Life at Leisure

2009-06-08T08:24:00.002-05:00

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239films on this list.Copy this list, go to your own Facebook account, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom.
(x ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
( ) Neverending Story
(x ) Blazing Saddles
( x) AirplaneTotal:7
() The Princess Bride
( ) Anchorman
() Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
() Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
(x) White Oleander
() Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
() The Princess Diaries
() The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total so far: 9

() Scream
() Scream 2
() Scream 3
(X) Scary Movie
() Scary Movie 2
() Scary Movie 3
() Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
() American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp

Total so far: 12

(x ) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
() Harry Potter 3
() Harry Potter 4
() Resident Evil 1
() Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
() Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 15

() Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
( x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
(x) White Chicks
(x) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
() I, Robot
( ) Robots

Total so far: 20

(x ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(x ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
(x ) Deep Impact
() KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
(x) Eight Crazy Nights
(x ) Joe Dirt
(x ) KING KONG (1933)

Total so far: 30

( ) A Cinderella Story
() The Terminal
() The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
() Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
() Flubber

Total so far: 31

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x ) Practical Magic
( ) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
() Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
() I Am Sam
() The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far:32

( x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
() The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask

Total so far: 38

(x) Bad Boys
() Bad Boys 2
() Joy Ride
() Lucky Number Slevin
(x ) Ocean's Eleven
() Ocean's Twelve
( x) Bourne Identity
(x ) Bourne Supremecy
( x) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( x) Predator I
() Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x ) Ice Age
() Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
() Curious George

Total so far: 45

(x) Independence Day
(x) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
(x ) Christine
(x) ET
( x) Children of the Corn
(x) My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x ) Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 54

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
() She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
() Mars Attacks
() Event Horizon
() Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
(x ) Big Trouble in Little China
( x) The Terminator
( x) The Terminator 2
( x) The Terminator 3

Total so far: 61

(x ) X-Men
(x ) X-2
( )X-3
(x) Spider-Man
( ) Spider-Man 2
() Sky High
(x ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x ) Catch Me If You Can
() The Little Mermaid
( x) Freaky Friday (1976)
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
(x) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2

Total so far: 71

() Swimfan
(x ) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
() The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
() Krippendorf's Tribe
() A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
() Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin

Total so far: 74

(x ) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x ) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x ) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
( x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
( x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 80

( )Baseketball
() Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
(x ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
() American History X
( ) Three

Total so far: 82

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
() Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
() Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
(x ) Willard

Total so far: 84

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
( ) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
() 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(x ) Waterworld

Total so far: 87

() Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
() Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness

Total so far: 87

(x ) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X)Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x ) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
( x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x ) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor

Total so far: 92

(x) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix Reloaded
( ) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal

Total so far: 94

(x ) Dirty Harry
(x ) Magnum Force
(x ) The Enforcer
(x ) Sudden Impact
() The Dead Pool
(x ) Every Which Way But Loose

Total so far: 99

(x ) The Blues Brothers
(x) Ferris Bueller's Day Off
() Rent
( x) Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
(x) The Untouchables

Total all together: 103

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails…

2009-06-03T15:46:00.005-05:00

Becky & Billy

Tony

My sissy and I were the only children in our household for four years before we were blessed, again, with a brother. My “big brother” Billy came along and then the next year we got the baby, Tony.

As I’ve said in a previous post, sissy and I fought tooth and nail through most of our childhood. Well, brothers weren’t any different. (Maybe I’m suffering from some sort of ME syndrome?) My little brothers were horrendous! They would tattle on the least little thing…especially Tony. They went through all my school yearbooks and drew moustaches on all the cute guys; they were always loud and boisterous. Every time I had a date, they would hide and watch me – occasionally saying things like “kiss him Mara”, or “Mara and so & so sitting in a tree…” They were so embarrassing!

But, like my relationship with my sissy, we have since grown and now I do love my brothers’ soooo much!

Billy, my “big brother,” has really made me so proud. He and his wife, Becky, have bought some land and are working to get a new home on it. They have a really large family – Leigh Ann, Kitty and April (from Becky’s previous marriage,) Zack (from Billy’s previous marriage) and their little ones: Mason, Walker and Lessie. Billy works with concrete and builds the stuff that’s under sidewalks and such. Becky works part-time for the local school district substitute teaching. She also raises and sells some of the prettiest kitties’ I’ve ever seen. They’re called rag dolls and they’re so darling.

Tony (the baby) – which I nicknamed TJ de Bozo when we were small, is also someone I’m quite proud of. He works with my honey, doing upholstery. He just bought his first motorcycle a couple of weeks ago. So maybe we’ll be riding together soon. He has two sons, Billy and Dylan. Billy is attending college and Dylan just aced his algebra test at high school.

I am so blessed to have been able to grow up with these guys and the blessings continue because we’ve become closer and we all know we can depend on each other.

Carol; March 29, 1955 - March 31, 2009

2009-04-01T07:52:00.005-05:00

Carol was a cousin, a mentor and a friend. She was bubbly and always had some comic comeback to everything anyone would say.

We all lived on the loop. She and, our cousin, Karen were always hanging out together. They were the ones mom and dad called when they needed a babysitter. When I was a small child, I was in awe of Carol and Karen. They were so grown up. They went to high school and basketball games and always had so much FUN. They listened to rock-n-roll records and hung out at my grandma's house.

Later, when I was a teenager, Carol lived with her mom. We would all hang out at her house, and every Friday and Saturday night we'd load up in her little pinto head out to cruise SW city. It was a teen ritual and Carol made sure we all got back home safely.

After I graduated, we sorta went our seperate ways...I would see her and her mom occassionally at the family get-to-gethers. I never knew her health was failing. She was always the same snappy comeback, bubbly Carol that I'd always loved.

I will miss her, but I'm praying that her pain has left and she's sitting at God's knee making him laugh until he cries.

The Bucket List

2009-02-17T07:46:00.002-06:00

The Bucket List. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not.

To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, do the list and tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)
If you don't see the Tag people in the upper right hand corner you are in the wrong place.)
Things you have done during your lifetime:
() Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
(x) Watched someone die
() Been to Canada
() Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
() Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
(x ) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
() Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with only coins
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
(x) Made prank phone calls
() Walked down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain-naked
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(x) Made a snowman
(X) Gone to the movies
(x) Been deep sea fishing
(X) Driven across the United States
() Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
() Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
() Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle - been but too cloudy to go to the top
() Been on a cruise
( ) Traveled by train
(x ) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
() Ridden on a San Francisco Cable Car
(x) Seen the Liberty Bell / Independence Hall
(x) Been to Disneyland --- or Disney World
(x) Truly believe in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
() Seen whales in the ocean
() Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Been to the Sydney Opera House
() Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(X) Been water-skiing
() Been snow-skiing
() Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Visited the Vatican
( ) Been to the Taj Mahal
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
() Visited Mt Rushmore
() Looked out over the Grand Canyon
() Visited all 50 states
(x) Been to a Nascar Race

Hitting It BIG!

2009-02-12T13:56:00.003-06:00

With all the economy in the tank and most of us living paycheck to paycheck we all wish we had a couple of $$’s more. On March 6, 2007 the biggest payout in any lottery was paid out, $390 million. For the sake of this list let’s make it an even $400 million.

List the top 25 things you would do or purchase if you won the lottery and your payout was $400 million?

WELL, the first thing would be to get that money into my Fidelity Account so it would continue to make me more money!!!
Then, I would go buy his and hers custom made H-D screaming eagles - for my honey and me.
Then, I would buy my mom and honey's mom and dad a new home of their choice, where-ever they would want it to be.
Then, I would buy all my neices and nephews a car of their choice and of course all their educational dreams would come true.
Then, I would try my best to make all my and my honey's bro's and sis's dreams come true.
Then, I would buy about a hundred or so acres somewhere in North Arkansas.
Then, I would build a really big modern house, complete with all the most up-to-date appliances and technological toys.
It would also have a state of the art kennel and doggie friendly grounds for my babies.
Then, I would retire from my L/A job and move there.
Then, I would hire a very reliable staff to take care of all the maintenance and up-keep of my house and my babies.
Then, my honey and me, we would hit the road and travel the good ol' USA for the next 2 or 3 years or so on our new bikes.
Then, we would do all of it, again.

OMGosh!, can anyone spend 400 million dollars in one lifetime?

I would donate funds to non-profit kennels and wild-life sanctuaries, to Susan G. Komen's, to the transplant center at UAMS, and a little bit to the Red Cross.
I would also give major bucks to some of my friends that really need a little help - but they would never know it was me that gave it to them.
Then, I would buy my honey a really big boat and not just a slip, but a whole dock - at the LR Yacht Club.
Then, we would set sail up and down the AR, MS rivers, of course our boat would have a bay just for our HD bikes, so we could ride when got to where were going.
Of course, every year I would host a huge family/friends reunion. It would be a catered affair at my big house in the hills of AR.

I don't think I made 25, I think I ran out of money. :-(

But, I sure had fun while it lasted.....

AHH! Retirement!

2008-11-03T10:14:00.001-06:00

Some people are just the luckiest duckies ever…and the duckies I’m referring to are my Mom and Daddy-Bill.

Last week was their last week to have to “punch the time clock!” Although, they’re not “officially” retired until the end of the year – they don’t have to report to work – EVER.

I think that this is the ultimate accomplishment in life.

To be able to sleep to 7 am, or go to Eureka on a whim – what a life that would be. To stay home, maybe dig a garden, or give the dogs a bath on a Wednesday, or go to the early movie. There are so many new liberties that come with retirement.

So CONGRATULATIONS! Mom and Daddy-Bill – YOU’VE EARNED IT, SO ENJOY!

I love you both – SOO MUCH!

Let's ALL get ONE!

2008-09-23T13:47:00.002-05:00

Have you registered for the Race?

2008-09-22T06:43:00.002-05:00

Just a quick reminder that the deadline to register for the race and have your race for the cure t-shirt mailed to you is Friday, September 26th at midnight.

It is NOT the last chance to register. You can still register online until Wednesday, October 8th at midnight. But, you must pick up your shirt at Race Space (which is located in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center just west of the intersection of I430 and Cantrell Road with Fresh Market and Belk) or on race morning at the Race Registration Tent in its new location at 4th and Arch.

