Weekend review

How was your weekend? Mine started early Friday with a trip to Jasper's Elkfest. Where I tasted fresh pork rinds and visited the Blue Mountian Bakery.  After, working Friday night I came home to find Beth waiting up for me to chat for a little while. Saturday, Mom and Mike and I went picking wild rasberries on a side of the mountian. We were back by 7:30 and fixed some good ol' chocalate gravy for the kids. Then I took Beth, Jodie,Shane, and Lauren to float the river between Hasty and the Blindy Hole. When I picked them up, it was warm enough to go for an unplanned swim in the river.Meaning I put my beer and book down and jumped in with my clothes on. Saturday night we had pizza and beer for supper. Then, Mom and Mike met some friends at Elkfest and Dwight helped his dad repair the tractor and got going baling some hay.Mom and Mike danced the night away at Elkfest and the kids went to a camp fire/campout down by the creek. Sunday up early to finish baling hay and haul the hay. Then blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Then we took Mom and Mike to Sam's throne(see picture above)-a place full of memories for me-where I first rapelled and the scout troop built the park there. Then fixed burgers and fries for lunch and out to the garden to pick squash and turnips. Then saw everybody off. Now after 2 loads of laundry, and putting some squash in the freezer, I'm headed to bed early.

"Like My Mother Does" by Lauren Alaina

people always say i have a laugh
like my mother does
guess that makes sense
she taught me how to smile when things get rough
i've got her spirit
and she's always got my back
when i look at her
i think i wanna be just like that
when i love, i give it all i got
like my mother does
when i'm scared, i bow my head and pray
like my mother does
when i feel weak and un-pretty
i know i'm beautiful and strong
because, i see myself
like my mother does
i never met a stranger,
i can talk to anyone
like my mother does
i let my temper fly
but she can walk away, when she's had enough
she sees everybody, for who they really are
i'm so thankful for her guidance
she's helped me get this far
when i love, i give it all i got
like my mother does
and when i'm scared, i bow my head and pray
like my mother does
when i feel weak and un-pretty
i know i'm beautiful and strong
because, i see myself
like my mother does
she's a rock
she is grace
she's an angel
she's my heart and soul
she does it all
when i love, i give it all i got
like my mother does
and when i'm scared, i bow my head and pray
like my mother does
when i feel weak and un-pretty
i know i'm beautiful and strong
because, i see myself
like my mother does
i hear people saying
i'm starting to look
like my mother does

or you can listen to the song on the radio like I did

Father's Day

I've been lucky when it comes to Dad's. My father is great and my stepdad is one of the best stepdads ever. My first father-in-law loved me as one of his own and so does my new father-in-law. And you can learn a lot from a dad- he can teach you to shoot, laugh when you shoot a deer blind, and build custom bullets to make your shooting even better. Dad can give you a ride in a motorcycle or an airplane. He can scare people with his guns. So I'm thinking about dads and what they do and I wonder Dad ... do you remember
singing CCR-"looking out my back door" til you drove us crazy?
Grounding me and making me wash the motorcycle-til it shone-even between the spokes?
Do you remember having a little bit too much to drink and bouncing on the trampoline with a noodle and the grandkids?
Teaching Lauren to drive a stick?
Teaching Paul to hunt?
Teaching Connor to widdle?
Walking me down the isle repeating over and over-it's not too late-we can still make a run for it?
Sending us from the dinner table when we couldn't quit laughing?
I remember all of those times . I'm so glad that there's so many memories and look forward to making even more.But, I don't think Lee will let you teach Hopper to widdle. Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Connor's visit

just hanging out

at the bridge at Cotter

Hi ya'll

Things I've learned recently

1. I'n not as young as I once was-only had 4 hours sleep last night and eternal rest sounds pretty good right now.
2. It's really not necessary to wear my glasses in the shower-they don't do much good and I should know where everything is at by now.
3.It's hard to wipe sweat from your eyes with those glasses on.
4.My arms have shrunk because it's harder to paint my toenails now.
5.I can drink eight cups of coffee long before I will ever drink eight glasses of water.

Is he the one?

One of my girls asked:"Mama, think he's the ONE for me?"
I wish I was really Johnny on the spot and answered-what does your heart tell you or even better what is God telling you. But, I screwed up and just said-does he make you happy?
But then I redeemed myself just a wee bit because I told her when you find love in your twenties forever can be a really, really long time.
I wanted to tell her that you can't find the love of your life so early,but  when I think of Marty and Mike and a couple of others-I just can't. There are some people that have been married over 60. years and love their spouse with every fiber of their being. It happens-not very often, but it happens.  I asked Mr. Schuller if there was anything he needed-and he told me the only thing he ever needed was standing in the doorway-there stood his wife of 65 years.I still believe in love in first sight, happily ever after, and dreams come true-and if this man is her dream. Then I learn to deal with it and wish her the best, but if he breaks her heart-I'm kickin' some ass. With that said, I feel much better about the whole subject.

Back yard

This the view from the back yard. Dwight has a new camera-can't wait to play with it!

Signs, signs, every where signs

So, I'm at work watching the weather channel-it plays constantly. Jim Cantore is touring the bayou and drove by a sign that read (and I'm serious) "Warning Alligators are Dangerous"- this cracks me up. Bet the same sign company made signs that read "Warning River is Wet" and "Warning Volcano is Hot". Do alligators look cute and cuddly to morons?
Maybe they think the alligator has his mouth open smiling and showing off his pearly whites. Grinning for the tourist cameras. More like getting ready to eat the cameras and arms attached.

Goodbye 1983

My mom brought a couple of boxes with my things in them. I started going through the boxes and have decided that my research papers from 1983 can be shredded. Same goes for the love letters and a couple of pictures best forgotten. I wish I could say I was just shredding one paper but I kept several and have no idea why. Those nuns certainly made me write a lot.

Thoughts and Prayers

These are my thoughts and prayers going out to my sister as she loses her sister-in-law. I know she's hurting and I wish I could make the hurt go away. She's crying for her neice and nephew as they lose the only mother they've ever known and knowing how hard she's crying makes me cry too.  I pray that her death ends the suffering for that family and that it doesn't fall on someone's birthday.  I don't know how to lose a mother or a daughter and my heart breaks for these children and their grandparents. I wish there were some magic words to say to make everything better-but no words can take away the pain or grief-so I'm asking God to speed it up. Make things better for these people.Please.