wrong blog????

So did you think you had gone to the wrong place? Misty helped me to change the background on my blog. thanks Misty. It is a real improvement. If any of my family would like to help out on occassions with changing the background, let me know.

christmas tag

Sometimes I really hate computers and internet. I had this all done last night and lost the whole thing. Grrr. Here goes effort #2

Actually this is effort #3 since number 2 ended up on Misty's blog.


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Love old fashioned paper.
2. Real tree or artificial? Love the smell of real, hate the mess. Love my big artificial tree. We always had small table top trees growing up. I always wanted big big big.
3. When do you put up the tree? Used to be the day after thanksgiving, each year we seem to get later and later now.
4. When do you take the tree down? sometime after the new year
5. Do you like eggnog? yep
6. Favorite gift received as a child? can't remember that far back, nothing stands out
7. Do you have a nativity scene? yes
8. Hardest person to buy for? the person who doesn't do a wish list
9. Easiest person to buy for? the person who does a wish list. We started wish lists several years ago. You make a list of everything you can think of from the most expensive down to the least expensive and in between. If you are lucky, you will get at least something from the list.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? neither. I am not a very good Christmas card person.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Honestly can't remember.
12. Favorite Christmas Movies? the old old old one with Jimmy Stewart where he wishes he was never born and then finds out he wasn't. He finds out what a difference one person makes in the lives of others. It's a great old movie and I never get tired of seeing it.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December if I am lucky.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? nope
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? food. anything except fruitcake, yuk
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? lots and lots and lots of colored blinking lights. the more the better. We always had blue lights and blue ornaments growing up. I really hate all blue.
17.Favorite Christmas song? Rocking around the Christmas tree.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? HOME
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? nope
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? angel, I love the crochet angel my mother made for me. It is my favorite thing on the tree.
21. The most anoying thing about this time of year? crowds and rude impatient people. Always thankful I don't have to be the one behind the counter and try to be extra nice.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? I guess my theme would be an old fashioned tree. I love everything on the tree, ornaments made by my children and grandchildren are my favorites.
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? food. I don't like to spend time cooking. we always had easy to fix things.
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? another Christmas with my children and grandchildren near.
25. A favorite Christmas Tradition? I loved it when my children wanted to all sleep in the same room on Christmas eve. It was at least one time when they would all be in the same place and seemingly get along. It also made it easier for Santa to get the last minuet things done.

Hubby Tag

Where did you meet? He was stationed at Fort Hood Texas and I was living in Waco Texas. We met on a blind date set up by his best friend who was dating a good friend of mine.
How long did you date before you were married? I was still in high school when we met and I wanted to finish school before getting married. We dated for about a year and were engaged for about 6 months.
What is your favorite quality of his? He is very down to earth and sees things so clearly.
What is your favorite feature of his? I love everything about him. He is tall, very clean cut, looks good in whatever he wears and has great hair.
Does he have a nickname for you? Not really.
What is his favorite color? He is pretty tame when it comes to color. He sticks with very concervative, browns, blues and black.
What is his favorite food? He likes Mexican and Oriental.
When and where was your first kiss? It was after several dates. I was beginning to think he was never going to kiss me. At first it was sweet but then I wondered what was wrong with me. When he finally did kiss me, it was worth the wait.
Do you have any children? We are blessed with five sons and three daughters. We never dreamed that we would have had such a large family but are go glad that we did. Our first child had a blood disease and wasn't supposed to live to be 5. He was diagnosed when I was pregnant with our second child. At that time we were told that his disease was heriditary and I had surgury to not have more children. We were blessed with many miracles, our son's disease went into remission, the Gospel came into our lives. We had the surgery reversed and were blessed with 6 additional children.
His favorite type of music? He likes mostly easy listening kinds.
What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Since retiring, we love to just get up and do something frivilous like checking out anitque shops we have passed in the past or taking in a movie.
What do you admire most about him? He is very laid back and easy going. He is easy to talk to and has always treated me as an equal. He has always made me feel important and capable. He is my best friend and tells me what I need to hear.

It happens

Several years ago when I was living in Texas in a rental house there was an old furnice that was in the floor with a metal grate over the top. When we first moved in the youngest child was a newborn so I didn't think much about the grate. The people who owned the house had rigged an expandable gate into a square to sit over the top of it but it didn't attach.
Later in the year on the first cold day of winter, I put the gate contraption over the grate because the baby was crawling by then and turned on the heat.
I stepped into the bathroom and just as I came out the baby had crawled over to the gate, pulled up and pushed. The gate moved and he sat on the hot metal grate. I grabbed him but the grate left a blister where the metal touched his leg. I was just sick. I doctored his leg and went over to my parents house. When my Dad saw the blister, he just glared at me and headed out to the shed not saying a word. He came back with some wood and went over to my house. He made a wooden box that fit around the metal grate and bolted it to the floor. He never said a word to me and didn't for over a week. It was obvious he was upset with me for letting the baby get burned. I was so very miserable.
About two weeks after that happened, my Dad took the baby outside with him. They had gone to the back of the yard and my Dad set the baby down to go into the shed to get something. When he turned around the baby had gotten back to the house and was on the back porch. Just as my Dad headed for the porch the baby fell and split his mouth open and was bleeding all over the place. My Dad was pretty upset that the baby had gotten hurt when he was supposed to be watching him. From that day forward, he started talking to me again. He never said anything about either accident but I guess he realized that things like that could happen to anyone.
It is a good thing that kids come so tough.

being thankful

One of the things that I am so very grateful for is a large family. Each one is an example to me and they are reminders of the things in life that are of most importance.
When my family was young they taught me how to love, how to work, to sacrifice and to make the most of what one had and so many other things.
Now that they are all grown, they make me laugh, they make me think, they help me see things from different perspectives, they make me feel appreciated, they make me proud.
All has not been perfect and there have been hard times also. There have been mistakes, there has been hurt and tears, there has been saddness and worry.
I am even thankful for the hard times because many times in the end, it is the hard times that have brought us together the most, to help, to support and show extra love that is needed.
I am thankful for a large, ever growing family. They each have helped and continue to help make me a better person.
Thanks Heavenly Father, you knew I needed them.

A Mothers Love

A mothers love knows no bounds.
I had always heard that and through the years have come to understand it a little better.
When I had my first child, the love I felt was so great, I didn't feel I could love anyone that much other than my best friend and eternal companion.
then I had my second child and found the ability to love expanded to include another.
With each child, the ability to love would grow to accommodate yet another person.
Then something wonderful happened. As each of my children grew and found their companions that love again emcompassed still more and as they began to have children of their own I found that that ability continued to expand to even greater amounts.
I never in my wildest dreams would have every thought that I could have the abiltiy to love to such a degree to so many and yet it has come to pass.

How blessed I am to have been given such a wonderful gift and thank my Heavenly Father for such a wonderful gift of Mother's love.

I AM

I am...

