HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!!

YHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DAVID HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.

Grandaddy and I can't believe you are already four years old. You are getting to be SO BIG. We wish we could have been there for this special day. I hope you and Luke and Charlotte had lots of fun and ate lots of cake and ice cream and played and played all day long.

Look how much you have grow since these pictures. Happy birthday again and we love you THIS MUCH.

We will come and see you in March. HUGS AND KISSES. NYYYYYYYYYYY YOU.

PS: Jonathan picture of John was supposed to a picture of you. So much for my skills. Thinking of you anyway.

LIFE LESSONS

I just got in from work a little bit ago, John picked up Emily at the school bus stop and I thought I would try to think of something to write about. It has been very slow moving this month. For a month to be the shortest of the year, it sometimes takes the longest to past. I think maybe it is because it is winter and cold and I don't get out and do much outside. Every day I think this is the day that I get back out and start walking, but by the time I get off work I put it off one more day. I am the biggest procrastinator in the world. Life lesson: Always put off til tomorrow what you should have done today.

I did finish a couple more pictures this past week. I wonder how many you need to have a starving artist sale, although I would have a hard time passing for a starving anything. The barn picture puts me in mind of the barn that we had on our farm when I was a kid. I was scared to death to go out to the barn because I was afraid of the horse, cow, pig and even the chickens. We didn't move to the farm until I was about seven or eight years old, so I didn't grow up with all those animals and I just never could warm up to any of them. Life lesson: If you aren't around animals when you are little you just don't turn out to be an animal person. Sorry

The beach picture makes me think of all the vacations we have taken to Gulf Shores and Myrtle Beach. There is nothing like walking along the beach and picking up seashells and watching the seagulls. I don't care to go into the water though and if I do it is just to wade where the water breaks. When I was little my brother Bruce and I got caught up in and undertow and was almost swept out, but was rescued by a couple that pulled us to safety. Mother couldn't swim so she was just sitting on a blanket watching us in the shallow water and she thought the couple was just playing with us. She didn't know anything was wrong until they informed her that we could have drown. Life lesson:Don't take your kids to the beach if you can't swim.

Bruce and I were always close growing up and usually into lots of trouble. We usually got a spanking every day whether we needed it or not. Mother would get a switch and tell us if we ran from her, we would get a harder spanking. Bruce would always run and hide and I was afraid to because I didn't want a harder spanking. I really couldn't see that his was any different from mine. Life lesson: Run for you life.

One time when we lived in Bogalussa La.(?) The neighbor call the police because we picked up rocks from their driveway. I must have been 4 and Bruce was 6. And there was the time when we lived in North Carolina and we pulled a icebox over on us. The icebox fell in front of the back door and Mother and Daddy was outside washing the car and heard the crash of two kids, icebox and a fifty lb block of ice falling to the floor. They couldn't get in the back door and had to run around to the front and pull the icebox off us. After the initial relief of realizing that we weren't dead, we both got a spanking. Life lesson: Play dead as long as it takes.

Bruce would have been 66 years old the 25 th of Feb. Life lesson: Remember the good times. To hell with the bad.

VISITING FRANCE AND ROME

After we got back from Sweden, we spent the couple of week just hanging out with David and exploring around Germany. We took the train and went to several small towns and visited a couple of castles. We took a long weekend and went to a small town in France. It was in the wine country and the scenery was just beautiful, flowers everywhere, it was like stepping back in time. We stayed in a small hotel and slept with the windows open onto a small balcony. There was a church just across the street and when they rung the chimes the sound was almost deafening yet pleasant to hear.

We went to a really nice resturant while we were there. There was an elderly lady eating alone and it was amazing to watch her eat. It was almost like an art. She was served a large chafer of red wine and a whole carp. When I looked over after she was finished with this course, the only thing left of the fish was the skeleton. She had started at the head and ate the whole thing except the bones. In the mean time she drank the whole bottle of red wine. Then she was served cheese and later a desert along with a small chafer of white wine. She was still finishing the last of the wine when we left. I had to hope that she was either walking or didn't have far to drive. I guess wine is more of a staple in France than in the south.

When we were down to our last two weeks of vacation. We decided we would take a trip to Rome. Sondra could not go with us because she had to work. She booked us a flight and a hotel for our four day stay. I think she was actually surprised that we took this adventure by ourselves, but I figured if we got lost we would get lost together.