You may also register at Race Space which will be open beginning Friday, September 26th until Friday, October 10 at 2:00 p.m. And you may register on race day!!

This link will take you to our registration page.
http://race.komenarkansas.org/site/TR/Race/General?fr_id=1030&pg=entry&JServSessionIdr001=v99fj3r0d2.app8b

This 15th anniversary race is going to be our biggest and BEST ever. So please join us in downtown Little Rock on Saturday, October 11th. Remember, "This One's for the Girls".

What's in a name?

2008-09-18T12:09:00.003-05:00

Tami

What Tamara Means

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.
You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.
You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

My "Ode To Billy Joe" Wordle.

2008-09-09T15:19:00.001-05:00

Make your own at: http://wordle.net/

2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS

2008-09-05T08:00:00.004-05:00

ISSUE		JOHN McCAIN	BARAK OBAMA
Favors new drilling offshore US		Yes	No
Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it		Yes	No
Served in the US Armed Forces		Yes	No
Amount of time served in the US Senate		22 YEARS	173 DAYS
Will institute a socialized national health care plan		No	Yes
Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy		No	Yes
Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately		No	Yes
Supports gun ownership rights		Yes	No
Supports homosexual marriage		No	Yes
Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase		No	Yes
Voted against making English the official language		No	Yes
Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegals		No	Yes
CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN	0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.
OBAMA	28% on profit from ALL home sales. (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)
DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN	15% (no change)
OBAMA	39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')
INCOME TAX
MCCAIN (no changes)	Single making 30K - tax $4,500 Single making 50K - tax $12,500 Single making 75K - tax $18,750 Married making 60K- tax $9,000 Married making 75K - tax $18,750 Married making 125K - tax $31,250
OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)	Single making 30K - tax $8,400 Single making 50K - tax $14,000 Single making 75K - tax $23,250 Married making 60K - tax $16,800 Married making 75K - tax $21,000 Married making 125K - tax $38,750 Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN	- 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)
OBAMA	Restore the inheritance tax Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.
NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA
New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet. New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

You can verify the above at the following web sites:

° http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html
° http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html
° http://elections.foxnews.com/?s=proposed+taxes
° http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/
° http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/
° http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html

Awesome Speech!

2008-09-04T07:22:00.008-05:00

Our last governor, Mike Huckbee, was a speaker at the Republican Convention last night. If you didn't get to hear it - check him out.

Gov. Huckabee was my pick for the nomination.
And, after this speech - I'd bet you'd wish you'd chosen him too.

Yes ma'am, I worked there.

2008-08-13T12:58:00.003-05:00

I worked for the local ARC for over 16 years. (If you know me, you know what that stands for.)

I was laid off in 1996. I worked in just about every position at ARC.
From calling in blood donors; working in the mail room – printing a million + “learn to swim” applications;
to the safety office – signing up class participants and teaching or scheduling volunteer teachers for first aid/CPR and swimming courses;
then on to the public information office – working fund raisers and designing brochures and reports;
until finally I was the assistant to the chapter manager – which was really a great job, too.

I really loved working there. The volunteers were down to earth and real. I even got to work a disaster during my last year. It was very hard work, but very rewarding as well. The feeling you get when you help someone who has just lost everything they own is - impossible to describe. It’s a good feeling with a LOT of sadness surrounding the feeling.

The disaster I worked was the 1996 Ft. Smith Tornado. The twister leveled a couple of neighborhoods just outside of town. A child was killed, many were injured and many homes were destroyed.

I just cannot imagine going through something like that. Those poor people were left without anything. Everything they owned was strewn from Ft. Smith to Ozark. As a volunteer, I interviewed the displaced to try and determine their immediate needs. It was so sad. Some, who barely had anything to begin with, had nothing now. And they were just so grateful to get a mop, broom and a bucket.

I really miss my old friends from the ARC. They (the volunteers) really are a great group of people.

Hey! It's Not HOT!

2008-08-13T07:13:00.003-05:00

Well, it's now August. And, unlike all our other Augusts this one is really great. It started out HOT, but last week through the weekend, (my weekend ended Monday,) it has really been very comfortable.

That's just one of the many reasons I so love my Arkansas. Just when you think you've got the weather figured out - Arkansas will make you love her all over again.

This morning is great. I almost needed a light jacket (IN ARKANSAS, IN AUGUST.) That is so unheard of. Usually, by this time of the year, we are always inside, in the AC, dreading to have to go outside, for any reason. The humidity alone is enough to keep the faint of heart from leaving their cool home.

We usually have those sultry summer nights. It's probably almost like a rain forest when the humidity rises on those days that are 100+. I know many people who cannot live in Arkansas because of it.

For instance, Tim's Aunt - who comes from West Texas. She and Uncle Mike moved here from Big Spring - many years ago. She was so miserable and voiced her dislike of Arkansas regularly. (This attitude was from someone who lived in a desert.) She constantly longed for her - flat, no trees, disgusting water, arid and hot - beloved West Texas. Finally, he had heard enough, he packed her up and took her home. He passed away several years later; she and their son are still in West Texas.

So we'll enjoy this cool August for a while. I'm sure the summer is not through with us yet. But, I'm hoping for an early - long fall season this year.

LOL

2008-08-07T08:37:00.003-05:00

see more dog pictures

A friend sent me this website to view…
http://ihasahotdog.com/

It is so funny. People send in their doggie pics and others make up the captions for the photo. I found the one above and loved it. It is so funny, so cute and so Arkansas! Check out the site.

I have a memory...

2008-07-21T11:14:00.001-05:00

I want to play too... Thanks Dr. Lynne... this should be a great game!

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses.

If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. :)

YAY!! It's perfect for the ride.....

2008-05-22T07:10:00.002-05:00

Don't know when I'll have another moment to blog...the sun is up and the day's are becoming perfect for the ride, so I'll probably be on the back of the bike - A L O T! from now till Christmas..

We have a few rides planned already and I'm keeping our trailer packed for those "spur of the moment" trips that my husband is very well known for.

So, until my next blog - Look for those motorcycles! and Ride Safe.
M

May 3, 2008 Ride to Mount Magazine, AR

2008-05-04T07:35:00.004-05:00

All in all, it turned out to be a pretty nice day for a ride. We met Andy, Rick, Deb, Arthur, Susie and Steve at the Shell on Hwy 10. Then rode to Williams Junction to meet Mary, Keith and Sherman. Then we rode in to Perryville and met Terry and Mike (and Mike's new baby)

BTW - Mike: Welcome to the "Old Geezer's Bike Club!" Got yourself a beaut-y-ful bike!

But now back to the ride. THE VERY COOL RIDE...I guess I'm rushing the summer to get here, because I really wanted it to be a LOT warmer than it was - sure wish I had my chaps. But, it did warm up a bit and wasn't to bad.

We made our way up to Mt. Magazine to a Bike Show at Shirley's Outback. It wasn't a very large show, but they did have a great band and some pretty good BBQ.

Then we rode up to the Lodge and hung out a bit, then over to Overton Lookout. The wind was kicking - too bad there weren't any hang-gliders.

We almost saw a wedding at the lookout. Poor people, one guy came by and said the couple was from Hawaii and so that was the theme of the wedding. They were all dressed in summery type dresses and short sleeved shirts - I'm sure they were all freezing in that wind on top of the mountain. We left before the bride and groom showed up - we didn't want to disturb the wedding with our bikes.

On the way back home, we saw a house on fire at Casa. Did you know that they will send firetrucks from Perryville to work a fire at Casa? I think that last truck we saw was probably just a waste of expensive gas money...by the time he got to the fire, it was probably a goner.

I've posted all the ride pictures on the link to the right: Mara on MySpace. Go check them out.

New Elementary School in our old neighborhood.

2008-04-29T11:01:00.006-05:00

Well, I've told you all the family (with the exception of Uncle Frank's, and Aunt Margaret's) have left our old homesteads on Taylor Loop. Now they are going to build a new public elementary school on the site. Here is the details on a meeting coming up soon:

Meeting To Discuss Elementary School Project In West Little Rock

The Little Rock School District will conduct an informal neighborhood meeting to discuss the current status and strategic planning for the proposed new elementary school in west Little Rock. That school will be built on the southwest corner of Cantrell Road & West Taylor Loop Road.

The off-site roadway and utility adjustment plans are nearing completion, with construction of that portion of work soon to follow.

The Little Rock School District will make the area residents aware of the anticipated construction schedules, as well as, how traffic will be addressed during construction.

Representatives of the Little Rock School District and Mehlburger Brawley, the consulting engineers, will be on hand to make the presentation. In addition, representatives from the City of Little Rock will attend. A question and answer session will follow.

The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. tonight at the Thompson Library on Rahling Circle.

Wouldn't it be cool, and appropriate, to name the new school: Bisbee Elementary, or the Lessie L. Bisbee Elementary School.

Especially since so many Bisbee children were raised right there on that site - She actually watched everyone of us as we grew up. She gave just about all of us a pair of stripe-ped stockings on more than one occasion. I think it would be very fitting to have that happen.

Oh, and one more thing....their mascot should be a Chihuahua.

Maybe they should have negotiated that in the contracts when the property was sold.

Pearl Jean and Rose

2008-04-27T07:45:00.006-05:00

Well, I've told you about my first baby and about my love for Rottweillers. But, I have two other girls that have stolen my heart - they are Pearl Jean, who is a "daddy's 'boy'" and My Rosie Posie.

After Bo died, and E & B moved away - taking Sheba, Buster and Pebbles with them, Maddy was all alone. We would go to work and Maddy had to stay home by herself. So, we decided, she needed some company. And, Maudie - who worked at Ferndale, said her daughter had some pups she was giving away.

PEARL
We stopped by her house and there on their patio, was our most precious Pearl-puppy. She came right up to us and played. So we brought her home. Her mom was a pit bull and her daddy was a boxer. She is a brindle color with white socks and white blaze on her face.