I am...a good person.
I think...too little before I act and it gets me in trouble.
I want...more hours in the day.
I miss...sleeping through the night soundly.
I fear...losing my best friend.
I feel...immense joy in my posterity.
I hear...my father whistling as he worked.
I smell...the sweetness of babies.
I crave...the ability to sense others needs.
I cry...when I feel close to the Spirit.
I search...for what I need to change in myself.
I wonder...if I have been the person I should be.
I regret...not saying I love you enough.
I wish...for more time to serve in the Temple.
I love...each and every member of my family.
I care...about what my children think of me.
I always...talk to much and repeat myself.
I worry...I will let people down.
I am not...very patient.
I remember...being loved as a child.
I believe...life is good and is meant to be enjoyed.
I know...that God lives and Jesus Christ is my Savior.
I sing...badly.
I argue...too much.
I write...like I talk.
I lose...sight of the simple things.
I listen...better than I used to.
I can...do things that are hard with the Lord's help.
I need...to listen more and talk less.
I forget...what I did yesterday.
I am happy...that I agreed to a blind date when I was 16.

Granny's hand

When I was little I noticed that my Grannys right hand was different than other peoples. The knuckle on the middle finger was bent and was slightly raised above her other fingers. It didn't keep her from using it and she never said anything about it that I remembered. I just remember it was different.
I was talking with my Mother recently and asked about it. She told me that Granny and Grandaddy had borrowed a car from his work and were driving to visit family. My Aunt Faye was little and in the front seat between them. Back then, there were no seat belts or anything. There was a another car that forced them off of the road and the car started to roll. As it did my Aunt was thrown toward the window on my Grannys side. Granny put her hand out to keep her from being thrown out the window and when the car rolled her hand was pinned between the car and the ground. It was almost cut off across her knuckles.
Miraculously they were able to save her fingers but the one knuckle never worked right.
Whenever I see a picture of my Granny now and see her hand, instead of thinking it was different or somehow odd, I think about how she loved and sacrificed to save her child.

Aunt Vernie

I have recently been working on some geneology and had a distance 2nd cousin contact me about a mutual ancestor who was my aunt Vernie.
It brought back some memories about her that I thought I would pass along.
When I was little I was afraid of her. She looked mean to me and from a kids perspective scary. I remember leaving the room whenever she would come over to visit my Granny.
As I got older, I saw past the rough exterior and learned to really like being around her. She had raised 17 kids. I have the pictures to prove it. She did alot of nursing and midwivery. She would tell us about her famous salve. She told us about Uncle Jess cutting his arm once and how she sewed him up and put her salve on it and he healed up just fine. (About then, I was glad she wasn't around when I got hurt or cut) On one of the last visits I had with her, she gave me her recipe. She didn't want it to be forgotten. I wrote it down and still have it. I have never made it and after looking at the ingredients, I am not sure I ever will but you never know.
Recipe for Aunt Vernies salve
lb. tallow
lb. hog lard
lb. reson
lb. bees wax
melt together
add 14 drops carbolic acid
14 drops turpentine
strain, do not use if diabetic

To me, Aunt Vernie was a great example. She was rough and tough but had a heart of gold. She would do anything for just about anyone.
She loved to quilt. She made quilts for all of her kids and then went on to make for her grandkids. She went on to make quilt tops for the nieces. She figured if she made the tops they could make it into a quilt. I had mine for many years but never made it into a quilt. Sorry Aunt Vernie.
She loved to garden. When she wasn't able to walk up and down the rows, she would crawl.
She lived to be 95. She was my hero in many ways. She lived through tough times and raised a huge family and was still going strong until the day she died. I used to tease about keeping up with her but decided 8 kids was enough and if I could still be as active as she was I wouldn't mind reaching 95.
Uncle Jess was alot like my Grandaddy, He was tall and lanky and quiet and easy going, loved kids and loved to tease. That seemed a big trait in the
Andrews men.
It was fun to remember my Aunt Vernie after all of these years. One time when I was looking at some family trees I found where someone had listed Aunt Vernie being married to her husband's brother who was my Grandaddy. I had to laugh, she and Uncle Jess and Grandaddy would have gotten a kick out of it. Granny might have had a problem with it but it was funny to me.

defining moments 2

Sorry, I was going to put this on the last blog but had to get off of the computer cause my better half needed it quickly.

So after reading these past moments of mine I am taging others to share some of their defining moments.

defining moments

I guess I really should call these past several posts defining moments.

Here is one more and then I promise to stop and not bore everyone to death.

Several years ago I attended a class given by a Brother Residori. He gave a class that changed my life.
He spoke on racehorses and turtles. He explained that each of us is either like the racehorse or a turtle. Each has different characteristics but of equal worth in the eyes of God.
We have all met them. Racehorses thrive on excitement,compitition, racing to get things accomplished, always moving and doing things quickly, etc.
Then there are the turtles. Slow moving, thorough, steady, easy going, laid back, etc.

the jist of his talk was about accepting ourselves and others, including the differences. Racehorses shouldn't look down on Turtles and vice versa.

At that time in my life, I was new to the church and dealing with feeling inadequate around many of the long time members, etc.

When I sat in that class, it was so wonderful. I had found my nitch. I could work with the racehorses, could accept their characteristics but didn't have to be one. Whew!!!
I could work with the turtles and appreciate their seemingly slower progress and appreciate their steadfastness.

The true personal revelation was to finally find where I was. I cannot do things at a fast pace for any length of time. I have since found out that I have ADD which explains alot.

I realized that I am a turtle with an occassional racehorse spurt. Don't laugh. It was the most wonderful thing that could have happened to me. I had found where I stood and how to deal with others and it was so liberating.

The funny thing is, it was such a defining time in my life and when I told him about it several years afterwards, he doesn't even remember giving the class. Oh well, I am so glad that he did.

trying too hard

When I was in elementary school, handwritting was really stressed.
We had to practice alot and we were graded on how neatly we could write. You had to hold your pen a certain way and slant your paper a particular way. I hated hand writting, no matter how hard I tryed, mine was never the really pretty flowing script that was so popular.
One day I just had had it. The harder I tryed the worse I got and I just knew I was going to make another bad grade.
I remember just sitting there and saying to myself, the heck with it. I was never going to have good handwritting and I was tired of trying and I decided to just accept the fact and get on with it.
It was the funniest thing, once I did that, I just wrote without thinking about it. I relaxed and stopped holding the pen so hard and just let it happen. I ended up having the best penmenship in the class. The teacher would let me write the examples on the board of how she wanted our handwritting to look. I loved how my handwritting looked especially after what it had been before.
I have found that very helpful in my life. When I am trying to do whatever and find myself getting all up tight and try and try and only get worse, sometimes I just have to stop and let go, to walk away.
By letting go and accepting that I may not be able to get it perfect and just do the best I can, it comes together and many times I am surprised at how good it turns out.

