Inn, and I just spent the last hour packing 12 lunches. Yep, count 'em. 12. I made homemade pimento cheese, thanks to a killer Paula Deen recipe, so each lunch contains a bottle of water, one pimento cheese sammich and ...

one peanut butter and jelly sammich

one Hostess zinger, and one bag of Cheetos.

Getting 'em all packed up and ...

Ready to go!

Visit with Brother (Day 2)

2012-01-15T20:15:00.000-06:00

Last night Bob, Ed, and I stayed up talking until it was today. Way too late, but I get so little time with my brother that I didn't want it to end. Finally we crashed, and Ed and I slept until 7:30 or 8. Bob said he woke up earlier ... "when the Battle of Hendersonville began." Apparently we had some early morning hunters at the farm across the street.

We went to church, and of course ... on this day when I had people coming for lunch at 1 ... we were about 40 minutes LATE getting out of church. Dashed home and hit the ground running. Thankfully I had cooked lunch yesterday (except for the cornbread), so all I had to do was reheat. We had pork loin with cranberry/cherry glaze, mashed potato souffle, green beans, butter beans, 7-layer salad, buttermilk pie, and red velvet cake. We also had guests: Bob, Daddy, Sandra, Chris, Amanda, Jay, and Bill. That's 9 of us around the dinner table. When we finished, it looked like locusts had swarmed through. NO leftovers other than pie and cake.

Chris, Bob, Daddy, Bill as Daddy provided pre-dinner music

We sat around the table FOREVER talking. Finally, when we all had numb buns, we moved to the living room where Bill entertained with stories for hours. Seriously. Hours. It was fabulous. I had all "my boys" at my house today: Ed, Daddy, Chris, Jay, Bob, and Bill ... whom Daddy announced he had now adopted. Guess I finally got that big brother I always wanted!

About 7 p.m. the party began to break up. I actually was beginning to think I was going to have to pull out the peanut butter and jelly for supper pretty soon. And I still had that ginormous mess in the kitchen to clean up. Thankfully, my sweet Ed pitched in and we knocked that out in about 15 minutes.

Today has been one of the BEST days of my life.

Ever.

Seriously.

Please Don't Rain on My Parade

2012-01-14T18:06:00.000-06:00

Don't you just HATE it when someone rains on your parade? Just bursts your bubble? Takes the wind out of your sails?

I do.

I have been in school for about 18 months. Working full time, taking care of my family, and have a 4.0. My sisters NEVER ask about school, never comment, never congratulate. Ever.

I retired last week. Neither of them has EVER said congratulations or made a kind comment of any kind. Nothing, Zip. Zilch.

So today we were at J's house, dropping off my brother so they could go to the hockey game. Other sister N was there. During the course of conversation I said, "I have a job interview on Tuesday with the juvenile court system for a case manager job!" One brother-in-law said, "Congratulations!" Negative N scrunched up her nose and shook her head ... but at least she didn't say something that made me want to punch her in the nose.

Then I said, "Oh, on Thursday one of my classmates told me about a job with the school system. I filled out the application Thursday afternoon, and on Friday morning they were checking my references. I had a call and/or email from all three of my references telling me. I don't have an interview yet, but at least they are looking at me."

Negative Nelly made another ugly face and this time opened her big mouth with, "Metro? I'd never go to work for them."

I couldn't resist. I said, "Well, for over $50,000 a year, I most certainly will go to work for them."

Ed said he wanted to say to her, "Last time I checked, they weren't offering you a job!"

What is WRONG with her?

Visits with the Bob and Aunt Nancy

2012-01-14T17:56:00.001-06:00

Daddy and Bob

I thought I was sleeping with the Big, Bad Wolf this morning when Ed woke me up at 5 a.m. just huffing and puffing, about to blow the house down. I needed to get up at 6:30 anyway, but I just could NOT go back to sleep. Finally got up about 6 and started getting ready for school ... first day of leadership/conflict resolution.

One thing Bill said in class was to never confuse position with power ... they're often not the same thing. Q leaned over and whispered: "He (nodding at Bill) has the position with this class, but YOU have the power!" I shook my head, "I do not!" But we were both laughing.

As soon as class was over, Ed picked me up and the three of us (Ed, Daddy, and me) headed to the airport to pick up Bob, whose plane landed just before 12:30. He was starving and I was too. There are no Krystals in Richmond, so that was his request. As you can see, we stopped and filled up on gut grenades.

My cousin David, Aunt Nancy, Daddy

Then we headed to M'boro to visit Aunt Nancy. David met us there. She was having a good day, and I was so glad. The last several times she'd seen Daddy she had no idea who he was. But she called him by name twice today! Tickled him to death. She even called Eddie by name. No clue who Bob was.

Bob, David, Ed, Daddy, Aunt Nancy

Look at her with all those handsome boys! Not a bad looking one in the bunch!

Retirement Lunch

2012-01-13T14:37:00.000-06:00

Today was my retirement lunch. The other day Ed asked, "You're going to have your retirement lunch on Friday the 13th?" To which I replied, "Well, I was hired on April Fool's Day, so I think going out on Friday the 13th is appropriate, don't you?"

We met at P.F. Chang's at 11 and enjoyed lettuce wraps for appetizers. Then everyone ordered their own entree and a few had dessert. I couldn't even finish my moo goo gai pan much less tackle dessert.

Had a marvelous time and am so thankful for good friends who came to honor me and to help celebrate. I am sooooooo blessed.

David, Lee, Rhonda, John, Q, Lynn, Kailey, Jon

Q and Lynn are my Triplet Sisters. The others are all coworkers or former coworkers. The two girls on the left have been my friends since we were 6 years old. All three of us were in the same 3rd grade class and had no idea we'd all end up working together many years later.


Q, Kailey, Jon, Me, Renate, Cheryl, Christina, Sharon, David, Lee, Rhonda, John

We were all spread out, but I managed to get up and move around to visit with everyone. I was a little worried about Lynn and Q not knowing anyone, but everyone made them feel welcome.

John, Joan, Melissa

John and I have worked together off and on for close to 20 years. He is a DEAR friend and has ministered to Ed and me through many illnesses and surgeries. Joan is a top-notch administrative assistant; Melissa and I have known each other since I started work there 31 years ago and is another East Nashville Girl!

Q and Lynn

These two beauties are my Triplet Sisters from school. LOVE these girls!

Me, Renate, Cheryl

Renate and I both started at this company at the same time and in the same department (HR). We've been through EVERYTHING together and have no secrets. Ed asked me one time, "Is nothing sacred with you two?" Nope. Nothing. Trust me, we have covered it all.

Cheryl, Sharon, David, Lee, Rhonda

I first got to know Cheryl in 1988. My first day there my manager said, "I have hired another Cheryl!" She's the best! I worked with David when I was on the 9th floor and stayed with him a couple of times after he had surgery. I've been called "Mrs. H" more than once!

