Memorial Service

Today I attended my friend's mom's memorial service. It was amazing and beautiful. J. had to go with me as it was a crazy day and we were all in so many places............on the way home he asked me if we had to go to church tomorrow because we had surely been today!!!! I laughed and said, of course we are going tomorrow,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but secretly, that memorial felt more like Church and worship than I have felt in a long time.................my friend's whole family sang "Amazing Love,,,,,,how can it be........that you, my God, would die for me"...........3 siblings and 19 grandkids..........all committed Christians and amazing...........I have never seen a family like that.......they ALL talked about how the Grandmother had prayed for them daily...........it was incredible..........................J. still has to go to church tomorrow...........

Friday..........at last

The kids and Chris in front of the River..............we close on the property in March......
This is a view of our "wheat farm"standing at the river front looking toward the road..........See Chris in the distance? On another note, we went to the Rascal Flatts concert last minute last night.................very fun and a good time to get away from the real world...........we sat in the Northwestern Box and in the Box next to us was John Grisham.................He seemed to enjoy Rascal Flatts too........very fun.

The River

That picture at the top of my blog? It's of the river place we want to buy..............today the guy accepted our offer................if all goes well, we close in mid March..............now something else to take care of!!! I'm just glad it's NOT in Charlottesville...........needing a break from the madness here.

Snow Day

J. taking pictures

Old Mrs. Poe

Yesterday, I was trying to calm an unmedicated ADHD 15 year old boy who by the way has an electronic tracker from the courts on his leg, down in my office...........
I was also trying to bribe him to go back to his classroom and get some work done.............
A girl in his class had raised havoc and he was agitated. He told me he couldn't put up with what teachers had to put up with. I told him it was really hard, but we were all here because we cared. He told me I should retire. I told him I was 44 and couldn't retire till my 60's................ He then got this look in his eyes............after he told me I was much older than his parents and was therefore really old.................it dawned on him that I could still be here when his kids are in school............He then went into a dialog with his future son about "Old Mrs. Poe" from his own school days.................. If I am still here then, somebody shoot me!!!

Wrestling Senior NIght

2 AM........ugh

2nd night in a row I can't sleep.............my mind is racing.......my job is way too stressful.......I actually miss selling silver right now...........have pics of T.'s senior night wrestling I am too tired to download and post right now............
on another note......
I have several blogs I read.....and they all want lots of people reading them. I actually don't. I post for me and a few family members and friends.......it kind of freaks me out to think somebody I don't know is reading my rambling on. I have been a bit put off lately by all these women bloggers having give aways and offering prizes if you read their blogs............so strange to me. I do know that some women are making lots of money posting............because of the advertisements, but I still don't trust strangers on the internet..............I attract weirdos in real life!!! Here is one of the comments a kid at school made to a teacher today................."Cancel my subscription......................................I don't want your issues".....................I will be using that on a few people tomorrow (uh.....later today), I assure you.

My Kitchen

The kitchen is definitely more me(see previous post). This is the plate my Great Great Aunt Mamie homesteaded with in Texas. She was always a little scary to me. She wore lady gloves and had big hats and seemed very proper............even to a 4 year old.........but she would have tea parties with me.....her sister, Aunt Cora, was the first female bank president in the state of Texas...............
My Texas Star from Florence, Texas.....
You can't see this well, but it is my Oklahoma plate from Frankoma pottery...............
T and E got Western gear from Grandma one year and we had to have their picture taken........still bothers me J has never been to a rodeo..................

I am rambling.....

This is the print I remember the most from my Mom's house..............................hey!!! if you are reading this, put my name on the back of it!!!! (Now my sister will want it to!)
My kids have this on the walls of their den....................the Virginia hunt and Robert E. Lee's "Loneliness of Command" picture.

I grew up with this kind of stuff on the wall...................

