How do you answer these questions?

As many of you know, my older sister, Deb, has started blogging.
She just wrote a post that knocked the wind out of me!

Deb is the principal of an alternative school for children K-12.
I am awed as I watch her work...at the things that go on at her school...and her marvelous staff.
I thought I'd heard it all...until this.

Go give it a read, and then pray for our children!

ROCKIN' AND ROLLIN'

Not the musical kind!
A very good friend of mine is the director of the Weather Spotters Network in Western Ky, and he sends out weekly emails about what we can expect from Mother Nature in the coming week. This past few days has been loaded with alerts of wicked weather on the way.

When I got up this morning at 4:30, it was all most 80 degrees!
In late October?
Our normal temps for this time of year are about 45 degrees in the early morning.
The air was heavy, the wind was brutal....something was brewing!
When the sun came up, this is what I saw out my back door....

5 minutes later it looked like this...

and it only got worse from there!

If you look closely, you can see shingles blowing off houses!

This is right by my grand son's high school!

I think Mother Nature was mad!

We had many tornadoes touch down in our area this morning! A local moving and storage company lost it's roof, and there were some horses and cattle killed by falling trees....but not a single life was lost!

It seems that damage was pretty minimal considering how massive this system was!

It all blew over in about 30 minutes, and the temperature fell 25 degrees!

Now it's 56 degrees and raining.

Thank you Jesus for your protection over our city, and for our awesome Storm Intercept team that gave us a much needed heads up on this situation!

GOD IS GOOD!

On Cyber Sisters

Have you ever stopped to think about all of the blessings we receive through this modern technology called "cyber space" ?
There is a whole virtual word open to us through the Internet.
Some aspects are not so great, but depending upon the choices we make, a whole new beautiful word can be opened to us.
Take blogging for instance. I have met so many wonderful people in the blogosphere.

I had so much support, information, and love throughout my brother Mike's fight with kidney cancer.
I've followed a friend's journey through the birth of a daughter with Downs Syndrome, her fight with childhood leukemia, and the international adoption of another daughter with Downs.
I've learned about military deployments, rebuilding lives after major earthquakes, the salmon runs in Alaska, and life as they know it in foreign countries.

What I've learned is that we are all basically the same. Our skin color, language, and lifestyles may be a little different...but we are all just people on this journey called life. We all want to be loved, and we need each other.

About 12 years ago, when I was fairly new to the world of computers, I found Pogo.
I was in love...I'd found the Mecca of cyber space! lol
I could actually log onto my computer and play a game of canasta or bingo with people from Germany, France or Canada. Oh happy day!

Pogo has a little chat box set up in every game room. I admit, I was afraid of them at first. I lurked, and I laughed until I cried at some the things people said!
Sometime I didn't even play....I'd just log on to read the chat.
Then one day someone said something to me!
I didn't answer at first because frankly, it startled me.
I knew this person was supposed to be a woman, but her name was Dale. (not a common woman's name in the U.S.)
I had visions of a cyber perv or something.
I didn't know computers. This was all new to me! So I turned off my computer and ran!

After a few days, curiosity got the best of me. I logged back into Pogo. After all, the room I played in was called "Clean Chat"....it couldn't be all bad.

Dale was there, and again she approached me. This time I answered!
We chatted about the weather, where we lived (she's in Nova Scotia), and basically made small talk.
I liked her! She was so positive...she cracked silly jokes, and she was my kind of girl.
That was 12 years ago, and now I couldn't imagine my life without her in it!
She has become my cyber sister.

This is Dale with her husband Joe.

In the past 12 years, we have shared so many secrets,

and learned so much about each other.

We're the same age, we lost our mother's at the same time (of the same disease),

we have the same amount of siblings and children, we both love God and our families.....

We've shared our children grow and graduate ( this is their daughter Katie)

We've shared our children's weddings
This is Dale and Joe at their son Jeff's wedding.
He married another Katie!

And the birth of our Grandchildren

(I got mine first...nah nah)

Grammie with baby Alexandra

I could not love this woman more if she was my biological sister. I love her family as much as my own.
Even though we have never met "in person", Dale is my sister.....

and Dale has been diagnosed breast cancer!

She is "Fighting Like A Girl", and my heart is breaking!

I have one major goal in life right now, and that is to go to Nova Scotia and meet my cyber sister!

Being unemployed , I'm not sure how I will accomplish this, but I WILL!

I believe God put Dale in my life for a reason, and I believe HE will provide the way!

I Love You Dale!

You have brought so much joy to my life, and I will forever be grateful for our friendship!

FIGHT LIKE A GIRL AND I'LL SEE YOU SOON!

Some People!

