March 2010

I went with Barbara and KimT to the Student Competition at UALR yesterday and forgot to take lots of pictures. I did get a picture of Kaitlin with a picture of her that her friend Sara took.
Kaitlin wanted to do a photo shoot with some balloons so she invited some of our good friends to meet us at a local park. Kaitlin brought a dozen balloons and the fun started.
Abigail took this with my camera while I had Kaitlin's. She did a great job with a point and shoot to get folks up in the air.
My friend, Zeb. Isn't he cute?
In 1995 I flew to Atlanta to see my mama and drove her back to my house in her car. She never drove again and when she died we kept her car. Andrew drove her car one summer when he was home from AUBURN.

There is a hill in LR, on the way to Andrew's summer classes, that has lots of lights. If Andrew got caught by one of the lights and had start up the hill from a dead stop, he could floor the gas and still get to about 20 mph max speed going up the hill. He started calling the car 'The Pony' because he said it didn't have any horse power only pony power. It stuck.

Last week we got rid of The Pony. We haven't driven it for about 7 years because 'it threw a rod" whatever that means- Carl told me that. It was still sad. We found an envelope with directions to lots of places my mama went. It was fun to see her handwriting again.

sometimes I wished I had named Kaitlin- Forsythia. Don't you just like saying that word? I love forsythia. I want some in my yard but don't have any. This year Kaitlin noticed this bush in our neighbors yard. It is behind their garage so they don't get to enjoy it but I sure do!

Kaitlin, John, Marisa and Robert went to the zoo with some friends during spring break.
Jumping picture before they went to meet friends to head to the zoo.
four wonderful and good-looking children. I am blest.

Forgive me Please!

Andree Seu says it well when she talks about friendship and forgiveness.

My favorite paragraph is

The best way is if we only understood that the person who insulted us last week (especially if it is a Christian) is a constantly changing and progressively sanctifying person. The Holy Spirit has rolled up His sleeves and started cleaning out his fixer-upper of a heart, and you just happened to get in the way of some garbage being hauled out. The person you are still nursing a resentment toward is in the middle of his story, and is not yet what he will be. And come to think of it, the same goes for you.

Please read the whole article.

I have been blest and cursed with a good memory. I am working to remember that about the cleaning and I hope you remember it too.

Linda G gave this to me

Randolph Caldecott's birthday was yesterday. My tech support was not at home all day yesterday. I didn't know how to get an image off the web and onto my blog. Tech support is home today and here is one of my favorite books that won the Caldecott award.
Do you have a favorite?

My mascot can beat your mascot

So I know that you are taking a break from the March Madness to read a few blogs...

It is with a heavy heart that I realize there are those of you reading this who are not aware of what March Madness is... we can still be friends.

For those who are watching basketball on TV and those who enjoy fun trivia here is just a little info about the teams.

30 states are represented this year

TX has the most teams in this year with 7

PA has the second most with 5

CA -4

KY, OH, TN, SC, IN, NY -3

KS, MD, MI, VA, NC, WI, FL, UT, WA, NM-2

NV, OK, IA, GA, MN, VT, WVA, MO and AR had 1

and in case any of you took the time to count all those teams that is just 63. Georgetown is in the District of Columbia.

I love our bracket pickings. We have been doing it for 14 years. We started it the year my mama died to give us a fun distraction in the midst of our grief. John Austin was 8, Kaitlin 10 and Andrew 13. We pick round by round. There are many advantages of this way of picking. The biggest one being you can have a bad day and still not be out of it. Also it involves lots of interaction because you must keep up with the games and keep sending your picks in.

We have a fun group in our picking this year. It is made up of family and friends. We have those that could be on ESPN with all their knowledge and we have those that have no idea what ESPN is. I love all the creative ways our folks have for picking their teams, some pick the higher seed, some by color of the team or who the mascot is, one by the teams that have the most letters of his name in them, and alphabetical is always popular.

John has a friend, Kevin, and in Kevin's bracket he picked the higher seed unless there were 5 seed points apart and then he picked the team whose mascot could beat the other one in a fight. Now that took some thought!

Just so you know, Andrew won last year, even though he doesn't remember.

How do you pick your teams?

Yes, Robert, I cut my bangs!

Marisa has a younger brother, Robert, that needs a place to live for awhile. He is a great addition to our family. He is always ready to lend a hand, eats whatever I put in front of him, and laughs at all our jokes, but I still wondered if it was going to work til today...

