AT LOOSE ENDS

OK. I have been off work for two weeks. We took a weeks vacation to Myrtle Beach. I've changed sheets, mopped floors, dusted the furniture, planted some stuff in the yard, mowed the yard and the list goes on and on, but my question is what do I do now.

John seems never to run out of things that can keep him entertained. He always has a to do list and the list never gets any shorter. At any given time he will be piddling around with a box of junk or tinkering on the car or lawn mower, cataloging his trinkets or reading. I on the other hand have to have an agenda. When I get up in the morning I want to have a plan for the day. Are we going to go to town? Are we going to go work on our booth? Keep me entertained.

I don't know when I began to feel that I needed to be doing something all the time. I remember when I was a teenager I could sit up half the night and sleep most of the next day. Not anymore. I wake up by 5:30 and I don't believe I could go back to sleep if someone hit me in the head with a hammer.

I guess this is the reason I don't want to quit work. I am afraid I will not be able to keep myself focused or busy enough to fill all the hours in a day, week, month, year, or years. I am always amazed at how some of the women I know can just hop in the car and go lollygagging around at the mall everyday. If I go to the mall, I want to know what I'm going for, go in and get and leave as quickly as possible.

I think I need some suggestions on what people do with their retirement years. At least enough to get me through the summer. When I start back to work in the fall I can complain about all the things I could be doing if I wasn't working.

BACK FROM MYRTLE BEACH

Well we made it back from Myrtle Beach safe and sound. I think everyone had a good time. We are lucky that Sondra and Jonathan has a time share and were able to go as Sondra's guest. We took Emily and Matthew along so they could get some grandparent time. David got to spend some time with cousins that he doesn't see very often and we were able to visit with Jonathan's aunt Pat and uncle Steve from North Carolina.

The weather was very cold for this time of the year, but as you know that doesn't stop kids from wanting to get into the surf and play in the pool. There were a couple of days that I was afraid that they would get hypothermia but when we got back to our room we would put them in the hot tub and let them play until the thawed out. I did stick my feet into the surf one day and thought I was going to go into complete body shock. It was the heated pool and the hot tub that I enjoyed most.

We went out to eat a few times. There is a little place on Hwy 17 in North Myrtle Beach called the Seafood Hut. They have some really great Calabash seafood. We use to go up to Calabash NC to get seafood but found this place a few years back, so we just go there now. The restaurant is a small hole in the wall place, but the food is delicious, the prices are better than anywhere in town and some of the waitresses have been there every since we have been going. If you get to MB check out the Seafood Hut.

On the way home we started looking of interesting sights and signs to keep the kids entertained. We saw the Life Saver Bus in MS., the "You Dump It We Pump It" truck in Ga. and the sign in the thrift store that read " Children's books 10 cents and Pregnancy books $1.00. This struck John and I funny for some reason. We passed a Memorial Day display in Gadsden Al. of flags and crosses with the names of veterans who had died serving their country. The rain on the windshield reminded me of the tears that had been shed of these service men and women. Coming through Huntsville we past the rocket standing tall at the space and rocket center. When we got there we knew we were only about 50 miles from home, so the kids settled in and slept the rest of the way in.

It was a long drive. We drove about 16 hundred miles by the time we picked Matthew up in Walnut, MS, back home to Al. and then the actual trip to MB back to AL. and then a return trip to MS. to meet Monica where she drove in from Memphis to pick up Matthew. We finally got in about 5:00 p.m on Sunday evening. We were both wiped out. Now we need a vacation to recover from the vacation:)

TRADE DAY AT THE SALE BARN

If anyone had told me forty three years ago that I would one day be down at the sale barn selling junk out of the back of a van and a utility trailer, I would have said they were nuts. But today that is exactly where I was.

Every Tuesday there is a trade day at the Lauderdale Co. sale barn. People bring everything from plants to fruits and veggies to every kind of piece of junk you can imagine. Our's was junk. As I have said in the past John and I are pack rats and enjoy going to thrift stores, yard sales and especially auctions. We accumulate so much junk at times we have to do something to get rid of some of the stuff.

We got up this morning at 4:30 finished loading our treasures and got down to the sale barn a little after 5:00. It was still dusky dark, but there were old men ( like John, age wise) with flashlights going through our boxes before we could get them unloaded. The cows in the holding pens which was about 30 or 40 feet from us were bellowing to high heavens and the smell of cow poop literally filled the air.

We finally got our stuff set up and the crowds started coming in around 8:00. You would not believe the number of people that came through. It is always amazing to me the things people buy. We started out with the back of the van full and the trailer full. When we left we had everything loaded into the back of the van except for our fold up saw horses and plywood to make tables. This has got to be the perfect way to git rid of your clutter and best of all we made $348.00. Ya hoo!!