We flew into the Rome airport and then had to take almost an hour train ride in the the city. Everything went great, no problems at all, and we were patting ourselves on the back. We had directions to the hotel which was just one block down and just a short walk to the left. Three hours later we were still walking up and down and around and around the same area. It was hotter than a two dollar pistol, the sweat was rolling down our backs and our clothes were soaking wet. We finally got a taxi which is a real no no. The driver charged us $100.00, drove us the long way around the block and let us off at the wrong hotel. We finally made it back to the train station, and a service desk attendant finally walked us to the hotel which was one block down and just to the left. We were looking for a big sign for the hotel and this was a sign about a foot tall and a foot and a half wide fitting flat against the wall among a bunch of other signs. I could go on and on about trying to actually get into the hotel and finding the person in charge and trying to get the air conditioner to work for the first two days, but I won't. This was a bad start to an otherwise wonderful visit.

We took a couple of bus tours and visited the Vatican. I was a little disappointed in the fact that the commericalism detracted from the beauty of the whole place. The tourist were herded through and there was no time just to stand and reflect on the awesomeness of the surroundings. I guess it was because we went at the peak tourist season, but at least we can say "been there,done that".

The traffic was unreal. It was as though everyone had the right away and took it. You were taking you life in your hands to cross the street, because buses, cars and motor scooters were coming at you from all directions.

We ate in some great little cafes and the food was delicious. The pizza was different but really good.

We were glad that we took the venture and made it on our own. We may forget some of the places and things that we saw, but we will never forget trying to find the Termini Hotel.

RUNAWAY BLAZER

I have got to tell you all this while I am still chuckling about it.

John has been kind of under the weather, so this morning when I ask him if he would like to get out for awhile, I didn't know if he would go out or not. He said it would probably make him feel better to get some fresh air. We went to Heart's Crys and then decided to go into town where they had opened another thrift store ( you know our passion for those.) We looked around for a little bit and decided to go home.

We had started out of town, when John ask if I wanted to stop and get a bite to eat. Well I am never going to turn down an opportunity to eat out. We stopped at Sonic and ordered a chicken tender basket. We sat there for about 15 minutes eating, talking and people watching. I looked up and I said to John, "have we rolled?". Well we could see the menu board and speaker up in front of us about a car length and a half. We had ever so slowly rolled into the middle of the drive threw and were sitting right smack dab in the middle of it just eating and talking. We had noticed that other cars were cutting us a wide path, but figured they were dodging something else. We didn't realize it was us. When we figured out what happened we pulled up and sat there and laughed until we both had tears running down our cheeks.

Just another reason not to take yourself to seriously.

OUR TRIP TO SWEDEN

This past summer Sondra wanted us to come back and visit her in Germany, so once again we made the transatlantic flight to Europe. We were not hardly as apprehensive this time. We left on July 3 rd and this time we were staying for six weeks. This was hard to do since were leaving the other grand kids for such a long time. We were use to being with Luke and Charlotte everyday and seeing John Pearson and Emily almost everyday. We decided that everyone could take care of themselves without John and I being here.

The first week we were in Germany we adjusted to our jet lack and rested for a couple of days. After we had been there for a week we left on a five day trip to Sweden. That was the most exciting part of the whole trip for John. Since the Sundquist came from Sweden John felt kind of like Alex Haley searching for his roots. Sondra had contacted a distant relative to let them know that we were coming to Sweden and would like to touch base with them while we were there.

These people were unbelievable, they told us to come and stay in a bungalow that they had and to just make ourselves at home. The bungalow was right on the bay and the view was just breathtaking. I felt like I was staying in a Southern Living Magazine layout. Curt took us out on one of his tourist boat, we went out and ate authentic Swedish meatballs served with ligion (?) berry preserves. We also went to visit the old Sundquist home place. It had deteriorated and not much left of it, but to be standing in the same spot that your ancestors stood gave even me goose pumps. Both John and Curt got a little misty eyed. Over in a area that was grown over with vine was an old sled, probably used by John's great grandad when he was a boy.

Sweden is probably the most beautiful place we visited. The wild flowers grew along the side of the roads and looked as though they had been hand sewn. Flying over the area it looked like you could literally see the land coming up from the ocean. We were there at a great time, because it was daylight almost 24 hours a day. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

Going and coming to Ullanger we stayed the night in Upssila, which was a beautiful town with a college and the students were lounging and picnicing along the canal that ran through town. We flew into a smaller airport, but drove through Stocholm. We were able to see the Royal Castle from a distance. We were so glad that we were able to make this wonderful side trip.

Yet another place I never thought I would see.

PS the pictures are of the Sundquist home place.