Meanest teacher in the world

When I was in what is today called middle school, I had a math teacher. You walked into her class, sat down, got your pencil and paper out and never said a word unless she called on you.
Once everyone was seated and absolutely quiet, she would start class. I don't remember ever seeing her smile.
I remember not liking her very much and watching the clock and just living to see the hand say it was time for the next class.
We did alot of chalkboard work. I never voluntered to go to the board and hated being called on because most of the time I didn't know how to work the problems and just plain felt stupid.
After being in her class for a short time, I began to really listen to what she was saying and to understand what she was trying to teach us. Little by little I began to enjoy it and loved knowing how to work the problems.
I remembered one day she had given us a problem. She had had two kids come up to work it on the board and they got it wrong. I was so excited because I knew I knew how to do it. I raised my hand and headed for the board. I remember it as if it were yesterday. I started to work the problem, the solution started just like the two who had gotten it wrong and the class started to make fun and tease that I was doing it wrong. It was one of those long problems that had several steps and they had left out a step. The teacher was watching me and not saying a word. I did the step that they had left out, finished the problem and sat down. I felt 10 feet tall.
After that day, I loved math class and appreciated a teacher who though really strict, really taught.

get off my back

I was just reading my grandsons blog about being bored with school. It brought back a memory of when I was in school.
In my family there was me and my older sister Pat. She skimmed by and really struggled with school. My folks acted like whatever she made was OK. I came along and supposidly was supposed to be pretty smart. Snort snort. They would really ride me about my grades and it really bugged me. One day I was really bummed and popped off at my girlfriends house about it. No one ever said, but I am sure she told my folks.
School was boring to me and I hadn't really tryed very hard just for spite because I felt they were trying to make me make good grades.
I don't remember exactly but I began to notice that my folks had stopped pressuring me about my grades.
It was what I had been spouting off about but somehow when it happened and they no longer bugged me about it ,it kind of left a void, leaving me without something to pop off about.
Now that I didn't feel like I had to make good grades just to please, I began to find out that learning wasn't so bad. I began to pay attention in class and found out I really could understand and in some cases actually enjoyed myself. I kind of liked making good grades. I wanted to make good grades for me. I even took some of the classes that were considered hard to just prove to myself that I could do it.
I actually look back now with a sense of pride at what I learned.
I am so thankful for parents who did the best they could with such a rebellous daughter and for "getting off my back" and letting me learn for myself how good it feels to make good grades because I wanted to.

Life in 6 words

wife, mother, granny, sister, daughter, friend

Getting older has its benefits

One of the benefits of getting older is that you have more things to look back on, to reflect on and to hopefully learn from.
Here are a few of the things I have learned or am trying to do better at.
I find, I don't always have to be right. Being right isn't as important as it used to be. In fact sometimes being right but not saying anything is the best thing to do.
I find that listening is better than talking.
I find that differences are not a brick wall, they can open doors to new and even better perspectives, solutions and needed growth.
Building is so much better than tearing down.
Assuming stayed the same. It gets you into trouble.
The more one leans on Heavenly FAther in choices and decisions, the better the outcome in the long run and the less one has to live with regrets.
Love can only do so much.
The more one trusts in Heavenly Father, the more one lets go of what they want or think is best, the more you simply do what He asks no matter how hard or how much you don't understand, the happier you will be, the easier things will get and the more you will come to understand.
The more one tries to measure up to Heavenly Fathers yard stick and stop trying to measure up to others, the more you will find that you like about yourself.
When one sees fault in others but choses to look inward for ways to improve oneself instead of trying to change others, the happier they will become and the more the capacity to love will grow. ( Satan wanted to fix everyone and make them change) The Savior wanted to allow for differences, to make mistakes, to learn from them and become better. He loved and trusted.
The older you get, the worse your memory becomes and the less you remember the dumb and stupid things you have done.

Off to a good start

OK I have been in Primary for three weeks.
The first week I had two girls (one was a visitor), the next week I only had one girl. We had a short lesson and then just had fun getting acquainted. We decided our classroom was pretty dull and she suggested we have some pretty pictures. So this week, I made sure we had some cool pictures, mostly of the Savior.
The first week, I looked at my list of kids and realized that when Madisen moved, I would only have one child who comes consistently. It can be hard on the teacher and student when there is only one in the class. I mentioned it to the Primary President. She said they would discuss it as a Presidency and with the Bishop and get back with me.
this Sunday I started out with only one girl and then they moved two very active rowdy boys into my class.
I love a challenge and am enjoying looking for ideas on how to best present gospel principles in a way that the kids can understand and feel the spirit. These kids are really smart and truly can understand spiritual things. We had a great time.
I now have a Primary tote all packed and ready to go for Sundays. Actually I found a pack of three really cool ones at WalMart in wonderful bright colors.
I could have used some hand wipes on Sunday when they gave out cupcakes. Cupcakes are not my idea of a good thing when you are wearing Sunday clothes. One of my boys managed to get his cupcake on my dress. SOOO, into the bag for next week goes a pack of hand wipes.
The kids were impressed with the colorful magnets I found to hold up our pictures. They all wanted a turn a helping me take down the pictures at the end of class.
So we seem to be off to a good start.

enjoying the moment

This weekend there was a soccer tournament in Birmingham. It had been awhile since we had been to one and when it was mentioned to us, we decided to go watch and cheer.
It was great. We watched the first game and then went out to eat with the group of players and their wives and girlfriends.
We hadn't seen some of the guys in awhile. Many of them had played together in high school with a few other guys to fill out the team.
It was like old times with a bunch of soccer players, talking, laughing, teasing and just having fun and hanging out.
It was exciting to watch our sons and their friends play. Indoor soccer is so much faster and more intense than outdoor soccer.
Two of our daughters-in-law were there supporting their guys. We were the only old folks there. It was a great day and we really enjoyed it.

It is a little sad when the kids grow up, and leave home. But once in awhile, you get invited to a game and it is like old times and you just enjoy the moment of watching your grown sons play a game they love.

sometimes mom actually does know best

When my dad first broke his hip several years ago and I started making trips to Texas to help out my mother and sister, things were sometimes pretty rocky.
My dad was a roller coaster, things set him off and he would get really hateful and mean to everyone. He would do the opposite of whatever you would try to get him to do, no matter what it was.
My sister and I would react in kind, well meaning and trying to stand up for ourselves and protect our Mother who was the brunt of his nastiness alot.
Over time, we learned that alot of his intense mood swings were caused by medications, coupled with his natural tendency to be intensely independent and being frustrated at the total loss of everything that he felt made him a man.
As time went on and we finally got a doctor who took him off of all of the absolutely non essential medications, the roller coaster slowed and the mood swings lessened. We were still reacting and coming back at him when he got tacky and but it just wasn't happening as often.
Our mother kept telling us to just let it go and to stop trying to reason with him. Of course we thought she was wrong and kept doing what we were doing which meant when he had one of his outbursts, it lasted for days. It was really draining on everyone.
My sister is the one who has the patience and she kept trying new things and one day it just clicked. She tryed to get him to do something and he started yelling and cussing and getting really worked up. She kept her cool, told him she was sorry he was upset but she wasn't going to argue with him about it and walked away. Within minutes he calmed down and they simply picked up from there and he was fine the rest of the day. This happened several times and each time if she could keep herself calm and let it go, he would respond almost immediately and most of the time would end up doing whatever it was she needed him to do. There was still some times when he would go off and stay mad but they became less and less as time on.
My sister and I talked about it and realized if we had really listened to our mother early on instead of being so sure we were right, we could have avoided alot of really ugly situations.
Luckily, we did find out that she was right and changed what we did and everyone gained instead of losing.
We have learned alot from our Mother, especially when we really listen instead of being so sure we knew what is needed.