Cheryl, Christina, Sharon

Christina was my team leader at my last position; I worked with Sharon when I was on the 9th floor. We worked on the "Courageous" study together. If you haven't seen the movie, you need to!

The only person missing in the pictures is Photographer Ed. Thanks, Honey!

There were a few folks who couldn't come today because of scheduling conflicts. Stacey missed because the kids are out of school today because a handful of snowflakes fell last night. Missed those folks, and they missed a good time!

Reflection

2012-01-12T19:49:00.000-06:00

When you look at yourself in the mirror ... literally or figuratively ... what do you see? I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I can honestly and truthfully say I don't see the same person that others often see.

I WISH I had the same self-esteem and self-confidence this cat had when he looked in the mirror and saw the king of the jungle. I don't.

So today I had a long, long talk with a friend from my childhood. We had a great time. Then this afternoon she sent the following email:

Thanks for spending some time with me this morning. First of all, your hair is beautiful. I stared at it a lot. this is how I remember you. Tall (well, I see everybody as tall). Golden tan. Rich deep singing voice. You could carry the alto section. A whole year older than me! and I was in awe of your maturity. You learned all that GA stuff really well. And you were fast at sword drill, too. And you were fun. and sarcastic when indicated. And you were very smart. And accomplished. And your dad was so awesome! He was fun and I could see he loved you.

Here's what I saw: My hair was a MESS! I washed it late yesterday afternoon and had a bad case of bed head this morning. So I pulled the sides back and up with some clips. Not only did this friend love it but at least half a dozen colleagues at school said the same thing. All I can say is it must have really looked bad the other way!

Tall? 5 feet 6 inches and I'm the shortest one in my family. But this friend is prolly 5 feet 2 or 3, so I guess 3-4 inches seems a lot taller.

Rich deep singing voice? Deep ... yes. Rich ... um, no. Carry the alto section? Not even on my best day.

Mature? Yeh, well that's what being the oldest of 4 does for you. I've been a mama since I was 10.

Learned the GA stuff (that was from church) and sword drill too. HOW can she remember that? I made it through the Queen step in GAs, but that wasn't the top step. I enjoyed sword drills (Bible drills), but don't remember being particularly good at it.

Fun, sarcastic, smart. Well, I can be fun. Sarcastic .... ding, ding, ding. She hit that nail on the head. Smart? I'm not even going there. People constantly tell me that, and I just do NOT see that. I am sooooooo average!

And all that stuff about Daddy. Absolutely True! Best Dad Ever. Well, he and The Pap and Chris. So proud of all my boys.

Anyway, all this from childhood memories! Just reminds me how much we observe others and how much they observe us. Kinda scary.

Last Semester

2012-01-12T13:52:00.001-06:00

My last semester started today. 114 days until graduation. Today's class consisted mostly of housekeeping issues ... paying tuition, graduation fees, comps, and so forth.

We'd been out of class for over a month, so today was like old home week or a reunion. Lots of hugging and words of encouragement. It was fabulous.

After class I met an old friend from childhood ... we are decades behind in getting caught up on each other ... and we spent over 2 hours at Cracker Barrel. Good therapy and I prolly owe her a fortune.

Then I went to get my nails done and drove home in a "wintry mix." It is freezing outside!

Came home to find an email I am not happy about but also not surprised. It just confirms I made the absolute BEST and right decision when I retired. I know without a doubt that God will continue to provide for us.

Sock Monkeys and Me at Work

2012-01-11T13:21:00.000-06:00

Simon and Theodore

Day 2 of Retirement and I'm liking this more and more ... of course I haven't gotten to the part yet where I only get 1/2 a paycheck. I might not like it as well then.

Got up this morning and went to the Y for a walk. That place looked like the Geriatric Ward or an old folks' home. Very few younger people ... as in under 30 ... mostly the silver- or no-haired crowd. After my walk I came home and got to work. As you can see, Simon and Theodore serve as my assistants and inspiration. Quite talented, these sock monkeys!

Here's the mess on the dining room table. And yes, I just noticed the Christmas runner on the table and the napkins on the sideboard in the background. I'll take care of those soon. I'm taking a break right now and waiting for Orkin to come do our annual termite inspection.

I've been working on my TPS paper. It is maddening ... or at least the footnotes. As I said previously, if I could just write, it would be done in no time. I've only added about a page and a half and that equated 11 additional footnotes. My computer doesn't automatically renumber, so it is a pain to renumber them. I'm up to 81 footnotes and have 10 more pages to write. God, help me.

I talked to Bill a little while ago and asked him if I had too many footnotes. He said, "Goodness no! That shows good research." Whatever. It also shows I must be crazy.

I also talked to Ed this morning ... twice. The weather was horrid this morning, and parts of the interstates were closed down, and there were wrecks everywhere. Wanted to make sure my honey bunny made it to work safely. AND I was so thankful I was still snuggled up under the covers watching the traffic report and not stuck in all that mess.

Break is over. Back to writing and waiting for Lucas the bug man. Then I've got to get a shower and get ready for handbell and choir practices.

Retirement: Day 1

2012-01-10T15:38:00.000-06:00

Today is my inaugural day of retirement. I like this saying about retirement being the first day of summer every day.

I conked out early last night and slept straight through until about 7 a.m. Laid there and watched TV for about an hour before finally rolling out of bed and into a bubble bath. After that I paid a few bills, ate some yogurt, and did NOTHING productive.

All afternoon I've worked on adding to my paper on TPS. Writing additional material isn't going to be the problem ... readjusting all those blasted footnotes IS a problem. I've already gone from 70 to 75 and probably only added a page or two of copy. Like this little guy, I may have bitten off more than I can chew!

So now it is 3:30 and I'm done for the day. Gonna max and relax until Ed gets home. Then we're meeting Bill for pizza. Double date night: Pizza, Pap, and the Professor!

Job Hunting

2012-01-09T20:11:00.000-06:00

The job hunt is ON. Until last month I had not interviewed for a job in over 30 years. To say I'm inexperienced is a gross understatement.

I thought the interview last month went exceptionally well. I mean, I don't know how it could have gone any better, and it was a job I think was custom made for me. However, I didn't get the job. It went to someone who already has a master's degree in social work.

The competition is fierce in today's job market.

So last week I sent out an email to half-a-dozen folks asking that if they heard of any vacancies to please keep me in mind. I've had an email about one job I'm not interested in at all mostly because it involves days, nights, weekends, and holidays. Not for me. Got a call about another editing job, which I'm not interested in either. Been there and done that. I want something different. But I appreciate the leads; I really do.

Then last night I received an email from a man I've done some freelance for and there are 2 vacancies for case managers in the detention center of juvenile court. It doesn't pay much, but it would be a foot in the door. I told him I was interested. I'll cut through the chase, but here's the deal: I'm going to meet my friend tomorrow at 11:15 and he's going to give me an application. To quote him, "They want to get the ball rolling on Friday." So I'm going to return the completed application and a copy of my resume to him on Thursday, and he is going to HAND DELIVER it to the hiring supervisor.