No, this is not something I would have done forty three years ago, but it is something I did today and will probably do again. We enjoyed talking to the people that came through, I saw people that I haven't seen in years and we got to breath some fresh air ( well not fresh smelling air) and came home exhausted. Life is good.

A SOGGY SPRING

This has been the absolute wettest spring that I can remember in years. It has rained just about everyday for the past two weeks. I am kind of afraid to stand outside for too long, because of the possibility of moss growing on the north side of me. I guess we can just never be satisfied with the weather. Last year we were in such a drought, that we thought the water table would never recover, now it looks like the water table overfloweth.

One good thing about it is that we finally have a full stand of grass in the yard, not just weeds, dandelions and other wild things. We will be going on vacation next week and I just hope we get the grass mowed before we leave or we will have to get a bush hog in here when we return. I have had the urge to plant things this spring, so I planted a couple of tomato plants and a pepper plant all of which have blooms on them. I am so excited. I really don't have a green thumb and when I get anything past the size it was when I bought it in the little seedling cups, I think I am a farmer.

I am excited to have some time off this summer. I probably want have to work but one week this summer and the rest of the time is mine or at least mine, John's, the grand kids, the kids and whoever and whatever turns up. But you know what I mean. I don't have to punch a time clock. By the time fall rolls around I will be ready to hit it again.

Nothing much has happened in the last week or so except graduation. I hope when I come back from vacation I will have some nice beach pictures and interesting stories to tell. Until then take care.

GOD GAVE ME NOTHING I WANTED,

I signed on to Facebook just this week. It is still a little confusing to me, but I'm sure I will figure it out eventually. The first thing I read was a quote that Sameer had posted on his wall, which was "God gave me nothing I wanted, but he gave me everything I needed". This really struck a note with me because it is so true of all of us.

When I was little I figured I had everything I needed. I had a mother, dad and an older brother. As time went on I had two more brothers and a sister. There was not much more to want. But as I got older I began wishing, wanting and praying for more.

When I was fourteen I changed schools and had to make new friends. I would pray that I would get to be a cheerleader or homecoming queen something to make me stand out in the crowd and make more friends, but God said "No". So I went through high school with just a few friends that are mainly still good friends today. I never stood out in the crowd, but the teachers always liked me and considered me one of their better students.

Then there was the time that I had a really big crush on this guy and I would pray, "Just let this boy notice me and I will be the happiest person in the whole world". But again God said "No". I spent many a hour pining away over that boy. When I was twenty years I met John. We dated for three months and got married. We knew from the first day we met that we were meant for each other. That was forty three years ago and I really can't remember what the big crush's last name was.

Like everyone I have prayed "Let me win the lottery and I will spend it wisely, help my family and friends, make donations to church and worth while charities, but again God said "No". What I do have is enough money to pay my bills, a comfortable house to live in, semi good health for my age, and family and friends that I can count on in any situation. I have a husband, children and grandchildren that I am proud of, a strong faith and the knowledge that God gave me everything I needed.

Thank you Sameer for posting that quote. Hope you don't mind my using it.

EMILY'S FIRST COMMUNION

We just made it in from Emily's first communion. The service was held at 2:00 in the afternoon. The church was almost full and there were only about twenty children receiving first communion. All the kids looked so sweet and angelic with their little white dresses and veils and the little boys in their suits and ties.

After the service the third grade parents hosted a wonderful reception. Lots of cookies, punch, fruit and finger foods. Everything was yummy as usual. I tried to get some snap shots of Emily and the group but the group pictures didn't turn out well. All were either blurry or to bright or to dark. There was a photographer taking pictures so thankfully they didn't have to depend on me to capture these memories by myself.

Emily read the prayers of the faithful along with a little boy. None of the kids acted as though they were nervous at all. Children seem a lot more confident than when I was that age. I would have been shaking in my shoes. We are very proud of you Emily. We love you a bunch.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CODY

I just thought I would post some of my favorite pictures of you for your

26 th birthday.

If a mother- in-law can't do something to tick off a son-in -law then who can she tick off. I was going through pictures on the computer and thought I would post some of the really weird ones. I also found the one of you and Sarah in Gulf Shores ( it is really my favorite). Then I found the ones of you in Iraq. We were proud of you for serving your country, not once but twice. But most of all we are happy with Luke and Charlotte. As with all the grand kids, they are a joy in our lives. By the way do you notice a family resemblance in their eating habits? :0

HAVE A GOOD ONE