The reason I wrote 'boy' to describe Pearl is for a couple of reasons. If a dog could be a "tomboy" - Pearl would be a tomdog. She won't stay in her yard, she squeezes, finagles, pushes herself through any hole in the fence that she can find to get out. - Especially if her daddy walks over to the neighbors without her and closes the gate behind him. She has to be near him if he's anywhere in the vicinty.

She will sneak out of her yard and go visit the neighbors during the day when Mom & Dad are at work. Alice, our neighbor, loves her visits and gives her treats when she comes by. She brings home all kinds of junk, trash, and dead things she finds while roaming the woods and surrounding area. (Which really delights Maddy, since she can't get out of the yard.)

And, another reason is: Tim will say to her: "Good Boy Pearl" when she's done something he's proud of. I don't know why he says that, I've asked and he doesn't know either. He just does.

And, she loves him SO MUCH. She loves me too, when I take my evening walk - Pearl MUST go too - unless I lock her up in the house or shop - but, I let her go - sometime.

ROSE

I've mentioned in a previous post, how I came across my Rose. She is such a loving dog, but we finally found out why someone "dumped" her.

She began shaking her head and scratching her ears, I thought she was going to scratch herself silly. Not only that, she would race down our fence-line and drag her ears until they were bloody. I was beside myself trying to figure out why she would do that. And, then there was this odor - no matter how often she got bath, she, and especially - her ears, would stink something awful. We tried everything to get the problem under control - to no avail. So, we loaded her up and to the vet we went.

Now, we find out that she's part bloodhound. And, once you know that you can see it. And everyday, she seems to be more bloodhound than retreiver. She has the same face that Jed Clampet's dog, Duke, had. Long snout, droopy-eyes, she's real laid back, snoozing most of the day and her ears are longer than your everyday golden retriever - which is our problem.

The vet said, that bloodhounds have a tendency to get yeast infections in their ears. They have ears that hang over the entrance to the ear canal, preventing the canals from ever drying out. This is an ideal place for yeast to grow and boy, does it grow.

I did some internet surfing and learned more - that Bloodhounds shed more than you might think - yes. Their short, coarse hairs come off on your hands when you pet them, and stick tenaciously to your clothing, upholstery, and carpeting - yes. Also, Bloodhounds have a distinctive "doggy" odor to their skin and coat that some people find offensive ---YES. And, slobbering. (And YES!, Rosie does drool.)

So, I'm guessing, that when we were looking for her "lost owner" after we had found her - they didn't want the problems that she brought with her and they didn't want to be found.

But, now she's mine. And, unlike some sissy-fied city family, I will deal. I love her stinky-self and she loves me...and she will always be mine.

The vet wants to do major surgery on her ears - about $1,200 worth. Which, eventually I may opt to do. But until then, I will give her baths regularly and doctor her ears - by the way - I've found a great solution....I went and bought some Monistat cream - well, it is for yeast infections. I wash her ears everyday and apply the cream. And, it's working great! The odor's not so bad anymore and she doesn't try to scratch them off her head anymore.

So, now you know my babies. Who knows, I may adopt more someday (ssshhh! Don't tell Tim.)

Love.

No Plans, No Reservations, No Worries.....

2008-04-25T06:55:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, in the mail, I received an invitation to attend my 30th High School Reunion. How freakin' weird is that? I really can't be that old, can I?

I guess that means that now...I'm...Middle..Aged?

It doesn't even sound right. I don't feel that way. I just can't believe time has gone away so quickly.... I should still be 18 or 25 or so (I wish, I wish, I wish!)

Being a teen to young adult in the 70's - 80's was so fun in Arkansas. We would all meet for lunch at a local Pizza Parlor; because we were in GED and got out of school around 11:30. I didn't have to be at work until 6:00 at the local Sears Store.

We had a couple of local swimming holes (creeks) that was the party spot on a certain day...the gravel pit, Lake Sylvia, Hollowells. We'd meet everyone down at the "T-Pot" (Trains, Planes and Other Things) on Friday/Saturday nights. Or, we head out to some really seculuded spot (which now is someones business or a Kroger) and build big bon fires. Someone would crank up their car stereo and we'd party until dawn.

A couple of summers, my husband (at the time - my boyfriend) and I would load up his GTO and take off to West Texas to visit his favorite Uncle, Mike and Christine in Big Spring. No plans, No reservations, No worries.

We'd take Tim's 4 wheel drive, and climb up mountains and drive through big mud ditches. Sometimes, I'm surprised we didn't roll the truck over or bury it so deep we got out in China.

When he got his Kawasaki motorcycle, we'd take off on it and ride around North Arkansas on any given weekend. Again, no plans, no reservations. Just strapped a coupled of sleeping bags on the bike and take an extra pair of jeans and underwear. We'd sleep on the ground - anywhere. And stop at a washateria in some small town to wash our jeans for the next day.

And, then, I was talking with my mom about how NOW, when my husband and I go on trips - that I MUST have a soft bed, and running - hot and cold water; everyday.

There is no way that I could ride a motorcycle for 8 hours, then throw a sleeping bag down for the night, get up - without a bath - and take off for another 8 hours.

Now, our trips MUST BE PLANNED, RESERVATIONS FOR THE HOTEL/MOTEL MUST BE MADE, AND YES - I WORRY IF I DON'T DO IT.

How is your memory?

2008-04-24T18:41:00.004-05:00

I've got a few questions, and only if you grew up where I grew up will you know the answers....

I drove around the loop today. It's unbelievable how our surroundings have changed so much. It got me to thinking about the years while I was growing up. All the Bisbee's who lived on the west side are now gone. The houses have been excavated and the only thing left are some trees and the telphone pole that went to Uncle Pat and Aunt Leenie's mobile home. (And, the deep hidden secret - underground.)

As I was driving back to work and on my way home, I thought about all the many changes to the area that I have always called HOME. See if you can remember....

1. What was the name of the store that is now LaPalapa?
2. What was the name of the store that was on the East end of the Loop?
3. What was King's One Stop before it was King's?
4. What was the place where Leisure Arts is now?
5. What was the name of the store that was next to Uncle Butch's/Uncle Frank's Station on the west side? Then, what was on the east side?
6. What was located where McAlisters' and Izzy's are now?
7. What was the name of the Mountain behind the Loop?
8. Where did we all go to vacation bible school?
9. What kind of gas did Uncles' Butch and Frank sell?
10.What was the name of the cafe located just west of Joe T?
11. What was sitting between Aunt Dorothy's house and Grandma & Grandpa's house when we were very small?
12. Why was it taking your life into your own hands, if you wanted to walk down the lane to Lynne & Marnita's house?
13. What kind of tree was in Aunt Lillian's back yard?
14. What kind of fruit tree did grandma have in her front yard - before they cut it down?
15. Where did Mike, Cheryl and Pam go to elementary school?
16. Where was the other station that Uncle Butch opened up?

Scroll down to see the answers:

Answers:
1. Stone's Market
2. Rainey's
3. Nub's One Stop
4. Glen Johnson's Ranch
5. Moran's to the west, and Gilliam's Bros to the east.
6. The Optimist Club, where we all played softball.
7. Shinault - which is how my daddy said it and spelled it - NOT CHENAL.
8. Nalls Babtist Church.
9. Champion
10. Fletcher's Cafe.
11. There was an old rock - water well and PaPa's old jeep, which everytime I climb up on it, I got black stuff all over me.
12. Because, Leonard had two big black dogs that chased us when we walked by Aunt Stell's house.
13. A weeping willow, that hung so low that it was a secret haven in the area next to the trunk.
14. A peach tree.
15. Dupree Elem. in Jacksonville.
16. Across Highway 10 from Stones Market.

How many did you know?

Madelyn Marie and Bosephus.

2008-04-18T10:43:00.005-05:00

As I said in my previous post, Ralph was our first "child," but he's not the only one. It was a while before we ever got another dog, and the ones we got before Maddie and Bo - well, some dogs are just dogs. And some dogs don't have that "personality" that makes them as special as Ralph was.

After Sis and Les moved away, we had new neighbors. E & B. They had a rottie, Sheba, who is my Maddy's momma. Sheba had a huge litter; under our shed in the back yard. E said they had to give the pick of the litter to the sire's family, but after that I could have my pick.

I begged Tim to let me have one and finally he relented. I told her I wanted the largest female. I named her Madelyn Marie (after my sis and Bon.) And, I was a momma again.

She was a fat little puppy, cute as could be. I have tile flooring in my dining room and she and her brother, Buster - who E & B kept; would lie on the cold tile floor spread eagle. They looked like frogs.

I noticed that Buster got up from the floor with no problem, but Maddy would struggle to get her backlegs up under herself when she tried to rise up. This troubled me, and I noticed later that it occurred even when she was on other types of floors.

I worried about it and had heard of Hip Displasia - I wondered if my puppy had it. So we took her to the vet. He determined that Maddy did not have HD, that her kidneys were malformed, probably because the litter was so large. That she would always have problems with her agility because of it. But she wasn't suffering so "unless we couldn't deal with it" he saw no reason to put her down because of it. (He was the same vet that worked on Ralphee, and I just don't understand how a person can be a vet and so easily expect dog owners to "just put them down.")

Anyway, Maddy did get spade and we brought her home. She walks a little funny, with a limp and if she needs to run - she looks like a rabbit hopping. And, she never jumps up on you.

Rottie's really have a bad rap. I've heard stories of how bad they can be but with the Rottie's I've known, I know it's just not true..I think all dogs can be bad if they're not cared for or they're abused.

If you allow your Rottie to socialize and offer love to her, she will be as loving a dog as a poodle. Which is how my Maddy is. She loves to cuddle and play. She is a beautiful dog.

After a couple of months passed, B brought home with another Rottie that some acquaintances of his had been abusing. It was a huge male Rottie. He had been tied up and left without food or water. B couldn't stand the sight of it - so he stole him from those people.

E & B decided they couldn't keep him and asked us if we wanted him. Tim had always wanted a "Big Black Dog" so we adopted him. I named him Bosephus.

Bo turned out to be as loving as Maddy, even though he'd gone through abuse. He loved me and we became best friends. When I was at home, he was always right by me. I loved and cuddled with him just as I did Maddy and he thought he was in heaven.