And here's the clincher: When I told Bill who the supervisor is, he said, "I know her very well. She's an MSP grad. I will call her for you." I was amazed and queried, "You would do that for me?" He said, "Of course I would do that for you!" I told Ed about the conversation and Bill's offer and said, "I don't quite have him wrapped as tightly as I do you, but I'm working on it!" He just laughed.

Soooooooo appreciative of folks who are willing to help me out!

"Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

2012-01-09T15:23:00.000-06:00

M*A*S*H is my all-time favorite TV show. I still watch the reruns regularly ... as in just about every day. The very last episode of this long-time program was titled "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen." It brought the storyline to a close and told fans where the main characters would be going after the war. Many of the characters had lived and worked together the duration of the war AND the series.

BJ refused to say goodbye in the episode. He was more of a "see you later" kinda guy. That he refused to say goodbye nearly drove Hawkeye insane. But as his chopper lifted off one last time, he saw the note ... written in stone ... that BJ left for him.

So today was my episode of "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" to the friends I have worked with day in and day out ... many of them for over 30 years. No idea what today would hold and in a way, I dreaded it. I don't do goodbyes well either. I usually work 6:30 to 3 but didn't come in this morning until 9:30. I had a board meeting ... my first ... in H'ville. Just been asked to serve and very much enjoyed the meeting. For the longest it appeared I was the only female-type person at this round table meeting. Finally another woman came in. At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope I can make a contribution.

When I got to work there was one package propped against the door. Several FB notes, but no emails, no personal notes, no cards. Nothing. I went by to visit some special friends ... Melissa, Frankie, Stacey, John. Melissa and Pat both cried. Known both of those girls since I walked in there 31 years ago. We were such babies then and thought we were so grown up. We've done a lot of growing up together in the last 31 years. We've survived marriages, divorces, deaths, babies, grandbabies, teenagers, and about any crisis you can think of. I'd hate to think I would have had to face some of life's problems without the strong shoulders and prayers of these faithful friends.

So to those whom I dearly love and who have loved me and my family, thank you. And "goodbye, farewell, and amen."

Wide Awake

2012-01-09T00:24:00.000-06:00

It is after midnight and I am wide-eyed and bushy tailed ... or at least wide-eyed. Too many things running through my mind.

1. Tomorrow is my last day in the office. Ever. VERY glad about that, but saying good-bye is not one of my strengths. I'm terrible at it. There are always tears involved.

2. Too many friends who have lost jobs and many more, I'm afraid, who are headed in that direction as well.

3. I've been asked to serve on a board. First meeting is at 8 a.m. A little nervous.

4. Sick folks ... a friend's mom; another friend's brother.

5. Stupid leg cramp

6. Last semester of school about to start. Comprehensive exams in 2 months.

7. Looking for a new job, preferably part-time but full-time would be OK too.

Beginning to get a little sleepy. Maybe I just needed to get out of bed and back in my recliner. I've spent dozens of nights sleeping in this chair. One more won't hurt.

A Walk in the Park

2012-01-08T17:15:00.000-06:00

Ed and I went for a walk this afternoon at the Hendersonville Greenway. Thought I was going to freeze at first ... it's about 50 degrees but damp and no sunshine ... but pretty soon I was sweating like a big dog. We walked for 45 minutes ... not long but I figured it was about 2 miles at least. My knee was tightening up or we might have walked longer.

Then we came home and I boiled a pound or so of shrimp and baked some potatoes ... first time we've eaten since breakfast and by 4:30, let me tell you I was hungry. Now Coach Ed is stretched out in his recliner watching Denver whup on Pittsburgh. I'm definitely pulling for Tebow!

Well, tomorrow is my last day in the office. Retirement starts February 1, but vacation starts on Tuesday. I start back to school on Thursday. No idea which class and guess I'll find out when I get there. Last semester. 118 days until graduation. Doesn't seem possible.

Continuing to pray for my colleagues at work. Someone at church today told me she saw on the news where there are going to be 200 jobs cut. I missed that news flash; actually, it's the first time I've heard a specific number. It seems high to me, but a couple of years ago 100 were cut. Guess it could be true, but I hope not.

2012-01-07T20:54:00.000-06:00

Look at this clock. That is what time my phone rang this morning. 8:22. On Saturday morning. REALLY? I was awake but not up. Actually, I was sitting up and pondering whether I really wanted to get up or if I wanted to go back to sleep. Since I had not gone to bed until midnight, I was leaning toward putting my lovely head back down on my pillow.

It was early bird Bill, calling to tell me there was an article in today's paper about the job deletions. Read the entire 5-paragraph story to me and ended with, "It was a pleasure to call and read you the paper this morning."

One or both of us needs to get a life.

Later this morning Daddy also had a question about the article. "Why," he asked, "is it important enough to put in the paper that a company with 1800 employees deleted 12 jobs? That is an insignificant amount." I think it has to do with damage control. It's easier to have 12 announced instead of 100 ... or whatever number they land on. Two summers ago 100 people lost their jobs and one summer ago there were 50 more. No big firings this past summer. Been saving up, I guess.

Ed & Jay's Man Cave

2012-01-07T19:52:00.000-06:00

Pap resting after a hard day's work

OK, I know that the phrase "man cave" is no longer acceptable ... I read that in the paper last week. But until a new phrase is invented, I'm going with what I know.

Today we hauled all my "stuff" from my work office to our bonus room. Good gravy, Marie! What a mess! It soon became apparent that I needed another file cabinet, so we made a quick trip to Walmart and bought a cheap one. It is now full. There are 2 bookshelves completely full of books and another that has my school stuff ... books and folders on it.

We put my little fridge up here too, and it already stocked with water, Diet Mt. Dew, and of course, Jaybug's favorite Dr. Pepper. I also stashed some yogurt and cheese sticks up there for Jay and put some ginger cookies for Pap and Goldfish for Jay on the stand.

There's a table and chairs that needs to go up to the Wizard room and some odds and ends to deal with, but I have to say it is much better.

Here's my decluttered work station and the new black file cabinet.

There's 2 of the full bookshelves and the fridge. The table's gotta go. I just don't have the energy to do it tonight.

We took a little time this afternoon and built a fire in the firepit and enjoyed our time outside. Amazing, isn't it, that it is January 7 and warm enough to sit out on the deck? We also walked around the Streets of Indian Lake this afternoon and ate ice cream cones. YUM! Love my Pap time.

While I was cleaning/sorting/filing, disposing of stuff this afternoon, I came across the first paper I wrote for my master's program. It's on servant leadership and my moral code and that of the company where I work. Haven't read it in a year-and-one-half. You know, I did a pretty dog-gone job on it. I remember Dr. H saying, "NEVER doubt that you can write papers for this program." He said I hit the nail on the head and did exactly what he'd asked for. Just very complimentary. At the time I was too nervous to know if it was a good paper or not. Now I can look at it from a different perspective and know he was right.