Martin Luther King Day

Today is Martin Luther King Day...............but Friday was Lee-Jackson Day here in Virginia........2 great Generals of the Civil War. Seems strange to have these holidays so close together. T. will attend the college next year where Stonewall Jackson was a professor..................Lee was the president next door at Washington and Lee...........growing up in Oklahoma, we didn't talk about civil war generals too much............or Thomas Jefferson............(I feel the wrath of all Virginians at that remark. Thomas Jefferson is almost a god in this town)......We have a famous print of Robert E. Lee in our Den.....It is not mine I assure you.......................anyway, Friday was Lee-Jackson day.........today is Martin Luther King Day and tomorrow we inaugurate the first black President. Interesting.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Lee-Jackson Day is a holiday celebrated in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA, for the birthdays of Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. The original holiday, created in 1889, celebrated Lee's birthday. Jackson's name was added to the holiday in 1904. Lee-Jackson Day is currently observed on the Friday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and results in the closing of state offices such as the DMV.

Stress

Stress!!! Did you read the post below? That will explain a bunch....... How do I deal? Like any normal American woman.............shop...............but I am not spending money this month....or next.........or next.............so I am pretend shopping online............If I WERE shopping.......I would order the above 2 items............I love that anthroplogie shirt and the western roper boots from Sheplers....................they are both on sale..............so far I have held off..............stay strong! stay strong!

Real Life

I just signed the online guest book for two obituaries in today's paper...............One was the long suffering Mom of a dear friend and the other a Dad of one of Tucker's lacrosse buddies who mysteriously died December 21..........they just put an obit. in. The people down the street have 5 kids and the paper also listed that their house will be foreclosed on tomorrow at 2:30 on the courthouse steps..................another friend's husband is in the ICU, but she won't talk about why.........not sure what is up there and another friend called today in incredible pain over a family situation. My friend Susan is dealing with her cancer and we pray over email..............may sound silly, but she likes it.....got a long mass email from a friend who divorced....he was explaining why...I know a bunch of this is the economy and a bunch is just being middle aged...........and all of it is real life. All I know is God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow..................and He has a plan. For now, I have made everybody turn the tv's off and be still..........for just a little bit.............a break from the chaos and real world. I can hear the train going by outside and water dripping somewhere in the house...................we have chocolate cake and homemade chicken noodle soup............tonight we will have tostadas for supper and sit by the fire.................I need to appreciate the little things.

Dreaming of Gardens

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/exchind/

for my friends who love to garden and want seeds for FREE!!!

We Survived!!!

The 9th Birthday is Officially Over!!!! No more celebrating with tons of 9 year olds in freezing weather so they have to be inside too much!! I think I'll celebrate!

Need I Say More?

Virginia 22901

1°F

Current:Clear
Wind: N at 0 mph
Humidity: 83%

Sat

25° | 16°

Sun

36° | 23°

Mon

34° | 22°

Tue

It's 9:30 in the morning and it is 1 degree!!!!! I will not being going outside for quite awhile!! Ok, Missy............I know you live like this all the time, but I am a big baby!!!!

Old Rag Mountain

One of my goals last year was for our family to climb Old Rag about 30 minutes from here...........will have to be a 2009 goal!

8 degrees

8 degrees is what we have to look forward to today..................T and I are both sick with bronchitis still.................work is NUTS..............I have 10 nine year old boys coming over here this afternoon for 3 hours!!!!!!!!!!! so.........I am dreaming ahead to all the hydrangeas I planted last Fall...................and warm weather............and health.............

Happy Birthday!!!!

This woman is one of the reason's I like my job. She has such a hard job as a school counselor..........she is wise beyond her young years........and even after this birthday, you are still young!!!!..........she is beautiful and funny and real and loves the Lord.........and very southern.....little miss Georgia peach................and I am thankful for her on this day!!!

Happy Birthday J!!! You are 9!!!

His party isn't officially until Friday, but he took spudnut donuts to school for the class............yes I was in and out of the donut shop by 6:45 this morning..................He had to have 2 extra for his 1st grade and 2nd grade teachers..............his Kindergarten teacher isn't there anymore............At 2:00 I ran to the game store for the DS game he wanted and then ran across the street to the shoe store for some new fun shoes...................I got home and wrapped them plus the gifts from my Mother and Sister that had come and started baking a cake..............when he walked in off the bus at 3:30 with two friends he wanted to "just see his wrapped presents"............so glad I didn't wait till Friday at the official party..............He ate sphagetti and cake and played his new game all through dinner......................now to just get through 11 boys and a party on Friday.........when it is supposed to be 8 degrees!!!