No one dared entered our gate without me or Tim present. Just the mere sight of my two HUGE rotties was intimidating. Bo was about 130 lbs and Maddy's at least 110 (now.) They would put on a big show everytime someone rang the bell at the gate. And, I would have to put them in the house or the back pen before anyone would come in.

We have two fenced in acres and it was their domain. My neighbor, Dick, said they really looked liked bears from a distance - they were so big.

And then one day, I came home and Bo was lying around. He didn't get up to greet me as usual. I checked on him and he was real lethargic, he wouldn't get up for me. He stayed that way for a day or two and I was real worried. I asked Tim to get him to the vet. But, moving 130 lbs of dead weight was impossible - especially since everytime we tried Bo would react like he was in extreme pain, let alone lifting him up to put him in the truck.

So, Tim called the new vet that had just set up shop on Ferndale Cut-off. He explained what our dilema was and the Vet (BLESS HIM) said, "No problem, I'll come see him."

He came over and took blood from Bo. The next day, he came back. Bo had contracted Lyme Disease. There was nothing to be done for it. So, this time we had to put him down - there was no choice - because he was suffering. The Vet gave him an injection and Bo went to sleep peacefully. And I cried like a baby.

I still have my Maddy, though she is getting older and you can tell her disabilty even more-so now. Some days she doesn't get around as well as others. I give her Ibuprofren on those days and it helps.

We still love and cuddle her. And, she has two "sisters" now, Pearl and Rosie, who keep her company.

Tim said I can't have another Rottie. But then again, someday he may not have a choice.

M

Ralph E. H***

2008-04-18T08:23:00.004-05:00

As you probably have deduced, I don't have any children. However, I still have that maternal instinct - growing up I thought I wanted babies so I adopted - dogs.

When Tim and I moved into our first house together - before we married - he loved to hunt. Every year he would take off for 2 weeks to the deer woods. (I loved it - I was free to do what-ever for 2 whole weeks.) Anyway, one year when Tim returned home; I met him at the door (As much as I loved that freedom, I still missed him.) But this particular time he had something in his front shirt pocket.

When he opened his coat, there - with his front paws and head sticking out of the pocket - was the most adorable puppy I had ever seen. He was so tiny. He had beautiful brown eyes and velvety soft ears. He looked like a beagle, but after he grew up he was taller than a beagle and shorter than a walker. I researched and determined that he was a harrier hound.

Tim said he had been in the woods hunting and kept hearing a whining sound. He said it had been a rainy season and when he found him he was trapped in bog with water all around him. Tim rescued him and brought him home.

This was our first "child," Ralph. (or Ralphee, which is what I called him.)

Ralph adopted us, too. And, everywhere we went - Ralph went too. Tim took him to work with him. He went with us to visit relatives or friends. He went with us to the lake. There was no place that Ralph wasn't welcomed as part of "our family." My mother-in-law even included Ralph as a "grand-child" at Christmas. It became a fact of life that Ralph was a part of US.

Ralph was very smart. I truly believe he understood every word I ever said to him. All I had to do was say it and Ralph did as I asked.

When he went to work with Tim, he would have a morning routine. He'd take off down the road (and this was way before Kanis became so busy - it was, at the time, very rural.) But, he'd take off and explore the woods and surrounding area while Tim worked.

There was nothing that Ralphee couldn't do. We couldn't put him in a pen - he would just climb the fence and get out - no matter how tall the fence was. After we bought our new house we built a special door just for Ralph. He could come and go as he pleased and he had many antics through the 13 or so years that we had him.

When Tim raced at I-30, we had a friend, JD, that had a newspaper route. He came around the shop trying to get subcriptions one day. Well the shop and house already had one, so JD signed up Ralph for a subscription to the paper. Later, when the subscription was to expire a call came from the paper. She asked for Ralph E. H***. Everyone just cracked up. They told her that he couldn't come to the phone, took her number and told her he would call her back.

Once, we (Tim and I and Donna and Greg) had taken the bus (a 64 passenger school bus that Tim had renovated into a camper) and gone over on Hwy. 300 to a favorite fishing spot for the weekend. We had a great time fishing and partying. Of course, Ralph went too. And as usual, he had to explore the surroundings. Well, when he returned that evening - he stunk to high heaven. Someone had pitched a dead carp on the bank and Ralph, being a hound, loved it. For some reason, hounds will roll around on dead things. They actually rub themselves from head to tail on the carcass.

Tim took him to the creek and washed him as best he could, but Ralphee still REEKED. So, when time to go to sleep came, we didn't want stinky Ralphee in the bus with us and we didn't want him roaming through the night, we had a great idea...We put him in Donna and Gregs' little Toyota truck (which was really Donnas' dad's truck.) And we went to bed.

Well, apparently Ralph didn't like being cooped up with the smell either. He just about ate his way out of the truck. The seats, the headliner, the door panels, the dashboard, even the steering wheel was torn to smithereens. It was a disaster.

It was a very lucky thing that Tim does upholstery, because that little stunt would have been very expensive if we had to repair it by paying someone else to fix it.

Another memory of Ralph was how close he was to Tim. As I said Ralph went to work with Tim every day. If Ralphee wasn't roaming, he was right next to Tim. Except for one day:

When my sissy lived next door with Les and Bon. Les worked at his dad's school supply store downtown. One morning, Les went out and started his car but apparently forgot something, so leaving his car door open, he went into the house for a moment. He returned to the car and left for work. He said he made all the way to the interstate and heard something in the backseat. Ralph scared him to death. When he looked back, there was Ralph - wagging his tail and ready for a new adventure. Les took Ralphee to work with him that day.

The year that Grandma H. moved from Rogers to live with Father-in-law (F-I-L), they built an extension on his house for Grandma to live in. While they were putting shingles on the roof, Ralph watched as Tim climbed the ladder to the roof. Well, that put Tim too far away from Ralph, so Ralph climbed the ladder and made it to the roof with his "dad."

The same thing happened when they re-roofed the shop. This time there was no ladder though. F-I-L had some old cars parked under the back carport that the guys would get on to reach the rooftop. Again, Ralph watched them and, of course, he was up there with the guys working.

Then a day came when I was working at Red Cross. Tim called and said he was at the vet's office. He said that Ralph had tried to hurtle the chain link fence in his mom's yard. (Which is something Ralph had always done in the past with no problem. But Ralph was getting older, he was also "quite healthy" from all the leftovers he got. So he was little overweight.) But this time, he didn't clear the fence. When he jumped up, his little weewee got caught on the top of the chain-link fence. And when he dropped, his weewee didn't.

Tim said he heard Ralph whining at the door and when he opened it - there was Raphee sitting in a pool of blood. He immediately rushed him to the vet and called me. He said that the vet wanted to put Ralphee down, that without surgery and extreme care Ralph wouldn't be able to use the bathroom. I came UN-GLUED. I said, "you tell that vet to do WHATEVER IS NECESSARY but under no circumstances was he to give up on Ralph. I did not care what the cost was," and I was worried sick.

The vet did the surgery, he removed Ralph's manhood, and repaired the weewee as best he could. Tim and I had to doctor the the weewee twice a day to make sure it didn't grow closed, if it had more surgery would have been needed.

Ralphee recovered and got back to his old self. We had Ralph another 5 years or so after that.

I could go on and on about Ralphee. We have never had another dog that could replace him. We have adopted other dogs - but none have measured up to RALPH E. H***.

M.

Places I've Been

2008-04-07T13:16:00.001-05:00

Create your own travel map or travel blog

Visit TripAdvisor.com

2008-03-23T12:48:00.001-05:00

Keith and Tim have a girlfriend at the Pig Trail Harley Dealership.

Just a quick update...

2008-03-19T06:36:00.004-05:00

Well, as you can tell, I haven't blogged for a while. I have been so busy with work and by the time I get home I'm exhausted!

I'm really enjoying my "new" job. I work in the customer service department now and it's a totally different ball game than the warehouse. I have learned so much - especially about the computer program called Exel. It is an amazing tool. I love it.

Tim and I are still riding. I've rode more this year than ever. I've even gone on some pretty cool (and I mean - COLD) rides.

For Christmas, we bought a Bushtec trailer to pull behind the bike. Tim has been wanting to use it so badly - he's even pulled it when he's ridden with his buddies on day rides.

So, the weekend of March 2, for our 24th wedding anniversary, we rode up to Eureka. It was a good weekend for a ride - as long as you didn't have to ride after dark.

Tim got his first massage, and he really enjoyed it. We used their "couples room" and both got a deep tissue massage and a facial - he really enjoyed the facial. They put cold cucumbers over your eyes and cleanse your face then put on hot towels. It was sooo wonderful. The massage was intense. I like deep tissue sometime, but I really enjoy a relaxing rub down most (which is the kind I usually get.)

Well, I'm out of time today and must get to work. I'll keep blogging as I can.

M

We Rode The Dragon's Tale

2007-07-02T21:05:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting at the Tapoco Lodge Resort in Robbinsville, NC on top of the Smokey Mountains.
It is beautiful here. Today we rode in on Storm Cloud. We had rain gear, but it poured down on us. Then, we rode the "dragon's tail." (The rain had stopped.) It's an 11 mile ride through the Smokies - and there are 312 hair-pin currrvessss. IT WAS AWESOME! This is one trip that I will never forget. We are having so much fun. We are with a great group of folks from all over. Some from Nebraska, some from Quincy, Illinois, some from Indiana, and of course some from Arkansas. I'll keep ya'll posted when I can.

Tomorrow we hit Asheville, NC. We are going to the Biltmore Estate. Then back to Tennessee.

I gotta go now. Love ya'll.
M

HOG's in Arkansas

2007-05-20T16:25:00.000-05:00

(Photos above: Tim's Ultra Glide Classic, Terry's Screaming Eagle, Mike's Road King, Tim, Mike and Terry at the Roadside Park)

Arkansas is probably one of THE BEST place's to own a HARLEY. The roads are twisty and winding; the scenic routes are awesome and just about every weekend you can find a place where everyone is meeting and riding.