UPDATE: When we got there to pick up everything in my office this morning, another girl was there to pack up hers. She's one who lost her job this week. We hugged and I told her how sorry I was. Thankfully, she is able to retire. And she's moving back to Texas in 3 weeks. GOOD for her!

Old Pictures

2012-01-06T17:21:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not, I got my work station cleaned off and somewhat organized. In digging through the piles of "stuff," I found a number of interesting ... at least to me ... old pictures. Fasten your seat belt!

Oakland Baptist Church, Springfield, TN, in the 1890s. My great-great-grandparents are on the left end of the back row: Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Bridges.

My grandfather Elmo and my uncle, his oldest son, Sonny. Story is he was supposed to take Sonny downtown and get his picture made for his 12th birthday. Didn't tell anyone he got in the picture too. My grandmother was NOT happy with him. Can't you see the mischief on his face?

My cute little boy, Chris, when he was about 4. I think he was blowing kisses to his mama. This was at our house at 19 Charlemagne Blvd, Clarksville, TN.

I dropped a chocolate meringue pie on my freshly mopped floor. I saw a mess. Kelly saw opportunity. I think she's offering me a bite. Eventually I grabbed a spoon and joined her.

The Pap. Since he still had his upper baby teeth, I'm guessing he's about 6. Was he cute or what?

That's Daddy, Mama, Cordell (a family friend from Memphis), and the little blond is me.

All Packed Up and Nowhere to Go

2012-01-06T15:47:00.001-06:00

I spent all day tossing, filing, shredding, and packing. The amount of REAL work I did amounted to somewhere about 3 minutes ... the time it took me to enter the meta data for 3 files. But all my belongings are now in 4 boxes on a cart in my office. Sometime this weekend Ed and I will go by there and pick them up, along with my refrigerator, fan, and heater. THEN I have to decide what to do with all of that mess.

My bonus room is trashed. I have boxes of stuff I brought back from Uncle Larry's house. A box of stuff from Aunt Nancy's house, mostly pictures. A box of pictures from Daddy. Several boxes of school stuff. And my work station looks like this:

Have you EVER seen such a mess? First on my agenda is cleaning that off and cleaning out the file cabinets. The book shelves in here are filled to overflowing. I need another set, but where in the world would I put them?

Changing gears: My friend I referred to yesterday ... the one who lost her job and is just under 3 years from retirement ... got a deal today. She has to wait until she is 55, but they will allow her to draw early retirement after all. So her 32 years are not down the drain. That restores my faith a little.

Words from the Tin Man

2012-01-05T16:14:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love the Tin Man? You know ... the character from the Wizard of Oz who was a on quest to get a heart because the woodsman who built him had failed to include one. And once the journey was over and Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Dorothy got to meet the wizard, he received his heart. Moments later he commented, "Now I know I have a heart 'cause it's breaking."

I can relate. My heart is breaking for some friends and coworkers.

For weeks we've been hearing that change was coming. And since everyone's been back in the office this week after the holidays, the winds of change have been blustery and the rumor mill working overtime. We've heard the cuts will be deep and they will be very, very painful. Nothing specific, mind you. Just "wars and rumors of wars." Yeh, read Matthew 24:6 for the whole verse.

This afternoon the bloodletting began, and yes, the cuts were very painful. Eight coworkers lost their job today. Many of them I have worked with personally; most are more like acquaintances. One is a very close friend that I've known since I walked in these doors 31 years ago. But even with her 32 years of service, she isn't eligible for retirement. Too young. I am praying someone will step up and do the right thing and offer her retirement. Come on, folks. Let's be Christian about this ... at least a little bit.

Makes me even more thankful than I can retire of my own choosing (more or less) and can draw a retirement pension. And it makes me even more thankful I am walking away from there in 2 more days.

Prayers and love for those who are hurting.

Project

2012-01-05T08:12:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was cleaning out old emails, including a folder full of messages centering around our church's 100th anniversary celebration, which began in March 2010 ... nearly 2 years ago. One of those emails was, I'm sure, the very first email exchange between Bill and me, and in reading the message it is obvious that neither of us knew the other very well. How things have changed!

Anyway, in the email I was thanking him on behalf of our task force, of which I was chairperson, for coming to our meeting and for agreeing to research and write the history of Grace Baptist Church. And then there was his gracious response. All very formal and polite. Kinda made me laugh to read it some 2 1/2 years after it was written.

Fast forward to this morning. Bill called to see how our dinner with Tania went last night, and then he got around to the REAL reason he called. "How would you like a project to do?" he asked. Like I don't already have enough projects. I took the bait. "What kind of project are you talking about?" I queried. "How would you like to write the history of Grace Baptist Church?"

The man has lost his brilliant mind.

"Bill, I'm a paper writer, not a book writer. Besides, I thought we were going to do this together." And I pulled up the old email I stumbled across yesterday and read it to him. We both laughed. So here's where we are with the book deal: I'm going to think about it, but I will only do it if he agrees to help. Which technically, he's already done. In fact, I think he's supposed to write and I'm supposed to help. Somehow the shoe is about to get on the other foot. He's sneaky like that.

Of course, now that I'm retiring and job hunting, I will have more free time. But I need to spend that preparing for comps that are coming up in March. There will also be a lot of school work for this semester ... and then there's that paper I'm supposed to be expanding so it can be submitted to a historical journal for possible publication. It's not like I don't have anything else to do.

We'll see.

My Brazilian Sister

2012-01-04T21:35:00.000-06:00

I have LOTS of sisters ... I have the 2 (Janis and Nancy) born to the same set of parents I have. Then there are my precious Triplet Sisters from school: Lynn and Q. I also have a Brazilian sister I bet you didn't know about: Tania.

Back in about 1979 or 80, Tania came to live with my parents, Janis, and Bob. She was an exchange student, and we absolutely fell in love with her. Just a ball of energy and tons of fun. Daddy teased her about speaking "Pekinese" (Portuguese). Tania was just one of us.

Then she went back to Brazil, got married, and had a son. We lost touch. In fact, the last time we saw her was in the mid 80s when she came back to the states and spent a day in Nashville. This was way before Internet and all that and we just lost touch.

About a year ago I decided to try to see if I could find her. Literally within minutes I found her on the Internet ... at least pictures of her so I at least knew where she was. I also remembered that when she came here in the 80s, she came with a dentist from Birmingham who often went to Brazil for mission (dental) work. Contacted the dentist who was able to put us in touch with our long-lost sister, Tania. We reconnected through Facebook. Thank God for technology!

Well, she came back for a visit this week, and Ed and I met up with her for dinner tonight. What a fabulous reunion! She can't quit talking and I can't quit crying. I am NO GOOD at good-byes, but I am so thankful that once again we got to see each other this side of heaven. She does mission work and is such a strong Christian. Puts me to shame.