In 2008, our community came together to build a park/playground for families to play, picnic, and basically have a great day in a safe place.
It really is a terrific place, and we take Lyric there to play a lot.
The whole park was built by volunteers with donations given by many local businesses.
This is just the entrance.

The park has castles, an old frontier town, tractors, a picnic shelter, a Frisbee golf course, bridges, and basically everything needed for a fun family day. It is used A LOT.

This afternoon, we went to the park to play and found this...

It seems that a group of "older kids" set fire to our playground yesterday morning.

I just don't get it!

One of our local firemen was there with his children this morning. He told us they found rags tied to sticks and soaked in gasoline at the fire.

I don't know why people have to be so cruel! This is a happy place!

Every child that came today was so upset. They were full of questions. We should not have to explain to 4 year olds (or anyone for that matter) why some people are so unkind!

What did it prosper those "Big Kids" ?

Despite the fire, a good part of the park was saved. The most damage was done to the city for 2-5 year olds.

You did NOT win...we WILL rebuild !

We played anyway!

Our children deserve better!

Kentucky Quilt Line

Isn't it funny how we take things for granted in our own home town?

A few weeks ago, my sister Deb and her friend Carla were here for a visit. We were out one day doing what we do best, shopping!

I live in a fairly small town in Western Ky, so most of the time we go to Nashville or one of the larger cities close by to shop. We were driving down the road and Deb said "What is that"?
Look...there's another....
I had no idea what she was talking about!
Then she pointed it out to me....the quilt squares painted on the barns.
I've seen these squares for years, and took them for granted. Of course I knew what they were, I just never stopped to look at them. I mean really look at them. They're beautiful!

They are part of The Kentucky Quilt Line Trail.

The trail is aimed at attracting visitors and tourist to the area. It actually started in Ohio when a woman painted a square on her families barn to honor her mother's passion for quilts. The trail now extends through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Iowa.

I'll never forget when my brother, Mike was still with us. We were driving him to a men's christian retreat weekend. We drove down a long country road that was mainly an Amish community. It showcased many of these quilt squares. Mike was in the back seat asleep (or so we thought).
Out of the middle of no where he starts screaming "hurry up, get us out of here"!
I asked him what the problem was, and he (with the most sober face he could muster) said "We're on Amish Gang Turf " !
Look....they've even marked their territory!
I thought I was going to wet myself laughing! Gosh I miss him!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of the barns in my area. (They aren't mine...I snitched them off of the website)

Our country is so rich in heritage and history. It's a shame that we get too busy to appreciate it!

Ten Commandments For Parents

A good friend sent me this yesterday. I thought it was worth sharing!

Ten Commandments For Parents:

1. My hands are small; please don't expect perfection whenever I make my bed, draw a picture or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you. Remember, it's our parental responsibility to teach and train our children how to do even the basics of life such as,how to make a bed, how to brush their teeth properly, how to prepare simple meals, how to dust and vacuum, but not expecting perfection in each task. As children learn each new life skill, give them opportunities to practice these in your own home, so young children and teenagers can feel good about themselves and build confidence in their own abilities.
2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely; don't restrict me unnecessarily. It should go without saying but,this advice does not include allowing our children such a wide berth of "freedom to explore" their surroundings in such a way that might put children at risk of being harmed or abused in some way.
3. Housework will always be there. I'm only little for such a short time...please take the time to explain things to me about this wonderful world and do so willingly.
4. My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs; don't nag me all day long. (You wouldn't want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness). Treat me as you would like to be treated. No matter how busy we are as parents, taking care of the home, jobs, and other duties, make sure you are taking/making the time to really listen to your children. Physically stop what ever you are doing when your child wants or needs to talk to you, rather than thoughtlessly telling your children you are "too busy right now", making sure you are giving your child undivided attention and looking directly into their eyes when they are speaking.
5. I am a special gift; please treasure me as my Creator intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by and disciplining me in a loving manner.
6. I need your encouragement, not just your praise to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.
7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my own mistakes. Then someday I will be prepared to make the kind of decisions life will require of me.
8. Please don't do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn't quite measure to your expectations. I know it's hard, but please don't try to compare me to my brother or sister. If you have the tendency to give your child a chore to do, but continuously follow closely behind to re-do the chore "your way", you might need to consider if you are really helping or enabling your child's efforts to grow and fully develop.
9. Please don't be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need a vacation from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it's a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special. Taking and making time to be alone with your spouse, over a weekend trip or during "date night" away from the kids, is beneficial for children as well as for married couples. It's so easy to get bogged down with various aspects of daily living that we may find the fire and romance in marriage, once enjoyed before the kids came along, begins to slip away from us.
10. Please set a good example for me to follow in all the ways of life. I enjoy watching the things you do and want to do them just like you do. The old saying "Children learn what they live" couldn't be more true, so make sure as parents that the attitude and behaviors children learn are the ones you really want your children to exhibit in their lives.