Life is alot like the situation with our dad. We go about so sure we know what is best or right for us or others and really don't listen to what others are saying. Because we aren't listening we end up missing out on so much.

How much could we gain from really listening and actually trying things?

I am sure Heavenly FAther feels that way with us. He trys to tell us things that we need to hear but we are so caught up in only hearing what we want to hear that we can actually block out the very things that we need to hear the most.

youngest son married

Our youngest son just got married. It has been a truly wonderful time. It really helps that his choice in an eternal companion is such a sweet person. I can see how much they love each other and what a good couple they make.

We have been so very blessed in our childrens choices in marriage partners. Each one has made such good choices and our family has been blessed by each addition to the family.

Each person adds so much in the talents shared and the different abilities within the family.

We are very blessed to have each of our children and their families close by. For as many of us as there are, that is a real blessing.

It is so good to have a new addition to the family. We look forward to getting to know Jessica better and to see her and David progress and grow in their life together.

I love family blogs

I love our family blogs. I check them each day and enjoy reading the thoughts and ideas being shared. They are as varied in content as are each person. I love the humor and insights shared. Some make me laugh, some make me think and some make me so very thankful for family. I love the pictures. As a not so talented picture taking person, I love those who do pictures and share them. These blogs have been such a great way for talents to be shared. I don't always respond to each post but I do enjoy each one and don't feel my day is complete without checking for each days newest tidbits.

Back where I started from

I have to chuckle. Heavenly Father definitely has a wonderful sense of humor. Sunday I was called to teach in Primary. It has been years since I have served with the little guys.

The first calling that I had when I joined the church was in Primary. I remember it well. I had never taught before and was really nervous but figured, how hard could it be, they are 6 and in school and know how to sit and listen and behave, right??
I can laugh now but not then. I would come home near tears some (OK most) weeks. I was awful and so were they. For those who know me, I am pretty stubborn. I was not going to let a bunch of 6 year olds get the best of the situation.
Being stubborn has it's advantages. If Heavenly Father called me to that class then He would help me to do whatever it took to do it. He had something for me to teach and some things for me to learn, then I just needed to find out what.
Those poor kids had alot to put up with while I learned what I was supposed to be doing. I would pray and teach, pray and teach and pray some more.
It was a miracle. As I got better, they mysteriously got better. As I learned to love them, they responded in kind.
By the time I was released, those were my kids and it was really hard to no longer be their teacher.
I treasure those memories and can truly laugh at myself and am so very grateful to Heavenly Father for giving me that special time in Primary.
I haven't been in Primary in years. I must admitt it was somewhat of a culture shock after all this time.
It didn't take long for the old instincts to come into play. I got home and read the lesson for next week. There was a short shifting (OK grinding) of gears to get into the child mode from teaching youth and adults for so many years.
I went to the church web site to look up Primary. They have changed alot since I was in there. I read through it all and now have an idea of what to do and not to do. I certainly don't want to embarrish my grandson and my two Murphy girls.
I went on line and ordered my very own brand new manual . (I tend to make notes in my manuals) plus I needed the pictures and stuff that go with the lessons. I have ideas on how to set up a filing system for the visual aids for the upcoming lessons.
I also ordered the childrens song book and CDs with words and music. The brain doesn't pick up on things as fast as the kids and if the teacher doesn't sing, the kids will follow suit. I was frankly surprised at how many of the songs I still remember but there are new ones I need help with. Of course it really helps that kids don't care if you really can't sing.

Misty called that night. She told me that Madisen(who is in my class) told her mom that I was really strict. they decided that was probably where Mimi gets it (sorry Misty)When her mother asked her what I did that made her think I was strict, she said that I wouldn't let her stand up on the chair except if it was an emergency. How funny is that? At least she didn't say I was mean. Strict is better than mean. Right?
Sooooo, to make a short story looooog. I am back where I started, in Primary and will still have lots to teach and even more to learn. What an adventure.

Love Maiocampo the site

I really love Maiocampo the site. I like being able to go to one place and see everyones posts in one place. It saves me going to each individual site to see if there are any new posts.
Its great to have such talented family members who post such fun and intertaining things.
I don't feel like my day is complete without checking out to see what is new in the family.
You can always tell when someone is really busy and they aren't able to post for awhile. Then there are several posts at once and they catch up all at once.
It is such a great way to keep up on all of the family.
I especially enjoy the grandkids getting in on the fun.
Thanks again Barry. You know I like things simple and you have made it so easy for me to keep track of the family blogs.

the blessings of trials

Someone said once in a class that the day would come when we would give thanks for our trials and tribulations.
At the time I was young and new in the church and wasn't sure I believed it.
Now in my later years,I have come to see the truth of the statement.
Things have been very much an emotional rollercoaster lately with the health issues of my husband.
I am a person who wants answers and solutions. I would rather have a known bad to face and deal with than an unknown without any answers or solutions. I don't do well in limbo.
Now looking back, I can see the blessings of the past months. With concerns over his health, I found myself reevaluting day to day things. Things that seemed so important before became trivial.
He and I were able to discuss our fears and concerns and come away with a closeness and appreciation of what we are truly blessed with and that whatever the outcome, we could face it and deal with it together.
He has been the pessimist and I the optimist. There were times when the roles were reversed. At times when I felt pessimistic, he would be the comforter and point out the positive. It was pretty revealing.
Once we finally got some answers and have the assurance that it isn't the worst, it is as though the weight of the world has been lifted. There is a physical difference, a feeling of lightness and relief. You never feel as good as you do after being really sick. Feeling good is so much sweeter.
In reality, after months of limbo and frustrations with doctors and hospitals, I see so many things differently and have gained a better perspective of what is truly important.
Looking back, the blessings far outweigh the trials and I can say I am truly thankful.

always wanted to be a Mom

I always wanted to be a Mom.

When I was growing up, I was around girls who wanted to travel and see the world, who wanted to go to college and have a career, who wanted to wait to have kids until they were ready and then only have one or two so they could give them everything they thought they had had to live without.


I always knew I wanted to be a Mom and one day a Grandmother.