Carolyn, Tania, Janis, Nancy

After dinner we all went to Nancy's house for cheesecake ... Tania's favorite. As we all got ready to leave, we gathered in a circle and Tania prayed ... in Portuguese. So glad we serve a God of all languages because other than hearing my name and the names of our children, I have no clue what she said.

God is soooooooo good. I love you, Tania.

It's Official

2012-01-03T16:29:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to announce this for about 3 weeks, but I had to wait until (1) I could meet with HR to work out the details and (2) I could talk to my manager. Both of those took place today. I met with the HR rep from 1 until 2 and was in my manager's office just minutes after that.

The look on his face was priceless when I said, "The reason for this visit is to tell you I am retiring February 1." He fell back in his seat, shook his head as if in disbelief, and with eyes as big as saucers said, "I'm stunned. I didn't see this coming."

I told him that after his email that said I could no longer have time off for school I had no other choice. And that is ALL I said about that. I apologized for the late notice but said with the holidays and being off for 2 weeks and not being able to see HR until today, I just felt that I needed to wait. He agreed.

I have 30.5 days of vacation, so I really hope to be out of there prior to February 1. He's going to talk to my EPL (team leader) this afternoon and we will meet in the morning to work out the details and I guess to make the official announcement.

I AM SOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!

Puzzles

2012-01-02T16:26:00.001-06:00

I love puzzles. I work the Sudoku puzzle in the newspaper every day. Monday is the easiest, and they get progressively more difficult as the week goes on. When I first started doing them, I was usually stumped by Wednesday. Now I can usually get through the entire week. Not always, but most of the time.

I also love jigsaw puzzles. Renate gave me two for Christmas. Took us about 5 days to do this one:

The main problem was that it was a foil puzzle, which meant there was a terrible glare on every piece. It was a little easier to work on it in natural light, but not much. AND each piece was the same cut, so it wasn't like I could look for a particular shape. They were identical.

Last night we started on this one:

It is MUCH easier. Big pieces and a variety of shapes. So while Ed watched a ball game this afternoon, I finished this puzzle.

I wasn't very productive today ... this last day of Christmas vacation ... but it was restful. Didn't crawl out of bed until after 10. Ate ham, eggs, and toast for breakfast at 10:30. Watched a couple of episodes of season 2 of Project Runway. Folded one load of clothes (Ed did the rest). Talked to Jan-Jan twice and Kelly once. Worked puzzle.

125 Days

2012-01-01T17:35:00.000-06:00

One hundred twenty-five days from today is GRADUATION! That means our hooding ceremony is in one hundred twenty-four days!

My last semester starts around the 12th of this month. For this last semester I'll be taking:

MSP 5030 - Leadership and Conflict Resolution 3 SEM. HRS.
The course features a hands-on approach to the development of a personal leadership and conflict management style. Students are given an opportunity to explore major theories of leadership and of conflict resolution and to understand the practical implications of each theory. Exercises, role-playing, and discussion of personal experiences are used to aid students in developing their own leadership and conflict management styles.

MSP 5220 - Human Resource Management and Labor Relations 3 SEM. HRS.
The course addresses contemporary issues facing public service professionals including: personnel selection, training and development, rewards and discipline, motivation and morale, plus performance evaluation; team building; problem solving; management theories; implementing community policing and the delivery of other public services; dealing with unions and labor issues; and, managing for the future.

MSP 5250 - Seminar in Understanding the Judicial System 1 SEM. HR.
This course will examine the anatomy of both a civil lawsuit and a criminal prosecution, with emphasis on the tactical, strategic, and ethical decisions made by judges and attorneys throughout the process. The seminar will include discussion of the jurisdiction of many courts, the appellate structure, both procedural and evidentiary rules of the courts, and demonstration of particular trial skills exercised by attorneys. Students will gain a knowledge of the judicial process from the occurrence of an event until the final adjudication of the corresponding legal actions arising from the event.

New Years 2012

2012-01-01T14:23:00.000-06:00

Did you stay up to say good-bye to 2011 and to welcome 2012? Yeh, me neither. While Ed was in the shower, I turned on the TV and watched the new year come in on the East Coast, but by the time it rolled in here, I was snoozing.

We skipped Sunday School today but went to church. Kinda wished I'd gone to worship somewhere else. First Sunday of the new year and both the pastor and the minister of music were out. Today's preaching wasn't very good, but we got a good story about Roy Rogers. Uh-huh. And Trigger. The guy who led the music was OK. The problem was the choir ... the loud-mouthed bass in particular. WHY Bro. David picked out the particular anthem for the choir to sing is beyond me. We've not sung "Shout to the Lord" in a long time and we were so rusty that not even a good dousing of WD40 would have helped. But that didn't stop the "hero" on the second row who was bellowing at the top of his lungs. About one-third of the way through the anthem, there's a key change, but that goofball kept singing in the old key. It was one ginormous train wreck. I just quit singing and wanted to crawl under my chair.

Bill absolutely picked the WRONG day to come to our church today, but hopefully we made it up to him at lunch. He came home with us, and I'd fixed roast, potatoes, carrots, gravy, corn, fresh black-eyed peas, cornbread, and cornsticks. And had some homemade strawberry freezer jam. Those boys (Ed and Bill) ate like they were starved ... and I'd heard Bill's tummy growling in church so I know he was ready to put on the feed bag. I didn't have dessert, but Bill wanted one of the homemade cinnamon rolls we'd had for breakfast.

Afterward we sat in the living room with the gas logs on and talked So warm and cozy. I think all three of us were on the verge of dozing off before Bill announced it was time to go home and take a nap. So now Ed and I are catching the end of the Titans game and contemplating a nap.

Blessings to you and yours in this new year. The last 2 have been a real roller coaster ride for me. I expect nothing less this year.

Before and After

2011-12-31T19:42:00.000-06:00

Since Jay is here, I decided to make "Mawmaw's Yummy Rolls," as he calls them. Used half the dough to make the plain rolls and the other half to make cinnamon rolls. Here's the before picture:

Rolls rising on the countertop

And here they are after coming out of the oven and with icing on the cinnamon rolls.

YUM!

Here's our New Year's Eve supper: Ham rolls, apples (used some from our fruit basket from Bill), green beans cooked with ham hock, and homemade macaroni & cheese.

EVERYONE cleaned their plate and all tummies are full.

Marshmallow Fight

2011-12-31T14:46:00.000-06:00

It all started innocently enough ... the boys (Pap and Jay) built a fire in the firepit so Jay could burn marshmallows. Yes, burn. He doesn't like to eat them ... neither does Pap ... besides, these were so old and stale they weren't good for anything else.

Jay insisted on puttingt his marshmallows on a stick instead of a coat hanger.

Pretty soon Jay was bored and had moved on to digging in the dirt. "I'm looking for treasure, Mawmaw," he said.

Then the battle began. Jay was lying there in the grass, digging in the dirt and minding his own business, when Pap began tossing stale marshmallows. Jay immediately jumped up, gathered the fallen ammunition, and began firing 'em right back at Pap! I tossed Jay his trusty light saber, and he had a blast batting away the marshmallows.

