Birthday Wishes to Me

I had a wonderful birthday celebration this year. The week OF my birthday, I got a card from my sister and my neighbor. The actual day started out with a funny card from Wayne. Then attending an estate sale with my good friend, Kathy, and afterwards lunch at Pizza Shack. The estate sale was from a friend of ours at church who passed away in December. I wanted something that she had painted on or made. She was very creative and talented. I got a round lamptable that she painted on and a trash can painted on and a small quilting she had made. Had many birthday wishes on facebook. Went to dinner with Mark, Lisa and the kids at the restaurant Mary Ann works at part-time. Good times!!! I went home the weekend after my birthday to celebrate the upcoming birthday of my dad the following Tuesday. Received a card from my parents with my birthday money. (still haven't spent it yet) Came home, Tuesday night and started preparing for Matthew, Ashleigh and kids coming the next weekend to celebrate my birthday as a family. (Wayne had to work the night of my birthday, so we postponed til the weekend he would be off. Matthew and family got here around midnight Friday night. Got to play with Maya a little and hold Baby Phoenix. (my how he looks like a Fuller boy) Found a picture of Wayne as a baby , saw there was a resemblance. Kept the kids Saturday night while they went to an outing. Maya is so full of energy, energizer bunny comes to mind. Phoenix has reflux problems as did Maya when a baby. Seemed holding him for the most part on my chest or Wayne's chest was satisfactory for him. Sweet baby boy. I sang at church the next morning and played with Maya at home and held Phoenix when he wasn't nursing or sleeping with his mommy. We all went to Mark and Lisa's for grilled hamburgers and ice cream cake. A little bit of margaritas was enjoyed by most everyone. (non-alchoholic for children and nursing moms) Rebekah did her impressions of everyone in the family. She's quite good, except she exaggerated me a bit, I believe. (wink, wink) More cards from the kids and gifts which was not necessary. I just love getting together with our family for good times.

I know this was probably boring, but I wanted to document before I forget. It can happen to the best of us. This is me labeling as I see it. I love my family.

WHO DAT???

I am bursting at the seams, I'm so happy for my home state. New Orleans Saints finally pulled it off. And what a good game it was.

Now, one might be thinking," hmm, is she a fair weathered fan? Never heard her speak of football before." No, I'm not. I've just never been passionate about any team since the Oilers let us down in 1978. I was all hyped up about them, got my boys all the oiler gear I could get my hands on, then PLOP!! Astros did the same thing to me. I just decided it wasn't worth it.

To be honest, I can attribute my pull for the Saints to 2 people--my dad and my cousin. I enjoyed watching LSU and the Saints play whenever I was home with my parents. And then there's my cousin...Sheri... Met up with her on Facebook after years of knowing nothing going on in her life. I quickly saw what stirred her up. LSU and Saints, also. She would comment and keep us up on the games, when we weren't able to see it. Honey, she could make an ant race seem exciting. Her enthusiasm is contagious.

So I started keeping up with the Saints and watching when I could. What a team and coach they have. Awesome!!!! Drew Brees is for sure on the radar now. He's up there with the best of them.

I am so glad something uplifting has happened for New Orleans. And for Louisiana. And of course for the Saints. They were the underdog for so long. It's been a long climb, but they finally made it to the top.

As for me? I will be watching all the Saints games in the future and being their #1 fan in this household.

That's the way I see it!! WHO DAT!!!!

Added the next night....just got thru watching the superbowl on NFL network again. I don't think it will ever get old. Such a great game..sweet!! through and through!!!! This time you could hear the coaches and players talking.

Now! THAT'S the way I see it. WHO DAT !!!

Tugs at My Heart

In May of last year, I wrote about my oldest friendship in Conroe going south. Well, her birthday is December 22nd and her anniversary is December 19th. And then there's Christmas. We always managed to get together sometime during the holidays. I tried to give her birthday gift seperate days away from celebrating Christmas. Last year, I tried to take her to Olive Garden, which she loves. She turned me down. I should have known something then, but shook it off.

Anyway, this Christmas holidays were a little emptier without her. I've always enjoyed going over while it's cold weather and sitting by the fire and drinking hot chocolate.