I grew up in a hard working family. You took whatever life gave you and made the most of it. My grandparents on both sides had been farmers. They had worked long and hard to make a living. There was no welfare programs or food stamps or anything like that. What you had was family.
I have wonderful memories of my grandparents. We visited them often. They were always a part of our lives. They raised their families and were there for them and when they got older, their families were there for them.
I was around babies most of my life. I knew how to feed and take care of them. I knew how to change diapers and babysat younger cousins often. Being a mom is what you did and I looked forward to the day to be able to have children of my own.

To me, being a Mom is what you did. Those other things were not necessarily bad things, it is just that I wanted to be a Mom more.

My Mother went to work when my Dad had two back surgeries and worked until after I was married. She did what had to be done and even though I missed her and hated her not being there, it was a part of life. She was a good Mom and did the best she could under her circumstances. She was a great example to me.

When i met and married my husband, he too had been raised in a home with a working mom. We did not want that if at all possible.
We were blessed throughout our lives that I was able to be home with our family.

Being a Mom was hard work and a challenge. I learned and grew and found joy in the process. I was blessed with great kids and they taught me so much along the way.

Even before my children were all grown and out of the home, I looked forward to being a Grandmother. It was not a negative thing to me. It did not mean being old, it meant having grandchildren and having the fun and joy of seeing them grow up. I couldn't wait to be a Grannie.

As my children grew up and married, I was blessed with wonderful sons and daughters-in-law. They too have been a joy. They are so talented and are raising great kids. They have each taught me many things.

I was not a perfect Mom, any more than my mother or grandmother were perfect before me, but I did the best I could under my circumstances. I loved it and am loving being a Grandmother. I do not regret not going to college or having a career.

I have learned more about what life is all about from my children and grandchildren. They are still teaching me and I am thankful for the privilege of being a Mom.

the love of reading

When I was a kid, television had just come out. The screens were small and only in black and white. We were one of the last families on our block to get a television.
Summers were long and boring. I learned to escape through books. My Daddy would take my sister and I to the library and we could check out as many books as we wanted. I remember bringing home literally stacks of books. I would sit by the window in my room (the coolest place where a breeze could be found {yes becasue it was also before airconditioning}) and escape into wonderful worlds outside my own.
My favorite books then were about animals. There was a particular author I think it was a really odd name like Klgaard. I think I read everything he ever wrote. I started out getting books with lots of pictures and then took on the challenge of all words.
One year in school we had to read so many books from each of several catagories such a non-fiction, biography, etc. Initially I didn't like reading outside of my favorite books but actually found myself enjoying some of the things that I read. I remember reading the biography of one of the men who was famous in Texas history and died in the Alamo. I read a book about bees and how the colony worked together. They really have a facinating world of workers, drones and queens. I read a book on pineapple plantations. I can still remember some of the things that I learned from those books that I would never have known and was surprised by how really interesting they were.
When I was in middle school I remember most of the girls reading romance novels. I read a couple and thought they were so very sappy and silly.
When I was first married, I didn't have alot to do and I would go to the library and get books. I liked Science Fiction by then and found a huge book that I decided to read just for the sheer challenge of it. It was one of those plots within a plot within a plot kind of books. It was Frank Hurberts Dune. I have since read it several times throughout the years. It tends to be somewhat on the negative side of human nature but I enjoyed finding answers to the mysteries of the plots within plots.
I read the Lord of the Rings series. Again because of the challenge of length. I read Gone with the Wind and fell in love with the character of Scarlet. Not necessarily becasue of her selfish side but becasuse of the strength and courage she developed throught the hardships she lived through.
When we were stationed overseas, my husband was gone for long periods of time on military manuvers. It was books that kept me company and from getting overly depressed because I was alone so much. The post library was a life line at that time of my life.
I have read Anne of Green Gables. There are actually 7 books in the series. I loved Anne. She had such a rough life but was resilient and willing to try new things. She was not a bad person but her imagination and zeal for life, got her into trouble all of the time. Her character helped me to understand my children so much better.
After I joined the church, I found that reading was a way to receive answers to prayers. Many times as I was struggling with a problem in my life, an answer would come through a book I was reading. Sometimes through a church book and just as often a non church book. I learned how wise the counsel was from Joseph Smith to seek knowledge from the best books.
Outside of the scriptures the book the Hiding Place by Corrie tanBoon touched me the most deeply. It had profound insights into dealing with incredible trials and yet trusting in the Lord and by doing so, overcoming where others came away bitter and broken.
I love the Janette Oke series. She has a way of telling a story of hardship and trial but through the love and trust in the Lord being able to find strength and overcoming the trials and obsticals of life.
I loved the Work and Glory series. I have read it several times. It too tells of people overcoming incredible odds through their faith and perseverence.
Reading has been a joy in my life. I am so thankful for the many many really good uplifting books that help one get through life and see the good that is all around us and to better understand ourselves and others around us.

the chaos

When we have a family get together, it appears to be total chaos.
There are small groups of adults and children scattered all over having various conversations or games or activities going at the same time.
I love it. I can walk around and stop and catch a little of what is going on in each area.
I see cousins playing, even with little ones walking through the game. They just pick up the pieces and keep going. the little ones can wander around and still have the security of moms or dads and yet explore new things and new people. They get scooped up and kissed and let back down to continue their travels around the house.
The guys gravitate in one place and sports will be discussed, again little ones wandering in and out of the tall people.
The women tend to group and talk, garden, recipes, babies, upcoming weddings, sharing ideas and the newest milestone of a child, etc.
As I walk around and observe, what I see is a family of all ages interacting and spending time together. There are loud conversations, a lot of laughter, teasing and squeals of babies.
It is loud and chaotic to some but, to me, it is one of the most wonderful sounds there is.

If I have to share my husband

I was reading Alisha's comments about a husband being gone alot. It brought back memories of when my husband was a Bishop and then in the Stake Presidency. It was really hard at times but I always felt if I had to share my husband, I would so much rather it be with the Lord than so many other things that some women experience.

A friend told me years ago that it was better to have 10% of a 90% man than 90% of a 10% man. I have come to appreciate that fact.

So those who are blessed with a 90% man, especially in the church, we can be thankful that it is the Lord we are sharing him with.

It is still hard, but it is worth it and each will be blessed for that sacrifice. I felt the Lord was mindful of me and blessing me with strength when needed and that He was also blessing our family

When I stand before the Lord one day and am asked if I willingly helped and supported my husband in his service for to Lord, I want to be able to say, yes.

Thanks Alisha for sharing your thoughts.

A Parable and Motherhood

A PARABLE

I took a little child’s hand in mine. He and I were to walk together for a while. I was to lead him to the Father. It was a task that overcame me, so awful was the responsibility. And so I talked to the child of the Father. I painted the sternness of His face, were the child to do something to displease Him. I spoke of the child’s goodness as something that would appease the Father’s wrath. He walked under the tall trees and I said that the Father had power to send them crashing to the ground struck by His thunderbolts. We walked in the sunshine; I told him of the greatness of the Father who made the burning blazing sun. And one twilight, we met the Father. The child hid behind me. He was afraid. He would not look up at the face so loving; he remembered my picture. He would not take the Father’s hand; I was between the child and the Father. I wondered, I had been so conscientious, so serious.