Now our yard is scattered with yucky marshmallows that I suppose the birds or some critters will eat tonight. Speaking of birds, when I came out on the deck this afternoon, there were two finches trapped on the screen porch. Not sure how they got there. One door was cracked just a little, so I guess they flew in there. They were scared to death of me, but I managed to open both doors and shoo them out.

And now we're back inside on this beautiful last day of 2011 ... watching the Liberty Bowl. GO VANDY!

Looking Back at 2011

2011-12-30T21:37:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. In just over 24 hours, this one will be one for the history books. In a way, I'm glad it is nearly behind us.

For me the last 12 months have focused solely on school. God willing, I will graduate from Cumberland University in May with a master's degree in public service management. I have never worked so hard in my life, but I have loved it. Absolutely loved it and am thankful for the experience. I will never understand what Bill saw in me that made him determine I needed to be in his program, but I owe him a great debt for consistently urging me to give it a try. And a great debt to Ed for his support and understanding ... not to mention reading paper after paper.

Despite statistics (which nearly drove me crazy), group projects that ended up being more of a 1 or 2-person project, and endless papers, I have managed to maintain a 4.0 gpa. Unbelievable. I'm not that smart, but I do work hard. Very hard.

I had some wonderful opportunities this year ... presented a paper I wrote at Mayor's Day at the Nashville City Cemetery. Was a tour guide at the cemetery during the Living History Tour. Attended a reception at Sunnyside Mansion and A Chocolate Affair sponsored by the Child Advocacy Board. Presented my book at a public program. Edited a lot of freelance, including a 500-page academic book for a college provost. Working on a paper to submit to the Tn History Society for possible publication in their journal. Mind boggling stuff ... at least to me.

2011 wasn't all sunshine, however. I had several illnesses brought about by stress. So many that when the last one hit, the doctor finally asked, "What is going on that is causing all this stress in your life?" I had the worst case of hives imaginable, cystic acne, a vitreous tear in my eye, eczema, and hair loss by the handfuls. My sweet aunt's dementia has rapidly increased until she had to be moved to a memory care unit two weeks ago. Heartbreaking. Lots of deaths in our church family ... strong Christians who helped make me who I am. My dad's health continues to decline as well. He can't stand up straight and now walks with a cane all the time. Pitiful. My crazy mother attempted suicide a few weeks ago. She's still in a skilled care facility trying to get her straightened out.

No big vacations this year. We made a short trip to Ohio and took our favorite grandson Jay with us. He had a blast. Spent a few days with my favorite aunt and uncle in Flat Gap, TN.

I've worked for the last 31 years, and undoubtedly this last one has been the worst of my life. I'm tired of being beat up day after day. I need a change, and I hope the degree and 2012 will bring that. Soon.

But I have the BESTEST husband any girl could hope for, 2 incredible adult children, and the sweetest, kindest, most loving grandson in the world. I have friends who love me unconditionally and support me even when I'm not making sense. I could NOT get by without Ann, Renate, Shelia, Lynn, Q, and Bill ... to name a few. They are a fabulous support system, and I am grateful for the way each contribute to my life.

OK, The Pap is telling me it is time to go put Jay in the bathtub and get ready for bed. I'm ready. Good night!

Friday

2011-12-30T15:53:00.000-06:00

My Jaybug is here for the next day and a half. His parents are going to the Liberty Bowl tomorrow in Memphis to see Vandy play. Guess tonight we'll go eat at Chick-fil-A and then grocery shop. Typical Friday night stuff.

I have LOVED being off work the past 2 weeks. Wish I didn't ever have to go back, but Tuesday will be here way too soon. Sleeping late is the best! I finally dragged out of bed about 8 this morning, showered, and dressed. Had a working lunch meeting at 11 with Bill and Scott (a first-year student) at Black-Eyed Pea. We had such a good time! Didn't get out of there until about 1 and no more got home than my boys walked in the door.

Have talked to friends Shelia and Ann today. Always good to hear from them and I am so thankful for their friendship. Long-time friends, both of them.

No New Year's Eve plans either. Guess we're past the partying age and stage of life. Hoping 2012 brings much happiness and direction for the Gregory family.

Field Trip with Daddy

2011-12-29T16:39:00.000-06:00

I picked up Daddy shortly after 9 this morning and we took a field trip around Nashville. First stop was TPS (Tennessee Preparatory School), where my dad and his brothers lived for many years after their mom died. I did a paper on TPS last semester and am working to expand it for submission to the TN Historical Society Journal.


In the 1940s this was the boys dorm. Daddy's room was on the second floor. State offices occupy the building today.


Plaque on the building

Administration Bldg

Dairy at TPS. Daddy worked there on occasion.

This is the Anna Russell Cole Auditorium, named after the wife of Col. Edmund Cole. Cole purchased the acreage on which TPS (was TIS until 1950s) was built. They had church services, talent shows (Daddy emceed one and then WON the show too!), and movies. Had state of the art theater equipment, donated by Tony Sudekum of Nashville, who owned the first movie theater.

Daddy wanted to try the doors. They were locked, but one of the windows to the left was knocked out. We peeked inside and saw this:

The remnants of the old elegant pipe organ. The whole place is in a terrible state of disrepair. Such a waste.

I went around to a side door and found one unlocked. We sneaked in and looked around. I told Daddy, "We're going to go inside, but we might get arrested for trespassing." Thankfully, we weren't.

This is what's left of the stage. The curtains have dry rotted and scraps are scattered on the floor.

An old podium in front of the stage

I TOLD you we sneaked inside! Daddy said the auditorium would seat 900 boys and girls.

Escaping out the side door of the Anna Russell Cole Auditorium

The Menzler house, first built for Dr. and Mrs. Menzler who were there for over 30 years. Dr. Menzler was superintendent and much loved by the children.

After we left TPS, we drove over to visit Aunt Gert's old homes on Goodbar and Glenrose. There's now a Buddhist Temple sitting on her property on Glenrose. She would have a FIT if she knew that, but she died in 1994. This house, 1606 Long Avenue, was where my parents were living (along with Aunt Gert) when I was born in 1954. It's for sale.

We also visited old homes where family once lived on Rosebank, Hody, Fortland, Moss Rose, and Greenland. Our last stop (before lunch, that is) was at Spring Hill Cemetery.

My grandmother's grave. She was not quite 39 when she died in a tragic accident ... a shooting in the home ... and left 6 children behind, ages 3 to 18.

We stopped at some other graves ... Daddy's brother Wayne, who we lost 20 years ago today to cancer and also at Uncle Robert and Debbie's graves. Tough.

Last stop was lunch at Panera's. Daddy had broccoli cheese soup and I had chicken stew. We split a chicken frontega sammich.

I think Daddy had a blast today. I know I did.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2011-12-28T13:05:00.000-06:00

Today is our 37th anniversary. God blessed me with the most wonderful man, for which I am so grateful. He's the best husband, dad, and Pap anyone could hope for. Tonight we'll go out to dinner to celebrate ... prolly Outback.