This Christmas brought even tougher things to deal with in the friendship category. While I was at my parents the Saturday before Christmas, (NOT enjoying the Saints game, I might add), my good friend Kathy was experiencing pain in her chest and spent that night in the ER. Not finding all this out until I got home, Monday morning. She ended up having a difibulator put in and going home on Christmas morning.

Now wait just a doggone minute, Lord. Please don't mess with this friendship. I have learned so much being her friend all these years. We have shed a good amount of tears and laughter. We became friends in church with Pioneer Girls. We got together for our kids birthdays and fun things. She's the one who hooked me up with Summer Family Bible Camp. I started going with the kids when Mary Ann was 5. That first year, she stayed with her Daddy, because the age wasn't until age 6. That pesky little rule said you had to turn 6 by Sept. 1st. She turned 6 in November. We were teachers and cabin counselors together. THAT'S for young people. No way could I do that now. We cleaned houses together and have a few humorous stories of our own. People knew that where you saw one, you'd soon see the other. Many people tried their hardest to figure we were kin to each other. Oh, did I not mention, her last name is Fuller, also? They'd guess mother-daughter, sisters, cousins. While we were at a Pioneer Girl Retreat, Mary Ann was looking for me, a lady told her "I don't know where your mom is but your grandma is just up the road in that cabin" Never even occurred to anyone that if we HAD been kin, it would have been by marriage. HA! Once, at a ladies retreat, we were asked to do a skit to the song "Sisters, Sisters". We had a blast.

Back to her condition:

She's still having some problems breathing and fatigue. There is fluid accumulated half way up around the left lung.She goes to lung specialist tomorrow. Hopefully to drain the fluid off. Please Lord, give the doctor wisdom to know what caused this. Others really depend on her to be around a while longer and Lord, she's my buddy. We've grown together in You, Lord. YOU are the reason we are such good buddies. Let me have her a while longer, please?

A Proud Christian Conservative

I am a Christian Conservative and I'm proud of it. It seems, though, I'm also an ignorant,backward thinking, selfish racist. If you read what the far left says. Why is it that the far left, oh, sorry, progressives can't take a little competition? Do they actually want everyone to agree with them and if not, accuse them of being stupid? I don't agree with their way of thinking, but I've never thought of them as being stupid, (misled perhaps). Why does Sarah Palin bother them so much?? Is she a threat to their beliefs? She's not stupid, but that's what they'd have you believe. The same thing with George W. He is NOT a stupid man, but they made him out to be stupid. Is this all they have? Then there's Fox News Channel. I happen to listen to this network. I know they have MANY left-minded news contributors to make it fair and balanced. I know this b/c when I hear them, I disagree. The liberals have ALL the other cable and the 3 main networks, (that's an assumption on my part b/c I never hear any gripes about the these). Why does one network get under there skin? Is it because this network has a huge following and they feel threatened? If you say they are biased, you haven't really listened to it. Yes, there are a couple of opinion shows. So do other networks!

The last I checked, this is still a free country to believe and even speak opinions. Conservatives are often accused of not being tolerate, but what I see and hear is a huge intolerance to me, a Christian first, then Conservative. Sure we have our groups we belong to, but so do they!! We are standing for a cause we believe in, just as they are. We are as passionate as they are. Do we not have that right?? I don't want my grandchildren to look me in the face 30 years from now and ask,"Why didn't you do anything, or say anything?"

2009 at a glance, yeah well, a long glance!

2009 was here, but now it's gone. This is an attempt to look back and be blessed.

January: found me back in Monroe to attend my cousin's New Year Eve and birthday party, with my parents. They do this every year, but I don't get the pleasure of going EVERY year. I came home in time to sing on Worship Team.

The next weekend found me in Dallas, visiting my oldest grandson, Jeremy and his family for our belated Christmas time. This is an annual trip Mary Ann and I take,( and Wayne if he can). We got to see him in one of his basketball games in a youth league. He is VERY good, (if I do say so myself), but he didn't have much patience with the teammates who weren't, (which was ALL of them). He's played this game since he could hold a ball, mostly with adults and has really developed good basketball skills. It probably helps that his dad has been coaching basketball in a private school since before he was born. Our usual plan was followed as we went to church with him and his mother, had lunch, played a little drive-way basketball and headed back to Conroe.

Sometime in early January, I attended a Dave Ramsey Seminar with Mark, Lisa and Mary Ann. Lots of good info retained. Just need the money to use it on. But seriously, I've really been able to pay off some bills and I'm more watchful where the money's going.