I took a little child’s hand in mine. I was to lead him to the Father. I felt burdened with the many things I had to teach him. We did not ramble; we hastened from one spot to another spot. We compared the leaves of the different trees. While the child was questioning me about it, I hurried him away to chase a butterfly. Did he chance to fall asleep, I awakened him; lest he should miss something I wanted him to see. I poured into his ears all the stories he ought to know, but we were interrupted often by the wind a blowing, of which we must study, by the gurgling brook which we must trace to its source. And then in the twilight, we met the Father. The child merely glanced at Him and then his gaze wandered in a dozen different directions. The Father stretched for His hand. The child was not interested enough to take it. Feverish spots burned his cheeks. He dropped exhausted to the ground and fell asleep. Again, I was between the child and the Father. I wondered. I had taught him so many things.

I took a little child’s hand in mine, to lead him to the Father. My heart was full of gratitude for the glad privilege. We walked slowly, I united my steps with the short steps of the child. We spoke of the things the child noticed. Sometimes we picked the Father’s bright flowers and stroked their soft petals and loved their bright colors. Sometimes it was one of the Father’s birds. We saw the eggs that were laid. We wondered, elated at the care it gave its young. Often we told stories of the Father. I told them to the child and the child told them to me again. We told them, the child and I over and over again. Sometimes we stopped to rest, leaning against one of the Father’s trees, and letting His cool air cool our brow, never speaking. And then in the twilight, we met the Father. This child’s eyes shone. He looked lovingly, trustingly, eagerly up into the Father’s face. He put his hand into the Father’s hand. I was for the moment forgotten. I was content.Jean BetznerEspecially for Mormons Vol. 1

I have always loved this Parable since the first time I read it. Today especially on Mother's Day I was thinking of it and how it could apply to Mothers.
Being a Mom can be bitter sweet. If you do a good job and raise strong independent children, the day will come when they wont need you as they once did. They will be able to stand on their own feet and live their own lives.
Sometimes we fear that day and feel that we will lose that special bond that was there when they were little.If we understand that they are not ours but are Heavenly Fathers and our job is to help them learn to depend on HIM and not us, then we can better understand what true joy is as a parent.Like in the parable, sometimes we need to be careful to not come between the child (at any age) and the FATHER.
If we truly love our children, we will do all that we can to lead them to the FATHER and step back and have joy in seeing them become true sons and daughters of God.
I am so very thankful for the privilege of being the earthly mother to 8 wonderful individuals. Each one has grown up to be pretty neat people. They are doing wonderful jobs with their children. They are living good lives and no longer need me as they once did. I am proud of each and every one of them. They each know the Lord and are living the Gospel.
I am content.

tall and lanky

I was looking through my old pictures and came across this picture of my mother's daddy (Granddaddy Andrews) and my daddy.

I was reminded of when one of the soccer dads Mr. Frakes, wanted to take James home and fatten him up. He was totally serious. I think he thought since we had so many kids that he wasn't getting enough to eat.

I assured him that James came by his tall lankiness through his family and wouldn't fill out until he was older. Both of my grandfathers, my daddy and my husband and his dad were tall and thin until they got into their 30s and 40s.

My daddy had dark skin and dark hair with a tendency to curl. David and James got his coloring and curly hair.

Of course, I took after my Granny. Short, plump and straight hair. How fair is that? Oh well, at least I will always look up to my husband and my sister says I got the little feet and she got long skinny ones.

ABCs of Me

Sometimes I like these kinds of things but I like to change a few things


A - Attached or Single: Attached for 42 years and still loving it, it is the best thing that I ever did. I have been attached since I was 18 and have never regretted it.
B - Best Friend: my husband, because he loves me enough to tell me even the things I don't want to (but need to) hear and next is my sister and my grown children, they are such good people.
C - Cake or Pie: Cake with tons of icing, especially chocolate but I wouldn't turn down apple pie either.
D - Day of Choice: Wednesday, it is the day that my husband and I serve in the Holy Temple and be an instrument to bring eternal joy to others both living and those who have passed on. Next would be Sunday when I can go to church and feel the spirit and learn things I need to change in my life to be more like my Savior becasue that is when I feel the best about myself.
E - Essential Item: the scriptures, a day isn't complete without time spent there
F - Favorite Color: definitely red, I love it
G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: bears
H - Hometown: Waco, Texas but haven't lived there since I married. Huntsville and Meridianville Al. since we have lived there the longest
I - Indulgence(s): I have to have a Butterfinger Blizzard once in while and a Snowball (a small chocolate cake, with filling in the center,covered in icing and coconut)that is pure sugar
J - January or July: January, it gives me the opportunity to start a new year fresh and move forward and not look back at past mistakes
K - Kids: Ah, where to start, Barry my first born and an example of strength at an early age; Dawn the first daughter and ray of sunshine when things were tough; Misty the miracle baby (my firstborn after joining the church and having had a tubaligation reversed) ; Nathan (name means gift of God) the hardest to raise but the strongest in disposition ; Cari, the most beautiful baby and my reward for not killing Nathan; James, so like the beloved Grandparent that he is named for; Jared such a beautiful little boy and sweet spirit, loves to pick on and tease his mother; David, name means Beloved and as the youngest of 8 had the most bosses and critics in his life and truly was looked forward to and has been beloved.
Each child was wanted, looked forward to and has been a source of joy through the years and have given me wonderful sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and grandchildren that are wonderful to behold.
L - Life is incomplete without: without feeling close to my best friend
M - Marriage Date: 27 May 1966
N - Number of Siblings: one, an older sister, who after my husband is my very best friend
O - Oranges or Apples: a wonderful expression to describe differences of opinion, I like both and have found both have value in relationships
P - Phobias or Fears: that my husband will give up on me
Q - Quote: Only one life, will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.
R - Reason to Smile: when one of my children realizes on their own, they messed up and then learns from it and moves on; not needing my help or advice
S - Sappy or Adventure Movies: Here is one of my changes, I don't like the word sappy as if a moving, uplifting movie is silly or trivial. I love a movie that touches your heart, makes you cry and that you are better for having seen it. Where the goodness of a person and life is depicted. I like adventure movies with lots of action and heros that win over the bad guys. I really dislike movies that only depict the dark side of people or life.
T - Tag: anyone who wants to go back and change anything
U - Unknown fact about me: wow, whats not to know, I am pretty open and especially my husband and kids know me pretty well, I may come up with something later or maybe one of my kids can chip in.
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: this is one that bugged me a little, as if eating meat makes you an oppressor of poor little animals. I don't make fun of people who eat only plants. If you don't eat meat, fine. Just don't try to make me feel like I am a murderer becasue I do. Apples and oranges.
W - Worst Habit: working outside or reading a book instead of cleaning my house
X - Xrays or Ultrasounds: apples and oranges, but don't ask me about mammagrams.
Y - Your Favorite Foods: sonic hamburgers, pizza, hotdogs (really), mexican, anything chocolate
Z - Zodiac: have no idea, never really understood or got into signs