We have met so many new friends since we got our Harley. Every weekend there's a ride planned; from long rides to Eureka Springs or even Oklahoma, to short trips to the roadside park on Highway 10.

The Hog Diner is another spot you can usually find the crowd. Thursday night's there's a live band. There are HOG rally's, Poker Runs and Fund Raisers - like the Toy's For Tots Ride every year.

Everyone should ride. There's nothing like it. It's so free and fun.

So the next time you see a group of bikes going by wave at me.

2007-05-08T09:49:00.000-05:00

I would like everyone to meet Rosie Faye, she's my newest baby.

I was coming home from buying groceries, just before Christmas last year, and there she was. She's a golden retriever and so loving.

As I rounded the bend on Garrison Road, I saw her dart right in front of a car. I thought she was going to get run over. It was raining and she was wet. I had my car full of supplies and really didn't need a new dog. I almost kept going. But she looked so sad and afraid. Her tail between her legs. I had to stop.

Our neighbors had three golden retrievers and I thought that surely she had got out of their fence and got too far from home. So I loaded her stinky self up.

When I got home I noticed the neighbor had their three dogs and thought "Oh No!, now what can I do." Tim was going to hit the roof.

When he got home, he immediately put her out of the gate - telling her to go home... I told him what happened and he grudgingly allowed her to stay - as long as I notified the local stores in the area that we were looking for her owner. I did that, but no one inquired back. SOOO....

Now I have a new addition to my family. She went in heat last month so we had her spade. After spending money on her, Tim has realized that She Ain't Going Nowhere.

I'm Back!

2007-04-09T06:33:00.000-05:00

Well, everywhere I go and everyone I see has been asking me, "Why don't you blog anymore?"

It's just that I have been so busy lately. I got a different job at LA and learning the ropes is taking a lot time. I am really enjoying the process, but it really takes a lot out of me. Plus, we now have the big SALE coming up on April 28th.

Tim's doing great. He's really been using his new shop. He just finished a job yesterday, restoring the seats of a 1930 something Mercedes. He and his riding buddies are planning a long distance ride at the end of this month.

I had my annual vacation in Eureka two weekends ago. It was so great. We stayed at the New Orleans Hotel on Spring Street. Shopped like crazy. We had our massage at Cat's Suchness Spa and went to the Cresent's New Moon Spa for pedicures. It was fabulous!

Well, back to work for me.... I promise to keep up with my blogs as much as I can.

Love, M.

A New Family Tradition

2007-01-19T06:49:00.000-06:00

Every month my daddy’s family gets together at some local restaurant. This is becoming a tradition that I love.

We all get together to choose who gets to setup and choose the restaurant for which ever month. We’ve been to many local buffets throughout Central Arkansas. Some of my favorites are: Cadron Creek, Fire Mountain, Golden Coral, and (my favorite so far J) La Palapya.

Not everyone comes every time and sometime we see some that hardly ever go. It’s still so nice to be able to see those who do come, to catch up with all the news. Not just Family comes either; sometimes friends of the Family show up too.

I’ll start posting the date and location (if I get the memo in time) here on my blog. If you’re reading this, then yes, you are invited to come and share good fellowship too. Usually, you'll find us in the private dining room; if they have them.

This month, we’ll all gather at Brown’s Country Restaurant in Benton on the 20th (tomorrow), at 1:00 p.m. We’d love to see you there too.

Love, M

2007 – It will be a good year.

2007-01-12T11:11:00.000-06:00

What determines a “good year?” You hear many people say, “1955 or 1926 or 1936 – A very good year.” I wasn’t here then so I’m not sure what made those years “a good year.”

This month, I celebrated (for lack of a better word) my 47th birthday. I can say; “I’ve had many ‘good years’ and several really ‘bad years.’” But you know that saying: “That, which does not kill you, only makes you stronger.” So because of my ‘bad years,’ I’ve become a really tough mama.

I am determined to make 2007 a VERY GOOD YEAR! It has started out so well.

I have a lot of love in my life from my husband, my family and friends.

I got a new dog (picture to be posted soon.) Rosie Faye; (named after my other sister-in law.) She’s a beautiful golden retriever that I rescued. It just so happens that I got her at Christmas, so ‘Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.’

I got a new job and a new office. It was a lateral move; I switched positions with the shipping lead. She is now over the picking department and I have responsibilities to the value add, manifest and LTL departments. It will be very challenging, yet rewarding when I learn more about them.

I started back my yoga – which is awesome. Artistic Expressions has started Yoga and Pilates. I’ve signed up for yoga – which I’ve always loved. Jenny, the instructor, is a wonderful lady and knows a lot about Yoga. It is such a relaxing and spiritual exercise. It helps keep my stress level down.

So all in all, I’m really looking forward to this Good Year…2007.

The House, Shop and My Babies

2006-12-18T11:31:00.000-06:00

This is Pearl Jean.

This is our new Shop.
This is Madelyn Marie.

This is the house.

Country Living

2006-12-15T09:01:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, the neighborhood where we lived was considered “the country.” My dad often referred to us as “hillbillies.” On Saturday evenings he would load us all up in the Galaxy 500 and drive “in to town” to Terry Lynn’s drive in for a burger. It was a real treat.

I remember every Saturday, Momma would get us all dressed up and we would go “to town.” Which meant driving all the way down Highway 10 to Cantrell road to downtown. We always went in to Sterlings or Penny’s. I remember being small enough to hide in the clothes racks; and I remember the elevators had a cage to open after the doors opened.

We were true and proud hillbillies. In the summer we went barefoot; just because we could. We rode our bicycles on the road, even took a couple of trips all the way around the loop to Rainey’s to buy candy. We caught fireflies in the evenings. We would hike all the way over to the “railroad dump” and played on the deep slopes off Chenal Mountain, it was really fun in the winter when it snowed.

Everyone on the loop knew everyone else - most all of us were related. My cousins were my best friends and we spent many hours together planning our futures. We played and fought like sisters. We all played softball in the summer. Lynn was a pitcher, Mimisu was a second base or short stop and I played on 3rd base or as catcher. Just about every weekend we had slumber parties (when slumber parties weren‘t even heard of.)

We always checked in with Grandma, she would be doing one of her puzzles or watching her soap. Sometimes we helped her peel the potatoes or pick the bad beans from the good beans. Grandma B. was so pretty. She had long fingernails and beautiful red hair. She loved Chihuahuas. Her sister, Aunt Lillian lived right across the street. She and Grandma went to town every week for groceries. Neither one drove so Dub took them. Grandma liked to plant flowers, but with all her grandkids underfoot; I don’t think she got to tend to them as much as she would’ve liked to.

Every 4th of July we had a huge picnic and all the family would be there. Daddy would always round up hickory wood for the fire-pit and Uncle Pat made an awesome contraption that would BBQ all kinds of savory meats. It was a huge pot-luck so there was a lot of food. The bigger kids even stayed out all night and slept on the lawn chairs under the stars.

So much has changed since those days of innocence. Some of the family still lives in the area, but the big city is closing in fast. Our old Highway 10 is now referred to as Cantrell and it’s a five lane thoroughfare. Even the loop is not the same; with its huge homes popping up all over.

I love the memories I have. We were all so close. Now we all have grown up, we live all over the city, state and country. We still have our annual 4th of July picnic and we all get together once a month at a local restaurant; and I enjoy visiting with everyone every time. Some of them even get together every Friday for lunch, which I try to get to when I can get away from work.

Yes, like the saying goes: We were Country, when Country wasn’t Cool - but We Were Cool.

A Wonderful Holiday Meal

2006-12-06T15:48:00.000-06:00

As I’ve stated numerous times throughout my postings, the Holiday Season is my most favorite time of the year. Not just because I enjoy giving and getting gifts, but because of the wonderful food.

This past Thanksgiving, I made Chicken & Dressing for the first time in my life… and it turned out GREAT! I am so proud of myself. I’m not one to keep secrets so I will share some of my recipes with you.

Chicken and Cornbread Dressing:
The recipe I have is just for corn bread dressing, my grandmother would always have chicken and boiled eggs in hers so I added these to my recipe.

First, get a whole chicken and a big dutch (a really big pan) oven. Wash, salt and pepper your chicken and place it (whole or cut up) into the dutch oven. Cover it with water. Place on stove top on high heat and “boil the meat off the bones.” When the meat falls off the bone when you try to pick it up with a fork, you know it’s done. Remove the chicken meat from the pot.
Carefully pick your meat clean, remove any gristle, bone, or other “yuky” looking stuff. You want only the best part of the chicken in your dressing and you don’t want "Uncle Tim" breaking a tooth on bone in your dressing. Set this all aside for later.

Now the ingredients needed for your cornbread dressing:

JUST FYI: This mixture will look really soupy; which is okay for a moist dressing. If you like your dressing dryer, just cut back on your chicken broth.

1 cup butter or margarine; divided
3 cups white cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
7 large eggs (and 4 or 5 more hard boiled)
3 cups buttermilk
3 cups soft breadcrumbs
2 medium onions, diced (2 cups)
1 large bunch celery, diced (3 cups)
½ cup finely chopped fresh sage (or one tablespoon dried rubbed sage)
6 (10 ½-ounce) cans condensed chicken broth, undiluted
1 tablespoon pepper
First you make a pan of cornbread:
Place ½ cup butter in a 13 x 9 inch pan; heat in oven at 425 for 4 minutes.
Combine cornmeal and next 5 ingredients; whisk in 3 eggs and buttermilk.
Pour hot butter into batter, stirring until blended. Pour batter into pan.
Bake at 425 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
After cornbread has cooled. Get a really extra large bowl. Crumble cornbread into bowl; stir in breadcrumbs, and set aside.

Melt remaining ½ cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onions and celery, and sauté until tender. Stir in sage and sauté one more minute.

Stir sauteed vegetables, 4 eggs, chicken broth, and pepper into the cornbread mixture.
This is where I add my cut up cleaned chicken pieces and 4 or 5 diced up hard boiled eggs. Mix everything up really well.