February: This month started off pretty profitable, sitting with my elderly next door neighbors, 4 hrs. a day (my choosing) 5 days a week. Their children took the weekends. Worked out great-they needed the help and I needed the income and I wanted to be near Wayne if he needed me. God has never failed us and continues to bless us.

The first weekend took Wayne and me back to Dallas to attend a bridal shower for Wayne's neice. Since Wayne didn't get to see Jeremy in January, we went over after lunch Sunday for a visit. Wayne and Jeremy played basketball in the drive-way. For future reference--ANYTIME we see Jeremy, basketball is played, no matter the weather.

The second weekend Wayne and I went to Monroe for my mom's 82 birthday. Any extended family who chooses get together at an "all you can eat buffet" called Barnhill's to celebrate the birthdays. It's a mini family reunion and lots of fun.

March: While sitting with the neighbors in February, I took a call that the neighbor wasn't able to handle and thought I might be interested. It was an opportunity to be in a mock jury for 2 days for $500. I checked it out on the net and it was legitimate. Talked it over with the neighbors, making sure they could get a substitute and all was set to take place the first week of this month. This was definitely rewarding. It was held in a plush Hotel on the lake with breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks served during breaks. Very informative, but very tiring and even got a little testy with some of the jurors. Some took it TOO serious. It was good to get back to my peaceful little world with my neighbors.

The 2nd weekend Mary Ann and I were back in Dallas. This time for Wayne's neice's wedding. We stayed the first night with Jeremy and met Mark and Alex the next day at the hotel where the wedding was held. We had booked a suite for the 4 of us plus Matthew, Ashleigh and Maya to stay the night. It was fun to see Maya as we don't see her as often as we'd like. They are busy in Austin and we are busy here, plus Wayne really not feeling up to traveling. It will be different this year. The wedding was beautiful and she made a point of wanting ALL her family in her wedding photos only to not ever seeing the photos EVER. Paid lots of money, forgot what happened exactly, but how disappointing that was for her. The reception was a lot of fun, dancing and visiting with other relatives. It was a good time had by all.

This neighbor sitting job got the attention of my elderly neighbors across the street who needed transportation help, so I was able to help them also. They all were so cooperative in being flexible for one another. This all aside from picking my grandson up from preschool and keeping him a couple of hrs. every other Monday til Mark got off work. His mom is Girl Scout Leader of my granddaughter, Rebekah. Oh, I also have Bible Study weekly and worship team practice weekly.

I went to Monroe the last weekend of March but can't remember if it was for anything special or a routine visit with my parents, which ARE pretty special these days.

April: Was happy and sad. Sad because my neighbor was moved to an assisted living in the Alzheimer Unit. It was on Good Friday. It was sad because it just got to a point the wife was not able to handle it alone when I wasn't there. She was also bombarded with one of her children and his offspring in a very ugly and disrespectful manner. She's 81, why is she expected to endure this. This is a very sad disease, losing someone you've spent a lifetime with. She's doing much better now and not so guilt-ladened. We thought she'd be able to take him to church and do other normal things, but wasn't the case. Once in their care, they take full responsibility for them. They say it confuses them to go in and out, that they need to feel secure in their new surroundings where everything is scheduled and dependable. He happens to be at the same home we go sing at and serve ice cream every Sunday afternoon. I still get to see him and his wife comes too and sings with him.

The happy time is going home for my dad's 85th birthday. Same as before--meet at Barnhill's for extended family time. Good times!!

Mix a little Maya, Alex and Rebekah time here and there, makes sweet memories on the weekends. Easter came and went. Hiding eggs for a week or so after Easter.

My birthday is mixed in this month also.

May: Was another month of being happy and sad. Happy because I got to spend Mother's day with my mom only to come home to my neighbor across the street being moved to the hospice floor of the hospital. He died the next day- Monday. Two weeks before, he was admitted in the hospital from one of our trips to the doctor and he never left. Infection had gone too far. They had a wonderful memorial service for him.

This is also the month, I lost one of my oldest and dearest friends. No, not by death, but because of a very unstable mental condition. And NO! NOT ME!! I had to let go of who she used to be and come to the realization that I had enough on my plate and could not do anymore for her. I wish her well, but she is unstable and I believe dangerous.