It's only Tuesday?

This picture has nothing to do with my post below..............I was too busy to even touch my camera today......just thought this pic. was cute. The wrestling coaches grabbed J. as he walked by to go to the concession stand............they tickled him silly!!!! This has already been such a long week!!!....and it's only Tuesday!!! I had a meeting from 8:30-10:30..............worked in my office gathering information for an audit the state department is doing on my grant!!!!......had a crying teenager in my office, (not my own) 3 skipping teenagers, (again, not my own)..........met with 2 administrators, ran home to get J to the dentist to have his teeth sealed..........had a coughing fit in the hall of the dentist so severe a woman went to get me help...........(I am fine).........had an epiphany about how to make something at work more efficient while sitting in the waiting room...............called my boss to share..........took J for ice cream..........tomorrow he is 9...............got him to his haircut where he loves to gossip with the beauty shop ladies about "who he sees his brother kissing"..........rushed home to get E. to work and then back to the High School for a PTO meeting. I hate those things, but the President is a friend and needed me to go and vote to accept the findings of a report excusing him from improper election handling.........(GET a life people......it's the PTO and they are all volunteer)......anyway, rushed home and had to drag all the trash out............alone..........I am now in my pajama's and everybody is on their own..........I have an 8:00 meeting in the morning....and I have to go get donuts first for somebody's birthday!!!!

Bronchitis

Last Tuesday when this picture was taken I felt just great! According to the Dr. today I was very contagious on that day...........the day before I got a sore throat............today I sound horrible, feel horrible and am NOT contagious. I have bronchitis and fluid on the ears.........contagious or not, I might stay home tomorrow.....

J-a-rella

Remember that little incident last week when I had to scrub the undersides of my sofas? Somebody has to clean all the risers on all the stairs.............he said tonight that he felt like Cinderella and I was the wicked step mother............works for me!

Upward

J.'s first game was yesterday in Upward Basketball....................I was too busy talking to all the people I know, but Chris said he scored 12 points....................all I know is he had fun.

My baby is turning 9!!!

in only 5 days!!!

OUCH!

If you haven't already, read the post below first.................this just looks mean!!

What a REALLY expensive camera and a great person behind it can do........

We wrestled Monticello and Western last night. A friend's son wrestles at Monticello and he took some pictures for us..............T. won both matches. It's strange........even though my admiration for this sport is growing, I find it increasingly harder to watch.............had to take a walk a few times. I also was down near the mat with my camera with a boy next to me throwing up in a trash can...........in front of everybody............this sport takes an inner strength I don't think you have to have anywhere else. Somebody is trying to control you in front of a screaming crowd and you are twisted and hurting. They are crushing you and probably saying mean things in your ear......... I would freak out! Can't really explain it well right now, plus my throat is killing me...........off to get some coffee! Oh, I have to post about my dream the other night............I really hate dreams. In this one, I realize we have been so excited and have so many great feelings about VMI.........and then it hits me that I AM the one who is going there next year........I am really trying to tell myself it will be good for me, but I am increasingly upset that I don't think I can handle a military school..............and besides............I haven't been in school for years!!!! And then it hits me! I don't want to go to VMI and why am I anyway..........didn't I go to OSU years ago? Aren't I done? Then I wake up and realize T. is going, not me! Now I'll probably dream I have to wrestle somebody at districts or something.............I might rather go to VMI!

Exercise..............

They caught me................just like I catch them...................I guess it's only fair..........geesh!!! Can't even get some privacy to jump on my rebounder..........go ahead and laugh!!! I love my rebounder!!! It's an easy workout in front of the tv...........

Character Building?

All three of these men are HIGHLY competitive. All three have children who play a college sport...............2 of these men played basketball in college. One coached a high school girls team that went to states............one coached a division one college team and a NBA team.............one is a sports psychologist..................they have teamed up to coach a 7th grade group of kids from the city..................see the score (we are home)? That's the norm.................they have to pick up and take home most of these kids...................and have never seen a parent for most..............this may be more challenging than anything else they have ever tackled........