Our Princess

This is my heart outside of my body!

I learned a whole new love when my children were born. One I thought the Lord could never top! Oh how very wrong I was. After everything involved in birthing and raising children of our own...Chuck and I breathed a sigh of relief when we became "empty nesters". We looked back and were proud, not only of what we had done...but of the people our children had grown to be.

God is good!

Then......we were blessed far beyond anything we could ever imagine. Grandchildren!

Everyone knows how we feel about Jacob, our first...the boy!

BJ and Catherine surprised her mom and I on Mothers Day 2005 when our gifts were presented to us.Brenda's was in a blue gift bag, and mine in pink.
Sweet gift wrapping, but we thought nothing strange about it.

When we opened our gifts, Brenda got a blue sleeper with a matching blanket.
Mine was an identical gift in pink. Again....we didn't get it!
Ahhhh...but Chuck did! He jumped up with a look on his face that I had only seen once before and then the light bulb came on! They were having a baby!

December 15th of that year, we were blessed with Miss Olivia Lyric!
We thought the name a bit "different" at first....but we loved it!

Little did we know how much that name would suit her. She brings a song to our heart, and just the sound of her name is music to our ears!



OK, most of the time!

Lyric is so sweet. However she's NOT a "girly girl". She sings, she dances, and she tells the corniest jokes I've ever heard from a 4 year old! She is a very opinionated child, and woe is the person that disagrees with her. Do I see a lawyer in her future?

Her Paw Paw is her best friend,they "get" each other and have the same sense of humor.

She loves to spend the weekends with us, and we take advantage of that every chance we get.

We go places, read stories, and discuss all things I Carly and Sponge Bob...but we will not talk about Justin Bieber.....he stinks!

She rewrites the ending of all of her favorite shows.

She will sit and watch a television show, and tell us how she thinks it should have ended. See....opinionated!

A few Sundays ago at church, we were talking to Erin, one of our youth directors (who is expecting a baby this fall). Lyric asked Erin what the baby's name was going to be. She told us she wasn't sure because they didn't know the baby's sex yet. She went on to tell Lyric the names they had chosen depending on the baby's sex. THEN.....she asked what Lyric thought of those names.

With the most straight face the child could muster she told Erin that the boy's name was "awesome"... but "that girl's name is crap" !

I thought I'd just crawl under a chair somewhere and die!

Erin has since found out she's having a baby boy.....whew!

Her newest passion is ballet and tap class. She loves dressing up (but only for dance) and making noise with her shoes. We have spent the last few weekends with her teaching Nana how to do ballet positions, or somersaults! Not a pretty sight at 53 years old, but she tells me I do awesome!

I love this stage of my life. I get to be young again through my grand kids, and maybe even master those dance moves I was afraid to try as a young girl.

ODE TO MY GRANDSON

I was looking back over older blog posts today, and realized just how much things/we have changed since I started blogging! Just looking at the pictures on my header make me laugh. I really need to update my pictures. Chuck and I, as well as our kids don't look much different...but oh...my grand kids have changed!
Not only physically, but they are becoming such great people!
I thought I'd do a quick update on them. Today is Jacob's day!!

I just love this guy!! If God would have asked me to make a list of what I wanted in a grandson...I would not have changed a thing about him.
In the header picture he looks so little! Kristy says the "puberty fairy" came to visit him in the past year or so, and looking at these new pictures....I believe her!

Jacob is such an "old soul". I love that about him! He is all most 15 now, and has a true love for God, his family, BMX biking, and FOOTBALL! This is his freshman year in high school, and he's playing on 3 football teams. He starts on the Freshman team, plays JV and varsity!
Needless to say, our weekends are filled with tailgating, and cheering on the Wildcats! (that's one proud Pawpaw waving in the back).
I can't believe how much he's grown!
I tease Kristy about giving him an iv infusion of miracle grow before every game!

This is Jacob's second favorite pass time! The boy can do things on a bike that I never dared try on my two feet! He spends every chance he gets with his buddies at the skate park. Those times consist mainly of who can jump the highest, or take the biggest dare! UGH.... scares me to death!

What is it about boys and dares?

With all of these activities, he still finds time for his school work,

(he's consistently on the principals list) and he always has time to spend with his Pawpaw and Nana.

He even wrote on his Facebook wall that his Grandparents rock!

I was so honored!!

And...he still has tea parties with Lyric, or plays Dora when ever she wants.

Yes, I believe the Good Lord knew what he was doing when he gave babies to young women.....

I'll take grand kids any time!

Tomorrow....Lyric