Alex's birthday is at the end of the month and was celebrated at Chuckie Cheese. Cute little people-all his little friends.

June, July and August: Ashleigh's birthday is the 4th of June celebrated by camping on the Guadeloupe river, for the weekend. This is a tradition for her birthday kicking off the summer months with tubing down the river.

My mother's family reunion is held on the 2nd weekend of June. A couple of years ago, we started having it at a church in the community my mother was born and raised in. It's a great place--out of the heat. The church is most gracious.

Father's day is hard to go home for because we always have just been there for the reunion. We usually spend it here.

Then there's Wayne's birthday on the 30th of June, which he didn't want to do anything this year. He just has not yet felt good since all the ablations. Things have sort of settled down with the neighbors, just periodically going to doctors doing misc. errands for them.

Just a few days later was Lisa's birthday-the 6th of July, a milestone celebrated with family and friends with a murder mystery party-luau style-poolside with all the trimmings.

Sometime, I think the latter part of July, we were told Maya was going to be a big sister. Due sometime in February. Exciting!!!

August brought Mark's birthday the 24th also celebrated with family and friends and karaoke and piñata.

September: Witnessed our sweet Rebekah turning 12, the 1st. Her last year before delving into the teen years. We had a small gathering but she's getting the age wanting to celebrate with her friends. She had a slumber party with a contest dressing in '80s fashion, topped with a competitive treasure hunt.

And Jeremy turning 8, the 3rd, the same day Wayne had a new pacemaker put in. The Cadillac of all pacemakers designed to help stop the flutters. Mary Ann and I made our way up to Jeremy later in the month to celebrate his day.

I think it was September when we found out the baby is a boy. Very undecided about a name. I'm sure when the time comes, he will have the perfect name for him. See how I've already forgotten when things happened? Hence the blog, it's more for me than anyone else who might read it.

October: Maya's 3rd birthday was next on the 4th. We all went over to Austin for a funfilled day celebrating with maybe 4-6 crafts to create. We ate later on at an Italian restaurant, afterwards Lisa, me and the kids headed back to Conroe. I had singing the next morning at church.

Matthew's next on the 17th celebrated here at Mark's house with family and friends and games.

Wayne made his way Dove hunting this month. Long overdue. He needed to get out and have some fun. I went to Monroe to visit my parents, the same weekend.

Sometime this month, I gouged my eye while taking my contact out. Eyes have really been dry and it's hard to take them out. Finally got over it. It was painful for 2 or 3 days. Couldn't wear contacts for a while. Didn't even want to. ha! Had a ct scan of abdominal area for pain I'd been experiencing. Turned out to be diverticulitis.

November: Mary Ann's birthday is the last to be had on the 15th. She had dinner planned at a mexican restaurant downtown Houston followed by Pete's Dual Piano Bar, on the 14th. I went to the dinner then came home. Matthew and Ashleigh didn't make it and Lisa's dad passed away the day before so they didn't go.

Thanksgiving was one of Lisa's dad's favorite holidays, so her mom wanted to get away and do something different this year. So we celebrated Thanksgiving with Matthew, Ashleigh and Maya and Mary Ann of course. Mark and Lisa and kids went to Moody Gardens with her mom.

I went to Monroe Saturday after Thanksgiving and stayed til Monday. Had trouble taking contact out again. Haven't wore them since. Need to go to eye dr. and discuss my options. Been wearing glasses and have even had a few compliments. shock!!

December: This brings me full circle. We had Sunday School Christmas party, Bible Study party, and got together with extended family at my parents the weekend before Christmas. Everyone was there but Wayne and my niece, Stacie. And darn, I can't believe we didn't take a picture of all of us. It's really hard to get everyone at the same time coming from North Carolina and us from Texas.

Came home that Sunday only to find out Monday morning my good friend Kathy was in the hospital with heart problems. She had a heart-cath done Tuesday, a defibulator put in Christmas Eve and went home mid morning Christmas day.

We had our Christmas dinner in the evening, giving Matthew and Ashleigh time to come from Austin. We had a fire in the firepit on the driveway and Wayne cooked steaks. We had salad, deluxe mashed potatoes, spinach, grilled bacon peppers, broccoli rice casserole, chips and guacamole,, pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, bundt cake, pumpkin pie, strawberry shortcake. I think that's all. Gifts were opened and enjoyed by all.