Marisa decided today that she wanted to cut her bangs. She announced this in the den while Carl, John, Robert and I were sitting. She struggled with the decision. All at once, she adamantly got up, got the broom and with confident strides went up to her bathroom to perform the task. Carl yelled up that if she needed him to help with the weed eater he would. "Ha, Ha" was her response.

About 30 minutes later she came down. Carl and John commented on her bangs. She walked around modeling them.

About 10 minutes later, Robert looked at Marisa and said "You cut your bangs!" We all died laughing, Robert said "What?" We all died laughing again.

Yep, he'll fit right in here. That sounds like John and Carl.

A picture of Marisa in her wedding dress!

This past Saturday we went to Low's in Brinkley to pick out a wedding dress for Marisa. Andrew and Taylor flew in for the weekend to be a part of the festivities. After we picked out the dress we drove to Charlotte's for lunch.

Marisa's good friend, Elene, went with us for the day.
When you eat at Charlotte's, you always pick your dessert out first. I had strawberry cake and I don't even like strawberry cake but it is so good.
Here we are arriving at Low's. Marisa's mother and brother, Robert, were able to join us too.
We took a picture like this 3 years ago when we were here with Taylor. This is Andrew with the angel in the front of Low's.
Are you ready to see Marisa in her wedding dress? Well, here she is!

Now, you don't think I would put up a picture of the dress do you? You need to come to the wedding to see that. The wedding, Lord willing, will be 9 months from today!

Marisa bought a beautiful red sweater to wear when she needs it during her wedding day. Her she is, in the beautiful sweater, with a beautiful smile on her face. She is wearing her dress!!

Addie Lou, I love you

11 years ago today, Andrew became an Eagle Scout. When he called me to tell me that his Eagle board of review was over, he said "Mama, we have a reason to look back on this day and be happy."

14 years ago today my mama died.

She was my best friend.

She was my champion.

I was so blest to have her as a mama. I am thankful that I had her for 38 years. I miss her still and I guess I always will. I have come to realize that that is a gift. Some folks don't have a wonderful relationship with their mamas.

I wish she were here to see Kaitlin and her art, to meet Taylor and Marisa, to see Andrew in his job, to see John take care of me, to share in all our jokes and the list goes on and on and on.

Hug your mama today, if you can't hug her, call and tell her you love her. Mamas are special, very special indeed.

Art Show

Here is Kaitlin's blog that has the picture that got into the Delta. It is the second from the last- the doorway with the shadow.

The Delta is an art competition held each year at The Arkansas Arts Center. This year 554 pieces were entered and 52 were selected.

We went to the opening of the exhibition. I had to sit down because of my back. My favorite bench was in the room with Kaitlin's picture. I liked watching folks looking at her picture :)

If you go see it, the photo is listed by her given name, Katherine.

It is a wonderful exhibit and it is free!

I saw God at the bank today.

I got yelled out this week.

I don't like getting yelled at.

I was setting up some details for a meeting and I didn't do what someone wanted. Now, mind you, I didn't know what they wanted. There was a phone call and lots of anger directed at me. The nerve of me for not knowing.

I was undone.

God is so awesome. He surrounded me with a loving family that loved on me. He gave a Godly husband that gave wise counsel and He sent me to the bank.

The bank you are asking?

At the bank the next day, I walked in. I usually use the drive through window but needed to go inside to get a few forms. As I was visiting with Brandi and DeeDee, a man used the drive through window. He wanted to cash a check made out to him and two other people. The bank couldn't cash it because all of said folks had not signed the check. To say the man at the window was upset would be an understatement. He was MAD! He asked the sweet teller if she knew how much money he had in the bank and a few other choice questions about his account. She responded with " Sir, I am sorry" to each of his stupid questions. In my opinion, he was a jack*@^. He left skid marks as he drove away.

I was standing there dumbfounded. The sweet teller calmly went back with her normal tasks. I told how sorry I was that she got yelled at and she said "Our wonderful customers more than make up for the others."

I, again, was dumbfounded.

Things I learned:

I need to not dwell on the yelling person but on all the wonderful folks who are helping with the meeting and not only helping but doing over and above.

I am thanking God that I don't have folks yelling at me everyday.

I also need to write a 'good' letter to my bank and let them know that they have an amazing employee at my branch.

I was also convicted with the thought- in my life am I the sweet teller or do I leave skid marks on folks?