Here we are cutting that massive cake. The bites we fed each other were all we got.

And here we are leaving the church. We just stayed in Nashville that night ... at a hotel that no longer exists ... and on Monday morning headed to Ft. Eustis, Va, our new home.

Happy Anniversary, baby. I love you!

Theodore

2011-12-27T19:35:00.000-06:00

You remember Sock Monkey Simon, don't you? He came to live with us about a month ago. Well, he got a baby brother for Christmas.

Simon and Theodore

I decided to name him Theodore. And as it so happens, Kelly also got a sock monkey for Christmas. His name is Alvin. We are very anxious for Alvin to come visit his relatives so they can bond.

Lunch with the Cousins

2011-12-27T16:20:00.000-06:00

Met most of my cousins on my mother's side of the family for a late lunch today at Cheddar's. Linda was supposed to have come but an unexpected conflict come up this morning. So here you see my sister Janis (in the brown), cousins Necie and Beverly, and my sister Nancy and me on the other side.

Had a good time and good food. All I'd had to eat today was a pear and a banana. I was ready to eat the legs off the table.

Dreary, rainy day. Thirty-seven years ago tonight we were having a wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Tomorrow is Happy Anniversary to Ed and me. Seems a lifetime ago.

Christmas with Ed's Family

2011-12-26T21:19:00.000-06:00

We were on the road shortly after 9 this morning headed to Ed's family's Christmas get-together, but our first stop was to see Aunt Nancy at her new place in Murfreesboro. She was soooooo happy to see us! When we first walked into the area, her eyes lit up and she smiled ear to ear and waved to us.

We hadn't been there any more than 15 minutes when David, her oldest and my favorite cousin, came in. The four of us sat in her room and visited for well over an hour. She was pretty clear today and as always, she knew me and called me by name.

Aunt Nancy and David

About 12:15 we headed to be with Ed's family. All I can say is, "Thank God, that is over."

Nieces, nephews, and great nephews

We met in the fellowship hall of a small country church. Had burned pizza and lots of snack/munchy foods. Presents for the little ones.

Eddie's brother, mom, niece and her friend

After that we went to his mom's house for an hour or so. She loaded us up with 2 big boxes of information on the Gregory, Brown, and Funderburk families. Lots of geneaology stuff.

On the way home we heard from Bill, who wanted us to meet him for supper. FABULOUS! We met at Olive Garden and filled up on soup and salad. Then we went across the street and browsed through Books-a-Million and Staples before landing at Baskin Robbins for ice cream. Ed had Reese's pnut butter cup, I had my standard pralines and cream, and Bill ate this nasty looking Peppermint. It looked like frozen Pepto. As long as he enjoyed it, I guess it was OK. However, when he finished he looked like he was wearing hot pink lip stick. Too funny.

Now we're home and chillaxing, as Kelly says. After 4.5 days off, Ed has to go back to work tomorrow. I have another whole week off, for which I am extremely thankful.

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T15:56:00.000-06:00

Seems that we dragged ourselves (reluctantly, I might add) out of bed around 8 this morning. Ate some leftover ham and cheese quiche and fruit salad from yesterday and headed to Union Hill for church.


Wearing my new sweater from The Pap and showing off my new Bible cover from my Triplet Sisters

The folks there were very gracious and gave us a beautiful red and white poinsettia. And a check ... which I neither expected nor wanted. But it was nice. I thought Daddy would be surprised, but I actually think he didn't care one way or the other. Not sure he even said hello. Kinda hurt my feelings, as it has that 3 people have said, "See you tomorrow at Nancy's" and I've replied to all 3, "We weren't invited." So much for family. Kelly called first thing this morning. Chris called on his way to work this afternoon. Haven't heard from Jay. Bill, however, has called 3 times. Gotta love that!

After church The Pap and I went to see "War Horse," which just hit theaters today. Very good movie. Now we are home just maxing and relaxing. Gonna call Shelia and check on her. Maybe take a snooze in the recliner. Gotta gear up for tomorrow ... Christmas with Pap's family.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:56:00.001-06:00

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2

A Sunday Surprise

2011-12-24T19:33:00.000-06:00

My dad is the organist at this little church in a small community within the city of Goodlettsville, TN.

It's a small country church with very traditional services. I call it a "meat and three," meaning there's a sermon and 3 hymns. Last Sunday they had 98 in Sunday School, which I think is their record. Good people. Friendly people.

So their pianist isn't going to be at church tomorrow. Their ministerette of music called me a few weeks ago and asked if I would fill in on Christmas morning, and I told her sure. Pretty sure Daddy doesn't know this. He'll be sooooooo surprised.

And it is a great Christmas gift for me ... for us to play together in the house of the Lord.

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-24T12:52:00.000-06:00

I have been awake since 2:30 a.m. WHY? Because I woke up to go to the bathroom and could not go back to sleep. Laid there until about 3:30 and then got up. About 6 I got sleepy, but had too much to do to go to bed then.

Chris, Amanda, and Jay got here a few minutes after 9, and we opened presents.

My VERY handsome grandson, Jay

The rest of my boys: The Pap and Chris

I can't believe Mawmaw's Precious is 13 and only about 1/2-inch shorter than me. We gave him snow boots, 2 wii games, and some Transformer thing. Plus a stocking full of stuff.

Then about 10 our company began arriving. We fed 18 for brunch.


Janis, Renate, and her granddaughter Elizabeth

The Chow Line

Friends Bill and Ann. And Daddy and Granny

Here's what we had: biscuits, milk gravy, country ham with red eye gravy, 2 ham and cheese quiche, 3 cream cheese danish, fruit salad, assorted homemade cookies, meatballs in sauce, pork tenderloin and gravy, hashbrown casserole, grits, brown sugar bacon, white milk, chocolate milk, coffee, orange juice, and tomato juice. Other than some fruit salad and a bit of hashbrown casserole, they cleaned us out.

Now for a nap before tonight's Christmas Eve service.

It's What's for Brunch!

2011-12-23T21:40:00.000-06:00

Ever since my kids were little I've been having some family members over for breakfast on Christmas morning. It started with just my mom and Aunt Gert. When my brother Bob was in college, he would spend the night, help play Santa, and then stay for breakfast Christmas morning. A few years ago we began expanding, and my sisters and their families come over too. This year we're expanding even more and have invited some close friends over ... only we're having it on Christmas Eve since Christmas is on Sunday and hopefully everyone will be in church.

One of the things I have made and is in the fridge waiting to be cooked tomorrow morning is this:

Sausage Hashbrown Bake

It's been years since I've made this, but I remember it being a hit. Here's the recipe:

1 lb. sausage, browned
1 bag O'brien hashbrowns, thawed (they have red and green peppers in the)
1 onion, chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. French onion dip
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Mix together hashbrowns, onion, cream cheese, dip, chicken soup, and most of the cheese. Put half in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with cooked sausage. Top with remaining hashbrown mix. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Other items on tomorrow's menu:
• Cream cheese danish • fruit salad • country ham w/red eye gravy • brown sugar bacon • cheese grits • ham and cheese quiche • biscuits • meatballs in sauce • eggs • orange juice • coffee • tomato juice • white milk • chocolate milk • assorted Christmas cookies

Seems like I've forgotten something ... better check my list!