Sisters

This is Patricia Kaye and Barbara Ann. This is the way it was and still is. Me and my big sister. (Only now we are about the same size) She was 2 1/2 years older than me. She was tall and thin and I was short and round. She was the easy going, good one, I was usually in trouble.
Her toys and dolls lasted forever, mine were used up, torn up and gone within days. She was obedient and I stretched the limits and broke the rules.
We fought alot, usually because I pushed all of her buttons then we both got spanked. Poor Pat, she got it even when I started it.
We were both very much Daddy's girls. Our Daddy made things for us. He was a jack of all trades and never threw things away if he thought it was useful. He salvaged alot of things and made us a swing set and a teetertotter out of wood he salvaged.
Mother sewed most of our clothes when we were little. We had some really cute outfits for that day. We had lots of older cousins and we had alot of hand me downs. We thought it was cool. Mother made costumes for us when we were in school plays or programs. I was an angel once and she make my costume, another time I was in an arabian knight kind of play and she made me a little vest and bloomer type pants.
We walked to and from school unless the weather was bad. Pat went to 6 schools and I went to 3. She would go to a school and then they would build a new one, I got to go to the new school. That happened in elementary, junior high and high school.
My sister and I have talked alot about our childhood. We both felt loved and protected by our parents. They sacrificed alot for each of us in numerous ways.
We were the oldest grandchildren on the Andrews side and kind of in the middle on the Price side. We grew up in the same town with both sets of grandparents and had sleep overs at their houses often. We had lots of aunts, uncles and cousins around.
We were spanked when we did something wrong but when we reached a certain age, Daddy would sit us down and talk to us, explaining what he expected and when he was disappointed in our behavior or choices. We would rather he have beat us than to talk to us.
When we were growing up my sister was called Kaye (actually Kaye baby). She didn't go by Pat until she was a teenager. Even today, older family members still call her Kaye.
We are alike in some ways and totally opposite in others but have always been close and especially these past few years, we are best friends and are there for each other.
I am so very thankful for my big sister. She makes me laugh and we have fun just being together.
We have rubbed off on each other. She is more forceful and outspoken and I have learned to be more patient and not to over react.
We have both come a long way through the years and we are still best friends.
I am so thankful for my sister.

memories of Papa and Mama Price

This is Jessee Alfred (Papa Price) and Mary Ellen Westbrook (Mama Price), they are my Daddy's parents. The picture on the left is my favorite picture of Papa. He loved to sit on the front porch in his rocking chair and watch the people and cars go by for hours on end. I loved going over to their house when I was little but it got pretty boring when I got older.

the picture on the right is of Papa and Mama Price. He died when I was 12. I remember going over to their house frequently and the grown ups sitting on the front porch and visiting. There was a porch swing to the right on the porch that was all of the kids favorite.

Papa was a simple man. He had worked hard and raised a large family of 9 kids on a farm. There was 7 boys and 2 girls, my Daddy was number 5. My Daddy really loved his daddy. He said he was strict and believed in the belt but was fair.

When we would visit, my mother would fuss about us girls always getting our clothes dirty. He would tell her " Lucille, don't go fussing at those girls, a little dirt in their craw wont hurt them." I don't think my mother appreciated the advice but I sure did. I loved playing outside and the harder we played the dirtier we got.

Mama Price would make us butter and sugar sandwiches. Sounds gross now but we loved them. I am sure we got sugar all over the place. My mother would lecture us before we would go over to their house and tell us not to ask for anything. As we were all sitting on the front porch, we would watch Mama Price and if she went into the house, we would follow her. It is like this, if you mother can't see you it is OK to ask. Once we had the sandwiches Mother couldn't say much. We knew we would get in trouble when we got home but it was worth it.

There was a huge pecan tree in the front yard. Us kids would pick up the pecans and take them in the house and crack and shell them. Papa had an old cracker that clamped on the end of the table and then you would turn the handle and it would screw down on the pecan and crack it. It took a lot of pecans to make a pecan pie because we usually ate as we shelled. Mama Price could make a mean pecan pie.

Mama Price kept peppermint candy, not my favorite but what the heck, back then candy was candy.

She kept salamie lunch meat, the kind with the peppers in it. I really didn't like it but back then you never complained about what you were given to eat. I always picked out the peppers, yuk. I still do not like salamie but it reminds of her.

We thought the lady who lived next door was really mean. She didn't want us anywhere near her yard. She kept a canary in a cage on her back porch. We always thought it was odd that such a mean old lady had such a pretty sweet sounding bird.

We walked around the neighborhood alot and collected empty soft drink bottles. When we found enough, we would take them to the little local store and cash them in and buy a candy bar or a soft drink. We would punch a hole in cap of the drink with an ice pick and shake it up and make it fizz and try to squirt each other. It was great fun.

There was no TV then. We played all kinds of games outside most of the time. We played monopoly alot. We could keep a game going forever.

Mama Price was good to us in her own way. She had worked hard all of her life and playing was not something she did much. We still liked going over to her house. After Papa died my sister and I went over there frequently and spent alot of our summers at her house so she wouldn't be alone.

It is amazing how many memories there are of that old front porch. There are so many things that trigger thoughts of those times, front porches, rocking chairs, porch swings, monopoly, pecans, old pop bottles, peppermint, canaries, and even salamie.

By the way, thanks Barry

Barry, thanks for setting things up so we can go to one place and see all of the newest posts from the family's blogs. I really like that. thanks

James Andrews

This is my Granddaddy. His name was James Andrews. He was tall and lanky, quiet, easy going, loved to tease and loved his family and babies. He came from a large family. They were all fun loving and easy going people.

He and my Granny had 11 children but only 4 lived. My mother was the first baby to live. She was named after him (Jimmie Lucille) Grandaddy would iron her clothes and dress her. My Aunt used to tease that Jim thought that was his baby and not Betty's.

When I was growing up, he was always in the background. Granny was the talkative fiesty one and the one everyone saw the most.

He was hardworking and just loved being at home. If he never left home for months on end, he was happy, he gardened and tinkered with and built things. He was the happiest at home in his little house.

I never saw him mad. I am sure that he had his times, but he never showed it in front of us kids.

It wasn't until after my Granny died that I really got to know him.

When my mother worked the night shift, she would stop off at his house on her way home. He would make breakfast for her and they would visit.

When my husband was stationed in Korea and I lived in Waco, I would go over to Grandaddys and have breakfast with him and my mother. He dearly loved to have Misty (3)and Nathan(just a baby) over. He always had orange juice and vanilla wafers for them. He loved to hold them and would say over and over "too sweet, too sweet"

He had a little black dog called Buster that he dearly loved. That little dog was his life after my Granny died.

I am so very blessed to have had such great grandparents and such wonderful memories of good times and being loved.

Cute kid

Is this a cute kid or what? Does she look like anyone else in the family?