After everything is all mixed up:
Pour it evenly into two lightly greased 13 X 9 inch baking dishes. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

When ready to cook, bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Both dishes will serve 16 - 18 servings.

I made my dressing on Sunday before Thanksgiving. I put it into the freezer until Tuesday night, then put it into the fridge and let it thaw until Thursday morning when I cooked it.

Everyone just loved my dressing, but that’s not the only thing that makes a Thanksgiving Dinner. Below you’ll find a couple more recipes I love to make for my family.

Dressing is always great to have, but everyone knows Giblet Gravy is a must for the table. Again, I sort of made this my own. Grandma always had boiled eggs in her gravy, but my recipe didn’t call for it so I just boiled about 3 or 4 eggs, chopped them up and added them at the end. My husband loved it.

Giblet Gravy
You’ll need:
Giblets and neck from 1 turkey
4 cups of water
½ cup butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
½ cup half and half
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
Bring giblets, neck and 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving broth. Chop giblets and neck meat, set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add chopped vegetables, and sauté 5 minutes. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Add the reserved broth; cook, stirring constantly, 10 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Remove most of the vegetables using a handheld, wire mesh strainer, and discard, leaving gravy in the skillet.

Whisk together egg yolks and half-and-half. Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot gravy into yolk mixture; when mixed well, add this into your pan of hot gravy. Add chopped giblets and meat; cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees. Stir in salt, pepper, seasoning and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Serve immediately. Makes about 4 cups of gravy.

Another family favorite I have made - Green Bean Wraps. It’s a great dish anytime of the year but my brother-in-law thinks we have to have it at every holiday meal.

Green Bean Wraps

You will need:
Toothpicks
4 - 5 cans whole cut green beans
1 package thin - sliced bacon
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons garlic
Salt
Pepper
First open and drain all cans of green beans. Take package of bacon and cut strips in half. Gather up a handful of beans and align them all the same in your palm, take the ½ bacon strip and wrap it around your beans; fasten it with a toothpick. Wrap up all your beans. You will have many “stacks” of green beans.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. When mixture is fluid remove from heat - do not boil.

Spoon mixture over each stack. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 -35 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 15 minutes.

I hope you enjoy the Holiday Season. I know I will…my tummy’s rumbling right now.

Eureka Springs

2006-12-01T06:13:00.000-06:00

(Click on the links below to see my favorite places.)

Every year in March my best friend, Pam, and I make the trek North to Eureka. We have been doing it for about 15 years now. We have stayed in multiple Bed & Breakfast Inns, the Crescent Hotel - 3 or 4 times, the Flatiron Flats suites, and the Super 8.

We have been to every Spa in Eureka at least once, and our favorite is the "Suchness Spa" located in the New Orleans Hotel on Spring Street. http://www.suchnessspa.com/ Cat, the owner is a beautiful and gifted lady. Pam and I love to visit with her.

The first time we went, we stayed at the Ben Tweedy House. It is a beautiful B&B on Kingshighway, not far from the Crescent. Our suite was awesome with all the antiques and fine linens, and we had our own little balcony. There was also a sun room at the back of the house that we could sit, drink our coffee and watch any of the million movies that were available. That year it had snowed just before we went and it was still white all over - just beautiful. The owners of this B&B were also gourmet cooks. We were treated to delightful desserts in the evening and a delicious breakfast each morning.

http://www.ridgewayhouse.com/ This is another B&B where we have stayed. With wonderful hosts, They make your stay so comfortable and fun.

We also enjoyed our stay at Flatiron Flats. http://www.eureka-net.com/flatiron/ This another great B&B to stay. It's located right in the middle of downtown, so once you get there you really don't have to drive again. It has balconies on both Spring and Main Streets - the main drag in town. We got to see the St. Patrick's day parade from our balcony - prime seats.

Other great places to stay in Eureka are the Cresent Hotel or the Basin Park Hotel. They are both rich with history - meaning they are very old. But they are cool places, especially the Basin http://www.basinpark.com/photogallery/basindisplay/main.html - room 102 (photo left); where we stayed last year. I liked it the best. It's located on Spring Street, just across from Flatiron Flats. It has been renovated; the suite we had was luxurious and the best ever. (I really like to find chocolates on my pillow every day.)

In June, when we take our husbands and ride the motorcycles, we stay at the Super 8. Mannie and his family know us all by name and reserves one side of the motel just for our party. Last year he even posted pictures of us on his web site: http://www.super8eurekasprings.com/Photos/friends-patrons/

We haven't planned our next trip. There's no telling where we will end up staying. But I am looking forward to it.

I am a Breast Cancer Survivor

2006-11-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

In 1996, I found a lump in my left breast. It scared me to death. I was 36 years old. I had never had a mammogram.

In school, our health class taught us to do the “wagon wheel” breast – self – exam. They told us to stand in front of the mirror and envision each breast as a wagon wheel and use our hand as the spokes to feel for abnormalities. Then we were to lie on the bed and repeat the process while lying down.

The lesson taught us to be aware of ourselves…to know our bodies. This is a very important lesson and should be taught to every girl and boy. Yes, boys too.

You and you alone know your own body. A doctor cannot help you if you don’t keep track of anything that changes. This goes for women and men (the prostate.) If you aren’t in “touch” with yourself you won’t know if something you find is supposed to be there or not.

Every woman should get a mammogram by the age of 45. (I totally believe this should be 35, since I was diagnosed with my cancer at 37. ) Your first mammogram is called the “baseline.” This is the test that your doctor will refer to when you go get your other mammograms throughout the years. It gives your doctor an idea of what your breast should look like. Then, if anything changes they will be able to determine if you have problems or not.

I never had a “baseline mammogram,” so when I went to get my lump checked out the doctor couldn’t find anything on the picture. So I had to have a sonogram; which showed us where the lump was but not anything else. So the next step was a lumpectomy. That was the only way they could find out if my lump was a threat or not. It was.

In January 1997, I had a mastectomy. Fortunately, I found the lump early and only had the Left breast removed. They also took 12 -13 lymph nodes, which were found to be clear - the cancer had not spread.

I started 6 weeks of chemo. I lost my hair. I started "chemo induced menopause." I thought I would never make it through.

If not for my support group, my husband and my family, I would not be here today.

So I'm living proof that breast cancer is survivable. It will sure knock you down - for while - but you can beat it. Just be smart and know your body.

Have you voted yet?

2006-11-07T07:50:00.000-06:00

Everyone has the right to their vote. Unfortunately, not everyone uses their right. This is very disturbing.

With all the turmoil in this world these days; everyone should be exercising their vote. If you are unhappy with the way our political leaders are handling our affairs, the only way you can change it is to VOTE.

It's true, even if you go vote, your candidates may not be elected. But by the fact that you did vote gives you the right to be dissatisfied with the elected officials and voice your opinion at public forums.

If you DO NOT VOTE - you have no right to be angry about anything our government does. It doesn't matter that you are a citizen of the US. If you don't participate as a citizen you don't have a say. YOU are forfeiting that voice and that right.

I’m not here to tell you how to vote. This is a private, personal privilege. I will tell you that I will be voting today. I have voted in every election that I could since I turned 18 years old. It was a very big thing for me to be eligible to cast my vote and I look forward to it every time.

So, GO VOTE.

SCUBA - It's for the birds.

2006-11-03T13:05:00.000-06:00

We were certified to SCUBA in 1993. It was pretty cool; you get to watch videos of the “beautiful deep blue sea” with all the colorful fishes and creatures of the deep. Then you get to don the gear; BC (Buoy Vest,) the “skins,” the regulator (your breathing apparatus,) the flippers and the tank. Then you learn how to get in and out of the YMCA’s pool. After you become accustomed to the gear and the breathing they let you go to the lake and actually dive deep.

They make it sound so easy. You can’t wait to get to the ocean and see the wonderful, beautiful sites….

After our classes ended, we played all summer at Lake Ouachita. We had a houseboat and went out every weekend. Diving all around the dam and the cliffs, all over the lake. I thought I was doing pretty well and started looking forward to diving in the ocean.

We planned our trip for January, right after Christmas. We headed off to the Keys and warm weather. I love Florida. If I had to live anywhere else I’d choose Florida. The Keys were awesome. We drove the long highway stretching from island to island; all the way to end of the US Hwy 1.

The day we went diving was sort of blustery. We arrived at the boat, met the captain, loaded our gear and set out to sea. I should have known better – the swells that day were “eight feet,” according to the captain. But no, I was determined to dive.

We rode into the Atlantic for about an hour or so, when we stopped you couldn’t see land in any direction that you looked.

I geared up; careful to ensure my gauges were within reach, my mask was snug, my weight-belt the proper weight, etc. I was the first one on the boat that was ready to hit the “drink.” But then that fear hit me. I wanted to go, but I didn’t want to be first. So I unzipped my “BC” and acted like I was still getting ready.

Finally the others began to disembark. When I stood up to enter the water, you’d a thought I was a pro. I kicked out my left leg forward and jumped with my right leg backward. I held my weight-belt and my regulator. Everything was going swimmingly.
My buddy (my husband) was right behind me and we began our descent to about 90 feet.

Remember, this was my first time. I was “so very” a novice. I was looking for blue water and bright colored fish.

What I saw was murky, dirty, sandy water. I couldn’t even see my buddy beside me, let alone any fish. A shark could be swimming right next to me and I’d a never known. Down we kept going. It seemed like we were kicking and going down, I could barely see our friend, Les, just ahead of me.

I went to grab my gauges to see how deep we were. Reaching all around, reaching to the other side, NO GAUGES! I thought to myself where could they be? And I remembered. I had unzipped my BC to stall when I was on the boat. I had forgotten to ensure the gauges were secure when I re-zipped and inadvertently zipped them up inside my BC.

I still couldn’t see my husband/buddy. So I stopped kicking. Then he came in closer to me; I made the sign to ascend. He looked at me and shook his head “NO.” So I started to go up without him. I could feel him grabbing at my fins; trying to keep me from going up. I still went up.

Then the adventure goes berserk.