The oil company Wayne works for sold to another company and after much to do--applications, interviews, and physicals, he now works for the new company. Hopefully to be put on straight days. He needs this bad, but we are very thankful for a job. Thank you Lord.

The 30th, Mary Ann and I went to a friends retirement party. Good to see her grown children and their children after all these years. Her brother died in Mississippi that night so early the 31st they packed it up and drove there. Which left me taking her friend from Budapest to the airport.

New Year's Eve started off a little on the lazy side followed by a little shopping. I think I might have broken a record in buying 3 purses at 3 different places on 3 different days, only to take them all back--3 different times. Ha! I kill me!! Anyway, I picked up Elona and we headed to the airport, got her checked in at the hotel and made a trial run to terminal B on the underground train and back to the hotel to the restaurant on top and devour chicken quesadillas at the bar. I thinks I've made another good friend. That's how I brought the new year in. Rather quiet ride to a quiet home. So we will be looking forward to meeting little Harrison Phoenix? Harrison River? Harrison Wayne??

So that, Libby, is year 2009 at a glance. Recorded for future reference if memory fails me.

p.s. My daughter gave me permission to also add that her divorce was final March5th of '09.

I wasn't going to say anything about it. Didn't want to chance upsetting anyone.

This is me labeling as I see it.

A Slap in the Face? I hope not!

This is sort of a slap to My Space, but I don't mean it to be. Here goes...

It took me a long time to move over to FaceBook, not wanting to get hooked on anything else on the computer. I have to say, I'm so glad I joined, not that it's better. It's just different. I enjoy the profile pages of friends on My Space, learning and seeing more of their personality. I also like the blog sections, can't you tell? Ha!

What I do like most about FaceBook is connecting with so many old friends from school and childhood. I've even reconnected with cousins I haven't seen in ages. It's been fun to catch up with them and see a little piece of their lives as it unfolds thru out the day.

FaceBook has made it possible to participate in lives I care about, who, quite honestly, were long forgotten. No way would I sit and write letters to all these and send them snail-mail.

I am not a fan of all the games and apps., in fact I keep them hidden. I call it virtual trash.

And I am NOT going to succumb to the twitter gang. No, absolutely not.

Funny, that's what I said about FaceBook.

Turning 85

My daddy turned 85 years old this Monday. Except for major back pain, he's in pretty good health. Of course this birthday caught him conjested and not feeling too good. He was a trooper, anyway. The plan to meet family at Barnhills was not canceled. The meds he is on for conjestion sort of made him wobbly, but by Monday at lunch time he was feeling alright. I like the fact they all get together for birthdays. I was able to visit with my favorite uncle who is 90 himself. I call him Slim and he still calls me Wibby.

We do more than eat. We remember the good times we've had thru the years. It's almost like a family reunion, just on a much smaller scale. Speaking of reunions, a couple are coming up in June and July. I like to make them. You never know when we'll lose someone from sickness or other. I don't want any regrets of not seeing them.

I've been spending a lot of time with 80-somethings year olds. I count it a priveledge to be of some help to this last remnant of the GREATEST GENERATION. They served our country well and taught us great work ethics. The best cooks are slowly leaving us also. They were the generation that bought everything with cash or put it on LAY-AWAY. Who does that anymore?? Now days, we want it NOW! So we pay for the luxury of having it NOW. Most of that generation was a 2 parent home, where the dad worked and the mom stayed home with the kiddos. There wasn't all the extra activities for the kids like there is today. We played outside until we were called home for supper. Unless of course we were catching lightning bugs in a jar. THAT was worth eating a cold supper! After supper, we'd go out and play hide-and-seek with car headlights coming down the street. We'd hide behind bushes or down in the ditches, to keep the headlights from shining on us. We were out of the game if that happened.

I realize not everyone has good memories of growing up, but I have wonderful memories. Mostly due to a safe and secure home structured by my parents with what they had learned from their parents. I thank God I still have my parents with me, but as the years pass, I know the day is coming when NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME. I have to say, I'm a little envious of my sister living so close to them, because it is definitely an honor to do for them as the need arises. I want to take every chance I can to give back to a couple who has always been there for us in every way possible.

Love 'em while you have 'em!!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!