Granny's house

OK it is one of those nights when I couldn't sleep again. I decided to try one more time to bring up the picture of my Granny's house.

When people comment about the size of their house, I remember this little house. this was my Granny's house. It was a square. If you divided it into four equal parts you had a tiny living room at the front right with just enough room for a small couch, a recliner and a TV, one tiny bedroom to the back right with just enough room for a bed and dresser, a dining area to the left of the living room with a table and chairs with about a foot and a half between the table and the wall and a kitchen in the back left area. they built on another small bedroom off of the back of the house. the bathroom was a tiny tiny little room sandwiched between the kitchen wall and the bedroom wall. there was a toilet and an old clawed foot bathtub. That was it, the whole house.

We had family get togethers there often. No one ever complained about it being too small. We just spilled out into the yard and we ate in shifts. No one worried about the size of their house. Everyone just made the most of what they had.

the grandkids loved to stay the night. We slept on pallets on the floor made of quilts and thought it was cool.

My granny loved wrestling. You knew if you were at Granny's on wrasling night not to get between her and the TV. She got really excited and would fuss at the ones she thought were bad guys and taking advantage of the good guys. It was more fun watching her than the wrestlers. She bought into the hype, hook line and sinker. Whenever I see the wrestling shows and all of the hoopla, I think of her and smile.

I have wonderful memories of that tiny little house and of a small woman who was my Granny. There was so much fun and love packed into that house. It's size just didn't matter.

what the heck is an aggregator?

Ok I will show my ignorance and my dictionary is still in a box somewhere
On the Maiocampo the Site, the word aggregator is used.
What the heck is an aggregator.
Just curious.
By the way am I the only one who doesn't know what it means?
Just wondering.

cute and pudgy

I am still trying to figure out how to use this thing. I just picked a picture and tryed to get it to post. Hopefully I will remember what I did.
Wow what a cute family. This is my Mother, Jimmie Lucille, my Daddy, Buford Raymond Price, my sister Patricia Kay on the left and the cute little pudgy one on the right is me. This picture was taken in March of 1950 making me 2 years old and Pat was 4, my mother was 26 and my dad was 33.
We are standing in front of the first home that I remember on Barron Street in Waco, Texas. We rented this house until I was 5 and my parents bought a small house on Pine Avenue in Waco.
One memory that I have of this house is being on the front porch and it was raining, My sister and I were coloring and I got mad at her and threw the colors off of the porch and got a spanking for it. I remember getting spankings frequently. (Sound familiar?)
Another memory I have is laying in my crib (which by the way I was still sleeping in when we moved to the new house) and being afraid of animals being in the room. I just knew that if I faced the wall, they wouldn't get me but if I turned away from the wall, they would. I remember laying there and being afraid to turn over but eventually falling asleep and they would be gone in the morning.
I remember one Christmas and some people brought us stockings full of fruit and nuts. Fruit was not as plentiful as it is now and was a real treat especially oranges.
There was a fence at the back of the house and a little girl lived on the other side. We always wanted to play with her but weren't allowed to. Not sure why, I will have to ask my Mother if she remembers it.
Some things change and some things stay the same, pudgy then, pudgy now but still cute.

such a little thing, so much joy

Ok if you didn't know that I was sometimes weird, now you have proof. I am so very happy. Dad got my chipper shredder up and running today. Now, not only can I chop down trees, I can actually shred them into little bits and make mulch. What fun.
I am so happy.
Plus whatever wont chip or shred, will certainly BURN, my other fun obsession.
I am off to tackle the jungle and make it mine.

Take that!!!!!

I am on a mission to stamp out poison ivy. I take great joy in seeing the little buggers begin to wilt and pass away. How dare they infringe on my woods! Between me and my trusty concoction, I will win the day and take back the ground that was lost.
Next will be the occasional vine and scrub trees.
I will prevail.
Take that poison ivy.!!!!!!

shedless

give the man even a small sledgehammer and he thinks he is a destruction derby. Of course I had got it started by taking off the siding on the bottom but couldn't reach the top ones. Sledge hammers are such fun things. Dad went out today and took out the shed, literally. He took the sledge hammer and knocked out the upper siding and then pushed what was left over.
The shed is no more.
It wont be missed, it was pretty ugly and we now have a nice shady spot. It needs a little work but has potential to be a nice spot of fix up.
Dad salvaged some of the wood and the tin roofing and I burned the rest. I absolutely love to burn.
Man, I wish there was a use for poison ivy. Mine is back with a vengence. None one day and gobs the next. Drat. Me and roundup are on it. I do think yards double in size though. I got most of it sprayed except the woods behind the house to the right. I ran out of roundup. The good news is it hasn't come back where I sprayed before. So I am making progress.
Did I tell you I hate rose bushes. I still have several wild ones and they grab and scratch and grow by leaps and bounds. I hate rose bushes.
I have one flower bed to the right of the porch ready to put in bushes and flowers. Hurray. One down and two to go. My goal is to get flower beds across the front and end of the house and the island area between the house and the driveway. That will be the extent that my energy and budget can handle this year.
Boy, now I gotta paint that awful pinkish shed.
Well enough for now. I have bored everyone enough.

handsome devil

The guy on the right in the picture is my father. You can get an idea of what he was like then by the way he is wearing the hat and the expression on his face.
He had a fun sence of humor and liked to tease. The other guy is someone he met in training. They had not meet before but got to be good buddies while stationed together.
My mother had to take extra tucks in the pants for him to keep them up. Some of my sons have his dashing figure, good looks and sense of humor.
OK I hope I can figure out what I did, so I can use more pictures. Wish me luck.

My grandmothers house

I was looking at some old family pictures. I found a picture of my Grannys house (which of course I can't get to upload). It was the tinyest little house that you could imagine. We had lots of family get togethers there. The house was so small that everyone couldn't fit inside at the same time. There were chairs set outside under the shade tree for visiting. The men would gather in one place and the women would gather in another. The kids would play outside most of the time. There was always a cool breaze in the front yard under the trees. There was a metal glidder to sit on. When it was time to eat, we ate in shifts. Usually the men ate first, then the kids and the women ate last. There was always enough food to go around. There was never a question of where we would gather, it was usually at Grannys house. It never bothered anyone that the house was so very small. They just worked around it. The kids usually played outside and the grown ups gathered around the kitchen table and outside in the shade. It wasn't the size of the house that made it special, it was what went on there. There was grandparents, aunts, uncles and kids all together. We laughed, played, cooked and cleaned up together.
I have such wonderful memories of that tiny little house. I hope to find a way to show a picture of it one day.

couldn't sleep

Well It is 2:41am, I am tired but can't sleep so I might as well do something constructive.
Most of my kids have blogs which I enjoy visiting so thought I would give it a try.
I don't have any cute pictures or anything so this will be pretty plain for now but that kind of suits me. I like things plain and simple and as easy as possible.
I am going to play around and see what all I can do, so bear with me and maybe it will actually get better and worth checking out on occassions.