When I surfaced I looked for our boat. I turned all around and didn’t see anything. My buddy surfaced and I yelled, “Where’s the boat?” He looked all around and pointed to this very small dot on the horizon. Yes A DOT. The current had carried us so far from the boat that you could barely tell it was a boat.

That’s when my panic went out of control.

You see there is a reason why you must be a very good swimmer to dive the ocean. It’s not like a lake where the water is still and calm. There are currents like rivers all over. If you get caught in one it will carry you miles away in just seconds. And, at the time of year that we went, it was probably the worst time for any novice.

So let’s recap. I’m in the ocean looking for the beautiful blue water with all the colorful fishes. The only thing I found was dark, murky, fast moving water – everything was the color of sand. I decide I’m not going to do this and surface only to find myself halfway to Bermuda.

I go ballistic. “My Buddy” is trying to soothe my fears. He’s talking calmly to me and steadily kicking to the little dot on the horizon. I’m dog-tired, praying to God, and yelling HELP! (What he should have done is knock me out and drag me – which I told him he should have done.)

Finally, the captain of the boat realizes our plight. He begins to let out these buoys with a long line of rope. But we still have to swim to meet the buoy. I’m so exhausted by now that I can hardly kick my fins.

I feel someone unlatch my weight-belt and it falls away. After that I feel a little lighter and get enough energy to help kick to the buoys. We slowly reach the first buoy and captain begins reeling us in.

I finally make it to the boat. I climb aboard and fall into a heap. I am so exhausted. I want to go home.

Tim gets on board. I tell him that it was a good idea to release my belt because after it fell away it was easier to maneuver in the water. He said he didn’t touch my belt and didn’t know what I was talking about. I know I felt someone’s hand at my belt. So I guess my guardian angel was swimming the Atlantic that day.

Man, I’m getting exhausted just by writing all this down. We make it back to shore and do the tourist thing for the rest of our stay. It was an adventure for sure, but I will NEVER jump off a boat in the ocean again.

Maybe we’ll try sky-diving next.

To Grandma & Grandpa's house we go...

2006-10-31T14:14:00.000-06:00

(Click the button on right to see the family) My mom’s family is huge. She had seven brothers and sisters: Juanita, Alvin, Elvis, Mom, David, Charlene, Orville, and Troy.

The first three and the last four were spread apart, so Mom was kinda like the oldest – like me, to her younger siblings.

I remember every Sunday, we would go to church and then to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for Sunday dinner. Many of Mom’s family would also be there.

All the kids, Uncle Orville and Uncle Troy – who wasn’t much older than us grandkids – would all play football, or scale the barn roof, or swing in the tire swing. Aunt Juanita and Uncle Johnny made homemade ice-cream. Dad, Uncle Alvin and Uncle Troy were shade-tree mechanics.

We always looked forward to letters from Uncle David and Uncle Elvis, who were in the service. Everyone got a chance to read them.

I also remember standing around a piano, listening to my Mom and Aunts sing gospel songs. Sometimes Uncle Troy and Uncle Orville (with his deep bass voice) would sing too.

Grandma was an excellent cook. She made THE BEST chicken dressing. It would delight your taste-buds like you just can’t believe. Everything was always fresh; all the vegetables came from Grandpa’s garden. And, Grandma made this wonderful chocolate cake dripping with icing that tasted like hot cocoa.

Even the water from the well, that Grandpa witched himself, tasted like ambrosia. It was the best well water I've ever tasted.

Grandpa had a huge garden. We would watch him work it. It was amazing to see everything grow. Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit his green thumb. I can’t grow anything and every plant I adopt turns brown.

Grandma was a very independent woman – like me. She wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is. (I got that from her.) She used to call me up, just to say hi and see what I was doing. (I miss those calls now.)

She usually drove when she and grandpa went anywhere. Some even said she had a lead foot. She lived to be 85 years old; and until then she never let anything get her down.

Grandpa drove too, but it was kinda scary when he did. I went fishing with him a couple of times. As we were on our way to the fishing hole, he would drive sorta in the center of the road. If a car was coming to us, he would move the car way over toward the ditch. He never had any accidents that I could recall, but it was an adventure to go with him.

He was such a big soft-hearted man. He was very sensitive to others and I've even seen him cry at times when he heard something that was sad. He was a very smart man too. He use to teach Agriculture at Joe T. - way before I went there.

I will always remember our family and all the wonderful times we had at Grandma and Grandpa’s. These are cherished memories.

Picture of mom and dad

2006-10-27T06:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the wuppin's

2006-10-24T09:17:00.000-05:00

Children are wonderful. I’ve been blessed many times – just never with children. It’s probably a good thing that I don’t have children. I firmly believe in discipline and with today’s politically correctness – I wouldn’t be – politically correct.

When I was growing up, discipline was firm and swift. My daddy never flinched if he had to use a belt on my behind. My grandma would have me go out and cut off my own switch from her “switchin’ bush” then promptly use it to give me a pair of “striped stockings.” And, my mom never hesitated to whop me if she thought I was sassin’ her.

From those experiences I don’t believe I’ve been warped, deranged, or psychologically harmed in any way. As a matter of fact, I believe I grew from them. I learned right from wrong – sometimes it may have taken two or three lessons – but I learned.

I’m no expert on child rearing; but I do believe that this is what’s wrong with today’s kids. A “time out” or sitting them in a corner for 30 minutes only teaches them to bide their time. A good licking teaches the lesson.

I remember running from my mom – one time. I think I was about 11 or 12 years old. It was so silly, and it would have been over immediately, if I had just taken the initial punishment. But no, not me. Momma was on crutches from a bad knee. She was hobbling around the kitchen and I was sitting up on the kitchen table. Momma said, “Get off the table.” I didn’t. She came at me to spat my leg, telling me again to get off the table. I jumped back when she swung at me and I ran away. She hobbled toward me and I made my getaway out the door. Then she got mad. She (on crutches) chased me around the house. Of course she couldn’t catch me. And I knew she was spitting mad.

I think I stayed outside for hours. Which really was a good thing – it gave her time to cool off. However, she had not forgotten. When I finally came in she was ready. She had the belt in her hand and NO CRUTCHES. She beat my rear for a good five minutes (I thought.) And every aim hit the mark. She had a hold of my arm and we just went in circles. Me – screaming and she – screaming at me.

When it was over she sent me to bed. Of course I was crying but, I could also hear her crying. She was so sad. She came in after about 30 minutes and hugged and kissed me. She told me she was so sorry. She looked at my legs to make sure I wasn’t hurt. And explained to me that if only I had just done what she had asked none of this would have happened.

I never ran from my momma again. I believe I was lucky to have only got a good whipping and sent to bed for my actions. I still got punished on occasion, I even got more whippings. But I learned that if you’ve done something wrong you don’t run from it. You stay and take the punishment – don’t make it worse – just take it.

I love my momma so much. The fact that she disciplined me when I needed it made me love her that much more. It showed me that she cared about me. She wanted me to be good, to make her proud but also she wanted me to be proud of myself. She wanted me to know that I understand the right and the wrong. I could be a good person throughout my lifetime. I am a good person – thanks to my mom, my dad and my grandma.

My "Ode to Billy Joe"

2006-10-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

My dad was born on March 4. His name was Billy Joe. He was the second son born and had four brothers, LeRoy – the eldest, Frank, Pat and Butch.

My dad was the most handsome man in the world – to me. His skin was dark from working in the sun all day and he had black hair. When he dressed up he smelled so good!

He worked hard and he would come home in the afternoon very dirty; he always smelled like fresh dug up dirt. He ran a loader and dump truck with his small excavation company. He was an outlaw with his equipment but he always made it work. He cleared lots for contractors to build homes and he was the best in the business.

We lived a very comfortable life – at least I was always comfortable. I know that he and mom often worried about the money, but I don’t remember ever missing a meal and we always had clothes and shoes. We even had many luxuries over the years.

While I was growing up, we lived two houses over from grandma’s house; his family is very close knit. Daddy would stop by his momma’s every morning for coffee before he went to work and usually at least one or another brother was there too.

The brothers would sit around the kitchen table with their mom, drinking strong coffee and talk about days gone by. My cousins and I would love to listen to their stories about their lives while growing up.

He loved his kids and played with us all the time. He would get down in the floor and romp around. He would tickle us until we cried. Every birthday we got birthday licks – how many depended on how old we were.

He taught me a lot. He taught me to drive; he even said I was a real good driver because I never missed a pot hole during my lessons. He taught me to whistle – he was always whistling or humming something. He was real smart about mechanics, and could fix anything that was broke – even if he had to rig it together with whatever he could find (which was most all the time.)

He loved country music and his favorite tune was “Our Last Date.” He would always have the piano player play it when we went to “Shakey’s Pizza” down off Cantrell road. He was also a very big fan of George Jones, Tammy Wynette and all the old country music.

I miss him a lot. After I moved out of mom and dad’s house, he would stop and see me at my house. He’d just drop by every time he was in the neighborhood. He had a good heart and was kind to everyone he met.

My dad died in 1985 of cancer. Way too early his life was cut short. He’s missed so much that I know he would have loved to see. He did get to see his first grandchild, Bonnie, and he doted on her like she hung the moon – he was a great grandpa. But he missed meeting his first grandson and namesake, Billy Joe, as well as Zack, Dylan, Mason, Walker, Lessie, Leigh Ann, April and Kitty. He also missed seeing Tim get his racing trophy when he raced at I-30. I know Daddy would have loved to have been a part of Tim’s pit crew and to have watched the races.

Now I only see him in my dreams. I dream about him often and he seems so real. I guess it's his way of dropping by for a cup of coffee, just making sure that I'm okay. I love you daddy and we are okay - but we still miss you...

Happy Birthday Sis!

2006-10-11T06:47:00.000-05:00

My sister's birthday is today. She is three years younger than me. My mom has told me that when I was three or four and sis came along - I was not a happy camper. I had been an only child for three years. I loved the affection that I received as an only child. So when she came along, that old "green monster" hit me up side the head - hard. Mom said I even wanted to throw her away. She had taken my spot on momma's lap and I did not like it.