Two Days and Counting Until Christmas

2011-12-23T14:31:00.000-06:00

We slept in today ... one of my favorite pastimes ... and so unusual to have The Pap home! After a quick bowl of cereal topped with fruit we got busy preparing for tomorrow's brunch. Pap set up tables and got out the dishes. I made the fruit salad and currently there are 4 cream cheese danish rising on the countertop and 1 loaf of apricot bread in the oven.

This little cutie, my great-nephew Jude, and his mama and Nana came over. Erin brought us a huge plate of a variety of Christmas cookies. I've already eaten 2 Oreo balls and Ed has scarfed down the peanut butter squares. Jude had a blast playing with the "new" toys up in Jay's playroom. Then Pap helped him slide down the bannister ... over and over and over. Jude LOVED it ... as you can tell by the laugh on his face. Pap was having a pretty good time himself.

Then we needed to make a Walmart run ... apparently us and every other person in town. Needed stocking stuffers. Then Ed the Elf was adamant that we go shopping for me. I was just about as stubborn as he was ... I don't need a thing and we don't need to spend the money.

Lost that battle.

We made a quick trip to my favorite clothing store, and he bought me 2 sweaters. Here's one ... I couldn't find a picture of the other. It's beige with stripes. Very pretty.

Now we're home and all my boys are here! Chris, Jay, and The Pap. Jay's content to play on the computer and munch on Goldfish and wash it down with Dr. Pepper. Chris and I are conversationalizing while The Pap snores in his recliner.

And tonight I have a double date! Pizza with The Pap and The Professor (Bill).

Life is good. Life is VERY good.

Merry Christmas!

Massage Therapy

2011-12-22T14:45:00.000-06:00

Several years ago I was trying to come up with something different for Ed's birthday and decided on a massage. I was soooooooo excited. Turns out he was less than excited about getting a massage. He acted like I'd make an appointment at a brothel or something illegal or immoral, even though I tried to explain it was a legitimate business.

After his massage he said, "Well, it was all right, but you would love it."

He was right.

I wish I could go regularly, but about twice a year (at most) is what I can do. It isn't cheap therapy, but it is soooooo worth it.

Today I went to a new place and initially thought, "This is OK, but I like my regular place better." For starters, I'd never had a massage by a man. And he is much stronger than the girl I usually use. A time or two he hit a sore spot I didn't know was there. OUCH! But by the time he finished I felt like I had melted into one big blob. Fabulous.

So now I'm hoping I can work frequent visits into the budget, as in once a month. It is certainly a fabulous stress reliever.

Stress

2011-12-22T08:08:00.001-06:00

We all have stress in our lives ... it is just a part of life. It is a normal reaction to upsets or times of unbalance. The "fight or flight" reaction kicks in, and so does that built-in defense mechanism: We either fight the stress or run from it.

In small doses, it can be helpful and serve as a motivational tool to help us get moving and get things done. Stress can help us work well under pressure, keeping us on our toes and furnishing the drive to get a project completed.

Yet if we constantly perform in a stress mode, it can begin to take a toll on us, wreaking havoc on our bodies, our relationships, and our ability to function properly.

I AM THERE.

Last spring I had a terrible outbreak of cystic acne. I fought it for a few weeks and finally gave up and went to the dermatologist. She said, "Hormones and stress," and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic, which cleared my skin right up.

About a month later I had a raging case of hives that took 3 days to go away ... even after a Saturday trip to a walk-in clinic that resulted in an injection. Miserable ... and stress related.

A month after that I began having this awful itching on my legs. I scratched until my legs were covered with black and blue marks. It seems that the more I scratched, the more they itched. TWO trips to the dermatologist and two shots later, it finally subsided.

The following month my hair began to fall out. It is a good thing God blessed me with a thick head of hair or I would be bald by now. Again, I've been to the dermatologist twice for shots and am taking biotin every evening. Thankfully, I am finally beginning to see a slow down; otherwise, I'm going to look like Ed pretty soon.

After this last episode, Dr. S asked, "WHAT in the world is going on in your life to cause all of this stress?"

Last night, just shortly after I dozed off, I woke up with a severe cramp in my right ankle/leg. I didn't drink enough liquids yesterday and knew that. I even drank a couple of glasses of Mt. Dew before I went to bed, hoping to ward off cramps. Didn't work. When the cramps finally subsided after 10 minutes or more of moaning and groaning, then the itching set in. Really? Both ankles. I sat on the edge of the bed for the biggest part of an hour just rubbing cream over and over the afflicted areas. It was awful. I just kept praying, "Please don't let this be starting all over again. I can't stand to go through this again."

Several people have said school is the culprit. Yes, it is very time consuming and extremely difficult. I also love it and it is so rewarding to see the finished paper/project/test and see that A on it. Sort of an adrenalin rush. OK, call me stupid, but that's what it is. I've loved being in this master's program, and it has been good for me. By the way, only 135 days until graduation!

I have a stress reliever coming up today at 11. A massage! If I ever get semi-wealthy, there are 2 things I would love to have: (1) someone to clean my house every week and (2) a weekly massage. It's prolly been a year or close to it since I've had one. I purchased this one through Groupon back in September and have just not had time to go. Tuesday I called and made an appointment. I can't wait!

Lunch with the Triplets & Bill

2011-12-21T15:23:00.000-06:00

No sleeping in today! I was showered, dressed, and in the kitchen by 7 a.m. It's now a little after 3, and the last of my guests just left. Here's a recap:

These are the Triplet Sisters: Carolyn, Lynn, and Q. We're not triplets by birth but by the grace of God. I could not have made it thus far in my master's program without these two.

We were talking and laughing and getting ready to open presents.

Bill, our favorite professor and "uncle" to the Triplet Sisters, joined us today.

We had chicken pasta soup. Supposed to be a copy cat version of J Alexander's soup. Bill said, "I've eaten their soup on a number of occasions, and their chef needs to come take lessons from you." We also had salad, corn sticks, and homemade asiago cheese bread.

The inside of the Cranberry Obsession Snow Cake. It was fabulous. Now what am I going to do with the rest of this thing?

My Triplet Sisters gave me this beautiful ruby red carrier for my Bible. I LOVE it!

And Bill brought me this lovely fruit basket and made a point to tell me he picked out the basket himself.

We had a great time! Ed managed to sneak home long enough to eat, but then he had to get back to work. After the meal, the 4 of us (Lynn, Q, Bill, me) sat in the living room for 2+ hours and talked, laughed, and opened presents. Soooooooo thankful for these special people who are in my life.