TO MY SWEETHEARTS ON VALENTINE'S DAY

Happy Valentine's day to all our grand children.. John Pearson, Emily, Andrew, Matthew, Aaron, David, Luke and Charlotte. Hope you all had fun. Since I didn't send cards through the mail, this will be your special Valentine card.

HUGS AND KISSES, HUGS AND KISSES, HUGS AND KISSES.

LOVE YOU ALL. MAWMAW AND GRAND DADDY.

SCOUTING IS HARD WORK

Monica sent me these pictures of Andrew and Matthew's recent scouting event at a cave camp out. They spent the weekend exploring the cave, crawling into nooks and crannies, looking at the formations of rocks, falling asleep listening to whole group of scouts and leaders snoring simantaniously, cooking out and eating inside the cavern.

They sure looked full of pep and energy at the beginning of the trip, but that all changed on the way back. I think they slept most of the five hour trip home. It's a good thing Tim was not as zonked as the boys.

HAVING A ROUGH WEEK

Well I hate to complain, but this has been the most frustrating week I have had in a long time. It started out great, went had a long weekend in Memphis, but it has been down hill from there. Of course I went back to work on Tuesday and had a very long day about 12 hours. Then had to be back in this morning at 5:45, but I can handle that. Now I know that I am not the smartest person in the world but I don't think I'm as dumb as a stump.

We have been in this on going battle over the email address change for almost two weeks. I reckon everything that has had that email address on it is completely screwed up. The only real people that you can reach to talk to are Jeff or Lisa somewhere in deepest India. It is funny, when you first start talking to them they sound like you are talking to an english speaking person, but the longer you talk to heavier accent they have and suddenly you understand nothing they are saying. I start wondering if I have had a stroke or am I standing under the tower of Bable. After about an hour Jeff tells me to hold on and he will switch me to someone who can for certain help me. CLICK........ Then the operator comes on and says "If you want to make a call, please hang up and dial again".


I can't understand why with all this confusion, that we can't receive a payment to my account, but they continue to take out service charges. Same account, same address, same email address. It seems I'm putting water in a bucket with a hole in it. I am beginning to think the computer is a means to get rid of everyone over 50. Why resort to euthanisia, when you can just drive people crazy with a computer. I hope Jeff and Lisa feel really bad when they read the obits and it says "Pat was found with one fist threw the computer screen and the other clutching the mouse".

I promise after to day I will blog about kids, grand kids, vacations, aches and pains, but not about my computer woes.
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STAYING BUSY

We have been very busy the last few days. I have things to post but I will have to do that tomorrow or the next day. We went to Memphis this weekend and just got in time to day to pick up Emily after school.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

As of tomorrow I will be having my 64th birthday. It is hard to define how you feel about having another birthday. I am glad I made it to celebrate another, because I had friends that didn't make it this far. On the other hand you start to notice that people look at you differently as you get older. Like when I first started to work I was one of the younger women working there ( age 45 ) and everyone treated me like a kid and thought I didn't know anything. ( which I didn't ). Now everyone calls me Miss Pat and assumes that I should know everything, ( which I don't). It is the comments about why are you still working that get me. Younger people assume that when you hit about 50 you should give up your life as you know it and start the down hill decline. I still work because I need the pay check for one thing, but I feel I actually have more to offer at this point in my life. I don't have children that I have to put first, so I don't miss any work because of that. I don't have to worry about maturnity leave, baby sitters and missing special days at their school. I don't have to worry about what to fix for dinner after working all day. John and I will heat up whatever and make it fine. So it is much easier now than it was when the kids were all home.

Having another birthday make you think back to other birthdayS. I wonder how mother felt 64 years ago today. Was she scared, how big was she, was she excited to have another baby? She tells me that one Feb 4th it was so warm outside that I had a birthday party outside. I remember having my thirteenth birthday party at our house on Bridge Road. I still have pictures of that. I remember turning 16 and learning to drive although I didn't try for my drivers licence until I was 18. The year I turned 21 John and I had been married just a month and Mother, Daddy, Wayne and Robbie surprised me with a birthday cake at our appartment.
The next year John and I had a nice dinner at a fancy resturant and I almost choked on a bread tie that had been french fried with the onion rings. The following year we had Johnny, then Monica, then Sondra, then Mark, then Sarah, so it was quite a number of year after that that I just don't recall vivid memories of my birthdays. I know they were all special, but there comes a time in your life that it is not all about ME, I was more concerned about my family than my birthday.

I know this sounds a little morbid but at this stage of my life I realize that there are more years to look back on than to look forward to. I'm closer to 100 than 1. I will continue to enjoy myself. LIFE IS SHORT, LIVE IT ANYWAY.