And boy did we fight over the years. I was the elder and I believed she should show me that respect. But not her. She is THE MOST stubborn, hard-headed, "we live in her world" kinda soul. We had some of the most unbelievable knock-down, drag-out fights with teeth-nashing, hair-pulling, and screaming-murder.

I couldn't go anywhere that my mom said, "Take your sister with you." I cringed when I heard those words. Especially after I started driving.

But that was then. Now she is my BEST FRIEND. After we both got married (and each seperated by our own homes) we were inseparable. For many years we lived right next door to one another and saw each other every day and night. We never fought like that again. We still have our disagreements, but never are we physical and we always hug and tell each other we love each other everytime we are together.

We have both had major health issues -me with breast cancer and she with heart problems. When she had her heart attack she lived 100 miles out of town, but I still went and stayed with her after her surgery and supported her recovery. Then after my mastecomy, she came and stayed with me and took care of me.

She's still the same stubborn, hard-headed, "we live in her world" soul, but I love her so much. I will always be there for her and I know I can depend on her anytime.

So here's a Big Birthday Hug and a Birthday Wish to my Sissy. I love you!!

Words of Wisdom...

2006-10-06T06:22:00.000-05:00

I received this in an e-mail today. It is so true. So enjoy!

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A set of screwdrivers,
A cordless drill, and
A black lace bra and a black nightie...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
One friend who always makes her laugh...
And one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
Eight matching plates,
Wine glasses with stems,
And a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to fall in love without losing herself...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to quit a job.
How to break up with lover.
How to confront a friend without ruining the friendship

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
When to try harder...
And when to walk away...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
That she can't change
The length of her calves,
The width of her hips, or
The nature of her parents...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
That her childhood may not have been perfect...but; it’s over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she would and wouldn’t do for love or money...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to live alone... Even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Whom she can trust, Whom she can't,
And why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Where to go…
Be it to her best friend's kitchen table…
Or a charming inn in the woods...
When her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish
In a day...
A month...
And a year...

Author: Unknown

I love my job!

2006-10-04T06:19:00.000-05:00

I enjoy my job. You know that saying; "If you want to be happy, find something you enjoy and do it for a living." I'm doing that. I don't make a lot of money, but i love being a leader. Everyday my team -"the pickers" - picks orders for people and companies from all over the world. Our orders have been sent all over the US and to London, China, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil; just to name a few. We have a wide range of books that we distribute and my team picks them for the customer. You can get cookbooks, how-to-build books, how-to-quilt books, how-to-crochet, knit, or plastic canvas books, how-to-decorate your home books, how-to-decorate your cake books, how-to-scrapbook books. Some days our work is heavy and very tiring - we have no problem getting to sleep at night. Our job starts early, so we get off work early - which is another thing I like about it. We also get to wear casual dress - no fancy clothes or shoes are necessary. My team consists of 18 ladies, some of them have been at this company for over 15 years and a few are lifers with 20 years under their belt. We use radio frequency scanners to pick our orders. Our warehouse is beautiful. It's huge, it's air-conditioned, it's huge, it's real close to my home, it's huge, and really big. It is a really great place to work.

Tim's Canvas - Now OPEN.

2006-10-03T05:56:00.000-05:00

My honey's in business. Last year we built a new shop on on our property. It's really huge, 30 x 70. My husband uses it for his "hobby" (and to store his baby - the Harley.) By trade he is an upholsterer. He works in his dad's shop with his brother and my youngest brother. They only work on automobile, marine and aircraft - NO Furniture. So now with our new shop, he has set up "Tim's Canvas." He will work on big boats (yachts) making the canvas covers and screens they use to cover the windows and patio areas. He also has a friend that restores old jaguars. Tim will do the interior for him. He had one delivered last night. WOW. It's a really cool old car. He said this type of jag was the first car to go at the speed of 140 mph. It's almost restored fully, it just needs a new convertible top - that Tim has to make piece by piece by hand. Tim is very talented in many areas, he's been doing upholstery for over 30 years. He pretty much knows his way around a sewing machine, a glue gun and your car. I've seen some beautiful cars restored at his dad's shop over the years. Many of them have won awards at car competitions for their uphosltery. When I get this blog thing really figured out I'll post some pictures of his work.

Did you miss the Reunion?

2006-10-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the Annual Family Reunion (dad's family.) We had a pretty good turn out - but we were missing quite a few too. Mom, Daddy-Bill, Me, Sis and her boyfriend; as well as my two nephews- Billy and Dillon represented our family. For some reason, my two brothers were a no show. Bonnie had to work. Uncle Pat was there but Aunt Leeny was missing due to illness, Kera was with her mom and we missed Brett and Teresa. Aunt Kathleen, Cecil and Chris were there; we missed Lynn and Marnita. Aunt Liz, Kim and Robert made it, but we missed Mike, Cheryl, and Pam. Uncle Butch, Aunt Edith and Tim were there as well as Aunt Edith's brothers and sisters, but we missed Bart and Stacy. Uncle Joe and Aunt Syble, Aunt Margaret (who made a homemade coconut pie) and Uncle Buck came. Aunt Earline, Carol (who made homemade sugarfree coconut and chocolate pies - that everyone was happy to see) and Bob. Aunt Babe and Uncle Harvery were there. Barbara and Mitchell came. Judy and Noble were there, as well as Stephanie, Taylor and Peanut. June and James, with her boys. Aunt Jean and Dianne, and many of our neighbors, the Lucky's. I didn't stay all day so some may have showed later and I know I'm missing someone, but after all these years - some of my kin I couldn't tell ya their names. But it was good that they came. Our reunion is held about the same time every year. For those of you who didn't make it - MARK YOUR CALENDARS and plan to go next year. I'll let you know later the exact date. It's always at Maumelle Park - everyone knows where that is.

It's good to be #1.

2006-09-28T06:30:00.000-05:00

As you can tell by my postings, I am the eldest. I am the eldest child, daughter and grandchild (on my dad's side.) Now that's a pretty big responsibilty. I have to set the example. I have to take care of the little ones. I am #1. At least that is what my mom has deemed me to be. It's kind of cute, when I call her at work and leave a message I say, "Tell her that her #1 called." And she always knows who it is.

I don't have children so I don't have a "number one" to pass the torch to. But I do have an abundance of neices and nephews. And they are all number one in some fashion, but alas there can only be one "number one." So I have decided to pass that torch to my Bon. She is the eldest grandchild, my sister's daughter. She has also made me so proud. She is so smart. So together. So beautiful. She is well worthy of such a title.

So Bon, here's to you. I deem you the next generation "Number One." I know you'll do me proud.
I love you. Aunt M.

Guardian Angel on Duty.

2006-09-26T06:26:00.000-05:00

When I was going through my chemo I was blessed by the fact that I did not have to go to work. My wonderful husband supported me and took care of me. So I was at home everyday. I was bald from the chemo and very uncomfortable in public. But one day, at home, I heard my dogs barking like crazy... I looked out the window and saw that they were near the front fence carrying on like there was a strange creature about to enter their kingdom. I opened the door and ventured out further to see this creature. But, to my amazement, there walking up the road, jabbering away, was a small boy and a dog.

Now I live in a very rural area. In every direction you cannot see the neighbors for the trees. So I was very curious about this babe and dog. And he was a babe, he was so young that he couldn't even tell me his name. I didn't know what to think. Had he come down the hill from that neighbors house? or from the nieghbor that's closer to the main road? He couldn't tell me, the dog couldn't tell me. So I grabbed him up and walked to both neighbors - neither were at home.

So I took him into the house to call my husband. You should have heard that conversation:
"Hi honey. I found a baby. " "A baby what?" "It's a boy." "A boy what?" It's a baby boy child."
"Yeah, right." "No, really. He was walking up the road." "Where's his parents?" "I don't know, he didn't bring them. - Can we keep him?" "NO! You alreadly have two dogs!" Or something like that.

Anyway, I sat with him for what seemed like hours. My dogs loved him, licked him, and he liked them too. I gave him some water and crackers. I also found that he was covered from head to toe with ticks. So I went about cleaning him up - as best as I could with no experience in child - anything.

After a while I called my friend Kathi, who lives on the main road. To see if she knew of anyone missing a little boy. (Another weird conversation.) She didn't know of anyone, but would keep her eyes open.

Well after so long I was going to call the police. It was getting dark and I couldn't believe someone wasn't looking for this beautiful child.

Then the phone rings. It's Kathi, she says a truckload of people were driving up and down the road. She sent her husband, Stan, to find them.

Sure enough, it was Blaine's mom and dad. They had a whole bunch of people scouring the area for him. They live off another road nearby and all were outside. Blaine had followed his dog off. He had traveled through the woods about a mile - which is why he was covered with ticks.

His mom was crying and you could see the worry on his daddy's face. But everything turned out okay. I even got some chocolate cookies as a reward.

During a time of my life that seemed so bleak, Blaine and his family really brighten my outlook.

You have to appreciate the trees in the Autumn.

2006-09-25T06:23:00.000-05:00

My favorite time of the year-Autumn. It's been so hot this summer and the cool morning today made me feel so alive. I LOVE IT! Now is the time for raking leaves, for home cooking - to keep the house warm, football, pumpkins, the harvest moon. So many things come to mind. When I was younger, my dad's family would load up every year to drive up to the north in our state. We had about four to five different vehicles convoying to Pea Ridge for an annual picnic. And, I must say that you have never seen God's beauty like you'll see in North Arkansas. I love it. The autumns are so vibrant. It's like a painted canvas if your timing just right. If you drive the "pig trail" around mid- to - late October you'll see sights that would compare to the first time you saw the grand canyon. I can't wait for this year's show of color. Last year my husband and I went with my family to Branson. As we were driving I went on and on about the colors of the trees, "Honey, look at the trees! Aren't they beautiful?" He said,"It's just a tree." A bit later my mom who's in the car behind us, calls on the cell phone and says, "Look at the trees, aren't they beautiful?" My husband, rolled his eyes. Then we arrive at the hotel in Branson and my aunt pipes up and say's, "Did you see the trees? Oh, so pretty!" I thought my husband was going to go back home. After twenty-six years you'd think he understood me.